knightsofnii

The Review 09/26/2021
Arccos – Official MGS Forum Review by Glynn Stokes
·       Intro.
I am in my early 60’s and have been playing golf since was 8-9 years old. I took a 10-year break when I moved to Australia and in 1989 I took it up again. Within 5 years I was on low single digit handicap and played regular A Grade Pennant. In 2006 I damaged my knee that required 4 lots of surgery over 7 years. I returned to golf in 2013 and by 2015 I had got my handicap back to 11, which I was happy with. I then got ill which required me to change my clubs and more importantly change to Graphite Shafts. Today I play golf for fun and the social aspect it provides. If I happen to win a comp every now and then that is a bonus.
·       The Personal Questions:
·       What region do you play out of?
I live in regional Victoria and about 3 hours drive from Melbourne in Australia and are a member of Bairnsdale Golf Club.
·       How long have you been golfing?
I have been playing golf for 50+ years.
·       What kind of golfer are you?
I am an average golfer that has the skill to play really good golf, unfortunately illness, injury and age limits that ability.    
·       The Golf Questions:
·       Handicap? (Or average score)
My current handicap is 17.1
·       Strengths/Weaknesses of your game?
I have always been very good at putting, chipping and bunker play. Right now my weakness is consistency. I am really struggling with my woods and long irons.    
·       What is in your bag and how did you choose them? Touch quickly but try not to dwell on each club since this review isn’t about them
My driver, fairways and hybrid are Callaway Epic Flash, and my irons 4-AWare Callaway Steelhead Pro with graphite shafts and a Cleveland SW.  I was fitted at the Callaway Performance Centre. My Putter is a Callaway Warbird.  
·       **Do you consider yourself to be tech savvy?** Good devices should work well for Fred Flintstone as well as George Jetson.
I am tech savy.
·       **How do you currently get your yardages?**
I really have not checked my yardages since changing clubs.
 First Impressions
After a quick check of the product it looked like it would be simple to install.
Took about 30 min to install the sensors on my clubs. The only one that took a little more thought was the putter as it has a SuperStroke Grip.
 

Downloading the App and activation was easy as was the setup of CaddieLink.
Had some issues syncing the sensors on the clubs to the app. It took me 3 attempts to get them all to sync.  Some sensors were identified very quickly, others took allot of moving the phone around, up and down etc before they synced. I am using a Samsung Galaxy S20+.
Downloading the course and setting up all the relevant profile info was easy.
So first time on course I had some issues. It did not pick up the first few shots so I restarted the app and after that it appeared to be working as I could see the clubs and shots appearing on the app. However it did not pick up all my putts or sand shots so I need to work out why.
The information it provides is impressive. It shows the club selected and real-time distances from the tee and to the green as you walk along. It is seamless so all you need to do is play. I use an app called mScorecard which provides scoring and allows for the input of stats and I am using this to double check the data. My phone was on my buggy so when I play next I will put it in my pocket to see if the issue with missed shots is due to the distance the phone is way from Caddielink.
My first impression is that I am impressed with the solution overall.
 
Grading
Looks & Feel (3 out of 10 points) 
General Shape / Size / Fit 
o   The product came in quality packaging and in general looks well made.
o    once the sensors are fitted to the clubs.
Customization (if any)  - None
 
Durability or build quality (with a prediction on the long-term).
 
o   Out of the box the product looks well made.
o   The sensors are set into a rubber housing with a plastic base which screws in to the hole in the top of the grip. The potential issue I can see is that the club sits in your bag on the actual sensor itself. I am not sure how well they will stand up to the constant vibration of your clubs in your golf bag as you move around the course.
o   I had Caddielink and 7 Sensors fail. (See Customer Service for more information)
Storage cases.
 
o   Caddielink is the only thing that in theory requires a case and it comes with a basic cloth bag that offers little protection.
 
 
Setup (5 out of 15 points)
Are the instructions clear and easy to understand?
o   Instructions a basic and in some cases confusing.
o   Downloading and installing the app was simple.
o   Retro fitting the clubs with the sensors was easy.
o   The SuperStroke option makes installing the sensor on your putter simple. It took a bit of thinking to work out how the sensor attached using the Superstroke Installation Kit as it did not come with any instructions.
o   Initial pairing of the sensors to the individual clubs was not easy. In some cases it required multiple attempts. Be warned if this happens there is a good chance the sensors will fail.
o   Connecting Caddielink was an issue as it connects via Bluetooth and does so automatically with out the need for verification. My phone is set to block any unverified connections.
How quickly does it charge / how long does the battery last? Is the cable proprietary?
 
o   Caddielink take about 3 hours to charge and it looks like it would last 3-4 rounds.
o   The Cable looks like a standard micro USB cable.
Did you need to ask for help or search online for an answer during setup?
 
o   No.
 
 
Talk about any Customer Service interactions you’ve had.
 
o   Caddielink failed after first round. Support sent me an email with the procedure on how to run diagnostics to verify that Caddielink had failed. Once confirmed I was shipped a replacement.
o   On the next round I had 5 sensors become un-paired. Again I contact support and received and email requesting I try to Re-pair the 5 clubs, which worked.
o   From the every start I had shot detection issues. The response from support was pretty much canned, emails that told me how to run Sensor Diagnostics, Caddielick Link Diagnostics etc. It took me 8 weeks to hopefully find what was causing the issue.
As mentioned when I run the initial setup I found that more than half of the sensors took 25-35 seconds to be identified, in fact 3-4 I needed to try several times before they worked. When I run Sensor Diagnostics I had the same issue however all but one eventually connected. I advised support that a sensor had failed and was shipped a replacement.

The app and Caddielink have a range of diagnostic tools, which is good however you need to run several in order to identify potential issues with the sensors. Simply running Sensor Diagnostics may not tell you if there is an issue with the sensor. If it is totally dead then yes, however in my case I had 6 sensors that Sensor Diagnostics said were paired and therefore in theory working. However when I ran Caddielink Link Diagnosis I found that the sensors connection was intermittent. Now things started to make sense, as this would cause the Random Shot Detection issues I have been experiencing during the test. In the end I identified 7 sensors that were either not being identified by Caddielink or were acting strangely. For example Sensor Diagnosis would tell me that 2 sensors were not paired. I would then Re-Pair them and then double-check that they were paired. If I then run Sensor Diagnostics again 5 minutes later they again said not paired.
 
 
My advise to anyone is that if a sensor is not identified within 10 Seconds you have a potential problem.
 
 
To test I have finally found the problem, I played a round and tried to use the 7 clubs that had sensors as often as possible, every shot was detected. I can only hope that the replacement sensor work perfectly.
 
