My time with the M2 6iron - Part 2

As you may or may not have read in Part 1, I had the lovely fortune of getting a Taylormade M2 6 iron in the mail. I detailed it's specs there, which I will not go into again here, and came to the conclusion that something was up. Well... the problem is that NOTHING is up, except marketing budgets.

Before we begin, let me state some facts:  

The M2 is stock exactly as it came from Taylormade. I opened the box, examined it, and took it out to hit. 

Lofts of the irons are nearly identical. +/- about 1 degree.  Length varied with the M2 being 38" long, and the KE4 being 37" long physically. 

As previously stated in part 1, even though marked differently, the shafts in each club test the same flex, so regardless that the TM is labelled stiff and mine is a "regular" they are actually both the same flex.  See some of my other writings for why this happens and other things "They" don't want you to know.

I'm hitting the same types of balls with both clubs. I went through painstaking measures to sort through range balls and find the best balls, making sure they're all of the same type and removing all the non-range and/or any balls that don't seem right (a big "screw you" to all the people who bring their own garbage balls to hit at the range. Shame on you. Keep your top rocks to yourself nobody wants to hit your budget balls - even in practice. Do you understand the looks I got while sorting through all these range balls? DO YOU?!). Ok......

The weather has finally broken (again) here in Pennsylvania and I was absolutely itching to get out and play golf. Since there's no cream for that sort of itch, the only solution is to get out and chase a little white ball around in the sunshine.  As luck would have it, there was a scheduled demo day at Crossgates Golf Course in Millersville that I was due at with my Clubcrowns and Shaft wraps, and that means I would have some time (and free balls) to hit all the 6 irons my heart desired!! Well, it's time for the cold, hard truth.  Let me preface this and say that I was duly warm for this test. Having hit a bucket with each 6 iron before taking measurements. I wanted to be loose, and I wanted to make sure I had the feel of each club fresh before measuring shots. For each,  I took the best 8 shots - removing the worst and the best from the original 10 "pressure" shots.

I'll get right to it, then tell you why:
The M2 is not all it's cracked up to be. Not for me anyway. Funny I should have those choice in words because that's honestly what I felt like I was going to do to this 6 iron. Every shot felt like the club could shatter... and the sound. Oh god, the sound. I mean, I can't even describe it to do it justice. If you took about 5 of those cheap tupperware lids you find on Chinese take out now, stacked them up and hit a ball with them?  I think that would come close. It's a plastic "slap!" that does not instill confidence in me at all. I mean, I even absolutely MURDERED one - smash factor was almost up near my driver as far as energy transfer (which is a very good sign for this head mind you) and the thing still sounded and felt like the head was just going to fall apart. The grip being off-center didn't bug me as much as I thought it would but I could definitely feel it. Thing is, it SHOULD have helped me turn the ball over in a right to left draw, but it most certainly did not. The stiff shaft (which was actually regular) felt ok as far as flex and shock goes, but as we'll see in the flightscope data later, it was actually all over the place.

 I will concede that the longest shot of the M2 was longer than the longest shot of my own Maltby KE4. As stated previously in Part 1, this was fully expected considering that the shaft is a full inch longer than my current 6 iron. That being said, the SHORTEST of the M2 was Shorter than my KE4. If one is to believe the marketing, this should not be happening. So as things average out, the M2 still comes in longer than my current 6 by approximately 2 feet overall. Not exactly the gains promised by the manufacturer.  Something else I noticed, interestingly enough is that the M2 on average did NOT fly higher than my own 6 iron. Again, contrary to the marketing.

 Looking at the overall data, we can see a few things. First, the numbers for the M2 are slightly better in some areas. Total distance, is better by almost a yard, but strangely the carry distance is better on my original 6 iron by 1.1 yards. You can make your own inferences at what you want, but I'll mark this down as an original iron win. I want carry distance and stopping power in my irons. I could care less to hit my 6 iron 200 yards if 20 yards of that is roll. I want it to go high and come down soft. Isn't that what the M2 is supposed to do anyway?  The spin on the M2 did average higher- but you can see the minor outlier of 9080 RPM, and 8635 RPM of spin. That's high but since my metal on a stick got to nearly 7000 I didn't think it unfeasible that this new technology could achieve that. Hell, smash factor near my driver! Either way, since the Flightscope is on outdoor settings and tracks the ball to finish rather than calculating into a net, I kept them in for the overall data. All things considered, smash factor, spin, and ball speed were higher with the M2 - why didn't it fly farther though? I'm as stumped as you, but being there and seeing the ball flight and where the shots ended up, I can confirm the data.

Let's talk about clusters and accuracy. The M2 boasts more forgiveness than standard clubs. There's a speed pocket at the bottom and all manner of carbon plastic do-dads in the back and up the face that are supposed to help create more speed and forgiveness across the entire face. Remember before when I said that the longest was longer than my 6iron, but the shortest was shorter? Well, here's how it looks on the chart:


Looking at this chart, it maps out the shots as they landed and calculates standard deviations. The forward and back for the M2 are not to my liking, especially for all the promises made on keeping ball speed up with the pocket on low hits.  This basically means that I could hit a dead solid shot and and have it settle on the green, then drop another ball and have it come up with a difference of 15 yards. That's a club and a half!!! You'll have to take my word for it when I say this, but in all honesty these shots were not all that far apart on the face. It's not like one was 1/2 inch out on the toe and one was 1/2 inch on the heel. My ball striking is pretty good.  Talk about being in between clubs. The right to left deviation is another concern. It seemed like the iron didn't know which way it wanted to correct. Remember when I said I was being fair between the two clubs? Well, sorry KE4, I was on the side of the M2 for a lot of this....

Height and direction:

After hitting balls and warming up to get the feel for each club, I knew the M2 was not getting in the air for me. I watched as ball after ball was a line drive and just was not getting off the ground. I actually teed one up in the test below to make sure I would catch the ball perfectly on the club face and get the ball up (didn't do that with my 6 iron). Nope not at all - although it did give me a 184 yard bullet which was nice.  Both screens below are the best shot, distance wise, in the group. The M2 rolled out about 2 yards farther than the KE4 and definitely did not get as high. You can see also, that the correction of the M2 kind of left me with  two way miss. I'm a slight fade ball hitter. I can work the ball both ways if I want to (let me stop here and say that the M2 IS predictably workable when hit well) but my go-to is a little fade. Bad back and shoulders make that an easy shot. So why all the left on the M2?  Correction in that "forgiveness" category. It is workable, as I said, when you hit it well, but if you catch a little toe or a little heel, it tends to over correct for the shot, which left a few of the balls to the left, and one WAY out to the right. It's meant to hit the ball straight on off-center hits, but for it to correct and do that you have to deliver the club mostly square anyway. If you're an 18 handicap that has an open club face, it's not going to really do you much good -- then again, no club will. Sorry it's just the way it is. Lessons, folks.



