[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

1 hour ago, sirchunksalot said:

I'll be curious to see what y'all think about the carbon topline. I think it'll be something that you'll be able to get used to, but I will still like to hear first impressions once you get them. 

I think the top line will be a nice compromise from the Wilson C300s I played last year. They had the power holes on all clubs, not just the longer irons like the SpeedZones.

1 hour ago, yungkory said:

I'm interested to see what happens with these in your hands. I feel like you have the game for something less GI-esque, but as someone who also errs on the side of forgiveness as well, I respect it. Interested to see the difference in the sole width -- I've never seen the Maltby's in person but I can't imagine them to be as chonky as the SZ irons. Also, the slight increase in offset.

I'm not second-guessing my pick, I know you're gonna beat these chumps. Team "OH EE" all the way. The team name is a work in progress, but both of our names have that OH EE sound.

The Maltbys definitely have a reasonably narrow sole. I'm most interested in the SpeedZone's ability to maintain ball speed across the face. When I strike the Maltbys well, my 7-iron (32 degrees) is good for 172 yards, but a mis-hit toward the toe drops a bit of distance. And I still struggle with distance compression between the 5-6-7 irons. 

Keep the team name ideas coming!

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

I know the Forged Tec's are the real lookers of the two irons, but I'm so giddy about hitting these.

Something about them just speaks to me!

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

15 hours ago, Shankster said:

Ok... how about the wedge sizzle? Who cares about Bombs. I want to see some some back, back, back it up...

 

Been working on a low-toe spinner around the green based on a comment from you somewhere on here. Never been one to back it up, but excited to give these wedges a go!

4 hours ago, PMookie said:

I got to see the greatest running back ever when he played for our crappy Lions. Thanksgiving Day with Barry at the Silverdome were some of the best days growing-up. He is my all-time favorite Detroit sports figure, mainly because of his humility.

I loved Barry growing up, though I only saw the second half of his career (the Scott Mitchell era). He was smart to leave when he did. Say what you want about cause/effect, but I truly believe the Lions would have been equally as terrible over the next decade even if he doesn't retire right before camp. I'm still somewhat bummed that we had to see Emmitt Smith break the rushing record, not because he was a bad player, but that Barry easily eclipses the mark and sets one that probably wouldn't be touched if he sticks around for at least two/three more seasons.

15 hours ago, newballcoach said:

Whew! This thread is rocking hard already. I really need to figure out which of these boys I'll be backing once the comp starts. Can't wait to see how things go once we actually start.

And, this probably goes without saying, but as Toronto sports fan, **** Boston.

Toronto is basically Michigan's neighbor, the Raptors are way better than the Pistons and I don't have any ill will against the Leafs. Welcome to the team?

2 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

 

Now my favorite post in this thread.

[What Have You Bought Lately? (CHA - Club Ho's Anonymous)]

Similar thought as @B.Boston:

Plus some other Puma swag. Still debating on a pair of shorts. I don't NEED them, but it would be fun to do the whole #CCC4 decked out head to toe in Cobra/Puma (already have two pairs of Puma PWRADPTs for golf shoes).

[How'd you play?]

- 40/40 = 80 (+8)
- 3/15 FIR
- 9/18 GIR (1 birdie)
- 33 Putts  (2 3-putts, 11 2-putts, 5 1-putts)
- 2:30 Round Time

Driver - Good, Irons - Good, Short Game - Good, Putting - Good

Don't mind the fairway stat because there were several I just missed by a yard or two. 

Today was a good day! I hit the range at lunch yesterday to get some driver work in and it helped. Still playing a bit of a high fade when struck well or a low heel when missed, so the distance isn't all there, but I was able to keep it on the planet today and my irons were pretty darn good.

Putting was much better today thanks to a tip from @chisag. Picked a line and then just focused on speed. Still had two three-putts but they were the result of poor approach shots and not the putting. Most of the two-putts were stress free, and I was inches away from birdie on at least four holes. 

Two holes cost me a round in the 70s:

1) After pulling me tee shot left on No. 7, I tried to split a gap in the trees rather than take my medicine. Smacked a low 5-iron stinger flush off a large oak trunk and the ball rebounded backwards about 20 yards behind me still in the rough. Proceeded to hit my second 5-iron attempt long and right of the hole. Walked away with a double bogey after a really nice flop shot to get up the hill over the greenside bunker.

