Cobra Amp Iron Set Review--From Eduardo

Here is a review of the Cobra Amp Iron set from a reader just like you!  Eduardo, thanks for the review and hopefully the clubs work out for you for many years.  If anyone else posts a review, I will present it as its own article.  Here's what Eduardo had to say:

"I just bought the AMPs irons with the stock R flex steel shafts.
I've been playing for 8 years with the Callaway's Big Bretha 2004. Since then I've improved to a 17 hcp.
I wanted to move out from the "super" game improvement clubs, but I don't think I'm ready for a set of blades. From all the clubs I tried (callaway Rzr X black, Taylormade Rbz, Ping G20) most of them were either too clunky or to thin from the sole. The AMPs, I think, are right in the middle between both worlds. 
I tried the 4i and the 7i, in both of them I hit 10-15 yds longer than with my Big Bertha's but this could be because of the stronger loft. The biggest difference against my BB's is in the long irons which at address do not look like a cavity back. However, I all hits were straight and the distance was there.
About the shaft, I tried both the Stiff and the Regular flex. My swing speed averaged 84mph, which is in the overlap between suggesting one or the other (according to the custom fitter R flex is suggested upto speeds of 85mph and S flex is suggested in speeds of minimum 80mph). I went with the R Flex because we're not getting any younger and my speed will surely slow down with time. AS the custom fitter said: "We're not getting any younger!".
I will try them in a 9 hole round today, let's see how it goes."

Enjoy the clubs Eduardo!

TaylorMade Rescue 11 Full Review

Now that I have played my TaylorMade Rescue 11 for a couple rounds, I feel like I can write a full review of it.

The looks:
The TaylorMade Rescue 11 builds off TaylorMade's foray into the white clubheads.  The design on the top can be distracting at first, but it begins to become less apparent the longer you play the club.  The black face definitely is a great contrast to the white and helps you determine exactly how square the clubface is.  The sole design is pretty clever and actually one of my favorite sole designs for a club ever.  The size of the hybrid is perfect--not so big that it resembles a fairway metal, but not too small to take away confidence.

The Feel:
The feel of the Rescue 11 is pretty nice.  On solid hits, you get the thwack of a well-built golf club.  The head is just weighty enough to feel in the backswing and instill confidence in the downswing.  The sound of the club on mishits is a little pingy and metallic, but other than that, the feel is perfect.

The Performance:
The Rescue 11 is one of the best hybrids I have hit.  I was able to work the ball however I needed to.  From the high fade to the draw to the straight shot, the Rescue 11 definitely performs like a top-class club.  It is no wonder that numerous touring professionals have put this club into their bags.

The Verdict:
For a hybrid this season, the Rescue 11 cannot be beat.  The ball can be flighted however you want, the feel is great, and the looks definitely are A1.  Put one of these in your bag with the perfect shaft and you will not be disappointed.

TaylorMade Rocketballz and Rocketballz Tour Fairway Review

Well, I have played the Rocketballz Tour Fairway for a couple weeks now and all I can say is wow!  It is almost too long for the bag!  The look is still tough to get used to, but with the performance it is definitely the club to use!  I chose it after a short trial period with the normal Rocketballz fairway.

From the tee, the Rocketballz sets up beautifully.  The semi-deep face allows you to feel confident with the ball teed up and will not have you hit underneath it.  With that confidence, you can hit down just a little bit in order to hit the perfect fairway wood shot from the tee.  The accuracy of the club off the tee is also really good.  With the stock shaft traded out (I decided to go with a Fubuki in it), it is almost perfect off the tee.  The only thing is the difficulty of working the ball off the tee, but a draw is definitely easier to hit than a fade.

From a fairway lie, the club plays really well.  The deeper face is not the easiest to get in the air from a tight lie, but when struck well, it is very good.  I prefer my old Adams off the fairway due to the shallower face, but when hit solidly this one is 10-15 yards longer from the ground.  It also can be played from the rough pretty easily.  When you want to advance it down the fairway, it plays great with a 3/4 punch swing.  Like all woods, they are not made to hit out of the rough, but they still do a pretty good job.

All in all, TaylorMade has made a huge splash with this fairway wood.  The club is great all around.

