Tag: Beginner’s guide to buying Golf Clubs

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GOLF

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF SWING

HOW TO IMPROVE

There are a lot of theories on the internet about how to improve as a Beginner Golfer. The manufacturers would like you to believe that the right equipment will make the difference. Golf coaches will tell you that lessons are the fastest route to improvement. The majority of Social media Influencers will claim to have the correct tips to accelerate your game. With so many options which one is right for you?

Figuring it out without having any real direction can be an expensive process. There are a few things you can do for free to provide you with a decent starting point. The first of which is to spend a little time at your local golf store, and test a few clubs. I would highly suggest you use that time to figure out which long shot clubs suit your natural swing. Test a 5 Wood, 4 Hybrid, and 4 Iron to see which you hit best. This will help you determine how to design your golf set. Also test how well you hit Hybrid Irons vs Traditional Irons. A lot of Beginners ignore Hybrid Iron sets like the Cobra T Rail, or Wilson Launch Pad sets. They can seriously help some golfers get started depending on your natural swing. When testing clubs pay attention to your natural ball flight, and what the majority of your miss hits are. Do you hit a lot of chunks or thins? Do you hook the ball or slice it? If you are able use your cellphone camera to film some of your test swings. This takes us to the second thing you can do. Go on YouTube and look up tips to help you with your swing problems. There are a lot of “experts” on YouTube but I’ve found a few that can offer solid advice. Start with Larry Cheung golf, Mr Shortgame, Me and My Golf, and Mark Crossfield. Between those channels you’ll probably find some helpful hints. For me personally Mark Crossfield helped me with my grip. Larry Cheung helped me improve my Back swing, and Mr Shortgame helped me limit my chunky shots. Me and My Golf have provided me with helpful drills to continuously improve. Spend time at the Range utilizing their tips for at least 8 hours of total Range time. That should improve your swing some. It won’t be perfect. Far from it actually, but at least you will have a very good idea of what you need to work on. At this point you might decide to invest in lessons, or a Swing Analyzer device. There is one more thing you can do before that though. Try swinging your clubs while choking down on the grip. Move your hands as far down the grip as possible without having any fingers on the actual shaft. The shorter a club is, the easier it is to hit. If suddenly your strike and ball flight is significantly better. Then a fitting might be the answer to gain some additional improvement. If things don’t look much different. Then it’s time to get lessons.

Of course everything I suggest is dependent on your budget. For instance I didn’t get my first, and only lesson until my third Season. I quickly realized that the same information is available on Larry Cheung’s YouTube channel. Provided you know enough about the basics of a golf swing to interpret his advice.

I hope this helps you accelerate your improvement. For more helpful tips for Beginners. Check out the Cobe Life YouTube channel.

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GOLF

ARE HYBRID IRONS A NEW THING?

GOLF ANALYSTS ARE ACTING LIKE HYBRID IRONS ARE A NEW THING. TRUST ME THEY AREN’T!

Adams golf was one of the first major brands to jump into the Super Game Improvement Iron space. The Idea Tech A12 OS were released in 2012! Taylormade released the the M CGB hybrid Iron set in 2017. I’ve seen a number of guys on YouTube acting like the Cleveland Launcher HB, Cobra T Rail, and Wilson Launch Pad are revolutionary designs. Well they aren’t. They are just a return to the Super Game Improvement category.

As someone who has played Hybrid Irons before. I played the Adams Idea Tech V4 set. In fact I still play the 3, 4, and 5 Hybrids from that set. I occasionally still play the 6 Hybrid as well. I can offer a word of caution that I haven’t heard from any other analyst. Thick soled Hybrid Irons can be very difficult to hit off of hard surfaces. Most Beginners make ground first contact quite often. The thick soles won’t bite into the turf if the ground is very hard. The Iron ends up bouncing upward and causing Thin shots. In Canada that generally means that Hybrid Irons aren’t suitable in the fall, or during dry spells in the summer.

