As the 2020 Golf Season in Ontario comes to an end, the Simulator Season begins. The last three off seasons I have utilized Golf Simulators to work on specific aspects of my game. Understanding the limitations of a Golf Simulator is the first thing you should be aware of when planning your Simulator practice. Some of the limitations are obvious. You can’t work on your bunker game, or recovery shots from awkward lies in a Simulator. There are a few limitations that aren’t so obvious. Having a perfectly balanced platform to hit off of is a limitation. Having to aim your shot previous to setup is a limitation. Even the technology of the Simulator can make certain shots impossible. For instance I use a Chipper out on the course but most Simulators read them improperly.
Most people would assume that hitting off perfectly flat ground is an advantage, but it isn’t. I used to wear my most comfortable shoes in a Golf Simulator. I found out the hard way that weight transfer is quite different if I am wearing something other than golf shoes. You can’t dig in or rely on your cleats to help you remain steady during an aggressive swing. In fact I used that understanding to focus on swinging with more precision to gain distance instead of faster. Aiming is quite different in a Simulator. You can’t just adjust your stance and play for a Push Draw or Pull Fade. You first need to adjust the aim point with the software to account for a Push or Pull. Then let your swing dictate how far the ball Draws or Fades. If you make the adjustment at Setup instead of with the software that can cause many Simulators to read it far too extreme, and guarantee a terrible result.
Last Off season I focused on improving my consistency with the Driver. The work I did in Golf Simulators definitely helped. Driving is actually one of the best skills you can practice in a Simulator. It takes the mat out of play, and in most cases the even ground in a Simulator is similar to what you have on a Tee box. It’s about as close to the real thing as you can get. I was able to work on my Setup, Takeaway, Club Face control, and Finish position in the Simulator. The practice worked and my consistency has improved. This Off season I will continue to work on my Driving. Only this time my focus will be on improving my Launch Angle.
Something I have really focused on lately is improving my quality of contact with my Irons. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to work on your Iron striking in a Simulator. First of all most hitting mats are quite forgiving. Bad strikes can read as good strikes depending on the surface. Secondly you can’t take a divot hitting off a mat. So there isn’t a visual indicator of where your club bottomed out. Lastly Irons are more likely to be hit off uneven surfaces in real life. A Simulator can provide you with a false sense of security in your Iron swing because every shot is perfectly level.
Now fortunately I have come up with a way to practice my Iron striking that provides me with a way to measure my quality of strike. Here are the numbers from a perfectly struck 7 Iron.
7 Iron perfection
For a full explanation of how I improved my Ball striking. CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDEO ON IGTV.
So if your Golf Off season is about to begin, and you are serious about improving. Find something that you can effectively work on in a Simulator, and stick to it.
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An idea I came up with this Season because practice time wasn’t easy to come by was to rate my golf game. In order to be as brutally honest as possible I decided to divide the aspects of an individuals golf game into 5 categories. Then assign a score from 1 to 5 for each category, but no two categories can have the same score. This will force you to rank your abilities from best to worst.
Here is how I ranked each category for myself.
Driving -4
Putting -1
Irons -5
Woods\Hybrids -3
Wedges -2
What is particularly great about this system is that it doesn’t matter how good your overall game is. A 1 in putting doesn’t mean I can putt like a tour pro. It just means that it’s the most reliable part of my game. The next thing I did was make a quick note of one thing I would most like to improve in each category.
These were the primary goals I chose for each category.
Driving -4 -increase average distance by 15 yards
Putting -1 -improve proximity to hole on downhill putts
Irons -5 -lower launch angle to increase distance
Woods\Hybrids -3 -be more consistent with the distance
Wedges -2 -improve bunker accuracy
So now what am I supposed to do with that information. This is where having an understanding of where you are able to effectively cut strokes really helps. I use a Shot Scope V2 to track my golf game. I also use the 18birdies app to take notes, and get a quick analysis of my game at the end of each Round while it’s fresh in my mind. This combination has enabled me to really understand what I need to improve in order to quickly lower my scores.
The goals that would have the least affect are adding 15 yards to my Driving distance, and improving bunker accuracy. An extra 15 yards off the Tee would allow me to take 1 less club into Greens. Unfortunately my Irons are the worst category in my game so 1 less club makes little to know difference. On average I only hit 1 or 2 bunkers per Round so having improved accuracy on those shots would improve my scores minimally.
