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2019 Official Forum Member Review-Lynx Black Cat and Prowler VT Irons


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Lynx Golf announced it's return to the US Market earlier this year.  To help spread the word, Lynx offered up 4 sets of it's Black Cat and 4 sets of it's Prowler VT irons to testers of tMYGolfSpy.   These testers will be sharing their thoughts with you on everything regarding these irons. 

They'll begin with a bio of themselves and their games so you can see which tester might most resemble your playing ability and some initial thoughts on the looks of the clubs fresh out of the boxes from the UK.  

Over the next six weeks or so, they will be returning to the thread to share their thoughts and answer any specific questions you may have about the irons, so check back here regularly to see how they are performing for the testers. 

prowler-VT.png

Testers for the Black Cats are

@knightsofnii                                           Stage 1                         Stage 2

@JimNantzsToast                                   Stage 1                          Stage 2

@kardboard.kid                                       Stage 1                          Stage 2              

@daviddvm                                              Stage 1                         Stage 2

 

Prowler VT Testers are:

@Jmikecpa                                             Stage 1                        Stage 2                 

@JudgeSmails                                       Stage 1                         Stage 2

@azstu324                                             Stage 1                         Stage 2

@blackngold_blood                                Stage 1                        Stage 2

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Lynx Black Cat Irons– Stage 2 Review by knightsofnii

9/12/19

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It’s fall of 2011, right around this time.  I’m a mechanical-engineer for a large organization.  I help design new products and modernize old products.  My personal focus is on safety.  I do a lot of 3D modeling with CAD systems.  An invite went out to the branch for a golf outing.  I’ve hit the range a few times in my 20’s and played a par-3 course once.  I have old Spalding clubs with Persimmon woods.  But, it’s been 15 plus years.  “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!”  My division manager is partnered with me in a 2 person scramble.  He lent me a metal driver, and helped me with my swing.  I played poorly, but I did have a few nice shots!  I was hooked.  

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I bought a new starter-set from Dick’s Sporting Goods.  I got a discount card to Crystal Springs Golf Resorts: 7 courses in my area of northern NJ.  I’d play their cheaper courses as often as I could.  By the following year, I acquired a new Taylormade Burner driver and Mizuno JPX 825 irons.  During that time, I met my wife, Michelle, who also golfs.  Our first date (7 years ago today, 9/12!) was at a range.  Our five year anniversary is tomorrow.

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She loves skiing, and I love snowboarding.  I—love—snowboarding.  A friend and I own a small snowboard brand.  We build the boards ourselves.  We sell a handful of production decks, and a couple customs per year.  It’s difficult, but very rewarding work. 

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In 2011, Lynx was cheap discount balls, and starter-sets at Dick’s or Golfsmith.  I never gave Lynx much thought.  I had seen photos and videos of Tour pros hitting shots, wearing Lynx hats.  “If only Fred Couples had good equipment!” I thought.  Little did I know, Lynx was a top notch brand.  I feel they’re on their way back—definitely trending upward. 

For testing I did some range sessions at my course to see if there was any tangible difference that I could find between these, my Wilsons, Mizunos, and Cobras.  I could not detect any distance differences.  If anything, these fly a few feet higher and have a pinch more hang-time. I was able to achieve this with all my clubs given enough shots; but, the Cats seem to repeat this high-hanging shot more.

I needed numbers.  I spent an hour on PGA Tour Superstore's practice bay in Paramus, NJ.  To save the shot data, I took a video while toggling through each shot recorded.  At home, I entered all the shots into Excel for comparisons.  I purchased Arccos for my birthday, to help track shots on the course, and see if there are any trends. 

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I also played the back 9 of my course with just irons and wedges.  This got me some more shot data and also familiarized me with my 5i.

 

Looks (9 of 10 points)

General Shape:

The top-line is thick. They’re definitely GI clubs dimensionally. But, the hollow-body blade-like-shape looks nice when in the bag.  Standing over them at address, the thick topline is noticeable, but the face shape seems slightly compact vs. GI irons. They definitely look the part of a hollow-body club designed for forgiveness. The offset is noticeable, but not overbearing like some other GI clubs I've tried. The offset gets more pronounced on the long-iron end. The 5i definitely has more offset than I'd like. But, it did not seem to affect my shots.

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After some swings with each, I was comfortable with the shapes. After hitting consistently good and acceptable shots with them, I had forgotten all about offset and topline.  I want to subtract a point for top line and offset but I really can't. I was expecting a more forgiving, GI version of the Prowler-VT, and I think GI shaping is just a rule-of-thumb for that.  However, I don't think it's overdone.

The lofts are higher per club, to the point where the 7i to 5i are probably one club weaker than most clubs available except for players clubs (my Cobra AMP Cell Pro MB’s have comparable lofts).  But, even Players-Distance clubs have stronger lofts. Though it puts the Cats at a disadvantage in comparison, I think their goal was to use the technology itself, not the loft, to improve distance, while retaining spin rates, and—an added bonus—turf interaction. They also have greater bounce angles that coincide with the lofts.

The face has less rounding and chamfering about the edge compared to my other irons, giving it a sharper, but slightly chunkier look. The grooves appear thinner, and the paint-fill within them is inconsistent.  The rest of the shape is consistent with other hollow-body GI and Players-Distance irons.

 

Graphics:

The black face and body with overlays is quite nice. They definitely look different in the bag.  The black head, logo down all black grip, and bare chrome shaft (also logo down) is a stunning look. They are definitely flashy, though nobody has asked me about them. The green Arccos sensors installed perfectly match the green graphics on the heads.

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I would subtract a point for inconsistent paint fill in the grooves; but, over time the paint fill irregularities seem to be blended out from wear.  The black PVD finish scratches easily, and about the leading edge on my short irons, it is wearing off.  Ignore the vertical scratches on the PW, I scrubbed the head with a dirty brush; however, that shows its susceptibility to scratches. 

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Bag chatter or something else has created a tiny dent in the top edge of my PW.  I don’t think it’s affecting performance in any way.  All in all, I put these clubs through the ringer.  I did not clean them, they chattered all over the place, I probably hit tree roots and stones under the turf.  I think they are mostly victims of “normal wear and tear”.   The finish still looks really good, albeit scratched up.  A perfect-ten would come if they figure out a way to apply black in a wear-resistant form.  If you dig black and you’re also a nerd about keeping your clubs fancy, get head covers. 

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Sound & Feel (10 of 10 points)

The sound is smooth.  I notice no real difference in sound between solid strikes and mishits. I don't really know how to describe that middle-road between a cracking and a thumping sound, it has a good blend of both.  There are no sonic quirks.  Looking back, a sound that is "nothing to write home about" is a positive:  it isn’t annoying nor troubling.   My new driver’s metallic crack on every swing is ear-piercing.

The feel is one aspect that stands out.  I have some forged MB’s and CB’s. When you hit those dead-center, you know and feel it. The Black Cats feel better.  That that "damn I nailed that!" feeling happens often.  I feel the ball compress, the face flex, the shaft deflect, and the grip dampen all at once for that split second. Verification comes when I look up and see the ball traveling up and away.  I hit a few tee-shots directly into the sun.  Based on feel and the first foot of trajectory, I could tell I nailed it, and walked up the fairway, finding the ball dead-center. 

My Wilsons, though very forgiving, feel quite opposite. They are often that harsh, stinger feel, even when just barely mishit.  Only perfectly struck shots replicate any type of positive feel.

I can say without hesitation, the Cats are the best feeling iron I have hit.  Mishits are pronounced when mis-hit: like that "oh I thinned it!" shot that goes low and rockets away.  Off the toe the feel is muted a little as well as off the heel.  The thin shots are definite stingers if they come off near the blade.  Fat shots are muted similarly to toes and heels.  Anything within probably 1cm to dead-center has a nice butter feeling.  This photo shows 3 consecutive toe-bias shots. All 3 felt awesome.  Any shot inside of those marks felt incredible.

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I’d give 11 for sound and feel, because the sound is normal but the feel is amazing.

 

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

Dispersion on the range seemed better with the Cats vs. the Wilsons and Cobras.  Launch data shows less side spin, more backspin, and less roll vs the Wilsons.   I believe due to these aspects, and on-course verification of witnessing the incredible ball-stoppage, I am confident the Cats will show a tighter dispersion. 

Distance is less than Wilsons but better than the MB Cobras, which makes sense due to the lofts. The distance still feels good. They seem consistent.  The Wilsons are long.   Distance gapping of the Cats is consistent.  Arccos does not really reflect this, as it is taking into consideration some of the fat and thin shots, shots into wind, uphill, etc.  I can aim at a 145yd pin with the 8i, take my standard shot, and have confidence it will be somewhere pin-high.  If it’s a 150-155 yd pin, I can choke down on the 7i, or adjust my 8i swing for a slight draw, giving it a few more feet of travel and 2-3 more feet of roll. 

Trajectory is very high. Stingers are mid to low, but slight thinned shots are still mid-high.  Shots into the wind do get punished, and I definitely have to club up.  Shots uphill work nicely, and still land soft.   I am not used to having the ball stop so easily. 

 

Forgiveness:

Toe and heel are not punished if hit inside the sweet spot. They do penalize me when more toward the perimeter.  Occasionally I'll get a toed or slight pull that ends up left and probably 10yds further than intended.  The blocked shot usually falls short.  These are the extreme of the mishits though. I think the most punishing of them is the thin shot, which usually just rockets and then rolls.  I hit my 9i 165 the other day when I thinned it.  Only the fattest of fat shots really hurt.  Slight fat shots fall short but not too bad.

 

Control:

I don't think there’s a club that is point-and-shoot.  I think these get the ball up into the air and can go far, but you still need to put a good swing on them.  I think they do a better job at hitting straight high shots than a players club, while maintaining some of that players club positive characteristics like being able to stop the ball.  Players-Forgiveness or Players-Game-Restoration are two new category titles that come to mind.

The control aspect that I love is seeing the ball stop. The steep descent angles and high spin really applies the brakes.  I can hit my Vice Drive logo balls, Tour B300-RX, Tour-BX, Pro-V1, Warbirds... they all stop, dead.  Applying a solid swing, and nailing the distance, is my main focus.  6i hits and stops inside 7-8'. I've gotten the 5i to stop.  This was a 6i from the rough.