Talking materials:
I think one of the last things we need to talk about here is quality of components. There are good metals and bad metals. Good graphite and bad graphite. Good build quality and bad build quality. If you take the time to know your product and put in the time to assemble it correctly it will treat you well.  Here's where the M2 gets some love. It COULD BE a good club. It really could. OMG could it be good. There's things that need to be addressed, however. First:  Lose the FST ultralight shaft. If you want light, use an MCI 80 graphite composite shaft. This stock shaft is not doing it for me, or most likely for anybody.  The two charts below show flex action for the two clubs. The orange line is the flex acceleration for the longest shot on each. The gray line are all the other shots. You'll notice that both of the longest and best shots came with a downward sloping profile. It's just what fits me the best as a golfer. The head actually isn't accelerating through the ball (even with my relatively low swing speed, I'm still a high-spin player) and it's allowing me to hit flush and keep the flight where it's optimal with my swing. Now, notice how the shaft on the left (incidentally, a Fujikura 95i Sflex graphite shaft, soft stepped) is relatively consistent in it's flexing along the swing. With both clubs I have a few crap shoots in there, but for the most part it is a very consistent grouping.  Now look at the FST in the M2. Not for me at all. Some times it kicks hard at the bottom, sometimes not. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the hosel design, with the crazy air foils, or if it's just due to the shaft combo and length. I do know that it's not something I'm down with for anyone. Even with the most inconsistent swings, I want the shaft to perform predictably if not optimally.  That grouping at the top should be tighter as well as all the way through the middle of the swing.



FST makes some great shafts - The KBS Ctaper is phenominal, as well as the Tour90. Even the FST 115 and similar models can be great on a budget.... IF they're installed properly. This, in my opinion, could benefit from a FLO run. Very much like assembly lines though, this was more than likely pulled out of a pile and assembled, checking for length and weight, not much else.

So what have we learned from all this.... If you haven't fallen asleep or had your head explode looking at the photos and reading my terrible font, then you've probably come to the same conclusion I have.  The M2 is not a good stock club. It's just not. Off the rack, it won't really help you gain yards or accuracy unless you fit it perfectly as is.  The M2 head is subjective when it comes to sound and feel. If you're at all into the "THWACK" of a good hit, then the M2's is not for you. At best, a pure shot will leave you with an unsatisfying "click" sound and sort of a plastic resonance feel up the shaft. It can accurately be described as a toy sound and feel, not premium golf club feedback. It looks fancy, but doesn't deliver on the promises - even when the deck is stacked in it's favor with a longer shaft and slightly jacked lofts.  Still, it's a smart looking club. It really has a different back cavity look and even though the top line is thick, I don't really mind it in comparison to the thinner players clubs. it really instills confidence at address if not in performance.

.... and I thought Xfinity's appointment windows were bad...

After all this, I would urge you to give one a hit and see if you can tolerate it.  See what other shaft options they have as upgrades. With all of this technology that doesn't really seem to do much, I have to wonder if the upgrade would be worth it, though. You're paying more to get what the stock option should have delivered. With a pricetag of $800 average per set, it's not something that I would ever recommend to run out and buy sight unseen. A qualified builder could make you a set of component irons that out duel this badboy for less - plus they'll be everything you want and more as far as options. Example, Put a ProjectX 5.5 with new decade grips on these bad boys and you're looking at almost $1000.00. Oh, and apparently it'll ship between 2 days from now and next September?  Go out, look around and pay attention. Always ask "why" when you're getting fit and when someone wants to sell you something. Why do you need this? Why is it better? Why will it do what you say it will? Most importantly of all - is the investment worth the payoff? Is 5 yards worth $499?  Is a marginal improvement worth $1000? For me, no. This is just my experience though. You may crank these guys and if you do, I say drop that money and get them. It's about what works for you, and if you've read anything else I've written, you know that's the only thing you should worry about. Not name, not what flex you hit, and certainly not what some guy on the internet has to say. Get out there and get swinging!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again on the next post!

My day with a Monsta......

PROLOGUE AND RAMBLES:

Being a perfectionist and knowing that there is not just one road to reach perfection, I tend to look to the "little guys" a lot for new ideas and better products. The reason is because sometimes we just get caught up in the money, fame, and flash of the big guys.  They spend millions upon millions each year to research not only performance, but what people want to look at.  It's called "rack appeal" and it happens all the time with clubs. Not so much with balls, however - well- outside of the packaging that is. A flashy box always helps, but what's inside is a little white sphere with dimples that has the unfortunate purpose of being smashed as hard as possible with a heavy piece of metal - repeatedly - until it's discarded or lost. The former - smashing as hard as possible - is what makes us want a premium performance ball.  The latter is what makes us not want to pay a premium for it.  Enter the "little guy".   This time around, it's MonstaGolf.  

From their site: 

  ""Monsta Golf started as an idea back in the spring of 2013 by 2 working dads from Boston who love the game of golf.  Dave and Ken, the founders of Monsta Golf, realize(like most of us) the key to an exceptional golf game is consistency and the short game.  Money is in the short game, as we all know.  Using the same golf ball while honing your skills is an important factor in being consistent.  Almost every brand of golf ball performs differently, especially around the greens. This causes variations in accuracy and performance. Some golf balls are for distance, some for spin.  The top performing brands currently on the market that are constructed to do both,  retail for $48/dozen or more.  Golf can be expensive enough!

“We need to create a pro performance golf ball that’s  affordable,  so it can be used every round you play.  Allowing  the development of  a more consistant game and control around the greens.  In addition,  we don’t want to cringe every time we lose a $4-$5 ball in the woods.” (Yes, this will probably happen no matter what ball you use!)

FAST FORWARD A YEAR LATER AND MONSTA GOLF IS BORN."

I couldn't have said it better myself --- so I copied and pasted. Hey, I've got things to do, clubs to build and cigars to smoke. I digress....

MonstaGolf intriqued me from the get-go. I saw them on twitter (@monstagolf) and followed them to Facebook (facebook.com/monstagolf) and stalked their feed reading all the stuff people were saying about them. I got on some of my own forums and asked around if anybody had tried them.  The people who had couldn't say enough about them. There were even people who said they had tried them and though they're not the go-to ball, are still using them on occasion. That tells me there's got to be something to them. 

About me:  If you've been following the blog - few and far between as it sometimes is (hey I'm busy!!!) you know that I'm a decent player. I'm currently playing off 3.7 (GHIN#2111361) and I get out maybe once per week.  I've been playing a LONG time and I'm pretty sure I'm one of a handful of people under 45 who have actually used persimmon clubs in a tournament because that was still the only technology out there.  So, I know something about feel and the like, on top of being a club builder.  My current ball bobbles between a ProV1 and the Callaway SR3 (what's left of them).  They're both pretty comparable for me but I tend to play the ProV1 on drier days since I do get a little more spin on the greens, and the Callaway flies longer so I get more carry in normal to wet conditions. Both retail around $45 for the dozen and have very soft covers so you can imagine that I'm always looking to save a few bucks. 

