Category: GOLF

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

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Choosing the Right Golf Ball – Top 6 Comparison test

The Right Ball

   For about a year now I’ve been trying to figure out which ball is right for me. As a High Handicapper cost is always a concern because it’s a rare occasion when I finish a Round of Golf with the Ball I began with. On average I go through a sleeve of balls each Round I play. I try to keep the majority of Rounds I play to under $50. If the balls I’m playing are $5 each that can seriously add to the cost of a Round. The second thing I take into consideration is how easy I find a Ball to be controllable around the Greens. I don’t necessarily need the ball with the most Spin. I just need a Ball to stop where I intend it to. I don’t need the smoothest rolling Ball off the Putter. I just need a Ball that I can feel come off the Putter face, and be able to control the distance it rolls. Lastly I would like a Ball that’s long enough off the Tee, and doesn’t roll out too much on full shots 160 yards and in. Ideally I’d like to find a Ball that meets all of those criteria for less than $30/dozen.

I have tried many different balls over the last three years. The majority of them were simple 2 piece balls because of the price. It wasn’t until Nike decided to get out of the Golf equipment game that I got my first real taste of what was possible with a 3 piece ball. Stores that carried Nike Golf equipment quickly put the RZN series balls on clearance. I was able to buy four dozen Nike RZN Reds at $20/dozen. It didn’t take long before I noticed two discernable differences. My putting improved from an average of 2.4 putts per hole down to 2. That’s an average of 7 less putts per Round! Was a 3 piece ball that much easier to Putt? Actually it isn’t. The Ball felt good off the Putter but that wasn’t the reason I was sinking more Putts. The real reason was that for the first time I was able to generate enough Spin on short approach shots to hold the Greens, and leave myself a lot more Putts from within 10 feet. Now before everyone reading this rushes out to buy five boxes of 3 piece balls. Let me first say that there are some very good 2 piece balls on the market. Three of the final six balls I tested were 2 piece balls in fact. Again price plays a very important role in my selection process and most 3 piece balls just cost too much. In the end there was a clear winner, with two others that I may end up playing because of the difference in price.  Before I give my opinions of the final six balls I tested, you should probably know a little bit about me.  My Driver swing speed is just a little north of 90mph.  I hit my 7 Iron around 140 yards with a full swing.  My current handicap is 30, and the lowest it’s been is 27.  All in all I tested 15 different balls, plus a few others that are no longer available.  I specifically chose these six to demonstrate what works, and what doesn’t work for me.  One of the balls not covered in this test that I would recommend was the Srixon Soft Feel.  It is in my opinion the best Budget ball by far.  I found them for as low as $1.33/ball.

3 Golf Balls that didn’t suit me

Q Star
– putts slow, medium feel
– A lot of Spin off the Wedges
– short Driver distance
– low durability
Going into this comparison test I had high hopes for the Srixon Q-Star. Although it is a 2 piece ball, it also has an additional coating they call Spin skin on the outer shell that’s designed to increase Spin.  Essentially Srixon’s goal was to create a 2 piece ball for a 2 piece price that performs like a 3 piece ball.  Around the Greens the Spin I was able to create with my Wedges was excellent. Even better than two of the 3 piece balls that I tested. Unfortunately the performance across the other categories was poor. Putting was a challenge because it requires more force than I’m used to to get the ball rolling. I just kept coming up short which anyone will tell you is the worst way to miss a putt. Approach shots held the Greens from about 130 yards and in which isn’t bad, but far from optimal for me. What made matters worse was Driving distance on average was the shortest of all the balls tested. Only on the shortest Par 4s would I be within 130 yards after my Tee shot.

Aeroburner Soft
– putts fast, light feel
– very little spin on half swings
– long Driver distance
The Aeroburner Soft isn’t the newest ball on the market but I’ve seen them for sale in many different locations so I figured I would give them a try.  First of all everything I’ve tested from Taylormade with the Aeroburner moniker has been long on distance. The Aeroburner Soft Golf Ball is no exception. Off the Tee it was the absolute longest of all the balls I tested. It actually had decent stopping power on full swing approach shots as well. Unfortunately once you get near, or on the Green the trouble begins. This Ball practically explodes off the Wedge, or Putter face which made it extremely difficult to control for me. Any strokes gained off the Tee were quickly lost when I reached the Green. A full Round with this Ball would probably test my nerves severely.

DT Trusoft
– putts fast, medium feel
– very little spin off half swings
– medium Driver distance
You don’t see too many Golf Ball Comparisons that don’t include the Titleist Pro V1. Well at $5/ball they definitely weren’t making the cut. Instead I gave their DT Trusoft a try. The Trusoft wasn’t terribly bad at anything, but it wasn’t especially good either. I was able to get decent distance with the Driver, generate decent Spin on full shots, hit long runners with the Wedges, and control my Putts relatively well. So why didn’t it make my Top 3?  The answer to that is Price. Although it’s only a 2 piece ball, it’s the same price as one of the 3 piece balls tested, and even more expensive than another. It proved to be significantly more durable than two of the balls I tested but when you rarely finish a full Round with one ball, durability is of little concern.

The 2 alternate Balls I’d play

Project A
– putts mid pace, maximum feel
– A lot of spin on full or half shots
– long Driver distance
Of the six balls I chose to test the Taylormade Project A was the clear winner overall. I’ve never played a ball that immediately made me feel like I was going to score better. I felt like I could sink every putt, smash it off the Tee, and stick it close to the Pin from anywhere. The only categories it didn’t outright win were Driving distance (Aeroburner Soft) and Price (Q Star). So why didn’t it snag the number 1 spot? Once again the mighty dollar holds me back. Of all the balls tested it was the most expensive. In fact the only time it falls within my budget is when it’s on sale. Believe me when I tell you that every time it goes on sale I’m buying a few dozen though.