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Workability:

Stock shot-shape is high and drops near the target.  I can aim at flags when there are trees down-range in the way.  On the range, I’m able to hit straight, fade, and draw. The draw for me is tougher and can be more of a mid-high penetrating straight flight. The fade is high but comes short.  To fade the ball around something, I would club up.  Mainly, as a high handicap, I'm focused on the straight ball, and accept a 1-2yd fade or draw when they come.

To hit a lower shot, I'm better off clubbing up, choking down, and hitting my "Bryson shot" (stiff arms, all body). Yesterday I kept a 55yd pitch shot below tree branches by choking down and hooding the PW, with a half-swing.  These things just want to go high. 

 

On-Course Performance (25 out of 30 points)

On high-pressure shots, these definitely are not holding me back!  I feel confident with these clubs and know under most circumstances, it's going down-range.  “It’s not the arrows…” has never been truer.  I feel I’m experiencing a reduced occurrence of mishits punishing me.  Mishits seem to end up leaving me favorable recovery shots, like not going half distance but ending up near the green. My 9-6 irons are hitting and holding greens.  I can hit the 5i and get it up and away.   They are performing well on sand shots.  When struck well out of a fairway bunker, they produce a similar flight to my fairway shots.  Fliers out of the rough have been minimal.  I did have one 6i from the rough that knuckle-balled and wobbled; but, it went the intended distance, and parked hole-high. 

Due to the high trajectory I had better luck when attempting to go over obstacles.  But, as I’ve said, my swing produces high shots with all of my clubs, and all irons.  I just haven’t worked out the punch-shots just yet, and it’s possible that my old swing may now be my punch-shot. 

I don’t have enough data to know if the KBS Tour 90R shafts are contributing to the height and trajectory.  I hope Lynx creates a 7i demo club hosel so people can try other shafts.  I do like the high, soft landing shots; and I feel that for me, the increase in GIR will balance out positively vs. any loss in lowering the ball-flight. 

Final Performance Comments:

I’m hitting greens and holding them.  I can aim at pins with short-irons.  I can aim at the center and hit greens with long-irons.  Everything stops.  I can hit center-green with the 5i and get it to stop before going off the back.  That’s what happens when real technology is applied to proper lofts, I suppose.  There’s no gimmicky jargon as a masquerade for jacked lofts.

I didn’t know the Lynx of old, I knew the cheap value-brand version of the early 2010’s.  Today’s Lynx clubs seem to be a much better effort and prove that they can hang with known commercial alternatives. They’re using current tech such as attaching a forged face to a hollow body, filling with dampening material, and altering face thicknesses to maximize COR and MOI. This allows them to have a super-hot and very forgiving face, and rather than strengthen lofts and say "they launch high", they use the hot face as the advantage and keep the lofts high, thus retaining high spin.  I think, in this way, they can carve a niche.  I bet there are 1-handicappers out there that will fall off and become 6's, and will want to retain the blade/mb properties as much as possible, but will want help with mishits.  These clubs will do that.  I bet there are high handicappers like myself, who are improving, but want their irons to stop the ball.  Distance isn't everything, I know how far these clubs will carry, and stop or roll a couple feet.  My GIRs are increasing and I still have GI properties in the club.

To improve this model:  Figure out another way to get black finish, maybe anodizing or heat treatment.  Make the grooves larger, they don’t inspire confidence visually, though they seem to work!  Try to thin and round the top-line more.  Figure out the paint issues with the grooves.  Offer more shaft options for personalizing flight.  Add X, Sr, A, and L flexes.  Add a 50 degree gap wedge.  Provide a distinct description of characteristics vs. who the target golfer is—it’s still vague.  Are they really for everyone?  Can a low handicap get over the clunkiness when they see the "Cat Claws ™” technology take hold and stop the ball?  Can they accept they can’t hook or slice them as much as blades, but retain loft characteristics as an alternative to Players-Distance clubs?  I think some can.  I think Lynx needs to include this; but also state why they are good for mid and high handicappers.

The traditional lofts and bounce characteristics are standouts. Turf interaction is great. Fat shots still hit the ball out moderately, whereas a more digging club would penalize fats far more.  A distance and shot helping iron that spins the ball is not common, if at all offered anywhere else.  I do love the black, I just want it to resist wear.

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

Packaging was an issue, but I lucked out.  As I said in stage 1, the box was opened, poorly re-taped, and damaged.  Nobody knows the cause.  Did the courier do it? Did the USA Lynx reps do it? We know Lynx HQ is investigating that issue. I appreciate that they have interest in us and are addressing feedback. In the end my clubs were not damaged, so I'm not worried and I'm confident they’ll solve the case.

Add a point back for their customer service. They responded to my emails promptly (i didn’t tell them who I was) with info I requested. The owners sent us statements apologizing for the packaging issue, they seem to have great interest in this review; and, to offer up 8 full iron-sets to amateurs is characteristic of a top-notch company willing to take the proper steps to take it to the next level.

My grip/shaft logo-down option looks awesome. They will do what you ask.  I bet an actual buyer could request shafts and they would accommodate (based on price difference of course).

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Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)

Play it! They fly high, and they hold greens!  The other day I hit the 7i, downhill, 175, over trees, and it hit a back-sloping green and stopped dead, from the rough.  I can't tell you any other GI club I'd be confident taking that shot with. You will see photos all over this thread of bomb-holes in the green, and the ball inside 4 feet of it.  It happens all-the-time.  I need to figure out a low flying shot, but like I said, I believe that to be me and not the clubs.  Basically: club up, choke down, hit with less power.  Looks do matter, and they do have a bit of the chunky GI type shape.  But based on experience, now when I stand over the ball and look down at the club-head, I have confidence in my ability. 

 

Conclusion

Game-improvement irons today focus on distance, straightness, and launch-angle; but, it seems to be at the expense of what happens when the landing-gear is deployed.  Your 8i can fly 155 and you're using it for a 160-170 pin. That's rad. This 8i will fly 145-150, and stop.  Dead.  Aim directly at the flag. Look at the number on your scope, it will do it--no math.  Just pick the right club.  Spend a few days getting your carry distances, and watch your scores drop.  Is it really that simple?  No, but I'm sure the GIR percentage will increase.

Lynx claims these are for everyone. I would say every golfer can find potential in these clubs.  A low handicapper may find solace knowing these can stick greens because they don’t give up spin.  A high handicapper may enjoy the high launch, easy to get airborne characteristics, and confidence in 1-3 more GIR per round.  The feel is amazing and on slight mishits is also excellent. I think these would score lower on distance if they were in a MGS Most wanted.  I think they would get a "most forgiving" or some other "mini-award" within the contest for things like feel, spin, or value.  They would score low on finish wear and people might find issue with the thin grooves, even if they don't seem to negatively affect flight.

Final Score: (90 out of 100)

 

***************************************

I wish to show my gratitude to MGS Staff, Lynx, donors, and message board members.  This all started with a donation, a lot of “pick me” posts, and settling in and getting engaged in some of the content.  Getting the chance to review equipment is an honor.  It is also very fun; and, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t doing a little showboating... haha.  Two product reviews for 2019… thanks so much! 

 
Edited by knightsofnii
Stage 2 up!!

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :Fuji: Motore X F3 R 

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, Project X PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg PXV R. Aldila RIP 70 R; King Utility 4i, UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap S 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), Project X LZ 5.5 

:cleveland-small:      CBX-2 50/11 

:taylormade-small:   ATV 56/16deg 

:1332069271_TommyArmour:  Impact No.3 Align putter

:Arccos:     Caddie for tracking.     

:titelist-small:            Pro V1X balls

 

Previous forum tests:

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips, Lynx Black Cat 5-PW.    2020:  :skycaddie: LX5 Watch.    2021:  :1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact #3 Align putter

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Stage 2

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Intro

I’m back! In my stage 1 review, I mentioned that I may be able to get down to the MGS Compound to do some testing. Unfortunately that was not possible for me. The bright side, is that all of my testing was done on the golf course, and on multiple driving ranges. I played over 15 rounds of golf, and had at least that many range sessions. During some of these sessions, I compared the Lynx Black Cats to my other sets of irons, the Cobra King F8, and Adams Pro Black CB irons.

Looks (6 out of 10 points) 

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Overall, I like the general shape of the Black Cats. I think the best looking iron I have owned are the Adams Idea Pro Black CB irons (pictures below), but the Black Cat looks just slightly game-improvement-y than most game improvement irons. The topline doesn’t seem quite as thick as the Cobra irons, or Taylormade irons some of my playing partners have. I really dislike the graphics. I think the knock-off Ping “eye” graphic, the “bedazzled” silver, and the neon-ish green look cheap and tacky. That being said, the black finish looks good (not very durable), and the overall profile of the club (if you take out the green and silver) has great potential to look really good. I have had a few people ask me about the irons in my bag, but only barely more than normal (one or two times in the last few months).

Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

I really like the sound and feel of these irons. They sound somewhat more muted than the Cobra irons, and definitely feel softer. The best comparison/explanation I can say is this: on most GI irons, or SGI irons, I have had very small amounts of feel. Pretty much they feel like almost nothing if you have a good ball strike, and a little harsher feeling on mis-hits. With the Black Cats, I believe the feel is exceptional, close to the amount of feedback offered in my Adams Idea Pro Black CB1 Forged irons.

A perfectly struck ball still has a bit of feeling to it, you can feel the face flex, it’s very satisfying. But a bad ball strike doesn’t feel too harsh, but you can really tell if it’s a toe/heel, fat/thin shot – which is great.

Basic Characteristics (16 out of 20 points)

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Accuracy: These irons are incredibly consistent. Miss hits on the toe, heel, fat or thin all travel a reasonably similar distance. The spin of these irons is interesting – as I mentioned in stage 1. They don’t spin back at all, rather hit the green, and end up within a few feet of the divot (depending how you struck the ball – draw/fade).

Distance: Probably the worst attribute of the Black Cats. I have lost about a half a club of distance with each iron. Before I received the Lynx irons, my swing had improved drastically, I used to hit my 7 iron 145 yards, I was hitting it closer to 155. As soon as I received the Black Cats, that distance dropped again to right about 145 yards. The only “positive” to this goes back to the spin of these, the ball just stops wherever it lands on the green, so they are very predictable.

These irons have a high trajectory, there’s no question about it. I’d say slightly higher than the Cobra F8.

