Ping to Prada

A lady with a nice handbag, killer shoes and freshly done hair & nails defines class. I have not quite figured out why we gravitate to accessories like we do but it’s a worldly commonality among women.  It’s a shame the golf bag industry is so stale when it comes to keeping up with the trends, because if they knew anything about women they’d know we would have to own at least four. Or so I thought . . .

Three Guys was recently invited to come check out the Country Club of Winter Haven (in Winter Haven, FL) and play some golf. Naturally, we obliged.

Originally founded in 1923, the club has a long, storied past. Once a golf and yacht club known as the Lake Region Yacht & Country Club, it was sold in 2013 to a group of private equity members to create its current iteration. The entire property spans approximately 200 acres of land, with about one mile of said property being on Lake Hamilton. So it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

As we speak, the club is in the middle of a complete facilities overhaul and membership drive. The course was recently re-designed by Rees Jones (heard of him?) and Bill Bergin, so if you’re yawning right now and saying you played that course back when balata was in, you don’t know squat. The next phase will be clubhouse renovation, and then on to the non-golf facilities like the tennis courts and the fitness center.

When you roll up to the property, you definitely get the feeling that you are at a country club and not just a course.  The long tree-lined drive reveals glimpses of fairways, some tennis courts, a pool, and of course the ever-present Lake Hamilton. The general tone of the property is that it’s been around a while . . . the mix of oak trees, pine trees, palmettos, and Spanish moss hints towards an old South Carolina plantation vibe, which is a good vibe, for those of you who remain unclear. The outside of the clubhouse is in keeping with that image, with pillars rising up to a balcony on the second floor, making you think of more a southern manor than the central Florida we had previously seen in Orlando.

One of 5,000 image results for “orlando gaudy”

Practice?!

To be brutally honest, I did not get a chance to hit the driving range, as my accomplice Adam is an utter failure behind the wheel of a rental car. Our colleague Mathew, however, was able to take a few swipes and said the practice area was perfectly competent. You can see the range from the clubhouse and the first tee, and it certainly has plenty of room and targets to fire at. The putting green is generously sized and gets the job done for sure, but again, call that speculation because I was too busy trying to not fall out of the cart while tying my shoes on the way to the first tee.

Three Guys, you’re on the tee!

I’ll make this simple – central Florida is flat, and as a result, this course is relatively flat. What you see is what you get, and what I saw was cool looking trees, generous fairways, and large greens that were begging for some lawn darts. The first hole is a straightforward par 4, trees on left, bunker on right about 230 yards out, approaching into a large green sloped towards the teebox. It’s a great opening hole to get your swing grooved without too much apprehension, setting the tone for what I would call a perfectly playable golf course. Each time you tee up the driver you feel like you have a reasonable chance of finding fairway, eliciting the kind of confidence that actually helps you make a good swing. There are trees lining the fairways for sure, but somehow when you find your ball over there, you might still have a decent chance of making a legit shot because it’s not really “woods” as I have come to know them (well), just individual trees plotted along the holes.

That being said, the track runs 7,021 yards from the tips, and with the wind coming in off the lake (at least on the day we played), this sucker can play sneaky long. Due to a miscommunication within the group, we played from the blues and it was a bit much for our mediocre selves (of course we were too stubborn to adjust when reality set in, primarily because we are dumb). Interestingly enough, the par 5s were still very playable from the blues, but there were a number of par 4s that had us reaching for the fairway woods, hybrids and long irons on the second shot. Take heed, do not call us wussies . . . you will find some very challenging par 4s from the blues.

The layout offers a diverse array of doglegs, hazards, and approach shots. There were few times where we were fooled by a false front, but it wasn’t direct trickery, just a result of the flat landscape paired perhaps with water behind the green messing with our depth perception. Playing the course a second time, we would be sure to trust the yardage and not get too cute.

The greens are Championship Bermuda grass, and they look great and roll true. They were not any kind of spectacular fast or tricky, just good solid greens that made you feel like you were playing real golf, and they were large enough that you could feel confident firing at pins. Tough to ask for much more, and here again on the greens, The Country Club of Winter Haven allows you to have a solid, fun round of golf.

Getting into the minor details, the tee boxes are all in great shape, as are the cart paths and various signs. In other words, no points lost on the little things.