Vice Tour
– putts fast, medium feel
– spins well off of the Wedges
– medium Driver distance
– low durability
Vice has been quickly establishing themselves as the tour quality Ball manufacturer, at a discount price. According to their Ball fitting online questionnaire, the Vice Tour is the Ball for me. There was a lot to like about the Vice Tour. Unfortunately it was difficult to stop on anything but full Iron shots into Greens, and like the Q-Star wasn’t very durable. The 2 piece DT Trusoft actually performed a touch better, but as long as you buy five dozen Vice Tour balls the price is hard to beat.

I don’t mind the look.

The Best Ball for me

Project S
– putts mid pace, medium feel
– medium Spin on full or half shots
– medium Driver distance

The Project S does everything great, just not as great as the Project A. It’s that simple. Switching from the Project A to the Project S was quite easy. All I had to do was account for a little extra roll out on Chips, and Approach shots, and be a little less aggressive on lag putts.  It was only 3 yards shorter in carry distance with the Driver as well.  In fact some of my closest Chips and Pitches to the Pin came with the Project S because I like a little bit of roll out. The Flop shot isn’t my preferred shot. If it’s yours I’d highly recommend the Taylormade Project A. When it comes right down to it the Project S wins because it’s on average $10/dozen less than the Project A. Simply put it’s the best ball for my budget. If you haven’t tried it yet, I suggest that you do.

Let me know which ball you play, and which of my final 6 balls tested is your favourite and you will have a chance to win a sleeve of balls.

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Carruthers Creek Golf Review

A hidden gem in Ajax

If it wasn’t for my good friend Oliver moving to Pickering I would never have known about some of the great golf available just east of Toronto.  One such particular facility is Carruthers Creek Golf located in Ajax Ontario.  It has something to offer every Golfer no matter the skill level or amount of free time available.  Carruthers Creek Golf has a 9 hole Par 3 course, 9 hole Championship length course, and a driving Range.  Groups consisting of differing skill levels can all go together and find a suitable activity.  I’ve had the opportunity to play every part of Carruthers Creek Golf this year, and wasn’t disappointed with any of them.  The only criticism I have is with the Right handed layout of the 9 hole Championship course Lake Breeze.  I will get into that more later.

Carruthers Creek Golf Range

I’ve been to this particular Golf Range twice now.  Once was on a weekend, and once during the week.  Both times hitting bays were available, so I didn’t have to wait at all.  The mats were in great condition, and there are more than enough targets to take aim at from any bay location.  It wasn’t too windy on either of the days I went, but the Range is well positioned with a number of wind blocks so I’m sure that windy days shouldn’t be too much of a problem.  Bucket prices are more than reasonable.  Their “small bucket” is about the size of most Golf Range large buckets and significantly cheaper.  If Carruthers Creek was located a little closer to me their Driving Range would be my Golf Range of choice.  If you are located in the GTA East and are looking for a great place to practice your swing i would strongly suggest that you give Carruthers Creek Golf a try.

Whistling Wind 9 Hole Par 3

As far as Executive Par 3 courses go, Carruthers Creek is a long one.  This isn’t your typical Par 3 course where the challenges are determined by the bunker placement, speed, and break in the greens.  What Whistling Wind challenges you with is making long precise shots into traditional sized Greens. Five times I tee’d off with a Hybrid.  Now keep in mind that I have a 3, 4, and 5 Hybrid in my bag, and wouldn’t consider myself to be a particularly long hitter.  I hit my 5 Hybrid an average of about 155 yards so it could be a different situation for you depending on your skill level.  There were two holes that day that played over 180 yards to the Pin so that’s definitely a long Iron or Hybrid for most.  Due to the length my short game chipping, pitching, and hitting bunker shots around the Greens was truly tested.  Quite often on a traditional length course I’ll play a full 18 holes without landing in a bunker once.  The Whistling Wind course is cleverly designed to force you to contend with the bunkers, or lay up on a Par 3.  Lay up on a Par 3!  Yep you heard that right. I did it once on my second time around and saved 2 strokes over my first attempt on that hole.  Over the 9 holes you will deal with mild elevation changes, water hazards, tight shot lanes, well positioned bunkers, and of course the varying lengths of Tee shots available.  If you can navigate around this course successfully.  You will not only feel immensely satisfied, but you will also have greatly improved your approach shots into Greens on long Par 4s, or maybe even acquired the confidence to go for the Green in two on Par 5s.

Lake Breeze Championship 9 hole

When I had mentioned to a couple of my golfing buddies that I would be playing Lake Breeze at Carruthers Creek, they either hadn’t heard of it, or said that it was a fun but challenging 9 holes.  Fun but challenging is exactly the kind of course I’m looking for.  I’ve played a few courses where the Fairways are so wide, and the hazards are so few that the default play is Driver off the Tee for anything but a Par 3.  Courses like that don’t interest me at all.  I much prefer courses that dare you to pull Driver, but punish you for anything but a perfect strike if you use it.  Where the safe play is to hit a Hybrid or long Iron off the Tee, and leave yourself a controllable shot out of the Fairway to a specific yardage or the Green.  That way how you choose to play the hole can be effected by the situation. Say you were playing a Match play round against a friend.  If you were 2 holes up with 3 to play you would probably choose to play it safe. Adversely if you were 2 holes down you would reach into your bag for the Driver.  The Lake Breeze Championship 9 is exactly that kind of course.  Something I haven’t mentioned yet that applies to everything that Carruthers Creek Golf has to offer is excellent course conditions.  The Greens were in excellent shape, and rolled true.  The edge of the Fairway was easily identifiable, and hitting from the Fairway was a pleasure.  The light rough wasn’t so thick that it made locating your ball difficult, but still thick enough to affect your ball flight.  Just everything was top notch, and better than I expected considering the low price.

