Cleveland HiBore XLS Review

Cleveland HiBore XLS Driver
As someone who hits a fade I have to hit a really fade slice to get any left to right movement with the club. The stability fins (code for funny looking scooped out back) are designed to counter this shape and generally Hit hit this driver with a soft draw.

I'll not lie, it makes an awful thunk sound on impact, a bit like thwacking a golf ball with an aluminum baseball bat. The look at address takes a bit of getting used to and I'm not sure it would suit a purist that likes looking down on a pear shaped driver head.

Despite these aesthetic and acoustic issues it goes a country mile. I'm averaging 260 yards with it, which includes the poorer 230 yard connections and the mahoosive 290+ drives. As a high handicapper I cannot fault this club and though I wished the head cover would stay on a bit better, it will be a fixture in my bag for a while to come.

Eyeline Target Circles: Equipment review

I must admit I had high hopes for these, and then they arrived. To say I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. There seems to be a common thought process associated with golf: "the people who play it are minted". In my opinion this myopic opinion is wholly inaccurate. Perhaps in a bygone age when golf catered for the wealthy it held a semblance of truth but nowadays it is nothing more than a myth, perpetuated by unfortunate soles such as myself who are desperate to improve and pay over the odds for improvement aids. I apologise that this is turning into a rather long winded and seemingly irrelevant monologue, but the fact of the matter is that at £45 for the pair I feel ripped off. A wiser investment would have been a luminous tray and a coping saw. If I have been somewhat over effusive in my praise for training aids to date, this episode will go some way to redressing the balance.

First and foremost these do not work as effective target circles around the hole. The marketing bumpf will lead you to believe that they sit flat enough to allow balls to pass unaffected across their surface. In reality this is poppycock, with shots diverted off target as they approach the hole, or held captive as they attempt to roll past it. They do however serve as useful targets for landing area but due to your intention to be as accurate as possible this makes only the smallest circle a useful aid. Either they lack the flexibility of alignment sticks or I lack imagination but I cannot think of another way to use them for practice. If you think of something please enlighten me. Adding insult to injury is the difficulty in actually placing them in a circle, they seem to be more at home in an oval shape. There's also the problem of transporting them. I like training aids that fit in my bag so I can take them, use them to warm up and then have them on my round. The small circle achieves this but the larger red one steadfastly refuses to fit without being bent slightly: an act that renders it even more unable to lie flat.

At present I'm using them for pitching (red) and chipping (yellow) landing targets. But if you've got the best part of fifty quid burning a hole in your pocket I'd suggest looking at some of the other aids I reviewed!

click here for more reviews

Rating 62%

No 3 Putt: Equipment review

Probably one of the simplest concepts I have seen in a golf training aid. I'm not a fan of mirrors and rails as I like to keep my putting natural and less technical. Effectively all this does is sit in the hole and make it smaller. There are two rings with both designed to be used for short putts (3 - 5 feet) whilst you can use just the outer ring for longer putts. Essentially, this helps focus the mind on a smaller target providing less margin for error. When you then take the aid away the hole does look massive.

At first this aid served to diagnose a problem with my putting stroke. I needed to improve my stroke and have greater control of the clubhead. So I made a few adjustments to my grip and eventually found a slight modification that worked. Now I spend about 30 minutes a week practising using the No 3 Putt on the mat in the garage and so far so good. I am much more solid on those shorter putts and am sinking more from 6-10 feet as well.

It's a really simple training aid, can be carried everywhere and is a brilliant tool for warming up on the practice green before a round. The only downside that for a giant plastic polo it is overpriced (about £13 is the best I have seen). Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to anyone that wants to sharpen up their putting within 10 feet.
Rating 83%

SKLZ Fly Trap: Equipment Review

SKLZ Fly Trap Chipping Net

It's not very often I post a review of a training aid this quickly. I usually like to take some time with it and see if there are any on course improvements as a result. This is the exception to that rule. As an idea it is very straightforward. Most people practice chipping into a bucket or umbrella. This takes the latter and evolves it into a more refined, precise training aid.

The flytrap opens up like an umbrella and has helped me use my rather small garden as a great place to practice my short game touch. There are five holes of different sizes cut into the front, each with a net behind to catch your chips. There is also a larger net to collect any wayward shots that don't find a target. Depending on size and location, each hole offers the player a range of scores for a successful chip.Hit your shot too hard and it will be catapulted back out again. This is a game for imagaination and finesse and it promotes, softer hands, improved technique and visualisation.