One final note I would like to make, with the help of a not-so-great picture below: Lake Hamilton is a strong presence at this course. It does not come into actual play on any holes, and for some reason it does not create the same awe that an ocean would, but there are just so many points in the round when you are looking out onto a lake thinking “money”. Our group discussed it several times . . . it’s not necessarily a majestic body of water, I think because it is not densely wooded across the shore nor does it have expansive marshes, but it’s still a big lake that you can see as you play golf – a lot. This is not a bad thing, for sure.

Right right, but how does it make you feel?

I’m not sure if this is due to me being a North Carolina dork on a Florida course, or the fact that there was water often in view and palmetto trees surrounding me, but I always had a slightly “sandy” vibe out there, like it was the kind of course that would have natural wastelands instead of bunkers.

In reality, there were proper bunkers and the fairways were green and lush, so you can chalk that up to the plantation thing perhaps. I guess my point is that it’s an open, sunny course that lends itself to a relaxed, vacation feel. And really, one can’t say enough about the trees . . . just look at the pictures! With regard to the playability that I keep mentioning, The Country Club of Winter Haven is just a great “country club” course, one you can play over and over as a member. You won’t get bored, and you won’t get overly frustrated – the course offers a great chance for golfers to play well and hit some greens in regulation without getting a headache – and if you need more challenge, just move it on back to the next teebox. And, if you need more of a challenge than 7,021 yards, congratulations . . . you just became my hero.

And they have frick’n bald eagles!

Keep in mind that we played in January as a little boondoggle addendum to the PGA Merchandise Expo, so I would expect the conditions to be even better in-season.

This is crazy . . .

After the round we chatted with the Head Professional, explaining that we thought it was a great track in great shape. He quickly pointed out that these fairways did not have any grass on them until something ridiculous like 2 months prior. What?! That is totally insane, especially given the great condition the course was already in. I’m thinking PEDs. Anyway, speaks volumes about this crew’s ability to pull off a renovation.

The Clubhouse

As I mentioned earlier, the clubhouse is slated for renovations in the coming months. The facility has the bones of a great clubhouse, with a large bar and dining area and an equally as expansive outside terrace. The dining area does look a bit dated however, with none of the new materials that most premier facilities currently employ. Rest assured, says management, this will be addressed in the renovations and the clubhouse will soon be at a level befitting of an elite country club.

Some of you may be familiar with the Three Guys stance on golf course hot dogs, seen here. The Country Club of Winter Haven batted a clean .500 on this point . . . the wait was agonizingly long but the end product was, well, brilliant. A dog the likes of which we had not yet seen. I’m so bummed I didn’t photograph the product of the cool grilling technique or whatever the heck they do to this thing; I was too busy cramming it into my cakehole. Easily the best high-end dog we’ve encountered in our travels, including a grilled, buttered, roll. Anyway, I don’t want to place much stock in our clubhouse experience because such big changes are on the horizon. My gut feeling, after talking with the management, is that this is an outfit that understands what aspects need to be crossed and dotted to produce a premier club experience.

Wrapping Up!

The Country Club of Winter Haven offers what I believe to be a great membership opportunity to anyone that enjoys golf and a little bit of the good life.  The property is one of a kind and the course itself offers a fun, solid round that can be as challenging as you need it to be by adding distance. Plus, isn’t golf always challenging? I never get that. Anyway, the club offers several different levels/types of membership, all of which can be explored at the Winter Haven website.

Remember back in 2005 when everyone’s go-to jacket was made from rich black leather? Don’t lie, I know you still keep it in the closet hoping for the inevitable comeback. Damn, I miss wearing it! Super warm, indestructible, and agelessly cool.

While I may not be able to pull off my motorcycle jacket in 2014, I get a little solace now thanks to Rose & Fire. Mike Buchfuhrer, the man behind the brand, has been creating unique headcovers for about a year now. Using materials like denim and ballistic nylon, Rose & Fire has a look that quite frankly I have never seen before.

I had the opportunity to meet with Mike at the 2014 PGA show and get a first-hand look at the entire line. One feature that is common across most all of the designs is a large solid zipper and small pocket. Despite having limited use (insert SNL joke), it definitey adds to the overall vibe.

