tucker_jct

Interesting is that when I rebuilt my set about 2 years ago, I switched to a Driver, 4 wood, 3h  at the top end of my bag.  Over the last 2 years I've felt that worked really well.   Then over the winter I picked up a 2 new fairway woods  a 3 wood and a 5 wood but have not hit them outside this year.   Which ones go into the bag to play will depend on the course.   I feel like I may need flexibility at the top end   D, 3w, 5w    or  D ,4w, 3h    

Interesting is that when I rebuilt my set about 2 years ago, I switched to a Driver, 4 wood, 3h  at the top end of my bag.  Over the last 2 years I've felt that worked really well.   Then over the winter I picked up a 2 new fairway woods  a 3 wood and a 5 wood but have not hit them outside this year.   Which ones go into the bag to play will depend on the course.   I feel like I may need flexibility at the top end   D, 3w, 5w    or  D ,4w, 3h    

Interesting is that when I rebuilt my set about 2 years ago, I switched to a Driver, 4 wood, 3h  at the top end of my bag.  Over the last 2 years I've felt that worked really well.   Then over the winter I picked up a 2 new fairway woods  a 3 wood and a 5 wood but have not hit them outside this year.   Which ones go into the bag to play will depend on the course.   I feel like I may need flexibility at the top end   D, 3w, 5w    or  D ,4w, 3h    

If you're in the western burbs, go break them in at Kishwaukee in DeKalb. The running joke, as far as I recall, is that the course might as well be called Sub 90 with how many Sub 70 staff and club users call Kishwaukee home. Then if you don't like the clubs, you can complain directly to the folks who built them for you! 🤣

My order arrived yesterday -  had a chance to use them last night in my winter league at Game Of Irons.     No stats on them as of yet but I'm excited to put both of these in play outside once the spring weather gets around the Chicago area.
 

 

My order arrived yesterday -  had a chance to use them last night in my winter league at Game Of Irons.     No stats on them as of yet but I'm excited to put both of these in play outside once the spring weather gets around the Chicago area.
 

 

Not yet. I believe we are still working on what and how we are gonna do this again. Stay tuned

Have the invites to the 2024 version of the pickem -league gone out?

What Player Will Have the Most Points:    Scottie Scheffler 
What Player Will secure the Clinching Point on Sunday    Max Homa 

@Golfspy_CG2 been doing my best to bide my time and not sound like an overly anxious kid trying to get to Christmas day 😂 buuuuut any word on a Ryder Cup competition similar to the Major contests?!? Or are you keeping us in the dark regardless to ramp up anticipation?

Found this waiting outside my door yesterday…


 

Immediately went to the backyard to figure out distances until my Mevo+ went haywire.  As expected the short irons are a tad shorter and the long irons a tad longer. All fine. 
After last weeks story about driving irons I called them up and added a 3U to the order.  That may have been a mistake, but we’ll see over time. 
 
Im anxious to try the low bounce set of wedges - but that’ll have to wait a few weeks until I’m out in Nebraska.  Yes, yellow ferrules for the Iowa wedges, and red for Nebraska…

Garsen MAX Putter Grip – Official MGS Forum Review by Ben Joest
Introduction
My dad grew up one of seven children, with five brothers and a sister. This is relevant because three of those brothers, along with a brother-in-law and my dad would play golf during our weeklong family gatherings. During one of these weeks, around the time I turned twelve, my uncle handed me a nine iron and a ball. I was obsessed with baseball and said something to the effect of “this isn’t a bat.” His response, “No, it’s better.,” aroused my curiosity so I set the ball down and took my best baseball swing. If this were the movies, the ball would have left the club in a high, tight draw and nestled softly a hundred-twenty yards away, while the cheers and adulation of my family washed over me amidst cries of “My God! The boy is a natural!”
Alas, the swing I put on that ball produced a low burner that never got ten feet off the ground, though it did go about eighty yards. I looked to my uncle after I hit it for a reaction, but he was already walking towards my dad. Hustling to catch up, I overheard my uncle tell my dad, “He will be fine. He already hits it further than Al does.” They laughed, and with that I was drafted into the family tee times.
Thus began, what has been a lifelong love affair with the grand old game. Like any good love story, it has been filled with the highest peaks (breaking eighty, Eagles, hole-outs from a hundred yards)  and the lowest valleys (six-putting a green, far too many moments of quiet contemplation over how long it would take for my golf bag and clubs to sink to the bottom of a water hazard). Fast forward thirty-two years and I am a forty-four-year-old father of three. Two girls and a boy, ages ten, eight, and four. They instill in me a sense of purpose, that most parents understand but very few can explain. It is what compels me to pass along my love for golf to them and thus far they have been quite receptive, probably because they know it aggravates their mother to no end. I am raising three little contrarians. We live just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.
My handicap hovers between eight and ten. My putting has never been a strength or a weakness, it has always just been there. When I signed up for this test, I was unfamiliar with Garsen. I have since learned they offer three unique grips, which are all markedly different from the super strokes I have been gaming for the last decade plus. In December, I purchased a perfect practice putting mat, so my plan to evaluate the Max involves the mat, a practice green at the local practice facility and real-time feedback from playing rounds, Because putting has never been a priority, I look forward to focusing my attention on these grips and by default, my stroke.
Unboxing/Initial Thoughts
The USPS envelope was waiting patiently in the mailbox for me when I got home yesterday. The contents revealed, upon opening, to be a nice letter from Bernerd Garsen, 2 quality stickers, and the 3 grips of my choosing.
 