I’m impressed with the workability for the Black Cats, especially for how forgiving they are. I have hit hooks and slices (on purpose) to get out of bad spots with these. This comes much easier than with the Cobra F8 irons (except for the F8 gap wedge – which has way less “GI technology”).

On-Course Performance (25 out of 30 points)

This is where these irons shine. That should be all that matters right? I have shot consistently under 90 more with these irons than any other time in my illustrious golfing career. I also shot my all time best 81 with these irons. Once I got used to the slight distance loss, and dialed in the spin characteristics, they are a very accurate iron. My biggest gripe with the on-course performance is the 6 iron. For some odd reason, after 20 ish rounds with these irons, I only just recently was able to hit the 6 iron with any confidence, consistency, or success. I do not have this issue with the 5 iron or any others in the set, which makes it a little more curious.

I am very confident hitting these irons under pressure, it there’s money on the line between buddies, or an island green on a par 3 – I have never been more confident in where the ball will land.

Again, I really wish these Cats had some more distance in them. I’m sure as my swing progresses, and I get better, I’ll be able to get some more distance out of them, but as of now – it’s not there, and I have to rely more on my woods and hybrids from long distance.

What I’d love to see coming up on any future iterations on the Black Cat:

A little bit of loft-jacking. I’m not talking crazy amounts like the new TA irons, or some Callaway models, but something a little bit stronger would go a long way. Obviously, if you’ve read this far, you know I am not a fan of the looks of the iron. More subtlety would be awesome, no knock off ping “eye, no bedazzled silver, and a higher quality black finish would be phenomenal.

Miscellaneous (2 out of 10 points)

A few things about these irons that don’t fit anywhere else:

The packaging was really cheap and awful looking (well documented by others here).

The grooves feel really really shallow, which may be why they don’t seem to spin too much. But also may be why they are more forgiving (less spin in general).

But the biggest thing is they didn’t include the Gap Wedge I requested. This isn’t a huge deal because… they are “free” clubs. But we were all under the impression that we could outfit the set how we saw fit. I know some testers here were adamant about “logo down” on everything, or had extreme specifics on how they wanted their irons customized. Their site advertises the gap wedge as available, if we asked for it, why not send one? I kept my F8 GW in my bag for the duration of this test, and that is really the only thing holding me back from 100% switching to the Lynx irons – I play with it so well, it’s allowing some questions to seep into my mind about maybe the Cobra’s are really great too.

Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20 points)

These irons will be in my bag moving forward. I am proving that by using them for my tournament on Monday. They have proven that I play my best with these clubs in my bag, with my best and most consistent scores ever coming directly from these Black Cats! I think they are very fairly priced, but will likely be overlooked due to the distance problem that I (and I’m sure others) have – which will be destroyed on a launch monitor battle. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks they do not look very nice.

I really like these, and they will stay with me for the time being. The gap wedge issue may be a blessing in disguise, so I can consider one of the new awesome looking wedges coming out, the new Ping Glide, CBX, Jaws, and the rumors of the Kirkland weges!

Conclusion

I really like these irons. They are incredibly consistent, feel great, and instill confidence. They are the ugliest iron I’ve had (or used), and do not go as far as I’d like them to. But overall the consistency really makes them worth the price of admission, the only way they get kicked out is if I can find an iron that matches the consistency and accuracy of the Black Cats, while giving me some more distance.

Final Score: 79 (the only real negatives are looks, distance, and miscellaneous)

compare5.jpg

Edited by JimNantzsToast

Tommy Armour 845 10.5*

:callaway-small: Rogue 3W

:cobra-small: King F7 5W

Sub70 939 3H

Lynx Black Cat //:cobra-small: King F8 5i-GW 

:ping-small: Tour-S 54*/12*

Adams Tom Watson 58*/8*

Tommy Armour 303 Milled Habanero 

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Welcome back MGS family for part two of the Lynx Black Cat review.  This is a great honor that was afforded me and I hope that this review will do it justice.   I would like to reach out and offer my sincere thanks to Lynx, and MGS for this opportunity.  As a designer, I know it is not always easy or comfortable when handing a design off for review and critique.  So, with that said, let’s get this party started! 

As you have been made aware Lynx is once more working back onto the golf scene with several new club designs.  With excitement I accepted the challenge of reviewing the Black Cat Irons.  From the beginning it became clear that Lynx was new, and that there were parts of the ordering process and supply process that they had not yet worked through.  This however was offset by the great response given by the personnel at Lynx in addressing different needs and questions.  There was even a written response to how our clubs were shipped and arrived to us.  That to me puts them in a world class setting.  Due to the limited options provided however; (to us the testers), namely the type of shaft and the grip options, I decided to put a twist on the club testing and subsequent review. 

This past spring, I was fitted with clubs and after playing them a few months was convinced I could break 90, and consistently play in the 80’s by end of summer.  When the opportunity of reviewing new irons was offered to me, I decided to put my fit clubs away for the duration of testing.  While the clubs I received were built to my fitting requirements, as far as lie angle and length of shaft, the actual shaft was not.  So, I decided to do the review as though I had gone to a Sporting Goods store and purchased the clubs off the shelf.  My reason? Based on my research, 80 -90% of recreational golfers play clubs that are not fit to them.  To me that says 80-90% of golfers buy “off the rack”.  For that very large group that feels the need to purchase the “Mall Store” approach, This review is for you.

I will try to break my review down to simple terms and descriptions, since this review may inspire or deter you from looking into Lynx golf.  Lets quickly review the key areas I will be addressing;

  1. Looks, 2. Sound and Feel, 3. Basic Characteristics, 4. On Course performance, 5. Other, 6. Play or Trade, and Conclusion

Looks

Let me say that these clubs are very flashy.  The black finish with colored insert cause people to turn their heads.  There were many on the course that I played with that ask about the clubs and even some that wanted to swing them or even hit with them.  That is a very important component for the recreational golfer.  You want to look the part, even if your score card doesn’t back you up.  The club at address does look thick.  The insert has color options, but for out testing purpose the clubs were fitted with the same color insert.  At address the club looks more like a blade than a cavity back, so you don’t feel your swinging Thor’s Hammer.

9 points out of 10

 

 IMG_20190809_160934345.thumb.jpg.bea4b48076a6c0c6dde7f8ad4a4b0026.jpg

 

 

 

Sound and Feel

The club sound when striking the golf ball is a solid sound.  There isn’t any ting, or snap, or empty can sound.  I tried to get a good recording of the sound, but my phone was not having any of that.  In my video on stage one you can here the clean sound.  I don’t think there was ever a different sound no matter where on the face the ball hit.   I also noticed that there was no area on the face where the impact was less.  By that I mean mishits either side of the club still felt like down the middle strong.

That will surely give the golfer confidence in their swing.  I found I was also more comfortable with my swing.  The down side would be the weight of the head.  Even though it may look thinner than the usual cavity back club, it has a definite weight to it.  For me that was a problem, combined with the shaft I found my shots did not match my swing.  I’ll get into that later on.

5 points out of 10

 

Basic Characteristics

To start, the direction your club hits the ball is the direction the ball will travel.  These clubs are built to also have a higher than normal trajectory.  What I found was my swing and the clubs did not work well.  I am a winter weather sport player from my childhood, so my hockey swing, with wrist action is a constant issue.  For those looking to buy a box set online and then go out and play you will be frustrated.  My normal shot shape is a left to right easy motion.  If I set up shooting the left side of the fairway I can generally put it center of my destination, being next shot into the green or the green.  I was very comfortable and confident with that swing.  These clubs do not react the same.  Partly because the face is so forgiving, and partly because the shaft was different than what I was used to.  I started from square one, and spent hours hitting into my practice net in my back yard.  For me, and my schedule this was the best option.  The down side is I do not currently own a launch monitor, so I do not have imperical data to share.

After awhile I was able to find the right swing, and started shaping shots.  Unfortunately the other component being the heavy head and high trajectory, I found my shots to be inconsistent.  Again for the average golfer with no set swing, and direction for fitting, each shot could become an adventure in itself.  The biggest positive on these clubs performance is the distance.   Myself, or anyone that hit these clubs found an additional 10 -15 yds carry.  The other thing I really want to recognize is the ball reaction off the face.  When I started using the clubs on the course, I found I would slip back into my favorite swing.  I’d set up hitting left planning on bring the ball back to the right.  What happened was the ball shot off left and straight as an arrow continued left.  If I tried to aim right and bring the ball back to the left it went right, straight as an arrow.  This is a great feature to someone who has one swing, straight up and straight down like a pendulum. 

There was also as the rounds grew, noticeable wearing and marks on the clubs.  This year was especially wet so I was splashing more than hitting hard dry ground.  The marks were a surprise for sure.  I will add some pictures for you to see.  Also clubs bounce a bit in the bag on the cart, and there were some notable chips on the clubs as well.  For ball spin, I never noticed the ball stopping quickly, no matter where I hit from or which club I used.  More so it was the height of the shot that caused the ball to stop.  I left some pretty deep ball marks on the greens, and fairways.

IMG_20190809_160630432.thumb.jpg.45ecd75fc52919a16e58be6e57933f7e.jpg

 

IMG_20190809_160720338.thumb.jpg.f268b1b7d7effa85eb5e94b1c4533e74.jpg

Due to the struggles with the clubs, I did not see an improvement with my golf score, and because I wanted to keep the “off the Shelf” review consistent I forced myself not to look into changing shafts, or grips, or anything else.  I used the same ball the entire time, well the same ball manufacturer.  Callaway Diablo.  That took a major variance out of the equation and review.  The pressure of no confidence in my club, or swing really caused me to struggle at times.  I know I had the right club, distance, and shot shape, but rarely found all three happening at the same time.

IMG_20190809_160701960.thumb.jpg.b0406432d32ba42d3e12e97db1f24e88.jpg

10 points out of 20

Miscellaneous

I will address this portion as though I was a consumer ordering product on line.  Please keep in mind that since this is a review for MGS the OEM basically gave away their product. The packaging when received was a white box with the Lynx logo printed on the center of one panel.  As is typical of shipments through the parcel process the box was beat pretty good, and the once clean white box was marked and scuffed.  Personally I feel the cost for White verses Kraft box could be spent elsewhere.  The product inside was not damaged, and the inner packing proved appropriate.  I would have chosen blue inserts, and graphite shafts, and other grips than offered.  As stated in the beginning Lynx has been very proactive in response to issues and their overall embarresment of how the package looked when delivered. 