All you ever hear is that chunky Hybrid Irons are CONFIDENCE INSPIRING, EASY TO HIT, EASY TO LAUNCH, and GREAT FROM ANY LIE. They are easy to hit off medium to soft ground. They do inspire confidence. They do launch well. You don’t want to hit a Hybrid Iron out of a Deep bunker. A lot of these sets will go down to Sand Wedge. Do yourself a favour and invest in a traditional Wedge if you invest in a Hybrid Iron set. The soles of a Hybrid Iron Gap Wedge, or Sand Wedge are so thick it’s almost impossible to open the face to add loft. Even if the Sand is soft it can be difficult to get enough of the club down behind the ball because the club will bounce, or slide across it, and cause you to catch the ball thin. Definitely not the result you are looking for in a bunker. Now if you are a very skilled player you can play almost any club out of a bunker so the majority of golf analysts won’t be aware of these shortcomings.

The target market for these clubs are generally Beginners. For the most part Beginners aren’t great ball strikers. Beginners generally need all the help they can get out of a bunker. Beginners need to have a decent amount of control from shorter distances. For these reasons it is my belief that most Beginners won’t require Super Game Improvement Hybrid Irons unless they are very slow swingers that need a lot of help getting the ball in the air. In that case a set of Super Game Improvement Hybrid Irons fitted with Graphite Shafts would be ideal. Provided they invest in a more traditional Sand Wedge as well.

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GOLF

QUICK START GUIDE FOR BEGINNER GOLFERS

First things first

I’m not going to get into choosing the right equipment, or how much time you should spend at the Range. I’m not going to tell you what part of your game you should focus on in the beginning, or how to develop a repeatable swing. I’m not going to tell you these things because I have written previous articles, and have a whole series of videos dedicated to those things already on my Cobe Life YouTube channel. What I’m actually going to do is provide you with a flowchart of sorts. A step by step guide that should help you progress as a Golfer, and minimize the number of setbacks most Beginner Golfers experience. So lets assume that you have purchased your first set of clubs, have a halfway decent swing, and can get through 18 holes on a course without losing your mind and a case of balls. Now what… 

Time to get Fit? NOPE!

Practice Putting until sinking 5 footers becomes so easy that it’s boring

Notice the emphasis on short putts. Trust me, there’s nothing worse when you start golfing at actual courses, and feel like you are 3 putting every hole. Putting is like Running. First you need to know how to crawl, then learn to walk, before you can run. It won’t help you to hit a long lag putt to within 5 feet, or chip it close from off the green, If it then takes you two putts to sink it. Lag putting will become easier over time. It takes a lot of actual playing time to become decent at reading greens and getting a feel for the speed required to cover assorted distances. Once you have learned to control your putts. Knowing that you can drain anything that gets remotely close really helps your confidence, and frees you up to try and sink long putts more often.

Fall in love with your Hybrid

If you have read my previous posts on assembling your first golf set, or seen my YouTube videos on buying golf clubs. You will already know that I’m a huge fan of Hybrid clubs. Recently popular YouTuber Rick Shiels posted a video on 5 different ways to use your Hybrid clubs. That alone should tell you how versatile they are. The versatility isn’t why I believe you should quickly make your Hybrid clubs your favourites. What makes Hybrid clubs so important for the majority of Beginner Golfers is the ability to hit them a relatively long distance out of any lie. It doesn’t matter if it’s off a Tee, from the fairway, in a bunker, or out of the rough. Hybrid clubs seem to have no problem hitting a golf ball from anywhere. Once you’ve realized this, you’ll have the confidence to take a full swing off the Tee, or attack greens from a distance. If you happen to miss the Fairway or Green so be it. The Hybrid club is there to help get you out of trouble.

Pick your Favourite Wedge

As a Beginner Golfer you are going to miss a lot of Greens. If you want to continue to lower your scores you will have to get good at Chipping. The first step is finding a Wedge you feel confident with. Any Wedge will do. Actually it doesn’t even have to be a Wedge. It could be your 9 Iron if that’s what suits you. What’s most important is that you choose one club and stick to it! Sure PGA professionals have around four different Wedges in their bag, and they use all of them. The thing is, and I’m sorry to be the one telling you this but. You are not a PGA professional. Practice chipping out of trouble with one club from around 30 yards and in. Get in the habit of using the same exact stroke for every chip. Just control the distance by limiting your backswing. If you stick to it, then eventually chipping will feel as natural as putting. Once you’ve reached that level of confidence you will take dead aim at greens with very little worry. If you end up 5 to 10 yards off the green. Your goal will be to get up and down for Par, not to hopefully make Bogey.

