Willie T

Thanks for the overview of the tester selection process.  I live just far enough away to never be part of the Hit Squad.  I have applied for testing opportunities in the past, but have yet to be selected.  It’s all good though as I have enjoyed the reviews.  I have learned much and the MGS team strives to give us good info not Mfg suggested promo info.  I am looking forward to maybe getting in on a test this year….

Hello all! (Apologies for how long this is, but I want to cover as much as I can)

As we approach the 2022 testing season it is a good idea for us as a mod staff and community to welcome all the incoming members and guide them in how to best improve everyones chances of becoming a MGS Community tester. 
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First please do NOT apply in this thread. It won’t help and any and all signups are done through the individual testing signups throughout the season.
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Also a few quick house keeping notes before getting into it.
- have questions about the process or anything that may have been left out? Just ask!
- As mods we try to be as transparent as we are allowed to be and won’t hide things from the community as we are members just like you!
- We hope to have a lot of new opportunities this year and encourage everyone to take a look at these pretty basic steps in order to better your chances.
- Don’t want to read through the thread? Check out the FAQ page 
 
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Okay! So a lot of this may be repeat and many of you will already know this, but here we go!

You must be a MGS Forum Member in order to be selected.
- Sounds pretty straight forward, but I ran some of the numbers and on average 90% of our signups are what I would classify as one off signups with 1 or fewer posts. Then if we look at those with 50 or more posts that number is only 2% of the overall signups.

Complete your profile!
- This includes a profile picture - this is one of the first things we look for with tester selections.
- Although the new Player Profile is not a requirement, it is high encouraged and will not only help us, but you and other members. For you, signups will be quicker as much of the info is pulled from your profile and for members it helps them see how their game relates to their own.

Get involved!
- I want to state that we actively work to get a well rounded group for all testing selections. This includes attempting to get at least one brand new tester per test as well as include international members as well.
- That being said, being active on the forum, creating new content for the community is huge. We want to make sure the OEM and community gets the best possible review (I mean completed, not good as in praise) and having a body of work even if minimal is important.
- Only ever involved in sign up testing threads? Not likely going to increase your chances. Just being honest, likely not going to happen.

Really want to stand out?
- Do a unofficial review! We may have more on this coming soon which will hopefully help our review catalogue, but having unofficial review gives us a insight as to what you are able to do! 
- Want to make it a more official unofficial review? Send us a PM and we can provide you with the template that is used for all the official reviews.
Do you have to be a donor?
- No, although being a donor can be used as a tie breaker it is not a necessity to become a tester. Not only that but we cannot see how much anyone has donated.
- While we are on this, if you have donated and don’t have the tag send myself (tag) a PM with your transaction number for it to be added.

That is the basics to becoming a tester. Pretty simple right? We don’t ask for much, but we do want to see these things in order to make our selections more trustworthy.

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Now all the other nuances

I believe it is important for us (mods) to be transparent about all of this as again we are members like you as I said.

So for those that don’t know or want a bit of a sneak peak of what happens behind closed doors… or computer screens let me do a bit of a run down for everyone.

Once a test is created everyone signs up and during this process we actively take a look at who has applied and create a short list. We are fortunate to have a wealth of info at our disposal to make this a robust list.

Examples? We look at recent activity, been a tester before? We look at your review(s) grades (more on this later), yes donor status, number of posts, number of reactions, location, handedness, and more.

As well the mods add in notes for thoughts on each member who has made a short list. We also look at what members have tested in the past. If you tested a set of irons the previous year, chances are we won’t look to do another iron selection for this year.

There is no limit to how many members we can have on a short list, it can be 5 or it can be 40. All depends on how everyone feels about the members who have applied.

We aim to have the short list completed within 2-3 days after the signup has closed. It is then roughly a week later that we want our 4 or however many testers are required to be selected and then announced before moving onto the next test.

In order for us to select someone for testing it needs the go ahead from at least 3 mods. This way no one mod can control or have bias towards certain testers.

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What happens after being selected?

- A group PM is made with the selected testers asking if they agree to completed and participate in the review process. We expected good efforts on all reviews and for members to follow the guidelines/templates and instructions from the mods during the process. It is perfectly okay for someone to back out. It happens, life happens and maybe the commitment is too much which again is perfectly okay! In that case we go back to our short list and grab someone else.|

- Remember reviews are work and not just winning a prize.

- After everyone has agreed to completing the review and participating we move onto the order process for the product (if fittings are required this can take a little longer) the order is placed through the mods and we wait for the product to arrive.

- During this time intros are worked on and when the product arrives unboxing/first impression posts are completed.

- After everyone has their kit we (mods and testers) discuss a timeframe for when reviews are to be completed (this was a complicated one last year with product wait times…)

- Final reviews are posted then as mods we have more work to do as reviews are graded. This is outlined in the templates for testers to see as well as what makes for a 1 out of 5 and 5 out of 5 and everything inbetween.

- These grades are REALLY important. As if someone bails on a review, it is good luck getting in on another review. We take pride in these reviews and our selections and being ghosted or having someone take zero effort is really disappointing.

