First Impression Club Review: Callaway Razr X Black Driver

I also hit the Razr X Black driver yesterday at the Madison Golf Show.

The first thing I noticed was how good the club looked. The black on black was really nice, and was probably the best looking Callaway driver I have ever hit. The graphics on the sole are a lot better than the Razr Fit, and the top of the club is better as well. The head shape is pretty nice as well for more of a Game Improvement driver. The club has a very shallow face for a driver, which does not suit me well, but if you are looking for a light driver with forgiveness this might be it.

When swinging the driver, I noticed how light it was. The Forged Composite and the design definitely make the club a lot lighter. This does not suit my swing, but it wasn't too bad. The club actually has really nice feel. It seems to launch off the face. I believe that it probably spins a good amount because of the shallow face, but I could not really determine how much with the short ball flight. The club is easy to hit in the center of the face, but I'm sure if you miss the center of the face it will be very forgiving. This club was definitely better sounding than the Razr Fit, quieter and more of a thwack.

All in all, for a game-improvement forgiving driver, this one should be one to test. Also, the price on this one (249 MSRP, I believe) is pretty low for many drivers out there these days. So if you are in the market for a new driver and don't have 400, look for this one.

Grades:
Looks: B+
Feel: B
Performance: B-
Overall: B/B-

First Impression Club Review: Callaway Razr Fit

Well, I finally got to hit the Razr Fit today. I've been waiting to try this club for a couple weeks after all of the hype and pros playing this driver.

The first thing I noticed was the head shape. I really do not like the ridge on the top of Callaway drivers. It just does not look good. The Callaway alignment aid is good, as usual, with its low-profile chevron design. And the overall design of the clubhead is good. The head does not look too big and the paint is pretty nice.

The face seems to be pretty deep for a Callaway driver. And the design of the sole is pretty nice. I think the sole could be a little bit less cluttered, but since you do not hit the ball with the sole, I guess it can look however it wants if it performs.

Now on to performance. I was only hitting into a net so I could not get ballflight, but it felt pretty good off the face. It definitely had some pop, which I think is pretty good for an adjustable driver. When you hit one square, the sound is extremely loud. I have played some loud drivers before (Cleveland HiBore XL, other Cobras) so it doesn't bother me, but if you are used to the thwack of a Titleist or older PING model, you may be surprised. The ball seemed to launch off the face, and the initial launch was very good. I would love to hit this driver outside to see the actual ballflight characteristics.

Overall, Callaway seems to have jumped right into the adjustable driver field with a winner. I definitely put this one near the top of my list to try out and decide what I am going with this season.

Grades:

Look: B
Feel: A-
Performance: A-/B+
Overall: B+

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.

First Impression Review Series: Ping I20 Irons

The second part of my demo today was the Ping I20 iron set. Again, I had the 7 iron, green dot (2.25* upright), with the stiff flex CFS shaft.

The first thing I noticed about the I20 was how good the iron looked. It was amazing looking for a cavity back iron. It is no wonder that many PGA pros play the I-series irons. I really like the cavity design as well, which IMO improves upon the I15 color scheme.

Swinging the iron, I did not notice much difference between the CFS shaft and a Dynamic Gold S300 in feel. Ping has always made top of the line steel shafts, and these are no exceptions. There are players on tour using these, so they must be alright.

Hitting the irons, I noticed the feel that the irons had. For a cast club, they definitely had the feel. Also, I hit all 4 types of shot with them (draw, high fade, low punch, and normal shot). These are one of the first irons in a while that I have been able to work the ball with all four shots that I like to hit. I also had no problem with trajectory adjustment at all. High draws, low draws, anything I wanted, they would do. I think that Ping has a winner in these clubs. Look for these to outsell any other iron out there this year

The only thing I would change is the Ping stock grip. But other than that, this is the best iron I have hit so far in 2012, and one of the best ever!

Grade: A

First Impression Review Series: Ping G20 Irons

Well, got the opportunity to hit the G20s and I20 today, and outside at that! It was 30 degrees outside, so I have no idea how the balls were really flying, but it was nice to see the actual flight.

