Month: August 2018

Categories
GOLF

GIGAGOLF TRX Powerslot Irons – The Ongoing Cobe Life Review continues

Still Going Strong

My first two instalments of the Cobe Life Ongoing Review of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons focused on what made me choose them in the first place.  The big three reasons were Price, customizability, and Player category.  In this Ongoing review I’m going to focus on the performance, and durability.  There is very little information available on the internet regarding secondary market clubs that isn’t directly coming from the manufacturers.  Sure you can read short customer reviews that follow each product, but for the most part they only provide you with first impressions, and very little detail.  I’m going to not only give you some in depth performance data, but also provide you with how these particular Irons have affected my golf game.

It’s never what it seems at first

I had previously reported that I had experienced a little bit of a distance gain with the Irons.  Well having played over 20 Rounds with them I’ve noticed my average distance with each club slowly regress back to where it had been previously.  This is really nothing new.  The majority of golfers have a tendency to head straight to the Range or a Simulator when they get new equipment to test it out.  You are so excited that your adrenaline is way up, and your goal is to find out how much better these new clubs are than your old set.  As a result you tend to swing a little harder than normal.  Miss hits are dismissed as part of the adjustment period.  When really they occur because you are swinging a little wildly.  I don’t know how many customer reviews I’ve read that contain claims of seeing 10 to 15 yard increases their first time out to the Range.  It would be interesting to see how their claims have changed since.  So the new Irons haven’t really gained me much additional distance. Currently my average distance is only 3 yards longer than my previous set.  It’s my belief the reason for the increase is directly attributed to my quality of strike.  As I had mentioned in my previous review, GigaGolf Irons are fully customizable when you order them including length and lie angle.  It’s these adjustments that have made the most difference with my strike accuracy.  If you follow me on my various Social Media accounts then you’ll know that I switched from Super Game Improvement Irons to the Regular Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  There have been positives and negatives to making the switch.  I’ll begin with the negative.  In poor weather conditions like just after a heavy rain when the course gets extremely soft, or after many days of intense heat and the fairways are rock hard; Super Game Improvement Irons have that thick base that generally skips across the surface and helps you make decent contact. The thinner Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons really force you to pick the ball cleanly in those situations.  Now fortunately when you do catch it thin the additional spring in the face does help to advance your ball further than you would expect.  Now the positive; the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons generate significantly more spin than the Super Game Improvement Irons I was playing with previously.  For the first time I’m able to attack Greens, and not worry about running out the back.  When I make perfect contact I am able to not only hold the Green but even spin the ball back a foot with my 9 Iron!  To be honest I didn’t think I was capable of that.  I average about 2 yards of roll out with my 7 Iron now.  With my previous Super Game Improvement Irons it was closer to 7 yards.  Pin placements that required me to clear a bunker or pond were absolutely impossible for me to stick close.  Now I go after those Pins with confidence.

So what are the results?

The results have been better than anticipated.  The greatest improvement has been in my Greens In Regulation percentage.  Now that I am able to effectively attack Pins my Percentage has gone from a pitiful 12% to as high as 25% this Season.  It currently sits at 22%.  That’s almost double what it used to be.  Something I should mention that isn’t reflected in the stats is the number of times I end up putting from the fringe as well.  Although it isn’t technically a Green in Regulation, landing on the fringe is still an advantageous position.  Which takes me to the next result and that’s the increase in Pars I’ve been able to attain on the course.  My handicap has gone down 5 strokes since the beginning of the Season.  Now I’m a high handicapper so lowering my handicap really only requires minor improvements in my game.  Still every time it goes down a stroke I’m excited.  Of course every Par for a high handicapper like myself practically feels like a birdie so the more the merrier!  As far as performance is concerned I couldn’t be happier.  Anyone looking to replace their Irons would be wise to consider the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  Not because they are great for the price.  Consider them because they simply are great, and you can customize them to fit you perfectly.

Now about the durability

I’ve got to be honest here, I was worried.  If you read the previous review a significant scuff mark had appeared on my Pitching Wedge after only a few Range Sessions.  Quite a lot of golfers are concerned that the materials used by these secondary market manufacturers are substandard.  I had that fear as well.  Especially after the early marks that had appeared on a couple of the Irons.  Well in the case of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons you can breathe easy.  I’ve played over 20 Rounds of golf and been out to the Range another 20 plus times, and they are about as worn as you would expect any clubs to be.  I went with GigaGolf’s own basic grips because the grips I usually prefer weren’t available through GigaGolf and expected to have to switch them out quickly.  Well I haven’t switched them yet and they feel fine.  I haven’t any rolling or deflection of the face grooves on the Irons, and as I mentioned before they generate excellent spin with full shots.  In fact they bite into the ball so well that soft cover balls like the Q-star or Vice Tour begin to look shredded after only 6 holes.  I thought that given the price I would be satisfied if I was able to play with these clubs for just a few Seasons then that would be fine.  At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if with proper care these Irons perform just as well 5 years from now.

