2023 MGS Forum: Cobra 50th Anniversary Special!

[JerryB]

11 hours ago, ParFore74x said:

I’m starting to have these nagging thoughts of playing a round with just irons so that I can get a better understanding of what you guys are dealing with. I don’t usually carry a four iron so I grabbed that on my way out the door this morning just in case I’m motivated later on today. 

[JerryB]

7 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

If you really want to know leave the 4 iron and the 5 iron home. 

And the six iron!

 

(spoiler: it sux!)

[Tom the Golf Nut]

29 minutes ago, JerryB said:

And the six iron!

 

(spoiler: it sux!)

Mine got as much mileage on it this week that it normally takes all season to get to. 

[sirchunksalot]

I wish I would have swung the 7 off the tee on a couple more holes than I did, the lost ball on 15 comes to mind. That hole gives me fits most days and losing a ball that should have been no worse than blocked by trees qualifies as a fit.

It was a lot of fun getting out and being limited to certain clubs and the mental challenge was draining, but nice. 

[JerryB]

I got in my back nine for the irons only challenge today.  Owen wasn't feeling it so I went by myself.  I know we'd ideally have someone accompany us but I don't believe anyone's going to think I'm making up scores here, lol.

Firstly, while my whole game comes and goes, its my iron game that consistently lags behind everything else.  And after a couple of decent showings recently, it's become an issue again this week.  And whether I'm good or bad, playing with a seven iron as my longest club is a rough go.

Now a more important thing I've learned from these challenges is that I'm not mentally ready for these challenges.  As a high handicapper, I really rely on certain clubs and I'm simply not good enough to manufacture something out of nothing in most cases.  This leads to high levels of frustration, and as was the case today, I melted down because of it.  

So anyway, some observations.

If I blade these things, the ball comes out HOT!  On ten I hit a stinger that also got some cart path help to put me just off the green, 180 yards from the tee.  Similar thing on eleven, where I mis-hit my 8 iron and skipped across the little pond, lol.  

Looking over my overall distances, I'm getting about 10-15 yards more on each club.  I'm sure its not quite an apples to apples comparison to my old Cobra AMPs, but its fascinating to see.

When I do hit them right, its a great feeling and I feel like I almost know what I'm doing!

[chisag]

1 hour ago, JerryB said:

Now a more important thing I've learned from these challenges is that I'm not mentally ready for these challenges.  As a high handicapper, I really rely on certain clubs and I'm simply not good enough to manufacture something out of nothing in most cases.  This leads to high levels of frustration, and as was the case today, I melted down because of it.  

 

... I hear ya Jerry and you are 100% correct, it is really tough on the high index players. I think Tom will tell you it was difficult for us and we have the skills to pull off partial shots, but not every time and it still takes laser like focus. Sitting 80yds from the green we are thinking birdie but hitting a 9 iron and not being able to get it close or even on the green is not a lot of fun. My guess is the mid index guys are somewhere in-between. And while you can't completely escape the frustration, you can minimize it knowing you aren't ready for this kind of challenge so all you can do is your best.  Or your worst.   But just know we are all pulling for you! 

[chisag]

... I was determined to beat my last score as I hate being in a tie. I hit a great 4 iron and a nice 8 iron to 10 feet and I see ... verticut aerated greens.   I managed to stick one about 2 feet on the 4th hole and made a birdie, but several putts in the 7-10 ft range just had no chance hopping around like the Easter Bunny. Added a bogie on the 7th and the rest pars so it wasn't gonna happen today. I decided to get ready for the next challenge but after 2 holes on the back 9 I was standing on the tee and felt a little dizzy and flushed. Sat back down in the cart in the shade and it went away but I was not taking any chances and called it a day after 11 holes. Never enjoyed cooling seats in my car so much. I think 111* is my new limit because the 113* temperature today got the best of me. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

18 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... I hear ya Jerry and you are 100% correct, it is really tough on the high index players. I think Tom will tell you it was difficult for us and we have the skills to pull off partial shots, but not every time and it still takes laser like focus. Sitting 80yds from the green we are thinking birdie but hitting a 9 iron and not being able to get it close or even on the green is not a lot of fun. My guess is the mid index guys are somewhere in-between. And while you can't completely escape the frustration, you can minimize it knowing you aren't ready for this kind of challenge so all you can do is your best.  Or your worst.   But just know we are all pulling for you! 

