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Wilson Staff Black PVD Ci11 Irons

by James on May 12, 2012 in Irons, Wilson Staff with No comments

Geared towards the average player looking to improve his or her game, Wilson has introduced the Black PVD Ci11 Irons.

While we haven’t had our hands on them just yet, we HAVE played the Di11 irons, and can attest to the easy-to-hit nature of these irons. The Ci11’s are no doubt a step in a positive, more ‘game improving’ direction.

A lot of factors went into designing these game improvement irons. The black finish is all about optics. The higher contrast between the club and ball will help with alignment. The finish also helps the club appear smaller, focusing your attention on making a solid hit. The PVD finish also reduces glare from the sun. The clubhead is what Wilson calls ‘optimally’ sized… I take that to mean they’re not too big, and not too small… just the right size for someone looking to make moves into a low-teen or single digit handicap. Perhaps the most important factor (at least when it comes to setup at address) is the thin top line on these irons. Having played many muscle backs for years, I certainly prefer this look, especially if you like to shape your shots. The C11’s set the stage for any golfer looking to take their game to a new level.

Wilson Staff was kind enough to share some press shots with us, please check them out below. After that, feel free to read over the official release. If you have a set of C11’s or are a Wilson Staff junkie, we’d love to get your thoughts.

Wilson Staff Black PVD Ci11 Irons – Photo Gallery

WILSON LAUNCHES NEW BLACK PVD Ci11 IRONS

Striking black irons offer looks, control & distance for ‘crossover’ golfer

Wilson Golf, the most successful irons manufacturer in the history of the game with 61 Major wins, has launched a fourth generation of its award-winning game-improvement Ci (Control) line with the new Wilson Staff Ci11 irons aimed at ‘crossover’ golfers looking to make the transition to the better-player category.

The new, striking black PVD Ci11 irons deliver maximum playability for the aspirational golfer, as well as the power and forgiveness for those players looking for additional technology. The club’s optimal head size and shape continues the award-winning iron tradition, while maintaining a thin topline and moderately progressive offset that suits the eye of the serious player.

The model is the first iron from Wilson with sleek black PVD colouring across the entire set, helping to minimise the visual appearance of the head size and reduce any glare at address – both factors the better player looks for in an iron.

Re-engineered exoskeleton weighting in the Ci11 provides optimal MOI and stability by pulling weight away from the clubface and towards the heel and toe. The striking irons deliver a crisp feel and satisfying sound on impact through a one-piece, soft-response insert concealed in soft 431 stainless steel that helps dampen vibration even on off-centre shots.

Using the latest in club face technology, the Ci11 irons also feature a thinner, harder face that generates stronger ball flight and greater ball speed and distance.

“These irons fit perfectly into our C-style player category and we’re confident that they will deliver maximum playability for the crossover player who also wants additional technology for extra power and forgiveness,” said Bob Thurman, Wilson’s Vice President of R&D.

The Wilson Staff Ci11 irons are available with True Temper TX Flighted steel shafters, Aldila VS Proto II graphite shafts, or with Wilson’s exclusive patent-pending Half & Half shafts (4-PW) at a RRP of £429 (~$689 USD)

For further information about Wilson Staff clubs, visit: www.wilsonstaff.com.

Bob Philion, President of Cobra Puma Golf Sits Down with Golfcrunch to Talk Rickie Fowler

by James on May 9, 2012 in Cobra with No comments

Bob Philion, President COBRA PUMA GOLF

With Rickie Fowler claiming his first ever PGA Tour Title last week at Quail Hollow (the Wells Fargo Championship), the golf world has been buzzing with chatter on the young star. While other publications were all over this one, breaking down his game, the stats, and the story, we were more interested in one thing… what the heck was in his bag?!

Thankfully our good friends at Cobra Puma Golf gave us access to their president, Bob Philion, to answer a few questions.

If you want to know what ‘weapons’ and technology Rickie used to claim his first win, please read on. There’s lots of good gems in here, especially for the Cobra fan.

