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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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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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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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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

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Don’t forget the little things, Swing thoughts – Beginner’s guide to Golf

So many swing thoughts

Before, during, and inevitably after we think about our swing.  There’s so much going through our heads that sometimes we are the instruments of our own demise.  We forget that as complicated as the game of Golf can be.  In order to succeed at it things need to be simple.  I’m sure you have all seen videos, or read articles relating to swing instruction.  Too often they describe swing path, angle of attack, transfer of weight, club head release, follow through, the direction your belt buckle should face at the conclusion of your swing, and I could keep going on and on.  How are you ever going to make successful contact with the ball if you are thinking about all of these things at once?  When I was first developing a swing, my only thought was to make contact with the ball.  After a few trips out to the Range I was able to make pretty consistent contact.  Of course I had very little distance, or directional control.  In an attempt to further develop my swing I started watching those videos I mentioned.  What I learned is that too much information can do more harm than good.

It wasn’t all useless though

There are a few tips I picked up on that I believe can help any Beginner.  First of all it’s important to separate your swing setup from the actual swing.  Too many Beginners concentrate on both at once.  It sounds quite easy to do, but it isn’t.  What happens is that during your practice backswing, or waggle you adjust your stance.  While doing so you begin to think about your swing.  The two thoughts become one.  What I’ve learned to do is make my practice backswing a part of my setup.  Once I’m satisfied with my position I take a moment to clear my head.  Then I begin my swing preparation.  I’ve simplified my swing thought to three things.  A smooth controlled backswing, then a balanced fore swing without drifting my weight from back to front too much, and a complete follow through.  That’s it!  To be honest I am limiting my maximum distance by purposefully decreasing my weight transfer.  What it does do is significantly reduce the number of miss hits I make.  For me that’s far more important.  Another tip I can offer you that will surely improve your scores, is to hit every putt with the intention to go three feet passed the hole.  Any putt that comes up short has no chance of rolling in.  Better to hit your ball too far passed the hole than leave it short.  An additional bonus to playing this way is that you get a lot of practice hitting 3 to 5 foot putts.  You will get so accustomed to hitting them that soon any putt within 5 feet will feel automatic.

Short shots are the most important

When it comes to practice, spend the majority of your time working on your shorter clubs.  In actuality you should spend the most time practicing your putting stroke.  Then you should spend almost as much time working on your Wedge game.  Then your Irons, your Hybrids, your Woods, and last of all your Driver.  Too many Beginners do this in reverse.  Think of it in terms of what you will likely use the most during a Round.  As a Beginner there’s a very good chance that you will have to make 2 or 3 putts per hole.  You might have to hit 2 or 3 Wedge shots as well.  On average only 1 or 2 Iron shots are required per hole.  Most holes only require 1 shot with a Wood or Hybrid.  Most of the courses I play only require the Driver on a couple of the holes on the entire course.  It wouldn’t make much of a difference to my final score if I hit my Driver best.  If I was in top form with my Putter and Wedges though.  I could easily reduce my final score by at least one stroke per hole.  In fact it only took me about 12 months of regular practice with my Putter and Wedges to reduce my handicap from a 36 to 20.  I have to admit that I’m not very consistent with my Driver yet.  In some cases I don’t even use it once during a Round.  That hasn’t prevented me from reducing my scores though.

Remember that you are a Beginner

It’s very easy to get tempted to play some of the more professional style courses in your area.  Be realistic about your expectations when you do.  There can be a huge increase in difficulty.  Don’t be a hero and play from the back Tees.  Don’t get too preoccupied with your score to Par.  Just focus on making good shots, and playing within your ability.  Trust me you will enjoy the experience far more.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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The Golf Equipment lie – Beginner’s guide to Golf