The goals that could significantly lower my scores dramatically are a lower launch angle with my Irons to increase distance, and better distance control with my Hybrids. First of all distance, and distance control are key to scoring with the majority of your clubs. Hitting it short off the Tee with my Driver won’t punish me as much if I’m accurate, and relatively long with my Irons and Hybrids. Instead of hitting pop ups with my Irons that are difficult to control, and heavily affected by the wind. I could hit a shorter Iron delofted with more control, and lower so the wind doesn’t affect it as much. On long approaches into Greens I could take hazards out of play if my distance control with my hybrids was predictable.
Now that I have identified which improvements will have the greatest impact. It is easy to optimize my practice sessions to get the absolute most out of them. If I go out to the Range I know exactly which clubs to bring with me. I know exactly what to work on. I can bring along the correct devices in order to measure my results, and determine if the swing changes are working. For these particular goals I would only need my Swing Caddie SC200 at the Range, or I could get the exact numbers by booking time in a Simulator. I wouldn’t have to spend any time on a Putting Green, or Short Game Practice area. Not a second of my time spent practicing would be wasted.
If it wasn’t for the time constraints Covid-19 has caused I would have never developed this system. Having actually put it to use, and seeing the results first hand. I will be prioritizing my practice sessions this way for the foreseeable future. I would strongly suggest that if you are serious about improving your golf game you try it as well.
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The top two Shot Tracking systems on the market are Arccos Caddie and Shot Scope. Both systems are an excellent addition to your golf equipment arsenal. They aren’t absolutely perfect, and work in slightly different ways. Which one you should buy will be decided by a number of factors. I will provide the pros and cons of each so that you may make an educated decision.
HARDWARE
Arccos Caddie uses battery powered sensors that screw into the top of your Grips that connect to an App on your Cellphone via Bluetooth.
Shot Scope uses RFID embedded sensors that screw into the top of your Grips that connect to the Shotscope GPS Watch.
The Arccos sensors are larger, but I’ve used both technologies and the sensors really aren’t noticeable during a Round. Requiring batteries to work is a disadvantage though. Eventually batteries die. RFID chips are everlasting.
Shot Scope requires you to wear their GPS watch, which until the recent release of the V3 was a little bulky and ugly. That was a nonstarter for some. The V3 is a much slimmer, and more attractive device. The new slim design does require a proprietary charge cord which I’m not a fan of. The previous generation V2 uses standard USB type B which everyone has plenty of.
Arccos Caddie requires you to have your cellphone on you during your Round. This really isn’t an issue for most people, except those that don’t like anything in their pockets while they play. The App is very easy to use, and has additional benefit of providing the Player with shot and club suggestions based upon their Arccos metrics.
For me the Shot Scope watch based system is preferable. I don’t have to keep taking my cellphone in and out of my pocket for information. I also use my cellphone for other things during a Round like taking photos or videos, and accessing the 18birdies App. The fewer applications I have to switch between the better. Depending on your cellphone the GPS positioning on the Arccos App can be slow to react so it helps to have an additional shot distance device like a Laser Rangefinder. The Shot Scope watch GPS only takes about 5 seconds to lock on to your position. I have never required an additional distance device to feel confident about my next shot. A common complaint about the Shot Scope GPS watch is it’s battery life. With the V2 there is barely enough power in a full charge to play two Rounds in a day. I would estimate a full charge to have roughly 8 hours of operation. So if you play a long Round of golf, a second time around is unlikely. Especially because the charge time is relatively long as well. You should have no issue playing at least 3 Rounds of Golf consecutively on a full charge with your cellphone. Plus the newer cellphones generally have quick charge capabilities. Just 30 minutes between Rounds is more than enough to top up.
Shot Scope V3
ACCURACY
Accurate is probably the most important quality a Shot Tracking system should be. In this case Accuracy can be measured in two ways. How accurate is it on the course, and how accurate is the data it provides afterwards.
Arccos Caddie is incredibly accurate, but has two small glitches you should be aware of. The first issue you will probably notice on the course. For whatever reason a few of the holes I’ve played on some courses are listed incorrectly. 150 yard Par 3 shows up as a Par 4 on Arccos. A 479 Par 5 shows up as a Par 4. These mistakes in the Application software don’t change your stroke count. They can have you believing that you are playing better than you are if you look at your score to Par during a Round. An issue that becomes obviously apparent after a Round is Driver distance. On some courses Arccos determines Driver distance based upon where it believes the Tees are, and not from where you actually hit it. In some cases it added an additional 30 to 40 yards. As much as I’d like to believe I occasionally have days where I hit my Driver 30+ yards more. The reality is that I don’t. Although Arccos likes to believe that I do. As long as you are aware of these issues they are easy to mitigate.
