What Equipment Have You Tested?

[TJ Hall]

22 minutes ago, bear11 said:

None i keep putting name had no luck

The guide that people replied with provide great information.  The chances of getting selected for something small to start is more likely as well…something like a glove or ball test is more likely.  There are also a ton of people that sign up for testing and only a small group for each, but if the MGS crew continues the same pace into next year, there will be plenty of opportunities.  Just the chance of being selected is a bonus for me…even though I wasn’t selected for a number of tests, I’m happy for the people that are and love to see there open/honest feedback.

[Preeway]

31 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

The guide that people replied with provide great information.  The chances of getting selected for something small to start is more likely as well…something like a glove or ball test is more likely.  There are also a ton of people that sign up for testing and only a small group for each, but if the MGS crew continues the same pace into next year, there will be plenty of opportunities.  Just the chance of being selected is a bonus for me…even though I wasn’t selected for a number of tests, I’m happy for the people that are and love to see there open/honest feedback.

Spot on. Start with the basics like a profile pic and then get involved in discussion a bit. I think most every test includes veteran members as well as relative newbies. I had only been here for around 6 months when I was chosen for my first test. 

[Big moose]

I tested the craftsman head covers, I really like them. my hybrid covers need replaced and I will probably get them from craftsman. 

[Bang60]

I've not tested anything as I've not made the cut, think it's because I live in God's country

[cnosil]

7 hours ago, Bang60 said:

I've not tested anything as I've not made the cut, think it's because I live in God's country

You test lots of equipment.   You are always posting about the different things that you try.  

[GolfSpy_APH]

8 hours ago, Bang60 said:

I've not tested anything as I've not made the cut, think it's because I live in God's country

This thread isn't about member testing and those who are taking part in that. It is about anyone trying or testing any equipment that they are interested in! Whether thats being in a shop rolling a few putts or hitting a driver in the bay or buying something to go head to head!

[cnosil]

5 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

This thread isn't about member testing and those who are taking part in that. It is about anyone trying or testing any equipment that they are interested in! Whether thats being in a shop rolling a few putts or hitting a driver in the bay or buying something to go head to head!

Some get that thought; others seem to think it is about forum tests.  Maybe tweak the title to communicate that.  Maybe: 

what equipment have you tested/tried/experimented with? (Not as a selected forum tester)

[GolfSpy_APH]

2 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Some get that thought; others seem to think it is about forum tests.  Maybe tweak the title to communicate that.  Maybe: 

what equipment have you tested/tried/experimented with? (Not as a selected forum tester)

Making it sound like a Callaway driver name now... 

[BLD7]

I forget where I mentioned it but I received a Fujikura Black TR 6X driver shaft for the TSR3. Today I gave that shaft some time with the PRGR. This was just a quick 20 minutes so that I could get warmed up and give the shaft a few swings. It has a different grip on it than what I prefer so a full side-by-side test will come in the future but a few swings on air today resulted in an average around 115mph and 3 consecutive max swings at 123mph. Im planning next week to get a full SuperSpeed session in. At that time I will do a side-by-side with my preferred grip installed and see if there are any notable differences between the 7X and the 6X. Once I get that test in I want to get on a sim to see what, if any, differences there might be in ball flight, impact position on the face, etc. More to come. Have a great day!

[Bang60]

9 hours ago, cnosil said:

You test lots of equipment.   You are always posting about the different things that you try.  

 

9 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

This thread isn't about member testing and those who are taking part in that. It is about anyone trying or testing any equipment that they are interested in! Whether thats being in a shop rolling a few putts or hitting a driver in the bay or buying something to go head to head!

 

9 hours ago, cnosil said:

Maybe tweak the title to communicate that.  Maybe: 

 

A tweak would've worked better for me I blame Mr diamond who left me in a COMA for a month and my brain just isn't what it once was.

But it's true I'm trying out different irons shafts woods and ball position open face closed face also slower back swing and or shorter ohh and change the grip size more or less paper wraps, yeah constantly tinkering... But all good love the things that I've learnt here, thanks to all..

