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


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34 minutes ago, blackngold_blood said:


This was the route I was thinking about going. Would require shims as the hosel is .370 but I really liked the gs95 stiff shaft that was in my a Tours.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

I think they sell both diameters through Golfworks

https://www.golfworks.com/true-temper-dynamic-gold-105-370-steel-iron-shafts/p/tt0121/

   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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Nice catch! I missed that in my initial search. Perhaps it was because I was looking for pulls!

 

 

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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On my way to pick up my new toy from the repair shop at PGATSS.. can anybody guess what it might be based off the club that I said I'm holding onto?

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

   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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57 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

On my way to pick up my new toy from the repair shop at PGATSS.. can anybody guess what it might be based off the club that I said I'm holding onto? emoji16.png

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..
 

New shaft in the 3 iron?

:cobra-small:______S9-1 Pro D - Matrix Ozik XCON 6 S
:cobra-small:______S9-1 Pro 15* - Matrix Ozik XCON 7 S
:nickent-small:________3DX 17* - Matrix Ozik Altus Hybrid SG
:Hogan:______ICON Black 4-PW - KBS Tour V S
:cleveland-small:__________588 RTG 49  RTX 52.10  56.12 - DG S400
BobbyGrace.png.1dc40002fcec0eee8603b71b3e706e89.png______Amazing Grace NYC Tour CS
:taylormade-small:_______'19 TP5X
(the preceding have all been gamer approved)

"The most important shot in golf is the next one“ - Ben Hogan

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41 minutes ago, downlowkey said:

New shaft in the 3 iron?

DING DING DING!!!!🥳

UST proforce V2 hybrid. It's 1" longer and about 20g lighter which in theory should equate to a faster swing speed. The shaft is a mid-flight, lower spin VS mid/high flight, high spin in the KBS. 

I'll give it a go tomorrow and see if I picked up any distance. 

inCollage_20190920_200656411.thumb.jpg.854f2141b52f8405a71dea9dbcd8f41a.jpg

0920191953.thumb.jpg.95920b3c148804e9c0a137fb6a31d202.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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Not done yet! 

I just dropped the clubs off at Golf Galaxy to have the lofts and lies checked out.  

We spent some time with the 9, 7, 6i and lie tape.  The 7 and 9 have a touch of heel bias, the 6 was right on.  

20190921_151025.thumb.jpg.ab8820f843e40d29bface0ca0480ca78.jpg

 

I then compared the 7i to a Taylormade P790 with the only reg flex shaft they had available.  I forget what shaft it was, unfortunately.  The P790 was a couple yards longer and had comparable spin and roll rates.  The feel of a center strike with the Black Cat was noticeably better.  Here's some comparo photos

20190921_153629.thumb.jpg.5cbdd4b4b8a22624f17e52feedcbf2aa.jpg

 

20190921_153638.thumb.jpg.1b104f2b716254124e03899201b33553.jpg

20190921_201906.jpg.270022264adb3e4f4c69e565aeb19b43.jpg

The techs are going to play with them for the weekend and report on loft and lie and let me know.  But they don't seem too far off the mark.

Edited by knightsofnii

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :projectx: Evenflow Riptide CB 6.0s

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, :projectx: PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg :projectx: PXV R. 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), :projectx: 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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On 7/26/2019 at 11:17 AM, azstu324 said:

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.

inCollage_20190809_194622104.thumb.jpg.91f68cc6cf386292ecc0482cebd51afb.jpg

 

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.

0809191936a.thumb.jpg.610242876ff1ca340a792727bb7dec79.jpg

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

 

Thanks for the great pictures comparing the VTs to the DBMs. Really nice to see the differences between the two.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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Thanks for the great pictures comparing the VTs to the DBMs. Really nice to see the differences between the two.
Hey if you need more pics of the DBMs I've got just as many of them as I do my kids..

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

   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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  • 1 month later...

