GEARHEAD: Personally Modified Irons By Charl Schwartzel

With it being 2020, you would think that almost every PGA TOUR player would be using clubs and gear provided to them by a sponsor, especially if you’re a former major champion. Contrary to belief, Charl Schwartzel is doing it all himself this week.

Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters Champion, will be playing this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and he’s planning on using a very unique set of irons. Schwartzel, who is currently playing without any equipment sponsorships, will be playing the tournament with irons that he bought online with his own money. These irons also have Schwartzel’s own creative touch on them.

The irons that Schwartzel bought are Miura MB-001’s that he took a fancy to. Once he got the irons and tried them out, he realized that they were too heavy for his liking. According to Schwartzel, the irons had a swing weight of D6 but he’s more used to playing with irons that carry a D3 swing weight. So what did he decide to do? He drilled some holes into the back of the irons to reduce their weight.

Charl Schwartzel’s custom @MiuraGolfInc MB-001 irons @WMPhoenixOpen pic.twitter.com/zTWrrkbTJv

— Fully Equipped | GOLF.com (@Fully_Equipped) January 28, 2020

When I say that he drilled holes into the back of the irons, I mean he literally made the holes with a drill press he has at home. While the whole thing gives off “Wonder Boy” vibes from the book “The Natural,” Schwartzel indicated that drilling holes into the back of your irons was something that PGA TOUR pros used to do all the time to get the perfect swing weight.

“When I bought them, they were too heavy, so I had to drill holes in them to get them lighter,” Schwartzel said in an interview with GOLF.com. “That’s how they used to do it. I spoke with Nick Price and he used to build his own clubs back in the day. That was the only way — way back when they were playing — to get weight out. You have to drill holes.”

The clubs definitely look odd to the eye with a different number of holes drilled into each iron but it seems practical. In an era where all equipment seems to be taken care of for players, it’s cool to see Schwartzel taking that much interest into his clubs. Only time will tell if Schwartzel’s old-school tactics pay off this week.

Cover Image Via Twitter