Tag: cobe life golfing

Categories
GOLF

Off Season Golf Simulator Goals

SIMULATOR SEASON EXPECTATIONS

As the 2020 Golf Season in Ontario comes to an end, the Simulator Season begins. The last three off seasons I have utilized Golf Simulators to work on specific aspects of my game. Understanding the limitations of a Golf Simulator is the first thing you should be aware of when planning your Simulator practice. Some of the limitations are obvious. You can’t work on your bunker game, or recovery shots from awkward lies in a Simulator. There are a few limitations that aren’t so obvious. Having a perfectly balanced platform to hit off of is a limitation. Having to aim your shot previous to setup is a limitation. Even the technology of the Simulator can make certain shots impossible. For instance I use a Chipper out on the course but most Simulators read them improperly.

Most people would assume that hitting off perfectly flat ground is an advantage, but it isn’t. I used to wear my most comfortable shoes in a Golf Simulator. I found out the hard way that weight transfer is quite different if I am wearing something other than golf shoes. You can’t dig in or rely on your cleats to help you remain steady during an aggressive swing. In fact I used that understanding to focus on swinging with more precision to gain distance instead of faster. Aiming is quite different in a Simulator. You can’t just adjust your stance and play for a Push Draw or Pull Fade. You first need to adjust the aim point with the software to account for a Push or Pull. Then let your swing dictate how far the ball Draws or Fades. If you make the adjustment at Setup instead of with the software that can cause many Simulators to read it far too extreme, and guarantee a terrible result.

Last Off season I focused on improving my consistency with the Driver. The work I did in Golf Simulators definitely helped. Driving is actually one of the best skills you can practice in a Simulator. It takes the mat out of play, and in most cases the even ground in a Simulator is similar to what you have on a Tee box. It’s about as close to the real thing as you can get. I was able to work on my Setup, Takeaway, Club Face control, and Finish position in the Simulator. The practice worked and my consistency has improved. This Off season I will continue to work on my Driving. Only this time my focus will be on improving my Launch Angle.

Something I have really focused on lately is improving my quality of contact with my Irons. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to work on your Iron striking in a Simulator. First of all most hitting mats are quite forgiving. Bad strikes can read as good strikes depending on the surface. Secondly you can’t take a divot hitting off a mat. So there isn’t a visual indicator of where your club bottomed out. Lastly Irons are more likely to be hit off uneven surfaces in real life. A Simulator can provide you with a false sense of security in your Iron swing because every shot is perfectly level.

Now fortunately I have come up with a way to practice my Iron striking that provides me with a way to measure my quality of strike. Here are the numbers from a perfectly struck 7 Iron.

7 Iron perfection

For a full explanation of how I improved my Ball striking. CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDEO ON IGTV.

So if your Golf Off season is about to begin, and you are serious about improving. Find something that you can effectively work on in a Simulator, and stick to it.

Don’t forget to Subscribe to my blog, and while you’re at it check out my Cobe Life YouTube channel!

Categories
GOLF

QUICK START GUIDE FOR BEGINNER GOLFERS

First things first

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

Time to get Fit? NOPE!

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

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

Fall in love with your Hybrid

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

Pick your Favourite Wedge

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

Now it’s time to get Fit right? NOPE!

Let the Big Dog eat

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

So this is when we get Fit! NOPE!

Find a Coach and get some lessons

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

GET FIT!

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

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

Categories
COBE LIFE CUP GOLF

Cobe Life Cup F.A.Q.

How long is the Season?

The season runs from May 1rst until the end of September. The Tour Championship will be held in October.

Do you have to play specific golf courses?

No, you can play the courses you regularly play. All you need to play a Cobe Life Cup tournament Round of Golf is another Registered opponent.

Do you need to play Full length 18 hole courses?

No, you can play a 9 hole Match Play against another Registered opponent. You can use any of the scoring systems on any 18 hole golf course. Even Par 3 only Executive Courses.

What if I don’t know my Handicap?

