What Equipment Have You Tested?

[cksurfdude]

5 hours ago, Merlin1313 said:

I found out that when I changed from the Chrome Soft X LS to the Chrome Soft X, I got a lot of the spin back with my irons. The launch was about the same, but they seemed to stop a lot faster. The Pro V 1X also did a pretty good job at increasing spin and descent.

That's interesting .. I'm kinda comfortable with what I usually play = MaxFli Tour but I know I could use a bit more spin around the greens.

That said.... not sure the Paradym X fit my swing / my game....

[Hook DeLoft]

13 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

That's interesting .. I'm kinda comfortable with what I usually play = MaxFli Tour but I know I could use a bit more spin around the greens.

That said.... not sure the Paradym X fit my swing / my game....

Strong lofted, low spin irons are great for high ball hitters. I’m not one of those (despite having a set of LTx Cobras). I use a higher spin ball and that helps. 

[cksurfdude]

7 hours ago, Hook DeLoft said:

Strong lofted, low spin irons are great for high ball hitters. I’m not one of those (despite having a set of LTx Cobras). I use a higher spin ball and that helps. 

Yeah not sure I'm a high enough swing speed nor high enough ball hitter to have the Paradym/X be effective for me, but as mentioned do plan on going for an iron fitting so maybe we'll try them again.

Relatedly... Been trying a few different 7i's and based on what I was seeing at the range today I could game any one of those....

[Jodrell]

Had a fitting for the Titleist drivers today. Ended up being fitted into the TSR2 with a 55gram Stiff shaft. Over the last 3 months I’ve also had manufacturer fittings from Callaway and Taylormade.

Something about the TSR didn’t quite click for me. I hit it really well when I caught it properly, and the strike pattern was pretty good, but I felt the spin was a bit high, getting into the 3k range, especially with the ones less out of the centre. I also wasn’t overly keen on the sound.

Of the 3 drivers I’ve hit so far the Stealth 2 Plus is definitely my favourite with the Paradym running a close second.

My next plan is to book a fitting with the actual store so I can hit them back to back, and maybe try the Ping and Wilson drivers too

[richk9holes]

29 minutes ago, Jodrell said:

My next plan is to book a fitting with the actual store so I can hit them back to back, and maybe try the Ping and Wilson drivers too

The Ping LST is one I want to check out for sure.

[CSiders12]

If you are looking for a great brand at a great price, Sub70 is your brand. I first learned of Sub70 a couple of years ago when they were much smaller than they currently are. I currently have their hybrid bag, which was only a shiny $140. Perfect bag at an even better price. For the holidays, I got a sweatshirt from their shop, and I have trialed irons and have some hats, bag tags, and other goodies that I have collected over the years. 

Last week, I went to The Seventy, Sub70's fitting hub in Sycamore, Illinois, and went for an iron fitting. I was able to hit the 659 TC, CB, and MB irons. Their craftsmanship is lovely and the feel of the irons is pristine. Comparing them to my Titleist AP2 irons, I really do believe that the Sub70 irons look and feel better. I am slowly working on building my bag with more Sub70 equipment and think that these irons would be a great addition. If you live anywhere near Illinois and are able to schedule a fitting, their place is absolutely lovely. The staff is great and the environment is awesome. Highly highly recommend. 

[jtowns43]

Has anyone tried out the Tour Wrap 2G Golf Pride grips?  How slick do they actually get in the rain or if hands get a little sweaty?  I have the all black Taylormade p790's and like the look and feel but am worried if they will get too slippery.

[GolfSpy_APH]

5 minutes ago, jtowns43 said:

Has anyone tried out the Tour Wrap 2G Golf Pride grips?  How slick do they actually get in the rain or if hands get a little sweaty?  I have the all black Taylormade p790's and like the look and feel but am worried if they will get too slippery.

I have and were not bad grips, but also not for me. I get sweaty hands and and that just didn't mesh well..

However my father in law loves them and are his go to.

[jtowns43]

Just now, GolfSpy_APH said:

I have and were not bad grips, but also not for me. I get sweaty hands and and that just didn't mesh well..

However my father in law loves them and are his go to.

What did you go to?  I like the feel of them more but am worried about the same thing.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

56 minutes ago, jtowns43 said:

Has anyone tried out the Tour Wrap 2G Golf Pride grips?  How slick do they actually get in the rain or if hands get a little sweaty?  I have the all black Taylormade p790's and like the look and feel but am worried if they will get too slippery.