@JerryB Sam is spot on. All the challenges are hard. Both physically and mentally. All you can do is your best. There are no expectations. Remember you are a higher handicap, on top of this you have all new clubs to get used to. Then they limit what clubs you can use for a challenge. It’s just plain hard. But at the same time you learn so much. I walk away with options on the course that I never thought about before. I’ll also be frank and say, I don’t think I would sign up for this again. Well at least not in the summer. It is taxing on the mind and body. On a positive note the finish line is in sight. We are all winners and we provided the entire forum with entertainment, equipmemt reviews, and the opportunity for them to get involved with challenges.

In two weeks your going to look at your shiny new clubs sitting in the corner, think back on the entire challenge and smile. Some day Owen will be sitting in your shoes going through one of these and then you will really smile (or laugh at him). 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

3 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Mine got as much mileage on it this week that it normally takes all season to get to. 

I’ve only played 9 irons only holes and my 6 iron has gotten more use than the previous 3 years I’ve played

[Tom the Golf Nut]

23 minutes ago, chisag said:

... I was determined to beat my last score as I hate being in a tie. I hit a great 4 iron and a nice 8 iron to 10 feet and I see ... verticut aerated greens.   I managed to stick one about 2 feet on the 4th hole and made a birdie, but several putts in the 7-10 ft range just had no chance hopping around like the Easter Bunny. Added a bogie on the 7th and the rest pars so it wasn't gonna happen today. I decided to get ready for the next challenge but after 2 holes on the back 9 I was standing on the tee and felt a little dizzy and flushed. Sat back down in the cart in the shade and it went away but I was not taking any chances and called it a day after 11 holes. Never enjoyed cooling seats in my car so much. I think 111* is my new limit because the 113* temperature today got the best of me. 

They airated mine too. Back 9 yesterday, front 9 today. 
Don’t kill yourself. It’s to dam hot. Your smarter than that. I got dizzy a couple times gettin up from reading a putt. Squatted right back down and got up slower. No more walking until September. Well, at least no more afternoon rounds walking. 

Your very competitive but I’d rather add a stroke to my score than see you get sunstroke. We got one more to get through. Just play two 9’s then we can take a summer break. This is my first summer in NC and I wasn’t prepared. I don’t know what I could have done better, but I’m still not dealing with the heat and humidity very well. The sweat just gets in your eyes and burns like a mother. Then the gnats and mosquitoes eat the ever lovin crap out of you.

[JerryB]

@chisag and @Tom the Golf Nut I appreciate the kind words.  It's difficult sometimes to express how I really feel and I hope nobody here is getting the wrong impression.  I know how lucky I am and that just about everyone else on the forum would trade with me in an instant.  It's been rough trying to hit the right notes during the Cobra Challenge.  I don't want to sound super negative because this is a fantastic opportunity, but I also don't want to sound like I'm butt-kissing, either.  

It is hard to temper expectations, though.  Rationally I know that my equipment plays only a small part in my overall abilities, but every now and then I find myself thinking, "Why aren't I nearing scratch with these awesome clubs??"  

This has been an absolute blast to be a part of but I do want to make clear for future iterations that it ain't all sunshine and burritos, my friends!

Was going to try to sneak in one more irons-only round but I think I might just go back to full bag; I'm excited to see how my whole bag fits together.

[JerryB]

[JerryB]

And try to stay cool out there, guys!  No need to overdo it.

[chisag]

12 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Your very competitive but I’d rather add a stroke to my score than see you get sunstroke. We got one more to get through. Just play two 9’s then we can take a summer break. This is my first summer in NC and I wasn’t prepared. I don’t know what I could have done better, but I’m still not dealing with the heat and humidity very well. The sweat just gets in your eyes and burns like a mother. Then the gnats and mosquitoes eat the ever lovin crap out of you.

 

... Thanks Tom. I was playing horse with my son and a couple friends and I rarely lost at 65 while they were in their 20's. One said "I think your Dad is addicted to competition" and my son replied "No, he is addicted to wining." LOL, out of the mouth of babes. But the first sign of being over heated let alone a heat stroke and I left the course after 11 holes. And I never do that. But this heat is no joke. (I'll still take it over my days in the south with excessive sweating and gnats/mosquitoes )

[TSauer]

Looks as though my plans for getting in an irons round this week have changed, unfortunately. We've got a group of us going out early Saturday morning with our SWMBOs to play a round and then we plan on hitting up the wineries and distilleries afterward. So we are going to play a course closer to home, one which I don't particularly fancy, as it is a relatively short 9 hole with no par 5s... pretty bummed. Nonetheless, I still plan on playing with irons only just because it was a lot of fun last time.

 

Oh, and GO TEAM 1!

[sirchunksalot]

@JerryB I agree with @Tom the Golf Nut and @chisag about how difficult these challenges are for those of us that don't have the games that the better players do. It's also tough mentally knowing that there's a lot of people following along and having that feeling we're not living up to their expectations.

In a review like this, I think it's important to be open and honest, struggles are part of the game and being open about them enriches the review for the readers. 

You've done an amazing job with the review and from my personal opinion, it's been wonderful to get to know you better. I can say the same with our fellow competitors, this is a good group of golfers and getting to know you on a more personal level has been great.

Sam, I'm glad you are ok after your existence with the heat yesterday and called it quits before overdoing it. Those temps your dealing with are no joke. 

 

[russtopherb]

4 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

In a review like this, I think it's important to be open and honest, struggles are part of the game and being open about them enriches the review for the readers. 

I can't emphasize this enough. As someone who reads a ton of online user reviews, and as someone who has written them, honesty is absolutely the key when it comes to sharing your thoughts on the clubs/balls/tech/whatever. That's why I love forum reviews, it's real golfers playing their own game and responding to what's happening, vs some YouTube "pro" who's a 2 hdcp reviewing SGI irons, y'know?

Keep the honest reviews coming!!!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

11 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

I can't emphasize this enough. As someone who reads a ton of online user reviews, and as someone who has written them, honesty is absolutely the key when it comes to sharing your thoughts on the clubs/balls/tech/whatever. That's why I love forum reviews, it's real golfers playing their own game and responding to what's happening, vs some YouTube "pro" who's a 2 hdcp reviewing SGI irons, y'know?

Keep the honest reviews coming!!!

This is how I feel about the process, too. Watching someone who is way better than me hit GI irons or a "max" version of a driver head does me little good. I don't strike the ball that consistently, so I'm not going to get that consistent of numbers with the clubs. As a higher handicap, I feel like I can provide a good, real world review of how the irons I am testing (Aerojet) perform on good strikes, slight toe/heel misses, and just plain old bad strikes. I have had to remind myself a couple times that the expectation is not to hit every club perfect, but just to play and review them to how they fit my game.

[rkj427]

Breaking News here for the Cobra Challenge

 

Just saw this picture of CFreddie's latest golf accessory so he can complete the upcoming last challenge in a similar fashion to what he managed to do in those already completed.

 

 

 

[chisag]

5 hours ago, russtopherb said:

I can't emphasize this enough. As someone who reads a ton of online user reviews, and as someone who has written them, honesty is absolutely the key when it comes to sharing your thoughts on the clubs/balls/tech/whatever. That's why I love forum reviews, it's real golfers playing their own game and responding to what's happening, vs some YouTube "pro" who's a 2 hdcp reviewing SGI irons, y'know?