The whole truth

I am very precise about equipment selection.  I am not one to buy into all the hype new equipment releases are surrounded with.  First hand testing, customer feedback, and a proven record of success mean far more to me.  You won’t see me wearing Beats headphones simply because they’re popular.  Truth be told Beats headphones are average at best.  If you want great sounding headphones that really add some dynamic sound.  The most important feature to look for is a low impedance.  The Sennheiser Momentum earphones absolutely annihilate the Beats Studio earphones in that category, and many others.  Don’t just buy into the hype if actual performance is important to you.  Some of you might be doubting the validity of my opinion.  Well I’m not just a fan of electronics.  I’m a Cedia certified electronics technician.  I’ve worked for a number of Electronics retailers including Futureshop, 2001 Audio Video, The Source, HiFi City, and Bay Bloor Radio in positions ranging from Sales Associate, to Head systems installer, to Store Manager.  Trust me when I tell you that I know what I’m talking about.  I was questioned by a number of people why I didn’t choose to add electronics to my categories on Cobe Life.  Truth is that the internet is already full of information from well qualified individuals on the subject.  Cobe Life is about my hobbies, not my career.

The Golf Equipment Lie

In an attempt to keep Golfers constantly upgrading their equipment.  The Golf industry has been carefully attaching very restrictive labels to certain equipment categories.  Over the last few years the number of categories has increased.

Category – Super Game Improvement Stigma      – Newbie, Hacker

Category –  Game Improvement      Stigma      –  Amateur, Casual player

Category –  Player Improvement           Stigma      – Mid to Low Handicapper

Category – Player Tour level                         Stigma      – Scratch Golfer

This perceived classification has led to an increased number of Players choosing to use the wrong equipment.  For instance consider a Mid handicapper that hits a very low trajectory ball flight.  Instead of purchasing a Player Improvement 3 Hybrid or Long Iron.  This particular Player would probably benefit from the purchase of a Game Improvement, or Super Game Improvement Hybrid.  The reason I would suggest this is because generally those categories are designed to provide a higher launch.  The additional increase in launch angle should help carry the ball further with lower lofted clubs.  For somebody with a naturally low ball flight.  The end result should be an increase in Carry distance, a more predictable landing zone, and better gapping between clubs.  The sad reality in this example is that this Mid handicapper probably wouldn’t even consider what’s best for them.  Pulling a club from their bag that’s for a Newbie is beneath them.  Why someone would completely ignore technology designed to improve their game is the Golf industries greatest deceit.   Think about it.  Would you judge someone for driving a Lamborghini Aventador because it doesn’t come with a manual transmission?  The reason it doesn’t is because precise gear changes during rapid acceleration, or braking is impossible with a traditional Standard transmission.  In simpler terms they made driving a high performance sports car easier.  Generally speaking that is the goal of new technology.  To make things easier.  Technological advances in Golf have done just that.  Made the game of Golf easier.  Originally these advances we’re meant to entice players to buy new equipment.  During the Tiger era when Golf was experiencing a boom it worked.  The problem started when sales began to decline.

Can a Golf club be too good?

To answer this question we need to ask ourselves why we buy new clubs in the first place?  The three most significant reasons we buy new clubs are because our current clubs are worn out, we feel we require a specific club for a certain utility, or poor performance from our current clubs.  I’d say that the strongest reason of those three is poor performance.  It takes many Rounds of Golf to wear out your clubs.  You may occasionally have to replace Wedges because the faces are worn.  The other clubs in your bag will last a long time.  Once you’ve been playing for a couple years you will have assembled a full 14 club set that includes every club your game requires.  Once that’s done, buying a club for a specific utility is done as well.  What gets me, and most of you to our local Golf equipment store to test new clubs is poor performance.  As a Beginner it’s easy to end up purchasing clubs that might not suit you.  As your swing develops.  Your stance, swing path, ball position, and flight path will change as well.  The clubs you thought were right for you in the beginning, could feel wrong to you after a few months.  Brands use different lofts, and kick points for their clubs.  Different brands use different shaft lengths.  Some companies prefer to build in a natural Draw bias to their clubs.  What suits each individual is entirely different.  So in the beginning don’t be surprised if you end up changing some, or even all of your clubs at some point.

