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Our Bernhard Langer WITB 2023 is the perfect way to pay tribute to the German Hall of Golf Famer who turns 66 in August.
The world number 6 shows no signs of slowing down, carding back-to-back top-ten positions in his first two starts this season on the PGA TOUR Champions.
By the end of this guide, you will know what golf clubs the two-time Masters champ plays and whether they suit your game. Moreover, you will learn that Langer has an unorthodox setup, mixing and matching clubs from different brands and playing sticks that are difficult to find on the open market.
🏆 Read Next: Who is Bernhard Langer? Remarkable Rags to Riches Golf Story
Bernhard Langer Quick Facts Table
| Birthday | August 27, 1957 |
| Birthplace | Bavaria, West Germany |
| Age | 66 years old |
| Year Turned Pro | 1972 |
| Tournament Wins | 120 |
| Major Wins | Masters – (1985, 1993) Senior Open Championship – (2010, 2014, 2017, 2019) Constellation Senior Championship – (2014, 2015, 2016) U.S. Senior Open – 1 (2010) Regions Tradition – 2 Wins (2016, 2017) Senior PGA Championship – (2017) |
| World Ranking | 6 |
| Equipment Sponsor | N/A |
Bernhard Langer WITB Quick Summary
Driver and Shaft: Ping G400, 9 degrees – Tour AD Graphite X Flex
3 wood and Shaft: Ping G430, 15 Degrees – Tour AD Graphite DI7 TX Flex
2 hybrid and Shaft: Adams Idea Pro 18 Degrees – Midas Filament Wound Nano
3 hybrid and Shaft: Adams Idea Pro 22 Degrees – Midas Filament Wound Nano
Irons (4-7): Tour Edge Exotics CBX Forged
Irons (8-9): Artisan Golf BL Custom
Pitching Wedge: Tour Edge Exotics BL Proto
56° and 60° Wedges and Shaft: Cleveland 588 Custom – True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball
Ball: Titleist ProV1x
Driver 9°
Overview
After one event in 2023, Langer is the leading senior for driving accuracy. He hit 95.24% of fairways at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, showing that older golf clubs are still efficient.
When Ping released the G400 in 2017, it was revolutionary as it combined a rapid clubface, aerodynamic crown, and maximum MOI. Fast forward six years and these features are the norms in modern drivers. They are forgiving, fast, easy to launch, and long.
Although the G400 is better suited to superior golfers, it offers forgiveness without hampering playability and speed. The 445cc driver head is aerodynamic and accelerates rapidly on the downswing for optimal clubhead speed leading into impact.
A fast forged T9S+ blasted my golf ball off the clubface, imparting rampant speed and minimal spin on the ball for a mid-to-high launch. The tungsten back weight boosts your stability and MOI to resist twist and remain square at contact for straighter shots.
The streamlined, aerodynamic clubhead shape could benefit slower-swinging seniors. However, the reduced clubhead size and forgiveness compared to the G400 Max is better suited to low handicap seniors. Finally, the G400 features an adjustable hosel that offers an increase or decrease in the loft for your desired launch.
⛳️ Fun Fact: Mr. Langer likes this golf driver so much he even uses it regularly in the fairway.
PROS
- Promotes rapid clubhead speed
- Encourages workability
- Explosive clubface
- Lowers spin
- Amplified acoustics
CONS
- Less surface area is detrimental to beginners
- Difficult to find the Ping G400 new
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Ping G430 Max Fairway Wood
est $349.99
3 Wood 15°
Overview
We move from the vintage G400 driver to the brand new Ping G430 Max 3-wood, packed with game improvement technology. The G430 Max features a lightweight, carbon composite crown which saved the engineers 10 grams. They repositioned the weight to lower the center of gravity (CG) for a high-launching shot.
Next, the Face Wrap Technology boosts ball speed on off-center strikes for seniors. In addition, the highly flexible clubface accelerates ball velocity on all shots to encourage a long, high golf shot.
Forgiveness is further enhanced by the Spinsistency technology, which minimizes spin across the clubface and preserves ball speed. This proves handy in optimizing control and distance, even on low-face strikes.
The back tungsten weight boosted stability and minimized face twist thanks to an elevated moment of inertia (MOI). It simplified the chore of squaring the clubface at impact, promoting improved accuracy on all shots.
Lastly, the Ping G430 Max 3-wood contains a Trajectory Tuning 2.0 hosel that allows you to increase or decrease loft by 1.5 degrees. Ultimately, the G430 Max fairway wood is an excellent option for mid and high-handicapper senior men.
PROS
- High launching
- Maximum Forgiveness
- Flexible clubface preserves ball speed on all strikes
- Adjustable hosel
- Promotes consistent distance
CONS
- Priced at a premium
- Not Ping’s best fairway wood alignment aid
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Hybrids 18° and 22°
Overview
Langer returned to the archives for his hybrid selection, adding the 2007 released Adams Idea Pro hybrids. The 18 and 22-degree models are slightly offset to combat slices, promote straight, high flight, and land softly on approach. However, they do not present the look of a severely offset golf club at first glance.
Despite their age, these highly affordable hybrids do as required, prompting a hassle-free launch that encourages neutral ball flight. In addition, its oversized head design allowed engineers to spread weight around the head’s perimeter to enlarge the sweet spot, resulting in optimal speed, spin, and launch.
The broader sole on the Idea Pro hybrids was efficient through the turf and prevented my club from digging into the earth. As a result, it helps the average player strike the ball cleaner from the fairway or rough.
I also find the steel face produces sensational ball speed and low spin for an older model hybrid. Although it seems the norm today, the Idea Pro could alter the golf club’s swing weight with an adjustable weight screw.