Those are my go to grips for irons, have always played them and absolutely love them. I’m a heavy sweater and have had no issues, I think they provide really nice tackiness. I currently have the black ones on my irons but had the white previously and those are far and away my favorite 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

1 hour ago, jtowns43 said:

What did you go to?  I like the feel of them more but am worried about the same thing.

Also, not to be a creeper, but I see in your profile you’re from Madison! I am in Reedsburg. What courses do you usually play or call home?

[gavinski91]

I mentioned a while back that I was thinking about a rangefinder and picked up the Precision Pro NX10. I've used it for a couple of rounds now, and the thing I love about it is how fast it is. I've struggled with using my brother's Amazon rangefinder because I can't hold it steady enough to pick up the flag, and for that reason I considered the Nikon with stabilization, but the NX10 picks up the flag so fast that I don't need to hold the reticle in place for very long. Big fan so far!

[GolfSpy SAM]

Just for fun I went into a Roger Dunn (Golf shop out here in Cali - not sure if they're nation-wide), and hit a bunch of similar-type irons I've had my eyes on for the past few months, just to see what they felt like/looked like at address.  The standout winner (and I mean, hands-down) in the performance department was the new P790s.  It wasn't even close, honestly.  I think I hit ONE suspect shot with it.  All the others were either "on" or "just miss"es at the green set at 175.  

Now, to be fair, the P790s had the KBS Tour Lite 100s, which I found to feel incredible, but also very similar (feel-wise) to my gamer Nippon 105s.  I hit all the other heads with steel shafts, but as there is limited selection for the demos, it was a mixed bag of heavier (120, mostly), wrong flex (several at R), etc.  

Before I make any kind of final judgment on it, it would be nice to be able to compare like for like, of course, but I was pretty stunned at just how good the P790s felt.  

Here's what I tried, in rough order of "like" (top is more, bottom is less)

TM P790 (genuinely stunned)
ZX4 Mark II (LOVE the looks of this iron. Shaft was a no-go)
ZX5 Mark II (Ditto above, hit this in a fitting I had a few months ago - still awesome)
TM P770 (heavier shaft than my norm, and small-ish at address - but felt awesome when hit well)
Paradym (didn't love the look of this at address - kind of surprised. Felt chunky in a way I wouldn't think I'd mind. Performed "fine", but didn't wow me. Could be down to not a great shaft match)
Cobra Forged Tec (One Length, but doesn't really  matter as it was the 7-iron) ("clicky" for me, but...really, really love the look of this iron)
Stealth HD (not in the market for these, but wanted to see if there was a chance they'd feel good) (again, shaft not a great match, but these looked HUGE at address, lol. Surprised it bothered me as much as it did)
Cobra MIM Tour (I'm just not good enough for these - could've been the heavier shaft, but...let's be honest. "Wanting" to hit something well and hitting something well are often very different things )

So ultimately, if I were to win the lotto tomorrow, I'd be VERY interested in getting fit into some 790s. Maybe a 770/790 combo, but the size of the 790 is pretty Goldilocks-y to me - the 770s felt a bit small.  I'm even more interested in demo-ing the Sub-70 699-Pros now, considering they're a very similar club to to the 790s.  

[Josh Ross]

I've been to the PGA Tour Superstore twice recently and both times I've spent a lot of time with the new L.A.B. Link.1 putter. Prior to buying the Directed Force 2.1 a few years ago, I have always been a blade user so I wanted to try the technology in blade form. It's no secret how good the technology is in the DF 2.1, but man is that Link.1 smooth. It has a great feel and the ball starts on the intended line every time. I have zero issues performance-wise for my current gamer, but the only thing I'd change is its ability to fit in my bag, haha. May be making the switch soon.

[GolfSpy_APH]

Hit the Paradym triple Diamond and holy cow! So so so freaking good. 

I almost bought it on the spot.

[Lee Turner]

Mizuno hot metal

[Merlin1313]

Mizuno Hot Metal Pro and the TM P790s. My Paradyms were getting a little bit nervous for a while Figured if I tried something else- they'd do better (cuz they were in the bay with me)

Edited April 14, 2023 by Merlin1313

[edingc]

7 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Hit the Paradym triple Diamond and holy cow! So so so freaking good. 

