Dunni2010

Introduction
The Clinch Tactile Golf Glove claims to offer a unique blend of comfort, durability, and enhanced grip. Designed with premium materials, this glove is intended to provide a secure fit and better control, even in challenging conditions. Priced as a premium product, the Clinch Tactile Golf Glove aims to stand out in the crowded golf glove market—but does it truly deliver on its promises?
Key Features:
Enhanced Grip: The glove is designed to improve your grip, giving you more control over your shots. How effective is this grip in various weather conditions?
Durability: Made from high-quality materials, the glove claims to last longer than typical golf gloves. Does it really hold up over multiple rounds?
Comfort Fit: The glove is designed to provide a snug, comfortable fit, enhancing the feel and reducing hand fatigue. Is this fit as comfortable as advertised, and does it maintain its shape over time?
Please welcome and congratulate our testers.
@Boris119 
@gajrsports 
@OhCanada1954 
@Fiveslow 
@nick gauts

Alright, providing an update on the Darkspeed X after my weekend buddies trip. To say it was a great weekend driving the ball is an understatement, aside from the final round we played Saturday where I just never got comfortable with my swing. 
Our first round was played at the Pines course at Lake Arrowhead, and if you find yourself in Central Wisconsin this summer, PLEASE do yourself a favor and play the two courses here. They are always in fantastic condition, the greens are FAST fast, and you can play 18 for under $100 at peak times. At the Pines, 14/18 holes I was able to use the DS X off the tee, which was really fun. Of those 14, all but 4 were good to great tee shots. The wind was crazy strong, and most played into the wind. For those who do not use it, Arccos calculates wind when factoring distances, and the tee shot of the day for me came on hole 12, where I had a wind factored drive of 300 yards, which was an actual distance 264 yards into the wind. I had another 5 drives on the day that traveled greater than 260 yards both with and without wind calculations. 
During our second round at the Lakes course, Things were a bit tighter, so was able to use the DS X on 11/18 holes. I was a bit more inconsistent this day, but the usable drives were really darn good. Three drives with wind factored were 295 (276 actual), 296 (268 actual), and 283 (255 actual). For playing into the wind, I again think this speaks volumes to just how well this driver performs. I also had a 295 yard drive on hole 4 but was downwind, so without the wind it would have been more like 271. 
I have NEVER had a weekend, let alone round, where I was consistently hitting strong flighted drives. At worst, my miss was a push. At it's best, I was hitting tight draws with plenty of roll out on them. I also felt like I was able to really go after the ball, which is a testament to the confidence the club is giving me paired with the stability of the Ventus TR Blue shaft. 
The calculated smart distance on Arccos currently sits at 269 for the DS X, which is 5 yards longer than both the TSi3 and Aerojet Max. The Longest Drive category of DS X is at 295 yards, which is 13 yards longer than TSi3 and Aerojet Max.
At this point, I don't feel the need for a H2H comparison of the DS X and Aerojet Max is warranted. I could put the Ventus in it and give it a go, but the looks, feel and forgiveness of the DS X are so good that I honestly don't really want to 🤷‍♂️. AJ Max was slower than TSi3 last year in H2H and I don't see it keeping up with the DS X in that category.
I will probably get the TSi back out this week and give it a run to see if my swing in it's current state could find some extra juice with it, but again I am really happy with what I am getting from the Darkspeed X. 
TLDR; The Darkspeed X is long, fast, and forgiving. It is giving me significantly longer drives than I've seen from any other driver I've owned. If you're in the market for a new driver this year, make sure it is on your list to test.

Darkspeed X continues to gain momentum and a firm spot atop the bag. Played 6 practice holes yesterday evening as the lead up this week to my buddies trip is going to inhibit any on course golf, and I am thoroughly impressed with this driver. Feel is great, sound is great, and IT. IS. LONG.
On the same hole that I carried two fairway bunkers in league last week, I managed to do it again yesterday....except getting 284 YARDS of total distance compared to 272 last week. 284 is my longest recorded drive by two yards on Arccos, and this was a piercing missile. Ball flew directly on the intended line, which was great to see.

