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Hello all! (Apologies for how long this is, but I want to cover as much as I can) As we approach the 2022 testing season it is a good idea for us as a mod staff and community to welcome all the incoming members and guide them in how to best improve everyones chances of becoming a MGS Community tester. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ First please do NOT apply in this thread. It won’t help and any and all signups are done through the individual testing signups throughout the season. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Also a few quick house keeping notes before getting into it. - have questions about the process or anything that may have been left out? Just ask! - As mods we try to be as transparent as we are allowed to be and won’t hide things from the community as we are members just like you! - We hope to have a lot of new opportunities this year and encourage everyone to take a look at these pretty basic steps in order to better your chances. - Don’t want to read through the thread? Check out the FAQ page ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Okay! So a lot of this may be repeat and many of you will already know this, but here we go! You must be a MGS Forum Member in order to be selected. - Sounds pretty straight forward, but I ran some of the numbers and on average 90% of our signups are what I would classify as one off signups with 1 or fewer posts. Then if we look at those with 50 or more posts that number is only 2% of the overall signups. Complete your profile! - This includes a profile picture - this is one of the first things we look for with tester selections. - Although the new Player Profile is not a requirement, it is high encouraged and will not only help us, but you and other members. For you, signups will be quicker as much of the info is pulled from your profile and for members it helps them see how their game relates to their own. Get involved! - I want to state that we actively work to get a well rounded group for all testing selections. This includes attempting to get at least one brand new tester per test as well as include international members as well. - That being said, being active on the forum, creating new content for the community is huge. We want to make sure the OEM and community gets the best possible review (I mean completed, not good as in praise) and having a body of work even if minimal is important. - Only ever involved in sign up testing threads? Not likely going to increase your chances. Just being honest, likely not going to happen. Really want to stand out? - Do a unofficial review! We may have more on this coming soon which will hopefully help our review catalogue, but having unofficial review gives us a insight as to what you are able to do! - Want to make it a more official unofficial review? Send us a PM and we can provide you with the template that is used for all the official reviews. Do you have to be a donor? - No, although being a donor can be used as a tie breaker it is not a necessity to become a tester. Not only that but we cannot see how much anyone has donated. - While we are on this, if you have donated and don’t have the tag send myself (tag) a PM with your transaction number for it to be added. That is the basics to becoming a tester. Pretty simple right? We don’t ask for much, but we do want to see these things in order to make our selections more trustworthy. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now all the other nuances I believe it is important for us (mods) to be transparent about all of this as again we are members like you as I said. So for those that don’t know or want a bit of a sneak peak of what happens behind closed doors… or computer screens let me do a bit of a run down for everyone. Once a test is created everyone signs up and during this process we actively take a look at who has applied and create a short list. We are fortunate to have a wealth of info at our disposal to make this a robust list. Examples? We look at recent activity, been a tester before? We look at your review(s) grades (more on this later), yes donor status, number of posts, number of reactions, location, handedness, and more. As well the mods add in notes for thoughts on each member who has made a short list. We also look at what members have tested in the past. If you tested a set of irons the previous year, chances are we won’t look to do another iron selection for this year. There is no limit to how many members we can have on a short list, it can be 5 or it can be 40. All depends on how everyone feels about the members who have applied. We aim to have the short list completed within 2-3 days after the signup has closed. It is then roughly a week later that we want our 4 or however many testers are required to be selected and then announced before moving onto the next test. In order for us to select someone for testing it needs the go ahead from at least 3 mods. This way no one mod can control or have bias towards certain testers. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What happens after being selected? - A group PM is made with the selected testers asking if they agree to completed and participate in the review process. We expected good efforts on all reviews and for members to follow the guidelines/templates and instructions from the mods during the process. It is perfectly okay for someone to back out. It happens, life happens and maybe the commitment is too much which again is perfectly okay! In that case we go back to our short list and grab someone else.| - Remember reviews are work and not just winning a prize. - After everyone has agreed to completing the review and participating we move onto the order process for the product (if fittings are required this can take a little longer) the order is placed through the mods and we wait for the product to arrive. - During this time intros are worked on and when the product arrives unboxing/first impression posts are completed. - After everyone has their kit we (mods and testers) discuss a timeframe for when reviews are to be completed (this was a complicated one last year with product wait times…) - Final reviews are posted then as mods we have more work to do as reviews are graded. This is outlined in the templates for testers to see as well as what makes for a 1 out of 5 and 5 out of 5 and everything inbetween. - These grades are REALLY important. As if someone bails on a review, it is good luck getting in on another review. We take pride in these reviews and our selections and being ghosted or having someone take zero effort is really disappointing. - For reference we understand life happens and there can be situations that cause someone to have a review completed late or something come up which make it harder to do the review and are of course lenient. I will send several follow up messages for those that are late in posting or gone mia, but after a few of those I will record it in our overall record that said member has gone mia and should not be considered for further reviews. Review grades are used for future selections. Good review scores better a testers chances at another review in a following year where poor reviews lesson those chances. So as a first time tester it is certainly best to do the work and get in a good review IF you want to better your chances next year. We do our best as a mod team to promote and create engagement within each review thread (last year with the new system was tough we all know), but in the end it is a lot on the testers to put out updates during their review to bring eyes to the thread. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Finally a few general rules of thumb - Testers are generally only selected for one test per season. Exception being a Golf Ball test or lesser valued items. - Brand new testers are often selected for lower valued items, like golf balls. However this is not exclusive. Example I was selected for Ping i210 irons with my first ever review. Again it is a general guideline and a first time tester who has put out good content to the community can of course be selected for a higher valued item. - Testers are generally not selected for the same equipment type year over year. Meaning tested a driver last year? More likely you won’t get a driver test again this season. Again general rule as sometimes it is interesting to see someone test the progress of a product year over year. Apply for what you WANT to test. Of course you can apply for everything and anything, but truly it is best to apply for a product that excites you. It is pretty easy for us to notice the same name applying in testing for every single test even when they are currently testing a product! Most importantly, enjoy the experience, have fun with it and ask questions. Be creative and although there is a template do what you can within those guidelines and make a unique review that will be remembered. Finally follow up is encouraged, whether it be with the mods or in the testing thread it is noticed and very much encouraged as members are often still curious about what is going on. For those that made it ALL the way down here, well done. Seriously. Have more questions just ask away!

The moment everyone has been waiting for! Please welcome our Testers and Challengers for the 50th Anniversary Special from Cobra Golf! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Testing the Cobra King Tour,CB,MB are! @chisag & @Tom the Golf Nut _________________________________________________________________________________ Testing the Forged Tec or Forged Tec X are! @sirchunksalot & @CFreddie _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And finally testing the Aerojet Irons we have! @Jnoble89 & @JerryB _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We are super excited to have the 6 awesome members testing these irons as well as all the other awesome Cobra clubs available to them and challenging themselves, the community and each other in what will be an epic journey. The teams have still yet to be decided and we will update this thread with future challenges, updates as well as the testers will have their full reviews, introductions, unboxings and much more all here in this thread! As a final housekeeping note, please keep all memes, gifs and those such posts in the PreChatter thread as this thread will be meant for the reviews and challenge discussions. Thank you all for those who applied and have been following along and we cannot wait to get started with this! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to see their reviews, introductions and unboxing? Please follow the provided links above in the Orange Box!

Testers Announced! Titleist T Series Irons For full details check out this link -https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/titleist-t-series-irons/ This is the third generation of T-Series Irons from Titleist since they moved on from the AP lineup. This generation of T-Seriers introduces two “new” irons to the lineup in the T150 (replacement for the T100S) and the T350. Here is a breakdown highlight of the series. Titleist T100 - The most played iron on the PGA Tour there wasn’t much to change from the previous version. However Titleist worked to improve the feel, create tighter dispersion and updated the variable bounce sole. Titleist T150 - One of the “new” models the T150 retains the looks and progression that the T100 made but with a slightly thicker topline and slightly wider sole to create a more forgiving package while retaining improved ball speeds by an updated Muscle Channel. Titleist T200 - A non-clicky backplate! However in all seriousness the T200 for 2023 is where some big improvements were made. With some updates to the topline and finish the T200 retains the same size as the previous version with what will likely be a more appealing look. Titleist have moved the speed boosting Max Impact Core closer to the heel and face of the golf club to improve sound and forgiveness. Titleist T350 - The replacement for the T300, the T350 comes in a package that matches the rest of the T-Series much better. It is a larger, more forgiving iron than the T200 and for Titleist is their Ultimate Game Improvement Iron. However most all of you know all that and are eager to hear if you were selected for testing! Please welcome and congratulate our testers! T100 - @bens197 T150 - @Ben Joest T200 - @GregB135 T350 - @ole gray **While Testers were selected for those as their main sets, Titleist is working with all of them to ensure they are fit properly. Meaning split sets are an option for each tester.**

TESTERS ANNOUNCED! The personal launch monitor space has grown immensely over the years and Rapsodo is introducing their new MLM2Pro. The original MLM from Rapsodo consistently came top of MyGolfSpys most wanted testing in a variety of categories since its original launch. The Rapsodo MLM2Pro looks to build off that foundation while bringing new features and abilities to help golfers improve their games and practice while not breaking the bank. Here are some of the highlighted features straight from Rapsodo. “The all new MLM2PRO™ Mobile Launch Monitor + Golf Simulator Dual optical camera vision + radar processing for precision accuracy Shot Vision and Impact Vision for multi-option swing replay Simulation at 30,000+ golf courses 13 metrics - 6 measured metrics - including spin rate and spin axis Apple and Android compatible Rapsodo Combines - 24 total shots - 2 approach targets - 1 driver target Full functionality indoors and outdoors” Where the original Rapsodo MLM was great for practice and training, the addition of being a golf simulator and being able to read spin rates is very intriguing. Not to mention it is now Android compatible! Please welcome and congratulate our testers for the Rapsodo MLM2Pro! @xOldBenKenobiX @CSiders12 @GolfSpy_APH @GolfSpy BOS

Paradym X Irons - Official MGS Forum Review by Golf2Much Introduction (April 6, 2023) This has been an incredible MyGolfSpy last couple of days. First, I received my “500” forum ranking. That was followed by winning Season 1 of the MGS Championship Tour. Last, but not least, I was selected as a Callaway Paradym X irons reviewer. I still find it all hard to believe! I was born and raised in Rochester, New York. After graduating with degrees in Plastics Engineering (yes, I know, “The Graduate”) I returned home and had a 27-year technology, business development and management career at Xerox. In 2007 I left Xerox, moved to Key West, Florida and have enjoyed island living ever since. Since retiring, I’m living up to my display name, Golf2Much! Last year I played over 130 rounds of golf with all but 2 on my home course. My index currently is 11.4, but within the last year it was as low as 9.2. When I’m not playing, I’m still busy with golf. I’m the Vice President of the Lower Keys Golf Association which raises money to support local junior golf and high school golf teams. I also maintain the local GHIN system. If that wasn’t enough, about six months ago I became a Florida State Golf Association/USGA course rater. My home course is the Rees Jones designed Key West Golf Club. The classic layout has narrow fairways, small greens with false fronts and penalty areas, water or mangroves on each hole. The course demands driving and approach shot accuracy to score. My playing style is easy to describe: I’m the golfer I used to hate when I was young! On par fours I drive the ball 170-190, come up short of the green with a fairway wood second shot, chip on and one putt for par. The shots gained numbers against my handicap peer group below highlights exactly what I’m talking about. Seeing those numbers, you can almost hear “hey you kids, get off my lawn!” Some of the above shortfalls are due to being 66 years old and having enough physical limitations that many wonder how I can even play golf at all! I’m expecting a few more yards out from my new Ping G430 Max driver, so my focus has turned to my iron approach shots. I currently play Ping G30 irons with Fujikura EXS 60i R2-Flex shafts that I bought the used seven years ago. My data suggests that maybe it might be time to upgrade! Enter the Paradym X’s. Callaway refers to them as player type, game improvement irons with “distance and forgiveness.” Given my situation, they seemed a perfect fit. I use the Shot Scope H40 and tags for shot tracking, so I will be providing comparable data between both sets. I'll be sharing some of that baseline G30 shot tracking and performance data leading up to my review and why the Paradym X's might be a game changer for me. My expectation is to use that data as the basis for whether the Paradym X's stay in my bag. Even as a lifelong Ping iron player, if the Paradym X's out perform they will stay in my bag! The last new set of irons I owned were Callaway Big Berthas back in the mid 1990’s. Now almost 30 years later I have the pleasure of trying their latest irons. I can’t wait to put the Paradym X’s in play and share my findings with you! Link to my Paradym X iron fitting: Unboxing (April 14, 2014) Before I dive into the unboxing of the Paradym X’s, I have to give kudos to Callaway. Their ability to quickly turn around my custom order was impressive. Within a week of getting my specifications, Callaway built the custom clubs, shipped them from their Mexico facility, and delivered them to my door at the Southernmost end of US1. The clubs came very well protected in the box. There were cardboard dividers at each end and in the middle to prevent clubs rattling during shipping. The middle divider did a great job isolating the clubs at the bottom and top of the box. Each iron head came shrink wrapped and inside a bubble wrap sleeve. Altogether, the irons themselves were protected and very well secured. Included in the box was the expected packing slip and a nice summary of the custom certified iron build specifications. This will be filed away in a safe place. As I started carefully unwrapping each iron, I realized that (other than my wedges) I’ve never owned a set of forged irons. With one unwrapped, I stood back and was impressed how good the overall iron looked. The iron's polished finish went well with the black Aldila shaft with silver and blue highlights and the Golf Pride CP2 Pro Wrap grip which has the white and blue accents. All I could think about is a paraphrased Billy Crystal Saturday Night Live line: “It’s much better to look good than to play good..and you look marvelous!” The back of the club has a simple and uncluttered look. Certainly, different than the Ping hollowed out back I’ve been accustomed to. Don’t let that simple look fool you. Reading the Callaway’s Paradym X’s description, behind that simple back is a lot of embedded technology to enhance launch conditions and improve forgiveness. At first I was a little worried about the polished look reflecting too much sun off the club at address. But I noticed the less reflective finish on the club face continued over the topline of the iron which should make any reflection less of a distraction. As I said above, they looked marvelous! At first glance, the Paradym X’s club head seemed to be a bit more compact than previous irons I’ve owned. When I place the Paradym X’s next to the Ping G30’s I realized the overall differences were not that big as I had thought. Both clubs had somewhat comparable top line widths. Not too thin to question their forgiveness and not too thick to be a distraction. The amount of offset appeared to be roughly the same. Checking the published specifications for both showed the Paradym X 7 iron has 4.83 mm (0.19”) of offset, only 0.25 mm (0.01”) less than the Ping G30 7 iron. Overall, very close what I'm currently playing. The G30’s has a marginally longer face, wider sole and stands a little taller especially at the club’s toe. The groove portion of the Paradym X’s face is not as wide as the Ping G30. What overall impact that will ultimately have will remain to be seen. The clubs’ specification comparison also showed stronger Paradym X lofts. The chart below highlights the differences. The stronger Paradym X’s loft difference should have an impact on the overall distance of the Paradym X’s. Callaway suggests that their frame construction, thin forged 455 face and tungsten weighting yields higher launch conditions and greater forgiveness. I’ll likely need those higher launch conditions to help me hold my home course’s small, well protected greens! Overall, was impressed with Callaway’s fast turnaround on my custom order, how well the clubs were packaged and the overall look of the Paradym X’s. It’s forged shinny finish and more rounded edges seemed to give the impression it was significantly smaller than it really was. The comparable top line and offset gave me confidence looking down on the club that I've hit this before. I’ll have to see if the slightly shorter head length and less grooved hitting area on the face will impact my ability to consistently hit quality shots. The combination of Paradym X head, Aldila graphite shaft and CP2 Pro Wrap grips combine to make one beautiful looking club. I can only hope they performs as well as they look! Once unboxed, I performed the accession of the Callaway Paradym X to my bag. As I began inserting the clubs, I realized I had an extra iron that I didn’t account for: the approach wedge. Given the Paradym X loft gapping and that I rely on my approach and short game to score, the AW had to remain in the bag. Reviewing my Shot Scope performance data, it was easy to conclude that the 3 wood would be the odd club out. Since the first of the year, I hit the 3 wood less than 8% of my fairway wood shots and the performance distance between the three and five woods is less than 10 yards. No brainer! Finally, in search of a second opinion, I asked my beagle Scout what she thought of the new Paradym X irons. From the picture, you can see wasn’t too happy that I woke her up from her nap. Final Review: I’d like to thank MyGolfSpy and Callaway for the opportunity to review the Paradym X irons. It’s an honor and a privilege to provide my feedback on these irons. First Impressions (19 out of 20) From the shots gained graphic above illustrated the need to improve my approach game from 100-150 yards in, I viewed the Paradym X irons as a potential game changer, especially if Callaway’s claims held true. Callaway claims that the Paradym X are a game improvement iron with “forged performance with enhanced distance in a more forgiving shape.” The forged 455 face is optimized for more speed, higher launch, and increased spin consistency. These characteristics are critical to hitting and holding my home course’s small greens. The forged face and urethane microsphere insert are intended to yield an ultra-soft feel and premium sound. The tungsten weights enhance launch conditions and improved speed on mishits. I deducted two points for my initial apprehension of playing forged irons after having cast heads my whole adult life. I added one point back for Callaway’s quick response in getting these well packaged, custom clubs to me at the end of the earth in Key West in a week. Together, these features seemed perfect for my area of need. If they performed half as good as they looked, the Paradym X irons could be a winner! Aesthetics (10 out of 10) The Paradym X’s are some of the best-looking irons I’ve ever seen. The Paradym X’s wider topline and more offset than its sister Paradym irons helped convey a feeling of confidence and forgiveness for this Ping G30 player. I thought the shiny chrome-like finish might be a distraction. However, Callaway continued the matted finish up the face and over the topline eliminating any glare. The back of the club badging and tungsten weights are simple giving it a clean look. There’s no way to knowing how much innovation lurks behind the unassuming exterior. The Paradym X impact sounds has more of a muted “clicking” sound. I found that the lack of feedback is feedback in itself. When I know I hit the Paradym X's well, I don't feel a thing. There’s a crisp feel, no vibration and faint "clicking" sound at impact for good shots. On mishits, there’s only a slight increase in vibration and sound. The Numbers (9 out of 10) To get a handle of the numbers I conducted a few exercises to assess the Paradym X performance with respect to my G30s. Here are the MGS links to them: · Paradym X Versus Ping G30 Five, Seven and Nine Irons: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=913711 · Paradym X Irons Only Round: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=920620 · Paradym X Versus Ping G30 Driving Range: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=922527 · Paradym X Chipping: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58484-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-callaway-paradym-irons/?do=findComment&comment=917700 Taken all together, here’s how the numbers panned out: Accuracy: In each case, I found the Paradym X’s to be marginally more accurate than my Ping G30’s. The Paradym X’s tended to start straight at the target and stay there. During the driving range test with “experienced” range balls, the Paradym X nine and seven irons exhibited three yards less distance and lateral dispersion when compared with the G30’s. Chipping with the Paradym X approach wedges proved to be as accurate as my existing wedges. Distance: I consistently found the Paradym X’s anywhere between 5 to 11 yards longer than the G30s. With range balls and almost identical club head speeds, the average Paradym X ball speeds were 4-5 mph greater than the Ping G30’s contributing to the longer distance. Trajectory: With the stronger lofts, I found the Paradym X’s had a lower 2-3 degree lower overall trajectory than the corresponding G30 iron. Forgiveness: The Paradym X’s exhibited marginally better forgiveness. Good and fair Paradym X iron shots tended to showed less distance and lateral dispersion. Control: Since correcting some of my swing issues, I feel more confident that the Paradym X’s will go where I aim. With my G30’s, I tended to straight/slight fade shape. For the Paradym X’s, it mostly straight/slight draw. Workability: The ability to work the ball on demand is beyond my skill set! On-Course (17 out of 20): The 5-11 yard longer iron shots held true through my on-course experiences. The graph below plots each iron and the relative distances I got from each during the review period. If you overlay each the distances for each against the loft for each respective iron, you can see that the overall distances for similar lofts were somewhat comparable (see table below). For me comparable lofts yielded comparable distances. The shots gained from approach shots marginally improved 0.25 shot gained with the Paradym X irons with a majority coming from the Paradym X’s 100-150 yards in. The greens in regulation improved roughly 10% (27 to 30%), the number of short approach shots dropped almost 15% and the number of iron shots past the green doubled to 6%. The Paradym X irons exhibited a 13% improvement in average proximity (60 to 52 feet), with a majority of the improvement in the 15–45-foot range. All taken together, the Paradym X irons proved to be more accurate hitting the greens than my Ping G30’s. How does all of this relate to scoring? There was a 0.1 stroke gained per hole improvement seen with the Paradym X irons than the Ping G30’s (0.9 versus 0.8 respectively). My biggest take away from this data was a 33% drop in the double bogeys from 18% to 13% with the Paradym X irons. How did my Paradym X’s iron experience compare to Callaway’s promotional claims? The 455 forged face and frame did provide a 3-5 mph increased ball speed and greater distance. The improved stability yielded more consistent distance on a variety of shots and a narrower shot dispersion. The face and microsphere insert did help provide an improved feel and sound. The more consistent distances on good and marginal shots supports Callaway’s claim of improved speed on mishits. I found the Paradym X irons had a lower launch angle (not higher) and generated less overall spin which contradicted some of Callaway’s claims. Overall, the Paradym X iron results met a majority of Callaway’s claims. The Good, the Bad and the Inbetween (18 out of 20) The “good” starts with Callaway’s quick turnaround for custom ordered clubs. The Callaway Paradym X irons look great. The shiny chrome-like finish and the simple badging on the back make it a sight to behold. The thicker topline and offset similar to my Pings implied forgiveness and inspired confidence. I ended up getting 5 to 11 yards longer hits with the Paradym X irons. I saw some improvement in the area where I needed help: hitting more greens from 100-150 yards in. The Paradym X irons consistently hit the ball closer to the pins and exhibited less lateral and distance dispersion with both good and marginal hits. The “inbetween” included the fact that the distance gained seemed to be more related to the Paradym X’s stronger lofts. I deducted point for that. Right now, it’s too early to tell if my observed lower overall trajectory will ultimately be good or bad for my game at my home course. I deducted one point for the lower trajectory. I have nothing bad to say about the Paradym X irons! Play It or Trade it? (17 out of 20) The arrival of the new irons coincided with of some poor swing mechanics. Early on it was hard to separate the “archer” from the “arrow!” Since then, I’ve seen some improvement in my swing and the corresponding improved performance the Paradym X’s bring. I deducted a point for that uncertainty leading to an “incomplete” grade. I also need more time to work out if the lower overall trajectory is a true benefit or liability on my small greens. For that reason, I had to deduct a couple of points. For now, they are staying in the bag until I exorcise my swing demons and resolve the positives and negatives of the lower overall trajectory. Conclusion As someone who has played Ping cast head irons pretty much their entire adult life (original Ping Eye 2’s through G30’s) any apprehension I had hitting forged player irons quickly disappeared after hitting the new Paradym X irons. Callaway has a winner here. Aesthetically, the Paradym X’s are a beautiful iron. The shiny chrome like finish, clean and rounded lines as well as the understated back (which hides all the innovation) make for an attractive iron. The Paradym X’s thicker topline, more offset, wider sole and the slightly larger head size gave me confidence I could hit these irons. On the course, the Paradym X’s did not disappoint. Collected shot data indicated the Paradym X’s were 5-11 yards longer and more accurate than the G30’s which resulted in more greens in regulation, fewer short iron approach shots and improved proximity to the pin. My Paradym X iron results validated a majority of Callaway’s performance claims. For now, the Callaway Paradym X irons are staying in my bag while I improve my swing and get more acquainted with my new trusted friends! Final Score (90 out of 100)

Introducing the MGS x TheGrint Virtual Tour! Many of you are familiar with TheGrint - a great golf app that let’s you get a valid handicap, track your score and Pro like stats, use a best in class GPS rangefinder, Scorecard Photo Service and much more. MGS has teamed up with TheGrint to bring you an exciting new feature - a season long virtual tour running from April - September with multiple contests along the way! The plan is to have one contest each month PLUS a contest in the week leading up to the remaining majors. All you have to do to participate in the 9 contest is tag the event, log a round using the app, and you're automatically entered for that months contest. How To Enter Create or Log-in to your Grint account - don't worry, it's all free to use Navigate to the "Spring Invitational" - our first stop on the tour - BEFORE your qualifying round *Note: Qualifying round is considered 18-holes You can play at any course - one entry per event Here's the catch: you won't know the winning metric until the contest closes! That's right, we might pick the scorecard with the most 5's, or highest GIR, or lowest Putts. One thing we can say for sure is that it will NOT be the lowest round for each event! There will be prizes each month for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners We are also going to have a season long contest, so make sure to get a qualifying round in each event! How to navigate to the correct Event In APP: On Desktop/Laptop: Now that you are all setup in TheGrint, let's take a look at our first event. THE SPRING INVITATIONAL Details: Qualifying rounds for the event must be entered between April 13th - May 3rd The contest metric and winners will be announced on May 4th Select the Spring Invitational before your round begins Play at ANY course and enter your score That's it! Prizes: 1st Prize - We're going big to get started... That's right - Driver Time! But not just any driver. 1st prize is a driver of YOUR choice with shaft, loft, grip, bells, and whistle options up to a $600 Value! 2nd Prize is Two (2) Dozen Titleist PRO V1/x Balls + 1yr Premium TheGrint Membership 3rd Prize is a One (1) year Premium TheGrint membership --- We're really excited about this series and the contest for the season. Let us know any questions you have and can't wait to see the leaderboard! ******** WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Congratulations to our three randomly selected winner! 1st Place: @XMasterXDrewX 2nd Place: Justin K 3rd Place: @IPlayLikeAStormTrooper - Perfect timing as you won on May 4th! We'll contact the winners directly to get the prizes setup accordingly. We'll have another contest for May announced VERY SOON!

Introduction I would like to thank My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf for the opportunity to be a tester for the Paradym X Irons. This is my third testing opportunity for the Forum: I previously tested the Evnroll ER11v putter and the Shot Scope Pro LX+. I have been an off and on golfer since my mid-20s, after getting out of the Army in the late 80s. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up across the street from Sharp Park Golf Course (an Alister MacKenzie design) in Pacifica, CA but I never played the game as a kid. I once came home from school to find a broken bedroom window and a golf ball on my bed. The first course I ever played a full 18 holes on though was Harding Park, host to the 2020 PGA Championship. Speaking of the PGA Championship, I am excited to be attending my first major, the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY this year. I have Saturday tickets. I hope to run into some fellow spies. My professional life started in the U.S. Army where I was trained to maintain and repair medical equipment. Upon my discharge from the U.S. Army, I joined a medical imaging equipment manufacturer where I worked for 31 years specializing in Cardiovascular X-Ray. That company had moved me all over the U.S. My first move took me from California to Connecticut for several years. Work then moved back across country to the Seattle area. In 2018, my wife and I moved cross country once again to be closer to family, this time to Central New York, just outside of Syracuse. In 2019 my job changed and joined the ranks of semi-retirement which now allows me more regular golf, weather permitting as I am fair weather golfer. At the end of April, I will be joining the ranks of the fully retired. We have one son, a former Navy FMF Corpsman who is now in nursing school in California. We are also excited to have a daughter in law join our family next February. My current home course is Radisson Greens in Baldwinsville, NY. It is an 18-hole par 72 course at 6360 yards from the white tees. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. I have a Monday through Thursday membership there and I get out a couple of times a week. The course is very challenging, but I love the layout. It is tree lined and tight in spots with water that I have a real skill in finding. I play golf because I enjoy being out walking the course and if good scores come then it is a bonus. I also am an equipment junkie. Not that I have the budget to truly act upon this addiction, but I do enjoy the design and aesthetics of golf equipment. And if I ever won the lottery, I’d become a putter collector. On the equipment front, my first set of clubs was a Wilson box set with wooden woods. At lot has changed in the equipment world since then. My Ping G400 Max was the first time I was fitted for a club, and I have yet to find a reason to change it. I have two sets of irons that I switch between depending on course conditions. They are Ping G25 irons (I won these through work) and a set of PXG 0211 irons. I play the Pings in the wet conditions we have at the start of the season then switch to the PXGs as the course dries out. I have a PXG 0341 3 wood, a PXG 0211 3 Hybrid and the 4 iron in my set was swapped out for a Ping G410 Crossover #4. My current sand wedge is a Callaway Mack Daddy CB 54°/14°. It was a My Golf Spy review and Most Wanted win that led me to trying Evnroll putters. I ended up with a mallet putter for the first time when I purchased the ER7. I was initially attracted to the idea of a higher MOI putter but really like the feel and consistency of the roll the ER7 gave me. I tested the Evnroll ER11v putter and gamed that for a bit but switched back to the ER7 due the “feel”. I am also a member of the “Pushcart Mafia” with a Clicgear 3.5+ pushcart. This is probably the single best golf accessory item I have ever owned. The Grooveit Brush ranks a very close second. This will be my first experience with Callaway irons. The Paradym X irons fit firmly in the game improvement category and as a high handicap golfer they should fit into my game. This is what drove me to put my name on the list of test candidates. In what I have read about these irons at their release the lofts are much stronger than any irons I have gamed to date. The 7 iron loft for example sits in between the 5 and 6 irons of my Ping G25 irons. I don’t really anticipate getting caught up in the number on the club in comparison with my Ping irons but will have to keep in mind the lofts. I am concerned about the build of the set as there will be a hole in my bag with regards to not having a wedge in the 50°degree range. I won’t have access to a Trackman or any similar device to provide measurements. But I will install the tags from my Shot Scope Pro LX+ to see how these irons perform on the course. Most of the testing will occur on course. I will be looking at ball flight and accuracy. I would like to see higher ball flights and more forgiveness. Based on my readings, these clubs should offer me both of those things. And should I get those from these irons, these clubs will remain in my bag. The bottom line will be, am I hitting more greens and more fairways. 4/5/2023 The Fitting I visited the Turning Stone Golf Sportsplex for my Paradym X iron fitting. Turning Stone Golf Course is in Verona, NY. The Turning Stone Atunyote Course hosted the Turning Stone Resort Championship four times. Notable winners include Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar. My fitting experience is limited. I was fitted for my Ping driver and measured for Ping irons. As I learned there is difference between fitting and measuring. My Ping iron fitting was for a Green Dot in the Ping world which is 2 degrees upright. So this was what I considered my starting point. I met my fitter Pat. I informed him that I wanted to be fit for Callaway Paradym X irons as I was selected to test them for the My Golf Spy Forum. He has never heard of My Golf Spy. But the person I scheduled the fitting with had and was excited when I showed up for the fitting. We then headed to the indoor range at Turning Stone. He had me take a few warmup swings with my 7-iron. He quickly stated, “That club is too short for you, you will need to go 1 inch longer”. Admittedly as a high handicapper I was a bit nervous to be fit and watched in such an open environment. Pat used humor and some tips to settle me down. The fitting fee was $100 as I wasn’t buying the irons from them. The “lesson” from Pat made the fee a real value. After the warmup we headed over to the club area to configure the iron to be tested. Pat selected a Paradym X 7 iron head, 2 degrees upright. I let him know that I was limited to stock Callaway offerings, and he selected three shafts to try. Two steel shafts, an Elevate MPH 85 gram and an Elevate MPH 95 gram. He also selected the HZRDUS Silver 65. All the shafts were Regular flex and plus 1 inch. Pat stated up front that he didn’t think the graphite shaft would be right for me. And the fitting subsequently bore this out. With my swing dialed in after the help from Pat, I started hitting golf balls. Everything was being monitored by a Trackman. This was my first experience with a Trackman. I have to say it's pretty cool. We started with the 95-gram shaft which I hit it pretty well and the best in terms of total distance was 165 yards. He then had me try 85-gram shaft which performed even better topping out at 171 yards. With the steel shafts I had a nice high ball flight that was between straight and a fade. Pat then had me try the graphite shaft. I was hitting them almost as far, but the shots were going left in a draw that Pat was afraid could turn into a hook. He felt I was more consistent the steel shafts. So, steel it is. My final configuration is Paradym X irons, 5 through AW at 2 degrees upright. The shaft are True Temper Elevate MPH 85 grams, regular flex plus 1 inch. For the grips I chose Golf Pride - Z Grip CHEV Black (50g) with one extra wrap. The 7-iron session topped out at 171 yards total distance with 78.7 MPH swing speed. I’m pretty excited to get the clubs now. I was very happy with my fitting experience with Pat. I even took his card and will set up some lessons with him in the future. 4/12/2023 Out For Delivery I just received notification that the Paradym X irons are out for delivery. Testing will be started soon. The Unboxing The Paradym X irons arrived today. The turnaround time from order to delivery was impressive. From order to delivery took 6 days. The clubs arrived safely and nicely boxed with dividers between the clubs and bubble wrap sleeves on the heads. Nicer than some unboxings I’ve seen but just a shade below how PXG packs their irons. The heads are in foam blocks and the shafts are in foam dividers. The box was labeled with my build instructions, a nice touch. These irons look even better in person than they do in pictures. They feel super solid, and I can’t wait to get them out on the course. Prior to loading them in my bag, I installed the Shot Scope tags for the H4 GPS. I will then have to learn the new distances with these irons. The lofts are much stronger than my gamers. I’ve included their specs for reference. The Paradym X irons are configured 5 – AW. With the lofts as follows: Paradym X PXG 0211 Gen. 1 Ping G410 5 Iron – 21.5° 5 Iron - 24° Crossover 4 23° 6 Iron – 24.5° 6 Iron - 27° 7 Iron – 27.5° 7 Iron - 31° 8 Iron – 31.5° 8 Iron - 35° 9 Iron - 36° 9 Iron - 40° PW - 41° PW - 45° AW - 46° GW - 50° GW - 51° This is the first time I have ever been fitted for irons. I was previously measured for Ping irons as being a Green Dot, which in the Ping world is 2°. This will be my first-time playing irons with shafts that are 1 inch longer. I am also curious as to how I will get along without a 50° wedge replacement. My initial thoughts on the set make up when selected for this test because of the lofts was a set configured 6 – GW but that wasn’t an option. Part of this test will include an evaluation as to whether I really need that Gap wedge. Should these become my gamers and the test reveals the need, I think I would go ahead and order a 51° Paradym X GW to round out the set. I look to taking them out to the course tomorrow. 4/24/2023 To create are more representative comparison against what I would carry in my bag I ordered a Paradym X GW in my specs today. In my mind I have been ignoring the number of the club and matching club for club based on loft. The Paradym X 5 iron (21.5°) has replaced the Ping G410 Crossover 4 (23°) in my bag. 5/19/2023 Callaway Paradym X Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Matt Gomez I want to open by thanking My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf for this wonderful opportunity. I am still blown away at my selection for this testing experience. First Impressions (20 out of 20) I feel the need to establish upfront that I do really appreciate aesthetics in design and in golf equipment. I am big fan of BB and F Co ferrules. I sent my PXG 0211 irons to forum member Jim McCleery of McGolf Custom Golf to install a set of ferrules. I was blown away during the unboxing of the Paradym X irons. The pictures I had seen posted online at the release of these irons do not do justice to just how good looking these irons look in person. My high handicap pointed me towards the more forgiving offering in the Paradym Iron lineup, so I was eager to learn about the technology behind the Paradym X Irons. Callaway describes the irons as utilizing an all-new Hollow Body design that features “Speed Frame” construction for added stiffness to the body in order to support the high strength “Forged 455 Face Cup”. A.I. designed face technology is applied to a high strength Forged 455 face for distance and feel. These irons use Urethane Microspheres to improve feel and sound. Up to 79g of external and internal tungsten weights are placed precisely to enhance launch conditions and improve speed on mishits. Aesthetics (10 out of 10) The blue and gunmetal grey badging with the silver and gold text just blend so well with the bright chrome finish of the irons. In general, I do prefer a more satin finish to my irons, but this combination seems to work rather elegantly. My initial thoughts were that the chrome may be too shiny on the course. More on that later. In this category of irons, I have these to look much better than other game improvement irons on the market. These irons have shelf appeal over the Ping G430, the TaylorMade Stealth and any of Callaway’s previous game improvement irons. A well struck shot rewards you with a nice crisp sound and a really nice feel. Even on less than perfect shots the sound is still quite good and the feel is not harsh at all but you can feel the difference when compared to a well struck shot. Even on less than perfect shots I have found these irons to be more forgiving than my gamers. Shots are less offline. These irons sound and feel better than my PXG 0211 irons and especially so with less than perfect shots. These clubs have more offset than the Paradym irons, but offset has never been something I’ve ever taken notice of. The topline is quite thick but once again that isn’t something that has ever been an issue for me. I like the size of the irons as they give me confidence when putting them down behind the ball. I think if someone handed me a Miura iron, I’d probably be sweating the fact that I’d actually make decent contact with the ball. The Numbers (10 out of 10) It took a bit to get acquainted with these irons as the lofts are definitely stronger. That being said, I don’t want to compare 6-iron to 6-iron for example but would rather compare degrees of loft to my regular gamers. Speaking of the 6-iron. According to Shot Scope I can get 170 yards out of the Paradym X 6-iron. In my regular set the 24° 5-iron was my 160-yard club. I was seeing about 10 yards of distance gain for comparable lofts. Generally speaking, these clubs are 8 -10 yards longer than my 0211 irons when compared loft for loft. The trajectory is much higher, especially at the short end of the bag. Mishits with the Paradym X irons are not as punishing as my 0211 irons. I really can’t comment on workability as that has never been part of my golf game. These irons are the closest things I have gamed to be called “point and shoot”. I look for forgiveness in my clubs and these irons deliver that more consistently than any irons I have ever gamed. My misses tend to be towards the toe and these don’t severely punish that miss. As I have mentioned, I did not keep the 5-iron in my bag, I was much too inconsistent with that club. On-Course (20 out of 20) I found these clubs to perform well for me on the course. It was especially noticeable at the short end of the bag. These clubs just plain get the ball launched. I get greater height at longer distances with these irons. It is readily apparent from the 8-iron through to the Gap Wedge. The only negative for me is the 5-iron. I just can’t seem to get that club to get the ball in the air. Another area of concern for me was just how shiny these irons are, but when you put them down to get the ball it is not a distraction at all as the forged face has a dull satiny appearance. Another area that these clubs performed really well at was with turf interaction. I found they didn’t get hung up in thick rough. My 0211 irons would regularly get caught and the face would open up which put me in more trouble more often than not. These irons did not do that. One thing that didn’t carry out to the course from my fitting was the distance I saw from the 7-iron which according to Trackman was 171 yards with a swing speed of 78.7 mph. LOL. My on course experience with the Paradym X 7-iron was 160 yards. The Good, the bad, the in between (18 out of 20) This is the first set of irons I was fit for and would advise getting fit for these irons as well. But with a caveat on set make up. For this review we were given limited ability to select the set makeup. My set make was for 5-iron through Approach wedge. I was very conscious of the lofts of these irons and if given a broader choice I would have chosen 6-iron through Gap Wedge. During this test I purchased the 51° Gap Wedge to add to the bag which narrowed the gap to my Sand Wedge Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20) Play it? 100%. These will remain in my bag for a long time to come. These irons honestly exceeded expectations. I thought I was happy with my current irons, but the Paradym X irons just performed for me. Even mishits went straighter and longer than with my previous irons. I did a test with the 5-iron but soon discovered that it did not suit my game. At 21.5° I struggled to get it up in the air. The 5-iron will be replaced with my Ping G410 Crossover at 23°. It may not seem like much difference but on the course, I do see a real difference as don’t struggle to get the G410 in the air. Conclusion If you are a higher handicap golfer and are looking for a set of irons to make the game much more enjoyable than I would strongly recommend, getting fit for a set of Callaway Paradym X irons. They look and feel really good. They are extremely forgiving and long. They launch the ball higher than any iron I have ever gamed. But be honest with yourself as to the makeup of your set. Pay attention to the lofts. For my game, my set is 6-iron through Gap Wedge. To steal from that golf classic, these irons can turn you into the Dalai Lama. “Big hitter the Lama.” – Carl Spackler Final Score (98 out of 100)

