Shubhankar shot a 7 under – 64 to take the early lead in the TATA Open, we got a chance to talk about his equipment and what he carries in his bag during a typical tournament round:
Driver – Callaway V series Big Bertha, 9 degrees set a degree stronger at 8 degrees, which he has been using for 2 years now with a Speeder Evolution X flex shaft.
3 wood – Taylormade M2 15 degrees with a Diamana Blue board 70 X shaft with a neutral setup. The club has been in his bag only for 2 months now.
Utility Club/Hybrid club depending upon the course setup – Titleist 712 Utility 2 iron presently in his bag.
Irons – Titleist 714 CB’s, with some lead tape to make them heavier, have been in his bag for 3 years. He has used the Titleist CB series for the last 6 years and keeps upgrading models from time to time altough he has not yet switched to the 716 CB’s which he is currently testing.
Wedges – Titleist Sm 6 wedges – 60 with 04 bounce, 56 with 08 bounce, 50 with a 08 bounce and a 46 degree PW.
Putter – Ping Karsten Anser 5 which has been in his bag for 2 years, his unique putter is face-balanced as opposed to being a toe-balanced one and has a longer neck than normal blade putters. He favours blade putters over any other putters as they favour his straight back and straight through putting stroke.
Ball – Titleist PROV1x marked with a red dot.
- *Accurate as of the 2016 Tata Open
He carries about 8-10 balls per round and 6-7 gloves for use. Shubhankar carries a mix of dry fruits in his bag which he likes to use as mid-round fuel. He carries bananas, an energy drink and water to last him the 18 holes.
He uses a Re. 1 or Re 2 coin to always mark his ball on the greens, carries a blue and yellow ball which is a putting aid, it helps him determine whether or not he’s rolling the ball along it’s axis on the greens.
His favourite club used to be his utility iron at the beginning of the year but the putter seems to be his pet club as of now. The Asian tour player is pretty happy hitting all his clubs and doesn’t like to single out any one of them which is always a great problem to have.
Also Read: What’s in the Bag: Honey Baisoya at the TATA Open
Shubhankar is of the opinion that the 3 wood is one of the most important clubs in the bag as it is quite important off the tee boxes as well as into the par – 5’s where the scoring opportunities are plenty. He pays special attention in choosing his 3 wood and is always on the lookout for any possible gains in that dimension of his equipment.
The 20 year old prefers to hit a draw with his clubs and feels that is a stronger ball flight which requires much lesser control compared to a fade. A draw is favourable for him and is his go-to shot whenever he feels like his ball-striking is a tad off.