I practiced on this today for an hour and it was so addictive. Trying to beat your best score adds pressure but also makes it extremely fun. Protected the lawn with an old bit of carpet  and began to work on my three main priorities:

•  visualise the shot
• keep your hands soft and quiet
• keep a bit more of your weight on your left foot

I can honestly say it helped with all three. Chipping 20 balls at a time my scores are still woeful with 11 points out of a possible 100 being my best. That said at the start I rarely had control of my ball and with my last attempt I managed to slot almost half the balls (eight single pointers and a three). A cracking training aid that gets a big thumbs up from me. With my putting mat, the heath for pitching and now the fly trap honing the short game away from teh course just got a whole lot easier!


Rating 88%


To buy the Fly Trap please click here.

Kasco Winter Fit Gloves: Equipment review

Kasco Winter Fit Gloves with Heat Tex

I don't normally buy into marketing bumpf. The packaging of this glove claims that it will keep your hands two degrees warmer than a normal winter glove. I'd love to have seen that test with some poor bloke in a lab coat chasing after golfers with a thermometer...

...ok maybe they used thermal imaging but still it begged the question that if it actually did keep your hands two degrees warmer what difference would that make?

For me the difference would have to be notable with the Kasco gloves significantly more expensive than rival products such as the Footjoy WinterSof. So I opted against buying a pair online and ventured down to my golf club. Bugger me it was cold, so cold in fact that the course was frozen and shut. I opted to hit the range and decided to ask my pro about winter gloves. He couldn't rate the Kasco's highly enough. The good thing about our club pro is he knows if he throws me a googly I won't buy off him anymore.  I nearly always give him the chance to compete against internet prices and as a result he gives me honest opinion.

So I did the only sensible thing I put a Footjoy on one hand a Kasco on the other and went outside for five minutes. Not the most scientific of tests but the Kascos did feel warmer especially following a little hand rubbing. So I bought a pair.

Now I can't fault the performance. They are not a miracle glove: keeping your hand bathed in warmth in sub zero temperatures. But they do have a good grip, provide great protection against the elements and are very thin. The problem at the moment lies with me getting use to having two gloves on, especially for short shots and putting. Without the gloves my hands would be stinging cold and numb, with them I get more feel but it is a little alien. I think that over time I'll become more comfortable wearing them but at the moment it is just another distraction. That said I'd rather be out playing than in the clubhouse nursing frostbite.

Rating

For those who are used to wearing two gloves 86%

For me who is not: 77%

Powakaddy Double Bill: Trolley & Bag Review

Powakaddy Twinline 3

I was pretty sceptical of trolleys at first. I'm a bog strapping lad why do I need a golfing zimmerframe to help me round the course. No I shall carry my clubs, balls, towels, extra clothing, food and 14 gallons of water on my back for four hours. It won't affect my game, my enjoyment or make me extra tired...er yes actually it did. 

So once I had dispensed with my machismo I realised that I should invest in a trolley. I had read a lot of positive things about the Powakaddy and now I own one it's easy to see why. It folds up pretty compact and fits snugly into the boot of my Focus along with my cart bag. It's easy and quick to set up and take down and the brolly holder is a nice addition, providing a sheltered cocoon against the elements. My course is pretty flat so I rarely need the footbrake but when I have used it I have had no problems. It rolls smoothly and requires minimal effort to coast it along the fairway (when I'm on it that is)!

My only slight gripe is that the handle does twist a bit when being pushed, which can be a small annoyance but on the whole it's a reasonably priced, well designed, ergonomic tidy piece of kit.

Powakaddy Deluxe II Cart Bag
When I first got my trolley I used my stand bag. Problem was I couldn't easily access the main side pocket and it didn't fit particularly well on the trolley. Mmmm time for an upgrade.

I've kept the stand bag for the winter as the Sasquatch is a great bit of kit, but invested in a Deluxe II cart bag and it fits the Twinline beautifully. To be fair you would expect the two to be extremely compatible, but Powakaddy have clearly thought through the design of the bag, providing a veritable plethora of pockets for all your golfing needs. In fact the main challenge when you first get it is remembering where you've put everything.

I have to say that I feel much fresher coming down the straight and can carry even more paraphernalia than before. This has been especially helpful with the confused summer weather we've been experiencing. I love them both and would definitely recommend.

Rating: 85%

Shotmiser G500: Equipment Review

Since pretty much day one I've been working on the Pelz Short Game system. Practising religiously to be able to execute a quarter and half swing accurately with my three wedges and then to learn how far each one travels. This whole process hinges on three simple factors:

1. Being able to execute the shot
2. Knowing how far the ball will travel
3. Knowing the distance to the target

For my birthday this year I was lucky enough to receive a Shotmiser G500 that is helping substantially with points 2 & 3. I unfortunately haven't had the time to focus on painstakingly measuring my exact distances yet, but I do know them to about 5 yards. Since using the Shotmiser on course my wedge play has significantly improved and I can only see that getting better as time goes on. In fact the Shotmiser is partly responsible for my first ever birdie. We have quite a few two tiered greens and knowing the right distance is critical when you want to land on the bottom or top tier.