Shot Scope is incredibly accurate as well, and has the added benefit of more precise putting tracking. It isn’t without it’s faults either though. I’ll begin with a glitch that blemishes the putting benefit. In order to get precise putting stats you need to use the pin placement feature at the end of each hole. You press the button that corresponds with the number of putts you made by the Pin. On the final Hole of each Round the Shot Scope V2 advances to the Finish Round screen before I’m able to register the Pin position. I haven’t used the V3 so I can’t comment on whether this glitch has been fixed. Another issue I have come across on multiple occasions is Shot Scope registering a Shot but unaware of which club you used. Fortunately a alert icon appears by the shot when you upload the data which makes it easy identify and correct it during the Round editing process.
Of course the occasional shot is missed by both Tracking systems. Common reasons for happening are duffed shots that don’t travel far enough to register, failing to get out of a bunker, and delicate shots that fail to record as an impact. Fortunately these missed shots are easy to add during the editing process.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Arccos Caddie has one significant advantage over Shot Scope. The ability to access the Player’s data during a Round and make real time shot suggestions. It is actually like having your own Virtual Caddie with you every time you play. Unfortunately it isn’t free. The Caddie feature costs $100/year. The free version on the Application does include a basic guide though. Of course the Arccos Application counts as an additional feature as well. It provides the Player with a bird’s eye view of the Hole they are playing, and their location on it. They can see the location of Hazards, distances to doglegs, and Carry distances. Properly used Arccos Caddie can help a Player plot their way around a course quite safely.
Shot Scope has by far the best Shot Tracking system for Putting. The Pin placement technology is so simple it’s absolute genius. The GPS watch is as accurate as any Garmin GPS I’ve used, and incredibly quick. A feature that might get overlooked by some is the ability to turn off the GPS or Tracking feature before a Round. Doing so saves battery, and also allows you to use the Shot Scope to Track your Round during tournaments where distance devices aren’t allowed. For a competitive Player that’s a huge bonus.
Both technologies allow you to add penalties during a Round. Honestly though it’s not something I usually do until after during the editing process. After a particularly bad shot I just want to clear my head, and focus on the next one. Adding a penalty on my Shot Tracking device isn’t high on the priority list. For that reason the new Provisional shot feature on the V3 probably isn’t all that important to me either. For those of you that prefer to do as little editing as possible it might be a bonus.
CUSTOMER SERVICE & TECH SUPPORT
I have had the pleasure of dealing with both Arccos, and Shot Scope Customer Service and Tech Support. I say pleasure because both were excellent. In both cases it wasn’t difficult to get a hold of them. Anyone who has dealt with Customer Service over the phone or through email knows how difficult it can be in some cases. With each company Tech Support was required. The issues were handled quickly, and the results were more than satisfactory. It’s nice to know that if an issue does occur. You won’t be left to fend for yourself or be forced to buy a whole new device.
CONCLUSION
Which Shot Tracking system should you buy?
I made my decision last year before the V3 was even a rumour. I went with Shot Scope. It’s $150 less than Arccos Caddie on average. It doesn’t require my cellphone to function which frees me up to use my cellphone for other things. There’s no additional subscription fee to use it’s complete feature set. I have never had an issue with Course Accuracy. I’ve never played more than 18 holes of golf in a day so the battery capacity is sufficient. Shot Scope is very good about offering current users a special preorder price on new hardware. So I was offered a sneak preview of the V3, and a great price to upgrade. I decided against the upgrade because the size of the V2 doesn’t bother me, I prefer standard USB charging cords, a colour screen isn’t important, and the new Provisional ball feature doesn’t interest me. The V3 also comes with 35,000 preloaded golf courses instead of uploading which courses you intend to play on the App. That isn’t a hassle to me either. So sticking with the V2 just made sense for me. The V3 might be the ticket for you.
I would consider Arccos if budget wasn’t as important, and I didn’t need my cellphone for anything else. Having a Virtual Caddie available is pretty cool. Especially because it provides you with multiple strategies on the Tee, and provides you with Risky and Safe options. One of my playing partners uses Arccos Caddie, and a Laser Rangefinder to get around the course. So the relatively slow GPS location of the App doesn’t effect his play. If you already use a Laser Rangefinder then adding Arccos is a bit more appealing.
Both Shot Tracking systems should help you lower your Handicap. Shot Scope requires you to spend a little more time analyzing the data, and then adjusting your game accordingly. Arccos Caddie can help you lower your Handicap by closely following it’s suggestions, and leaving your ego at home.
Whichever you decide to purchase, you won’t be disappointed. Anyone who is serious about improving their game should use a Shot Tracking system.
