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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy SAM for an article, Where to Buy Used Golf Clubs
Hey all! Another article has hit the main site - and despite it saying it was written by "Forum Staff", I promise it was me - so direct any/all comments at yours truly 😉
https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/where-to-buy-cheap-used-golf-clubs/
Hope you enjoy, and happy to hear any thoughts you had (and any obvious ones we missed out on adding (despite it not being a catch-all, it's always good to have great sites for used options)!
-GolfSpy SAM
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy SAM for an article, Ben Hogan's Swing
Take a look at a little something I wrote up for the main site on the sweetest swing ever.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/ben-hogans-swing/
What do you think? Who's swing was sweeter than his?
-GolfSpy SAM
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_SHARK for an article, Forum Member Review: MEVO+ Vs SkyTrak+
Another article up today! Check it out even if you are not interested in a launch monitor, give the forum some love on the main site!
https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/all/mevo-vs-skytrak/
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Member Review: Garmin S70 GPS Watch
Forum Member Review: Garmin S70 GPS Watch
The Testing Opportunity
In 2023, MyGolfSpy's Forum member testing program had seen its share of golf gear, from balls to gloves to clubs. However, one area remained largely unexplored: technology. That all changed when Garmin submitted the S70 GPS watch for MyGolfSpy Forum testing.
The Garmin Approach S70 is no ordinary golf watch. It's a premium GPS smartwatch designed for golfers, boasting an impressive array of features. With its vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED touch display and pre-loaded access to 43,000 golf courses worldwide, it offers on-course functionalities such as “plays like” distance and a virtual caddie with green contour data. The Garmin S70 doubles as a comprehensive health and fitness tracker, making it a well-rounded smartwatch option.
Continue reading to discover what our testers had to say about the Garmin Approach S70 and whether its $699.99 price tag makes it a worthwhile addition to your golf game and daily life.
What Our Testers Had to Say
Before we dive into our testers' evaluations, let's introduce them. We carefully selected four testers with handicaps ranging from 7.8 to 20, with two additional golfers of 10.6 and 13.4 sprinkled in. Their swing speeds varied from the low 90s to more than 111 mph. Our testers included both casual and competitive golfers and they brought previous experiences with Arccos, Shot Scope and various GPS apps to provide a comprehensive comparison with the Garmin S70 watch.
First Impressions
Tester Josh Ross shared his initial impressions, noting the watch's premier build quality. While he could do without the red accents, he loved its overall aesthetic. With the right band, he found the fit perfect and he liked the watch face’s size. The tactile buttons were easy to press and, even with a tempered glass protector, the watch remained highly responsive. Josh Ross also appreciated its sleep mode, which deactivated when he raised his arm to check the time.
Parshooter36 also offered positive feedback, emphasizing his love for the S70's appearance right out of the box. Transitioning from a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 as his everyday timepiece, he felt right at home. He also highlighted the availability of both 47mm and 42mm versions to cater to different wrist sizes.
On The Golf Course
Tester FallenSaber, our higher handicap tester, had a slew of positive notes from his on-course experience, despite a few minor GPS quirks. "On the course, the watch performed exactly as expected," tracking most shots effectively, even around the green. The quick GPS signal connectivity and overall accuracy impressed him. While there was a minor issue where the watch placed him on the wrong hole, it was easily rectified by manually changing the hole. He also noted that, for his purposes, the Pin Point Feature was not crucial.
Another tester, Goaliewales14, mentioned a drawback related to his watch placement and golf glove. He explained, "The fit was good, but what I ran into was my glove kept hitting buttons. There were a few times during my swing where the watch vibrated in my backswing because my glove pushed the power-off button. That, to me, is a huge downside for a watch that’s supposed to be a golf watch."
Josh Ross's on-course experience aligned with expectations for a premium golf watch. He found it user-friendly, with faster course detection than his SkyCaddie. The watch's graphics impressed him and its light weight meant it was almost unnoticeable. He gained confidence in the data provided and even replaced his rangefinder with the Garmin S70. He argued that golfers could perform better with this watch, thanks to access to comprehensive data such as yardages to obstacles and tips for dogleg holes.
Another standout feature highlighted by our testers was the Tempo Training feature. Parshooter36 considered it a valuable tool for improving swing tempo. "I have always considered myself as having a smooth swing, but I really struggle to get the 3:1 tempo they are looking for. I am always looking for ways to improve my swing, and I never had a way to measure tempo before. I plan on continuing to work on my tempo with this feature as I feel it is a very useful tool."
Off-Course Features
Recognizing that the Garmin S70 is more than just a golf GPS watch, we tasked our testers with evaluating its lifestyle features:
Josh Ross found several vital features that enhanced his daily life. "For many who are users of smartwatches, this likely is data you’ve got access to and isn’t anything exciting for you. But for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the data I was provided with." He used the Sleep Score and Body Battery daily to monitor his overall readiness for tasks. The watch's accurate heart rate readings even helped him avoid a problem with syncope ( a brief loss of consciousness similar to fainting). For him, this alone made the watch invaluable.
However, for Goaliewales14, the off-course features couldn't surpass those of his Samsung Galaxy watch. He hoped for general improvements to elevate the S70's status as a smartwatch.
Tester FallenSaber, an avid runner, found the watch's fitness and wellness data highly valuable. He noted that the watch tracked various fitness activities, including weight lifting. While it did a decent job pre-populating activities, it struggled with high-intensity interval training workouts that required quick adjustments. The Garmin S70 provided pre-loaded workouts and instructional videos for weightlifting, a handy feature.
FallenSaber also highlighted the watch's myriad features such as stock monitoring, weather updates, calendar integration and more. The watch's versatility made it challenging to cover all its functionalities within the review. He emphasized the ability to download playlists and connect Bluetooth headphones for music without a phone.
The Final Verdict
In summary, the reviews for the Garmin S70 GPS watch were overwhelmingly positive. Three of the four testers said they would continue using it. Their scores were impressive, ranging from 82 to 93 out of 100. The fourth tester gave the Garmin S70 a score of 66, citing concerns about its price, button interference with the golf glove and its performance as a smartwatch.
The price was a recurring topic among testers. This watch retails for $699.99 and some testers said there were more affordable options available for higher handicaps. However, they unanimously acknowledged the quality, feel and build of the Garmin S70.
Tester FallenSaber provided a fitting conclusion to the Garmin S70 watch review. “The Garmin Approach S70 watch is your go-to watch to replace your rangefinder, golf app, smartwatch, and fitness tracker. This watch will do it all with a very impressive display that is highly customizable. I wish this watch would have come with at least 3 sensors or would be compatible with non-Garmin sensors to help justify the price point. If you are looking for a do-it-all golf watch that is much more than a golf watch, then this watch is for you. If you are simply looking for a golf watch, then you might be able to find something at a lower price point.”
Want to read the full in-depth reviews from our testers of the Garmin S70 watch? Go Here!
What is Forum Member Testing?
MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep a variety of different golf equipment, apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by forum staff.
Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!
Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works for a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions.
To learn more about how testers are selected, head here: Want To Be A Tester?
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_KFT for an article, You Asked - What is a Golf Handicap?
You Asked: What is a Golf Handicap?
One of the most misunderstood elements of golf is a player’s handicap. What is a handicap? How does it work? Is there a difference between a handicap and handicap index? Do I need a handicap?
These questions are what I found myself asking when I first started establishing an official United States Golf Association (USGA) handicap this past season. Whether you're a high handicap or scratch golfer, this article will help to answer these questions and more so that you can better understand how this valuable tool can benefit your game the next time you head to the golf course. We will also take a look at some of the changes made to the World Handicap System and how those will be implemented in 2024.
Definition of a Golf Handicap
At its most basic level, a golf handicap is a general term defined as the number of strokes, or shots, a golfer is expected to take above or below a course’s par score. A higher handicap means players are able to subtract more strokes from their gross score to determine their net score. A lower handicap indicates a more skilled golfer, who subtracts, or in some cases may add, a smaller number of strokes from their gross score (this is known as a “plus” handicap).
What is a “Good” Golf Handicap?
A “good” golf handicap is hard to clearly define, as it is relative to the golfer. For example, a 30-handicap golfer may feel that a 10-Handicap is a good golf handicap. The average handicap index for men in the U.S. is 16 while women have an average of 28. The maximum handicap a golfer can carry, regardless of gender, is 54.0.
Handicap Versus Handicap Index
The general term “handicap” differs from a “handicap index”, which is a rating given to a golfer’s game specific to a scoring system, like the USGA Handicap System. A handicap index is not a representation of your average score. It is used to calculate your course handicap by taking into account the course rating and slope rating. There are other factors that are taken into consideration when calculating course handicap, which will be discussed later on. Establishing an index is relatively easy to do, as the minimum number of scores needed equates to three 18-hole rounds. Internet access makes it easy to enter your scores into the Golf Handicap & Information Network (GHIN) system. Your handicap index will then be updated each time you post another score at midnight local time the following day.
How is a Handicap Index Calculated?
The formula used to determine your handicap index takes the sum of your eight lowest handicap differentials divided by eight when 20 or more scores have been posted. This calculation gives us a number that is then rounded to the nearest tenth. For golfers with fewer than 20 scores, the table from USGA rule 5.2a provides information on how score differential is calculated. Many golfers believe they should shoot or beat their handicap index on a regular basis, which is not true. It is simply a measure of your playing ability over a given number of rounds. Often, golfers will finish a few strokes higher than their index. It is important to note that both nine-hole and 18-hole scores may be posted towards generating your handicap.
Importance and Benefits of Having a Handicap
We’ve identified both a handicap and handicap index as well as the difference between the two. Now you may be wondering, “Why the heck do I need a handicap, anyways?” The best answer to this question is that you don’t! If you golf casually and don’t take it that seriously, there really is no need to worry about carrying a handicap; official or otherwise. However, if you plan to play in tournaments or leagues, you likely will require a handicap to participate as it is used to level the playing field. Let’s look at an example of how a handicap is used in medal play (also called stroke play) format:
John is a relatively new golfer with a course handicap of 20. His friend Mike, who has been playing golf since he was a kid, carries a course handicap of three. In medal play format, Mike will give John 17 strokes (20-3=17). John’s final score is a 96, giving him a net score of 79, while Mike shoots a 77. Golf's handicap system allows less skilled players, like John in our example, to compete with better golfers based on his current ability.
How is my Course Handicap Calculated?
There are a multitude of factors taken into consideration when determining course handicap. The playing conditions calculation (PCC), maximum hole scores for handicap purposes (net double bogey) and adjustments made to differentials for an exceptional score, in addition to course and slope rating (as mentioned previously) are all used. Both course and slope rating can be found on your scorecard (each set of tees carries its own slope/rating number). Let's take a look at what some of these terms mean.
Playing conditions calculation (PCC). Whether a a course was playing easier or more difficult than normal due to weather or setup Net double-bogey. You may count a maximum of two strokes over par plus any strokes you're entitled to, based on stroke allowance for that hole. Use this chart to determine your per-hole maximum as it varies based on handicap index. Exceptional Score. A submitted score seven or more strokes better than your handicap index at the time the round is played Course Rating. The difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer Slope Rating. The relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers compare to those who are Your handicap may vary across courses or even from one tee box to another due to differences in course slope and rating in relation to the tees you're using. Your handicap index determines your course handicap. For instance, I typically play to a 16 handicap from the white tees at my home course but I'd adjust to a 19 when playing from the back tees. Why? Because the fact that the course plays tougher from those tees affords me more strokes. This practice aids in maintaining accurate scores when navigating courses with varying slope and course ratings.
Another benefit to carrying a handicap if you’re taking your game seriously is that you can see your improvement, or lack thereof, over the course of a season and beyond. As it is a measure of one’s ability, it is easy to track how your golf game progresses.