On Sunday the pin was on the bottom tier. I'd left myself 78 yards to where I wanted to finish (more on that later) but I had to clear a bunker and not land it on the top tier. Using the Shotmiser I gauged an accurate distance to the slope and hit my wedge into the slope, knowing it would roll back down the hill to the pin without any risk of landing short in the bunker.

The Shotmiser is slightly different to other GPS systems. Firstly, there is no annual subscription but you do pay per course. This is ideal for me who will invariably play 4 or 5 courses regularly. If I travel to another course on the odd occasion I can either buy a strokesaver, play without it or pay a little more than the strokesaver would cost and buy the file for that course. Since I got my Shotmiser, Garmin have released a competitive product G3 or G5 which may be worth a look for those people that tend to play a lot of different courses.

The next main difference, and for me the best feature, is that the Shotmiser tracks you around the course. By this I mean that as you walk to the hole the overhead view of the hole rotates and zooms in. This means that what you see ahead of you on the course is accurately depicted on the screen. Let's go back to my earlier example. I'd hit my tee shot slightly left so the screen showed the bunker directly in front of me and the green and back of green.

Which leads me nicely into point three, the touch screen technology. On the Shotmiser you can tap any point on the screen and it will tell you the distance to that point, I tend to use my tee as a stylus. So I touched the screen just past the bunker, mmm if I didn't hit my Sand Wedge cleanly I could end up in the sand. I touch again at the point on the green where I though the hole was, and a third time for where I felt the slope ended. All of this took about 10 seconds and I knew that I needed to hit a half swing with my gap wedge. If I caught it a little fat I'd still clear the bunker and a little too clean and I had some wriggle room on the slope. The ball hit the slope and rolled back to six foot from the pin and it's not the only time it's helped me with my approach shots over the past two weeks.

If like me you could end up anywhere on the course and need to know accurate distances for a variety of reasons this system is a great help. You can also record each of your shots and then review your round to see your distances and in my case how you zig zagged up the fairway!

So the cons. The sleep mode can be a little annoying as it takes a few seconds to wake up. The stats package could be more detailed something they are working on in an end of season software update. Courses cost £5 each to download and if your club has more than one course they charge you per course rather than as a package, which is a little cheeky. It will take you at least a round to get used to it, but once you are it is extremely simple to use. They do render the whole course so as long as you are not Out of Bounds you can get your bearings. I find this particularly useful as it allows me to record shots on our practice hole and get my distances that way. 

Overall I found this to be an excellent product, let down slightly by the cost of the individual course downloads, though you can buy bundles where you get a number of free courses. My course was a little out of date following a series of modifications this year but they have promised to update the file asap. I'm very content with this purchase and would recommend to anyone in the market for a GPS.

But don't just take my word for it the Shotmiser also won the Best on Test Gold Award from Today's Golfer.

To find out more or to buy the Shotmiser G500 visit:

www.snoopergolf.com 

Rating: 88%

SKLZ Power Sleeve: Equipment review

This will be my last equipment review for a while for two reasons:

1.   I am saving for a Laser Rangefinder and have my golf membership to pay soon
2.   I honestly believe I now have the right balance of training aids to support my development over the next six months

In my opinion the SKLZ Power Sleeve serves four main purposes:

• great for warm up
• boosting power
• improving tempo
• keeping you on your swing plane

To use the sleeve you simply attach it to any club shaft just above the hosel and swing. In terms of warm up I do some gentle baseball types swings, gradually dialling up the speed. Then start with some half golf swings building up to a few full golf swings. I then do a few dynamic stretches (more on that in a bit) before hitting five balls with it going through a full pre shot routine with each.

I've been involved in sport for a while, have a sport related MSc from Loughborough and have done some research into warm up techniques. As a result I try to carry out dynamic warm ups. This involves gently warming up the muscles by carrying out actions that mimic they types of movements you will use when you play. For an example of a dynamic warm routine click here.

In terms of physiology, building muscles for golf is difficult in a gym unless you have specific apparatus. In fact in my opinion the reason pros hit it further is not just technique but also repetition that has built specific golf muscles over time. Obviously swinging a weighted club can help speed up this process. It is improtant to remember that you've got to be careful not to overdo it as you could pull a muscle with overuse.

