What are the absolute best golf clubs of 2025? 🏌️♂️⛳
In this video, 2nd Swing Master Fitter Tyler Fitzel breaks down the top-performing equipment of the year. Based on thousands of data points from real-world player fittings in 2025, Tyler reveals which clubs are actually delivering the most distance, forgiveness, and precision on the course.
Whether you are looking for the best driver of 2025 to add yards to your tee shots or the most forgiving irons to lower your scores, this comprehensive guide covers every category in the bag.
In this video, we cover:
🚀 Best Drivers of 2025: The leaders in ball speed and MOI.
🛣️ Fairway Woods & Hybrids: Finding the perfect long-game gaps.
🎯 Best Irons of 2025: From player’s irons to game improvement models.
🛡️ Utility Irons: The best alternatives for long-iron consistency.
⛳ Wedges & Putters: The top short-game tools for 2025.
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Best Drivers of 2025
03:25 Best Fairway Woods of 2025
05:35 Best Hybrid of 2025
07:00 Best Utility Iron of 2025
08:30 Best Irons of 2025
12:45 Best Wedges of 2025
15:55 Best Putters of 2025
20:00 Tyler’s Final Thoughts
The 2nd Swing Thoughts podcast, presented by 2nd Swing Golf, covers anything and everything in golf equipment and club fitting. The 2nd Swing Thoughts will feature experts in the golf industry sharing insights and latest trends in golf clubs and club fittings. 2nd Swing Thoughts will also cover the latest in professional golf.
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[music] We now welcome into the Second Swing Thoughts podcast, Master Fitter Tyler Fitzell. Um Tyler, it’s great to have you in. I know you’re kind of on the precipice here of some really exciting things with Second Swing Golf here. Um especially for those of you in the Twin Cities area. I have more to come on that. But Tyler, um it’s the end of the year, so we like to kind of wrap and um you know, also look back on the year by kind of, you know, reviewing your favorite clubs of the year. Um obviously you’ve been fitting hundreds and hundreds of golfers. Um I think that’s an easy way to to wrap up the season. We’ve also got some fitters choice stuff on the way as well. But um just in terms of your thoughts, let’s start with drivers. Uh you know, top of the bag. Um, we’ll break it down by category, but talk to me about your the best drivers that you thought from 2025 in fittings. >> Well, let’s start with like low spin as an example. Um, I think the Cobra Dark Speed Adapt was exceptional, >> especially for what I found was especially for higher swing speed type players, right? Like the spin was very, very consistent and it was usually really really low. Um, that has been a trend that Cobra has had for a fair number of years, especially when they used to have the face that was milled out. >> It would provide a little bit more bite and grip so it wouldn’t slide on the face as much. Um, so if we ever like wanted to really try to get to low spin, that >> that’d be one that I would look for. >> Okay. >> Uh, if we talk about kind of the core models amongst most of the manufacturers, we talk about them as just their their drivers. So, if I said as an example, um, the Callaway Elite, I just kind of leave it as elite. There’s different models to it, >> but I feel like that Callaway Elite was one of the best allaround type drivers to kind of fit the the biggest um grouping of people. >> Sure. Sure. Yeah. And then and then obviously Elite’s been fantastic. You’ve got your low spin with DS Adapt. Um, you know, give me uh if there’s like a, you know, there’s 10k drivers out there or there’s kind of those draw bias ones, you know, for the maybe the driver providing a little bit more help for golfers. What if you have a model in mind there? >> You know, I think Ping was the best in that category and it was because there’s the adjustability to it. So, uh, most of the 10K type models are in a position where you don’t get to move weight. Mhm. >> Uh you might be able to move shaft that pretty much all of them you can, you know, have some shaft settings, but that weight is very important. It’s what makes it 10k. And so in for the most part, if I were to just take uh like a ping driver, I have the ability to move that a little more inside outside, >> right? >> Um I I think the 10k model is a nice idea if it works for you, but for me as a fitter, generally adjustability gets you into a better fit. >> Sure. So, we’re starting to see the companies are now you’ll you’ll see in 26 as well. You’ll start seeing these 10K models with a weight adjustability. >> Yeah. >> This is where we’re going to find out whether or not it’s really going to make a difference, >> right? If the if the 10K thing can be applicable to everybody in these fittings. Um cuz it’s uh the last couple years you’ve seen the the birth of of sort of this category of drivers almost with that. So, >> sweet. We got a few models there a few different brands as well. So, let’s dive into