Congratulations to our 4 Edel SMS and SMS Pro Irons Testers!!! Testing a Combo Set of the SMS and SMS Pro Irons: @Getoffmylawn & @ejgaudette Testing the SMS Irons: @ChitownM2 & first time tester @Triple_Putt Also joining in the fun and testing out the SMS Pro irons: @GolfSpy_BOS We are very excited to get this test underway and know we have an excellent well represented group here if you're interested to see how the SMS or SMS Pro irons might work for you! Click that follow button to make sure you don't miss out on any of the great content this group will produce! Happy Testing!

INTRODUCTION: On this forum most know me as “funkyjudge” (it’s a nickname given to me by my former boss and later business partner of 11+ years; don’t ask, it’s not that interesting how he came up with that nickname). As a few forum members who were regulars at the original Golf Equipment Aficianados (4GEA.com, where I was a moderator) know, my real name is Doug and I have been a golf equipment “junkie” for at least 35 years. I am currently 74 years old and have been playing this great game of golf for about four decades. I live in Bucks County, PA (about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia, and 10 miles from Trenton, NJ, but I grew up in Western NY State (near Buffalo), and lived in NY City from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. My “home” golf course is Makefield Hghlands Golf Club in Yardley, PA, and I play for their “Challenge Cup” team that plays matches against other clubs in the area (PA and NJ). I also play for teams at two other golf courses in Eastern PA and Central NJ. In a former life (1990s to early 2000s), I worked for Golfsmith International. I started out working in the golf retail division, and spent four years training clubfitters and club repair technicians who worked at the various Golfsmith superstores. During this time, I also worked in the Golfsmith equipment trailer (a/k/a “tour van”) at various stops on the PGA and Senior PGA Tours, plus at a few men’s and women’s major golf tournaments. Following my days with Golfsmith, I went on to represent several OEM golf club and component manufacturers and although I am now semi-retired, I still hold the title of Fitter/Dealer with a few manufacturers (mostly high-end shaft companies), and do a limited amount of clubfitting and club building in my semi-retirement. I am a bit better than a bogey golfer, with a current USGA Handicap Index that varies from 14-16 depending on the time of year and how much competitive golf I am playing (that Index actually dropped as low as an 11 in the last couple of years). I was once a single-digit handicapper, with an index as low as 6.5 to 8 from my 40s through about age 60. Speaking of competitive golf, I play in several competitive golf leagues - including the statewide New Jersey Senior Men’s Golf League (my team has won three state championships in the 8+ years that I have played on the team). I also play on the John Caliendo Winter Golf Tour, which has been in existence for 54 years, and which currently has more than 150 members, including close to 40 PGA Professionals and several NCAA golf coaches. Not all of the competitive golf that I play is limited to senior golfers, as many events include golfers from 20-something years old to age 80+. When I am not playing golf, I play music with two bands, and still do some recording sessions. I have written or co-written songs that have appeared on the “albums” of rock-and-roll and modern country artists, and I also play jazz, funk, R&B and blues music. My main instrument is bass guitar, but I also play a variety of brass instruments (I played trombone and baritone horn in my college jazz ensemble). In addition, I am a vocalist. My wife and I also enjoy travel, both to play golf and to do non-golf things together, and we have visited more than 35 states domestically, most of Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and much of continental Europe. My work history, in addition to the time that I worked for Golfsmith, was in the construction industry (management of a $1.5 billion international commercial construction company) and in the print and electronic media industry, including working for a magazine and website that served the private golf resort and country club industry. I am very thankful for this opportunity to test the Callaway Paradym Irons, and look forward to providing thorough and valuable feedback on these irons to the mygolfspy.com community! MY EXPECTTIONS FOR THIS TEST: First and foremost, I am looking to fairly evaluate the performance of the new Paradym irons. Since I have specified my tester set with as near to identical specifications as I have in my 2021 Cobra King Forged Tec X irons (lengths, lie angles, shaft weight and flex), I should easily be able to evaluate the irons on an equal basis regarding performance. These irons also have a similar construction to the custom-fitted set of Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons that I have been playing for nearly three years prior to receiving the Cobra irons from a fitter friend of mine about six weeks ago. The timing of this test could not have been any better for me for a few reasons; Our golf season is ramping-up into high gear with all leagues and competitions underway as of April 1. My annual Myrtle Beach golf trip takes place from April 27 - May 4 this year, so I will have plenty of opportunities to play 18 to 36 holes per day with the irons. My golf swing (or at least my iron swing) is in especially good shape right now, thanks to a full winter outdoor golfing schedule, plus playing in two indoor winter leagues on golf simulators. WHAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO KEEP THESE IRONS IN MY BAG AS MY #1 SET?: If these irons perform better than the Cobras, they will definitely make it into my bag on as "permanent" a basis as any clubs can have with me. I go into this test with no lofty expectations, but I also enter the process with a completely open mind and will give the Paradym irons every opportunity to make it into the #1 position for me! UNBOXING, IN-BAG PHOTOS, COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS: Clubs arrived within the last hour; notifications from both Callaway and UPS, plus UPS tracking information and updates were both timely and accurate. Here’s a few photos. In addition, I am adding photos showing the clubs in my bag, along with my observations and impressions based not only on the unboxing, but also on the measurements that I took on the clubs and frequency measurements on the HZRDUS Silver 75-S shafts: Observations — Callaway did a great job in assembling these irons to my requested specifications (1/2 to 1 degree flat, standard length in the 7 iron through AW, but 38” vs 38.25” in the 5 iron and 37.5” vs 37.625” for the 6 iron). All irons are D1 swingweight, which is a bit light for me and is probably a factor in the stiffer than expected frequency numbers on these shafts — more on that later. Packaging was extremely secure and well-supported/padded; better than I have seen from several other equipment manufacturers, who shall remain anonymous. Now, regarding those shafts — HZRDUS shafts have a history and reputation for being stiffer than many other shafts of a similar weight and flex designation from other manufacturers, and these 75 gram graphite shafts are no exception to that trend. They frequency at about 40% stiffer than other similarly-weighted graphite iron shafts, including KBS Tour Graphite Iron (TGI) 80-S shafts. The D1 swingweights on these irons may have something to do with this phenomenon, as the “industry standard” for measuring a shaft’s butt frequency is a D3 swingweight at “standard length” (eg - 38” long 5-iron). I suspect that adding a few strategically-placed strips of lead tape to the backs of these iron heads would make the irons play to a “standard stiff flex” for mid weight graphite iron shafts, but I definitely would not do that for the duration of the testing period, because not many people who buy these irons will have that option available to them, and I want to test the irons as they were built. Overall, these are very good-looking irons, with just enough offset and a medium topline width (neither too thin, nor too thick). They have a very similar profile and size to the Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons that I played from January, 2021 until about 4 weeks ago, so I feel comfortable with the Paradym irons right out of the box. I was going to keep the Paradym irons out of my bag until I had an opportunity for a launch monitor test and evaluation plus one range session, but because I feel comfortable with the look and specs of this set of irons, they are staying in my bag and I will play them in tournaments tomorrow and on Saturday. (more to follow; stay tuned) Callaway Paradym X Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Doug Mael (funkyjudge): I also wish to thank both Callaway Golf and MyGolfSpy for providing this fantastic opportunity to test and play the new Paradym Irons; it has been both a blast and a great learning experience! Just a brief refresher - As stated in my initial comments, I am currently a 15-handicapper (my USGA Handicap Index is exactly 15.0), and I am 74+ years old. I played to a single-digit or a 10 handicap as recently as five years ago, but still I had some apprehensive thoughts regarding whether I am still a good enough golfer to game the standard Paradym iron model. Those apprehensions were quickly put to rest within the first range session and round that I played with these irons. If you have been following my many updates throughout the nearly (15) 18-hole rounds and (5) 9-hole rounds that I have played with these irons, you will see that I have shot rounds of 78, 84 and 80 while using the Paradyms, and my handicap index has dropped more than a full stroke since this test began. To be fair, I have shot a few rounds in the 90s while using these irons, but very little of those higher scores had anything to do with the irons, with the exception of some iron shots that I hit over the greens or well past the pins to which I was playing (more on that later in this final review). Virtually all testing of these irons was done on-course, following an initial "shake down cruise" at an all-grass practice range at the club (Makefield Highlands Golf Club in Yardley, PA), where I am a member and where I play about 1/3 of my competitive golf. I am a Professional Clubfitter, and as such I not only have two personal launch monitors, but also have access to four $100,000+ launch monitors and simulators at Baylinks Golf in Newtown, PA, where I do much of my clubfitting work. I did collect data both outdoors (at Makefield Highlands) and indoors (at Baylinks Golf) immediately after receiving the Paradym Irons. In addition, I measured all aspects of these irons on my various gauges and frequency analyzing equipment prior to my first round with the clubs. NOTE: All specifications as received out-of-the-box from Callaway were spot-on, or within 1/2*, and all swingweights and club lengths were 100% dead-on! First Impressions: (19 out of 20) As I said in the final paragraph above, I was greatly impressed with the quality and looks of these clubs, as well as the attention to detail in assembling the clubs to my slightly non-standard specifications. The job that Callaway did in packing the clubs was also excellent (not quite a PXG or Sub 70 job of packaging, but far better than I have seen from many OEM golf club manufacturers. There are photographs of the unboxing and the clubs in my Vessel golf bag on day one after receiving them within this post in my April 4, 2023 Initial Impressions, and there are more to come in this section of the Official Review. Callaway Golf says the following about the Paradym Irons: "Distance irons are obviously long, but discerning players also want an exceptionally high level of feel. So why not have both in one club?" I have found this to be 100% true in the case of the standard version of these Paradym Irons, and there will be more on this subject when I get to the portion of this Final Review entitled "The Numbers", as well as in the "On-Course" section. Meanwhile, here are a couple of "beauty shots" of the irons in my bag (taken yesterday), as well as a couple different views of the 7-iron: Aesthetics: (9 out of 10) As you can see from the photos above, and as you'll see in other photos which will follow, the Paradym Irons are certainly a thing of beauty. I am not a fan of colors (other than black) in the cavity or on badging on golf irons, and that is where my one point deduction came from here. However, they are good-looking clubs, and the blue section plus the three-section badging on the back of these irons would not prevent me from continuing to play the Paradym Irons. I have played a variety of different Tour Edge Exotics "Player's Distance" irons, as well as Cobra's latest version of the King Forged Tec X irons in recent years, and I find those irons to have a slightly "cleaner" look, but the Forged Tec X irons are far too bulky and have more offset and a thicker topline than I prefer. But, to be fair, the Forged Tec X is more of a direct competitor to the Paradym X model, so that's not a true "apples-to-apples" comparison! Here's a few more views of the Paradym 7-iron behind the ball in my front yard's "rough", plus one without a ball from the top, and one showing the sole width; I think you'll agree that these have a contemporary "player's distance profile": The sound from these irons is a solid "THWACK" when you strike the ball cleanly, and the feel is quite soft (not as soft as my Tour Edge Exotics C721s or some PXG irons that I have had the opportunity to hit, but very nice, nonetheless). When you miss the sweet spot by any significant amount, you'll certainly feel that you have missed it, particularly on thin (or even slightly thin) shots, but to me this is what irons are supposed to do! You shouldn't feel that you have hit a perfect shot when clearly you have not hit one. I didn't feel in any way that the differences in feel from well-struck to poorly-struck shots affected my performance; in fact, I think that this helped me to hit (or strive to hit) better golf shots. The Numbers: (8 out of 10) I played these Paradym Irons in a real variety of playing conditions, in 35* F. and in 86* F. temperatures, in little to no wind, and in 25-35 MPH winds with gusts of more than 40 MPH. Thus, I had ample opportunities to hit a variety of shot types, including lots of punches and knock-down shots into those strong wind gusts. On one of my bad driving days, I decided to play nothing but irons on the back nine, and I teed-off with the Paradym 5-iron on all par-5 and par-4 holes, plus one 189 yard par-3. Therefore, I have lots of data to go by in on-course playing conditions, which I will discuss in this section. Before I get to that discussion, just a few words about the data that I collected from my indoor and outdoor launch monitor sessions - I found trajectory with these irons (I have the Project X HZRDUS Gen 4 Silver 75-S shafts in mine) to be high, and I can stop shots on most greens with no problem. I did encounter some rock-hard greens on two courses that I played during this testing period, and no shot, even one that reaches a 120-foot apex as mine do, will stop quickly on those types of greens! Spin rates with the Paradym Irons is a bit lower than I would expect (I generally expect to see backspin numbers within 85-90% of 1000 x the iron number for today's stronger-lofted irons; in other words, a 7-iron should generate about 6,000 RPM of spin, a 5-iron close to 4,000 RPM, and a PW about 8,500-9,000 RPM). These Paradym Irons were falling short of those numbers by about 500 RPM in each club. Distance is VERY good with these irons, and that actually created a dilemma for me that took most of the testing period to sort-out. If you have read my in-progress reviews and reports throughout the testing period, you'll notice that I have hit many iron shots over greens or to the back of greens with front pin positions with these irons. I adjusted as I went along, but still had the occasional "flyer" or unusually-long iron shot, right up through this past week. Here's the most recent example from just a few days ago: On a 185-yard+ par 3 hole, I pulled the 6-iron because I know that over the green on this hole is the worst possible place to be. We had no significant wind behind us or into us, and yet I still hit the ball close to 10 yards over the back of the green. I just DO NOT hit 190+ yard 6-irons unless there is LOTS of wind behind us. This shot was an extremely well-struck 6-iron, but still I shouldn't have hit it 195 yards in the air! This alone is the reason that the Paradym Irons didn't get a 10 of 10 from me in this category. Control (other than occasional distance control issues), is great with the Paradyms, and workability is OK -- but workability isn't really something that you should expect in great abundance with this type of iron design. I discussed forgiveness earlier in this Final Review; just a quick recap: You aren't going to get a lot of forgiveness when you miss the sweet spot by a significant amount; however, the Paradym Irons are plenty forgiving on small misses. Here's a chart that I put together that compares the Paradyms in terms of loft and distance vs. the two iron models that I have played most recently prior to receiving these irons for testing early last month: IRON LOFTS AND DISTANCES Callaway Paradym Cobra Forged Tec X T. E. Exotics C721 5-iron 23* - 180 to 188 yds. 21* - N/A 23* - 170 to 178 yds. 6-iron 26* - 165 to 175 yds. 24* - 170 to 175 yds. 26.5* - 160 to 165 yds. 7-iron 29* - 152 to 158 yds. 27* - 155 to 163 yds. 30* - 148 to 153 yds. 8-iron 33* - 138 to 145 yds. 31.5* - 140 to 148 yds. 34* - 132 to 140 yds. 9-iron 37* - 122 to 130 yds. 36.5* - 122 to 128 yds. 39* - 115 to 122 yds. PW 42* - 114 to 120 yds. 42* - 112 to 118 yds. 44* -107 to 112 yds. AW 47* - 103 to 110 yds. 48* - 100 to 108 yds. 49* - 98 to 105 yds. On-Course: (20 out of 20) I am not sure whether the 2 points that I deducted in "The Numbers" should have been deducted there or here, but I am not going to double-ding these irons, because the performance that I got from them was generally excellent. In the areas such as performance under pressure, and being able to execute shots when they counted most, these irons were stellar -- in fact, this was probably their strongest suit! I was happy with my ability to hit approach shots close to some difficult pins and win several closest-to-pin prizes on my recent Myrtle Beach trip. I have also been able to pull-off some remarkable approach shots in my two-man better ball tournament, where I shot 78 and in my travel golf leagues. The shots that I flew past pins or over greens were already factored in when I dinged the Paradym Irons by two points above; otherwise, they have been remarkably-good performers! Did they help improve my scores? Does a 16.8 handicap drop to a 15.0 and does that golfer shoot three scores of 78 - 84 within a 6-week period? I think the fact that I can answer "yes" to both of those questions says it all here. The Good, the Bad, and the In-between: (18 out of 20) I've posted a lot about the good (distance, sound and feel, plus generally great looks), and a little about what I find at least mildly annoying (busy looks in the three-section "badge" on the back of the irons, and to me the blue color accent looks a bit "tacky"). Here's a few more factors: Good: Other golfers do notice these irons, and they ask a lot of questions about them (maybe the blue is doing it's intended job here, after all); Most others who comment on the clubs like their looks (again, maybe it's just me who doesn't like the blue and the three-piece badge) Bad: I don't know why there seem to be the occasional "flyer" from the rough, plus extra-hot shots from off the tee and on tightly-mown fairways, but it has happened to me more than it has in nearly three years when playing my two sets of irons mentioned earlier and shown in the chart embedded above in "The Numbers" section. Play It (them) or Trade It (them)?: (18 out of 20) I think that I will probably keep these irons in my bag, but I am not 100% sure, due to the factors that I have detailed above (mostly, the "flyer" issue). They generally look great, they perform well and feel fantastic (sound is very good, too!). I would rate them up there with my Tour Edge Exotics C721 irons, and they give me several more yards than the C721s, particularly in the shorter irons. One thing that I am definitely going to do now that the "official" testing period has ended is bend the lie angles another 1/2* to 1* flatter (they came at 1/2* flat, but since almost all of my misses seem to be left with the Paradym Irons, it looks like they need to be flattened a bit more). I think that the standard version of the Paradym Irons, as I have been testing, are best-suited for good ball-strikers. However, this is not to say that a low to mid-teens handicapper cannot have great success with these irons, as I am living proof. Conclusion: If you read nothing else here (and I know MGS fanatics too well to think that you will just jump to the conclusion, but still there may be a few who do that), know this: The Paradym Irons are terrific clubs; they perform exceptionally well, look pretty darned good (some say that they are "beautiful"), sound and feel great, and should appeal to better golfers -- maybe not scratch guys like chisag, but very good golfers would probably do exceedingly well with these irons in their bags! Final Score: 92 out of 100 Those who know me, who have had me as a professor at Drexel University or an instructor at NYU, or who were ever graded by me in the hundreds of clubmaking and clubfitting classes that I have taught as a Golfsmith instructor, will know that 92 out of 100 is a pretty danged good grade from me. These are solid irons and getting a 92 from me means that they are in the top 10% of all irons, which makes them a great choice for you decent ball-strikers! POST-REVIEW UPDATE: After playing the Paradym Irons exclusively for more than six weeks, and more than 19 total rounds of golf (fifteen 18-hole rounds, and at least eight 9-hole rounds), I thought that I would put my Cobra King Forged Tec X irons back in my bag on Monday, and see if my iron play would be just as good with those irons -- it wasn't! I hit some good shots with the Cobras, but excellent contact didn't feel nearly as good as with the Paradyms. In addition, my distances were just a bit "off" with the Cobras .... mostly short of expectations by about 5-10 yards. I started trying to hit the ball harder, which certainly did give me some longer carry distances, but virtually every one of these shots was a dead-pull. Back in my bag went the Paradym Irons for my travel league match (18 holes) yesterday. The feel was SOOOOOO much better than with the Cobras, and for the most part I got the carry distances that I expected with every iron, with one exception (more about that in just a minute). In addition, chipping with everything from the 8i through the AW was superb with these irons, where chipping has never been the Cobra Forger Tec X irons' strong suit! Now, for that one exception: I pulled the 7-iron for my tee shot on a par-3 hole that was slightly uphill and had a pin in the rear third of the green and tucked behind a bunker. We calculated that it was 155 - 157 yards to the center of the green and my playing partner shot the flag at 168 yards (remember, it was also slightly uphill). There is a pond to the right of that bunker, but it ends at the front third of the green, so it is only about 148 - 152 yards to carry the pond (only about four paces or 12 feet from the putting surface). The green slopes right-to-left, especially in the rear half of the green, so if you carry the right-hand bunker your ball will roll toward the center of the green. I hit a really solid tee shot that carried over this front/greenside bunker quite easily and was thinking "that shot is going to end up close to the hole". We never found my ball, and my teammate/playing partner first said, "It must have taken a crazy bounce into the pond". We didn't see a ball at the edge of the pond, and the water gets murky/muddy about 3 or 4 feet from the edge. Finally, we came to the conclusion that I probably did hit the green but bounced off the back into the really bad "junk" (swampy, reed-filled marshland behind the green), so I took my penalty drop back there and scrambled to an up-and-down bogey. Other than the mysterious 7-iron shot described above, where my ball was never found, I got exactly what I expected with the Paradyms yesterday, hitting the first two greens (long par-4 that calls for a layup shot off the tee because of a water hazard all the way across the fairway at 220-230 yards off the tee that requires a 285+ yard carry at a minimum to reach the other side, and a 508-yard par-5) with my 5-iron on both holes. These two shots were both between 188-194 yards, and I was pin-high on hole #1 and about 30' short with a slightly uphill putt on hole #2. I hit approach shots where I was planning on putting them, in other words below the hole for uphill putts, on almost every hole, and only missed 2 or 3 greens (and not by much) other than the lost ball on that par-3 that I described in the paragraph above. Yes, the Paradym Irons are now staying in my bag! I HAVE FIGURED OUT THE "HOT DISTANCE" ISSUE! Watching this video, I came to the realization that all of the "super hot" distances that I have been getting with the Paradym Irons came from shots where I was hitting the ball dead out of the middle of the face -- If you watch until near the end of this video, you will see the differences between hitting the ball slightly off-center (heel and toe), massively off-center (heel and toe) and absolutely dead-center on the face. The tester hit thin shots and shots that were slightly thin, in addition to the heel and toe shots and the dead-center hit(s), all with a Paradym 6-iron, and the balls hit dead-center with a square face went 12 yards farther than his average of "otherwise good" shots, and up to 23 yards longer than the average toe hits. It is clear to me that those "hot" and "flyer" shots that I was hitting must have been absolutely pure strikes in the center of the sweet spot, because this is almost exactly what I was seeing. He also hit shots with a clubhead speed in the low-mid 80s, which is exactly my clubhead speed range with a middle iron, as well as shots with his normal 95 MPH 6-iron speed, and the shots hit at 82 to 84.9 MPH with that Paradym 6-iron almost identically matched my experiences with these irons. Mystery solved! 2nd POST-REVIEW UPDATE: Last Thursday, I played another travel league match using the Paradym irons, and last night I played nine holes in my regular Monday evening recreational league. Results were mixed -- fantastic results last Thursday, including several shots that I stuck really close to the pins (within 8-10 feet), helping me to shoot a net 68 (with my 15 handicap, that's a rarity in itself), and more importantly to beat my opponent handily by a score of 3-0. I won both nines by 3 holes and beat an opponent that I was giving 6 strokes. Last night was quite a different story, and I knew that it would be after hitting less than 10 balls from my small bucket while warming up on the range. I was hitting the ball all over the clubfaces -- high, low, toe and even a heelward shot (not a shank, but about 1/2' to 3/4" toward the hosel from the center of the face). I am going to chalk this up to the fact that I did a pretty extensive workout yesterday and no matter how much post-workout and pre-round stretching I did, I felt very "tight". Note to self: This has happened twice now, so other than stretching no more workouts on golf days! I still love the Paradym irons, and even contacted Callaway Golf and had them build me a custom Paradym X 4-iron to go with the 5-AW set of Paradyms.

