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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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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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Ongoing Review Format – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Ongoing Review Format : learn what products will actually do for your game.

Something my Subscribers can look forward to in 2018 is ongoing reviews of featured products. Instead of spending a few hours in a Simulator or at the Range testing a new product. I will select a few key products that I believe can potentially benefit a High handicapper or total Beginner and conduct an ongoing review all year. I will have a weekly update Post here on my Blog, and a weekly Video with all or some of the featured products on my YouTube Channel Cobe Life.


This Ongoing Review format will allow me to provide you with my first impressions, product performance, learning curve, real world usefulness, durability issues, and final recommendations. I will keep detailed on course statistics that are generated during actual Rounds of Golf. Unlike most reviews that might specifically drop balls at specific distances on a course to evaluate swings with a specific club. The Ongoing Review format will allow me the freedom to assess a club’s effectiveness in the actual moment it’s required with real consequences on the line. What good is a high spinning Wedge if you find it difficult to hit squarely out of a tight lie? Situations like that are impossible to replicate in a Simulator, or even at a practice facility. What I’m hoping to be able to actually provide you with is the knowledge of what products you should feel confident with. When you need to make that one shot. How will the products that I’ve selected benefit you in that moment? Will it take a few trips to the Range or Practice area to get comfortable, or can almost anyone of any skill level feel confident after an hour of practice? That’s something I would have liked to have known before buying my first 3 Wood. As much as I always suggest that you test swing any clubs that you are considering purchasing. What a Simulator may show you after a few swings isn’t necessarily a fair representation of what you are actually capable of. If you had a few days to get familiar with the weight and balance of a new Driver for instance. It may surprise you how much better you can hit it. Quite often Beginner’s buy what is most similar to what they already have. Although this generally reduces the learning curve. It can also prevent them from progressing. My Ongoing Review format will hopefully demonstrate that some products if given the right amount of practice to master their uses can have an even greater affect on your Golf game.

Products I will be conducting Ongoing Reviews of include:
GPS Rangefinder
Driver
3 Wood
Hybrid
Irons
Wedges
Two types of Balls (Distance and Spin)

If there is a particular product that you are interested in seeing me provide an Ongoing Review for please let me know in the comments. Keep in mind that the products I eventually choose will be geared towards Beginners. I’m not going to be selecting Player’s Blades, or Pro V1 Balls.

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Potential Sponsors

I would like to encourage interested equipment manufacturers that would like to see some of their products featured in the Cobe Life Ongoing Reviews to contact me through my Contact Us page.  As much as I would enjoy testing any of your new equipment releases.  The Ongoing Reviews are strictly for products in the Game Improvement category.

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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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Subscribe to Cobe Life on YouTube – Beginner’s guide to Golf

My first set

The first of many instructional video series

https://youtu.be/N7LetIYMIJ8

https://youtu.be/_iO3ROUZPkg

https://youtu.be/-kcAq622yho

https://youtu.be/X8wMVYaEDEw

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Whether you are about to purchase your first set, or your fifth set of clubs.  Spending a little extra time to make sure you get the correct set for your ability will make your next trip out to the course far more satisfying.

For total Beginners our ranking of Forgiveness – Cost – Distance – Spin is perfect for you when considering which clubs to buy.

For high handicappers I’d rank the four categories Forgiveness – Distance – Cost – Spin.

For mid handicappers I’d rank the four categories Spin – Distance – Cost – Forgiveness.

For low handicappers I’d rank the four categories Distance – Spin – Cost – Forgiveness.

High handicapper – 20+ handicap

Mid handicapper – 10 to 20 handicap

Low handicapper – 9 or lower

Everything counts

Just because one of the categories has to be last, doesn’t make it unimportant.  If you are having a difficult time as a High handicapper deciding between two Drivers that you hit equally well.  Just choose the one that’s least expensive.  If they are the same price?  Pay attention to the Spin statistics.  If one is more consistent then go with that.  The same rules apply for all the clubs you eventually purchase.  No matter what your handicap if you purchase what’s statistically best your game will improve.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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All about Forgiveness – Beginner’s guide to Golf

What is Forgiveness?

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Forgiveness is a term used over and over again in Golf equipment reviews.  What it is, and why you need to be aware of how it will effect your game is the focus of this post.  There’s a common misconception that Forgiveness is just a simpler way of saying easier to hit.  Just because a club is Forgiving doesn’t guarantee that it will be easy to hit.  For instance I have used both Cavity back Wedges (Forgiving) and Bladed Wedges (Unforgiving).  The feedback I feel through the hands with a Bladed Wedge has helped me be far more accurate when chipping or pitching.  Even though the Cavity back Wedges are actually more Forgiving.  They aren’t easier to hit in those situations.  What actually makes a club Forgiving is having a larger sweet spot, and in most cases a lower center of gravity.  Forgiveness is all about getting the most from your club when you miss hit it.