Grades:
Looks: B+
Feel: A-
Sound: A-
Performance: A-
Overall: A-

Check it out and give it a try!

Ping G15 Driver Review--Hit it Bubba Long! G20 Cannot Compare!

After playing a few more rounds with my G15 driver, I have decided to repost the review to reiterate how good of a club it is!

Well, I believe I have finally found my driver. I have tried numerous models, shaft combos, and many other choices, but the holy grail is finally in my grasp. What driver is that, you may ask? Well, it's the PING G15.

My G15 is a Tour-Only 7.5* head shafted with a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.0 in X-Stiff flex. The look at address of this club is amazing. I thought the trademark PING half-moon alignment aid would be distracting but it actually isn't too bad. The head shape is really nice, almost like the I20 of this year. The face is pretty deep for a "GI" driver, but with the tour head and 7.5* the face had to be deep. The color of the head is nice, and the G15 sole graphics are very nice.

When first hitting the G15 driver a few months ago, I loved the feel. That has not changed with this model. Actually, the tour-only head has amazing feel. It comes off the face so hot and has a nice sound to it. Much better sounding and feeling than this year's G20 model. The forgiveness is still there as well, even with the 7.5 degrees of loft. I also loved how this driver just goes straight. My miss is a big fade, and with the G15, I could hit the ball straight, work it right to left, and hit my stock fade when needed. I also loved how the driver did not balloon but just bore through the wind I was hitting into. I cannot wait to hit it more on the course and actually get some roll out with a driver.

All in all, I think the G15 is probably the best driver ever made. So many PGA players were using it and still have it in the bag. I think the G20 is a step back for PING. If you are looking for a new driver, check this one out. You probably can get it for a pretty good deal, and PING drivers keep their resale value forever. I will post a more detailed review when I have a few more rounds under my belt with the club.

Watch for my full-bag review as the club reviews keep coming!

Follow @teeingoff17 on twitter!

Hit em straight

Adams CMB Irons--New Release for 2012

This past weekend at the Valero Texas Open, a new set of irons was spotted on the range.  Adams, even after purchase by Taylor Made-Adidas, has unveiled its new iron set, the Adams CMB irons.  These irons look to be about the size of the Titleist AP2s and PING I20 iron sets, which falls right into the mold of the most popular irons today.  The smaller profile, topline, and reduced offset will appeal to the better golfer and the forgiveness will also be welcomed by all.

These irons look like they will be a smash hit and will further vault Adams into the top echelon of club makers.

Image Source: Mygolfspy.com

They will be forged with 8620 carbon steel and will have the signature soft feel of a forged iron.  I cannot wait to give them a try when they are released.

Ping G15 Driver Review

Well, I believe I have finally found my driver. I have tried numerous models, shaft combos, and many other choices, but the holy grail is finally in my grasp. What driver is that, you may ask? Well, it's the PING G15.

My G15 is a Tour-Only 7.5* head shafted with a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.0 in X-Stiff flex. The look at address of this club is amazing. I thought the trademark PING half-moon alignment aid would be distracting but it actually isn't too bad. The head shape is really nice, almost like the I20 of this year. The face is pretty deep for a "GI" driver, but with the tour head and 7.5* the face had to be deep. The color of the head is nice, and the G15 sole graphics are very nice.

When first hitting the G15 driver a few months ago, I loved the feel. That has not changed with this model. Actually, the tour-only head has amazing feel. It comes off the face so hot and has a nice sound to it. Much better sounding and feeling than this year's G20 model. The forgiveness is still there as well, even with the 7.5 degrees of loft. I also loved how this driver just goes straight. My miss is a big fade, and with the G15, I could hit the ball straight, work it right to left, and hit my stock fade when needed. I also loved how the driver did not balloon but just bore through the wind I was hitting into. I cannot wait to hit it more on the course and actually get some roll out with a driver.

All in all, I think the G15 is probably the best driver ever made. So many PGA players were using it and still have it in the bag. I think the G20 is a step back for PING. If you are looking for a new driver, check this one out. You probably can get it for a pretty good deal, and PING drivers keep their resale value forever. I will post a more detailed review when I have a few more rounds under my belt with the club.

Watch for my full-bag review as the club reviews keep coming!