2) Massive blocked driving iron on No. 11 led to a punch out and then a poor iron shot led to my second three-putt from a long ways away.

Still, I had a legitimate chance coming up 18, and after a leaky 9-iron approach from the right rough, I came up about a foot right of a birdie on a big 30-foot breaker for a tap in par to close the round.

 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

2 hours ago, gavinski91 said:

Looks like I found my guy! And outing GB13 as a Bama fan is just a nice bonus!

Welcome to the team! We'll crush the others like the Phanatic crushes helmets:

2 hours ago, B.Boston said:

This is as far back as it will go... I gave it my best shot.
 

Dang it all, peer pressure. Some arm overrun, I think... 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

24 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

That's the one I was looking for.  @B.Boston, @Headhammer, @edingc, and @daviddvm... show me whatcha got.

 

I could, but I'm not sure I'd be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning...

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

@russtopherb@B.Boston

I won't lie, there's some bitterness as a Detroit sports fan about Boston sports. Still have nightmares of Tori Hunter flipping over the right field fence at Fenway trying to grab Ortiz' home run ball.

I'm also a little jaded because I spent a summer in Cooperstown interning at the Hall of Fame and everyone is either a Yankees fan or a Red Sox fan. Too easy to jump on the bandwagon. (Though Yankees fan are undoubtedly worse!)

 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

3 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

Yeah you kind of have to be in the area to fully understand how amazing it truly is and how blessed we all are with so many championships. Good for you for recognizing that being in Michigan, you have no idea what it's like to have a dresser that's literally overflowing with championship t-shirts that you just keep adding to pretty much every year.

 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

3 hours ago, knightsofnii said:

Hmm, what ball is everyone putting in play?  @bryandeflata  ..erm..um.. I mean @B.Boston, will it be the Wilson Duo Soft or the Callaway Supersoft?  

I'm really liking the Tour B X lately

Snell MTB-X for me. Really like their performance off of the tee and they're quite grabby around the greens. I play a lot of morning rounds so I'm always contending with dew and wet club faces. 

P.S. I have plenty of spots available on my team. 

2 hours ago, Bucky CC said:

Has anyone booked their fittings yet?  Are you having issues finding a place to do a full bag fitting at?  Last year I had to piece together things quite a bit.  Woods were done at a Golf Galaxy, irons were fit using a Mizuno shaft optimizer at my local course, and hybrids were an educated guess.  Even the local Club Champion that opened up last year did not have Cobras in stock at the time (they do now).

I've asked my head pro if he would do a Cobra demo day at the course but no dice so far.  Hope you all have better luck than I did.

I have a few options locally that carry Cobra. Right now waiting on some further information regarding exactly how we're going to be fit. Remote fitting may be an option.

2 hours ago, knightsofnii said:

Are you all going to get a chance to pick and choose which irons and hybrids, woods, etc you want?  Or is it  just across the board 2 people with Forged TEC, 3 people with all Speedzone? 

When I listed my "dream bag", aside from including their spendiest bag, haha, I stated I wanted a Speedzone 4 and 5i, and Forged TEC 6-PW.  

Perhaps a reason I got the big red X   haha.  

I am planning on Speedzone 5-GW, with perhaps only two Black wedges. I like less options around the green rather than more. We'll see what the fitting holds. I play primarily at one course and my bag will be built around that. I could see going with a 5-wood and a hybrid depending on what's comfortable. I rarely use a fairway wood because I can get away with bomb-and-gouge, and the SpeedZone 5-iron is so strong lofted that I can use that to tee off on the holes I can't use a driver on.

This thread makes me so glad that I'm not:

1) A Boston sports fan.

2) An Alabama fan.

3) Married to my cousin.

[Maltby TSW Wedge (56/12)]

19 hours ago, pozzit said:

So I bought 3 clubs built straight from Golfworks totalling $190 4w & 2 wedges and bought second hand 2i, TSW heads and CTaper shafts totalling $315.
All in my bag will be cheaper then many pay for a driver. And I have no regrets.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

Yes, it's incredible when you break it down like that. I paid like $185 for the PTMs and sold the shafts that came with them for $80. Bought the C-Taper Lites as pulls for $140. Even with brand new grips I'm still in a basically brand new set 4-GW of irons for less than $400.