However, the main benefit for me was slowing down my tempo (particularly on the back swing) and stopping me standing up at impact. As a result the few warm up shots I hit got me grooved into the right swing plane. Though you can hit balls with the Power Sleeve you must remember that this will have an adverse affect on ball flight because of the extra weight on the shaft. When you hit balls with it what you are looking for is direction not height.

The only slight criticism I have is that the velcro does have a tendency to loosen a little causing it to slip slightly out of position. That said, this may be owe more to my swing speed than the training aid, and actually serves as a visual reminder not to overdo it. When it slips a little I take it off.

I am mulling over investing in a decent practice mat and net so I can practice in the garden and 5-10 minutes daily with the Power Sleeve would have even more positive benefits to my game. I've already had two members approach me at the driving range to ask about it and where I got it from. Time will tell what kind of impact it will have on my game but so far the signs are promising.

My rating 86%

To buy the SKLZ Power Sleeve click on the image below:

Comments:

Graham
I would like to wish Tiger every success in his endevour. I appreciate that Tiger has also been very honest regarding the training aids that he has purchased from http://www.improvemygolf.co.uk and the reviews that he has given them. It’s good to see other golfers review these products and give their opinion. All the best, and if there’s anything else I can help with, you know where I am.

Alignment Sticks: Equipment review

It's been well documented. I've been having issues with my chipping, the odd pitch shot here and there and my alignment. I tried using the alignment option on the V-Easy but my big, clumsy, yeti sized feet kept kicking the blinking thing out of position. Also, you can't use the V-Easy to align your shots, when you're already using it to practice your chipping.

What has been less documented is that I can be a real geek. As a result I haven't just kept every golf magazine I've bought since August. Oh no, that would be too normal. Instead I have systematically dissected them and filed the hints and tips based on which area of my game they should improve.

By now you are probably wondering where this is going. Well I'll tell you, alignment sticks. Two long. lightweight, durable, and unbelievably versatile, fibreglass sticks that are playing a crucial part in helping me take control of my golf development. These sticks were an inspired purchase, here's why.

Having issues with your short game alignment and strike? Set up a pitching station (see this months Today's Golfer). Two alignment sticks running parallel form a channel pointing in the direction you wish the ball to go. A third runs perpendicular from the centre point enabling you to consistently place your feet. The result consistent ball position, excellent dispersion pattern and some truly beautiful £10 note shaped divots.

Leaving the ball short when you putt? Place an alignment stick horizontally before the hole and get the ball to pop over it and into the hole.

Issues returning the club face square? Place a stick in front of the ball in the direction of travel and think about needing to hit the stick forward when you impact the ball.

Challenges with dispersion set up a gate to aim through.

Problems with developing a low takeaway? Jab them in the ground at slight angles both in front and behind the ball, giving a visual cue to keep the club head low. I could go on I've got shedloads of drills taken from magazines and at least 25% use alignment sticks. When I'm not using mine as a pitching station I may well stick them in the ground and use them as target pins.

A cheap must have addition to your golf bag.

My rating: 86%

To buy a pair of alignment sticks click here.

Longridge Deluxe Multi Cup Putting Mat: Equipment review

I was still debating whether to buy a putting mat or not when the in-laws kindly obliged and got me one for Christmas. The challenge I have is that the only carpet in the house I could practice on was outside the littl'uns bedroom and I doubt his mother (or him for that matter) would have been very forgiving of my night time putting practice.

The mat is a beast 9 foot by 3 foot and is currently living in the garage as it was too big to conceal under our gargantuan sofa. The other problem is the hazard and cup inserts are simply the cutouts flipped over and crudely painted. This means that whilst the mat is in use they can move out of position and almost certainly need to be repositioned if you roll it up.

V-Easy: Equipment review

You will have gathered from earlier posts that I have shunned all that is long about the game of golf. So it will come as no surprise that most of my purchases have been books, training aids and clubs for my short game. Kicking us off is the V-Easy invented by PGA professional Bob McArthur. This three-in-one training aid should have a place in everyone's bag, read on to find out why.

Simple to look at the V-Easy is kept closed by two magnets in the legs. This attention to detail runs throughout the product that also contains a rubberised hinge to grip your club shaft.

My teaching pro spent several hundred pounds on a different, and distinctly massive, device that you and club are fitted into. Once 'locked' inside the device restricts wrist movement and promotes rocking of the shoulders when putting. The result a smoother, repeatable putting stroke.

By comparison, the two legs of the V-Easy open out and slot under the arms, while the club rests on the hinge. The result? A smoother, repeatable putting stroke. When I showed my pro he almost cried. At only a fraction of the price this is a lightweight, portable and extremely effective training aid that you can use at home or on the putting green.