Now it’s time to get Fit right? NOPE!

Let the Big Dog eat

Now that you can putt like Jason Day, hit your Hybrids from anywhere like Jordan Spieth, and chip to within inches of the hole like Phil Mickelson. It’s time to learn how to bomb it down the Fairway like Dustin Johnson. If you can’t achieve both distance and accuracy, well at least develop accuracy. Not everyone is going to be able to hit their Driver 250 yards or more, but we can all learn to develop some accuracy. As a Beginner Golfer 2 out of every 3 Fairways hit is a pretty good average. The Driver can be the most difficult club to control for a lot of new golfers. If you are really struggling then it may be time to enlist some outside help.

So this is when we get Fit! NOPE!

Find a Coach and get some lessons

Coaches come in many forms. Could be your local Course Pro, the Golf Trainer at your local golf store, or a friend who has been playing a lot longer than you have. Whoever it may be you might find yourself pleasantly surprised what a couple of golf lessons can do for your game. Golf is a game of minor adjustments, but it can be difficult to assess what adjustments you require. A good coach should be able to recognize simple setup or swing faults rather quickly. For some Beginners it only takes one or two lessons to see a major improvement. Once you’ve spent enough time with your coach to eliminate your bad habits, and get everything in order. There’s just one last thing to do.

GET FIT!

Finally it’s time to get properly fit. This doesn’t mean that you need to go out, and buy a whole new set of clubs. Getting fit can simply be about getting your current set adjusted for Length, Lie Angle, and Loft. When it comes to your Driver, and Fairway Woods you might opt for a Shaft Change. Whatever you decide that fits your budget will help at this point. Some of you are probably wondering why getting Fit was left till last? These steps aren’t meant to be taken until you begin playing Golf Courses and actually keeping score. For most Beginners that’s around the six month mark. At this point your swing is far from polished, and quite honestly will probably change drastically over the next six months to a year. Getting Fit too early will in some cases benefit you for a short amount of time, and then become a hindrance to your progress. If I had gotten Fit after six months the Lie Angle on my Irons would have been way off the mark they are at now. It is my opinion that most Beginner Golfers shouldn’t add a Driver to their bag until they have played a full Season. It is also been my experience that the Driver is the most important club in the bag to get Fit. There are benefits to being Fit for every club in your bag, but some are negligible. Putter and Wedge fittings can help improve your game but most true Beginners won’t see a difference. The Lie Angle on a Hybrid isn’t nearly as important as the Lie Angle on an Iron so getting used to one off the rack is far easier. That’s why I suggest mastering those clubs first. By the time you feel confident in those areas of your game. The benefits of a Fitting will be far greater.

Good Luck, and hopefully you won’t be Beginner Golfers much longer!

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

The Big Stick

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

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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How important is Distance – Beginner’s guide to Golf

The quest to hit it long

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If you were like me in the beginning then Distance was the most important thing to you. It seemed like by gaining Distance your game would dramatically improve. Everyone else seemed to hit the ball a mile with relative ease. While you were swinging with all your might, and only carrying your 7 Iron 100 yards.

I remember thinking if I could only transfer my natural strength into my swing I’d be able to carry my 7 Iron at least 140 yards. Then I’d finally have an easier time making par on those long Par 4s. That was 3 years ago. Well now I can carry my 7 Iron 140 yards, and I still don’t have an easy time making par on those long Par 4s. What I’ve learned is that hitting it long doesn’t necessarily equal a better score.