Introduction (4/5/23): First off, I would like to thank My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf for the opportunity to be a tester for the Paradym Irons. This was a great opportunity and I hope to provide some helpful testing results to all my fellow forum members. I am known as Javs on the site. I selected this because my last active duty assignment overseas was Task Force Javelins. My professional life was 42 years combined service in the military. Of that, 27 years were active duty. My active duty career ended when I was wounded in action in Iraq. However, I was extremely lucky and was offered a government civilian position as a Deputy Operations Officer for a training command. After spending 15 years in that very rewarding position I decided to fully retire. My professional life provided the opportunity to travel around the globe and experience things one only dreams of as a kid. Those years were some of the best and at times some of the worst, but almost always exciting and new. Currently my wife and I reside in Georgetown, Texas. We live in a 55 plus retirement community. This place is an adult candy-land! We are a golf cart friendly community. Soon this resort will be sporting its 4th gym and each of them has an indoor and outdoor pool. Additionally, there are walking trails, more clubs and activities that prevent even the most active person from ever getting bored. However, my personal favorite part is the three golf courses and all the new golfing friends! Golf Background: My first exposure to this great game of golf was as a young 8 year old. I started as a caddie for my Dad. He is the one who taught me the game and all the rules coupled with proper etiquette. At 13, I started caddying at a local country club and making decent money for a kid. In high school, I played on the golf team and we won our conference championship. I started on varsity all 4 years. I played decent competitive junior golf. Had the opportunity for a few golf scholarships, but chose to enlist in the military. When I joined the military playing golf was often placed on the shelf. I did have an opportunity a few times of playing in the all armed forces tournaments. While I would make the cut, I never could beat those Air Force guys that seemed to play for a living! After retiring last May, golf is a higher priority and the love for the game has returned. Due to lack of play my handicap index was a 12 when we first moved here. Now I am a 5 index; however, (depending on the tees we play) my course handicap is lower. I have played on the VGA, our Men’s Club Events and play at least four times a week here. I am very competitive and really enjoy our local group money games. My goal for the next few years is to get my handicap to a plus and win the club championship. As someone pretty serious about their game, I can also be labeled a golf and equipment junkie. A caveat here is: I have been loyal and attached to PXG since their beginning. The main reason I was attracted to PXG was the Hero’s Program. I can get all their clubs, balls, clothes and accessories at very reasonable prices. A look at my current irons: Testing and Fitting: While researching and testing the Callaway Paradym my approach was a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. Let’s call it a possible paradigm shift in my equipment. I approached this testing with a complete open mind. If these perform as advertised they can make it into the bag. That said, the bar was high to replace my PXG irons. So, my testing parameters were to compare and contrast the Callaway Paradym’s against my PXG Gen 5 P’s. For the fitting, I submitted my fitting specs from my most recent PXG iron fitting. I am requesting 2 degrees flat cut down 1/4 inch. True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 shafts in stiff. Topped off with Golf Pride Multi-compound grips. I was extremely excited to conduct this test. The Callaway site states: “Paradym Irons combine our A.I. Designed Forged 455 Face with the all-new Speed Frame. They’re designed for golfers who are looking for a players’ distance iron with a refined shape and premium forging”. Hey, that’s me! Their other claim: “Industry-leading A.I. face technology is applied to a high-strength Forged 455 face, creating our most powerful forged iron face ever. Each face is uniquely optimized for more speed, higher launch, and increased spin consistency”. Well that is a big claim! However, I did notice that the lofts in these irons are crazy strong! #5 23°, 6 26°, 7 29°, 8 33°, 9 37°, PW 42°, AW 47°, GW 52°. How can they not be longer? But can they be more accurate? So, to sum this up we had huge expectations for these Callaway Paradym player’s distance irons. Did they meet the hype???? Stay tuned sports fans because we are going to find out! Unpacking and Appearance First Impressions (4/12/2023): So, while packing for an upcoming trip an unexpected ring of the door bell. Well it seems Santa came early! First Impressions Grade (20 out of 20): I can’t believe that our custom orders arrived so quickly. This is bonus points when a company gets your custom ordered new sticks to you in less than a week. Thank you My Golf Spy and Callaway Golf! All packing stopped and let the unpacking begin. I must say that Callaway packed the clubs nice and secure for the journey. I appreciated not only the normal packing list, but they added a certified card verifying the custom fitting requirements. This gives you the warm and fuzzy that these sticks are made for you! So, how do they look out of the box? Callaway states: “INTRODUCING PARADYM IRONS A FIRST IN FORGING Our Paradym Irons combine our A.I. Designed Forged 455 Face with the all-new Speed Frame. They’re designed for golfers who are looking for a players’ distance iron with a refined shape and premium forging”. Well there it is stamped “Forged 455”. Callaway further explains: “Industry-leading A.I. face technology is applied to a high-strength Forged 455 face, creating our most powerful forged iron face ever. Each face is uniquely optimized for more speed, higher launch, and increased spin consistency”. To me that means the face is forged using some really advanced technology. The result should be a thin face that rockets the ball higher and longer. Here a look at the face. Next, Callaway adds: “The all-new Hollow Body design features Speed Frame construction for added stiffness to the body and support for the high-strength Forged 455 Face Cup”. They further explain the design with: “Up to 67g of external and internal tungsten weights are placed precisely to enhance launch conditions and improve speed on mishits. This increase in forgiveness is the difference between hitting the green and coming up short”. Basically, these are players distance clubs and they are designed for speed. Lastly Callaway claims: “The Paradym iron features a players look in a forgiving package. A pre-worn leading edge is designed to cut through the turf more efficiently for even more forgiveness”. There they are: 5 iron to A wedge. The build: Golf Pride New Decade Grips True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 Shafts. Let’s get a look at these next to my PXG Gen 5 P’s to see the slight appearance differences. My first impression is these clubs look great. They are different than what I am used to looking down at address. However, still a nice looking club. Looking down the PXG top line seemed slightly thinner. The Paradym irons were shinny compared to the more matted PXG metal. Some people might not like the chrome look; however, I got used to the shinny appearance and did not find it a distraction in the bright sun. The Paradym irons have a more rounded and slightly shorter face. Some quick measurement comparisons: The length of the Paradym sole was 3.75 inches compared to 4 inches for PXG Gen 5 P. However, both irons were 1 inch wide on the sole. From the top of the toe to the sole both faces were 2.25 inches. Paradym came in at 3.25 inches for the face from toe to hosel. The PXG measured slightly longer across the face. Additionally, the Paradym irons even cut down .25 inch are still .25 longer than the PXG’s. Aesthetics Grade (9 out of 10): I deducted one point on aesthetics due to personal preference. I prefer the matted PXG metal over the shinny chrome appearance. Additionally, I like a thin top line. However, I was able to easily get used to the look of the Paradym's. Callaway states that the Paradym irons are: “designed for golfers who are looking for a players’ distance iron with a refined shape and premium forging”. My first impression is that these clubs are screaming to be hit long! As I offered in the introduction, the lofts in the test irons are crazy strong! #5 23°, 6 26°, 7 29°, 8 33°, 9 37°, PW 42°, AW 47°. How can they not be longer? But can they be more accurate? Next up will be my first impressions in a practice setting at the range. I plan to compare and contrast next to my PXG’s. I ordered a Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor to assist with the data. I returned from my trip and the real fun was about to begin! Practice and Testing Session (4/28/23): Setting up the first practice and testing session. Used a Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor and laser range finder with slope to assist with the data. The conditions were mid-70’s and very windy. The turf was soft and wet from days of rain. The negative factor was that I was using range balls of various quality. For the testing portion I hit balls using my PXG Gen 5 P irons against the Callaway Paradym irons. The clubs used were: GW-AW, PW, 8i and 7i. After several testing sessions the final results were: The PXG Gen 5 P GW 49 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 105 yards with a long of 117 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 96 percent. The Callaway Paradym iron AW 47 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 119 yards with a long of 128 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 91 percent. Miss tendency was to the left. Assessment: Callaway Paradym AW was longer on average by 14 yards. However, lagged behind the PXG Gen 5 P in 5 percent accuracy. However, this was offset during a drill I conducted (12 balls to a target at 88 yards hitting half shots choked down on the club). Once dialed in, I found the Callaway AW easy to hit low, high and at the target. Distance was easy to control. Turf interaction was smooth. Caveat it took a little time to dial in the Callaway Paradym irons. The PW’s from both sets showed similar results. The PXG Gen 5 P 44 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 126 yards with a long of 133 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 95 percent. The Callaway Paradym PW 42 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 134 yards with a long of 142 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 90 percent. Miss tendency was again to the left. Assessment: Callaway Paradym AW was longer on average by 8 yards. However, lagged behind the PXG Gen 5 P in 5 percent accuracy. Caveat: the Callaway Paradym irons were stronger by 2 degrees and equaled my PXG Gen 5 P 9i in distance. The 8i test from both sets: PXG Gen 5 P 34 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 145 yards with a long of 162 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 89 percent. Callaway Paradym 33 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 161 yards with a long of 173 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 86 percent. Miss tendency was again left. I found it easier to move the Callaway Paradym with a slight draw. Again turf interaction was very good. Assessment: Callaway Paradym 8i was longer on average by 16 yards and only slightly lagged behind the PXG Gen 5 P in accuracy. Caveat: this is where the range balls started to influence the data. A normal 8i under game conditions with my normal ball is 156. So, I expect the Callaway clubs to be longer on the course. Two Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor videos. First is the data on the PXG Gen 5 P 8 iron and second video shows the Callaway Paradym 8 iron. The data can be taken with a grain of salt because of the range balls. The important take away is the same relative launch angle and the Callaway was longer by 21 yards! IMG_1437.MOV IMG_1438.MOV The 7i test from both sets: PXG Gen 5 P 30 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 156 yards with a long of 173 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 88 percent. Callaway Paradym 29 degrees with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Stiff Shaft 2 degrees flat. Average distance 163 yards with a long of 181 yards. Shot shape was straight and accuracy of 86 percent. Miss tendency was again left. The Callaway Paradym 7i was easy to work and had good turf interaction. This was good since the ground was wet and soft. Assessment: Callaway Paradym 7i was longer on average by 7 yards. However, again only slightly lagged behind the PXG Gen 5 P in accuracy. Caveat: with only 1 degree difference in loft the Callaway showed a large distance advantage. Practice summary: The Callaway Paradym irons in the testing phase were between 7 and 21 yards longer than the PXG Gen 5 P irons. The Callaway Paradym irons like to fly straight or with a slight draw. The Numbers Grade (9 out of 10): I deducted one point on the slight accuracy difference between the Callaway Paradym irons and the PXG Gen 5 P irons. However, did fall behind the PXG irons slightly overall accuracy. This can be contributed to familiarity with the PXG irons. On-Course Feedback and Performance Grade (19 out of 20): If you have been following along with my updates and feedback from each round then you already have this information in your hip pocket. I scored them 19 out of 20 because at times I had trouble with flying greens on well struck shots. However, it was time to take these beauties out for the real deal. Could they perform on the course and earn a spot in my bag???? It was time to get into the meat and potatoes of these clubs. Real pressure and shots that count using my Titleist Left Dash golf balls. I used the Callaway Paradym irons in a number of non-competitive and competitive rounds. The results were that each round was like a living highlight reel! On average the Callaway Paradym irons under game conditions were 10 to 31 yards longer than my PXG Gen 5 P irons. The accuracy improved with each round. I only shot two rounds that I would consider bad, but it was never attributed to the iron play. I had several competitive rounds that were stellar. I used these irons in a local tournament and I tied for 3rd in the first flight. Some of the most impressive results: First on course iron shot a 128 yard AW to 5 feet! A 178 yard 7 iron from the rough into the wind flew and dropped in at 10 feet. A Par 5 playing 546 hit a drive 336 and a 6 iron the rest of the way to 18 feet to make eagle! Won a closest to the pin with a 149 yard 9 iron to 18 inches. It actually hit the pin! The shot below was a 189 yard 7 iron hooked around a tree and into a cross wind to 13 feet. The Good, the Bad, the In-between Grade (18 out of 20): On the course I found the Callaway Paradym irons were extremely long and sometimes too hot. Turf interaction was crisp, easy and smooth. The sound of the clubs is a medium form of click. The mishits on the toe are somewhat duller. Mishit shots do not loose much if any distance and do not go screaming off line. I found the misses to be more forgiving in the Paradym irons than my PXG's. While designed to be a players distance iron, they can be worked both ways and flighted down. However, I found they prefer to fly with a slight draw. I had to work to cut the ball with these irons. I scored them 18 out of 20. This was attributed to at times having trouble with distance control and flying greens on well struck shots. This was coupled with the fact that these may not be the clubs for someone that likes to work the ball on every shot. Play it or Trade it Grade (20 out of 20): The Callaway Paradym irons have earned a permanent spot in the bag for at least the remainder of the year. The distance gained and only slight loss in accuracy have proved to be a game changer. Hitting 7 irons to tucked pins from 173 to 189 was unheard of for me prior to having these clubs! Conclusion and Final Grade (96 out of 100): While researching and testing the Callaway Paradym my approach was a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. Let’s call it a possible paradigm shift in my equipment. I approached this testing with a complete open mind. If these perform as advertised they could make it into my bag. That said, the bar was high to replace my PXG irons. I found the distance gained from the Callaway Paradym irons to be phenomenal. It cannot be overstated how long these irons fly. The Callaway Paradym irons in the testing phase were between 7 and 21 yards longer than the PXG Gen 5 P irons. These Callaway Paradym irons like to fly straight or with a slight draw. On the course each round was like a living highlight reel! On average the Callaway Paradym irons under game conditions were 10 to 31 yards longer than my PXG Gen 5 P irons. The accuracy improved with each round. Callaway explains the technology as: “Industry-leading A.I. face technology is applied to a high-strength Forged 455 face, creating our most powerful forged iron face ever. Each face is uniquely optimized for more speed, higher launch, and increased spin consistency”. To me that means the face is forged using some really advanced technology. The result should be a thin face that rockets the ball higher and longer. However, while I found the ball jumped off the face, it did not balloon and actually flew more penetrating than I anticipated. Next, Callaway adds: “The all-new Hollow Body design features Speed Frame construction for added stiffness to the body and support for the high-strength Forged 455 Face Cup”. They further explain the design with: “Up to 67g of external and internal tungsten weights are placed precisely to enhance launch conditions and improve speed on mishits. This increase in forgiveness is the difference between hitting the green and coming up short”. Basically, these are players distance clubs and they are designed for speed and hidden forgiveness. The Callaway Paradym irons are for a low to medium handicap looking for an easy to hit players distance iron. These irons are as Callaway states: “designed for golfers who are looking for a players’ distance iron with a refined shape and premium forging”. My final impression is that these clubs have my highest recommendation and are screaming to be hit long!

Hey all! I am pretty excited to announce that we will start to see review recaps of the member testing on the main site! The Forum Staff are all working on doing writeups for the main site using quotes and photos which you as testers have provided in your reviews. The first one is scheduled to release tomorrow... so stay tuned to mygolfspy.com to see and read it. We are also linking in everyones reviews to hopefully get all of you some more attention in your reviews. This will take some time to get all of them done and we will do our best to write recaps for all, but cant guarantee all will be published, however I think this is great for us to see happen and the addition of having your words written on the main site should be a cool added perk to member testing!

Actually Make that All Great Things-- After almost 4 years of serving as Moderator, Forum Director and Staff Admin. It's unfortunately come time that I need to re prioritize my time commitments. I'm stepping away from my day to day activities/duties of Forum Director and taking on more of advisory role and doing some odds and ends things to help out the moderators and of course @GolfSpy_THV and @GolfSpy MPR as they continue to lead the forum. I've taken on the responsibility of overseeing another course in our portfolio and it's going to require a lot more of my time and attention. As such I won't have the time needed to properly serve as a day to day Staff Admin. You'll still see me around doing some things here and there like running the final two Majors Contests Pools. Posting any newsworthy releases I get from the OEM's and of course just posting my usual club buying and testing adventures. I'm not going away, I promise you that. The staff is in good hands now with THV and MPR and the new additions of @GolfSpy_TCG and @GolfSpy_CS I'll just be watching from the practice squad ready to fill in if needed and available. As I've said, many times over the years, this forum is so great because of the members, you guys made this job easy. We have had to do so little moderating that it allows us to do other cool fun things and not have to worry about what's being posted where. That is so unusual in this day and age of forums. Lastly, I have to give a huge thank you to @GolfSpy Barbajo @hckymeyer and @GolfSpy_X for giving me this opportunity several years ago, and for supporting the Admin staff in everything we do, in more ways than you guys will ever know. Adam is an awesome owner, and Barbs is one the best and most professional dudes I've ever had the chance to "work" with if you call this work! Now, I've got a new update to my driver challenge to post soon, so as Miranda would say "We Out!"

Looks like the golf balls will be arriving soon for many of our many many testers! @PJVicary @BKervin @warrenator8 @CLenahan @JeremyD @Fred Mitchell @GolfSub70 @fixyurdivot @GolfSpy_APH @scotter032 @TheProfessor02 @Ben Joest @Getoffmylawn @Jnoble89 @Zman56 @Schobel0804 @ArizonaLogan @dlm @gingerbeast87 @golfinnut @HikingMike @GolfSpy_BNG @rkj427 @Javs @CFreddie @azstu324 @MyCatsMom @SpanishHands @vandyland @Randall Robbins @Parshooter36 @funkyjudge @Tom the Golf Nut @jbern @Preeway @GolfSpy BOS @Woodrow72 @RockerFCC @Hook DeLoft @jdparker @Cshane12 @RoverRick @Rob Person @tdroma98 @ZMendle10 @2puttbogey @J7Hawkins @Shlax @DukeStKing @glenmore5 @DonnieGolfs @Prodigal Duffer @Emag315 @tbarnes80 @EugeGall @Contron @TJ Hall @d0m41n @Cfhandyman @DMcA @ZoonORama @MichaelC_81 @Matumbo @Leonvdwesthuizen @JackBurtonsPorkchopExpress @Slater @buckpillar @MH15 @RonnieB @GolfSpy SAM @snoopy79 @NubianRugby @JohnH1 @Alf. S @sglj3 @RjGolf4Life @brogies @ClarkWGriswoldIII @Peejer @CK1over @taylorjonasher @ctg44 @jj1010 @Lacassem Okay that is a lot of names to tag... my fingers are sore. Be sure to check into this thread to see all the updates as tester get their white back from Titleist and read their experiences! Ask questions and lets have some fun with this!

Testers Announced! We are very excited to announce our 4 testers for the Takomo Iron series! With over 4000 applicants this was not an easy one to narrow down and we are happy to introduce the following testers! Testing the 101t Series @ZackS Review @KC Golf Review @DukeStKing Review Testing the 301 CB @TylorJudd Review Testing the 301 MB @Jim Shaw Review Special Tester for this group we have our own @GolfSpy_BNG to test the 101t series as well! Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

[L.A.B. Golf Link 1 Review] – Official MGS Forum FINAL Review by [Syks7/Jonathan Gilliam] TLDR/Synopsis: I was really excited for this test and the Link did not disappoint. I rolled and absurd number of putts over the last three months. The short and skinny from all that putting is that the tech is legit. It is probably even more legit with the more forgiving L.A.B. models, but the Link.1 performs every bit as well as it’s more interestingly shaped siblings. I put it through its paces running three tests and collecting a ton of data -- some of which I’m still sorting through, interpreting, and figuring out how to present in a cohesive way. In almost every case in those tests the Link outperformed the other two putters I tested it against. Sometimes it was by an absurd margin, sometimes it was by a little, but it always did well. I think it only came in third a single time in one metric of one session of a test. It was that good. If you read nothing else in this review know that I highly recommend the Link.1. If you want to find out why join me down in the weeds for the rest of the review. If you are feeling crazy you can join me so far into the weeds that you’ll need a hatchet by clicking on the cross post links in the review. One last thing. Several other testers have covered the fitting in detail and I don’t disagree with their assessment so I’ll not rehash their reviews info. The only thing I will say is that it was excellent. INTRO About me I'm a 40 year old architect in Southern California and as of this moment am currently a 11.7 handicap. (Down now to 10.9 in large part because of the Link) I have a 3.5 year old little girl, two dogs, and a wonderful wife who tolerates my love of the game. I am, to put it simply, completely obsessed with every aspect of Golf. Its all I really want to talk about outside of my family and my profession and I spend an inordinate amount of time either researching golf related items, hitting golf balls, or thinking about how to improve my game. Its to the point that I'm loosely planning to get some sort of club building and or fitting certification when I get to retirement (or before) and build clubs to keep myself busy/get my fix. I gravitate toward any information that can teach me more about the game whether its on the equipment or playing side. I also love testing/tweaking/rebuilding new or new to me equipment and I often can be found perusing used club bins for the 'next' thing to try out. I love trying to figure out why a particular wedge or club built to my spec works better than another and my garage is starting to look suspiciously like I'm running a used wedge operation -- even after culling the herd a bit. This test will be right up my alley and I have a small fleet of putters of varying toe hangs and balances that will be fun to compare to one of the LAB putters. About my game I took a series of lessons last year and my improvements come in bursts forward followed by frustrating stumbles backwards. It's been both rewarding and frustrating but I've learned a ton about every aspect of my swing along the way. I still text my instructor every now and then and joke that he should keep charging me when I discover something new in the very simple drill he had me do repeatedly. I'm coming off a big regression (at least I hope so) and I'm still working my way to break 80 (Did it!) and crack into single digits (maybe). The ability is there but I have to get over a mental hump to do it. I'm curious as to whether a LAB putter will help with enough strokes to get me there (it has), but to be honest if it helps me feel more confident standing over a 6 footer to save par (it did) that's almost as good as holing putts. Final Testing Methodology Testing evolved along the way, but I ended up running three tests where I did my best to eliminate random variables to see how well the tech performed. I think I was reasonably successful. I chose not to tally results along the way and just focused on collecting the data. I was trying not to be influenced by the results, but it was hard not to notice the performance of the Link.1 along the way. Even then, it was a bit of a surprise how much of a runaway it was for the Link.1 when I started to sort through the data. The Link.1 was just better than the other two putters I put up against it -- The Bettinardi Innovai 6.0 CTR & Yes! Callie. Both solid premium putters. Unboxing For simplicity’s sake I just recorded me opening the box. While I did not injure myself, my sharp object safety appears to have gone out the window in favor of excitement. Do not draw sharp objects toward yourself. No frills in the unboxing. A putter, a card telling you not to mess with the weights, and a head cover. First Impressions & Aesthetics 10/10 Link.1 is pretty. The shape, satin finish, milling, and graphics are just flat out sharp. Even the custom alignment options blend well into the form. Its a very nicely designed piece of equipment and everything on the putter, aside from very subtle badging, has a purpose. There’s pretty much zero fat to trim. Even the hosel, which I originally was on the fence about has turned out to be highly functional for me. If I align the top of it with the sight line the putter sits is perfectly flat on its sole – meaning that I’m perfectly at the lie angle that I was fitted for. Which also means that the putter is sitting exactly at the lie it’s balanced for. That said I think the hosel is going to be love hate for some people. First Impressions -- General & First Putts A couple hours out of the box there's a couple things I've noticed. It would seem pretty obvious given the name and the methodology of the company (L.ie A.ngle B.alance) but the putter is exceptionally well balanced. It feels nice and light in hand during a stroke even though its clearly quite beefy when you're just carrying it. True to my conversation with Sam Hahn (about the brain measuring torque as swing weight) it feels heavier outside of it's balance point. Update to this point: If you can feel the balance, it’s a great way to check that you’ve properly soled the putter. There’s been more than a few putts I’ve stopped mid backswing because the stability feels off. I’ve even integrated a kind of rhythmic pendulum swing in my pre-putt routine to get the right feel before I take an actual stroke. I ordered this putter with the simple rubber grip. It’s nicely detailed and feels good, but I'm still not a huge fan. In the end I swapped it out for my preferred Lamkin Skinny Pistol. It’s not worth deducting points from the review but one of my few constructive criticisms would be that I’d like to see L.A.B. potentially add an option for grips outside their own stable to the custom build list. My initial feelings after the first few putts was one of promise and that feeling hasn’t gone away as I’ve gone along. It was stable out of the box and is stable now. I liked the feel off the face though it does have a somewhat harsher feel to me than the other two putters. In regards to sound I only tend to notice the sound off the face when sounds get tingy or sound off. Link does neither and has a nice muted thwock sound that’s neither clicky nor tingy. If I wasn’t doing this review, I would not have noticed it at all. One final thought: Its hard to tell from photos, but this is a pretty wide (toe to heel) blade It doesn't look like it when you're holding it, but it's quite a bit wider than everything in my stable. Its as wide or more than my old TM Spyder spaceship putter and makes the older Spyder, Callie, and Innovai look positively svelte in comparison. Additional unboxing first images here. First impressions after first grass session. First Session The numbers 10/10 As I mentioned before the Link was just better than the other putters. This is true in all three of the tests I ran and in my on course metrics which I’ll discuss in the next session. I’m going to talk through the relevant data for each of the tests. This is the cliff notes version. I’ll post the details and more data in another post at this Link. along with some other interesting things I’ve picked up from the data that aren’t as relevant to this test. Test 1: 5’ Indoors on a Birdie Ball Mat. I rolled 168 putts with each putter over four weeks one 21 ball shag tube at a time. Link was hot out of the gate and never faltered. My worst performance with it was in week 2 when I only made 38/42. My best with it was 41/42. It was absurdly consistent every time I rolled it and my final make percentage was 94.64% which was 5% better than second place. Speaking of 2nd and third place I think they are only as close as they are because my putting stroke got so much better using Link all the time that it pulled the make percentages up for the other 2 putters in the last couple of weeks. Another thing of note was that with Link I did not have to remember a certain feel that I needed to concentrate on to make the putt. I just had to make a stroke. Test 2 Linear (Speed Dispersion) from 12’. Flat putt uphill & downhill. This was a relatively simple test taking a page from Scott Fawcett’s DECADE system. The idea being that every golfer has dispersion patterns even on the putting green. Properly accounting for that dispersion pattern by centering the pattern on the hole will make you more accurate. In this test I rolled 21 straight putts with a start line toward a rubber target hole (flat with no cup) then recorded the resulting dispersion pattern. There were two metrics that I felt were relevant to the test. Dispersion pattern length, and made(rolled over the target cup) putts. Link only faltered in the uphill dispersion length – which it only did because I fatted the last putt. It is an outlier that skewed the statistics. Despite that, Link still won the test because it made the most putts both downhill and uphill and had the smallest dispersion pattern on downhill putts. There’s more metrics to look at and discuss at this link. Test 3: Lag Dispersion from 40’. Uphill & Downhill breaking putts This was another simple test. I set up two target circles of 6’ in diameter and 3’ in diameter with a target hole in the center and lagged toward the cup from 40’ – both uphill and downhill. This one was a runaway, Link had more putts inside both 18”& 36” and had the smallest area of dispersion and the closest median distance to the hole. There’s more I’m planning to look into with the data but this was enough for the test. Numbers conclusions It’s hard to argue with the data on this. Link was more accurate from short range, very accurate with decent speed control from 12’ and highly accurate for lagging from long range. Speed is easy to control and a smooth stroke always puts the putt on line. It’s fairly apparent from looking at the data to see that Link shows a pretty pronounced and tight linear pattern through the hole – even at distance. This is particularly true when you start to dig into the data further and pull out the outliers. -- particularly if you start to remove some of the bigger outliers. I was genuinely surprised and impressed with it’s performance. It’s quite clear that this is a result of the tech of Lie Angle Balancing. I found that it made it easier to hit the center of the face with regularity and that even when I didn’t the putt stayed on line. In fact the only time I ever had trouble with the Link was when I tried to ‘guide’ a putt with my hands. Let me say that again. The only trouble I ever had with Link was when I got too handsy. It did equally well uphill, downhill, cross slope, from the fringe, and at every range. There was no reason to deduct any points. On Course 19/20 I’ll be honest, it’s hard to find fault with the putter I was rolling when I first broke 80. That said I did struggle with it on course during the initial rounds. When I first received the putter we were kneed deep into aeration season here in SoCal. The big holes… not the micropunches. The greens were slow and sandy and I had a terrible time controlling speed. I still do when the greens are slow. I think this may be the single issue I’ve encountered with the Link. IMHO it doesn’t like slow greens. Part of this is me to be sure, but part of it is that you just have to take a bigger strokes when greens are slow and its hard to remain smooth through a bigger arc on those longer lags. Any hand action you have is exacerbated in a bigger stroke and it can be hard to let the putter tech do its thing. This can be tough when you’re a player like me that can hit a green but isn’t throwing darts. Which leads me to on course experience #2. After a lot of work (and this L.A.B. Youtube video. Link) I got the speed under control and found myself with a funny problem. The ball always went where I aimed it. That wouldn’t normally be a problem, but it exposed just how poorly I was aligning and aiming. This is one of my favorite attributes of good equipment… feedback. One of the reasons I was sure the Innovai was going to be in my bag forever is that the feedback is so good that I always know why I miss when I hit a putt with it. The same is true with Link, but it goes one better in that its so good that it will tell you that there are flaws in your technique. I don’t think any of this is serious knock on Link or the rest of the L.A.B. putters but it’s something you should be aware if you decide to purchase a putter from them. It is highly important to give yourself some time to adjust. This is probably more important with Link since it is the least forgiving of the 4 current models. Now that the less positive is out of the way let’s talk about how its performing after the adjustment/break in period. My last 6 rounds have been 84,81,81,85,82,79. Prior to that my low was 83 (hot putter). I’d been going through a major regression and was entering scores that ranged from my second worst in 3 years (101) to 87. I wasn’t even coming close sniffing where I was last year. The improvement isn’t all Link, but I think it has a large part in it. To be clear, there are still three putts but those happen (a lot less) now because of poor reads instead of nervous hands. I have every putt I’ve made with the Link recorded and I will delve into the SG data eventually, but for now I’ve been focusing on a three other metrics that I think are showing a positive change in my game. The first is birdies. I know bogey and three putt avoidance is key to getting better scores but I’ve made a whole mess of birdies with the Link. I’m now on a 9 round streak of a single birdie or better for the round. To put this in context I’ve gotten to my index by making par. I rarely made birdies before. How rare. I had 4 over the previous 12 months before the Link showed up in the mail. These mostly aren’t coming from tap in range either. I have a weird affinity for 17.5 feet downhill. 4 of the recent ones have been from that distance. Once has been from beyond 30’ and the rest are in the 5-15 ft. range. It’s done wonders for my confidence on the green and overall calmness on course. I can make a mistake and know that I might be able to recover that stroke. Before I got the Link the strokes I lost were just gone and it felt like I had no margin for error. The second the 4-10 ft range. I’m making a lot more of those and this has taken a lot of pressure of my chipping/game when I’m trying to get up and down. Consequently, I stand over both the putts and the chips with much more confidence. I know I’m going to get it on the green with the chip and I know that I’ll have a chance to get up and down without having to get to tap in range. The third is lag putting. For the most part I’m pretty much assured of a two putt with the Link in the bag. My high make percentage zone around the hole has expanded enough that there’s less pressure to make a perfect lag. Anyone seeing pattern here? Having Link in the bag has taken a lot of pressure off of parts of my game that aren’t necessarily made to be leaned on. The level of added confidence is hard to quantify but suffice it to say that it allows me to play calmer (better). A typical putting day with Link. Lot's of little cleanups and a few longer ones. THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE INBETWEEN (18/20) THE GOOD The tech. The putter works as advertised and it does so while maintaining a traditional aesthetic. The more I look into how a putter is balanced to the lie angle and what the other L.A.B. models look like the more impressive the engineering that went into the Link looks. All you have to do is look at their previous blade iterations to understand why. I’d love to see how they do it, but that’s their ‘secret’ sauce. From what I can tell it took a lot of complicated calculations to figure out. The customer service. It’s a small company but they make you feel like you belong. I recognize that this is a test and we’ve had more attention than the average joe, but I do see Sam Hahn & Bill Presse respond to people personally on facebook groups. Even when they’re answering the same question for what must be the millionth time. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about other personnel and their fitting crew. THE BAD There isn’t really anything this front, but if you’re going to point a finger at anything it’s the price. It’s a premium piece of equipment and the price reflects that. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where it’s a doable purchase for me, but the younger much more broke version of me would have been up a creek without a paddle. I say this as a believer in the equipment that thinks it’s worth every penny. The only other bad would be that it’s hard to see or test one one in person. PGA superstore has them which is great if you’re near one but the closest one to me is just outside of easy to go check out range – anywhere from 40 minutes to two hours away depending on traffic (which can change at any moment). L.A.B. is a small company and I’m not expecting them to be negotiating merchandise deals with whatever golf chain dominates a particular just yet, but it would be nice to see more of them around and available to try in the future. THE IN BETWEEN I can’t stress enough that you need to give yourself time to acclimatize to the putter. It’s just different than you’re used to after playing a putter with torque since you first got into the game. I think this is particularly true of the Link where it’s not as on rails feeling as the higher MOI models. It’s balanced, but the shape and nature of the blade gives it a lower MOI than the others. I guess I’m trying to say is that I feel like it’s a lot easier to accidentally fight the tech on Link than it is with the other models I took a single stroke with @mygolfspy_sam ‘s DF 2.1 and it felt like it was on rails. The Link doesn’t quite feel like that. So give yourself some time to unlearn the hand action you’ve built into your putter stroke. This is advice echoed by a friend of mine who also delved into the L.A.B. stable on the advice of a friend of his -- by buying all four models. I was chatting with him about which one he liked best and he said that initially he didn’t get along with any of them. He had a conversation with his friend who told him exactly what I’m saying here. He needed to quiet his hands down and stop fighting the tech in the putter. The person that told him this is someone that a large percentage of golfers would accept a swing tip from. Keep that in mind. PLAY IT OR TRADE IT (20/20) If you’ve managed to read this far you probably know the answer to this section. Link is staying in the bag. I thought I was relatively consistent with the Innovai, but Link is on another level. The more I use it the better it seems to get. I haven’t had a round in the last two months where I did not roll at least one putt that resulted in me thinking “I can’t believe that went in.” While there are still some struggles (see the difference in dispersion from uphill to downhill lags) and occasional three putts my overall game on the green is in far better shape than it was before the test. Link, beyond being a great putter, has also been a killer training tool. I was never going to find out how mediocre my green reading and alignment were until I developed a consistent enough stroke to put a putt on line all the time. I’ve sort of been able to build that stroke in tandem with working on alignment and start lines because of Link’s consistency. The only thing that has the potential to knock the Link out of the bag is another product from L.A.B..... The Innovai is on the chopping block. CONCLUSION Full disclosure. While I wasn’t opposed to writing a glowing review I wasn’t quite expecting to write one like this. Any deductions I made the point total were a reflection of some minor faults I found and some trickiness in the learning curve, but it easily could have been 100/100. It was just good enough that it felt like it needed to be held to a slightly higher standard. I was familiar with the product and tech before the test and I was genuinely interested in putting it through its paces. I did my level best to remain objective and really test it right up until the point I started going through the data and it echoed what I’d been experiencing on course. Link was just better. I’d set up the tests thinking that it would be a much closer fight (and parts of the test were) but overall it was a runaway. The only portion of the testing that the Link didn’t outright win was lost in large part to me fatting the last putt in the tube. As much as I wanted to retake that putt it was more important to maintain the integrity of the test. (Sort of like when you play golf) The cool part about the way that I collected the data is that there’s additional statistics I’ll be able to pull out of it for future updates. For now, here are the points that I’ll leave you with. The looks are fantastic The tech is legit. It functions as advertised. The putter is excellent after a breaking in period. The putter is wildly consistent. Its always good without any hot and cold streaks. The more you trust in the putter – leaving thoughts about stroke at the door – the better it gets. FINAL SCORE 97/100

