I have only gone and done it; I’ve turned my back on the Titleist Vokey and bought myself two Mizuno MP-R wedges instead. I feel a little sad, but after the snooping around my blog by the manufacturers of the world most popular golf ball I felt I had to take a stand. It had nothing to do with the fact that the Mizuno clubs got rave reviews in Golf Whine Monthly or the fact that I got them at a knock down price, no Sir!
After searching the internet I found the wedges cost around £90 each and come in all manner of loft and bounce options depending on what you need. Personally, I needed the cheapest I could find to be perfectly honest as I hadn’t budgeted for wedges in my running total. When you need crap at discount prices there is only one place to go; eBay! Boy was there some crap on eBay.
After a couple of weeks searching I was almost ready to give up. The clubs on offer were either brand new and cost the same as in the shops or had been battered into submission by cack-handed municipal hackers who were trying to convince gullible tools that the scrapes, dings and wear actually provided more spin. I know clubs designed to oxidise help increase spin but chrome clubs that have been abused just don’t.
All I was after was a club that had been used for a few months, had been looked after and was being sold because the person was getting a new wedge for Christmas. As I was about to give up my search I found a pair of clubs that were new this year, had been looked after and were being sold because the person was getting new wedges for Christmas. Spooky.
The more observant out there may have noticed I said ‘pair of clubs’. That’s right; I had found two bats that fitted the bill. The seller had a 52* and a 56* up for sale in the same auction and the best part was that they were up for sale at a reasonable price. What’s more, he was even willing to accept a ‘Best Offer’ for them that would save me 18%. It sounded too good to be true but I decided to take a gamble and bid on them.
After a couple of days I received an email saying I was the winner. Result! I paid and then waited for the clubs to arrive. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t best pleased to hear later that day that staff at the main sorting office in Liverpool were planning strike action over the proposed closure of the facility (oh I agree with them 100%, just not when I’ve got golf clubs winging their way to me!!!) but I hoped they would arrive before the staff started sitting around burning oil drums at the main gate.
I got a phone call yesterday saying that a box with Mizuno had arrived. Whoohoo! I was certain that the whole deal was too good to be true and that some battered auld crap would fall out of the box when I opened it but I was delighted to find that the clubs were exactly as described and showed little sign of wear. You can tell they have been used but it doesn’t look like very much, in fact the 52* looks almost brand new. I’m a relieved man.
New, the clubs cost £90 each but I had managed to get two in excellent condition for just £65. I honestly cannot complain. In fact if the clubs had been a bit more battered I STILL couldn’t complain at that price. The face of both clubs is excellent, the grooves are still sharp, the shafts are unmarked and the grips look virtually brand new. I’m a happy camper today but still have a tinge of sadness about turning my back on the Vokey.
Friday 19 December 2008
Thursday 18 December 2008
59 - New Ball Design Makes It Easy To Get In The Hole...
It looks like Titleist and Callaway might have missed a trick. In their efforts to sue the shit out of each other they may have taken their eye off the (golf) ball. According to the New Scientist website, boffins at the Seoul National University have invented a ball that could help you make more putts…by removing the dimples.
You may know the reason that golf balls have dimples is to help them fly high and far but do you know how they achieve it? The dimples decease drag by reducing the turbulence created by the ball as it flies through the air. They also help increase backspin which sucks the ball upwards as the air passes over them (like the curve of a airplane wing does).
You will need to make more putts with the new golf ball because without dimples there will be more shots from the fairway due to the reduced performance. Or will you? Just because there are no dimples doesn’t mean the ball is smooth, in fact is covered in small grooves (right).
The grooves are arranged in such a way that they still disrupt the air around the ball enough to reduce drag and promote backspin meaning that it should fly just as far and be as controllable as a regular ball but it is on the green where the grooves come into their own.
Because of the way they are spaced, the grooves take up less surface area meaning there is more chance of hitting a smooth part of the ball resulting in a truer connection when finesse is most important. Sounds good to me although I’ve never thought I have missed a putt because I have made a bad connection with the ball.
So are the dimples dead? Is the groove the new God? Who knows? Who cares? I bet Titleist and Callaway will if they can tear themselves away from each other.
You may know the reason that golf balls have dimples is to help them fly high and far but do you know how they achieve it? The dimples decease drag by reducing the turbulence created by the ball as it flies through the air. They also help increase backspin which sucks the ball upwards as the air passes over them (like the curve of a airplane wing does).
You will need to make more putts with the new golf ball because without dimples there will be more shots from the fairway due to the reduced performance. Or will you? Just because there are no dimples doesn’t mean the ball is smooth, in fact is covered in small grooves (right).The grooves are arranged in such a way that they still disrupt the air around the ball enough to reduce drag and promote backspin meaning that it should fly just as far and be as controllable as a regular ball but it is on the green where the grooves come into their own.
