ZipGolfer » Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com Golf tips, news and gear reviews Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:03:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Ping G15 Irons Review | Large Clubhead Sole w/ Custom Tuning http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-g15-irons-review-large-clubhead-sole-w-custom-tuning/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-g15-irons-review-large-clubhead-sole-w-custom-tuning/#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:49:54 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4375 Ping G15 Irons Review I don't know. I usually like Ping stuff. I'm always a little bit weirded out by the extra large sole on these club heads, but for some reason on other clubs like the Ping i15 irons, I didn't mind.

On the G15s, it really threw me. When I honestly looked, they really didn't look too different, but I can't deny the fact that I simply did not like the G15s at address.

The club is awfully bulky looking. I feel like I’m holding a lacrosse stick. The back of the club is ugly as well. Ping has tried to make the club look modern. They may have accomplished that, but it’s still ugly. I mean a Prius Hybrid car looks modern, but it’s still one of the ugliest cars on the road.

The idea behind the technology is to design a very large forgiving face with more MOI than any of their predecessors. The face as I already mentioned is huge. There is one white line on the bottom. I’m not sure of the point on that brilliant idea. It looks random and doesn’t fit. The club has an offset to help with closing the face at impact. One thing that will help cure your slice. That is not a bad thing. Perhaps if it did that I could overlook the hideous look of it.

If you CAN get used to the look and you are looking for a game improving iron you might like the technology used with the floating Custom Tuning Port. It is suppose to be incredible, and the center of gravity is one of the lowest in all of golf. The COG is very deep and low which makes it much easier to get the ball airborne. It also helps with mishits towards the bottom of the club. Perhaps this is why the white line is on the bottom. Ping is trying to say, “don’t worry about low mishits!” If it were me, I would have made it red with a big bull’s eye on the bottom. (If you are going for ugly, go all the way.) In addition the low weight allows Ping to increase the launch angle, for higher flying ball. And last but not least, it helps the club get down through the rough and “ensures a smooth transition through the turf.

This would be a good club for you high handicappers or those of you that are just getting into the game. The custom tuning port (CTP) means the scientists at Ping made the face even thinner and moved all the weight to the perimeter, in particular the toe. This means off center hits, still fly far and the higher MOI keeps the club from twisting.

Ping has been making such good clubs for so long that they really have it together. As I think back on some of the good experiences I had with Ping irons, it may have been the need to have a custom fitted iron like the "i" series.

Try before you buy...

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-g15-irons-review-large-clubhead-sole-w-custom-tuning/feed/ 0 Cleveland Ta5 Irons | Gunmetal Clubhead w/ Foam Shaft to Lessen Fatigue http://www.zipgolfer.com/cleveland-ta5-irons-gunmetal-clubhead-w-foam-shaft-to-lessen-fatigue/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/cleveland-ta5-irons-gunmetal-clubhead-w-foam-shaft-to-lessen-fatigue/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:43:54 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4372 Cleveland Ta5 Irons If Batman played golf, these would be his clubs. They simply look bad to the bone. Gunmetal. Are you serious? Is that AC/DC playing as I rip my four iron out of the bag and spit as I address my shot?

Rock it, baby. Come on.

On a serious note, I did not hit these any differently than some of the other clubs I have tried. I hit the Nike MachSpeeds farther. I was a little more accurate with the X22s. On a side note, those X22s make a run for the money in terms of "coolest looking golf club," too.

Cleveland is no slouch, though, folks. One of the coolest features of these irons is the True Temper "Sensicore" shaft. It actually has an inner rod that is somehow surrounded by foam to deaden vibration. This is a very good design. While I don't really "tire" with other clubs, these are supposed to cut fatigue drastically. These irons not only produce great looking shots, but they just flat out look tough. Of course, no one looks to coordinate their equipment based on appearance alone, but if you can hit these things -- they look pretty mean in your golf bag.

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/cleveland-ta5-irons-gunmetal-clubhead-w-foam-shaft-to-lessen-fatigue/feed/ 0 Titleist 990 Irons, Men’s Golf | Cavity Back w/ Steel Stiff Shaft http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-990-irons-mens-golf-cavity-back-w-steel-stiff-shaft/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-990-irons-mens-golf-cavity-back-w-steel-stiff-shaft/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:36:35 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4369 Titleist 990 Irons, Men's Golf It's embarrassing. It really is.

