2023 MGS Forum: Cobra 50th Anniversary Special!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

2 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... And evidently I am right there with Noble and Freddie as my index ballooned to an 11.2 and has been listed that way for almost 3 weeks now so too late for any of you to accuse me of "accidentally" adding a 1 to 1.2   I just hope my 11.2 index it doesn't go to 21.2 playing a new course for the summer. 

Meanwhile I’m trying to get to a 21.2

[gavinski91]

10 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... And evidently I am right there with Noble and Freddie as my index ballooned to an 11.2 and has been listed that way for almost 3 weeks now so too late for any of you to accuse me of "accidentally" adding a 1 to 1.2   I just hope my 11.2 index doesn't go to 21.2 playing a new course for the summer. 

I did the opposite with the Cobra Challenge - we had to set a 5-round baseline with our old clubs using Arccos, and the very first round out I set a personal best score by 8 strokes 

[chisag]

... What is really interesting as a west coast golfer is when I tee off between 3:00 - 3:30 all summer, some of you guys in the Eastern Time Zone will be in bed before I even get off the course! 

[sirchunksalot]

17 minutes ago, chisag said:

... What is really interesting as a west coast golfer is when I tee off between 3:00 - 3:30 all summer, some of you guys in the Eastern Time Zone will be in bed before I even get off the course! 

That would be me. I usually have an early bedtime.

In other news, I went to the range today to get in a little more time with the Cobra's. I thought I'd get out and hit a small bucket then spend time around the chipping green and the putting green. 

I had some difficulties making solid contact with the wedges, I hit a few shanks. I moved on to full shots with the irons and saw better results. My only issue was hitting them a little fat. I think at setup I was favoring my weight toward my trail foot causing me to hear distinct mat then ball contact.

I am still enthralled with how far they go, I have seen range balls get out around the 150 marker with 7 iron. Usually it's my 130 club. 

I hit 4 hybrid next and wasn't seeing good performance out of it. I was seeing decent flight and distance but also seeing a slightly aggressive fade bias. See also: slice.

I hit a few shots with 5 wood and am still believing this club is the star of the show. 

Driver was also good, I didn't hit many since it was mats only and I can never get the right tee height off a mat.

I had some fun around the chipping green, I was manipulating the face and hitting some nice shots.

The putter still need more work, but is getting better. I'm planning on changing out the grip to the 2.0 I prefer. I just can't handle a grip that feels like it is wiggling around in my hands.

After finishing up, I went back to the range where I found some balls lying around and changed the weights from 12, 2, 12 heel to toe to 12, 12, 2. What a difference that made! My last shot sailed out toward the 200 marker straight as an arrow. On the other hits I just saw a baby fade. I think I might be on to something. 

 

 

[jbern]

Very good initial unboxing vid and write-up @CFreddie! The full bag looks great! I'm very curious how you and everyone gets on with the putters. The Sik face and overall look of the putters has me considering one of them. 

 

[chisag]

13 hours ago, jbern said:

I'm very curious how you and everyone gets on with the putters. The Sik face and overall look of the putters has me considering one of them. 

 

... Too early for a definitive answer but so far I am pretty impressed. Sik face seems to be putting a really good roll on the ball and I am really enjoying my Sport 60 and I already have complete confidence using it. Granted the shape and look is very similar to what I was using so the adjustment was relatively easy. Anecdotal but I had 3 birdies on the back 9 today. Just missed several others but they were read misses not poor stroke misses. 

[jbern]

12 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Too early for a definitive answer but so far I am pretty impressed. Sik face seems to be putting a really good roll on the ball and I am really enjoying my Sport 60 and I already have complete confidence using it. Granted the shape and look is very similar to what I was using so the adjustment was relatively easy. Anecdotal but I had 3 birdies on the back 9 today. Just missed several others but they were read misses not poor stroke misses. 

That sounds pretty good! I use anecdotal data to make golf purchasing decisions all the time!

Has anyone had any trouble getting used to distance putting? When I was testing one around the putting green, everything was going longer than expected. I chalked it up to a better starting roll because of the Sik face, but I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

[richk9holes]

1 minute ago, jbern said:

That sounds pretty good! I use anecdotal data to make golf purchasing decisions all the time!