Now I do have one minor issue that a small few of you should be aware of.  If you are a Lefty like me the difficulty level on Lake Breeze is double that of a righty.  That may sound like a strange observation to make so let me explain myself.

First a few statistics that have particular relevance here.  Only 11% of Golfers are Lefties.  I can’t remember where I read that but it was from a reliable publication.  I could go on and on about why being a Lefty Golfer is unfortunate but I’ll leave that for another time.  As a result of this small percentage, courses tend to be designed with Righty Golfers in mind.  Now depending on how difficult the course architect intends the course to be for a Righty will determine how easy it is for a Lefty.  The most popular Driver miss hit in golf is the slice.  Over 70% of amateur golfers normal miss with the Driver is to slice it off the Tee.  There are a number of factors that contribute to this and I’ll be sure to go over them another time.  What’s important to this discussion is that it’s not a secret.  Everyone knows about the dreaded slice, and that includes course designers.  Now a Righty slice goes to the right, and a Lefty slice goes to the Left.  As a course designer if you intend to make a course a little easier for the majority of Golfers.  You will create Fairways that open up to the right.  You might even add a few holes that dogleg to the right, or dogleg left with a hazard on the left.  This way if a Righty slices a ball off the Tee they won’t be severely punished for it. Got it, now back to Lake Breeze.

Over the 9 holes at Lake Breeze their are two Par 3s and I don’t factor Par 3s into swing bias.  Out of the remaining seven holes; Holes 3, 4, 5, and 8 have the potential to punish a Lefty slice, while only Holes 1, and 6 could punish a Righty slice.  Obviously the course designer was attempting to design a course that requires good shots to score well, but wouldn’t leave you pulling your hair out in frustration if you made a bad one.  That’s if you are a Righty of course.  As a Lefty I realized that the smart play all day long was to leave my Driver in the bag unless my confidence level was extremely high.  Of course like I stated before I like challenging courses that provide you with Risk/Reward opportunities.  Still at times on Lake Breeze the Risk doesn’t feel worth it as a Lefty.

That being said I would highly suggest that everyone except the newest Golfers give this course a try.  There are a lot of water hazards on this course so a total hacker could end up losing far too many balls to enjoy themselves.

A great place to practice and improve your Golf game.

Carruthers Creek Golf is to me one of the best places to play often if you are serious about improving your Golf game.  You can develop your swing on the Range.  Take the time to learn your distances with your clubs by sniping targets.  Then when you are ready you can test your on course ability by playing the Executive length Par 3 course Whistling Wind.  If you aren’t a long hitter, play them as Par 4s to begin with.  Then once your swing is ready start going for the Greens.  If you can get around the Whistling Wind course in 40 strokes or less, give the full length Lake Breeze Championship 9 a try.  Trust me you won’t be disappointed.

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Giga Golf TRX Power Slot Irons – An Ongoing Cobe Life Review

Is there a discernable difference?

Those of you that follow me across my many social media platforms.  You’ll know that I spend a fair amount of time researching any product I’m interested in purchasing.  This year one of the items I was most interested in acquiring was a new set of Irons.  My primary concerns were that they be fit to me.  By fit I mean bent to the correct lie angle, and cut to the correct length. I wanted something that was Game improving, but without the chunky topline. Lastly I didn’t want to have to break the bank to buy them.  I found a number of potential sets, but in the end the TRX Power Slot Irons from Giga Golf were the winners. But were they the right choice?

Why did they win?

What really made the difference was their custom design process.  I had been casually fit before at a Golf Town.  I hadn’t gone through their entire fitting process but a representative made suggestions based on my swing, and face contact.  Unless you live in Florida, Giga Golf is strictly a custom online order manufacturer.  Not being able to try the Irons before you purchase them is usually a non starter for me.  Giga Golf understands this and offers a 30 day test period.  That still wasn’t what swayed me.  What their custom design process allows you to do is not only have them bent to the correct lie angle, and cut to length.  You can also select which shaft, and grip combination you prefer.  The only thing that potentially increases the price is the shaft and grip selection.  They don’t charge you anything extra for the lie angle adjustment, and shaft length.  Every other set I had researched would have required an additional cost to get them fit.  The Giga Golf Irons were an absolute steal when you realize that they were anywhere from 40% to 60% cheaper than the OEM companies Irons.

Is quality determined by price?

The greatest fear when buying something that’s cheap is that it’s just that, CHEAP!  I received my set of Irons in the middle of Canadian winter.  So it wasn’t like I was going to get out on a course with them any time soon.  Instead I took them to the simulator for initial testing.  What I learned the first few times out to the simulator is this.  I’m 5’10” 200lbs athletic build so it didn’t require a lot of adjustment to fit the Irons to me.  They are half an inch shorter, and one degree more upright than my original off the rack set.  My swing didn’t feel all that different, but the strain on my body was significantly reduced.  I didn’t suddenly stripe every shot like some people hope will happen when you get fit.  My face contact was significantly improved though.  Was I pleased with my purchase at that time.  I definitely was!  After hitting 100 balls my shoulders weren’t sore.  I didn’t hit so many shots out of the heel.  My confidence with my Irons was greatly improved.  But would I feel the same way once the snow melted, and I finally got to play them out on a course?