I hit a 7 iron of the G20 series. First looks make me realize that this is a Super Game Improvement (SGI) iron. The head is HUGE, and the offset is really bad. Now, I used to play Cleveland TA5s back in the day, so I have hit GI irons, but like the G series before it, the G20s are not appealing for me. The color and face are nice, but I could not get over how big and bulky the irons were.

I was hitting it with Green Dot (2.25* upright) and stiff CFS shafts. The club feels alright for a cast iron, but even solid shots did not give me the feel I was looking for. I also could not figure out how to line the club up with the offset and everything. Now these irons may be great for beginners or people looking to improve upon a high handicap, but for me they were just too big.

Grade: C+

First Impression Review Series: Ping G20 Driver

Well, it is on to the G20 driver now. The driver doesn't have the same great look as its I20 counterpart. It is a bit too long from front to back for my liking, and the face is too shallow for a driver. It probably is good for someone who is looking for more forgiveness and an easier driver to hit, but that is not what I like in a driver.

The performance is pretty good. It definitely has a forgiving feel and would play great for someone who needs extra forgiveness. The spin off the face is definitely a lot more than I would like as well. The offset really didn't look too bad. With an 8.5* head and an X-stiff flex TFC shaft, it was a pretty good combo. The feel is nice, and with the right shaft and fit would definitely be a good driver.

Overall, the club would be great for people who are looking for forgiveness and a major game-improvement driver (15+ HDCP).

Grade: B-

First Impression Review Series: Cobra ZL Encore Driver

Coming into this season, I was really looking forward to hitting the Cobra ZL Encore Driver. I had heard many good things about the original ZL, so I thought that this one would be nice.

The nice thing about this driver is it comes in both Black and White. The white, to me, is better looking, but if you are a fan of classic club designs the Black one will be much better for you. I really like the shape of the head and how the face looks. And the supposed Real-Deal Motore shaft looks pretty good as well.

However, the club falls short when it comes to the most important aspect--hitting. It just has a harsh, unforgiving feel and really doesn't launch off the face. The face feels hard but the ball goes no where. And it spins a lot more than a players head should. While this driver may work for some other players, my swing and game just did not work with this driver. I think it may be a great club for someone with a slower tempo and transition, but with a quick transition it just doesn't work.

Now I'd like to try it with my shaft in the club, and I think that may make it a little better.

Grade: C-

Heading to try the Callaway Razr Fit tomorrow, as well as some irons and fairways. So stay tuned. And don't forget to vote in the poll regarding irons. The results will help me choose which iron sets to write the best reviews for!

And, please follow @ahintz2 on Twitter. Link at right for that as well.

First Impression Review Series: PING I20 Driver

Well, one of the clubs that I looked forward most to hitting was the PING I20 driver. I had heard so much positive feedback about the club that I had to see for myself if it was up to all the hype.

First off, when I talked to the associate at the golf shop, he said many people had liked the TFC stock shaft by PING more than the Project X Black. I, however, was looking forward to the PX Black since it seems to be the shaft that would fit my profile. But the shaft was not provided at the fitting cart at the shop so I had to go with the TFC in stiff flex. Paired with a 9.5* head (also would have preferred 8.5), I began to swing.

First thing I noticed was how good the matte black/grey head looked. It was really nice and I'm sure would be great on sunny days. I am not a fan, however, of the oversized PING alignment aid that is on the crown of every club. That is just too busy for my liking. The graphics of the stock shaft are pretty nice, and the overall look is completely opposite of the Cobra AMP driver.

The club, to me, felt really light when swinging it. I usually like to feel some heft, so it took some time getting used to. I do not have my best swing right now being the offseason, but was still able to put some good swings on the ball. The feel, on well struck shots is unbelievable. However, it is not the most forgiving driver out there. Since I usually strike the ball well with driver, that is not an issue for me. However, if you are looking for some forgiveness with the PING feel, try the G20.

Overall, the club is definitely one of the better drivers of 2012 so far. I will eventually hit the G20 to compare, as well as the offerings from other companies.

Grade: A-/B+

Up next will be the Cobra ZL Encore, so stay tuned. Also looking forward to the release of the Callaway Razr Fit this weekend! Also, make sure to vote in the Poll regarding irons!