Keep the honest reviews coming!!!

 

... A unique experience for me. I went to the PGA Show every year and reviewed what I thought were the best clubs in every category. Obviously they were glowing reviews because I picked the best driver/fw wood/hybrid/irons/wedges/putters for my swing. So posting a negative review is new for me but as you stated and we all know, MGS reviews are just regular golfers that get a chance to play and review an entire spectrum of clubs. The chances of getting a full bag of clubs (including the bag) from any OEM and being in love with all of them is pretty low. 

... One of the things I love about MGS reviews is the Trade or Keep part of the review. Because the truth is nobody makes a bad club these days and much of it comes down to personal preference. I don't care for a longer length from front to rear on my driver. It looks unwieldy and distracting to me eye. But someone else may absolutely love a larger looking head because it gives them added confidence. And I do not like a loud or explosive metallic sound with my driver, preferring a dense and muted sound. Conversely many young players find a dense and muted driver face feels "dead" to them. So the same driver producing very similar performance for 2 different players can be in ones bag and out of the others based primarily on simple personal preference. 

... Just so much to learn and enjoy from any regular ole MGS members review. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Might be a crazy idea but thinking about, just for kicks, swapping out a 3 gram weight from my 7 wood for the 12 gram weight in my AJ Max driver. Odds are it would make absolutely ZERO difference in the club feeling “slower” than my TSi3, but I feel like tinkering lol. I have not seen benefits of the 12g weight in the heel belong to combat my massive slice as I know it comes down to how I am delivering the club at this point. Any thoughts from anyone? Feel free to tell me it’s stupid and won’t make a lick of difference, if you feel so inclined lol

[GolfSpy_BEN]

2 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Might be a crazy idea but thinking about, just for kicks, swapping out a 3 gram weight from my 7 wood for the 12 gram weight in my AJ Max driver. Odds are it would make absolutely ZERO difference in the club feeling “slower” than my TSi3, but I feel like tinkering lol. I have not seen benefits of the 12g weight in the heel belong to combat my massive slice as I know it comes down to how I am delivering the club at this point. Any thoughts from anyone? Feel free to tell me it’s stupid and won’t make a lick of difference, if you feel so inclined lol

I don’t think it’s stupid at all. Try it, what the hell… It may do absolutely nothing or maybe it helps. Won’t know for sure til you do, plus the results will make for a good post. You get to walk, so others may run, etc., etc.

[chisag]

52 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Might be a crazy idea but thinking about, just for kicks, swapping out a 3 gram weight from my 7 wood for the 12 gram weight in my AJ Max driver. Odds are it would make absolutely ZERO difference in the club feeling “slower” than my TSi3, but I feel like tinkering lol. I have not seen benefits of the 12g weight in the heel belong to combat my massive slice as I know it comes down to how I am delivering the club at this point. Any thoughts from anyone? Feel free to tell me it’s stupid and won’t make a lick of difference, if you feel so inclined lol

 

...  If it is as easy as unscrewing a weight and screwing it back in, why not? As Ben said ya never know til you try. That said I would first move the 12gm weight to the rear with the 3gm weight in the heel. The more weight in the rear, the more forgiving the head is twisting less on slight mishits while providing a little more height and spin for control. I actually put a 16gm weight in the rear since my driver is 1/2" shorter for more control.

... The second part of the equation is the fairway wood weights are smaller than the driver weights. They can fit in your driver but you'll get dirt and grass surrounding it and of course the driver weight will not fit in the 7 wood. But I like your thinking! 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

10 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

...  If it is as easy as unscrewing a weight and screwing it back in, why not? As Ben said ya never know til you try. That said I would first move the 12gm weight to the rear with the 3gm weight in the heel. The more weight in the rear the more forgiving the head is twisting less on slight mishits while providing a little more height and spin for control. I actually put a 16gm weighting the rear since my driver is 1/2" shorter for more control.