It's embarrassing to try a set of irons on a range and not like them. It's embarrassing to swing the clubs and duck hook a few. It's embarrassing to complain about how you can hit other irons better, even Titleist irons like the DTRs.

What is so embarrassing about this, you may ask?

It's embarrassing to come back home to write the review and read some specs on the clubs and discover that they were "designed with the better player in mind."

Ugh. That means the clubs that were professionally designed for someone good to use were very difficult for me to hit. That means that the high performance blade with a variable muscle back cavity are not necessarily "my cup of tea." That means that these clubs are for people who care about "workability" with their shots, and not just considered with "taking some time off work" to sneak off to the course and duff a few.

Maybe I would have had better luck with these clubs back when they were brand new in the early 2000s. Yeah, that's it. I would have gripped and ripped these things a country mile, but I'm older and need something more modern to help me with my game.

They are definitely worth the try -- especially if you're a golfer that has some natural talent and ability and may be looking for a very good set of used clubs.

Clubs designed for... (start my sarcastic whiny voice) -- "the better player in mind."

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-990-irons-mens-golf-cavity-back-w-steel-stiff-shaft/feed/ 0 Explanar Swing Trainer | Golf Personal Home Training System for Stance, Posture & Plane http://www.zipgolfer.com/explanar-swing-trainer-golf-personal-home-training-system-for-stance-posture-plane/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/explanar-swing-trainer-golf-personal-home-training-system-for-stance-posture-plane/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:55:05 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4329 Explanar Swing Trainer As you may remember, I'm a little skeptical when it comes to training systems. Golf is such a difficult sport to master that often any full-proof-guaranteed-to-lower-you-score gadget makes one very suspicious eyebrow go up.

As in the weight-loss industry, everyone is looking for the next great thing that will make them better golfers. Unfortunately, as in the diet craze, nothing beats having someone help you with your goals and spending lots of time and energy devoted to the cause. While it produces a nice large "ring" for you to achieve the proper plane needed for an effective golf swing, it doesn't necessarily address basic fundamentals such as grip, swing tempo, hip movement, and weight distribution.

The model I saw did include different "power rollers" to give the feel of different length clubs, and a video (that I must admit I didn't watch), but simply did not seem to be effective enough for someone like me to learn from. And trust me, I could use some good golf instruction.

If someone is looking for a golf trainer, one should honestly evaluate lessons -- but if a training aid to use at home is needed, I might suggest more of an exclusive "home short game practice session" using something like the RockRoller Putting Training Aid. Save the big swing trainings sessions for a pro to help you with.

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/explanar-swing-trainer-golf-personal-home-training-system-for-stance-posture-plane/feed/ 0 Titleist ZM Forged Irons | Men’s Blade Club Set 3-PW w/ Steel Shaft http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-zm-forged-irons-mens-blade-club-set-3-pw-w-steel-shaft/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-zm-forged-irons-mens-blade-club-set-3-pw-w-steel-shaft/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:49:51 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4325 I’m starting to really get ticked off at my Cobra Gravity Backs. I bring them to my local driving range and pro shop (where they often allow you to try out new or used sets of clubs in hopes you’ll buy something new).

I’m getting more and more tempted, because I can hit these Titleist irons farther than my Cobras. These ZM forged irons are really pretty sweet. They look sleek and shiny, and feel traditional enough and not strangely weighted or offset. They swing easy and have that common balanced center of gravity that makes this brand of irons so famous.

These practically spit in the face of the cavity back irons such as the Adams A3OS or even my gravity backs. Blades are usually designed for the more “skilled” golfer, but honestly, I was thumping these a pretty fair distance and with some accuracy.

Some. I said some.

These babies have a nice, stiff true temper steel shaft and really shine with a sexy, shiny almost-chrome look to them. These definitely will draw some attention when you show up to the course with them -- just make sure that you hit well with them to maintain the type of attention you want on the course.

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-zm-forged-irons-mens-blade-club-set-3-pw-w-steel-shaft/feed/ 0 Titleist DTR Irons Review | Men’s & Ladies Golf Clubs Set for Long Distance http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-dtr-irons-review-mens-ladies-golf-clubs-set-for-long-distance/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-dtr-irons-review-mens-ladies-golf-clubs-set-for-long-distance/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:41:33 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4322 Drive. Threaten the ball in the air. Repeat.

