srooch2

Unfortunately with how busy the forum was and is I really didn't follow this thread as much as I wanted to. 
I do recall most of the testers liking the no driver clubs, but how did everyone end up liking the driver one way or another? Did it have any true standout features that made it great in one area but maybe lack in another?

I was not a fan. Both clubs are not as long as my Epic gamers. I believe my swing speed prevented the best use of the driver and 3 wood. One of the problems from my point of view was a standard 45" shaft which lost a nominal amount of yardage I could not afford. I think Mizuno is all in on a certain market, high swing speed hitters, and built the clubs for that market. I felt the clubs produced very low spin balls that just would not stay in the air for me and didn't run when they landed. Both clubs were very straight. Straighter then my Epics, but I don't miss a lot of fairways anyway so no reason to switch. I was fit for the clubs with 125 ball speed and 2400 RPM with nominal distance of 225 but in real life I never hit them that far. I am with @russtopherb in that they do not have a memorable sound or feel.
The 4 hybrid was a nice club, but not an improvement over my current 4 hybrid. The flight was marginally higher with a softer landing.
Please let me know if you have any specific questions.

That's how I feel about the 4h. It went from a "well it's nice to have it to test but not sure how much I'll use it" to a "let's see how many times I can pull this thing out of the bag this round" club. Definitely the sleeper of this testing for me. I hit a couple of amazing shots with it the other day after not having played in over a month, and I'm STILL not used to how straight that club is. Longer clubs off the turf for me always have a slight fade, but not that one.

I was poking around in golf shaft reviews website and he has a match for this shaft in regards to EI profile. It’s an older Mitsubishi Bassara GG(?) I’m not familiar with this shaft but here is the profiles side by side. Regardless, here is the profile of that shaft anyways. Cheers

I’m still hitting golf balls nearly everyday despite the time change and weather restrictions. I’ve developed a lot of skill and completely play and understand the game differently having a sanctuary to practice at. Picked up a ball shagger which was a great purchase. Playing has gone down and I still play a couple times a week but have to get creative on finding time to go. ✌️ 

I’m still hitting golf balls nearly everyday despite the time change and weather restrictions. I’ve developed a lot of skill and completely play and understand the game differently having a sanctuary to practice at. Picked up a ball shagger which was a great purchase. Playing has gone down and I still play a couple times a week but have to get creative on finding time to go. ✌️ 

Happy to see this! Good luck everyone and I'm glad multiple people are benefiting from the test. Cheers

Read the MGS newsletter this morning. Included was the marketing info about the new Mizuno driver, the ST-G model.
This was included as a comment by MGS:
"The State of Mizuno Drivers
Mizuno’s decision to go with a two-year driver lifecycle makes sense. Meaningful improvements take time and if MyGolfSpy’s 2023 Most Wanted Driver testing tells us anything, Mizuno could use some meaningful improvement.
The ST-Z and ST-X 230 drivers were, to put it kindly, meh performers. Both finished in the lower half overall with the ST-X finishing near the bottom. Neither rated well with our testers on sound and feel. Mizuno feels they’ve addressed that in the ST-G with reinforced internal ribs to mute the sound."
Here's a thought. Maybe Mizuno would send us the new one if they feel they have solved all the problems! 

My final review is up! Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to talk about certain points of my review in more depth.
Thank you again MGS and Mizuno for the opportunity!
 

Has nothing to do with liv. Nike has gotten out of several sports over the years. 

Locking this up as we will be reaching out to our selected tester soon. Stay tuned for future announcement in the Mizuno Long Game Testing Thread. 
Thank you to all who managed to follow all the rules and make our decision making process a lot simpler!

I struggle with the top of my bag. 
Driver-Ping g410LST 
4 wood-Tour Edge Exotics E8 Beta
23* Hybrid- Adams Idea Super LSP
(I'll add/update more photos when I get home, just didn't want to forget this)
I have my current setup due to availability and price. I shop on ebay and grab what I can when it's available and affordable.
I actually was following this test due to my interest in this Mizuno lineup. I like that the clubs have a flatter lie than most other companies and believe in Mizuno's dedication to golf equipment. I think these would fit me well and are a much needed upgrade to my current setup. Cheers

I struggle with the top of my bag. 
Driver-Ping g410LST 
4 wood-Tour Edge Exotics E8 Beta
23* Hybrid- Adams Idea Super LSP
(I'll add/update more photos when I get home, just didn't want to forget this)
I have my current setup due to availability and price. I shop on ebay and grab what I can when it's available and affordable.
I actually was following this test due to my interest in this Mizuno lineup. I like that the clubs have a flatter lie than most other companies and believe in Mizuno's dedication to golf equipment. I think these would fit me well and are a much needed upgrade to my current setup. Cheers