The less you have to think about before, and during the Swing the better. I wish I could just select a club, get in position and swing away with no thought at all but that’s never going to happen. The best Players in the world still have one or more Swing thoughts in order to execute their golf swing. Your goal is to find the fewest number of Swing thoughts you require to execute your most consistent golf swing. Most people begin with many more than necessary, and have a very difficult time reducing it. The reason it’s so difficult to whittle down is because we don’t pay close enough attention to which thoughts actually make a considerable difference. In the beginning you will get Swing thought advice from everyone, including total strangers. I’m sure some of you have heard some or all of these.
Top 8 Swing Thought advice
1- Keep your head in the same position during the swing
2- Keep your eyes on the ball and don’t look to see where it’s going until your Follow through naturally lifts your head
3- Keep your forward arm straight
4- Swing with your body, not your arms
5- Transfer your weight into your back foot during the back swing, then shift your weight on to your front foot during the forward swing
6- Hit down on to the ball and take a divot just after ball first contact
7- Allow your hands to turn over through impact to close the face
8- Begin the forward swing by rotating your hips first to create lag
There are many more, and at some point I’ve tried them all. In the end my Swing Thoughts have been reduced to (a) maintaining a slow controlled back swing utilizing my two anchor points, and (b) completing a full swing through to a proper finish position. Some of you are probably surprised by that, and maybe even doubting it’s all I require. I’ll explain why this works for me. First of all a Slow Back swing prevents me from swaying. It keeps me balanced, and prevents my head from moving. The Anchor points keep my forward arm from bending to far, promote a proper rotation, and keep my Swing Path under control. Everything that happens through impact is determined at set up before I actually swing. As long as I’m set up correctly my strike will be decent. Something I learned to accept a while back is that a golf swing is far too fast to correct a poor set up during the swing. Better to take a little longer during set up, and then just trust you got it right. That way I’m able to just swing freely, and focus on getting to my second Swing thought, that perfect end position. Chances are if I finish the swing smoothly my shot will be what I expected. If things go wrong it can only be a problem at set up, bad Tempo, or poor balance. The icing on the cake is figuring out which thing went wrong is relatively easy. If I end up off balance it’s obvious. If my swing gets out of synch it’s a Tempo issue. If the Strike was really poor then the problem was at the set up. It usually only takes me a maximum of 3 Holes to get things fixed during a Round now. I can remember Rounds of golf where something would go wrong with my Swing, and it could take 6 Holes to figure out what. Sometimes I wouldn’t figure out what was wrong the entire Round. The reason I had no idea was because I had too many Swing Thoughts to work through. Was my head steady? Was I transferring my weight too soon, or too late? Had I gotten too armsy? Were my hands forward at impact? If just one thing was wrong I could potentially figure it out. But what if two or more things weren’t quite right? Good luck finding the right combination to fix things in time.
Just because these two Swing thoughts work for me doesn’t necessarily mean they will work for you. My Swing thoughts include a front and rear arm anchoring against my abdomen. Unless you do that as well it won’t make sense for you. I rarely take much of a divot, and don’t compress the ball all that much. As a result of that I don’t hit the ball particularly long. Right now distance isn’t all that important to me. I hit long enough to get around a shorter course, and shoot my target score provided I’m accurate. At some point in order to improve my Handicap I’ll have to learn to hit the ball a bit longer. At that time my Swing thoughts might change, or I might require one more in order to account for compressing the ball at impact.
Golf is one of the sports that the equipment you use can make a major difference in your development, and subsequently your performance. Which training aids you choose to employ can accelerate your learning curve. The actual equipment you use can increase the distance you hit the ball, or adjust the way it flys through the air. Modern technology can eliminate the guesswork other sports contend with. The implementation of GPS for instance can tell you the distance to target within a yard, or exactly how far you have to hit the ball in order to clear a hazard. According to the rules each golfer is allowed 14 clubs in the bag. There are so many different combinations that I’ve never played with anyone who has the same combination of clubs that I do. Our goal to score as low as possible is the same. By playing a different combination of clubs our path to that goal is different. In essence we aren’t playing the same game. Each golfer is playing their own game. The only thing we share with others is the course.
My initial goal when I decided to take up golf was to become a Bogey golfer. I am not a patient person so I immediately looked for as much information on what products could help me reach my goal. I tried a great number of things. Some of which helped, while others might actually have hindered my progress. There are very few perfect products in golf. I’m not saying that my Top 8 products are perfect. What I’m saying is that they had a major influence on my progression to becoming a Bogey Golfer.
8 – Rapsodo R-Motion Golf Swing Analyzer and Golf Simulator
-The most inexpensive golf simulator on the market. -Includes a copy of The Golf Club Lite simulator software -Enables you to practice at home -Advanced swing analysis includes Angle of attack, Club Path, Face Angle, Tempo, and Swing Speed.