Because of the way they are spaced, the grooves take up less surface area meaning there is more chance of hitting a smooth part of the ball resulting in a truer connection when finesse is most important. Sounds good to me although I’ve never thought I have missed a putt because I have made a bad connection with the ball.
So are the dimples dead? Is the groove the new God? Who knows? Who cares? I bet Titleist and Callaway will if they can tear themselves away from each other.
Monday 15 December 2008
58 - Is Winter Golf Worth All The Effort?
There was an article in Golf Whine Monthly a while ago about winter golf with some guy singing its praises. It wasn’t me. I’m not a fan of winter golf. Actually that is a lie; I’m not a fan of wet winter golf. I don’t mind the cold, never have done, but I do mind hail and sleet as they are pure evil when you are out in the middle of a field supposedly enjoying yourself.
The other week I had a free lesson from Jason the pro at Widnes Golf Club and while on the third tee, and suitably away from any real shelter, we got hammered by a hail shower. After the downpour had subsided we squelched our way around the rest of the course. It wasn’t pretty. The hail, combined with the rain that morning, had turned parts of the course into something reminiscent of the World War 1 trenches which made walking, let alone playing golf, a chore.
Alan has told me that he doesn’t like winter golf either because whether it is wet or dry the game is always ruined. If it is wet you get soaked and have to dig your ball out of the mud that used to resemble a fairway. If it is cold the final position of the ball could be anywhere as a solid golf ball hitting a rock hard fairway reacts in the same way a football does when kicked against iron railings, namely flying off at all angles but the one you want.
The one advantage to playing in the winter is that the courses, when open, are relatively quiet so you can take your time, enjoy the crisp winter air and rejoice in the four hours of quality ‘man time’ you have – as long as it isn’t raining that is. If the heavens open you can pretend you are Hitler’s mob in the Second World War trying to invade Russia but without the death and general nastiness (there is a lot of war in this post for no obvious reason).
A ready made alternative to the course would be the driving range where there is no mud to wade through, no traipsing around with the bitter wind blowing in your grid whichever direction you’re facing and no miserable auld bastard tutting and sighing behind you because you had the audacity to spend fully 30 seconds looking for a ball in the rough. The problem with the driving range is that everyone has the same idea though.
So what is the solution? Wait for that day when the stars are in alignment, the human sacrifices have been made and the ITV Weather report (sponsored by BMI Baby) isn’t as miserable as Andy Murray at a funeral before venturing to the local municipal? Or visit the driving range an hour before it shuts when there isn’t a queue and aren’t gangs of scally rats arsing around across four bays using three clubs?
For now those questions are academic as my ankle is still sore. Hopefully it will be back in full working order after Christmas which will coincide with the arrival of my new bats. After a break from golf because of injury, the weather and the credit crunch (all though £4’s add up you know) I will be desperate to play but when and where still remains to be seen.
The other week I had a free lesson from Jason the pro at Widnes Golf Club and while on the third tee, and suitably away from any real shelter, we got hammered by a hail shower. After the downpour had subsided we squelched our way around the rest of the course. It wasn’t pretty. The hail, combined with the rain that morning, had turned parts of the course into something reminiscent of the World War 1 trenches which made walking, let alone playing golf, a chore.
Alan has told me that he doesn’t like winter golf either because whether it is wet or dry the game is always ruined. If it is wet you get soaked and have to dig your ball out of the mud that used to resemble a fairway. If it is cold the final position of the ball could be anywhere as a solid golf ball hitting a rock hard fairway reacts in the same way a football does when kicked against iron railings, namely flying off at all angles but the one you want.
The one advantage to playing in the winter is that the courses, when open, are relatively quiet so you can take your time, enjoy the crisp winter air and rejoice in the four hours of quality ‘man time’ you have – as long as it isn’t raining that is. If the heavens open you can pretend you are Hitler’s mob in the Second World War trying to invade Russia but without the death and general nastiness (there is a lot of war in this post for no obvious reason).
A ready made alternative to the course would be the driving range where there is no mud to wade through, no traipsing around with the bitter wind blowing in your grid whichever direction you’re facing and no miserable auld bastard tutting and sighing behind you because you had the audacity to spend fully 30 seconds looking for a ball in the rough. The problem with the driving range is that everyone has the same idea though.
So what is the solution? Wait for that day when the stars are in alignment, the human sacrifices have been made and the ITV Weather report (sponsored by BMI Baby) isn’t as miserable as Andy Murray at a funeral before venturing to the local municipal? Or visit the driving range an hour before it shuts when there isn’t a queue and aren’t gangs of scally rats arsing around across four bays using three clubs?
For now those questions are academic as my ankle is still sore. Hopefully it will be back in full working order after Christmas which will coincide with the arrival of my new bats. After a break from golf because of injury, the weather and the credit crunch (all though £4’s add up you know) I will be desperate to play but when and where still remains to be seen.
Saturday 13 December 2008
57 - Black Nickel Not Oil Can...