 
I hope my case is isolated. I live in Australia so the package has a long way to travel and we have know idea what could have happened to the package in transit.
Most/least useful metric presented.
 
o   Providing you can get accurate data I think the club distances matrix is the most valuable.
o   However I would think that most golfers could find the amount of information presented overwhelming.
o   I would love to see a basic version that simply offers club distances, fairways hit, greens hit etc. at a much more affordable yearly subscription.
 
 
Accuracy (12 out of 15 points)


Are the yardages accurate? (compare to another method if possible)        
o   Distance accuracy is limited by the accuracy of GPS. GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.) I found it to responsible accurate. I used a laser to verify distances and they were generally within 3-5m.
 
 
Do the calculation or “plays like” distances match up with what you would’ve come up with?
 
o   Yes – I used another GPS Golf App to verify and they indicated pretty much the same distance.
On-Course (5 out of 30 points)


Did you have to think about or remember anything to use the product?
 
 
 
o   Yes, you need to make sure the course was downloaded and that CaddieLink was connected.
o   Be warned If you log out of the course is deleted and you to download it again. I have suggested that they need to save file on the phone to resolve this issue like other apps do.
Did it interfere with your normal golfing routine?
o   Yes, you cannot simply press Start Round and expect it to detect every shot, you need to check every shot and putt.
o   Manually adding shots may be ok during a practice round however during a competition I found it distracting and frustrating.
o   I have major issues with shot detection. I never managed to record a round without the need to add shots that Arccos simply failed to detect. I could understand it missing the odd shot here and there but in my case it failed to detect on average 14-16% of fairway shots and 8-10% of putts per round. 
How intuitive was using it on the course? 
o   I use a laser to obtain distances. I would generally this to review the round.
Did you like using it?
o   No as I could not get it to work properly.
Compare and contrast to what you are currently using or have used in the past.
o   I use mScorecard for scoring and statistics. It has the ability to record club distances however it requires more work. That said it is also free. As far as distances to the pin, bunkers etc I use a laser which is quick and accurate.
Do you play better or worse now that you’ve got a new method for yardages.
 
o   Worse as I spent more time trying to get it to work than think bout the shot I needed to play. Having accurate club distances will be of benefit and hopefully over the next 6-9 months that will lead to me playing better golf.
 
 
Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)


o   Caddielink makes life easier particularly if you have a big phone.
o   It also reduces the drain on battery in your phone.
 
 
Play it or Trade it? (10 out of 20 points)


Considering all the issues I have faced the answer should be Trade It
However, I really do see some merit in what this solution can provide. Hopefully we have resolved the detection issues and if this is the case then I will Play It until the subscription runs out.
Conclusion
This product has lots of potential and I would loved to have had it 30 years ago when I was totally committed to bring my handicap down to low single digits. Having data that allows you to identify deficiencies in your game is huge and therefore you know what you need to work on. More importantly though, it allows you to see any improvement.
I see this solution as a great tool to use in the short term as it provides one thing that all golfers should know – individual club distances.
However, would I spend $540AUD for the Sensors, Caddielink, Superstroke Kit plus the ongoing subscription of $140 per year, the simple answer is NO.  
Final Score: 44 (Add up all categories and present a total score out of 100
 
 

The Review 09/26/2021
Arccos – Official MGS Forum Review by Paul Hedrick
Intro. -I am just an average guy in his middle 60’s that  started playing golf seriously about 4 years ago.  Currently I am able to play about once a week.
The Personal Questions:
What region do you play out of? - I live in Virginia,USA, so it looks like I am in Mid-Atlantic region
How long have you been golfing? - I have been attempting to golf for approximately four years.
What kind of golfer are you? - I would consider myself a golf enthusiast.  Knowing I will never be great, I strive to be OK.
The Golf Questions:
Handicap? (Or average score)
My current handicap is 12.7
Strengths/Weaknesses of your game? - I can hit my driver well, short but well.  My weakest part of my game is most certainly my short game; I struggle with my wedges
What is in your bag and how did you choose them? Touch quickly but try not to dwell on each club since this review isn’t about them - My driver, fairways and hybrid are Callaway, and my irons and wedges are Cleveland.  Seemore putter
**Do you consider yourself to be tech savvy?** Good devices should work well for Fred Flintstone as well as George Jetson. - I am reasonably tech savvy, though as I age I do notice a definite change in this area.  I spent the first part of my career as an IT Director.
**How do you currently get your yardages?** -I currently get my yardages in two ways: an app on my iPhone called The Grint and guesswork.
First Impressions -The package arrived and I saw that it came with all the necessary parts:

 
Installing the sensors was very easy, and looked good for all my clubs except my putter: I have a SeeMore Putter and the grip made the Sensor set oddly on it, but it seems to work fine.  I can always regrip to something more standard if I find this too much an annoyance:
Downloading the app, setting up an account and parinig my clubs was simple and straightforward.  Downloading the course map I was going to play was likewise, simple and straightforward.  Where I struggled just a little bit was with my apple watch.  It seems you need to make some adjustments to the settings on the watch, which I was unaware of until setting up at the first tee.  However, once I accomplished that, the operation went smoothly.
During my first round, there was a period of adjustment on my part; learning how to get the most out of the systems.  One thing I was unable to do was measure the distance between my ball and some place along the fairway, such as a bunker or a tree I wished to avoid.  It is my understanding that this is a feature, so I will have to do some more research to understand that function.
As for the accuracy of my shots, I have this photo from the first tee.  I know I usually hit the green on my second shot of this par four, but never really had much of an idea how long my tee shot was.  On my second round yesterday, the Arccos Caddie did not record my tee shot off the same hole.  That was very frustrating in that I adjusted my number of putts to give me the correct score (3 putts! &*^%$!)
 

 
The conclusion of my first impression is I believe this will be a valuable tool for me to get a better idea of my game and help me make wise decisions.  However I would have hoped it would have been either more intuitive in its operation or have more detailed, written instructions;  I am not one that enjoys spending endless time ‘online’ searching for answers.
 