While this accurately describes an acronym of my golf game, thankfully it is not what the DTR stands for in the Titleist DTR irons. So just what exactly does it stand for?

"Distance Through Research."

Nice, Titleist. I dig. This company has always innovated in order to deliver nice irons. I have tried several sets (including a five and seven iron of the DTRs) and they do swing nicely. They don’t have a lot of “fluff” to them, and the heel and toe are nicely balanced to produce a nice big sweet spot.

When I hit the five iron, I had trouble producing a high shot -- though it always traveled the right distance. This is no fault of the club, I’m sure. The seven iron produced a consistent, nice high shot that traveled my normal “seven iron distance.”

87 yards. Just kidding; it was at least ten yards farther than that.

While these were produced way back in the early '90s, these used sets that you’ll find are a great find. They also keep a pretty good resale value if these are “stepping stone” irons for you, but are good enough to keep you swinging for years to come.

In addition, these irons are nice enough to cause even the smuggest members of your foursome to nod in approval at a good set of Titleist irons in your bag. Highly recommended.

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/titleist-dtr-irons-review-mens-ladies-golf-clubs-set-for-long-distance/feed/ 0 Nike SQ MachSpeed Men’s Iron Set 2011 | Fast Long Distance, 4-PW, GW w/ Steel Shafts http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-sq-machspeed-mens-iron-set-2011-fast-long-distance-4-pw-gw-w-steel-shafts/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-sq-machspeed-mens-iron-set-2011-fast-long-distance-4-pw-gw-w-steel-shafts/#comments Sun, 22 May 2011 16:22:56 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4167 Nike SQ MachSpeed Men's Iron Set 2011 Oh man. These are fast. Like faster than fast. And fast in a good way, not like a Vin Diesel movie. They really pop the ball so it flies high and lands soft. These irons allowed me to really hone in on a target -- even though the target was just a brown patch in the middle of the driving range.

They have a sweet design with a very wide bottom and low center of gravity -- almost giving you the feeling that you're scooping that ball right off the ground. They have an extremely thin face with an enormous sweet spot --giving much more forgiveness to those 165-yard second shots.

I chose the steel shafts for my demo, and I was blown away by the True Temper Dynalite 90 shafts and the combination stainless alloy heads. True to Nike form, these are sexy-looking clubs, too -- giving a modern and hot-looking cavity in the back of the club.

The "mach speed" of this club is no joke. These things really move -- which can be a very bad thing at times, if a person always wants to hit the ball too hard; but if you slow down your tempo and trust the club, these suckers can send a ball a country mile.

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-sq-machspeed-mens-iron-set-2011-fast-long-distance-4-pw-gw-w-steel-shafts/feed/ 0 Nike One Vapor Golf Balls | Seamless Ionomer 3 Piece Solid Core http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-one-vapor-golf-balls-seamless-ionomer-3-piece-solid-core/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-one-vapor-golf-balls-seamless-ionomer-3-piece-solid-core/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 16:15:23 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4165 Nike One Vapor Golf Balls Here's a sweet ball to play -- and it fits right along with my aversion to Nike. Let me be clear, though. I never allow a brand to skew my thinking into blind acceptance. If you doubt me, read my betrayal review of the Nike Slingshot Irons.

This ball, however, was very nice. It's no One Tour, by any means -- as it has a solid core, 3-Piece ball, and not a 4, and it is made of seamless ionomer and not urethane. This produces a "cheaper" feel to the ball (some say), but I honestly don't know if I could tell the difference at my level. The biggest plus for me was the amount of ball I got for the price, without having to cater down to a "Power Distance" or a "Juice," for Pete's sake. All-around good ball that feels really good to putt as well.

They provided consistent distance for me, especially when I tried slowing my swing down and trusting my clubs -- as the balls truly belong to a golfer with moderate swing speeds. This ball would be well worth the money.

Now if I could only get that Swoosh to stop right before it rolls into the hole like Tiger did...

