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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Hideki Matsuyama doesn’t chase trends. He sets a quiet standard. As the 2026 season gets underway, his results already signal sharp form, and the conversation around his gear is heating up for a reason. While many golfers shuffle setups week to week, Matsuyama’s bag tells a story of trust and feel.

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Subtle choices, familiar shapes, and a few intriguing tweaks hint at why he continues to rack up top finishes. It clearly reflects in his performances. The last event he won was the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge 2025. The competition features 20 of the world’s most elite golfers, and he emerged victorious. He was in the top-10 in most of the stats that week, leading the SG: Around The Green and scrambling.

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Even at the ongoing 2026 WM Phoenix Open, Hideki Matsuyama is making a statement with the combination of his skills and his selection for the WITB. With Round 2 underway, he is leading the scoreboard and has hit six consecutive birdies from hole 13 to hole 18 in the second round.

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USA Today via Reuters

While his skills are certainly exceptional, the equipment choices make a huge difference, too.

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Hideki Matsuyama’s exceptional long game

Matsuyama’s bag reflects long-term loyalty to Srixon as a staffer. His long game equipment includes the Srixon ZXi LS (9°), TaylorMade Qi10 (15°), Cobra Radspeed Tour (17.5°), and Srixon Z-Forged II (4-9).

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Driver: The 11x PGA Tour winner uses Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS Driver (9.5° loft) as his driver. He pairs it with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX shaft. This weighs around ~86g and offers 2.9° torque, mid-launch, and low-spin. The driver features an i-FLEX face for efficient energy transfer, with a thinner center and a thicker heel-toe. The Sentry 2025 Open champion uses it with dual adjustable sole weights and lead tape for fade bias.

3-Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15°) with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX shaft is the Japanese golfer’s choice. High-MOI carbon crown and infini-z face flex for speed. This 3-wood is favored for versatile tee and fairway launches on Tour.

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5-Wood: He uses Cobra King RadSpeed Tour 5-wood (17.5°) with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 TX shaft for 5-wood. It is a slightly heavier shaft, weighing close to 98 grams. It also features radial weighting for stability. Hideki Matsuyama has used this 5-wood since 2021, favoring it for high-spin stops from 230+ yards.

The Japanese professional is also prepared for the short game

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Just like his long-game equipment, Hideki Matsuyama’s short-game pieces are also versatile.

Wedges: He uses Cleveland RTX4 Forged Prototype wedges (48°, 52°, 56°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts. Full-face grooves and soft carbon steel for spin and feedback. These wedges are known and favored for offering versatile grinds for all lies. They have been part of his bag since 2019, proving his long-term loyalty to the equipment.

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Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Prototype (L-neck hosel) is what’s in the bag of the 11x PGA Tour winner. It has German Stainless Steel (GSS) sole weights for stability and has minimal crown lines for focus.

Irons and the golf ball in Hideki Matsuyama’s bag

The 2021 Masters champion stores Srixon Z-Forged II (4-9/PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts (~130g, stiff). These are muscle-back blades with PureFrame, hollowed behind the sweet spot. This helps with the speed. Tour VT Sole glides through turf; lead tape for trajectory tweaks. Many other golfers, including Brooks Koepka, also use this iron.

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Matsuyama’s golf ball is the Srixon Z-Star XV. Being a Srixon staff player, Hideki uses the brand’s finest golf balls.

Hideki Matsuyama’s WITB for 2026 reinforces a simple pattern. His confidence has only grown in the equipment, which he is familiar with. With elite results early in the season and a setup he fully trusts, his bag continues to mirror the calm efficiency that defines his game.

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Written by

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Kailash Bhimji Vaviya

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Kailash Vaviya is a Golf Journalist at EssentiallySports, combining newsroom experience with a long-standing passion for the sport. He has been following golf since his college years, closely tracking the rise of modern stars and the drama of the game’s biggest tournaments. With a background in reporting and digital media, Kailash has built a strong foundation in research-driven analysis and storytelling that connects with sports audiences. At EssentiallySports, Kailash brings this blend of journalism and passion to deliver coverage that goes beyond scorecards. Whether it’s breaking down major championships, analyzing player performances, or exploring the cultural resonance of the game, his work aims to inform, engage, and bring fans closer to the world of golf. He has also written for Comic Book Resources (CBR) and Forbes, further expanding his portfolio across sports and media.

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Edited by

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Pratham Sharma

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