I struggle with the top of my bag. 
Driver-Ping g410LST 
4 wood-Tour Edge Exotics E8 Beta
23* Hybrid- Adams Idea Super LSP
(I'll add/update more photos when I get home, just didn't want to forget this)
I have my current setup due to availability and price. I shop on ebay and grab what I can when it's available and affordable.
I actually was following this test due to my interest in this Mizuno lineup. I like that the clubs have a flatter lie than most other companies and believe in Mizuno's dedication to golf equipment. I think these would fit me well and are a much needed upgrade to my current setup. Cheers

The hottest category for golf clubs in 2022 has to be Distance Irons and especially Players Distance Irons. Cobra is addressing both categories with their new Forged Tec and Forged Tec X irons. There has never been more choices when it comes to irons so let’s take a look at these two offerings from Cobra and see which one or maybe a combination of both, is a fit for your game.
 

 
 
The size of an iron head is pretty difficult to get juuuuust perfect for everyone as some prefer slightly smaller, some slightly larger, some a thin top line and others a more confidence inspiring thicker top line. I think Cobra has addressed this brilliantly with a slightly smaller head and thinner top line in the Forged Tec and slightly larger head with a little thicker top line in the Forged Tec X. Of course some like a little of both with a little more substance and forgiveness in their long irons and those players may find a Forged Tec and Tec X long iron combo might be worth looking into.

One thing that makes the Forged Tec unique when it comes to a hollow head Players Iron is a true 5 step forging process. Two rough forgings and three precision forgings using a soft 1025 carbon steel body, the FT’s are the softest feeling hollow headed, foam filled irons I have hit. In fact if I did not know they were hollow the first time I hit them, I would probably have thought they were a solid carbon steel CB head. That is saying something. The forged PWRSHELL face is constructed of a Maraging Steel that is thinner, lighter and with more flex it results in a slight speed increase over the previous version. The X model is constructed with 431 steel and utilizes ST-118 in it’s forged PWRSHELL face and while it is not as dense and soft feeling as the Forged Tec, the X still produces a very nice feel. The other big difference between these two irons is the FT has 20 gms of tungsten place low in the head and the X has 60gms of tungsten placed even lower. The difference produces a little higher ball flight and more forgiveness in the X model. My first shot with the Forged Tec X was 199yds to a par 5 with a front pin. For reference my MIM 4 iron is my 195 yd club and the FT-X 4 iron ended up on the back fringe. Longer? Check.
 
 

 
 
I think Cobra’s Jessi Stone, Design Engineer Irons, sums up what we all look for in an iron: Performance, Feel, Shape and Cosmetics. Jessi went on to say “We realized in the Players Distance category there wasn’t really an iron that delivered that true better players shaping and feel”. Taking visual cues from Rickie Fowlers irons Coba incorporated a thinner top line desired by better players and reduced the offset for a cleaner look at address. One of the major differences from the last version, and any other competing iron I am aware of, the Forged Tecs utilize a thinner softer foam in the longer irons for distance and feel while the shorter irons use a heavier polymer material for a better sound, feel and accuracy utilizing the best of both worlds. 

I always find technology interesting but playability and forgiveness is where the FT and FT-X irons really got my attention. What most are looking for in a Players Distance and Distance iron is a little more distance without being silly long because that can create gaps in yardage. I find the FT’s a few yards longer than the MIM irons I have been playing, while the FT-X adds a few more yards compared to the FT’s. Did I mention these are forgiving? Shots hit a little off center do not have that melt in the face feel but still feel pretty darned good and produce shots that only loose a little in distance and direction. Many players prefer an iron that gives them that kind of feedback while still producing a good shot. More severe mishits suffer more but still produce reasonably playable shots, especially the FT-X that I would easily put in the Game Improvement category. And as mentioned earlier those looking for additional forgiveness in their long irons might be interested in a combo set of FT short/mid irons and FT-X long irons.
 

 
Lofts are about average for a Players Distance Iron with a 45* pw decreasing by 5* through the short irons and the 4.5*, 3.5*, 3* and finally 2* between the 5 and 4 irons. from the 6 to the 4 iron. With a 44* pitching wedge some may want to order the 49* gap wedge unless they already play a wedge in that slot. The irons come stock with KBS $-Taper Lite steel shafts in the Tec and KBS Tour Lite in the Tec X. You can also order either set with the excellent KBS TGi graphite shafts for a $100 up charge. Considering the TGi’s retail for $65 each that is a $355 savings. Recoil 95's are also available at the same price. As usual with Cobra, you can custom order the Forged Tec and Tec X irons with a myriad of available custom steel and graphite shafts.
 

