Category: GOLF

Golf instruction, and tips for Beginners.  Golf equipment reviews.  Golf course reviews.  My personal Golf experiences, and stories.

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GOLF

DO DRAW BIASED DRIVERS PREVENT BEGINNER GOLFERS FROM SLICING?

Why I decided to try a Draw Biased Driver

I’ve only been playing golf for just over 3 Canadian seasons. Which is to say that I’ve only played actual courses for about 25 months. I didn’t carry a Driver in my bag the first season. Total Beginners shouldn’t use a Driver their first season, but that’s another article. I rarely used my Driver my second season because I found it difficult to control. I hit an awful lot of slices, and sometimes topped the ball. It wasn’t until last season after spending a lot of time at the Range that I learned how to control it. I turned my slice into a controlled Fade. I’m using the term Fade a bit loosely here. As a Lefty I would aim at the right side of the Fairway, and the ball would “fade” an average of 20 or so yards back to the left. The shot had become so predictable that I increased my Fairway hit percentage to 65%. The Driver had become one of the most consistent clubs in my bag, but that shot shape seriously limited it’s use. Using it on a dogleg right meant that my second shot was always a long one. If the Tee box was tree lined on the right I couldn’t use it because it would prevent me from aiming far enough to the right. Any tight Fairways that had serious trouble on the left meant that I would have to proceed with extreme caution. If there was a pond, or deep bunker on the left in my landing area, the safe play was to switch to a 3 Hybrid so I would come up short. Again I’m looking at a very long second shot. Of course playing every Tee shot with the Driver as an extreme Fade meant miss hits that went high and straight ended up in no man’s land. I tried every trick in the book to straighten out my shot but nothing worked. Finally I decided it was time. It was time to try a truly Draw Biased Driver.

First swings with the Ping G SFT

Whenever I make the decision to try something new. My first stop is always hours of research on the internet. After doing so I decided to give three specific Drivers a test. The Taylormade M2 D-Type, Cobra F-Max Offset, and the Ping G SFT. My next stop was Golf Town so I could actually see how these clubs feel and perform in the Simulator. Each club performed a little different from one another, but what had me excited was that all three significantly reduced my chance of a slice. In the end I realized that the best of the three for my swing was the Ping G SFT. I wasn’t hitting it the longest (Taylormade M2 ) or the with the most center face consistency (Cobra F-Max ) but of all three it was by far the one I was hitting the straightest. It was like hitting a slice was just impossible! I pictured myself on some of my favourite Tee boxes. The third hole at Cardinal Golf Club East Wing Course, or the 10th hole at Winchester Golf Club. Being able to pick a spot straight ahead, and have a reasonable chance of landing there. This was definitely the Driver for me. Now some of you might be wondering why I didn’t choose something a little more current? First of all Golf isn’t exactly an inexpensive sport, so I try to keep costs down. A Driver that was $500 in 2017 can now be purchased as clearance stock for half that price. Secondly Driver technology doesn’t advance nearly as fast as some of the big golf brands would like you to believe. A great example of this is the Taylormade M2. You can find comparison tests by a number of reliable YouTubers that will show there’s almost no discernible difference between it and and M4 or M6. The Ping G series has the same technology ( Turbulators, Dragonfly Technology, and Vortec Technology ) that the G400 has. In fact the Ping G SFT is actually a 460cc head while the G400 SFT is only a 445cc head. As a Beginner the larger more forgiving Driver head is far more appealing.

Ping G SFT vs Cobra Fly-Z Simulator results

  • CARRY:  Ping G SFT – 209yrds / Cobra Fly-Z – 201yrds
  • BACKSPIN: Ping G SFT – 3150rpm / Cobra Fly-Z – 2700rpm
  • SIDESPIN: Ping G SFT – 210rpm / Cobra Fly-Z – 1470rpm
  • OFFLINE: Ping G SFT – 9yrds / Cobra Fly-Z – 28yrds

To arrive at these averages I took 20 shots with each club and removed the worst 5. Both Drivers were set up similarly. The Ping G SFT was at 10.6 degrees of loft with the Alta 55 CB Stiff shaft in the standard 45.25 inch length. The Cobra Fly-Z was at 10.5 degrees in the Draw setting with the Graffaloy Rocket 55 Stiff shaft cut down to a 44 inch length. I prefer a slightly shorter length on my Driver, but have decided to test the Ping G SFT at the standard length before I decide how much shorter I should make it. As a result of the increased length and unfamiliarity with the club, my contact with the ball was all over the face. Shots that I expected would have potentially killed somebody on the next hole’s Fairway still traveled relatively straight. The numbers actually speak for themselves. I will be covering my progress with the Ping G SFT in my Ongoing Product Reviews for 2019 so if you are interested in Draw Biased Drivers be sure to follow me. I expect after some more practice, and having the length reduced I will get this Driver really dialed in.