I opted for the red/black Max, the green Ultimate, and the tapered Quad Tour. My initial impressions of these grips are positive. The materials look and feel to be of a high quality. The feature of the Max grip is the spine that runs down the center of the face of the grip.
As you can see, I wasted no time getting these grips on my putters. After some consideration, I have decided to install each grip on a different putter concurrently , rather than installing each grip on the same putter consecutively. My rationale is that it will allow more time, within the testing window, with each of the grips for comparative purposes. Also, I picked a putter for each grip that I thought would work well together. Part of the fun will be determining whether my instincts were correct.
For the Max, I chose my current gamer:

Evnroll ER7v
For the Quad Tour I chose:

Scotty Cameron California Monterey
For the Ultimate I chose:

Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie
With the lineup chosen, it is now time to get down to testing!

First Impressions (10 out of 10)
Out of the wrapper this is a sharp looking grip. The design is bold, but not overly so, with clean lines and a geometry that is pleasing to the eye. The colors used; red/black, blue/black, or white/black are simple yet vibrant. This grip provides just enough “Hey! Look at me!”, without becoming distracting. One small complaint that is, admittedly, a matter of preference: I would love to see the max in solid colors, like they have done with the Ultimate.
In looking at the product specs and claims available on the Garsen website, provided here:
Garsen Claims and Specs
GRIP SPECS:
Grip diameter: 1.5 Inches
Weight: 55 Grams
Length: 10.25"
Core Size: .600
Firmness: Medium
Shock Absorption: High
Material: High-Tech PUl
Feel: Semi-tacky
Profile: Semi-Tapered
“Innovation, with a Twist”
The Garsen MAX grip features the most substantial innovation in putter grip technology in the history of golf. By using a square grip with a 45% rotation, the “front” of the grip now becomes an angled area perfectly fitting the players’ grip and creating a much more biomechanically efficient position for the putting stroke. This simple, yet highly effective, grip innovation is the fastest way to immediately improve your putting.
      
HOW YOU WIN WITH THE MAX:
Unlike a traditional putter grip, the MAX places your hands in a position so the palms face each other, and the wrists are in a neutral position. It turns your elbows into your body and sets your shoulders back. This relieves arm and shoulder tension, inhibits wrist action, which takes “the hands out of the putting” and promotes shoulder rotation, creating a solid putting stroke, which will give you a one-piece feel, leading to a more consistent stroke.
 
These claims, specifically the relief of arm and shoulder tension were put to the test during the nightly competition, the practice green sessions, and the on-course rounds.
Aesthetics (9 out of 10)
The MAX’s shape is best described as a teardrop. At the rear of the grip, it is rounded toward the front and culminates into a ridge that runs the length of the face. There is a repeating pattern within the texture of the grip of diamonds and tear drops.

Holding the grip provides a pleasant, tactile sensation and the first time I picked it up, I got the impression that I was holding something that was firm underneath, with the right amount of softness on the surface, without feeling spongy. I withheld a single point for the color palette available. I would like to see bold color choices, like the ones that are available for the Ultimate, be on offer for the MAX. Specifically, the neon green. It’s minor and my only quibble with the aesthetics of this grip.

The Fit and Feel (18 out of 20)
Going into this test, the amount of time and consideration I have given to the way I grip a putter and, for that matter, the grip on the putter itself might charitably be called lovingly neglectful. Because my putting has always been on the plus side of adequate, my focus during practice sessions has always been directed toward more pressing areas. In part, I was excited to test these grips because it forced me to give more consideration to this area of my game. During my initial testing with each of these grips, I rolled putts with each, using 3 of the 4 common grips.

I didn’t try any with the wrist anchor, as none of 3 putters I selected for these tests were long enough to try this comfortably. The Rossie and ER7v are 34” and the Scotty is 33”. I have always used the traditional, or a slightly modified version, but I was interested to try the other variations. I found that the Claw grip works fairly well with the MAX, as the 45° plane on the trail side of the grip makes for a comfortable surface to rest the hand as it points down without impacting one’s ability to keep their elbows tucked in. The cross-hand experiment bore similar results, in that beyond the initial awkwardness of holding a putter in that manner, a few putts in, the grip began to feel more natural. I could see with either variation, that the MAX would not hinder an individual’s choice of grip. My only complaint regarding the fit and feel of the grip, and the reason it lost 2 points, relates to the overall length of the grip. My modified traditional grip didn’t quite feel right.

So I had to modify my hand-position back to a grip that more closely resembles a split-hand grip, In doing so, I went from having about 3” of unused grip at the bottom, to having about 5/8” of an inch, which feels ever so slightly off to me.