10/02/2021 update
I just completed my third round using the Arccos system. I cannot say I experienced any issues with it today. At the course I downloaded the layout, synced up the Arccos Caddie Link and used my Apple watch for shot detection.  As I have previously mentioned I do not have a concrete way of comparing distances, but from what I can determine they appear accurate.  One thing I have noticed is everyone thinks their device is the most accurate.  Should you come up with a distance that differs from theirs, the natural assumption on their part is that your device is inaccurate.  My goal for my next round is to play close attention to yardage distances.
10/05/2021 update
I played an unexpected round yesterday discovered something.  There are three ways of shot tracking with the Arccos system; 1) with you phone and you must leave the phone in your pocket when you play 2) with the Arccos Link, where you clip it to your pocket, or 3) on your Apple watch.  I never really wanted to try option one; I like to leave my pockets as empty as possible.  I have tried the Arccos Link.  I did experience missed shots and questionable distances.  For me option 3, the Apple watch, is the way forward.  I had nearly seamless performance yesterday using my watch.  No missed shots, yardages seemed reasonable to me, and I didn't have to carry anything extra as I am always wearing my watch.
10/09/2021 update
Yesterday I completed my fifth round of golf using the Arccos.  Using only my Apple Watch for shot detection it went nearly perfectly.  I did run into a slight problem on the back nine when my watch was not showing the yardage to the hole.  After a bit of fussing with it, I discovered how to get that back.  Again, I believe that if the documentation was more instructive I would not have had this difficulty.  I noticed on my latest round I am getting recomendations on which club to use, based on what I have done with that club, not necessarily what I 'feel' I should use.  That can be a bit depressing: in my head, I always play better!  LOL  I was playing alone and there was not many on the course so I could take my time and consider the yardages presented.  I used my laser rangefinder and measured to several features on the fairway and compared it to what Arccos indicated what the distance to be.  They were very close.  I would estimate between 1 and 2 percent of each other.  This brings up something else that has always come to my mind;  how would I know which is more accurate?  Whats to say my rangefinder is rubbish?  The way I look at it is as long as I use one 'yardstick' to measure, and stick with it, I will become accustomed to it and that will become my normal.
Up until now I have only been concentrating on how to use the Arccos, and not paid any attention to post round.  I will continue to hone the operation of the system, however I will begin to look at and consider the post round statistics moving forward.
10/11/2021 Update
Yesterday completed my 6th round using Arccos.  I am still struggling with shot detection.  It was lightly raining yesterday, I do not let that stop me from playing, and was wearing a light outer jacket. Using my apple watch for shot detection, everything seemed find until on the back 9.  I noticed that on a couple of holes my driver was not detected.  Fussing around a bit on my phone I found that I had covered the watch face and that is something you cannot do.  Taking of my jacket everything started working fine again.  While I find that the systems 'works', it seems to me it is very 'fussy'; will only work under ideal conditions. 
This round I spent a bit of time post round, reviewing my clubs.  Since I did not know for certain my average yardages per club, it was a revelation to me, and will provide a good foundation moving forward with club selection.
 
 10/30/2021 Final Wrap Up
 
Grading 
Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points) 
Describe the following for the device:
General Shape / Size / Fit - All the pieces fit together well with the exception of the sensor on my putter.  This isn't a deal breaker, but it is a little disappointing.
Customization (if any) - As far as I can tell no customization was necessary
Durability or build quality (with a prediction on the long-term) - The sensors appear of quality build.That they have a rubber outside is a plus in my estimation, but is really too soon to determine the durability
Storage cases - For the most part there is no need for storage cases.  The one exception would be the Link.  I would like to have seen something more robust than a little bag.
Setup (11 out of 15 points)
Are the instructions clear and easy to understand? - Other than the installation instructions, there are no instructions.  In my opinion this is a major shortcoming.  As mentioned above, I would like to have seen a detailed operations manual, even if I had to download and print it
How quickly does it charge / how long does the battery last? Is the cable proprietary? - The cable to charge the link looks like a standard USB C.  One was provided, but if you needed you can easily find a replacement.  It charges fully overnight.
Did you need to ask for help or search online for an answer during setup? - No. The setup itself was fairly straightforward.  The only issue I did run into was when on the course for the first time, I had to adjust the setting on my Apple Watch.  I would have preferred to have known this ahead of time so I could just play.
Talk about any Customer Service interactions you’ve had - I have had only one issue where I contacted Customer Service.  On my second round using the Arccos, it failed to record my tee shot off two separate holes.  As of now, I still have not had a response.
Most/least useful metric presented? - I find the club recommendation, based on my history, to be the most useful. If I am vacillating between two clubs, I take a look and see what Arccos recommends, and it usually turns out well.

 
Accuracy (13 out of 15 points)
Are the yardages accurate? (compare to another method if possible) - Compared to my laser rangefinder and The Grint GPS app on my phone, the yardages and the Arccos system seem to be within 1% of the other readings. That always gets back to ‘how do you know the others are accurate’?
Do the calculation or “plays like” distances match up with what you would’ve come up with? - Again, yes, within a very small variation.
Are there any intermediate targets you have trouble getting distances for? - No.  I simply used my finger on the phone face and could determine distances to various locations on the fairway
On-Course (28 out of 30 points)
Did you have to think about or remember anything to use the product? - Yes I did.  I had to make sure that whichever shot detection device I was using had a clear screen to the club swing.
Did it interfere with your normal golfing routine? - Yes, it did interfere with my normal golfing routine.  If I neglected to keep the shot detection method clear to the club swing, I would have shots not recorded, and therefore would give me a false score at the end of the round.
How intuitive was using it on the course? - When it was working as it should, it was great.  However if something went wrong, it could take a few holes to get it back to working properly.
Did you like using it? - Again, when it was working as it should, I did enjoy it.  I did not enjoy it when I had to figure out what went wrong and correct it.  That can take some time, and holding the game up.
Compare and contrast to what you are currently using or have used in the past. -in the past I have used The Grint app on my iPhone, and before that a laser rangefinder.  As far as I can tell, it is as accurate as either, and when it is working properly, results in so much more data.
Do you play better or worse now that you’ve got a new method for yardages? - I have been playing better since I started using Arccos, but I cannot really say why.  I do not know, yet, if the data provided helps, or the fact that it is ‘New’ and interesting.  I will have a better handle on that in the next 6 months.
Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)
It seems to me that the package arrived very soon after I was informed it shipped; no real complaints here. As I have mentioned before, I would like to have more complete operating instructions.
 
Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)
I will use the Arccos systems for the year that has been included.  I will have to wait until that time to decide if I want to continue with it.  Generally I do not believe this to be a product for me, as it requires too much ‘fussing’ with.  Perhaps it is my age, but I would just rather focus on the Game, and not the technology.  This could be a better fit for a younger person with my patience than I have.
 