... The second part of the equation is the fairway wood weights are smaller than the driver weights. They can fit in your driver but you'll get first and grass surrounding it and of course the driver weight will not fit in the 7 wood. But I like your thinking! 

Ah yes, I didn’t think about the size difference. I did try the 12g weight to the rear and 3 in the heel and it just never felt comfortable which was interesting. I actually hit it worse that way I figure some experimenting and tinkering is what makes it fun! I even may loft it +1 so it’s at 12° purely to see what happens haha

[chisag]

11 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Ah yes, I didn’t think about the size difference. I did try the 12g weight to the rear and 3 in the heel and it just never felt comfortable which was interesting. I actually hit it worse that way I figure some experimenting and tinkering is what makes it fun! I even may loft it +1 so it’s at 12° purely to see what happens haha

 

... That is strange that the weight in the rear made you uncomfortable. But I am gonna go out on a limb here and suggest but not imply that for some reason and it is always hard to quantify but in your case that may or may not apply to others and since this is a new driver and you are under the pressure of a competition that maybe and it is a big MAYBE ... it is just your swing? 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

7 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... That is strange that the weight in the rear made you uncomfortable. But I am gonna go out on a limb here and suggest but not imply that for some reason and it is always hard to quantify but in your case that may or may not apply to others and since this is a new driver and you are under the pressure of a competition that maybe and it is a big MAYBE ... it is just your swing? 

Oh it’s for sure my swing lol. I will swap it back there again next time I am up on the range/playing a full bag and see what happens 

[JerryB]

I was really bummed out when I discovered that the driver weights were different.  I was looking forward to tinkering a bit myself just to see some differences.  At (if I remember right) $25 per weight, I'm not quite that excited about tinkering.  On the plus side, the weights for the hybrids and woods are the same size.

When I first started, I had a friend that gave us an old R7 3W that he had taken the weights out of in hopes of swinging faster.  This has nothing to do with the story above, but I loved the whistling sound swinging that weight-less club!

[chisag]

24 minutes ago, JerryB said:

I was really bummed out when I discovered that the driver weights were different.  I was looking forward to tinkering a bit myself just to see some differences.  At (if I remember right) $25 per weight, I'm not quite that excited about tinkering.  On the plus side, the weights for the hybrids and woods are the same size.

When I first started, I had a friend that gave us an old R7 3W that he had taken the weights out of in hopes of swinging faster.  This has nothing to do with the story above, but I loved the whistling sound swinging that weight-less club!

 

... I bought a lighter aftermarket 2gm heel weight for my Stealth2 HD that only cost $10 and then added some lead tape to the toe to balance it out. Since I normally play a straight to soft draw with my driver, I didn't want any draw enhancements but needed the extra spin from the HD head. 



 

[chisag]

2 hours ago, Jnoble89 said:

I will swap it back there again next time I am up on the range/playing a full bag and see what happens 

 

... When the Fly Z was introduced almost all the engineers played it a little shorter with a heavier weight in the back. It increased the MOI substantially along with a little more spin making it more forgiving and they called it the "fairway finder". I had been struggling with my driver at that time and with the Fly Z and heavier back weight I had my best driving season ever. When I started playing the new Cobra for review my son commandeered my Fly Z and I put an ultra stiff Nunchuk shaft in it for him and when I wanted it back he said "not a chance" LOL. It is still in his bag. 

[sirchunksalot]

I'm having mixed feelings about going back to a full bag of clubs. On the one hand, I'll be ecstatic to have the woods, hybrids, and wedges in the bag once more. 

On the other hand, I've played some of the best golf with the partial bags. I think it has something to do with managing expectations.

I think my biggest concern is I'll go back to playing the way I was before the challenge and being overly aggressive and not accepting shots as they are. There's been a calm in my mind that hasn't been there in a long time and I want to keep it that way. 

I just hope I'm smart enough to keep the temptation to attempt the hero shot way too often. I need to trust the Cobra clubs that are fit for my game to do what they do.