the fairywoods now. >> Um, >> give me one fairywood. And I know it’s been it’s kind of a a big category because there’s >> three woods and we’ve also seen up to nine woods, you know, that you’re working with in the bay, but is there a model or a series of fairywoods that’s been really successful this year? >> Yeah, I think that the Tailor Made Qi35 lineup is the absolute best lineup. >> Um, again, it does offer um some uh options in shaft to be able to move shaft into different settings like a lot of other companies do. They dominate on like so many different levels. The best players in the world are playing with some sort of a tailor made. >> And I say some sort of a tailor made because some of them might even going back a year or two or three. >> Like we start to see these, you know, they have staying power and that’s a huge thing. But they have really revolutionized where the the call it mid handicap that 15 handicap type can come in and we get the best of every direction. Yeah. So easy to hit. They look good. They’re clean. They feel really nice. Um I’ve I’ve had a lot of customers going into a tailor made this year. >> I know they made an increase with Qi35 in terms of which ones were adjustable with the nozzle and which ones were bonded. I know in the past that was maybe a um you know a difficult point for you as a fitter was well we’d love to play say the Qi10 for you but it’s not adjustable and we can’t make the adjustment we need. Qi35 had more options for you. >> Totally. And then not only that but like the Qi35 Tour has a 7wood. >> Yeah. And that was a gigantic advancement for us and we’re going to see that next few you know the 2026 for sure we’re going to start to see more seven woods in better positions. >> I would imagine the manufacturers have taken notice of this trend. >> It’s really it’s a great trend. So >> yeah. So um curious to see how that unfolds and how you know what are because some and even this year there was some ninewoods in some lineups but some lineups didn’t even have didn’t have a 9wood. Um, most had a 7wood, but maybe not all their models. And so curious to see in 26 what what happens there. But let’s go into kind of the next category is a is a bit of a tweener category. We have hybrids, you have utility irons. Um, is there a couple models in there that um you really thought did well in 2025? >> Yeah, I would say Ping for sure. That hybrid is probably the most complete with that. If I have to kind of look at a second to that, it’s probably titleist because yet again, you have a lot of different adjustabilities. For me personally, if I’m looking at the best of the best, I put a lot of people into a GT1. >> Okay. >> It was a much bigger hybrid, so it looks a little bit more like a fairway wood. You had adjustability from front to back in weights. You had shaft, so you can change lies and lofts. >> Ping is also so incredibly crisp. It has a really good look. It’s very, very solid. So, >> that’s one I’m going to have to kind of throw those two in there. Um but either one of them generally went um out the door with the customer. >> Sure. >> And they both have a lot of loft options too. Um yeah, I believe I know Ping for sure you can go I think a 17 degree two hybrid if you are that type. I know there’s not a lot of two hybrids maybe out there. But if you’re needing something low spin that lower spin in this category that um you know not quite the big footprint of a fairywood that’s a good option. Um, and they can go up to a seven hybrid, which I don’t even know the loft. Is it 30 something? Yeah. So, that’s uh that’s plenty of loft and launch. And you could obviously have >> two, three, four hybrids in your bag if you wanted to cap it out that way. So, um, now a category that might be for a different type of golfer, but the utility iron, the player that plays one of those instead of maybe a hybrid, is there a model of the utility irons that stood out to you? >> Yeah, I felt like the CIX and ZXIU for utility was exceptional. I fit. I would say that if you’re looking for an alternative T-shot and or something that would be a little bit more like from fairways or rough like as we talk about a lower trajectory. >> Generally speaking, most utility irons benefit the faster swing player type. >> Yep. >> Right. >> That maybe launches high and has spin already. >> But I play I play a utility iron. >> Yeah. Um, and I do it as in replace of a regular um, four iron for me because I get the height on it. >> Sure. >> So, like I think this is even maybe the next forgiveness that you can get is coming out of irons. It’s not just going with a different iron type. It’s actually even going into a different utility type. >> Yeah. >> So, that that one is phenomenal. And we’ve seen a lot of people start to um hitting the IDI by Ping, which is an >> it’s the the eye from IE and it’s a driving iron. Um, they actually built them like as just a replacement to an iron. They’re almost the same lengths as an iron, but uh and