Consistency over length

Distance isn’t really about how far you can hit a golf ball. It’s about how accurately you can hit a ball a particular distance. Then once you have your Distance control dialed in. You need to assemble a bag of clubs that allow you to leave a small enough gap from club to club to navigate your way through 18 holes on a Golf course. Understanding how to properly assemble a set with proper gapping is easier than you might think. As a Beginner I would suggest assembling a set that includes the Sand Wedge as your most lofted Iron, and a 3 Wood as your least lofted club. Once you know how far you hit your 3 Wood, and Sand Wedge. Take the difference in yardage between the two and divide it by 8. The number you arrive at will determine the average yardage between each club you should try to have. If the number is below 11. I would suggest reducing the number of clubs in your set until the gaps are at least 10 yards or more. As an example: lets say you are able to hit your Sand Wedge 90 yards but you only hit your 3 Wood 175 yards. The difference between the two is only 85 yards. Divide that by 8 and your gap average would be 10.62. In this case I would reduce the number of clubs you should purchase between the Sand Wedge and 3 Wood down to 7. This would provide you with an average gapping of just over 12 yards. Trust me when I tell you that as a Beginner you will make poor contact more often than not. It wouldn’t be uncommon for you to chunk shots, and come up ten yards short, or catch shots thin and end up hitting them 10 yards longer. At least with an average gapping of 12 yards you shouldn’t be over a club off the distance with most shots.

Something you should be aware of in that example is that I didn’t bother to mention how far you should expect to hit each club. It’s been my experience that the average male golfer only needs to be able to hit at least one club in their bag at least 200 yards to successfully play practically any course from the Whites. If that happens to be your Driver that’s fine. For me it’s my 3 Wood. Until you are able to successfully hit 200 yards with at least one club on a regular basis I would stick to short courses. That one club over 200 is the only case where total Distance really matters.

Disregard my advice if you bomb it accurately!

Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Dustin Johnson’s recent 433 yard drive to within one foot of the hole on a Par 4 is a great example. Ridiculous Distance can dramatically effect your score. It does come with a warning though. The further you can hit it, the worse a. miss hit will be. Sure bombing the ball can put you in advantageous positions. Just hit one of those monster drives a little off line and you will be reaching into your bag for another ball pretty quick. If given the choice between risky massive Distance, and controlled average Distance. I’d choose controlled average Distance every time.

OF COURSE I’M NOT DUSTIN JOHNSON!

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Giga Golf Irons – A Beginner’s Opinion

First Impressions of Giga Golf Clubs

Like pretty much every other Golf enthusiast on a budget I’ve looked into the possibility of playing clone, or custom small manufacturers clubs.  After extensive research of a number of brands I decided to give Giga Golf Irons a chance.  Some key factors that went into my decision were their direct from manufacturer approach, custom club assembly, and ease of contact.  I was actually able to speak with the President of the company Robert Wilson before making a purchase.  They also offer an online Efit system for getting your clubs fit for your body size.  Although it isn’t a foolproof method, it should work for most.  I already knew my proper sizing, and the Efit method confirmed it so it would have worked for me.  As a lefty my choices were limited, but fortunately they did have a game Improvement Iron that seemed suitable.  Their manufacturing facility is located in Florida.  Even though I was having the clubs custom built, and I placed the order on the 19th of December.  The clubs arrived at my door in Toronto, Ontario nine days later.  Needless to say I was very impressed with the speed my order was fulfilled.

Love at First Sight

Upon opening the box that contained my new Irons I was pleasantly surprised.  To be fair I wasn’t expecting to be impressed with the looks of the TRX Power Slot Irons.  A set including five Iron through Pitching Wedge without any shaft or grip upgrades comes out to only $225 Canadian including delivery.  Compare that to the Taylormade, and Srixon Irons sets I was looking at that were $500+.  Expecting them to be aesthetically pleasing, and function well seemed like too much to hope for.  Even the pictures on the Giga Golf website appeared a bit cheesy looking.  Seeing them up close for the first time.  The subtle style touches, thin topline, and mixture of reflective and matt surfaces look great.  If these Irons perform half as well as advertised I’ll be more than satisfied.  The suggested shafts by True Temper look great, and even their basic grip by Sensatec in midsize feels good.  Giga Golf does offer a number of grip upgrades by Golf Pride, Lamkin, and Winn but my preferred grip wasn’t one of them so I decided to go with their basic grip at no additional charge.  If it doesn’t perform well I can just regrip the clubs later.  Giga Golf allows you to order clubs individually so I only ordered the 6 Iron, 7 Iron, 8 Iron, 9 Iron, and Pitching Wedge.  As a High handicapper I believe that the best combination of clubs in the bag include Hybrid Clubs.  My current set includes a 3 Hybrid, 4 Hybrid, and 5 Hybrid so I didn’t require the 5 Iron.  Removing the one club saved me around $25.