EARLY CONCLUSION

iF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND ONLY TEND TO SLICE YOUR WOODS, THEN A DRAW BIASED DRIVER MIGHT BE THE ANSWER FOR YOU.

I don’t have too much trouble with swing path. I tend to hit my Irons and Wedges quite straight. My issue with the Driver, and Fairway Woods is squaring the face at impact. No matter how hard I try the face gets left open, and I end up slicing the ball. Not only was the Ping G SFT helping me square the face, but for the first time in my life I hit a few Draws. They were about 3 yard Draws, but still Draws. So if slicing is your issue I would suggest trying a Draw Biased Driver.

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GOLF

TRUE GOLF FIT by My Golf Spy Review

WHAT MY GOLF SPY CLAIMS


TRUEGolfFit is the first service in the golf industry to use a scientific compatibility matching system to find the best equipment configuration for your unique swing


We compare your swing information with our database of over 45,000 swings and 10,000,000 data points to find your TRUE Fit.


Longer. Straighter. Lower. Guaranteed.  Know the clubs that perform best for you BEFORE you buy. TRUEGolfFit the world leader in golf club fit prediction. 

DOES IT WORK?

I decided to put the My Golf Spy True Golf Fit system to the test. First of all I love the idea of taking all of the data that My Golf Spy has collected and making it relevant to the individual golfer. Unlike their Most Wanted tests that determine which clubs are best for the majority of golfers. The True Golf Fit system is designed to predict what works for you specifically.

In order for their system to determine what’s right for you. You must answer a few questions first so that their software can match you up with club testers of a similar ability. It begins with your Handicap, then your Swing Speed, then your Angle of Attack, and lastly your Swing Tempo. Based on these parameters it will match you to the two best clubs they’ve tested.

I already knew going in that their software wouldn’t work for me. In order to achieve a correct Driver fitting for a golfer like myself there’s one more question that should have been asked. WHAT IS YOUR SHOT SHAPE? If you follow me on my Cobe Life YouTube channel. You would already know that my natural shot shape is a heavy Draw. A bad shot becomes a slice. Having tested many Drivers over the last three years I already knew that anything other than a specifically Draw biased Driver wouldn’t perform as well. Even an adjustable Driver with movable weights, and a Draw biased hosel setting won’t work as well. It only costs $7 to see their results so I did it anyway.

MY RESULTS

TOP PICK BY TRUE GOLF FIT
SECOND BEST PICK BY TRUE GOLF FIT

ON TO THE SIMULATOR

In order to be totally fair about my presumptions I headed straight to my local Golf Town and had them tape up those two Drivers. I also had them tape up a couple of specifically Draw biased Drivers as well. Can you guess which Drivers consistenyly performed better for me? If you guessed the Draw biased Drivers then you would be correct.

I hit an average of 18 yards further with the Draw biased Drivers, and was an average of 14 yards closer to center with a far tighter dispersion. Something else that isn’t factored into their equation is the set up of your current gamer. Although it wouldn’t have affected my fitting process. A friend of mine tried out their True Golf Fit system as well, and it definitely affected his results.

He currently games a Callaway XR16 Driver with a Regular Flex Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 shaft that has been cut down an inch. He routinely swings that particular Driver at around 96mph. This places him in the Medium Swing Speed category. He also generates far more Spin than he would like because he has a Downward Attack Angle. The True Fit System selected the Ping G400 LST as his number 1 choice. The idea of testing a Low Spin Driver had never occured to him before because I don’t suggest Low Spin Drivers to anyone who swings below 105mph. We were still intrigued by the idea because we figured that the Low Spin might counteract his high Spin swing, the way a Draw biased Driver counters my Fade. Well that just wasn’t the case. He was unable to swing that particular club at anything more than 92mph. At that speed the ball just falls out of the sky with the LST. He tried a few other Drivers including a Taylormade M2 and was able to swing those at 97mph quite easily.