This isn’t so much a failing of Garsen, as a matter of preference for me. Also, Garsen does sell a 15” version of the MAX that would solve this issue for me, and other weirdos like me.
On the Course (20 out of 20)
Field testing of the MAX took place From May 11th through June 8th. It was comprised of a nightly putting mat challenge where the MAX competing against the Ultimate and the Quad Tour, 3 visits to the local practice center to utilize their green complex, and 18-hole rounds on Majestic Springs, The Mill Course, and Majestic Springs, again.
Basement Putting Mat Shootout

I gave each putter 5 putts from 3’, 6’, & 9’ toward the regulation sized cup. If the putter made all 5 putts, it was given an opportunity to make a bonus putt from that distance into the smaller opening. Each standard make was worth a point and the bonus putts were worth 3 points. On any given night, a putter could earn a total of 24 points. A perfect score proved to be rather elusive, as it only happened 5 times out of a possible 84 rounds! Here is the final tally from the shootout and your grand champion:

Congratulations to Ultimate Rossie, you are a worthy champion, and we are all sure you will carry this victory with the grace and dignity befitting a grip of your stature. After the event, I asked the winner to share a few thoughts on what this monumental, career defining triumph means for them moving forward, but all I got was a couple of half-baked cliches about “taking it one putt at a time” and “rolling the ball really well this week”, when pressed for more substantive answers, Ultimate Rossie’s Kiwi caddy threatened to beat the living daylights out of me. Sheesh, some putters let a little success go right to their heads…
Southwest Golf Ranch Practice Green Complex
For the practice green portion I took advantage of a wonderful practice facility that is 15 minutes away from home, The Southwest Golf Ranch, they have a large practice green that allowed me to pick out a relatively flat patch of green for 5’, 10’, & 20’ sessions of 6 & 10 putts from each distance. The results were positive and are submitted here.
I also included a freeform session, where I pitted the MAX against the Quad Tour, I randomly picked distances and differing breaks with the intention of simulating conditions like a round, because as helpful as 5,10,20 can be, rarely do I find myself seeing those exact distances repeated in actual playing conditions.

Ed. Note: Pictures and Video included in posts throughout the thread
Actual Rounds Played
My average putts per round prior to installing the MAX for this season have been:

For the rounds that I used the MAX, I had:
34 putts for 18 holes at Majestic Springs. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. I had 1 less putt than my average. Highlights from this round include 3 – 30+foot lag putts to leave me with 6” tap-ins, one-putts made from 12’ and 15’ feet, respectively and no 3 putts.

32 putts for 18 holes at The Mill Course. I had 4 one-putts for this round that ranged from approx. 3’ to 14’. For the second round in a row, my lags on the long putts were mostly well-judged, leaving makeable 2nd putts, and the cherry on top was another round with zero 3 putts!

30 putts for 18 holes at Majestic Springs. This was by far the best round I have had with the MAX! 30 total putts, so 5 strokes gained from season average prior to testing. My season average has dropped a stroke to 34 putts per 18. I had 7 one-putts including a 35’ for par and a 40’ for birdie. The other 5 varied in length from 3’ to 19’. As I have grown more accustomed to this grip, my distance control with it has improved quite a bit from my first round out with it. The only blemish on the round was a 3 putt on the par 3 3rd. It took me 3 putts to get down from a tee shot that left me 20’ from the hole, a bad read on the first putt left a tricky 6-footer that I left short. The MAX can hardly be blamed for this, so overall this round is an A+ for the MAX/Evnroll combination.

I deducted no points from the “on the course” score. My misses are line and pace related and the MAX shouldn’t and won’t be held accountable for a bad read or hammer hands. I thoroughly enjoyed putting with the MAX during the “on the course” performance portion of testing.
The Good, The Bad, The In-between (18 out of 20)
Amongst the good, the MAX, having rolled at least a thousand putts with this grip over the past month, maintained its pleasant feel and their claims that the grip can help alleviate arm and shoulder tension seemed to bear out as factual. The “elbows-in” position the grip naturally promotes does help with a smooth, repeatable putting stroke. During all phases of the testing, I did not notice any twisting of the putter face that would lead to bad pushes or pulls. For the latter half of the testing period, temperatures were often in excess of 80° and I did not experience any sliminess or slickness with the grip, despite being quite sweaty on multiple occasions.
The not-so-good is limited to my above-referenced quibbles with color and length, as well as my need to modify the way I grip the putter to get peak performance from the MAX. The results that have been realized with this grip, go a long way toward negating these personal irks with the MAX, but I deducted 2 points, nonetheless.
There is one specific test that I wanted to put the MAX through and circumstances outside of my control intervened. When I sat down and put my plan together, one facet of a grip’s performance that I rarely, if ever, see tested is how that grip performs in the rain. While I typically don’t plan to golf in the rain, over the past 30+ years, I have been rained on plenty. I was curious how the MAX would perform in non-sweat related wet conditions. Would constant moisture have any negative effects on the grip? At the onset of testing, I planned to take advantage of a rainy afternoon or evening to go hit putts and collect some anecdotal data. It was a good plan and would have worked if not for one small detail, we haven’t had any substantial rain since testing began. The best laid plans…
As an aside, I briefly considered standing under the lawn sprinkler to simulate rainy conditions, but self-control and the fear of a 72-hour psych hold got the better of me.
Play It or Trade It (18 out of 20)
After weighing the preponderance of evidence I have gathered during this trip down the rabbit hole, I am split between the MAX and the Ultimate. The Basement Putting Mat Shootout victory had the Ultimate in the lead, but my last testing round on the course with the MAX was too awesome to discount and now I am torn between the two of them. I will allow that additional time getting acclimated to the way my hands are positioned when I hold the MAX could tip the scales in favor of the MAX, but in fairness to the Ultimate, I need to see how well the performance on the putting mat translates to the course. My final choice, is for now, to be continued. I would like to add that choosing between these 3 was harder than I imagined coming into the test and it boils down to being comfortable with the position of my hands. Right, wrong, or indifferent I docked the MAX 2 points for not being the victor. However, it must be said that Garsen has provided us with 3 outstanding grips to test. Over the course of the month, I developed a fondness for all 3 at times and will continue to trust each of these grips to the putter it was assigned. The highest compliment I can pay Garsen in this regard, is that I have no intentions of re-gripping any of the 3 putters with a different vendor’s product. In truth, I may purchase the variety pack that Garsen sells and put the grips on with air so that I can see how well the current gamer might perform with the Ultimate or the Quad Tour and vice versa. Also, given the performance of the Rossie/Ultimate, I very well may have found a new “gamer”.
Conclusion: TL;DR
Due to the subtle nature of the art of putting, I’m not certain any product, on its own, can transform a bad putter into a good putter or a good putter into a great putter. The unvarnished, unsexy truth is that only practice and a commitment to improvement can do that. However, I do believe that there are products, such as the Garsen MAX putter grip, that help the earnest and faithful achieve that end. This grip allows its users to develop a consistent stroke and, by the way that it guides the elbows inward, places the arms in a consistent, repeatable position. If you struggle with developing a repeatable putting stroke, then the Garsen MAX is absolutely one you must try. Lastly, a huge shout out to the Forum Staff and Garsen for allowing me to take part in this test. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am now a devoted fan of Garsen and these grips.
Final Score (93 out of 100)
 