Follow @ahintz2 on twitter!

Hit em straight

TaylorMade Rescue 11 Club Review

Well, finally got to hit my TaylorMade Rescue 11 this past weekend. I only got to hit it on the range, but hit it enough times to know some of the characteristics.

The first thing I noticed with the Rescue 11 is the head shape. I think that the shape of this club is perfect for a hybrid. Not too big, but also not as small as an Adams Idea Pro Black hybrid. The size definitely instills confidence that there will be forgiveness if you mishit, but also it compact enough to be workable. The white crown with black face also is very nice. It definitely envelops the ball and makes it almost impossible to align incorrectly. There is a little bit of busyness on the crown, but after hitting it, you don't even notice anymore.

The feel of the club is second to none with hybrids I have hit. The ball comes off the face with a solid launch, but is not too hard to feel harsh. It is also solid enough to have the feedback you need when you mishit it. The sound is a little bit high-pitched for a hybrid, but that is easy enough to get over when you are hitting it so well.

The performance of the club is also very good. I was able to hit high fades, draws, low shots, and everything else. I was able to hit it off the tee and the fairway with ease. I cannot wait to hit it out of the rough where I'm sure it will shine. The adjustability is also excellent. I can set it up to different lofts to help gap the distance between clubs and make my bag as dialed in as possible.

I believe that this may be one of the best hybrids ever made. I have tried numerous models from numerous companies without success, but I think this one finally is it. I'm sure many others would have tried it if the head was not white, but I say give it a go. These have a high resale value so what do you have to lose. I have mine shafted with a UST VTS hybrid shaft, but I think that the Rescue Aldila RIP 85 is a great shaft as well. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will have enough feedback to post a new updated review of the club.

Until then, hit em straight.

Follow @ahintz2 on Twitter

2012 Golf Clubs--The Bag is Set

Well, finally have the bag set for 2012, and it is just in time for the season to get started. I believe that this year's setup will be the best my game has had. Fittings, testing, and everything else has gone into this setup. I have finally realized a softer shaft is better for my game. Yes, I would love to hit heavy X-stiff flex shafts in every club, but if I can play better with the ones I have, why worry about it. So here's what is in the bag:

Driver: Ping G15 Tour Issue 7.5* with Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.0 X-stiff
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue 11 with UST Mamiya Tour Only VTS 100HS
Irons: 4-6 Titleist 712 AP2 with Dynamic Gold XP S300, 7-9 Titleist 712 CB with Dynamic Gold S300
Wedges: 47* Titleist 712 MB with Dynamic Gold S300, 50* Scratch Golf Milled 8620 with Dynalite S300, 56*, 60* Scratch Golf 8620 with Dynamic Gold S300
Putter: Piretti Potenza 360g 33" with UST Mamiya Frequency Filtered Shaft

If you can count, this is only 13 clubs. I am open to adding a fairway wood into the bag but have not found the correct one yet. I am looking for 14-17* and will use it more off the tee (deeper face).

This is the best set-up I have ever had so hopefully it translates into better play for 2012 and beyond. Look for reviews of all the clubs and shafts listed above in the near future.

Hit em straight.

Alex
@ahintz2 on twitter!

Scratch Golf Wedges Review (Mini)

Well, finally settled on my new wedges for the season. I am gonna be bagging Scratch Golf (www.scratchgolf.com) 8620 Milled wedges. The wedges are precision milled and ground to meet your game's needs. I ended up fitting into the Digger-Driver category, meaning I tend to miss fat and I hit down on my wedges. Which is exactly what I do, so these should hopefully help with some of the harder shots.

Scratch wedges are a little smaller profile than your normal wedge. In fact, Vokey SM4 wedges will look like shovels compared to these. But the profile instills confidence in me. I did not hit all of the lofts I bought, but I did hit the 56*. I had played 6 years with my original Cobra wedge before switching last year to Mizuno MP T-11s (which you can find a full review on my blog--click on the club review section to the right). The MP-Ts just did not work for my swing, whether it was the Dynamic Gold spinners or the grind of the wedges. So these should get me back to where I need to be. I also went back to my old set-up of 56 and 60 at the bottom of the bag, along with a 50 degree gap wedge. The big gap may seem like a lot, but I hit so many wedges into greens from 100-125 that the 56 covers my 100 yard club and the 50 covers my 125. The best part about these wedges are the shafts that are available stock. You can get Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex, R300, S300, and X100, as well as KBS Tour stock no upcharge. Which is a much better quality than any other wedgemaker out there. And for $109 a piece with your custom grind and custom stamping, you cannot go wrong.