THE REVIEW - AS COMPARED TO MY PROV1:   If you want the hard facts just go to the end. If not, hang on for the story. For the record, I paid for these balls and the only reason I'm doing a review is because I like to do them. My style is putting you in a story setting and allowing you to follow me and the way I play.  Real life is the only way to test, in my opinion. Talk it out- nitpick - whatever. If you want numbers, there's like 20 other sites that have compression and yardage numbers you can pick at. 

oooooh Shiny.

So anyway.....

I pulled the trigger on MonstaGolf balls just this week. Out of Massachusetts they got here to PA in 2 days via USPS. Free shipping as well. Great start for those of us who don't like to pay shipping that's a big one. I opted for the "naked" dozen. No packaging. You can call me green, but the difference between $32.99 and $34.99 is enough to prompt me to skip the shiny black box and Green Monsta eye.  If you like to think I did it solely for the environment, please do.

As I opened them, I was really impressed. Very nice cover which had that "sticky ball" feel to it. (Insert joke about sticky balls here) It was pleasing to look at with the big green logo and single number. Very clean and minimalistic.  The aim stripe is just two arrows with MonstaGolf written in. Very easy to line up for putting or tee ball. Not too long and not short like some other balls. I took to putting right away putting it right up against a proV1 and a ProV1x that I had. Both brand new - hey we gotta be fair. 

Immediately I could feel that the MonstaGolf was soft. Super soft. I use an all metal putter with no insert so I felt everything. Dead heat with the ProV1, softer than V1X. I liked it. I even did a blind test where I closed my eyes and had a friend put them down in front of my putter to strike. I picked out the same two balls but couldn't tell which was which.  

Since it was still evening and I didn't tee off until the next day, I decided for the "wedge bounce test". You know, the old Tiger Woods juggle it off the blade and then between the legs - just without the 200 yard rocket at the end. Here's where the balls started to differ.  The MonstaGolf felt soft. Almost TOO soft, but it wasn't a disgusting marshmallow feel. I could feel the ball but it had a hint of a "thud". The PV1 was soft but more "crisp".  In non-golf terms and assuming you've eaten both of these, it was the difference between biting a Red Delicious apple and a Mcintosh.  The red delicious has a softer bite but still good and hearty - where as the Mc is a touch more snappy.  At this point, it didn't bother me but it's worth noting if you're a player that likes a harder feeling ball like a TopFlite Gamer or the like.   Seeing as how they both have urethane covers, I believe the MonstaGolf is thicker in this regard. I'll explain later.....

LOL - googly eyes

Flash forward to my round. Dauphin Highlands Golf Course.  We're playing the whites (myself, Cigar Joe , and a friend Dave). On the putting green I put 2 balls down and putted. Drained them both from 10 feet. Was it the ball or was it me, dunno, but I did have confidence looking down and reading "MonstaGolf"with those heavy black arrows saying - this way to the hole.   Pre-round I also chipped in 4 times out of 10. The balls grabbed the green like velcro - no exaggeration - even on the little chips so I had to hit my chips to carry a little farther than normal because they weren't running out as much as with the PV1 but it was consistent so once I got used to it things were no problem. MGB gets the square here because more spin around the green is always a plus in my book. 

On the tee,  I set it up so I was looking right into that green eye. It was a great focus point and since it was like a smaller ball I felt it was the literal interpretation of "aim small, miss small".  I didn't miss. My first drive was a touch on the toe and fading but SkyCaddy measured it at 317yds. I'll take that.  There was very little side spin when I KNOW there should have been more. Instead of the right rough just off the fairway I SHOULD have been by the cart path 10 yards farther right. Intriguing. 

2nd shot was a 58* wedge to a tucked pin. I was so stoked for the drive that I plopped it in the bunker short. Perfect to test the sand capabilities and durability. If anything destroys a Urethane cover it's a sand trap. I played a perfect splash from 30 feet to  settle 3 feet from the pin.  One hop and stop.  Ball completely in tact. 

Initial look after the long bunker shot.
Sand still lodged in. 

2nd hole it performed very well off the tee again, although i skunked the shot and ended up in the bunker about 60 yards in front of the green on the fly (drivable par 4- 270 yards).  You'd think I was doing it on purpose to test a ball or something.  I used a 54* wedge to play the long bunker shot into the green. I hit it to roughly 12 feet but upon picking up the ball I noticed it had a large grain of sand lodged in the cover.  I expected this out of the first bunker but my thoughts are that the resilient thick cover provides nice cushion against this sort of thing where normally the thin cover of the PV1 nicks or gets some sand burn. A harder swing was enough to embed the sand though. I was able to dig it out and remove the piece of cover that was torn and play on.  Through the next holes the ball performed EXACTLY as it had the first two. I even put a new ball in play just as a for-instance but saw no flight issues due to the deep puncture in the cover. 

A few holes after I removed the "scab" cover and
dug out the grit piece.

Iron feel is solid and regarding the "thunk" of the wedge bounce test - that wasn't really an issue once you actually were swinging at the ball. Chips felt good, like the ball was compressing well and it JUMPS off of irons. I really felt like I had compression on the face and got very good flight out of it. No ballooning, but still retaining the pretty wicked spin I experienced at the chipping green throughout all the irons. I guess theres' something to that 3 piece construction and high energy core they talk about. 

Here's where the review gets short because I've told you all I can about the performance of the ball. The reason being it was so consistent. It was consistent with itself from brand new until the last shot, and it was consistent with the ProV1 that I'm very used to with the difference being more spin from the MGB on the little chip shots. I would go so far as to say it's a little difficult to get it to run out with a lofted club - but I'm not going to complain about that. 

I think the one thing I can say I honestly DISLIKE about the MonstaGolf ball is it's visual durability in relation to other premium golf balls. I think this is where it loses the race.  The ball gets dingy. Like REALLY dingy.  When I play a full round with a golf ball, it gets battered and the like but when I wash it, generally it gets clean.  Over the course of the round, the ball got to LOOKING chewed up. it was still very much playable and very much performing perfectly but it really started to kind of look like a monster. If I could equate it to something, maybe like a refurbished ball that was hit too many times and the paint started to come off the raised areas?  Even while we were looking for the balls and rolling up to it in the cart, I had no problem identifying mine because that shine was lost. I don't know if I'm OK with that or not because they really look USED after one round, whereas I can get 2, sometimes 3 out of the same ball otherwise.  Believe me, I'm still going to play it again, but it's a peeve, maybe even a deal breaker for some people. Even my buddy Dave said "that thing looks awful". 

18 holes, 1 ball. The "reconditioned ball" scabs I
was referencing. All over.  Are these balls painted?

FINAL TALLY: 

Overall performance:  It is my opinion that MonstaGolf balls perform on par with a premium golf ball. In this case the ProV1 (grey stripe).  MonstaGolf has  a little more spin for me around the greens and is sometimes difficult to release to the hole - which may be an issue for some golfers if they like to chip and run. You might need a lower lofted club to play some of your normal shots. There was no drop in performance throughout the entire round despite the blemishing. 