 
 

The cut will be +4  highest score will be 88 

Introduction (6/9/2023):
Right off the bat I can not help but thank My Golf Spy and Sub 70 for the chance to review these clubs. I am super excited to put these wedges through the ringer. For the first test, I couldn’t be more grateful and excited that it is both Wedges and Sub 70 that I get the opportunity to review.
To get to know a little about me I should first explain, for those who have not been privileged to hear my explanation, my tag name in the Forum. CB Lobo 4 Life, was actually something I happened to choose by chance. CB is my initials for my first and last name (Christopher Binnie), while Lobo 4 Life has its association with the High School I graduated from and also played on the golf team at. 
I graduated from Snowflake High School, whose mascot is the Lobo (as can be seen on my signature). This is actually where my wife and I find ourselves residing now. It is a very small town - about 15K people - but we love it, and the golf course is always going to be one of my favorites. My wife and I live here in Snowflake with our 5 kids, 15 chickens, and a lot of gardening and DIY housework that we are constantly doing. We love living in Snowflake AZ as it seems to just suit the homestead lifestyle that we have tried to create and also, with all of our kids it helps to have a family so close which we thankfully have. I am a small-town dude, with a big heart and that will never change. 


Getting to know me: 
I won’t take too long as I do not want to be long-winded, however, I would love to take some time to introduce myself a little bit more. 
Currently, I work for a company called 3Cloud where I am a Consultant for Data Analytics. I love my job and I take it very seriously. Data is the lifeblood of the world now and it feels incredible to be a worker in something so profound as clients' data and helping them make important business decisions. When I am not working, hanging out with family, or playing golf I can be found doing a lot of different things. I love to read (Fantasy, horror, and True Crime), write (same genres), and go hunting.


I am a man of many loves with the obvious greatest love being my family. As seen above we have all of our kiddos along with our newest born this year. I love family and they're incredibly important to me. 
I love all things life offers and am excited to share more about me, my game, and this review as time goes on. 
About my Game:
Outside of my Faith, family, and my profession, I am not sure if there is anything in my life I have a greater passion for than the game of golf. I started playing at the ripe age of 12 when my dad took me out to an executive par 3 course. We plinked around on the range a bit, getting very basic lessons from my dad, and then we went and played. It wasn’t until hole 4 came up (a short par 3 playing at about 120 yards) that I finally had “The Moment.” You know, the one where you pure it for the first time, the stars align and you knew in that moment that golf would forever be a part of your life. Yeah, that was what happened to me. I hit a glorious 6 iron to 5 feet, and the rest is history. 
From that point on I devoted as much time as I could. I would love to say that I turned into a major junior amateur and won a million tournaments and found myself staring at the table before him having to make the decision between ASU and UT. However, that is not the case. I came into a decent game in High School but I was never able to really get out of my own head. We did really well on our Snowflake high school team, in fact, we won state all four years. My greatest moment was the first round of senior year where I shot a 77 and became the two-man for my team. There is nothing quite so amazing and frustrating as the game of golf. 

As of now, I feel like my game is actually in the best shape it has been in a very long time. Having gotten my handicap down to 7 at this point I would say that is for the most part how I play. I can play almost scratch at times but that is certainly more rare than common. I play a lot here in the White Mountains and my mainstay is the Snowflake Municipal which is basically in my backyard. With the season on the horizon, I am looking to play in more competitive matches and see how well I can start playing. 
 
My game has always been best with my long irons and woods. I love to crush the ball and I do very well to the point where most of the holes out here are driver and wedge shots. However, the latter part there is where we find ourselves. I have always struggled with touch in my short game. FOGL (Fear of Going Long) or bad technique has always left me wanting. With this test, I am eager to see how new wedges (which I have never owned), and wedges by a company I have yet to try will do for me. 
Expectations, Plan, and The Final Decision
 
Firstly I would like to talk about the Final Decision in regard to what my selection was for the clubs. I have recently felt like my current wedges (TM MG 2 52, 56, 60), though wonderful, just feel out of place. What I mean by that is I seem to have an awkward yardage of 130 - 140 where I just can not seem to get the ball to land in that area. So, with that being said, I made the decision to focus on using 50, 54, & 58 as my wedge lofts. I am more than eager to write about the lofts and how they change my game along with how the wedges perform overall. 
 