[MEstep]

As I am getting back into golf I’ve “tested” lots of things out. I got fitted for irons and a new driver at PXG. Great experience and even better value for my money. Need to continue to practice with the driver but man I am enjoying it as of now.
i’ve tested out a couple putters. Lucky I have a buddy who’s a much more avid golfer and has more equipment than anyone needs so I can compare side by side. The most recent side by side by side I guess you’d say has been do to me attempting to help him remove grips from two putters without cutting them. I tested his Sub70 007, PXG mallet (don’t know the model off the top of my head) and my Odyssey O-Works 7. My testing was done in my basement on my putting mat so my results may vary…. Even without alignment aids I felt that I was able to lineup the 007 better the the other two. Also I’m sure some on here have a better explanation to it but there seemed to be more control over the face with the 007. I did not like the grip he has on the PXG but it was an aftermarket Flatcat so that is not a knock on PXG. Between the Ody and the PXG I would say the grip is the only difference. They would be tied for 2nd with the 007 coming in 1st in my opinion. Again my testing was done on my basement putting mat. I will have to get him to let me conduct my experiment on a green or two before making my ultimate decision. Best thing is he’s a good dude and will absolutely let me do it in the name of science and possibly no more 3 putts. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by MEstep
Autocorrect

[MuniGolfer]

I have been trying the Maxfli balls, both the tour and the tour x. So far, I can totally see why they are so well regarded on this forum. I think one of them will most likely be my gamer next year, just figuring out which one has the optimal spin for my game.

[Rob Person]

Unofficial test coming - magnetic tees

Wife was browsing - t e m u - a month ago, and I bought these for .98 cents on special. 

Haven't used them. Got them in the mail today. because it's raining out. First impressions is they seem fit and built well. Curious how long the string will last though. These are 3 1/4" long. Bottom is plastic. Upper is a molded flexible rubbery plastic. Both ends have a magnet insert.

 

[cksurfdude]

On 12/2/2023 at 2:35 PM, Rob Person said:

Unofficial test coming - magnetic tees

Sooo ..... is it that the top half is supposed to break away from the base when you hit the ball, then kinda re-attach itself back together..?

 

[Fongle]

These just rocked up at my door today, very excited to give them a test on Sunday when I can get out and play a round. 

[Bang60]

5 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Sooo ..... is it that the top half is supposed to break away from the base when you hit the ball, then kinda re-attach itself back together..?

 

Yeah that's how they work exactly, I've had them off and on for a few years but there no better than plastic Tees imho...

[chris_]

Posted this in the sim forum on my test results of the Garmin R10
If you don't want to read the whole thing, in two words, spin and accuracy.

         When I started on putting in a sim in my house, I have to cut several deals with my wife. We didn't really use this one room, I had about $1500 to play with, the room still needed to be semi functional (This was really an afterthought, you have to be able to stick people in there and have a place for them to sit, room for clubs, etc while playing. (Something I really hadn't considered when I started) and it had to not annoy her. The last obviously being the deal breaker. 

          I lucked out in a number of regards. I bought the GoSports copy of the NetReturn off Amazon. The box was utterly hammered when I got it but all of the damage was cosmetic and to the poles. GoSports offered me a full refund and I could keep it, or they would send me a new one. I kept it. I bought a GoSports hitting mat from Amazon used. I was given a SigPro Softy hitting strip that was used by PGA Superstore as they remodeled their local store. And I already had a TV to cast everything to. I was doing great on my budget.

          So which LM? I vacillated heavily between the Rapsodo and the Garmin and what eventually won me over was multi player capability on the Garmin and club data. I have three sons still at home and they want to play. I later learned I could use E6 for the MLM and use multi player, but I was already invested at that point. The downside to both of these in my opinion, (And by extension, TM, MLM Pro, etc) is the space required. I had the space to work with but this was my living room, and I needed what amounted to 20' of space which killed any other functionality of the room. Not a deal breaker, but still kind of important to me. I made all the necessary alterations to the room as recommended by Garmin and other users to make it as accurate as possible. Eliminate radar bounceback, using RCT balls, etc.