World Handicap System (WHS) 2024 Revisions
Revisions have been made to the WHS that will be implemented beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Since its implementation in 2020, many countries have seen significant increases in the number of rounds posted for handicap purposes. With more than 100 million scores posted yearly, the WHS helps to unify players globally through a standard measure of playing ability. The upcoming changes include:
Inclusion of shorter-length golf courses. Within the course rating system, 18-hole courses as short as 1,500 yards and nine-hole courses as short as 750 yards will now be eligible for a course and slope rating. Use of an expected score for a hole not played. To handle holes not played, the use of a player's expected score will be implemented rather than a score of net par. Also, as nine-hole rounds are becoming more popular, an expected score can be used to convert a nine-hole round into an 18-hole score differential. Playing Conditions Calculation adjustments made more frequent. PCC has been modified to increase the likelihood of an adjustment for abnormal playing conditions. Enhanced guidance on conducting a handicap review. A yearly handicap review has been recommended to ensure a player's handicap index remains reflective of their ability. New reporting tools that national associations can incorporate into their systems have been developed to assist in conducting the reviews efficiently and consistently. Conclusion
I hope I have been able to adequately explain, and answer, any questions you may have had surrounding golf’s handicap system. It is a beneficial tool that allows golfers of all skill levels to compete with one another, keeps track of how their game progresses over time and leads to more enjoyment and less frustration on the course. If you haven’t carried an official handicap in the past and would like to get started, doing so is easy! Discover your local Allied Golf Association and sign up today! You'll be ready to grab your golf clubs, head out for a round of golf at your local course and start reporting scores for an official handicap in no time.
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Recap: Red Rooster Rain Gloves
The Testing Opportunity
Who is Red Rooster?
Red Rooster, a favorite brand among Forum members, is back with their second member test of 2023. Earlier, our members had the privilege of testing the unreleased Red Rooster Sussex glove. Its performance was well rated so we were thrilled to get the Red Rooster Rain gloves for Forum member testing.
Red Rooster Rain Gloves were awarded the Best Rain Glove title in 2023 in MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Testing. At that time, we said, “direct-to-consumer brand Red Rooster stormed onto the scene in our 2022 golf glove testing and the newest addition to their lineup is now the best rain glove for 2023. The Rain Rooster glove provides a great fit and supreme comfort without taking away too much club feel.”
What Testers Said - Fit and Feel
Red Rooster prides itself on fit and feel. This was a key focus area for our testers. For golfers who play in rainy conditions, it is critical to have confidence in the fit and grip of the rain gloves. Any slip or bulk will have a dramatic effect on performance.
Tester Bkervin said, “The glove is a little thicker than summer gloves but similar to leather gloves. The fit is snug, it doesn’t slip around on the hand and holds firm… It states it is synthetic but has a little bit of a leather feel to it. It is easy to take on and off with no stretching out of material.”
Tester Clayton said, “The material is nothing like most other rain gloves I’ve had in the past. The ones I play the most have some sort of suede feel. These have a palm and top that feels like a rubberized fabric with a neoprene cuff and sticky rubber roosters. Between the fingers feels like some sort of breathable fabric… The feel is very good. I thought the inside might feel slimy when wet, but they feel awesome, even when soaked completely. The feel to the grips is also very good – I play cords and can still feel flushed vs mishits. The feel side is full points, and I took away points from the fit.”
The first impressions of the glove were fantastic from the looks to the feel and overall fit. The only criticism was an initial tight fit. However, with the added stretch in the material, this was quickly alleviated.
What Testers Said - Performance:
With good first impressions and a good fit for all the testers, it was time to see how they performed on the golf course..
Tester D01M4: “Since wearing the Rain Rooster gloves, I've played three of my best rounds ever, including an all-time best of four under par. The grip is incredible - I didn't experience any slippages, even in wet conditions … on the course, a few folks noticed my Rain Rooster gloves and were pretty interested. These gloves offer the best grip I've experienced. I didn’t think I would get away from my Clinch gloves. They do tend to lose a rooster or two each round, but to me, that's no big deal. Even with the fading roosters, their quality and grip are great. I'm convinced that these gloves have played a role in elevating my golf game recently.”
Bkervin really put the Red Rooster rain gloves through rigorous testing. “These gloves provided so much grip for me. I didn’t have one time that I felt like the club was rotating or slipping, like I have had with regular golf gloves. I golfed in the rain and/or the cold; I poured water on the gloves; dunked my hands into a bucket of water – but the grip remained firm, and the club did not slip in any way!”
The Final Verdict:
All the testers had ample opportunity to play with these gloves to test their durability, long-term fit and performance.
The testers graded the Red Rooster rain glove out of 100, giving them a 94, 96, 97 and 98.5. All testers intend to continue using the rain gloves and will purchase them when their current pair wears out.
Their durability was praised and, with the exception of a few little logos dropping off, there were limited signs of accelerated wear.
To wrap up their reviews, our testers had this to say:
Jerbooth: “For anyone looking for a wet season glove or a glove to wear in a rain shower on the course, these should be given serious consideration by anyone looking for a rain glove.”
d0m41n: “The Rain Rooster gloves from Red Rooster Golf impressed right out of the gate with great looks and comfort. They are a red and black design with red roosters on the palm, offering incredible grip, flexibility, and a comfortable fit. They’ve contributed to some of my best golf rounds ever played. The gloves' standout feature is their grip in wet conditions, though the roosters on the palm do fade. Their overall performance, comfort, and value at $31 make them my top choice in any weather.”
If you are interested in reading the full reviews and what the testers experienced, go here: Forum Member Review: Red Rooster Rain Gloves
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Member Recap: Sub70 Putters
The Testing Opportunity: Sub 70 Putters
Sub 70 has a large following on the MyGolfSpy Forum so there was a lot of hype when we released the Forum Member Review opportunity for Sub 70 putters.
Since their last member test, they have released new models, a new multi-material putter shaft and several grip options which have also been reviewed on the Forum. The Sycamore 005 Wide Blade putter with the new graphite/steel shaft finished third in our 2023 Most Wanted blade putter testing.
Here is what Sub 70 says about their putters: “Every Sub 70 putter is milled from a billet of 1045 carbon steel which leaves no welds, castings or inconsistencies in the head. This is the best way to make a putter head and you will not find a more solid, great feeling putter. Aesthetically each of the Sub 70 putters offers a clean, classic black and white color scheme with traditional alignment lines. We have purposefully made the heads slightly heavier than the industry standard as we feel it allows a more natural pendulum like putting stroke.“
For this testing opportunity, our Forum staff selected four testers to review and keep a Sub 70 putter of their choosing with multiple options for shafts, grips and length and loft customization.
About the Testers
Our four testers had handicaps that ranged from 8 to over 30. They had used a variety of other putters but none had ever used a Sub 70. Two of our testers recognized putting as being the weakest part of their game and one felt it was his biggest strength. All were casual or weekend golfers who don’t normally play in competitions.
What Testers Said - Unboxing and First Impressions
Our tester BallsLeon was a little taken aback by the bright green Garsen grip on his 009 Mini putter. However, it quickly won him over.
“Once out of the box, I was impressed by how quickly I was able to adjust to it. The more upright position of the Sub 70 (72° lie angle) compared to that of the Odyssey (70° lie angle) let me get closer to the ball with my hands in slightly higher position that feels more natural.”
Mr Orange was impressed with the packaging and the inclusion of an additional weight kit that arrived with his 004 Model.
“The packaging was very nice and the putter was very well packaged to prevent damage. With the putter they included a nice little ball marker as well as a handwritten thank you note for purchasing (a nice touch I might add) and extra weights for customizing the overall putter weight. The weights on the putter come standard as 15 grams but they included 5/10/20 gram weights as well. The putter comes w/ a nice quality headcover that fits the putter head very nicely.”
He said he would have preferred a magnet headcover versus Velcro which is the standard for their mallet headcovers.
What Testers Said - Performance
First impressions were positive with good marks for aesthetics. However, that is all relatively meaningless if the putter doesn’t not perform well.
Snoopy79 chose the 008 mallet putter and eventually found the perfect blend of feel and roll consistency with some weight tweaking. He praised the putter for accuracy, ease of alignment, stability and forgiveness. The weight difference took him a bit of time to get used to which affected his distance control at first. This was not a lasting issue and, with some time and practice, he became entirely comfortable with the change.
He also noted the playability of the putter. “Quite a few variables are involved in this measurement, but the 008 is VERY playable.”
Tester Dweed also went with a 004 mallet. He dove into the data and provided charts as well as other data points comparing it to his previous gamer. It was clear the Sub 70 putter offered considerable advantage on longer putts with 20-percent fewer misses.
What Testers Said - On Course
Tester BallsLeon’s handicap dropped from 29.2 to 23.4 during the testing period. This came after an initial adjustment period after which his confidence grew and more putts started dropping.
Mr Orange thought the Sub 70 was perfect: “I am giving the 004 another perfect score (20/20) for on-course performance because I was confident with it during my rounds. Missed putts were generally speaking because I picked the wrong line off a bad read.”
Snoopy79 loved his 008 putter “This is an easy score. The 008 is a beast on the greens… I have said it before and I will say it again, the weight of this putter and the feel it provides have just worked wonders for my confidence when at address. You feel like the ball is just in the way!”
The Final Verdict
If you have read this far, you can probably guess the scores of the Sub70 Putter line were high. Our testers rated the putters in various categories to compile an overall score out of 100.
I don’t recall the last time we saw scores this high: the low score was 95 and the three others were 97, 97.5 and 98. Our testers’ only complaints were about the slight adjustment period to the weight and the non-magnetic headcover.
Testers noted the great value and price of the putters and lauded them for feel, forgiveness and consistency. They were also very happy with the hand-written note which, along with extras like the weight kit and ball marker, made them feel Sub 70 went above and beyond to make their experience the best it could be.
Each tester will continue to use the putter as their new gamer and all found good, even great, improvement using their Sub 70 putter. To wrap up their reviews, this is what our testers had to say about the putters and their testing experience.
Tester Dweed: “No doubt, the Sub 70 004 mallet is a quality putter. The CNC workmanship is readily identifiable. It will replace my Odyssey Versa 7. I like the looks and the feel when I’m standing over the ball. The swing feel is noticeable. A heel or toe mishit is noticed but doesn’t result in a disaster. One thing to note it will not break the bank. I bought my OD seven years ago and paid around $250. Ordering the 004 mallet today would cost just a hair over $200 and it is made in the USA.”
Tester BallsLeon: “If this review were a putt, consider it sunk - straight in the heart of the cup. True to their packaging, my expectations were redefined by this putter. I now step up to the green with confidence, and the expectation that I can make this putt… I expect this putter to be a staple in my bag for the foreseeable future.”
Tester Mr Orange: “The short and sweet conclusion of my review is that Sub 70 makes a really good quality putter that performs just as good as the big brand names, looks really really good, and runs at a cost that is less than the main brands that everyone knows.”
Tester Snoopy79: “Weekend golfers who want something at a manageable price point that performs, oozes quality craftsmanship, and looks amazing on the green as well as in the bag…look no further than the line of putters from Sub 70.”
If this Forum member review of Sub 70 putters has intrigued you and you want to learn more, you can read our testers’ full reviews here. Sub 70 Forum Member Reviews
Also a big shout out to @GolfSub70 for providing this opportunity. They have always been great to work with and we continue to look forward to working with them more in the future!
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Review Recap: LEAN LOCK Putters
The Testing Opportunity
One of the more unique opportunities in 2023 was the LEAN LOCK Putter Forum Member test.
LEAN LOCK makes several bold claims such as, "switching to the LEAN LOCK putter and putting system eliminates variables and increases your consistency and confidence, especially on those nervy short putts.
“By anchoring the shaft to the target side (outside) of the leading arm, LEAN LOCK stabilizes the putter, eliminates wrist movement and minimizes clubface rotation.
“The connection to the lead arm is so secure you can grip the putter with less tension, yet still have superior control."
We needed four golfers to test the putter as well as dedicating time and effort to learning the LEAN LOCK method to provide a thorough review.
For this testing opportunity, the selected testers received support and virtual fitting with LEAN LOCK founder Brian Tennyson as well as their choice of the APA Blade - Proto 1.0 or APA Mallet - Proto 1.0.
About The Testers
The four selected testers had handicaps between scratch and 25. A couple listed putting as a strength, the others not so much. They also had various swing speeds and experiences with different putters.
What Testers Said - Fitting and Initial Impressions
Tester warrenator8:
“I will say that the customer service and fitting process were excellent as we prepared for the test… Brian really believes in his process and product, and you can tell that he wants you to succeed. The videos are an excellent help in learning the process, both the free videos and those that are for sale.”
LEAN LOCK offers videos, books and more to help their users get the most out of the product and ensure they have as much knowledge as possible to succeed in this putting method.
What our Testers Said - LEAN LOCK Putting Method
Tester EasyPutter went into great detail describing the method and details of what needs to be done to make the method work.
