morgy
21st October 2011, 09:18 PM
http://www.cobragolf.com/golf-clubs/long-tom-driver
Had a hit of one of these at the Canberra demo day today and thought I'd post my thoughts. testing was on the open range with no launch monitor:
The concept is that they are the longest legal driver on the market at 48 inches. Unlike other lengthened clubs, I guess these have been designed for the head to be an appropriate weight/shape for the long shaft, and the grip is also very short to prevent choking down. It didn't feel like I was hitting a longer club at all. It was extremely light, the shaft lagged well, and I managed to get through the ball comfortably.
The results were promising early. I felt the "kick point" in the shaft for the first time in over a year and there weren't too many off center hits. I bombed it from the first ball and continued to do so for the next 10. I was hitting the 9* stiff and the ball flight was a little on the low side, very straight and penetrating, and at least 30 meters longer than my R11 (@ 9* Stiff Upright Bassara 73g stiff). I handed it back and went straight to purchase one $399 rrp with the 20% off deal they were offering $320. Just before I paid I decided I should go back and hit a few more....... the dream faded a little.
I was making some pretty tired swings by this point and the result showed it. PLENTY of low snap hooks and a few off the bottom edge. Obviously the distance suffers with the off center hits and I started finding that I REALLY had to work it to get the results. The club head feels smaller than my R11 and wasn't anywhere near as forgiving; however, I did find it to be relatively low on spin so there were never any ballooning fades or draws, even into a strong cross wind with my terrible swings. The poor results didn't come from the club being 48", it was obviously my swing, but the lengthy shaft probably didn't assist either.
The verdict seemed to be that the club is definitely a LOT longer than anything I've hit before. A big drive for me is 270ish all elements being equal (average 250) and I got a few out there to the 300 marker. In saying that: it is no miracle stick! Miss hits are short due to the lack of forgiveness, which is expected I guess, and could result in the majority of shots actually going shorter than my current driver.
It doesn't feel any longer than 45" to swing and doesn't feel as though you're going to spray every shot. I actually felt very comfortable at address after I got used to the shorter grip. However, to get the most out of this club you'd need to be hitting the sweet spot fairly consistently and, I'm not afraid to admit that, it may be too much for me with my 14hcp. I will probably still buy one with with the view of getting back to singles over the holidays; however, I couldn't guarantee that it'd knock my R11 out just yet.
If you don't have trouble finding the sweet spot then this would be worth a look. I don't know how you'd go changing shafts or whether this is a one shaft fits all like the nunchuck...... but I really liked the feel of the stock shaft.
Had a hit of one of these at the Canberra demo day today and thought I'd post my thoughts. testing was on the open range with no launch monitor:
The concept is that they are the longest legal driver on the market at 48 inches. Unlike other lengthened clubs, I guess these have been designed for the head to be an appropriate weight/shape for the long shaft, and the grip is also very short to prevent choking down. It didn't feel like I was hitting a longer club at all. It was extremely light, the shaft lagged well, and I managed to get through the ball comfortably.
The results were promising early. I felt the "kick point" in the shaft for the first time in over a year and there weren't too many off center hits. I bombed it from the first ball and continued to do so for the next 10. I was hitting the 9* stiff and the ball flight was a little on the low side, very straight and penetrating, and at least 30 meters longer than my R11 (@ 9* Stiff Upright Bassara 73g stiff). I handed it back and went straight to purchase one $399 rrp with the 20% off deal they were offering $320. Just before I paid I decided I should go back and hit a few more....... the dream faded a little.
I was making some pretty tired swings by this point and the result showed it. PLENTY of low snap hooks and a few off the bottom edge. Obviously the distance suffers with the off center hits and I started finding that I REALLY had to work it to get the results. The club head feels smaller than my R11 and wasn't anywhere near as forgiving; however, I did find it to be relatively low on spin so there were never any ballooning fades or draws, even into a strong cross wind with my terrible swings. The poor results didn't come from the club being 48", it was obviously my swing, but the lengthy shaft probably didn't assist either.
The verdict seemed to be that the club is definitely a LOT longer than anything I've hit before. A big drive for me is 270ish all elements being equal (average 250) and I got a few out there to the 300 marker. In saying that: it is no miracle stick! Miss hits are short due to the lack of forgiveness, which is expected I guess, and could result in the majority of shots actually going shorter than my current driver.
It doesn't feel any longer than 45" to swing and doesn't feel as though you're going to spray every shot. I actually felt very comfortable at address after I got used to the shorter grip. However, to get the most out of this club you'd need to be hitting the sweet spot fairly consistently and, I'm not afraid to admit that, it may be too much for me with my 14hcp. I will probably still buy one with with the view of getting back to singles over the holidays; however, I couldn't guarantee that it'd knock my R11 out just yet.
If you don't have trouble finding the sweet spot then this would be worth a look. I don't know how you'd go changing shafts or whether this is a one shaft fits all like the nunchuck...... but I really liked the feel of the stock shaft.