          I got the Garmin, setup was fairly easy, found E6 to be fairly decent to use as I didn't have the free cash for GSpro or a computer to run it and everything was cool. I played at home for over a month while I waited for PGASS and TaylorMade to sort out my new irons. Also, due to ridiculous pricing at all local courses after Sept 1, it just made more sense to play at home. It worked great! I could already see improvements in my game! And then I went back to a course for the first time. Yikes. The slice that I fought for two years to eliminate had come charging back, even though I hit almost everything straight on the sim. I topped almost every iron, even though I've always taken a divot. I chalked some of this up to the fact that I had new irons and new shafts, having switched from steel to graphite and the vagaries of hitting off a mat versus grass. But I just played bad. Two days later I played again, didn't touch the sim between time, focused on hitting down on irons, tempo and grip, and shot 79. At the time I was a 12 handicap so this represented a stellar day on a course I had only played once before. I hammered the ball and just played all around well. I did see definite improvements as a result of hitting balls every single day.

        The next week I spent time on a Trackman to firm up my distances with my new irons and some other things I had been working on. I took a lot of notes and took a lot of screen caps to help. I went home and found the Garmin to be wildly off in a number of respects, namely distance and spin. Although I am not the best shot shaper, I can mostly shape on demand with most irons. I actually won CTP on a 200 yard blind hole last week with a heavily drawn 6 iron at an event. I found it nearly impossible to hit a draw or fade on the Garmin in either the native app or E6 to the point that I was hurting my lead arm forcing a heavy draw (I normally have a natural fade), only to have the ball show straight on screen. I was able to fix the distance issues by adjusting the elevation on E6 and hitting 9 irons until I got to my approximate distance for that club as a baseline. That caused me a lot of frustration because tricking the sim into something doesn't provide any accuracy. I also found the Garmin to be remarkably consistent. That's a problem because I am just not that consistent. Unless I hit a wildly bad shot, it was showing it as pretty decent. I got to the course thinking I was going to tear things up and instead I played like crap. So immensely frustrating.

       The club data is...suspect. I'm pretty clear on my clubhead and ball speeds and they're just off. Pushing hard, I can get my driver to 112, with an average of 105-6. It won't show me a clubhead speed over 100. Ball speeds struggle to get over 140. AOA is off by a lot but admittedly I struggle specifically with this. I went with the Garmin for AOA especially since I need to improve my AOA with driver. I believe the margin of error is 3*. That's an awful lot in this realm. Again, pointing to spin and shot shaping, if I hit a shot dead straight when I was trying for a fade and it shows my path and face to path for a fade, then there is a breakdown somewhere. It could be me, I freely admit that, but not on every shot. 

       The last two problems are putting and misreads or no reads. A radar based system is affected by everything around it. My problem is that even though I am only about 20lbs overweight for my height and age, I sweat a lot. Without a fan in my living room, I'm dying within 20 shots. I did my best to mitigate this by leaving the fan off as much as possible and pointing it away from the Garmin when it was on. It is still heavily affected by the environment. Short of covering everything in the room with acoustic foam, there are going to be some radar issues.

       Next, the Garmin doesn't read putts. Not the end of the world, and I am a good putter, so this wasn't my largest concern. You can hit short chips and have the sim do a gimme inside 10' and this works fairly well. Except that the Garmin doesn't like short chips, or really any chips under 30'. I feel I'm a decent chipper. I can flop or run, or whatever, but the Garmin does not care for this variety of shots. This leads to a lot of GIR's with mis reads or no reads where I had to hit the same dicey 16' chip to get it to read. So I would end up with 70% of FIR and GIR and a lot of 3 putts or more leading to scores over 90. Just a massive headache. Misreads and no reads are a problem for every sim, but this seemed excessive, even at the price point. 