and they have a really nice sharp look. So, again, there’s that’s coming on cuz it came out late in the season, but the Curixen’s been out um and and just really really good on the market. >> I do play currently the IDI and I love it. So, um I would endorse that one for sure. But, um getting into the irons now. So this is um you know there’s >> the iron you know you know shape out there right has changed quite a bit you have the bigger game improvement irons you have players distance it’s a category you have other categories forming in there as well between players and players distance u for the sake of this we’ll do players players distance and game improvement if you can have a model in each of those categories that really stood out to you or really added some performance for golfers I’d love to hear them >> players CIX ZXI7 Yeah, that seems like I mean >> so good. You’ll see as we talk a little bit later about um our Fitter’s Choice Awards that >> that this club with a slight cavity back, a larger head size is forgiving. It it it’s got more ball speed. It goes higher. It goes straighter. Um you still have a ton of options with it. Uh, so I would say that that has been um it’s it was a surprise last year when we were talking about it and now we’re looking at it going, well, it ain’t a surprise this year, >> right? >> Um, as we talk a little bit about players distance, um, I think Ping had the i530 is one of the best players distance irons that has ever been out there. >> You know, models are going to change. So, there may or may not be another model by Ping, >> you know, right? And the i530 is like such a complete package. It’s got a nice crisp look. Um they’ve got it filled in with a little bit of plastic so it doesn’t sound clunky or or hollow. Um it’s got a lot of grooves so it it generates spin so ball comes off fast, goes high, stops quick. Uh it really is good too. Yeah. The one of the true performers in the business. >> Yeah, I think I30 I I was really impressed with that and it’s tough. I played I500 and I210 combo years ago. >> Um, and I500 it was a great iron, ton of ball speed, but they really have improved the sound a ton in that series in I, you know, I525 to i530. >> The sound has been dramatically improved in that particular kind of category of iron. >> Yeah. If we talk about game improvement, um, I think you have to go to the JPX model by uh, Mizuno. So, we’re talking the 925 JPX. >> They have the hot hot metal. Mhm. >> They’ve got a couple versions of it. So, there’s a standard, there’s a high launch with some more degrees of loft, and then there’s a pro, which is a little slimmer and a little bit less offset. So, as we talk about this, there’s also a cost factor that comes in, right? These irons aren’t the most expensive on the market. They’re not the least expensive. They’re just like the allaround one of the best values to this. Um, the other advantage as you get into it when from a fitter’s perspective is you’re talking about um, what am I going to put together, the shafts, except for a very select few upgraded shafts, all the shafts are included at no additional charge. The grips are all included at no additional charge. So, when we’re looking at something, if you really want to get a little bit more specific, like, I really want this grip. Um, this shaft works better than this shaft. You know, many of the other companies have small charges or upcharges on certain things where Mizuno, it’s allin-one, right? >> It is so easy when you hit it great. It looks nice, feels awesome, and oh, it’s not the most expensive on the market, >> right? And you can make these tweaks that you really need to for your preferences, and that upcharge isn’t as much. Um, I think Mizuno’s done an awesome job the last, >> I don’t know, probably five to 10 years of really upping their game improvement irons quite a bit. Uh I think you know if you look back in the last two or three decades it’s been a forged players iron that has you know gotten people’s attention >> and now they’ve really made a big step forward in the game improvement category with material and other things that they’re changing >> and even when you talk about that a decade ago or you start going back the JPX lineup was still even forged or it was a >> it was it was almost like just a slightly bigger version of the players iron. So now they’ve just completely taken that category away um and they’ve left it with their professional series, the Mizuno Pro line, >> right? Um yeah. So >> yeah, I think uh I think the way that they’ve kind of gone down these two different paths, but they’re both, you know, they’re making excellent products in both of those categories. Um but I think a lot of things, um Mazuno’s done right in that space. So um now let’s go down to the short game or shorter game with wedges. So the wedge magician is here with us. So um yeah, I had I’m going to call you out on that. um give you some props. The wedge magician, your favorite wedges of 2025 