 

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

Questions that need answering – Sports Fanatics Play Fantasy SF-45

Changes are afoot

There were a number of surprises in Fantasy Football last year.  Rookie Running Backs were flying off the waiver wire every week.  The Quarterbacks that went late in the draft became some of tthe Top performers.  Injuries to key Players happened early and often.  Fantasy Football was simply fantastic last Season.  So what should we expect this Season?

Plenty of Comeback Candidates

There are a few Players that missed a lot of time or even the whole Season last year that are primed to have huge Seasons this year.

Deshaun Watson – If you follow Cobe Life on YouTube, you will already know that Deshaun Watson is the highest QB on my draft board.  That’s right, I’m predicting him to be the Top QB in Fantasy Football.  He was already on his way to achieving that last year before he went down to injury.  I expect him to come back fully healthy and well rested.  Draft him with confidence.

David Johnson – David Johnson missed all but one game last Season with a wrist injury.  Before that he was considered to be the number 2 Running Back in the league by my rankings.  Wrist injuries generally heal well, and have very little effect on future performance.  David Johnson is the Arizona Cardinals offense.  I don’t expect a drop in touches.  Actually after being off the field for practically a full Season, he should be raring to go.  He’s my number 3 Running Back on my draft board.

Dalvin Cook – The Minnesota Vikings are a powerhouse team in a powerhouse division that’s in the powerhouse conference.  Dalvin Cook has already proved that he fits their powerhouse offense quite nicely.  Coming back from injury to a team that actually upgraded at Quarterback in the off-season.  Dalvin Cook is sure to find a lot of running room this year.  Snag him in your draft when the opportunity arises.

Julian Edelman – If you take a really good look at the New England Patriots roster you’ll notice something somewhat strange.  You won’t find many star players on it.    That’s what makes the return of Julian Edelman so huge.  On the offensive side of the ball there are three obvious stars.  Two of which (Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski) will be extremely difficult to draft unless you don’t mind reaching.  That leaves the returning Edelman as the only star on the Patriots that could fall below his true draft value.  I’m not even close to being a fan of the Patriots, but if Edelman falls in my draft.  I’m taking him.

Rookie Breakouts

Saquon Barkley – Saquon Barkley is for real.  I don’t take what I see in the preseason too seriously.  What I have seen from him will definitely carry over into the regular Season.  He’s elusive, has a great burst of speed through the hole, runs hard, runs fast, and has sure hands.  Barring a complete New York Giants breakdown, Saquon Barkley should finish as a Top 5 Running Back.  In most drafts he’s the 8th Running Back off the board.  Go ahead and reach.

Royce Freeman – Nobody really knows what to expect from Denver.  With Case Keenum ar Quarterback and the stacked Defense they already have, they could look a lot like last year’s Minnesota Vikings.  If that’s the case Royce Freeman could be in line for a lot of fantastic opportunities.  He has the potential to be one of those Rookie Running Backs that helps you reach the Fantasy playoffs.  There is some risk here, but if the Broncos can get a few leads in games Freeman will have an amazing season.

Calvin Ridley – First off I should mention that I generally don’t draft rookie Wide Receivers. It takes a while to learn a new offense, than get in sync with the team’s quarterback.  The calibre of cornerback they face from week to week is significantly higher.  It just takes awhile for Wide Receivers to adjust.  There is the odd exception though.  In this case it’s in the form of a pedestrian number 2 Wide Receiver, and a number 1 Wide Receiver that demands double coverage.  Calvin Ridley could serve as a decent bye week replacement or flex starter during the season.  If either Sanu or Jones gets hurt then he becomes highly valued.  I might draft him as insurance or trade bait when the time is right.

Wild Cards

There are a few key changes at the most important position that could flip this fantasy Season on it’s head.

Patrick Mahomes II – What will the Kansas City Chiefs offense look like in 2018?  I’ll tell you what it won’t be, boring.  Watching Mahomes play is like watching high school football.  He seems to hold on to the ball too long for the NFL but somehow gets away with it.  I’ve watched him ignore the easy dump off to his Running Back to attempt a deep throw downfield and let his Wide Receiver attempt to make a play.  Alex Smith he is not!  Now is that a good thing for the Fantasy Players you drafted on the Kansas City Chiefs?  I really don’t know.  I’ll tell you one thing.  I don’t expect Kansas City to win as many games as they did last year.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t make the playoffs.