BIO:

Hey everyone.  This is kind of a secondary review on these irons, and not one of the officially selected peeps to test and give feedback.  I will start with a little about myself.  I hang between a 3 to a +2, depending on how i am feeling, mainly to aches and pains and onset of arthritis starting to take over in finger joints.  I have played the game for many years and just turned 50.  Still have around a 108-110mph driver clubhead speed which puts it out there 285-290 range an my previous gamers were Taylormade P790's and hit a 7 iron around 175ish with stiff KBS Tour 120's.  My bag got stolen and I was in the middle of piecing it back together and was approached on these and decided to give them ago and told guy I got them from that I would try and keep this review alive with current information.

After reading several of the testers feedback, I am not sure I would agree that Lynx is back so to speak.  They way the clubs were sent out in your descriptions were terrifying.  First thing i did was check the loft and lie angles compared to their Specs online and they were all over the place, so no normal Quality Control measures are in place. Definitely seem like a fly by night operation.


MODIFIED SET UP:
I put them on my Mitchell loft and lie machine and bent them to match my old gamers specs as follows with regards to lofts and lie angles (1* flat)

PW  45*       63*

9     40*        62.5*

8     35*        62*

7    30.5*      61.5*

6    26.5*      61*

5    23.5*      60.5*

4    21*          60*
With the CG movement on these irons, why in the hell would they pair these with KBS90's?  That has to be the highest launching shaft in the world.  Next thing I did was remove all the silver paint fill and wet sand them with 2000 to smooth out some of the imperfections and finally shafted them up with some UST Recoil 95's F3 hard stepped to play as stiff. Ben wanting to move to graphite to help and alleviate some of the vibrations that cause pain in fingers and elbow.

 

PLAYING FEEDBACK:

I got on a launch monitor with a Trackman 4 and looked at some numbers to see what was going on before range and into play. Fairly low spin but was picking up some discrepancies on yardages but could be do mats and not to turf interaction.  Initial numbers were on point with my P790's maybe a little longer on the short irons 8-PW.  Range time proved to be about the same and proceeded to playing them in a round.  Purposly teed off most par 4's with a driving iron to give myself more play throughout the bag.  One thing that stands out is they feel and sound almost identical to Titleist TMB's.  They tend to have a more hollow feel and they do fly forever, so plenty long.  Did not see a tremendous loss of distance on miss hits, but more than say PXG or P790's.  So if you like the TMB's you would love these as a cheaper alternative.  One drawback is I did get a couple hot flyer shots from the fairway.  Normally hit a PW around 130, and a flushed one to 155, air mailing the green and smashed an 8 iron 170 on a hole, slight helping breeze.  As for me personally, I will probably go back in search for some P790 heads as i had them in play for so long and feel under pressure i know what they will do.  One caveat is not 100% sure how much the graphite shafts add to this.  Going from 120 down to 95grams I did pick up 2-3mph club head speed access the bag, but the shaft frequency was the same after hard stepping them.  I have never been a fan of black or gunmetal finishes as I hate the way they wear, and that is for all clubs, Taylormade, Vokey's, etc...These are not any different.  After a bucket of range balls, started to see some scratching on the face.  I think after a month of use and the wear blending in will look much better then the obvious marl's against newer pristine finish.  For the record teeing off with an iron and giving up a lot of distance on a 6800 yard course still managed a +1 73 on the day, so not bad.

VALUE:

I would not pay their $795 retail pricing with KBS 90 shafts, with so many other United States options available from all the big OEM's spending millions and million in R&D.  Now I would be in the market at a $400-$450 range with some different shaft options, or to be bought as a component (heads only, similar to Maltby).  Now I have spent a great deal of time to clean these up and dial in the specs and shaft up wit a more viable option and making them a good set of sticks.

Just a review from someone with a little lower handicap for additional feedback compared to other testers. Feel free to ask any questions and i can answer them as well.  

These will be hitting the sales pages shafted or as heads if interested.

 

Cheers!!!