 
 
The Forged Tec’s and the additional distance with more forgiveness than my normal irons are just a joy to play. Originally I was a little worried about not creating enough spin, something I have experienced with other Players Distance irons but I had no problem holding the hard fast desert greens in Phoenix. I also played the FT-X 4 iron and found it very forging and long, a recipe for success from the fairway and off the tee it as close to a Driving Iron as I have played. Cobra has done an amazing job with these two irons and high, mid and low index player looking for a Players Distance or a Distance Iron that provides a little more forgiveness while also giving you consistent distance and trajectory, should put the Forged Tec and Forged Tec-X  at the top of their must demo list. More info and pictures of both irons are available on the Cobra website:

https://www.cobragolf.com/forged-tec-irons

https://www.cobragolf.com/forged-tec-x-irons

I mentioned this in the how did you play thread, but I'm just so pumped I had to say it again. 
I ended up beating the 3 guys that have combined to win every championship since 2013.  All of which are 20-30 yards longer than me off the tee.   Before this year, I never even considered winning this as a possibility.  Somewhere aroung the 4th of July something clicked and I have played the most consistant golf of my life for the past 3 months.  I've had good rounds, even good weeks here or there but never a stretch that has lasted this long.  So I went into this years tournament with a different mindset with a confidence I have never had before.  

Had a 3 man scramble at our club on Sunday - glorious day of high in the low 50's w/ winds in the teens. 🤣 Then, to make it even better, it was a superintendent's revenge tourney with flags in the absolute toughest spots, some greens mowed twice, some not mowed at all. 
 
We tied for fourth at -6, in a three man scramble with a 3.7, 4.0 and 4.1 hdcps respectively. First place was three plus handicappers that finished -10. It was that tough. 
 
By far the hardest greens conditions I've ever played on - just no way to plan for it even when you knew where the pins were because every green had different speeds with the mowing differences. They absolutely killed it this year with all of that. Was fun overall and minus the brisk day, definitely enjoyed ourselves. 
 
This was the hole location/green speed on #10. We escaped with a bogey after almost driving the green on the par 4 but it took a slam dunk to get it to go in, otherwise the ball came back to your feet because of the severe slope and the hole was on top of a ridge that broke left/right on each side of the hole. The pro said the scoring average was a double-bogey. LOL 
 
Apologies ahead of time for the language. 😉
20231015_103951.mp4

I never really had an issue with Azinger as others did. You really do need an announcer who at times is not afraid to voice an opinion for that particular moment. Comcast/NBC must be looking for someone who might be more politically correct up in the booth.

Chambers Bay is running a $175 round of golf today taxes included and good thru May 31st 2024. Non resident rounds at that time will run you north of $250. 

You're going to die eventually. What's the point? Play it.
You could always buy a more used one also if you want to keep one as extra clutter or a wall decoration.
Someone on Reddit found some 1973 Walter Hagen irons, woods, leather bag that were pristine and never hit at Goodwill. He was going to play them, but then half the commenters said they were a museum piece. Someone in the comments bought them for $1000. Look at these photos below (see left/right buttons). Then look at your Nike again.
slick reddit embed

So I played my first tournament and had a great time, played pretty good and look forward to more of them. But this was a shocking experience at the end of the round. When we finished, we’re totaling and signing score cards in the parking lot. We finished up and went our separate ways. The kid I was playing with unloaded his clubs from the cart and said goodbye. He was a young kid who played for a small college a few hours away. He was a good player although he didn’t have a great round. When I went to park the cart I noticed he left a golf ball in the cart, I went to look for him but I think he’s already left. I dropped my clubs in my car and went to put the ball in my bag and what did I discover…. The ball was caked in Vaseline! My jaw hit the floor. This kid didn’t need to cheat, he was a good player. I am a newbie to tournaments but I showed the cart barn guys and they knew exactly what it was when I showed them. Both agreed he was cheating and they seemed frustrated but not surprised. One said it is a common occurrence in amateur tournaments. Not what I wanted to find and it made me look at the kid in a completely different light. I never turned him in and I wasn’t gonna go down that road. If he is cheating regularly he will get caught someday. The weirdest thing is, earlier in the round we were talking golf and the topic of Patrick Reed came up. The kid was defending him which hindsight makes me laugh a little. 

Wow, is that an actual fact? I’d love to see that ✌️ 

Honestly I have no idea 🙂  I'm pretty sure I heard Tony (Golfspy T) say it on an episode of No Putts Given, but it sounds plausible.  It is true for Rory at least, he jumped 11yds.  https://www.statmuse.com/pga/ask/rory-mcilroy-drive-distance-by-year

Wow, is that an actual fact? I’d love to see that ✌️ 

That’s life for most of us friend 😂 😢