“Posture - awareness of position, relaxed, bend at waist so eyes are directly over putter alignment line, be mindful of balance! And practice it to get comfortable and “assume the position” whenever going to putt.
Grip position - lead arm thumb pressure, can lift fingers off grip and move them like keys on a musical instrument, hover the club head before beginning the swing allows for down and back on the backswing to follow the surface.
Open Shoulder - path of the putter is pretty straight for 6” behind the ball, trail side low gives 2 degrees up at ball contact.
Moment of Impact - speed should be greatest at the moment of impact, not before or after - longer backswing, maybe a tap.
Basics of Putting - focus on what makes the ball go where you want it to go, speed and clubface direction at the last 6” before impact. Shoulders open, feet angled to path line, dominant arm lined up with the path of the putt, shift hips forward to angle shoulders - helps putter to pull away low and come back up to the ball.
Jack Nicklaus effect - forward press shaft, arms bent tucking putter back under the vertical line from eyes to ball. Slow backswing and start to forward swing.
Dominant Hand - Brian invented a putter and stroke that incorporates facing the hole and rolling the putt using the dominant hand, which is what all teachers teach but then all the other teachers have the student stand facing perpendicular to the putt and use the major muscles and not the dominant hand, exactly opposite to what was first said.”
Long, I know, but important as it is again about not just the putter, but the method of putting.
What Tester Said - The Putter
Tester CLenahan had mixed feelings on his APA Blade 1.0:
“The classic Anser shape and finish are big wins for me. The branding is obtrusive, the mirror finish back insert looks great but is distracting in bright sun. The headcover is the main loser here for me; it feels cheap, and I do not believe it will last. Sound and feel are solid. You are going to be asked on the practice green what you have; it’s an attention grabber for sure.”
Tester GirlDad18 tested the APA Mallet Model 1.0:
“It is comparable to an Odyssey #7 in look. I immediately loved the look of it when I unboxed it. There is a sight line on the head to line up your putt. I use a line on my ball for putting, so this is essential for me. The head is black and milled. It has an exceptional feel and provides a nice soft tink sound when hitting the sweet spot, kind of like hitting a spoon softly on the bottom of a cooking pot or frying pan, not a clang.”
What Testers Said - On-Course Performance
Tester CLenehan had his ups and downs during testing which was expected when trying a new method.
“Put in the work, and you will get the results. I had some very frustrating times, and very nearly gave up a couple of times. I finally am starting to see results that reflect Brian’s claims.”
Warrenator8 found a positive change.
“Overall, I definitely have seen an improvement, especially by the end with distance control, almost draining a forty-foot putt in my last round of the testing period.”
The Final Verdict
This testing opportunity was unique. It relied on testers putting in a lot of time and effort to make it work and finding results. So what were the final scores when the test was finished?
Overall, the putter and putting system was well received and all the testers are going to continue using LEAN LOCK for the time being. With scores ranging from 80 to 97 out of 100, the testers believed to varying degrees that there is something to this method and the putter itself.
Here is what our testers concluded.
Tester EasyPutter: “The LEAN LOCK Putter and the LEAN LOCK Putting Method are a bonafide revolutionary putting system that when properly studied and applied as designed will, in my experience, improve putting and result in fewer putts per round.”
Tester warrenator8: “One thought that kept recurring for me was if I put this much time into my old putting form, would I be better off with it?... This is not just any putter. LEAN LOCK is a method. Most likely, totally different than what you are accustomed to doing. Practice, reading and watching videos over and over are what it takes to make the LEAN LOCK and method work. Without this, it will not work for you.”
Tester CLenahan : “The LEAN LOCK is more than a putter; it’s a whole paradigm shift in the mechanics of putting and armlock technology… If you are willing to practice, you will get results.”
Tester warrenator8: “I am happy that I went through this test, as I was pleasantly surprised with the results and have found my putter for the foreseeable future. Adapting to the putter and routine takes getting used to, but I have found it to be worth it.”
To read the full reviews and data our testers collected, go here: LEAN LOCK Forum Member Reviews
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_KFT for an article, Forum Member Recap: Cobra 50th Anniversary
The Testing Opportunity
COBRA celebrated their 50th anniversary in the golf industry with the launch of their AEROJET line. With the tagline “Faster by Design,” COBRA says it engineered Aerojet to enable new levels of speed through an aerodynamic and bold design.
Six Forum members were given the opportunity to test and keep a full bag of COBRA products. All of them tested the woods while two were selected for the KING TOUR muscle-back/cavity-back, Forged Tec/Tec X and AEROJET iron lines, wedges and their choice of putter. Testers were also able to select the Ultralight Pro cart or stand bag.
As three-man teams, the testers competed in weekly challenges. Each challenge focused on a particular part of the bag: Woods and Wedges, Putt-Putt King, Irons Only and a Four-Club Challenge. Check out the thread HERE to find out who ended up as the COBRA Challenge Champions!
Initial Impressions: Club Fittings
All six testers were able to experience a complete fitting in various ways including Golf Galaxy, True Spec, PGA Superstore, a privately owned golf center and directly with a COBRA rep. The consensus was that the importance of a proper fitting cannot be overstated.
Said sirchunksalot of his fitting experience: “I can't properly describe how much fun I had today and how good of a fitter David was. He helped me find the right ball position and was extremely encouraging throughout the fitting. I appreciated his expertise and ability to make me feel comfortable throughout the whole process.”
Jnoble89 had his fitting with a COBRA rep. “Steve handed me my first club, which was a 7-iron. Right away I could tell it was standard length (I play +1”), so I 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. 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.”
COBRA AEROJET Drivers
All of our testers were fitted into the AEROJET Max driver which was somewhat of a surprise considering the wide range of handicaps. COBRA reshaped the head through a raised skirt, symmetrical shaping and streamlined edges to help players achieve maximum swing speeds.
Tester JerryB had this to say about the AEROJET Max Driver: “When you hit it square, you know it. When you don’t hit it well…you actually aren’t that aware. Mishits travel nearly as long as solid hits. I’ve been averaging roughly 5 yards more than my current gamer with a lot of consistent distance. I even hit a new personal longest drive.”
While the Max didn’t make the final bag for tester Chisag, he had this to say about it: “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 upcharge 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.”
COBRA AEROJET Fairway Woods
There was a mix of the standard and max versions of the AEROJET fairway woods tested. Featuring PWR-Bridge and H.O.T. Face technology, testers raved about their performance.
Tom the Golf Nut stated: “I had TaylorMade SLDR 3 and 5 woods in the bag for years and the 3 wood was the high launch version. The AEROJET 3 wood is easier to hit and launches higher. The surprise out of the bunch was the 5 and 7 wood. Although I had a COBRA 7 wood (F6) in the bag this one is sneaky long with a higher ball flight. The five wood is a rocket ship. So much that I might not need a 3 wood.”
However, there may not be a tester who saw a bigger impact to his game from these clubs than CFreddie: “The 3W is an absolute rocket off the tee (where I’ve typically hit it), besting my current gamer by >20 yards. Even more important, one of the weakest parts of my game has drastically improved with properly fitted fairway woods (who would have thought?). And on the 7W, I get excited just thinking about the next shot I’ll hit with it - it's truly effortless to launch high and stick soft, and has become my 2nd shot club on par 5s.”
COBRA Hybrids
Our testers gamed a mix of hybrids between the AEROJET and KING Tec. COBRA touts “Versatility by Design” with the AEROJET hybrid, blending distance and high launch to provide greater forgiveness on long approach shots out of different lies. The KING Tec hybrid offers custom tuning via three weight ports and a loft sleeve, giving players the option to optimize their ball flight.
sirchunksalot was blown away by the KING tec hybrid. You could say it was love at first swing: “These clubs have transformed my long game. They are easy to get in the air and fly straight…They are the main reason I shot one of the lowest rounds I’ve had in a while…If I were to write a love letter to golf clubs, I would wax poetic to these hybrids. They are firmly in my bag.”
Tester JerryB elected to play a 4-, 5-and 6-hybrid from the AEROJET line as he mentioned some struggles with longer irons. “ The 4 hybrid is most like what I already use, so the adjustment was easier. It launches well and can go a mile when I get hold of one.The 6 hybrid is interesting, and I’ve used it as a bit of a utility club. I’ve used it to punch out of trees, as a long bump-and-run club, and as a bit of a chipper just off the green. As with the other hybrids, the ball rockets off the face.”
COBRA Irons
Our testers were selected to test specific iron sets based on their handicap level. Chisag and Tom the Golf Nut tested the KING Tour CB/MB category, sirchunksalot and CFreddie tested the Forged Tec/X, and Jnoble89 and JerryB tested the AEROJET line.
Said Jnoble89, regarding the AEROJET irons: “ For a GI (game improvement) 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.”
Chisag raved about the KING Tour’s performance on-course: “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.”
Mid-handicapper CFreddie went with the Forged Tec irons: “COBRA has built an incredible club - I’d categorize the FT as a middle of the road iron (perfect for my current handicap), bridging the gap between a true players iron and game improvement…I’ve never considered Cobras in the past, but I’m now a converted fan of the brand & clubs.”
COBRA Wedges
All of our testers opted for the SNAKEBITE wedges. These boast COBRA's most aggressive grooves to date, designed to maximize spin while utilizing a notch design to deliver precise shot-making around the green.
Tester Tom the Golf Nut said this about his 54-degree Snakebite: “The 54* did everything I asked of it and helped me to shoot a personal best. The club put enough spin on the ball that it just sat where it landed, and I could attack the pin more. Stopping and proximity to the pin were outstanding.”
Jnoble89 also saw positive results with his set of wedges: “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. 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.”
COBRA Putters
The full line of COBRA’s putters were made available to testers with mixed feedback.
Chisag was very surprised, in a good way, on the performance of the Vintage Sport 60: “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 overall feel, look and the excellent roll from the SIK face has earned the right to be my gamer.”
JerryB selected the KING Stingray 20 and was thrilled with its performance: “Putting has long been my weakness and this putter didn’t magically make me a better putter. What it did do was make me feel more poised while standing over a putt. The SIK face technology means the ball rolls smoothly almost instantly off the club face…I’m getting my speed dialed in much better than with my old putters…my lag putting is miles ahead of where it was previously which is leaving me with fewer three-putts.”
Final Verdict
Overall, our testers came away impressed with COBRA’s 2023 lineup. They found that regardless of a golfer's ability or skill level COBRA has a golf club that can perform well for that type of golfer.
Not all of the testers are keeping all their COBRA clubs in play permanently, with some choosing to go back to their previous driver, wedges or putters. That being said, all of them found areas in which the COBRA golf clubs excelled. This was reflected in the grades which were given at the end of the test.
Testers were asked to grade each area (driver, fairway, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putter and bag) out of 15 for a possible total of 105 points.
When the results were tallied scores ranged from 85.5 to 99.5. Respectable scores without question and scores that show the overall value and performance of the 2023 COBRA lineup of golf clubs.
Want to read more about the full experience and reviews? You can find the full reviews from all the testers here:
MyGolfSpy Forum Cobra 50th Anniversary Challenge
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Staff Picks - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond
Forum Staff Picks - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond
The Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver has been a standout pick for Forum Staff Members in 2023. It has made the way into 3 bags with great success and with that it has lead several other staff members to test, consider or seriously look into purchasing one.
So what makes this driver special and separate itself form the pack? There are a lot of great drivers out there and it would easy to see every staff member playing a different model.
The Staff Members
First let's start by saying the current three staff members gaming the Paradym Triple Diamond are solid golfers. With handicaps between 1 and 7 they can get around a golf course and all have the potential to shoot very low. It is also fair to say all three (much like the rest of the staff) are pretty big club junkies. They have all played several models and brands prior before landing on the Paradym, so it is definitely not a hype thing.
Standout Features - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond
Forgiveness - This has been stated by all of them who have put this in the bag. Despite its smaller shape and better player profile it boasts ample forgiveness. We are not talking PING level forgiveness, however for two of the three staff members (myself and Ben Joest) we have had our fair share of struggles off the tee. There is even a full thread about it made by Ben Joest you can find here. This driver has managed to cure many of those woes and rebuilt confidence in their tee game making significant strides to bettering their scores by having confidence off the tee and hitting more fairways.