9 points out of 10

Play or Trade

I have conversed with my son on this.  He was a single digit handicap till work took all his time.  He said he would love to take the clubs and play them for at least the rest of this year, and then both he and I can talk.  I feel that the clubs fell short of what I was looking and hoping for in the current set up.  Depending on how they perform for him, they may end up in his bag.  I will be putting my Maltby irons back into my bag.  I have also decided in the off season to consider going with Irons only next year.  I will meet with the club fitters this winter to look at a 1 iron to replace my driver and adding a 3 and 4 iron. I will keep everyone updated regarding these activities.

12 point out of 20

 

IMG_20190809_161014664_BURST000_COVER_TOP.thumb.jpg.6ade2d23896bc43941510342cfc83285.jpg

Conclusion

 Lynx has the potential for breaking into the Cavity Back sector with the Black Cat Irons.  The reaction of the golf ball off the club face is very forgiving, providing for a very wide sweet spot.  Lynx as a company has gone out of there way to answer concerns and even apologize over issues.  The clubs generally added 15 yards carry to every shot, which could be a great asset for those who are of average ability.

From the initial opening of the box to see these stylish Black Cats, to the first full swing, the feel was heavy, solid and lengthy.  For me with the current set up I was unable to fully appreciate the clubs or their potential, mainly because the ball comes off the face and goes in the direction hit.  Shot shape was something I really never was able to pull off.

After my son plays them for a bit I will look into have the shaft, grip, changed and very lie angle.  These are not gone, or out of the question yet.  Just not what I would choose in current configuration.

Final score 45 points out of 70

:cobra-small:             F7+ w/Fujikura Pro XLR8 Graphite Shaft

Ben_Hogan_Golf_Equipment_Company.jpg.b9602c912623c841ad9ad52593c15dee.jpg                3-I  MPF H-Series3B2M graphite Shaft w/Winn Dri-Tac grip mid

MALTBY.png.a2a7b0f0659df827f6200a68ab77f34c.png            STi   Irons 5-SW   KURO KAGE  70IR Flex-R  Lamkin Grips

 :cobra-small:             King F6 Hybrid Matrix Red Tie HQ4 Graphite Shaft

MALTBY.png.a2a7b0f0659df827f6200a68ab77f34c.png           Forged FGT  60* wedge KURO KAGE 70R SS cross Comfort grip

:odyssey-small:           O-Putter 1W

                        

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Black Cat Irons Official MGS Forum Review

By Daviddvm                                           Sept. 14, 2019

Started playing the Black Cat irons 5-PW exclusively July 18, 2019 which has included several range sessions and 10 full rounds including one single round handicap tournament which I finished second in my flight.  Prior to testing, I was playing with Titleist AP1, 5-PW for 14 rounds tracked by Arccos Caddie.  I have played this iron set for 3 years.  I started tracking and analyzing my game utilizing Arccos Caddie in April 2019.  Comparing my approach stats for 14 rounds with AP1’s vs Black Cats (10 rounds) gives me data to draw conclusions.

 

Looks: 8 out of 10 points

The black finish on the club head with the white grooves that really stand out, I find very appealing!  The graphics on the back with the glittery green and silver effect is not particularly appealing to me, but it does draw your attention because it is different from most clubs.  The club shape is a little thick, but consistent with the look of player improvement irons.  At address, I really like the look of the club.

 

Sound & Feel: 9 out of 10 points

 The sound of these clubs when struck well is very pleasing and is only a slightly softer sound when hit a little off center.  I would compare the sound to opening a bottle of champagne!  I find that very pleasing!  With the oversized grips, lightweight graphite shafts, and foam filled hollow club head, these irons have an excellent feel in my hands.  Even on slightly off-center hits, the club is very stable at contact and the springboard effort of these irons is evident on most shots with little loss of distance.

 

Basic Characteristics: 18 out of 20 points

Accuracy with these irons is no problem.  They are very straight, even on off center strikes.  The distances are consistent with my AP1 clubs, even though the lofts are weaker.  Trajectory is very high.  These are the most forgiving clubs I have ever played.  The Black Cat irons are workable when needing to play a low shot or punch is not problem.  Turning the ball left or right is a little difficult, but that is not one of my strong suits.  I work to try and hit straight shots most of the time and these clubs are very good for that.

 

On Course Performance: 27 out of 30 points

The transition from my AP1’s to the Black Cat irons was seamless.  I played my first round with them cold turkey on July 18, 2019 and shot one of my best rounds of the summer.  Two days later, I played in a tournament and finished second in my handicap flight.  The straight high trajectory of these club really gave me confidence in their performance from day one.  Plus, the forgiving nature of these clubs on off center hits is a great benefit.image.png.ff86b56f8a5833bbead504e6a53a71e2.png

 I absolutely love the 8 iron.  I now try to lay up between 130-140 yards so I can swing a nice smooth 8 iron.image.png.080949dff6c602865dd595b92c2064ba.png

Black Cat club usage last 10 rounds.

image.png.4ce60208f71cc17b8b2de47ac49fe443.png

Greens in regulation with Black Cat irons.

image.png.9cd9a94de2cbc8143f9f7457fd46e891.pngimage.png

  I used the PW for most of my shots close to the green, anything 110 yards and shorter, unless in a bunker or needing to play a lob shot.  In playing the PW, I feel it is a little difficult to get the spin I need to stop the ball on any shots with less than a full swing.  The grooves on these clubs are shallow, and I would be intrigued to play a next generation model with deeper grooves.

The ball really seems to jump off these clubs, and I love the dark club head with white grooves.  My handicap overall has dropped from 14 to 12.  More importantly to this evaluation, my approach handicap dropped from 17.2 to 14.9. 

Below are stats from 14 rounds with Titleist 716 AP1 .GetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEABvdPjQSB6pSZtU8MMor9ff&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=trueGetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEADth7pCNxaZQbmqJrcVVjDC&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=trueGetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEABOShKUb5icQ5MFw1PW4n2J&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=true

Below are stats from 10 rounds with Lynx Black Cats .GetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEAAJ01Q12U7qRYY2o2J2mbx1&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=trueGetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEAAgT1BvtypORIdb%2BBYXoDxj&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=trueGetAttachmentThumbnail?id=AQMkADAwATY0MDABLThlOTYtMzhhYy0wMAItMDAKAEYAAAMltNkjJ0JdTJ87h6DYlEU0BwDpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAAACAQ8AAADpmHIo9Sf%2BT6Lbkopqx65eAALzW6eSAAAAARIAEACSeNTLx2s%2BQrsLQBAEfejR&thumbnailType=2&owa=outlook.live.com&scriptVer=2019090902.10&isc=1&X-OWA-CANARY=luYWJyre30yUiX8JupB15nBji5dWOdcYMdLKX1VocFcq7naT0mj23KobEIAtMpB5CFy0H2PCdbA.&token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjA2MDBGOUY2NzQ2MjA3MzdFNzM0MDRFMjg3QzQ1QTgxOENCN0NFQjgiLCJ4NXQiOiJCZ0Q1OW5SaUJ6Zm5OQVRpaDhSYWdZeTN6cmciLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.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.Is9cNMYWEG-rBIKxBh1feNlfTZ0GRGh1Hv3cPPj5bPAj7OBYaRHv0nauFo2RRCZskYAz9BXppSLIkX_oxdLqWZBREe5_h-V8zCS8WyMX-haenq99eJY07wQy-WWO9gHE9PasRe70JVxso392fG4b12O1Z_sILrSo4l1__lZZ1XGoNu24nW2e_CxDLaURtPuoRXB1Nmjm7krvKqfauTGFfTYlu_yHNca7PratW3Nr43pbFXzbWSMXKJZHIiBRt4o-3Wj6DWCh12Y_qsoeMHIAijdyHPDd9zjkIGzPoJS7QE0HTtx4-St-Bld4bwCuTvn411EN7XbS3c4kERV-YUkNpg&animation=true

Increased GIR, tighter dispersion, and little loss of yardage on off center hits have been the key elements to improved scoring.

image.png.646ce3aa3435907ecb4b3378c5159891.png

This is a 5 iron 168 yard par 3.

 Miscellaneous: 7 out of 10 points

Like most of our testers, my clubs arrived after a lengthy wait in a beaten-up cardboard box with plastic wrap, brown paper, and very little protection.  However, the clubs were in good shape and came to my specifications.  The Lynx golf website Europe leaves a little to be desired, but they have recently launched the Lynx USA website.  This old company with new owners and new leadership are back in the US market.  It maybe an uphill battle for them, but I’m a fan, and I will be rooting for them.

 

Play It or Trade It: 20 out of 20 points

The Black Cat irons are player improvement clubs for Mid–High handicap players.  The price for 5-PW is $699.00 with graphite shafts or $639.00 with steel shafts.  These clubs are well worth the price.  My Arccos Caddie tracking stats have proven to me that these irons help me play better golf.  I have 3 more tournaments including the year end Club Championship, and the Black Cats will be in my bag! 

 

Conclusion:

Lynx Golf is coming back to the US market.

The Black Cat irons are a player improvement iron.  I have found these irons to be high launching, very straight, and very forgiving.  Playing these irons has improved my approach statistics being tracked by Arccos Caddie.  I will continue to play these Black Cats for the rest of this season.  Mid to High handicap players should consider these clubs when looking for a new set, as they are now available in the US market.

 

Final Score: 89 out of 100 points

Many thanks for this honor and opportunity provided by Lynx Golf and MSG.

I have had a great time!  This is my home for Golf! image.png.a79b838f6783658543ba2487ffe6e68b.png

 

 

image.png.a208db87d6192ed5fdf82a0857ee6a35.png

lynxgolfusa.com for more information.

 

 

:cobra-small: SpeedZone Pars and Stripes 9.5* Driver 14gm weight in back, VENTUS Blue 6-R set to +1* draw.

:cobra-small: 14.5* Fairway,  18.5* Fairway, 22.5* Fairway.  All with Tensei CK Blue R set to +1* draw.