When I get the wedges and play a few rounds on them, I will make sure to post a full review. But in the mean time, if you are in the market for new wedges, check out Scratch Golf. www.scratchgolf.com. They have 2 standard wedges available (8620 Milled and 1020 Forged) and also offer tour custom fitting, grinding, stamping, and personalization if you have the money and need for the custom set up.

Custom Fitting Golf Clubs--Not Just For Pros

There are many of you out there who have bought clubs off the rack for many many years without stopping to think if the clubs really are what you need. A lot of you probably think, "Custom fitting is only for professional golfers. What will it really do for an amateur like me?" Well, that is definitely an incorrect way of thinking. In fact, many of the top clubfitters have proven that a club fitting is actually more beneficial for players of a higher handicap. It may just be the difference between falling short of your personal best, or smashing your personal course record.

Clubfitting usually starts with static measurements--they measure you for length of the club. The length is important because too long or too short of a club may lead to many shots that are not hit on the center of the clubface. Once the fitter knows your stats, you are ready to get started.

If you go to a reputable fitter, they will then move on to the dynamic fitting process. If you are getting fit for irons, they will have you hit on a lie board to make sure the lie angle of your clubs are correct. An incorrect lie angle can lead to digging of the toe or heal at impact and will lead to shots that are sprayed all over the place.

After all of the measurements are complete, you move on to the fun part--hitting. Most fitters will start with your old set of clubs to take a baseline measurement. The best system to use is a Trackman or Flightscope launch monitor that utilizes radar technology. These are the most accurate and best when it comes to data. The fitter should record everything with your old clubs: clubspeed, ball speed, launch angle, angle of attack, spin rate, side spin, and smash factor.

After the baseline measurements are complete, the fitter will provide you with clubheads and shafts that fit your swing profile. This is the most important part of the fitting and where you will get the most information and improvement. The fitter will have you hit combinations that are proven with your swing characteristics to give you the best performance. At a good fitting, you will be able to try as many heads and shafts as it takes until you find the one that maximizes performance based on your swing. Every fitter knows the "gold standard" of flight data based on each swing speed.

When all is said and done, you should have spent 1-2 hours fine-tuning each and every club for your individual game. Now you know the clubs that fit you and the shafts that will help you shave those strokes off your game. So what are you waiting for? Go to your local clubfitter (google search usually helps), give someone a call, and schedule your best game improvement you will have. And try to find a fitter who has the Trackman or Flightscope, as these will give you the most accurate readings.

Good luck, get fit, and play your best golf ever!

Follow @ahintz2 on Twitter!

Ping I20 Iron Review

So, like I promised, here is my full review of the Ping I20 iron set, the set you guys chose as the best iron set of 2011-2012

The first thing I always do when trying and hitting a new set of clubs is to examine the look. The past 2 generations of PING I-Series irons (I10 and I15) have not had my favorite looks. I did not like the finish that was placed on the irons as I thought it was a little too dark, and I also did not like the cavity design. The badge was clunky and just kind of boring. However, the new I20s have a totally different look. The headshape is still relatively the same, but the new finish is more of a lighter finish, and makes the club look a lot sharper and new. This is the same finish as the S-Series of irons have had, so I really like it. I also really like the new cavity design. The use of only black and grey really gives the club a sophisticated look and does not detract from the overall look of the club (hint, hint Cobra). The iron set's offset increases proportionately as the set increases in iron. Having said that, however, the offset is definitely not too much for my liking in the long irons, as offset usually makes me dislike a club. I think PING has got it right with the correct blend of finish, decoration, and offset to have one of the better looking cavity backs out there.

