Podcast · Leisure & Travel
by Gene Parente, Jonathan Wall · English · Leisure & Travel
Club Lab is a golf equipment podcast hosted by Golf Digest managing editor Jonathan Wall and Golf Laboratories founder Gene Parente, diving deep into the gear generating buzz through real robot-testing data, tour trends and conversations with the people who matter most in the industry. Every episode
14 Oct 2026 · 33 minNew
The top of many golfers' bags can be a bit of a guessing game, and the emergence of high-lofted fairway woods has only added more variables to the mix. So, should you play an 18-degree fairway wood or an 18-degree hybrid? JWall and Uncle Gene discuss based on some robot testing data. But first, we've been traveling to OEMs to get some sneak peeks at new products, plus Big Deal or No Big Deal is back and Gene has some fire answers.
E89 · 1 Oct 2026 · 53 min
Uncle Gene is back from the Faroe Islands, which means it's time to break down the latest in golf's ball rollback saga. Our dynamic duo goes on to discuss more irons testing data from the Golf Laboratories swing robot, then plays another edition of 'Something or Nothing?'
E88 · 23 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Similar to our test of a decade of drivers, we put 2026 irons to the test on the Golf Laboratories to identify standouts in spin consistency. But first, a new segment, "Big Deal or No Deal," where Uncle Gene decides what silly season equipment changes are something and which are nothing.
E87 · 16 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Fall is affectionately known as golf's silly season. The FedEx Cup Playoffs have ended, there are a handful of PGA Tour events scattered about the calendar. It's the perfect time to try out a new club or two. Or, in Brooks Koepka's case, bring one back. Also on this week's pod, some more tidbits from our trip to Titleist's Manchester Lane facility, notes on Srixon's ZXi lineup, Charlie Woods' deal with TaylorMade and a deep dive on chasing distance with irons.
E86 · 10 Sep 2026 · 49 min
JWall and Uncle Gene got to spend time this week at Titleist's "East Coast TPI," where ball testing is the main focus. Director of Golf Ball Product Management Frederick Waddell spent some time with the boys to detail all things Titleist golf ball, including some new product to look out for in the new year.
E85 · 2 Sep 2026 · 59 min
The Golf Laboratories swing robot showed us lower launch, lower spin and increased ball speed with the Qi4D compared to previous TaylorMade models. Guess who switched into the new Qi4D head, picked up distance off the tee and won two events in three weeks? That's right, Scottie Scheffler. JWall and Uncle Gene break it all down. But first, even more on Good Good and Rory weighs in on bifurcation. Plus, Tommy Fleetwood makes a putter change and a new putting gadget hits the market.
E84 · 26 Aug 2026 · 42 min
A potential canary in the coal mine emerged earlier this week when Golf Datatech released numbers showing July 2026 equipment sales were down in almost every category compared to July 2025. JWall and Uncle Gene dive into why. But first, the crew weighs in on the Good Good ad that's caused a stir. Then, New Release Season never stops and the boys have the latest news.
E83 · 18 Aug 2026 · 52 min
There's a drawback to almost every launch monitor on the market. The best ones are expensive, often prohibitively so. A middle tier typically charges a subscription fee. Others use software that "guesses" what your ball does based on a split second of captured data. Some store your sessions and make it difficult to download your own data to analyze it. But what if there was a launch monitor that had none of those roadblocks? That's the question Coleman Rollins has been asking himself. Now, he's building an open-sourced launch monitor.
E82 · 13 Aug 2026 · 47 min
It's no secret today's golf gear is easier to play than in generations past. It's kind of the focal point of the whole distance/rollback debate. But one swing coach posits that three of the most unique, effective swings in golf today — all from PGA Tour winners — would not be possible with the clubs and balls of yesteryear. But first, Uncle Gene played Cypress Point, FedEx and Odyssey team up on a headcover and blade putters near extinction at the U.S. Amateur.
E81 · 5 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
JWall and Uncle Gene put 54 golf balls to the test on the Golf Laboratories swing robot to find out which performed best on the critical 40-yard wedge shot test. But first, the equipment release calendar knows no bounds. Several new clubs hit the market in the past week or so, and the boys break them all down.
E80 · 29 Jul 2026 · 59 min
Golf Galaxy Director of Golf Experience and master fitter Chris Marchini is back to answer your questions about club trends and club fitting. We bounce from driver heads, to shafts, irons and everything in between.
E79 · 22 Jul 2026 · 37 min
A couple weeks ago, we gave you a Royal Rumble of irons. Now, we've done the same with drivers. But first, an equipment recap from the Open Championship, including why you might want to put a putter head on a telephone pole.
E78 · 15 Jul 2026 · 47 min
You asked, we listened. We tested Titleist's GTS drivers at 105 mph on the Golf Laboratories swing robot, and the results were intriguing. But first, it's Open Championship week, which means a whole lot of changes at both ends of the bag for many tour pros. High lofted woods become long irons and mini drivers and new bounce options are in play for wedges on the baked, firm, sandy soil.