On the #10 tee box, I hit a toe-y miss to start things off and only got 213 yards out of it, but it was in play and led to an iron shot that just missed the green.
On the #11 tee box, I blocked the shot, but ball flight was dead straight with no fade or slice. I hit a tree nearly at the top of it which was 240 on the fly, as it settled pretty much straight down at 238 yards. Had that ball been online, I am guessing I'd have been looking at another 260+ yard drive. 
I am hoping I can carry some of the performance into my weekend as two of the three courses we play have plenty of favorable driving holes. I am thinking of bringing my TSi3 along as well and using it during a round, or hitting two tee shots on a couple holes if we are keeping pace of play well enough/staying ahead. But I am hard pressed to want to play anything other than the DS X at the moment.
Also worth mentioning is this led to what I believe is the best 6 hole stretch I have ever played, as I was +3 at that point. REALLY wanted to finish out 9 holes, but it was 6:30 and I had my youngest son with me. Was a school night and the dinner bell was ringing so we called it. 

Had a pretty solid day driving the ball yesterday with the Darkspeed X.
Drive Distances:
246 yards (toe-y miss that found the fairway)
197 yards (bit of a hook that had a ton of topspin, still hit fairway)
237 yards (into the wind, Arccos estimated 243 without wind, slight fade)
258 yards (thin but went straight)
236 yards (tight draw down the middle of the fairway playing uphill and into wind, Arccos estimated 262 without wind)
I think as I get more comfortable with the club, I will see more consistently strong results. Certainly still a mixed bag, but it is more due to my swing than it is the club itself. It feels incredibly stable and the TR Blue shaft is fantastic feeling as well.
Playing in league tonight so will see how it does again today!

Just finished 9 holes over lunch with my youngest son and the DARKSPEED performed well. First few notes, the club just feels FAST. I’m not sure what it is, or if I am swinging it any faster than my TSi3, but it felt quick. Good strikes feel amazing, and from what I experienced, a toe-y miss wasn’t too punishing. I used it four times today and had one good drive, one so-so (that ended up in the fairway with a slight draw), and two that I didn’t put good swings on.
The first drive was about 260s total and just missed the fairway by about 3 yards to the right. The so-so drive was a toe miss, and I still managed to draw it slightly and it went 244. I’ll take that ALL DAY. @berkeleybob very early, but I’d say forgiveness isn’t going to be a big issue. Also hit a couple absolute bombs on the range before the round. 
Things were really clicking today which led to a 41. One birdie, four pars, two bogeys and end cap double bogeys on 1 and 9. Had 3 one putts and two of those were from 25+ feet. Golf is fun on those days. 
As promised, a photo of the driver at address in natural light. You can really see the fade to carbon on the crown which I love. It looks great behind the ball, I should have gotten one of those but was too exited to hit it. @sirchunksalot, the KING TEC’s big brother! 😍

Those are some SICK pics. Well done. 

Greetings fellow spies, and welcome to the unofficial review of the COBRA DARKSPEED X Driver. I won this driver in an Instagram giveaway, and will be covering my thoughts on the club in this thread throughout the 2024 golf season. It's main competitor will be my Titleist TSi3. Both drivers will be equipped with the Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft and Golf Pride MCC Midsize grip. I will also compare it against my AEROJET Max driver, which admittedly is a better comparison to the DARKSPEED Max, but will give a year to year product comparison.

The TSi has been a very good driver for me when I strike it well. My biggest weakness is off the tee, so I will be curious to see if the DARKSPEED X provides any more forgiveness than TSi, which is good in its own right. I have hit the X one time at Golf Galaxy prior to testing, and got some positive results which are displayed below. This was probably the second best strike with the club during the limited time I was demoing it.