But it gets better. You can also use a lofted club to help you work on those delicate chips from the fringe. I found this really useful in helping me learn the backswing distances required for use of my 8 iron. The V-Easy ensured I had sound technique so all I needed to focus on was learning the length of back and through swings for a variety of distances.

But wait there's more. Open the legs and place it on the floor and position a ball at the tip. Use the two sight dots near the hinge to align your shot, the coloured stripes on the legs to align your feet and you can resolve any alignment issues you may have. My two regular playing partners are chomping at the bit for a quiet day on the par 3 course to give it a go. I did have some problems using the alignment function, mainly owing to my gargantuan, oversized, clumsy, yeti feet that kept kicking the blinking thing out of position.

This shouldn't distract from what is a great product that sits happily in my bag waiting diligently for putting and chipping practice. It also doubles up by holding my towel rather than looping it over my 3 iron.

To find out more or to buy the V-Easy go to:

www.v-easy.co.uk

Rating: 87%

Comments:

Bob
Hi Tiger. Thanks for the write-up of my V-Easy, I’m glad you like it. I hope it helps you with your project to get down to scratch.
All the best, Bob McArthur

Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Wedge

More bounce, loft and finish options than you can shake a small stick at? Check. Excellent versatility and great feel? Check. Beautifully engineered and designed? Check.

These are great clubs and having tried Callaway, Mizuno and Cleveland wedges these for me were the stand out performer. The consistency of clean strike and distance has helped improve my confidence in my shortened and full swing. As a result I am now stopping the ball much faster on longer approaches and generating a reasonable amount of back spin. Once again with titleist the only real stumbling block may be the price especially as wedges are the clubs you are likely to change most frequently. But even at a higher price I just can't fault them.

If only the loft on my AP1 PW was more than 45 degrees. My dilemma now is do I make do with a 52 & 56 and save space for an extra hybrid/fairway, or do I get a 60 degree lob wedge. Based on how much I love these clubs the lob wedge might win....

Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.7

Aesthetically this is a beautiful wand and will hopefully be a constant companion on my golfing odyssey. Inevitably there will be days when we fall out and the Scottys good looks will not be a sufficient redeeming factor. On those days I will try and remind myself that when I putt well this stick gets the ball rolling beautifully and on line. I'll remember that I can feel every mishit and every pure strike and I'll endeavour to control myself not to launch it off the green into a neighbouring bunker.

This isn't just a work of art but a very well engineered piece of kit with a lovely curved shaft that allows the head to sit beautifully at address and with the extra weight (mines a heavy) I have a nice controlled swing. In fact the only bad thing I have to say about this putter is the price. Then again if it lasts a lifetime, which it should, I'd see it as a very astute investment.

Before my Scotty arrived I used my friends odyssey two ball and averaged 2.2 putts per hole. I now average 1.75 and as my approach play improves I expect that figure to continue to fall. Putters are a personal choice so my only recommendation is if you have a straight back, straight through swing like me and want to treat yourself to a new wand, give this club a try, you might just like it.

Titleist AP1 irons: Equipment review

I'm new to golf and some may wonder why I have purchased these irons after four months playing. Well, I had a custom fitting with the old AP1s and they went a country mile, the new ones go even further. There are however a few caveats to this review:

1. I am new to the game and my swing is evolving
2. I have yet to take these out onto a full 18 hole course yet (that's happening later this month)
3. Mine are custom fitted
4. I have a limited frame of reference being new to the game

That said, these are beautiful set of irons. I prefer the revised look that Titleist have given this model and they seem to be more forgiving than the previous model (although this maybe that my swing has improved in that time. Distances are all relative but I can stripe the 6 iron with these between 180 - 190 yards and they have a lovely penetrating flight. I've not managed to use the long irons outside the range yet but have got good distance and control on the range.

I'd definitely recommend a custom fitting as I didn't get on at all with the stock shafts (flight was far too high for me). In my set up I've got jumbo grips, an extra inch on my project X 5.5 shafts and a 4 degree upright lie. I now feel much more comfortable at address and as my swing refines over the next two months I am looking forward to adding tighter dispersion and a bit more distance.

Finally aesthetics - they look lovely for a cavity back iron and the smaller heads on the shorter irons makes them a much more attractive proposition than some of the game improvement shovels on the market.

The only con is that the faces do mark very easily. I keep mine in iron headcovers to protect them in transit and during play but the faces are already starting to take a bit of a battering. Doesn't affect playability yet but m,ay upset some who want their irons to look beautiful for as long as possible.