to fit players for. Th >> This is such a difficult question because people will come in and say this all the time. What’s the best wedge out there? I think the most complete wedge this year was from Cleveland. >> Okay. >> Um the RTZ had a couple of options that were really cool. They’ve decided to go with a different material which for them allows a soft kind of forged feel, but it the grooves last longer. They have a couple of different things that some of the other manufacturers don’t in terms of the way they cut their grooves, what they do in between the grooves, and then how they spin mill the face. >> So, there’s there’s like other layers and steps to it. >> Y >> uh we found that they have produced different levels of it. So there’s different colors if you want to color. There’s also what’s known as tour rack. >> Yeah. >> Tour rack is this um unccoated, unplated um version of it that doesn’t necessarily rust. Uh and what we find with that is you’re getting actually even more bite, more spin, more grip. So I really fi feel like that that Cleveland wedge is kind of like I’d call it the most underrated as well >> from that perspective. >> Yeah. So, uh, that’s something to look at, um, if if you’re looking back on wedges. But listen, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the SM10 by Titalist, which didn’t come out this year. It came out two years ago, um, is still probably the most complete wedge that people buy. >> Yeah. >> It is just they they’ve had the SM8s and then the nines, then they get the tens, and whatever is next. >> Yeah. >> They’re getting it. [laughter] So, if I’m I’m trying to take them and all right, let’s try something a little different, see what happens. >> Sure. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, there was a couple additions to SM10 this year in terms of what was offered. You know, there was the >> the new K grind with low bounce. Um, they had a new finish, I think, this year with the oil can, or at least they brought it back. >> Um, so there are things that they they added to SM10, the black vapor. Yeah. Right. Um, so we got that. I mean, there are new options or or things you could look at. But, um, when it is interesting when you pick up the RTZ wedge, you can feel it in your hands. You can feel that unique material. You can just, you know, it’s different. Yeah. >> Right. When you pick it up. And then, um, I also wanted to point out the CBZ as well from them that >> they took that material and made it a game improvement wedge essentially, which is um, >> CBZ4. >> Yeah. Well, yeah, I think it’s the fourth. So they that series I think the way that they have offered the wedge feel look but in a little bit more higher MOI I guess you could call it or more forgiving um shape I think is really cool. So you can have um that performance for maybe the the golfer that needs a little bit of help around the green. So um >> all right lastly let’s talk about putting. So, uh, putting that’s been probably the the type of club that has changed maybe the most this year with just, you know, we’ve got zero torque, we’ve got these big mallets. Um, what is there a series, maybe a model, whatever it might be that you’ve noticed this year is just really off the charts? >> I think tailor made I I think if you talk about tailormaids, you’re probably talking about some sort of a spider putter. >> Yeah. >> Um, it’s what we normally see. We don’t see a whole lot of blades. Most of them are all mallets. Now, you obviously look at the top of the leaderboard and the number one player in the world and probably the number two or three or four. You just go down the list, >> but I know that we’re not talking about the professional game. We’re talking about well, what do customers want to see? It’s the technology that they have. The the insert that Tailor Made has with the Pure Roll, I believe, is what it’s called. >> It actually is angled. The the the spaces or the grooves themselves are actually angled so that it helps to create more overspin. And this is a gigantic piece in the putting puzzle. So, we’re talking about getting that ball moving over and on your line faster. And when it does, it stays on that line longer. >> So, that’s one of the things that we’re looking for. >> And almost every single person that I’ve tested with our technology in terms of roll has rolled more over spin with a tailor made putter. Yeah, >> they are very stable and it’s one of the reasons why they’re probably the best one of the best putters in the market. You also look at this, >> they are being copied in that form more than any other putter >> with the the insert in particular. >> No, with with the the the style, the spider. >> Yeah. >> In and of itself is when that first came out and you had those those two weights all the way to the back, you can still get the OGs. I mean, they’re they’re still making the originals. Um, you have all these different shapes. You have these different necks so you can get different huzzles