Tag: Cobe Life Golf

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It’s Simulator Season! Beginner’s Guide to Golf

THE GOOD

So there are some of you that believe that simulators are only good for testing the distance and spin of golf clubs.  The only time you even use a simulator is when you are at your local golf store testing to see if the newest Driver will help you hit longer off the tee.  Now for those of you that are lucky enough to live where golf can be played year round.  Well I can understand why you might not be interested in simulator play.  Although there are benefits to using one every now and then.  

I’ll begin with the obvious, which is to figure out your distances with each club.  What many beginner golfers might not realize is that it’s important to know two distances with each club.  If I were to ask you how far you hit your 7 Iron.  Your answer might be, roughly 140 yards.  What your answer should be is, I carry it about 135 yards, and average 140 yards total distance.  It’s just as important to know your carry distance.  On the course it isn’t enough to know the total distance to the Pin.  What if the total distance is 175 yards, and that’s how far you hit your 4 Hybrid.  In order to get there though you have to carry a pond that’s 165 yards to the opposite edge. Sounds doable right?  It would be except your actual carry distance with your 4 Hybrid is only 163 yards.  So unless you hit it perfect you are likely to end up in the water.  The great thing about Simulators is that they are better at measuring Carry distance than total distance.  While playing on the course it’s easy for you to figure out total distance if you use a GPS or Rangefinder.  Carry distance, not so much.

How often do you find yourself on the course with a difficult to execute shot, and decide against trying it because it could result in a lost ball, and big number on the scorecard?  Then of course you wonder later if you could have made it. Well those are exactly the type of shots you can learn to make in a simulator.  Punch shots, high flops, controlled draws or fades.  You can try them out during a simulated round of golf and see if you are able to make them.  Pretty soon shots you might have been nervous about will begin to seem relatively easy.  That confidence will then carry over on to the course.  There is nothing more important than your degree of confidence when standing over a shot.  Simulators can help give you that.

THE BAD

Is playing a round of golf in a simulator comparable to real world golf?  In a word NO.  In the real world I’m a 22 handicap.  If I actually calculated my Simulator handicap I would be about a 11 handicap.  How often do you get a perfect lie on the course, on perfectly even ground?  The correct answer is never, with the odd tee box as an exception.  Fatigue plays a role in every round of golf as well.  I would be lying if I said that I didn’t experience a bit of fatigue while playing a simulated round.  It’s nothing compared to the level of fatigue I experience over the course of a real round of golf though.  On an actual course I usually find myself clubbing up over the last few holes because I am unable to swing as hard accurately.  In a simulator I play the appropriate club all the way until the end.  

Another thing a simulator can’t recreate is weather conditions.  Now this could also be considered a bonus because nobody enjoys playing in the rain or high winds.  Sure you can simulate how it will affect ball flight, but it doesn’t affect how your swing would change if you were wet and the grips on your clubs had become slippery. 

LETS NOT FORGET FUN

The problem most golfers have with Simulators is that they instinctively compare the experience to actual golf.  What you should really be doing is seeing it as an entirely different thing.  Consider it to be more of an extremely high tech video game.  You don’t see football players complaining about the lack of realism in Madden.  Car buffs can’t wait to get a video gaming race seat to play Gran Turismo in.  Both of those examples aren’t remotely close to the level of realism golfers get to experience in a Simulator.  Maybe it’s because the current technology has come so close to feeling like the real thing that we forget that deep down it’s still just a game.  A game that fortunately for us can help us improve our ability to play the real thing.

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My 2018 Golf Season – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

The Year that was…

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

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

Why goals are important in golf

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

Average less than 2 putts per hole.

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

Average less than 1 chip per hole.

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

33% or better Green in Regulation average.

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

50% or better in Fairways Hit.

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

Lower my handicap to 18 or better.

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

Possible goals for next season

Less than 1.9 putts per hole

Less than 1 chip per hole

33% or better Greens in Regulation

66% Fairways Hit

16 or better handicap

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

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

 

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UL International Crown Results

 Korean dominance

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

Player development

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

Looking forward

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

 

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SWING CADDIE SC200 REVIEW – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Swing Caddie SC200

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

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

SC200 Capabilities

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

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

First Impressions

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

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

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GIGAGOLF TRX Powerslot Irons – The Ongoing Cobe Life Review continues

Still Going Strong

My first two instalments of the Cobe Life Ongoing Review of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons focused on what made me choose them in the first place.  The big three reasons were Price, customizability, and Player category.  In this Ongoing review I’m going to focus on the performance, and durability.  There is very little information available on the internet regarding secondary market clubs that isn’t directly coming from the manufacturers.  Sure you can read short customer reviews that follow each product, but for the most part they only provide you with first impressions, and very little detail.  I’m going to not only give you some in depth performance data, but also provide you with how these particular Irons have affected my golf game.

