Golfshake's Ryan Rastall - What's In The Bag?

Based out of Howley Hall Golf Club in Leeds, Ryan Rastall has shared his wisdom with the Golfshake Community for many years and he has excelled in his role as Golfshake Gear Expert.

Howley Hall has proudly been represented at The Open Championship on three occasions: Danny Denison (2006), Ben Hutchinson (2021) and Marcus Armitage (2021).

Ryan has a distinct passion for his trade and due to his impressive knowledge of the latest technology and releases, he has helped form opinions on potential purchases.

After offering an abundance of excellent advice, it’s time for him to give you insight into his set-up and what helps improve his already established golf game.

Without further ado, Golfshake present: Ryan Rastall - What’s In The Bag?

Driver – Epic Speed Driver 9°, evenflow 6.5 extra stiff 65 gram shaft

Callaway’s Epic Speed Driver boasts A.I.-designed Jailbreak Speed Frame, which provides further forgiveness and also increases ball speed from impact across the entire face. Both the taller ribbon and flatter crown have been engineered for enhanced precision and the innovative shape will help generate more speed through the swing.

“This is a shaft that I trialled a few years ago and it really suited me. I’ve certainly had my best years with the driver recently and I’ve hit lots of fairways. I had to knock the loft down by two degrees but since doing that, the distance I am getting is amazing and the forgiveness off the face is fantastic too.”

3-wood – Epic Speed, ventus black 7x shaft

Similarly to the Epic Speed Driver, the 3-wood within the same family has speed as its theme. The additional forgiveness will allow the user to broaden their shoulders more efficiently, as they are fully aware the supplementary help will see shots struck off-centre producing satisfying results.

“When we move into fairway woods, I’ve had a 3-wood for six or seven years and I have really struggled to find anything that compares with it. However, the Epic Speed 3-wood has done just that. The problem I have with fairway woods is finding shafts that are stiff enough for me to find my desired ball flight. This ventus black shaft has been amazing and performed very well for me.”

5-wood – Epic Speed, ventus black 7x shaft

All the tech that is packed into the 3-wood also resides in the five, as this family of woods look to change the game indefinitely. Every model and face within this collection have been designed with advanced A.I., which has been proven to improve the result of all strikes – regardless of impact.

“Normally I would have a driving iron at the top of my bag but, for the first time in my life, I have settled on a 5-wood. This is very different from the 3-wood – the flight is really high and soft – and it has served me well this season, in regard to finding greens and staying there.”

Irons, 4-PW – Apex TCB, Project X LS

The Apex TCB irons are specifically designed for Tour players or elite golfers – where Ryan certainly fits into the latter category. They’ve been clinically engineered for forged performances, improved shot-making and unprecedented control on or around the greens. The classic compact look will leave the user feeling confident and ready to find targets from an array of lies.

“I have always been a bladed iron player but I really wanted to go for something that had a little more forgiveness that did not compromise on the aesthetics. I’ve got the Apex TCB, which is a forged iron and a player’s iron. It looks great behind the ball and it offers me more forgiveness when I am not having one of my better ball-striking days. The shaft I have in is the Project X LS – which is a new shaft for me. It’s roughly 5g lighter than what I have previously used but I find that they perform really well.”

Wedges – Jaws MD5, X Grind, Project X LS

The Jaws MD5 Wedges have been crafted with one aim in mind: perfection. Which is something that is supplied in abundance in these innovative and creative clubs. With 23 different loft/bounce options and five incredible grind choices, Callaway have ensured that they have created a wedge for every player in the game.

“I’ve got the Jaws MD 5 wedges with the same shaft. I have them in 50°, 54° and 60°. Many of you will gap sets with four degree increments but I have always had a 60° and I love it. It’s really versatile and particularly in the X Grind – that has 12° of bounce. I can play pretty much any shot I need with it around the greens; whether I open the face, play it square or for bunker shots. The raw finish looks fantastic and it also reduces the glare when you’re playing in beautiful sunshine. What I have found is that the spin you get from partial shots – 30 or 40 yards – is phenomenal. They stop quickly and have given me more control.”

Putter – Odyssey White Hot OG #1WS, Stroke Lab, 34 ½

This modern blade design has a simple alignment aid which features moderate toe-hang. The putter also comes equipped with the most popular putter insert of all time and has been heavily recognised for its ultra-premium sound and feel that not every manufacturer can successfully emulate. When it comes to putters, you’ll seldom come across anything more aesthetically pleasing or performance enabling than the White Hot OG #1WS.

“I’ve had a putter for a long time that I have used and I have struggled to find a replacement. I have dabbled with them for the last few years but I have typically struggled to find anything that I like. I’ve always come back to that same bladed design before. This year, Odyssey have kindly given me a putter that looks identical to my go-to. The face is so much softer and I’ve found using Stroke Lab has helped me to control the distance more efficiently. It’s additional width has also bolstered the forgiveness.”

Golf Ball – Chrome Soft X With Triple Track

This ball is heavily used on Tour and if it’s good enough for the professionals, it will certainly excel at amateur level. Every aspect of the ball has been redesigned to deliver maximum distance for elite players. The Triple Track Technology will help improve alignment on the greens which will undoubtedly result in more putts sinking – who doesn’t want fewer putts?

“The X gives me good spin around the green and a little bit more control. While the LS flies a little further off the tee, I’m compromising that for additional control in my short game. It’s been an absolutely brilliant golf ball not only in calm conditions but even when the wind is up. I can control the flight and I know what sort of distance I am going to get from the ball.”

So, what do you think of Ryan's bag? Let us know if you use any of the equipment that he does!