With possible impending legal action from those lovely people at Titleist hanging over my head I’m rapidly going off Vokey wedges despite the fact that they are fantastic. Recently I have been looking around at other makes to see what they have to offer. I need a club that works and, most importantly, looks fantastic (I’m as shallow as piss on concrete).
It seems that the likes of Cleveland, Callaway and Taylor Made make some excellent wedges but so do my latest crush; Mizuno. I know I’ve gone on about them in the past but it does look like Mizuno’s Grain Flow Forged wedges are up there with the very best. The more I read the more I’m convinced.
Anyway, to cut to the chase, I’m gonna plump for a Mizuno MP-R wedge in Black Nickel. They don’t spin as much as the Vokey but what does? What is lost in ultimate spin is gained in control as the Mizuno has something called a C-Grind sole, which basically means that the company asked PGA Pros how they ground the bottom of their clubs for playability and then, erm, copied it.
I may have simplified that a little but that is essentially what those clever chaps in Japan (or the USA if you watch any of the promotional videos) did. It is claimed that because of these extra grinds the club is easier to manipulate around the green, gives more shot options and makes it easier to perform difficult chips.
This type of flexibility is exactly what I’ll need once I graduate from ‘complete golf clown’ to ‘seasoned municipal hacker’ (it is important to have a goal I reckon). Seriously though, even with my knackered ankle I can practice my chipping at the driving range so my stumble on Saturday might be a small blessing in disguise.
I’m going to get a grip of Richie, Terry and Alan (not in THAT way) and get them to show me how to chip the ball properly. After to speaking to them I know that Richie and Terry have spent a lot of time working on their short game and I’ve seen Alan hit the ball perfectly onto the green with a wedge with irritating regularity.
Jason (the Pro at Widnes) showed me the shot that he claims I’ll use on almost every hole I play. I was amazed when it worked and I’m hungry for more success. Hopefully the combination of a decent wedge, some tuition and a lot of practice will result in at least winning the Blue Basket Challenge at the driving range!
It seems that the likes of Cleveland, Callaway and Taylor Made make some excellent wedges but so do my latest crush; Mizuno. I know I’ve gone on about them in the past but it does look like Mizuno’s Grain Flow Forged wedges are up there with the very best. The more I read the more I’m convinced.
Anyway, to cut to the chase, I’m gonna plump for a Mizuno MP-R wedge in Black Nickel. They don’t spin as much as the Vokey but what does? What is lost in ultimate spin is gained in control as the Mizuno has something called a C-Grind sole, which basically means that the company asked PGA Pros how they ground the bottom of their clubs for playability and then, erm, copied it.
I may have simplified that a little but that is essentially what those clever chaps in Japan (or the USA if you watch any of the promotional videos) did. It is claimed that because of these extra grinds the club is easier to manipulate around the green, gives more shot options and makes it easier to perform difficult chips.
This type of flexibility is exactly what I’ll need once I graduate from ‘complete golf clown’ to ‘seasoned municipal hacker’ (it is important to have a goal I reckon). Seriously though, even with my knackered ankle I can practice my chipping at the driving range so my stumble on Saturday might be a small blessing in disguise.
I’m going to get a grip of Richie, Terry and Alan (not in THAT way) and get them to show me how to chip the ball properly. After to speaking to them I know that Richie and Terry have spent a lot of time working on their short game and I’ve seen Alan hit the ball perfectly onto the green with a wedge with irritating regularity.
Jason (the Pro at Widnes) showed me the shot that he claims I’ll use on almost every hole I play. I was amazed when it worked and I’m hungry for more success. Hopefully the combination of a decent wedge, some tuition and a lot of practice will result in at least winning the Blue Basket Challenge at the driving range!
Thursday 11 December 2008
56 - Big Brother Is Watching - From Massachusetts...
After writing my last post about the legal battle between Titleist and Callaway I sat back and re-read my little story. My lovely, lovely fiancée asked me what I was reading so I regaled her with the courtroom battle, how patents had been breached, how Titleist were forced to redesign parts of their award winning ball and how in the end it is basically all for nothing (at the moment).
After thinking for a couple of seconds she labelled me ‘sad’ and asked if I had anything better I could be doing with my time instead of gossiping about massive corporations squabbling over golf ball designs that may, or may not, be patented. I thought for a second and answered “no”. As far as I was concerned it was just a little bit of harmless fun. Hmmm…
Later on this evening I checked my stat counter (oh you better believe I have one, I need to know if anyone actually bothers their arse to read this crap) and was alarmed by what I saw. As well as telling me how many people drop by it also tells me roughly who and where they are – don’t worry it just gives me IP details for most people and the city they are visiting from…unless you are a big company.
I noticed a weird entry in the log coming from Fairhaven, Massachusetts in the good ole United States of America from a company called Acushnet. Hang on a minute, that is the company the irrate bloke with the funny name works for, the one who sent the snotty message out to the media explaining what was going on in the case according to Titleist.