Conclusion
To sum it all up, this is a good system.  Perfect? In no way.  It requires way too much ‘fussing’ in my opinion.  I liken it to BMW Automobiles.  I have owned two BMW’s, and when they were running as they should, they were AWESOME.  However I was always having to fuss with them; this sensor went out, this needed adjustment, etc.  The Arccos system, again in my opinion, requires way too much fussing on the course and takes away from the pleasure of the game.  Additionally the amount of data provided is a bit too overwhelming to me.  I would have preferred shot distances, club remondation only.   Finally, perhaps I just expect too much from technology. Knowing what I know not, I would not purchase this system
Final Score: 88 (Add up all categories and present a total score out of 100)
 
 

Arccos Smart Sensors – Official MGS Forum Review by KC Golf
The Warm Up
Thank you for picking me MGS.  Its an honour to provide my first official review.  So I am pretty excited about the opportunity.
Like many golfers, my golf game lacks consistency.  My index is currently 8.4, but it can range from 8 to 13 over the last 3 years.  I play mostly up in Canada, so our season is short.  I have played golf for a long time.  My Dad took me to the range a lot when I was 7 or 8 and we played a lot of publics and muni’s growing up. We were both very average at best and my Dad read a lot of golf books all the time, but we loved going out together and having fun.  We did a lot of father / son golf vacations over the years, but he hung it up about 15 years ago, after getting frustrated by forced carries.  We like watching golf too, so my Dad took me to a few tournaments like the Canadian Open when I was younger, and I have been fortunate to go to a few majors over the years as well.
I am trying to get my 10 year old son to love golf as well, so we play alternating shot a lot for 9 holes and he has been getting group lessons for the last 3 years, but he still likes the milkshakes and the cheeseburgers more than the golf. He says watching golf is really boring. But he’s curious about the Arccos, so may be he will start liking stats.
My Game “Generally”
My game is probably typical for mid handicappers on MGS.  I have gone for swing instruction quite a lot over the years, but I only started getting more serious about my golf game in the last 10-15 years.  With lessons over time, my golf swing has gotten on a shallower plane and with a more orthodox overall swing with decent swing tempo. Generally, I hit a natural fade in my drives and long irons.  Misses are mostly slices, but I can on occasion hit my wedges thin or throw in a hosel rocket too.  I can’t draw a driver consistently, so I usually hit a FW on a dogleg left.  My coach tells me that I need to focus on less tension and swinging smoothly when under pressure particularly during match play, I don’t play stroke tournaments very often.  
I have been told that my steady, natural tempo has always been the strength of my game. So I generally find the fairway. No magical distance or high trajectory irons landing softly with backspin on the greens, so I am always more likely to be hitting long irons short of the green and trying to roll it on.  I play mostly in Calgary, so with the higher altitude, my distances are 5-10 yards longer than at sea level.  It can be very windy here, so that makes average distances for Arccos more tricky. 
That being said, this year, I am hitting the ball farther and hitting my irons crisper thanks to the work I did with my coach using a Trackman / GC Quad.  Also started using Super Speed sticks over the Winter to improve overall clubhead speed. 
WITB - 2021
Here’s a look of what’s in my bag.  Woods: TSi3 Tensei AV White Stiff 9 deg. – set to A1, Titleist FW Wood 917 16.5 degree Tensei Blue Reg – set to A1, Titleist 818 H1 21 deg Tensei Blue Reg.  Irons: Titleist AP2 4 iron AMT reg flex, Haywood Signature iron 5 - PW TT DG Stiff.  Wedges: TM Tour Preferred 52, Haywood 56, TM Tour Preferred 60.  Putter: Scotty Cameron – Special Select Squareback 2.0
]
I have been fitted for most of my bag except my latest set of Haywood irons which I bought direct because of the Covid lockdown.  The Titleist TSi3 driver with the Tensei AV White Stiff is great.  My driver swing speed ranges from 97 – 102.  Really happy with the TSi3 driver which has true forgiveness, nice trajectory, great sound and good distance.  My old driver, a TM M3 Tensei blue stiff was great, but the shaft is now a bit too soft and so it was launching too high with too much spin even when it was set at 8.5.  Within my bag, what changes often is wedges.  I have a fitted set of Vokey’s but its hit or miss for me, so they are not in my bag right now.  I have about 12-15 wedges kicking around, but I like the old TMs. I like the feel and predictable turf interaction so I buy new ones when I can find them. My sand play particularly long greenside bunker shots are poor; however, short bunker shots on a flat or uphill lies are not bad.  
My new gamer putter which I got last year is a Scotty Special Select Squareback 2.0 which I got fitted for.  I have always been a blade guy, so this new more forgiving blade was great for rolling longer putts.  It also has a look and click sound that gives me confidence.  Short putts are where I struggle, and so I am sure Arccos will be picking that up very quickly. 🤣
The Haywood irons which is a start-up out of Vancouver is a relatively new direct to consumer model.  Josh Haywood is a very nice guy who is very customer focused, so it was an easy choice to try out.  I bought them early in the season, but only started playing them after finishing match play etc., so only playing them in the last 4-6 weeks.  I have used their wedges for the last 2 years, so I bought the iron set which I thought look and would play similar to a TM 790. Haywood has a better sound.  I took a bit of a flyer on it, but other custom options were hard to come by this Spring, so I went with it.  The irons are set 2 degrees weaker, with standard length and lie angle, so close in loft, lie and length to my stock AP2s. They are pretty forgiving compared to my AP2s, but they can be a bit hot off the centre, so it can go a bit long sometimes. The sound is good and the turf interaction is good as well. My old AP2s are AMTs, so I find the lighter 4 iron is more consistent than my heavier Haywood 4 iron, so that is why its in my bag.  
Garmin vs Arccos?
In terms of stat tracking, I have used a Garmin watch and Garmin CTs for a long time, and so getting to test Arccos is really going to be fun.  In general, I love new technologies, so I am always trying new tech stuff (not just with golf), but I was happy with my Garmins until I saw my friends detailed shots gained stats on his Arccos.  
Here are two pics of what a Garmin looks like vs Arccos on the same hole at my regular track.  You can see how much better the Arccos looks.  Its interesting that Garmin just changed the look of their course maps in the last month or so.  Garmin does note if you had a rough, sand or fairway lie. So that is a little better than Arccos. I like the older version of the Garmin map to be honest since its easier to see than this current fancier Garmin graphics.  Left is Arccos and right is Garmin for the same hole.
 