I almost bought it on the spot.

Funny you posted this. I finally took the wrapping off mine and took it to the range this afternoon. It's special. The sound and feel is amazing, and the ball flight is perfect for me. Good height, slight draw or straight on my best swings with 10.5 head turned to 9.5 and heavy weight in back.

Bounced one off the fence at the back of range on the fly and got one other to completely clear it - figure about 275 carry. I had my Mevo+ running for a bit and managed a 172 MPH ball speed effort with range balls so that's very exciting.

Gorgeous, too.

[GolfSpy_APH]

2 minutes ago, edingc said:

Funny you posted this. I finally took the wrapping off mine and took it to the range this afternoon. It's special. The sound and feel is amazing, and the ball flight is perfect for me. Good height, slight draw or straight on my best swings with 10.5 head turned to 9.5 and heavy weight in back.

Bounced one off the fence at the back of range on the fly and got one other to completely clear it - figure about 275 carry. I had my Mevo+ running for a bit and managed a 172 MPH ball speed effort with range balls so that's very exciting.

Gorgeous, too.

It really is so pleasing to see. 

I wouldn't say it was that much farther than my tsi3, but the ball flight was so much more stable. The sound as you said is great and very quiet compared. I was just blown away at how stable the flight was and the hang time. Maybe it was longer? Kinda hard for me to tell on the range with range balls, but I will definitely be finding one to demo and put on trackman or gc4. 

[edingc]

4 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

It really is so pleasing to see. 

I wouldn't say it was that much farther than my tsi3, but the ball flight was so much more stable. The sound as you said is great and very quiet compared. I was just blown away at how stable the flight was and the hang time. Maybe it was longer? Kinda hard for me to tell on the range with range balls, but I will definitely be finding one to demo and put on trackman or gc4. 

I don't know that it is longer, but the ball flight is definitely better than my Epic Max LS and the feel is super addicting. The muted sound from the carbon makes the face feel so soft on impact.

I still hit a handful of low duck hooks but that was 100 percent my swing and something I am working on. 

As you can see from the pictures I was a little toe-side and high on the face at times and it performed beautifully.

[cksurfdude]

Cleveland XL Hy-Wood is staying in the bag .. and with the "Action Mass" counterweight intact.

Wasn't sure about the club at first, nor the counterweight, but if it keeps working for me anything like yesterday I'm happy!

Used it three times in 9 holes... (1) long second .. hit it high and straight and it carried all the distance I'd wanted .. I just pushed it a little right (and ball ended up in trouble behind the green); (2) tee shot ended up in right rough with line to green blocked by a tall tree with branches overhanging the edge of the fairway .. pull this club for a low, running punch shot to get to the front of the green .. caught it well, kept it under the branches .. just caught it a little too well and got too much runout and ended up in the rough off the left side of the green (dry, bumpy fairway too); (3) second shot on a Par 5 where I needed a lot of distance .. into a bit of a headwind .. to clear a second hill and get a good look at the green .. caught it really solidly and sent it high and straight and despite the wind ball landed on the crest of the hill .. giving me a clear 8i to the green .. and which set up my first ever par on that hole!

[giantcaptivfrog]

I've tested Ping 525's and i230's, along with Taylormade P770's through manufacturer's free demo days at Puetz Golf. I've never been fit for irons until recently. My current gamers have 95g regular flex shafts in them, and have a tendency to send the ball high. Changing shafts to 120g options (Project X IO for Ping i525, DG 120 S300 for Ping i230, KBS Tour $-Taper for Taylormade) added about 10-15 yards of distance along with very predictable dispersion. I had one pured shot with the i525s that went 15 yards further than the others, so they were removed from contention. Dispersion was similar between the i230s and P770's, but the P770's won out on distance.

Though the fittings were only within a 30 minute window, I feel the testing was accurate and the shafts would be a definite improvement over my current setup. I'm excited to upgrade my irons soon, but it will be hard to decide what to go with!

[Syks7]

Found a few torque balanced putters to play with at Roger Dunn this morning.  I've been curious for a while.  Two old edels and Axis Justin Rose.  Very interesting feeling.  Can't say that I'm not intrigued. Might venture down to the PGA superstore to try the Lab Link and Mezz out. 

 If love to be able to try one long term test,but all the ones I played with this morning were all selling for north of 250 and the edels looked like they'd been through the ringer.  