Prior to being selected I had actually done an extensive amount of research on these wedges and found that with the addition of TA III, it sounds like Sub 70 has really created a wedge that will compete with and maybe even outplay the big boys. I love the fact that these wedges lean toward players who like to play multiple types of shots with their wedges. That is how I do it! Maybe not the best but I love being able to play all kinds of different shots into greens and even around it as well. This is where my plan comes into play. 
Wonderfully, Snowflake has a great chipping green. Upon which I will be spending a lot of my time. I plan on having multiple parameters with which I will be judging these wedges. Here would be my shortlist:
Feel (I prefer soft not so clicky types of wedges) Spin (Obviously this is a big deal but not quite as important to me as feel) Workability (How well shots can be played from 140 in as well as shots around the green) Looks (Who doesn’t want their clubs to not look good in the bag?) Cutting (Meaning how much it cuts up balls) My overall expectations are that I will enjoy these wedges, but can they go through the gauntlet? I expect they will do very well as these look like the new flagship “tour” wedges and with all the dialogue about how TA III was involved in the process they will definitively be put through the wringer. Expectations for all readers to know is that I should be able to expend a lot of time testing these as the chipping green is not far from my home and I am an early bird. Thereby allowing me to spend an exorbitant amount of time testing these wedges to an extent that will surely give out the best possible review I can provide.
Now, I guess the big question is, how will these stay in the bag? For me personally, a supremely important factor is feel. Though I might not have the greatest touch, I am very sensitive to how a golf club feels. I have sent back name-brand, high-dollar items simply because I did not like the feel. That being said I could be swayed, but setting precedence for myself and for you all. A big point I mentioned above was in regard to wedge gapping. If these wedges fit in the gaps the right way that could make me put them in as well. Of course, lastly, a big thing for me is being able to spin my wedges as I love to be aggressive on approach shots. That one hop stop is my go-to shot and one I take advantage of when I am out 50 - 80 yards. If these TAIII wedges can satisfy these requirements you will be seeing them in future iterations of WITB. 
I can’t express enough how grateful I am to be a part of this test and have this opportunity. I am eager to get you all information as much as I can and will be eager to give you the nitty and gritty details of everything. This was just a little taste of who I am and what I hope to bring to this test. Those wedges can not come soon enough!
First Impressions & Initial Testing (6/21 & 6/27):
In the world of golf equipment, it seems that aesthetics are just as valuable as performance. Everywhere you look golf club manufacturers take increased effort to look their very best. With social media one of the largest markets for Golf Clubs now, it only makes sense that making golf clubs beautiful to look at is just as high a precedence for R&D as much as advancements in tech. With this in mind, the TA III wedges surely fit within the upper echelon, if not the Olympus of superior looks. Picture this; you are one of the current top OEM golf companies attending a party dressed in your best suit and tie, when out of the corner of your eye you see a well-groomed gentleman wearing the crispest tux you have ever seen, garnering all the attention of that evening's attendees. This is how I imagine what the TA III wedges are doing to the world at large regarding their impeccable looks. These undoubtedly are the “Steal your Girl,” or in this case the “Steal your Guy” types of wedges. The stunning looks, symmetrical milling, and even the cavity cutouts all seem to have both beauty and purpose to them. In fact, the word Stunning would have to be the one word I would give for these wedges. You don’t have to take my word for it though. Simply take a gander at the video and pictures below to see for yourself.
 

TA Wedges Unboxing.mp4  




Additional standouts in my first impression of the wedges were not actually just their aesthetic appearance but also the appearance of great performance. I mentioned briefly above that they looked like they performed, but to elaborate here you can really tell. Simply by holding the club, you can feel more heft to the wedges than what I am normally used to with my Taylormade MG2’s. I appreciate this because I was already thinking about how this could help me take the club back with a smoother tempo. It also can not go without mentioning how the grooves felt right out of the box. Simply gliding the meaty part of my thumb over the grooves felt like sandpaper, I could foresee the spin as I did so. As well, the mini grooves were a really nice touch. You could feel their assistance on the club's face but didn’t have to worry about seeing them clearly. This is a big deal, as I imagine for most golfers the sight of noticeable mini grooves on the club face would be a major turn-off. I am pleased to inform you that this is not the case here. Without a shadow of a doubt, I was absolutely impressed with the overall first impression of the clubs. Their design looks, and future performance surely was done by a master artisan and craftsman of the game.
 
Initial Test - 6/21:
 
Time - 5:30 AM (AZ)
Weather - Chilled with no wind affecting.
Wet conditions? - Morning Dew
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I could not wait to get out the first morning after receiving the clubs. With the new grips installed the prior evening, they were ready for their maiden voyage. 
 
The morning itself was beautiful. The grass itself was wet from the watering the evening before. However, that did not seem to deter the clubs from performing with glowing colors. Like in my first impression, if I was to give a single word to describe how it felt to play with these clubs I would have to use the word “Effortless.” It just seemed like everywhere I played the club just did the work for me. A 20-yard pitch from the first cut? Hello, less than 3ft left and a few hole-outs out of ten shots. 80-yard approach shot from the rough? Do you like birdie chances? Everywhere I seemed to play from the clubs just worked phenomenally. The 54-degree worked so well as bump and run all the way up to opening it slightly and getting loft. These clubs do as TA III wanted them to. The workable type of wedge for good players and the confidence booster for high handicaps. The question remains though, what about feel, spin, and sound?
 