Profile - This may not matter to many, however for these three it is a big factor in why this driver has performed well. The smaller, deep faced profile may not be confidence inspiring to all, however the compact shape is exactly what we look for in a driver. Not a big triangle or overly round, but a profile that suits the eye of those looking for a compact head.
Distance & Spin - These often go hand in hand and while it may not be the absolute longest driver available, it is still long. The consistency in spin numbers are also impressive making dispersion front to back a lot smaller compared to others. With all three being relatively high swing speed players the ability to keep spin lower and not spiking means distance stays up.
Lofts - GolfSpy_BNG is a low loft guy. I mean he has played Bryson level lofts in his driver and the ability to go low with the sleeve and still retain spin for him is impressive. The various Callaway loft sleeves make it a very enticing option for those look at either low low lofts or bumping the loft up like Ben Joest and Golfspy_APH.
Shafts - This was an area all three played around with. Ben Joest settled on a Ventus Black before it broke, so his is tbd. BNG settled on a Ventus Blue and APH ended up playing a Graphite Design AD DI. This is something that should not be underrated and finding the proper shaft is critical.
Shot Shape Bias - Where I found several tour style heads to be farily fade bias I can honestly say it is pretty neutral. Checking in with the others I think they all agree with this assessment.
Downside?
So is this perfect?
Well no, I don't think any driver is or ever will be. In particular the color is not something everyone loves. Is fine with or likes sure, but not something BNG loves. I don't think any of us would be surprised to see him move to an all black version.
It is certainly a feature of this driver, but the option moving weights of the Paradym is something that some may miss.
Final Thoughts
I have come to love this driver. To say I have played a few drivers this season would be a massive understatement. I have a whole thread commenting on my driver journey this season. While a few were great there was one small issue with them. It was that they weren't the Paradym Triple Diamond. Backing up a little, I hit this driver at a demo day and was floored. What caught me off guard was the height and flight. The ball came out hot and seemed to stay in the air forever. It was this feeling and shot I was searching for in others. The closest to come was the PING G430 LST (another great driver). From COBRA to Titleist to PING to PXG and to other Callaway drivers I was searching for what I saw on the range with the Paradym Triple Diamond. I finally decided to stop searching and just get what had made begin the search in the start.
Since then I have been thrilled and it is very hard for me to knock this driver in any aspect. Below there are more comments from the other staff members who chimed in with their thoughts and feelings on the driver.
What do you think? Would this driver work for you? Have you tried it already? How did it work or didn't for you?
Also for Cyber Monday Callaway Pre-Owned has 30% with Deals on this driver it is hard to pass up!
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Member Recap: Indi Golf Wedges
The Testing Opportunity
As we have stated in previous Forum Member Reviews, MyGolfSpy Forum worked to involve, highlight and include several direct-to-consumer (DTC) and newer brands as part of the Member Testing Platform. INDI Golf was one of these companies.
For those unfamiliar with INDI Golf, they are a relatively new brand that specialize in putters and wedges. INDI Golf uniquely offers both conforming and non-conforming wedges. Other technology and options include their “Tractionface technology” and a “scoopback design” claiming added forgiveness along with three different models with various grinds. They have wedges that aim to work for every golfer at a competitive cost.
For this testing opportunity selected testers were virtually fit by INDI Golf and given a set of wedges to test and keep. Testers were limited to conforming wedges, but were also able to select stock shaft and grip options of their choosing.
A INDI Golf Virtual Fitting
Here is what Tester RICHL85 had to say about his fitting:
“We experienced what Indi golf calls a “virtual fitting” which is essentially a questionnaire to answer the basic things like what wedges we currently play, what shaft we play in irons, distance, course conditions and divot type. In my case, I play in pretty intermediate conditions and take a small or no divot…Overall, most of the decisions were pretty straightforward. We stuck with the same lofts I’m currently playing (50, 54, and 58), 1/2" long, 1 degree upright. To match up with my irons, we also stuck with the KBS wedge shaft option. Since I don’t have a particularly steep attack angle, we are going with the FLX head in the 50 and 54, but the ATK head for the 58 degree.”
As for tester Willie T had this to say:
“I get a call from Zane at Indi about doing the virtual fitting. That was quick as I had sent my completed questionnaire along with a supplemental email to them the evening before…We get to talking about my game in a little more detail and I tell him about seeing Shiels' video. Long story short after a couple of clarifications we come up with the following:
50, 54, 58deg FLX S grind w/10deg bounce w/Recoil F3 Regular 820 graphite shaft and conforming grooves, standard lie.“
Tester Nunfa0 being a lefty had a bit less in terms of options, but was aptly fit into a INDI FLX S 52, 56, 60 combo with their progress grinds. The wedges came with the Dynamic Gold Spinner 115 Wedge shafts.
With the fittings done, orders placed it was time to hear what our testers thought of how the INDI Golf wedges looked and of course how they performed throughout testing.
H2: What Testers Said
Aesthetics
Tester RichL85 took note of a few things with the INDI wedges:
“The first thing you notice with the Indi wedges are the grooves. It’s a unique look as most companies have gone to large grooves, whereas the Indi wedges have a lot more grooves, but they are thinner…The next visual aspect that jumps out is just the sheer thickness of the topline at the toe of the clubhead. This part is beveled off well so it’s not noticeable at address, but when you look at the clubs, there is a significant difference in the width of the clubhead at the toe when comparing near the hosel. The claim is that it adds weight to the toe, and moves the CG away from the hosel similar to how many companies use tungsten toe weights.“
Willie T added to the aesthetics commentary stating:
“For me, looks wise, the clubs exude class from top to bottom! I love it when clubs are understated and look purposeful. These wedges deliver that look and then some. My initial thoughts were that the full face grooves would be somewhat distracting. The opposite was/is true as they are actually very pleasing to my eye. I found that the vertical edge of the grooves (hosel side) made a great reference to help “center” the ball on the face.”
On Course Performance
When it came to the on course performance there were similar positive reactions. However we also wanted testers to see if these wedges lived up to the “Kings of Spin” tag line INDI Golf uses.
Tester Bmart had applied strokes gained and a variety of data points during his testing period which resulted in these comments:
“The consistency in distance on approach shots with the Indi wedges is their greatest strength in my opinion and was observed through indoor testing and on course. Poor strikes tended to drop spin which aided carry and rollout to arrive close to where a good strike would drop and stop. As someone who gets their money's worth by using the majority of the club face throughout the bag, these are a big benefit to my game within 100 yards. I am growing to enjoy the 60 FLX with low (8*) bounce and a wide flange as a specialty sand club…The wedges show minimal wear through close to 10 rounds and many practice sessions including bunker work to learn how to use them out of the sand which I consider another plus.”
For RichL85 the answer to the spin question was easy:
“Indi wins outright with lower launch angle as promised, and quite a bit more spin.” Adding “If a player wants to be able to spin a wedge, then Indi is definitely worth a look”
However in BMarts testing and data it didn’t appear as conclusive:
“I have not found anything to support their spin royalty claims as spin is comparable/lower to that of major OEMs but distance control and consistency on mishits appears to exceed.“
The Final Verdict
When testing was all finished we had our testers grade and state whether or not these wedges would replace their current set. With scores of 83,85,89 and 90 out of 100 it is safe to say they performed well overall for the group. Three of the four testers without question are keeping these as their new gamers and the fourth will have these in rotation with his other wedges.
The biggest knock in deductions came to some grind options and availability for left handed players. This is a factor we often see with smaller brands as they build out their lineup of golf clubs.
Wrapping up their reviews this is what each tester had to say.
Willie T “For someone looking for a great wedge that is not flashy, that doesn’t bury you in a myriad of sole grinds, that is super reasonable in cost - the guys at INDI can be that one stop shop.“
Bmart15 “I am 100% putting these wedges into play full time. I don't think anyone would turn down an improvement of more than 1.5 shots/round due to an equipment change. The staff at Indi were very helpful discussing a gapping setup which also contributed to the improvement”
RichL85 “While the court is still out on whether Indi is the undisputed King of Spin, they are putting out a very good offering that is making a serious attempt at that claim.”
Nunfa0 “Will they be longer than my current set? Yes, they are longer but not crazy long.
Are they as forgiving as Indi claims? From what I have seen so far, yes they are.
Can I manipulate the face for the little touch shots around the green? Absolutely yes!!
Are these good wedges for chipping? Oh my word yes!! I think the forgiving nature of these beauties helps a lot with that.”
To see the testers full reviews and data on the INDI Golf wedges go here: Indi Golf Wedge Full Reviews
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy SAM for an article, A INDI Golf Experience
Indi Golf Fitting
There are times when you walk into a place you’ve never been, and immediately feel like you’re home. Or maybe you just feel like you’d like it to be your home, because of the sweet merch, the clean aesthetic, the GC Quad-connected hitting bay and putting mat in the next room – you get it.
(Wedge heads on display)
This past Friday, I had the chance to go down to Carlsbad, CA to visit the headquarters of Indi Golf. Most of you know that Indi has some wedges currently in the testing phase in the forum, but as none of the testers lived locally, and as I’m only about 3 hours north, I figured on my day off I’d travel down and check them out, and see what a wedge fitting at a company who specializes in wedges (and now putters) was like. TLDR: it was a nearly perfect experience for a golf nerd (that's me).
For background, I’m an ~11 handicap (11.1 to be exact), and I game the OG Kirkland Signature wedge set (52, 56, 60). Shockingly, I wasn’t fitted to these wedges (see, this is hilarious because … they’re from Costco. Off the shelf from Costco.) – I know, this is a cardinal sin amongst the hardcore on this forum but a) they were a gift, and b) they were a significant upgrade from my previous wedges which I’m not even sure had grooves left when I got rid of them. I’ve gamed the K-Sigs for the last 2 ½ years, and they’ve been great to me, in all honesty. I still feel that for the money, they’re a pretty hard set to beat.
Nonetheless, I was VERY excited to be able to go to a company whose specialty is wedges, and to go through a real fitting trying the various builds and grinds to find something that suited me the golfer, and not just me the mayonnaise-and-toilet-paper-buying-guy-who-also-golfs.
Upon walking into the facility, you’re greeted with a rack of genuinely-great-looking hats, a wall of the wedge heads mounted for you to see the various lofts / grinds, the lineup of putters, some shirts, and then several Jones bags (with Indi’s name embroidered on) full of the various wedges. It’s clean, simple, beautiful and immediately gives you a sense that the company has an eye for design.
(Rack of Hats)
Zane, the fitter, was there to greet me, and shortly thereafter Rob (the CEO) came out and gave me the mini tour while I took a few photos. (By the way, Rob did the Community Call with us a few weeks back, and if you haven’t checked it out, definitely give it a watch here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1omlnwjBej48KJCZQZM47x-zXK5vPHN9Y/view?usp=drivesdk) – it’s super fun and informative.) From the get-go, it was clear that both Rob and Zane were, to put it simply, golf nerds like me I asked a little more about how the business started, what the plans were for the space (currently only one hitting net with a TV connected to the GC Quad, but eventually it’ll be a full hitting bay with projection screen along with couches to make it more comfortable), etc.
Once the pictures were out of the way, they had me warm up with my 52-degree, hitting a few shots, seeing where the spin was, angle of attack, etc. We segued into the 52 degree FLX head with the Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft, and then hit the ATK head (same loft), and it was immediately clear how much better for me the ATK head was. I have a pretty steep (-7 (avg) degree) AOA (Angle of Attack for those joining the forum recently ), so the FLX was digging a little too much for me, and I was getting some pretty big deviations in spin. As soon as we tried the ATK, my contact was just so much better. It was a really amazing, tangible thing to feel the difference between the grinds, and to know that I really was better-suited to one than the other. It felt a little like magic – with my previous wedges (which, again, weren’t fitted (obviously)), it was a case of me fitting myself to them over the last two years. With these, they were doing the exact opposite, and the help it added was incredible and immediate.
(Hitting net for now, but soon to be replaced with a full simulator screen)
(Rob, checking my numbers)
Once we got the head, we tried several different shafts (DG Spinner, DG 300, and the DG R300), and it was overwhelmingly clear the DG300 (in 120 Stiff) was the right choice. It had the smallest deviations in spin/carry/launch, even on slight mis-hits, it was a winner. The weight surprised me, to be honest, as my irons have always been a 105-ish range, but these felt absolutely fantastic – could be because they better match the weight of the Indi heads, but for whatever reason, it was a very easy choice.