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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-one-vapor-golf-balls-seamless-ionomer-3-piece-solid-core/feed/ 0 Ping i15 Irons Review | Men’s Long Iron, Progressive w/ Max Forgiveness http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-i15-irons-review-mens-long-iron-progressive-w-max-forgiveness/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-i15-irons-review-mens-long-iron-progressive-w-max-forgiveness/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 16:14:47 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4138 Ping i15 Irons Review How much better are the Ping i15 irons over the i10s? Supposedly, it is much more than simply answering "five times better." Get it? (And my math teacher said I would never amount to anything.) With similar lines and the same thinner top line, they look like a very close comparison. I am very skeptical when upgrading from year to year. Why is it I can use the same golf club for more than a few years? I admit that upon further examination, the i15s do look like they are more "squared off" at address -- giving some people a more confident look.

I read that that a lot of people complained that the the I10s were tough to hit. So they made the I15s more playable. One thing I noticed is the long irons don’t look the same as the short irons. The set is progressive. Does this mean they are vegetarians? (I don’t get that one either.) You see the longer irons that are tough to hit are built to be more forgiving. They have a cavity back with weighting in the heal and toe to make them easy to swing. As you the set get shorter and easier to hit the irons look a little more traditional. The short irons are smaller so that you can work them easier. For example, if I want to flight my 9 iron lower with spin than I can pull that off. Or open up my pitching wedge and hit a high cut.

Upon hitting both sets of clubs, I was completely unaware of any difference whatsoever. I found myself wondering why anyone would pay more for a number that was simply higher than another. I understood the idea of the customization with the "dot" series, and granted, I did not necessarily have the i10s fit perfectly to me and my swing. Therefore, I may have not received an accurate representation of what the 10s would really feel like.

Then I started comparing the longer irons. Oh. My. Word. I was immediately impressed with the forgiveness and confidence that I experienced with the i15s. These clubs are truly designed for someone along my lines -- they are honestly easier to hit than any other long iron that I’ve hit.. While it can be embarrassing for me to admit that I would choose clubs that were "designed" for more of a... novice... These clubs are fine because they are right in the middle. Although I feel like hacker using the big long irons, when I pull out the short irons, I can play a wide variety of shots. Plus who cares if it dropps my scores and increased my confidence level on the course. This is honestly a solid club and worth the extra amount especially if you struggle with your mid to long irons. If you were to had a couple hybrids and a fairway wood to this set, it would be the perfect set.

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Ping i15 Irons 3 PW Blue Dot HEADS ONLY Ping i15 Irons 3 PW Blue Dot HEADS ONLY
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PING I15 7 Iron White dot 1 2 Stiff PING I15 7 Iron White dot 1 2 Stiff
US $18.00   Paypal
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PING i15 IRONS 3 W AWT STIFF FLEX STEEL BLACK DOT MINT PING i15 IRONS 3 W AWT STIFF FLEX STEEL BLACK DOT MINT
US $380.00   4 Bids Paypal
Auction Ends: 5h 49m
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]]> http://www.zipgolfer.com/ping-i15-irons-review-mens-long-iron-progressive-w-max-forgiveness/feed/ 1 Nike IC Putter Review | Men’s Mid Mallet 20-15A, Milled Club Face http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-ic-putter-review-mens-mid-mallet-20-15a-milled-club-face/ http://www.zipgolfer.com/nike-ic-putter-review-mens-mid-mallet-20-15a-milled-club-face/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 16:09:59 +0000 Jess http://www.zipgolfer.com/?p=4136 Nike IC Putter Review My dad was a really great guy. Dependable. Faithful. Solid. Trustworthy. Not given to frills or crazy expenditures. He was... frugal. Some called him just plain cheap. But he was (and still is) my dad, and I love him.

The Nike IC 20-15A Mid Mallet Putter could not be a better analogy. Dependable. Faithful. Solid. Trustworthy. Not given to frills or crazy expenditures. And... just plain cheap. It's easy to line up with, has very little visual noise to distract you from that birdie putt, and has a milled face -- no flim-flam cockamamy inserts here. No sir-ee, Bob.

My friend's dad drove an old Porsche Boxter. He had long hair. My dad called him a hippie. As I grew up, I found out that he bought the sports car cheap and simply didn't like getting his hair cut. So he wasn't as flashy as I thought; he only looked that way.

If you want something cheap, solid, and functional, get the Nike IC. If you want the Boxter club that looks fancier but is just as (ahem) frugal, get the Odyssey White Hot Sabertooth and call it a day.

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