CONCLUSION

Obviously the My Golf Spy True Golf Fit system isn’t for everyone. If you hit your drives anything but straight your results won’t be precise. If you have been professionally Fit for your current Driver than your numbers might tell an inaccurate story to the My Golf Spy True Golf Fit software. I’m hoping that over time their software will be updated and appeal to a larger number of golfers. I’m a fan of what My Golf Spy is about, and their goal to get the best equipment for you in to your bag. A lot of what I do is for that exact same reason, only I am more focused on the Beginner Golfer. For that reason the True Golf Fit system isn’t something I would suggest you put your trust in until you have a typically straight and consistently repeatable swing.

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COBE LIFE CUP GOLF

Southern Ontario Amateur Golf Tour – Cobe Life Cup

An Introduction to the Cobe Life Cup.

https://youtu.be/ldcgqCTM5tY

For Players in the Southern Ontario area, and neighbouring states.
Matches are played from the Whites for men and Reds for women.
Opponents keep each others scores.

Match Play 1 vs 1 9 Hole
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the last hole won

Stroke Play 18
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the Player with fewer Points, then higher handicap.

Point play 18
Eagle + 3 pts, Birdie + 2 pts, Par + 1 pt Bogey 0 pts Double Bogey or worse -1 pt.
1 mulligan each
Higher handicap gets an additional mulligan for each 6 shots difference round up.
Tie goes to the Player with the most Eagles, then Birdies, then Pars. If there’s still a tie use Stroke Play Ties.

Can accommodate any number of Players. In order for an event to count at least two Registered Players must be present. Each Player can only play 1 match each week. Match results must be posted by all participants within 48 hours of completion.

Season begins May 1rst. There will be 4 Major Tournaments. Last Week of June, July, August, and September. The Tour Championship will be in October. The number of entrants may be limited by Rank.

Season Points
Each Player begins the Season with 100 points.

  • 3 points for each person you beat
  • 2 points for beating a higher ranked player
  • 1 point for beating a player with a lower handicap
  • 1 point lost for losing to a lower ranked player
  • 1 point lost for losing to a player with a higher handicap

REGISTRATION FEE

$65 per person : To Register Subscribe to this website then use the contact us page to send us your Name, Handicap, Course you play most often, and preferred contact email. If you would like to register multiple players then send us everyone’s information. Four or more registrants receive the group entry discount. You will receive a bill payable through PayPal shortly after.

Good Luck this Season!

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GOLF Uncategorized

My 2018 Golf Season – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

The Year that was…

For those of you that follow my blog.  First of all Thank you.  I know it’s been a bit since my last post, and I apologize for making you wait.  Things have been a bit hectic lately.  On top of all the usual things life burdens you with, there have been a few extra issues to deal with as well as a new edition to the Cobe Life family.  Before some of you get too excited, no we didn’t have a baby.  We did however bring a puppy home.  I don’t know how many of you have raised a puppy before but for those of you that haven’t it means getting up around four times a night to take him out to do his business.  Sleep has become a distant memory.  I look like an extra on the Walking Dead these days.

So it probably wouldn’t surprise you when I say that I haven’t done anything of particular note lately.  Instead I will take this opportunity to evaluate how my season went.  What goals I managed to achieve, and where I fell short.  Plus a few moments that really stood out to me.

Why goals are important in golf

Unlike many other sports, setting goals in golf is critical to improving your game.  Having said that I’m sure a number of you are already thinking that goals are important in all sports.  Of course they are.  It’s just that in golf there are so many different aspects to the game, that without setting specific goals you won’t actually know how you are improving.  If you still think what I’m saying is nonsense.  It might help you understand what my goals were.

Average less than 2 putts per hole.

GOAL ACHIEVED!  I finished the season with an average of 1.7 putts per hole.  This is actually better than I had hoped.  Essentially what this means is that I rarely 3 putt, and quite often I require only one putt to hole out.  What it doesn’t tell you is how long my average putt was.  This brings up an important aspect of understanding your progress in Golf.  Quite a number of your statistics can be affected by other aspects of your game.  Which brings me to my next goal.

Average less than 1 chip per hole.