From COBRA:
"The DARKSPEED X Driver blends extraordinary speed and forgiveness for players seeking maximum distance with higher launch and added stability."
Out Of This World Speed DARKSPEED is the culmination of meticulous attention to detail and precise integration of our most advanced technologies, using space-grade materials and the expertise of aerospace engineers to develop the fastest driver we have ever built. Ultimate Energy Transfer A lower and more forward positioning of the suspended PWR-BRIDGE unleashes even faster ball speeds and minimizes spin for improved energy transfer through the ball Dynamic Speed A 10% larger PWRSHELL L-cup face creates more robust distance, while an updated H.O.T. Face design delivers more efficient speed & spin across the clubface. As you can see, and what we have grown accustom to with COBRA's woods, is a never ending quest to produce the fastest drivers possible. Will I see a noticeable gain in ball speed and distance, without giving up much forgiveness? Time will tell, and I am looking forward to seeing what it can do!
I will be collecting data primarily on the driving range, utilizing my MEVO for basic metrics, and am hopeful I'll be able to book a sim session or two on Trackman for as accurate of data as possible. It'll also go head to head on the course, which is the ultimate test of how a driver performs.
For now, please enjoy some additional photos of the driver before it hits the course with me this afternoon!
Aesthetics 10/10
This driver is an easy perfect score on looks. Last year's AEROJET line was a good looking club, but DARKSPEED blows it out of the water. I love the muted matte black finish. The crown has a subtle fade to carbon fiber as well, which is hard to see in artificial light but will pop on the course. I will be sure to get a photo of that to show it off in its true glory.

Well done to the two chosen so far. Look forward to seeing the updates and following this review. Might be time to upgrade my 20 year old odyssey!

Heading to my fitting in just a few hours..

I started this test as a 21.1 handicap. My most recent update from Garmin has me at a 20.3!

Hello spies!
Thanks for stopping by my introduction post for the PXG Allen test.
First, I would like to start off by thanking the MGS staff for selecting me for this test. The testing opportunities on this forum are a unique way of allowing everyday golfers to test gear and share their experience without having a marketing twist to it. I’m very excited to get things started and hopefully provide some of my fellow spies with some insights on my experience with what most golfers see as PXG's response to the popularity of the L.A.B. Golf putters.
About me:
My name is Derek and I live in the North Phoenix/North Scottsdale area. As with most Arizonans, I am a Midwest transplant (Illinois). I grew up in the East Valley of the Phoenix Metro area and then spent nearly twelve years in Tucson, before finally making it back to Phoenix in 2021. When I left for college in 2009, I expected to be back in Phoenix within a few months of graduating, but Tucson has this weird Hotel California way of sucking people in. I love living in Arizona for many reasons, but one new reason is how readily living here fuels my recent obsession with golf.

(Me off the coast of South Carolina April 2024)
To bank roll my increasingly troubling golf habits I work in the healthcare industry working on integration of artificial intelligence to automate financial and clinical workstreams. It is interesting work, especially since AI has just gotten to the point of being commercially viable so I get to be on the forefront of finding solutions to complex problems.
I’m a bit of a busy body so when I’m not working, I am generally doing something related to my ever-expanding list of hobbies/interests. For about three years now I’ve been training in Brazilian jiu jitsu two to three times a week. I have to say that this has helped my golf game more than I would have expected. I generally hit the driving range every weekend, and in weeks where I haven’t trained in BJJ as much I feel much stiffer and out of sync.
Golf Game:
Enough about the boring stuff, let’s talk golf. I started playing golf in my early teens. My dad and uncle would play sometimes and introduced me to it. I never got super into it, and for my first couple years of college I didn’t even have clubs with me. For the past 15 years I would go golf ever so often or head to the driving range, but I was by no means an avid golfer. Then came the bachelor party.