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

8 hours ago, gavinski91 said:

I'm going to pick who I'm backing based solely on who their favorite sports mascot is. So, let's hear it!

Philly Phanatic, hands down.

[How'd you play?]

51 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Have you tried putting lessons?  Most people don't give putting much love when it comes to lessons.  I guess they think it's such a simple motion, and they can figure out how to get better by themselves.  It does take practice, but knowing what's wrong, what to practice and how to practice pays dividends.

I'm thinking during my next lesson in a few weeks I might have my coach just take a quick look. Can't hurt! The stroke is better than last year, at least.

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

8 minutes ago, Bucky CC said:

Wow.  I head out for a tournament this morning and get back to find over 30 notices about CCC4 posts.  Impressive!

I'm excited to see how @GB13 and @B.Boston play with their King Forged Tec irons.  I still absolutely love my mostly Cobra bag, but I did switch out of the F9 irons pretty quickly after the contest was over.  The Woods, hybrids, and wedges aren't leaving anytime soon.

My 7 remaining Cobra clubs helped me shoot a 76-76 (gross) this weekend to win my flight by 7 shots (net).

Congrats! Sounds like some nice rounds.

[How'd you play?]

35 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

274 uphill wind Jease that’s a bomb. Glad things turned around for you nice round 

Thanks! ShotScope tells me the actual distance was less, but it is only the second time I've ever driven this hole.

Nice to have the driver going toward the end. Hopefully can keep it up!

[How'd you play?]

59 minutes ago, B.Boston said:

2:30 is flying around the course!  We’re you alone out there?  

As much as I hate them, you only had 2 3 putts.  Did you feel like you were missing some short ones leading to two putts?  I feel live I’ve been a two putt machine so far this year, but I’ve missed 4 or 5 shorter ones that I thought we’re makable.  

 

I'm almost always first off so I can set my own pace. 2:30 is moving pretty well for me, I often am about 2:45 when I walk. Aided today by my driver on the back being cooperative. Last week, I did 18 in 2:10, but I was jogging in between shots (had to squeeze in the round before work).

The putting frustrations are a combo of a lot of things right now. I'm just flat out missing reads, which is leaving me longer second putts than I should have. And in the past few rounds nothing in the 4-8 foot range will drop at all.

I'm working on not leaving putts short (my major tendency) but the results have been less than stellar.

The first three-putt was frustrating because that was after driving the green, leaving about 30' for an eagle. Left the putt 5' short, then pushed the second putt just right.

The second one was the result of poor course management on No. 18, which left me a long downhill breaker that I had to navigate.

My chipping/pitching wasn't horrendous today, just getting frustrated because the rest of my game is going well enough to score better at the moment.

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

36 minutes ago, Mtbryant01 said:

Alright, like @MattF said, everyone is hating on @GB13 and it makes me want to sign my LOI to back him, but first I need the guys to answer some questions to make sure I’m on the same wavelength...

1) GOAT: MJ or Lebron?

2) what sports team can you not stand? (Any sport)

3) Give me your best gif/meme of how you are going to demolish your competition. 

 

1) MJ. Not even a competition. MJ dominates in every era from 1980 onward. I'd love to see LeBron deal with half of the stuff Jordan put up with in the early 1990s with the Pistons.

2) Popular pick in this thread is the Red Sox (rightfully earned), but as a Pistons fan I'm still bitter over the San Antonio Spurs.

3) 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

25 minutes ago, Mtbryant01 said:

Alright, like @MattF said, everyone is hating on @GB13 and it makes me want to sign my LOI to back him, but first I need the guys to answer some questions to make sure I’m on the same wavelength...

1) GOAT: MJ or Lebron?

2) what sports team can you not stand? (Any sport)

3) Give me your best gif/meme of how you are going to demolish your competition. 

 

I'm not sure @GB13 is even old enough to have seen MJ's second comeback, let alone his prime?

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

51 minutes ago, Nunfa0 said:

Ok so far it's all been who's city has the most trophies, who has actually finished puberty, who has the funniest accent (I win that for sure, just watch Flight of the Concords to hear it) but the more important questions are...