GOAL FAILED!  I finished the season with an average of 1.3 chips per hole.  This tells me two things.  First of all I’m not hitting too many greens on approach shots so my accuracy is off with my Irons.  Secondly if I’m forced to chip that often, and I know that my chipping ability is quite good.  Then I’m probably leaving myself a lot of easy putts.  That’s partially why my putting numbers are so good.  Which leads me to my next goal.

33% or better Green in Regulation average.

GOAL FAILED!  Verifying what I safely assumed was the case.  I didn’t hit too many greens with my approach shots this season.  My average was a paltry 13.3%.  Obviously my accuracy with my Irons needs major improvement.  Of course that might not be the only concern.  It’s possible to be deadly accurate at the Golf Range, then trouble taking aim on the course.  Hitting your targets becomes a lot more difficult when you aren’t hitting off a perfect surface.  Which brings me to my next goal.

50% or better in Fairways Hit.

GOAL ACHIEVED!  Coming into this season my fairways hit percentage was around 50%.  I was hoping to maintain that average while choosing to play more aggressively off the tee.  I finished the season with a 65.5% average.  Far better than what I had hoped for, and proof that all the practice I put in with my Driver is working.  What this also tells me is that my accuracy with my Irons are an issue because the majority of my approach shots are from the Fairway.  Which brings me to my final goal.

Lower my handicap to 18 or better.

GOAL FAILED!  I was really hoping to finish the season as a bogey golfer but unfortunately that didn’t happen.  My current handicap is 21.9.  Close but no celebratory cigar.  My handicap did go down by 7 strokes so that should be seen as a success.  More importantly I have a good understanding of what I need to work on to lower my handicap next Season.  First and foremost is my Iron accuracy.  A few trips to the Simulator practicing in closest to the pin mode should help.  With that goal in mind I should probably work on my longer putts because I should hit more greens.  In order to make my approach shots easier I should probably work on my Driver distance as well.

Possible goals for next season

Less than 1.9 putts per hole

Less than 1 chip per hole

33% or better Greens in Regulation

66% Fairways Hit

16 or better handicap

Understanding where my game is at, and what specifically needs improvement makes those goals realistic.  Most other sports aren’t like that.  For the most part you just practice in order to get better.  You don’t necessarily isolate one particular part of your game that will end up improving your overall performance.

I’m already excited for next year, and hope you continue to enjoy the journey right along with me.

 

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GOLF Uncategorized

GIGAGOLF TRX Powerslot Irons – Cobe Life Ongoing Review Final

It’s been a great Season

I will get to the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons in a moment.  First a little bit of information about my Season.

I started this golf season with high expectations.  I was looking to reduce my handicap by 9 strokes, shoot a few sub 90 Rounds, and have confidence off the Tee.  Well I have reduced my handicap by 6 strokes, shot a few Rounds in the low 90s, and consider my Driver to be one of my best weapons.

Not everything I was hoping for, but there are some very good reasons for that.  I played so many new courses this Season that going low in a Round wasn’t easy.  The majority of these new courses were of much greater difficulty than I’m used to.  My swing had gone through another change early in the Season, and coupled with new clubs in the bag that took some getting used to as well.

Which brings me to the real topic of this Post.  How do I feel about the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons after a full Season of use?

Absolutely great!

I’ve already gone over my initial impressions of the clubs, how they have affected my performance, and how durable they have been.  Well in this Ongoing Review final post I’m going to provide you with my personal opinion based entirely on my satisfaction.

These Irons have been great.  So great that I’m hesitant to replace them in the Off Season in order to do an Ongoing Review of another set of Irons next Season.  To be honest I’ll probably stick with the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons for at least another Season.  They have had such a positive impact on my game that switching to something else would be absolute folly.  I’ve never attacked Greens with this much confidence before.  There’s enough spring off the bottom of the face that I’m unafraid of catching the ball thin with these Irons.  The fitting adjustments that were made through the GigaGolf E-Fit system has made the amount of strain I feel throughout a Round of Golf minimal.  Plus my quality of strike has greatly improved.  Those of you that follow my Blog, Cobe Life Golf on Facebook, or Cobe Life on YouTube know full well that I’m a high handicapper.  Not all of my swings are a thing of beauty.  Some of them are downright ugly.  Plus I do make the occasional hack through deep rough, or punch out of the woods.  The True Temper steel shafts that came standard with the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons have put up with all of it.  I’m far from gentle with my Irons, and these Irons have handled everything I’ve put them through.  Something that has really surprised me is how well the grooves have held up.  Now keep in my that I clean my clubs after every Round of golf.  I some people are guilty of only cleaning their clubs during a Round but not after.  Still the grooves on my Irons feel as sharp as the day I received them.  No wonder I keep shredding balls during a Round.