An Ongoing Review of Giga Golf Irons

You would expect that with all of the information available on the internet you could find a review of Giga Golf Irons that included Carry and total Distance numbers, Spin rpms, and Launch angles.  Well you can’t.  Sure there are unboxing videos, and product information reviews but those don’t really tell you how good their clubs may actually be.  Not only will I be testing these Irons on the course, but I’ll also get you all of the numbers in a Simulator.  What you have probably been craving for most is direct comparisons of Giga Golf Clubs against the top manufacturers.  Well I’ll have that too!  So be sure to Subscribe to my Blog, and YouTube Channel to finally learn how much of a difference the Top manufacturers equipment gains you.

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Golf misconceptions – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Even the truth can be misleading

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After three Canadian Seasons of playing golf, I’ve learned a few things.  Not everything the major manufacturers say necessarily applies to the Beginner Golfer.  The looks, and feel of Golf clubs are given far too much credit when rated by trusted reviewers online.  These things have factored in to some of the poor equipment choices Beginners can make.  In this article I’m going to explain how to better understand as a Beginner what information actually applies to you.

Looks, feel, and demand

I watched a Video on YouTube recently where the reviewer was testing five different Irons from five manufacturers. He based his final score for each club on a number of factors including shot consistency, distance, appearance, and cost.  The club that actually performed the best overall finished second because the reviewer didn’t like the looks of the Iron.  He suggested that we should actually purchase the inferior product because it looks better in the bag.  He’s not alone in his thinking.  I’ve seen, and read many reviews of excellent products that get dismissed because they don’t have a classic look.  Golf Digest routinely gives out it’s Gold star ratings for a number of Golf products from balls to Drivers.  Be careful how much credit you give their ratings though.  They make a point of factoring in Product demand when considering their final rankings.  That’s right it’s also a popularity contest.  Two clubs could perform equally as well, but if one is from a major manufacturer with a team of tour Pros, and marketing.  Well that’s the club that’s going to get the Gold star because lots of people like it.  Beginners shouldn’t concern themselves with customer demand, or how pretty a club looks in the bag.  All they should be concerned about is how a new piece of equipment will improve their game.  I understand the motivation that a lot of these online reviewers have.  Make the Big Golf Manufacturers happy, and there could be some free swag, or marketing dollars coming your way.  Qualitative categories like looks, or feel, and skewed categories like demand allow reviewers to consistently keep whichever Big brand product they like near, or at the top of their rankings. Nobody can argue about Feel, because what feels right to each person is unique.  In some cases Feel is more about the Shaft of a club. If you are getting professionally fit.  What a reviewer says about Feel isn’t valid at all.  Looks are really about what makes you confident, and comfortable over the ball.  Read any of the reviews you can find online about my Adams Yes Milly Putter.  All of them will make a point of telling you how ugly it is.  I can admit that the Black and Yellow colour scheme is a bit garish.  It makes lining up the ball an absolute breeze through.

I don’t mind the look.

The majority of reviewers will highlight all the technology that went into the Putter.  The C-Groove milled face, true alignment sole, heel and toe tungsten weighting, and high contrast alignment were all considered top of the line tech.  Unfortunately for Adams though the Looks category kept the overall ratings down.  I easily tested 20 different Putters before selecting the Yes Milly.  I only based my final selection on two factors, price and performance.  Price always plays a role, but not as much when it comes to Putters.  I know that I’ll keep the right Putter for years.  I might go through three sets of Irons before I change my Putter.  For that reason I’m willing to spend more.  Fortunately for me, all of the technology crammed into the Yes Milly Putter came relatively cheap.  Adams was bought by Taylormade, and the Yes Putter division was dropped reducing Demand.  The many reviews proclaiming how ugly it was didn’t help it’s market value so it went on clearance relatively quickly.  In the end I had narrowed it down to the Odyssey White Hot 2.0 vs the Yes Milly.  The Milly won because I was able to consistently lag long Putts closer to the hole.  Like I said, Performance always wins.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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The right Game Improvement Iron – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Statistical Surprise