Why was this lot suddenly interested in my little corner of the web? Is it something as innocent as the company having a web crawler checking what is being written about them to judge public perception of them or is it something more sinister that will result in me being dragged through the American legal system?
I hope it is the former but if it isn’t it may seriously cloud my view of Titleist and may make me think twice about buying a Vokey wedge. I’m serious; I’ll take my £90 and give it to another manufacturer that doesn’t snoop around little, badly written blogs. Be warned Titleist, BE WARNED!!!
After thinking for a couple of seconds she labelled me ‘sad’ and asked if I had anything better I could be doing with my time instead of gossiping about massive corporations squabbling over golf ball designs that may, or may not, be patented. I thought for a second and answered “no”. As far as I was concerned it was just a little bit of harmless fun. Hmmm…
Later on this evening I checked my stat counter (oh you better believe I have one, I need to know if anyone actually bothers their arse to read this crap) and was alarmed by what I saw. As well as telling me how many people drop by it also tells me roughly who and where they are – don’t worry it just gives me IP details for most people and the city they are visiting from…unless you are a big company.
I noticed a weird entry in the log coming from Fairhaven, Massachusetts in the good ole United States of America from a company called Acushnet. Hang on a minute, that is the company the irrate bloke with the funny name works for, the one who sent the snotty message out to the media explaining what was going on in the case according to Titleist.
Why was this lot suddenly interested in my little corner of the web? Is it something as innocent as the company having a web crawler checking what is being written about them to judge public perception of them or is it something more sinister that will result in me being dragged through the American legal system?
I hope it is the former but if it isn’t it may seriously cloud my view of Titleist and may make me think twice about buying a Vokey wedge. I’m serious; I’ll take my £90 and give it to another manufacturer that doesn’t snoop around little, badly written blogs. Be warned Titleist, BE WARNED!!!
Wednesday 10 December 2008
55 - Meow! Saucer Of Milk To The First Tee Please…
Seeing as I’m temporarily incapacitated due to a recent alcohol induced accident involving some uneven road, my ankle and my ‘built-for-comfort’ frame, I’m spending WAY too much time on the Internet reading about all things golf. There are some good blogs out there with a lot of decent content (which make me feel a bit of a fraud to be honest).
One thing I did read which made me smile was the recent war between Callaway and Titleist over patent infringement. It seems that the Titleist Pro V1, the number 1 ball in golf©, got to where it is with a little help with Callaway, or rather Spalding who Callaway bought in 2003 for a cool $125m. Apparently those nasty men at Titleist used technologies originally dreamt up by Spalding years earlier. Or did they?
According to Titleist, Callaway are talking out of their arse. Yes, the Pro V1’s apparently used these technologies but Titleist claim they had already patented them years before and Spalding shouldn’t have been allowed to put their name to them. Unfortunately for Titleist the case went to court and they lost but they are screaming because evidence that the original Spalding patents were invalid wasn’t heard.
As you can imagine the guys at Titleist were not best pleased at the ruling, especially as they were ordered to stop selling the offending Pro V1’s after 1st January 2009. Hmmm, the number 1 ball in golf© becoming extinct in the New Year? Erm, not quite. While the trial was going on Titleist redesigned the Pro V1 so it didn’t infringe on any patents and will continue to sell their tournament winning balls for the foreseeable future.
The new balls will be distinguished from the old balls by a sticker on the packaging but Titleist claim there is no loss of performance between the old and the new. All this is academic though because the ban is only in the USA and the ball is due for an upgrade any minute now as Titleist bring out a slightly improved ball every two years and plan to release a new one early next year.
So what is the outcome? Titleist are appealing a ruling that prevents them from selling a ball that they no longer sell because of patent infringements on patents they claim they already own that have been bought up by another company that don’t actually use them! That’s right, Callaway don’t even use the patents! Heh heh heh, you couldn't make it up!.
The Chairman and CEO of Acushnet (Titleist’s parent company I think), Wally Uihlein issued a snotty FAQ regarding the case to the media to clear up the issue and generally give their slant on events. Callaway went one better after running the following add:
All good stuff I’m sure you will agree. So, which balls will you use in the future? I’m sure for a lot of you it’ll be whatever you find in the rough on your local municipal. Me, I’ll be smacking some cheap shit I buy in Sports Soccer up and down the fairways of Kirkby, Bootle and possibly Allerton. Good job Titleist and Callaway continue to produce cutting edge balls eh?
One thing I did read which made me smile was the recent war between Callaway and Titleist over patent infringement. It seems that the Titleist Pro V1, the number 1 ball in golf©, got to where it is with a little help with Callaway, or rather Spalding who Callaway bought in 2003 for a cool $125m. Apparently those nasty men at Titleist used technologies originally dreamt up by Spalding years earlier. Or did they?