:titleist-small:  816H1 27* Hybrid w/ Diamana Blue Board 70 HY Stiff Shaft

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 5 + 6   KBS Tour 80 R

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 7, 8, 9  KBS Tour 90 R                                     

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE P, G, S  KBS Wedge

:cobra-small: King Black ONE 60*  VO8*      True Temper Dynamic Gold Black

 Lamkin Crossline Cord Connect Black Mid-size plus 2 wraps

:cameron-small:  Special Select Newport 2  34" :scotty-small: Matador grip               :Arccos:                                                                                                                                                               

:titleist-small:  -ProV1x  Align XL  

 All in a :cobra-small:  Masters Staff Bag  or  SpeedZone stand bag

#COBRACONNECT CHALLENGE 4  The ONLY One Length Contestant!

Tested :bridgestone-small: Prototype Balls       Tour B RXS                Tested:image.png.8e77a45b1fe8c9cfb7c2a61386f855a5.pngBlack Cat irons 5 - PW UST Mamiya Recoil Graphite Regular +0.5" 1* upright                

 BirdieBall Outdoor Putting Green                                 

 

 

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Lynx Prowler VT – Official MGS Forum Review by Jmikecpa

Intro

Again, I would like to give say thank you to Lynx and MGS for giving me the opportunity to test the Prowler VT irons.  When these arrived, all I could think looking down at these were that finally a set of irons that were made for a guy like me.  There was little doubt on first site that these would not go right into the bag, but during testing I found some real reasons that these just may not make the cut and also a lot that I really liked about them. 

 

For my testing the bulk of the time was spent on the course with either the Prowler VT irons in my bag as the gamers or sharing some time with the beloved Titleist 716 TMBs to try and get a side by side comparison under playing conditions.  I also hit the 3 and 4 irons up against a few other utility irons that I had around the house to see if there was a niche for the long irons to slot into possibly a mixed set.

 

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

In a word….stunning.  I went with the gunmetal finish just for something different and these are a shape that I can get on board with.  My gamers for the bulk of the last few years have been a full set of Titleist TMBs and these are shaped essentially the same with a little more squared off toe and from the eye test a little less offset. To me these have the look of a classic blade but I just know that there is a little help there when you need it. Had I been able to choose over I would have gone with the more traditional finish as the gunmetal is just not going to hold up very well over time.  That being said these are just a sexy looking club with very understated graphics that just say pure class.

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Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

Feel is a very subjective area and for the Prowler VT I quite enjoyed the feel of the irons.  Well struck shots are just a pure feel with a sound a bit on the clicky side, but nothing that even remotely bothered me one bit. On mishits the sound is a bit high pitched compared to a flushed shot but again nothing that really bothered me or surprised me one bit.  Overall these had the sound and feel that I would expect from an iron in this class.  Not as muted at my TMBs but not nearly as loud as the Ping G700s.

Basic Characteristics (16 out of 20 points)

Over the course of testing these irons I spent a lot of time on the range working with them; actually a lot more range time than I am normally used to.  My first impression on the range was that these were just flat out long and actually almost a club longer than what I was currently playing which was at times a good feature but mostly something that I was not looking for. Across the set these are just about a degree stronger than my TMBs, which is surely not enough to gain that much distance.  This leads into my main issue with these irons and that was the shafts.  

If I were going for a fitting I am not sure that KBS Tour 90s shafts would ever be my first choice.  In full disclosure I played these exact shafts in a set of Apex Pros for a little over a year with a lot of success and even made my first ace with this setup.  However; that was several years ago when I was battling injuries that mainly affected how hard I could go after an iron as well as angle of attack.  My swing has a lot of speed but as you can see from the video still fairly smooth with a smooth transition.  The choice of shafts in these irons led to a lot of what I did not like about the clubs.

https://youtu.be/nQNWbxG17VA

The shafts caused a few other issues for me in terms of peak height and control.  The peak height for a 7 iron was on average about 8 yards (yes, 8 yards) higher than my TMBs and on average around 12 yards higher than my Epic Pros.  As I play the majority of my golf on the south shore of Long Island in the wind this was no bueno.  As much as I tried these were just not capable of keeping the ball down which was my fear with a high launch head with a light shaft.  Just not a combo that I would be able to play day in and day out at my club although the 205 yard downwind 8 iron is a great trick shot to have in the bag.  From a control perspective this combo was challenging.  I felt that the normal ¾ and touch shots that I like to hit on the course were just not possible.  Dialing in the flight and the yardage that I am used to was just at most times a fruitless exercise on the range and something that I felt that I needed to do on the course so more on that later.

Surprisingly the dispersion with this combo was quite good.  I have gone from primarily playing a draw most of my life to a nice baby cut the last two seasons.  I was able to replicate my normal shot shape over and over with the Prowler VTs and turn it over when I need that shot.  My fear was that I would have issues with turning the ball over too much when I was trying to really go after one and that was not the case.  For the most part the shafts held up to some really hard takes at the ball.  

Now onto the really good with the Prowler VT irons and that is forgiveness.  In full disclosure I am a scratch to a plus player and generally an above average ball striker so I am giving my perspective on forgiveness as it relates to my game.  Shots that are a groove too low lose next to no distance and the same with shots a little bit high on the face.  Toe strikes lose close to half a club which is what I would expect and the only real penal area on the irons is low heel.  I purposely hit shots all over the face to see what results I would get and these exceeded my expectations see as these do not have some of the same features as the TMBs or i500s with tungsten and such.

To go off script a little bit I would like to give some perspective on the long irons; specifically the three and the four iron.  If you have read some of my reviews in the past I have indicated that long irons have historically not been my friend and for years I carried nothing less than I five iron and at least two hybrids.  That all changed when the Adams DHY was released and then the Tour Edge Exotics CBH Pro which led to a 712u from Titleist and so on and so forth. Over the last five or so years I have had a 2 iron in the bag and at least carried a 4 iron as my stock set up. Currently I have an X Forged UT 21* with and ADDI 95s tipped and inch and half an inch long in the bag that I play as a 3.5 iron.  

With all the issues that I had above with the full set the shafts and the flight with the long irons was great and exactly what I would be looking for; high launch and mid spin in the top end of the bag.  Very versatile off the tee and the fairway and really nice when going for a par 5 in two or into a long par 4.  No issues with holding the green and the shot shape and trajectory were not only consistent but repeatable.  These really fit the mold of something like the TMB as opposed to other “utility irons” as they just blend with the set.  Compared to the X Forged UT or even the 712u these give me more of the feeling that I am hitting an iron from the set as opposed to an iron that is meant to compliment the set. For me the long irons were the shining stars of the set and I would not change one thing in the 3 and 4 irons.  

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From top to bottom Lynx Prowler VT, Titleist TMB, Titleist 712u, Callaway X Proto 18*

Just to note, from a range perspective these performed exactly as designed and I cannot take too many points away just because they were not exactly for me.  Overall these irons performed as advertised. 

On-Course Performance (14 out of 30 points)

 

This is the area that is the most difficult to write for me because I just could not get along with these irons on the course.  These were either in my bag as my gamers or in the bag hitting shots compared to my gamers and at the end of the day I just could not get consistent results.  I will say that there were some great shots hit with these irons, but at the end of the day I could not trust hitting just about any shot with the Prowler VT irons under pressure.  

As on the range the Prowler VTs produced iron shots that launched high and flew for what seemed like forever. On the course a stock 7 iron was carrying on average 183 yards as compared to 174 yards with my Titleist TMBs. Not a huge deal when there was no wind but into the wind I was having to hit a 5 iron into what would have been a one club wind with my gamers.  This constant math not only led to some poor swings but also some poor results on well executed shots.  During my first round with the irons on the course I needed a par on 18 to shoot even par for the day.  #18 is a 437 yard par 4 with water short of the green and the pin back middle.  Nice drive in the fairway leaving me 159 yards into a one club wind.  Pulled and 8 iron and flushed it ten yards over the back of the green that I did not get up and down for par.  Just for fun I went back out about 20 minutes later and hit the shot with a 9 iron and dumped two flushed 9 irons in the water short.  There was close to 30 yards difference in the irons and that was just not a great start.  In one shot on one hole this sums up my experience with these irons.  I was just never sure how far they were going to go and at my level of playing consistency is key for iron play.

What I will say about these irons is that on days where I am not trying to figure out the wind they are just a blast to play.  I went out around 10 times with my son on weekend afternoons and played irons only rounds off of his tees and on calm days these performed great.  My low round was -2 paying the course at around 6,000 yards and my high was a 77 in the wind.  

Rather than beat a dead horse these irons set up as they are were just not going to work for me on the course. That being said there was a lot that was good about these and I have a plan for the offseason.

Miscellaneous (4 out of 10 points)

Some random thoughts….

 

·       I am darn glad that Lynx is back and really hope that they succeed in a tough industry.  

·     The shaft line just needs to be expanded in stock offerings. One steel shaft offering is just not going to cut it.

·     Update Google for the new website.

·     As was already addressed but as a reminder, packaging needs to be reviewed.
 

 

Play it or Trade it? (16 out of 20 points)

To get to the point, neither.  With winter quickly approaching I am going to take these back to the drawing board over the offseason.  There is a lot of really good about these irons, but just can’t get over the fact that they are not set up for my game.  I hit a lot of really good shots with these but also some really poor and at the end of the day I can’t have indecision in the back of my head over every iron shot.  With that said here is the plan.  I am going to do a rebuild on the irons to get them to something that should reasonably work for me.  As I keep saying there is just too much good and too much to like about these irons to just cut bait with them over the stock shaft.  I think keeping the 3 and 4 iron the same is a good move and then looking at something a touch heavier and lower launching in the rest of the set should get the job done.  Stay tuned as I am hoping to do a thread on the build once I get the itch to golf when there is some snow on the ground.

 

Conclusion

Well at the end of the day these were not for me……as currently configured.  With some tweaks these could be a real winner for my game.  I like the direction that Lynx is going and really like having them back in the equipment game.  I really look forward to watching the company grow and thrive as they continue to develop. They have the right ideas in terms of price point, quality components as stock offerings and a good vision.  With that said there is still a long way to go. There should be at least one or two stock steel shaft offerings (would have loved to hit these with the Tour V) and possibly more than two grip choices.  Overall there was a lot to like about these irons and hence my commitment to make them mine over the winter.  Stay tuned!