G’day guys, I’m Splatt, or Sean Platt if you want to get official about it (see if you can put together where my nickname came from). Firstly, I’d like to thanks MyGolfSpy and LAB golf for the opportunity to test this amazing putter. About me I’ve had an interest in golf for a long time starting back in the days of the PlayStation 1 and the early Tiger Woods video games. However, I didn’t start playing golf until relatively recently. My work held a corporate golf day and I was tasked with leading a 4-man ambrose team. Finally, I would get the chance to find out if the years of Tiger video games translated into real life, spoiler alert: They don’t! I don’t think I actually hit the ball until the 3rd hole, I lost the 2 sleeves of the company-branded golf balls I was allocated by the 7th, and I accidentally let go of the driver on the 13th, but by the end of the day golf well and truly had its hooks into me. By the next weekend, I had a set of old clubs I had borrowed from a friend and I was back playing a full 18 at my now-local club; I shot 139 and I still have the scorecard. I’m going to frame it one day so I can see how far I’ve come. My game I’ve come a long way since the days of shooting a casual 139. I’m currently a 21 handicap. I get regular lessons and my swing has improved a lot, most obviously in the last 12 months my swing with the driver has resulted in a lot more fairways. However, a glaringly obvious shortfall in my game for a long time has been putting. 3-putts have been as common in my game as water-balls, chunked chip shots, and swear words. In fact, it’s a running joke amongst my friends that whatever ball I’m using is the 3-putt variety: “What you got there? A Titleist? Must be the new Titleist 3-putt” “Using Bridgstones now? I didn’t know they did a 3-putt model” etc etc This is why when I saw MGS had a chance to test a LAB putter I jumped at the chance. Over the last 12 months my putting has improved a lot, I switched to a mallet and moved to a straighter putting arc. From all of the promos and advertising the LAB seems perfectly suited to me and what I want to get from a putter. My plans and what I need from the putter Prior to the LAB arriving, I’m going to get as much putting data from my existing putter as possible. I’ve already recorded the number of putts per round for the last few years, but I’m going to be going for some more in-depth data. Once I have the LAB in my hands, I’m sure there’ll be a bit of a teething period where I get used to it, but from there I’ll try and get some data so I can see the differences straight from the get-go. Moving forward from there, I plan on being quite regimented in testing the putting: multiple putts from varying set distances, plenty of time on my home putting matt, and as many real-life rounds as I can squeeze in. And of course, as much data as I can get. To stay in the bag after the testing period I’d want to see some improvement (putts per round dropping, less 3-putts, leaving longer putts closer ect), but more importantly I’m going to need to trust it. Arrival and unboxing The day finally arrived and my new LAB putter was delivered. I happened to have the day off and I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of the delivery man. He got about half a knock in before I ripped open the front door. Some care instructions to follow. I hadn't thought about oiling it. Might be a once a year job after the winter season: The head cover game is strong. It feels high quality and the fit is nice and tight. For the putter I went with the Mezz.1 Max in a blue finish with a white shaft. I opted for 4 arrows for the alignment rather than the standard single line. The money shots: Previously I used an Odyssey Stroke Lab Mallet. I was surprised at the size comparison between the 2. I assumed the Mezz.1 Max was going to be substantially larger than my Odyssey, but it's only slightly wider. Some comparisons: I love the colour and it only gets better outdoors and on a putting green: I'll be back in a few days with my initial thoughts. Initial thoughts WOW! Ok, that's my initial thoughts done.... More detailed initial thoughts I was stunned by how the putter looked and felt when I first took it out of the box. Let me tell you, the pictures I have above and the official promo ones from LAB don't do it justice. In real life, this is a seriously stunning looking putter. The blue has the perfect metallic shade to it that pops without being obnoxious and paired with the white Accra shaft is just *chef's kiss*. Now for the actual performance: this putter rocks! Comparing it to my Odyssey Mallet is legitimately like night and day; and the Odyssey wasn't a low bar either, that putter fantastic in its own right. From the easy set up, the feedback from the strike, to the weight of the putter, everything about the LAB is like a friendly helping hand assisting you to making the putt. The first night it arrived I spent an hour or two on my indoor putting matt. The first half an hour or so was mainly admiring the looks and getting used to the different grip, putter weight, and setting up with the pre-built in shaft lean. After that, I was off and running hitting what felt like identical putt after putt. The biggest thing I noticed that first night was after I few hours when I switched back to my Odyssey putter for a few putts. I got into my putting stance and, holy crap, this putter is fighting against me! It must be something you get used to pretty quickly and stop noticing, but when I switched back to the Odyssey it just felt like the face did not like being square to the target. Then I went back to the LAB and the differance is outstanding, the face automatically wants to be square to the target. When I putt I concentrate on three things: where to aim, start line, and pace. With the LAB I feel like I can forget about the starting line as the ball effortlessly rolls exactly where I'm aiming. Speaking of the roll, the LAB not only aims exactly where I'm aiming, but the ball rolls so purely. This may be more of an indictment of my putting skills rather than the qualities of the LAB (but probably a healthy mix of both), but I've never had a ball roll so smooth and pure. I use a line on a ball for alignment (seen above) and, let me tell you, that line just rolls over and over on itself without wavering, like a snake chasing its tail. I've found a place in Perth that dials purely into putting stats called the Putt Lab, I'm going to try and get in there this week for a detailed comparison between the LAB and my old putter. Stay tuned for that and more testing to come. Rainy day testing Australia is being very un-Australian right now and there's all this water falling from the sky. In fact, the only time it's not been raining is where I've been at work far away from my putter. I have found a place near me that specialize in putting lessons and data. I've got some time booked there next week for an in-depth putter comparison. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I decided to do some at home tests using my Putt-Out matt and Putt-Out Pressure Trainer. The matt has 6 stations at increasing distances from the hole. I took 10 putts with the LAB and my old Odyssey putter at each station and counted how many perfect putts I could do. A perfect putt has the perfect line and pace and will finish in the small hole in the Pressure Trainer: One thing I noticed while doing the test was the LAB had a certain 'dialed in' feel to it once I managed a perfect putt and subsequently led to more putts in a row with the LAB than the Odyssey. Results from 60 shots Odyssey - 19 perfect putts with an average of 3.16 per station LAB - 20 perfect putts with an average of 3.3 per station Not a huge difference, but I know I'll take an extra putt per round finding the centre rather than not. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 20/20 As you can see from the pics above, I was nervous as hell when the premium package finally arrived. I had been tracking the box like the sycophantic golf nut I am and when it finally turned up at the door I literally broke out in a sweat when I saw what a beating the box had taken. But, LAB Golf was fully prepared and had wrapped my baby in layers upon layers of the finest bubble wrap. The box took a bit of a bashing in the long journey from American to Australia: I'll admit I was a little worried about the condition of the putter inside, but LAB had that covered with ample additional packaging inside the box: Once out of the protective packaging, I was very impressed. The leather headcover feels ultra-premium and fits snuggly over the head of the putter. The material is a soft felt on the inside and is thick enough that when I slip it onto the putter it gives me confidence that it protects the precious cargo inside like a high-end motorcycle helmet. The magnets which hold the headcover closed are strong and close firmly around the putter. head cover.mp4 After admiring it from all angles for what felt like hours I set up my putting mat and gave it the first of many putts. The schtick from LAB Golf is that it’s all about Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B, get it), which basically means that the putter is balanced so that it doesn’t try to open or close the face during the swinging motion. This is noticeable straight away during the backswing. My old putter would feel quite heavy in the takeaway, and when comparing it to the LAB I realised that this wasn’t the weight of the head, this was the putter fighting to close the face. In contrast, the LAB actually feels quite light during the swing. Later that day I took it for a test drive on the putting green at my local driving range. I started with some shorter-range putts and then moved on to some longer-range ones. The thing that stood out to me first was how the ball rolled off the face. Now, I stated above that I’m not the best putter of the ball, there are obviously some huge technical issues behind my technique, but when I strike a putt with the LAB the ball just seems to roll much more pure than I’m used to. Instantly the little hops and wobbles that I had become accustomed to were gone and replaced by a smooth roll towards the cup like I was hitting the putt on glass. AESTHETICS 10/10 For the putter itself, I went with the Mezz 1 Max in a blue finish, arrow alignment aid, and a white Accra shaft. The contrast between the electric blue putter head and the white shaft really blew me away when I first took it out of the packaging. The shaft has a texture on it which surprised me because my current putter has more of a glossy finish to it. For me, it’s the perfect shade of blue, it’s not too bright nor too dull. It just pops against the grass and my golf ball, which has made alignment and aim direction much easier. The sound off the face is crisp and powerful sounding on the longer hits, I’ve had putters before that have had a clicky sound which just ends up putting me off; luckily the LAB isn’t like that. This is also the same for off-centre hits; strikes out of the toe and the heel still sound powerful, which also gives me confidence that I haven’t completely ruined the shot by not striking it in the centre. THE NUMBERS 8/10 I took the LAB and my old Odyssey putter to a place near me called The Putt Lab to get some comparison data. I did 30 shots with each on his tracking Capto system, this would give me the data for the comparison. Firstly, David from The Putt Lab, took some measurements from both putters including lie angle and loft. The LAB came back with 3.5 degree of loft and a lie angle of 69 degrees, exactly the specs as per the build, kudos to the guys over at LAB. The Odyssey, however, was a different story. The lie angle measured as 1.5 degrees, which means that at impact with a bit of shaft lean the putter is delivering zero loft, or potentially negative loft (more on that later). This would help explain why I always struggled with longer putts and a funky, bumpy roll of the ball. Some more data below. ON-COURSE 19/20 Now we’re onto the good part, taking this bad boy onto the course. I’m going to preface this by reminding you that I’m not a great putter, I generally average around 40 to 45 putts per round. Terrible, I know. My first round with the LAB was at one of the monthly games with my social club, I had told all of the boys the month prior that I had a LAB putter on the way, so when I turned up to the course with it, it was like I have turned up with a celebrity. Everyone had to get a look and a couple of practise putts. This first round happened to be a great first test for the putter because I was having on of my famous terrible ball-striking days, so the LAB was up against it to try and salvage my round. And, oh boy, did she save my bacon that day. As soon as I got to the green I felt I could relax and let the LAB do the work, in fact, anything within 5 feet almost felt like cheating they were going in that easy. My previous round before the arrival of the LAB I had recorded 43 putts, this first round with the LAB I dropped to 36 putts! I really like the look of this putter at address, it has a certain squareness about it that gives me the confidence that the golf ball is going to roll exactly where I’m aiming. Whether I have my aim point correct is all up to me. One of my new favourite things is when I’m paired up with random people and watching their expression on the first green when I whip out the blue, point, Mezz 1 Max. I have found it’s always a talking point and quite the ice breaker. I’ve now had multiple rounds with the LAB and the only minor issue I have faced is pace control on medium to long range putts. The ball rolls so smoothly that it’s completely reversed my pace issue, I used to have a habit of leaving putts short (I’ve since learnt that’s because of the face loft), but now my misses are rolling way passed the hole. It’s even trickier on downhill short putts, it literally feels like a tiny tap is too much. THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 17/20 This is a great putter, there’s no question about that. Before it arrived I was concerned about the centre-placed shaft, they’re definitely not for everyone and I wasn’t sure if I would like it or if it would put me off, but, luckily, I have not even noticed it. The remote fitting process was a massive highlight. It’s as simple as filming yourself face-on doing a putting stroke with a vertical reference point behind you like a doorframe. And that’s it, LAB will take it from there and calculate the lie angle. Mine came back at a very nice 69 degrees. I have two criticisms. The first is a very minor one about the putter itself. Along one edge of the putter grip it has written down it in bold white lettering ‘L.A.B GOLF Press No II 1.5’ and it’s just makes it look a little busy for my tastes. I would much prefer it didn’t have this and just had the tasteful centre line and LAB Golf logo on the front. Is it make or break? Definitely not. I almost forget it’s there. Almost. My second criticism is mainly because of how much I love this putter that I find it frustrating there are not more of them around in Australia. None of the golf stores here stock them, it’s an online-only item. For most people who would be interested in switching to a LAB it’s a pretty big leap of faith to just order without having a test putt, and I think that’s a real shame. Hopefully LAB can work on getting them into more Aussie stores. PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 20/20 I honestly cannot imagine another putter coming along that would knock the LAB outta my bag. I think every other club in my bag is going to get upgraded and/or swapped out and the LAB putter will still be going strong. It has reinvigorated my love for putting and I have noticed myself practising putting more just because I want to be using it all of the time. When I used to get to the green I use to take a deep breath and whisper a prayer that the worst is only a 3-putt, now I breathe a sigh of relief when it’s time to get the putter out of the bag. I don’t think the putter is for everyone, I’ve had a couple of people hit some putts with it and can’t get past the uniqueness and the centre-mounted shaft, but I do honestly believe that most golfers would see a benefit from using a LAB putter. TL/DR The LAB Mezz 1 MAX is a unique beautiful putter that does what it says in the marketing hype. Give it a go. Final Score 94/100

The whole saying it takes a village is true. Especially for the Forum. Our staff work so hard and put so much effort forth and our community is so responsive it hardly makes it feel like work. As forum staff we are truly appreciative of everyone in the community. However today I along with everyone else in the community want to give a special thanks and tip our caps to a very special member of our team. @GolfSpy TCB Today marks Tims 1 year anniversary of being on the Forum Staff and wow what a difference he has made in his short tenure here. He will never admit it and probably hate me for making this post, but it really needs to be recognized the work, time and efforts he puts forth to the forum. He is our Tour Commissioner and Founder of the MGS VCT. Without him that would not be a thing on the forum. He has sent countless emails back and forth to our dev and team to get that working and has found a few special members to help him through it all. He is also the designer of all the forum logos. The Jones Bag logo we all got... thats Tim! The... oh wait that will be coming soon... again Tim! Not only that but he also was the guy who designed all the orginal testers wanted and testers announced banners for IG and Twitter. This guy works hard and truly wants all the best for the forum. Constantly bringing up new ideas, thoughts and suggestions for us to help bring forth the forum to a better place. Oh yeah Womens Section thats Tim! I know many of you have had PMs with him and I really can just continue to say great things about what he does behind the scenes for the Forum. Needless to say I can go on and on, but want to make a special note of today being his official 1 year as a Forum Staff member and hope that all of you will congratulate Tim as well for celebrating this milestone! CONGRATS ON ONE YEAR TIM!!

McGolf Custom Clubs got named as a best fitter in America 2023 -2024 We are very happy and honored to receive the recognition. This is our 7th time for receiving the award.

As we have headed into the offseason the MGS Mod team has been working hard to look at areas of focus on the site and where to make some adjustments and changes to help improve the site for everyone who visits it. This includes the addition of a new Mod @GolfSpy_BOS who will be joining us. Bryan has been a part of the site for several years now and provided us with some truly great reviews and posts over his time. We are very excited to bring him onto the team moving forward. Everyone please welcome him and I am sure he will do his own introduction post/thread in the near future. Some of these changes have already been determined for the upcoming season. As most of you are aware we had a fair amount of turnover and change over the last year both with staff and the site itself. With this we all had to find our roles and we have had the time to find where everyone is best suited to assist the site. For everyone’s reference here is a quick breakdown of it all. @GolfSpy_THV is our Community Manager. JS has the majority of his work behind the scenes for the site. He also joined the site a few years back and is coming up on his 1 year anniversary as our Community Manager! I’ll leave a link here for his intro post from last season which dives a bit more into his role. @GolfSpy MPR is our Community Director. As the longest term Mod most everyone knows him and what he brings to the site. What some of you may not know is that Michael handles most all of the emails to the forum, which includes members getting locked out of accounts, responding to email complaints and has been our designer for the badges we all ask for and much more. This is all on top of everything he does on the visible side of the site. @GolfSpy_TCG is our Social Director and Community Outreach Mod. Chris as a lot of you are aware brought the AMA to the site as one of the biggest new features to the site this season. Chris will continue on with the AMA’s as well as push us (the forum) forward on other Social Media platforms. Keep an eye out for our twitter account (@mygoflspy forum) and more to become more active! @GolfSpy_CS is one of our Member Testing Directors. Tony has done a ton of work for us behind the scenes to help organize a lot of our work and within this new role he and myself will take on the testing side of the site. We had nearly 30 tests this season and are hoping to ramp that number up for next season. With this there is a lot of communication between OEM, members, testing set up and more. Tony has been vital to keep us organized along with keeping work on schedule and in rhythm for testing as well as working on updates to the new testing site to continue to push this updated feature of our site. @GolfSpy_APH as mentioned above is one of our Member Testing Directors. As stated above Tony and I (Jamie) will be working mainly on the testing side of the site, but will of course continue to be visible and active on the site. @GolfSpy_BOS will be joining myself and Tony as a Testing Director and working with us as we continue to work on the new testing feature and continue to try to improve on this new feature and make it focal point for our site moving forward. Added to all of this we will all continue to be active on the site and handle other more visible site responsibilities such as reported content, monitoring contentious threads and stepping in when/where need be. There are also all sorts of other small things that we will all continue to do including updating badges for members, responding to PM’s, promoting blog content and of course just being members on the site as well. I should also not let it be forgotten that Rob (@Golfspy_CG2) is still part of our team as he is still very active and an important member of our team even as he has taken a step back from full time duties. We have a few exciting features we are working on and hope to have some of them roll out nearing the new year. A few other quick hits before this post is completed is we are still actively engaging with HQ regarding ads and solutions for this continuing issue. We, like you, experience much of the same and like them all as much as all of you. We will also be sending out a survey to everyone on a variety of topics and encourage you to fill it out and provide feedback as we continue our work, the answers in this survey will be important to several decisions we will have moving forward to 2022 and beyond! With that thank you all for taking the time to read this lengthy post and please once again welcome our new member Bryan to the Mod team! Cheers,

TESTERS ANNOUNCED! MyGolfSpy Forum had a near record amount of registrations for this test and it certainly was not easy to narrow it down to get to our 6 testers. From L.A.B. All golfers have had those days when their putting stroke feels completely off. What they’re feeling is torque — the twisting of the putter head — and it’s the enemy of consistent putting. Lie Angle Balance (L.A.B.) is a patented technology we developed that simplifies putting. It eliminates torque from the design of a putter, giving all golfers the ability to consistently repeat their stroke — especially when the pressure is on. Whether you’re a great putter or a golfer who frets every 5-footer, our putters and grips will help you become a better putter. That means lower scores… and more bragging rights. Please welcome and congratulate our 6 testers who will partake in a long term L.A.B. Putter review! @RoverRick @McGolf @pozzit @Splatt @Syks7 @TSauer Stay tuned and follow the thread for a lot more to come!

Although this post/thread is more on a personal note it does in a sense apply to all of the Forum Staff. Today marks the 1 year mark since being named as the Forum Directory. A position I am extremely proud to be in and am so grateful to have been put in charge to help lead this community. However this could not have been done alone, we have an amazing staff that work so hard in the background and in truth do more than I think anyone could imagine to keep the community moving forward, bringing new ideas and helping with all the other forum stuff. There had been a good amount of turnover within the forum staff and having the stability of this group has made a world of a difference. So before I go forward I want to thank them. @GolfSpy BOS - you were the first new hire since I came on as a Mod and have taken on so many things and been an incredible addition to our leadership group. Thank you for stepping up and helping drive this community forward. @GolfSpy TCB - Thank you for bringing all your ideas to the table and being a fresh voice within our group. It is always appreciated and required. The MGSVCT is a clear hit and has added so much to the forum. It has been a pleasure to see it take off in the sense that it has. @GolfSpy SAM - The life of the party? Your humor, participation and activity as well as helping lead the community calls has been so much fun and a huge additive to the forum. @GolfSpy_BNG - The classifieds section, fantasy sports and a lot more. You bring a ton to the forum which many may not realize at first. You have been a fantastic addition to the forum and we are all truly appreciative of the work and efforts you put forth. @Golfspy_CG2 - As much as you try to retire or step back, you are always here and getting sucked back it. Not sure we have enough words to type to thank you for the efforts you put forth. You have so many insights and history on the forum that this place would truly not be the same without you. There is no question the forum went through a downturn for a while there. However we got very fortunate as a new COO was named for MGS and he has (not at all that others at HQ havent been) allowed us to really take the forum in a way we saw best fit. In our first meeting with him he said something that has stuck with me. He said he didnt care about what happened in the past or what had been done right or wrong prior, but wanted us to move forward with fresh light and not look back. We have taken this heart and worked to drive all areas on the forum. Some of these areas are - Member Testing - a record number of tests this season, a record number of participants and reviews being posted! - MGSVCT - What a cool addition to the forum. Special events, weekly championships and a whole lot more! We do also secretly hope we can find a way that members can achieve official handicaps through our VCT, however that could still be a ways down the road. Oh and Bag Tags! - Classifieds - New system, cleaner look, better method for searching and more. Still working on it taking off, but we are very happy with this platform. - Group Buys - So far just the Jones bag, but we may have something else coming your way. - Community Calls - One of my favourites and something I am so happy we started. - Course Reviews - Another which hasnt taken off, but happy to so all the new reviews there! - Newsletter Updates and Upgrades - Get Forum Content every weekday and has definitely helped drive more users to the forum. - Forum Content on the main site! - This one I am just thrilled about. Period. - Forum Socials - This we have actually handed over to HQ to handle and we hope that it will take big steps forward as we move forward. And more. This last year truthfully on the forum has been one of the busiest years period. Participation is up, activity and engagement levels are way up and we have seen so many new members on the forum that simply makes me smile. This year has also been, in truth, so so much work and I am so happy for it! The amount of nights I have been up till 1am or later doing work whether front end or back end has been countless, but when we see the excitement for membership and the shock when we release tests or just the overall growth of community it all makes it worth while. As much as this is really a job and work, it really isnt. For me I am proud of what we as a community have done this past year and how we have banded together to bring the forum from where it was a year ago to where we are today. This has not been a solo effort and not even just a staff effort, however the whole community. So a big shout out to all of you who have stuck with us and provided feedback or taken part in anything on the forum. We have this community because of you. I am so happy to celebrate 1 year as the lead on the forum and am so excited continue in this role driving the forum forward and ensuring that we continue to stay true to our roots of being a community. I could go on a lot longer, and may in future responses in this thread, but just a big thank you to HQ for putting me in this position, to the membership for sticking by us and the staff for contributing how you have and supporting me over this last year. One year down and a whole lot more to come!

Introduction Hello All, Like the screen name suggests, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die… Wait…That’s a different thread altogether… Let’s try this again. Like the screen name suggests, my name is, in fact, Ben Joest. I am 44 years old and a happily married father of 3. My progeny: Emma is 10, going on moody teenager. Katie just turned 9 and is my golfing ride or die. Lastly, is our son Noah, he is 4 and if he had been the first, he would be the only. Just energy and enthusiasm for days, and frankly it is exhausting. SWMBO, has mostly come to grips with my addiction to the little white ball, and carries with her the belief that this vice of mine beats similar afflictions involving booze, broads, or bets. The kids are active in youth sports and keep us running most of the year, so finding the time to play can be challenging at times. The family has decided that, when one is given such a magnificent opportunity to test out the latest offering from a preeminent equipment company such as Titleist, certain concessions are made on Dad’s behalf, isn't that right family? Go Team Joesty! My history with Titleist can be traced back to the early 2000’s. My first club of theirs was a second hand 975J Driver that I picked up in 2003. I have been playing golf in one form or fashion since I was a kid, growing up in the late 80’s, but prior to 2003, my clubs were mostly hand-me-down sets I inherited from my Uncle Mike, whenever he decided he was ready for an upgrade. Mostly MacGregors and Wilsons, and nothing so memorable that I can recall exact models, all these years later. That all changed in 2003. I started playing with a buddy from work, that gamed a Titleist 983K Driver and he hit it a mile. After one round, we were enjoying a frosty beverage and he asked a simple question, that looking back, completely changed my trajectory as a golfer. To that point, I was content to play whatever and hack it around the loop, occasionally collecting a par or a birdie, but mostly carding bogeys and doubles. He nonchalantly asked something to the effect of “Do you want to get better?” This question is so beguiling, as it instantly removes the scales from one’s eyes and forces an unwitting soul to reconcile the state of their game. After a brief pause, I responded, “Yes. Yes, I do.” And down the rabbit hole and into the wonderous kingdom of golf equipment I went. Looking back, it didn’t take long for me to develop the full-blown addiction and cobble together a decent set of used clubs. I grabbed a set of Taylor Made Super Steel Burner irons 3-PW from a buddy’s sister, who was selling her ex-husband’s clubs dirt cheap. I found the 975J Driver and 983 3 & 5 Woods at 2nd Swing, when they still had brick & mortar stores in the Cincinnati area. I topped it all off with a rusted oil can scotty Cameron putter that I found at an estate sale for $25 and a Callaway 56° wedge that I paid less than that for, under the auspices that I should probably have a sand wedge now that I am a serious golfer. I still have most of these clubs, but 975 driver is lost to History. Since that seed was planted 20+ years ago, I have had lots of other clubs, including a 905 driver I still have the head of, a 910D2 driver, and a set of 712 AP1 irons, that have come and gone. I recently added a set of T100s 4-PW to my stable, and they will be what I set my baseline numbers with for this test. As some of you may know, I have developed into a muscle back blade enthusiast. See the Who Doesn’t Want to Play a Muscle Back Iron? Thread for more details but the TL; DR: Is my game good enough to play muscle back blades? Is my game consistent enough to play muscle back blades? A little bit of background on the current state of my game. Throughout most of my adult life, my handicap hovered between 8-12. Which is a decent number and it meant that my scores lived in the 80’s, with an occasional low 80’s round and once I shot 78. As last season was ending, after some internal deliberations, I made a commitment to myself to improve. I purchased a net, a perfect practice putting mat, and at Christmas I received a Rapsodo MLM from my family. I spent the winter utilizing these tools to hone the rough edges of my game and joined a simulator league at the local practice facility. There is also a thread for the details of that. The additional hours spent have paid off, and I have worked my handicap down to a very respectable 4.3. With that in mind, I signed up to test the T150 irons. I am fascinated by Titleist’s attention to the nuances of one’s game when they fit a golfer into a set of irons. I will be sharing the fitting details in a separate post. The goal in all of this is to determine, if a well fitted set of irons can help me improve on what, according to the shot scope data, is already a strength of my game. My plan for testing these irons is, by design, going to be a bit free flowing as I don’t want to get trapped into a specific methodology and dismiss new ideas, so this is where this test becomes interactive with you, the constant reader. I will be putting calls out to the membership to glean what exactly folks want to see. However, without a loose outline, we are reduced to this: So with that in mind: · Using the MLM, I will use the current irons to set baseline numbers for club speed, ball speed, carry distance, total distance, and apex. · Also, dispersion will be looked at from the perspective of the average carry and lateral dispersion. A comparison will be made to determine if the T series improves these numbers and maintains a good gapping between clubs, as these 2 items are a key selling point for getting fitted into these irons. · Multiple range sessions with the T series, to accumulate an average for each club for comparison to the current set. · A baseline regarding strokes gained numbers through Shot Scope data ( See graph above) · At least one round per week, along with observations and results · Upon completion of the testing rounds, a comparison of how the strokes gained metric has improved or worsened over the course of testing. · Irons only rounds. To this, there have been some preliminary discussions about challenging the other Irons testers from this season to a “friendly” irons only battle royale. Details to follow. The current goal is shooting par or better this season, with breaking 70 clearly in my sights. Join me on this journey, as it is going to be a wild ride. Here is the link to my fitting post: Here is the link to my Unboxing/Initial Thoughts Post: Final Review First Impressions These irons are flawless. From an aesthetic standpoint, the T100 through T350 lines are a study in classic, elegant design. Titleist took pains to craft a range of irons that, from aesthetic and performance perspectives can be blended seamlessly. By doing so, they have given their fitting specialists the wherewithal to confidently blend T100’s with T150’s, T150’s with T200’s, etc. As described in my fitting post, I tested a blend of the T150 and T200 lines. PW-8i in the T150, 7i-5i in the T200, and because it was offered and encouraged by Titleist, I was also fit into the T200 Utility 4 iron to round out my 7-club set. Enough can’t be said about the Titleist fitting experience. The attention to detail is awe-inspiring. It starts with having the fitting on a natural turf driving range with a trackman unit set up to capture all the performance data in real time. Another aspect that separates this fitting from a big box retailer or smaller custom fitter, is the ability to hit every iron in each product line rather than just the 7 iron or a limited combination of each line. It progresses with the use of brand-new range balls to get things dialed in, followed by your choice of ProV1 or ProV1x to capture 3 shots, so that the fitter can make an accurate assessment of the choices he has determined are best for your game. The product of this fitting is an email with the golfer’s recommended build and specs. Also, because I can’t say enough nice things about my fitter, Jim I am including his contact info here, in the event any spies want to reach out to him: Under normal circumstances, the order is placed, and you receive a new set of irons 3-4 weeks later. Because our Titleist rep is a rock star, we all got our sets about a week and a half after the order was submitted. The shipping label on the boxes indicated that Titleist sent them standard overnight delivery. Again, a subtle detail that shows that Titleist knows they have a premium product, and with that comes high expectations, that they take the necessary steps to exceed. I was and continue to be impressed with every aspect of their customer service. (20 out of 20) Aesthetics These irons are a masterclass in elegance and design team has taken a minimalist approach to ornamentation. They are almost too pretty to hit. Although the T150 and T200 lines are built with forgiveness and performance in mind, from address it is easy to confuse the two. They have done a marvelous job avoiding one of the pitfalls of forgiving irons, in that the top line is clean and appears minimal. The T200 especially, doesn’t have the chunky topline that other hollow body player’s distance irons tend to have. Here are images of similar type irons: Taylor Made P790 Ping i230 Callaway Paradym Titleist T200 When at address, it can be tough to differentiate between the T150 and the T200. Which is which? It is only from the side that the difference becomes apparent. The make up of the irons themselves, shows the thought and engineering that went into creating these beauties. (10 out of 10) The Numbers Since receiving the irons on 8/28 I have had 12 range sessions. During those visits, the focus has been on the following: · Gaining familiarity with the irons. I have hit over a thousand balls with these irons between range sessions and the rounds played. I have a pretty good feel for these irons, and I know what they are capable of. During that time, I have reached the following conclusions. · The loft gap of 5.5° between the T150 8 iron and the T200 7 iron The averages shown below show my concerns over this being too big of a loft gap proved unfounded. However, as this is the blend point for this set, nowhere is it more apparent that what is gained (distance & forgiveness) in the T200 line, is done so at the expense of feel. The T150 irons are among the best feeling irons I have hit. Where as the T150 8 iron feels fantastic, the T200 7 iron feels muted by comparison. The chart below shows the performance of the 7 iron is there, but the feel isn’t the same. So much so, that I will be ordering a T150 7 iron to swap out with the T200. The 5 & 6 are clubs that I traditionally struggle with, so the loss of feel isn’t as jarring, in the interest of consistent performance. · The loft gap of 1° between the T200 5 iron and the T200 Utility 4 iron This is another area where the averages show that over the course of testing, my fitter Jim was correct in his recommendation. There were times during my range session when the difference didn’t feel as pronounced as the averages suggest. So I may be going back to my 21° Callaway 4 utility, as it goes a little bit further on average, but also gives me peace of mind, that the loft gap is 3° rather than 1°. · Dispersion patterns for all 7 irons. Dispersion for these irons from session to session and overall has been impressive. I can’t recall any balls that I hit that didn’t go where I was aiming. I tend to overcook the ball to the left when I overswing, but with these irons my misses were still in the area and direction I was aiming. Their reliability is like a security blanket on the course or a nice, warm hug from mom. · Carry yardage gaps between the 7 clubs. On average, the gaps were good. It is worth noting that over the course of testing each club more or less maintained the 5 mph ball speed gap that Titleist looks for during the fitting process. The Rapsodo MLM does a delightful job aggregating all of the data from the range sessions into easy to share graphics (Note: Distances shown in the graphics are carry distances) Pitching Wedge (44°) 9 Iron (40°) 8 Iron (36°) 7 Iron (30.5°) 6 Iron (27°) 5 Iron (24°) 4 Utility Iron (23°) In conclusion, I am very pleased overall with the irons. My personal feelings regarding the 7 iron and 4 utility have taken a couple points away from the score, but do not detract from my appreciation of these Titleist irons. (7 out of 10) On-Course Over the testing period I was able to get 6 rounds in. The first 2 came on Labor Day, when I decided 18 at Shaker Run Golf Club wasn’t enough and played a second 18 at Majestic Springs. That urge paid off in a major way, as I shot a Personal Best -2 69 on the Par 71 track. Shaker Run Golf Club 9-4-23 My favorite hole from this round was the Par 4 14th. An average drive left me about 135 yards out from the pin. A well struck PW put me to 20 feet. A lag put got me close and a 1 foot tap-in sealed the par. As this was the first round with the new sticks, there was a period of adjustment needed and the 6 bogeys on this round highlight that. Majestic Springs 9-4-23 Unfortunately, there is no shot scope data to share for this round. As it was the second of the day, the X5 didn’t have enough battery to make it through both. My favorite hole for this round was the Par 4 18th. I played a 5 wood off the tee that left me 132 yards to the pin. A 9 iron landed softly on the front of the green, leaving me a 45 foot put to a back pin. It broke left to right about 4 and ½ feet and rolled in center cup. That marvelous putt was for 69 and marked the first (and only thus far) time I have broken 70. What a special round of golf. Hickory Woods 9-10-23 My favorite hole from this round is the Par 3 13th. The layout of the 13th is unique in that the green is about 40 feet below the tee box. So the hole measures 143 but plays closer to 123. I hit the PW to 6 feet and calmly stroked in the birdie putt. Homestead Golf Course 9-13-23 While the birdies on 3 and 11 were nice, my favorite hole from this round was the Par 5 12th. It started with a drive that was straight but woefully short. That left me with a decision: I could lay up to the edge of the fairway for a decent look in or pull the 3 wood, then hit and hope. For once, self-control got the better of me and I grabbed my 48° gap wedge and proceeded to forward the ball by 100 yards, leaving me with a comfortable 7 iron into the green. The 7 iron I hit was high and majestic and one-hopped into the greenside bunker. From there, I grabbed my 58° lob wedge and went pin hunting. The ball finished 4 inches from the hole, for a tap-in par that felt so earned and rewarding. Majestic Springs Golf Course 9-24-23 The Par 3 17th was my favorite hole for this round. I hit a high draw with the 8 iron that landed pin high and finished 18 feet from the pin. I rolled the birdie putt on a good line that burned the left edge of the cup and left a 9 inch comebacker for par. Majestic Springs Golf Course 9 -28-23 The makeup of the bag for the irons only round. My favorite hole of this round was the Par 4 16th. A great drive by the hybrid off the tee left 90 yards to the pin. A ¾ PW finished 3 feet from the pin, that I converted into the rounds first birdie. Strokes Gained In my introduction, I included the graphic on the left as a benchmark of where my game stood at the onset of testing. As this test concludes, the graphic on the right is where things stand currently. While the credit for this improvement cannot solely be attributed to the Titleist irons, adding them to the bag sure as heck didn’t hurt. (18 out of 20) The Good, The Bad, The In-Between The Good: Performance, specifically how easy they are to hit and hit well. Consistency comes next. As evidenced throughout this testing period, my dispersion has been well within an acceptable range for my game. Although I could go on, I will stop with Confidence. These irons inspire confidence in my ball-striking and overall game. At any given distance, there is no hit and hope. If I am 155 yards out, I grab the 8 iron and execute. If I need to get one out in the center of the fairway off the tee, I grab the 4-utility iron and swing away. If I am staring at a 127-yard shot to a front pin location that is guarded by a false front and trouble, I hit the PW, knowing the ball is going to go where I need it to. These irons are confidence personified, period. The Bad: And now for the nits to be picked. Overall, I have little to nothing bad to say about these irons. My initial disappointment during this process is the lack of the shaft I wanted to try at the fitting, the fitter didn’t have the steelfiber shafts, so that has left me curious as to how that set-up would have differed. The In-Between: The mysterious nature of the Strokes Gained metric being used by Shot Scope. (18 out of 20) Play it or Trade It? PLAY IT!!!! As this set is currently constructed, I have seen scores that rightly justify their continued residence in my bag for the foreseeable future. To say that they will remain in their current configuration, would be tantamount to denying my tinker nature. My natural curiosity may see a change to Steelfiber shafts, and I will be swapping out the T200 7 iron for the T150 7 iron, but by and large there are no plans to swap these irons out with anything else. (19 out of 20) Conclusion These irons are as good as you can imagine them to be, their only limitations are that of the individual swinging them. They are built to perform with the singular purpose of allowing any given golfer to play their best. The ease with which these clubs blend across the product range is truly magnificent. If you are in the market for new irons and don’t schedule an appointment with a certified Titleist fitter, then you are doing yourself a grave injustice. Even if you have no intentions of buying them, the $100 for a fitting with a Titleist club fitter is a value for the experience alone. Want a small taste of what Tour pros feel like? Go get yourself a Titleist fitting! Final Score (92 out of 100)

Wedge play at Augusta National can be the difference between winning and losing...just ask Larry Mize 1987, Tiger Woods 2005--remember that one---or even Zach Johnson 2007-laying up to a wedge on all 4 par 4's all four days. So with that we are happy to announce that Titleist Vokey Wedges is sponsoring our 2023 Masters Pool. Read below for the details.... Titleist Vokey Wedges CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A GOLF POOL LIKE NO OTHER 2023 MASTERS POOL SPONSORED BY VOKEY WEDGES-- Everyone picks a team of 6 golfers. Add your best 4 of 6 golfers scores to form your team score. The best team score wins the pool. Cut golfers (and anyone who doesn’t finish 4 rounds) get 80 for any rounds not completed. Playoff holes do not count. HOW TO JOIN THE POOL Pick your team of golfers here: http://www.easyofficepools.com/join/?p=241422&e=namw LIVE LEADERBOARD Follow the action live http://www.easyofficepools.com/leaderboard/?p=241422 My Golf Spy Rules for This contest Please read the 2 Rules Below, there are only two, but if they are not followed completely, your entry will be disqualified. 1) You MUST be a registered member of the Forum to win 2) Your entry MUST be your FORUM USER NAME! as the Team Name when you register!! If either of those two rules are notfollowed your entry will be disqualified! TieBreaker: please make a post in this thread before the event begins with the following two answers-Note these tie breakers come into play after the Tie Breaker inside the actual contest. 1st Tie Breaker What is the Cut Number..such as -4 and better makes the cut 2nd Tie Breaker -What will be Tigers Score after the 2nd round relative to par such a -2 If a tie still exists, the winner will be selected at random by the moderation team PRIZES!!! 1st Place: The first Place winner will receive a set of 3 Vokey SM9 Wedges-Your choice of loft, grind and finish. 2nd Place-Two Vokey SM9 wedges of your choice, loft, grind and finish Entries will close at 11:59 EST Wednesday April 5, 2023

Thank you MyGolfSpy and Cobra Golf for giving me this phenomenal opportunity to compete against a wonderful group of testers! Congratulations go out to @Tom the Golf Nut, @chisag, @Jnoble89, @JerryB, and @CFreddie for being chosen, I'm looking forward to teaming up with one of you. My hands are shaking right now, normally I pack everything for work and head out the door but I had to sit for a minute and compose myself after seeing the announcement. This is an amazing opportunity and I hope I can do the forum proud.