Next, it is on to performance. Everything else about a club can be perfect, but if it doesn't perform, what is the point of buying. I was finally able to hit the set outside in a heated range. As before, the only thing I didn't like about the clubs was the stock PING grip, but grips are easy to change. The swingweighting of the club (CFS Stiff Shaft) is perfect. You can really feel the club as you can swing, but it is not too heavy that it is tough to swing. Being able to feel the clubhead throughout the swing really helped me hit every spot throughout. I could easily control my backswing, transition, and follow-through. At impact, this club is exceptionally easy to square. The ball just jumps off the face and has an impeccable ballflight. Other irons I have hit have launched too high, but this one launches mid, with nice spin. I was able to fly the iron around 165 (in 30 degree weather), 5 iron 180 and the PW went 130. These are around my normal distances in my irons during the summer, so they do not fall short in distance. Also, with the smaller profile on these CBs, it is no problem to work the ball. I am fairly confident in playing the right-to-left draw on command, but the high fade is harder for me to elicit normally. However, these irons allowed me to play every shot I could think of--fade, draw, low draw, punch, knockdown, full-out, pitch. You name it. There has not been another iron set out there yet that I have been confident that I could consistently hit every shot. Yes, with blades I am able to hit every shot, but not with the consistency of the I20 set. The performance definitely complements the good look of these clubs.

Finally, one of the most overlooked aspects of iron play is the feel. Most golfers attribute harshness to cast clubs. Well, the I20s definitely knock that myth down. These were some of the best feeling cast irons I have hit. No, they don't have the "buttery" feel of forged clubs, and coming from Mizuno's I am used to that. However, they feel solid off the face and the sound is excellent. No harshness, and no "mushyness" to these clubs.

Well, there you guys have it. I am waiting to hit some of the other offerings from the 2012 spring release, but as of now, the I20s are on the top of my list. I cannot wait to finally decide what I will be bagging in this upcoming season and having them properly fit to my specs. Hope all of you out there too can find the best set and play the best golf of your life in 2012!

Here's to good golf!

@ahintz2 on Twitter!

TaylorMade R11S Driver Review #2

Well, decided to follow up a little bit on the R11S driver. After hitting it again, I realized that I like it more and more. The shape of the head, IMO, is better than the R11 from last year. Being that it has a deeper face, it also spins less than last years model. The 5 way ASP (Adjustable Sole Plate) still seems like a bit of a marketing ploy than an actual technology, because if you elevate the club before takeaway, the club will be square anyways.

I really enjoy the adjustability. I want to try the driver in 8*, but can only find it demo in 9 right now. With my swing right now, I hit the ball high (like 17* launch with the 9) so the fitter and I decided to tune the club down to 7.5 (1.5* of adjustability with the R11s). After doing that, it brought the launch down to around 15*, but the high launch then was more attributed to the fact that I was using the Phenom 60 in Stiff flex which is too soft of a shaft for me.

Overall, the feel of this driver is head and shoulders above the R11 model of last year. It actually feels like the ball is powering off the face instead of the dead feeling from the R11. It has the feel of the Superfast 2.0 TP, which was my driver of the year last year. This makes it much more satisfying to hit, because I would like to feel the ball speed off the face rather than a dead thud. The sound is also pretty good. Most of the complaints about the Rocketballz (RBZ) have been that it is too loud and tinny. I had none of that experience with the R11s.

All in all, I really want to be able to find this club in 8* with a shaft that fits my swing. Hopefully I can find a reputable fitter and we can make this happen. One of the better drivers of the year so far!

Club Review: Mizuno MP-T 11 Wedges

This season was the first season I have gotten new wedges in 4-5 years.  I had been used to cast wedges that had almost no grooves in them.  So I went to a fitting and decided on the Mizuno MP-T 11 wedges.


When they first arrived, I noticed how good the White Satin finish was.  There was no glare from the sun and the finish looked like it would hold up really well.  I also liked the grinds on the wedges, they looked so clean.  The heads were the nice traditional look and there was nothing bad looking about them.  I had never owned forged wedges before so I didn't know what to expect.

When I got them out to the course, the first thing I noticed was how well they worked chipping close to the green.  I had them in 50, 54, 58* lofts, which seemed to be a good setup for me.  The chipping was flawless around the greens.  It took a few practice shots to get used to the Condition of Competition (CC) grooves, but one I did, they performed just as well as the old grooves.  I was able to hit the skip and stop shot, the bump and run, and the flop and get all of them close.  The best part of my game is my chipping, and these fit right into my usual game plan.