Has anyone had any trouble getting used to distance putting? When I was testing one around the putting green, everything was going longer than expected. I chalked it up to a better starting roll because of the Sik face, but I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

I can't speak to the Cobra putters besides some tinkering in store with them, but the Sik putter I use definitely had that effect when I switched to it. Everything was rolling past the hole by 20% too much. I think the heavy weight of the head is part of the equation in my case, but you may be on to something in regard to the DLT face delivering optimal starting roll.

[chisag]

... Lots of good news from yesterday. My summer courses is in excellent condition. (bunkers are still a huge problem with very high lips and virtually no sand in about 80% of them ) Because there is more grass around the greens the Snakebite wedges are performing better although feel is still an issue. Putter is the star of the show with 3 birdies on the back and 2 par saves from 15 feet. Going from my winter true desert course to my tree lined summer course is a wonderful change. The Raven greens fees run around $250 a round in winter but with an Arcis card for $79 a month in the summer, rounds are $35 after 3pm and with temps ranging from 105*-115* shade everywhere is a must when you play 5 times a week. 95* yesterday with little wind and a beautiful day to play. 

As an aside, the iPhone cameras are just amazing. The last picture is 18* and almost dark and why the sprinklers are already running. But the iPhone makes it look like plenty of light when we couldn't even see the ball land on the green it was so dark. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

23 minutes ago, chisag said:

... Lots of good news from yesterday. My summer courses is in excellent condition. (bunkers are still a huge problem with very high lips and virtually no sand in about 80% of them ) Because there is more grass around the greens the Snakebite wedges are performing better although feel is still an issue. Putter is the star of the show with 3 birdies on the back and 2 par saves from 15 feet. Going from my winter true desert course to my tree lined summer course is a wonderful change. The Raven greens fees run around $250 a round in winter but with an Arcis card for $79 a month in the summer, rounds are $35 after 3pm and with temps ranging from 105*-115* shade everywhere is a must when you play 5 times a week. 95* yesterday with little wind and a beautiful day to play. 

As an aside, the iPhone cameras are just amazing. The last picture is 18* and almost dark and why the sprinklers are already running. But the iPhone makes it look like plenty of light when we couldn't even see the ball land on the green it was so dark. 

Have you ever played at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Sam? A guy I know from Wisconsin works there.

[chisag]

1 hour ago, Jnoble89 said:

Have you ever played at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Sam? A guy I know from Wisconsin works there.

 

... WeKoPa Saguaro is the #1 rated public course in AZ so it is a must play. Always in great shape. Last I heard, they did away with summer resident rates that were $49 in summer and they now charge $120. It is on Native American land so no homes or buildings in sight but no shade either. I will pay $49 to be very hot and keep a wet towel on my cart seat because it will burn your legs if parked in the sun at 110* and up but I won't pay $120 when so many other gems are available for under $50 in the summer. But glad I got to play it several times before the price increase. I hope rounds are down and they change the policy by mid summer. 

[CFreddie]

14 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Too early for a definitive answer but so far I am pretty impressed. Sik face seems to be putting a really good roll on the ball and I am really enjoying my Sport 60 and I already have complete confidence using it. Granted the shape and look is very similar to what I was using so the adjustment was relatively easy. Anecdotal but I had 3 birdies on the back 9 today. Just missed several others but they were read misses not poor stroke misses. 

Agreed @chisag - although this shape (Grandsport) will take a bit getting used to.  Regardless, the face feels really nice on the small number of rolls I've done up to this point.  I've got two rounds scheduled for next week - looking forward to seeing how it performs.

[chisag]

5 minutes ago, CFreddie said:

Agreed @chisag - although this shape (Grandsport) will take a bit getting used to.  Regardless, the face feels really nice on the small number of rolls I've done up to this point.  I've got two rounds scheduled for next week - looking forward to seeing how it performs.

 

... I have had inserts on my putter for a long time now, including my Bobby Grace 6330 and recently my Nike B1/07 so the Sik face was not new technology to me. Once I put my normal grip on and added a little lead tape to the sole, it was like I had been using this Sport 60 for years. It has a very good chance of staying in my bag. Looking forward to hearing how you and others get along with your Cobra putters. 