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 Five iron for a kick in eagle

Final Score: 68 out of 100 (subject to revision based on a rebuild)

WITB 2024

   Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5

   M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

   Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

   Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x

   X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

   Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

   Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

   Z Star Diamond

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STAGE 2

Lynx Prowler VT Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by JudgeSmails

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Thank you to Lynx and MyGolfSpy for letting me put these irons through the ringer.  I had a great time testing, as I always do checking out new equipment. 20 years ago when I started playing golf, I always wanted a set of Lynx irons, as time went by, they kind of fell off the map here in the U.S.  They are trying to make a comeback and I welcome it. I’m a 9 handicapper, who considers my iron play the strength of my game. Get me within 150yds and I’m pretty decent (I think). Check out my Stage1 if you want to read up more about my game and golf history, I don’t want to get too repetitive here.  My testing was done in 3 phases. An initial range session, a Trackman session and finally being used in play. On to the REVIEW

 

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

I like the simple, clean, classic look of these irons.  The finish I chose is very shiny in the sun, but there is no glare at address.  The Lynx logo is prominently displayed, I think they have a very cool logo, so I was happy to see it on these irons.  They definitely have a classic blade look to them, but looking at address, gives you a little confidence that there may be some forgiveness there.  Honestly, I’m not sure what could be improved upon here, they look great, and my score represents that.

 

Sound & Feel (7 out of 10 points)

Sound wise, the Lynx have a much more “clicky” sound than I’m used to.  It’s not a bad sound but I can definitely tell the difference between them and the duller “thud” of my Mizuno Hot Metals.  The video below should give you a pretty good idea, I got as close as I could to try and capture it. Feel wise, for me, comes down to 3 words; YOU WILL KNOW.  When you hit a good one, YOU WILL KNOW, when you hit a bad one, YOU WILL KNOW. Immediately I could tell whether I hit the sweet spot or not swinging the Lynx Prowler VT’s.  When you pure it, it’s a really great feeling. But when you don’t, you will be able to feel it in your hands/forearms. I will give them a decent score here for the feeling of a well struck shot, but take some points off for the slight mishits.

 


 

Basic Characteristics (14 out of 20 points)

RANGE:  I was pretty excited when I peeled the plastic off and took these babies out to the range for the first time.  I started out hitting the 7 iron.  Again, as I mentioned in the feel, the good ones were  good, the off center strikes were bad, some of them REAL bad.  Had a little trouble getting them up in the air at first, but after a while got more comfortable.  I switched to the PW, and had much better success with it. I was able to hit them high and straight, the mis hits were bad, but not as punishing as the 7 iron.  I went through the rest of the irons, switching back and forth with similar results. The higher numbers I had much more trouble with, but had pretty good results w/ the lower numbers.  I did get a 3 iron with this set, my Mizuno set actually stops at the 5 iron. So I spent some time trying to hit the almighty STINGER with it on the range, using it like a driving iron.  Oddly enough, I had some pretty good success doing that, consider how I struggled with a few of the lower lofted irons. I was hitting a fairly consistent low draw from teeing the ball up just above the grass, and putting it a touch back in my stance.

TRACKMAN:  Here is a pic of the data from my Trackman testing.  To avoid wearing myself out, I only compared my current 7iron & PW to the Lynx VT equivalent on the trackman.  I also spent a little time w/ the 3 iron at the end. I’m also showing the Spec (including loft) comparison from the 2 sets in the first picture for reference.  

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First off, on the results.  EVERYTHING I hit, the Trackman was showing offline to the right.  I must have not been setup in the correct spot, or aiming wrong. I am not generally that far offline, especially with a PW.  These were not slices, the ball started in that direction. So I will not put a huge emphasis on those numbers, although it does show the Lynx as being further to the right, again, something was up there.   The PW comparison is pretty close, had the Lynx at just a yard longer. Take out that terrible first shot w/ the Mizuno, and I imagine they are almost identical. A good showing for sure. The 7i was a little different story, although only 1* stronger, I was getting about 15 yards more distance.  I believe this is mainly due to the forgiveness on the off center strikes the Mizuno provides, as opposed to the off center hits w/ the Lynx. To be fair, my first 7i w/ the Lynx was TERRIBLE, as you can see in the graph. If you take that out, the Lynx avg carry would come in at 151, only 7 yards behind the Hot Metals.  With both the 7i and the PW, the Lynx was significantly further right offline, but again, everything was going right. The 3iron was as I expected, from my results at the range. Some good ones I’d love to have on a tight par 4, and some mishits that I’d like to forget. (I did remove one shot from the averages on the 3i that was a complete shank, my fault, not the clubs)

 

On-Course Performance (15 out of 30 points)

I was able to get several rounds in, using the Lynx Prowler VT irons alongside my Mizunos.  Hitting extra balls with the same club in each set. A 7i approach w/ the Lynx, then the same with the Mizuno.  I found the results to be pretty similar to the numbers you see above. With the shorter irons, I didn’t see much difference in performance.  Maybe not as well on target, but that’s part of getting used to a new set. The biggest difference was with the longer irons. Usually coming up a little shorter, even on the good strikes, of where the Mizzy’s landed, and usually right of target.  The bad strikes again, were punished much more severely. It became more evident, that as much as I think I’m a decent ball striker, I still have a lot of room for improvement. That being said, I did hit some beauties with these irons, and when you do hit that sweet spot, you are rewarded.   At this point, though, on the course, my shots were longer and more on target w/ the Hot Metals.

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

For Misc, I will touch on customer service.  Even though these irons were coming from overseas, they got them to us in a timely manner, and exactly as ordered.  Also, a couple of us found an odd bored hole in the side of the 7 iron only, customer service jumped in w/ the GolfSpy staff and explained what was going on, and sent a replacement 7 iron (although mine still had the same exact hole, not sure why they didn’t check that).  I don’t think it’s anything wrong with the iron, just odd it’s the only one that has it. Also, the fact that they joined the forum and jumped in this thread says a lot about them. That they care about the people using their clubs and want to be involved. I would like to see Lynx put up more shaft options (even as upgrades) than the single KBS shaft.  Being able to use the same shaft as in my current set (that I was fit for), could have possibly helped.

 

Play it or Trade it? (10 out of 20 points)

TRADE.  Don’t take that the wrong way, these are fine irons, but they are not for me.  In the hands of a better better ball-striker, these could be fantastic weapons.  I am not ready for a players iron, I still need that forgiveness of something in-between SGI and Players.  My current irons fit that bill and will stay in the bag. I do love the look, and the feel when you catch one is great, I just couldn’t catch enough of them.  I’m going to give it 10 points here though, because much of the fall back of these irons are due to the man swinging them, not the clubheads themselves.  The 3 Iron I will probably keep around, if I can get more consistent with that, it will be a real asset on short/tight par 4's.

Conclusion

These are good players irons, but just not for me.  I might be beyond needing Super Game Improvement irons, but I still need forgiveness. That would be where these lack.  To be fair, they are probably not meant for me, and in hindsight, I would have been a better fit to test the Black Cats. But I have done my best to put these through the ringer.  If you guys have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.  Thanks for reading.

Final Score: 65/100

Edited by JudgeSmails

Driver:    :honma:TR20 10.5*

Hybrids:   :callaway-small: Epic SuperHybrid 3 18*   Epic 4h 23*   

Irons:    :mizuno-small:JPX900 Hot Metal 5-GW

Wedges:  :cleveland-small:CBX2 52* 56* 60*

Putter:  :EVNROLL:EV8

Ball:    :bridgestone-small:Tour BXS

 

 

 

 

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Stage 2 

 

Intro

First off I would like to thank Lynx and MyGolfSpy for allowing me the privilege of testing these beautiful irons.  When everyone says that testing is a lot of work, they aren't blowing smoke.  While this review was a lot of work, it was also a whole lot of fun.  The review added a new wrinkle to my rounds and I have never enjoyed them more, even my back to back career worst rounds!  My review process consisted of comparing the VT's to my Adams A Tour irons, a round with just irons (no woods or putter), and finally picking different yardages on course and firing away.

 

Looks   10/10

I would like to start by saying that out of the box these were absolutely beautiful.  The gunmetal finish provides zero glare in the sun.  They are hollow body players irons in a compact head.  I love the look of a blade iron but don't quite have the game for them.  The back of the iron is very subdued and features the Lynx cat logo, Lynx in big enough lettering to know what they are without being obnoxious, and the initials VT.  I am not sure there is a better looking iron to my eyes.

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Sound and Feel   8/10

The Prowler VT's have a slightly louder click sound to them than I am use to.  This is by no means a turnoff and definitely something you forget about after a couple swings.  The gunmetal finish may be some of the reason for that but without hitting the other finish it is merely speculation.  They get harsher feeling as you stray from the center of the face and you will feel it in your hands when you do.

 

Basic Characteristics   15/20

When I applied for this review my biggest concern with my A Tours were consistency.  Every now and again I would get that "where did that come from shot".  Nothing worse than having 120 in and blasting a PW 30 yards over the green and into trouble.  For me to play my best I need to know if I put a good swing on the ball, it will go the correct distance.  On the range/course I found the VT's to be very consistent when struck near the center where they feature a noticeable spring effect and high launch.  I did however see a big difference in distance when struck outside of the center.   

 

On Course Performance   18/30

This is where everything matters for me.  Good looks, sound, and feel are great but if they don't perform on the course then what good are they.  Earlier I mentioned a high launch.  On the course I found this to be good and bad.  On days when there was no wind, the VT's flew high and stopped on a dime.  It is always nice to know you can fire at pins without worrying about rolling off the green.  That is the good, but now the bad.  When there was anything close to a normal 1/2 to 1 club wind, the VT's were more like 2-3 clubs short.  There were days that I had a hard time hitting a 5-iron my 9-iron distance.  Even out of the middle.  I have a feeling that the shaft may play a big part in that as the Tour 90 is probably not the best fit for me.  I believe my score reflects this but would like to try a different shaft to know for sure.

 

Miscellaneous  6/10

I think Lynx hit a homerun with the Prowler VT's.  My only gripes would be shaft selection as well as hitting the costumers specs.  As I mentioned in my stage one my specs were off from standard.  The box also showed up in pretty beat up shape.  Nothing was damaged and Lynx responded with a letter letting us know it was unacceptable.  Lynx showed they really care about their product and customers helped the score here.  One other thing to note is how quickly the white paint comes out of the grooves as well as brush marks showing up on the bottom.423884176_Stage2face.thumb.jpg.0654a631e1b26e605e45e0aef03300ad.jpg1785998418_Stage2bottom.thumb.jpg.f8e34af3d456a28a96a6b6f1b0d654c0.jpg  It gives the irons a look of being used more than they have been.  Some will hate this, others won't care.  I am somewhere in the middle.