Look:  Awesome minimalist logo design and a nice focal point for the tee ball.  Alignment aid isn't obnoxious and does the job in lining up putts or tee balls if you prefer that. One additional thing I feel the need to mention is that there is no all white area on this ball. From every angle you will see either the aim mark, the number, or a good portion of the green eye. I don't mind because you can immediately identify it even in the rough, but some people do like that one area where you look down and see white ball. 

Durability: I feel the ball could be more durable over the course of the round. The fact that it can take a hit like a large piece of sand from a bunker and not make a big gouge out of the cover or begin peeling of after being hit a few times in that wound is great, but If I'm not bouncing it off cart paths or trees, I want to have a Grade A used ball at the end of the round, not a C+ at best. 

Price:  This can go either way. I like that the ball continues to perform despite the dingy, rashed look but players who do mind that will have to put a new ball in play more often than they would another premium performance ball. That being said, is the $13 savings a wash because of the frequency of replacement?? I don't know.  I'll continue to play the ball until it seriously falls apart or I notice a decrease in playability. 

Bottom line: It's a great ball for the price performance wise. It could be a FANTASTIC ball for the price if they can sort out that cleanliness/ visible durability issue. I'm glad I made the purchase and will be playing these balls until I lose them. A dozen will usually last me a good 1/2 season counting cart paths and whatnot. I wish I would have hit one to see how it took it but damnit I'm not good enough to hit that kind of target! 

If anybody wonders, I shot 76.  Made the turn in Even and pulled a BUNCH of putts on the back. Grr. 

Let's talk Cigars again - What to look for?

If you're like me, you enjoy a little golf with your cigars and beer. For me Golf definitely comes first and is thoroughly enjoyable but it can be ruined by bad periphery.  Sub-par is not good with cigars - especially when you shell out a premium price to get it! I could have a sleeve of ProV1's for that price!  So how do you protect yourself if you're not a cigar connoisseur? There are a couple things that can tell you quickly wether that cigar is worth shelling out the money:

1. Ask where they get their cigars:  If the cigars are stocked by a local shop odds are they're going to be good. Cigar store owners take pride in their product. Regardless of the manufacturer, the product is what sets shops apart from each other.  Likewise, if the course buys from an online store or from another "dealer" you might be looking at cigars that have been beaten or shocked in shipment if they weren't packaged and humidified properly in the process.

2.  Make sure they're not dry:  So you've asked and are satisfied with the answer. That doesn't mean they're being taken care of still... Just as important as good tobacco is the care taken as they're stored. Make sure the hygrometer is working and in a good range.  70-75% humidity is optimal for cigars. If in doubt, ask to see a stick and give it a GENTLE squeeze. You SHOULDN'T hear a crack and it SHOULD have just a little give. If it feels hard, or super spongy, something is wrong and you'll either be fighting to keep it lit, or having the wrapper come off in your hand while you smoke. Neither of those is enjoyable.

3. For once, the name is useful:  I always say that nam doesn't matter in golf clubs. That's because you have the chance to hit them and compare. When you're making a snap decision about cigars or booze it's best to stay with what you know - especially when price is an issue. Names like Rocky Patel, Perdomo, Montecristo, Oliva & Drew Estate are big in the cigar world. They're big names and have a deep line of great cigars all.  If these names are a staple in the cabinet, then you're looking at a decent stick whatever you pick - assuming they're stored properly.


It seems tedious, but it takes all of 30 seconds to find out if your enjoyment is guaranteed. If you're going to drop a premium price for cigars, be sure you're going to get a good cigar.

Locally, I'm a fan of the cigars at:  Four Seasons, Landisville ;  Crossgates Golf Course, Millersville ;  and Meadia Heights, Lancaster.   If you're there, you won't have to go through this, but take your time and make sure you get something that will enhance your round and not cause you distraction.

enjoy and hit em straight!

Cigar Review: Insidious by asylum

I opened my locker at D&S this past wednesday and found this little gem waiting for me. It's good to have a locker there since they give you a monthly new arrival as a courtesy. As it so happened this month's stick is the Insidious by Asylum - a handmade cigar with a slightly sweet tip. I gave a good sniff and a light squeeze and was met with a very mild tobacco aroma. Just a good whiff of humidified Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Honduran binder and filler.  Though it's a sweet tip, you'll be pleased to know that there was no "sweet smell" that comes with things like mocha and mint and other sweet tobacco products. I don't like that sugary smell, I like to enjoy my cigar for it's aroma so it's a very important part of my pre-light routine.

This day's meal is a 5x50 so I chose to go with a punch, even though it's a lighter cigar. The size didn't really matter to me, but I just didn't feel like a cut today.  Carefully wielding my 3 flame RP lighter, I lit outside to in and took a deep puff. 

The smoke is light, but full. I don't get much out of it as far as flavors, but nobody's perfect.  Other reviews and resellers have "nuts, earth, and hints of pepper". I guess I'll buy that but there's not an excess of any one over the others.  I definitely didn't get ANY pepper. Moreover, the tip was highly enjoyable, though. It's not super sweet like a lot of sweet ends and it didn't ruin my scotch either so that's a definite plus. 

Overall, it was a very even and clean burn with no flare up. She retained a smooth draw and steady flavor all the way through to the end. No changes, no surprises, just pure relaxation. Normally I can get a good two inches out of long filler before I have to ash, but the Insidious couldn't handle that. Somewhere a little over an inch I shifted my hand after taking the photo on the right and the ash fell off. Hey at least it wasn't on my pants. 

Normally a 5x50 takes me a while to smoke. Compared to my average, the Insidious was right on time. At one our and 30 minutes I started to heat up my fingers so I had to bail out. I didn't want to part with my friend because it WAS so enjoyable, so I do believe I'm going to pick up a few for my private stock in a larger ring. From this average joe's perspective, the Insidious by Asylum is an absolutely delicious and just plain enjoyable experience.  In my opinion, it's a great cigar for beginners and seasoned smokers alike.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Centurion - Double Perfecto 6x60

It's been a while since I've had a new cigar. I stay to my old standbys for the course and the celebration after lately - what with my new business venture starting up. This weekend, my Uncle Todd treated me to a new cigar that I haven't had before. The Gurkha Centurion. Double Perfecto roll. Dark natural connecticut wrapper. Cameroon Binder and Cuban-seed Dominican Ligero filler. Gurkha is touted as the peak of cigars lately. I respectfully disagree though they do have a number of blends that I absolutely love and will drive an hour to get. This particular blend is reported to be so exclusive that previously the only customer was the Sultan of Brunei. Yea whatever....le grand cigar, right bender?

Todd keeps his cigars well. Better than me, in fact. The first thing I noticed about this smoke is that it was a very loose roll. While it was very well made and perfectly rolled, it just was soft under my fingers and with a heavy taper, that makes it a little difficult for me to smoke. I've had some great cigars that were packed tight and still had a smooth draw and also had some loose smokes that couldn't give a vacuum cleaner a puff, so you could guess my apprehension. Still a free cigar is a free cigar!