We all want center face contact

You’ve heard it described many ways.  “Man you caught it flush”!  “I hit that one on the screws”!  “I can’t hit it any better than that”!  However you choose to describe it, one thing is for certain.  Very little feels better than making center face contact with a full swing.  First of all hitting it out of the sweet spot is gentler on the hands.  The end result is usually very satisfying as well.  In most cases it even sounds better.  So who wouldn’t want the sweet spot on their clubs to be as large as possible?  Believe it or not but quite a few people would prefer small to medium sized sweet spots instead of large ones.  Sounds crazy right?  Well that’s what I thought also.  Now I’m one of those people.  My next set of Irons are going to have a medium sized sweet spot. I’ll go into detail as to why I have chosen to go this route.  There are many different methods that can be utilized to increase the size of the sweet spot on a club.  Perimeter weighting, moving the center of gravity further back from the face of the club, and increasing the amount of flex the face of the club has on impact are just a few methods.  Whichever method a club manufacturer chooses to use essentially achieves the same result.  Miss hits should fly a little further, and a little straighter.  To help you better understand how this translates into real world results I’ll share some actual simulator numbers with you.  At the time I hit my super forgiving 7 Iron about 140 yards when I absolutely flushed it.  Even if I hit my 7 Iron off the toe of the club with a good swing I’d send it about 133 yards, and maybe 10 yards off line.  I tested a far less forgiving forged blade with a small cavity back and averaged 138 yards when I caught it perfect.  I attributed the 2 yards lost to a weaker loft with the forged blade.  The real difference was when I miss hit it.  Catching one off the toe only yielded me 126 yards, and 11 yards off line.  That’s more than a full club shorter for me.  Being 11 yards off line at only 126 yards out is close to being a slice.  Now you are probably wondering after seeing those numbers why I would even consider switching to less Forgiving clubs.  Hell why would anyone?

Sweet swingers

Some of us, and I’m not included in this particular group make center face contact most of the time.  If you have your swing fully dialed in?   Then Forgiveness isn’t really necessary for you to produce a great round of golf.  You’re already at that point that so many Beginners like myself aspire to reach.  You can seemingly hit the ball relatively straight at will.  For the majority of us, that’s all we are after.  Foolishly we believe that will be enough.  Chances are good that when that day comes you will want to do more.  You will want to start shaping the ball.  This brings us to our next common misconception about Forgiving clubs.  Supposedly you can’t shape shots with Forgiving clubs.  Anyone that tells you that is flat out lying.  There are many ways to shape a shot.  Club swing path, face angle at impact, and face contact position all play a role.  My clubs are about as Forgiving as clubs can be, and I can hit a butter cut, or power fade if I want.  I couldn’t hit a draw with my clubs but that’s more about my limitations than the clubs.  What you need to understand is that the more Forgiving the club, the more difficult it becomes to shape the ball.  As the sweet spot increases in size, the amount of space left on the face of the club to influence shape is reduced.  As the center of gravity is moved further back to help Beginners hit the ball straighter, the more difficult it becomes to create a curved shot.  So when you’ve reached that point where you are ready to start shaping the ball.  A super forgiving set of clubs might actually work against your improvement.  So that’s got to be it then.  I must be looking for a less Forgiving set of Irons because I’m ready to start shaping shots.  Truth is I’m not ready.  Not even close to ready actually.  So why then Cobe? WHY!

Feedback

You are finally going to find out why I’ve decided to switch to a less Forgiving set of Irons.  I made my decision on a Sunny afternoon on a Par 3 at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto.  The hole was playing at 155 yards to the center of the green.  The Pin was set left center so it set up well for my natural shot shape which is a little right to left.  I hit my 6 Iron about 155 yards with a full swing so time to let her rip.  My swing felt perfect.  I made great contact, and even heard that satisfying pop off the face of the club.  I watched the ball launch towards the target until I lost sight of it in the sun.  I switched my focus to the Green eagerly awaiting the Ball’s return to earth.  Hopefully within a safe distance for a chance at birdie.  I never saw it land.  Oh shit I thought.  I caught it so perfect that I flew the Green.   With  bushes, and a muddy marsh behind the Green I was getting prepared for another bogey.  While searching behind the Green for my ball my playing partner noticed another ball about 10 yards short of the green.  At first I figured that it must have been somebody else’s lost ball.  Turns out that it was mine.  Somehow I came up 15 yards short.  Seriously!  But I made perfect contact!  Well on closer inspection what I thought was perfect contact was actually high on the face, and a bit chunky.  The issue was the Feedback.  There really was none.  I’ve learned that I shouldn’t assume  I’ve hit a great golf shot until I’ve verified the result.  Forgiving clubs tend to provide very little Feedback.  Even though improved miss hits can definitely help a Beginner get through a round of golf with an acceptable score.  If you are serious about furthering the development of your game?  Playing golf with clubs that provide a decent amount of Feedback are important to have as well.  If you are unsure of when you make poor contact.  You won’t be able to effectively adjust your swing to where you can fully trust it.  It’s going to take a bit of practice, but knowing when I make perfect contact is going to seriously improve my game.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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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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Going outside your comfort zone – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Your go to clubs