7 – SKLZ Accelerator Pro putting mat
-Builds confidence putting up to 7 feet from the hole -Doesn’t require much space -Rolls similar to most public course greens -rolls up for easy storage when not in use
6 – Acer XK Flipper
-As easy to use as any other Chipper -Great for escaping terrible lies -Increased loft of 45 degrees is good for clearing obstacles
5 – Zepp ball marker
-Lines up perfectly with my putter -Simple alignment aid with a few options of how to mark the ball -Significantly improved my aim
4 – Ping G SFT Driver
-Dramatically helps correct my slice -Very easy to hit -Appealing design with visual cues to line up the ball
3 – Taylormade Spider X Putter
-Great alignment aid -Relatively hot face -Great weight feels balanced throughout swing
2 – Shot Scope V2 Shot Tracking System
-Doesn’t require a cellphone during use -Very simple to use -Doubles as a Golf GPS -Provides detailed putting stats
1 – Adams Idea Tech V4 Hybrids
-Super easy to hit -Very durable -Easy to launch -There are multiple lofts available. I play 3 through 6.
What products have had the greatest affect on your golf game? Have you tried any of my favourites? Let me know in the comments.
There are a lot of theories on the internet about how to improve as a Beginner Golfer. The manufacturers would like you to believe that the right equipment will make the difference. Golf coaches will tell you that lessons are the fastest route to improvement. The majority of Social media Influencers will claim to have the correct tips to accelerate your game. With so many options which one is right for you?
Figuring it out without having any real direction can be an expensive process. There are a few things you can do for free to provide you with a decent starting point. The first of which is to spend a little time at your local golf store, and test a few clubs. I would highly suggest you use that time to figure out which long shot clubs suit your natural swing. Test a 5 Wood, 4 Hybrid, and 4 Iron to see which you hit best. This will help you determine how to design your golf set. Also test how well you hit Hybrid Irons vs Traditional Irons. A lot of Beginners ignore Hybrid Iron sets like the Cobra T Rail, or Wilson Launch Pad sets. They can seriously help some golfers get started depending on your natural swing. When testing clubs pay attention to your natural ball flight, and what the majority of your miss hits are. Do you hit a lot of chunks or thins? Do you hook the ball or slice it? If you are able use your cellphone camera to film some of your test swings. This takes us to the second thing you can do. Go on YouTube and look up tips to help you with your swing problems. There are a lot of “experts” on YouTube but I’ve found a few that can offer solid advice. Start with Larry Cheung golf, Mr Shortgame, Me and My Golf, and Mark Crossfield. Between those channels you’ll probably find some helpful hints. For me personally Mark Crossfield helped me with my grip. Larry Cheung helped me improve my Back swing, and Mr Shortgame helped me limit my chunky shots. Me and My Golf have provided me with helpful drills to continuously improve. Spend time at the Range utilizing their tips for at least 8 hours of total Range time. That should improve your swing some. It won’t be perfect. Far from it actually, but at least you will have a very good idea of what you need to work on. At this point you might decide to invest in lessons, or a Swing Analyzer device. There is one more thing you can do before that though. Try swinging your clubs while choking down on the grip. Move your hands as far down the grip as possible without having any fingers on the actual shaft. The shorter a club is, the easier it is to hit. If suddenly your strike and ball flight is significantly better. Then a fitting might be the answer to gain some additional improvement. If things don’t look much different. Then it’s time to get lessons.
Of course everything I suggest is dependent on your budget. For instance I didn’t get my first, and only lesson until my third Season. I quickly realized that the same information is available on Larry Cheung’s YouTube channel. Provided you know enough about the basics of a golf swing to interpret his advice.
I hope this helps you accelerate your improvement. For more helpful tips for Beginners. Check out the Cobe Life YouTube channel.
GOLF ANALYSTS ARE ACTING LIKE HYBRID IRONS ARE A NEW THING. TRUST ME THEY AREN’T!
Adams golf was one of the first major brands to jump into the Super Game Improvement Iron space. The Idea Tech A12 OS were released in 2012! Taylormade released the the M CGB hybrid Iron set in 2017. I’ve seen a number of guys on YouTube acting like the Cleveland Launcher HB, Cobra T Rail, and Wilson Launch Pad are revolutionary designs. Well they aren’t. They are just a return to the Super Game Improvement category.
As someone who has played Hybrid Irons before. I played the Adams Idea Tech V4 set. In fact I still play the 3, 4, and 5 Hybrids from that set. I occasionally still play the 6 Hybrid as well. I can offer a word of caution that I haven’t heard from any other analyst. Thick soled Hybrid Irons can be very difficult to hit off of hard surfaces. Most Beginners make ground first contact quite often. The thick soles won’t bite into the turf if the ground is very hard. The Iron ends up bouncing upward and causing Thin shots. In Canada that generally means that Hybrid Irons aren’t suitable in the fall, or during dry spells in the summer.
