Archive for June, 2011

Adams A70S Hybrid

Long irons are quickly becoming a relic of the past with the introduction of hybrid clubs in the game of golf.  Instead of having to hit difficult shots with a high iron, one can instead get the ball in the air much easier using a hybrid.  There is only one company on the cutting edge when it comes to hybrid clubs, and that is Adams Golf.  Their Idea series hybrids have won numerous awards over the past few years and are played by both PGA and Champions Tour players alike.  With such a great reputation of building quality golf products, I decided to give the Adams A70S Hybrid a try.

General Information

As a Golf Digest Top Pick for 2010 in both innovation and value, the Adams A70S hybrid is in a league of its own when it comes to these types of golf clubs.  The hybrid club has three features worth mentioning.  The first two involve the weight placement.  There is a total of 44 grams placed on both the heel and toe of the golf club to increase distance and add forgiveness.  The weighting is also placed lower than their previous hybrid models, which provides a higher launch angle and increased spin.  The last feature worth mentioning is the shaft, which is a Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis, which gives added distance along with great feel when swinging the golf club.

Positives

The first positive that I noticed when swinging the Adams A70S Hybrid for the first time was its clean look.  There is nothing fancy or complicated lines on it or anything like that; it is very easy on the eyes and can surely give added confidence before anyone swings the golf club.  The best positive associated with its golf club is its forgiveness.  I intentionally hit a few shots off of both the heel and the toe of the golf club, and all of the shots went much further (and more accurate) than expected.  What is great about this golf club as well is that it is great to hit both on the tee and in the fairway.  There are a few doglegs at a local course I play at and I was able to tee it up and hit the exact kind of shots I needed to hit with confidence.  If you know how to hit a draw or a fade with a normal club, you will be surprised at how much easier it is to do it with this golf club.  When it came to distance, the golf club was comparable to that of others on the market.

Negatives

The main negative for the Adams A70S Hybrid came in regards to bad lies.  Sure, it is great to hit out of the fairway and off the tee, but none of us can keep it in the fairway all the time.  It is important to have a golf club that can inspire confidence when hitting out of bad lies such as deep rough, and I just could not find it when using this golf club.  Maybe it has to do with the way the weighting is set up or something, but it was very difficult to hit solid shots out of deep rough when using this hybrid.  Usually a hybrid just cuts through the grass like butter (Callaway Heavenwood comes to mind) but with this club both the distance and the accuracy was off.  I was also a little surprised when it came to fairway bunker shots as well.  Hybrids are a great alternative to hitting a high iron shot out of there, but I found myself hitting better shots using a choked down five wood as opposed to this club.  Again, I do not know if it has to do with the weight distribution or something, but the shots just did not feel solid.

Overall Consensus

My overall consensus on the Adams A70S Hybrid is that it certainly lives up to its billing as a well made golf club.  While it may not be the best club to use in bad lies, it is absolutely fantastic to hit from the fairway and off the tee.  It is also very easy to shape shots and get good distance when using this hybrid, and is recommended for mid to low handicap players.

Take a look at some great deals on new and used Adams A70S Hybrid Golf Clubs.

Top Flite Golf Bag Review

Top Flite Golf Bag Review

When one first thinks of Top Flite Golf Company, the first word that comes to mind is price.  They generally have the most inexpensive golf products of any major golf company on the market today; whether or not that is a good thing depends on one’s point of view.  Some of their products are known to be well worth their value, while others not so much.  How does Top Flite stack up when it comes to golf bags?  I decided to answer this question by reviewing the Top Flite golf bag for this article.

General Information

The Top Flite golf bag (also known as the Callaway TF golf bag; they were bought by Callaway a few years ago) is a stand bag with a seven way divider system (containing two full length dividers) and an Izzo dual strap carrying system attached to it.  As far as pockets the golf bag comes with six zippered pockets, a mesh pocket, and a fluid storage pocket as well.  Among other features are an umbrella holder, rain hood, and a molded lift handle.  It generally sells for just over a hundred dollars, but there are sales going on in many stores that sell golf products for as low as forty-five dollars.  At that kind of price is the golf bag really worth it or should it be avoided?  Before giving an overall consensus I will go into the positives and negatives regarding the golf bag.

Positives

As far as positives, it is a really good walking bag.  At approximately eight pounds before adding any clubs the Top Flite golf bag is just light enough to comfortably carry any set of clubs for 18 holes.  So if you are one of those golfers that like to walk instead of ride this is a great bag for you.  The stand on the golf bag seems well made and has not caused any problems after playing a few rounds with it.  Another positive aspect of the golf bag is in regards to the pockets.  I for one do not like having a lot of pockets to have to deal with on a golf bag, so to have six well-positioned pockets is great, and I am sure those of you who feel the same way would enjoy using this golf bag.

 

Negatives

When it came to negatives, there were two that I found.  The first one is related to the zippers for the pockets; they seem to be poorly constructed and low quality.  I would be surprised if after a year they are still working properly.  The second problem came with the divider system itself.  It is great to have seven dividers and all, but only two of them are full length.  Any golf clubs that are not located in the full length dividers always seem to get tangled up with one another and can be a hassle to deal with at times.