According to Titleist, Callaway are talking out of their arse. Yes, the Pro V1’s apparently used these technologies but Titleist claim they had already patented them years before and Spalding shouldn’t have been allowed to put their name to them. Unfortunately for Titleist the case went to court and they lost but they are screaming because evidence that the original Spalding patents were invalid wasn’t heard.
As you can imagine the guys at Titleist were not best pleased at the ruling, especially as they were ordered to stop selling the offending Pro V1’s after 1st January 2009. Hmmm, the number 1 ball in golf© becoming extinct in the New Year? Erm, not quite. While the trial was going on Titleist redesigned the Pro V1 so it didn’t infringe on any patents and will continue to sell their tournament winning balls for the foreseeable future.
The new balls will be distinguished from the old balls by a sticker on the packaging but Titleist claim there is no loss of performance between the old and the new. All this is academic though because the ban is only in the USA and the ball is due for an upgrade any minute now as Titleist bring out a slightly improved ball every two years and plan to release a new one early next year.
So what is the outcome? Titleist are appealing a ruling that prevents them from selling a ball that they no longer sell because of patent infringements on patents they claim they already own that have been bought up by another company that don’t actually use them! That’s right, Callaway don’t even use the patents! Heh heh heh, you couldn't make it up!.
The Chairman and CEO of Acushnet (Titleist’s parent company I think), Wally Uihlein issued a snotty FAQ regarding the case to the media to clear up the issue and generally give their slant on events. Callaway went one better after running the following add:
All good stuff I’m sure you will agree. So, which balls will you use in the future? I’m sure for a lot of you it’ll be whatever you find in the rough on your local municipal. Me, I’ll be smacking some cheap shit I buy in Sports Soccer up and down the fairways of Kirkby, Bootle and possibly Allerton. Good job Titleist and Callaway continue to produce cutting edge balls eh?
54 - Knackered Ankles and Treacherous Thoughts…
On a recent drinking expedition around the many and varied bars of Liverpool I managed to ‘hilariously’ go over on my ankle. Oh how the lads laughed as tears welled up in my eyes with every electric shock that shot up my leg when I put any weight on my foot. Bunch of bastards. I tried to drink through the pain but it was no good, I’ve knackered my ankle.
The initial diagnosis, admittedly made by a mate who had “been on a health and safety course and done a bit of first aid an that”, was that I had “done my ligaments”. Great news. When asked what I should do I was advised to strap it up, apply liberal amounts of ice and then wait a month until it sorts itself out. And like that, I’m not playing golf again this year.
After four days of rest I can walk on it again but if I twist my ankle, say in the way I would at the end of my now almost perfect golf swing, I get those lovable little electric shocks up my leg again. Typical isn’t it? I finally get some professional tuition, now know what I’m supposed to be doing and I can’t practice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this game is evil.
Now that I’m not playing I’m back to looking at all the pretty, pretty golf things. I was again drooling over the Titleist Vokey wedges and it got me thinking about Mizuno’s wedge range. It turns out that those clever chaps in Japan have only gone and made a wedge that not only looks as good as the Vokey but is apparently almost as good…no seriously!!!
The Mizuno wedges come in two flavours namely the R Series and the T Series (the R and T stand for Round and Teardrop and refer to the shape of the head with the former having a slightly fuller look while the latter looks more traditional). Both come in two finishes; chrome and a pant tighteningly gorgeous Black Nickel. You can see where this is going…
After a bit of research it turns out that Mizuno are the shit when it comes to grain flow forging club heads which is handy when producing wedges as clubs made in this way are softer and have more feel – exactly what you need according to the experts I’ve been listening to online. They rave about how buttery the wedges feel and how easy they are to use.
In their video review, Today’s Golfer praises the wedges for the quality of the materials (it seems plating the clubs in Nickel makes them more durable and softer than traditional chrome), their cool design and their playability. They are slightly heavier than the other wedges they tested (including the Vokey) meaning that you just need to swing it and it does all the work for you.
New they actually cost about the same as a Vokey but a quick look around shows they can be had at a decent discount, especially by eBay shops (£40 delivered in one place) so they are definitely more attractive to my wallet. I haven’t budgeted for a new wedge or two so the cheaper the better in my opinion.
Do I turn my back on the object of my desire for the last few months for the sake of a few bob? Nah, but I might turn my back on it because the Mizuno is a fantastic iron that looks really, really good, it the same wedge as my clubs and because I won’t feel such a beut using it on the course.
Oh and they make one called the Black Ox which starts off black and rusts to shit like the Vokey! Get in...
The initial diagnosis, admittedly made by a mate who had “been on a health and safety course and done a bit of first aid an that”, was that I had “done my ligaments”. Great news. When asked what I should do I was advised to strap it up, apply liberal amounts of ice and then wait a month until it sorts itself out. And like that, I’m not playing golf again this year.