Not a problem. You will need to provide us with your best score from last year, and which course you shot it on. We will send you a starting Handicap from that information, and also a few suggestions on how to calculate your Handicap from then on.

Do I need to be a high ranking Player to qualify for prizes?

No, just being registered qualifies you for the monthly giveaways. Of course if you want to win the Tour Championship Trophy you will have to win.

I’m a total Beginner, so is this Tournament right for me?  

Yes, you are exactly the type of golfer we are hoping will join. Playing with other golfers of better ability will help you learn the game faster. Also our Mulligan system will help eliminate the brutal Blow Up Holes that kill Beginner’s scores.

I live a few hours out of Toronto.  Is that too far?

Absolutely not. As long as there are Registered Opponents in your area to play against you are fine. In fact the Cobe Life Cup Tour Open Majors will be taking place in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Southern Ontario. There will be one in the West, one in the North, one in the East, and one in the Greater Toronto area.

Will Rounds I play outside of Ontario count?

Yes, provided they are played against a Registered opponent. Have a trip planned to Myrtle Beach with a few friends and plan on playing a few Rounds of golf. As long as they are registered you can get in a Tour Round of Golf.

How will you prevent people from cheating?

Every Round of Golf you play towards the Tour Rankings must be against a Registered Opponent, and you keep each other’s scores during the Round. This Tour is really about having fun, building a strong golfing community in Southern Ontario, and the neighbouring states. Then seeing how you stack up against other golfers of your skill level. Cheating is basically pointless.

I don’t play very often.  How will I keep up?

You can only play a maximum of 5 Ranked Rounds of Golf per month. Registered Players are allowed to report one Round of Golf each week, and an additional Round of Golf the final week of each month. Remember that you can lose points with a loss so playing the maximum number of Rounds can work against you also. You gain additional points for beating a Player of a Higher Rank so it’s possible to catch up quickly if you defeat the right opponents.

Where will I be able to track my current Ranking?

Every Monday the Ranks will be fully updated and posted on this website, and on the Cobe Life Golf Facebook Page. If you shoot any videos of your Round, or take pictures. they can be shared at your request on both Forums.

I’m having trouble finding opponents?

If you are looking for an opponent you can use the Cobe Life Facebook Page to find one in your area. I will create a Opponent request Post for anyone to use each week.

REGISTRATION FEE

$65 per person : To Register Subscribe to this website then use the contact us page to send us your Name, Handicap, Course you play most often, and preferred contact email. If you would like to register multiple players then send us everyone’s information. Four or more registrants receive the group entry discount. You will receive a bill payable through PayPal shortly after.

Categories
GOLF

DO DRAW BIASED DRIVERS PREVENT BEGINNER GOLFERS FROM SLICING?

Why I decided to try a Draw Biased Driver

I’ve only been playing golf for just over 3 Canadian seasons. Which is to say that I’ve only played actual courses for about 25 months. I didn’t carry a Driver in my bag the first season. Total Beginners shouldn’t use a Driver their first season, but that’s another article. I rarely used my Driver my second season because I found it difficult to control. I hit an awful lot of slices, and sometimes topped the ball. It wasn’t until last season after spending a lot of time at the Range that I learned how to control it. I turned my slice into a controlled Fade. I’m using the term Fade a bit loosely here. As a Lefty I would aim at the right side of the Fairway, and the ball would “fade” an average of 20 or so yards back to the left. The shot had become so predictable that I increased my Fairway hit percentage to 65%. The Driver had become one of the most consistent clubs in my bag, but that shot shape seriously limited it’s use. Using it on a dogleg right meant that my second shot was always a long one. If the Tee box was tree lined on the right I couldn’t use it because it would prevent me from aiming far enough to the right. Any tight Fairways that had serious trouble on the left meant that I would have to proceed with extreme caution. If there was a pond, or deep bunker on the left in my landing area, the safe play was to switch to a 3 Hybrid so I would come up short. Again I’m looking at a very long second shot. Of course playing every Tee shot with the Driver as an extreme Fade meant miss hits that went high and straight ended up in no man’s land. I tried every trick in the book to straighten out my shot but nothing worked. Finally I decided it was time. It was time to try a truly Draw Biased Driver.