Confidence is everything

Where these Irons have made the greatest improvement in my game is in the amount of confidence they have given me when it comes to hitting a particular target.  I first noticed it on the range.  Whenever I was at the Range practicing with friends we would take turns taking aim at targets.  In previous seasons I was extremely lucky if I happened to land a ball closer than my competitors.  This Season any target from about 90 yards to 150 yards was fair game for me.  To be honest I expected to land it closest.  Even against golfers with significantly lower handicaps than I.  Of course hitting off a mat can seriously help to equalize the playing field.  On the course the confidence these GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons give me has totally changed the way I play.  Being able to confidently land within 5 yards of your target from up to 160 yards away is a huge advantage on the course.  I used to lay up short of Greens, and rely on my Wedge game to help me save par because I didn’t trust where my 7 Iron might land.   When attacking Greens with bunker protection I would have to aim a good 10 yards away from the bunker in order to feel safe.  So depending on the size of the Green that meant I would have to aim off the Green at times.  This Season with the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons I knew that as long as I took aim at the center of a Green I would be fine provided I didn’t miss hit it.

In the end that’s all we really want from our clubs right!  The confidence to know that when we strike the ball well; Our clubs are going to deliver the ball to where we expect it to go.  The GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons have done just that, and in my experience have done it better than most.

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GOLF Uncategorized

UL International Crown Results

 Korean dominance

The UL International Crown has been played three times and the Republic of Korea has been represented in all three tournaments.  They’ve always entered the tournament as one of the favourites.  Finally this time on home soil they came out victorious.  They won the 2018 UL International Crown in dominant fashion.  A full four points clear of their closest competition the teams from England and the United States.  This really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone that follows the LPGA because all four team members have been ranked in the Rolex World Rankings Top 10 this Season.  Truth be told the Republic of Korea could have fielded multiple teams if the tournament allowed it.  Despite their dominance on tour the casual LPGA fan might be unfamiliar with most of their players outside of their very best because until recently their haven’t been many events for them to showcase their skills.  That’s just one of the reasons I’m so pleased with the development of the UL International Crown.

Player development

The UL International Crown pits the top 4 players from the top 8 nations based on their combined Rolex World rankings.  In the three tournaments that have been held since it’s inception the nations that have competed haven’t changed much.  6 nations have been in every tournament.  They are the Republic of Korea, United States of America, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and Chinese Taipei.  Spain has only been in one tournament, but they took full advantage and won the inaugural event.  Sweden and England have both competed in two tournaments.  The only other nation that has competed is China.  This won’t always be the case.  I believe that the inaugural event win by Spain demonstrates how a slightly weaker team can win the UL International Crown.  The 10 points earned by Thailand in this year’s event further demonstrates how it only takes a couple of emerging players to really compete.  The motivation a tournament like this provides to younger players hoping to one day represent their country can only help increase interest in the LPGA.  Having a player the caliber of Brooke Henderson has me hoping to witness the emergence of another star Canadian player by 2020 so that our nation has a chance to compete.  Unlike the currently more popular Solheim Cup which is the LPGA version of the PGA Ryder Cup.  The UL International Crown is open to all nations, and in the case of the LPGA a better representation of the actual players on tour.

Looking forward

The Koreans have without a doubt established themselves as the team to beat.  Although they will have to keep developing new talent like Jin Young Ko to keep the other countries at bay.  The young team from England briefly gave the Koreans a scare this year before they faced each other in the third Round.  Similar to the youth movement in the PGA.  The LPGA developmental tours are doing an excellent job of getting the rookies prepared to win from day 1.  Current stars aren’t assured a spot on their nation’s team if they qualify either.  Unlike the other international tournaments in the PGA and LPGA, their aren’t any coaches selections in the UL International Crown.  The top 4 ranked players qualify, period.  So you won’t see a selection based purely on former greatness or out of pity like the Phil Mickelson pick at this year’s Ryder Cup.  You have to earn your spot, or some young upstart could slip in with a key win, and steal the spotlight.