Finally got to play a Round of Golf

The weather finally held for a few days, and on April 23, 2018 I finally got to play with my new Irons on a course.  I was pumped!  For those of you that live in warmer climates.  You have no idea what kind of personal torture Canadian winter can be to a dedicated Golfer. So you understand I’m going to preface this story with the knowledge that I didn’t play particularly well that day.  To say that I played like shit, wouldn’t be fair to shit.  For the first time out in a Season though it’s nothing new.  I go through it every year.  My Tee shots were so bad, that by the ninth hole I started to experiment with not using a Tee.  I’m sure some of you have been there.  Usually my second shot gets me out of trouble.  Not that day.  That whole Round of Golf would have been forgettable if it wasn’t for my approach shots from 150 yards and in.  In other words, my Giga Golf TRX Power Slot Irons made what was becoming a terrible day, at least bearable.  Two best clubs in the bag that day were my 6 Iron, and 9 Iron.  I did chunk a 6 Iron really bad once.  You know when you chunk it so bad that you feel the reverberation all the way down to your toes?  Well it didn’t actually hurt too bad.  I went with the True Temper Featherlight steel shafts, and that chunk shot could have been an advertisement for the quality.  It had snowed the week before so I was expecting a mushy course.  Full marks to Hidden Lake Golf In Burlington Ontario for having the course well ready for play.  There was some snow left in a few spots but it wasn’t a factor.  Still every club got dirty, and the TRX Power Slot Irons were as easy to clean as any of the rest.  I was playing Srixon Q-star balls that day and judging by the Pitch marks, and scuff marks.  The Giga Golf Irons were generating a lot of spin.  I had seen some good spin numbers in the simulator.  Until you experience the real on course results you never know.  I wasn’t disappointed at all.  Unlike the Super Game Improvement Irons I had before, I could really attack flag positions.   Hopefully my next time out I’ll be on my game, and take full advantage of the stopping power.

Durability concerns

The only negative thing i have to report is that after about 6 times in the Simulator, 1 trip out to the Range, and 1 Round of Golf.  The shiny toe on the face of my Pitching Wedge has a noticeable scuff mark.  Now for some people that’s an insignificant thing.  Irons get scuffed up.  It’s just a matter of time.  Still this was quick.  At this point I can’t tell if it’s the result of the steel Giga Golf uses, or if it was just a bad Range ball that caused it.  As the Season continues I’ll have more information for you.  I’ve read a number of reviews about the black steel Giga Golf Irons that raised concerns about the finish.  Maybe that’s all it is.  A thin finish will scuff quickly.  As long as the performance isn’t affected it won’t bother me.

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Looking ahead to The Masters – Part 1

There’s always something special

Whether you are a fan of golf or not?  The One event that everyone knows about is The Masters.  It’s one of those iconic events like the Superbowl, Daytona 500, or World Cup.  Everyone is aware that it’s happening.  There’s always something special about it, and this year is no different.  This Masters has the potential to be the most watched Golfing event in years.  Along with the usual suspects, there are a number of Players that are playing some great golf right now that are sure to attract even the most pedestrian of golfing fans.  Unless you have been living under a rock this year the most obvious attraction to this year’s Masters is…

Tiger Woods

That’s right Tiger is back, and what’s more important is that he’s been competitive.  With two Top 10 finishes including a second at Valspar.  Tiger looks poised to raise a Championship trophy soon.  Why shouldn’t that first win of his comeback happen at Augusta where he’s hoisted the Masters trophy four times before?  Some of the betting lines in Vegas have him as the odds on favourite.  Now I would assume that the odds have been reduced to balance out the expected amount of casual bets they expect to receive.  Still it would be wrong of you to discount Woods as a possible contender.  Another Player who should be seen as a fan favourite that’s been playing his best golf in years is…

Phil Mickelson

It took four years and seven months for Phil to end his winless drought.  With the quality of golf he has been playing this season it was definitely coming to an end.  Only Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are posting Rounds of Golf below par at a higher percentage than Phil.  If you are a fan of Phil.  You know that his typical Round of Golf includes a few birdies, some bogeys, possibly a hole out eagle, and at least one double or triple Bogey.  At the end of it all he usually finishes a couple shots under Par, or even Par.  It’s a rollercoaster affair with just as many wayward Tee shots, as incredible flop shots.  If you hadn’t seen him play before it might look like luck to you.  It isn’t.  ItsI just the all or nothing, go for broke style of golf that he plays.  Love him or hate him.  It makes for interesting viewing.  Speaking of love him or hate him.  Another polarizing figure in the world of golf has found his swing is the very unique…

Bubba Watson

Relatively soft spoken, reserved, and so unlike the majority of his compatriots.  Bubba Watson isn’t what you would expect a Champion Golfer to be.  Totally self taught, he has one of the most unique swings on the PGA tour.  Most aspiring golfers spend years attempting to develop a swing that will allow them to hit the ball straight.  Bubba Watson did the opposite.  Learning to shape his shots left and right so that he could follow the exact contours of a golf course.  When he is on his game he makes shots that other PGA Players can only imagine making.  He recently won the WGC Match play in impressive fashion.  The combination of impressive shot shaping, and massive distance off the Tee was too much to overcome.  He is ready to unleash his skills on Augusta where he has already won twice before.

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Developing that one swing – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Why Not?