 
First Impressions - Arccos System is Sweet!
After enrolling / registering on the website, the Arccos site tells me with my current 9 index, I could potentially improve by 3 strokes by using Arccos.  Obviously, I am pretty psyched if that happens.  Let’s see if that’s really possible…
I installed my new grips last week and they look almost exactly the same as my old one and it barely different in length and very little if any difference in weight.
I have not had GP Plus 4s on all of my clubs before.  I used to use GP Plus 4s on my woods, but I had GP MCC Midsize with no extra wraps on all of my other clubs.  After 2 rounds, I really like the feel of the GP Plus 4s on my irons and wedges.  

Here’s a pic that shows how big the Link is compared to my Arccos GP Plus 4 grips.  Also the placement of the Link is half way down on the pocket seam.
 
You have to put the Link on your lead leg (left leg for right handers).  They say that it should not be on your belt buckle if you have a sweater or a vest that might obstruct it, so I have it on the outside of my pants pocket.
The Link is not very intrusive and it works pretty well.  Linking it to my iPhone was pretty simple before the round.  Turn it on and sink it to the start the round screen on Arccos.  It is supposed to work with my Apple Watch, but I haven’t tried that yet. 
The Set Up is Painless
Set up was easy.  You link each club by scanning the grip end when prompted.  It was simple and straight forward.  One small setup criticism, is that it has most club brands and models, including the Haywood Signature in the Arccos data base.  But it did not have my specific Scotty, Haywood wedge or Haywood Signature PW (it does have 4 – 9).  Weirdly, it does not allow you to manually enter it either.  May be I am not tech savy enough to figure it out, but on the App, the options to customize appear limited.
I have not figured out exactly how far my iPhone can be from the Link and still maintain contact.  I have tried leaving my phone in my back pocket or in my golf pull cart and so far it seems to be working well.  I did have some missed shots on my first 9 holes (with my driver tee shots mostly not being registered a few times), but now it seems to be fine.  I played 18 over the weekend and it picked up all of my shots except 2 wedge shots which may have been confused with my putter and wedge being pulled from my bag for around the green.  Also, one thing it defaults to for putting, is that it assumes your last putt is always 2 ft. and you can adjust that down manually later to 1 ft., but it doesn’t give an option for less than 1 ft (like a tap in / lip-out) which could be helpful for more detailed putting stats.
So far, I would say the linking of the Garmin watch and the sensors on the Garmin is easier and generally better than Arccos.  I never really have missed shots on the Garmin as long as you change the watch to each hole as you play it.  So with Garmin no link required and no phone needed.  However, you do have to replace the batteries on the CT sensors once every 3-4 years.
I really like the Arccos on the course so far.  In terms of data for each approach shot, Arccos is great. Really puts Garmin to shame. You can adjust the pin position for distance after you laser it and then it tells you elevation change, temperature, wind, etc. to adjust for actual shot distance.  It shows you how it adjusts in a detailed menu as well.  Garmin only allows pre-set dots that may or may not be that close to where the flag is.  They say the new smart club distances is a new feature I am eager to try out. The Arccos is totally mind blowing in its details on things like approach distances.  
Arccos New Beta Stats
Here's a screen for the current Beta version of some Arccos stats:

This is only after 2 half rounds of 9 and 1 round of 18, but it already has some good details on the weaknesses and strengths of my game.  I’m sure I have more than 3 things to work on! 🤣
Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the test goes.   So far so good  Thanks Arccos / thanks MGS!
Feel free to ask me questions or if you are an Arccos user please reach out and give me tips or areas I should be looking at to provide a more comprehensive review.
 
Final Grading 
Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points) 
The Golf Pride Plus 4 grips with sensors, look almost the same as the stock grips. They look and perform the same.  I could not sense the difference in weight from stock GP Plus 4s.  Again not a scratch golfer, so another player may feel the difference, but I did not. I am deducting a point since the Link while a lot better than having the phone in your front pocket, but it is not as smooth or accurate as a Garmin CT / Watch combo. For what its worth, it comes in a nice set of boxes and looks like a premium product. I like the look of the Arccos App IOS system. Its slick, its too bad it doesn’t run on an Ipad (like the Garmin App). I would definitely consider buying the sensors to try them after my grips wear out. Setup (13 out of 15 points)
The installation was pretty straight-forward for me.  Its fairly simple and it was pretty clear once you get a hang on it. I am docking two points since it doesn’t have all the major club brands listed.  Okay, I can understand if my clubs were custom or one offs, but they aren’t (Arccos has the Brands but not the models in its database), so why can’t I input them into the system? Also I would think the system should allow for you to input my clubs (into the App) if its not in the system (other Brands, or custom clubs, etc). The setup is fairly easy. Encountered no real problems. It was actually pretty fast doing your whole bag. Switching out clubs was not as easy on the system and you can’t have extra clubs in your bag, so again a side by side comparison of 2 FWs or 2 putters (as an example) is not possible. I did like the ability of the system to eliminate shots from your individual club distance stats. Something Garmin doesn’t allow, but is easy to use and great in the new version of the Arccos App. Accuracy (13 out of 15 points)
I found the yardages to the pin pretty accurate throughout the test. I did compare it to my Bushnell Laser and it was very close.  Its not far off at all. Compared to my Garmin CT and watch, I found it varied long or short by 2-3 yards at most.  Totally reasonable in my view. On a round playing with my fellow Arccos tester Paul H. (who used an iPhone and I used the Link) are yardages were pretty comparable.  Some slight differences, but again totally reasonable.  I was actually surprised by how close our yardage were. I am docking 2 points for green pin locations (on Link) and putting distances.  The system is better than it was in the past (I am told), but the distances are definitely off and in some cases by a lot.  So I am manually changing the distances of my putts almost every time.  I should note that if someone with Arccos has played the course before you that day.  It puts the Pin in the location set by the previous player. Just a great use of technology. On-Course (28 out of 30 points)
As you can see from the various posted pictures, the App gives you detailed adjustments in calculating distance to the pin. Slope, temp, altitude, wind, etc.  Its almost too detailed, but I am definitely not complaining. My playing partners remarked that the Arccos App is very accurate and very helpful. It did improve my confidence on what to hit for my approach shots.  It also helps my playing partners with distance as well. Took a lot of the guess work out of which club to hit and how hard to hit it.   Looking at my phone during my round to look at what to hit on approaches or to adjust the number of putts or the distance of putts was a negative.  It made me feel a little anti-social.  Also I had to look at the details of how the approach distance was calculated if it was windy since the strength of the wind and its direction was generally off (not blaming the App it only uses prevailing wind speed and direction in the area, not at your specific location). Did try the Caddy club selection and the Caddy strategy for how to play the course with my typical distances.  Both were very good add ons for the App.   The best part of Arccos is the rich amount of data I got after each round or to see the major trends in my rounds.   Having shots gained data sorted and compiled in a usable way was just awesome.  Nothing comes close to it.  It really dissected the weaknesses of my game in way that I was not aware of.  As an example, it showed me that my bunker play around the greens was actually pretty good for my relative handicap, but my short to mid range putts (after the sand) were poor, I was always of the view it was my sand play that was poor. As you can see from my pics in my review and some of the after comments, the data is really unmatched and (in my view) totally worth the annual cost.   Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)
The biggest problems are missed shots and putt tracking.  This is the major Arccos problem and is clearly not as good as Garmin CT / watch in its ability to track shots.  I believe this is solvable, and the Link is a good add-on that has eliminated some of the problems.  But its definitely not full proof.  Hopefully with better software updates these issues can get solved. In my view this is not a deal killer.  The approach shot distances and the post round data is so great, that I am not docking that many points for this issue.  It has interesting course stats that I have never seen before like whether your putting is streaky or improves or declines over the course of a round.  As an example, my data shows that I seem to be generally better at putting in the middle of my round, but it declines towards the end of my round. In other areas, Arccos also provides the ability to compare your play in the last 5 rounds to the prior 5 rounds.  It also allows you to compare you current play to your target index. It then shows you how to get to your target index. The system actually gives you three tips or areas to work on to lower your handicap. Customer service is excellent.  I tried to play a course not on their system and they were very responsive on the update and what they were doing to fix it.  Their customer service responsiveness overall when I was having problems with the App was excellent. Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)
I am definitely playing it.  I believe I have convinced 10-12 other people to buy it or try it. Is it perfect? Not quite, but it’s a very good product. If you could combine Garmin’s CT and watch with Arccos data analysis it would be perfect, but its close.  The Garmin putting stats were never useable in my view, so Arccos provides good data if you input it correctly. I love the quantitative side of Arccos.  Its better than trying to use your own intuition to diagnose your problems with your golf game.   In terms of my handicap / index…  Arccos indicated it could improve my Index by 3 strokes.  It decreased by 2.1 when the season ended and that was in less than 2 months, so its definitely possible.  In fact, I think my index could potentially drop by 4-6 strokes with this new data and their tips on the areas of focus / improvement.  Conclusions
I really like the potential of the technology and the useable data of Arccos.  Its definitely designed for players that serious about improving their game. Its definitely not for beginners or those that don’t like tech generally.  I will be using the Arccos data over the Winter with my coach to figure out areas for improvement.
I can see that for some people its too much data, but I believe Arccos does a good job analyzing your game and providing useable pieces for the average golfer.
One thing I would suggest to Arccos is for those that want only basic data, may be they should provide a lower annual price point. The current price is likely fine for more serious golfers who want the detailed data.  Arccos actually has more detailed data available for even more serious golfers called ATLAS, but it’s an expensive add-on written report.  I may have to try that in 2022.
Final Score: 91 / 100
 