When the time finally arrived to hit a full shot, though, the wedges fell a little short for me.  Mizuno shafts these wedges with the Dynamic Gold Spinner shafts, which to me are a disappointment.  The look of the shaft combined with the performance just wasn't there.  I seemed to always have the wedges coming up short or just not being accurate.  Usually I am dead on with my wedges so this was unexpected.  The feel on the shots was a little too soft for me as well.  I didn't get any feedback from the wedges as to how I hit them.  The soft feel was nice around the greens but I prefer a little more of a "click" when hitting from the fairway.  The best shots I hit with these wedges was from the rough.

Overall, these are great wedges if you are looking for soft wedges that spin a lot.  However, they just did not live up to what I was expecting from a forged offering from Mizuno.  I am still on the lookout for wedges to work, so hopefully I will find some very soon.

Til Next Time,

My Ratings:

Look: 5/5
Feel: 4/5
Performance: 3.5/5
Spin 5/5
Overall: 4/5 B+

Club Review: Titleist 910 D3

Another driver review here.  This one was my second choice as driver of the year in 2011.  The Titleist 910 D3 was the first adjustable driver offered by Titleist.  Many traditional golfers dreaded the day that Titleist entered the adjustable craze, but this driver lived up to the hype.

I could not wait to get my 910 D3 in the mail.  When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was how well the adjustable hosel camouflaged into the head.  There was no way to tell the ferrule or hosel was any different than your normal glue-in driver head.  The one thing I did not like about the Taylor Made adjustable drivers was the noticeable ferrule.  I also noticed how well the black face and black crown blended.  This made for a great framing of the ball by the driver.  The driver had the traditional Titleist pear-shaped head, which was a nice touch, after the 907 series.  This driver also looked a lot more crisp than the too-rounded 909 series.  Even the alignment aid was subtle but effective.  There was nothing not to like about this driver.

Upon taking it to the course, I proceded to rip my first drive down the middle of the fairway.  The club worked out nicely but did not have all the feel I was looking for.  As I hit more drives with it throughout the round, I noticed the forgiveness factory was lacking, and for me that is necessary.  As someone who does not get the time to practice golf as much as I would like to, forgiveness is an important factor.  Also, on off-center hits, as well as good strikes, the feel was kind-of harsh.  It did not feel bad, but just not soft.  The sound was good and the results were pretty good, but just did not have the WOW factor for me.

I took it out for a couple more rounds, and tried a few different settings.  Increasing the loft helped in the forgiveness department as expected, but the harsh feeling just never left.  I don't know if it was the head, but it just did not feel like all the other Titleist drivers I have hit (except the 907 series that, IMO, was a huge flop).  I would definitely recommend this driver to any advanced players out there who are very good ballstrikers, but would advise mid-handicappers to either take a look at the 910 D2 or a different driver all together.

My ratings:
Look: 5/5
Feel: 3/5
Forgiveness: 3/5
Distance: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5 B-

Could definitely have been a better driver IMO

Club Review: Adams Idea A12 Pro Hybrid

Well, here's my second go at a club review.

I have spend numerous range and demo sessions trying to find a hybrid.  I've tried the Idea Pro Black, which were not forgiving enough for me, and I tried the Idea A7, which was a hook machine.  I've tried offerings from Cleveland and Cobra and Titleist and none seemed to fit the bill.  So when the new Adams A12 Idea Pro hybrid was released, I was skeptical.  But like any golfer I needed to give it a try.  So I bought a 20* club head and a Graphite Design Tour AD-UT 95X shaft.  I sent it out to be built and waited to receive it back.

Like most golfers out there, I was extremely impatient while waiting to get the club back.  And it took forever, like 3 weeks.  But I was getting the work done for free so I guess it was OK.  When I got the club, I first noticed how well it set up.  I didn't really care for the look of many other Adams hybrids, but this one was really good.  The smoky finish and peanut-shaped clubhead, this one was a real tribute back to the old Adams Tour Issue PNT from years past.  I also really liked how it set up pretty square, not closed like many of the game-improvement hybrids out there today.  And I finally liked the lack of alignment aid on the clubhead.  If you can't align a hybrid properly, then you should go back to the GI line.  When I received it I was eager as always to get the club to the course.