A good sniff brought a nice aroma of tobacco, leather, and just a hint of spice. Bold aroma and a nice color to the cigar itself. It was really such a nice smell that I didn't want to light it - but hey, if I must. My 3 flame RP torch did the job perfectly. Smooth draw, thick smoke. True to the previous aroma, full flavors of leather and a touch of spice. Surprisingly most shops have this labeled as a medium cigar. I would lean that toward full/ bold but it's still in the middle of the two. The taste was really nice, if not with a soft mouthfeel, and then - what can only be described as the most awful smell I've ever experienced.  Sorry Gurkha, but seriously something just wasn't right here. Generally I love the smell of cigars, even the ones that I don't like to smoke, but this was something altogether different and just plain out of this world. Perhaps it was the strength of the leaves or something in the filler - I couldn't really say, but "pungent" is not even close to the word I would use to describe it. If you could imagine lighting a leather couch on fire and putting it out with dirt and hair, that was about the smell of this cigar. It was pleasing for the first fraction of a second but became so full and filled the nostrils so fast that it made it unenjoyable. Even Todd looked at me and said "well that's not the best smell is it? Damn it tastes good though".

I concur whole-heartedly.  At a price point of about $13 per cigar, it's worth it for the flavor, but smoke these things outside, in a breeze, and stay upwind. Overall it was about an hour and a half smoke. Really enjoyable smoke and the tip had a nice zing and tang of flavor that complemented well with our drinks. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but definitely not indoors or before I was headed out anywhere. Overall, I give it a solid 8/10.  It's really enjoyable in the flavor department and if you like a tasty smoke without the kick in the face boldness and queasy feeling then it's really a good choice. That smell is really knocking me down though and as someone who has to go home to a wife and likes to get a head-start or finish up a smoke on the drive to and from, it's just not something I care to put up with.... though if you have any laying around that you'd like to send my way, feel free.

Serious Equipment: Part 2

Recently I blogged a touch about my ball fitting.  With the help of a Tracman and a fitting professional I take all the numbers and info from my golf swing and see which ball is going to squeeze the most performance out of my swing. Now, I know some of you are saying "it's not the arrow it's the indian", so I'll reply GET OFF MY BLOG YOU RACIST FUCK! No seriously though... if you think equipment has no bearing on your game, you need to stop thinking that way because you're really not doing your game any favors. Sure, having the latest neutron stick for a driver isn't going to let you hit it as far as Tiger Woods, but it's sure as hell going to be easier to hit than that old persimmon driver  with the 1/2 inch deep face that's been in your closet for 20 years. Or that old Maxfli that's been at the bottom of the lake for 3 weeks in the mud. In fact, the ball is the one piece of equipment you use on every shot and it's so powerful even Jack Nicklaus himself said the USGA should have limits on ball technology. Playing "found balls" might be good for a beginner's wallet, but if you're breaking 100 you need to get a good hold on your balls. You're throwing strokes and enjoyment out the window.

With that, I've been sampling about 10 balls from the fitting and it was narrowed down to two contenders: Bridgestone's B330 Tour and Callaway's SR3.

My swing speed is upwards of 108mph - even after my back injury - so these balls are built perfectly for me and my game. Yours may not be as power driven as mine but rest assured these manufacturers build a ball to suit your game that is very similar to these. 

Talking numbers:

Swing Speed

The first thing looked at was obviously swing speed.  In order to get the most from your ball, you HAVE TO compress it. There is no room for error on this. Compressing the ball is what transfers energy, it's what creates grip on the club for backspin, and it's what gives you that wonderful solid feeling when you hit it.  My speed, as I said, averages out around 108mph. Not tour quality, but faster than your average hacker. Still that puts me in "premium tour ball" range. Once that is done, it's time for the hard truth: is the ball helping?

Ball Speed

Ball speed is the next thing to look at after getting the right compression.  Obviously the higher the ball speed, the farther the ball goes. In a perfect world, this number will be 1.5 times the swing speed. This indicates that there was an efficient transfer of energy to the ball, it compressed, and most likely said "ouch" .  Both balls scored right on the mark.

Spin Rate

Spin rate is what will generate the height and distance in your ball (on long clubs) and stopping power (on shorter clubs). Ideally you want to be under 3000 RPM for the driver. The lower you get the better, some say, but I was happy settling into about 2700 with both of these balls. That means there's enough spin to get a sufficiently high tee shot, but not so much that it loses roll when it hits the ground. With both of these balls, I gained 15 yards of distance with the driver over my previous ball (ProV1) due to lower spin, but I lost about 72RPM in the wedges. This is not a big deal becaus eit' a match on a fire, and because I spun the PV1 too much anyway. For you, the loss of stopping power may be a deal breaker so don't just go for the most distance.  Overall average was 9100RPM with the callaway slightly edging out the Bridgestone.

Deviation

In my opinion, the last but definitely not the least important number.  Deviation is how far left or right the ball curved. Now, obviously this will be affected by the quality of swing as well. This number should coincide with he spin rate off the long clubs. The lower the spin rate, the lower the deviation - obviously since its' not spinning as much it's not going to slice or hook as badly. The B330 halved the Callaway in this stat - making it a tough choice when it came right down to it.

So now that I've bored you to death with technicalities, let's get to the meat and potatoes and something that you can do without any fancy equipment: FEEL

Feel is something that can't be taught, measured, or bottled. You're the only one who can say what is good and bad.  Feel is the reason I play Taylormade and my buddy plays Nike.  Feel is what builds confidence and keeps you coming back for more. Feel is also why I chose the Callaway ball. While both balls produced similar distance and Bridgestone was quite a bit more accurate, I couldn't get over how "clicky" the Bridgestone ball felt to me. I would hit the ball flush and it just seemed harder than the Callaway. It was a little unnerving, and I don't like that. Part of the reason I played the ProV1 is because when I hit it on the screws it felt like a marshmallow.  I don't like the feeling of the ball pressing back against my club. To me, a solidly struck shot should feel like this photo:

Winner:  Callaway SR3.  

What's your ball? Have you thought about what you really want in a ball?  With many varieties, pricepoints, and manufacturers there's sure to be a ball that fits you to a tee.  OH yes... I went there. 

Without fail, I'm going to buy the SR3 for this season and use it exclusively.  I'm getting the stopping power I need with increased distance and I'm no longer the short knocker when I play with my scratch buddies.  I haven't noticed a problem with the ball going left or right so until that happens exclusively it's going to be my go-to rock.

Cigar Review: 5 Vegas Gold

Recently, I took a pleasure/work trip back to my home town of Easton, Pennsylvania to give a helping hand to my mother. She's moving to a new apartment/house unit and needs a strapping young lad to help out with the bigger boxes. My brother is about useless in this endeavor regardless of him living three minutes away (very literally in fact), so I came up and had a good old time of it. On the way 'round trip my wife and I stopped in at her parents' home and I sat out back with my Father-in-law and Brother-in-Law to have a smoke.  I opened pop's humidor and he gives me a 5 Vegas Gold, Toro. I mentioned it was a nice looking cigar but I'd never had one. He wouldn't let me NOT try it, so off came the cello and out we went to the back porch.