Stage 2 is now posted below after Stage 1 Stage 1 … Well, well, well I received my irons a week after THEZIPR23, blackngold_blood and DavePO43, yet am the first to Stage 1. What a bunch of slackers! A quick intro for those that don't already know me. chisag stands for CHIcago Screen Actors Guild. I have been a member of SAG for 42 years. Being an actor meant I was either very busy or had a ton of free time. The free time can work very well with a sport I am passionate about that takes a good 5+ hours to play considering the round and travel. As an actor gets older, roles are not as plentiful and free time is much more the norm than being busy. Obviously great for golf and I can take an entire winter off, which I did in 2019 playing 4 months in Phoenix. 107 out of 117 days playing golf can really fine tune your game. That said, this year due to a herniated disc, rehab and Covid closures, I did not play a single round of golf for 5 months. That is by far the longest break I have ever had from playing. … While the short game is my bread and butter for scoring, iron play is certainly a strength of my game. Loving equipment, I have owned way too many iron sets to mention. I currently play and rotate some Taylor Made P760’s & P790’s, Cobra Forged Tours and some Srixon Z Forged MB’s. Needless to say, the last thing I needed was a new set of irons. But of course I always look and the irons that caught my attention in 2020 were the Titleist T100-S. When MGS offered a set for review, I threw my hat into the ring and was very pleasantly surprised to be picked. Thank you MGS. All of my current irons have strengths and weaknesses but I will concentrate on comparisons with my P760’s, the irons I played most. I love everything about them other than their surprisingly thick top line. One of my biggest questions going forward is will the T100-S mid/long irons be as long and forgiving as my foam filled P760’s. … Right out of the box, the T100-S looked like irons I had a hand in designing. Head size, shape, hosel transition, sole camber and a thin top line is just about perfect to my eye and they immediately jumped to my favorite irons aesthetically. I dated a Playboy Bunny back in the late 70’s for a very short time and know all too well that looks don’t always match up with perfoprmance. So as beautiful to my eye as the T100-S are, they will have to outperform what I am playing now. That is a tall order. … About 15 years ago I spent an entire fall playing only knockdown shots determined to master that shot in Chicago’s winds. Most courses here stop watering around October and the fairways can become rock hard. I am happy to say I now have that shot, but by pounding all my clubs straight down into the hard turf I developed a nasty case off elbow tendonitis. Per my Ortho’s orders (a serious golfer himself) I switched to heavy weight graphite in my irons to reduce the wear and tear on my elbow and my body. I am glad I did and I never went back to steel. My favorites are the Recoil Prototype 95’s and I was extremely interested in the Kuro Kage Tini 105 gm shafts that were available in the T100-S. I ordered them in Stiff Flex and soft stepped once. Specs and description looked really good and my only concern was feel. I found playing some Aerotech Steelfiber 95 shafts, the feel is a little closer to steel than graphite. Great for Pro’s that have been playing steel their entire lives, but I am used to the smoother, slightly dampened feel of Aldila VS Proto’s and Recoil Prototypes. With Tini wire in the tip section for stability, I was hoping they felt more like Recoils than Steelfibers. If not, I would just re-shaft with my Recoil Prototypes but after 3 rounds, the feel is exactly what I look for in a heavyweight graphite iron shaft. Stable, accurate and precise with a slightly dampened feel to absorb unwanted shock. They launch a little higher than I am used to, but adjusting should not be difficult. … Due to the Corona virus I was not able to schedule a fitting for my T100-S but I know my specs and what shafts work for me, so it really wasn’t a concern for me. That said, I would always choose a fitting if possible. Other than 2* upright, soft stepped once and 1/4” long, my specs are standard. With only 3 rounds played, I m still trying to figure out yardages for each iron, something I will have down for Phase 2. I will say as an old school golfer that played a 48* pw for most of my golfing life, I have reluctantly learned to navigate the 6* gap between my 46* pw and 52* sw. But the opportunity to play a 48* wedge that Titeist calls a W2 was a welcome surprise. And instead of a W1 and W2 on the sole, Titleist labels these 2 wedges as P and 48* so no confusion pulling a wedge without reading glasses LOL. A small thing but a nice touch. … While I can and have played MB’s, I see no advantage over a Players CB that gives me everything a MB provides with added forgiveness. Like many low index players, on my good days I can hit anything well, but on my off days and especially days when my back is tight I will use all the forgiveness I can get. I am very interested to see how forgiving the tungsten in the heel and toe of the mid and long irons will be on slight mishits. And would the slightly thinner face of the T100-S compared to the T100 produce a hair more distance. A myth is other than the longest hitters, a little more distance for a better player is not wanted in their irons. But a slight increase in distance is always a plus if that distance is accurate, repeatable and all your gaps are covered. Why would I not want to hit my 4 iron 205 instead of 200? While I have never experienced any fliers from a good lie with my P790’s, they can occasionally be a few yards longer, because with a 5* interval between irons they cover a larger gap than I would ideally prefer. My hope is going back to 4* gaps I will experience more precise yardages and gapping from my T100-S. (bottom left) … And lastly, these are not GI’s or posses any magic that can correct a bad swing. Unlike many GI and certainly SGI irons, you will definitely know if you hit one thin losing distance and your fingers stinging similar to a MB. But the T100 series is the most played iron on the PGA Tour for a reason, and that tells me they can be extremely accurate and repeatable for guys who make their living knowing exactly how far they hit every iron. And make no mistake, the vast majority of players on all tours, PGA /LPGA/Champions want all the forgiveness they can get when it comes with accuraccy, for both direction and distance. So all I am looking for is an iron that: 1. Feels great 2. Looks ideal at address 3. Allows me to be laser accurate with my good swings 4. Gives me a little forgiveness with my bad swings 5. Produces a few more yards … If there are any specific questions about the T100-S irons or Kuro Kage shaft you would like answered, or something you are just curious about, feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer as I play and become more familiar with their capabilities. I have not requested to be considered for irons and a MGS review until the T100-S so they clearly have an opportunity to not only make it into my bag, but became my primary irons. I look forward to sharing my progress with all of you. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stage 2 To quote The Grateful Dead when it comes to finding the perfect irons “What a long strange trip it’s been”. I loved my P790’s until a winter in Phoenix where hard fast desert greens demanded more spin to hold approach shots. So I picked up a set of P760’s hoping they would be a suitable replacement and I ended up liking them even better. So I was not in the market for new irons but like most of us, my trips down the aisle of any golf store always included a peek at new irons. But the only irons that drew me in like the Sirens in Oh Brother Where Art Thou were the Titleist T100. (I promise that was the last song reference). So when Titleist offered the T100-S irons to My Golf Spy members for testing, I was aaaall in. Looks While I love the shape and size of my P760’s, their too thick for a players iron top line was always a distraction for me. I think the transition from short iron to mid iron is crucial and Titleist really nailed it with the T100-S irons. The short irons and the mid/long irons need a solid transition with the 8 iron, and the T100-S do exactly that with an iron shape that isn’t a short iron or isn’t a mid iron, but a little of both. The size and shape of the heads as well as the beautiful thin top line look like I had a say in their design. An irons hosel transition should be something we don’t even need to talk about because it should blend seamlessly into the head and never even be noticed. The T100-S get it just right and the offset is also perfect. Just enough without too much, again harder to accomplish than many think. My only complaint, and I am really nit picking now, is the short irons have a slightly higher heel than I prefer. I appreciate a subtle yet technically advanced cavity as much as the next player. The T100-S are subtle enough to appeal to a more traditional player like myself, but have enough visual tech to appeal to younger players that have grown up in the bling era. The no upcharge Kuro Kage Tini 105 gm graphite shafts are an excellent match for the T100-S. I read where a golf psychologist said a two tone shaft creates an illusion that the shaft is shorter and therefore seems easier to hit. I think she was on to something. The light silver top of the Kuro Kage shafts extend for about 40% of the length and then transition into dark silver that looks like steel. I really love the look but of course Titleist offers quite a few no uncharge steel shafts as well. Score 9 Sound & Feel Titleist forgings have a crisper sound/feel compared to some other OEM forgings and it is one of their trademarks. I appreciate that feel, but when you flush them absolutely dead center they feel like absolutely nothing at all. Hogan once said he hit one, maybe two perfect shots in 18 holes of play, and the T100-S let you know exactly when you accomplish that feat. Slightly off and you get that really nice, crisp Titleist feel that lets you know you hit it really well, just not perfectly. The one area the T100-S can feel and sound pretty bad is high on the face, something that has happened to me when my ball is in deep rough above or below my feet and I am not quite sure where the ground is. Score 9 Practice Performance After 2 back surgeries I can play golf almost every day as long as I walk and keep moving. I have not been to the range in about 20 years because standing in one spot and swinging over and over again would take a toll on my back. But I like to play practice rounds late in the day. I can hit several different shots from the tee and fairway and actually find it more beneficial than hitting range balls. I don’t think I am over stating the capabilities of the T100-S irons by saying they can do anything you have the skill to execute. High-low, left-right, draw-fade. But very quickly I learned they don’t mask bad shots. There is a reason the T-100 series went into Tour players bags faster than any other iron Titleist has produced. They are very precise irons. With my P760’s and even more so my P790s, hitting 3/4 shots tended to fly a little farther or shorter than I would like. A slightly faster swing might produce a few extra yards. Certainly not the 20yd “fliers” some claim but when facing a 110 yd 3/4 pw to a pin in the back of the green an extra 4 yards can mean the difference between par and birdie. Score – 18 On-Course Performance After a few weeks of getting to know my T100-S irons, I played 5 rounds in a row under par, something I have never done before. That took “potential” out of the equation and I was able to shoot my age for the very first time. I was comfortable hitting these irons very quickly, sooner than any irons I have played and the number of iron sets is probably close to 50. That said, they are a completely different iron for me when it comes to loft and I am still trying to calibrate their distance in all conditions. We have had the windiest spring/summer I can remember in the Chicago suburbs so playing a “stock iron” shot has been pretty rare. The pitching wedge is 44* and I have never played a pw with a loft that strong. But my set also includes a 48* “wedge” that just has a 48 on the sole. The pitching wedge has a P and then 44 underneath. Printing 44 on the sole is one of the few errors Titleist made with these irons as a simple P would be much cleaner. After playing a 46* pw and a 52* sw for years I was used to manipulating swings to cover that 6* gap. It did not take me long to appreciate hitting shots with my wedges and the 4* gap with my 48* meant less swing calculations. I use it much more than my old 46* or my 52* sw and has become a go-to scoring club for me. The surprisingly forgiving 4 iron is one my favorite irons to hit. And while I am on the subject of forgiving, the high density tungsten in the heel and toe of the 7-4 irons make the T100-S pretty darned forgiving of shots hit a little on the toe side, which is my typical miss. Thin shots suffer more than heel/toe misses and as I said earlier, shots hit high on the face are pretty penal. The T100-S is not a Game Improvement iron so they do not mask mistakes. On my good ball striking days I still miss the center a little and the T100-S really shine when near the center, rewarding a slight mishit with a shot similar to a perfectly struck shot, just without that melt into the face feel. So I guess what I am trying to say is the misses with good contact are pretty good, while bigger misses would be better served with something more forgiving like the T200. I usually take a very shallow divot or just brush the turf after contact. But when I have taken a healthy divot the T100-S are excellent slicing through the ground, carving out a uniform and easily replaceable divot. This means a sharper leading edge that will not be much help with shots hit a little fat, although that kind of help is probably not an issue for most players contemplating T100-S irons. Now, the negative. I still am not quite sure how far I hit all of them because the lofts are so different than what I have normally played and I just have not had an opportunity to play them on many windless 70-90* days, so stock irons shots have been rare. And as much as I love the 48 and the 4 iron, I have had to remove a club from my bag to make room for both of them. I like to play a 3 wood, hybrid and a Driving Iron. The hybrid I use from the rough or when I need max carry and the DI I use from the tee or a 2nd shot into the wind. So I have to decide by course type/weather forecast if I want the hybrid or DI in my bag on any given day. Score - 28 Miscellaneous I have had more questions from players I have been paired up with than any other irons I have played, several playing earlier versions like AP2’s and AP1’s, along with a few questions about the Kuro Kage shafts. The one thing that is a constant is “Those just look soooo good” kinda comment. I almost had my first HIO with my T100-S. Score 9 Play it or Trade it The P760 mid and long irons are a bit longer than the T100-S for me and that is the only reason I hesitate to call the T100-S clear winners. I will do some head to head testing this fall. But for now the T100-S irons will stay in my bag. As I stated earlier, I was not looking at any irons other than the T100 series and if you put my feet to the fire I just might have preferred the T100 with weaker lofts so I could keep both my hybrid and DI in the bag. Yet I love the addition of a 4th wedge and it has improved my short iron play. Admittedly I am being a little greedy. Points – 18 Conclusion The T100-S irons are exactly what you think they are. Stronger lofted Players Irons that are an absolute joy to play but do not travel silly distances or cover up egregious miss hits. I think they provide the kind of look and performance you expect from a MB, with the added forgiveness you want in a Players Iron. With their thin top line and slightly smaller profile, they are perfect for MB players looking for something a little more forgiving. They can execute any shot you have the skill to play and enough forgiveness to help when you miss them a little. If you are a marginal ball striker, the T100-S are probably not for you. But the better player that hits the center and has command of trajectory and partial shots will absolutely love these irons. Considering new Forged Irons are selling for $1200-1400 it is difficult for me to say if the T100-S are worth the cost. But if you’re in the market for a Players Distance Iron or would like to transition from MB’s while keeping the look at address, I think the T100-S should be at the very top of your demo list. 5 rounds in a row under par is a record for me so there is no doubt they have improved my scores and I can certainly see why so many Pro’s have put the T100 series in their bags. Thanks again to Titleist and My Golf Spy as well as all of you that have followed this thread! Final Score – 91

Membership has grown, forum activity is way up, new members are joining and getting involved, new features are being introduced, engagement is way up as well and Member Testing is at an all time high. The Forum is in a good place and I want to give a big shoutout out to the Forum Staff. @GolfSpy BOS @GolfSpy TCB @Golfspy_CG2 @GolfSpy_BNG @GolfSpy SAM The amount of work and efforts this team has put forth over the last 8 plus months to provide the membership with all of these features, tests and just making the forum what it is today cannot be understated. Not only that, but the behind the scenes time they commit to everything on the forum is fantastic. From our weekly meetings, to special meetings with OEMs to get member tests, to goodness knows how many emails every day they all put in so much time it is kinda hard to repay them properly. It has been such a pleasure to work with them and gather their input and ideas and put them into practice. From simple, but engaging threads such as Tell Us Your Best Story thread to Forum changing features such as the MGSVT and not to be forgotten Archived BST all of it has truly helped The Forum become a thriving place each and every day. When we were looking for staff members we wanted those who would be engaged and be active members on the Forum, not just staff members working in the background. I am extremely proud of this group for taking on that challenge and being leaders in the community. You may have also noted I am using the words Forum Staff versus moderators. Of course we all moderate and take care of those duties, but in truth these guys do a whole lot more and as such I do want to somewhat move away from the term Moderator and move to Forum Staff as it significantly better describes the job they do. These guys have truly rocked it and again just want to give a big thanks to all of them here on the forum. It has been and will continue to be a pleasure to work with all of you as we see what is next for the Forum and its Membership. I guess really I want to make this post and maybe today (May 20th) Forum Staff Appreciation Day... can we make that a thing? I think we can. Fwiw I want to exclude myself from this and recognize all the staff above. I have said things like this in other threads and posts, but truly believe it deserves its own thread. Have a great Saturday all and if you see this thread please drop all of these guys a thanks as they do a whole lot more than anyone can really imagine!

Getoffmylawn’s Review of the Edel SMS/SMS Pro Combo Irons – April 2023 Introduction. Hello fellow spies! My name is Hayes. By now I suppose I qualify as a long-term member here at the MyGolfSpy forum, and let me say up front that if you are in any way new-ish to the forum: stick around! Get involved and immersed, and not only will you find some incredible testing opportunities, but some great knowledge and potentially even lifelong friends. As for this testing opportunity, first and foremost let me offer a huge “THANK YOU” to Edel and MyGolfSpy. As I’ll talk about several times over throughout this test I’m sure, this particular opportunity is right up my alley and I’m beyond excited, and honored, to have been selected. A little bit about me: I’m on Active Duty in the Air Force and have been for the past 22 years. I’m currently at Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, PA, and will move this summer to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. My wife and I have been married for 12+ years now, and we’re very very busy with 3 little ones ages 5, 7, and 9. The bulk of time outside of work is spent running kids around to their many activities, from ballet to travel baseball, and when I do stumble upon some truly “free” time, you can bet I’m going to head to the golf course. Put simply, I’m an absolutely obsessed golf junkie and have been for about 10 years now, with precious little time at this stage of my life to actually play golf. That puts me squarely at a 7 handicap right now. I’ve taken a few lessons, I do plenty of strength training and speed training via The Stack System, and I have a basement putting green along with an assortment of training aids I use to do a lot of daily dry swings and drills. As a result, for a guy who plays pretty sparingly I can still get it around halfway decent. My scores tend to hover around that 78-82 range, but I’m also a threat to go lower or higher. Put simply, it’s tough to be consistent without more on course reps. That consistency challenge is especially noticeable in my approach game. Here’s the latest & greatest breakdown from Arccos on where I’m great and not so great, and as you’ll see, my approach game continues to hold me back. If I can clean that up, I’ll be able to capitalize on what Arccos says is above average driving and putting, and in turn start shooting the consistently lower scores I’m after. Fitting. I did NOT get a fitting from Edel, or specifically in preparation for this test. I am instead relying on several fittings from the past year that have led me to the Frankenstein iron set I’m currently gaming... I’ll post more of a What’s in the Bag later, but the bottom-line is I’m currently gaming a set of JPX 919 Forged irons, with copious amounts of lead tape throughout the set to put me at a swingweight of D3 across the set. To make a long story short, 2 years ago I developed a serious case of golfer’s elbow, and the solution I landed on (in addition to some physical therapy) is the Aerotech Steelfiber i95. Not only did I see near-immediate relief in my elbow, but I gained spin and 3-5 yards, and while some find them a bit boardy I’ve grown to love the shaft. However, my specs also call for the sticks to be a quarter inch short, and getting the swingweight right on a shortened Steelfiber shaft can be a challenge. 6 months ago I did a full bag fitting at Club Champion, and I got confirmation that the Steelfiber i95 is the ideal shaft for me, but that I needed to be at a D3 rather than a more typical D2. So with that info in hand, I’ve been gaming some lead taped Mizuno’s that are about to sit on the sidelines (perhaps permanently) while a new set of Edel’s tryout for a spot in the bag! On order is a combination set with the SMS Iron in the 5 and 6, and SMS Pro for 7 through PW. They’ll be swingweighted to D3, ¼ inch short, in a standard lie, and 1 degree strong. (That will make for a gapping problem with my current wedges…more on that in another post.) Curiously, when asked, Edel advised that they would achieve that D3 swingweight via tip weights, rather than through a heavier SMS Weight in the center. My clubs will come with the standard 2-8-2 weights in the toe, center, and heel, but I will also be picking up 6 and 4 gram weights and playing with the weight positioning. THAT is going to be my main point of emphasis for testing these irons. The Swing Match System purports to help golfers find a level of customization not possible with more conventional clubs, and most every review I have seen or heard verifies that there is a distinct “aha” moment when the right weight configuration is plugged in. I intend to put that to the test and measure the results to find out what are the real differences in yards, spin, dispersion, etc., between weight configurations of 2-8-2, 8-2-2, 4-6-2, 6-4-2, etc. The possibilities aren’t endless, but it’s close. To do that, I’ve secured use of the Full Swing simulator at my home course clubhouse, and free of charge at that! My plan is to compare them heads up to my gamers in their standard configuration, then try all the different variations and document the differences. Then, experiment with changing configurations within the set. As a guy with a bit of heel-strike bias, and some difficulties turning the ball over on longer clubs, I am beyond excited to have a chance to achieve the kind of customization Edel says I can achieve with their system. If their claims prove true, the Edel’s will earn a spot in my bag. Unboxing So let me be clear up front on the unboxing thing: I have high hopes that I'm really going to love these clubs, and the sticks themselves are freakin' beautiful. My personal unboxing experience, however, left a bit to be desired. Here's how my clubs arrived: As you can see, the box is not the typical brand-specific box one would expect, and there is copious amounts of packing tape and "extras" going on to try and pack and ship these. In the end, the clubs arrived in perfect condition so all's well that ends well, but I have to say it wasn't quite the "premium" feel I was expecting. I got over that initial disappointment quickly though, because even still in the plastic these things are gorgeous: First Impressions (Score: 17 of 20) I can't wait to get these on the course. Out of the box, they are truly awesome to look at, and that applies to both the SMS and the SMS Pro. Here's the SMS 5 iron: And here's the SMS Pro 7 iron: This being my first blended set of irons, I think one of my more immediate concerns was how well the set would transition from SMS to SMS Pro. As a reminder, here's my build sheet showing I've got the SMS in the 5 & 6 iron, and SMS Pro in 7 iron through PW. I've also provided the specs from the Edel website for each line: As you can see, the SMS has .7-.8mm more offset than the SMS Pro and has a half a millimeter thicker topline. Put next to each other, I have to say they blend really well together, with the only truly discernible difference being the non-milled sole on the SMS. Here's the SMS 6 iron and the SMS Pro 7 iron side-by-side: Add in some Steelfiber i95s and the Golf Pride ZGrip, and I can't wait to get these bad boys on the course: Before I can get on the course, it's time to dial in the Swing Match Weighting...that comes Thursday. I'll be posting spin and distance numbers with various weight combinations soon! FINAL REVIEW Aesthetics (Score: 9 of 10) Put simply, these clubs are drop dead gorgeous. As a blended set, Edel has done a masterful job in blending these clubs to appear as a natural progression. As you can see in the picture on the right (below) in particular, which is an SMS 6 iron and an SMS Pro 7 iron, these transition nearly seamlessly with almost imperceptible differences in offset and topline. They scream players iron, with a premium look captured in the Edel badging, Edel logo on the hosel, and the Edel-colored ferrules. And, while the Swing Weight Matching system is obviously front and center, it is integrated in a very clean and refined manner. Add in a classic satin finish, and Edel has created a masterpiece. Sound and feel are nearly as masterful as well. Well struck shots offer a tremendously smooth and soft feel in both the SMS and SMS Pro. I do find mishits to be more perceptible in the Pro, and herein lies my reason for knocking a point off. Perhaps it’s unfair of me, since by definition a blended set is combining two different clubs, but the feel on mishits is different between the two. The SMS contains a urethane foam fill not found in the SMS Pro, likely explaining a more muted feel on off-center shots in the SMS. And, while I had no problems with using the SMS out of the rough, I would personally prefer if Edel would CNC-mill the SMS sole, like the Pro, to make the blend between the two irons even better. The Numbers (Score: 10 of 10) Let me get straight to the point: Swing Match Weighting works. The system absolutely impacts ball flight, and allows a level of customization and optimization that I’m not sure other clubs can offer. I was able to use a Full Swing Kit simulator to test my old gamer 7 iron against, the SMS Pro 7 iron in 4 different weight conflgurations. These irons come in a standard setup of 2-8-2, or 2 grams in the toe, 8 in the middle, and 2 in the heel. Edel also offers additional 4 and 6 gram weights, meaning the customization options are extensive. Knowing my tendencies as a heel striker, I experimented with varying levels of weight in the heel, with noticeable results: As you can see, adjusting the weights made significant changes in distance, spin, and accuracy. In my optimized 2-6-4 setup, I’m gaining 5 yards more carry, less spin, and an astounding 12 yards better dispersion number. Anecdotally, I would offer two more observations. One, for a “players iron” the set, particularly the Pro, is shockingly forgiving. Normally with that much less offset and a smaller blade size you would expect a bit more punishment from mis-hits, but I experienced many misses that retained a lot of distance and stayed on line. Second, these are VERY workable. On course, I’m not one to try and work a ball unless a tree is in the way, but on the range I love to try and shape shots as a form of practice. BOTH the SMS and SMS Pro are much more capable of bending shots than my previous gamers. On-Course (Score: 20 of 20) I’m really not much of a ball-striker. (Have I already said that?) As evidence, Arccos shows a GIR of 35% with my old gamers, certainly nothing to write home about. I do not have Strokes Gained tracking of my rounds with the Edels. For one thing, they’re just too damn pretty to stick a green sensor into the end of. However, I can absolutely verify my approach game significantly improved with the Edel’s in my bag. My last round with them was at the MGS Pinehurst Open at Talamore Golf Club, where I hit 12 of 18 Greens in Regulation. I was paired with several golfers, namely @cnosiland @cksurfdude who played with me last year who noticed a significant improvement in the quality of my iron play. In fact, @cnosil called it the greatest display of ball-striking he's ever seen! Okay, that part's not true, but I did hit them pretty damn well. I can only chalk this up to the Swing Match Weighting system and the ability to truly customize the irons to the golfer. For me, moving a little mass to the heel not only improved my ball flight but also imrproved the quality of strike and my ability to access the sweet spot of the club. Once again, Swing Match Weighting works. The Good, the bad, the inbetween (Score: 16 of 20) As much as I’m obviously a huge fan of the Swing Match Weighting system, I do think it could be improved just a bit in execution. The wrench supplied is almost like an Allen wrench, rather than the typical torque style wrench that comes with a driver and clicks twice to let you know the hosel is properly secured. With the Edel’s, no torque wrench, just a cautionary statement to be careful not to overtighten. The weights slot in easily enough and I can’t see how one could really overtighten them, but if that’s truly a concern then why not include a torque wrench? It's a minor and maybe even petty grievance I know, but seems to me to be the logical improvement to make. Additionally, I’m knocking off a couple of points for the packaging and overall process of getting the clubs. To be clear, I love the sticks, but running out of the main Edel grip and Edel-branded shipping box kind of smacks of a smaller boutique builder without the wherewithal of a larger OEM. It was interesting to note the Callaway Paradygm testers received their clubs in essentially a week, while the 5 testers here seemed to get them one at a time and at longer wait times. Again, love the clubs and the performance, but if you do go with Edel you might be slightly more likely to run into supply problems and longer wait times. Play it or Trade it? (Score: 20 of 20) Oh, these are staying in the bag, and I would suggest anyone in the market for new irons give these a look. Frankly, I’m convinced Swing Match Weighting works to help you find the sweet spot and optimize the clubs to adjust for your swing tendencies. How many other clubs can say that? Add in surprising forgiveness in a players iron, and to me these irons should be considered by anyone in the market for new sticks. Now, allow me to go off script for a seoond, and talk about what might be an elephant in the room on the MGS forum…the SMS and the SMS Pro placed very middle-of-the-road in Most Wanted testing in their respective categories. To my knowledge, those tests were done with the weights in the standard configuration…testers did not adjust the weights to optimize the clubhead. You all know I’m a HUGE fan of MGS, and I normally wouldn’t question testing protocols, but I can’t see the logic in that. Swing Match Weighting is the signature technology in the irons…how can you thoroughly evaluate the irons if you don’t use the tech?? Bottom line: if you can, try them. Conclusion Edel’s Swing Match Weighting works. Consequently, they’ve created a phenomenal set of irons that blend together nearly seamlessly and deliver exceptional performance. These irons can be customized in a way no iron can to help golfers optimize the fit of the club to their swing, and in turn optimize on-course results. Final Score (Score: 92 of 100)

Rather than waiting I'll share what I know and am aware of. JS can add to it later or if he gets a chance to. There has been a shift in how tests this season are provided and promoted this year by HQ. Where in previous years mods (meaning Rob) would be on the hunt and provide tests for the community. This is no longer the case and all testing opportunities come directly from HQ. We as a mod team have been assigned to run and manage them, but asked to leave the sourcing of them to HQ. We have been told to expect in the neighborhood of 20 testing opportunities for 2022. To date we have had 5 with one more scheduled June 17th. It has been admittedly a slower start to the season, but the communication to us from HQ has been that OEM's are more interested in Q2/Q3 slots and therefore June and July could still be slower with August/September/October being a lot fuller. Supply hasn't been as much of a issue as we have been told so far. It is more the desire to wait till later in the season for one reason or another. The other part of the equation is most our opportunities so far have been from advertisers of the main site. As per the blog they do not advertise with any of the major OEM: https://mygolfspy.com/advertise/ and testing opportunities for the membership are part of the package. Therefore we should see companies like EVNROL, motocaddy and others who have been advertisers on the blog in previous years. Although we do have a testing schedule with whats to come and what weeks products are placed in for typical seasons. With the shift this year we still have one, but again it is light as of right now. We have been told that as soon as any new tests are scheduled or known they will be posted for us to see so we can get started on our work with them. Unfortunately we cannot say what testing items are before the scheduled date we are able to make a calendar on the forum in which we can post when tests are about to be announced, when reviews are due to be posted and other news for dates if that is of interest to the community? I apologize I cannot share more, however I can only share what I know and at the moment that is all I know and am aware of. I hope that JS can further add to this conversation again as he is our Community Manager and the direct contect to HQ for the forum. Finally a big shout out to @Golfspy_CG2 for all the work he has done for the forum over the years providing tests and this season getting the Major Pools up for us as well as sourcing the prizes. He has been intergral to the community and done so much for us still in his semi retired role.

One of the best things about our community is when a product may not work for them they pass it along. This is the case for @StrokerAce Callaway Paradym Driver. While it performed well during testing it didn't make the bag in the long run. The driver then changed hands to @GolfSpy SAM who put it head to head against his PXG. It worked well, but the comfort with the PXG was able to out perform any potential gains with the Paradym leading to more consistency and confidence with the PXG. Maybe third time is a charm? We want to find this driver a forever home! How to Sign Up - Unlike others where you drop your name and info in a sign up we want to switch things up a little and get those of you who are involved right now on the forum a better chance at getting your hands on this driver. Please post and share the following. 1. Your current driver( photo included) and the story of why you are gaming it. 2. Why we should pick you to test the driver. 3. Tell us about your best drive or driving round this season. The member selected will be required to do a full review on the driver and have their own placeholder post in the Paradym Driver Thread. *Driver specs - Callaway Paradym Standard (9*) with two shafts (Kai'Li' white XS 70g, tensei blue XS 75gs *We prefer those who are able to get play outdoors for this, however not a must. *Some geo restrictions (shipping costs falls on the tester). Interested in testing? Let us know below!

Well for roughly 45 years, I've played this game, and heard lots of Hole In One stories, and have only witnessed 1 in all those years. Today, I witnessed a second one....that came from MY CLUB!! That's right my first ever Hole In One in our Thursday Morning League. Here's the specs: 145 yards back pin PING G410 6 hybrid (it was into the wind ) ProV1X #12 CG2 stamped Looked good the entire way landed just over the ridge and fed toward the flag, the actual hole is hidden due to the ridge, but when we got up there and I didn't see it on the green, I thought..."oh man it ran off the back!!) didn't see it anywhere in the fringe as i was walking to the green, so I took the obligatory look in the hole and there it was. I honestly don't remember what I said or did, but one of my playing partners said, he wishes he had a camera for the expression on my face! Pretty much shock and I didn't believe it. In the picture you'll see a Closest to the pin marker on the hole, it was a good shot in of itself about 10 feet to the right of the pin, I'm sure someone will be upset. So oh yeah, I mentioned two achievements. So that was just one very good hole of a very good round. I shot 39/43 for a personal best 82. Funny thing, the hole in one was not on the nine with the 39. Sadly that 43 was a result of two holes not being able to concentrate after the HIO, Taking a triple and double in 2 of the next three holes.