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

I’m sure every golfer has gone through it.  Maybe some of you like me are still going through it.  What is it you ask?  It’s the inability to have one swing work in a Simulator, at the Range, and on the course.  Last Season I got in the habit of visiting the Range a couple days before playing a Round.  If the weather turned bad I’d spend an hour in a Simulator.  I’d get my swing dialed in.  By the time my practice was done I’d leave the Range, or Simulator feeling totally confident.  I was going to play the best Round of my life in a couple days.  The course isn’t ready for what’s coming.  My playing partners will be talking about this Round for the rest of the year.  Never have I ever been this focused, ready, and confident.  Two days later…

I shit the bed

I battle to make proper contact all day.  When I don’t totally chunk it, I catch it thin.  When I finally do make decent contact I slice the ball into oblivion.  My distances are so inconsistent that club selection becomes a total gamble.  Eventually I just choose the club that I happened to get a halfway decent shot with earlier.  Long Par 5, think I’ll tee off with my 4 Hybrid because I hit it relatively straight two holes ago.  390 yards left to the hole, 4 Hybrid seems like a good choice. Only hit it 150 yards leaving 240.  That’s OK the 4 Hybrid will work.  Still 80 yards remaining.  Normally that would be a smooth 52 degree Wedge.  Unfortunately nothing I’ve hit has been smooth today so I’ll club up to a Pitching Wedge in case I chunk it.  End up blading the ball into oblivion.  Damn it!  I should have just played a bump and run with the 4 Hybrid.  Have you ever had those days?  Sounds like an exaggeration but it isn’t.  I have had those days.  What could have happened to my swing between Thursday and Saturday?

Absolutely nothing!

The truth is that your swing didn’t suddenly disintegrate.  It was as ready as you had imagined.  You were ready to have the Round of your life.  The problem wasn’t your swing.  The problem was where you chose to use it.  There are specific differences between each place you practice your swing.  Some of these differences are extremely subtle, but can have a profound effect on your game.  The first of which is barely noticeable to golf beginners.  It wasn’t noticeable to me for a full two seasons.  I struggled, and doubted myself every time I played.  Wondering if I would ever be able to reproduce the success I was having at the Range on a course.  One of the most important Golf Beginner tips I can give you is to always begin your setup by properly setting the…

Lie Angle

I used to believe that the key to Golf was to develop a smooth repeatable swing.  I had the right idea, but I missed one necessary ingredient.  Golf is a game of minor adjustments.  One of the most important of those relates to lie angle.  Something I failed to realize when I practiced my swing at the local range, was that the old hitting mats they provide have become significantly worn in the contact zone.  So where the ball sits is slightly lower than the area around it.  In order to make proper contact you would have to adjust the lie angle of your swing to be slightly toe up.  Of course the Beginner Golfer isn’t actually aware that over the course of adjusting their swing ball after ball until they consistently make good contact.  That swing is counterproductive to when they step on to a course and the ball is on even ground, or even worse a slight downhill lie.  More often than not that’s how thin shots happen.  It might sound like I’m suggesting that you stop going to the Range.  I’m not.  I’m telling you to be very aware of the lie angle of your club when you place it behind the ball at setup. The sole of your club needs to be as flat against the ground as possible.  The lie angle determines how far you should be from the ball.  I used to believe that my club choice determined that.  It does if you take every shot from the exact same spot at the Range, or in a Simulator.  On a course things become very different because the ground level is constantly changing.  That brings me to the next factor that can cause fits…

Surface hardness

Something that never changes in a Simulator or hitting off a mat at the Range is the surface you are hitting off of.  I actually have preferred Simulator Practice locations because the surface you hit off of has a softer underlayer that provides more give.  If you are having trouble understanding my meaning.  Imagine hitting your longest Iron off of a sidewalk.  There’s a very good chance that the fear of contacting the concrete would have you end up blading the ball.  Any swing that came in too steep would bounce so hard it would totally sap your strike of distance.  A hitting surface with more give or depth to it allows you to come in steep or shallow, and still make decent contact.  That felt much better to me.  It feels far better to everyone that plays golf no matter what your skill level may be.  Does it help you improve your swing though?  Of course it does.  All practice helps you improve.  In this case though the firmer surface helps you even more.  The reason for this is because of it’s affect on the proper utilization of each clubs lie Angle.  The softer the surface, the more incorrect your lie angle can be, and still allow for decent contact.  If the heel, or toe would hit first the surface gives way just enough to limit the affect on the swing.  A rigid surface forces you to bring the club head perfectly square through the impact zone or suffer the consequences.  Learn to make clean contact in a Simulator, or on a mat at the Range with a hard surface, and your swing will be pure.  Sounds like that’s the ticket to improving your swing, and lowering your scores on the course then.  I really wish it was.  Course conditions can change from very hard surfaces to extremely soft.  Especially when you live in Canada like I do.  Practicing off of a hard surface can end up creating a swing that’s robotic.  It becomes difficult to make those small adjustments that are required during a Round of Golf.  What if you have to hit out of the Rough, or out of a bunker?  What if the ball is above or below your feet?  Once again the most important thing that you can focus on is the lie angle of the club.

Pre-shot Routine

Everyone should develop a pre-shot routine.  It gets you prepared to make the shot, settles the nerves, and helps you properly set yourself.  Everyone has their own unique way of doing it.  Whatever yours is, make sure that it includes aligning the club’s lie angle so that it’s level with the surface you are hitting off of.  If your routine doesn’t include this one crucial step yet?  Then that could be why you have had those days on the course that made you wonder what happened to my swing?

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Golf & Travel show Giveaway!!!

Got to Play to Win!

This contest is open to all North American Subscribers. All you have to do is complete the three steps to enter.  This contest is totally free!

Step 1 – If you haven’t already Subscribe to this blog.  Use the Subscription field provided below.

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

Step 2 – Subscribe to Cobe Life on YouTube. Use the link provided below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvXbyPX0NbgQxV2bgX9LkKQ

Step 3 – Follow cobesports on Instagram.  Use the link provided below.

http://instagram.com/cobesports

It’s as easy as that! If any of the links aren’t working from your device?  Copy and Paste the links into your browser.