 

[richk9holes]

52 minutes ago, Syks7 said:

Found a few torque balanced putters to play with at Roger Dunn this morning.  I've been curious for a while.  Two old edels and Axis Justin Rose.  Very interesting feeling.  Can't say that I'm not intrigued. Might venture down to the PGA superstore to try the Lab Link and Mezz out. 

 If love to be able to try one long term test,but all the ones I played with this morning were all selling for north of 250 and the edels looked like they'd been through the ringer.  

 

https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/golf-clubs/putters/pre-owned-edel-golf-e-1-torque-balanced-platinum-putter/

This E-1 says it's Very Good condition and RockBottomGolf has been good about stating condition in my experience.

[TSauer]

1 hour ago, richk9holes said:

https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/golf-clubs/putters/pre-owned-edel-golf-e-1-torque-balanced-platinum-putter/

This E-1 says it's Very Good condition and RockBottomGolf has been good about stating condition in my experience.

And code ULTIMATE brings it down to $155...

[Syks7]

1 hour ago, richk9holes said:

https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/golf-clubs/putters/pre-owned-edel-golf-e-1-torque-balanced-platinum-putter/

This E-1 says it's Very Good condition and RockBottomGolf has been good about stating condition in my experience.

 

33 minutes ago, TSauer said:

And code ULTIMATE brings it down to $155...

Can't tell if you guys are the little red-horned or haloed dude on my shoulder.  Glad I bought that yes Callie to tie me over for a minute. 

[richk9holes]

@Syks7 I like to think I'm just a simple club ho who checks multiple golf sites daily and has good retention.  

But I would dig reading an unofficial review on an E-1. Hope you'll write one for the callie.

[knotthead17]

On 8/14/2022 at 12:58 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Have you tested anything recently whether it be in a store or tried a friends club or anything else if you tested it we would love to hear about it and how it performed or did it live up to expectations?

I'm testing some swiss putter companies. I'll go to one company Tuesday to try them out and another one the week after. These are niche brand companies that I've never seen in shops and want to give them a try and see how they react. They have a ton of customization and should be a lot of fun to use. They will however have to do a lot to get my strokelab 7 out of the bag. 

As you know all too well, it can be tricky being a lefty in the golf world. For the longest time I wanted to try and evnroll putter and a LAB putter but finding a lefty demo in Denver was impossible. I called every dealer in the state for both companies and didn't find a single one. They didin't even make the adjustable LAB putter in lefty when I was looking--that may have changed. 

It seems a little crazy, but I ended up just flying out to evnroll to do a test/fitting directly with them. I did leave super satisfied with the ER2 but even there they had say 30 combinations for putters with heads, hosels, and whatnot. Lefty's? Two options at the time! I know they've gotten a lot better since then but man it's challenging

I've always been envious of playing with friends whenever they get to try each other's new clubs and drivers. I've just accepted that by being a lefty you basically have to buy something if you want to try it. I recently tried to test the new Mizuno driver, no left-handed options; new Mizuno blades, no left-handed options; new cobra blades, no lefty option; Mizuno wedges, no lefty options… I understand that were a small part of the industry and they can't really cater to us but it sure would be nice to have more testing options

[JerryB]

I got to test out the Aerojet line from Cobra.  I'm not very good, very inconsistent, so these seemed right up my alley.  Couldn't hit my irons to save my life but those hybrids were fantastic!  If I could game an entire set of Aerojet hybrids (right up through wedges!) I'd pull the trigger in a heartbeat!

Probably a good thing the closest golf store is a good 30-40 minute drive away, otherwise I'd probably spend all my time swinging different clubs.

[OdinSnipes414]

On 8/22/2022 at 1:53 PM, revkev said:

The sad reality is that I can't test anything out of the bags of the guys that I play with - one is 6'4" and his specs have nothing to do with mine (although I have hit his sub 70 irons a few times and like them - but I hit them left every time because they are up 3 and I'm down 2), another is my age, around my size and SS but I have no interest in what he games - I've hit his driver a few times - it's a good enough older Titleist driver but no where near as good as mine - then everyone else is a pro (literally) or a member of my middle school golf team.  

Sun 70 is a great company! Right now I’m slowly switching my bag to them! I rock their 3 wood and 2 utility iron and have a putter being made as we speak