Ryan Kroll is a 49-year-old stay-at-home dad and a veteran Hot List tester. A member of major-championship site, Hazeltine National G.C., in Minnesota, he’s used to difficult tasks—like discerning degrees of excellence when it comes to golf clubs. A 10.0 Index who plays two to three times a week and practices fairly regularly, the in-shape, 6-foot-1 Kroll describes his ball flight as “infant draws or baby fades with a healthy mix of the dreaded straight ball,” and he offers that his weakness is in long-club accuracy. Here are Kroll’s Hot List favorites through the bag.

Driver: Ping G430 Max “I would like to order one now. Felt complete confidence, each strike better than the last. The ball quickly jumps off the face and a narrow dispersion. Wanted to keep hitting it all day, but my editor made me stop. Turbo fins frame the ball nicely, and it’s a pleasure to hit. No need to watch the ball down the fairway, you can just bend down and pick up your tee.”

Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 “At first glance, there’s a plain design to it. It’s simple and straightforward. But it screams to let the action of the club do the talking. The feeling of ball on face is a tight compression. I can feel it trampolining off. Surgical sound and stayed on target. Forgiveness apparent on mis-hits and a pleasing turf interaction. Never a concern of getting stuck in the grass. Would be an extremely effective weapon in someone’s arsenal.”

Hybrid: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL “This is a revelation to be able to hit a hybrid that high, that straight and that far. Loved hitting off the tee and the grass and seeing that ball flight. My confidence grew with each shot, with soft landings on high shots, plenty of roll on lower shots.”

Players-Distance Irons: Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Pro “Soon to be named the JPX923 Hot Metal Kroll. Exquisitely comfortable club to hit. The face eats the ball and spits it out in the middle of the fairway. Perfectly pleasing feel at impact, not too jumpy. Nice, tight click sound. The ball doesn’t waste any time getting on the intended line. Most surprised with extra distance in it across long and short irons. Put the ‘distance’ in players-distance.”

Game-Improvement Irons: Srixon ZX4 Mk II “An obvious standout. These made me feel like a better golfer. They felt and looked like blades. The plain, classic look was understated yet modern. Really efficient and dagger-like through the zone. Really felt the marriage of ball and face. Felt like a partner to me. Love the high launchability, if that’s a word. Ball always stayed on its line.”

Super-Game-Improvement Irons: Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL “A really inviting golf club to hit. The head doesn’t look oversized to the eye, but there’s enough muscle behind it to pack a punch. Really like what they did on the back with the lines. Looks like a brand-new club, instead of the same club year after year. Never gets stuck in the turf. Always drives through and always got a true strike at impact. Club doesn’t feel limited to me: If I got much better, I wouldn’t have to graduate to a ‘better’ club.”

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 “This remains the gold standard in this category. It looks so classically clean, it looks like an heirloom that should be passed down. Would like it to be softer on the full shots, want more of a kiss on that shot. So masterful out of the bunker. Spins and stops right away.”

Blade Putters: Evnroll NeoClassics ER1.2 “A remarkably consistent roll from this putter. So easy to line up from the get-go. Little dimples on the top line are a unique alignment aid. A light-swinging tool through the zone, but there’s enough there to send the ball rolling on long putts. The ball doesn’t rocket away from you. It seems to know exactly how far you meant to hit it.”

Mallet Putters: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Super Select Fastback 1.5 “This putter makes me feel like a real golfer. It’s a perfect concerto of putting factors. It’s light and comfortable and easy in my hands. Squares up to the ball nicely. Sends it online on all lengths and even off the collar. My confidence grows with every stroke. From a design standpoint, it’s elegant in a classical sense. An overall easy experience.”

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com