All you ever hear is that chunky Hybrid Irons are CONFIDENCE INSPIRING, EASY TO HIT, EASY TO LAUNCH, and GREAT FROM ANY LIE. They are easy to hit off medium to soft ground. They do inspire confidence. They do launch well. You don’t want to hit a Hybrid Iron out of a Deep bunker. A lot of these sets will go down to Sand Wedge. Do yourself a favour and invest in a traditional Wedge if you invest in a Hybrid Iron set. The soles of a Hybrid Iron Gap Wedge, or Sand Wedge are so thick it’s almost impossible to open the face to add loft. Even if the Sand is soft it can be difficult to get enough of the club down behind the ball because the club will bounce, or slide across it, and cause you to catch the ball thin. Definitely not the result you are looking for in a bunker. Now if you are a very skilled player you can play almost any club out of a bunker so the majority of golf analysts won’t be aware of these shortcomings.
The target market for these clubs are generally Beginners. For the most part Beginners aren’t great ball strikers. Beginners generally need all the help they can get out of a bunker. Beginners need to have a decent amount of control from shorter distances. For these reasons it is my belief that most Beginners won’t require Super Game Improvement Hybrid Irons unless they are very slow swingers that need a lot of help getting the ball in the air. In that case a set of Super Game Improvement Hybrid Irons fitted with Graphite Shafts would be ideal. Provided they invest in a more traditional Sand Wedge as well.
Almost every day I see YouTube videos, Blog Posts, or Instagram Posts that make claims that mislead the Average Golfer. I get a little upset every time I see one because those same Posts mislead me a few years ago. I wasted money, time, and energy on equipment that just didn’t suit a High Handicapper like me.
Every year almost every golf blogger releases their Top # of every type of club. These lists are just infuriating. First of all they are misrepresented from the very beginning. They should be called Favourite Lists not Top Lists. Saying that one particular Iron is just better than another similar Iron for them, and anyone else is just ludicrous. Every golfer is different. Every swing is different. I might hit a Cobra Game Improvement Iron long and straight, but you might have difficulty hitting that same Iron long at all. If I released a list of the Best Game Improvement Irons on a budget the Cobra King series would be on it. Imagine you read that post, and decided to buy a set based on that information. You would be disappointed with the results, and be mad at me or upset with yourself. Now I’m still a Beginner, and 18 Handicap golfer. You might see that as a negative, and decide that’s why my assessment of the Irons were incorrect. In fact I am sure a lot of people see it that way. That’s why accomplished professionals like Rick Shiels, Peter Finch, James Robinson, Today’s Golfer, and others have so many followers. You make the incorrect assumption that because they are such great golfers their opinion has more value to you. IT DOESN’T! In fact it means less. Who do you believe you share more in common with as an average golfer? Would it be me, the 18 Handicap, with an Average 95mph Driver swing speed, who hits the occasional slice? Would it be Rick Shiels, the scratch golfer, with an Average 113mph Driver swing speed, who makes perfect center face contact about 90% of the time? According to the statistical averages, close to 75% of golfers are much closer to me in skill level. Only about 5% of golfers are within 5 strokes of Rick Shiels. How a club performs in his hands has little to no bearing on close to 80% of the golfers out there. Yet the golfing community takes a lot of what he says as gospel. In actuality you should be paying more attention to what golfers like me are saying about equipment. So will I start releasing Top clubs lists? No I won’t. I understand that what makes me a Bogey Golfer isn’t necessarily what makes you one, and that my swing is different than yours. What I will do is tell you what has worked for me specifically, and why. Then you can make your own assumptions based on your swing and skill level.