First Impression Review Series: Cobra Amp Driver

Probably the driver I looked forward to swinging the most this year, the Cobra Amp did not disappoint. The headshape was awesome, and the grey crown with the Cobra alignment aid was subtle and not too overbearing. The club set up perfectly square and the face looked awesome.

I don't really understand how the face technology works, but there is supposed to be tapered loft and power different places on the face. And the adjustment is supposed to change face angle and loft by a decent amount. I just tried it on the standard setting 9.5* with the stock RIP Stiff flex shaft. Normally I would like to play the 8.5 degree driver head with a different shaft, but this one worked really well. I'd say it was one of the more solid drivers I have hit. My old TM Burner Superfast 2.0 TP is still better feeling than this one, but it definitely felt better than the RBZ or the R11s.

The ball felt hot off the face and it did not spin too much. I would love to give this driver a try with my set-up and see how it works. But for now, it really left me wanting to give it another try.

Grade: B+

Up next will be the Ping I20 Driver, so look out for that!

First Impression Review Series

What other 2012 clubs would you like me to swing and write-up? Comment here please and let me know! I want to cater to my readers!

Should get to the shop tomorrow to hit some more!

First Impression Review: Cobra AMP Iron Set

Having played this past season with Mizuno MP53 irons, I thought that going back to a cast cavity-back iron would be unbearable. But boy was I wrong.

Cobra seems to be putting all their eggs in one basket by marketing clubs around Rickie Fowler. But it is working. The AMP irons are no exception. With the loud orange cavity insert and the flashy orange grip, this club looks more like decoration than a players club. Except when you lay it down at address you would never know it. The club looks so clean at address, and the top line is excellent for a cavity-back. And the offset is not bad either. The face looks great and the shape is awesome for a CB.

Having never played a Cobra club, the iron came as a surprise. It is loooonng. I hit it back to back with an MP53, and the cobra 7 iron was 20-25 yards longer. Now the lofts are stronger in the AMP, I know, but still, the 7 iron was amazing. And the feel was about as good as you would get for a cast CB. The stock shaft in these clubs is the True Temper Dynamic Gold Superlight, which actually plays really well. These irons, I think, are gonna change the dynamic over at Puma Cobra and make them a player in the club market for many years to come. Now the AMP Forged irons need to hurry and come out! And they better send the AMP RF Prototypes to retail.

Grade: A-

First Impression Review: TaylorMade R11s and Rocketballz

Starting off the review series is the TaylorMade R11s and Rocketballz drivers, the new release for 2012.

The R11s is an upgrade built off the successful launch of the R11 driver last season. The R11s features the same moveable weights, loft and lie adjustment, and also features a new 5 way face angle piece on the club sole. The graphics of the R11s are a little too over-the-top for me and I much prefer the look of the R11. When it comes to feel, however, the R11s is lightyears ahead of the R11. The ball actually feels like it is coming off the face with some pop instead of the dead feel of the R11. The sound is also pretty nice and muted and a nice thwack. The stock shaft offering, the RIP Phenom by Aldila, was pretty good, but a little whippy for my swing (the only shaft they had was a stiff flex). All in all, the R11s is a real nice driver and should be one of the top sellers again.

When I first heard about the Rocketballz (RBZ) driver coming as the replacement for the Burner series, I was upset to learn that it too had an adjustable hosel. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to select between an adjustable driver and a glued one. And I played the Superfast 2.0 TP this past season and loved it. The RBZ fell way short in the looks department for me. I could not get past the ugly green on the top of the club. The club also felt kind of harsh to me and I really could not get the feel right. The stock shaft offering is way too light and spins out of control. The main thing going for this driver is the head shape, and the face is pretty hot. Other than that I really did not enjoy this driver at all. You may have a different experience than me, but I just did not like it.

Early Grades:

R11s: B+

RBZ: C-/D+

There you have it, the first of my series of First Impression Reviews. Hope you enjoy them and hopefully they are useful when selecting a new club for 2012

Next up tomorrow will be the Cobra AMP driver

First Impression Review Series

Hey all,

For the next couple weeks I will be writing some first impression reviews of the new club releases of the year. Drivers, fairways, hybrids, irons. They will all be covered.