Club Lab

Gene Parente, Jonathan Wall

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 is designed to make you smarter about the equipment in your bag.

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20 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Wednesday · 58 min
Chris Marchini on the latest fitting trends
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.
July 22 · 37 min
And now, a Royal Rumble of drivers
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.
July 15 · 46 min
Equipment notes for the Open Championship
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.
July 8 · 40 min
A Royal Rumble of irons
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?
July 1 · 53 min
We put Titleist's GTS drivers to the test
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?
June 24 · 43 min
Some surprising super game improvement iron data
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.
June 17 · 29 min
Robotic iron analysis: Game Improvement Irons
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.
June 10 · 34 min
How 2026 players distance irons performed with a robot
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.
June 3 · 26 min
We robot tested 2026 players irons
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.
May 27 · 1 hr 3 min
What to know about irons, with Chris Marchini
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.
May 20 · 48 min
Why TaylorMade's Qi4D loft sleeve is so important
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.
May 13 · 49 min
We tested a cult classic against a current driver
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?
May 6 · 55 min
Robot testing drivers at 105 mph
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.
May 1 · 48 min
Analyzing three iterations of Ping drivers
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.
April 23 · 44 min
Crunching the numbers on 3 years of Cobra drivers
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?
April 15 · 1 hr 14 min
Robot testing three years of Callaway drivers
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.
April 6 · 50 min
An interview with Steve Williams
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.
April 1 · 1 hr
Comparing three years of TaylorMade drivers
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.
March 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Titleist releases a new driver ... in March?
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.
March 16 · 1 hr 1 min
Kicking off 2026 golf season with Chris Marchini (3/11/26)
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

Chris Marchini on the latest fitting trends

And now, a Royal Rumble of drivers

Equipment notes for the Open Championship

A Royal Rumble of irons

We put Titleist's GTS drivers to the test

Some surprising super game improvement iron data

Robotic iron analysis: Game Improvement Irons

How 2026 players distance irons performed with a robot

We robot tested 2026 players irons

What to know about irons, with Chris Marchini

Why TaylorMade's Qi4D loft sleeve is so important

We tested a cult classic against a current driver

Robot testing drivers at 105 mph

Analyzing three iterations of Ping drivers

Crunching the numbers on 3 years of Cobra drivers

Robot testing three years of Callaway drivers

An interview with Steve Williams

Comparing three years of TaylorMade drivers

Titleist releases a new driver ... in March?

Kicking off 2026 golf season with Chris Marchini (3/11/26)