(Jan 2024 Bachelor party golf event, I’m labeled with the red arrow…the short guy, you can’t miss me)
In January of this year, I got to celebrate the marriage of one of my closest friends. One of the team-based events during the three-day bachelor party was an 18-hole scramble with each hole having special rules and potential bonus points. Prior to this round, I hadn’t played a full round of golf since 2020. I had such a blast that three weeks later I was getting fit for new clubs to replace the starter set I had been playing since high school. I've played 20 rounds since then and will likely finish the year with about 30 rounds on the books.
Testing Focus
To start, I'll be doing my best to let all of you how the ball rolls with the Allen. this wouldn't be a putter test if that wasn't the first question, right? Second, and I'll try to address the elephant in the room... how does the Allen compare to the L.A.B Golf putters?
My review will include information about my experience with both my L.A.B. Golf DF3 and the PXG Allen.

(My custom DF3)
I'm looking forward to getting this test going and answering any questions that come up from my fellow spies. If you have anything specific you want answered, please don't hesitate to tag me in the thread or DM me.
Thanks,
Derek

Hello all, my name is Tom. I’m a lifelong resident of Lafayette, Indiana. I like being outdoors- golf, mountain biking, and hiking are my favorite activities. It can be tough to do those things, though, because of life… I’ve been playing golf since the mid-1990s. I play when I can- maybe a time or two per month during the summer. My scores average right around 100. I’m not very competitive in my nature. I play golf to relax and have fun.
            I was thrilled to receive a notification of being chosen as a tester of the PXG Allan putter! I do not have any PXG equipment. I am very aware of the brand, but honestly, the prices on their stuff are well beyond my budget. $200 to $450 for a putter? $300 to $650 for a driver? $125 for a polo shirt? Nope, sorry, that’s simply not possible for me. But man, the chance to use one of these putters that makes some great claims, now I am definitely interested in that!
             The PXG website makes some impressive comments about this putter. “Technology that keeps your putter face square and on target” and “amazingly effective for players of all abilities and all stroke types” and “PXG’s new Allan Putter performs so well, it feels like magic” are the three that caught my attention. I read everything on the page about the Allan. There appear to be many options to customize the putter so that it “feels like a hand-tailored Italian suit”. I’m not big on dressing up, but I do like to customize things so that they are how I like them, so I’m getting more and more excited with this idea.
            I looked through my stats since August of 2022. I see that I am averaging 2.1 putts per hole. I feel like I’m decent with my current Odyssey Versa 2-Ball putter. (Garmin tells me that I’m above average in this portion of my game.) It was a gift from a friend, and I really do like it. Maybe it’s partly sentimental, but I’ve made some good long-distance putts with it. He is the one that I golfed with most often. He could out-drive me, but I was able to keep things close with a better short game. He has since moved out west, but I still have the putter!
            Soon I will have an experience (or is it an experiment?) like I’ve never had before. A custom fitting for a high-dollar club. The fitting has been scheduled for September 17. Temperatures (and work) are cooling off, so I am going to get out on the course to see how this putter can help my game. My wife has been driving the cart for me more lately, so I have a photographer. She also loves numbers, so she is excited to see if I can lower my putts per hole number. I’ve got a spreadsheet with some basic stats to compare the before and after.  
             Can the Allan live up to the hype? Lower putts per hole is the only thing that matters to me with this club. As I’ve already said, I’m excited to use the club because I consider it a high-dollar item. Does the price lead to better results? The website says very nice stuff. But, honestly, nobody is going to make a product, create a flashy website, and promote their "amazing" new item just to tell you that’s it only mediocre. Actions speak louder than words. The proof is in the pudding. “Nobody makes golf clubs the way we do. Period.” Will Allan earn a spot in my bag? We shall see!

Well done to the two chosen so far. Look forward to seeing the updates and following this review. Might be time to upgrade my 20 year old odyssey!

Well done to the two chosen so far. Look forward to seeing the updates and following this review. Might be time to upgrade my 20 year old odyssey!