on them. Um, I I think it’s just the absolute most productive lineup that you’re going to come across. >> Again, as you go to putting, the thing about it ends up becoming personal, like, all right, does this really work for you? So, no, I don’t know if the Tailor Made was the most sold, but it was absolutely the the most tested for me is I would always try to put that in someone’s hand because if I needed to control their spin, let’s let’s see if I can get this spin going over. It’ll stay on its line longer. >> So, and and the technology you’re referring to in our store is we got Quint Ball Roll and or Trackman as well with their putting software, too. So, there’s multiple ways to look at it, but at the end of the day, the idea is to kind of see in slow motion or see the video, but also see uh and get the measurements of the ball rolling forward onto the path uh or onto your line. And you’re right about tailor made. I haven’t thought about this way, but it’s kind of like how Vokei has all these bounces and grinds. Tailor- made Spider has all these different necks. You’ve got the some of the the the head sizes are bigger than others, right? the older spiders may be a little bigger, but recently they’ve kind of toned it down a little bit, but yet you still have that shape of the weights way back behind the heel and toe. Um, you got all these alignment aids as well, like and then of course the the one consistent really for the most part is the the pure roll >> getting that ball rolling like this. Um, so it’s been a really good >> Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see what they do in 2026. Um, I haven’t seen anything, so I don’t know. There’s no heads up. Sorry. But there’s there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Tailormaid’s not coming out with new spiders of some sort like they do every year. >> And they’re always, you know, right away there’s tour adoption and then there’s of course they do well in the fittings. So, >> well, and that’s the other thing I think if you really actually look at this is that the all these models that have gone through. You look at a guy like um Rory has continued to use the same model. Sheffller did switch and once he’s into this one, he’s into this one, right? But if you start looking at the guys that have been putting with Tailor Made for quite a while, they they’re still using the same model. Yep. And there’s also a lot of guys off staff >> off tailor made staff that maybe they have like a 12 or 11 club deal and they go and take a putter and you know put a tailor made spider of some sort in their bag. So um there’s something there, right? There’s a there’s a magic formula that’s working for Tailor Made. So um that’s a fun little wrap. So we got um we had we touched a lot of different >> in this too. >> Golf ball. >> We should talk about golf ball. Why not? Let’s cover [clears throat] it up with golf ball to wrap it up here. I really think that the Callaway lineup in terms of the tour chrome made a huge impact this year. And if you haven’t tried one, I would recommend that you do. Um they have really worked well with some of the new ball speeds. Like say they look like they have a little bit more ball speed, a little more height, a little bit more spin. Um they maybe hold the aerodynamic package holds a little bit better in the wind than some of the others on the business. Listen, we all know Titus is the number one ball in golf. They’ll tell us. Don’t you don’t even ask to ask them. But for that matter, um, you know, is there something about another ball that that is better for your game? If you’re going to try something, I would try the Callaway. They’ve made really, really good, they’ve done a really good job of making inroads into, I think, a better ball, too. So, >> and then one thing they’ve always led in is the visual, you know, alignment sort of pieces on the golf ball. And I think a lot of people have or a lot of brands have sort of, you know, replicated what they’ve done with Triple Track initially was like four or five years ago. And since then, you’ve got all these different things on the ball. But, um, yeah, Callaway, we’ll have to give it a cuz they have a big pretty full lineup, multiple premium or tour golf ball models. So, um, yeah, that’s a that’s one to to check out. So, we’ve got >> Callaway all throughout the the the best clubs from Tyler, but we’ve got, you know, Shicks on irons, we’ve got Cleveland wedges, we’ve got Misuno irons, we have uh Tailor Made Woods as well, we’ve got Titalist in the hybrids, we’ve got Ping. >> You got Cobra in there. >> You got Cobra’s low spin drive. We got everything. So, >> we we have a few of those. So, like it’d be a great opportunity to get in and test at a great value. So, um Tyler, thank you for joining. The wedge magician has been here giving his thoughts. We appreciate you and um we’ll see you next time on the podcast. >> Yeah. And don’t forget, keep your grooves clean and stay razor sharp. [music]