 

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GOLF Uncategorized

Thankfully it’s a Ryder Cup year!

Day 1 is already a success!

So Day 1 is in the books and already this tournament is a success.  Why would I say that?  If you can think back to last year, and remember how  competitive the President’s Cup was?  What I should be saying is how competitive the President’s Cup wasn’t.  Then you will understand why I’m thrilled that this is a Ryder Cup year.  Even though the Americans entered this tournament as heavy favourites.  They find themselves two games back after Day 1.  Now that doesn’t mean that they still aren’t favourites to win, cause I believe that they still are.  What it simply illustrates is that on their continent, the Europeans remain difficult to beat.  Unless you are a fan or both the PGA tour, and Euro tour you wouldn’t necessarily understand.  The courses each tour frequents are generally quite different from one another.  The largely American PGA tour favours Parkland, Stadium, and long hitter tracks.  Whereas the European tour favours Links, Precision Ball striking, and Weather condition tracks.  One of the primary reasons so many PGA tour, and specifically American Players rise to the top of the World rankings is because it’s easier to adapt their game to shorter precision courses, than it is for the Euro tour Players to suddenly start bombing it off the tee.  The President’s Cup doesn’t share the same course advantages for the International players because depending on where you are from the style of golf you’re accustomed to playing might be similar to your opponents or wildly different from your own teammates.  So whether the event is held in the United States or somewhere else.  The advantage will always remain with the higher ranked team.

I told you so

At the beginning of the year Oliver and I briefly discussed (on the Cobe Life YouTube channel) what we felt Team Europe’s chances were.  Keep in mind that this was just a few months removed from the President’s Cup drubbing.  The majority of Golf analysts thought that the same dominance was going to be on display at the Ryder Cup.  We didn’t think that would be the case.  The Americans rarely beat the Europeans on their turf.  Even though this might be the strongest American team ever assembled.  They still have to beat a very skilled team made up of mostly young Ryder Cup rookies looking to establish themselves on the world stage in front of their fans.  Although many of them aren’t familiar names on the PGA tour, they are superstars in Europe.  Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Alex Noren are sure to leave a lasting impression by the time it’s all done.

What to expect Days 2 & 3

Even though the Le Golf National course is set up to be as unfriendly to the Americans as possible.  The individual matches are sure to favour the Americans.  Which means the Europeans have to hope that Day 2 finishes a lot like Day 1.  The Americans are actually quite fortunate to be only down by 2 games.  If it wasn’t for an extremely lucky bounce for Tony Finau on the 16th, and some sloppy play by a couple of the European teams on the back nine they could have easily been up by another game.  In order for the Europeans to win I believe that they will need to be ahead by at least 3 points going into the final day.  If they enter Day 3 tied or trailing it’s as good as over.  It will be interesting to see how well they play tomorrow when they are no longer perceived as huge underdogs.  Should be another great day of golf.  Too bad I have to get up at 2:30am to watch it.

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GOLF Uncategorized

SWING CADDIE SC200 REVIEW – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Swing Caddie SC200

By now most golfers are familiar with Launch Monitors.  The majority of golf equipment stores have a high end simulator bay for customers to test clubs, or take swing lessons.  The Launch Monitors those simulator bays use cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000.00

For most of us a simulator bay in the basement or den is far from realistic.  What if there was a product that could provide you with the same capabilities for a fraction of the cost, and is as portable as a cellular phone?  Every golfer would just have to have one right!  Well unfortunately there isn’t a product on the market that can do everything a high end launch monitor can.  The Swing Caddie SC200 is about as close as you can get, but is close good enough?

SC200 Capabilities

The Swing Caddie SC200 uses Doppler Radar to read your swing speed, ball speed, and approximate trajectory.  With these measurements it can provide you with your smash factor, and carry distance.  It also keeps track of the amount of time you were using it and the number of balls you’ve hit.  At first I wasn’t interested in how long I had used it or how many balls I had hit, but after a week of use those numbers began to take on an increased importance.  Is Smash factor important to me?  It never used to be.  Well that isn’t entirely true.  I’ve looked at what my smash factor was before when testing Drivers at Golf Town.  After my first week of using the Swing Caddie SC200 I now pay close attention to my smash factor when working on improving my club face contact point.  At first glance you might think that your Swing Speed, and Carry Distance are the only important measurements.  That’s what I thought, and it only took a week for me to realize that I was wrong.