[sirchunksalot]

15 hours ago, jbern said:

Very good initial unboxing vid and write-up @CFreddie! The full bag looks great! I'm very curious how you and everyone gets on with the putters. The Sik face and overall look of the putters has me considering one of them. 

 

The SIK face definitely feels like it puts a good roll on right after leaving the face, it feels to me like the ball just sucks into the putting surface and rolls pure. 

I'm actually having a bit of the opposite problem as far as distance control goes, I'm coming up short an awful lot. It's probably more me than anything, but I also have mentioned a few times that I'm not fond of the grip and it being a 1.0. I'm more accustomed to a 2.0 SuperStroke grip and the smaller size throws me off. 

I'm planning on taking some video to see how quickly the ball actually starts rolling after coming off the face. 

I also forgot to mention yesterday that while I was on the putting green I experimented with face angles and shaft lean putting and saw consistent results off the SIK face. 

[chisag]

6 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I'm actually having a bit of the opposite problem as far as distance control goes, I'm coming up short an awful lot. It's probably more me than anything

 

... More often than not this is a result of putter weight and balance, and of course the puttee.  Rarely does a face insert effect distance control with all other factors being equal. So many golfers underestimate how balance and weight effects their stroke. Going to a new putter that is lighter or heavier and a balance that is higher or lower can have a huge effect on your putting stroke. When I pick up putters in a golf store and roll a putt I can tell with one stroke if the balance and weight are a poor fit for me, and most are. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

My Cobra bag felt empty and neglected. Yesterday I caved in and loaded it up with my current equipment. I took it out for 12 holes yesterday and 18 today.

First playing impressions:

Really liking the strap pass through system. The only negative on this is if you have a push cart with the bungee type bag fasteners it’s tough to get through the pass through. Cooler pocket is a good size and keeps things cold. 88 degrees and sunny today.

The 14 way top with only three full length dividers was giving me some issues getting clubs seated after using one. I felt like I was always lifting another one up to get the one I used seated. This was on my Motocaddy so the bag was on an angle. My other bag with 14 way full dividers did not have this issue. I’ll see how it performs on a driving cart next weekend.

Two things I missed having so far. Having a ring to hang things on on both sides of the bag. This only has one. The item I missed having is a Velcro patch to hang my golf glove on to dry while I rotate gloves.

Plenty of storage pockets. Zippers all worked well. 

[sirchunksalot]

1 minute ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Cooler pocket is a good size and keeps things cold.

That's been one of the more impressive things about the Cobra bag. When I played the other day I had 3 20 oz bottles of water and an ice pack in there without any issues. 

[chisag]

Just now, sirchunksalot said:

That's been one of the more impressive things about the Cobra bag. When I played the other day I had 3 20 oz bottles of water and an ice pack in there without any issues. 

 

... With my other bags my 2 stainless steel Hydroflask water bottles were hot to the touch, sometimes burn your fingers hot. The cooler in the Cobra bag not only helps keep the contents easily accessible and cold but even when it is over 100* the bottles do not get hot at all. And that is very much appreciated as it is a long hot summer. 

[sirchunksalot]

1 minute ago, chisag said:

 

... With my other bags my 2 stainless steel Hydroflask water bottles were hot to the touch, sometimes burn your fingers hot. The cooler in the Cobra bag not only helps keep the contents easily accessible and cold but even when it is over 100* the bottles do not get hot at all. And that is very much appreciated as it is a long hot summer. 

That's really impressive!

[chisag]

31 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

My Cobra bag felt empty and neglected. Yesterday I caved in and loaded it up with my current equipment. I took it out for 12 holes yesterday and 18 today.

First playing impressions:

Really liking the strap pass through system. The only negative on this is if you have a push cart with the bungee type bag fasteners it’s tough to get through the pass through. Cooler pocket is a good size and keeps things cold. 88 degrees and sunny today.

The 14 way top with only three full length dividers was giving me some issues getting clubs seated after using one. I felt like I was always lifting another one up to get the one I used seated. This was on my Motocaddy so the bag was on an angle. My other bag with 14 way full dividers did not have this issue. I’ll see how it performs on a driving cart next weekend.

Two things I missed having so far. Having a ring to hang things on on both sides of the bag. This only has one. The item I missed having is a Velcro patch to hang my golf glove on to dry while I rotate gloves.