It’s never what it seems at first

I had previously reported that I had experienced a little bit of a distance gain with the Irons.  Well having played over 20 Rounds with them I’ve noticed my average distance with each club slowly regress back to where it had been previously.  This is really nothing new.  The majority of golfers have a tendency to head straight to the Range or a Simulator when they get new equipment to test it out.  You are so excited that your adrenaline is way up, and your goal is to find out how much better these new clubs are than your old set.  As a result you tend to swing a little harder than normal.  Miss hits are dismissed as part of the adjustment period.  When really they occur because you are swinging a little wildly.  I don’t know how many customer reviews I’ve read that contain claims of seeing 10 to 15 yard increases their first time out to the Range.  It would be interesting to see how their claims have changed since.  So the new Irons haven’t really gained me much additional distance. Currently my average distance is only 3 yards longer than my previous set.  It’s my belief the reason for the increase is directly attributed to my quality of strike.  As I had mentioned in my previous review, GigaGolf Irons are fully customizable when you order them including length and lie angle.  It’s these adjustments that have made the most difference with my strike accuracy.  If you follow me on my various Social Media accounts then you’ll know that I switched from Super Game Improvement Irons to the Regular Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  There have been positives and negatives to making the switch.  I’ll begin with the negative.  In poor weather conditions like just after a heavy rain when the course gets extremely soft, or after many days of intense heat and the fairways are rock hard; Super Game Improvement Irons have that thick base that generally skips across the surface and helps you make decent contact. The thinner Game Improvement GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons really force you to pick the ball cleanly in those situations.  Now fortunately when you do catch it thin the additional spring in the face does help to advance your ball further than you would expect.  Now the positive; the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons generate significantly more spin than the Super Game Improvement Irons I was playing with previously.  For the first time I’m able to attack Greens, and not worry about running out the back.  When I make perfect contact I am able to not only hold the Green but even spin the ball back a foot with my 9 Iron!  To be honest I didn’t think I was capable of that.  I average about 2 yards of roll out with my 7 Iron now.  With my previous Super Game Improvement Irons it was closer to 7 yards.  Pin placements that required me to clear a bunker or pond were absolutely impossible for me to stick close.  Now I go after those Pins with confidence.

So what are the results?

The results have been better than anticipated.  The greatest improvement has been in my Greens In Regulation percentage.  Now that I am able to effectively attack Pins my Percentage has gone from a pitiful 12% to as high as 25% this Season.  It currently sits at 22%.  That’s almost double what it used to be.  Something I should mention that isn’t reflected in the stats is the number of times I end up putting from the fringe as well.  Although it isn’t technically a Green in Regulation, landing on the fringe is still an advantageous position.  Which takes me to the next result and that’s the increase in Pars I’ve been able to attain on the course.  My handicap has gone down 5 strokes since the beginning of the Season.  Now I’m a high handicapper so lowering my handicap really only requires minor improvements in my game.  Still every time it goes down a stroke I’m excited.  Of course every Par for a high handicapper like myself practically feels like a birdie so the more the merrier!  As far as performance is concerned I couldn’t be happier.  Anyone looking to replace their Irons would be wise to consider the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons.  Not because they are great for the price.  Consider them because they simply are great, and you can customize them to fit you perfectly.

Now about the durability

I’ve got to be honest here, I was worried.  If you read the previous review a significant scuff mark had appeared on my Pitching Wedge after only a few Range Sessions.  Quite a lot of golfers are concerned that the materials used by these secondary market manufacturers are substandard.  I had that fear as well.  Especially after the early marks that had appeared on a couple of the Irons.  Well in the case of the GigaGolf TRX Powerslot Irons you can breathe easy.  I’ve played over 20 Rounds of golf and been out to the Range another 20 plus times, and they are about as worn as you would expect any clubs to be.  I went with GigaGolf’s own basic grips because the grips I usually prefer weren’t available through GigaGolf and expected to have to switch them out quickly.  Well I haven’t switched them yet and they feel fine.  I haven’t any rolling or deflection of the face grooves on the Irons, and as I mentioned before they generate excellent spin with full shots.  In fact they bite into the ball so well that soft cover balls like the Q-star or Vice Tour begin to look shredded after only 6 holes.  I thought that given the price I would be satisfied if I was able to play with these clubs for just a few Seasons then that would be fine.  At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if with proper care these Irons perform just as well 5 years from now.

 

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3 keys to lowering your score – Beginner’s Guide to Golf

Keep it Simple

I’ve come across many Guides for Beginner Golfers.  The majority will include ways to begin lowering your score.  They will go into detail about how to develop a one way miss, play to your skills, and spend a lot of time working on your putting.  I agree with all of these but they don’t address the real requirements necessary to lowering your score.  There are three keys to lowering your score that will work for every Beginner Golfer.