 

Play it or Trade it   10/20

This is a difficult one for me.  Right now with the irons that were sent to me for review, the answer is TRADE IT!  Now I have been talking about reshafting these but I don't currently have a .370 shaft to do so.  A reshaft may be exactly what moves the VT's from TRADE IT to PLAY IT!

 

Conclusion

LYNX IS DEFINITELY BACK!  The Prowler VT's are a gorgeous iron and will compete with any out there.  I truly believe with a proper fitting shaft they may make the bag.  If you guys have any question feel free to ask away.  This was my first review for MGS so any feedback is always welcome.

Total Score  67/100

Thanks for reading and thanks again to Lynx and MyGolfSpy.  It has been a pleasure and an honor.

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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Lynx Prowler VT – Official MGS Forum Review by Stuart Marler (AZstu324)

“Hello, Again, Hello”. Yes.. I just quoted a Neil Diamond to begin my stage 2 review. When you really think about it though, not a bad segue into a discussion of such an emotional, drama-laden fling? (wait.. did I just give something away?) When we were picked to be a part of this testing partnership with Lynx and MGS, I think that I speak for most when I say that I knew this was going to be something very special. In my stage 1, my parting comment/question was “is the cat really back?” I feel very strongly that I was able to conclude a definitive answer to that question…  

As far as testing mediums, I really tried to mix things up. Golf in general is a sport that relies on the senses as much as technological advancement. Launch monitor data is crucial but so is getting out on the grass.

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

In the world of muscleback player-style clubs, there really isn’t a better looking club on the market IMO. To re-quote myself from my stage 1 review “The Prowler VT’s define “classic” appearance. As you can see, they are clean, simplistic, and just everything that hundreds of years of golf history and present-day tech can put into 1 single club.” This opinion hasn’t budged an inch.

Starting with the top line: 3-7 is simply no nonsense. Fairly straight with very little top line curve. 8-PW shows more curvature at the top but nothing out of sorts from the rest of the set. Some sets from other OEM’s tend to get a tad spoony toward the shorter clubs.

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Toe: The toe has a moderate curve without being too rounded.

Face: Around the impact zone is actually slightly textured. I really think this plays a part in the spin #’s. I’m not sure if the grooves are cast or milled. They look cast to me but I’m no expert in this category and there is still very little information provided on the Lynx site.

Leading Edge: A very slight curve is present to help with some turf interaction but appears pretty square at address.

Bottom: Thinner bottom edge that very much resembles a bladed club profile.

Heel to Toe: As you can see, the heel to toe is pretty compact even for its category. Initially I was able to compare the VT to a couple of its class competitors (Ping i500 and Titleist T-MB) and feel that the overall profile was the more compact of the 3. Although a hair smaller, intimidation factor is minimal.

Graphics and Aesthetics: This is where Lynx put the cherry on top. The graphics as you can see are extremely minimal with just the cat logo in the upper toe, the brand and the model. What I love is that there doesn’t appear to be any extra unnecessary paint fill or excessive lines or graphics. Just the club number and that’s it. On the chrome models, it just appears as if the graphics are laser-etched or milled and that’s it. Another part that I love is that the clubs aren’t just shiny chrome. They’re a brushed look, almost as if you can see the grains of steel running through the clubs.

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Player appeal: I will definitely say that there was no shortage of player appeal. The clubs stick out but not in a bad way at all. It’s been fun to see the double and then triple takes from people as they first notice how attractive the clubs are and then you know they’re going to look to see which major OEM makes them.. then they realize they’re Lynx clubs, and then you see them go into “buffering mode” with the rotating hourglass in their heads as the “does not compute” message pops up.. and then the conversation begins. 

Wear and Tear: So far, there doesn’t appear to be any more wear than would be expected. There’s some bag chatter marks but nothing excessive or unexpected. I don’t cover the heads and I pretty much just keep my clubs in my trunk at all times so I’d say they’re wearing just fine considering. If you look closely at the bottoms, there are some turf/soil scratch lines but they’re not very noticeable as the finish blends with the scratches.

 

0915191948.thumb.jpg.a11c81445d3ca5467ab2366adb74b4f5.jpg

0915191947.thumb.jpg.edbd3a8947649e115881e89a731e598e.jpg

Sound & Feel (5 ot of 10 points)

This category is probably going to be the hardest to judge. While the feel is going to get a high grade, the sound will definitely drag the curve down.

Lets start with the not-so-good: The sound in general isn’t completely horrible. 3 through about 5 iron sound fantastic with a very powerful crack and an addictive feel to accompany the sound. 6 and 7 sound fine but with a slight ting introduced and the feel is equal to the aforementioned so really no issues there. When you get to the shorter clubs is where the cacophony is unleashed. It’s almost like you have a choir of clubs singing in perfect harmony only to be accompanied by a bag of broken glass as the instrumental.

The sound becomes so piercing that you forget how good they feel. The biggest downside to me is that there is such a dramatic range of acoustics from 3i to PW and this to me is a rather sizeable con. Lynx, if I could give one golden nugget of an improvement to HEAVILY consider with the Prowler VT’s it would be to add some sort of sound dampening polymer (similar to the Black Cats) or possibly even consider a single piece for the upper end of the set (8 – PW).

Let’s change the tune a little: Feel; When struck purely these feel AMAZING! Lets be very clear about something. They don’t feel as soft as a single piece forged club does but it’s a completely different feeling. With the hollow head design, you’re getting more of a trampoline effect. The ball literally springs of the face like it’s being blasted out of a cannon. When you’re in a good swing groove, it’s a rather addictive feeling that just makes you giggle with each hit.  

The one negative about the feel is that when struck more toward the toe (my miss), the feel can become pretty harsh and the sound definitely lets the world know that you messed up. That’s not such a bad thing though because it definitely lets you know that you mis-struck and need to make some adjustments.

Basic Characteristics (14 out of 20 points)

Initial Premise: Before the testing began, I had stated that I wanted to use the stronger lofts to a different advantage rather than being able to tell people that I can hit a 7 iron 200 yds. My overall objective was to see if I could slow my swing speed down (yes deliberately) and improve my disbursement and overall consistency while keeping my original yardage. Well I’ll say this right away, it didn’t quite turn out how I’d hoped. Slowing down an established tempo and swing speed to attempt to meet a specific yardage is very difficult. Swing speed and tempo need to be organic and natural to each person with a full commitment to swing through and compress the ball. When you’re trying to manipulate the swing to meet a specific number, it then just becomes unnatural and disconnected. Ultimately in order to have to most controlled and consistent disbursement and distance, I needed to be fully committed in my swing.

All things being equal calling it an extra club or however you choose to look at it, the problem that I ran into was that with a fully committed 45* extremely hot-faced PW shot, I was seeing around 145 – 150 yds of carry v.s. my current forged 46* CB PW that might max out at 135 yds. Well my Gap wedge (50*) distance is  around 125, 52* around 115, 56* @ 105, and 60* at 100. See the problem? With the VT’s, there is a sizeable gap of roughly 25 yds between my PW and GW. This often left me with ¾ PW shots that just weren’t nearly as accurate as a full shot could be.

KBS Tour 90 Shaft: This is topic that I know at least some might be interested in. When we were in the pre-build stage of the process, we were initially given the option of a KBS Tour 90 and Tour V. I immediately took to my home away from home (PGATSS) and put together what I thought would  be the closest thing to the Prowler VT (Titleist T-MB) with both shaft options to compare the differences and determine which one would work best for me. I had decided that the Tour V best suited my swing. Later we were informed that the Tour V option was not going to be made available to us. No biggie, just a communication misstep. I was however a bit bummed because the Tour 90 for me was just higher flying and spinning than I preferred. Gift Horse scenario right? So I just had to quickly get over it and move on. I quickly found out shortly after receiving the clubs that I was missing absolutely nothing with the tour 90’s. Paired with the VT heads, the flight is mid-penetrating without the ballooning that I was seeing with the T-MB. The shaft loads and releases beautifully and feels very smooth and is something that I can play the entire round without any concerns of fatigue. There are absolutely no “what-if’s” running around in my had regarding the KBS Tour V.

0717191246c.thumb.jpg.dd49c87af829db026be89522e4b83957.jpg

When you get to the distance irons 3 - 5 you really see something special with the ball flight. It’s just a mid-low blistering missile that almost has you thinking twice a bout using driver off the tee on par 4’s. In fact, I’ve started using the 3 iron more off the tee almost regularly when the hole is less than 350 yds out.

 

I mentioned earlier that when struck off the toe, the sound and feeling is less than desirable. Well to accompany that is the dramatic loss of distance. I did notice that a toe strike would result in a distance loss of 15 – 20 yds.. OUCH. One would think that this is normal for most player’s type clubs right? But when a major selling point is a variable face thickness to help reduce the damage on off-center hits, this can become a bit frustrating, especially after you’ve just shelled out $800 for clubs that you hoped would give you a hug after a mishit and tell you everything’s gonna be OK.. and not a kick in the biscuits.  

The clubs are completely workable for those shapers out there. As you can see from the video, I was able to manipulate a series of shots. I’m not the most consistent and accurate shaper of the ball but I know how when needed and the VT’s work beautifully.

 

On-Course Performance (20 out of 30 points) 

On the course is where I would say the irons shine the most.. and I’m glad for that. Theses clubs really are made for play and not just show. I mentioned that I pretty much sent the Maltbys to summer camp so the VT’s could get all of the attention that they deserved. An initial concern with a new set of clubs will always be about transition time and getting used to the new sticks.

I’ve been playing a club with a similar profile so there were no issues getting used to the size. I actually prefer the profile a little better over my Maltbys. The thicker top line helps add a pinch of confidence and the weighting is just right so you get a good sense of where the club head is at all times.

As I mentioned previously, toe strikes seem to be more punishing than other clubs in the category. Not sure about the heel end of the club as I don’t have a tendency to hit toward the heel.