GolfCrunch: The AFT Technology built-in to Cobra’s woods these days is wonderful. We notice from your release that Rickie Fowler plays the AFT in the ‘Neutral’ position. Does he ever change this, or is he pretty locked-in to the neutral position?
Bob Philion: Rickie is locked into the neutral position on his AMP Driver. We worked with him for a bit to make sure all of the specs were in optimal positions to maximize his already powerful swing. The specs are working for him, he was number one in Total Driving for the Wells Fargo Championship.

GolfCrunch: We noticed that Rickie was using a set of (4-9) AMP Pro Prototype irons… what can you tell us about these prototypes?
Bob Philion: Rickie gave us some insights when we designed his AMP Pro Prototype Irons. They give him excellent feel and accuracy. At the Wells Fargo Championship, he hit just under 80% of greens in regulation, those AMP Pro Proto Irons are working well for him.

GolfCrunch: When can we expect these AMP Pro Irons to hit the market?
Bob Philion: The AMP Pro Irons are not planned to be released at this point. We have released both the AMP Irons that provide players of all abilities a versatile and accurate iron. We’ve also launched the AMP Forged Iron. Designed for better players, the AMP Forged Irons offer playability with forgiveness.

GolfCrunch: Is Rickie currently testing any other clubs from Cobra? Any changes to his arsenal on the horizon?
Bob Philion: Rickie works with our Research and Development team by providing feedback on what he wants performance wise and design wise. There might be one slight change in the future that we think our fans will be really excited about. We’ve also been working with Rickie on wedges, you could see him in Trusty Rusty sometime soon.

GolfCrunch: Rickie was dressed in his trademark orange Puma gear on Sunday. What can you tell us about the Golf Duo Swing Mesh Polo he was wearing?
Bob Philion: Rickie’s trademark Sunday shirt is the Vibrant Orange Duo Swing Mesh Polo. One of PUMA’s most popular tops, it features COOLMAX All Season which keeps Rickie warmer in cool weather and dry and comfortable in hot weather. It also features UPF 50+ for ultimate UV Ray protection, a burnout back mesh panel for ventilation and specially engineered sleeves to reduce friction throughout the swing. It’s available in a variety of colors and some patterns.

GolfCrunch: What about the pants?
Bob Philion: Rickie’s pants on Sunday were the Vibrant Orange 5-PKT Tech Pant. This style is designed to mimic denim with jean style back pockets and front pockets but have the moisture wicking properties, lightweight fabric and comfortable fit you need when playing 18 holes, or 73 like Rickie did this past week.

GolfCrunch: …and of course, the shoes. Puma has long been known for the shoes. What can you tell us about Rickie’s golf shoes?
Bob Philion: Rickie wears the Super Cell Fusion Ice shoes. They feature S2Quill technology and use our Swing Speed Chassis Pro. This combination provides the ultimate traction, comfort and flexibility for a shoe that performs through all 18 holes (or 73!).

GolfCrunch: If our readers want to get their hands on the latest Puma golf apparel, where do you recommend they go?
Bob Philion: Shop.puma.com

A heartfelt thanks to Bob Philion, Kristine Owens and everyone at Cobra Puma Golf for their time!

Cobra Puma Golf Celebrates Rickie Fowler’s First PGA Tour Win with the ‘Sweet Juicy Victory Sweepstakes’

by James on May 9, 2012 in Contests, Cobra with No comments

Rickie Fowler took home his first PGA title at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow this past weekend. To celebrate, our good friends at Cobra Puma Golf are putting on a little contest I’m sure you won’t want to miss.

In celebration of the win, Cobra Puma Golf is holding what they are calling their ‘Sweet Juicy Victory Sweepstakes’. That’s quite the mouthful, isn’t it?

The details? Well, 1 winner will take home a solid prize. They will get a PUMA Golf polo all framed up and signed by Fowler himself. PLUS, they’ll get an AMP driver.

Entering the sweepstakes is simple, and is available to both US and Canadian residents. The links are below… all you need to do is enter your name, email, handicap, stuff like that. Easy.