Plenty of storage pockets. Zippers all worked well. 

 

... I hope your Coba bag gets some Cobra clubs very soon. You'd think they can make some universal features like a loop on both sides which just seems like a no brainer. And a dedicated putter well. Kinda funny but I don't use a glove so I am glad there is not velcro that catches my towel. My Zip has a high clip so it is well above the pass through but the base has a square notch that fits the Cobra bags base like a Lego connection so it is rock solid where my Sun Mountain was not. So far I have had few problems with clubs catching but the few times they have it is annoying trying to find which other club is causing the lock up. 

... Seems every bag has +'s and -'s but I think due to the heat and the best cooler section I have ever used along with the locking base, the Cobra will definitely be a keeper for me. 

[Sluggo42]

23 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

My Cobra bag felt empty and neglected. Yesterday I caved in and loaded it up with my current equipment. I took it out for 12 holes yesterday and 18 today.

First playing impressions:

Really liking the strap pass through system. The only negative on this is if you have a push cart with the bungee type bag fasteners it’s tough to get through the pass through. Cooler pocket is a good size and keeps things cold. 88 degrees and sunny today.

The 14 way top with only three full length dividers was giving me some issues getting clubs seated after using one. I felt like I was always lifting another one up to get the one I used seated. This was on my Motocaddy so the bag was on an angle. My other bag with 14 way full dividers did not have this issue. I’ll see how it performs on a driving cart next weekend.

Two things I missed having so far. Having a ring to hang things on on both sides of the bag. This only has one. The item I missed having is a Velcro patch to hang my golf glove on to dry while I rotate gloves.

Plenty of storage pockets. Zippers all worked well. 

You haven’t received your clubs yet?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

45 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

You haven’t received your clubs yet?

 Not yet!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

51 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

You haven’t received your clubs yet?

Neither has myself or @JerryB

[Sluggo42]

Oh my!

sounds like some of you guys are getting a huge head start on the less fortunate…

[sirchunksalot]

1 minute ago, Sluggo42 said:

Oh my!

sounds like some of you guys are getting a huge head start on the less fortunate…

I need all the help I can get. 

[chisag]

55 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

Oh my!

sounds like some of you guys are getting a huge head start on the less fortunate…

 

... Head start badges? I doan need no stinking head start badges!
 

 

 

[JerryB]

Been switching back and forth between my regular bag and the Cobra bag, so both bags are...off, if that makes sense.  My bag is a stand bag so I figured I'd try a cart bag from Cobra.  Takes a little getting used to.  I've nearly tipped the bag over probably a dozen times already expecting the non-existent legs to kick out .

Cooler pouch is indeed awesome; super roomy.  The lack of a Velcro strip is a bit of a bummer but not at all a deal breaker.  I've only taken it on a cart and have also noticed that the clubs do tend to not seat properly.

[sirchunksalot]

Last night I tried getting some slow motion video of a ball I had painted half black coming off the putter to see if I could see how soon the ball started rolling off the face. I'm going to say it didn't work out too good. Even slowing it down to 10% of 10%, I couldn't get too clear of an image. I guess that's the downside to having a cell phone and not a 20,000 fps high dollar camera. 

Might try with the GoPro and see if it comes out clearer. I think I'm just chasing my tail with this, but it's fun and honestly a challenge. 

[jbern]

29 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Last night I tried getting some slow motion video of a ball I had painted half black coming off the putter to see if I could see how soon the ball started rolling off the face. I'm going to say it didn't work out too good. Even slowing it down to 10% of 10%, I couldn't get too clear of an image. I guess that's the downside to having a cell phone and not a 20,000 fps high dollar camera. 

Might try with the GoPro and see if it comes out clearer. I think I'm just chasing my tail with this, but it's fun and honestly a challenge. 

We appreciate the effort! I wish I could help, but I don’t know much about slow-mo. I would think the GoPro would be better than a cell phone, but cell phones are pretty good these days. Maybe there’s an app that specializes is slow-motion cell phone footage?

[sirchunksalot]

Initial run with the GoPro and I need to work on lighting and camera angle along with the positioning of the measuring device to get a more accurate readout of how long the ball scoots before rolling. 

@jbern, I used the GoPro and slowed the footage down here with the Adobe Rush app.