Kirk Cousins – I expect Cousins to eclipse 4000 yards passing and throw for at least 30 touchdowns.  In other words he will be a Top 5 Quarterback this year.  His receiving corps is significantly better than who he had in Washington.  He got a huge contract and will be expected to earn it.  Look at the season Case Keenum had behind that offensive line.  Just imagine what Cousins will do.  As a result of his signing I’ll draft Vikings offensive players every chance I get.

The Countdown is on.

The first week of the season is drawing near.  I hope you’ve done your research because it’s sure to be another wild and crazy Fantasy Football year.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

3 keys to lowering your score – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Keep it Simple

I’ve come across many Guides for Beginner Golfers.  The majority will include ways to begin lowering your score.  They will go into detail about how to develop a one way miss, play to your skills, and spend a lot of time working on your putting.  I agree with all of these but they don’t address the real requirements necessary to lowering your score.  There are three keys to lowering your score that will work for every Beginner Golfer.

Hazard Avoidance

This seems quite obvious right!  Well think about how many times  on the course that you have found yourself in hazards.  How many times have you failed to clear a pond, found yourself in a sand trap, or had to hit a difficult pitch out of the woods?  Some of you are going to blame these situations on poor strikes.  That’s a poor excuse.  I recently played a course with a friend of mine.  On the way there he mentioned how difficult the sand traps were at this course.  I told him that ssnd traps wouldn’t be a problem for me.  He had a puzzled look on his face, and asked why?  I told him that I rarely land in sand traps.  Most Rounds I don’t land in a single one.  He asked how is that possible?  My answer was straight and to the point, I avoid them.  My game out of the sand is weak.  I know that if I land in a bunker it’s going to cost me a stroke.  It could take me two strokes to get out of the bunker, or even if I get out with my first swing, it’s going to take another stroke to get back into position.  The smart play for me is to hit away from the bunker, or short of it.  In order to do this effectively you need to know your average distance with each club, and even more importantly the maximum distance with each club.  This is a statistic that you should be aware of that none of the “experts” talk about.  As an “expert” they never need to worry about hitting their clubs exceptionally long.  For example my average distance with my 7 Iron is 138 yards.  I have on occasion caught it a little thin and hit it close to 150 yards.  Both of these numbers come into play during a Round.  If I’m attacking a Green that’s 134 yards away with a Bunker on the left.  I will choose 7 Iron and aim for the right side of the Green.  In case you were wondering where the Pin is placed. Well it doesn’t matter.  I would prefer to attempt a long putt than having to potentially hit out of a bunker.  Now lets add one additional feature to that same situation.  Along with the left side bunker there’s also thick woods and fescue at the back.  The distance to the back of the green is 146 yards.  Now the maximum distance also comes into play.  If I catch my 7 Iron too thin I could skip out the back and into the woods where losing the ball is definitely a possibility.  In this case I would club down to my 8 Iron.  On average I hit my 8 Iron around 125 yards.  I have hit it as long as 135 yards at times though.  This would give me a slim chance to get my shot as far as the pin, and a decent chance to find the front fringe.  It totally takes both hazards out of play though.  Once again I would prefer a long putt, or short chip than end up in a hazard.  I probably save 5 strokes a Round by playing this way.

Just because it’s a Par 4 doesn’t mean you have to play it like one!

Something I realized after a full Season of playing courses, is that some Par 4s are specifically designed to challenge low handicappers.  As a Beginner these holes can totally obliterate what could have been a great Round of Golf.  The reason for this is how we are mentally conditioned to play a long Par 4.  Hit it as long as possible off the Tee, and then use whichever club is necessary to reach the Green.  Recently I played a 448 yard Par 4 dogleg right.  I chose Driver off the Tee.  Recently I’ve been hitting my Driver with great consistency.  You should choose whichever club you can hit long and find the Fairway consistently, after taking Hazard Avoidance into consideration first.  I was left with 210 yards to the Pin.  Now I could potentially get there with my 3 Wood.  In my first couple of Seasons playing golf, that’s exactly what I would have tried.  Now what I chose to do instead was treat this long Par 4 like a Par 5.  I chose 5 Hybrid which totally took any of the Hazards around the Green out of play.  It left me only 50 yards to the Pin which is a very easy distance for me.  Choosing to play long Par 4s this way makes Birdie almost impossible, Par difficult, and Bogey very easy.  This may sound counterproductive to lowering your scores but in actuality it isn’t.  My Par 5 average score has gone from almost 8 to 6 strokes.  If the course I’m playing has 4 Par 5s that’s 8 strokes saved on average!  The reason for the dramatic change in scoring is because the longer you hit a club, the greater the possibility for error if you hit it poorly.  A sliced 3 Wood could put me in brutal trouble.  A sliced 5 Hybrid isn’t anywhere close to as bad.  Even if I hit the 3 Wood well in the aforementioned situation.  I could end up in a greenside bunker, or roll through the back into fescue.  A well struck 5 Hybrid can only end up in the Fairway.  So I can’t get a birdie. Well so what!  As a Beginner Golfer I only aversge 1 birdie per Round anyways.