Sweepstakes links:

Way to go, Rickie!

Quick Look at the Ping G20 Driver

by James on May 4, 2012 in Golf Equipment, Drivers, PING with No comments

Ping has long had a soft spot in my heart. From my early days of working in the bakeshop back in the 1990’s, I knew that Ping clubs were the real deal. I’d often grab one of the latest drivers to hit the market, head out to the range and give them a good drubbing. Ping’s always setup nicely for me, seemed easy to hit… and… for some reason I was always able to pound my drives over the river adjacent to the course (not all drivers met this strict challenge). With those fond thoughts in mind, today we’re taking a quick look at the Ping G20 Driver, winner of the 2012 Hot List Gold accreditation from Golf Digest.

The G20 is made of a low-density titanium. The weight saved in putting together the clubhead is repositioned within to give you a lower centre of gravity (CG). In the end, this give you a MUCH more stable club face through impact, making for longer and straighter drives (that is, unless you’re someone like Bubba Watson that likes to hit 50 yard cuts and draws off the tee!).

The clubhead itself comes in at the maximum 460cc’s. At address, the G20 inspires confidence and power, much like most offerings from Ping these days. The shape of the clubbed was also designed with aerodynamics in mind. Ping says the design will reduce drag, and therefore increase your clubhead speed at impact.

As far as specs go, the G20 is available in lofts of 8.5*, 9.5*, 10.5* and 12*. All stock drivers come at a standard length of 45.75″, a head weight of 204 grams and a D3 swing weight.

If you’re interested in picking up the G20 (or anything from Ping for that matter), I highly suggest you point yourself towards Ping’s Web-Fit custom fitting tool. It will ask you a series of questions, and build clubs for you that fit your game to a… tee.

For more information on the G20, visit Ping.com.

Cleveland Classic Series Drivers Combine Retro Styling with Today’s Tech

by James on May 2, 2012 in Golf Equipment, Cleveland, Drivers with No comments

If you could construct a driver with the look of persimmon, with the technology of today, what would you end up with? The answer is plain to see… you’d end up with the Cleveland ‘Classic’ series of drivers!

The Cleveland Classic series are indeed beautiful. Inspired by the look of yesteryear (I’m thinking of the old persimmon woods I have in my garage right now!), with the rocket-science tech of today.

The Classics are available in 3 different models. Available now in 270 grams, 290 grams and 310 grams (also called the ‘tour’), the series is as beautiful as it is long. (As a small aside, one of the things I really love about this driver isn’t the driver at all… it’s the awesome retro headcover that comes with!.. Although, I do love the polished finish on the crown as well.)

The classics feature a pear-shaped profile with a very large and deep clubface. I dig the deep clubface, I must admit. For some reason, it always inspires confidence for me on the tee. Just feels right.

If you’re interested in picking one of these up at your local golf shop, I suggest you give each model a try. The different weights are quite noticeable, especially when you hold one in each hand. Slower swing speed? Go for the 270. Swing with tour-like mph’s? Go for the ‘tour’ 310 model.

Bottom line, if you dig the retro design combined with the classic pear shape and ultra-deep clubface, the Cleveland Classic driver could be a great fit for your bag. Although I haven’t put a Cleveland wood in my bag for a little while now, I DID play them for a very long time… and I can attest to the fact that they make a very strong product… Strong and long!

For more information, stop by ClevelandGolf.com.

Cobra AMP Driver: Sweet Like an Orange?

by James on April 28, 2012 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers with No comments

Cobra AMP Driver

Cobra appears to be taking a real liking to the color orange these days, no doubt in part to the young and vibrant Rickie Fowler. Can’t blame them for taking that direction, even if it may not ‘jive’ with the tastes of some. Fortunately for me, orange is my favorite color… and it is featured prominently on Cobra’s new AMP Driver. Let’s take a look.

