John Daly doesn't care about your launch monitor. He doesn't care about "optimal spin rates" or whether his bag matches the glossy catalogs in a pro shop. If you peek inside a john daly golf bag today, you aren't going to find a sanitized, corporate-approved set of fourteen identical clubs from one manufacturer. You’re going to find a chaotic, lead-tape-covered masterpiece that looks like it was assembled in a garage during a lightning storm.
It’s glorious.
The man is a two-time major champion who still moves the needle more than almost anyone on the PGA Tour Champions. But his gear? It's a rebellion against modern golf's obsession with uniformity. While the rest of the world is chasing the latest carbon-fiber-everything, Long John is out there playing clubs most weekend warriors have never even heard of.
The Hooters Bag and the Art of the Brand
You can't talk about his setup without addressing the elephant—or rather, the owl—in the room. The john daly golf bag is often a bright, unapologetic blaze-orange staff bag emblazoned with the Hooters logo. It is iconic. In an era where players have "strategic partnerships" with private equity firms and tech giants, Daly is rocking a chicken wing empire.
Honestly, it’s the most authentic branding in sports.
The bag itself is massive. It’s a full-size tour staff bag, often custom-made by shops like MPD Custom Golf, featuring his signature "Heart of a Lion" foundation logo alongside his other sponsors like Good Boy Vodka. Most tour pros want their bags to look sleek and aerodynamic. Daly wants his to hold several cans of Diet Coke and enough cigarettes to survive a long afternoon at Valhalla.
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But don't let the orange vinyl fool you. What’s inside is where things get weird.
Why There is So Much Lead Tape
If you ever get close enough to see his irons, you might think they've been through a car crusher. They are caked—and I mean caked—in lead tape.
Why? Because John Daly uses grips that feel like baseball bats.
He uses SuperStroke S-Tech Club Cord oversized grips with roughly six wraps of tape underneath. These things are heavy. A standard golf grip weighs about 52 grams; Daly’s weigh in at 82 grams or more. This throws the "swing weight" of the club completely out of whack. To make the head of the club feel heavy enough for his legendary long-arc swing, his club builder, Scott "E.G." Garrison, has to slap layers of lead tape onto the back of the irons.
It’s not pretty. It’s functional. It’s the golf equivalent of a "rat rod" car—primer paint on the outside, but a massive engine under the hood.
The 2026 WITB: A Mix of Mavericks
Going into 2026, the john daly golf bag is a fascinating case study in "direct-to-consumer" (DTC) success. For a long time, he was a Callaway man. He’s tinkered with PXG and TaylorMade. But lately, he’s been leaning heavily into Sub 70, an Illinois-based brand that sells high-quality clubs without the massive retail markup.
Here is what the big man is actually swinging right now:
- Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (7.5 degrees). Krank is a brand known for long-drive competitions. It makes sense for a guy whose entire brand is "Grip it and Rip it."
- The Shaft: Newton Motion 6-Dot. If you haven't seen these, they look like something out of a sci-fi movie with their color-shifting finishes.
- Irons: Sub 70 669 MB (6-PW). Yes, he’s playing blades. But only from the 6-iron down.
- The Hybrids: This is the part that shocks people. Daly carries four Ping G430 hybrids (roughly 17, 19, 22, and 26 degrees).
Think about that. One of the greatest "feel" players in history, a guy who grew up hitting 1-irons off the hardpan in Arkansas, is now using four hybrids. He once told reporters, "I'm not strong enough anymore," echoing Fred Couples. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability from a guy who seems invincible, but it’s also a lesson for every amateur golfer: if John Daly is using hybrids to make the game easier, why are you still struggling with a 4-iron?
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Putter Madness and the "Redneck" Legacy
Daly’s putter changes more often than most people change their oil. He’s used Odyssey White Hot OG models, Scotty Camerons, and even a "Redneck" putter back in the day. Recently, he’s been seen with a Bettinardi Tiki BB1 or an Odyssey Tri-Hot 5K Rossie.
Whatever is in the john daly golf bag on a given Thursday usually depends on what’s "talking to him" on the practice green. He’s a pure feel player. He doesn't look at lines on a screen; he looks at the hole and reacts.
The Lesson for Your Own Bag
There’s a reason people track every update to the john daly golf bag. It’s because he plays the game like we do—emotionally, impulsively, and for the love of the strike. He isn't beholden to a 14-club contract that forces him to play a 3-wood he hates just because it’s the new model.
He plays what works.
If he likes a direct-to-consumer wedge because it reminds him of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks (which he often has custom-stamped), he plays it. If he wants to use a driver designed for 500-yard long-drive champions, he does it.
Basically, the Daly philosophy is this: Your equipment should serve your swing, not your ego.
If you want to take a page out of his book, start by looking at your long irons. Are you hitting them consistently? If not, stop being a hero. Buy the hybrids. Add the lead tape if the club feels too light. Don't worry about whether your driver and your putter come from the same company.
The most important thing you can do to emulate Daly isn't buying an orange bag or a pair of Loudmouth pants. It’s finding the specific combination of weight, feel, and "look" that makes you want to swing hard.
Go through your own bag this weekend and identify the "dead weight." If there is a club you haven't hit a good shot with in three rounds, pull it. Replace it with something that actually helps you score, even if it looks a little weird. That is the true "John Daly" way to play golf.