Gain additional entrys by introducing yourself to me at the Toronto Golf and Travel show this weekend and saying “I’m a fan of Cobe Life Golf”. I’ll be easy to spot. Just look for the guy in Orange pants!  Contest will close February 28th, and the draws will be held on March 1rst.

Thank you for becoming a member of the Cobe Life crew.  Good luck!

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GOLF Uncategorized

The one club a Beginner Golfer should get fit for! Beginner’s Guide to Golf

The Big Stick

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There are a number of things that I wish I knew when I first got started golfing.  The one that would have most likely saved me the most time, effort, and frustration is getting properly Fit for a Driver.  I didn’t completely screw up when it came to selecting a Driver.  I waited until after I had developed a somewhat repeatable swing.  I selected a Driver with a large, adjustable club head.  I didn’t break the bank hoping that the newest technology would make a significant difference.  All of these decisions helped, but not getting Fit made them affectively moot.

Industry Tricks

  Something you may not be aware of as a Beginner.  I know that I wasn’t.  The majority of Drivers on display in retail stores, and pro shops have extra long shafts.  Chances are good that if you purchase a Driver off the rack.  The shaft length will probably be too long for you.  Greatly increasing the difficulty of making proper contact with the ball.  I mean unless you are six feet five inches tall, a shorter shaft length is probably better.  Now you are probably wondering why so many people just walk into stores, try a few Drivers, and then buy one without making any custom adjustments?  I did just that, and everyone I usually play with did as well.  It’s because the majority of newer players assume that they won’t be able to just hit a perfect drive with a new Driver the first few times they swing it.  So what do we do?  We have the store rep provide us with a few Drivers to try in the simulator, and swing away until we catch one absolutely perfect.  You know what happens then?  Well anyone who has researched Driver technology, or understands a little bit of science knows that a longer shaft equals a greater swing speed.  Then of course the greater swing speed equals a greater force of impact on the ball.  Which then sends the ball that much further.  And voila!  You are so impressed with the end result you buy the Driver exactly as it was set up at the time.  You just assume that after a bit more practice you will be able to repeat the result you achieved with that perfect contact in the simulator.  A few of you are lucky enough to be the correct height, or have just the right swing to repeat that result.  The reality is though that most of us aren’t.  Took me a full two seasons to make that realization.  That’s countless numbers of rounds of Golf where my round suffered due to poor Tee shots.  All because I didn’t want to pay the additional $50 to get fit.

Night & Day

  Recently I have had a simple Driver fitting done.  My local Golf Town Rep knows me well enough that after testing numerous clubs made a couple simple suggestions.  I didn’t end up purchasing a new Driver.  I just purchased a new shaft.  Went from a Regular flex to a Stiff.  The shaft had a slightly different kick point to help with my launch angle.  I had the shaft length reduced to 44.5 inches.  It’s now only one inch longer than my 3 Wood.  At first I was worried about losing a lot of distance.  I’m not a long hitter to begin with.  In actuality after testing the new set up I hit it just as long.  Truth be told I effectively hit it longer because my trajectory has improved.  I used to be nervous on the Tee.  Dreading the possibility of hitting a wicked slice, or even worse, catching it thin or popping it up, and it goes no where.  My last time testing the new Driver in the simulator I repeatedly made good contact.  Sure I hit the occasional slice but I never made such poor contact that I’d be asking my playing partners for a Mulligan.  It really made me wonder how low my handicap would be if I spent the last two seasons swinging the Driver with the confidence I now feel.  So many tight Fairways i could have taken a shot at, instead of laying up off the Tee and intentionally playing for Bogey.

Don’t be me

  One of my main reasons for creating this website is to educate others with what I’ve learned.  Hopefully saving you from making the same mistakes that I made.  I’m no natural when it comes to Golf, but I have progressed somewhat quicker than most.  With the few tips and insights I’m able to share I hope that you will progress even faster with your game, and maybe you’ll be able to give me a tip of two some day.

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GOLF Uncategorized

Giga Golf TRX Irons testing – A Beginner’s Opinion

A full month and counting

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I’ve  had the Giga Golf TRX Power Slot Irons with a standard length True Temper Feather Flight Firm shaft for just over a month now.  As a resident of Toronto Ontario Canada, weather has prevented me from hitting them outdoors so all of my testing has been in simulators thus far.  Although this is still a limited sample size in a very controlled environment.  I’ve been able to make a few interesting conclusions.

Distance

I have tested many Super Game Improvement, and Game Improvement Irons over the last few years.  This has provided me with a very good understanding of how far i can effectively hit a 7 Iron.  Worst case scenario is around 138 yards, and my personal best average is 151 yards.  The Giga Golf TRX Irons preformed admirably.  My average distance with the TRX 7 Iron is 145 yards.  Only 6 yards less than my personal best which was achieved with the Srixon Z355 7 Iron.  It’s important to note that the Srixon 355 Irons set averaged out to $125/Iron, and the Giga Golf TRX Irons were only $50/Iron.  Both Irons are 37 inches long, but the TRX 7 Iron has a one degree stronger loft at 30 degrees.  Although peak heights during testing were the same.  6 yards might seem like a lot to some people, but provided your gapping is good the shorter total distance has very little affect on your game.  Overall my distance with the Giga Golf TRX Irons is better than the majority of clubs I’ve tested.