Next we looked at the 48-degree, what they call their Super Gap. Full-face grooves, a squared off, high(ish) toe, that really allows for some incredible flexibility. You can go at it, full-swing, or you can go toe-down and use it for bump-and-run shots around the green - it really is incredibly versatile. Flexible, if you will. The FLX moniker is well-earned. This is the only club that ended up with me in a different shaft – the DG Spinner 115g (in wedge flex). As my set PW (in both my current gamers and the Caley 01T’s that I’m testing) is 44-degrees, it’s pretty apparent I need something between 44 and where my current next wedge sits – 52. I did discuss with Rob and Zane the idea of going 48, 53, 58, but Rob said he prefers keeping the gaps the same from PW all the way through the last wedge, and with the numbers we were seeing, I think that’s the right choice – the 48 perfectly slots in right around the 120-125 number – my PW is just about spot on 135, and my 52 right about 112, so this was pretty great to see.
(So many incredible choices...)
Once I started getting slightly tired (read: very, very sweaty and starting to hit some hosel rockets – wouldn’t be a Samsonite fitting without at least a few of those), Zane and Rob felt like they had enough information to confidently prescribe my set-up. So, even though I’m in love with my L.A.B. DF2.1, I was curious what a putter fitting would look like, so they moved the GC Quad over to the putting area, where instead of a hole they had a Putt-Out set up.
(Lining up with the Allison)
As Rob mentioned on the Community Call, their goal with the putters was to do something few other companies were doing. The heads are fully aluminum, milled faces, with weights at the back edge (Jet (large mallet)) or far edges (Allison (half-moon) and Cash/Ramone (blades)) to increase forgiveness as much as possible. As my L.A.B. is also milled aluminum, the feel was pretty much right at home, right from the get-go. They had me roll a few with the L.A.B., to get a baseline, and after diagnosing my stroke as a slight arc (no argument here), Rob had me try the slant neck Jet, followed by a slant-neck Allison (my preferred shape). With all three clubs (mine and the two Indi clubs), I was seeing a small “launch” of about 5 degrees, effectively popping the ball up in the air. Zane and Rob were both set on me not changing my set-up, but as the L.A.B. has me having the ball forward-of-center, I moved the ball back about a 1/2 ball, and just like that, my launch was averaging 0.1 degree. I then went back to my DF, and sure enough, having the ball 1/2 ball further back got the same 0.1 launch and much truer roll. Were I in the market for a new putter, for me, the choice would be clear - the Allison, all day, every day. Everything about it promoted a better aim - the half-moon shape, the two parallel lines on the back of the head, the milled aluminum face was soft but consistent - it’s a really fantastic putter.
(Talking golf with two VERY smart people)
Once all the swings were swung, measurements taken, and data crunched, I got to hang around a little and pick Rob’s brain - about where he started, where he’s been, how he got started Indi, and briefly where he’s going. While he wouldn’t take the bait about whether or not they’ve got a full set of irons in the works (I had to ask - it’s my JOB to ask questions I know won’t get answered!), it’s abundantly clear that he’s passionate about making golf more fun and accessible for the average golfer. It’s why his first design was the non-conforming boxed-groove wedges - who doesn’t want to watch their wedge shot rip back towards the pin after landing on the green? It’s the same reason they developed the putters - they saw a market for something other companies weren’t doing yet, and dived in, creating something beautiful and functional, and ultimately, designed to help golfers perform better.
I’ll be putting a set of Indi wedges into play shortly after this is posted - a 48-degree FLX Super Gap (with Dynamic Gold 115g Spinner), and then 52/56/60-degree in the ATK with DG Gold 300 120g Stiff. I really cannot wait to see what these do to push my approach game to the next level - I’ve gotten so confident on the greens with the DF over the last year, that I’ve been actively trying to give myself more and better opportunities to make putts. Given what I saw in the hitting bay, these felt like a no-brainer addition to my bag, and I cannot wait to get them into play (hopefully this Friday, if the shipment arrives when it’s expected to).
(They're pretty, pretty pieces of metal)
I’ll be keeping you updated along the journey, and am considering myself an honorary tester of the Indi wedges along with the other members.
I. Cannot. Wait.
Thanks again to Rob and Zane for having me down, and to Jamie (@golfspy_APH) for thinking this was a good idea in the first place.
(Zane, the fitter).
(Rob Lang, the President and Founder of Indi Golf)
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Staff Picks - Titleist T-Series Irons
In a new series of articles coming to you from the Forum Staff we bring you the Titleist T-Series Irons.
Every iron has a purpose and there is a purpose for every iron.
This is what has become abundantly clear throughout my time using the Titleist T-Series irons and it all started with the fitting. However I have to go back a little further to connect all the dots.
In 2018 I was selected to test and review the PING i210 irons. As I had been using the PING iE1 irons I thought the transition would be easy. It wasn't, however my struggles soon drifted away and this set of PING irons became my main set for the next 4 years.
I had some great rounds with them and fond memories, but being a bit of an equipment junkie I soon wanted to take in the full forged iron experience and transitioned to a set of Sub70 659 TC Irons. I wanted the superior feel of forged irons and felt I had the iron ability to play something with a little less tech, more feel. I wasn't concerned with any distance loss, even though I didn't find much of any. However once again I had early struggles with the new irons.
I know enough about equipment to be able to know what works and what doesn't for my game. I was a bit surprised, however again I had a few stellar rounds, but still felt something was missing. My next step was into the players distance category with a set of TaylorMade P790 irons. Having found I was using a lot of my longer clubs in previous sets I wanted to see if my game could be elevated by using a set of irons on the complete opposite end of the Sub70 659 TC's.
This time around I didn't have the early struggles. I clicked nearly right away with the P790s, but something was still missing. It was hard to put my finger on what that was until I had my fitting with Titleist.
Titleist T-Series Irons
Titleist created their new T-Series to be blended and according to Titleist "80% of tour staff have blended sets." and this is where the light bulb moment came. Even though I had success with all my previous sets and most of the sets had some sort of progressive design to improve performance throughout the set they still were just that one set. In truth this moment should have come much earlier as I had long ago replaced the PING i210 4 iron with a PING Crossover, but that was to create better gapping at the top end of the bag which is normal for many.
What I ended up with for my Titleist set is purposefully selected specific irons for each area of my game and bag to ensure that I have all the proper irons for each situation. So what does this mean exactly? Well let me walk you through my setup.
My Golf Bag - The Finer Details
I prefer to use a 58, 54 combo of wedges. I also prefer and have had more success with cavity bag type wedges (Mizuno S23 and Ping Glide series). For my next club I either wanted to add another one of those wedges or as what happened add a set wedge.
The main reason I go down this route is forgiveness. I am a solid ball striker, but I consider any opportunity with a wedge or less to be a scoring opportunity. I want to be set myself up for the most success possible, even if that means a less sexy looking club. When discussing this situation with my fitter and going through several shots we landed on a GW(50*) and PW (46*) in the T100. These are an all forged, slim top line and built for greater precision. If I want the best scoring club possible that fits my comfort zone this was going to be the choice.
The next section of my bag we wanted to be able to add a little extra distance, keep a certain level of forgiveness and still have the ability to use these irons as potential scoring clubs. While I don't expect to hit every green I still want to see if I can make improvements in that area. While my fitter did suggest I could continue with the T100 set throughout this area, I wasn't as confident. I knew the gapping would be easier, however the Iron distance was a little shorter than I would prefer to see knowing the courses I play and the clubs I would have more confidence in playing.
When we factored all of this together we landed on the Titleist T150 9-6 irons. The T150 have a bit more technology in them, while aiming to mimic the feel and the performance aspects of the T100. The T150 have an added 2 degrees of loft meaning a bit more distance. However this also left a decent gap with the T100's which we needed to address and did by making both the GW and PW 1* stronger. I now had a middle section which was better suited to longer approach shots and tee shots into par 3s. The nice part with these together is they look nearly identical. Yes the topline on the T150 is marginally bigger, but it isn't enough to truly matter.
The feel for both is exceptional and the main difference I can say is that the T150 have a bit more pop to them. I am sure that is partly their tech, but also the loft. The other key feeling both keep is their responsiveness to strike location and turf interaction. In this area both sets excel and versus any of my previous sets.
This left me with one more club to select for my set and where I often use my 5 iron. There are two main areas that I have need or use this club. One is off the tee on shorter par 4s or situational par 5s, sometimes into longer par 3s and to progress up the fairway on par 5s. While not a max distance club I was less concerned about exact carry number and more in getting a club that would meet those needs of distance versus accuracy.
Once again the fitter did give some leeway in the decision as he felt I could use either the T150 or make the leap to T200, which is where I ultimately settled. The look on the Titleist T200 is a lot different to to the T100/T150 irons that have the brushed look. The T200 is shiny and does a better job appearance matching the T350. That is where the similarities end though, as at address the T200 has the same shaping of the T150 as well as offset. The topline again is marginally thicker, but not by much.
All the irons used the same Project X IO 6.0 shaft that matches up well for my swing and it was a toss up between that and the Project X LZ. Both performed really well, but with a slightly higher peak height on the IO it just felt really good and we loved seeing the window that the ball came out of.
With the fitting done and everything awaiting arrival the anticipation grew. When irons arrived it didn't take me long to get them out to the range. A slightly similar trend followed and while not my first round, but my first session on the range I struggled. This meant a lot of my initial excitement dampened and maybe expectations lowered because the first round turned it all around.
Key Takeaways - On Course
I have since played 20 or so rounds with these irons and here are my biggest takeaways from this time.
- I wish I had never played a straight set of irons and it will be nearly impossible to consider a non blended set in the future.
- PW and GW are way more forgiving than I had initially anticipated and the quality of precision is exceptional.
- With the mid irons (non T100) my GIR have gone up along with my confidence.
- T200 is not my favorite club, however the purpose in which I need it for does the job.
- Stopping power! I have never owned a set that has had this level of stopping power. Not just spin, but flight and consistency.
I have still of course had awful shots and struggled at times, as with any amateur golfer. I also still have not reached my ceiling in terms of potential. But I can say with extreme confidence that my floor has been raised. This is due to each iron being purposefully selected and built to work best for not just my game, but having the proper purpose. Where previous sets aimed to fit the bill everywhere and do everything well, this set is built to excel only where it needs to and not provide performance aspects which are not going to be utilized.
Moving Forward
The Titleist experience is exceptional, from fitting, to delivery to putting them in play. I had never owned a set of Titleist Irons before and much like my PING i210 irons staying in the bag for several years, I can see these irons holding their spot for many years to come.
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_KFT for an article, Product Spotlight - FlightScope Mevo
Introduction
The Flightscope Mevo is an entry level personal launch monitor that provides users with 8 unique data points. Those data points are carry distance, spin rate, clubhead speed, ball speed, vertical launch, smash factor, apex height and flight time. The Mevo uses 3D doppler radar technology to capture this data. Priced at $499 USD (currently on sale for $425 for Black Friday Savings), the Mevo is priced lower than some competitors in the same space. In this article, I’ll highlight what the Mevo brings to the table and who it might be best suited for when in the market for a personal launch monitor.
Small Size, Powerful Data
The first thing you’ll notice when unboxing the Mevo is its small stature. It is no exaggeration that this unit is tiny. However, its compact size allows it to be an excellent tool to use on the go, as it fits in the valuables pocket in my golf bag and would just as easily fit into my pocket. That is what I find all the more impressive about its performance.
Speaking of performance, one of my initial concerns with the Mevo was how its accuracy would fare in outdoor conditions on the driving range. With the device, you are provided with reflective dots that you can put on the golf ball to improve accuracy. Since I was using range balls, I elected to forgo the dots as I would have no way of recovering them. Early results have been promising, with good to great accuracy across all metrics, especially with driver. I have seen some discrepancies in carry distance and spin with wedges, but that is most likely related to how I deliver the club and not the unit itself. Mid iron accuracy has also been good across all parameters. It will be interesting to compare the outdoor vs. indoor data when winter sets in and I move to my garage set up.
Of the eight data points available, I am finding the most benefit to my game and goals in clubhead speed, carry distance, spin rate, and vertical launch. I am a high spin player due to a relatively steep AoA, so at times I lose distance on strikes that feel like they should be longer, particularly with driver. I am now able to utilize the data Mevo provides to analyze this. On shots that feel good but don’t carry, I am often seeing a high spin rate and lower vertical launch, leading to an assumption of a negative AoA. On good strikes with longer carry, I am seeing lower spin and slightly higher launch, which seem to correlate with a neutral AoA. While the Mevo does not provide this metric, one can use their judgement to come to a reasonable conclusion.
