PGA Tour winner Russell Henley is finding success with a trusted piece of equipment: his Titleist TSi3 driver. While many pros chase the latest technology, Henley is sticking with his years-old club. His reason is simpler than you might think.

At practice, Henley was caught on camera with two Titleist TSi3 drivers. Naturally, ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, reports asked the PGA Tour pro about his two identical clubs.

“One is just a backup. Kind of a boring answer,” Henley said. “I just always carry a backup in case one of the face caves in.”

At Tour swing speeds, cracked driver faces are rare but real. Henley doesn’t expect it. “I never really hit a driver hard enough to where a face would cave in, but they tell me that that happens to some players, so I just always keep a backup.”

There’s no adjustment between the two heads. No performance tweak. "I’ve been hitting that driver for a while. Not any changing going on," he said.

The decision is pretty significant as Henley has started the season with three top-20 finishes, of which one is a top-10. In a results-based world where gear changes are frequently made after small drops in form, he is holding back the urge to change things.

For Henley, confidence outweighs novelty. And right now, the old driver is doing exactly what he needs.

Why Henley Still Wants More From His Game

As steady as he has been with his driver, Russell Henley admits his game hasn’t always felt settled this season.

Henley didn't answer the question as to what wasn't clicking by pointing to mechanics or results. He replied, “I don’t feel bad about it.” Henley further added, “I think the start of this year, taking a long break, I came out of the gates a little bit kind of bouncing back and forth with different feels and different swing thoughts.”

The issue was not poor performance but more of a lack of clarity.

“Just didn’t feel like I was clear on everything I was doing. That led to a little more bouncing around,” he added.

The statistics confirm his solid play: Henley already has three top-20s this season, including a top-10 finish. From a statistical point of view, it's consistent. But on the inside, it wasn't a feeling of rhythm.

“All in all… I still played pretty solid, but just haven’t felt like I’ve been kind of in a rhythm of playing tournament golf,” he said.

There’s a difference between scoring well and feeling in control. Henley’s comments suggest he’s chasing clarity, not form, and the numbers show he hasn’t been far off.

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi