2023 MGS Forum: Cobra 50th Anniversary Special!

[sirchunksalot]

29 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... I miss that sound! Believe it or not we had quite a bit of rain this winter! Filled up a dangerously low reservoir and turned a rocky ravine a big flowing river. But the last3 months it has been dry as ... well ... as a desert. Please send some our way because even though this is Monsoon Season, we have 0% predicted for the next 10 days.  


 

I'll pack it in the next FedEx truck heading that way. I complain about the rain from time to time, but it's been relatively dry here recently and the greens are way too hard.

24 minutes ago, TSauer said:

Same thing here in Missouri. Upper 90s and sunny as can be. I go outside to load my bag in the car and it starts pouring down. I can’t be mad because we desperately needed the rain, but I was looking forward to getting a round in. 

It's crazy, I was preparing dinner when all of a sudden I hear a clap of thunder that nearly made me jump out of my shoes. It was starting to get dark and I should have expected it, but I guess I was too focused on the task at hand. 

I can imagine it made to sad when you're excited to play and then it pours.

[sirchunksalot]

@Jnoble89 and @CFreddie great rounds! 

[CFreddie]

3 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... NOW you are getting the hang of Proper Sandbagging!   Keep it within reason and nobody investigates you playing the Red Tees at 5083 or your fist 327yd miniature golf course. Well done Pard! 

Lol - white tees sir 

[CFreddie]

As promised, quick write-up of my second round of the Woods & Wedges challenge.  After some extra "motivation" from Team captain / elder @chisag, I was able to sneak off for an afternoon round at Sugar Creek, located in SE Atlanta.  I've never played here, but have heard good things about the quality of the course & the price (weekend rate of $40 w/ cart is pretty good here). 

All-in-all, I had a blast out there - as many of the other testers have commented in this week's challenge, limiting your bag forces you to get a bit creative AND focus a bit more on the task at hand.  I'm finally starting to come around on hitting my driver well, setting a new personal record of 263 and (more) importantly, hitting 10 / 14 fairways in regulation. 

On the flip side, my biggest struggle was figuring out the best club to use on my "gap" shots - for example, three of the par 3s were well over 150 yards.  This forced me to hit a half / choked up 5H or intentionally lay-up with my 48°, and given there was no trouble up front, I opted for the latter each time.  Regardless, I had plenty of confidence on making up the distance with my 56°, and really enjoy how quickly I can stop the ball each time with a well struck chip.  

One other call-out - I'm starting to really come around on the versatility of the King Tec 5H.  In a number of instances, I had to hit a low punchy shot under / around encroaching trees off the fairway, which was very easy with the hybrid (my usual club for this shot is a driving iron, but this is much easier to control / hit well).  

[chisag]

26 minutes ago, CFreddie said:

After some extra "motivation" from Team captain / elder @chisag, I was able to sneak off for an afternoon round at Sugar Creek, located in SE Atlanta.

 

... Alas after examining your post with a fine tooth comb (old folks saying that didn't even make sense to us) I am unable to find any real trash talk material. All I got is congrats and if you keep this up, you will have to answer to TSauer because it is going to get really boring around here. 

[richk9holes]

I went out for try #3 with no irons. Played 9 at E net, 42 on the par 35. But I can't use the score because I took a Mulligan on #9 after a bad hybrid shot.

Ultimately I hit the driving range and got some swings with my new 17° UT and ended up at the bar with a whiskey in front of me. No irons challenge driving me to drink.

I didn't keep score the 2nd 9 I played, but I lost all 7 balls I had. I hit some absolute bombs OB left. I'm lining up for a slice that isn't there. I need to concentrate on taking a more reasonable line, let's say the left of the fairway to potentially end up in the right rough if I slice one. Currently I'm aiming OB on the left and 80% of the time I hit a high fade dead center of the FW. The 1/5 that stays straight or gets pulled left by wind is super costly.

[JerryB]

9 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... You can make it even more simplified. Just don't make and doubles or triples. 

[chisag]

26 minutes ago, JerryB said:

 

 

.... You are very welcome.  I charged $50 for lessons when I taught. This one is free! 

[richk9holes]

7 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... NOW you are getting the hang of Proper Sandbagging!   Keep it within reason and nobody investigates you playing the Red Tees at 5083 or your fist 327yd miniature golf course. Well done Pard! 

He's not that good at it... His profile says index 13, but he gets 14 strokes at 68.6/120..

 

[Josh Ross]

The weather absolutely killed any chance I had at getting out this week. Three different days of storms that led to downed trees and power/internet losses. Current forecast is showing thunderstorms 5 of the next 7 days, I'm gonna forget how it feels to play golf!

[richk9holes]

After I filled in net double bogey for the holes I took Mulligan and I did some censorship to keep the scorecard PG rated, I realized that today as aggravating as it was I managed my best net score. Getting the extra strokes playing from the blue tee helped in that regard, but I think also contributed to Lostballapalooza '23.   

With rain impending tomorrow, it looks bleak for my hopes getting another round in.

[JerryB]

Currently procrastinating before I buckle down and write the first mini-review.  Looking at the facebook page for my local course, I stumbled across a few pictures of me!

This was taken at last month's Golf Fore Kids charity outing.  L-R is me, our buddy Mark, my son Owen and our friend Kevin.  We didn't place but we played well and had fun!

 

This was taken when I teed off on 13.  It happened to be my best drive of the day, roughly 280 yards.

 

This was us at last year's Golf Fore Kids outing.  L-R is me, Owen, our friend Chris and our friend Paul.  At the time, we all worked together and Chris was our boss.  He gave us all that Friday off so we could play, despite the fact that it left us really understaffed, lol.  We didn't play great but we drank a ton and had a blast!

[TSauer]

25 minutes ago, JerryB said:

Currently procrastinating before I buckle down and write the first mini-review.  Looking at the facebook page for my local course, I stumbled across a few pictures of me!

This was taken at last month's Golf Fore Kids charity outing.  L-R is me, our buddy Mark, my son Owen and our friend Kevin.  We didn't place but we played well and had fun!

 

This was taken when I teed off on 13.  It happened to be my best drive of the day, roughly 280 yards.

 

This was us at last year's Golf Fore Kids outing.  L-R is me, Owen, our friend Chris and our friend Paul.  At the time, we all worked together and Chris was our boss.  He gave us all that Friday off so we could play, despite the fact that it left us really understaffed, lol.  We didn't play great but we drank a ton and had a blast!

Sometimes golf is secondary to cold drinks and comradeship. The whole hitting good shots part is just an added bonus. 
 

Also, the world needs more cool bosses like Chris it sounds like. 

[CFreddie]

6 hours ago, richk9holes said:

He's not that good at it... His profile says index 13, but he gets 14 strokes at 68.6/120..

 

Lol, I am in fact a 13 (13.5 if you want to get detailed), but thanks for the shoutout. Full transparency, I forgot to change the tees in my USGA app - simple mistake but I’m owning up to it

 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Good morning Cobra crew! Reviews for the top end my my cobra bag are up! Head over to my testing post and let me know what you think!

#LeftyGang

[sirchunksalot]

My long game review is live! Check out my review thread on page 12 to find out how these clubs are performing. 

[rkj427]

1 hour ago, Jnoble89 said:

Good morning Cobra crew! Reviews for the top end my my cobra bag are up! Head over to my testing post and let me know what you think!

#LeftyGang

 

54 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

My long game review is live! Check out my review thread on page 12 to find out how these clubs are performing. 

 

Great write-ups and glad that both of you added all the detailed information so other's may decide to at least try these woods and hybrids out. 

[sirchunksalot]

17 minutes ago, rkj427 said:

 

 

Great write-ups and glad that both of you added all the detailed information so other's may decide to at least try these woods and hybrids out. 

I think that's the most important part of this review. I'm hoping someone looking to buy new clubs and has a game similar to mine won't discount Cobra as an option. I've been a fan of theirs for years and know they can keep up with the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist. 

It also shows how a good fitting can be beneficial. I was happy with the distances I was seeing from my driver and going to see David Sumilas at Fairways and Greens Golf Center helped me understand the importance of slightly higher launch and spin with driver for my game. 

I mean, if someone doesn't want to pay for a fitting they should at the very least try a club out before buying it. I have a friend at work who'll just buy a club or set of clubs on a whim. He's a good player, but I wonder how much better he'd be if his clubs were fit.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

46 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I think that's the most important part of this review. I'm hoping someone looking to buy new clubs and has a game similar to mine won't discount Cobra as an option. I've been a fan of theirs for years and know they can keep up with the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist. 

It also shows how a good fitting can be beneficial. I was happy with the distances I was seeing from my driver and going to see David Sumilas at Fairways and Greens Golf Center helped me understand the importance of slightly higher launch and spin with driver for my game. 

I mean, if someone doesn't want to pay for a fitting they should at the very least try a club out before buying it. I have a friend at work who'll just buy a club or set of clubs on a whim. He's a good player, but I wonder how much better he'd be if his clubs were fit.

I’ll second the notion of fittings being super beneficial. The other nice part is if you can’t afford/don’t want to pay for a fitting, lots of courses have demo days where a club rep is on site and can take you through a “lite” fitting so you can at least get your specs. I know at my club, there’s a Taylormade, Callaway and PING fitting every season. Sometimes two of each, and always free of charge. 30 minute or hour sessions, and you can book multiple in a row. 

Just from my limited experience with the Cobras to this point, my iron striking and dispersion is improving. Two categories I outlined in my intial intro post. I used to not want to hit irons because I was so inconsistent. Now, it’s almost becoming my favorite part of the bag. I LOVE my Gap Wedge and can’t wait until I can incorporate irons back into the challenge. 

[TSauer]

2 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

My long game review is live! Check out my review thread on page 12 to find out how these clubs are performing. 

2 hours ago, Jnoble89 said:

Good morning Cobra crew! Reviews for the top end my my cobra bag are up! Head over to my testing post and let me know what you think!

#LeftyGang

Swell reviews, fellas! I can’t comment on playability, but I’ll agree with you both about the appearance. They look incredible! The matte “border” on the driver is quickly becoming my favorite style.
 

It’s great to see you’re getting along with them for the most part, but also appreciate the honesty when comparing to your gamers. 
 

Keep it up, gentlemen! 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

4 minutes ago, TSauer said:

Swell reviews, fellas! I can’t comment on playability, but I’ll agree with you both about the appearance. They look incredible! The matte “border” on the driver is quickly becoming my favorite style.
 

It’s great to see you’re getting along with them for the most part, but also appreciate the honesty when comparing to your gamers. 
 

Keep it up, gentlemen! 

One thing to note about the matte border on the driver that has me super stoked is that I do tend to strike high on the face. I had one ball that I caught the edge of the crown with, and I was able to wipe it clean. No sky mark or ball “smudge” for lack of better term you’d get with a gloss crown. 

I’m excited for range and on course head to head with my TSi3

[TSauer]

55 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

One thing to note about the matte border on the driver that has me super stoked is that I do tend to strike high on the face. I had one ball that I caught the edge of the crown with, and I was able to wipe it clean. No sky mark or ball “smudge” for lack of better term you’d get with a gloss crown. 

I’m excited for range and on course head to head with my TSi3

That’s good to know, I didn’t even think about asking that. Having to look at a sky mark forever after just one errant shot is no bueno! 

[JerryB]

Alright dudes and dudettes, my driver/woods/hybrids portion of the review is up.  Check it out! 

 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

16 minutes ago, TSauer said:

That’s good to know, I didn’t even think about asking that. Having to look at a sky mark forever after just one errant shot is no bueno! 

I put one on the toe of my TSi this year and about cried probably will pay to get it fixed in the off-season. It’s not THAT bad but I despise it lol

[chisag]

2 hours ago, Jnoble89 said:

The other nice part is if you can’t afford/don’t want to pay for a fitting, lots of courses have demo days where a club rep is on site and can take you through a “lite” fitting so you can at least get your specs. I know at my club, there’s a Taylormade, Callaway and PING fitting every season. Sometimes two of each, and always free of charge. 30 minute or hour sessions, and you can book multiple in a row. 

 

... This is one area where Cobra needs to really up their game. Their equipment is as good or better than any of the OEMs and I have never seen a Cobra Demo Day in the Phoenix area with around 250 golf courses. Taylor Made, Titleist and Callaway have plenty of free outdoor fittings and indoor fittings too. I think if some that haven't considered Cobra clubs in the past could hit them in a fitting, we would see more Cobra's in players bags. 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, TSauer said:

Swell reviews, fellas!

 

... SWELL?!? Gee? The Business? I haven't heard those in awhile. 

 

 

[sirchunksalot]

Great job on the reviews @JerryB and @chisag! 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

15 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... This is one area where Cobra needs to really up their game. Their equipment is as good or better than any of the OEMs and I have never seen a Cobra Demo Day in the Phoenix area with around 250 golf courses. Taylor Made, Titleist and Callaway have plenty of free outdoor fittings and indoor fittings too. I think if some that haven't considered Cobra clubs in the past could hit them in a fitting, we would see more Cobra's in players bags. 

Wisconsin had multiple this spring, but they were not easy to find on Cobra’s website. It took quite a bit of searching. I agree that they could up their game in this area as well. 

[chisag]

7 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Wisconsin had multiple this spring, but they were not easy to find on Cobra’s website. It took quite a bit of searching. I agree that they could up their game in this area as well. 

 

... Sweet! I get inundated with email from the big 3 promoting their fittings late Winter and Spring. As well as indoor fittings at the PGA SS and Golf Galaxy but never saw one for Cobra. 

[TSauer]

14 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... SWELL?!? Gee? The Business? I haven't heard those in awhile. 

 

 

Well what can I say? Those reviews were the cat's pajamas, old sport. These guys really know their onions.