When I started looking for my first set of Irons I placed additional importance on three specific categories.  I had been practicing my swing at the Range with a friend’s old 5 Iron, and 7 Iron.  I was hitting the 5 Iron only about 130 yards, and the 7 Iron about 100 yards on a good day.  My miss was usually a slice, or catching it thin.  When I didn’t get centre face contact the ball practically flew half the distance.  So when I decided to buy my first set, Distance, Forgiveness, and Price were the big three for me.  After going to my local Golf store at least a dozen times to test clubs in the simulator I narrowed down my choices to three models.  In the end I went with a previous generation of the Adams Blue, and purchased the Adams Idea tech V4.  It was a demo set so the price was right.  It’s also a Hybrid/Iron set so it’s very forgiving.  During testing it also appeared to be quite long.  It wasn’t until much later that I realized it didn’t actually add any significant distance.  It only seemed that way because of how forgiving it was.  My swing was so bad during testing that I rarely caught a ball well enough for the distance characteristics to be accurate.  If you are in the market for your first set of clubs then I would like to make a suggestion.  The three factors I listed should be of importance to you.  When testing clubs bring along a friend that’s a significantly better Golfer than you.  When you find a few models that feel right, and are forgiving.  Have your friend test those same models for distance.  They can tell you if they are longer than what they are used to, average, or shorter.  As your swing develops the distance characteristics of that club will begin to take affect.  There is one more characteristic you should be aware of when selecting your clubs though, and that’s…

Spin

I’ve already begun researching what my next set of Irons will be.  This time I will focus on all four characteristics, Price, Distance, Forgiveness, and Spin.  The motivation for this article happened when I did a Google search for High Spin Game Improvement Irons, and basically got nothing useful.  You would think that with all the Golf equipment reviewers out there, I’d find something?  The reality of it is they still focus on the typical three characteristics.  Spin is basically overlooked, even though they have the Spin numbers readily available.  So how important is Spin?  Well it’s important enough that Ball manufacturers consider it one of the top two reasons to select their ball.  So much emphasis is placed on a ball’s Spin characteristics that most Golfers look at that first when selecting a ball.  Well what good is having a High Spin ball if your Irons don’t impart much Spin on the ball to begin with?  What if you are after more Distance, and select a low Spin ball, but your Irons are designed to increase the amount of Spin?  These combinations really don’t make sense do they?  While the Forgiveness, and Distance determine how well you can hit a ball.  The Spin has a far greater affect on how successfully you play the game.  As your swing improves, your ability to hold Greens, run through Fairways, or shape your shot is all determined by the Spin.  Too often Beginners believe that a ball change will make a significant difference.  In some cases it can, but only if their equipment, and swing allows it.  By the end of my second Season I had come to realize that Spin is more important to me than Distance.  I have around a 140 yard carry with my 7 Iron.  That’s really enough for me.  I’ve tried clubs that provide me with a carry of 150 yards, but sacrifice Forgiveness and Spin to do so. Thanks but no thanks.  I’ll take control over distance any day.

Low Spin Game Improvement Irons

Calloway Big Bertha

– Center of gravity is low and forward.

– has a 360 degree face cup to increase forgiveness.

– falls into the super game improvement category, and is quite chunky to look at.

– one of the three longest Irons tested.

– one of the three least forgiving Irons tested.

Cobra Fly-Z

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– has a speed channel groove for increased forgiveness.

– relatively attractive top line at address

– very easy to get the ball up in the air.

Ping G Max

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– uses COR Eye2 technology for increased distance and forgiveness.

– falls into the super game improvement category, and is quite chunky to look at.

– very dull appearance, but a satisfying sound and feel at impact.

Mid Spin Game Improvement Irons

Mizuno JPX EZ

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– thin sole cavity increases distance and launch.

– gorgeous looking Iron with the top line at address of a larger Players Iron.

– one of the three least forgiving Irons tested.