Every one of us has a couple of clubs in their bag that we can’t seem to ever hit poorly.  These are our go to clubs.  One of mine is my 52 degree MacGregor VIP Wedge.  A full swing will allow me to carry the ball about 82 yards with around 2-3 yards of roll out.  I can muscle it up to 92 yards with maybe 2 yards of roll out.  I can also swing easy and hit it about 78 yards with a couple yards of roll out.  I know this because I use it so often in any number of situations.  There are very few clubs that I will choose to muscle for additional distance.  My Gap Wedge is one of them, and my 3 Hybrid is the other.  My first full year playing Golf, the longest club in my bag was my 3 Hybrid.  You learn to muscle your longest club.  Especially when you usually hit it about 180 yards, and you need to hit your Tee shot 190 yards just to reach the Fairway.  It’s one of the only clubs in my bag that I can affectively shape my shot with.  If I need to hit a long low stinger to stay out of the wind.  The only club I would consider is my 3 Hybrid.

Having that kind of confidence can only help your game right.  Sure it does.  Knowing that you can make those shots will definitely help you work your way around a course.  What you may not realize is that you could also be limiting your opportunities by leaning on those particular clubs.  I’ve caught myself doing it at times.  Teeing off with my 190 yard 3 Hybrid when I could aim for an equally wide portion of the Fairway with my 205 yard 3 Wood.  Then having to cut the corner of a dogleg and carry my approach shot 160 yards.  Instead of having a clear approach to the Green of only 145 yards.  Just because I trust my ability with my 3 Hybrid more than I do with my 3 Wood.  I’ve passed up trying to reach the Green in two after a great Tee shot, because I wanted to set myself up for a Gap Wedge approach from 85 yards.  Chances are I wouldn’t have reached the Green, but I could have easily left myself with a 20 to 30 yard chip shot instead.  Sound familiar to any of you?

Practice what you hate

Too often we go out to the Range, or spend an hour in the simulator hitting whatever we are best at.  Marvelling at the distance, trajectory, and shot dispersion.  We might shoot a short video or take a picture for posterity.  I sure as hell do.  It lets us know that we have improved, builds confidence, and shows others that we know what we are doing.  To be honest though it doesn’t actually help us much.  Don’t get me wrong, any practice is better than nothing.  The problem with hitting your best shot during practice is that you should be using this time to improve your worst shots.  Think about it.  If you are nervous, or uncomfortable hitting difficult shots during Practice when the result doesn’t matter.  How are you ever going to hit a successful one of those shots out on the course when it does matter?  When I first began playing I’d only hit the clubs I was most comfortable with because I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the Range.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that Range embarrassment is much easier to take than Course embarrassment.  At that point I would bring the clubs I was struggling with, and one or two clubs I was confident with to the Range.  That way I could switch back and forth between clubs I hit well, and clubs I don’t.  Just so I wouldn’t get overly frustrated.  It wasn’t long before I realized that I started every Range session with clubs I hit well “to loosen up”, and finished the Range session with the same club.  I’d only hit a few of the clubs I’m struggling with in between.  All that actually accomplished was to reinforce my opinion of which clubs I hit best.  It was actually counterproductive.  My last trip out to the Range I only bought one club along to practice with.  I’ve been having trouble hitting my Driver with any degree of accuracy.  So I went out to the Range with the sole purpose of fixing my issues with the least accurate club in my bag.  It took about a full bucket to get my Driver swing to where I hoped it would be.  The first 20 balls I hit we’re ugly, and that’s putting it lightly.  If I had another club with me I would have probably given up, and switched to hitting that.  I’m glad I didn’t because by the time I had finished my bucket of balls I couldn’t wait to Tee off with the big stick on a course.

What’s the goal?