After four days of rest I can walk on it again but if I twist my ankle, say in the way I would at the end of my now almost perfect golf swing, I get those lovable little electric shocks up my leg again. Typical isn’t it? I finally get some professional tuition, now know what I’m supposed to be doing and I can’t practice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this game is evil.
Now that I’m not playing I’m back to looking at all the pretty, pretty golf things. I was again drooling over the Titleist Vokey wedges and it got me thinking about Mizuno’s wedge range. It turns out that those clever chaps in Japan have only gone and made a wedge that not only looks as good as the Vokey but is apparently almost as good…no seriously!!!
The Mizuno wedges come in two flavours namely the R Series and the T Series (the R and T stand for Round and Teardrop and refer to the shape of the head with the former having a slightly fuller look while the latter looks more traditional). Both come in two finishes; chrome and a pant tighteningly gorgeous Black Nickel. You can see where this is going…
After a bit of research it turns out that Mizuno are the shit when it comes to grain flow forging club heads which is handy when producing wedges as clubs made in this way are softer and have more feel – exactly what you need according to the experts I’ve been listening to online. They rave about how buttery the wedges feel and how easy they are to use.
In their video review, Today’s Golfer praises the wedges for the quality of the materials (it seems plating the clubs in Nickel makes them more durable and softer than traditional chrome), their cool design and their playability. They are slightly heavier than the other wedges they tested (including the Vokey) meaning that you just need to swing it and it does all the work for you.
New they actually cost about the same as a Vokey but a quick look around shows they can be had at a decent discount, especially by eBay shops (£40 delivered in one place) so they are definitely more attractive to my wallet. I haven’t budgeted for a new wedge or two so the cheaper the better in my opinion.
Do I turn my back on the object of my desire for the last few months for the sake of a few bob? Nah, but I might turn my back on it because the Mizuno is a fantastic iron that looks really, really good, it the same wedge as my clubs and because I won’t feel such a beut using it on the course.
Oh and they make one called the Black Ox which starts off black and rusts to shit like the Vokey! Get in...
Friday 5 December 2008
53 - Counting The Cost...
Right, time to take stock and work out how much I’m gonna need to kit myself out ready for next years rise to Golfing Superstardom. As mentioned previously I’m now almost certainly getting the Mizuno MX-200’s and will no doubt match the rest of the kit to the bats.
A quick scan online shows that the clubs can be found for around £400 with regular steel shafts although in some places it is just 4-PW meaning I’d have to shell out for a hybrid too which is a long term plan that may need to be addressed sooner than I’d have liked.
The new hybrid from Mizuno is something called the Fli-Hi, which got rave reviews from Golf Whine Monthly and can be found for around £90. For the time being I’m sure ‘Dougie’ would be an adequate stand in but I want the new fella in my bag.
A new driver is definitely in order and there is a good chance I could touch lucky with this. The current Mizuno driver is the MX-560, which originally retailed at £300 but is now available at JJB Sport for £170. A quick look at Onlinegolf.co.uk shows that the bad boy can be had for just £80, which is an absolute bargain.
For a similar price I will pick up the award winning Mizuno Twister III bag. There are parts of the bag that can be detached when you don’t need them (namely the big pocket for your waterproofs) meaning that if I’m lucky enough to play somewhere where the sun actually shines I won’t have to break my back lugging it about.
Finally I want a new putter. I’m torn here, do I go for an Odyssey Klingon Warbird like Lucky’s (which is superb) or plump for a Mizuno Bettinardi which consistently receives praise in magazines and blogs? They cost about the same though so I’ll just decide closer the time and add the £120 to the running total.
So, adding it all up I reckon I’m gonna need about £770. Kinell. I already have a war chest in my account but it isn’t £770!!! There had better be some tremendous offers on in the January sales or I’m screwed…
A quick scan online shows that the clubs can be found for around £400 with regular steel shafts although in some places it is just 4-PW meaning I’d have to shell out for a hybrid too which is a long term plan that may need to be addressed sooner than I’d have liked.
The new hybrid from Mizuno is something called the Fli-Hi, which got rave reviews from Golf Whine Monthly and can be found for around £90. For the time being I’m sure ‘Dougie’ would be an adequate stand in but I want the new fella in my bag.
A new driver is definitely in order and there is a good chance I could touch lucky with this. The current Mizuno driver is the MX-560, which originally retailed at £300 but is now available at JJB Sport for £170. A quick look at Onlinegolf.co.uk shows that the bad boy can be had for just £80, which is an absolute bargain.
For a similar price I will pick up the award winning Mizuno Twister III bag. There are parts of the bag that can be detached when you don’t need them (namely the big pocket for your waterproofs) meaning that if I’m lucky enough to play somewhere where the sun actually shines I won’t have to break my back lugging it about.
Finally I want a new putter. I’m torn here, do I go for an Odyssey Klingon Warbird like Lucky’s (which is superb) or plump for a Mizuno Bettinardi which consistently receives praise in magazines and blogs? They cost about the same though so I’ll just decide closer the time and add the £120 to the running total.