INTRO:
Hi Fellow Spies!
I would first like to thank PXG for supplying the Allan putters for our testing, and to MGS, without whom we would never get to participate in these tests.
My name is Bill Akins.  I'm married to my best friend, Hollie.  Our daughter is Jessica and has just recently graduated from UGA and is taking some time off before heading off to get her Master's degree in Nursing.  We live at Lake Lanier in Buford, GA about 35 miles north of Atlanta.  I have lived in Georgia and on the north side of Atlanta most of my life.  I moved to East Texas in the late 90's for a few years, then back to Georgia.  I moved to Colorado and started my own company, with airlines as most of our customers.  That went great until 9/11 and airlines were grounded and not spending a penny to expand their enterprise. So, back to Georgia.
For work, I am the Enterprise Cloud Architect for a large hospital system in Georgia, closely related to a university. I have been there (except when I quit and moved to Colorado) for over 25 years.  I've been golfing for only about 3 years now.  I don't get to play often, so I am still trying to break 100. I was playing in a Spark league, but the courses close to me quit participating, so my weekly game stopped. I have the good fortune of having a nice-sized area in my basement with 12' ceilings, so I built a golf simulator.

It's not only fun but helps me keep my swing.  It's a great place to blow off steam between the 382 Zoom calls I must endure daily.  And, being a tech geek, I like the gadgets and data.

Me (L) and my buddy Bill (R) just before we tee off at Heritage Golf Links in Tucker, GA.
For fun, in addition to golf, I like to be outside. I enjoy hiking with my wife.  There are a lot of places nearby and in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains for great day hikes.  Longer hikes can start out at the end of the Appalachian Trail and go as far as Maine.  I have only hiked the first 85 miles of the AT.  I was into mountain climbing for a while, but that required a lot of travel from Georgia and time away from family.  I enjoy fishing occasionally and am fortunate enough to live near a 58 sq mile lake.  We used to have a boat, but no longer.  The two happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy your boat and the day you sell your boat!
  
Wifey & I on a hike

Me (R) and my buddy Jimmy (L) on the AT
 
Me on Mt. Shuksan, WA
I recently returned from a mission trip to Nicaragua to help get clean, running water to a community of >120 homes in Chinandega.  It was a lot of manual digging 3' deep ditches, 1' wide.  It was a rewarding experience and I plan to return next year.  It wasn't all hard work though, we got to climb Cerro Negro volcano.

The top of Cerro Negro, not bad for an old, fat guy!  🙂
Clubs:
I am currently playing Cobra AeroJet irons (5-PW), Cobra RadSpeed XB driver, 4 & 5 hybrid, Cobra Baffler 3 wood, Vokey Spin Milled 56°, 60°, and an Odyssey White Hot Stroke Lab OG #7 putter.

I am looking forward to testing this Allan putter.  The balance is completely different than my putter, or any other I have tried.  I've also never been fitted for a putter before, this is exciting!  Thank you again to MGS and PXG!
 

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PXG’s Allan Putter introduces innovative technology aimed at helping golfers achieve greater stability and control on the greens. Featuring Zero Torque Balance Technology, the putter is designed to minimize face twisting during the stroke, helping to keep the putter face square at impact. This technology is beneficial for all stroke types, making it versatile for golfers of varying skill levels. The putter also boasts an S-hosel design for enhanced balance, a Pyramid Face Pattern to improve roll consistency, and a convenient Pick Up Pocket for easy ball retrieval on the green.
Key Features:
Zero Torque Balance Technology: Reduces the twisting of the putter face during the stroke, promoting more consistent, square impacts.
S-hosel Design: Aligns the shaft above the center of gravity, further enhancing stability and reducing the tendency for the putter face to open or close during the stroke.
Pyramid Face Pattern: A uniquely milled face pattern designed to improve the interaction between the putter and the ball, providing better distance control and a smoother roll.
Pick Up Pocket: A thoughtful design feature that allows golfers to pick up the ball easily without bending over.
Please welcome and congratulate our testers! 
@Quigleyd 
@TheOther1 
@VernL4
@musicalmedicine