MY GOLF SPY MOST WANTED
Most Wanted by who? Now I am guilty of putting far to much stock in the My Golf Spy Most Wanted lists in the past. It wasn’t until I really looked at how they arrive at their data, and more importantly what information they leave out. It made me realize that interpreting their results was next to impossible. First of all their final results are calculated using an average of all the shot data they collect. Which means everything from Scratch Golfers to possibly very high Handicappers is included. How does that help you, the individual Golfer make a decision that’s best for you? The simple answer is that it doesn’t! What’s worse is that they use Strokes Gained as a key metric when determining the final rankings. Personally I’ll take Accuracy over Strokes Gained every single time. At least they’ve started to add additional awards to specific categories for some clubs like Distance, and Forgiveness. Should you then try to make a buying decision based on their data? Once again the answer is NO! To illustrate why I’ll use their most recent Most Wanted Driver results as an example. I have personally tested a number of the Drivers that are in that test. The first thing I can tell you is that their winner the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero driver does not work for me. At my swing speed and average launch angle I need more Spin not less. What is even more telling that their results could have no relevance to me whatsoever, is the Average Spin numbers for each Driver. I average close to 3000rpm in backspin with most Drivers. Not one of their Drivers have anything close to 3000rpm on average. I’ve personally tested 9 of the Drivers on their test and only 2 of those did I average under 2500rpm. In other words my results have almost nothing in common with their results. The only statistic that was very close to theirs was ball speed. Carry Distance, Total Distance, Launch angle, Apex, and everything else was different. I am certain that I’m not the only one their results don’t apply to because I’ve had friends test some of those Drivers as well. Their numbers didn’t match either. Of course why should they? We aren’t an average of a bunch of people. We are individuals!
ARE HANDICAP SPECIFIC LISTS THE ANSWER?
What if My Golf Spy and Other Golf equipment rating websites tested each club with specific Handicap groups? Would a golf club test that only included golfers with a Handicap of 17 to 20 be more relevant to me? Of course it would, but it can still be misleading. To help you understand why I’ll use myself, and two of my golfing buddies as an example. Oliver, Manny, and I are all 18 Handicap Golfers. How we achieve that 18 Handicap is completely different though. Manny is a long hitter off the Tee, and very accurate with his 3 and 4 Hybrid. He is definitely the best of the three of us for Distance. Oliver has the slowest swing speed with the Driver so doesn’t hit it very long off the Tee. He is very accurate with his Irons though, and actually hits them longer than both Manny and I. His Iron play is key to reducing his scores. I have the best Short Game of the three of us. I definitely save a few strokes Putting, and am very accurate when Chipping. It’s my skill in the Short Game that gets me to an 18 Handicap. If the three of us tested the same club, our results could be completely different. Even though we are the same Handicap, our ability with any particular club could be totally different. Just because you group golfers by Handicap, doesn’t guarantee that the results will apply to you even if you are the same Handicap.
THEN WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
The answer is to go out and test the equipment yourself. I began golfing by listening to the “Experts” and I got burned. It wasn’t until I started testing equipment myself that my game was given a chance to improve through having the correct equipment. I still review equipment, but unlike the majority of experts my reviews are ongoing. I don’t just hit a club a few times in a Simulator, and take it out on the course once to make my decision. I use that piece of golf equipment continuously for months, and update you along the way. I inform you about what I like, or don’t like about it. Why it works, or doesn’t work for me. I’ll go as far as recommending it if it fills a particular need that you might have. For Instance I suggest that Beginners who Slice their Driver due to an Open Face at impact buy a Draw biased Driver that helps close the face. I arrived at this conclusion during my Ongoing Review of the Ping G SFT. Keep in mind that a Draw biased Driver won’t correct a severe out to in swing path. So if that’s why you slice your Driver you’ll need to get a lesson. What I’m trying to say is that I will do my best to provide you with relevant information. I won’t mislead you. I actually am unbiased, have no paid sponsorships, and receive zero incentives from Golf industry manufacturers.
IF YOU WANT REAL ADVICE – THIS IS WHERE TO GET IT!
This is what a purpose built Beginner Golfer set looks like. Each club is specifically selected to make the game easier. Whether it’s designed to increase Forgiveness, Straighten out my shot, hit out of the Rough, or increase the peak height and descent angle. Together this set has helped me become a Bogey Golfer in my fourth Season.
Driver
Ping G SFT
10.6 degrees
Ping Alta S 55gram
The straight flight technology has really helped me straighten out my Fade, and added 15 yards to my average Drive.
3 Wood
Adams Blue
15 degrees
Aldila Slimtech S 55gram
Quite simply the easiest 3 Wood to hit Off the Tee, and relatively easy to launch Off the Deck.
3 Hybrid
Adams Idea Tech V4
19 degrees
Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara R 60gram
Super easy to hit high launching Hybrid out of any lie.
4 Hybrid
Adams Idea Tech V4
22 degrees
Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara R 60gram
Super easy to hit high launching Hybrid out of any lie.
5 Hybrid *
Adams Idea Tech V4
25 degrees
Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara R 60gram
Super easy to hit high launching Hybrid out of any lie.
6 Iron *
Cobra F7
26 degrees
True Temper F7 R 107gram
Easy launch distance Iron that still has a really pleasing look at address which inspires confidence.
7 Iron
Cobra F7
30 degrees
True Temper F7 R 107gram
Easy launch distance Iron that still has a really pleasing look at address which inspires confidence.