- For reference we understand life happens and there can be situations that cause someone to have a review completed late or something come up which make it harder to do the review and are of course lenient. I will send several follow up messages for those that are late in posting or gone mia, but after a few of those I will record it in our overall record that said member has gone mia and should not be considered for further reviews. 
Review grades are used for future selections. Good review scores better a testers chances at another review in a following year where poor reviews lesson those chances. So as a first time tester it is certainly best to do the work and get in a good review IF you want to better your chances next year.
We do our best as a mod team to promote and create engagement within each review thread (last year with the new system was tough we all know), but in the end it is a lot on the testers to put out updates during their review to bring eyes to the thread.

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Finally a few general rules of thumb

- Testers are generally only selected for one test per season. Exception being a Golf Ball test or lesser valued items.
- Brand new testers are often selected for lower valued items, like golf balls. However this is not exclusive. Example I was selected for Ping i210 irons with my first ever review. Again it is a general guideline and a first time tester who has put out good content to the community can of course be selected for a higher valued item.
- Testers are generally not selected for the same equipment type year over year. Meaning tested a driver last year? More likely you won’t get a driver test again this season. Again general rule as sometimes it is interesting to see someone test the progress of a product year over year. 
Apply for what you WANT to test. Of course you can apply for everything and anything, but truly it is best to apply for a product that excites you. It is pretty easy for us to notice the same name applying in testing for every single test even when they are currently testing a product! 
Most importantly, enjoy the experience, have fun with it and ask questions. Be creative and although there is a template do what you can within those guidelines and make a unique review that will be remembered.

Finally follow up is encouraged, whether it be with the mods or in the testing thread it is noticed and very much encouraged as members are often still curious about what is going on. 

For those that made it ALL the way down here, well done. Seriously. Have more questions just ask away!

I read and reread the recent MGS ball report and don't know why they believe most golfers use urethane covered golf balls (although I find a ton of pro v1s in the bushes so I know there are a lot of slicers out there who are wasting money left and right). For myself, I like Wilson Duo, Callaway SuperSoft and Titleist Trufeel. If I lose one, tough on my score but easy on my pocket.

Lofting up (if your 3w has that capability) is a good start.  Up till this year, gamed a SLDR 3HL (17* loft) - basically a 4w head on a 3w length shaft.  Now using a Ping G410 that is adjustable, lofted up .5 to 15*.  This club carries further and is more accurate than the SLDR.  I have worked to make sure I make contact first with a bruising of the turf after when off the deck.    Getting consistent long penetrating flight.  It has become a regular part of the arsenal.  

Reviewers like to mention that mid and high cappers find thin top lines to be intimidating to look at, but I don’t find that to be the case for me. Now, if an iron has a very small blade and an extremely thin sole I expect it to be unforgiving, but since you don’t hit the ball anywhere near the top line, I just don’t see that as intimidating. 

Mr Wishon makes some good points.  Let me first say, I've never been fitted and know I should.  COVID has killed that for me at the moment.  Hopefully soon.  For me, I play a 1" shorter shaft on the driver and I like it.  I don't hit far, a lot of that is due to the physical mechanics I deal with (no toes on the left foot, grafted skin where they used to be, no lateral support in that foot, the list goes on).  What has helped is that I have my driver dialed up in terms of loft somewhere around 11.5-12.0*.  Then again I believe SLDR drivers need to be lofted up to get back to reasonable lofts.  Also I have worked hard to make consistent strikes in the middle of the face, spray powder on the face even when playing a round is great soon, certain and positive feedback.   Also I play with a "R" the shaft, have toyed with going to an "A" shaft.  I am not afraid of the "senior" flex, I play forward at the senior tees most of the time anyway.  All of this is "educated" guesses and can either be validated or debunked with a good fitting.   

How long have you been playing golf? What’s your handicap or normal score?   Literally just got into playing golf over the past 18 mos and at age 60, I feel like I am finally playing a game that has always been in me.  My score has improved quite a bit over this past season - started shooting 140-150 (true hacker) to most recent rounds have been between 110 and 105.  A long way to go but love the fun of improving.  
What do you love about golf?  It is a game of challenge that is never the same.  How a hole plays today will be different tomorrow.  Also there is nothing like that first par or birdie and knowing the magic happened.  
What brings you to MyGolfSpy? Do you already know any other Spies?  I love the honest reporting and how the guys are up front about the sport.  Its not about the big 4 so to speak but rather about who is doing a better job in terms of equipment.  I am afraid I don't....then again being new here there may be a spy in the hood that I did not know was a spy. 
Where are you from? What is your home course?  I am from the New Bern, NC area.  If I have a home course is would be Minnesott Golf & Country Club.  However, as I understand it, the course is up for sale so its future is going to be dependent on a new buyer and what kind of cash they are willing to invest.  It is a good course that offers fun and challenges.  
What are the best and worst things about golf in your region?  Having played only courses local to me - most are older designs that vary in quality of fairways, greens.  All are semi-private therefore I have only that experience - there are some private courses that I would love try one day, but that remains to be seen.  In eastern NC varying terrain is not the norm, some courses do offer great elevation changes but nothing like courses in mid- to western-NC.  Looking forward to maybe playing a course or two in New England as our son recently transferred there (he's in the Navy). 
What do you do for a living?  Pretty much retired, but in my former life I was in purchasing for a facility.  If I had been smart I would have taken up golf then and enjoyed maybe a few rounds as a business type venture. 
How’d you pick your user name?  Its just my name and nothing special.