Golf is simply just a series of choices.  Each shot requires you to choose the right club, and choose the right shot.  Then you just need to execute.  In order to do this effectively you need to be able to treat every club in your bag as your go to club.  That way it doesn’t matter the distance, situation, or lie.  You will hit each and every shot with total confidence.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Golf budget Buyer advice – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Golf on a budget

Golf is an expensive sport to play.  There’s really no way around it.  When you add up the cost of your equipment, clothes, golf balls, travel, Range, and Course costs.  The final number isn’t anything to laugh at, and the cost to play never ends.  So when your leisure time is on a budget like mine.  Why choose Golf as your sport?  For me the answer is simple.  Golf can provide you with an experience that very few Sports can offer.  For a few hours on the course you can feel like you’re somewhere else.  I’ve described it to people as a one day vacation.  Being out on a well maintained course for a round of golf can feel like you just got off a plane, made your way over to the resort, and now you are enjoying a little R&R.  The bonus is that you didn’t have to go through customs, check your luggage, or sit in an uncomfortable seat for who knows how long between two strangers.  You can’t get that same sensation playing hockey on a rink, baseball on a diamond, soccer on a pitch, or basketball on a court.  The closest thing to it is skiing or snowboarding which I did do for a while.  Unfortunately winter doesn’t agree with me so I eventually gave it up.  So now you understand my main motivation.  That still doesn’t overcome the main obstacle to playing Golf.

The Cost, and how to reduce it.

Understanding the secondary market for Golf equipment is key to buying on a budget.   Most major retailers of used Golf equipment still charge a relatively high price.  In most cases you can find brand new clearance product for the same or in some cases an even lower price.  For instance I have seen a clearance set of Speedblade Irons for $100 less than a used set.  Another thing that you need to be aware of is the difference between Mass market, Large market, and Niche market manufacturers.  Mass market manufacturers like Wilson or Dunlop over complete sets of clubs for a reasonable price.  The quality is quite good for the cost, but the perceived value is much lower than the Large or Niche market manufacturers.  In other words don’t ever plan on selling your set for anywhere close to what you paid for it.  Of course most people won’t need to replace their clubs for many years with minimal maintenance so the resale value shouldn’t be much of a detriment.  Another issue some of the more serious Golfers will have with mass market golf sets is the lack of customization.  What you see is what you get.  There’s no bounce or degree options with the Wedges.  Don’t expect Drivers or Woods to be adjustable.  Hopefully the Putter suits you.  Of course you can add additional clubs after, but each club costs you more money.

Large market retailers like Taylormade, Cobra, and Calloway offer the smart consumer great deals provided they are willing to buy clearance stock.  In the constant battle to keep your interest.  These three companies constantly release new products.  Taylormade has been known to release three new sets of Clubs in a single year.  This would make models from the previous year undesirable by most, but still readily available.  In order to create display space for the new models, retailers will heavily discount last year’s product.  If you pay close attention to the product specs and reviews you will quickly realize that last year’s model might be almost identical to this year’s with only slightly different aesthetics.   For about half the price of the newer model you can get a brand new club that provides almost identical performance.  Although the resale value of Large market manufacturers isn’t very high either.  Chances are good that you will be happy with the clubs you personally selected for a long time.

Niche market manufacturers should be avoided by Golfers on a budget.  Companies like Titleist, PXG or Ping charge a high price for their equipment.  As a result the resale value is quite high as well.  This makes buying second hand equipment costly as well.

Take advantage of the off season

As much as the coming of Winter disappoints me because the Golf courses will all be closing for a few months.  It does provide the savvy buyer with many opportunities to stock up on golfing gear.  Golf stores are pretty dead during the winter so they will try almost anything to get customers in the store.  Buy a Driver and get the matching Wood free.  Get your clubs regripped for half price.  Stock up on Golf balls while they are being heavily discounted.  The clearance clothing stores like Winners or Marshalls will have racks of Summer Golf overstock in the late Fall.  Then of course there’s all the Boxing Week sales.  I got my $400 Driver for $160 on boxing day.  I was offered $250 for it three months later at the local Range.

Buy a little at a time

Buying everything at once can seem overwhelming, and depending on your budget impossible.  Spread out your purchases over time.  It allows you to wait for the best deal, and keep your budget under control.  I went through a full Season without a Driver.  I went through almost two full Seasons before I completed my Wedge set.  I got a great deal on each and every club.  As an added benefit it forced me to learn how to get the most out of each club I owned before I purchased another one.  Remember that if you are serious about taking up Golf.  You will be playing this Sport for many years.  There’s no real rush to complete your first set of 14 clubs.  Most courses can be played just fine with half that number.

Beginner’s guide to Golf