December 1, 2021
Arccos Caddie / Sensors / SmartLink – Official MGS Forum Review by goaliedad30
Intro – About me
I’m a low handicap golfer (index fluctuates between 2 & 4, typically, mostly right around 3). I’ve been playing for 53 years … started when I was 6. I play most of my golf in the San Francisco Bay Area, but do travel regularly, and have played courses all over the US, as well as Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Since I retired a couple of years ago, I’m now playing close to 200 rounds per year.
 
I’m generally a strong iron player, and good around & on the greens. My driver is inconsistent. On days I’m driving it well, I’m usually near or under par; on days when it’s not working, I’m likely in the high 70’s. My scores this year range from 69 to 84. I’m playing a TM M6 driver (10.5*, stiff shaft), and TM p770 irons (Modus 105 S). Wedges are Cleveland RTX4 (50/54/58) and the putter is a TM Spider X. (Driver dispersion from the app below; you can see what I mean!)
 
I’m tech savvy (a retired Silicon Valley senior executive), but on course, I really don’t want much interaction with technology. I get yardages from a Garmin G80, and use a laser rangefinder for distances inside of 100 yards or so.
First Impressions
OK, enough about me! Let’s talk about the Arccos Sensors, and Caddie Link products!
The products arrived in slick packaging that was super easy to open and understand. The sensors themselves included 13 club sensors, and one putter sensor. Here are the boxes, and the inside with just the putter sensor left in it (the others are installed in my clubs!) I didn’t use the putter sensor, since I also received a specialty sensor for my SuperStroke putter grip.
 


The sensors were super easy to install, and the quick start guides were easy to follow. I did have to head to the Arccos Academy website for the video on installing the SuperStroke adapter, but it was very straightforward to accomplish.

I’d already registered with Arccos, downloaded the app (Android phone, Pixel 3XL, with GoogleFi service), so it was easy to pair the sensors. One at a time, I pulled them from the bag, focused the camera on the sensor, and it paired pretty much instantly. If you’re familiar with depositing a check with a mobile app from your bank, scanning a QR code, or using an app to scan a passport into a frequent flyer account, this will be just as easy.
With the sensors paired, I moved on to the Caddie Link device. This is one of the big selling points for me; I do NOT like to carry my phone in my pocket while playing. I typically keep it in the cart or zipped in my bag. The idea of having a small device clipped to my belt that captures the data with no user input is exactly what I’d like to have on the golf course for tracking shot data.
Pairing the device was as easy as turning it on while it was near my phone, with the Arccos app open. Truly plug & play! It’s very small, and uses a single multi-color LED to communicate status, all of which is spelled out clearly in the startup guide.

 
 

Overall, the unboxing, registration, pairing, and startup experience was very simple, and easy to understand. I was extremely pleased with how quickly I went from “boxes received” to “ready to hit the course”; the whole process probably took 15 minutes at most.
Grading
Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points)
The sensors, Link, and app were all generally really simple and straightforward to use. There is lots of data available, and the navigation is pretty simple. I deducted one point because certain parts of the interface, especially on the phone, are somewhat clunky or difficult to use. In particular, the sensor diagnostics (more on the later) and the add/edit shot/add penalty functions aren’t super easy to use on course (especially since I am not wearing my reading glasses). 
The data provided from the analytics is top-notch, and the drill-downs are obvious and very deep. For example, here’s a view of my distances, along with GIR percentages for each club. Super useful, easy to consume, yet you can drill down in detail as far as you want. A great UI! 
 