Cobra dubs the AMP as ‘100% Pure, Fresh. Juicy. Sweet Technology’. No doubt playing off the ‘orange’ theme, as you can see in one of their recent commercials here:

Getting back to the driver itself, it features Cobra’s Adjustable Flight Technology. The technology has been built-in to most of their drivers for the past 2 or 3 years, and offers the player with an open, neutral and closed setting. It’s quite easy to adjust, and, as an added bonus, you can buy new shafts fitted with the AFT coupler if you like to switch shafts in and out for different conditions, temperatures or courses.

The AMP also features the E9 face technology with ‘dual roll’. This has been another one of Cobra’s successful features over the past few years, and it promises a 30% larger sweet spot. I can attest to this myself, as Cobra has been more than kind to share some of their recent driver offerings with me (ZL, S2, S3), and they’ve all been fantastic.. In fact, I’ve noticed a steady progression of improvement, especially from the S2 to the S3.

As expected, the Cobra AMP features a titanium 6-4 club head. It also packs a semi-forged, milled titanium face. This is all well and good, but what you may notice most is the white paint job on the crown, and the black club face. This MAY be in reaction to TaylorMade in their driver designs, or it may simply be that research has proven that with a white crown and black face, the visual appearance at address makes it easier for alignment… adding confidence at address on the tee. Haven’t seen any research numbers on the color combo, but it sure does seem to be a trend these days.

The Cobra AMP comes in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5. There are also many, MANY shaft and grip combos available, if you have specific needs for your game.

For more information on this sweet swinging driver, be sure to stop by the Cobra AMP page for all the details.

Side Note: Rickie Fowler has the Cobra AMP in his bag. He plays a 8.5 degree loft, in the open position (AFT), and prefers the Mitsubishi White Board 73X shaft.

Cobra ‘Trusty Rusty’ Wedges: Rust is a Must… Or You Bust.

by James on April 28, 2012 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Wedges with No comments

I have to admit, I love my wedges. I’ve been playing the Cleveland Golf 588 RTG wedges for MANY years now. They’ve rusted up all nice, and are simply solid. However, when I happened upon Cobra Golf’s new ‘Trusty Rusty’ wedges… I found myself saying ‘hold on a tick… what’s this all about!?’. Let’s take a look at ’em.

The Cobra Golf Trusty Rusty wedge comes in specialty rusted finishes, that some players prefer (like me!) for a soft feel. They’ve available in satin with a pre-rusted face, a black PVD face, or a plain old ‘rust’ face. If you’re wondering how they do it, the clubheads are simply un-plated carbon steel. Over time, the face rusts up, leaving a true ‘rusty’ finish that many great players enjoy.

Short game guru Phil Rodgers is responsible for the look and design of these bad boys, and from what I’ve seen so far, they’re beautiful.

Another nice feature of the Trusty Rusty is the tri-bounce sole with rear scallop. What does it mean for you? In a nutshell, it means the wedge is versatile. Open up the face to play that high flopper, or choke down and close the face to play a lower punch shot. No matter what the shot demands, the sole and bounce accommodate to help make for a successful result, close to the pin.

Also worth noting is the laser precision technology that Cobra boasts on the trusty rusty. On the face of the club itself, Cobra uses lasers to produce a surface with four distinct surface roughnesses. The result is a face geared towards producing the maximum allowable spin (we can always use more spin… right?).

The Cobra Golf ‘Trusty Rusty’ is available in degree lofts of 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59… and yes, 61 (flopper!). They’re also shipped stock with the Dynamic Golf S200 shaft (painted black).

For more information, pop on over to Cobra Golf.

Cobra’s S3 Irons are the Real Deal

by James on June 15, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Irons with No comments

I’ve had the pleasure of striking the Cobra Golf S3 irons for 3 rounds now. And let me tell you… These irons produce a solid feel and penetrating ball flight on each and every shot. They’re the real deal.

With the Cobra S3 Irons, Cobra Golf incorporated something they call their ‘E9 Face Technology’. The E9 technology offers a massive sweet spot. Combine that with a unique multi-material construction, and these irons could be some of the easiest to hit on the market today… and I sincerely mean that. From the first shot through to the last wedge I hit the other day, shots come of crisp, clean and consistent.

