Akshay Bhatia of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 05, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Akshay Bhatia made a big equipment switch this week. He put a new prototype driver in the bag.
Bhatia didn’t specify what his new driver was, but earlier this year he was using a Callaway Rogue ST MAX with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft when he won the Valero Texas Open. The new driver has lower spin rates, which has been a big boost to Bhatia’s game off the tee.
“The misses especially for me when I hit it off the heel, it’s starting right and cutting versus, sometimes I would hit it off the heel and it goes straight right,” Bhatia said. “Yeah, it’s been — it was really, really encouraging.”
Bhatia hit eight-of-13 fairways Thursday in his opening 5-under 67, good for T-3. He was middle of the pack in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, but he also led the field in putting.
Even if the numbers on his driver weren’t some of the best in the field, his confidence with the driver has changed his perspective on the tee box.
“When I’m aiming down the right side and it’s not cutting, it’s a scary feeling for me because I’ve always cut the ball with driver,” Bhatia said. “Now I have that opportunity to start it, aim it right, feel comfortable it’s going to go left and having the one-way miss is important.”