 
 
Setup (15 out of 15 points)
The setup is one of the areas that Arccos really shines. As noted above, the sensors install easily, they pair quickly, and setting up my profile was super easy. This is one of the areas they’ve really gotten right.  
Accuracy (10 out of 15 points)
Accuracy is sadly a mixed bag in my book. On the positive front, as long as the sensors were working, long shots were tracked VERY accurately, with essentially zero interaction. Bunkers (both fairway and greenside) were also inconsistent. I found that perhaps 30% of bunker shots were missed (or in some cases, double counted). Putts were a mixed bag, and especially short putts were relatively poorly tracked. I’ll cover this below in the on-course section, but that really meant I needed to constantly check the phone for missed shots or putts. Unfortunately, I prefer not to have technology interaction on the course, so that was a real negative for me.
 The yardages provided were accurate, and the “Ask the Caddie” generally gave me the same input as I’d already arrived at myself. I was also impressed that the “SmartDistance” yardages and ranges coincided with what I already knew about my game. I know how far clubs go (on reasonable strikes, my misses are hole high, left or right), and I know how to hit them with different distances and trajectories. The data provided confirmed that. For a golfer who doesn’t really have a good handle on how far they hit the ball, this data could provide a MAJOR boost to their game.
 
As an example, I know my 7i is a 145-153 club (depending on weather, elevation, etc.), and I know that my misses tend to be right (I’m afraid of over-hooking it, so don’t finish the shot if there’s trouble left. That’s exactly what the drill-down data showed!
 
Overall, long game accuracy from tee/fairway/rough was very good (unless a sensor was broken). Bunkers, greenside, and putting was a mixed bag.
On-Course (20 out of 30 points)
On course for me was a mixed bag. I had significant sensor issues (6 of 13 failed over the course of about 20 rounds), and found early on that bunker shots and putts were inconsistently tracked. This meant that ultimately, if I wanted accurate data, I felt like I needed to check my phone after every shot to determine if it recorded correctly, and if not, to edit / add shots as appropriate. I found this to be a major detriment to my golf routine, and definitely played worse when I was focused on “tracking” versus just playing golf. 
I also struggled to adapt to the need to mark the hole location, in order to get solid data about short game and putting performance. The tool was easy – press the button on the Link while standing by the hole. I just never got to a habit of making sure I did it! I suspect as I use the system more, I will develop this as a simple habit (probably as soon as I walk onto the green). 
One of the allures of tracking using the Arccos product was the ability to get great, insightful data while not having to interact with a device after every shot. On the handful of days it accomplished that, it was an absolute joy to use. Sadly, it was too inconsistent in executing that, so it meant that I had to change my routine to accommodate the system; that to me is a major drawback relative to the value proposition I think Arccos is selling. 
Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)
My single biggest issue during the test was sensor failure. Over the course of 20 or so rounds, I had 6 of the 13 non-putter sensors fail. The diagnostic tool is great, and one of the other sensors just needed to be re-paired, but 6 actually had to be replaced. On the positive front, the customer support was outstanding! The diagnostic tool would generate a report, which I emailed to the support department right from the phone, and a replacement sensor was usually in the mail within 24 hours. That said, I’m playing golf 4-6 days a week, so given shipping time, that meant if a sensor failed, I would have to remember that, and manually edit for that club for at least 2-3 rounds. 
If the failure rate is really that high, it seems that perhaps each box should ship with some extra sensors, designed to provide immediate replacement. Then the replacement shipped from Arccos could go to my stock on hand for future replacements.  If I had perhaps 2 extra sensors, then I wouldn’t have noticed this issue nearly as much.
Play it or Trade it? (15 out of 20 points)
In general, I LOVE the concept. When it works seamlessly, the data is super-useful, and can really direct where I focus my practice time. For a low handicapper, finding exactly where to spend the time to get from a 2 to scratch is very helpful. That said, I really dislike the amount of interaction it took, and how much that distracted from my on-course focus. For me, this is a useful tool in practice and casual rounds to gain insight into where my game needs improvement. I would never use this in a competitive round due to the distractions it provides.
 
To me the target profile for the device falls into some combination of the following:
·        A golfer that’s a “stats geek” – really loves to dive into the data
·        Really uses the data to fine tune both club selection and practice focus
·        Currently does NOT have a good handle on club distances and miss tendencies
·        Love to interact with the technology on the course
Conclusion
The Arccos system provides FABULOUS data. It really focuses your attention on where to work for game improvement. In my case, it confirmed much of what I already knew, but for many golfers, this data could be very eye-opening. When it works, it truly seamless. Unfortunately, between significant sensor failures and other “misses” (putts, bunker shots), it requires too much constant interaction on the golf course for my taste. I feel like I’m being asked to fit my routine to the system, versus the system integrating easily with my golf style.
Final Score: 74/100
 

Full Bag Review Cobra Connect 5
 

 
First of all, thank you very much to MGS and Cobra for this opportunity. I know everyone was looking forward to the competition however due to supply chain issues, we will do our best to give thorough reviews of how everything performed. I was the only ONE Length tester so I will give my honest feedback and potential suggestions that may have made the overall review slightly better for me. I provided a lot of this feedback throughout the chatter thread but will include a concise review here to have it all consolidated. 
 
While I have participated with a lot of you in the pre-chatter thread, I wanted to give a little better introduction. I am a 31 and currently work in IT in Summerville, SC. There are so many awesome places to play golf our here in the Charleston area. I was a college baseball player and started playing golf about 7 years ago. Since moving to South Carolina three years ago, I have improved from an 18 handicap to single digits. For our pre-rounds in Arccos my handicap was a 9. The pre-rankings are a very telling sign of my game below:
 

 
My strength roots in my baseball playing days with being able to swing golf clubs relatively fast. My driving stats ranged from a plus one round to an 8 handicap due to inconsistency (OB and in the junk) of my long game. I think my other strength I have worked really hard on is my putting. Specifically, the change came when I started to use a line for shorter putts to only focus on speed. My weakness is my short game and approach. Specifically 100-150, which for me is my PW down. For reference with my baseline my PW was 47 degrees. I tend to miss too many greens and struggle with missing in the right place at my home course to set myself up for easier up and downs. I was very hopeful having ONE Length would simplify my swing and help with consistently shooting lower scores. 
 

 
Now on to why you are all reading through this. I played multiple rounds and my handicap with the Cobra clubs was 5.8 strokes worse overall from my baseline stats. The primary area was approach and short game accounting for -6.2 strokes gained. Luckily my driving had a slight increase of .4 and my putting was above average while I used the clubs. I think one of my biggest mistakes was trying to make the clubs more traditional by getting the irons bent weak. I read recently Bryson has stronger lofts to get the irons to launch in the right window and I should have trusted Cobra and kept the stock lofts on the irons. 
 