An interesting little tidbit about these irons is the actual material used in head construction. The 3 through 7 irons are made of 17-4 hyper steel, while the 8 through lob wedge are made from 17-4 stainless steel. The difference? I suspect the stainless is offers a tad more feel for those scoring shots around the green, and the hyper steel provides a crisper contact, for more distance. Just a hunch, but that’s what is has to be!

The last (and quite unique) feature of the S3 irons is the stepped crescent sole design. You’ll notice the sole design right off the hop if you ever see these clubs on display or in a bag around the course… The design allows for what Cobra calls ‘superior turf interaction’, for consistent and accurate shot making.

Cobra Golf S3 Irons

While all this is well and good, don’t take Cobra‘s word for it. Take MY word for it. I had the pleasure of playing the course on which I learned the game over this past weekend. I’ve looped the course many hundreds of times, and while I’m a decent player, had never carded a round under 75. With the Cobra S3 irons as an integral part of my game, I managed to get around all 18 in one-under par. A 70. I was flabbergasted!

While sitting in the clubhouse with some buddies to reflect on the round (and enjoy a beer), I decided to break down the round… and this is where the impact of the S3 irons became clear. Fairways hit? 6 of 14. Not so good. Total putts? 31. Again, not so good. Greens in regulation? 14 of 18… and the four that I missed… were right on the fringe. So what does that mean? Well, in the end it means my iron shots were finding the target. I was on or around the green, and managed to hole out with 2 putts (on average) to take my par and run. My mid and short iron shots with the Cobra S3’s were on the money, and thank goodness for that!

Stay tuned very shortly for an S3 iron photo gallery. I’m very eager to show off these beauties to you… and as always, an extra special THANK YOU to the good folks @CobraGolf!

Review: Nike Golf Victory Red Pro Blade Irons

by James on May 15, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Irons, Nike Golf with 1 Comment

You know when you put a new club in your hands, strike that first shot, and go ‘woah, baby that’s a sweet club’… That’s exactly what happened to me when I struck the Nike Golf Victory Red Pro Blade irons for the first time. In fact, after my first shot, I flipped the club around, took a closer look at the clubhead, and thought ‘I’m really going to like these’… and I did!

Not only do the VR Pro Blades look great, but they’re insanely consistent, and provide incredible feedback for those that love to shape their shots. For my thoughts on this great set of irons for the lower handicap golfer… please, keep reading!

Low Trajectory

One of the things I dig the most about the VR Pro Blades is the trajectory you get off the face. This became obvious to me when I grabbed a VR Pro Combo 7 iron, and hit alternating shots between it an a VR Pro 8-iron I had handy. The Pro Combo 7 iron went MUCH higher than the VR Pro Blade 8 iron. Imagine that… the 8-iron actually flighted noticeably lower than the 7 iron from a comparable cavity-back set.

The trajectory is low and piercing… but not too low. I loved it because it was consistent… which leads me into my next point!

Consistent Distance Control

One thing that became quite apparent to me after striking my first bucket of balls was this… these irons were deadly consistent. Using the trusty 8-iron as my example (again), I decided to throw down 10 balls and measure the distances. Here’s the spread:

Shot 1: 155 yards
Shot 2: 156 yards
Shot 3: 155 yards
Shot 4: 154 yards
Shot 5: 156 yards
Shot 6: 155 yards
Shot 7: 155 yards
Shot 8: 156 yards
Shot 9: 155 yards
Shot 10: 155 yards

Not too shabby… drop the high and low result, and you end up with a spread of… well… about a yard! Awesome.

I know some of you might be saying, ‘that’s ridiculous, you’re not a pro!’… and granted, I’m not. But I’m a decent golfer with a consistent swing, and I shoot in the 70’s with regularity. The conditions on the day of this test were dead calm, and I was striping the shots right down the pipe one after another. The results speak for themselves… for accurate distance control, I HAVE to give the Nike Golf VR Pro Blades a 10 out of 10.