1. Can @GB13 make it through the challenge without @GolfSpy STUDque sending him to his room?

2. Can @B.Boston beat @Lacassem and his Pings? Also can he make it through without starting a bar brawl?

3 . Will @edingc bring class and decorum to proceedings or will he be in the brawl with B.Boston?

4. Will @Headhammerdemand that B.Boston play with his balls deflated the way that Brady used to like?

5. Can @daviddvm be the first to make the one lengths truly work or will he be just like the OKC Thunder, nearly but not quite good enough?

Only time will tell....

I vow to let my game do the talking...

That being, if folks like @B.Boston and @GB13 invite some snarky remarks, I'm more than willing to oblige.

[How'd you play?]

- 42/43 = 85 (+13)
- 5/15 FIR
- 6/18 GIR (1 birdie)
- 35 Putts  (2 3-putts, 13 2-putts, 3 1-putts)
- 2:30 Round Time

Driver - Good, Irons - Average, Short Game - Average, Putting - Poor

Considering the front nine could only be classified as a gigantic dumpster fire, I'm ecstatic with the score. At some point around No. 7 tee, I cussed myself out a little and finally just willed myself to put better swings on the ball. Had nice drives on No. 7 (hardest hole on the course, which I parred), No. 9 (birdie, missed an eagle from the fairway by inches), No. 10, and then just absolutely nailed three straight on 14-16, including hitting the green on No. 15 which is a 274-yard par 4 that was playing uphill into the wind today. 

Still cannot buy a putt and the combination of poor putting and having tree trouble on nine (!) holes really made it hard to have any chance of scoring well today. I'm getting very good at hitting low stingers from out under the trees, but in almost every case that means I need to play a perfect hole from then on to have a chance at par, and my short game is just not currently up to that challenge.

Since getting to the driving range on May 22 following my lesson earlier in May, I've shot 18-holes scores of 85, 83, 84, 86, 84 and 85. Consistent, but I'll need to see some improvement from my putting if I hope to do anything other than shoot mid-80s.

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

Watching @GB13 being roasted like:

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

@Bucky CC You'd bet against the best odds just because everyone else it betting on them? 

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

Everyone's here trying to earn some backers, I've already got @yungkory and @palvord on my side. 

Just finished up my SuperSpeed training and ready to blow by the competition...

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

10 minutes ago, GB13 said:

For as much as I hate those teams, I’ll be trying thrice as hard to beat you. We all know Pats fans are sore losers...

And the team cheats, you might say...

[#COBRACONNECT Challenge 4]

Before I get any further into this introduction, I first want to say a big THANK YOU to Cobra/Puma/Arccos and MyGolfSpy. Not only is this one of the biggest and best testing opportunities on the MGS Forums, it is probably the best on any golf website out there! I am very honored to have been given the chance to compete this year.

My name is Cody, and I live in the great state of Michigan! I was fortunate enough last year to be a tester for the Callaway Epic Flash here on the MGS Forums. If you want to know more about my background, how I got into golf, etc., feel free to check out my introduction post on that thread:

It makes the most sense to talk about what is different from that original introduction these days. Well, for starters, I’m one year older and (maybe?) wiser. My dog is too, but she’s still cute!

As far as golf-related changes go, I’ve been busy since the Epic Flash review. I played the most golf of my life last year, carding 52 nine-and-18-hole rounds, and hit thousands of range balls. Although I don’t maintain an official handicap because I play mostly by myself, my estimated handicap dropped to somewhere around 10-11 last fall, and I broke 80 for the first time in my life in August 2019.

I started preparation for this year less than a month after the season ended. I purchased a squat rack for my basement on Black Friday and worked through a full Fit for Golf offseason program in addition to lifting heavy with the main compound lifts. While I’m no Bryson, I estimate I added about 8-10 pounds of muscle over the offseason. I also continued my work with my DIY SuperSpeed sticks and recently added a Tour Striker PlaneMate and the SuperSpeed-C club to my collection of golf gadgets.

I started lessons in November 2019 with my current instructor and made an effort to hit range balls at least a few times each month throughout the winter to ward off rust. I am lucky to work within minutes of a championship-caliber course and one of the top-rated instructors in Michigan. I had not previously taken lessons, and they have been very helpful in improving my game.