Dispersion

In the grand scheme of things, dispersion is far more significant to me when evaluating Irons.  My set includes 6 Iron down which for me act as my scoring clubs.  I’m not the longest hitter so I leave myself a lot of 6 or 7 Iron approach shots into Greens.  The tighter my shot dispersion is, the closer i am to the Pin on average.  The Giga Golf TRX Irons have really shined in this area.  My previous set of Irons were Super Game Improvement Irons from Adams.  Although they were very easy to hit.  Controlling the shot dispersion with those Irons wasn’t easy.  With the Adams Idea Tech V4 7 Iron I had about an 18 yard dispersion.  With the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron I have an average total dispersion of only 9 yards.  Reducing my average total dispersion by 50% can be the difference between a Green in Regulation, or landing in a Greenside bunker.  To be honest I haven’t kept detailed records of the shot dispersions of all of the 7 Irons I’ve tested.  I can tell you that the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron shot dispersion is 3 yards better than what I achieved with the Srixon Z355 7 Iron though.  Whether it’s as a result of the increased distance with the Srixon 7 Iron, or better face impact with the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron I can’t be sure.  For the time being I’m more than impressed with the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron performance.

Forgiveness

As i mentioned earlier my previous set of Irons were the Adams Idea Tech V4 Super Game Improvement Irons.  As such they were incredibly forgiving.  Shots made from all over the club face travelled relatively far. My average total distance with the Adams Idea Tech V4 7 Iron was 140 yards.  Impacts out of the toe were only about 4 yards shorter.  Impacts out of the heel were only a touch worse averaging 6 yards shorter.

The Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron isn’t as forgiving.  Shots out of the toe and heel are around 10 yards shorter.  Practically a full club shorter for most golfers.  Again this might sound terrible considering how many companies tout increased forgiveness as a feature.  What you need to understand is that with increased forgiveness comes a decrease in feel.  For the first time I’m able to notice when I’ve made poor contact.  This has led to me developing a more consistent strike as a result.  Although my suspicions haven’t been totally confirmed.  I’m beginning to believe that Super Game Improvement Irons help you score better but don’t actually improve your game. Whereas Game Improvement Irons do exactly what their designation suggests.  They actually do help to improve your game.  I wouldn’t be surprised if after a full season playing with the Giga Golf TRX Irons that my center face strike consistency is significantly better.

Spin

Generally speaking Super Game Improvement Irons and Game Improvement Irons don’t spin at a high rate.  Most manufacturers intentionally reduce the Spin in order to increase total distance.  The only Game Improvement Irons I’ve tested that have affectively kept a high spin rate while offering increased distance are the Wilson C200s.

I was expecting the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron to have a low spin rate due to it’s relatively strong loft of 30 degrees.  If you have read my previous post on selecting the right Game Improvement Irons you’ll know that anything over 4500 rpm is considered high for me.  I averaged 5200 rpm with the Giga Golf TRX 7 Iron. That’s an impressive result for me.  My only explanation for the high spin results is the combination of lie, offset, and swing weight.  I have a shallow swing path naturally but the TRX Power Slot Irons have a slightly more upright lie angle which has steepened my angle of attack to the ball.  The increased Spin has limited the amount of roll out which is why my total distance is reduced.  I’m sure it contributes to the smaller dispersion as well.

So far so good

It’s far too early to report on product durability so I’ll leave that for another time.  Turf interaction will have to wait for warmer weather so that will come later as well.  For what it’s worth though, if you play a lot of golf in a Simulator I would have a difficult time suggesting anything other than the Giga Golf TRX Power Slot Irons for the money.  They perform as well as anything I’ve tested for a fraction of the price.

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Cobe Life’s 5 to watch – Waste Management Phoenix Open

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Matsuyama is just too obvious

Everyone and their pet dog is talking about how Matsuyama is the man to beat.  He’s gone back to back at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  If he can win this year he will be the only other person to three-peat alongside the great Arnold Palmer.  Obviously he is one of the Players to watch.  Do I think he’ll three-peat?  He’ll no!  He’s not playing at an elite level right now.  He’ll compete, but winning is very unlikely.

True favourites

Rickie Fowler

Lets be honest here.  One of Matsuyama’s wins should really have been Rickie’s.  He imploded coming down the stretch, and eventually lost in a playoff.  The stadium feel is an advantage for Rickie.  He’s so popular among the fans that playing in front of any crowd is like having home field advantage.  Anyone playing alongside him is going to feel like the enemy.  Rickie feeds off the crowds energy and has a number of high finishes here to show for it.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the energy at TPC Scottsdale lifts him to a Championship.

Jon Rahm

Rahm has played some amazing golf recently to where he has moved up to second overall in the PGA rankings.  While the crowd will help Rickie feel like he’s playing in front of a home crowd.  Jon Rahm actually will be.  As a former Arizona State Sun Devil, Rahm will feel right at home at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  You can be damn sure he’ll come out wearing some Sun Devils garb at some point.  Given his recent performance you can bet good money that the crowd at TPC Scottsdale will be pulling for their local boy to win.  Every Championship means something on the PGA tour, but I’m willing to wager that this one means a little bit more to Jon Rahm.

Potential Surprises

Keegan Bradley

Keegan Bradley comes into this event in great form, and has exactly the kind of game that suits TPC Scottsdale.  He’s impressively accurate with his long clubs, and can bomb it.  There’s a lot of risk/reward plays available at TPC Scottsdale.  Keegan Bradley has the accuracy to effectively minimize the risk, while enjoying the reward.  Given his recent play I would expect him to take a few more chances than usual, and capitalize.  Keegan Bradley has the game to flat out win this event, but I’m expecting a Top 15 finish.