 

0.jpeg.b905facb357bc3f4b1de799db6a0d9b5.jpeg0-1.jpeg.1e5626d49d84df366d9378fdd71dc920.jpegs-l1600.thumb.jpg.5c837aeb04f451aaefc3e3773f5876b0.jpg0-2.jpeg.ada76ca8504d71d17e6be05812d858a7.jpeg

Edited by TmagBryce
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BIO:
Hey everyone.  This is kind of a secondary review on these irons, and not one of the officially selected peeps to test and give feedback.  I will start with a little about myself.  I hang between a 3 to a +2, depending on how i am feeling, mainly to aches and pains and onset of arthritis starting to take over in finger joints.  I have played the game for many years and just turned 50.  Still have around a 108-110mph driver clubhead speed which puts it out there 285-290 range an my previous gamers were Taylormade P790's and hit a 7 iron around 175ish with stiff KBS Tour 120's.  My bag got stolen and I was in the middle of piecing it back together and was approached on these and decided to give them ago and told guy I got them from that I would try and keep this review alive with current information.
After reading several of the testers feedback, I am not sure I would agree that Lynx is back so to speak.  They way the clubs were sent out in your descriptions were terrifying.  First thing i did was check the loft and lie angles compared to their Specs online and they were all over the place, so no normal Quality Control measures are in place. Definitely seem like a fly by night operation.


MODIFIED SET UP:
I put them on my Mitchell loft and lie machine and bent them to match my old gamers specs as follows with regards to lofts and lie angles (1* flat)
PW  45*       63*
9     40*        62.5*
8     35*        62*
7    30.5*      61.5*
6    26.5*      61*
5    23.5*      60.5*
4    21*          60*
With the CG movement on these irons, why in the hell would they pair these with KBS90's?  That has to be the highest launching shaft in the world.  Next thing I did was remove all the silver paint fill and wet sand them with 2000 to smooth out some of the imperfections and finally shafted them up with some UST Recoil 95's F3 hard stepped to play as stiff. Ben wanting to move to graphite to help and alleviate some of the vibrations that cause pain in fingers and elbow.
 
PLAYING FEEDBACK:
I got on a launch monitor with a Trackman 4 and looked at some numbers to see what was going on before range and into play. Fairly low spin but was picking up some discrepancies on yardages but could be do mats and not to turf interaction.  Initial numbers were on point with my P790's maybe a little longer on the short irons 8-PW.  Range time proved to be about the same and proceeded to playing them in a round.  Purposly teed off most par 4's with a driving iron to give myself more play throughout the bag.  One thing that stands out is they feel and sound almost identical to Titleist TMB's.  They tend to have a more hollow feel and they do fly forever, so plenty long.  Did not see a tremendous loss of distance on miss hits, but more than say PXG or P790's.  So if you like the TMB's you would love these as a cheaper alternative.  One drawback is I did get a couple hot flyer shots from the fairway.  Normally hit a PW around 130, and a flushed one to 155, air mailing the green and smashed an 8 iron 170 on a hole, slight helping breeze.  As for me personally, I will probably go back in search for some P790 heads as i had them in play for so long and feel under pressure i know what they will do.  One caveat is not 100% sure how much the graphite shafts add to this.  Going from 120 down to 95grams I did pick up 2-3mph club head speed access the bag, but the shaft frequency was the same after hard stepping them.  I have never been a fan of black or gunmetal finishes as I hate the way they wear, and that is for all clubs, Taylormade, Vokey's, etc...These are not any different.  After a bucket of range balls, started to see some scratching on the face.  I think after a month of use and the wear blending in will look much better then the obvious marl's against newer pristine finish.  For the record teeing off with an iron and giving up a lot of distance on a 6800 yard course still managed a +1 73 on the day, so not bad.
VALUE:
I would not pay their $795 retail pricing with KBS 90 shafts, with so many other United States options available from all the big OEM's spending millions and million in R&D.  Now I would be in the market at a $400-$450 range with some different shaft options, or to be bought as a component (heads only, similar to Maltby).  Now I have spent a great deal of time to clean these up and dial in the specs and shaft up wit a more viable option and making them a good set of sticks.
Just a review from someone with a little lower handicap for additional feedback compared to other testers. Feel free to ask any questions and i can answer them as well.  
These will be hitting the sales pages shafted or as heads if interested.
 
Cheers!!!
 
0.jpeg.b905facb357bc3f4b1de799db6a0d9b5.jpeg0-1.jpeg.1e5626d49d84df366d9378fdd71dc920.jpegs-l1600.thumb.jpg.5c837aeb04f451aaefc3e3773f5876b0.jpg0-2.jpeg.ada76ca8504d71d17e6be05812d858a7.jpeg

Thanks for giving your honest review. A couple questions for you regarding loft and lies. Do you remember what they were when you got them? I listed in my review what they were before I started playing them so I’m curious how much they change over the course of a couple months of play. Also my club guy said they were harder and more difficult to bend than other irons he has done, how did you find them in that regard?