       I lucked into a situation where a guy let me borrow his OG Skytrak. ST has it's own issues for sure and I am still sorting these out but it solved two problems immediately. It reads spin pretty well, meaning I could finally shape the ball, something I work on a lot, and it reads the most minute of chips, no matter how short. E6 gives you the option to pick how many putts you want if you're within a certain distance, even off the green, so this is still a pretty ok thing, as long as the sim read your chips. I see no issues with the OG ST yet with this. It will read bump and runs, high flops, normal pitches, chips, whatever. 

        Next, since the ST sits next to the ball, I got 7-9' of the back of my living room back. As this is also a pass through to the short side of the kitchen, and the StupidCat's path to his favorite napping location, people, felines, canines, equines, bovines etc can all pass through this area without causing the sim to freak out because it sees something other than the ball and have to take a minute to calm down. This also went from something that dominated the room entirely, to somewhere we can still access the piano, I have room to build a bag rack, (four stand bags spread out takes a lot of room) and is a little more pleasing to the eye. My wife won't say it out loud, but I know this is important to her and this is a big ask for a wife to have in her living room. Her life is dominated by testosterone and sports. 

        Ideally, I would buy a ceiling mounted unit, but I rent my house, the ceilings are only 9', and I anticipate changes to housing and lifestyle in the next few years as at least one more kid will be gone in two years and we will downsize. My other option is a BLP or newer ST, but again, I really need a gaming computer to make that functional. I could swing the cost of these things, but truly, I'm mostly happy with this setup. It allows my sons and I to hit balls with some sort of tracking any time we want, or play as many or as few holes as we want without paying each time we do it and I can upgrade individual parts in the future at leisure. I really prefer a ball side situation as opposed to something behind me for a number of reasons. I only have righty golfers so this works. I also anticipate huge changes in the next few years as we have also seen in the last few, so I don't want to be heavily invested only for something better fitting my needs to come along.

        I sold my Garmin for only a little less than I paid for it, I got the ST for just a few dollars more. I was able to cancel my E6 subscription for the Garmin and get a full refund and repurchase it for the SK. I did pay more than necessary to get E6 separately as I could have purchased the Play and Improve pack through ST, but this give me 40 ish courses to play up to 8 players on at a time, as opposed to only 15 for multi player and 15 for single player. The big drawback to a ST is having a visible laser and a stupid cat.

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by chris_

[nicko.gc]

SeeMore putter with rifle scope allignment. I love it. Feels soft off the face and gives confidence with face allignment.

Edited December 4, 2023 by nicko.gc

[cnosil]

1 minute ago, nicko.gc said:

SeeMore putter with rifle scope allignment. I love it. Feels soft off the fast and gives confidence with face allignment.

Which model?  Has it improved your putting?   How did you evaluate? 

[Rob Person]

19 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Sooo ..... is it that the top half is supposed to break away from the base when you hit the ball, then kinda re-attach itself back together..?

 

It breaks away, string keeps it from flying off, allegedly. Pick up tee and place it back together with the magnets

 

[Josh Ross]

Did some iron shaft testing over the weekend, was fit into Project X LZ shafts a few years ago and have loved the performance. I've changed my swing slightly and thought it would be a good idea to at least revisit the iron shafts and see if there was anything that performed better for me. After trying a ton of different options, I realized I still don't get along with KBS shafts, Dynamic Gold were better for me than they used to be, but the Project X LZ were still king. Time to order a set for my Ben Hogan project!

[Bang60]

On 12/5/2023 at 7:15 AM, chris_ said:

Drawback to a ST is having a visible laser and a stupid cat.

 

Yeah x-girlfriend in Aus had a crazy pussy bloody jump on me while I was sleeping...

[bear11]

Haven't been fortunate to test equipment yet

[Gus McSpanky]

Haven't had the opportunity to test anything 

[cnosil]

20 minutes ago, bear11 said:

Haven't been fortunate to test equipment yet

 

7 minutes ago, Gus McSpanky said:

Haven't had the opportunity to test anything 

You buy equipment without testing prior to purchase?  You've never bought something new just to try it out?  You haven't hit anything new in a store?