So, adding it all up I reckon I’m gonna need about £770. Kinell. I already have a war chest in my account but it isn’t £770!!! There had better be some tremendous offers on in the January sales or I’m screwed…
Thursday 4 December 2008
52 - A Hundred Isn't THAT Much For Better Quality...
I haven’t been to the driving range as much as I have wanted to over the last couple of weeks due to a combination of the credit crunch and work commitments. What it means is that I’ve been able to drool over golf porn a lot recently, which is both a good and bad thing at the same time.
I’ve decided that I’m getting a set of Mizuno ‘game improvement’ clubs and until very recently I would happily tell you that it is a set of MX-100’s. Thing is, the more I read about the slightly more expensive MX-200’s the more my head is being turned.
What is the difference between the two sets I hear you cry? Well, apart from about £100, the fundamental difference is that the heads on the 100’s are cast and the 200’s are grain flow forged. Yeah, but what difference does that make I hear you sigh? It is all about feel boys and girls.
Casting the heads makes them cheaper to manufacture (meaning the MX-100’s are the entry level bats from Mizuno) but it also makes them have less ‘feel’. You know what it is like when you hit the ball with the heel of the club and you feel that ‘clunk’? That is similar to what it feels like using clubs with cast heads albeit not quite as bad.
Conversely, grain flow forged heads make hitting the ball sweetly feel like hitting the ball sweetly. They are softer and more rewarding when you hit the sweet spot which, seeing as they are still ‘game improvement’ clubs, is bigger than normal thanks to the weird Y-Tune insert built into the head.
Another difference is the size of the heads. Although both look pretty similar the 100’s are slightly bigger than the 200’s and slightly bigger than traditional clubs as far as I can see which is good initially but as I get better they will look like clowns clubs or summat. It is important how they look, just as Lucky who has spent a fortune on Nike clubs because he likes the yellow and black look!
So the 200’s have the same hazard dodging technology built into them, they are manufactured in a better way, they provide more feedback and they look better. The only problem is the price but I can justify buying them if I don’t buy the Mizuno long iron replacement club, the Fli-Hi, straight away and stick with Dougie Howson for a month or two. Sounds like a plan!
I’ve decided that I’m getting a set of Mizuno ‘game improvement’ clubs and until very recently I would happily tell you that it is a set of MX-100’s. Thing is, the more I read about the slightly more expensive MX-200’s the more my head is being turned.
What is the difference between the two sets I hear you cry? Well, apart from about £100, the fundamental difference is that the heads on the 100’s are cast and the 200’s are grain flow forged. Yeah, but what difference does that make I hear you sigh? It is all about feel boys and girls.
Casting the heads makes them cheaper to manufacture (meaning the MX-100’s are the entry level bats from Mizuno) but it also makes them have less ‘feel’. You know what it is like when you hit the ball with the heel of the club and you feel that ‘clunk’? That is similar to what it feels like using clubs with cast heads albeit not quite as bad.
Conversely, grain flow forged heads make hitting the ball sweetly feel like hitting the ball sweetly. They are softer and more rewarding when you hit the sweet spot which, seeing as they are still ‘game improvement’ clubs, is bigger than normal thanks to the weird Y-Tune insert built into the head.
Another difference is the size of the heads. Although both look pretty similar the 100’s are slightly bigger than the 200’s and slightly bigger than traditional clubs as far as I can see which is good initially but as I get better they will look like clowns clubs or summat. It is important how they look, just as Lucky who has spent a fortune on Nike clubs because he likes the yellow and black look!
So the 200’s have the same hazard dodging technology built into them, they are manufactured in a better way, they provide more feedback and they look better. The only problem is the price but I can justify buying them if I don’t buy the Mizuno long iron replacement club, the Fli-Hi, straight away and stick with Dougie Howson for a month or two. Sounds like a plan!
Wednesday 3 December 2008
51 - Bringing A Little Colour Into Your Life...
Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs, I've now posted over 50 messages on this blog. I honestly didn’t expect it to still be going my December or for me to be still into golf but it is and I am. To mark the occasion I’ve started work on the follow up to this site which will still have the same mix of game reports, golf porn drool and swearing but will hopefully look a little better.
I’ve had feedback that the blog looks good but it is in fact just someone else’s design that I have used. It was originally only supposed to be a temporary solution but it is still here months later. Don’t you think it is a bit too, well, grey? I’ve messed with some of the settings to make the text stand out more but it is still as miserable as a Manchester morning.
No, the only solution is a colourful new site to show off my writing skills (although I’m sure a number of you will think that brown would be an appropriate colour for the shit I spout on here). I’m going to knock up the shiny new gaff in the New Year with my future brother-in-law who is a first class website building smart arse.