Testers Announced! Mizuno Long Game Test! Mizuno is here to bring back a favorite and often requested forum member test for 2023! The Mizuno Long Game test will see testers fit the top end of their bag with the ST 230 line of clubs to see what sort of improvements can be made using Mizuno's latest gear. Testers will get to experience the missing piece from their golf game in Mizuno's CORTECH Chamber which is featured throughout the lineup. What is the CORTECH Chamber? The CORTECH Chamber: The Missing Piece: Mizuno's CORTECH Chamber encases a dense stainless steel weight with elastomeric TPU, taking stress from the club face and creating an additional energy source. At the same time, locating weight closer to the club face to reduce spin rates, while contributing to a more solid, powerful sensation at impact. Please welcome and congratulate our testers! @Beakbryce @vandyland @Swood1994 @russtopherb

Cobra 50th Anniversary Member Special – Official MGS Forum Review by Jnoble89 Hello all! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jason, better known as Jnoble89, and I am thrilled to be participating in the #Cobra50thAnniversary challenge. I am 33 years old, and reside in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin in Reedsburg, with my wife of 8+ years and our two boys, ages 6 and 3. This area of the state is home to some beautiful golf courses, and I proudly call the Reedsburg Country Club home. I do not carry an official handicap yet (working on it), but typically score in the low 100s on 18 holes. If you’d like to follow along with me on that journey, check out my thread here! I have been playing golf for about 11 years now, but until this season it was very sporadic and probably no more than 15 rounds per year max. I have already played nearly half of that total this year since our season started in April (perks of a full membership at the country club). I am currently a high handicapper, but working hard at lowering that number. My biggest strength lies in my putting and short game approach (8 iron and down), and I am most inconsistent off the tee and on longer irons/fairway wood shots. But enough about me, let’s get into what you guys really want to hear about, which is what I’ll be looking for this equipment to do in this challenge and what I am hoping to gain from the test. What I am looking for out of the Aerojet lineup is: 1. Will my dispersion and consistency with ball striking improve? 2. What will the ball speed gains/distance gains look like (especially with the irons)? 3. If I can get more consistent on woods and long irons, will it help bring my handicap down to be closer to what my short game is? (IMO, I outplay my current handicap on short game) 4. Will a 5w/7w work better for me than my current 3w setup? If these clubs accomplish those things, they will be sticking around for a long while in my bag. I have zero experience with Cobra golf clubs, so I am really excited to try a brand I’ve never hit before. I will be doing most of my testing through range and on course play, but am also going to try to get on a simulator to do side by side numbers testing against my current bag. I don’t have a personal set up, but will be talking to our head pro to see if anyone at the club has something they’d allow me to use. I am looking forward to competing and having you guys follow along. This one is for all my fellow lefties on the forum! #LeftyGang THE FITTING I had my fitting today with Steve Olson, who is a Cobra rep in Wisconsin. Coincidentally, he is also a Lieutenant for the Fond Du Lac PD, and works with my cousin there. Small world! We met at 2pm and I got a loose with my 56° and 7i, and was striking the ball respectably well. We jumped right in after about 15 balls and Steve handed me my first club, which was a 7i. Right away I could tell it was standard length (I play +1), so was kind of confused but went with it. Expectedly couldn’t hit it to save my life and was wondering what the heck I got myself into. After maybe 3 swings, Steve hands me another one and says “ok, now let’s go with this.” First swing was LASERED to a roughly 160 carry into the wind. Immediately after impact I let out a “WOW” of amazement, and Steve said with some gusto “welcome to COBRA!” He then told me he had me hit one that would have been “off the shelf” and one fitted to me so I could feel the difference as to why fittings are so impactful. I hit a few more but the first set up was literal money. Aerojet 6-GW, +1” and 3° UP, KBS $-taper steel lite. Irons done. Moved to driver next and all he had in LH was the standard Aerojet & Aerojet LS. I knew I was not a candidate for the LS model, so we left that in the briefcase. Started with the Kai'li Blue 60 and I hit a great shot on the first swing, but the shaft was more active than I like (it felt really whippy, which to me feels unstable). I play a Tensei AV Raw White in my current driver, so he switched me to the Kai'Li White 60, and I much preferred that feel. Had some solid strikes but was inconsistent on impact, lost a lot on a fade to slice miss. I did hit a handful of solid shots, which most looked to carry anywhere from 240-250. He recommended Aerojet Max 10.5° D setting, Kai’Li White 60g. The last drive I hit of the day (and my last swing of the day after the fit) was a 250+ carry baby fade. If I can find that this summer, watch out. Driver locked in. Next we moved to fairway woods, and again I was limited to a 3W as it was the only LH option. Set up with the same Kai’Li White shaft, the first two off the tee were drilled. Penetrating ball flight, 220-230 carry. I hit some more for the fun of it, and he recommended a 7W as well for off the deck as I really struggle with a 3W off the deck. I asked for his opinion between the 3W and 5W, and his recommendation was to bag the 3 for days where the driver is just not working so I have something I can still get solid distance out of off the tee. I will be using the 3 almost exclusively on the tee box, which actually works out for my home course as the there are 3 holes for sure that I already don't pull driver on. Fairways done. I wasn’t able to hit any hybrids as he didn’t have LH options, but got to look at the RH heads and we decided on the King Tec 3H, stock shaft. He LOVES this club and thinks I’ll be able to tune it to my swing with the moveable weights. We ended the fitting with the Snakebite wedges. He had a 56 and 60 on hand in LH, so I hit both and holy cow was I impressed. Wedges are my favorite clubs to hit and even though I’m a high handicap, I can work them pretty well. Distance control was EXCELLENT and I was able to throw the 60 waaaaay up in the air. Honestly might be looking forward to these clubs the most. 52/56/60 Snakebite Black, KBS Hi-Rev Stiff, +1” 3° UP. After we finished we just had some fun hitting shots with the clubs. The entire fit was done in 2 hours, and Steve was honestly awesome at getting me into the correct shafts almost immediately. It was such a cool experience working with someone in the Cobra family. Got to ask him lots of questions about the tech in the clubs and he was great at explaining how it’ll help my game. Two golf geeks in paradise. Data was collected on a Mevo, but I honestly never even looked at the numbers. He saw what he wanted in the numbers and I trust him completely. He also told me he vacations a lot at a tourist destination very close to where I live, so we are going to try to set up at least one round together this summer. This was my first real fitting, and I cannot stress enough how impactful it is no matter your skill level. If you have never done an iron fitting, DON’T HESITATE! Now the waiting game begins, cannot wait to get these sticks! #LeftyGang Unboxing & First Impressions I'll be kicking off my unboxing and first impressions segment with the Ultralight Cart bag. I went with the Antique Bronze/Black colorway, and it looks even better in person than it did online (S/O to my oldest son, who helped me pick the color!). The actual unboxing itself was exciting purely in the sense that it was the first unboxing of the challenge. I posted a short video preview of my unboxing, which you can find on Page 25 of the thread. Outside of that excitement, there were no thrills or frills to the packaging. Standard shipping box containing the cart bag. The golf bag was inside a plastic bag which I appreciated, to keep it as clean as possible during transit. Getting into the specifics of the bag, what stood out to me immediately was the absence of a dedicated putter well. There is an oversized slot in the 14 way top for the putter, but no well. This was something I had to have when I purchased my Org 14, but I have found at times it is challenging to get the club in and out with the oversized grip. I will be curious to see the difference the Cobra bag brings. There are also three full length dividers instead of individual dividers, but again, I have had challenges at times getting clubs in and out with the individual full length dividers in the Org 14. I have a feeling it'll be smoother pulling clubs with the Ultralight. There are also no shortage of storage options on the Ultralight, which I LOVE. One thing I really like is the centralized cooler pocket. It is GIGANTIC. We have our own personal golf cart, and it's not set up where I can get a cooler on it practically, so this pocket will come in handy for sure. There is a magnetic rangefinder pocket, lined valuables pocket, two smaller pockets I'll use for tees and ball markers, and then a large pocket at the bottom of the bag where I'll keep golf balls. Two large pockets on each side, and one of them has a mesh slot that I will plan to store extra golf gloves in, which will keep them organized instead of floating around in that large pocket. There are also two smaller pockets on each side. I'm already quite confident this bag will be replacing my Callaway ORG 14 based on the presumed functionality, but time will tell as I get it on the course. I did put my current clubs in the bag for a photo to see how it looks loaded. Definitely ready to get it stocked with the Cobra clubs! Great start to the unboxing process, and I will update this section again when more arrive! Some photos of the new sticks and I will add more as we go! Cobra Woods Challenge - Reviews // Aerojet Max Driver (Updated 8/4/23) Looks/Sound/Feel - 4.5/5 When compared to my Titleist TSi3, the Aerojet Max is louder. That being said, it’s not an obnoxious sound. When struck well, it inspires confidence that you mashed a bomb. Feel is very good, even on slight mishits. The face has also felt stable when I miss out on the toe. It is longer from front to back than the players shape of my TSi, but it’s not significant and still looks really good. I do prefer the traditional pear shape of my TSi, so half a point is lost for me there. On Course Performance 5/5 The AJ Max driver and I got off to a rocky start, but after having it in play consistently, it has overtaken the TSi3. I am consistently getting better strikes, and while the top end distance may not be quite as long as TSi, I am still getting balls out over 250 pretty consistently. I have had long drives of 277, 267, 265, and my Arccos average distance is 256. I am loving this club currently. Play It or Trade It 5/5 Early on, the AJ Max did not outpace my TSi3. I can report that as of yesterday (8/3/23), it has taken the top spot in my bag and will be staying there for this season and beyond. The forgiveness plus still really solid distance outweighs the max distance potential of the TSi3, as mishits are much more punishing with that club. Really happy with how AJM is performing. Aerojet Max Driver Overall 14.5/15 This is a very good driver with good no upcharge shaft options. If I could do it again, I’d order the Tensei White AV Raw shaft that I play in my TSi3. Kai’Li white is VERY similar, but the Tensei shaft fits my swing so well. It is a confidence inspiring club that looks great at address, feels really good on slight mishits and provides solid distance on those misses. I will continue to play this driver against my TSi3 and see if it can change my mind. Aerojet Max Fairway Woods Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5 The 3 & 7 woods are home run clubs for me. They look fantastic at address and honestly do not look intimidating to hit. Sound is crisp and they feel great out of the center of the face. I tend to miss out to the toe and feedback on those misses is noticeable, which I think is a good thing. Compared to my Sim2 Max 3W, MUCH easier to hit and solid strikes feel better. On Course Performance 5/5 In every round I’ve played since getting these clubs, I’ve had a “wow” moment. First time out on Father’s Day and first on course shot with it, I landed and rolled off a Par 5 green from 235 out with the 3 wood. On that same hole with 7 wood a week later, I hit a beautiful, high draw from 212 out that got knocked down by wind and landed just short of the green. I’m inconsistent with fairway woods, but hit these better than any I’ve owned. Play It or Trade It 5/5 100% play it. Look at address combined with the shots I’ve been able to produce have had these clubs as a lock in my bag. I’ve never felt confident pulling a 3 wood off the deck, but that has changed since getting the AJ Max woods. I don’t hit them great every time, but I’m not scared to try it when I have a chance to reach a par 5 in two. Aerojet Max Fairway Woods Overall 15/15 I’ve been nothing short of ecstatic with the performance of these clubs. They work just as well off the deck as they do off the tee for shorter par 4s, and I would recommend anyone in the market for new fairway woods to try these out. I can’t wait to keep getting more comfortable with them and maybe experiment with moving weights and loft settings. King Tec 3 Hybrid (Updated 7/27/23) Looks/Sound/Feel - 4/5 Cobra did a great job with the looks of this club. The matte black crown and subtle carbon fiber are fantastic. I don’t love the look of hybrids, and do not like the head shape as much as my current gamer. Sound is a solid crack and when finding the center of the face the feel is crisp. However, feel drops off quickly when I miss towards the toe. My current gamer, Burner Superfast 2.0, edges it slightly in the feel department and looks for my eye, so docking a point. On Course Performance 5/5 I honestly have not had many opportunities to hit full shots yet with this club. First time I hit it, though, it was a rocket and seemed to come off the face smoking hot. In my first woods and wedges round, I used it to punch out of some trees after an errant drive on a par 5 and hit a nice punch draw that got me to striking distance of the green. After a bit of a rough stretch with the King Tec, I seem to have started to find a bit more comfort, especially off the tee. Hit two tee shots 220+ this week and if that keeps rolling, I'll be very pleased. Also had some luck off the turf with it recently, so scoring is improving to a 5 from a 4 (7/27/23). Play It or Trade It 5/5 I do plan to play this club for a couple reasons. #1, my Burner Superfast 2.0 is 18°, this one has an adjustable loft sleeve so I can loft it up and realistically play two hybrids. #2, it’s a club I want to love and am going to try and tinker with it a bit by moving the weights to see if it’ll help me produce a more consistent flight. King Tec Hybrid Overall 14/15 I think this is a club that will perform very well for those that like the look of hybrids. It has pop and the ball comes off the face hot. I do not love the look of a typical hybrid, as my Burner Superfast 2.0 is longer and looks almost like a mini fairway wood. I’m going to keep it in play this year and see if I can get better with it. I’m not sure the shaft is great for my swing, but this was a club I did not get to hit at my fitting so it was the stock option. Putter - King 3D Supernova (Updated 7/31/23) Look/Sound/Feel - 4/5 This is my first venture out of the mallet putter lane, and I really like the look of the 3D Supernova. Size wise, it is nearly identical to my Spider Tour Platinum in both width and length. The Supernova is a single bend hosel vs. the double bend on my Spider, so that will take some adjusting. Sound is a little higher pitched “click” and off the face, the Supernova is firmer than my Spider. Taylormade’s Pure Roll insert is really nice, and at this point I do prefer the softer feel. I did leave a couple putts a bit shorter than I should have, and that I am chalking up to getting used to the feel of a new putter. The head also feels lighter, but overall club weight feels the same as the KBS putter shaft is heavier than the shaft in my current gamer. On Course Performance - 4/5 Remember how I just said I currently prefer the feel of my Spider? Well, that feel, at least on early results, does not outweigh the performance of the SIK face insert on the Supernova. I had a bad heel miss with a putt in my first round with the Supernova, and the ball started and held the line and dropped middle cup for a par from roughly 5’. I can say, with certainty, that putt would have missed right with the Spider. For my first time out, I was able to lag putt to within 4’ on all two putts. Putting is the strongest part of my game, and there’s a chance the Supernova improves it more. What’s interesting is that when on the Perfect Practice mat, the Spider handles the Nova. On course, I haven’t seen a massive difference in the two. Play It or Trade It - 3.5/5 The King 3D Supernova is trending into the trade it category at the moment. My strokes gained has gone in the wrong direction since putting it into play. While it is hard to say it is definitively the putter, I am used to that being one of the strongest parts of my game. I'm going to use it throughout this week (writing as of 7/31/23) and see what I can do with it. I should have a good feel of if it'll be staying on the sidelines afterwards. Overall - 11.5/15 I really do like this putter. Feel is good, it rolls the ball well, and it looks great at address. I just have not found consistency with it yet or seen an immediate improvement over my Spider Tour Platinum. Putting is the most feel based club in the bag for me (probably for most), and with the success I've had with the spider, this was a tough spot to win. Cobra Aerojet Irons Review Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5 The Aerojet irons look great to my eye at address. For a GI iron, the top line isn’t overly thick, and you cannot see any of the back of the iron when setting up to the ball. Feel on well struck shots is crisp, and produces a nice “thwack” sound. You can also feel when you don’t strike the ball well on mishits, which I think is good for feedback. I think sometimes GI irons are TOO forgiving on feel, so I appreciate this aspect. On Course Performance 5/5 I have been thoroughly impressed with the performance of the Aerojet irons. Well struck shots are missiles with great ball flight, and compared to my TaylorMade RSi 1s, they are longer by about 10-15 yards on well struck shots across the board. Forgiveness has been really good, too. Distance loss is anywhere from 10-20 yards depending on how bad I miss, but the ball still goes straight towards my intended target. As a player who still struggles to consistently hit irons above an 8, this has been great for my game. Spin to hold greens has been much better than I expected as well, and they blow the RSi 1s out of the water here which surprised me as they are stronger lofted. Play It or Trade It 5/5 Not much to be said here, these are a 100% play for me and have been from day 1. Irons were next in my bag for an upgrade and I am thoroughly enjoying playing these clubs. Aerojet Irons Overall 15/15 I will be fully transparent in saying I was hesitant to test the Aerojet irons as my preference was the Tec X. The thought that kept creeping into the back of my mind was that the irons with the same name as the driver line that year were “lesser” irons. I am happy to say that I was proven wrong and have loved these irons. They are packed with technology and great for high handicap golfers working on improving their game. I am proof of this as during the challenge my handicap has already lowered from 26.1 to 22.6. These will have a spot in my bag for quite awhile. Cobra Snakebite Black Wedges Review 52°/8, 56°/10, 60°/10 Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5 The SB Black wedges look incredible at address. The black club head contrasts the ball and frames it exceptionally well. Feel is very solid and good strikes deliver crisp contact and a muted sound. Paired with the KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 Black PVD shafts, these are the best looking clubs in my bag, hands down. On Course Performance 3/5 On course performance has been really good 50 yards and in. Spin and control is great, and the 60° has changed my game drastically getting out of bunkers. However, I have had a hard time getting the distance I feel like I should be getting out of these clubs, which is costing me strokes I don’t feel I should lose. I have been short multiple times with the 56°, for example, from 80 yards. That is a distance I had no problem reaching with my previous 56° wedge. I have been taking very deep divots (I typically just “bruise” the ground), so it’s taking some adjusting. I feel as though I’m striking too far behind the ball. I think this will improve once I get more acclimated to the clubs, but I am docking two points for this aspect and how it’s hindered my approach from 75-100 yards. *This may be edited if I get it resolved before the end of the challenge* Play It or Trade It 5/5 These are a no-brainer play for me. I have never owned a true wedge set, and so far I am really enjoying these clubs. I am confident I’ll get the distance issue resolved. The 60° has been a revelation out of bunkers, and the first shot I ever hit with it was getting up and over a towering pine after missing the green on a Par 3. I was sold at that moment. Snakebite Black Wedges Overall 13/15 Overall, I love these wedges. They put a ton of spin on the ball, which allows me to take a more aggressive approach to pins if I am in range. They will stop on a dime and I can get them to spin back as well. They look great at address, and the black finish is so far holding up very well. If I can get the distance issue worked out, these are a solid 15/15 and I will update my review to reflect that. I cannot speak to how they compare to a Vokey or other wedge as I’ve never owned or played one, but they have definitely won a spot in my bag. Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Review Looks/Sound/Feel - 5/5 I went with the Antique Bronze/Black colorway of this bag and it looks even better in person than it did online. Material is high quality and has been extremely durable. No wear marks from cart straps and honestly just a very well put together and thought out bag. On Course Performance 5/5 The #1 issue I had with my previous bag (Callaway Org 14) was that my grips were constantly getting hung up in the individual dividers. Difficult to get out, difficult to put in. The putter well, which I thought I HAD to have, was even worse. I have had exactly zero issues with the UL Pro in this regard and have not missed the putter well one bit. Pockets are laid out well, cooler pocket is massive, rangefinder pocket is magnetic, I could go on and on. It lacks a Velcro patch for my glove which I thought I would miss but I haven’t to this point. Play It or Trade It 5/5 Nothing to elaborate on here. Already sold my Cally Org 14 to a friend and the UL Pro is firmly in the play it category. Cobra killed it with this bag. Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Overall 15/15 Overall I am loving the UL Pro. If they added a Velcro patch to it, I believe they have an actual perfect golf bag on their hands. It’s lightweight, well thought out, tons of storage, and clubs go in and out easily. For the money (currently on sale for $174.99), you CANNOT beat this bag. If you’re in the market to upgrade, save yourself the time and research and go buy this thing right now. Cobra Full Bag Score: 98/105 (Updated 8/4/23) #LeftyGang

For those of you who have been active members here the past couple years, I'm sure you've come to know our Staff/Moderation team of Myself and @STUDque as Co Directors mainly tasked with keeping things running, and hopefully we have done that. @StrokerAce and @GolfSpy MPR came on board two years ago and have been a tremendous asset in doing so many things behind the scenes you can't imagine. From sorting through sometimes 3,000 Testing Applications to answering countless angry emails ranging from the US only requirements to "Why didn't I get picked" types. As a wise man meaning @GolfSpy Barbajo once told me, Forum Moderators are not designed to be forever jobs. They are generally something we do that allows us to combine our hobby with work and maybe have some fun times along the way, and sooner or later we move on. That said, there will be some changes of the staff going into 2021. I think a big Thank You and show of appreciation for Enrique and Jason are in order for their time served on staff here. They have both been instrumental in so many parts of the forum. I truly have enjoyed working along side them. And I hope they both stay involved in the forum. Michael and I will be remaining on staff and there will be an addition announced at some point soon, I'm sure. I look forward to making 2021 on the Forum another great year of interacting with everyone and continuing to make it the best Golf Forum in the business!

Welcome our 4 Testers for the Callaway Paradym Irons! Callaway Paradym @funkyjudge @Javs Callaway Paradym X @Golf2Much @MattWillGolf We are extremely excited to have these 4 as testers with 2 having never tested before! A big congratulations on being selected and no pressure on having one of the biggest tests we have had here on the Forum!

Have you posted 5 or more rounds in the MYGOLFSPY FORUM MEMBER VIRTUAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR? Yes??? Then you are an OFFICIAL MEMBER of "The Tour". No??? Well... What are you waiting for?? Get out there and PLAY, then POST your score in the current week's competition! Here's Why... Official Members of the VCT are eligible to receive this small token of appreciation from the MyGolfSpy Forum. Sadly, it is a little thinner than I would have liked (I would call it a tour card, rather than a bag tag... so I shall name it a bag card ), But, it does serve it's purpose of telling everyone walking by your bag that you are proud to be a member of MYGOLFSPY Forum, and that you are a card holding and participating Official Member of the MGS Forum Member Virtual Championship Tour. And if they are clever enough to take a picture, it links them directly to the forum... Can you say... "New Members"?? (I also want to give props to @Lacassem for being the inspiration for including the QR code on the card) Here's what to do: Just send me your mailing address by DM or to my email: tim.root@mygolfspy.com. I promise the mailing address will go no farther than the envelope I write it on to mail your Bag Card. Then watch your mail for your "Tour Card" and display it proudly on your bag during your next round. Seriously and Genuinely... Thank you all for making the Virtual Championship Tour threads a fun place to share your rounds, your stories and have a little friendly competition between the awesome members we have here at MGS. Remember... 5 rounds posted makes you an OFFICIAL MEMBER of THE TOUR. Sincerely, The Commissioner of the MGS Forum Member VCT Golfspy TCB

Background After I took a few months off of MGS due to some work and life things that needed my attention, I finally got some time to log back on and post a long overdue review. After posting, I found myself curious as to how I was selected and the likelihood of being selected again, especially since my product was so niche and did not receive many interactions. So I took the challenge upon myself to do a not so scientific study of how reviewers are selected and compare it to the post (https://forum.mygolfspy.com/faq/testing/how-are-equipment-testers-chosen-r11/) by the Mods on how testers are selected. While there are no bombshells, I think we Spys understand the value of data in telling our story. So, I did my best at pulling all data from the past 18 months of reviews Methods First off, I am no data scientist. From DJ to Bryson, I’m somewhere in the middle. I mainly do very basic data analysis in my role through excel. I know, I know, SQL is much more efficient and I’ll get around to learning it. For this study, I focused on 18 months of product reviews. I chose this timeframe to get some data points outside of the pandemic. I started going through the review pages and noticed it was not as organized as I thought, so I chose to do only 18 months of reviews that were already on the “Past Opportunities” page in the dropdown menu. Like I said, I believe that there may have been a few more reviews that have not been archived to this page, but I don’t think it was significant. I then did the manual labor of data entry and collection. I clicked on each individual “TESTERS ANNOUNCED” within the time frame, recorded the following data points - date of review published - product - rough product MSRP - MGS username - If the User has a Donor badge on their profile - Content count - Total reputation - Month and year MGS account was created - City and State Once all of this information was input into the spreadsheet, I then added a note if they had multiple reviews and I also created an additional metric to measure the quality of the posts. All analysis comes from these data points. Limitations Overall, the main limitation is that this dataset was manually curated, so there could be a mistake, but any mistake would be minor. I have checked that there is not an additional 0 added somewhere but there could be +/- 5 units off when it comes to reputation due to fat fingers on a keyboard. Additionally, the MSRP was calculated off a quick Google search. I get that there could be sales, or the price was actually $25 higher at the time of testing. Finally, the content created, and total reputation numbers are not accurate to the time the member was selected. There is no way for me to go back and see this information, but I proceeded with collecting this because for the most part, I believe that most people’s posts grow linearly. So, the quality of posts metric should not be too far off. I will address that in bigger reviews (Cobraconnect), this ratio can get skewed. Enough with the small talk, let’s take a look at the data. Data: Let’s take a look at the data! By the numbers- - 48 total products - 202 unique testers - ~$119,625 total costs of products tested As I said in the introduction, I will be using the MGS selection criteria as a framework of analysis. Picture – I did not go through and collect this data. This is also the easiest of all of them. Put something up there! I’ve seen pictures of the people (I assume), cartoons, their children, memes, etc. Just put something up. (Inclusive, but probably true) Prove review chops - 71 (35%) of people had more than 1 review. If you get chosen, even for the smallest thing, a pushcart distance tracker, a dozen balls, etc. take it seriously and write a good review. This means good pictures, concise statements that clearly articulate your opinion on a product, timely submissions, and good follow ups. A good first review will go a long way to getting your second review and the data clearly backs this up. Additionally, one anecdotal note, it was very common for there to be a progression of items to review, starting with a smaller item and then growing to more expensive items. (True) Start posting – Please remember that this category is not perfect because I was not able to pull the post and reputation numbers at the time the testers were selected. I am assuming that people post at a linear rate. I looked at three areas for this section. Number of posts, Total reputation, and third metric that I created, Quality of post score. I wanted to look at how many interactions per post the reviewer gets. This metric speaks to higher quality of posts for the forum. Total number of posts Total reputation Quality of Post Score* Range 5 - 14,307 3 - 26,497 0.09 - 5.8 Mean 1,412 2866 1.92 Median 513 824 1.85 Because of such a large range with bunching happening at the higher end of each category, I would suggest forum members look at the Median. The best chance for you to be chosen is to have over 500 posts with over 800 total reputation which comes out to 1.85 interactions per post. Like I said earlier, there were a number of members chosen with less than this number but most under 500 posts were in the 100-200 range. I think the biggest takeaway, is to post frequently and create posts that others want to engage in. I think an average user can get to 200+ posts in 2-3 months. There might be an issue that leads to inequity when it comes to being chosen. As I started reviewing some of the posts and interactions, if you are chosen for a more high-profile test, your posts and interactions will increase at a higher rate than other members. This easily leads to a boost in your profile making it easier to be selected. I don’t think there is a way around smoothing out this distinct increase, but it is something that I hope mods take notice of. (True) Become an MGS Donor This category comes with major limitations. The only public piece of data that I was able to collect was if the member included the MGS Donor badge in their profile. From this information I found 59.9% of testers had a donor badge in their profile. I suspect that this number may be closer to 70-80% but these members have not reached out to get the donor badge added. (Inconclusive but probably true) Overall, MGS is clear about how testers are selected. For the most part their criteria is clear and the data shows that they follow the criteria for selection. Common misconceptions I wanted to add a section that debunked some of the common misconceptions that I had when I first joined the forum. - I have to be a member for a long time before I get anything (FALSE) o Over the past 18 months, members who were selected had profiles created from March 2010 – November 2020. 42 testers (21%) joined in 2020. If you’re new and are contributing to the forum, you have a decent chance of being selected. - Once I get one review, I won’t ever get another (FALSE) o 71 (35%) members had more than 1 review in 18 months. I suspect if I go back even further, they had other reviews too. As I said in the above section, if you get chosen and do a good review, you actually put yourself at an advantage to be selected again. o No reviewer had more than 3 reviews in the past 18 months. It appears that this is the limit, it looks to be extremely rare for a member to have more than 1 review every 6 months. - I have to be good at golf to be selected for a review (FALSE) o This idea is very much false, MGS wants members of all skill levels to be involved in testing. In order to prove this, I pulled the handicaps listed on members’ profiles. This is a limitation because it is member provided information that is most likely not updated regularly. Regardless, here is what I found. Range – (33 - +5) Mean – 10.09 Median – 9.2 o If anything, having an accurate handicap is beneficial to being selected because, it appears that MGS wants to have a broad range of testers for each product, specifically balls and clubs. Conclusion For the most part, MGS sticks to what they say when it comes to choosing testers but it appears that there is some non-measurables that they use when it comes to selecting first time testers. It does not appear that there is a formula or that it is completely random. There seems to be a human element which makes it hard to say exactly why specific members were chosen over others from the outside looking in. Shoutout to @Brian A, @jlukes, @B.Boston, @txgolfjunkie, @gavinski91, @Mtbryant01, @daviddvm for having been selected to review over $3,000 worth of equipment! These individuals were ones who had been selected for this year or last year's Cobraconnect challenge. So each of them had at least one product review in addition to cobra connect in the past 18 months. TL;DR - Overall, post quality content frequently, if you are given a chance to test an item, take it seriously, and keep posting. If you’re new and you stay involved, your time will come. Okay, I’m tired. Let me know you’re thoughts!

... MGS Ball Testing says Titleist ProV1 sets the standard for quality and performance and I doubt anyone can find any fault with that claim. After playing about 10 rounds with Maxfli Tour balls, I put some ProV1's into play for 5 rounds then went back to Maxfli Tours for another 10. At my level of play, I just can't tell much difference if any at all. The Maxfli Tour is just so good at everything and the only difference I might have seen is the ProV1 is just a little more durable. I bought 2 dozen Maxfli Tours for $60 after MGS gave them such high marks and then went back and took advantage of the 4 dozen for $104 deal. That's 4 dozen Maxfli Tour for the cost of 2 dozen ProV1's so for non tour players that don't get balls for free, if you play 5 times a week and even once a week that is a substantial savings for balls that I can honestly not tell apart. ... I also always use the CG alignment on the tee and on the greens but do not "line up putts", I just make sure it is pretty much in the direction I am hitting/putting. I really can't say if it makes any difference but if Maxfli went through the trouble to find the CG, I figure why not use it. At the moment I think it is the best ball deal going.

Hello all! As a mod team we wanted to provide an update to a few changes coming down the pipeline in terms of site navigation and organization. Over the coming week or two we will be making some title changes to several of the main categories and merging several other categories. For example Boomsticks will become Drivers, Shiny Metal will become Irons and an overall simpler naming/navigation of the forum will be provided for all. We will not simply just do these changes overnight and will notify everyone of the date a few days in advance. These changes are aimed at making the site more user friendly for all who come to the forum or who have never been on a golfing forum before. Most of us use Recent Content or Unread Content for our day to day use, however a new user often has to navigate through the main page which can be a little intimidating. Another example of a change will be merging in a few redundant categories such as General Q & A, General Talk and The 19th whole as they all work to achieve similar discussion. Important to note that during this process threads WILL NOT BE LOST. They will simply be moved over. As of right now as a mod team we are working on finalizing our structure and have requested that testing be crossplaced so it will show up in both testing and Driver section for example. Testing section will remain as is until the offseason where we will then discuss how to move forward with that. Content Corner: This section will be brought back and available for all with a few new highlights - One being "The Daily" this will be 4 or 5 threads that are popular to check in and post in daily. Think How Did You Play Today? and What Equipment Have You Tested? type threads. We will also include Breaking News/Viral Golf Content where the popular goings on of the day can be posted. Finally Articles of Interest, simple really as if there are popular articles/stories or articles/stores that stand out to you in the golfing world simply post there for membership to easily find. All the content in the above section will still show up in your recent/unread content. Of course if you have questions reachout via PM and we can discuss further. Cheers, Mod Team

There are a few threads detailing individuals paths to getting better. Some want to break into the 80s, some want to be single digit, some are trying to achieve scratch golf, I am trying to get to the low single digits. I thought it might be a good idea to report on my progress and what I am doing to play better golf; hopefully someone finds it interesting; if not it will just be my own blog that I can use as a reference. About me: I have been playing golf on and off since I was in my early teens but stopped and started many times since then. Finally started to play regularly in the 90s which happened to be roughly where I was scoring. Took a bunch of lessons and worked my handicap down to a 4 in roughly the 05-10 timeframe and shot a personal best 70 and have about a dozen rounds of 71/72. Over the last 5/6 years my game has been going the wrong direction and scores that were typically mid 70s are now low to mid 80s. My short game was a big mess and after a lesson last year it has started to get better but still needs some improvement. I play with a regular group weekly and play in my companies golf league. My recent golf league results are what really set this journey forward. We play 9 holes in league play and my last three rounds have been +15, +14 and +9 and I know I can play better golf. As a result, I reached out to my instructor and said I wanted to get better at the game. How I think: For those reading these posts, this is probably an important thing to understand. I really like to understand the details and learn as much as I can about a subject. I did this with putting; I found a coach that helped me understand how the putting stroke works and how my decisions impact the stroke. I learn the mechanics but move toward the feel side of the scale when actually playing. Now, my goal is to learn more about the golf swing and strategy to playing better Initial Goals: Get my scoring average to 75 Break 70 Improve course strategy Improve approach game (struggle with pull hooks, toe shots, and fat shots) Improve short game (still isn't where I want it to be) Improve distance wedges Improve iron distance control (in between distances) Initial assessment: I went for an initial swing assessment on the 20th. The assessment we did is based on Mike Adams swing dynamics. I learned about Mike Adams last year on an episode of the Golf Channels Swing Expedition with Chris Como. Essentially you go through a series of tests and based on the results of those tests it determines how you should swing. This assessment includes what your swing pivots around, grip (strong/weak, over, under, side), swing plane, stance width, etc. For the way I process things, it was ideal. Based on this assessment, I am a front post, side-on grip and release, launch.spin golfer. Once this was determined, we went through a series of drills to help work on ingraining the feels and to work on ground impact location. Early results: Since the assessment, I have played 2 rounds and done a couple of most wanted testing sessions. The approach seems to be working; I have been making more centered contact, less fat shots, and narrowed shot dispersion. It is interesting that my short game has shown significant improvement over the last two weeks as well. Last two rounds have been 79 and 80 and the swing changes seem to be a step in the right direction. Future plans: Obviously I will continue to work on the practice drills. Since iron testing is getting under way at MGS, I will be hitting lots of iron shots a couple of times a week. From a lesson perspective, it looks like I will be doing one in-person lesson a month and a couple of online lessons per month to answer questions, check on drills, and develop course strategy.