Play to the Front of Par 3s

I’m guessing that nobody has ever suggested this before.  Whenever you are in doubt of how to play a Par 3, just aim for the front of the Green.  The only time that I would suggest against this is if you have to clear a hazard.  In that case I would suggest aiming for the back.  Aiming for the front is all about being logical.  Many Beginners know their average total distance, but aren’t aware of their carry distances.  Balls that land on the Green will usually roll out further than usual because of the firmness of the surface.  But what about Spin, you ask?  You are a Beginner (news flash) you don’t really have any.  As a result your total average distance is actually increased.  Another reason to aim for the front is that you aren’t punished for hitting it thin. You might actually end up on the Green, or roll through the back.  At least you won’t be so far out the back that getting back onto the Green will be easy.  Last but not least, you generally take hazards on the left, right, or back mostly out of play.

If you take these three tips into consideration the next time you play.  I promise you that your final score will be lower than if you didn’t.  Good luck, and keep working to improve your game.  I’ll see you on the course.

 

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

Magic the Gathering isn’t what it used to be – The Gamer in me GL-29

How the game has changed

Shortly after Magic the Gathering took the gaming world by storm in the mid 90s.  People who played the game were divided into two groups, casual or competitive.  That was it.  Now granted some people preferred multiplayer over 1 vs 1 but within each format you still had casual or competitive players.  Things are different today.  As the game has grown and aged, more formats have been developed, and the information age has almost eliminated individual deck design.  It isn’t just about whether you are a casual or competitive player anymore.  At the beginning of the new millennium whenever I went to a new card store to play a game. The only question I’d ask my opponent was whether they played casually or competitively?  I always kept a few different decks on me to suit either type of player.  Walk into any gaming store now and listen to the questions being asked.  “Do you want to play Magic?” “Which format – Standard – Modern?”  “I have a Commander deck together if you are ok with playing Commander?”  Then depending on their opponents answers there can be even more questions.  Quite often I’ve seen two people unable to play against each other because they don’t have decks that share a format.

A return to form

It’s happened slowly over time, but there is one format that could  become the way most everyone plays Magic once again.  What was once considered to be a casual escape from playing competitive games of Standard, Modern, or Vintage, is now a fully recognized format that soon anyone can play.  That format is Commander.  The 100 card deck with no more than 1 of any card except basic land is already the format of choice at most gaming stores.  The reason for this is very easy to understand.  Building a Commander deck is relatively inexpensive because you don’t require 4 of every key card like you do in the other formats.  Competitive and Casual players can play against each other because the number of variables in a 100 card deck with only 1 of each card create a situation where luck can play a huge factor.  The element of surprise (something Magic the Gathering hasn’t had for years) is always there because you never know what your opponent might play next.  It doesn’t matter if you have only been playing for a few years or twenty, you can build a fun deck that could win from any of the cards you’ve collected.  Unlike the other formats, you have a reason to peruse some of the older set binders at your local store for interesting cards to include in your deck.  In other words, Commander is actually fun!

It’s here to stay

Over the years there have been many different formats that have come and gone.  I can promise you that Commander is here to stay.  Every previous iteration of interesting format lacked that one key ingredient – fun.  Now what if you are brand new to the game?  Fortunately for you Wizards of the Coast does a far better job of set design, and cohesiveness these days.  In fact they have already recognized the switch to Commander becoming the popular format so a variation of that format for new players has been developed.  If you are unfamiliar with the new Brawl format, it’s similar to Commander except it only uses a 60 card deck comprising of cards from the Standard legal card pool, and you are allowed to select a Planeswalker as your Commander.  This format allows brand new Players the opportunity to play a version of Commander that’s similar enough to get a feel for the game.  It also allows them to eventually expand their Brawl deck into a Commander deck once they’ve collected enough cards.

It’s time to revisit an old favourite

If you had been put off by how the game of Magic the Gathering progressed over the years like I had?  It could be time to crack open the old binders, and find some of those old favourites, and throw together a deck that’s finally fun to play once more.  Imagine the look on another players face when Abyss hits the table, or you drop a second turn Serendib Efreet!  Welcome back to the Golden age of collectible card games!