 
The bag is very nice. I did not get the color I originally asked for but really enjoy the black and grey color way. The material of the bag is very nice and it is much lighter than my normal bag I use. I found the 5 way divider to be an improvement from my 14 way stand bag. I walk the majority of the time and having less dividers actually kept the bag chatter to a minimum. Also, with less dividers I found the club tangle to be at a minimum. As far as other features, the little area to stick a glove is convenient, especially in South Carolina’s humid summers. I got a few nice bag comments and the individuals were impressed with a “muted” version of a Cobra product. Usually they see bright colors and the black and grey color had the individuals impressed with the bag. The best features in my opinion are the leg mechanism and the inside clip I used for my range finder. Overall, I am very pleased with the bag and am impressed with the bag quality. 
Bag – 100/100
 

Next onto the wedges. Once the MGS wedge test came out, it made a lot of sense to see the inconsistencies I was seeing with partial and touch shots with the wedges. I play primarily in the morning and depending on how wet the ball was I would get some fliers (low spin, high launch) shots. I found the wedges around the green to spin more than the Zipcore wedges I currently game. It simplified my chipping and gave me confidence on sand shots. I struggled mightily with the wedges and I believe it had nothing to do with the wedges but more to do with the ONE Length concept. I found it hard to swing a 56 and 60 degree wedge like a six iron. I hit some very very fat shots with the wedges being entirely too steep. Where I found the most success was choking down (I know this defeats the purpose of ONE Length). Because I needed to grip down significantly to get solid contact, I struggled with the gapping from the set gap wedge to the 56 degree wedge. I truly think Cobra has a great wedge product this year with the Snakebite grooves and may get some normal ones to replace my current Zipcore. The score below is representative of how poorly I performed with the wedge overall in a ONE Length configuration. I believe if the wedges were normal length I would have scored them significantly higher because the wedges did have a lot of bite with chipping around the green. 
Wedges - 65/100





I know this may be a big disappointment to the readers here, but I had major struggles with the ONE Length set. I was so intrigued being a club junkie from the moment I read Cobra was offering ONE Length options. I thought, man it would be so simple to grove one swing and just worry about putting and driving the ball. I want to be as honest as possible and share I had struggles with the concept. Mainly the worst of my experience was with 9 iron down controlling distance and getting pure strikes. I know in my baseline, irons did not seem to be the strength of my game, but I think I am a decent ball striker with my 8-4 iron, and the struggles lie in getting consistency with my PW, 9 and wedges. The 5,6,7 irons were very easy to hit and went very straight. I believe the RadSpeed irons are very solid game improvement irons with visible tech that inspires confidence. When I struck the ball pure, it would go very high and straight. There is something to the Radspeed irons in wanting to go straight instead of a fade or a draw. It made the long irons predictable and was easier to aim at the middle of the green. I found the hybrid to be a rocket launcher and confidence inspiring with the shorter length. Throughout this test, I kept thinking of an interesting bag configuration would be ONE Length 4-7 iron and then variable length the remainder of the bag. There may be some gapping issues, but maybe the gap would be addressed through a combo set with forged scoring irons to allow for bending the lofts. This concept would help with consistency with the longer end of the bag and may be something I would consider if I have a tough day with my normal irons to do a combo ONE Length/Variable Length set. I am not going to be a ONE Length converter after this but have a few lefty buddies very eager to try the experiment. If they have different stories, I will for sure have them join and post of their experiences. 
ONE Length Irons/Hybrid - 60/100
 

The Radspeed Fairway woods were absolute rocket launchers. I know 100% the 7 wood is staying in the bag and the only reason the 3 wood is not staying is because it goes too far and does not have practical usage at my home course. I currently have a TSi2 16.5 fairway with an AD XC 8X shaft. I was a little worried the shafts in the fairway woods would be too soft and not heavy enough. I will say the Motore F1 70x shaft is a great shaft especially in a fairway. Cobra did an outstanding job making this a no upcharge shaft. I truly think Cobra differentiates themselves with premium no up charge shafts in all of their clubs. Cobra is definitely onto something with the rails on their fairway woods, the woods seem to glide through the turf on even less than good contact to still produce great ball flights. The rails gave me confidence I would be able to hit the ball pure into Par 5s. The 7 wood is a weapon for shorter par 4s and second shots into par 5s. The 7 wood flies very high and lands softly with predictable small draw pattern. If I were to have any nit about the fairway woods, it would be they seem to sit slightly closed to my eye, even in the most open setting but the results on the course offset any tricks my eyes were playing for me. Cobra did an outstanding job with the Radspeed fairway wood and rivals all previous fairways I have tried (original SIM, TS2, TSi2, G410).  The Radspeed fairway wood gets a perfect score in my book.
Fairway Woods – 100/100
 

My first impression of the driver is it looks huge by the ball. I have used a TSi3 and TSi2 this year and find the Radspeed XB looks huge compared to both of those drivers. What this translated to was an increase in confidence behind the ball. The problem I had with the driver is 100% not on the driver itself and more to do with the shaft and my swing. On well struck balls, the Cobra driver was sitting right next to my optimized TSi2 with a Ventus Black 6TX. The issue with the Cobra driver was the shaft was slightly too soft and I would turn it over too much resulting in over draws and hooks. I like to play a soft fade in my driver and found my ability to hit this shot shape very difficult and it was not the head but probably the shaft. If I were to give the Cobra a fair shake and change the tip to the Ventus Black I have in my Titleist driver, I have no doubts I would get similar performance. The driver sounds great and my normal playing partners kept saying it sounds way better than my normal driver. I found the driver head to be on par with forgiveness compared to a TSi2 and more forgiving than the TSi3. I hit some bombs with the Cobra, I think my longest was a 327 yard drive, it was off the fairway but I had a clean shot into the green. With winter coming and golfing in 37* weather, the Radspeed XB with the Motore shaft may actually be a better fit. I may not have the same swing speed all bundled up and maybe the Cobra driver will offer a better winter alternative instead of trying to over swing with stiff muscles in the winter. The Radspeed XB is a very forgiving driver that inspires confidence behind the ball. 
Driver – 85/100
 
Overall Score – 410/500
Top Performer: Cobra knocked it out of the park with their woods this year. Both the fairway woods and driver are top notch. Cobra can be had at slightly less retail than some competitors and their woods will be on the top of my list for fits in the future. I am 100% putting the 7 wood in the bag and will potentially look to get a different shaft for the driver to see if it can knock out my current gamer. 
 
Thank you MGS and Cobra for the opportunity to participate and provide honest feedback on my experience.