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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  • 5 weeks later...

After the initial review, I let my son play the clubs to see what he thought compared to the Jack Nicholas irons he has played for years.  He informed me the other day, that passion is 9/10 of the law, and that these clubs are now his.   Sounds like he likes them.  Unfortunately golf season now is very hit or miss and cannot be scheduled.  So I think this debate will have to wait till spring.  I still want to try graphite shafts and maybe a couple of other changes.  Will try to keep you posted.   I have a wedding this December, then on in May, then again in July (Australia) and then one in September.  I am excepting donations 🙂

: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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  • STUDque unpinned this topic
  • 4 months later...

I'm still gaming these Black Cats.  I absolutely love them.  I'd be curious to know how they'd do with R+ or S shafts, but I have zero complaints about the current setup.

Its about time for new grips.  Probably GP Tour Velvet +4 med as I absolutely love those too 🙂

I've played a few rental sets while traveling.  One of note was all Titleist.  The AP3 irons were nice, straight, and long.  However, they totally lacked the feel on solid shots that the Black Cats have.  It could be a number of factors like shaft flex and grip thickness, but I really love the feel of the Cats. 

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :projectx: Evenflow Riptide CB 6.0s

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, :projectx: PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg :projectx: PXV R. 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), :projectx: 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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1 hour ago, knightsofnii said:

I'm still gaming these Black Cats.  I absolutely love them.  I'd be curious to know how they'd do with R+ or S shafts, but I have zero complaints about the current setup.

Its about time for new grips.  Probably GP Tour Velvet +4 med as I absolutely love those too 🙂

I've played a few rental sets while traveling.  One of note was all Titleist.  The AP3 irons were nice, straight, and long.  However, they totally lacked the feel on solid shots that the Black Cats have.  It could be a number of factors like shaft flex and grip thickness, but I really love the feel of the Cats. 

I took the Black Cats out of the bag this spring, I just didn't seem to be hitting them as well, put the AP1's back in the bag and they felt really good. After my last round and awful approach shot after awful approach shot I'm thinking about putting the Black Cats back in the bag🏌️‍♂️

: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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"They can't all be winners"

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤣🤣🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️❤❤🤞🤞🤞

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :projectx: Evenflow Riptide CB 6.0s

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, :projectx: PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg :projectx: PXV R. 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), :projectx: 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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20 hours ago, knightsofnii said:

"They can't all be winners"

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤣🤣🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️❤❤🤞🤞🤞

Did you play with the Black Cats in the cold this winter? Obviously our winters down here are not that cold, but I felt like in cooler weather the Black Cat clubs lost some of the spring off the club face that I felt all summer, ( maybe something to do with the "goo" they put inside? ). When I put the AP1s back in the bag they felt more solid and my approach numbers improve immediately. 

: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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I don't recall much difference in distance nor feel outside the normal as temps dropped. 

I'll have to try some sidebyside comparisons against my C300's, JPX 825 Pros, and Amp Cell Pros again and see how they're holding up.  

 

I hear what you're saying though.  The polymer inside, whatever it is, could easily lose its properties due to temperature fluctuations. 

 

I never thought to uncork one of them and see what it actually looks like inside.  

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :projectx: Evenflow Riptide CB 6.0s

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, :projectx: PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg :projectx: PXV R. 

:titleist-small:          2021/22 T200 5-7, T100 8-P (bent 1deg strong), :projectx: 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 would also be curious, given the budget, to know what other iron heads felt and performed like with the exact same KBS tour 90 R shaft and medium Lamkin grips.  

Like I had said, it's possible that some of the properties I like so much about these could be due to the shaft and grip also.  

:cobra-small:   RADspeed 10.5, :projectx: Evenflow Riptide CB 6.0s

:cobra-small:  Bio Cell 3/4w, :projectx: PXV 6.0s; AMP 3h 19deg Aldila RIP R.  Bio Cell 4h 22.5deg :projectx: PXV R. 

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