Overall Consensus

As with many golf products made from Top Flite Golf Company, you get what you pay for.  Don’t get me wrong, the Top Flite golf bag certainly has some benefits that would make it a viable option for a certain type of recreational golfer, but for those looking for a quality golf bag that will last them a long time they may need to look elsewhere.  Usually when one purchases golf products at rock bottom prices they should expect the quality to be at least somewhat suspecting, and this is no different with the Top Flite golf bag.  Hopefully their acquisition by Callaway can improve the brand’s reputation and quality when it comes to their golf bags, but we will see.

Take a look at some new and used Top Flite Golf Bags.

Take at this collectible PGA players badge from 1940. Nelson created a Hall of Fame legacy punctuated by many significant events, most notably his winning streak in 1944. The first of his wins in the PGA came before World War II at Hershey Country Club in 1940 and this is a beautiful player badge is from that event. It is all original with beautiful green and gold enamel.

This original PGA badge is available on eBay at just $975.

Take a look at some more PGA golf badges from may different events.

Looking for a great golf club set that is both inexpensive and high-quality at the same time?  Consider purchasing the Walter Hagen MS2 Golf Set.  I have to admit myself that I was not very familiar with the golf brand before purchasing it.  Now that I have played a few rounds I wish I had known about it sooner.  The Walter Hagen MS2 Golf Set is actually a 19 piece set that contains the following: a 460cc driver, 3 wood, 3 hybrid irons (3, 4, and 5 to be exact), 6-PW regular irons, sand wedge, putter, stand bag, 5 headcovers, and finally a raincover.  It is truly a complete set that any golfer could use, whether they are new to the game or very experienced.

Positives

At under $200 (got them on sale recently for $159 at Dick’s Sporting Goods), the golf set seemed too good to be true at first.  Normally name brand complete golf sets can run as high as a thousand dollars plus, so it is reasonable for someone to be hesitant when buying this set.  However, after playing a few rounds with the clubs they seem comparable to other name brand sets such as Taylormade and Titleist.  What first stands out is the driver.  At 460cc it has one of the biggest sweet spots you will find on a driver, and the distance is on par with many of the new drivers out on the market today.  I also liked the forgiveness that the driver offered.  One wouldn’t expect a set this inexpensive to have such a forgiving driver, but the ball really goes off the club even if it is a mishit.

The hybrid irons are what really set this golf set apart from the rest.  If you are a beginner golfer or a normal golfer struggling with hitting high iron shots, definitely consider getting these golf clubs.  They have the feel of hitting a normal iron shot with the ease and distance of hitting a fairway wood.  They are great to hit both on and off the tee, and shoot right out of the rough.  You won’t find such inexpensive golf sets with such fantastic hybrid irons.  The regular irons (6-PW) have a good feel to them, and offer a higher trajectory than most other irons around this price range.

Negatives

There were a few minor negatives I discovered when it comes to the Walter Hagen MS2 Golf Set.  The first is in regards to the putter.  It has a unique shape to it and just did not feel right when putting.  It may be a great putter to help beginners learn how to align putts and what not, but for experienced players using this putter may not be the best choice.  The stand bag that goes with the set is okay, but after a few rounds it already seems as though it is starting to wear down a bit, and it may need to be replaced after a year or two.  Lastly, the sand wedge is certainly not the best when it comes to shots around the green, but I guess that can be expected for a golf set this inexpensive.  The grooves seem to be wearing down a bit faster than I would normally expect, and the club just doesn’t seem to cut through the rough as good as a name brand wedge like Cleveland or Ping would.

Conclusion

Overall the Walter Hagen MS2 Golf Set is a great buy for its price range (~$200).  It is especially recommend for beginning golfers, which has everything one would need to start enjoying the game with.  Experienced golfers will appreciate the distance and forgiveness that the driver offers, along with the distance and accuracy that the hybrid irons bring to the table as well.  The sand wedge and putter may not be that great, but for that price range it is to be expected.

Check out some deals on new and used Walter Hagen golf sets.

I have struggled finding a good putter to cure my yips over the past few months, until I decided to try a Ping Karsten Series Putter.  Ping has traditionally been known as a great golf brand going all the way back to the 1960s.  It was 1967 to be exact, when founder Karsten Solheim created a putter that made a “ping” sound upon the club being in contact with the golf ball.  From then on it has been success after success with Ping putters, winning over 2,000 tournaments since its first putter was introduced.  Recently (as far back as a few years ago) Ping introduced a new line of putters named the Karsten line.  According to Ping, the Karsten line is the “perfect answer for the golfer seeking the performance of a steel face with and insert feel. An elastomer insert provides enhanced feel while maintaining the solid response of a steel-face putter.”  For this article the putter I am reviewing is the Ping Karsten C67 Putter.