Feel - 
For me personally, I really like soft wedges. Anything too firm and I am turned off right away. With these being forged wedges, it is common sense that the feel with be more soft than firm. This was certainly the case here. I found the wedges to be a wonderful forged soft if I could describe it in words. Every time you hit a good one you knew it because the ball just felt like air to me. On the flip side though, you definitely noticed when it was not off the center of the club face. Firmness I definitely noticed on more toe shots, center, and even into the heel the softness stayed forgiving. Overall these wedges in this initial test beat out the TaylorMade wedges I am currently using when it comes to the soft feel. Definitely, if you are like me and you prefer more of a soft-feeling wedge you will want to give this one a go.
Spin - 
It goes without saying that this category is extremely important for anyone looking to get new wedges. This category is more difficult for a mass review in that some people find it easier to get spin off their wedges than others. Being as I am in the bucket of the former I found that these clubs had no problem whatsoever in getting LOTS of check on short chips shots all the to rapid drop and stops on longer pitches and flop shots. This was actually so noticeable that I could go to a location where I was 50 feet from the hole and just played all kinds of shots generating from small check and runs, up to flop shots that drop and stopped on a dime. It goes without question that these wedges generate plenty of spin for your game. 
Note - As these are brand new wedges spin is relative at this point in that over time the spin rates could go down. I am going to be continuing to update at different intervals to see how they continue to perform.
Sound - 
This particular category is not necessarily as important to me as the others. I hear a lot of golfers I play with talk about the sound of a club and how important it is to them and this is why I have included it. Regarding the TA III wedges though they do have a pretty sounding click noise when struck. It is pretty audible but I do feel like it sounds almost identical to all the wedges I have ever played. If I were to really try to guess the sound was a hair higher pitched than my TaylorMade, but truly almost imperceptible. 
 
Initial Test - 6/27:
 
Time - 5:30 AM (AZ)
Weather - Chilled with no wind affecting.
Wet conditions? - Early sun, dryer conditions
After a heavy work week and a vacation that pushed me away from getting out to the course, I was overjoyed and eager to get out again and try these wedges for the second time. I will not be as long-winded here but there are some points I wanted to make that are in addition to what was discussed above. The biggest thing for me was attempting to avoid any “honeymoon” biases that may have come up. The following is what I found: 
Feel - Wedges still felt incredibly soft. Not only on center shots but also even on those odd off-center ones as well. Spin - Still lots of spins. Checks up on 20-yard pitches for both the 54 and 58-degree wedges without too much effort. Flop shots using 58 degrees stopped dead when trying to from both rough and short grass. Played a 50-yard approach shot & on average the ball when struck well did not go more than 2 feet from where it landed. Spin from rough = fantastic if needed. Better than a Texas Wedge? - Something I really wanted to test is the “VS Texas Wedge” test. In that can I get it closer to the hole on average than I would using my putter instead? This test entails hitting 10 balls from the fringe to 30-40 feet and seeing if the ball can end 3 feet or shorter. The 58 certainly passed (the 54 has not been put through the paces yet). In three attempts, so 30 balls, I averaged 2.85 feet. This will be my club on these shots, to say the least.  
Not ALL Sunshine and Rainbows?
 
At this point, you are probably thinking, “Okay Chris it is a perfect club, what a lame review.” However, I do have a negative and it could be a pretty big one. So far everything about these wedges has been fantastic. The negative so far is that I am deeply concerned about the durability of the club. Right after the first testing session, I found some marring on the face of the 58-degree. As much as I know this is normal over time it was still pretty shocking to me to see that happen so fast (maybe after 50 balls hit). The grass I played on was clean and devoid of rock or large grit but I still found scuffing and a ding. 

Now, I will give the wedges the benefit of the doubt in that they are forged clubs and generally softer. I have not seen any performance changes due in part to the issue at hand so, that is very comforting. This will be something I will look for and report on continuously as the test goes on. Looking forward for more to come. 
 
The more to come? How well does it play in competition?
Competition - Pioneer Days Tourney, Snowflake AZ, 7/21/23
I had the wonderful opportunity to play in a three-man scramble tournament where I had the chance to put these wedges through their paces and they did not disappoint. My 58 got a lot of play and there were some wonderful shots where I was able to see a good amount of spin and go really close for birdie. 
 
Some instances to mention: 
Hole 1 of the 18-hole course here in Snowflake is a short par 4. My playing partner hit driver to about 65 yards left into the hole and from here I used my 58. The green sloped down towards us so I decided to go at it from the rough with as much spin as I could generate. Once in the air, I knew it was going to be a great shot. I actually nearly holed the shot. It landed about a foot short bounced just over the hole and then checked right behind leaving us with a gimme birdie. 
Hole 12 Is a short par 3 where you have to hit over water. A separate playing partner from the first hole mentioned above hit the ball on the fringe short. These shots actually intimidate me more than any. Mostly because for me judging speed from the fringe is something I struggle with. In addition to this using putte would require hitting your putt from the fringe through the green to more fringe and then back on the green to the hole. Yeah, very tricky shot. Both of my playing partners pulled the putter for safety, however, they both left it well short. I decided to just go ahead and pull my 58, lean the shaft and close the face and just hit a low check shot to the pin. It was a shot executed almost to perfection. Two more rolls and the ball would have been in for birdie. Needless to say, however, it is a shot that brings me so much confidence and to have executed it, in that moment I fell in love with this 58 again!
For me playing in this competitive format I had a lot of confidence in my wedge play. My putter was the issue but that is a discussion for another time. Sub 70 has really created a club that helps to instill a lot of confidence in your short game. I loved hitting these clubs in competition as I truly felt they could not only perform but put myself and my partners in great positions for birdie or to save par with an up and down. 
 
