PXG employee Auston Kim, who averages 290 yards per drive, is one of the LPGA's longest hitters. And his power requires a special balance. Recently, I had the opportunity to get some time with Kim and PXG LPGA tour manager Scotty Kim and take a look at their process when it comes to getting clubs in their bag.
Here's what I learned.
Under the bag
Auston Kim started the bag with a 58-degree lob wedge, choosing to play PXG's 3x Forged Sugar Daddy III wedges and choosing a lower C-Grind supply on the lobber. He said he has never used a 60-degree wedge because he prefers to chip at 58 degrees. At one point, he played only 52- and 56-degree wedges until he played Hollis Stacey in a mini-tournament.
“He looked at my scars,” Kim said, “and said, 'What are you doing?' So you told me to go 50, 54, 58 and I just stuck with it. ” Wise advice.
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He continued the wedge set with the 54- and 50-degree S-Grind, and Sugar Daddy III wedges. I thought it was interesting that you chose a C-grind that bounces a bit on the lobber, but Scotty Kim offered some insight.
“You know I'm thinking about him, with Auston's shots on the green, C-Grind provides a variety of jobs for him,” he said. “Being able to open it up and have the right jump to get into the open space and not get caught.”
Instruments
Auston Kim had the PXG 0317ST irons, which are some of the best irons PXG has ever made. It's a metal that has stood the test of time over the years, and it hasn't been replaced by PXG, but we hear there may be a new one coming soon. The 0317ST heads are what I would consider a “gamer's blade.” It's a narrow option that's meant to launch slowly and rotate slowly while giving total control to the player.
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Since Kim is a cut shot player and works the ball with a lot of spin, something like the ST gives him the feel, feedback and launch he wants to feel in control of the ball. “I'm a cutter – I have to see the ball working from left to right.” he said. He also talked about the recent iron change that happened because Accra no longer makes their old Accra Tour 90 shafts. Now on to the Accra TZi 95 iron shafts – a fantastic graphite offering for power players who want more of the ProjectX type of feel.
It's a long game
Kim really shines once you put the steel in his hands, and it starts with the mix, the hero of our story here. PXG has always made a really good hybrid. Even with a few years of iffy metal woods, hybrids were always prominent on the list. Kim, however, is no ordinary hybrid. Hybrids are very popular in the LPGA, but much of that comes from the need for speed and launch, not something Kim is concerned about. For him, it's about confidence.
“Personally, I think I have trouble hitting the ball high sometimes,” he said. “I know I can get it there, but the 4-iron just doesn't look good to me. I've tried a bunch before and just – I believe the hybrid has more versatility. I like the look of this one better.”
;)
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We let Kim hit a few fun shots with his PXG Lightning 4-hybrid, and he hit the nail on the head when he talked about how versatile the club is. Hitting it to every window is stress-free for Kim, and gives him confidence behind the ball to play on the run. With ball speeds up to 143 mph, you also get a lot of distance off the club. Since his stock shot was about 80 feet in the air, I challenged him to hit the ball 100 feet and hit it as low as possible. He hit one to 100.9 feet in the air and hit the low post at 21.4 feet. Flexibility? Check it out.
He then followed up the Lightning 4-hybrid with the Lightning Tour 5W and the Lightning Tour 3W before jumping into his Lightning Tour driver.
PXG Lightning Custom Hybrid
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A big stick
Auston Kim and Scotty Kim worked together last fall when the new Lightning product came out and ended up putting him on a Lightning Tour 9-degree Driver in a PXG FLAT setup with a Fujikura Ventus Velocore+ Black 5-S. Auston Kim works with a lot of spin, so using their Lightning Tour model helps control his misses better and ensure he doesn't overcool his stock shot. The Ventus Velocore+ Black shaft helps keep up with dynamic changes and helps stabilize the head at impact. The setup is very reliable and has high speed. He's ranked fourth in LPGA driving distance, but obviously Scotty Kim has helped him build a workhorse here.
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“I already liked Black Ops a lot, and when I first tried the Lightning Tour it was – I mean I saw a quick jump in the speed of the ball and the carry so it was nothing,” said Auston Kim.