Easy Set Up, Intuitive App
Another major bright spot for the Mevo is its simplicity. Once you download the FS Golf app and create a profile, connecting the Mevo to your smartphone or tablet is as simple as turning it on. It pairs and connects within seconds, no navigation to device bluetooth settings required. The app is straightforward, allowing you to choose a full swing session, participate in challenges, and review data from your sessions. All data is stored in the FS Cloud, which you can access online.
Within the full swing session, you’ll choose whether you are outdoors, indoors or pitching. You can adjust your altitude to sea level or current geographical altitude, and then simply start your session. A feature I love is that your phone’s camera can capture your swing within the app, and you can see the data that correlates to that swing. This gives you the ability to view what a good swing and good strike looks like, and then compare it to a poor swing and strike. Having this feedback is a great tool if you’re working on a swing change.
Who is the Mevo for?
Knowing your carry distances on the course can be the difference between reaching a green in regulation or coming up short and in a hazard. The Mevo provides that and more, in a pocket sized and accurate package. At a price of $499, and currently $425 for their Black Friday savings promotion as mentioned above, the Mevo is a fantastic option to enter the personal launch monitor market. For someone looking for basic data parameters, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better unit at this price point.
If, however, you’re looking for a more in depth and advanced unit, the Mevo's big brother, Mevo+, provides 20 data parameters, plus a host of other features including simulation and games. It also just so happens to be on sale for their Black Friday promotion, and can be found here.
Flightscope is one of the leaders in the personal launch monitor industry, and their products prove that through accuracy and ease of use. Whether you’re looking to get into the PLM space or are looking to upgrade your current setup, give the Mevo a look!
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_KFT for an article, We Played It - Nakoma Golf Club
The Course
Nakoma Golf Club, a design by Thomas Bendelow, has been a fixture in Madison, WI since 1925, boasting its status as one of the city's oldest clubs. This parkland-style course is home to Andy North, offering a unique golfing experience surrounded on three sides by the University of Wisconsin's Arboretum. I had the pleasure of playing a round here with my uncle, a club member, and it was a round I'd been looking forward to for some time.
Spanning 6,469 yards from the longest tees, Nakoma is a Par 70 course (34/36) featuring five tee boxes, providing challenges for golfers of all skill levels.
A view of Wisconsin's State Capitol Building near the 1st tee box
One remarkable aspect of Nakoma GC is its ability to transport you away from the city. This course is free from homes lining the fairways, and the view of the state capitol building is the only reminder of the city's presence. The lush surroundings of trees and water throughout the round make for a refreshing golfing experience. The greens, recently aerated in early October, have recovered beautifully, providing true and fast rolls. Tiered and undulating, precise shot placement becomes essential for a good score. Even during late fall, Nakoma was in outstanding condition, with well-manicured fairways and thick rough.
Front Nine
A short game warm up area with a large practice putting green are available to utilize before your round
Hole One is a dogleg left par four with trees lining the fairway on both sides and two fairway bunkers to the right at the corner. A good tee shot leaves you with a short iron into a small, undulating green. A classic hole layout and fantastic start to this course.
The second par three in it’s first four holes, #4 is an excellent chance at birdie on this front nine (which yours truly happened to capitalize on). However, any miss short right is consumed by a large and deep bunker, while missing left will find your ball down a large bank and needing a challenging chip to save par. This hole played 160 yards into a strong headwind, leading to clubbing up two clubs. I hit a beautiful 6 iron to about nine feet and sank the putt for birdie.
The dogleg right fifth hole was a beautiful layout
The only par five you’ll face on the front, hole 6 is a blind tee shot into a narrow landing area in the fairway. Tree lined on both sides, long hitters can reach in two from the whites with a good tee shot. If you choose to lay up, a fairway bunker left looms in the landing area. You’ll need to navigate three greenside bunkers into a small, back to front sloping green.
Hole Nine, a dogleg left, demands a precise tee shot to the right side of the fairway to avoid overhanging oaks on the left. This green slopes to the back, with subtle surface changes throughout. Your approach leads back to the clubhouse, leading to what I was told can be one of the most high pressure shots on the course. Outdoor patio seating, plus sidewalks directly behind the green, mean missing long isn’t an option. On warm days, you’ll have a gallery watching. Thankfully for me, it was chilly with no one outdoors. I executed a high draw off the tee with 7 wood, leaving me 140 to the pin into a strong headwind. Remembering my luck on the earlier par three 4th, I clubbed up two clubs and flushed a 7 iron to the back of the green. A tricky lag putt awaited me that I hit too firm and ran well past the hole, leading to an eventual three putt.
From the fairway into the ninth green
Back Nine
Hole ten is rated as the second most challenging on the property. A long, straight par 4 with ponds along the right and OB left, finding the fairway is critical to success. You’ll be faced with a long iron or fairway wood on your second to a very small green protected by a bunker and OB left with Mitchie’s stream on the right. Once again playing dead into the wind, I hit a solid draw that was knocked down to only 230 yards. Left with 190 to the pin, I pulled a 6 iron that was flushed and well short (did I mention the wind?).
Beautiful backdrop into hole eleven
The final three hole stretch follows a 5/3/5 layout, with an elevated tee shot awaiting you at 16. Playing your tee shot over the trees right of the fairway will leave you with an opportunity to reach this tiered green in two. Risk is involved, however, as a pond guards left and short. I executed a fantastic tee shot and followed it with a 7 wood draw that thankfully stayed dry. A wedge onto the green and two putt secured a par.
Hole 17 requires a mid to long iron, depending on your game, into arguably the most undulating green at Nakoma. Guarded by bunkers short left, right, and long left, accuracy is critical here. A large mound in the middle of the green influences nearly every putt. I was able to hit the green and two putt for a second consecutive par.
Hole 18 leads back to the clubhouse and plays as a par five. A challenging landing area guarded by water right and three bunkers left, I executed a soft draw that landed short of the bunkers and long of the water, exactly where I needed to be. This left me with an opportunity to get onto the elevated and two tiered green in two. With the pin playing short, I missed the green right and found myself in a particularly unenjoyable lie in thick, deep rough. I managed to find the green with my third shot, but was at the very back of the second tier, leaving myself with a 70 foot lag putt. I managed to leave it at 2 feet and tapped in to finish out on a three par streak.
Fall colors were on full display at Nakoma throughout the property
Amenities & Conclusion
Nakoma GC is a fully private club, so you’ll need to find a member to play with or request a tee time through the head pro. There are limited tee times available to those that inquire, and it is absolutely worth looking into if you’re in the Madison area. I had an absolute blast playing this course, as it provided a fun and unique experience that I am looking forward to taking on again in the future. A challenging layout with varying requirements on tee and approach shots, Nakoma met my expectations for a fully private club. We were never pushed by groups behind us or ran into groups ahead of us, which is clearly a benefit with how busy public courses have become.
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Recap: Galway Bay Rain Gear
The Testing Opportunity
Not everyone golfs in the rain but if you do it is essential to have quality rain gear that will keep you dry and comfortable and still provide enough flexibility so you can perform your best.
Galway Bay has consistently performed well in our Most Wanted testing and, this year, offered to take part in MyGolfSpy Forum testing.
Galway Bay provided each tester with their Hawthorn II golf rain jacket, Seagrove II chino rain pants and golf rain gloves. Five intrepid testers volunteered to play golf in conditions that would make most of us head home. These brave souls were chosen to give us their honest opinions on how this Galway Bay rain gear performed in some of the worst conditions, how it fit and identify its strengths and weaknesses.
About Galway Bay
Galway Bay apparel was founded nearly 15 years ago. In their words, “we designed our Performance Outerwear to be versatile, comfortable and fashionable. Galway Bay provides protection from the wind and rain while still allowing players to take an unrestricted swing. So you can look and play great even when the weather isn’t.”
Their garments include key technologies such as their proprietary Hydro-Flex 32, a three-layer fabric which is waterproof, breathable and offers, again in their words, “Performance Stretch. Galway Bay is serious about being waterproof; every jacket also includes a double durable water repellent coating.”
What our Testers Said: Hawthorn II Rain Jacket
The Hawthorn II rain jacket comes in two colors, black on black and Ultimate Grey. Our testers had their choice of color option and initial impressions were very solid. Testers noted minimal packaging and some were very surprised with how light and thin the material was.
How did the Hawthorn II rain jacket fit? For our tester WaffleHouseTour a slight miss in ordering a medium versus a small meant that there was a “poofyness” in the chest. However “that poof doesn't bother me with a full swing – but it does with the short shots and putter.”
He added “when it comes to comfort – the jacket is flawless. It is extremely lightweight. It passes the breathability test with flying colors. It is not warm – so you may need to layer up in the spring or fall, but you’ll be fine in the summer. If you are carrying your bag on your shoulders – you’ll perspire there a bit – as you normally would – but it doesn’t cause any water to leak through.”
Tester jdparker noted “I feel like there is room in the shoulders and back area that should allow for a smooth golf swing. The jacket does have that wispy noise that every rain jacket I have owned does.”
When it came to the on-course performance he had more to say: “The jacket was probably the one article of clothing that impressed me the most. So often rain gear is restrictive and noisy which can change my game and distract me from playing my best. Let’s face it, you are already playing in the rain and now you have these limitations, it doesn’t make for an enjoyable round. Galway Bay knocked it out of the park on their jacket. It is comfortable and light. It has the necessary stretch and design to allow you to keep your normal swing, and this is paramount in bad weather gear. The slight noise I heard when I first put on the jacket ended up not being a distraction whatsoever and I was very pleased that a rain jacket finally fit that bill.”
Bottom line: The jacket really impressed all of our testers and while some found there to be a bit of “poof” in the chest, the majority found the fit to be great. More importantly, the performance in the wet was there to match.
What Testers Said - Seagrove II Chino Rain Pant
The Seagrove II rain pants come in the same two colors as the jacket. The biggest difference between these rain pants and many others is that they are not meant to be worn over top of shorts or pants. They are meant to be worn alone while providing optimal protection against the elements.
Tester GolferXY was a real warrior heading out to the range in pouring rain for 45 minutes. “The pants kept me dry and I wore them home in the car, stopping for some shopping on the way. No bleeding through. Also, I was curious if the straight legs of the pants might allow rain to run off into my shoes. Nope! Very pleased about that.”
Tester Alan Scanzi said, “it performed well on the course, very comfortable, better than all other outfits I wear, when I have to wear pants.”
Tester EugeGal said, “straight out of the packet they just looked as stated, normal golf pants - not the garbage bags I currently have. Big plus on this!! Again subtle detailing on the right pocket. The 2 rear pockets have magnetic closures unlike the normal Velcro system - there was no flap so it will be interesting to see how this copes in the rain, but the magnet I thought was a nice touch. Nice tapered cut to the leg and the grey color just shouted smart!! These pants tick the box for me in all counts so far.”
Bottom line: Our testers were as impressed with the pants as they were with the jacket. Tester jdparker summed them up well, saying, “the pants breathe well and the stretch in the Hydro-Flex 32 material makes it easy to walk the course. The pockets are large enough to hold tees, marker and golf balls but not overly big. The back pockets have magnets in them to help keep them closed when not in use and perfect for a glove.”
What Testers Said - Galway Bay Rain Glove
While the jacket and pants received great feedback and overall ratings, the gloves had mixed reviews. Tester jdparker noted “the GB rain gloves for me are lacking some in performance.”
Tester GolferXY: “The gloves were fine.They stayed grippy even when wet. However, I ordered a size smaller than my normal XL and they were still too big. During 7-iron drills, the gloves did diminish my feel, but when I hit the ball off the toe, the stinger I expected was muffled. I could still tell that I mishit the ball, but didn't pay as big a price as I did with my other rain gloves.”
Overall, the Galway Bay rain gloves for our testers did the job but did lack some performance. Having said that, they still performed well compared to some other rain gloves our testers tried side by side, but they lost a bit of grip as they got really wet.
The Final Verdict
We have to thank all of our testers for going out and getting great videos, photos and information in the rain for this testing experience.
We asked our testers to rate all the apparel, taking into account the various categories. Their final ratings ranged from 85 to 97 out of 100.
Both WaffleHouseTour and jdparker summed up the testing experience and Galway Bay products nicely.