Though not all my shots were perfect I found myself still coming back to my 58 and 54 with what I wanted them to do and more often than not they would do it. 
 
It was not all such a honeymoon experience for me playing these clubs as there were some things I came to notice as I played in the competition. The biggest standout was that these clubs can come back to bite you if not executed well. I had a couple of shots that were either hit off-center or chunked and the shot was pretty nasty. I either pushed it far right (my miss with these clubs is off the toe more than the heel). So, I would say that as much as I absolutely adore these clubs, which I really truly do, I would recommend and add my note to whoever wants is looking for new wedges these would be perfect for the mid to low-handicap player. These individuals can really take advantage of the strengths of these clubs and keep back their weaknesses.
 
Grading
 
Aesthetics (20 out of 20 Stars) 
It can not be said enough that these wedges are absolutely gorgeous. When I went out with some family to the range who have never played before I asked their opinion and these are some of the things that they had to say that I got the chance to write down: 
“I don’t know exactly what I am looking at but all I can say is they are beautiful.”
“I don’t think I could ever play with it because it looks so good. You sure you want to hit the ground with those?”
“As an artist, I am envious of the artisans who designed this. The attention to both detail and beauty is mesmerizing.”
 
I am a huge sucker for the “Tour Satin” look. It is classic and timeless, and then Sub 70 goes ahead and adds more to the gorgeous nature of the standard and mills the backside. I love the way it looks as well. It is a contemporary kind of look but not so much that you lose anyone who prefers the ultimate classic look (I am talking o you Vokey fans). 
 
I also have to talk about the milling that they did at the bottom of the club. It is a very cool aesthetic that I have enjoyed all the way since Taylormade came out with the original Milled Grind wedges. However, Sub 70 Has really outdone itself with this look. Surprisingly, not only does it look amazing, but I have to say that mentally I felt like seeing that on the bottom of the club, I could glide it through the turf better. Call me crazy but it is a great confidence booster to see something like milling on the bottom of the club to make you think you can slip it through the grass with ease.
 
In all, I think this is the most beautiful golf club I have certainly ever played but also ever seen. Sub 70 has knocked it out of the park with this one. 
 
The Numbers (20 out of 20 points)
Unfortunately, I hate to say it but I have no access to club data tracking hardware/software. However, I have tested fresh wedges on sims before (this being the reason why I purchased my Taylormade MG 2, my gamer prior to these ones). I will be comparing to that club here:
Carry: This one is difficult as my TaylorMade MG2 is a 60-degree versus this Sub 70 is a 58 so obvious the 58 will go further. And I do have to say when it comes to the 58 degrees that I have been playing I was able to hit pins at 118 yards and then play it soft to locations at 50 and below. Needless to say the versatility of one club for me was incredible to behold!
Spin Rate: When I tested the Taylormade MG2 originally I was getting rates in the low 10k’s. With these wedges, I guarantee I was experiencing at least that if not more while I was out testing during practice and on the course. I had some hits spinning back several feet (something that was at times a rarity with the Taylormade). 
Max Height: For the Taylormade, I was hitting on average about 30 Yards. For the Sub 70, I was doing about the same if not a tad more surprisingly. I am assuming that has to do with the larger bounce.
In all, I feel like as an average golfer with a good amount of experience I was able to put what I felt were really good numbers that were comparable with my prior Taylormade MG2, if not better in a lot of cases. I sincerely felt that the Sub 70 when the dust settles for all testers, and even the MGS forum testers, I do believe these clubs will fit high on the list. Hence the 5/5 score.
 
On The Course (20 out of 20 points)
Here is where you will evaluate the overall use of the product.
Numbers are part of it, but how does it work on the course? 
Any and all on-course information should be in this section.
With the Sub 70 TAIII wedges in the back, I certainly found myself wanting to get out on the course as often as possible. I certainly took advantage as much as I could. Some details about Snowflake Municipal: 
Pretty soft turf with greens being really firm presently with lighter watering and hot days (Average mid-90s in the past month). 
High elevation at a little over a mile above sea level. 
Wet conditions in Fairway are pretty common as they get watered heavily compared to the greens.
Snowflake is a little bit of a shorter course for me (I hit driver, and when hit well, on average 315 carry). With that being said I tend to hit off the tree and have about 100 yards or less into the green. This allows me to play a lot of wedge shots and is perfect for a test like this. 
 
What I love about playing these wedges on the course was that when I practiced with them the confidence carried over wonderfully. Additionally, Sub 70 boasts the ability to play a plethora of different shots, and I can confirm that this is definitely the case. Need to hit a high shot over some hazards? Check. Knockdown wedge shot with a high spin into slop and zip back? Check. Short check-up chip from the fringe to get within the gimme range? Check. All these things I have accomplished with these wedges. 
 