I've worked all night so I'm a little tired but had to try the vc200 out..0211 vs BO.. Just 5 swings a piece with an 8i.. Max carry with the B.O. was 142 with an average of 134.. xcor2 rang in at Max carry of 136 with an average of 129.. Not my best work but imma try it again when I'm fresh and awake

Wasn't my best outting by far Monday (was my fault, not any clubs) but I didn't see anything to impressive about this hybrid either.. Seemed kinda short and flat vs my Cleveland Mashie, but truth be told I will and have put that mashie up against any hybrid

More updates to come. My last 2 rounds are the best I have had in years. I shot an 84 on Sat and a 41 (9 holes) on Sunday.

I am choking up about half an inch on each iron and that has made a world of difference. I’m not concerned about distance as shot dispersion is more important to me. So far, so good!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was able to get 9 holes in this weekend. It was a hot one here in San Diego, hitting 100+ the past two days and mid-upper 90s along the coast.
Overall, I'd say I shot fairly well with the Black Ops Irons. I finally had some good connections with the 5 iron with 3 shots over 177. The one that was 177, I believe was a little longer based on my preshot read that the back of the green was just over 180 and I cleared the green. I also had some chunkers so still need to work on it but man do these clubs fly! Garmin also clocked a PW at 151!
And I'm still loving the GW around the green and for any approach shot 80 yards and under. This has been the most confident I've been in the below 100 yard range in a while. I've had several shots that have landed within feet of the pin and when a GW shot drops on the green, it sticks!

 

Interesting reading on bag set ups. I've never massively got on with my driver so looking at a 5w, 7w or a driving iron to replace it. Definitely food for thought. 

Coming back to the game I rarely use a driver, trying to play boring golf, so I've gone for irons and wedges to start, my old ones were woeful though, then going putter. Will worry about the top end of the bag next year when I've regained confidence and remembered how to hit the big stick!

Hopefully I can get some stats to you all this week. I have a Swing Caddie SC300 on the way! Happy to hear from anyone with experience with the SC300.
Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend and was able to get some golf in. I had a tee time scheduled for this morning but my knee is acting up again after my run yesterday. I've been icing it off and on today and stretching it. I'm going to try to get in 9 holes later this week and a full 18 next week, as well as some home practice time with the net and SC300.
Happy Labor Day everyone!

I have discovered that a driving iron
which I hit the very same distance as my 5-wood
is a much more useful club in the arsenal
than a 3-wood which I hit the same distance as my 5-wood.
Sure, unlike the driving iron,  I can launch the three-wood shot from the deck as well as from the tee.
Being able to hit a three-wood from the fairway, however,
is NOT THE SAME THING as being able to hit an ACTUAL 3-WOOD SHOT from the fairway.
Like so many recreational players, I'm just a hitting a shot that carries a little less than does my 5-wood shot,
lands at a less steep angle and thus runs out more so as to equal 5-wood length.
It also has a wider dispersion pattern and is less useful from the rough.
In contrast, the diving iron gives me a wind fighting line drive that lands hot into a narrow landing area and runs hard.
Much more useful than the 3-wood shot, in my opinion, and much more different from the 5-wood shot, even if it's roughly the same length of shot.
The modern driving iron is not the really hard to hit, butter-knife 1-iron or 2-iron from days gone by.
It's hollow, tungsten-weighted for launch angle and MOI, and simply now easier to hit, at least from the tee,
You just push your tee almost all the way in as with any other iron from the tee and swing away.
I was convinced with the advent of the Mizuno Fli Hi II twenty years ago,
and they've gotten much better since then.
If, when hitting your 3-wood, you're actually getting an honest, GPS verified, 3-wood shot,
then the 3-wood is certainly a very powerful tool to have.
With the modern, 15° 3-wood, however,
I think fewer players are actually doing that than think that they're actually doing that.
That's why I think fewer players are bagging driving iron than the number who'd benefit from it.
Just my thoughts on the subject.  What do you think?