“I don’t think anyone will be disappointed by the Galway Bay rain gear. It absolutely does what it is supposed to do. It will keep you dry. You will stay dry. It is flexible and won’t slow down your swing. It's breathable and lightweight. ust be smarter than I am about size, use their “what’s my size” guide and don’t take for granted what you usually wear.
“If you are in the market for rain gear or even if you are not, do yourself a favor and head on over to the Galway Bay site and pick up a new jacket, pants or gloves. You will not be disappointed.
“I had some very low expectations with rain gear at the beginning of this process and Galway Bay blew me away with their performance in every aspect. They have found the solution to a lot of the issues in rain gear for golf. The Hydro-Flex 32 material that they use on the jacket and pants allows for the full range of motion all while giving you a modern look out on the course.
“Finally, the most important part of rain gear is to keep you dry, and this gear will absolutely do that.”
To read their full reviews go to this link: MyGolfSpy Forum Full Reviews: Galway Bay Rain Gear
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Recap: BagBoy ZTF Bag
The Testing Opportunity
Bag Boy has brought a new concept to the carry bag by adding removable pockets to allow the golfer to adjust its storage capacity. They called this the Bag Boy Zip-to-Fit, ZTF for short.
Here is how Bag Boy explains the ZTF: “Engineered to simplify the golfing experience, Zip-to-Fit™ functionality allows users to easily unzip and remove larger exterior pockets on the golf bag. This feature enables golfers to transform a traditional stand bag into a lightweight Sunday bag with ease and eliminates the need to own multiple golf bags.”.
Key features include:
Two removable pockets to cater the bag to your round
Four-way organizer top with full-length individual dividers
Swivel clip attachment system for easy shoulder-strap separation
Top-Lok ® technology, a patented bag-to-cart attachment system
MyGolfSpy wanted four testers to test, review and keep the Bag Boy ZTF bag and let us know how it performed.
What Testers Said
As soon as the bags landed on their doorsteps, testing started and the first impressions started rolling in.
Tester OdinSnipes414 was impressed out of the gate: “The ZTF bag Is definitely a beautiful-looking bag. The zipper-teeth size and the metal badge in the middle of the bag really draw the eye. The material used on the bag is very waterproof and durable. The ZTF feature on the bag grew on me. Compared to the Sunday bag it has more pockets and holds all 14 clubs.”
Tester HeathS16 took a deeper dive into the key features of the Bag Boy ZTF bag.
“1. Zip-to-Fit Pockets: This is the flagship innovation for the Bag Boy ZTF stand bag. At first glance this feature is simply a way to make a golf bag lighter and smaller but after Bag Boy announced the sale of custom pockets I can see it is a way for golfers to continue to customize their bags with some very cool designs. These easy to attach and easy to remove pockets really do impact the bag's profile and weight. This feature was especially useful when traveling. My four-day golf trip involved walking the Mountain Top Course at Big Cedar 3 times and being able to remove excess weight proved VERY beneficial.
2. Top-Lok: The Top -Lok system worked very well. As mentioned I use a push cart quite often and found that this bag fits perfectly and securely into my CaddyTek push cart.
3. Sliding Shoulder Straps: The bag straps are clipped on and easily removed. The shoulder strap also slides easily to adjust to your shoulders and make an easy fit.”
First impressions were solid but the real test was how these bags performed on the course.
What Testers Said: On Course
Carter18 had a few pros and cons..
“The bag is lighter than other bags in the category and the kickstand works well when carrying. It is designed to ride well on push carts and I had limited issues when using a riding cart. While the bag does have a water bottle pocket, it is on the small side and not user friendly when using a larger water bottle. I drink a ton of water on the course. The additional time it takes to get a large bottle in and out during a round led me to take a star here.”
MrBandit noted an unusual and its intended function.
“It fits just fine in the drive cart. Since it was smaller there was no issue with another bag in the cart. Getting clubs in and out was as expected easy enough, again this is more of a preference how you want to divide your clubs in the 4 slots, I have mine with woods in the back, irons in the middle and putter and wedges in the front. Preferred the individual club slots but we are just splitting hairs.
One small feature that is overlooked is that there is Velcro spot for your glove for during or after the round you can just hang your glove there.“
Tester Carter18 did have part of the bag clips break. However, this was quickly remedied by Bag Boy’s customer service.
The Final Verdict
Overall, the Bag Boy ZTF received scores between 24 and 26 out of 30 from our testers.
All of our testers said the bag would be going into their rotation, whether as their main bag or a Sunday bag with the pockets removed..
Tester HeathS16: “The Bag Boy ZTF stand bag is a solid option for those looking for a do-it-all setup. You can carry, ride or push and customize the profile and weight of your bag easily. With Bag Boy's release of custom panels you can even change your pockets out for a new fresh look whenever you would like. The only shortcomings of this bag lie in the strap system and the lack of a larger water bottle pocket. Overall, I would recommend the Bag Boy ZTF to a golfer looking to walk more and who wants some versatility with their bag setup.”
Tester OdinSnipes414: “Overall this bag holds up to claims to be a multi-purpose bag with zip-off pockets to make it easy to use. It is lightweight, the straps move easily, the pockets are easily removable and the material is very durable. The legs strap into place for easy push-cart use. If you walk this is a very good bag to use. Decent pocket space ideal for the minimalist golfer. Travels well and the rain fly is easy to use. Pocket removal is easy and doesn't take much time at all. The lack of a cooler and a smaller water bottle holder is really the only downfall.“
Tester Carter18: “Bag Boy has provided a unique entry into the 4-divider light carry bag division. The Zip to Fit pockets add an interesting wrinkle and provide options when determining what to take to the range vs. playing 9, 18, etc. in either casual or competitive rounds. The aesthetic of the bag is spot on and assimilates into the arsenal of any level of player…The material used in the shoulder strap release system appears to be a weak point in its current iteration. With the removable pockets loaded down, the zipper will occasionally move if not properly seated in installation. All of the reputed features work as advertised and I would recommend the ZTF version of the Bag Boy bag especially if you already use a Bag Boy push cart.”
To read their full reviews and all the details our testers shared, go to the complete write-ups HERE.
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Recap: Maxfli Golf Balls
The Testing Opportunity
Maxfli has provided a few different testing opportunities for the MyGolfSpy Forum in the past but the release of the Maxfli Tour, Tour S and Tour X made us excited to bring this opportunity to the Forum.
Maxfli has a good following on the MyGolfSpy Forum and their golf balls are used by many members. More than 1,300 Forum members registered to have a chance to test these golf balls! Each of the five testers chosen received two dozen Maxfli golf balls of their choice.
We had two testers for the Maxlfi Tour, one for the Maxfli Tour S and two for the Maxfli Tour Xl. Offering great value and traditionally doing well in our Ball Lab testing, expectations for these golf balls were high.
*Another important note as this golf ball is aimed at Tour use and Tour levels, it was requested that we find lower-handicap golfers to test these golf balls.
What the testers said - Maxfli Tour
The Maxfli Tour is the middle of the road in the lineup. It’s firmer than the Tour S but softer than the four-piece Tour X.
Tester David Leighton Reid (8 handicap) and Tester CSiders12 (3.8 handicap) were selected to test and review the Maxlfi Tour. They had good first impressions but the alignment aid wasn’t exactly to CSiders12 preference.
“ The ball fresh out of the box looks like a nice, premium golf ball. The cover feels soft and the dimples look really nice. My only wish for these balls would be a better alignment aid on the golf ball. “
When it was time to hit the course, David Leighton Reid put the Maxfli Tour through its paces and found it comparable to both his gamer Titleist Pro V1 and Callaway Chrome Soft.
“ Off the tee, the Tour ball performed admirably with driver, fairway woods, hybrid, or irons. Working the ball left and right is possible, and I can hit the dreaded duck-hook the same way as other premium balls. The center of gravity line for better performance was not proven by me. I found very little difference in performance of balls struck aligned toward the target or not aligned.
The mid-spin characteristics of the Tour ball hold greens quite nicely on approach shots and do not balloon up causing a lack of distance. It is easy to hit accurate knock-down shots with this ball.
I conducted several chipping, pitching, and putting tests, comparing the Tour ball to the Pro V1 and Chrome Soft. In every test, the Maxfli Tour performed as well as the other premium golf balls. I always mark my gamer golf balls with a black alignment line and did the same for the Maxfli Tour. Distance control was the same as the Pro V1 and Chrome Soft.
In an on-line review by Chris Wallace for Golf Monthly, Chris noted a lack of distance for the Tour ball with driver and irons. I did not notice a loss of distance while playing the Tour ball. This could be explained by the Tour ball being a good fit for my swing speed and game.“
CSiders12 made some valid points about the cost benefit versus performance of the Maxfli Tour.
“Price and overall performance are two key takeaways from this ball. The fact that this ball holds up against the biggest brands for considerably cheaper is impressive. The overall performance was good and the price is exactly where it should be. Personally, the takeaways are the alignment aid, the glossy finish, and the durability out of bunkers. Those three factors caused me to take three points away. However, I would say that I am willing to meet this ball in the middle because of the price point. I may get better durability out of a Pro V1, however, if the Pro V1 is only lasting me a couple of extra holes but they cost $20 more, I'm not sure if the Pro V1 is the top choice. “
With testing wrapped up, they graded the Maxfli Tour 88 and 97 out of 100 respectively.
What Testers said - Maxfli Tour S
Tester thechrisgibbs (4.6 handicap) went deep into the numbers and data for his review, testing the Maxfli Tour S against several other premium “softer” golf balls.
Thechrisgibbs was really impressed with the durability of the Maxfli Tour S: “The ball is as durable as a Pro V1. For the first time in my golfing career, it has to be said that I don’t lose golf balls much anymore. I still have 20 of the 24 golf balls that Maxfli sent me. I used the same one on my SIM to push it through a durability test. It has to be said the ball was about the same level of marked-up as the Pro V1, EVEN WHEN I PUT IT UP AGAINST THE MOREGOLF MOD 1 WEDGE! For the price, I did NOT expect this much durability.”
He also had similar statements regarding the Maxfli Tour S performance on approach play. “ I couldn’t tell you if there was any difference between the balls. I played a few of the best rounds I’ve ever played with the Maxfli Tour S, but it’s also just been a breakout year for me. The consistency was exactly what I wanted from a premium ball though. “
As a higher-caliber player and someone who knows what performance he wants out of his golf ball, he said this when asked if he would make the Maxfli Tour S his new gamer or go back to his previous choice.
“Since Maxfli sent me 24 brand-new balls, I’ll be playing Maxfli Tour S for the rest of the year, God willing.
If you are at a pro shop on vacation, don’t have any balls with you, and need to buy something? I’m buying the Maxfli Tour S all day. I’m probably already renting clubs and spending too much, so I’m going with the ball I know performs at the price I want to pay.”
However, his final score was a modest 74 out of 100 as he recognized that this ball wasn’t quite suited to his swing speed and that others may see more benefits.
What Testers Said - Maxfli Tour X
With the two softest golf balls in the Maxfli Tour lineup out of the way, it is time to see how the firmest of the series worked out for our testers, Micah T (2 handicap) and Cjeffs12 (4.1 handicap).
As someone who has used the previous Maxfli Tour X, Micah T shared some initial thoughts on Maxfli and the changes made to the 2023 version.
“I’ve always appreciated the frank nature of Maxfli’s claims: nothing too crazy there. Interesting to see Maxfli call out the CG balancing; definitely a premium feature there. The only huge change I see straightaway is the alignment aid:
I’m not sure how I feel about it yet: on the one hand, I loved using the alignment lines on the ‘21 model, on the other, the alignment aid kinda made it look like a range/practice ball.”
Cjeffs12 added some thoughts on the packaging and the CG alignment aid: “As for the specs on the box, they do a good job of detailing the differences of each ball in their lineup. I could easily pick up any of their boxes and decide which ball is best for my game. One thing I think they could do better for marketing or educating is the “CG Alignment Aid.” I would like them to show the consumer how to get the best out of this technology.”
Both testers got a lot of excellent comparisons versus other golf balls in the same category with various data points from different yardages and clubs.
Micah T noted that the Maxfli Tour X is a very low-spinning golf ball and not just off the tee.