Solid Feel and Feedback

After striking a few shots (including a few bad ones), I came to realize how forgiving (yes, forgiving!) these blades actually are. I’m used to playing blades on a day-to-day basis (in fact, I have a set of Titleist 690.MB’s in my bag right now), so I know a thing or to on what to expect when it comes to forgiveness. In comparison to my Titleists, the VR Pro Blades seem to provide a slightly larger sweet spot on the face. This is nice, because I found I didn’t have to concentrate as hard to ensure I hit it exactly where I wanted in the middle of the face, on each shot… my swing began to flow with nice tempo, and…. well… I really enjoyed striking the ball with this set!

On top of that, the feel and feedback you get with each shot is awesome. At impact, there’s no other way to describe the feeling you get, other than ‘solid’. There’s no vibration, no twisting, no anything… just a solid, pure feel with every strike.

Thin Top Line

I LOVE the thin top line on these clubs. I know this might seem like a minor point for many of you out there… but for those that prefer a great set of blades in the bag, the top line is a huge factor.

At setup, the clubs inspire confidence. They line up square, and just knowing you’re going to get solid feel and feedback with your strike is huge.

Working the Ball

Like to fade and draw your iron shots into those tight pin locations? I’d highly recommend you give the Nike VR Pro Blades a try. Working the ball is easy. I’m not going to sit here and tell you how to hit a fade, or how to hit a draw… if you’ve gotten this far in the review you already know how to do that… 😛

But trust me, once you decide on the shot you want to hit, and line up to execute the shot… These irons are money in the bank. I prefer to hit fades myself, but I found hitting a slight draw time after time, after time… after time… was not a problem.

Stylish and Sexy

If there was an award for ‘sexiest’ irons, the Nike VR Pro blades would be a finalist, without a doubt. They’re a modern take on a classic design, and look stylish in the bag. The numbering on the sole is clean, and the Nike logo on the muscle on the back of the clubhead is just downright nasty (in a good way).

I know in the end, how your clubs actually look has nothing to do with hitting the ball, or shooting low numbers. But if you get a kick out of the look of your clubs, surely that has to be worth a shot or two out on the course, right? Something along the lines of, ‘look good, feel (and play) your best’? (sorry PING)

Pros

Ultra consistent trajectory and distance control
Solid feel and feedback on each shot
Become a real shotmaker. Work the ball left to right and right to left with ease
They look great (at address, and in the bag)

Cons

The price. For some, the $895.95 (retail 3-PW steel shaft) price on this set may be a bit too much. That said, all other iron sets in the same category are going to cost you roughly the same amount.

Conclusions

If you’re a low-handicapper looking for a top of the line set to integrate into your game, the Nike VR Pro Blade irons are worth some serious consideration. Trust me when I say you’re going to absolutely love the feel and consistency you get with these bad boys.

If you’re a mid-handicap looking to improve your ball striking, and lower your scores, these may be worth a look as well. Granted, you may have a hard time if you’ve never hit a set of blades before… However, I firmly believe with a little bit of practice these irons could be a huge asset for your game.

High-handicappers, steer clear. That said, if you are looking for some Nike iron love, I’d recommend the Nike Pro Combo irons. The longer irons in this set feature a large cavity back… and as you work your way down to the short irons (scoring clubs), you’ll find a more traditional blade style… the cavity gets smaller and smaller (and eventually disappears) as you work your way through the set.

For more information on the VR Pro Blade Irons (and all other irons offered by Nike), hit up Nike Golf.

Cobra S3 Driver Photo Gallery

by James on May 14, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers with No comments

The Cobra S3 Driver is one darn good looking driver. That’s why, when Cobra told me they were sending one over for my review… I was, in a word, excited. The S3 packs-in something Cobra are calling their ‘E9 Face Technology’, which creates a 30% larger sweet-spot. Of course, Cobra’s Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) is on-board as well, allowing the player to adjust the clubface from an open, to a neutral or closed position.

I won’t get into the details of the technology and design at this moment (although I do have to admit I love the deeper face on this one in comparison to the Cobra S2 Driver)… For now, I decided to take a few snapshots. Enjoy.