Introduction: Let me start by saying how much I appreciate this opportunity and big thanks to MSG and Takomo. I am not big on talking about myself but here we go. My name is Zack, I was born and raised the Dallas TX area and lived here most my life other then a few years in California for college. I worked in the golf industry throughout most of my 20’s primarily in a teaching role where I was a lead instructor for a city course teaching both adults and kids then an indoor facility with Edwin Watts. I have moved into IT engineering for my career and I am a single dad. My Game: A little on the history on my game. I started playing 23 years ago in high school. I picked up the game pretty quickly and was constantly shooting in the 80s by end on freshman year. My last few years of high school was was consistently in the high 70s. My game was at its best in college where I got down to scratch. Throughout my time in the industry I didn’t keep a handicap but my average score was mid to low 70s with a bad day being high 70s. After years of averaging about 1 round per year I played a handful of time last year and have got the bug again. I still don’t keep a handicap but currently averaging about 8 over par when I play. For a few reasons, I still don’t get play as much as I would like so I practice more than I play currently but with my analytical, perfectionist mindset, I enjoy practicing. I have to intentionally only video my swing, every so often as I will nitpick at myself too much. How I plan to test: Going to start by putting them through their paces on the range to get an idea for things like feel, consistency, ball flight, etc. I also plan to get some time on a launch monitor to get numbers and compare to my current numbers. And of course test them on course when you need hit different distances, heights etc. and plan to do a irons only round as well. I will compare them to my Adams Idea Pro A12 irons which have been a very good set of forged players cavity, back irons. I think this will be a good comparison. Since I feel picking between a players cavity back and the smaller hollow body players distance irons is a decision most lower double digit or single digit players looking for a little more forgiveness would be making. I hope to provide good perspective into this having been that lower handicap, but is currently closer to the low double digit player. Expectations and what I ordered: Having looked into these irons I love the companies model, as cost has always been at minimum speed bump to getting into this game we all love. But there is a difference in value and cheap. From what I have seen I am expecting these to be a quality product and provide good value. And hope help more golfers be able make their decision on value these could provide to them. I selected these specs as the length and lie are what I have used and been fit to in the past. I currently use the same shaft in X stiff and don’t feel it is to much. But I am right on that line between the 2 flexes, I am a mph or 2 slower then when I was fit for my current and would like a little less weight so decided to go stiff. For these to stay in my bag they need to provide a little more forgiveness while maintaining the constant launch and distance control of my current iron. Also as I am a high ball hitter already, not launch the ball to high. And hey if I get a little more distance I will take it. Unboxing: The box looks like it took a little beating on the trip. But Takomo had everything packed up very well so was nothing to worry about. Even the shaft stickers had bubble wrap, haha! I thought it was a nice touch that they labeled as 1 degree flat which makes me more confident they are build as ordered. Since they did not have the option to order with extra wraps for the bottom hand. I had them sent with grips uninstalled so I could build them up myself. I plan in installing my Pure Grips Combo on then eventually but for testing I am going to use the Lamkin’s they come with. I also really like the extra touch of including a Tacoma hat and towel. And now for the shots you have all been waiting for. I think these are absolutely gorgeous clubs. I am not a fan of chrome usually due to the refections. I have not had them out in the sun yet but I think they have done a great job with the finish. Still has the nice chrome look, but the bushed finish refracts the light and reduces the glare. 6 Iron from the top p PW from the top 4 iron from the top As you can see these do have some offset and a little thicker top line. But I think they are a great size and shape that walks the line between looking small enough for good players but still gives you added confidence that you can miss hit them a little and be okay. Final Review 7/23/23 First Impressions: (18 out of 20) I love the companies model of bringing quality clubs at a fair price. As cost has always been at minimum speed bump to getting into this game we all love. So if DTC companies like Takomo can deliver on this enough to sway buys enough we will all win as this should at minimum keep the big manufactures from keeping to up their prices. That said when putting in my order, I was a little disappointed that I was not able to get grips with extra wraps for the bottom hand. It was not a huge deal and I understand the business model and so something will be cut but this seems like maybe something that could be done. It did take a little while for the clubs to arrive and we would all love for them to come within a week. But that is unfortunately not the case with supply cain these days. So I was impressed that they where stating accurate estimates on the site and able to stick to them. When the clubs arrived they where very well packed Having the clubs labeled as 1 degree flat makes me more confident they are build as ordered. I also really like the extra touch of including a Tacoma hat and towel. The only negative as I did notice that the PW was 1/4 inch long and it was apparently the same of for the others that got 101t’s as a well. Aesthetics: 10 out of 10 I think these are absolutely gorgeous clubs. I am not a fan of chrome usually due to the refections. I have not had them out in the sun yet but I think they have done a great job with the finish. Still has the nice chrome look, but the bushed finish refracts the light and reduces the glare. The black Takomo logo on the back looks very nice on the brushed chrome. I think the shaping of the club does a good job of walking the line of a blade style look but with a long enough blade length and a little thicker top line that give you some confidence that if you don’t strike them perfectly you will not be punished to bad. They have also rounded the sole so there is some leading and trail edge relief. PW: 7 iron: 4 iron: Comparing them to my current forged cavity back irons I think the Takomo’s have a smaller look to them. The blade length, sole and top line with are all about the same. What they have done to make them look more like a transitional blade is the hight top to bottom is shorter. The Numbers: (10 out of 10) I will start by saying that the Golf Galaxy where I can rent Trackman time has pretty soft mats which cause the strikes to be be higher then normal on the blade. This cause the launch to be higher and the spin to be lower then off turf. For example when I did ball testing at PGA Super Store that has much firmer mats. With this same ball I was getting getting 19.7 degrees of launch and 7039 RPM spin which is about 1.5 degrees lower and 1000 RPM more spin. I point this out as one of the things about the players distance iron category that the Takomo 101t’s fall into is they are high launch and low spin and don’t want you to think they are to low spinning based on the numbers below. For the testing I hit 10 shots with each club to try and get a good average. My ball striking has been a little off and had a tendency to hit fat. I did remove fat shots but left all other miss hits. I feel as these is a good comparison as the Adams A12 Pro irons I am comparing the Takomo 101t’s against are a classic forged cavity back. In my option the hollow body “players” distance and forged “players” cavity back iron are in the same category of a iron for someone looking for something with some added forgiveness without the blade getting to big. I will point out that I have the Adams bent 1 degree strong from factory, here is a comparison of lofts. Comparing the numbers with the exception of for some reason I was delivering 2.5 degrees less dynamic loft on the Takomo 4 iron. The rest of the numbers differences can be contributed to the loft differences. I think this shows that the hollow body style is not inherently lower spin, at least not in this case. Now for trends that I noticed. The consistency and dispersion where better with the Takomo’s across all 3 irons. There was not a big difference difference. But one of the common knocks you here on this style of iron compared to forged is getting hot spots and flyers. This test is not big enough to eliminate that as a possibility but at least in this test that is not the case. The other thing I noticed was very small but interesting that on average I was .8 degrees steeper on attack angle and .5 degrees less outside to in on the club path. I haven’t got them measured on a scale but at home measurements using a swing weight calculator, the Tacoma’s are 1 to 2 swing weight lighter. Also the shafts are 10 grams lighter . So I am thinking the heavier overall weight and swing weight are probably causing the club to lag slightly more behind and inside. That said my dispersion was better with the Takomo’s so slightly lighter might be a good thing for me. On Course: (17 of 20) I unfortunately don’t have any shot tracking such as Arccos to provide numbers but these irons have performed well for me in rounds during the testing period. Usually even if I hit the ball all over the place I will still make solid contact. But recently has been different going into this test. On the positive side of this I was able to test the forgiveness of the 101t’s and I was very impressed. I was getting minimal distance lose on heal or toe strikes. The turf interaction has been very good with these irons. As you can see from the pictures above, the leading edges is a little rounded then my current irons. The sole is rounded to provide some lead and trail edge relief which works cutting through the harder turf we have in the Texas summers. I think this and the strike being higher on the blade causing less spin I am seeing very little distance loss if I hit one a little fat. On that point if the higher strike causing less spin is making up for the fat strike that could speak to these having more exaggerated fliers when they happen. I have had a few shot go longer then expected but all but one was in the first round a I played with them. So with figuring out the distances still and the wind was gusty that day I am not confident it was the club and not just a combination of me and the conditions. The concerning part is on the fliers I have got they where a good 15 to 20 yards longer then normal. The downside of the of my inconsistent contact recently is that I am not able to judge distance control of the clubs as well. But overall considering this, I would say that is has been good. One of the common knocks on this style of club is hot spots and being prone to fliers. At this point I don’t have concern about this causing inconstancies. Outside of the fact that I can’t consistently work the ball like I once could. I can do so just as easily as my current irons. If you are someone who really wants to work the ball a lot you probably should still look at a blade. But you can still do so with this irons as you can see from this fade with a 4 iron off the tee. 4iron tee.mov followed by a lower drawing 8 iron that I hit with the wind into and off the left 8iron.mov Another main part that I have been impressed with is that the hollow body players distance stye iron that these fit into are always said to be lower spinning. So far I have not had an issues stopping the ball on greens. As you can see from this 7 iron from 180 yards. Or from my irons only round where I was able to hit a 500 yard par 5 with two 4 irons and you can see from the picture below that the one into the green the ball is sitting in it’s own divot. I do have to point out that the hole was a little down hill and down wind. So I am not hitting the ball Rory distances . The Good, the bad, the in-between: (18 of 20) Most of my experience with the Takomo 101t’s have been positive. Great looks, good feel, sound, performance and forgiveness. There have been a few things like they PW being a little long and towards the end I got the swing weights checked and the PW is a D0, this would be because I cut the 1/4 inch of extra length but I now will have to do something to get it back to spec. All the rest of the irons fall between D1 and D2. This is not enough the I notice it but I am not to sensitive to this but I know others are and this could be a negative. On the in-between you don’t have as many options for customizations if you are someone that really wants that but they offer 2 weight categories and regular to x-stiff in both along with length, lie and grips size. I think this is good considering the price and you can expand your shaft options in steel and graphite if a uncharge if you want. Play it or Trade it? (18 of 20) For now the Takomo 101t’s are staying in my bag but I am going to immediately put my other set up for sale. Despite my dispersion being better on the launch monitor with them I have had a few weird distances on the course. That said there I have had a few with my driver and driving iron that have been abnormally long as well so I need a little more time to know for sure if it’s just me and what I am working on in my swing or the club. But outside of that I everything else about these I am really impressed with. They offer a great value I would agree with Takomo that these can fit for anyone from scratch to mid handicap. Unless you just can’t stand any offset at all as I think they do a great job of blending looks, workability and forgiveness. Conclusion: The Takomo 101t’s are a beautiful hollow body iron in the smaller size players distance category. They a great balance of looks, workability and forgiveness. Because of this they can work for golfers from scratch to mid handicap’s and offer great value. I have gained a few yards with the longer irons as they are a degree stronger but conspired to other current irons in this category they have more traditional lofts. On coarse they perform very good. You can work the ball in all directions if needed, provide great turf interactions and see minimal distance loss on mis-hits. I have had few shots jump on me but I am not sure if it’s the clubs or just me lately. Also I have not heard this same issue with the other testers and in launch monitor testing my dispersion across the board was tighter with these then my current forged irons. Being DTC you will be hard pressed to get fit directly for them but if you really want that I would suggest getting fit with TaylorMade P770’s. They have less shaft options then the bigger manufactures but what they do have are all premium shafts and they have enough that I think you will be able to find a good fit. If you are someone that wants reduced taper grips or custom about of tape raps they do not offer this so you will have to order them with grips not installed and do this after the fact. All that said I really love the performance and price Takomo is bringing with the 101t’s and anyone that is looking into irons should consider these as an option option as they provide great value. Final Score: (91 out of 100)

INTRODUCTION: Ola Amigos! Quick chisag introduction. I didn't start playing til my mid 30's but took the game up with a relentless passion. I studied every aspect of the game and in the early 90's I was asked to sub for an instructor that went on vacation. Surprisingly many of the students I taught wanted to stay with me and not go back to their instructor. I moved to a new location and began teaching for the next 5 years and learned as much from my students as they learned from me. I was on Staff with Tommy Armour, Wilson and Titleist. 2 back surgeries from playing QB through college put an end to my teaching. I feel lucky I can still play 5 days a week. That said, some days are better than others and my scores can reflect that. I was an Air Personality (DJ) on the radio for the first 10 years of my working life starting in Greenville NC and ending up in Chicago and used that as a stepping stone into acting. I have been a member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) in Chicago since 1978. Chi-SAG. As an actor in my prime years I was either very busy or had a ton of free time, and that free time was spent on the range and the course. My love of equipment led me to the PGA Show and I started writing reviews in 2005 and continued to do so until Covid hit in 2020. After spending 2 winters in Phoenix I moved here full time in the fall of 2020 and it has been heaven on earth. I play as a single a couple times a week but have regular partners on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Paul on my left is a snowbird from Chicago and in his late 60's and Chris on my right is an 80yr old Wisconsin transplant and been here since 2010. Shade and sun protection from sun hats is a must! The foundation of my game is iron play and my short game. Driver has always been my Achilles heel since my first back surgery as my body often disagrees with me on the torque needed between my shoulders and hips, preferring to have none. I will be playing 2 different courses exclusively for this challenge. Aguila my winter course where I walk and I move to The Raven where I ride on June 1st as it is one of the only completely tree lined courses in the Valley Of The Sun and when the temps get well above 100* shade is your friend. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity from MGS and Cobra so a big thanks to both and had several decisions to make. 1) Driver was first and I have to admit I lusted for the Aerojet LS but like the Head Cheerleader that doesn't know the difference between "their" and "there" performance beats beauty every time. The LS was producing 1600 rps and the Aerojet Max was producing 2600 rpms flying higher, longer and straighter. 2) Fairway wood was the next big decision. Playing on the hardpan Phoenix fairways make almost perfect contact a must. It didn't take many ever so slightly ground first contact into the ball off the hardpan to figure out a deeper faced 3 wood isn't a good fit for me and I have pretty much used a 5 wood exclusively. But I have always wanted to try a 7 wood as flying the ball higher can have it's advantages. This challenge will let me find out if a 7 wood is a good fit for me and I imagine many of you are in the same boat so I hope to have some interesting results for you. 3) Hybrids. My 21* Sim2 4hybrid has been a mainstay in my bag while my 17* Super Hybrid goes in and out depending on conditions. The 19* King TEC should be an ideal combination of those two in one club so I am pretty excited to get it out on the course. 4) Irons. This one is a no brainer. Absolutely love the King Tour irons. So much so that I previously bought a set and was a little disappointed in how much visual offset they had and sent them back. The next time in the golf store I immediately 2nd guessed my decision seeing them on the shelf. I have been doing this long enough to know setting down the King Tours right next to MIM Tours is quite different than being on the course and looking at the ball without the hosel grind of the MIMs to compare. So I now have a second chance with the KIng Tours in this challenge. 5) Wedges. Another no brainer as I have my wedges dialed in for Phoenix. The versatile grind is perfect and I am ordering a 50* Chrome Snakebite I will bend to 51* and a 58* Black Snakebite. Pretty excited about the full face grooves that are a bit shocking to my eye in Chrome but hardly noticeable in Black. 6) Putter. Another tough decision that turned out to be easy than I thought. I prefer a heel shafted blade putter having an arc stroke but maybe a mallet might be worth giving a try. I have 2 Scotty Camron 2.5's and a Nike and originally thought why get another putter that is virtually the same style? But of course the SIK face with DLT technology is very different so I am looking forward to comparing the roll it puts on the ball. One thing I can promise. I will be completely honest in my assessments. I will be glowing over what I love but I won't sugar coat what I don't. That's what MGS is all about and you guys deserve it. UNBOXING After 5 bags coming out of the box, I figured I would post a video of just after I unboxed my bee-you-teefull Cobra Ultra Light Pro Cart Bag: Unboxing Clubs Me: You want Pictures? You: I think I'm entitled. Me: YOU WANT PICTURES! You: I WANT THE PICTURES!!! Me: OK. Aerojet Max Driver 4.5/5 Looks, Sound, Feel This is a tough one for me. Let my start by saying I went through 3 very comprehensive driver fittings this last Spring and found a perfect fit for my swing both aesthetically and performance based with the Stealth2 HD that included a $350 Venus Velocore Red shaft. So the Aerojet Max even with it’s outstanding stock shaft had it’s work cut out. That said, it was very impressive. The shape is a little too long from face to rear for my tastes but it didn’t take too long for me to get used to the look. The color and visuals at address is excellent. I am old school and prefer a dense thud, not an explosive metallic sound preferred by many younger players. I think Cobra did an amazing job of splitting the difference as it isn’t very explosive but not muted either. I could certainly live with the sound and feel. 4/5 On Course Performance It didn’t take long playing the AJ on the course to find out it can be as long or longer than any driver I demoed in my fittings. I have hit quite a few long tee shots maybe 5yds longer than my gamer. But my shorter drives are little shorter than my gamer so on average it isn’t quite as long. And for whatever reason I tend to hit this driver right more than I would like. Mostly a push. A little ironic as I am playing the Max version with a built in draw bias. I did install a heavier 16gm weight in the rear which brings it a closer to neutral flight and there was no fade, just a push but it happens at least once or twice a round. Not surprising really as it produces less spin than ideal for my swing, which is always great for distance but not so much for control. 4/5 Play It or Trade It The Aerojet just misses the cut for me but it is an impressive driver and younger players used to larger heads that can instill confidence and a more modern sound may absolutely love it. I imagine this driver can be seriously long in the hands of someone that can take advantage of the lower spin. 12.5/15 Overall Aerojet Driver There is just so much to like about this driver. The stock Kai’Li Blue shaft is about as good as it gets for a no uncharge shaft. Those that prefer a longer face to rear look, should have the Aerojet Max at the top of their demo list. And the moveable weights along with the adjustable loft sleeve provide an excellent ability to fine tune your performance. Aerojet Fairway Woods 5/5 Looks, Sound, Feel What we have here is the classic Goldilocks scenario. It can be really difficult to find a fairway wood that isn’t too large or too small, a face too shallow or too deep and a sound and feel that you can live with when you miss a shot (we can put up with most anything when we hit it well ) For me all of the above is juuuuuuuust right. 5/5 On Course Performance I am the only tester to be playing the non Max version as my miss tends to be left. I have been playing TaylorMade fairway woods for quite a few years now and they have been the longest and most accurate off the tee for me. But I never felt completely comfortable from the fairway. They are after all called “fairway woods” not “teeing off woods”. I have never hit a better fairway wood off the fairway or out of light rough. I have more confidence attacking a par 5 in two when there is serious trouble on one side, knowing I won’t have an egregious miss. The 5 wood is my staple from the fairway now, but I have run across several situations where a higher flying 7 wood was ideal. The stock Kai’ Li Blue is just amazing in these woods fitting my swing perfectly and I can’t imagine an aftermarket shaft performing any better. 5/5 Play It or Trade It These AJ fairway woods are just a hair shorter off the tee compared to my Sim2’s but longer from the fairway and much more accurate. A couple yards makes no difference at all off the tee, but can mean the difference between being on a par 5 with my 2nd shot or in the bunker/coming up a little short. While no fairway wood is “easy to hit” and all require good swings and contact, these are the best combination of length, trajectory, distance and forgiveness I have ever played. 15/15 Overall I really dislike giving a “perfect” score to any club but I just can’t find anywhere to deduct any points from my Aerojet Fairway 5 and 7 woods. My recommendations almost always carry an “if you are looking for …” kinda comment but these fairway woods should be demoed by everyone, even if you are happy with your current fairway woods because as all us equipment nuts truly believe, ya never know unless you try. King Tec #3 Hybrid 4/5 Looks, Sound, Feel If the AJ driver was tough to review, the King Tec Hybrid might even be more difficult. Look is a little more shallow and longer looking heel to toe than I prefer but certainly not objectionable. Sound and feel are again, just a little less dense than ideal for me (can you tell I am very particular?) But pretty darned good and not something that would keep me from playing one. Looking at the sole, something I have never cared about, I certainly noticed the weighting that can really fine tune this club. 5/5 On Course Performance Sometimes your very first shot with a club can color your opinion and that was the case with my 19* King Tec. WoW! Excellent trajectory, good spin but a little longer than I expected and dead on line. I really needed to manipulate this hybrid in the Wood/Hybrid only challenge using it for anything from 135ish to 200 yds. Ironically I had very few full hybrids and with partial shots it was just deadly accurate. I needed to fade it twice and it worked well on both shots. Equally as good off the tee and the fairway. Easy to hit high or low. As someone used to liking a little kick through impact I never really even noticed the stock MCA MMT Hybrid 70 shaft so it works really well with this head. It just did it’s job and that is about all you can ask from a hybrid shaft. 4.5/5 Play It or Trade It How does the King Tec hybrid get a 4.5 and not go in my bag? This is on me. I ordered the wrong hybrid. In my defense I didn’t know it was going to be a little longer than my previous hybrids and I should have ordered the #4 at 21* of loft and a 3/4” shorter shaft. I play a 22* hybrid that fits that gap perfectly while the #3 19 KT is just too long for my bag. I feel like Homer Simpson “DOAH!” 13.5/15 Overall The King Tec with so much adjustability is a very impressive hybrid and if my 22* gamer misbehaves, I will be looking to pick up a #4 21* King Tec. who am I fooling? I will be looking anyway. Oh Yea, Best. Stock. Headcover. Ever. King Vintage Sport-60 4/5 Looks, Sound, Feel I prefer a tour satin stainless steel look in putters but the black Sport-60 finish is well done. Additionally I just don’t like alignment aids on my putter. Dots, lines or anything else so a 1 point deduction for color and the alignment line. (I did remove the paint fill) I have played with very similar designed putters in the past including a Cameron Newport 2.5 and a Nike B1/07 that I used to prepare for the arrival of my Cobra. I am a fan of roll technology, especially on non tour caliber greens that are slower and a little bumpy late in the day. The SIK face really produces a great roll and won me over after just 2 rounds. The balance and flow neck hosel is a good match for a gate stroke and the feeling is not overly soft or crisp but right in the middle and I really enjoy it. The sound is dense and solid. 5/5 On Course Performance Putting isn’t rocket science and those that know me have heard me say many times I am a Zen style putter. I just let my subconscious take in the line and speed and then with a clear mind and absent of thought, I hit my putt. Putting has always been a strength in my game and I have never changed anything with my putting stroke from the first time I picked up a putter. On course performance has been outstanding for both speed and line and I have to give some credit to the SIK face. The shape and look is similar to putters I have used previously so I was comfortable using it by my second round. 5/5 Play It Or Trade It For me, maybe the biggest surprise of this entire challenge is the Sport-60 will stay in my bag. I don’t change putters often so I was not looking for a new putter and I was certainly not looking to change putters. But the over all feel, look and the excellent roll from the SIK face has earned the right to be my gamer. Grass changes on the greens in the winter here in Phoenix and it will be interesting to see if it putts roll just as well after the change but I have a feeling it will handle the winter greens equally well. 14/15 Over All If I liked the black color and an alignment aid I would give this putter a 15. But personal preference enters into it and a 14 ain’t shabby. Other than that, I only have positives to say about the Sport-60. Looks great behind the ball, has just about perfect balance and the SIK face produces as good a roll as any face I have ever played. I also the fact that it is on sale for $149 is an amazing bargain. King Tour Irons (KT’s) 4.5/5 Looks, Sound, Feel The shape of the face and the size of the head are just about perfect to my eye. Top line and sole width is also really nice. I also love the satin tour finish as opposed to last years shiny chrome. I don’t care too much what the cavity looks like if a club performs, but I am not immune to pleasing aesthetics and the KT’s are much cleaner with a more pleasing and subtle look than the MIM’s. When hit dead center the MIM Tours have the best feel of any iron I have hit. Ever. And that is a lot of forged irons over the years, maybe close to 80 sets. But a little thin or towards the toe and they don’t feel so good. While the KT’s don’t feel quite as mesmerizing as the MIM’s when hit dead center, they feel very sweet and as good as any other forged irons I have played. Where they differ is not hitting the dead center still feels really good with the KT’s. 1025 Carbon Steel that has been forged 5 times will do that. To be fair, I am very picky about the look of my irons at address, so that said the trouble in paradise for me comes from the hosel grid and how it blends into the head. Cobra has been doing this better than everyone else with the last 4 versions of their Players Irons, culminating in the very best hosel grind I have ever seen with the MIM Tour irons. 5/5 On Course Performance The KT’s simply do everything you have the skill to demand from them. They are very accurate, produce a pleasing trajectory with plenty of spin to hold hard, fast desert greens. I don’t normally play fades or big draws with my irons, but when needed after a poor tee shot the KT’s performed flawlessly. Hitting them high or low is easily produced on command. Unlike some, I don’t judge an iron by it’s turf interaction since the ball is already gone before the leading edge touches the ground. The turf here in Phoenix is similar to what you see in the Open Championship with hard fairways so we just don’t see divots peeled out of the fairway like many courses in the states. That said, the KT's get through the ground very well and playing a soft CC fairway is a treat as they peel out a divot like a surgeons scalpel. There just isn’t anything negative I can say about the KT’s performance. 5/5 Play It Or Trade It For the time being, the KT’s will stay in my bag. I need more time with them after re-shafting them with Steelfiber i80’s. But the good news for Cobra is if I decide they aren’t staying in my bag, it is only because of how much I love their MIM Tour irons. That said the KT’s are still some of the best looking, feeling and performing irons I have played in the past 40 years. 14.5/15 King Tour Irons 14.5 out of 15 is still kinda like a MLB pitcher throwing a no hitter as opposed to a perfect game. With the same hosel grind and transition as the MIM Tours, the King Tours would have received a 15 out of 15. Evidently Rickie Fowler agrees with me: SnakeBite Wedges 1/5 Looks, Sound, Feel Let me start by saying I am pretty picky about how my clubs look and if I don’t like the look of a club at address, I am just not gonna play it. And if some of the design attributes are the opposite of my personal preferences I won’t even demo it. The SnakeBite wedges fall into both categories for me. I prefer a dead straight leading edge and the SB’s have a rounded leading edge. I like a classic teardrop shape and the SB’s are more rounded. And I just could not get used to the unusual look of full face grooves. So these wedges had everything going against them before I even hit my first shot. And then the feel was unpleasant, very crisp and “clacky” causing me to think I may have hit the hosel. I think the Black QPQ finish played a big part and removing that layer with an overnight dunking in white vinegar improved the feel but it remained much crisper than I prefer. 2.5/5 On Course Performance Cobra claims “The SNAKEBITE Wedge features our most aggressive grooves to date designed to maximize spin” and oh boy did they! I do like a lot of spin around the greens but I also want the ability to have my shot roll out when called for. My first shot with the 58* was a downhill lie to a short sided pin with the green sloping away from me. My only chance was to land it in the fringe and have it bounce onto the green and trickle past the hole leaving something like a 6 foot come back putt. I executed the shot just as I planned and was shocked to see the ball stick in the fringe like a cloth dryer ball hitting velcro. In all my years of playing golf, I have never experienced that kind of spin on the fringe. It took me several rounds to adjust but even then I feel like it limited my short game options. Full shots didn’t balloon, but often still came up short due to maximum spin. The Tour Chrome 50* degree performed better for me than the 58* and while still producing a healthy amount of spin, it was no more or less than other wedges I have played. But looking down at the rounded leading edge with a very tight lie did not fill me with confidence. 1/5 Play It Or Trade It At this point I am sure none of you are shocked that these wedges will not be staying in my bag and in fact I am a little giddy about putting my MG3’s back in the bag as they are the best wedges I have played to date. So it really never was a fair fight. 4.5/15 SnakeBite Wedges Thankfully most of my fellow competitors love their SnakeBite wedges so I don’t feel too bad about such a negative and brutally honest review. Especially since the fairway woods, irons and putter have made their way into my bag against some long odds. But you can't win 'em all. Ultralight Pro Cart Golf Bag Looks are subjective of course but I enjoy the colors and shape of this cart bag. It is not too big or too small but just the right size. With seven different color options there is something for everyone. I honestly was not expecting a new bag to become my regular bag. I already have 5 golf bags and they cover my needs. That said, they all also have trade offs. I use my ZIP remote controlled cart for about 8 months of the year and it is sometimes a little tricky getting bags to balance on the base as it seems everyone has a different configuration to lock into the base. Like my Sun Mountain Sync locks into the Sun Mountain push cart base but wobbles on my ZIP. I bought a MGI bag that solved the problem with the bag bottom and base locking together like Lego’s. But the materials are cheap and the bag developed a tear where my driver went in and out of the bag and the hard plastic edge cut into my shafts finish before I realized it was happening. Bummer. Much to my surprise the Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart has the same square base slot as my MGI bag and locks into my ZIP remote controlled cart! This feature alone immediately put it in contention to be my everyday bag. With summer temperatures in Phoenix typically 105* and above and setting records for consecutive days over 110* this year a functional cooler is an absolute must. Many bags cooler sections are just sub par, pun intended. The Cobra has the best cooler compartment I have ever used. Large enough to easily holds two 40oz water bottles and lined with an insulation material that keeps my bottles cool to the touch. These two features alone would put this bag at the top of my list if the standard features are functional. And functional they certainly are! There is plenty of storage space with big and little pockets to take care of all my bag needs including lined pockets and zippered pockets. They are all easy to get to and are laid out very well. Many 14 way dividers get club grips tangled and sometimes difficult to remove and the Cobra bag is no exception. That said, clubs get tangled less than all my other 14 way divider bags so it is about as good as I could hope for. Finally the range finder pocket is awesome and so much more convenient than the case attached to the bag and dangling around during the round. Again all odds and something I was not expecting as I have used different summer and winter bags, the Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart bag is now my year round bag. A huge thanks to Cobra and MGS for selecting me to participate in this 50th Anniversary Special. It was even better than I envisioned and I made quite a few new friends along the way. If you weren't keeping count I am now playing with a Cobra bag, Aerojet #5 and #7 fairway woods, 4-Pw King Tour irons and the Sport-60 SIK face putter. Who doesn't love Christmas in July?

You read it correctly.. "Otto Phlex". I'm sure there's not a person on MGS or in the golf world who hasn't heard of (or seen) the Auto Flex shaft. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, Auto Flex is a South Korean company that has basically branded their flagship shaft as a very flexible, but high performing, high tech, and somewhat "magic" shaft made with "Secret Hidden Korean Technology". The concept lends itself to the idea that a specific flexy profile can help increase clubhead and ball speed, while increasing launch and keeping spin relatively low, and improving disbursement and forgiveness, therefore yielding results of long, straight, towering bombs.. I mean, who doesn't what that right? Another claim is that while keeping the profile relatively soft, tempo improves, and the overall risk for injury can be reduced. Well I'll be one of the first to admit it. I was NEVER enamored by the claims and especially the price of the AutoFlex. Oh, and let's not forget about the color scheme.. Ultra Hot Pink? not my jam Sam. As a sole provider trying my best to balance a decent golf game on a budget with my family life, spending $800+ on a hot pink golf shaft just isn't something that interests me.. regardless of the claims. Well over the past year or so, there have been a few Youtube channels that have showcased the AutoFlex Hack.. or as I like to call it, the "Otto Phlex". It has been somewhat theorized that the secret sauce to the AutoFlex is based on the following basic profile characteristics: 2-3 flexes lighter than your preferred flex or frequency, at least 1 or even 2 weight classes lower than your preferred weight, a swingweight between D0 and D2 depending on the flex, and a mid/high launch profile. It has also been debated that the Autoflex works best when it's at least 46" or longer. I tried starting at 46.5" and just didn't like the length. I then tried shorter .5" increments and I ended up at 45" and I'll explain how I got there in a bit. OK before anybody sounds the alarm, I realize that all of these characteristics are subject to each shaft company's interpretation and that there is no such thing as a standardized R, S, X, etc, flex shaft. All of these characteristics are based on broad generalities and this experiment has quite a bit of wiggle room so don't get your plaid golf knickers in a twist. (there, got that out of the way) I've been playing the MotoreX F1 6X for the past 2 years. It's an XS shaft according to Fujikura, it weighs in at about 68g uncut. I've played it at about D5 SW but the shaft can take the extra head weight with no issues. Up until very recently, this was supposed to be my "Forever" shaft. It just works and up to this point I just couldn't find anything better. This is however going by conventional wisdom standards that with 110+ mph swing speed, I need to play either a hefty stiff or XS profile shaft and my preferred weight has always been sub 70g in driver. My Otto Phlex profile should look something like this: A flex, 45 - 55g, High Launch with low loft setting or mid launch with standard loft setting. Torque is another factor that can be thrown into the debate ring as having any value. The AutoFlex from what I've read is around a 4.0 torque rating. I believe torque can be important with this experiment because we're really treading on the edge of making sure the shaft bends but doesn't twist. Too high of torque rating and you may be pushing things a little too far. DISCLAIMER 1: I realize that this is a subject that might rub some folks the wrong way.. namely those who've spent the $ and are completely bought into the Autoflex concept.. or those who've done the research, had a fitting, and are about to pull the trigger on one. I think that this topic fully encompasses the MGS spirit of debunking a pretty hyped up marketing claim and/or discussing alternatives that take all of the marketing hype out of the equation and stick to the hard facts. Does the concept actually work? Can I make an Otto Phlex shaft that performs similarly or better than the real thing while nixing the insane price tag by following the guidelines listed above? DISCLAIMER 2: just because I'm finding success with this at the moment, it doesn't mean that it's for everybody. This is definitely a concept that even I'm still working to wrap my head around after playing for 30 years. It definitely has a lot of allure and appeal so the best we can do is try it out, give it some time and formulate final conclusions when the data is adequate. Below are a few of the videos that influenced my journey (and a few others like @Samsonite, @blackngold_blood, @cnosil, @cksurfdude, @tommc23, (forgive me if I missed anyone else) down this Otto Phlex rabbit hole. We all started up in the thread discussing the new PXG 0311 Gen5 Driver and ended up directing most of our discussion towards this AutoFlex Hack project because it just worked in such harmonized synchrony with the Gen5 head. Below is the PXG Gen5 thread if you'd like to catch up on what lead to this topic. The top of about page 3 is where the discussion starts to go sideways and turn into AutoFlex hack project Here is the original review by MrShortgame of the Autoflex. Very supportive of the Autoflex performance benefits Here are the colab videos by MrShortgage and MobileClubmaker. Both guys make great and very informative videos and they both know their stuff. Simon from SAS did something similar a while back.. He kind of rolls like me. He's all about getting the most out of a budget and still getting some really killer gear. Freddie Meikle Golf. I found this one as I was looking up more reviews for the PXG Gen 5 and it happened to be that he also stumbled upon the Otto Phlex After watching these videos about 10x each and saying "hey I can actually do that!", I tracked down a Project X Evenflow Riptide CB. In fact, it's the exact same spec of the shaft in the MrShortgame video. 40g 5.0 A flex. I sourced the shaft from a local OfferUp listing for a PXG Gen4 driver for sale. I reached out and offered the guy a straight trade for the Diamana S series that initially came with my Gen5 driver. Being that he was trying to sell his driver and I was able to gently convince him that an S flex might appeal to a broader audience, he was open for the trade. My fallback plan if all else fails is to plug in my trusty MotoreX and resell the experimental shafts and get on with my life. The only concern that I had was that the Evenflow played at 45" and I was convinced that it needed to be at least 46" for max results so I was already sourcing my shaft extension piece to have ready. Well eventually I discovered that 45" was absolutely perfect and that no extension was needed. I took the shaft back to the workshop, put it in the Gen5 and got the SW calculated to D0. Because of the higher balance point, I needed to add just a little more weight to the head. Luckily I was able to find a 10g PXG weight to replace one of the 7.5g weights and there we go.. I'm sitting right at D1.5. Now why is the SW so important with this build? Well this shaft isn't made for swing speeds over 100 MPH.. let alone the 110 - 115 that I'll be imparting on it. From my obsessive gathering of info, if you're able to keep the head weight to a minimum, and keep the swing weight optimal based on the desired shaft frequency (D1 lighter to D2 heavier), you should still be able to apply a max swing without any unwanted torsional head twisting. This is where the head can twist open or shut in addition to the shaft flexing the face up or down and then even more damaging is finding some odd variation in between where the face is flexed open or shut to some degree and then the face lofted or delofted to another degree and then who knows which direction the ball goes? Ultimately, the idea is to be able to put a hefty swing on the club and the ONLY reactional bending is the face increasing in loft, therefore assisting with an easier launch. Other variations are the actual club head itself. Every driver head is engineered for something specific. Luckily in my case, the PXG Gen5 seems to be a perfect mate for this experiment. It's naturally a lower spinning head and has a load of variable weight configurations. I have the 9* head option. Here are some standardized #'s from what I've seen with the MotoreX. I no longer have my membership with PGATSS (due to their recent 50% cost spike) so I'm just basing this off of memory from my last few sessions. (not 100%). As you can see though, the MotoreX works well for me. It's not an overly stiff profile. I'd say that it falls right where I need it to be between S+ and XS if I could give it my own classification. It's in the 65g weight class but actually closer to 70g than 65g. Launch - 10-12* Ball Speed - 157 MPH (probably not accurate) Swing Speed - 111 Carry 270 Spin 1900 Moment of Truth I took the Project X Evenflow Riptide along with the MotoreX to the Foresight Monitors at an outdoor range. This way I can see true flight and get some basic #'s to help quantify what I'm seeing with my eyes. The only downside is that the balls they use are limited flight which supposedly cut the flight down by 20% and the monitors weren't showing club or ball speed and weren't showing Spin so I was kind of disappointed. The limited results that I did see however blew my socks off. I started off the session with about 20 hits from the MotoreX and saw a nice low-ish draw. The carry was about 250 with rollout to about 270+. Not bad considering the balls were limited flight. I did see my miss come into play a few times which is a hard pull hook. This happens when I'm not fully sync'd and I'm swinging with my arms, chasing the ball, and just flipping the face closed. My shot can quickly go from fairway to neighborhood finder on the wrong layout. As soon as I plugged in the "OttoPhlex1" (I'll get to that "1") I could immediately feel the difference but that's to be expected.. the difference however isn't what I was expecting at all. The club actually doesn't feel lighter by weight or Swing Weight. I think there's some kind of trickery about the D1 SW and overall lighter club. The club doesn't feel too light at all. In fact if feels perfect! The SW also doesn't feel like D1 but closer to my preferred D4-5. I'm sure it's more to do with physics than witchcraft but to a lay fool like me.. it's the devil at work! JK. when I tee'd up my first ball, it was a high fowl ball to right field.. probably into the parking lot. weird.. OK this is a new sensation to me. At first impression I'm thinking, man this thing's too whippy and twisty. Well I buried that though and hit a few more. The more I hit, the more in sync I was getting and then the easier it became to just hit high towering baby draws. I'll say that the overall height at 9* was probably more than I wanted to see so I ended up cranking the loft down to 7.5 and just like old Bob Parsons himself would put it "KABOOM BABY".. ok I actually really hate PXG marketing but I guess it can have a time and place. You can read more about my thoughts on the Gen5 in the thread above.. but the overall feeling of it paired with the OttoPhlex1 is something else. The launch is effortless and even though I couldn't see the spin or ball speed #'s, I was getting about 15 yds more carry and rollout to about 290 - 300 yds. I went back and plugged the MotoreX in, bumped it back to 9° and then found myself struggling to get the ball in the air. A shaft that I've been familiar with for 2 years all of a sudden became a stranger to me. I had been so completely overtaken by the feeling, flight, and performance of the OttoPhlex1 that I'd completely forgot everything I knew about the MotoreX.. and that was just in 1 hitting session. So of course I go home all giddy happy but my silly brain just couldn't rest on 1 thing.. Just like the video with MrShortgame, the PX Evenflow Riptide didn't really feel how the Autoflex looks from videos. Those guys got some real 1/1 comparison and I don't know if I'll ever have that luxury. The shaft just felt like a really smooth, stable "Me" flex. Take the stigma of "# Flex" out of the equation. It isn't really whippy or overly explosive feeling but it just feels like a really nice, stable shaft to play that gave some great results and something that I could definitely game. So that night I went back to looking around for possibly another option that might land me a little closer to the Motore F3 like they used in the video. Looking at all of the comments, it's literally impossible to find that exact shaft anywhere and people were frustrated. Even the current MotoreX F3 is a tad pricy for an experiment. Off the top of my head I knew of a few light weight, low cost options that I could look into. I looked at the UST ProForce V2 in both the HL and standard version, the Aldila NXT GEN NVS Orange, and the classic Garafalloy Pro Launch Blue. All in A flex and ranging between 45 and 55g. Well I settled for the Garafalloy PL based on a very technical analysis of.. Aesthetics . Now we have OttoPhlex2 in the mix. This and all of these are shafts that you can pick up at Golf Galaxy, PGATSS, or Golfworks for around $60, which is about the same price that AJ (Mobileclubmaker) paid for the OG Motore F3 and all seem to fit that general profile. I will add that I started out the GPLB at 46.5". The SW was just too much and I wasn't loving the length. So this is where I shortened it in .5" increments until I just found my glass slipper at 45". I took this out to play a round on Saturday 9/24 and I tell you what.. Just like I was blown away by the improved results with the Evenflow Riptide, I was even more so impressed with the Garafalloy PLB. The round I played was on a tight community Exec course with very narrow fairways. I played the front 9 with the OttoPhlex1 and hit everything! then I played the back with OttoPhlex2 and not only did I hit everything but it was a noticeably longer and higher flight. Not feeling content with the limited amount of playing time during the round, I immediately took to the course driving range afterward to compare both shafts in a long drive battle. Same situation as the other range, they have limited flight balls. It's in a retirement community so the back wall of the range stops at about 290 from the matts and on the other side behind the back wall is a gigantic aluminum storage facility. When it's matts only, I haven't ever hit over the fence. When they push it to grass, and depending how far forward, and when you smash a good drive, you're rewarded with a loud PING when the ball hits the storage facility over the fence.. too many good drives, and the storage facility calls the golf course and you are kindly asked to put your driver away . like I said, from the matts, that's that furthest point from the end of the range and I've never hit one over the fence. So I started the contest with the OttoPhlex1 (Riptide). I hit a lot of nice straight bombs that bounced to the wall but not over. When I put the OttoPhlex2 (GPLB) in, I was clearing the fence almost every 2 or 3 balls. Not only was I clearing the fence but I kept a directional point of a large tree at the back end of the range and everything was at or just outside of the tree. Luckily I finished the bucket and wasn't asked to leave Well for the finale, I took a used ball from my bag that I planned to retire to my backyard for chipping practice and tee'd it up. I didn't hit the side of the storage facility.. I landed it on the roof which had to be about 30' high and I wasn't rewarded with 1 PING.. but a series of pings as the ball bounced all the way across the rooftop. I've already made a short story very long but I had a chance to take both shafts to PGATSS to get some better #'s with the Garafalloy PLB. What I found just added to some of the crazy things that I've already seen with this club. Launch from a 7.5* head with little to no effort is right at about 14*. Club head speed 112+ without breaking a sweat. Spin.. 2000 - 2200 RPM. Carry distance an avg of 285 - 290 rolling out to around 315. Shots that I felt like I hit off the planet were just right or left of the green. I will add that I was using my game ball Maxfli Tour CG. I've got 1 more potential candidate that I would like to add to the mix and that's the UST ProForce V2 HL or regular V2. TBC **************** It's getting late. This is phase 1. I'll add some pics and continue more tomorrow. ***************** PLEASE feel free to start commenting or sharing any similar stories. I think this could be a really good topic for MGS to cover on their GolfScience channel. Cheers!

