Why DJ has two hybrids in his bag at Travelers

It's no secret Dustin Johnson hits it a mile. Currently, DJ is 22nd on the PGA TOUR in driving distance with an average of 306.9 yards off the tee.

Everything about the South Carolina native screams long hitter -- especially his bag setup. The configuration for a longer hitter always has a pattern: Driver; 3-wood; sometimes something in the 18- to 19-degree range; 3-PW or 4-PW, depending on the wedge setup.

Under very rare circumstances does a player with DJ's length ever look for some "help" in that tricky spot at 21-22 degrees. Why would he? Length? No problem. Height? No problem. Spin? No problem.

Upon the TOUR’s return to golf at the Charles Schwab Challenge two weeks ago, Johnson's WITB looked like this:

Driver: TaylorMade SIM Max (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 X (45.75 inches, 59 lie, D4)

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Max (15 at 16 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 95 6.5 (42.75 inches, 59.5 lie, D4)

Irons: TaylorMade P730 DJ Proto (3-PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (soft stepped)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG (52-09 SB@54, 60-10SB), MG High Toe (64 at 63 degrees)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 S Black

Putter: TaylorMade Truss TM1

Ball: 2019 TaylorMade TP5X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R (+2.5 wraps of tape, logo down)

So what would compel a big hitter like Johnson to add a second hybrid to the bag? To take it even further, a 22-degree hybrid? Getting into that range puts him in a similar setup to players such as Brian Gay or Ryan Moore, as well as a bunch of the PGA TOUR Champions players.

According to TaylorMade, the answer is actually quite simple – the need to hit exact numbers, specifically 260 and 245 yards off the tee. On golf courses like Harbour Town and TPC River Highlands, having a couple of extra options off of the tee is key as well as building in a bit more height from those yardages coming into par 5s.

TaylorMade SIM Max Rescues have become a sort of a cult classic among TaylorMade staffers. The reasons: turf interaction and ability to combat the left miss that TOUR pros despise. DJ, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy and some other staffers have all had it in play at some point this season.

All of that equals up to a bag that now looks like this for Johnson:

Driver: TaylorMade SIM Max (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 X (45.75 inches, 59 lie, D4)

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Max (15 at 16 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 95 6.5 (42.75 inches, 59.5 lie, D4)

Hybrids: TaylorMade SIM Max (19, 22 degrees)
Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Black 105 6.5 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P730 DJ Proto (4-PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (soft stepped)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG (52-09 SB @54, 60-10SB)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 S Black

Putter: TaylorMade Truss TB1

Ball: 2019 TaylorMade TP5X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R (+2.5 wraps of tape, logo down)

An additional equipment note: Johnson has gamed a variety of TaylorMade Spider for most of the past few seasons. At the Charles Schwab Challenge, Johnson rolled the rock with a TaylorMade Truss TM1 putter, before switching to a Spider X Chalk at the RBC Heritage.

Flatsticks are notoriously perishable in Johnson’s bag, as you might guess, so it’s not surprising to see him in the TaylorMade Truss TB1 this week -- a blade model, rather than “the mallet with tines” TM1. Per TaylorMade, the tour staff adjusted swing weight, loft and lie pre-tournament, which inspired Johnson to give the putter a go.