What if you weren’t a Beginner when the first major advancements to forgiveness, and launch started happening.  When you purchased your first set of Cavity back Irons with perimeter weighting, and a flexible face.  The larger sweet spot, and increased distance these clubs added was significant.  In fact it was so significant that Golfers became something that they rarely ever are.  Satisfied!  An established Golfer had a complete set so buying a club for utility purposes was out.  Poor performance was no longer an issue with these newer clubs.  That left the only reason to buy new clubs was when your current set wore out.

Industry panic sets in.

You can be damn sure that waiting for their customers clubs to wear out wasn’t an option for the manufacturers, and retailers.  Thus began the Category to Player system.  The only way to get established Golfers to give up playing their current equipment.  The manufacturers, and retailers had to convince Golfers that they were better than the equipment they were currently using.  This had an added benefit.  It allowed them to market the easiest clubs to use to total Beginners.  This would significantly reduce the learning curve of a traditionally difficult game.  Which in turn would fuel a Beginner Golfer to want to “upgrade” to a more advanced set of clubs sooner.  By the time the average Player decides to switch from Game Improvement to Player Improvement.  Their playing ability allows them to slightly overcome the disadvantages of playing with more difficult to hit clubs.  Their handicap may actually suffer a little bit, but reverting back to “Amateur” clubs feels like accepting mediocrity.  Does sound counterproductive to you?  It does to me.  If you’re a car enthusiast then you’ll know that electric cars are the performance cars of the future.  Teslas already own the drag strips across North America.  There’s been a fair amount of resistance to them.  They don’t sound like muscle cars.  They don’t look like muscle cars.  All they do is reach the finish line first.  Well if you were in a race.  Isn’t finishing first the goal?  I’ll tell you right now when I landed a 185 yard par 3 Tee shot about 6 feet from the hole with my 6 Hybrid.  Nobody discounted the achievement because I was using a Super Game Improvement club.  When a good friend of mine got his first hole in one with his Adams Blue 9 Iron.  The group playing with him didn’t care what club he used.  They were just happy to be there to see it.

Pay attention to what the PGA, LPGA, and Champions tour Players are playing.  You might be surprised how many Game Improvement clubs you see.  Jordan Spieth actually plays Titleist 716 AP2 Irons.  Jordan Spieth! So if you have a shiney new set of Player Irons in your set then you must strike it purer than Jordan.

Do yourself a favour, and ignore the industry labels.  Buy what’s right for your game, and cross that finish line first.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

Continue reading “The Golf Equipment lie – Beginner’s guide to Golf”
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Choosing a Golf Putter – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Selecting a Putter

The single most important club in your bag.

The right Putter can mean the difference between a good day on the course, or a frustrating one.  You don’t think so?  Here’s two actual examples of the difference having the correct Putter can make.