8 Iron
Cobra F7
35 degrees
True Temper F7 R 107gram
High launching Iron designed to help hold Greens.
9 Iron
Cobra F7
40 degrees
True Temper F7 R 107gram
High bounce Wedge perfect for Approach shots out of any lie.
Gap Wedge *
Cleveland RTX 2.0 Cavity Back
52 degrees 10 bounce
True Temper Dynamic Gold W
Mid bounce Approach Wedge that just cuts through the Rough.
Sand Wedge
Cleveland RTX 2.0 Cavity Back
56 degrees 14 bounce
True Temper Dynamic Gold W
Total utility Wedge that’s great out of any lie, and easy to manipulate for touch shots around the Greens.
Chipper
Acer XK
45 degrees
Apollo Wedge W
fantastic for Chip and Runs, short Pitches over hazards, and for punching out of awkward lies.
Putter
Taylormade Spider X
KBS CT Tour shaft
High MOI Putter with exceptional feel.
Clubs marked with an asterisk are cycled in and out of the set depending on the Course. I am a huge believer in having the right tool for the job. The 5 Hybrid and 6 Iron fly a similar distance but with completely different trajectories, and are effective from different lies. The Gap Wedge has significantly less bounce than the Attack Wedge, and is great for hitting out of Deep Rough. I also fly it around 10 yards shorter on average. For shorter courses with small Greens it’s beneficial to have every Wedge in the bag.
In 2015 a friend of mine invited me out to the Docks Golf Driving Range in Toronto, Ontario. I hadn’t swung a Golf club since the 90s but I went along anyways. Golf wasn’t high on my list of preferred sports, but a collapsed arch in my left foot limited which sports I could still play. Both my friend and I are lefties so I could borrow his clubs. If you have been to the Docks Driving Range you’ll know that there is a target roughly 110 yards out. After about 10 swings at it I hit the bullseye with a 5 Iron and I was hooked.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
I am the type of guy that needs to know everything about whatever interests me. So before I purchased any equipment I read every review, beginner’s guide, and company website. I knew more about Golf Equipment than the majority of Sales people I spoke with at stores. It would be another year before I’d realize that the majority of information on the internet was coming from the wrong people, or marketing biased. It was at this point that I decided to start the Cobe Life Golf Social Media accounts. It was time for a dedicated Beginner Golfer to help other Beginners develop their game faster. I would provide the correct information, useful tips, and point them towards the right equipment.
THE RIGHT BALANCE
How many clubs should you start with? Super Game Improvement or Game Improvement? Forged or Cast? What Flex should I use? Which ball is best? Should I get lessons? Should I get fit? There are so many questions facing a Beginner. If you have watched my videos on my Cobe Life YouTube channel, and follow me @cobesports on Instagram then you will have the answers to all of these questions. I can’t tell you what the perfect combination is for you, but I can point you in the right direction. If you have a question that needs answering, just ask.
REALITY CHECK
Today was a real eye opener for me. I didn’t expect the realization that I am no longer a true Beginner to be so abrupt. What happened today made me realize that some of my previous conclusions were flawed. The advice I provided to my Followers was good, but there is room for a little adjustment. Every major manufacturer in golf produces their equipment based on one major assumption. That the customer has a proper golf swing. I have been playing golf since 2015, and I just realized today that I didn’t have a real golf swing up until about a month ago. Keep in mind that I have broke 90 a few times without a proper golf swing. How is that possible? It’s comparable to other sports that require swings. Most people can hit a baseball, but very few could hit a Home Run. That requires a proper baseball swing. Almost anyone can make a wrist shot in hockey, but might have trouble hitting a slap shot. That requires a proper Hockey swing. Hitting a golf ball down the Fairway isn’t exceptionally hard. Making that ball compress at impact, and Spin the way it’s supposed to is much harder. For three years I had just been hitting a ball down the Fairway. All of the modern technology that goes into today’s golf equipment is almost useless without a proper golf swing. Multilayer Golf Balls might as well be Range Balls. CG placement doesn’t effect much when you hit all over the clubface. Feel doesn’t help when you are unsure what a proper shot feels like.
THE NEXT STEP
Now that I’ve developed a proper golf swing. I’m going to give two perspectives on all the equipment I review. Whether it is beneficial for a total Beginner before they’ve developed a proper swing, and how beneficial it is for a Beginner that has developed a proper golf swing. I can say with absolute certainty that there is very little difference between Super Game Improvement and Game Improvement Irons for a total Beginner before they’ve developed a proper golf swing. A Super Game Improvement Iron can inspire confidence so that might be the difference maker for some of you.
How do you know if you have developed a proper golf swing?