Who knows, the new site might see me clean my act up. No more random rants about nothing in particular, properly constructed sentences and no more swearing! Stop sniggering at the back, I could do it…well, I could have a go at doing it! Watch THIS space.
I’ve had feedback that the blog looks good but it is in fact just someone else’s design that I have used. It was originally only supposed to be a temporary solution but it is still here months later. Don’t you think it is a bit too, well, grey? I’ve messed with some of the settings to make the text stand out more but it is still as miserable as a Manchester morning.
No, the only solution is a colourful new site to show off my writing skills (although I’m sure a number of you will think that brown would be an appropriate colour for the shit I spout on here). I’m going to knock up the shiny new gaff in the New Year with my future brother-in-law who is a first class website building smart arse.
Who knows, the new site might see me clean my act up. No more random rants about nothing in particular, properly constructed sentences and no more swearing! Stop sniggering at the back, I could do it…well, I could have a go at doing it! Watch THIS space.
Monday 1 December 2008
50 - Unlikely TV Entertainment And Hot Shots In Singapore…
Lucky was telling me about a show he caught on Setanta Sports which looked like a Pro-Am competition. He saw a big, fat guy dressed head to toe in all the gear on a pristine American course and watched eagerly to see how someone so out of shape could be good enough to take part. The answer seemed to be that this bloke was definitely an ‘Am’ and was utterly useless!
Lucky’s missus couldn’t understand why he almost choked to death laughing when the guy on the TV took a massive divot up and rolled the ball about 15 feet. He started shouting at the screen “I can do that and he is on the telly!!!”. Eventually she told Lucky that he couldn’t be that bad and he just said “oh we have our moments”. The guy then proceeded to dribble hit tee shot into a pond when it was easier to hit the fairway and Mr & Mrs Lucky were in bits.
Conversely, I put Sky Sports on over the weekend and was amazed by the quality of the women playing in the Lexus Cup at the Singapore Island Country Club. It turns out it is LPGA event where Asia take on the Rest of the World. Along with the regular hotties like Paula Creamer there was an decent supply of Oriental eye candy firing the ball further, straighter and more consistently than I could ever dream of.
One player that caught my eye was 21-year-old Na Yeon Choi (above) from South Korea who was as cute as a button and smashed Ms Creamer all over the course in their game on the final day. The score was eventually 3&2 but Creamer was hanging on for about five holes before eventually taking one for the team (she had the last laugh though as the Rest of the World won the competition by a half).
At the other end of the scale from the lovely Ms Choi was an American player called Christina Kim who looked like a Chinese version of Rosanne Barr. Seriously. She is a little, podgy woman who waddled around the course looking like a tourist with a stupid grin on her face. Tell you what; she can’t half play though so kudos to her. In fact it was her who got the final point to win the game for the Rest of the World.
One thing that freaked me out was that the tournament was stopped for and hour and a half as it started raining. Big deal, it started raining, just get your Pak-a-Mac on and head to the next tee. The problem was that there was a very real chance that someone would die as that part of the world is notorious for lightning storms. I may moan about waterlogged fairways from time to time but I’m fairly certain I’ll get off the course alive unlike our friends in Singapore.
Lucky’s missus couldn’t understand why he almost choked to death laughing when the guy on the TV took a massive divot up and rolled the ball about 15 feet. He started shouting at the screen “I can do that and he is on the telly!!!”. Eventually she told Lucky that he couldn’t be that bad and he just said “oh we have our moments”. The guy then proceeded to dribble hit tee shot into a pond when it was easier to hit the fairway and Mr & Mrs Lucky were in bits.
Conversely, I put Sky Sports on over the weekend and was amazed by the quality of the women playing in the Lexus Cup at the Singapore Island Country Club. It turns out it is LPGA event where Asia take on the Rest of the World. Along with the regular hotties like Paula Creamer there was an decent supply of Oriental eye candy firing the ball further, straighter and more consistently than I could ever dream of.One player that caught my eye was 21-year-old Na Yeon Choi (above) from South Korea who was as cute as a button and smashed Ms Creamer all over the course in their game on the final day. The score was eventually 3&2 but Creamer was hanging on for about five holes before eventually taking one for the team (she had the last laugh though as the Rest of the World won the competition by a half).
At the other end of the scale from the lovely Ms Choi was an American player called Christina Kim who looked like a Chinese version of Rosanne Barr. Seriously. She is a little, podgy woman who waddled around the course looking like a tourist with a stupid grin on her face. Tell you what; she can’t half play though so kudos to her. In fact it was her who got the final point to win the game for the Rest of the World.
One thing that freaked me out was that the tournament was stopped for and hour and a half as it started raining. Big deal, it started raining, just get your Pak-a-Mac on and head to the next tee. The problem was that there was a very real chance that someone would die as that part of the world is notorious for lightning storms. I may moan about waterlogged fairways from time to time but I’m fairly certain I’ll get off the course alive unlike our friends in Singapore.
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