A few additional things you should know about the Swing Caddie SC200 that add to it’s appeal are the Voice capability, Remote Control, and battery life.  The Swing Caddie SC200 has a very good screen that I found easy to read in most lighting conditions.  There are times that reading the screen could be difficult.  Thankfully the Swing Caddie SC200 has an audible announcement after each swing that informs you of the distance hit.  You will still have to look at the screen if you are interested in knowing your Swing Speed or Smash Factor.  I found the distance announcement quite useful.  It takes a moment before it informs you so you have just long enough to make your own guess before the SC200 provides you with the answer.  This feature has helped me identify what perfect contact actually feels like and sounds like.  In some cases I’ve learned that louder isn’t necessarily better.  The included Remote is such a welcome addition.  It’s about as simple as can be.  There’s a button for each club, and it’s a breeze to switch between modes.  I like to switch from club to club when practicing at the Range.  Quite often I’ll play a mock Par 4.  I imagine a 350 yard Par 4 then tee off.  I then estimate the distance left, and choose the appropriate club.  The Swing Caddie SC200 removes the guess work, and is a snap to switch between clubs with the included remote.  The SC200 is powered by four AAA batteries.  For me that’s far better than an included rechargeable battery.  I have devices that require constant charging.  I’m thankful to not have another one.  According to the manual you should expect around 20 hours of use.  If your average Range session is around an hour that’s 20 times out!  More than enough in my opinion.

First Impressions

By the time you read this the Swing Caddie SC200 has been out for over a year.  Chances are you’ve already read other reviews, or seen unboxing videos of the product.  What you probably haven’t come across till now is a Golf Beginner’s opinion of the Swing Caddie SC200.  Unlike the majority of reviewers out there I’m not a professional golfer.  I’m not affiliated with a recognized Golf publication, or Association.  The Swing Caddie wasn’t supplied to me by the company for review purposes. I actually had to buy it!  So I guess the real question is; for a beginner golfer like me, is the Swing Caddie SC200 actually worth it?

For me that’s a resounding YES!  I’ve read some mixed reviews about the Swing Caddie SC200, from essential practice tool to novelty Range tech.  The reviews were so mixed that it took quite the sale price for me to even consider the purchase.  Having spent a considerable amount of time with the product the wide spectrum of conclusions I’ve come across make total sense.  The Swing Caddie SC200’s usefulness is directly related to the user’s golfing ability.  For a high handicapper like me, the Swing Caddie SC200 has already improved my game after one week of use.  Now if I was somebody with a single digit handicap the Swing Caddie SC200 would only confirm what I already know.  In fact it might even read some of my more intricate shots incorrectly because it’s configured for swings made with the club face in a neutral position.  This is definitely not a product for a wedge wizard like Phil Mickelson.  In fact the most lofted Wedge a Swing Caddie SC200 can read is a 59 degree.  My Lob Wedge is 60 degrees so when I use it with the SC200 I have to accept a little bit of distance discrepancy, and the occasional missed swing.  I mentioned earlier that the shot count feature became more important to me.  What I realized is that it takes about 15 swings for me to loosen up.  I also found out that I start to be affected by fatigue at around 85 swings.  The difference between my optimum swings made while warmed up or fatigued is 10 to 15 yards depending on the club.  This means that depending on how my Round of Golf is going I should be using a stronger club than I would expect towards the end of a Round.  I’ve also learned that I should use a stronger club for the first 3 or 4 holes in a Round if I’m unable to warm up first.  I also know that I only need 15 to 20 balls to hit before stepping up to the first tee.  I’m sure veteran golfers have figured these things out over time.  Well I’m in my third Season and I hadn’t figured it out until I practiced with the Swing Caddie SC200.  Do you know your approximate distance with each club?  You probably think you do.  I know that I did.  Well I was wrong about half the clubs in my bag.  Not way wrong mind you, but wrong enough that my low Green in Regulation percentage makes total sense now.  I’m certain that by the time the first set of batteries are dead in my Swing Caddie SC200;  I’ll have such a good understanding of my game that hoping to break 100 will become a thing of the past.  I should expect to break 100 every time out.  Now will continued use help me to consistently break 90?  Only time will tell.  When that time comes I’ll definitely let you know.

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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.

 

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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.