The 5 Vegas website has this to say:

"5 Vegas Gold

Enter the new era in mild-bodied cigars. 5 Vegas Gold Series breaks all barriers, proving a mild-bodied cigar can indeed teem with flavor. A luxurious blend of superior, 5-year-old tobaccos are skillfully combined inside seamless,hand-selected wrappers. Discover 5 Vegas Gold and be instantly charmed by its smooth, creamy, and eventful bouquet."

We all know how much that all means to me, but I thought you might fancy a link. I started my ritual the way I always do - with a little squeeze to see how full and how humid the cigar is and figure out my best plan of attack.  After a moment, I realized that my trusty punch was the way to go and gently bored out the cap. It was here that I noticed the capping was quite extensive. A very thick top of about 3 layers, more than normal, which lent itself to a great punch rather than a cut. In fact, my opinion is to stay away from the cutter on this particular size.
I took a cold draw and a good sniff and did take notice of the nutty, "eventful" bouquet from the listing above.  Not at all like "dirt tobacco" smell, but rather light and airy- almost that heavy aroma with a freshly baked muffin or bread. Not at all harsh, with just a hint of sweetness. If you're a fan of nuts (stop fucking giggling right now..)...As satisfying as it is to eat a handful of good cashews - this cigar lends that same gratification in its aroma.  I almost didn't want to light it - but I did- 'cause fuck it.. it's a cigar.  Using my Rocky Patel 3 torch lighter, I toasted the end and took a good puff.  Much to my surprise, the flavor and draw is exactly what is stated on the manufacturer's website.  A smooth draw, with a light-bodied and creamy smoke though there was not much "eventful" occurrence through the cigar. The long filler held up well and I only dropped ash once- at about 2 inches- but that may have been attributed to the breeze. The flavor stayed just as it initially portrayed itself, all the way up to the last 1.5 - 2 inches. Pepper? Mild, but still a bittery sort of pepper nonsense that hadn't been present at all anywhere else in the cigar. It was a little surprising. In these last couple draws, I can only assume the buildup of oils through the cigar produced a mild pepper aftertaste that - while not unpleasant - didn't really sit will with me since I don't really care for surprise pepper. Especially after the dream that

I had just smoked through! Still, it was not too much of a punch in the face and I was able to effectively quell the issue with some Lexington and power through it handily.  Just be ready for it.  If you don't get it- consider it a bonus and enjoy it thoroughly! Overall I did enjoy the cigar and would definitely make a purchase, if not just for the awesome gold band.

Overall, we're talking about another sub $5 cigar here going toe to toe with your favorite stick. I'm going to pick some up for the foreseeable future and hit the course with a couple to use the band to shoot some light into my competitors' eyes while they're over a putt. I'm seriously digging the box, which looks like a gold bar with trapezoidal sides.


Bottom Line:  A good cigar for a good price. If you're wishy-washy on what you'd like today this is a smart choice. Smooth character, and not the wildest gal at the party but thoroughly enjoyable with good conversation. Keep an eye out for the pepper switch and either put it out before it gets to be too much, or make sure you have a back-up plan to wash down the finish.

Your best golf on the cheap: Part 2

On Friday in Part 1, I wrote about my first impressions with the Maltby brand of clubs. More specifically the KE4 Tour Hybrid iron and the MMB-17 blade that I ordered to place up against my Titleist AP2 irons. Since then, I've taken them back to the range, and played two total rounds of golf with both clubs. Here are my findings:

KE4-Tour  4 hybrid-iron Results:

The KE4 will be permanently in my bag. While Saturday's round at Overlook Golf Course found it being used mostly for punching out from under trees and more "utility work" (which it performed smartly), my round on Sunday at Crossgates Golf Course focused on full shots from both the tee and the fairway. Don't get me wrong, this stick was a great utility club but I was more interested in the full-swing capabilities. That being said, the consistency of the club saved my butt more than once on Sunday. First, my second shot on number 9, a mid-length par 5 that presented a good layup occasion for the KE4. 180 yards to the end of the fairway, up hill (about a club) and into the teeth of a 20mph wind, the ball held it's line and trajectory better than anything I've got in the bag. It was a pure strike with absolutely no ballooning and no movement.  I had 58 yards into the green with my wedge afterward and was able to sink the putt for birdie. Money well spent already 

The second pressure use came with the tee shot on number 12.  Downhill Par 4 with tree trouble right and a ditch, trees, and water trouble left. If the tee ball is too far right, you'll be additionally blocked out by this big bastard of a tree right in front of the green. The ideal tee ball is about 215 yards off the tee box to the left of the fairway. From the elevated tee it seemed like the perfect distance for the new stick so I used it and once again it performed exactly as planned, even on a mis-hit. I came up and out of it a little bit and ended up hitting it a couple grooves low, feathering the ball to the right of my intended line. Still, It was long enough to get me to the tip of the fairway where I had a good look at the pin.

Yes, I put my 18th tee ball right in front of
the ladies tees on #10. Not Proud.

I think the biggest test between nerves and needs came on the par 5 18th hole. I stood on the tee needing a birdie for even par. Don't think that wasn't in my head just because of my back issues and club tests. I'm still out here to post a score, damnit. The 18th for me is a notoriously terrible driving hole with about 35% of my tee shots going OB left and 40% going into either the water or traps on the right. I'm 11% for fairways on this hole in the last 3 years! (stats tracked on oobgolf.com, thanks guys!) So yea, just a few nerves on this tee box. I did what any self respecting bail out artist would do, I took a club I could swing away with without reaching trouble and bunt-sliced it into the next county. After bailing out right with my tee ball (a miss I struggled with all day long), I found myself with a distance of 177 yards, into the now two club wind, through a tree, to a safe landing area where I could have a clear and reasonable third shot into the green. The lie was average in the rough, neither buried nor was it sitting up for me. I took the 4 and decided that the play was a fade starting to the left of the tree and let the wind kill the distance, hopefully allowing the ball to land in the fairway with about 170 into the pin. In theory.  That's the shot I set up with and that's the shot I got from the club.  I was pleasantly surprised that there was ZERO drag through the rough. I expected maybe a hitch where the face got caught or turned a little with the wider sole, but the head went cleanly through the grass and I had a mostly solid strike on the ball.  There's really something to be said for the confidence felt when looking down on this club.  For you completionists... I hit a choke 7 iron from 149 (the green  is about 25 feet above the fairway) to 7 feet, leaving myself a downhill right-to-left slider.  The greens were smooth and fast at Crossgates - quite different than the punched greens at Overlook or Four Seasons previously and I'd been struggling all day with getting the speed just right. I just barely lipped it out with a little too much pace. It rolled right around the cup and I made the 7 inch comeback to post 73. The two gentleman I had been playing with had no idea what it was for and still said it was a painful lip-out, haha! 