Taylormade RSi 1

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– uses face slots and a speed pocket to increase distance and forgiveness.

– slightly lower launch than most of the other Irons tested.

– one of the three most forgiving Irons tested.

Nike Vapor Fly

– Center of gravity is center and back.

– hollow body construction to increase forgiveness.

– NexCOR face to increase distance.

– the hollow body construction gives it a mini hybrid appearance.  A unique look that won’t appeal to everyone.

High Spin Game Improvement Irons

Cleveland Launcher HB

– Center of gravity is low and way back.

– hybrid/Iron design for greater launch and improved forgiveness.

– falls into the super game improvement category, and is quite chunky to look at.

– the most forgiving Iron tested.

Wilson D300

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– FLX face technology is used to increase distance.

– power holes around the face increase forgiveness.

– despite a relatively thin top line the urethane filled power holes can look odd to some Players.

– the longest of all the Irons tested.

– one of the three most forgiving Irons tested.

Titleist AP1 716

– Center of gravity is low and back.

– 360 degree cavity increases launch and distance.

– toe and heel weighting increases forgiveness.

– very classic looking Iron with a relatively thin top line.

– one of the three longest Irons tested.

– one of the three least forgiving Irons tested.

My Top 3 and Conclusions

First of all it’s important for you to know that “High Spin” is a relative measure.  Generally speaking Game Improvement Irons aren’t high spinning Irons.  In order to provide the additional forgiveness and Distance, Spin is usually reduced.  For the purposes of this study the Spin groups were: 7 Iron backspin

less than 3500 RPM   = Low Spin

3500 – 4500 RPM       = Mid Spin

more than 4500 RPM = High Spin

You’ll also notice that I include Irons manufactured from 2015 to 2017.  Unlike some of the better known Golf reviewers, I am not sent product from manufacturers to review.  I test whatever peaks my interest at my local Golf store.  Because price is also an important consideration I have a tendency to purchase clearance items.  Every Iron listed in this Review can still be found for purchase.

Now with the four factors carefully taken into consideration my Top 3 Irons for a Beginner that’s serious about improving at Golf are:

3rd Place – Nike Vapor Fly

Although the Nike Vapor Fly wasn’t the longest, or the most forgiving.  It was relatively easy to hit, forgiving enough on miss hits, and because  Nike got out of the equipment market available for a great price.  It still generates enough Spin that Beginners will learn to create enough control over the ball as their swing improves.  The looks won’t bother a newer Golfer that isn’t used to a traditional blade.  For practically half the price of most of the Irons on this list you can’t go wrong.

2nd Place – Taylormade RSi 1

I found the Taylormade RSi 1 to be the easiest Iron to hit.  Maybe it’s a result of the Face slots, and Speed Pocket.  I really don’t know.  One thing is for sure is that the RSi 1 is very forgiving.  Distance is good but not great, and it also generates enough Spin to control the ball as your swing improves.  The looks should appeal to most Golfers. Even the Face slots serve to frame the ball at address.  It’s the oldest model tested, and as such comes in at a very attractive price.

1rst Place – Wilson D300

You read that right, Wilson wins the day.  Shows you why you should take the time to test everything.  I’ll be honest with you, the looks of the D300 kind of bother me.  All those Power Holes make the club look very busy at address.  During testing I was so impressed with the performance that I stopped noticing.  It was easily the longest of the Irons I tested, very forgiving on miss hits anywhere on the face, and one of the highest spinning Irons tested.  The only other Iron that really came close was the Titleist AP1 716 but it fell far short in the Forgiveness category.  Not to mention that the D300 Iron set is currently $200 less than the Titleist.  That being said it still comes in at around twice the price of the Taylormade or Nike.  So depending on your budget it may currently be out of it.

Honorable mention goes to the Titleist AP1 716 Irons.  If you are a slightly better Player that has learned how to shape your shot, but still needs added distance?  Then the AP1 Irons could be for you.

Honorable mention also goes to the Cleveland Launcher HB Irons.  An absolutely great Beginners Iron that provides maximum forgiveness, and a lot of Spin.  Very easy to learn with but be prepared to want to upgrade after only a few seasons.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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