Hello friends, and welcome to a review unlike any other (in my best Jim Nantz voice). My name is Tyler Sauer and I hail from a small mid-western town known as Belle, Missouri. I am a 32 year golf junkie that was introduced to the game back in 2015. Spoiler alert, I’ve been addicted ever since. I have been married to my lovely wife for 3 years and we have a 19 month old that keeps us on our toes each and every day. When I was younger, I was dedicated to basketball and nothing else. In fact, golf was never something that interested me. If you would have told me in my early twenties that I’d be this hooked on the game, I would have called you crazy. I joined MGS back in 2016, but I’ve been on a slight hiatus the past couple of years simply due to being busy with our little one and of course the whole winter thing that tends to roll around every eight months or so and forces me to put golf on the back burner. I’m only slightly envious of y’all that get year-round golf weather. Anyway, I’m back baby! Happy to see everyone and excited to interact with all the newcomers I’ve missed during my hibernation. My hometown course is just a few minutes from my house, and since I work remote, it tends to soak up my lunch hour most days. It’s a relatively short 9-hole track with a couple holes that can really cause some trouble. Ask me how I know. I consider myself a pretty casual golfer, I try to get in 2-3 rounds a week along with some practice time squeezed in there somewhere. If you had to distribute skill points as if you were creating my character, it would look as follows: My putting is usually the one thing that remains pretty steady throughout the season. I would consider myself a good reader of the greens, but I still tend to have those slight misses on either side of the cup. Could that be the putter to blame? Could it be that maybe I’m not as good at reading as I thought? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out. L.A.B. has been in the lab creating something special, claiming you only need the correct line, good speed, and your natural stroke to sink more putts. No longer will you need to worry about returning a square face, as their tech should make it effortless to do so. I plan to put those claims to the test in a 1v1 battle where my Newport 2 squares up against the Link. The plan is to continue what I'm doing now, and that's playing lots of golf, all while paying more close attention to putting stats like SGP as well as recording distances and missed putt data. I am truly excited for this heavyweight bout, especially since I’ve never gamed a center shafted putter. And, since we’re on a bit of a scientific showdown I want to leave you all with my hypothesis… IF the Link.1 face remains square throughout my stroke, THEN I will drop more putts and make the L.A.B. putter my primary, BECAUSE we all love one putts. (Bonus shot of my local course that I took with my drone) I want to give a quick overview of the fitting experience I had with Sam. To begin with, L.A.B. offers remote fittings if you’re not able to make it to one of the locations that is able to fit you in person. Personally, I think that’s pretty rad! In order to complete the remote fitting, just throw on your golf shoes, record a DTL clip of you putting, and send it in. Of course there are a few other specifics, but that’s the gist of it. After the Facetime with Sam, I slipped on my kicks, busted out the tripod, and sank an imaginary 40 footer… a few times. Normally, you would email the video in and they would analyze it and get back with you. In this case, Sam wanted the video sent directly to him so we could expedite the process. Pretty cool… right? After sending him the goods, he had a couple of concerns and wanted me to adjust some things. Unbeknownst to me, I was pretty crammed up and my sight line was a little far over the ball. I currently play a 36” putter, but luckily I had a 37” one lying around, as that’s what he wanted me to try out. Back to the tripod we went, relaxed the posture, and focused on keeping the sight line a little inside the hosel. Sam liked the second rendition much better… Now we’re cooking! He gave me the deets on what options he suggested and we rolled with it (ba dum tss). After recording both fittings, I took a look at things and put the images side by side, which made it pretty apparent that I was indeed a little crammed and in an extremely poor position. Of course, getting fit by the CEO of the company you’re getting the putter from is an awesome story. But, what made it extra special was Sam’s passion about the whole experience. He wanted to make sure he was doing everything he could to assure I am going to have the best possible outcome… which is just grand! I will leave the custom details a mystery for now, at least until the unboxing. That way we're all waiting on the UPS man! CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE BOX If you would like to look at some early testing data, click the link below. This is still a work in progress and there will be more results posted later once I can get around to finishing those tests up! >>> LET'S TALK NUMBERS <<< First Impressions (19.5/20) When you think of L.A.B. Golf, what comes to mind? Do you think less strokes at the cost of looks or is it hard to even see beyond the unorthodox design that is the Mezz or DF2.1? Before testing opened, I was aware of LAB as there are a few YouTube golfers I watch religiously that play both of those aforementioned models. So, I was already intrigued. But, what really grabbed my attention was their new Link.1 model, which mimics that of a blade. Now, there are some differences there with the center shafted head and the visible weights, but I think those things give it that LAB touch and I’m able to see past it for the most part. I thought getting used to looking down at a center shafted putter would take some time, but I adjusted pretty quickly. It really does feel like hitting your traditional blade putter. I love the laser etching of the logos and the sight line, I have never seen this done before, and it is an awesome touch! There are some slight imperfections/fuzziness on the logos, which I’m assuming comes with the laser method. You can only see that if you get REALLY up close and personal, but to the naked eye you will never even notice it. Another nice touch is the color. It may go unnoticed by most, but when you sit it next to what I would say is the normal or most common finish, you can see the difference. It has a slightly darker, brownish tint and no glare. Nothing crazy, but something I like. If I had to choose one thing to gripe about with the Link, and this is a very, very nitpicky gripe, it would be the toe weights. I think it’s more of an OCD uniformity thing than anything else. Aside from that small complaint, the Link pleases my eye very much. I do like that it is a little different than most and tends to spark some putter talk with a lot of the people I play with. Speaking of the weights, they aren’t just for show. We know that putters twist during your stroke, and in order to sink putts you need to make sure that face is square at impact so you can hit your line. That is where these weights and the LAB tech come into play, claiming to reduce putter torque (face rotation) and more consistently deliver a square face at impact, no matter how slow or fast your putter stroke is. That’s where the magic is! Imagine removing that factor from putting, now all you need to focus on is your line and pace. To visualize this a little more, give this short video a watch: Why Putting Is So Hard I will be putting the Link up against my two most used putters, an Evnroll ER2 and a Newport 2. I have been using the Newport 2 most recently, but have been in between the two for the past year I would say. Unfortunately, I do not have any prior stats of either of them, but will be performing several tests to gather some numbers and determine which of the three will come out on top. The Numbers (40/40) To start with, I wanted to put the first claim to the test. Does the LAB truly reduce torque and help my face remain constant through impact? I tested indoors on a BirdieBall putting mat at distances of 3’, 5’, 8’, and 10’. I used a laser to make sure I was lined up correctly each time that way all I would need to do is hit my line. If I could keep my face square, then I should not have any issues with making these pretty straightforward putts. I rolled 100 balls with each putter and spaced the testing out over a couple of weeks. As you can tell, the Link was the clear winner here, with the Newport finishing last. The first couple distances were pretty simple putts, there was no break and all I needed to do was hit my line. Of those few I missed, I can safely say it was due to face issues. When it got to the longer putts at 8’ and 10’, there was a slight right to left break, so not only did I need to hit my line but I needed to make sure my pace was good as well. My BirdieBall is fairly quick compared to what I normally play on, so the main issue I had at first was hitting it too firm, but I was able to adjust on the later sessions. From this, I gathered that maybe I wasn’t as good of a putter as I thought I was. Maybe I have an issue with hitting my line and there’s a possibility for improvement. Next up, I wanted to test out the longer putts from around 30’. There are days when my short game isn’t the best (more often than not) and lag putts are essential. So, I headed out to the course and tested proximity to the hole. I did those over multiple different greens with varying slopes and breaks to get the best results. The hardest part of this test was getting used to the Link. I did play a few rounds before getting to this test, because I struggled with distance control. A lot of times I was coming up way short, which isn’t a typical miss for me. I believe the weight of the Link played a role in this, as it is a little heavier than what I am used to. But, as you can see, after getting the hang of its stroke and characteristics, it outperformed the others significantly. A whopping 52% difference!! Aerial shot of my proximity test. Various shots from around the green from 30 feet. On The Course (9/10) When we take focus off the specific test and just look at using the Link during a normal round, it’s been amazing. Not only have I gained confidence in the putts inside the 10’ range, but my chances of making those longer putts have significantly increased. Before, when the putt was beyond 15’ or 20’ I felt like I was just making the stroke and hoping for some good luck that it ended up semi close to the hole, so I could tap it in. Now, there is a real possibility of me making these putts without any luck. I know it may sound odd to say, but it seems impossible to miss your line. I played quite a few scramble rounds over the past couple of months and I made sure to putt last or second to last just so I could get a read. It is almost unreal how many long putts were made. You may have read it in a previous comment, but there has been much praise from my golfing partners ever since I put the Link in the bag. There are times here and there where I struggle with distance control, but I believe that will come in time. As I mentioned, I was using the Evnroll and Scotty for a while and you saw what those proximity numbers looked like. I think a couple more months with the Link and that statistic may look even better. The Good, The Bad, The In Between (19.5/20) There are a lot of good things to talk about, but the first and most important thing is the free online fitting. The nearest PGA Tour Superstore for me is just over 5 hours away. There is a Golf Galaxy a little over an hour away, but from what I saw, they do not carry LAB putters. So, the ability to send a video into LAB to dissect your setup and fit you remotely is huge. They want to make sure the putter is fit perfectly for you! Another good thing, and I cannot say this enough, is the headcover quality is out of this world. When you buy a premium putter, you expect a premium headcover. A lot of times that part gets overlooked or the companies just don’t care enough. LAB is different. From the magnetic closure to the stitching to the soft, pillowy inside… It's absolutely phenomenal. If I ever lose or damage mine, I’m buying another one directly from LAB. One thing that may get frustrating to some is those who want to make grip adjustments to their Link. We know that changing the grip can throw off the swing weight on any club, but it also throws off the balancing ever so slightly on the LAB putters. So, if you are making a drastic change, it would be best to send it in to have it rebalanced. However, this is something that comes with purchasing a putter that is fit and balanced specifically for you. I love that the Link is the same, but different. It’s a blade, but it’s a LAB blade. It has those touches that set it apart just enough to pique the interest of others. One final thing, another good, is that you can always reach out to LAB with questions or concerns and Sam (CEO) or another member of his team will be happy to assist. Customer service is huge and I think LAB is right there at the top! Play It or Trade It? (10/10) Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, I will be playing this. My other putters are already nestled up inside on the rack, just waiting to gather dust. There is not much else to say here, I don’t see any reason to switch back to putters I’ve used in the past. Unless, I want to sandbag the front 9 and pull out the Link at the turn. Closing Thoughts… If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma the yips, I cannot urge you enough to give one of the putters from the LAB lineup a chance. I know you may find them a little bulky, somewhat alien-like, or just different… But, I think you will surprise yourself. I, for one, did not think my putting could improve without lots of practice sessions or maybe even a couple of lessons. However, I am already shaving strokes off of my game by doing neither of those things. There may be a small period early on where you may have some rough patches for a couple of rounds, but I guarantee once you and the new putter work things out, the relationship is going to be smooth sailing. FINAL SCORE: 98 **Disclaimer, I have developed these weird habits since using the Link.1:

Before I begin my introduction, I would like to thank MyGolfSpy and Cobra Golf for this amazing opportunity. The annual Cobra Challenge is the pinnacle of forum testing and finding out I was one of the chosen participants is an honor. I hope we can all have fun with this and that I can do the forum proud. I also want to congratulate my fellow competitors @Tom the Golf Nut, @chisag, @Jnoble89, @JerryB, and @CFreddie for being chosen to take part in the Cobra 50th celebration. My name is Jason Bentley, I'm married to the most amazing woman who is so supportive of my golf addiction. I live in Southeast Tennessee and play most of my rounds at Flagstone Golf Course in Cleveland. I’m a high handicap golfer and as you can guess from my screen name, I make the purest contact with the ground. I started playing after high school and was gifted my first set by my brother who picked them up at a yard sale. The $10 set he bought consisted of wood woods and every other iron. I stopped playing in the early 2000’s and didn’t take the game back up for close to 10 years. It has now become the only hobby I have and after joining the forum, has almost become an obsession. I’m excited for this competition since it’s not your typical review, we’ll be facing specific challenges put forth by the mods. My mind is racing in an attempt to guess what curves they are going to throw at us. I think Cobra doesn't get the love it deserves from casual golfers, they are not afraid to innovate and step outside the norm with their dedication to one length clubs and 3D printed putters. I honestly believe anyone looking to buy new clubs should include Cobra in their fitting. I expect nothing but performance from the clubs I’m being fit into, I have and currently play Cobra clubs. I had a set of F8 irons for years until I replaced them with my current set of Mizuno JPX 921 Forged. I still carry F9 fairways in the bag and love the sound, feel, and performance they provide. I’ll be judging every club in the bag based solely on performance and whether they make me a better golfer. Can I hit longer and straighter? Am I hitting more greens? Am I able to scare the occasional par 5 in 2? These are the questions I’ll be wanting answers to if these clubs are going to continue with me on my journey to become a better golfer. All that’s left for me to say is let’s get it on! #TeamChunks #TeamScrawnyLegs The Unboxings Part #1: Cobra Pro+ Ultralight Stand Bag Part #2: Woods, Irons, Wedges, Hybrids, and Putter Cobra Long Game Review Since this week focused on woods, fairways, and hybrids let’s have a discussion on the clubs on the top end of the bag starting with driver. Cobra Aerojet Max Cobra nailed it in the looks department. They designed a predominantly black driver with a gloss carbon crown and gave it red, white and blue accents. The sound is a pleasant crack of near the center of the face and gets a little muted as you move out to the extreme edges. It's not Ping G400 good, but it’s also not Epic Flash Sub Zero loud. The feel off the center of the face is what I would consider solid, it’s not bad, but it doesn't feel as springy soft as I like. Looks, sound, and feel (4/5) I have had a blast so far gaming the Aerojet Max. I haven't kept stats thoroughly but I do know over the last 27 holes I have hit 12/21 fairways. I feel like the Epic Flash Sub Zero has more potential distance than the Aerojet, but feel like the Aerojet has more consistent distance. I haven’t seen the big misses as much and have had several drives get out to around 230 yards. On Course Performance (5/5) Unless something drastic happens over the next few weeks, this driver is solidly in the top of the bag. I’m hitting more fairways and seeing more consistent distances. Play It or Trade It (5/5) Overall I have found that the Cobra Aerojet Max suits my game well and I’ve hit more fairways and fewer terrible shots. While I don’t see the occasional big drive, I’m seeing more consistent tee shots. I plan on keeping the driver in the bag for quite a while. Overall (14/15) Cobra Aerojet Max Fairways What can I say about the looks? They're identical to the driver with a beautiful carbon crown and with the same colors on the sole. In other words, they're good looking clubs. If I have one complaint about the club, it’s a lack of the baffler rails that has adorned the past several iterations of the Cobra fairway line including my F9's. The Aerojet’s feel identical to the F9 fairways and I like it. It feels like the ball jumps off the face. They have a slightly higher pitched sound than the driver and again reminds me of the F9's. Looks, Sound, and Feel (4.5/5) I haven’t hit a ton of shots on the course with the 3 wood, and have hit a few with the 5 and so far the good outweighs the bad. I’m not the greatest fairway player but do love hitting them in certain situations. The good shots have been great, but I have topped a few (my normal miss). I have a feeling they could be solid performers if I relax and let the club did the work and don’t over swing. On Course Performance (3.5/5) Right now the Aerojet fairways are making a case to stay in the bag. They look and sound phenomenal, I just need to dial in my swing with them. They show promise as a great option off the tee and for the occasional par 5. Play It or Trade It (4/5) The Cobra fairway woods both look and sound good. I believe they're better optimized for my game than my F9's. They have the potential to be longer than my other fairway woods and I’ve seen a higher ratio of good hits. I wish they still had the rails, but the engineers at Cobra are smarter than I am. Overall (12.5/15) King Tec 4 Hybrid and Aerojet 5 Hybrid These are both beautiful clubs and very appealing to my eye. The King Tec hybrid with its blacked out look with the subtle carbon crown is so good looking. The Aerojet hybrid shares the same good looks as its long game brothers and will get no complaints from me. The King Tec has a slightly more muted sound than the Aerojet, especially when hit a little off center. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the sound but moved the weights to counteract a slice I was seeing and it made a world of difference. Looks, Sound, and Feel (5/5) These clubs have transformed my long game. They are easy to get in the air and fly straight. Playing in the woods and wedges match I was manipulating distances from 110 to 180 yards. They are the main reason I shot one of the lowest rounds I’ve had in a while. One of the hardest shots for me is the ball above feet situation. While playing Indian Trace I was faced with this shot with 170 left to the hole and pulled the hybrid. I aimed just off the right of the green and let it fly. It didn't curve as much as I expected, but I was pin high right. I also hit one to six feet on the par 3 8th at my course, granted I pulled out it a smidge but it worked out well. On Course Performance (5/5) Have I mentioned how these clubs have changed my approach game? The hybrids have solidly locked themselves into my bag. Keep It or Trade It (5/5) If I were to write a love letter to golf clubs, I would wax poetic to these hybrids. They are firmly in my bag. Overall (15/15) Cobra Long Game overall (41.5/45) Cobra Agera 3D Printed Putter I like the look of the Agera, it’s a Spider inspired shape with sharp edges that might not appeal to everyone but I love the fact Cobra went with a bold, futuristic look with this putter. The SIK face is unlike anything I’ve ever played and I was honestly expecting it to feel harsh compared to the White Hot insert in my Odyssey. It feels soft off the face and has a nice, soft click at impact. Untitled - Sequence 01 35.mp4 Looks Sound and Feel (5/5) Since putting the Agera in the bag, my putting has degraded. I don’t hit a lot of approaches close and have to rely on the putter to lag it close. I can’t dial it in and too often leave lags 10 feet short or long and have had more 3 putts than usual. That’s not a recipe that will lead to lower scores in the future. I will say it’s a very stable putter from heel to toe, the Agera claims to have a very high MOI and I believe those claims are true. On Course Performance (2/5) As soon as this competition is over, the Odyssey is going back in the bag. I love the idea behind the 3D printing and want to love the Agera, but I find myself too frustrated with its performance. I believe the Agera head is a good product, I think the biggest issue might be the shaft. The KBS putter shaft weighs 120 grams and my Stroke Lab comes in at 75. Putting is such a personal thing and I’m usually able to step up to the ball, look at the hole, track my eyes back to the ball, and let it flow. I’ve said a few times that I'm crazy confident when putting, now I feel like I’ve got the yips. Right now it does not have a place in my bag. We still have a couple of weeks left in the competition and there’s a chance it could do better, but its got a lot of work to do to change my opinion. Play it or Trade It (2/5) The Cobra Agera is a good looking putter. It feels and sounds good coming off the face. I just don’t believe it’s the putter that suits my game right now. Overall (9/15) Cobra Forged Tec X Review The Forged Tec X irons blend a players profile with game improvement performance. I’m usually not too particular when it comes down to what I see when I look down at the club, but I’m starting to like a thinner profile. I’m not ready for Primetime and gaming a razor thin blade but I feel like if you want to look like a player these irons fit the bill. Finding out the black irons were available for the test excited me and let me tell you, they do not disappoint. My playing partners have raved about how good they look. I have started to see some wear on them, but that's something I expected and am enjoying the patina they’re developing. They do feel and sound a little clicky off the face compared to the Mizuno JPX 921 Forged and that’s why I’m going to give them a little less than perfect in this part of my review. Looks, Sound, and Feel (4.5/5) I am playing some of my best golf in a long time with these irons. The 7-GW in the set have been easy to hit, launch the ball high, and go a pretty long way. I have noticed I’m seeing about a club more distance out of the X’s. I’m inconsistent with the 6 iron, but it performed good off the tee during irons only. I’ve been less consistent with it off the turf. It has been easy to flight down when in tree trouble and I think in the right hands could be easy to shape. On Course Performance (4.5/5) The Forged Tec X are staying in the bag. Going into the review, I had decided this was going to be the hardest part of the set to replace. I love the looks and feel of the Mizuno's and was almost determined that the Cobra’s weren't going to become my gamers. Right now at the point my game is, I feel they give me the best chance to score my best. Play Them or Trade Them(5/5) If you’re looking at players distance irons, I believe you’d be remiss to not at least try the Cobra Forged Tec X. They look good and flat out perform. Overall (14/15) Cobra Snakebite Wedge Review The Snakebite wedges look so good. I could just repeat what I said in the irons review that I love the look of the black finish on them and how well they blend with the Forged Tec X in the bag. Like the irons, I’m seeing some wear in the finish but it’s not offensive. The sole of the clubs have taken the most abuse since I have hit them out of the sand. They do sound slightly more harsh than wedges I’ve gamed in the past. They’re not too bad, but just not as pure sounding as the Bridgestone Tour XB 1 or the Vokey SM7. Looks, Sound, and Feel (4/5) On the course, they've performed well. I’ve mentioned that I love the scallop on the sole as I feel it and the heel relief really free me to open them up and hit high, soft shots. The only negative I’ve observed out of them is a lack of spin. Granted, I played a lot before the challenge when the weather was dry and the greens were not receptive. The only time I have had receptive greens was during the iron only challenge and they were not in the bag. I did see some nice check out of the set GW, so I’m not going to judge too hard and give them a wait and see. On Course Performance (4/5) The Snakebite wedges are going to stay in the bag. They are easier to open up than my Vokey’s without fear of blading them across the green. The 54, 58 combo are also better gapped than the 52, 56, and 60 combo I’ve been playing. Keep Them or Trade Them (5/5) I love the looks and like the feel of the Cobra Snakebite wedges. I am hoping to see a bit more spin out of them once the greens aren’t so dry. I love how easy the loft is to manipulate and how low I can get the heel when I open them up. Overall (13/15) Cobra Ultralight Pro+ Stand Bag I've always been a cart bag player and decided to go with a stand bag for this review and try something different. My course doesn't have holders for your bag at the range and I thought this would be perfect since I spend a lot of time practicing. I decided to go with the Quiet Shade/Navy Blazer color simply because I wanted something less colorful than I’ve had in the past. I’m glad I did because it looks so good when my blacked out irons and wedges are in there. The bag is really light and easy to carry on the range or to the golf cart. It’s easy to maneuver out of the house and fits easily into the trunk of my car. Looks and Feel (5/5) This bag has done everything I have asked of it on the course. There’s plenty of storage space for my balls, tees, and the drink cooler pocket is the largest I’ve ever had. I can easily fit 3 bottles of water and an ice pack in there. I do have a couple of gripes about it that'll keep it from a perfect score. I really haven't figured out how to arrange clubs in it to satisfy my OCD on how I like my clubs. I’m spoiled to a 14 way divider with a putter well. Also, it does tend to twist after riding in a cart after a while. Neither of those are deal breakers, it just all comes down to personal preference. On Course Performance (4/5) The Cobra bag going to be in a rotation with my other bags going forward. With such a big cooler pocket, it's going to be my warm weather bag. During the cooler months when I’m walking, I’m going to go with a heavier bag to stabilize my trolley. Keep It or Trade It (4/5) The Cobra Ultralight bag is a good looking bag and it’s easy to carry. I love having the stand for going to the range so I don’t have to lay my clubs down or worry about them falling over. The storage is ample for a round of golf and I love how many drinks it can hold. It’s not going to be a year round bag for me, but will be my go to in the warmer months. Overall (13/15) Full Bag Overall (90.5/105) Getting to participate in the Cobra 50th Anniversary Special: Priceless

Ping G410 Plus Driver - Stage 1 Review - jlukes Well it has been almost 2 whole years since I participated in official MGS forum testing and I have to admit, it feels great to be back in the fold! I have previously tested the Sun Mountain 3.5LS Stand Bag (which I still use), Evnroll ER2 putter (which I am taking to my grave with me), and Mizuno JPX 900 Tour irons (the only reason I am not still gaming these is that through fitness and lessons I increased my swing speed to the point where I needed to change shafts). What you should notice is that I do not apply to test everything and anything, and when I do apply to test something, it is a product that I am sincerely interested in doing a thorough long-term review for. I am going to use some of the background from previous forum reviews because a lot of that information hasn’t changed! My name is Joe and I am from Central NJ. I have been playing golf for about 23 years (since I was 12) and I am about a 4.1 handicap at the moment. I started hitting balls when I was much younger - my grandfather cut down an old 9 iron and 5 wood and gave them to me so I could hit balls in my backyard. I remember my first 9 holes being when I was about 11 years old - I shot 63 with my dad. I started playing in County tournaments when I was about 13 years old and played varsity golf in High School. My first job when I was at the local driving range/mini golf, and all through High School I worked at golf course taking care of the carts, running bags, and eventually became the starter. I have always enjoyed being around the game of golf in any capacity and I have found that it is truly a game for life. My son is just over 2 and he is already addicted to the game. I hope that he continues to see what a fun game this is and it becomes something we can bond over for years to come. When it comes to my golf game, I would say I have quite a few strengths. I am a long hitter (Carry my driver > 270 yards), I have an okay wedge game, and I am a good putter. Time is my enemy when it comes to golf; not being able to practice and play as much as I’d like (more than once a week or so) prevents me from being consistent. I have rounds where I am pounding it off the tee, but I can’t hit a GIR, and then I have rounds where I am a little wonky off the tee, but my short game saves me. Everything finally came together for me in November 2016 when I shot a personal best of -1 71, beating my previous best of +2 74. I am the type of golfer that can be extremely competitive, but I also love fun, no-pressure rounds with my buddies. A lot of the guys I golf with are not as good as me, but I do not care in the least. I enjoy playing with all skill levels and I have no problem giving advice and helping someone with their game if asked (and only if asked). I enjoy walking the course as much as possible and nothing frustrates me more than long rounds. I see no reason why an average round should take over 4 hours, no matter what the golfers’ skill levels are. If you want to know a bit more about my swing, I have a swing overhaul thread I have been chronicling here: It has been an interesting spring as I work to keep the momentum up from my winter lesson programs and I will update that thread with updates on my swing changes as the season goes on. But for the sake of this review, you should know that my driver swing speed is around 113-116 MPH and I play a bit of a draw. I have an upwards angle of attack and my miss is primarily a hook. Here is a video of my driver swing from the end of February For me, driver is my weapon. I play aggressive off the tee because if there is anything that modern analytics and “strokes gained” has taught us, it is that distance is king and that taking advantage of my ability to hit it long is key to me scoring low. I pull driver every opportunity I have. I am no more accurate with my fairway wood or hybrid, so there is no reason for me to sacrifice distance by laying up off the tee unless a hole absolutely calls for a lay up. I try to get on or close to all Par 5s in two, and I try to get myself as close as possible on all Par 4s so that I can be hitting a wedge into the green if the yardage dictates. I wasn’t always a great driver of the ball. I used to have quite a negative attack angle which resulted in low launch and high spin. No amount of head and shaft changes (much to my dismay) could correct a bad attack angle, so in 2014 I went through a swing change and learned to hit up on my driver. Once I got a positive angle of attack locked in, I noticed I gained 15+ yards of carry on my drives! I have been through quite a few drivers since high school - some were great, others were mistakes (due to lack of knowledge about fitting and purchasing on a whim) TaylorMade 320 TaylorMade r5 TaylorMade r11 TaylorMade RBZ Tour Cobra Amp Cell Callaway Big Bertha Alpha (fitted) Cobra Bio Cell+ Srixon 545 TaylorMade M1 (fitted) TaylorMade M2 (2017) (fitted) Cobra F8+ (fitted) Titleist TS2 (fitted) When the Ping 410 Plus testing was unveiled, I knew it was a testing that I wanted to put my name in the hat for. Ping received such outstanding reviews on their G400 line and I knew that that the G410 had to be something special in order to follow the G400. With that being said, I have never gamed a Ping club before. I do have a few old Ping putters, but I never really even given an extensive look to Ping Metalwoods and Irons. Thankfully, I was selected for this great testing opportunity and I get to see what Ping is all about! There are a number of selling points/claims that I will be keeping an eye on throughout testing: Turbulators - do they really increase swing speed? Adjustability - Well the G410 Plus is the most adjustable driver Ping has ever made. Does the weight track (3 fixed positions) actually work? Hosel Adjustment - The G410 Plus features a brand new adjustable hosel from Ping, one that now includes “flat” settings. Do they make a difference? I will put these three elements, as well as the general performance of the G410 Plus to the test over the coming months with the hope of providing the best information for the MGS forum. At the time of being selected for this review, I was gaming a Titleist TS2 driver that I was fit for at Club Champion. I truly believe that fitting is necessary to maximize what a golf club can do for a player. I chose the TS2 during my fitting because it provided me with the best combination of distance and accuracy. The Cobra F9 and Epic Flash SZ were longer, but I had trouble with both distance and lateral dispersions. When I was selected for G410+ testing, I immediately went to my local range, who happens to be a Top 100 Ping fitter, and got a basic fitting for the G410+. Unlike other OEMs, Ping does not offer a wide selection of no-upcharge shaft options. The only two shaft options that were really even under consideration for me were the Evenflow Black and the Ping Tour. However, I know from past fittings that I do not get along with the Evenflow series, so it came down to the Ping Tour. We set up the G410+ in a 9-degree head a Ping Tour 65X shaft and it was clear right away that it was the combination I would submit to Ping for testing. I asked Ping that it play 45" at a D3 swing weight. After I received my club I tested the swing weight and length at a shop and wasn't surprised to see Ping delivered on the nose. During the testing period I will be testing the G410 on the range, on the course, and on launch monitors. While I will be touching on how the club fits me, I will try to remain focused on validating the performance claims from Ping to see if the G410 stacks up with the rest of the drivers on the market. I want my review to be as interactive as possible, so please ask me as many questions on this testing thread and I will attempt to address them all. You won’t have to wait for my Stage 2 to head how things are going. All testers will be actively participating in the thread to provide updates as we go - so we can continue the conversation from day to day. So I mentioned that the TS2 was my gamer going into this testing, but if you are a regular on the forum, you would have noticed that as of this Stage 1 (April 3rd), I have sold my TS2. Without divulging too much right now, my 3 range sessions and 2 rounds were enough for me to know that the G410 Plus was going to be better for me going forward. Furthermore, I believe a good testing write-up should be about the individual club in the test and not about a club going head to head with another club. So does the Ping G410 Plus carry the torch that was lit by the G400 series? Early results are positive and I look forward to sharing the rest of my thoughts with the MGS community as the testing progresses.

We're in the midst of a pretty good run here on the MyGolfSpy Forum. We've doubled in size in less than 4 years, and now stand at nearly 76,000 members as we march toward our goal of 100,000. Sure, the place has changed a bit since many of us old-timers joined up, but as we've grown up we've done our best to make sure the Forum lives up to its promise of being an open, welcoming and diverse collection of people who share the same passion for all things golf. Our founding traditions include respectful behavior, open welcomes to new members and lively, fun exchanges among real golfers - not the internet sensations who always hit it 320 down the middle. Do we slip up from time to time? Absolutely, but you guys are remarkable at self-policing. With that, I'd like to extend a personal thanks to GolfSpy Meyer, or as he will once again be known as - hckeymeyer. Brian has served as your forum director and moderator for the last year or so and, as happens in this position, will be transferring back to the role of valued Forum Member. Rob and Enrique will be assuming the roles of Forum Co-Directors and will eventually be looking to add another moderator to the staff roster. Forum Director is such a transitory position - I've done it, Brian, Bones, Mr. Theoo and others. We get to do it for a while and then we transition back into the real world of day jobs, family needs, etc. I know I speak for Brian when I say it's a fun ride, and you guys are the ones that make it that way. Anyway, cheers and thank you to Brian, and best wishes to Rob and Enrique as they take over the ship. Just remember Barbajo's first rule of management: I don't care what you do, just don't f**k it up....