The above is precisely why this wedge has the 5/5 marker. When on the course and you want to play multiple shots to accomplish the goal of getting as close as you can to the pin these wedges certainly deliver. I found myself coming up with exactly what I wanted on multiple occasions. One of the biggest is needing something to help me hit from the fringe (replace my putter I mean) to tap in range. These wedges were precisely what I wanted. 
 
The Good, the bad, the in-between (12 out of 20 points)
With everything that I have written above no doubt seeing my grade here might make you question, and I totally understand. Now, let me explain the score. 
 
If you are like me you are probably someone who loves the game and will play numerous rounds a year and want to have your equipment perform on every outing you play in. Additionally, you are probably also like me in that you don’t have the funds to legitimately put out and buy a new wedge every year. With this being the case I have to give these wedges this score. 
 
I have written about this before but I can not help but question the durability of these clubs. I totally understand that with forged clubs you will see that the softer metals tend to ding or knick from time to time. Just as much as I understand that, I was still frustrated when on my first outing with the clubs I found a decent-sized knick on my club (see the image in the first outing write-up). I had hit about 50 balls and when all was said and done I was pretty disheartened to see the nick roughly just off center of the face. 
 
For those of us that are looking for a gamer that will last as long as possible, this is something that is bad for me. It petrifies me to see dings, knicks, or scratches on my clubs as I want to keep them as nice as possible obviously, but also want to make sure they last as long as possible as well. The performance of these clubs is definitely not lacking, however, time will tell if the durability stands up as well. 
 
Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)
PLAY IT! This is a play-it club for me because it has been an absolute joy to be able to play these clubs. Between the performance of the clubs and the shot-making you can do with them, they are definitely worth getting. Sub 70 is also a wonderful company to work with (I can say this as I have purchased from them before). 
Do these clubs help you play your best? Absolutely! For anyone that is a mid to low handicap looking for a wedge that is soft feeling and can make the shots you want to make it is certainly worth it.
Nice to have? Just take a minute to look at them and they will make your playing partners drool when they look into your bag. Talk about sleek and sexy!
Asking price fair? Sub 70 is getting you a sleek-looking and great-performing wedge that is on par with all the big-name OEMs in the golf world, all while being almost $50 cheaper. I think the price is more than fair for what you are getting in return.
Who would play these wedges? These particular clubs are more for those mid to low handicappers who are very comfortable with their short game. Not only that but if you are the type who might not be able to play different shots with your wedges then you may not be able to take full advantage of what these clubs have to offer. Now, if you are just someone looking for something that spins a lot, then these are definitely at least work a look.
I certainly loved these clubs so much that I did go ahead and purchase a 50-degree to complete the set (needed a new gap anyway, might as well complete the set).
 
Conclusion
At the end of the time reviewing this club, I simply can not thank MGS & Sub 70 enough for this opportunity. It has been a wonderful time and I simply love this club. It feels just like what it felt like finding my wife to some degree. I knew after dating her that she would be mine and be perfect for me. I simply feel the same here with these Sub 70 TAIII wedges. The dating period is over and the marriage has occurred as I will be putting these wedges in the bag. The feel was incredible from day one. I love the soft feel and I even found myself loving the kind of clicky sound the ball makes when you strike it perfect. The spin was amazing, I had numerous shots on practice and play that would have totally beat out any other club I have used. Now, just like there are struggles in marriage, I did find myself struck with a glare in the relationship. This is the durability of the club. Having had a few more knicks and digs then I would have like might put off a few people. In all, however, these clubs are truly incredible and Sub 70 is really showing its colors as a company that is looking to compete in the big boys market. So, are you are a mid to low-handicap golfer looking to buy a new wedge that will deliver, saving money is a big deal, and you also want the envy of any on-looker staring into the wedge section of your bag. Then look no further than the Sub 70 TAIII wedges, they will not disappoint.
 
Final Score (92 out of 100 points)
Some Final Photos: 


Video of Standard shots: 
 

TAIII_Normal.mp4 Video of some Flop Shots: 

TAIII_Flop.mp4  
 

Congratulations testers -   I can't wait to read your results 

Congratulations testers -   I can't wait to read your results 

Wooohoooo finally won a week!!  😁

Not only won, but destroyed!!

So glad it worked out to get you some demo's.  I didn't want to sound too preachy, but I believe in Sub70 and I wanted you to get a chance to try it out for yourself.  The great thing is that you were able to get in touch with someone in both a chat and on the phone and they made a demo set happen for you, not really something you can get with the big guys.  
The same applied for me on the shafts, my demo set came with a different one from what I ordered but I got a good enough feel for the clubs that I knew how well they played and then I purchased a set with the correct shafts.  
I hope you enjoy the demo's and I am curious to know what you think.  

Updated BNG standings. I managed to go -54 under for the RBC and didn’t even make a dent on the leaders lol

FYD Division thru the RBC.  Not one of our better weeks and let that dang APH Division sneak a look at first place... but that will be short lived 😉.

Update for APH Division. I keep trying to put a dent in @mrgolf lead but it doesn't seem to be working as of yet. 
Look like a week off now and we will return for Mexico! (Rahm repeat for sure)

1st Tie Breaker  cut line is +4  
2nd Tie Breaker Tigers Score after the 2nd round  -3 

Can we all just give a massive shoutout and applause to @Golfspy_CG2 for continuing to provide and source these for the community! 

Just awesome. Thank you so much for all that you do for this community Rob and truly hope that you win one of these some day. Although sounds like you have enough wedges... so you can let someone else win this one 😉