Kevin Streelman

Another Player coming into the Waste Management Phoenix Open in excellent form is Kevin Streelman.  If it wasn’t for the quality of this particular field I would consider Streelman to be a favourite.  His Ball striking has been stellar, and he seems to be playing with a lot of confidence.  I don’t expect him to overpower the TPC Scottsdale course, but where others will take risks, and pay the price.  I expect Streelman to play a very smart, safe game that will keep him in contention.  I just don’t see him being able to turn it up a notch on Sunday against this field.  A top 20 finish isn’t out of the question though.

Interesting story

J.B. Holmes

After his four minutes and ten seconds of club deliberation last Sunday before electing to lay up.  In a situation where he needed an Eagle to make a playoff, and potentially win the tournament.   A significant enough pause during the round that some people believe may have broken Alexander Noren’s concentration, and ultimately cost him the Championship.  After a few days of being slammed on Twitter, and forced to answer for his actions by the Golf media.  How will J.B. Holmes bounce back at the Waste Management Phoenix Open?  This tournament is perfect for his long hitter game.  As evidenced by his two previous victories here.  He’s obviously playing well considering he was an Eagle away from making the playoff last week.  Really he should be considered one of the favourites, but how will the TPC Scottsdale crowd welcome him after last week’s shenanigans?  If you are looking for a sneaky good bet to make in DraftKings, J.B. Holmes might be your guy.

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FANTASY FISHING GAMING GOLF

In case you didn’t know – Winter Sucks!!!

I’m Canadian so I know

For those of you that don’t really experience winter as the cold, dark, snow and ice filled hell that Canadians know it to be.  Well lucky you.  You really don’t have a winter Season.  What you experience is more of an extended fall, or if you are truly blessed, a cool summer.  The Winters that I’ve experienced in my lifetime range from mild (below zero with light snow) to severe (an entire city frozen in ice without power).  It’s during this abhorrent time that I go from an active sports enthusiast to an out of shape couch commando.  I’ve wondered what kind of shape I would be in if I could just keep doing the things I love (golfing, fishing, walking the city) year round.  Of course there are the many winter sports that so many find enjoyable.  Obviously something terrible has had to have happened to each of them at some point in their lives.  Why else would they subject themselves to such torturous endeavours. Strapping two thin planks to your feet and sliding down a snowy hill.  Fast enough to make the -10 degree temps feel like-20. If you prefer one wide plank that’s available.  Maybe you prefer strapping blades to your feet so you can slide across ice instead.  Desperately working on keeping your balance well enough to keep your ankles from breaking.  You could always head far enough up North to mount a tobaggan equipped with a high powered engine and really freeze your ass solid.  As appealing as some of those activities may sound to some of you.  They sure as shit aren’t for me.

Indoor Sport

So what’s an athletic guy to do?  I’ve considered joining the red and white GoodLife Fitness gym bag carrying crowd.  Unfortunately I can’t enjoy working out.  Especially when I know that playing a sport achieves similar results.  I have a collapsed arch in my left foot so simply joining an indoor soccer, or basketball team is out of the question.  I could take up swimming, but I’d trust the toxicity levels in Lake Ontario more than a public pool.  I’ve considered many potential activities, but not one fit the bill.  Winter has got me totally euchred.  I spend most of my days  in an area not much larger than a squash court.  I still Golf. Got a quick 18 holes in after Morning Drive yesterday.  Of course that’s 18 Rounds on my single hole putting mat in my living room.  There are times during the year that I look at my PS4 and think what a waste of money.  Well my opinion changes rather quickly as soon as the first snowfall hits.  Hardly a day passes without one of my PS4 controllers requiring a recharge.  I had the unfortunate situation where a label came off one of my blu-rays inside my PS4.  I played digital downloads for a couple days, but missed playing Tom Clancy’s The Division way too much.  So after about a week I broke down, and proceeded to take my PS4 apart to clear the drive.  It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected it to be.  Less than an hour later I was back to playing The Division.  Winter can do that.  It can motivate you to try things, or buy things you wouldn’t normally.  This is the weekend before the Superbowl so my favourite spectator sport isn’t available either.  I find myself watching movies galore.  Now I love film so that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The problem is that I know I’m going to be spending so much time watching movies that I specifically select Trilogies or ongoing series.  I’ve watched the Bourne trilogy, the Millennium trilogy, the first six Star Wars films, the Hobbit trilogy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all of the Die Hard films, and I’m four films in to the Harry Potter series.  Can you see how this might be a problem.  Some of those movies I’ve seen so many times that I can quote every key line.  Not a single moment in any of those films surprises me anymore.  I find myself watching what’s going on in the background more.  Hoping to see something I might have missed the first 30 times I watched the movie.  Did you know that Michelle Monaghan was in the Bourne Supremacy?  I didn’t either until I noticed her as an FBI analyst at one of the terminals in the background.  That was the highlight of the film for me.

I’m in the dark here

Yes that was a Scent of a Woman quote, but it’s very relevant during Canadian winters.  If you leave for work before 8:00am, and return home after 5:00pm.  Then there’s a very good chance that you never experienced the light of day.  It was dark when you left, and dark when you returned.  I found myself yawning at 6:48pm last Thursday.  By accident last week my wife and I had dinner twice.  It got dark so early that we mistakenly had dinner at a little before 4:00pm.  By the time 8:00pm came we were hungry again, and realized that sleep might be impossible unless we ate again.

A sudden reprieve

Suddenly without any warning the temperature has been rising the last two days.  It actually got up to +8 degrees today.  Opportunity is knocking, and provided the temperature holds for one more day.  I am going to grab my clubs and make my way out to the Range to do what winter denies me.  Get outside, get some enjoyable exercise, and see the light of day.  If it doesn’t hold, and the winter weather forces me back indoors.  Well I only have to wait a couple more months before the sun begins to shine again.  Until then I have every Marvel movie to watch in chronological order.