PROS
- Entry-level price tag
- High forgiveness
- Produces clean turf interaction
- Adjustable weight screw
- Fast clubface
CONS
- Difficult to find a new version
- Oversized profile
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Irons 4 – 7
Overview
After one event in 2023, the 65-year-old ranks third for greens in regulation (GIR). His long to mid irons are clearly doing the trick, as he hit 85.19% of GIR in Hualālai in January. The German operates with the forgiving and soft feeling 2017 Tour Edge Exotics CBX Forged 4 to 7-iron.
Tour Edge forged the face from Japanese S25c carbon steel, which produces a buttery-soft feel at impact and higher ball zip across the clubface. In addition, a TPE alloy insert eradicates vibrations on mishits for a pleasant touch on all shots.
Next, the engineers added cavity backs to these irons spreading the weight around the perimeter and expanding the sweet spot for some forgiveness on off-center strikes. Remember, they are not game improvement irons, resulting in less leniency on mishits.
It appears his CBX forged irons are customized, as there are three slots with additional weight at the bottom of the flange. This setup increases MOI and lowers CG to produce higher launching long iron shots. Lastly, these irons carry traditional lofts, which experienced seniors may be more accustomed to swinging.
PROS
- Soft feel
- Workable
- Forgiving for a blade-style design
- Promotes workability
- Crisp acoustics
CONS
- Less forgiveness than cavity back irons
- Expensive for game-improvement irons
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Irons 8 – 9
Overview
Langer’s intriguing setup continues as he turns away from the Exotics to a Custom Made Artisan 8 and 9-iron. Artisan only craft premium wedges and putters for the general public, but when you have notched up 44 victories in your career, they make you an exception.
His shorter clubs carry a player’s iron design with a slight twist. They are fitted with more offset than you could imagine for blades. However, this provides Bernhard with an element of forgiveness and accuracy on approach as he looks to attack the flag. Despite the offset, it still enables workability for greater control.
Although these clubs are attractive and sound crisp, the lack of perimeter weighting would not work for the average senior golfer. In addition, they are custom-made for the man who enters his 51st year as a professional golfer in 2023.
PROS
- Clean, compact look
- Buttery soft feel
- Moderately offset for improved accuracy
- Crisp acoustics
- Enhanced workability
CONS
- Not available to the public
- Less forgiveness than cavity back irons
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Wedges PW
Overview
The Tour Champions player of the last decade continues his unique set composition by switching to a Tour Edge Exotics BL Proto pitching wedge. It carries a blade design and gives him ample spin and flight to land rapidly on approach.
The BL Proto contains a compact structure, making it pleasing to look down on at address and easier to shape short full shots for enhanced short game control. However, the lack of perimeter weighting in the wedge leads to a smaller sweet spot and less forgiveness than the average golfer requires.
Lastly, the Exotics BL Proto delivers an impressive feel and acoustics to soften each strike and amplify the sound.
PROS
- Compact profile
- Increases spin
- Produces crisp turf interaction
- Encourages workability
- Soft feel
CONS
- Not available to the public
- Less forgiveness than game improvement pitching wedges
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Wedges 56° and 60°
Overview
At first glance, it seems the 6th best senior in golf pulled his wedges from the archive, and you are not far off. The Cleveland Precision Forged Custom Tour Zip Grooves were crafted in the early 2010s to deliver exceptional spin revolutions around the green for maximum short-game control.
The 2010 U.S. Senior Open Champion plays with a vintage 56-degree sand wedge and 60-degree lob wedge. The ball grips superbly into the grooves and launches optimally for hop and stop spin. Furthermore, Langer added lead tape to the wedge flange to add stability and preserve spin and velocity on off-center strikes.
The forged stainless steel clubface delivers a sublime feel on all shots with maximum feedback to better judge the power of your strikes.
Finally, the only version I have seen of this club is a model Bernhard Langer donated to the First Tee Charity in Broward County. Given the story behind the wedge, it is a better collectible than a golf club.
PROS
- Generates exceptional spin
- Prompts a soft feel
- Compact profile
- Durable golf wedge
- Promotes controlled flight
CONS
- Difficult to find these wedges new
- Less forgiveness offered
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Overview
Langer sticks with what works on the dancefloor, opting for his Odyssey White Hot Long 2 Ball, which is well broken in. The putter contains Odyssey’s famed White Hot Insert, which produces a soft feel off the clubface and boosts friction to preserve topspin on mishits.
As he has done for years, the German uses the extended shaft to create a belly putter, which offers him better stability and control during the stroke. He always added lead tape to the putter’s sole, increasing mass for greater MOI to minimize face rotation during the stroke for a square clubface at contact.
The classic two-ball alignment aid makes it easier to point the golf ball to the target for improved accuracy around the green.
Finally, the mallet design of the 2 ball enables engineers to place weight around the clubface perimeter to expand the sweet spot.
PROS
- Forgiving putter
- Restricts rotation during the stroke
- Produces consistent roll
- Feel soft off the clubface
- Accurate
CONS
- Some players may find the extended shaft uncomfortable
- Difficult to find this edition new
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Final Thoughts on Bernhard Langer WITB
After being awarded the Tour Champions player of the decade, the 65-year-old German continues to shine. He is currently the 6th highest-ranked senior male. He got off to a flier in 2023 with a top-10 finish at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Our Bernhard Langer WITB 2023 revealed that the veteran takes an unorthodox approach to his setup, mixing and matching at every turn. He also shows that old golf clubs can still perform.
Now that you know how Langer constructs his bag, would you consider mixing and matching your clubs? Or do you prefer uniformity?