Hazard Avoidance

This seems quite obvious right!  Well think about how many times  on the course that you have found yourself in hazards.  How many times have you failed to clear a pond, found yourself in a sand trap, or had to hit a difficult pitch out of the woods?  Some of you are going to blame these situations on poor strikes.  That’s a poor excuse.  I recently played a course with a friend of mine.  On the way there he mentioned how difficult the sand traps were at this course.  I told him that ssnd traps wouldn’t be a problem for me.  He had a puzzled look on his face, and asked why?  I told him that I rarely land in sand traps.  Most Rounds I don’t land in a single one.  He asked how is that possible?  My answer was straight and to the point, I avoid them.  My game out of the sand is weak.  I know that if I land in a bunker it’s going to cost me a stroke.  It could take me two strokes to get out of the bunker, or even if I get out with my first swing, it’s going to take another stroke to get back into position.  The smart play for me is to hit away from the bunker, or short of it.  In order to do this effectively you need to know your average distance with each club, and even more importantly the maximum distance with each club.  This is a statistic that you should be aware of that none of the “experts” talk about.  As an “expert” they never need to worry about hitting their clubs exceptionally long.  For example my average distance with my 7 Iron is 138 yards.  I have on occasion caught it a little thin and hit it close to 150 yards.  Both of these numbers come into play during a Round.  If I’m attacking a Green that’s 134 yards away with a Bunker on the left.  I will choose 7 Iron and aim for the right side of the Green.  In case you were wondering where the Pin is placed. Well it doesn’t matter.  I would prefer to attempt a long putt than having to potentially hit out of a bunker.  Now lets add one additional feature to that same situation.  Along with the left side bunker there’s also thick woods and fescue at the back.  The distance to the back of the green is 146 yards.  Now the maximum distance also comes into play.  If I catch my 7 Iron too thin I could skip out the back and into the woods where losing the ball is definitely a possibility.  In this case I would club down to my 8 Iron.  On average I hit my 8 Iron around 125 yards.  I have hit it as long as 135 yards at times though.  This would give me a slim chance to get my shot as far as the pin, and a decent chance to find the front fringe.  It totally takes both hazards out of play though.  Once again I would prefer a long putt, or short chip than end up in a hazard.  I probably save 5 strokes a Round by playing this way.

Just because it’s a Par 4 doesn’t mean you have to play it like one!

Something I realized after a full Season of playing courses, is that some Par 4s are specifically designed to challenge low handicappers.  As a Beginner these holes can totally obliterate what could have been a great Round of Golf.  The reason for this is how we are mentally conditioned to play a long Par 4.  Hit it as long as possible off the Tee, and then use whichever club is necessary to reach the Green.  Recently I played a 448 yard Par 4 dogleg right.  I chose Driver off the Tee.  Recently I’ve been hitting my Driver with great consistency.  You should choose whichever club you can hit long and find the Fairway consistently, after taking Hazard Avoidance into consideration first.  I was left with 210 yards to the Pin.  Now I could potentially get there with my 3 Wood.  In my first couple of Seasons playing golf, that’s exactly what I would have tried.  Now what I chose to do instead was treat this long Par 4 like a Par 5.  I chose 5 Hybrid which totally took any of the Hazards around the Green out of play.  It left me only 50 yards to the Pin which is a very easy distance for me.  Choosing to play long Par 4s this way makes Birdie almost impossible, Par difficult, and Bogey very easy.  This may sound counterproductive to lowering your scores but in actuality it isn’t.  My Par 5 average score has gone from almost 8 to 6 strokes.  If the course I’m playing has 4 Par 5s that’s 8 strokes saved on average!  The reason for the dramatic change in scoring is because the longer you hit a club, the greater the possibility for error if you hit it poorly.  A sliced 3 Wood could put me in brutal trouble.  A sliced 5 Hybrid isn’t anywhere close to as bad.  Even if I hit the 3 Wood well in the aforementioned situation.  I could end up in a greenside bunker, or roll through the back into fescue.  A well struck 5 Hybrid can only end up in the Fairway.  So I can’t get a birdie. Well so what!  As a Beginner Golfer I only aversge 1 birdie per Round anyways.

Play to the Front of Par 3s

I’m guessing that nobody has ever suggested this before.  Whenever you are in doubt of how to play a Par 3, just aim for the front of the Green.  The only time that I would suggest against this is if you have to clear a hazard.  In that case I would suggest aiming for the back.  Aiming for the front is all about being logical.  Many Beginners know their average total distance, but aren’t aware of their carry distances.  Balls that land on the Green will usually roll out further than usual because of the firmness of the surface.  But what about Spin, you ask?  You are a Beginner (news flash) you don’t really have any.  As a result your total average distance is actually increased.  Another reason to aim for the front is that you aren’t punished for hitting it thin. You might actually end up on the Green, or roll through the back.  At least you won’t be so far out the back that getting back onto the Green will be easy.  Last but not least, you generally take hazards on the left, right, or back mostly out of play.

If you take these three tips into consideration the next time you play.  I promise you that your final score will be lower than if you didn’t.  Good luck, and keep working to improve your game.  I’ll see you on the course.

 

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GOLF

Choosing the Right Golf Ball – Top 6 Comparison test

The Right Ball

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

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

3 Golf Balls that didn’t suit me

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

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

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

The 2 alternate Balls I’d play

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

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

I don’t mind the look.

The Best Ball for me

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

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

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