Overall, high marks in the looks department. It's tough to make a forgiving but playable hybrid club for better players without appearing like a marshmallow, but this hits it on the money. I think even high handicappers would like this club as well.  I gave a decent score in the feel department only because the graphite shaft deadened more off-center shots. While I could feel it, it was difficult to judge how far off center I hit it.  A steel shaft would provide better feel. Distance on par with the much higher end club.  Solid marks in workability. Straight goes straight. Not a lot of over-correction on off center hits. Budget conscious at 39.99 for the head. Excellent replacement for a hybrid or a long iron, in my player's opinion.

MMB-17  #8 iron Results:

Mentioned above, the 4 iron didn't really have much of a starring role in my round at Overlook on Saturday morning. It was helpful, but when all you can do is pitch out of trees sideways, it's not really what I would call a "stroke saver" or "Pin seeker".  The 8 iron did have a more prominent role in making a good shot, however. I still didn't use it much in this round, but for what I did get out of it, I say it's a damn good purchase. Of only note was the 2nd shot into #9 from rough right of the fairway. I had 160 into the pin, which is my average 8 iron distance. The lie was semi-buried, with some grass between the face and the ball for sure. I clipped it pretty well but  fell about 10 feet short, below the hole. Yes, I missed the putt. Still, it was a good shot to a blind target from a less-than-perfect lie in the rough.  Coupled with previous range evaluation as well as the 2 small buckets I had hit on the range on Friday (1 with my AP2 and the other with MMB), that one shot was enough to satisfy my curiosity surrounding this particular combination of shaft and head. Nothing tells it like it is as well as the actual course does.  It was a demanding shot under pressure to attack the pin and it didn't let me down despite my human imperfections. It is a consistent club. I will say one thing about it and stick to my guns: Even on the range, I didn't ever feel like I hit a good shot and been "robbed" or thought I had mis-clubbed. When the ball fell short of my intended target, I could feel exactly how many grooves low or high I had hit the ball, whereas with the more "forgiving" AP2 that I've been playing I felt like I hit a solid shot more often than not and would have inconsistent feedback on distance of mis-hits and inconsistent direction on solid hits without much feedback on high/low impact.  The MMB is going into my bag and I'm going to order a 9 and PW as well with the same specs by the end of this week. 

Again, high marks for looks. If you're a player who likes a minimal top-line and offset then this is the head for you. The satin chrome, rather than full polish is a welcome change on sunny days. Solid marks for feel. Higher than the 4 iron because of the increased feedback on mis-hits.     Distance is on-par with the higher end clubs, but nothing special that will catapult you to hitting tour-distance irons. 

Excellent workability and flight capability.Some clubs are "over workable" but to get a 9 the devil is in the details and small movements. Very consistent movements and no correction to get in the way of your shot.

 Value... well, I'm still looking for the cops outside because this kind of performance is a steal at $29.99 US for the head. 

Bottom line: 

8iron:   $29.99 head + $3.99 shaft + $10.99 grip + $0.35 ferrule + a little elbow grease =  $45.00 club on par with $125.00 premium club.

4iron:  $39.99 head + $11.00 shaft + $10.99 grip + $0.25 ferrule + a little more elbow grease + $55.00 club beats $125.00 premium club.

Maltby certifies that they are 2010 groove rule compliant and playable in high-level tournaments (or honestly, I wouldn't even be trying them).  For the price of a premium head with a run-of-the-mill shaft, you can build a custom beast with these heads. I chose the rout of least investment because I like a bargain. I could only imagine what would happen if you put a $75 shaft in some of these. Still if you told me they would out-perform my AP2 710 irons even with a premium shaft, I'd never have believed it if you beat it into my head every morning.  Happy swinging!

Your best golf... on the cheap: Part1

 Last month I blogged about a great cigar for not much money. They're around $2.50 each, depending on the size. I love cheap. Cheap is good. Cheaper is GREAT! The problem with cheap is that it's not very dependable. Quite often, it's inconsistent and in the end it's not really worth what I paid anyway. Thankfully those Casa de Garcias have broken that stereotype. Of course, thinking in these terms, in walks "Custom".  Custom tends to be the opposite of Cheap.  Custom is so nice and perfectly fit to whatever I need.  I paid big money (to me) for a set of custom golf clubs. Length, lie, shaft, grip, weighting and probably most of all -- NAME.

If you've ever bought a golf product, you're paying a lot for the name. A hand towel at Wal-mart is maybe 4 bucks(?) but if you put (insert mainstream golf company here)'s name on that it goes to $20 and sometimes $30.  So i thought "what if I took my specs and built my own clubs for cheap to mimic these big box brand name clubs".  Out comes my personal "Maltby" irons. When you hear the name you may think of Rodger the Golf Channel/ NBC on-course correspondent and, for you older chaps, multiple tournament winner on the PGA tour in the 70s and 80s.  When you READ the name Maltby, it may or may not bring to mind Ralph Maltby the club designer from golfworks.com. Sounds the same, but it's spelled different. (10 points to guess the movie).

Roger Maltbie (no relation)

Ralph Maltby

Ralph used to design clubs for Tommy Armour and is an all around fitting guru.  He developed the MPF or Maltby Playability Factor to rank clubs on how they will perform for different levels of players. With iron head price points at around $30 and shafts at about $10, I can build a set of custom golf clubs to my exact specifications for $300 or less, compared to the $1000 for the brand name clubs. I went ahead and ordered a Malby KE-4 hybrid iron and a Maltby MMB-17 8 iron to see if there was any confirmation to my thought process. Today I got them and decided to do a test against my current Titleist AP2 4 and 8 iron on the range for feel, playability, and general distance.

MMB-17 - 8 iron - 39* - 36.5"
True Temper Command Stiff

Maltby MMB-17

The 8-iron has a really nice look about it. Very "players club" with a chrome nickel plating and satin face area. Thin topline, thin sole. Turf interaction was stellar and it didn't dig as much as I originally thought it would. at 3 degrees of bounce, it actually scooped through the grass nicely! The ball came off cleanly with a much more crisp "click" sound and feel than my AP2 which is more of a muffled "thwack" with a solid but soft feel. I think I like the MMB feedback a little better because I can really tell when I hit it cleanly and when i hit it nearer the toe or heel which for me translates into MORE confidence if I miss a shot. At least I know why I missed it.

The shaft, a True Temper Command R/S flex (trimmed for Stiff), did leave a little bit to be desired. The shaft is designed for control and lower trajectory - and control it did. My shot dispersion was much tighter than my AP2, even on solid hits. I could also work the ball much more easily in both directions as well as up and down. The feel was somewhat looser than the S300 on my current 8 iron.  The Dynamic gold series have the shock absorbing "sensicore" inside. Basically it's a wire with foam wound up it in a spiral pattern. It's placed in the shaft and deadens any vibration coming from the head. I noticed it was missing when I hit one thin, but it wasn't as jarring as some would have me believe. I hit about 2 dozen balls with each and came to the conclusion that the only thing that MAY be missing is the distance factor. I hit my AP2 8 iron about 160.  I don't think I was hitting that all the time with the MMB. Still, I attribute that to the muscle back design. Traditionally, the forgiving zone on the face is only about the size of a dime or nickel whereas the AP2 irons are more like a quarter or half dollar because of the technology. I wanted a muscle back though because of the accuracy and I definitely got that.  When I get it on the course for part 2 and I'm really able to see the distance for myself instead of guestimating based on landmarks, then I'll be able to make a good decision.