I’ve been detailing the progress in my game since last fall over here in this thread:

And, here’s a decent swing video from over the winter with my Cobra KING F8 4 hybrid:

 

 

Current Setup

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash, HZRDUS Yellow 6.0, Black Star Sidewinder, 44.5” Length
3 Wood: Mizuno GT 180, MRC Tensei White Stiff, Stock Mizuno/Golf Pride Tour Velvet
19° Driving Iron: Tour Edge Exotics CB Pro Tungsten, UST Mayima Recoil 670 F4, Tour Edge/Lamkin R.E.L.
22° Hybrid: Cobra KING F8, AeroTech SteelFiber i95 Stiff, Black Star Sidewinder
5-GW: Maltby PTM Chrome, 1° Flat, KBS C-Taper Lite 110 Stiff, Red Star Sidewinder
54°, 60°: Maltby M-Series+, KBS 610 Stiff (54°), KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 Regular (60°), Lamkin Crossline
Putter: TaylorMade Spider X Navy, 33", Golf Pride Tour Only Red Star
Ball: Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow / Srixon Z-Star XV Tour Yellow
Bag: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Shot Tracker: ShotScope v2

Most of this bag has been built or modified by myself. I’ve swapped shafts in the 54 degree wedge, chopped the driver down an inch, and the F8 hybrid and Maltby PTMs were built in my basement over the winter. Other additions to the bag since last season come courtesy of @chisag (driving iron) and @yungkory (putter).

My Game

It is important to mention I play my golf almost exclusively at one course. The course is a short drive from my house, affordable, reasonably well-maintained and the owner is very flexible with my membership. Constructed in the 1960s, it is not long by today’s standards. I play from the back tees, which play somewhere between 6,100 and 6,200 yards and are rated 69.4/114. There are some easy and some challenging holes, and the narrow fairways (many are around 30 yards wide and bordered by trees) place a premium on accuracy off the tee. The large, push up-style greens have years of subtle undulations that can make putting an adventure as well.

Lessons have been paying off, and as I write this part of my introduction at the conclusion of my baseline rounds, my unofficial handicap has dropped to 9.7. I’ve shot 80 or less eight times in 2020 already after only doing that three times last year.

My Arccos baseline consists of 15 rounds from June and July and is an excellent representation of my game. I strike my irons reasonably well, and I can usually hit or get very close to a green from 150-and-in and two-putt for par or bogey. Driving and chipping tend to be my weakest spots, though my chipping has started to improve slightly recently following a technique change. My lowest scores usually happen when I don’t cost myself strokes with the big stick or around the green.

From 150 yards out, I’m most likely pulling my Maltby PTM 8-iron (36 degrees loft). I rarely try to step on irons, although I could dial up a 9-iron (40 degrees loft) to that distance if necessary.

My driving is erratic. I can go from barely hitting 230 yards one round to 280 yards the next. It’s the biggest work-in-progress of my game.

Cobra Setup

Driver: Cobra SpeedZone Xtreme (9°), 44.5", Aldila Rogue Silver 60 (110 MSI) Stiff, Lamkin Sonar Connect
3W: Cobra SpeedZone (15°), -3/4" SHORT, Aldila Rogue Silver 70 (110 MSI) Stiff, Lamkin Sonar Connect
17° Hybrid: Cobra SpeedZone, -1/2" SHORT, UST Recoil 480 ESX F4, Lamkin Sonar Connect
4-GW: Cobra SpeedZone, 2° Flat, -1/2" SHORT, KBS C-Taper Lite 115 X-Stiff, Lamkin Sonar Connect
54°, 58°: Cobra MIM Black, 3° Flat, -1/2" SHORT (54°), -1/4" SHORT (58°), KBS C-Taper Lite 115 X-Stiff, Lamkin Sonar Connect
Bag: Cobra/Vessel SpeedZone Stand Bag

Obviously, COVID-19 has affected global supply chains dramatically. Cobra has gone above and beyond in getting our clubs to us quickly and with most of our requested options.

So, To Recap...

Pretty sure I've checked all of the boxes here, so don't forget to vote for @edingc this week and join the winning team of #MGSCobra2020 #CobraConnect!

1. Gratuitous photo and GIF usage. 
2. Cute dog and/or child picture. 
3. Calves! 

Want to be a winner? Join #TeamCalvesLikePhil right here on the forums, and follow me @edingc on Twitter and Instagram, over the next eight weeks as I climb my way to the top of this competition.