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Club Lab

Club Lab

Gene Parente, Jonathan Wall 71 episodes Oct 28, 2026

Club Lab is a golf equipment podcast hosted by Golf Digest managing editor Jonathan Wall and Golf Laboratories founder Gene Parente. The show dives deep into the gear generating buzz through real robot-testing data, tour trends, and conversations with key industry figures. Each episode aims to make listeners smarter about the equipment in their bag.

Episodes

Srixon/Cleveland's Director of Engineering, Dustin Brekke
Srixon/Cleveland's Director of Engineering, Dustin Brekke Oct 28, 2026 59:13 JWall sits down with Srixon/Cleveland's Director of Engineering, Dustin Brekke to discuss bringing the ZXi lineup to life, working with Roger Cleveland, designing products with a team abroad, favorite projects and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Revisiting our hybrid testing
Revisiting our hybrid testing Oct 21, 2026 44:01 We revisit our hybrid testing to clear up some data. But first, do Texas and Oklahoma hate each other too much? And Big Deal or No Big Deal gets personal for Uncle Gene. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Should you play a hybrid?
Should you play a hybrid? Oct 14, 2026 32:30 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 ba
What's next for golf’s equipment rollback?
What's next for golf’s equipment rollback? Oct 1, 2026 52:44 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?' Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for
How consistent are 2026 irons?
How consistent are 2026 irons? Sep 23, 2026 51:25 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p
Brooks Koepka puts an old favorite back in the bag
Brooks Koepka puts an old favorite back in the bag Sep 16, 2026 01:01:30 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
Inside Titleist's Manchester Lane ball-testing facility
Inside Titleist's Manchester Lane ball-testing facility Sep 10, 2026 48:41 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col
Scottie proves our robot testing right
Scottie proves our robot testing right Sep 2, 2026 59:19 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. P
A warning sign in the golf equipment space
A warning sign in the golf equipment space Aug 26, 2026 41:55 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi
Here's the deal with Open Flight, an open-source launch monitor
Here's the deal with Open Flight, an open-source launch monitor Aug 18, 2026 52:15 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 h
How today's equipment enables today's swings
How today's equipment enables today's swings Aug 13, 2026 46:47 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
We robot tested 54 golf balls
We robot tested 54 golf balls Aug 5, 2026 01:01:42 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our

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