First swings with the Ping G SFT

Whenever I make the decision to try something new. My first stop is always hours of research on the internet. After doing so I decided to give three specific Drivers a test. The Taylormade M2 D-Type, Cobra F-Max Offset, and the Ping G SFT. My next stop was Golf Town so I could actually see how these clubs feel and perform in the Simulator. Each club performed a little different from one another, but what had me excited was that all three significantly reduced my chance of a slice. In the end I realized that the best of the three for my swing was the Ping G SFT. I wasn’t hitting it the longest (Taylormade M2 ) or the with the most center face consistency (Cobra F-Max ) but of all three it was by far the one I was hitting the straightest. It was like hitting a slice was just impossible! I pictured myself on some of my favourite Tee boxes. The third hole at Cardinal Golf Club East Wing Course, or the 10th hole at Winchester Golf Club. Being able to pick a spot straight ahead, and have a reasonable chance of landing there. This was definitely the Driver for me. Now some of you might be wondering why I didn’t choose something a little more current? First of all Golf isn’t exactly an inexpensive sport, so I try to keep costs down. A Driver that was $500 in 2017 can now be purchased as clearance stock for half that price. Secondly Driver technology doesn’t advance nearly as fast as some of the big golf brands would like you to believe. A great example of this is the Taylormade M2. You can find comparison tests by a number of reliable YouTubers that will show there’s almost no discernible difference between it and and M4 or M6. The Ping G series has the same technology ( Turbulators, Dragonfly Technology, and Vortec Technology ) that the G400 has. In fact the Ping G SFT is actually a 460cc head while the G400 SFT is only a 445cc head. As a Beginner the larger more forgiving Driver head is far more appealing.

Ping G SFT vs Cobra Fly-Z Simulator results

  • CARRY:  Ping G SFT – 209yrds / Cobra Fly-Z – 201yrds
  • BACKSPIN: Ping G SFT – 3150rpm / Cobra Fly-Z – 2700rpm
  • SIDESPIN: Ping G SFT – 210rpm / Cobra Fly-Z – 1470rpm
  • OFFLINE: Ping G SFT – 9yrds / Cobra Fly-Z – 28yrds

To arrive at these averages I took 20 shots with each club and removed the worst 5. Both Drivers were set up similarly. The Ping G SFT was at 10.6 degrees of loft with the Alta 55 CB Stiff shaft in the standard 45.25 inch length. The Cobra Fly-Z was at 10.5 degrees in the Draw setting with the Graffaloy Rocket 55 Stiff shaft cut down to a 44 inch length. I prefer a slightly shorter length on my Driver, but have decided to test the Ping G SFT at the standard length before I decide how much shorter I should make it. As a result of the increased length and unfamiliarity with the club, my contact with the ball was all over the face. Shots that I expected would have potentially killed somebody on the next hole’s Fairway still traveled relatively straight. The numbers actually speak for themselves. I will be covering my progress with the Ping G SFT in my Ongoing Product Reviews for 2019 so if you are interested in Draw Biased Drivers be sure to follow me. I expect after some more practice, and having the length reduced I will get this Driver really dialed in.

EARLY CONCLUSION

iF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND ONLY TEND TO SLICE YOUR WOODS, THEN A DRAW BIASED DRIVER MIGHT BE THE ANSWER FOR YOU.

I don’t have too much trouble with swing path. I tend to hit my Irons and Wedges quite straight. My issue with the Driver, and Fairway Woods is squaring the face at impact. No matter how hard I try the face gets left open, and I end up slicing the ball. Not only was the Ping G SFT helping me square the face, but for the first time in my life I hit a few Draws. They were about 3 yard Draws, but still Draws. So if slicing is your issue I would suggest trying a Draw Biased Driver.