As I always do when I get a new club, I use it off the first tee unless it is a par 3.  So I took the hybrid out and hit a shot.  The first thing I noticed was the feel off the face.  It wasn't harsh or anything but the feel just wasn't what I am used to from an Adams hybrid.  However, that lack of feel was soon replaced by the sight of a ball traveling down the fairway with piercing trajectory with my normal left-right ball flight.  I had hit the fairway.  The club is almost a point-and-shoot type of club.

The next shot I used it on was out of the rough just trying to lay up on a par 5.  I wasn't trying to kill it, so I choked up and hit.  And the club worked beautifully.  Small fade, 195 yards and to a perfect distance for a wedge.  This club is built perfectly for shots out of the rough.  I wouldn't try to hit the hero shot with it out of the rough, but you cannot beat it for a recovery shot.

I finally hit a fairway and had it 205 out into the wind.  I step up and hit what I think is a beautiful shot, felt good off the face and has my normal fade ballflight.  However I misjudge the wind and it comes up 8 yards short of the target in a bunker.  Not the club's fault, should have taken more.

All in all, the Adams Idea Pro A12 hybrid is a very good club.  I like it better off the fairway and rough than the tee, which has me still looking for the perfect hybrid out there, as I love taking that club off the tee.  It is not the most forgiving hybrid, so if you are looking for forgiveness, go another way.  But overall, Adams has come out with another great club and is still the leader in hybrids.

My search continues.  If anyone has a hybrid recommendation for me, please let me know.

Overall ratings:
Look: 4.5/5
Feel: 3.5/5
Forgiveness: 3/5
Performance: 4/5
Distance: 3.5/5
Overall Score: 3.75/5 B

First Club Review: Taylor Made Burner Superfast 2.0 TP V2

So here's my first attempt at a club review.

This year has been a tough year trying to find a driver.  I finally broke down and decided to spend the money on a good fitting.  I did a 2 hour extensive shaft fitting at GolfEtc in Wausau, Wisconsin, and couldn't be happier.  I was able to try out all of the new heads from this year and was fit into a mid launch, low spin shaft.  Out of my good fits, I decided to go with the Fubuki Alpha 60X shaft because of the smoothness and feel I get while playing it.  The head, though, was another story.

I decided to go with a Taylor Made Burner Superfast 2.0 TP V2 9.5 degree head shafted with the Fubuki Alpha 6X straight in.  No tipping and playing at 45.5 inches.  When the club arrived I noticed how well the white head and black face shadows the golf ball.  It is almost impossible to address the ball with the clubface not square.  I also noticed the lack of offset with the TP model, which helps me turn the face over throughout the swing.  The shaft graphics are as good as it gets from Taylor Made with the R11 Fubuki.  I like how it seems simple and uncluttered.

I could not wait to get it to the course.  The first hole I was way too amped up and hit the drive thin and low, but I was amazed how straight and long the drive went hitting it on the low side of the face.  The next couple drives were much better.  I was finally back to my small fade and it was lonnnnng.  I usually would average about 265 to 270 with my driver, but this one was significantly longer, hitting the ball 280 on average and in the fairway.  On the fairways I missed it was an alignment error, the ball flight was as consistent as it could be.  The face was hot and the feel was amazing.  And when I happened to miss the center of the club face, the ball still went long and had the same ball flight.  After a few shots, the graphics on the club head are unnoticeable, and the white club head was not distracting at all.  The first round was a success.

But I had to take it out again, to see if it was a honeymoon period or if this really was the driver of the year.  The second round was much of the same, except I hit a few drives to places I had never been before.  I mishit a few more shots than last time, but the mishits were drives that ended up 240-250 in the fairway instead of 240-250 in the woods.  I also was able to reach a couple more greens in 2 on par 5s than I ever have.  I was stuck behind some slow players so I couldn't get in to much of a rhythm, but this club was as good as it gets.

My Ratings:

Looks: 4/5
Feel: 4.5/5
Forgiveness: 4/5
Distance: 5/5
Overall Score: 4.5/5 A

This driver is hard to beat as the driver of the year for 2011