I played a good 10 rounds with the VT’s and had probably 15 launch monitor sessions and while I will say that I was really making some good improvements with my Maltby DBM’s before being chosen as a test candidate, I didn’t take any significant steps backward with the VT’s. These seemed to plug and play pretty easily into my game. If anything, going through the testing process has allowed me to make some much-needed swing adjustments. Do I believe that the clubs themselves have helped me improve? Unfortunately no they have not.

STRENGTHS

·        Looks

·        Distance

·        Feel

·        Inspire confidence at address

·        Workability

·        Consistency when struck well

·        Retail price for set is moderate compared to competitors

·        Fairly soft casting allows for loft/lie adjustment

·        Wear and Tear so far seems moderate and what would be expected

WEAKNESSES

·        Sound with higher irons

·        Sound variations

·        Drastic loss of distance on mishits

·        Limited in customization options with shafts or grips.

·        Lack of available detailed specs

·        Not sure about living up to the claim of being a “Player’s Iron with forgiveness”
 

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)

For this category I would probably add Lynx Golf as a company. Currently they are working to improve their presence as a major OEM. This test is testimony that they’re working to move in the right direction by putting their product into the hands of enthusiastic consumers like us.

Noteworthy accomplishments

·       Full club lineup to fit most levels of golf

·       Some groundbreaking tech that could make waves (Switch Face Driver)

·       Excellent customer service experience:

·       Environmental awareness proactivity

Areas for Improvement

·       Color schemes are a tad outdated on some models

·       Unclear Vision: They claim to be ready to compete with major OEM’s but still appear to be a boutique company. It appears that quite a few things need to happen before they can make this claim. 

·       Website: It has been communicated that the website is going to be improved but that hasn’t happened so its hard to know.

·       Lack of detail regarding club tech and specs.

·       Quality Control: When I received my clubs, the first thing that I did was have the lofts and lies checked. I had ordered everything to be built at ½* upright from Lynx’s stated lies. To my and my club tech’s disappointment, we found that nearly every club was off from what was ordered. Some clubs were off by as much as 3 full degrees in either loft or lie and.. some both. Additionally, I was one of the 2 who ordered the chrome set. I also received what we were explained was a prototype 7 iron for the next batch that had an off-center rubber plug punched into the toe. Additionally I received a 5 iron that sounded like a baby rattle. Apparently the hole in the toe of the 7 iron was put there to avoid having pieces of casting debris get stuck in the heads therefore eliminating the rattle like that in my 5 iron. While the customer service was outstanding in sending out a quick replacement, I received 2 clubs with holes in the toe and rubber plugs when we were initially told that we shouldn't have received those clubs.

1550489928_Screenshot_20190915-2321232.thumb.png.0ed79578151c990837268f800a1b4479.png

·       Open foundry models: The forged Tour and CB are clearly open foundry models and not original Lynx Designs. That really isn’t a problem as the irons are nice looking and undoubtedly perform well but this isn’t something that major OEM’s would do therefore adding to the confusion as to the direction of the company.
 

Play it or Trade it? (12 out of 20 points) 

So recently I posted a teaser letting the group know that I just received my gamers (Maltby DBM’s) back from my father last week. I hadn’t picked them up for nearly 2 months. I took them to the range for the reunion session and I was just in love all over again. I realized that while this short-lived fling with the Prowler VT’s was fun and exciting, that my DBM’s are really where my heart lies. The extra level of feel, sound, playability, consistency, looks, etc are just what I’ve been missing for that past 2 months. I took them to my favorite exec course yesterday (Rolling Hills) and in AZ dust storm conditions shot a 64 which is just 2 over par for the course. As a result of fostering my clubs during the testing period, my father demanded that I have him an identical set made through the Golfworks. Short story long.. Unfortunately I won’t be gaming the VT’s. The 3 iron however will be staying in the bag and added to the list of "cold dead hands" clubs. 

Conclusion

Is the cat back? Without a doubt. With what we’ve witnessed from Lynx golf up to this point, I feel confident that these reviews will be read by decision-makers and seriously considered. My prediction is that in the next 5 years we’ll be seeing the “Cat” on few tour bags and a club lineup offered at major retailers that will be a formidable competitor to the big brands.

Final Score: 66/100

 

Edited by azstu324

   PXG 0311 Gen 5 9°/ Fujikura MotoreX F1 6X
:cobra-small:  F6 3 Wood 14* / Kuro Kage Silver 65X
:cobra-small: F8 6 wood 20* / Fujikura MotoreX F3 6S

:cobra-small: RADSpeed Hybrid 24*
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg TS1 4-GW / FCM Precision 6.5 Rifle
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg  TSW Wedge - 56/12
:edel-golf-1:  EAS 1.0 / Grip master 2.0 

MAXFLI  Tour CG

 

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, JimNantzsToast said:

Stage 1 is up!

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Nice work!

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, TM Sim2 19*, Cobra F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Cleveland HB Soft #1 w/UST
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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Stage #1 is up.

 

:cobra-small:             F7+ w/Fujikura Pro XLR8 Graphite Shaft

Ben_Hogan_Golf_Equipment_Company.jpg.b9602c912623c841ad9ad52593c15dee.jpg                3-I  MPF H-Series3B2M graphite Shaft w/Winn Dri-Tac grip mid

MALTBY.png.a2a7b0f0659df827f6200a68ab77f34c.png            STi   Irons 5-SW   KURO KAGE  70IR Flex-R  Lamkin Grips

 :cobra-small:             King F6 Hybrid Matrix Red Tie HQ4 Graphite Shaft

MALTBY.png.a2a7b0f0659df827f6200a68ab77f34c.png           Forged FGT  60* wedge KURO KAGE 70R SS cross Comfort grip

:odyssey-small:           O-Putter 1W

                        

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Stage 1 is up!

 

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :Fuji: Motore X F3 R 

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, Project X PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg PXV R. Aldila RIP 70 R; King Utility 4i, UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap S 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), Project X LZ 5.5 

:cleveland-small:      CBX-2 50/11 

:taylormade-small:   ATV 56/16deg 

:1332069271_TommyArmour:  Impact No.3 Align putter

:Arccos:     Caddie for tracking.     

:titelist-small:            Pro V1X balls

 

Previous forum tests:

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips, Lynx Black Cat 5-PW.    2020:  :skycaddie: LX5 Watch.    2021:  :1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact #3 Align putter

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I played in a 4-man today and hit a Prowler VT 7-iron 158 yds to 7 feet. Left the birdie putt 2 feet short but won the closet to the pin. I’m not sure we made a putt over 8 feet all day but still managed a respectable 6 under. The more I play with these irons the more I like them.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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Good Stage 1's so far fellas! The condition of those boxes had me cringing though... yikes!

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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Good Stage 1's so far fellas! The condition of those boxes had me cringing though... yikes!
Thanks Russ. You weren't the only one who cringed when seeing the condition of the box. My wife actually called me right after they were delivered saying that the box was in really bad shape. Luckily steel shafts are pretty resilient.

Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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1 hour ago, blackngold_blood said:

...but still managed a respectable 6 under. The more I play with these irons the more I like them.

A what???   Jesus, nice going!!   😁😁

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :Fuji: Motore X F3 R 

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, Project X PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg PXV R. Aldila RIP 70 R; King Utility 4i, UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap S 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), Project X LZ 5.5 

:cleveland-small:      CBX-2 50/11 

:taylormade-small:   ATV 56/16deg 

:1332069271_TommyArmour:  Impact No.3 Align putter

:Arccos:     Caddie for tracking.     

:titelist-small:            Pro V1X balls

 

Previous forum tests:

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips, Lynx Black Cat 5-PW.    2020:  :skycaddie: LX5 Watch.    2021:  :1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact #3 Align putter

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This was a shot from left rough with a 6i.  🙂

20190724_103343.thumb.jpg.a977bc2cad93ceee3270deb10020a76a.jpg

 

And here you can see my typical toeward bias.  

20190725_091756.jpg.41e9e134e1e57cc6887791cda191bfef.jpg

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :Fuji: Motore X F3 R 

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, Project X PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg PXV R. Aldila RIP 70 R; King Utility 4i, UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap S 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), Project X LZ 5.5 

:cleveland-small:      CBX-2 50/11 

:taylormade-small:   ATV 56/16deg 

:1332069271_TommyArmour:  Impact No.3 Align putter

:Arccos:     Caddie for tracking.     

:titelist-small:            Pro V1X balls

 

Previous forum tests:

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips, Lynx Black Cat 5-PW.    2020:  :skycaddie: LX5 Watch.    2021:  :1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact #3 Align putter

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Even if it's a 4man scramble, -6 is really good!!

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :Fuji: Motore X F3 R 

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, Project X PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg PXV R. Aldila RIP 70 R; King Utility 4i, UST Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap S 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), Project X LZ 5.5 

:cleveland-small:      CBX-2 50/11 

:taylormade-small:   ATV 56/16deg 

:1332069271_TommyArmour:  Impact No.3 Align putter

:Arccos:     Caddie for tracking.     

:titelist-small:            Pro V1X balls

 

Previous forum tests:

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus 4 grips, Lynx Black Cat 5-PW.    2020:  :skycaddie: LX5 Watch.    2021:  :1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact #3 Align putter

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Even if it's a 4man scramble, -6 is really good!!

Yeah we played alright. I ended up leaving before all the teams were done but I believe -8 won it. I managed to leave 2 birdie putts short by a total of 4” but with the group I played with I was happy with the outcome. If you would have offered me -3 or -4 before we started, I would have taken it and ran.

I will say the Prowler VT’s performance wasn’t lacking in any way whatsoever.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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Stage 1 complete!
Oh you wanna click me....   

👇👇👇👇👇👇Slingshot.jpg.59ebb88a09435181e0c32555db45b71c.jpg

Edited by azstu324

   PXG 0311 Gen 5 9°/ Fujikura MotoreX F1 6X
:cobra-small:  F6 3 Wood 14* / Kuro Kage Silver 65X
:cobra-small: F8 6 wood 20* / Fujikura MotoreX F3 6S

:cobra-small: RADSpeed Hybrid 24*
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg TS1 4-GW / FCM Precision 6.5 Rifle
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg  TSW Wedge - 56/12
:edel-golf-1:  EAS 1.0 / Grip master 2.0 

MAXFLI  Tour CG

 

 

 

 

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