Which clubs should you be playing? Why are wedge grinds important? What the hell is Smash Factor and why does it matter? There's a lot to unpack in each of these questions. And Ryan Barath, Skratch's resident Gear Czar, has the answer. Every other week, Barath will be answering a selection of the hundreds of real reader questions he gets each week on Instagram, talking to the leading innovators in the gear space, and delivering the need-to-know information that can turn any dedicated golf fan into a bona fide gear head.
Ryan is back after a week off in Scotland! He recaps the trip, and also discusses Ryan Fox's Open win, Jenny Shin's Scottish Open win and more. He also breaks down the new gear he spotted at this week's Rocket Classic and the latest new releases.
Scottish Open, Chris Gotterup's winning bag, and the world of custom putters
On this week's episode, Ryan breaks down Chris Gotterup's winning bag from the John Deere Classic, including the problem with his putter that he shouldn't solve. He also dives into Scottish Open gear, the world of custom putters, shares more on Titleist's new Black Vapor T-Series irons,
Viktor Hovland's driver switch and Haeran Ryu's unique bag set up
Ryan breaks down Viktor Hovland's win over Scottie Scheffler, including details on his driver switch, dives into Gary Woodland's bag and ribbed grips that he noticed at a recent shoot, and why KPMG Women's PGA Champion Haeran Ryu has one of the most unique bag set ups on the LPGA Tour.
Talking U.S. Open gear, golf ball rollback and ribbed grips
Ryan recaps Wyndham Clark's win at the U.S. Open and breaks down the biggest differences in his golf bag compared to his 2023 victory. He also dives into his recent swap to a Ping putter. He also shares more about the equipment changes he saw at Shinnecock, including Bryson DeChambeau's new driver. He also chats about the governing bodies announcement on the potential golf ball rollback and previews this week's Travelers Championship.
Previewing the U.S. Open and talking ball R&D with Callaway's Eric Loper
U.S. Open week is here! Ryan previews this week's gear news before chatting with Callaway's Sr. Director of Golf Ball R&D, Eric Loper, about their design philosophy, their investment in ball R&D, utilizing AI and more.
RBC Canadian Open gear, lead tape on irons, and questions from listeners
The PGA TOUR is in Ryan's backyard this week at the RBC Canadian Open. He stopped by TPC Toronto to check out what's in players bags and finally got to check out the new GTS proto fairway wood in person. Then he dives into why players utilize lead tape on their irons, and the trend of mallets winning on tour.
Talking Golf Ball Alignment with Titleist's Michael Fish
Ryan dives into the success of mallet's on tour and why more players are leaning into alignment technology from tee to green. He also shares why if you're looking for new irons, an older set might be more valuable for your game than the latest releases. Then Ryan chats with Titleist's Sr. Manager of Golf Ball Product Management, Michael Fish, to discuss the evolution of golf ball alignment preferences, why players are focused on alignment precision and their advancements in research and technology.
Gear Smart Hot Line Q&A, plus is it worth practicing with less forgiving clubs?
Ryan dives into Jacob Bridgeman's unique practice routine, discusses if it's worthwhile to practice with less forgiving clubs, and dives into listener questions from Instagram and the Gear Smart Hot Line. If you have a gear question for Ryan, leave him a message at 747-224-1868 ☎️
Breaking Down Aaron Rai's Golf Bag + A Sneaky Conforming List Find
Ryan breaks down the newest equipment of the week then dives into the PGA Championship and what winner Aaron Rai has in the bag. He's also breaking down the practice routine of tour pros and answers a listener question on how players are winning with older drivers without them becoming non-conforming.
Talking PGA Gear News + Titleist GTS drivers with the people behind the designs
It's a major week with MAJOR gear news. Titleist's new GTS line is officially available for fittings, so Ryan sat down with Sr. VP of Golf Club R&D Chuck Golden and Director of Metalwood Product Stephanie Luttrell to dive into everything you need to know behind the design process.
New Titleist Mini & Talking LIV vs PGA TOUR
Ryan discusses the new gear releases of the week, including the McLaren Series 3 irons and the Titleist Mini Driver, then dives into the LIV Golf vs. PGA TOUR debate and what LIV's financial status could mean for players in the future. Enter for a chance to win a trip for two to the American Century Championshio in Lake Tahoe this July by visiting fujikuragolf.com/acc! Use the code "GEARSMART" for an extra entry.
McLaren Golf is here, what you can learn from Nelly's irons and new spring releases
Ryan dives into McLaren Golf's new tour pro ambassadors, then breaks down Nelly Korda's dominant win at at the Chevron Championship–and what you can learn from her irons for your next fitting. He then talks about the newest spring releases in equipment and answers your questions from the Gear Smart Hotline. Make sure to follow the Gear Smart Instagram account for more equipment news from Ryan!
Talking Titleist Ball Fitting with Patrick Dewar
Patrick Dewar, Titleist's Associate Tour Consultant for Ball Performance, joins this week's episode to discuss the ball testing process, fitting tour pros, how to find the right balance between short game feel and ball flight, Cameron Young's switch into the Double Dot and more. Presented by Titleist.
RBC Chat and asking the question- are there too many golf clubs?
We're back after an exciting week at the Masters! Ryan dives into the club changes this week at RBC Heritage, new releases and debates the question– are there just too many golf clubs on the market?
Talking Masters with Club Junkie's Brian Knudson!
It's MASTERS week and we're talking all things gear ahead of the action at Augusta National. Ryan is joined by Golf WRX's Club Junkie, Brian Knudson, to talk gear changes to watch for, dark horse picks and the one thing holding Bryson back.
A deep dive into the BEST golf bags
Ryan kicks off this week's episode breaking down Gary Woodland's incredible win at the Texas Children's Houston Open and why his equipment fits his game so well. Then he takes a deep dive into the best golf bags on the market, and why a "perfect" golf bag doesn't exist.
Ryan dives into a surprise Titleist announcement this past Sunday and what we know so far about their new GTS line of drivers and fairway woods. He also touches on Bryson DeChambeau's win with Bettinardi wedges, Fujikura's new blue profile and a recent Barath's Bargain Bin find. Then he's joined by TaylorMade's James Holley to talk about the success of their Spider putter, working with players like Tommy Fleetwood and more.
Ryan dives into The PLAYERS Championship and the "off-menu" hybrid in Cam Young's bag that helped him win, and how it can help you too. Then he chats with Cleveland's Tour Engineering Manager Patrick Ripp about wedge design, working with players and the process of bringing products from concept to testing and retail.
Ryan is fresh from a few days at TPC Sawgrass ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship talking about the gear changes tour pros made ahead of the tournament, visiting all the tour trucks, the surprising reason Justin Thomas put some old clubs in the bag and more.
On this week's episode, Ryan sits down with Callaway Golf's Jacob Davidson, VP of Global Tours, and Brian Williams, VP of R&D to chat about driver face technology, Chrome Tour golf balls, developing protypes, and how they're leaning into equipment that can help golfers blend their bags. Ryan also dives into the announcement of McLaren Golf, including the big names from the industry that are involved. Presented by Callaway Golf.
Producer's note
Steal the structure. Not the show.
Keep the useful structure, then change the audience, point of view, and voice until the idea is unmistakably yours.