Maltby KE4-Tour

KE4-Tour 4 Iron/Hybrid - 23*- 38.5"
Graffaloy ProCustom Stiff flex

The 4 hybrid iron is a very nice club in itself. This configuration beat out my current 4 in terms of feel and playability again. The graphite shaft absorbed the shock much better than the steel shaft even with sensicore (no surprise there really), but what really impressed me is the way the ball catapaulted off the face! Holy cow were my first words after one strike.  The ball flew higher and landed more softly than my current 4 iron for sure yet both have the same characteristics as far as length and swingweight. Judging by the flight, I will go out on a limb and say that the spin rate on the KE4 is much higher than the AP2 - which is exactly what I was looking to get for my long approach shots.  The KE4 has a wider top line and sole but the head is about that of a standard blade with very little offset. It's made to be a cross between iron and hybrid. I'm normally not a fan of "fat irons" but it really worked for my eye in this case and I think the shallow face helped that a lot. Turf interaction from the wider sole was really nice, regardless of the width and I didn't feel it digging in like my 4 iron usually does. I felt like it was much easier to hit than even my current 3-hybrid - which just seems too big to use in the rough or sometimes even from the fairway - so why bother having it? As for the Graffaloy shaft - it performed exactly as spec'd. Very light, stiff flex and high launch. I couldn't ask for much more --- but I did.  I demanded the ball do things that I normally have

trouble doing with my current players clubs. In control, the KE4 with Graffaloy Pro Custom out-performed my AP2 w/ DG S300 smartly.  I was able to work the ball in both directions at will and had an easier time feathering the ball with the KE4 than the AP2. Normally my 4 iron is draw, un-willing fade and big slice as far as shot choices. The Maltby 4 iron actually flew straight and accurate and when I wanted to move the ball, I was able to do so in small increments. 5 yards, 15 yards, feather it just a couple... the shots were there when I wanted them and I didn't feel like it was a "lucky strike" when I pulled them off.  Once again, when I get it on the course for part 2 then I can really say if it's all over better.  One thing I think I definitely dislike about this club is the anodized black finish. I have the same finish on my Taylormade R11, but that's a driver. I don't hit sandy balls that much with it.  With this being a utility iron, it's going to have a lot of turf interaction and that's going to take a toll on the finish, wearing out a hit groove.  After hitting only a few damp range balls it picked up a few marks on the face already. Love that sweetspot though!

Click here to check out Part 2!

Cigar Review: Casa de Garcia Churchill

And So it Begins.....

The first round of the season is always a crapshoot. It's early... what's the weather going to be like... what condition is the course in... and most importantly what does my swing look like after a winter of bourbon and cigars.

My answer is "not too bad" all the way around.  Golf season proper starts April 1st according to the USGA handicap revision schedule.  We had a pretty mild winter up until January and since then all hell has broken loose. The last snowfall came just last week, small as it was, but the lingering effects can still be felt in some areas. There's still a mound of snow about 10 feet tall in the parking lot of our local mall. That being said, the golf courses fared quite well in my opinion.

Four Seasons Golf Course is right down the road from my office, so it offers the most opportune chance at getting the most holes in after work before dark. I'm pretty light on funds these days with some house renovations going on, so I decided to cash in on a free weekday pass that I had won in a scramble last year. I don't really get to play much during the week anyway and when I finally would have time to use it there is a special for $7 (all you can play before dark). I mosey'd over to the course, got my spikes on and took the ever-so-useful two practice swings then went full bore at the ball. Dead pull, not much has changed since last year I reckon.

The course was wet from the rain in the afternoon, but not sopping. There were some drainage issues, but overall there wasn't much issue with club and turf interaction. On the second hole I decided to light up my first cigar - a Casa de Garcia 6.5 x 50. This particular CG is a Dominican blend with a Connecticut Wrapper. I keep my humidor around 68 and this cigar was still in the cello. It had a nice firm feel with a little give under my fingers. Normally I'm a punch man, but for this one I chose a straight cut to maximize the draw being that I was outdoors and there is more chance the cigar will go out on me with the slight breeze and moist conditions so I wanted every puff to be nice and full. In general, I like a slightly more humidified cigar when I'm out golfing since there's a lot of breeze and a good chance I'll be re-lighting once or twice - it keeps the wrapper from getting dry too fast and cracking or unravelling.

 I used my trusty single flame needle lighter and the cigar lit perfectly, no charring.  Oddly enough, some reviewers put this in the 'medium' flavor category and for the first inch or so, I couldn't understand why. First draws were very light in flavor and strength and the draw was a little bit harder than I imagined it would be. I tee'd off and went down the fairway puffing away. A half-inch or so into the smoke is where the light and smoky flavor stopped and the real heart of the stick started to hit me. It was still very light but had earthy notes that were not bitter but still left a lasting flavor for a light cigar.  I set it down on my pull cart a number of times. I averaged 2 or 3 draws between shots on the walk to my ball and found little need to stoke it after hitting a shot despite the conditions.  No, I'm not the kind of guy who keeps smoking when he hits... I take my game as seriously as my cigars. I also take in a lot of the scenery. With the early season comes the post-winter cleanup.  There were piles of tree trimmings everywhere. Don't forget fellow golf-nuts, you get free relief from ground under repair and that includes "material piled for removal".  Two club lengths, no nearer the hole, relief from the nearest point of relief. In this case it would be the nearest edge of the pile.

Material piled for removal off #6 tee box.

Dollar for dollar I thoroughly enjoy this smoke.  Around the 4th hole it really started to get into the "medium" area of flavor country.  That earthy flavor that had been light in the beginning was not really making itself known. I could only describe it as a smooth inhale of fresh sod. Just a nice, heady, thick sort of flavor. When I smoke, I generally keep the tip intact and wouldn't label myself a "chewer" by any means, but after hitting a few bad shots I had worked my way around the tip and got some of that sort of semi-bitter tobacco flavor with each draw and it only enhanced the smoke. I found myself liking it a bit more than I should have and started to chew it a little over putts rather than put it down - it cost me my birdie on #3.

Murray the Penguin approves.

The band had to come off around hole #6 before the tee shot. It was warm, but for whatever reason it didn't want to just flake open like other cigars. Still, I was able to remove it without losing my cool and there was no damage to the wrapper. I was really sad when I hit the Tee box on #8 and had to get rid of the last inch. I just couldn't hold it anymore and it started to get a little too warm on the draw, so off it went. I regret that I didn't bring another to start and for the ride home.

For the first time out this season, I put up a respectable 39 for the 9 holes. No gimmes, no mulligans, just lift clean and place due to every shot getting plugged and muddy. Hey-- it's the first round of the season, I'm not going to kill myself with mud balls just yet. 3-putts abound as normal and I'm shorter than I was last year, but hey "it's early" right?