The first example is of a hole I played with the second Putter I purchased.  It wasn’t the right Putter for me for a number of reasons.  I had developed a decent putting stroke by this time though.  I wasn’t completely hopeless on the Greens.  This happened on the 8th hole at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto, Ontario.  A fantastic course for beginners by the way.  The Pin was placed back left on the Green, and the hole was playing about 170 yards long.  At that time 170 yards was a 4 hybrid distance for me.  I wasn’t making particularly good contact that day, and there was a bit of wind to deal with.  I clubbed up, and decided to go with my 3 hybrid off the Tee.  My Tee shot drifted left of the target.  I was left with a difficult pitch over a bunker roughly 20 yards away with very little green to work with.  I hit my 56 degree wedge which successfully cleared the bunker.  Unfortunately my shot ran through the Green to the opposite side and settled in the fringe.  At this point I’m thinking two putts for bogey on a par 3 that I missed the Green is perfectly fine with me.  I actually finished that hole with a triple bogey!  Now here is how it happened, and it’s all because of the Putter.  I had a Taylormade Rossa Daytona blade style Putter.  Why this Putter was wrong for me begins with the weight.  It was definitely too light for me.  A heavier Putter helps me follow through with my pendulum style swing.  It also has a specially designed insert in the face of the Putter that reduces weight, and improves the feel at impact.  I found the insert to be a bit spongy feeling, but it did get the ball rolling smoothly with perfect contact.  The real problem was the combination of a spongy Putter face matched with an extremely soft covered ball.  I was strictly using the Wilson Staff Elite 50 balls at the time, and they have a very soft outer layer.  This meant that it required a lot of additional force to get the ball rolling when putting.  My first putt struck me as requiring a little extra power to get it through the fringe, and on it’s way to the hole.  The hole was on a bit of a downslope though, so I didn’t want to hit it too hard.  Due to the fringe the bottom of my Putter brushed along the ground during the stroke.  It slowed it just enough for the soft insert in the Putter, and the soft outer layer of the ball to come together and my ball travelled a total of 2 feet.  It only just made the Green.  Well at least I was on the Green now right.  So now I’m looking at double bogey.  One long lag putt plus a tap in, and I can get on to the next hole.  My next putt wasn’t bad by my standards. I left myself a 4 footer with very little break for the double.  It should of been an easy putt to make.  With a Putter that feels too light in your hands, isn’t balanced right for your type of swing (toe weighted), and takes a fair amount of force to get the ball rolling.  A short downhill putt is unnecessarily challenging.  Needless to say I left it just short.  Triple effing bogey!

Seven months later with a Putter far more suited to me the second example took place.  It was on the 11th hole at Dentonia Golf club in Toronto, Ontario.  This is also a 170 yard par 3, but it plays significantly downhill.  I chose to hit my 6 hybrid which ended up being just a little too much club that day.  My line was close to perfect, and I ended up rolling the ball off the Green, through the fringe, and settling in the short rough.  The Green slopes downward to the hole from my position.  Once again I’m staring down a shot that could potentially get away from me.  The distance to the hole was about 25ft.  I considered a short chips, but my chipping had been horrendous that day.  Instead I chose to go with the Putter.  I was using the third Putter I had purchased at this time.  A Yes Milly face balanced mallet.  It is a completely different design then the previous Putter.  First of all it’s quite heavy, so once you begin your swing bailing out isn’t an option.  It also has a face insert, but instead of being designed to provide feel.  It’s firm not soft, and designed to quickly get the ball rolling.  These two features practically eliminated my propensity to leave the ball short on touch shots.  I used the same stroke I had used at Scarlett Woods.  This time though the ball didn’t come to a complete stop at the edge of the Green.  It rolled on through without losing too much speed at all.  It tracked well, caught the downslope, and ended up in the hole for birdie!  The speed of the ball when it dropped would have probably left me a 5 footer coming back up hill if I missed.  A very doable putt for par.  Either way a massive improvement over the last Putter.

A quick word about how much you should spend on a Putter.  Given it’s importance, price should not be the deciding factor when purchasing a Putter.  You still need to be careful with your budget though.  While testing Putters I had some very good results with a Scotty Cameron model.  It was three times the price of the Yes Milly Putter I eventually picked though.  In the end I believe that there are features on the the Yes Milly Putter that actually benefit me more.  The true alignment aid on the base of the Milly is one particular advantage.  Once you’ve settled on which type and balance of Putter is for you.  You should be able to find one that fits your price point as well.  For instance Wilson makes quite a few different Putters at great prices.  One of my particular favourites is the one available for less than $50 on Amazon as of the publishing of this post.

When I check my scorecards, and count the number of putts per round.  I used to average 45 putts per round.  Now I average 36 putts per round.  That’s an improvement of 9 strokes per round of golf.  There are very few clubs in your bag that can make that much of an improvement in your game.  All it takes is switching to the model that’s the correct fit for you.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right Putter.  So don’t take choosing a Putter lightly.  Test as many as you can.  Visit the putting practice area at your local course, or range.  Ask to try a few swings with other Players Putters.  Visit your local store and get a Putter fitting done.  Once you know which type of Putter suits you.  You can then decide which one to purchase.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Building your Golf set – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Assembling your first Golf set

(if you haven’t read my previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)

Hopefully you have done your homework.  If you haven’t read it already.  Take a moment to read my Starting from Scratch SS-3  post.  It will properly prepare you to begin Assembling your first Golf set.