E77 · 8 Jul 2026 · 40 min
Who says irons need to be in one category or another? We put every iron we tested on the Golf Laboratories swing robot in one big pot and picked the most outstanding few in a bunch of categories. But first, some tour talk as players head over to Britain for the Open Championship. Look for some long irons this in place of fairway woods. Plus, L.A.B. Golf collabs with Uncrustables?
E76 · 1 Jul 2026 · 54 min
Titleist made waves with its April release of its new GTS line of drivers. And there was a whole lot of hullabaloo around how much ball speed, and, in turn, distance pros were gaining. JWall and Uncle Gene finally got their hands on some drivers and put them to the test on the Golf Laboratories swing robot. Also, Viktor Hovland's driver change pays off and what's the deal with Damascus steel?
E75 · 24 Jun 2026 · 44 min
JWall and Uncle Gene are back from their respective vacations and we have lots of super game improvement iron robot data to discuss. But first, Wyndham Clark's Ping Scottsdale Tec putter carries him to his second U.S. Open title and the USGA delays its rollback plan.
E74 · 17 Jun 2026 · 30 min
Our summer robot analysis series continues with game improvement irons as JWall and Uncle Gene break down the data from the Golf Laboratories swing robot.
E73 · 10 Jun 2026 · 34 min
We put the hottest category in irons to the test on Golf Laboratories' swing robot, and the numbers were outstanding. JWall and Uncle Gene break it all down, and JWall learns the difference between negative and positive.
E71 · 3 Jun 2026 · 26 min
Robot testing is not just for drivers! JWall and Uncle Gene put the latest offerings in the players irons category to the test on the Golf Laboratories swing robot, and, well, it's time for Gene to eat some crow.
E70 · 27 May 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Director of Golf Performance and Innovation at Dick's and Golf Galaxy Chris Marchini is back with JWall and Uncle Gene to answer your questions about irons, including what to look for in a fitting, how you know when it's time to get new irons and specific data points he uses to get the right clubs in players' hands.
E69 · 20 May 2026 · 49 min
TaylorMade's newest driver, the Qi4D, is both lower launching and lower spinning than its Qi10 and Qi35 predecessors, but that only tells part of the story. JWall and Uncle Gene go in depth on what that actually means for ball flight and how adjusting the loft sleeve can make a big difference. But first, a surprise PGA Championship winner claims a major with some old equipment, TaylorMade moves to a two-year driver cycle and Bridgestone releases a black golf ball.
E68 · 13 May 2026 · 50 min
We put a cult classic driver up against its modern-day descendant on a swing robot and the results are in. But first, a smorgasbord of PGA Championship equipment notes, featuring Brooks Koepka's new putter, all 31 of Justin Rose's McLaren irons, Rickie Fowler's shortest driver of his career and a new L.A.B. Golf prototype putter appears. And would Cameron Young's golf ball actually conform under the proposed rollback rules?
E67 · 6 May 2026 · 56 min
You asked. We answered. Robot testing on drivers at 105 mph results are in. But first, Tony Finau makes another putter change, Jordan Spieth does some more tinkering and switches to a ball you can play, while Cameron Young is playing one you cannot.
E66 · 1 May 2026 · 48 min
JWall and Uncle Gene dive into the robot data on three iterations of Ping drivers. But first, McLaren enters the golf club space, but can they have staying power without a driver. And Brooks Koepka is once again an equipment free agent.
E65 · 23 Apr 2026 · 45 min
The robot testing data is in on the last three years of Cobra drivers. But first, why Uncle Gene feels like he was beaten with a sack of quarters, and the return of the blade?
E64 · 15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
JWall and Uncle Gene crunch the numbers on the past three years of Callaway drivers. But first, why Uncle Gene skipped Coachella this year, a Masters equipment recap and a deep dive on the proposed ball rollback.
E63 · 6 Apr 2026 · 50 min
Steve Williams has been part of 14 major-winning player-caddie duos helping some of the best players across multiple generations decide which club to hit and how. He joined Jonathan Wall to discuss what 40 years inside the ropes can tell us about equipment that no launch monitor can.
E62 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
It's that time of year again. New drivers are out and JWall and Uncle Gene have tested them on the robot. This week, we dive into the last three TaylorMade driver families: Qi10, Qi35 and Qi4D. Plus, it's Masters limited release season, when brands drop their Augusta-themed merch, Gary Woodland completes his improbable comeback with a unicorn driver and why Jake Knapp is a crazy person.
E61 · 26 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Same pod, new name. The Golf IQ Equipment Pod is now Club Lab! On this episode, JWall and Uncle Gene discuss Titleist's March (?!) driver release, a new putting contraption and a new brand in the golf space.
E58 · 16 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Spring is coming, which means golf season is near. There's no better way to kick off the season than with Director of Golf Performance and Innovation for Dick's and Golf Galaxy Chris Marchini. JWall, Uncle Gene and Marchini touch on a weird gear note from the PGA Tour, Jim Furyk's recent comments and 2026 driver releases.
Club Lab is a golf equipment podcast hosted by Golf Digest managing editor Jonathan Wall and Golf Laboratories founder Gene Parente, diving deep into the gear generating buzz through real robot-testing data, tour trends and conversations with the people who matter most in the industry. Every episode
Club Lab is a English leisure & travel podcast from Gene Parente, Jonathan Wall. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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