Edited December 12, 2023 by cnosil

[Rob Person]

I will officially begin my testing of the AI-ONE DB putter today. Follow along here with myself and the other testers 

AI-ONE DB test

 

 

[Fongle]

Did a full fitting for new irons at my local Club Champion (Australian version, previously a local fitting chain called Pureform Golf, mostly still the same bar the branding) over the weekend.

Went in wanting to try the full Apex 23 range, and see if a mixed set or straight would best suit. I was still open to other brands, but the Apex series did definitely feel the best, and numbers mostly reflected that too. I did also like the numbers I saw with the P7MC's, but they felt a bit more muted and didn't have the same feedback to me with mishits, I could barely place where I'd made contact, it just felt bad but not specific. The Cobra Tours were similarly nice, but I hit a couple shots that went miles further than the others, and I've been specifically wanting to look at upgrading because of the rare jumpers I also seem to get with my '19 series Apex's. Srixons and Mizunos I didn't like the feel or numbers, and the T100's had abysmal numbers for some reason, even the fitter was confused at how bad they performed.

My clubs performed better in dispersion than the CB's, but I also have my clubs upright and with thicker grips, and the clubs I tested didn't have those options so I was pulling them a bit and was a bit looser there (the long left shot was closing the face way down comparative to my normal swing). Distance on the Pros was just my swingspeed dropping by then, I'd hit 150ish shots before then and was slowing down. Averaged 95.6mph with mine and the CB's, was nearer to 91mph with the Pros. Wasn't originally wanting to try them either, was wanting to try the CB/MB's but gave them a swing just to see if I'd look at the 4i only in the Pro.

I did have much better height and spin on the CB's vs my current irons, was averaging 5800 rpm and 132ft peak height with the CB, and 5400/115 with mine. The CB's and the Pro's both outperformed my irons in distance (with the same 30° loft for a 6i) which isn't a huge factor, but the smash factor and efficiency was much better with the Tour V shafts on both vs my C Tapers. I loved the pure feedback on the MB's, but definitely only considering the 9 and 10i in those, super workable, absolutely pure feel, but very finicky. Was fun hitting massive sidewinding cut shots with the MB's just to test them out, was starting the ball one side of the test grid and curling it off the other.

I'm currently playing my irons 2° up, with standard MCC+4 grips, and they did also recommend going to 3° up, with midsize, but wasn't able to try those options so not sure what I'll do there, may just go an extra 2 wraps with standard grips and split the difference, and they can always adjust lie afterwards if need be. Currently thinking I may get  4i Pro, 5i-8i CB, 9i-10i MB, but I have a bit of time to think though after my car decided to break down the day before the fitting, need to get that sorted before looking at new clubs.

Overall was really happy with the experience, the fitting was booked for an hour and a half and we ran to 2 hours, and the fitter said don't worry about it because they didn't have another fitting til later anyway. I didn't get pushed towards any shaft or head options either, he asked if I had anything in mind which we then tried, and then he suggested other options and just let the numbers speak for themselves and let me lead and decide. The Tour V shafts that worked best for me were amongst the cheapest possible options in the end too. I did also try the fancy new Axiom shafts, they felt very smooth, but the weight distribution felt weird to me and I was swinging them terribly. They did bring up the SST Puring as well, I just said I'd looked into it and wasn't too interested and that was the last it was mentioned. 

 

[Rob Person]

Had a chance to test the magnetic tees out at the range this morning.  Used 2 different tees (different heights.)

They seemed to hold up well

 

 

 

[unccross]

50 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Had a chance to test the magnetic tees out at the range this morning.  Used 2 different tees (different heights.)

They seemed to hold up well

 

 

 

Very cool, I’ve never seen these!

[BLD7]

1 hour ago, Rob Person said:

Had a chance to test the magnetic tees out at the range this morning.  Used 2 different tees (different heights.)

They seemed to hold up well

 

 

 

Interesting concept. Do they seem durable? Or more durable than a wood tee? Curious how long they hold up? Seems the string might outlast the plastic.