“The low-spin characteristics of the ball off the driver are really impressive. The low spin characteristics of wedges? Maybe less so…”
Cjeffs12 added: “My numbers were really good with the XV, Tour X, and Pro V1x. The Srixon and the Maxfli just had another gear that the other balls did not have, my bad strikes were where the rest of the balls’ good shots were, and my good ones were carrying 10 yards more.”
They gave the Maxfli Tour X 96 and 83 points out of 100. Cjeffs12 knocked off the most points due to the cover being overly soft, causing him to relegate several balls to his practice bag because of scuff marks.
The Bottom Line
The major underlying theme of the 2023 Maxfli Tour series? Value and performance comparable to so-called premium balls.
Even though not every tester will be keeping these as their new gamers, they all appreciated a golf ball that performed close to high-end golf balls at a fraction of the price.
This was summed up perfectly by Micah T:
“This ball is a fantastic value! For 1/2 the price of a Pro V1x you get a ball 98.5% as good. Sound/feel, looks and workability are all top notch for me.”
The check out their full reviews, charts and data follow this link: Forum Member Review: Maxfli Tour Series Golf Balls
What is Forum Member Testing?
MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep a variety of different golf equipment, apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by forum staff.
Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!
Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works for a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions.
To learn more about how testers are selected, head here: Want To Be A Forum Tester?
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Josh Parker reacted to GolfSpy_APH for an article, Forum Review Recaps: Titleist T Series
The Testing Opportunity
In 2023, MyGolfSpy Forum members had the exciting opportunity to test various sets of irons. However, none generated as much anticipation and buzz as the newTitleist T-Series irons. More than 11,000 members offered their services as testers, making this a milestone moment for our Forum.
For this testing opportunity, participants experienced a comprehensive Titleist fitting to ensure they were matched with the appropriate set of irons.
If you're interested in delving into the complete specifications and details of the new Titleist T-Series release, you can find our comprehensive overview HERE. In brief, Titleist made significant refinements and enhancements to each model in the series, accompanied by adjustments to the names to increase recognition and clarity across the lineup.
Among these models, the T100 series stands out as the most widely used iron on the PGA TOUR, featuring a sleek, high-performing cavity-back design. It boasts full forged construction, delivering a premium feel, and offers a degree of forgiveness.
Photo: T150BenJoest
Following closely is the newly renamed T150, taking the place of the T100S. It shares a similar look with the T100 but features a slightly larger top line and a standard additional two degrees of loft. This was the iron that captured the attention of nearly 40 percent of the 11,000 applicants.
The T200 is Titleist's player’s distance iron where significant improvements were made compared to the previous series. These improvements focused not only on performance but also on enhancing feel and construction. The 2021 T200 was criticized for its plastic back but the new version features refined tungsten placement and construction.
Replacing the T300, we have the new Titleist T350. Much like the T150, it represents a rebranding of a similar previous package. Positioned as the game-improvement iron in this series, it's the largest, although not oversized. Featuring strong lofts and more offset, it appeals to golfers with slower swing speeds or those seeking increased height and distance.
Photo: TSeriesBottomFMR
Caption: T-200 5 Iron, T-150 6-9 Irons, T-100 PW, 50
A significant narrative with the new T-Series is the integration of these irons with their utilities (T200 utility and U505 utility) to ensure a seamless optimization of each golfer's set from top to bottom. According to Titleist, 80 percent of their Tour staff use blended sets. Therefore, while applicants and testers were asked to select their preferred iron, the actual iron set they received for testing was determined by their fitting.
What our Testers Said: Titleist T100
Our chosen tester for the T100 series was Bens197 , a five handicap who was gaming Mizuno 223 irons. Having played with Titleist irons in the past, he was excited about this opportunity.
The Fitting
Bens197 underwent a straightforward iron selection process based on his recent fittings and understanding of his game. Unlike other testers, he didn't end up with a blended set and received a full set of T100 irons, from 4-iron to pitching wedge, all with Nippon Modus 120S shafts.
Titleist T100 Performance
Photo: T100Bag
Upon receiving the irons, the testing began promptly and Bens197's review was unequivocally positive. He found it challenging to identify any notable shortcomings with his set of T100 irons.
"I can't help but admire Titleist's commitment to tradition, reflected in their timeless logo. As I picked up the 8 iron, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend."
"I had concerns about the narrower, squarer sole compared to what I had been playing, but somehow, it just works. I could confidently extract a ball from the rough from 165 yards without fearing that these irons would dig me into deeper trouble."
A standout feature for Bens197 was the forgiveness of the T100 irons. He emphasized that these blade-type irons, despite potentially being blended with the T150s, performed remarkably well even with the longer irons. He advised against assuming that the longer irons would be challenging, stating that they perform admirably even on mis-hits.
The Bottom Line
Photo: T100FMR
With a glowing review, Bens197 awarded a final score of 98/100, with the two points deducted due to personal preference regarding the badging. To conclude his review, he left an enticing message for potential buyers.
"These irons are staying in my bag, and there's nothing more to add. If Titleist asked me to return them next week, I'd be buying a set to replace them. I never expected a club to outperform my Mizuno 223s, but here we are. How confident am I making this statement? Since starting this test 5 weeks ago, my USGA Index has dropped from 5.3 to 3.5. These are the best irons I've ever played in 35 years of golf. Period."
What our Testers Said: Titleist T150
As mentioned, nearly 40 percent of the 11,000 applicants eagerly sought to test the Titliest T150. Our tester, Ben Joest, a 4.3 handicap, was particularly intrigued, having previously owned the T100s.
Titleist Fitting
Ben's fitting with Titleist was thorough and he approached it with an open mind. After exploring various options and finding the right shaft, he settled on a combination set of T150 from PW to 8-iron, T200 for the 7- 5-iron and a T200 utility iron, all equipped with KBS Tour stiff shafts. He wanted to try the SteelFibre shaft but it was unavailable during his fitting.
Titliest T150 Performance
Photo: T150FMR
Once the irons arrived, extensive testing commenced through rounds and range sessions to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. Ben Joest was highly impressed with the irons from the outset.
"These irons epitomize elegance, with a minimalist approach to ornamentation. They're almost too beautiful to hit. While the T150 and T200 lines prioritize forgiveness and performance, their clean and minimal top lines set them apart. Particularly, the T200 boasts a sleek top line, avoiding the chunky appearance common in hollow body player's distance irons."
When it came to on-course performance, the results were promising.
"Performance, especially in terms of ease of use and consistency, was excellent. Throughout the testing period, my shot dispersion remained well within an acceptable range for my game. These irons inspire confidence in my ball-striking and overall game. There's no 'hit and hope'; I know exactly what to expect. These irons personify confidence, period."
Ben Joest's only minor critique was the gap between the 7-iron T200 and the T150. Despite adjustments, there was still a noticeable difference, prompting him to order a T150 7-iron to address this. Additionally, the T200 utility and T200 5-iron didn't quite offer the expected distance gaps.
The Bottom Line
Photo: T150GroupFMR
With an overall score of 92/100, Ben Joest's impressive performance improvement was evident, with his handicap dropping from 4.3 to 1.6 during the testing period.
"These irons are as good as you can imagine them to be; their only limitations are those of the individual swinging them. They're designed to perform, with the singular purpose of enabling any golfer to play their best. The seamless integration of these clubs across the product range is truly magnificent. If you're in the market for new irons, booking an appointment with a certified Titleist fitter is a must, even if you don't intend to purchase. The $100 for a fitting with a Titleist club fitter is a valuable experience. Want a taste of what Tour pros feel? Go get yourself a Titleist fitting!"
What Testers Said: Titleist T200
The T200 was briefly mentioned in the blended set for Ben Joest but our dedicated T200 tester,GregB135 , playing off a 14.3 handicap, owned the previous model of Titleist T200 from 2021.
Titleist Fitting
Like the other testers, GregB135 underwent a comprehensive Titleist fitting. Surprisingly, he was fitted into a set that included a hybrid, unlike the previous testers. The end result was a set of Titleist T200 5-PW irons with the Mitsubishi Tensei Blue regular shaft and a Titleist TSR2 21-degree hybrid, also equipped with the Mitsubishi Tensei Blue regular shaft. The most surprising aspect was that GregB135 had always played with steel shafts so this was his first experience with graphite.
Titleist T200 Performance
Photo: T200Close
What were his thoughts upon receiving and testing these irons? You'll notice a recurring theme.
“From the very beginning the testing experience for the T-series irons was first rate.”
However it is how these compared to the previous version of the T200 that everyone really wanted to know about and this is what GregB135 had to say.
“The previous T200 got a bad rap for sound because the badge enclosing the back of the clubhead made a goofy, annoying, clicky sound if you happened to tap a ball with the back of the club. Granted, you would only do that on the range and not when hitting a shot, but it was still there. They improved that mightily with the new version. Comparing these directly to the original T200s, the sound of the strike tells me a little bit more than the feel. Maybe it’s the combination of the updated design and the graphite shaft but the feel feedback I get from this set feels a bit muted versus their predecessors that really told your hands when you flushed it or missed it. The sound and feel together though is more than enough to decipher the quality of the shot. The good news: Even when sound and feel say you missed it by a bit, the inner workings of the club provide a shot that stays pretty close to the one you intended.”
The new set also brought along some added confidence with the longer clubs.
“With my previous set, I dreaded pulling the 4- or 5-iron for approach shots. I had just about zero confidence in either of those clubs. Interestingly, it’s been the 5-iron and 4-hybrid that have generated some of the best and most clutch shots I’ve hit with this new set.”
Bottom line
Photo: T200FMR
These irons fit the bill for GregB135 as he ended up with a stellar 97/100 grade for the Titleist T200 irons. He went through all the claims that Titleist has for these irons (Enhanced Feel, Clean and Confident Shape, Effortless Turf Interaction, Better Tungsten for Better Scoring) and concluded that every claim proved true.
For his final words in the review GregB135 stated: “At least for this mid-handicap, self-described “B-Flight hack”, the Titleist T-200 irons more than fit the bill, and proved out just about every detail Titleist claims. If you are in the market for a new set of Player’s Distance type irons, I am more than a believer in these.”
What Testers Said: Titleist T350
While not the most popular iron in the series, the T350 occupies a unique niche and deserves recognition. These irons turned out to be a surprising standout during testing.
The Fitting
Our tester for the Titleist T350, Ole Gray, was an ideal candidate for these irons, with a 15.4 handicap and a maximum swing speed of 90 mph. His fitting experience with Titleist was exceptional with the fitter working through the T350s with him and addressing alignment issues in his swing. In the end, Ole Gray was fitted into the Titleist T350 48-degree wedge to 7-iron with the Mitsubishi Fubuki MV IR A flex shaft. His next clubs included 20- and 23-degree TSR1 Hybrids to complete his desired distances.
Titleist T350 Performance
Photo: T350Close
As a more typical player for this set of irons, how did they perform for him?
Once again, the initial impressions left Ole Gray highly impressed. "I've owned some good-looking irons over the years, but the T350s, and the entire T-Series irons, are simply stunning. Sleek lines without the over-the-top aesthetics make these the best-looking irons I've ever laid eyes on. If you're seeking irons with exceptional performance and aesthetics to match, your search ends here."
The success in his fitting translated into immediate comfort with the T350s. "I was surprised at how quickly I felt at ease with the T350s. You've heard of the 'honeymoon phase' with new clubs, but these already feel like my go-to irons. A proper fitting ensures that the irons in your bag will perform to their fullest potential. Titleist fitters do it right, and you can trust that your clubs will be perfectly matched to your playing abilities."
This newfound confidence translated into better scores. "Since adding the T350s to my bag, my handicap has dropped from 15.4 to 11.9. I've shot three consecutive rounds in the 70s (74, 79, 76), a feat I'd never achieved before. A few rounds later, I carded a 75. So, yes, I can confidently say that these irons have significantly improved my game."
The Bottom Line
Photo: T350Bag
Ole Gray awarded the Titleist T350s a final score of 96/100, highlighting their game-changing impact. The flight, distances and consistency he sought were all achieved, making these irons a remarkable addition to his game.
Want to read all the full reviews? You can find them here: Full Titleist T-Series Reviews here.
Photo: TSeriesToplineFMR
Caption: Topline T-200 5 iron, T-150 8 iron & T-100 PW
What is Forum Member Testing?
MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep a variety of different golf equipment, apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by forum staff.
Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!
Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works for a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions.
To learn more about how testers are selected, head here: Want To Be A Forum Tester?