Positives

With a price point under $100 ($89 when I bought it recently at Golf Galaxy), it seemed like a steal compared to the $200+ Scotty Cameron putters that everyone seems to rave about.  Don’t look at it as being just another under-$100 putter, because when you start putting with it you will think it should be worth more.  What made me attracted to it first was the bottom-heavy design of the putter.  This is extremely useful when having to deal with the yips, and I found myself making a lot more short putts out on the golf course with this putter as opposed to more expensive ones I have tried.  The alignment of the putter is very easy on the eyes, with one simple white line going down the middle.  The shaft of the putter also goes down the middle as well, which may seem awkward at first but it only took a short time getting used to.

What is also great about the Ping Karsten C67 Putter is in regards to its consistency.  Whether it was a five foot putt or a twenty-five foot putt, the golf ball always went on the line that I intended it to go on.  This is important, because many recreational golfers may know how a putt breaks out on the golf course but they don’t have a putter that can consistently go on the line they want it to.  If you are struggling with this problem you should definitely consider getting this putter.  Having a putter like this can only increase confidence when out on the golf course, and it certainly helped me shave some strokes off of my golf game.

Negatives

As far as any negatives concerning the Ping Karsten C67 Putter go, it was hard initially for me to find any.  After playing awhile with the putter I did find one negative that is worth mentioning.  The putter seems to me to take a lot longer getting used to when playing on faster greens as opposed to slower ones.  Because it is a bottom-heavy putter there is a tendency for putts to go farther than usual on fast greens, and thus it may take longer to get used to them.  In other words, make sure to hit some practice putts before going out to play or you may find yourself having a few too many three putts out on the course.

Conclusion

Don’t let the price of the Ping Karsten C67 Putter fool you.  It is a fantastic putter that has a bottom-heavy, simplistic design.  It will greatly reduce the yips and provides consistency on the putting green that is comparable to any of the top putters on the market today.

Check out some deals on new and used Ping Karsten putters.

Nike Sasquatch Two Fairway Wood

Like many recreational golfers out there, I have struggled for some time trying to find a good three wood that I can hit consistently well.  I have tried practically every brand under the sun expect for Nike, which I decided to give it (Sasquatch Two 3 Wood) a try at the local golf store.  There are three main changes that should be noted about this club.  First, it has a tungsten monorail sole design which supposedly helps when hitting out of bad lies.  Second, the fairway wood has a new face upgrade to cryo steel, leading to a bigger sweet spot.  Last but not least, the weight at the bottom of the club was positioned farther back for a lower center of gravity.  Technical golf jargon aside this golf club felt pretty good at the local golf store so I decided to try it out for a few rounds to see how it really played.  The exact golf club I reviewed was the Nike Sasquatch Two (or Sq) 3 Wood with a stiff flex standard Diamana shaft.

Positives

When first looking down the club one can’t help but notice the arc of the clubhead, which is very natural and seems to fit the eyes perfectly.  What is also worth mentioning is the rubber grip.  I don’t usually fall for grips that easily but the grip on this club is fantastic.  If you are a golfer who plays in hot weather this grip will not let you down.   The appearance of the club is great overall and definitely inspires confidence when heading out to the first tee.

What I first noticed after playing a couple of rounds with the Nike Sasquatch Two Fairway Wood was that it was easy to hit both off the tee and in the fairway.  Many recreational golfers have commented on three woods that while some may be good off of the tee, they are terrible when using them from the fairway.  This is certainly not o when using this club.  It must have something to do with the sole design, because everything just seemed to go right up in the air no matter what kind of lie I was in.  I even tried it a few times out of a fairway bunker and the ball still carried pretty far.

Another great feature that I found about the Nike Sasquatch Two Fairway Wood was in regards to off-center shots.  Generally what happens when a three wood is not hit on the sweet spot (or center of the clubface) the golf ball will be both off target and much shorter than anticipated.  What was different about using this golf club was the distance I got out of bad shots.  I intentionally hit golf shots both off the heel and off of the toe, and while they were off-line as expected I only lost about 5 to 10 yards in distance.  That is amazing compared to other three woods out on the market, especially lower quality ones where you can expect to lose as much as 50 yards on an off-center shot.

Negatives

One negative seemed to really stand out, and that was a lack of ball control.  The ball goes straight when it is supposed to, but whenever I wanted to hit a fade or a draw it would either do it too much or not enough.  It just seems very difficult when trying to shape shots using this club out on the golf course.  Another possible negative is in concerns to the trajectory.  It gets a high trajectory on nearly every shot, but when I wanted to hit a low “stinger” off the tee for instance it was difficult to.

Conclusion

The Nike Sasquatch Two 3 Wood is a great fairway wood overall.  It does exactly as Nike said it would, providing great shots out of practically any lie, a bigger sweet spot that leads to longer off-center shots, and a higher trajectory.  However, it may not be the best choice for a near scratch golfer, as I found when playing a few rounds with the club that it can be difficult shaping shots with.  However, if you play at courses that do not require a lot of shot shaping this is certainly a must have fairway wood.

Take a look at some deals on new and used Nike Sasquatch Two Fairway Woods.