Golf clubs can be separated into 4 categories.  Super Game Improvement, Game Improvement, Player Improvement, and Tour clubs in order of easiest to hit to most difficult.  If you are only interested in becoming a casual golfer then I would suggest buying a complete Game Improvement set from Canadian Tire, or Walmart.  For the most part everything these stores offer are in the Game Improvement category.  They generally include a full selection of clubs from Sand Wedge all the way up to Driver.  Plus they aren’t going to break the bank.  Don’t sleep on the technology that goes into these sets either.  The majority of these sets are inspired by the top companies previous designs from a few years back.  Keep in mind that a popular set which can be found at big box stores is the Strata set.  It’s actually made by Calloway.  Wilson has some great entry-level mass market sets.  You will probably come across some Dunlop sets as well, and they are made by the same company that makes Srixon.  No one is going to judge you for playing any of those.  Buy one of these sets and you are ready to go.  Just head out to the range and start swinging.  As an added bonus the big box stores have excellent return policies.  If the set you picked doesn’t feel right.  Just take it back to the store and pick another.  You really can’t go wrong, or can you?

If you are a serious golfer the mass market sets can work for you as well.  In this case I would suggest choosing a set that includes two or more Hybrid clubs, and possibly buying an additional Putter.  Now if you are an obsessive golfer like me I would suggest a different route.  As an obsessive golfer you should already know your top 3 current irons through simulator testing.  If your budget allows.  Head back to your local store and swing your top 3 irons a few more times until you’ve reached a winner.  Then select the Hybrid/Irons combination set, and get fit for them.  The majority of these sets end at Pitching Wedge, so choose a Sand Wedge to buy also.  Which Sand Wedge you choose is entirely up to you.  I’ve honestly hit about six different Sand Wedges on actual courses, and there wasn’t a considerable difference in performance.  The one thing that my friends and I have noticed is that it’s easier to hit a cavity back wedge further with a full swing.  If you would like to really simplify things for yourself in the beginning.  You might consider buying a specialty Sand Wedge like the Cleveland Smart sole, or Calloway Sure Out Wedge.  You could also head over to the Putter section of the store and take some time to select a Putter.  I would strongly suggest against purchasing a Putter at this time though.  Your first few months of practice should be spent at the Range or in a Simulator where Putters aren’t necessary.

What about Fairway Woods, and a Driver you ask?  Forget about those for now as well.  The swing required to hit them properly is different than your Iron swing.  Learning both swings at the same time will only confuse things, and slow down your progress.

With a lower budget you can essentially begin your Golf set the same way.  What you will do differently is once you’ve decided which set is your favourite.  First check the clearance section of your local store for previous generations of that model.  If they aren’t available then you can definitely find them online.  That’s exactly what I did.  After testing a few Super Game Improvement, and Game Improvement sets.  I decided that the Adams Blue was the set for me.  At that time my local retailer was selling the Hybrid/Irons set with Graphite shafts for $899.00. I found an earlier version of the set with the same characteristics online.  They were on sale at a store in Ottawa for $199.00.  The set included a 3Hybrid, 4Hybrid, 5Hybrid, 6Hybrid, 7Iron, 8Iron, 9Iron, Pitching Wedge, and Gap Wedge.  This set was originally released in 2013.  Two years previous to the Adams Blues.  It didn’t come with a Sand Wedge so I eventually added a Cleveland Rotex 588 2.0 cavity back.  I also went through 3 Putters in my first year because I didn’t know what was required in actually picking the right one.  I’ll go over proper Putter selection in my next entry.

My first set

During my quest to select the right clubs I’ve tested so many.  If any of you have any questions about particular clubs just ask.  Also if you have recently made your first club selections.  Please feel free to share why you chose the clubs.

Beginner’s guide to Golf