The other common feature is the brass ring on the end of each headcover, which can be used to remove them from your club, but mostly it just looks cool.

Perhaps because I am not military, the ballistic nylon did not speak to me and the denim was just not my thing but the leather . . . oh yeah, 100% money. I think what got me was that this is not your basic leather headcover. It is almost as if Mike reused all of the discarded 2005 motorcycle/pilot jackets to create these gems. You may note that many of these pictures are taken with my leather jacket as a backdrop and it is virtually impossible to differntiate the headcovers from my sweet Wilson jacket (ahh, no it is not a Wilson jacket).

To set the record straight, I have owned numerous leather headcovers but I have never seen one that is this rich. Most leather headcovers are made from some type of cowhide and are typically fairly thin. In the case of Rose & Fire I am convinced if you sewed enough of them together you would have a legitimate coat worthy of a New Jersey winter.

From a functionality standpoint, this may be the best headcover I have ever owned (and I have a bunch). Easy to put on, never slips off, rugged as road, they are just a beast which is exactly the vibe I want for my big stick. This goes for the putter cover as well. The thing is big, well padded, easy to slip on and off but securely fastened with velcro.

As regular readers know, I have a soft spot for small companies in part because I know how hard it is to build a business. Moreover, I inherently trust the quality that comes from folks who are passionate about creating a brand. I know how important every detail becomes and how hard they work towards perfection. Spending an hour with Mike as he explained each and every detail, it became clear to me that he is absolutely focused creating his perfect headcover. In part this means local manufacturing in California and using only the best hand-picked materials. This is the type of product I want in my bag.

So will they go in my bag? Will they replace one or more of the other headcovers I have and genuinely love? The answer is yes, I am absolutely putting the driver headcover in my bag. Fortunately, I was only sent the driver and putter cover so I don’t have to kick out any other woods. Even still, I think I prefer having a single leather headcover because it stands in such stark contrast from my other softer headcovers.

As for the putter cover, alas, I have a rule that if I am using a boutique putter that was hand crafted I will always use that company’s cover. I guess it is my way of acknowledging the work they put into creating the flatstick. However, big brand putters . . . see ya. The Rose & Fire definitely wins that match.

Rose & Fire headcovers run about $40-$60, with the leather version on the high end. You can see more of the Rose & Fire collection and purchase them on their website.

One of the many great things about golf is the fact no two courses are identical. However, many are fairly nondescript. Even at the premier level, there are certain “looks” that we have come to expect, and I think this is particularly true in the United States. Fortunately, this is starting to change, in part because of the work being done by master architect, Tom Doak. Unlike your average country club course, Doak is creating natural minimalistic masterpieces. One such example is the newly opened Streamsong Resort in Florida.

ClicGear, known for its sleek folding design, has become one of the clear push cart leaders. At my club, for example, where a ton of members use a push cart, ClicGear is absolutely in the top 2 of preferred models. While I have never owned a ClicGear myself, my partner Wade reviewed the ClicGear 3.0 last year and was very impressed . . . he continues to use that cart to this day.

I’ve always been leary of the term “Game Improvement” iron. For whatever reason, it seemed like code for “your game stinks”.  Plus, even if my game is not where I want it to be, I don’t want to sacrifice all opportunity to hit “real golf shots” and get feedback from the club. Like most mid-handicappers out there I struggle with consistency more often than not, and much like my awakening to the fact I shouldn’t be playing from 6,800 yards, I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that game improvement irons are not the evil cheater clubs I’ve always assumed them to be.

Recently we were sent us a new set of PING G25 irons which fit under the moniker of a Game Improvement iron. Since I currently reside at the low end of the totem pole when it comes to Handicap stats here at Three Guys, I gladly accepted the assignment to review this vastly popular iron set and see if I could show some real improvement with my game.

The review process started with me first finding my way to the PING website where I went through their online fitting process. Quite a few different measurements are taken like your hand size, finger size, how far off the ground your wrist is, and so on. After those figures are calculated you then look at ball flight patterns such as lefts and rights and how you would like the ball to fly with a low, mid or high trajectory.

With my current irons (that I was using prior to this review) my ball flight was pretty low, which makes it difficult to come softly into a green on a makeable approach shot, so I decided to give the higher ball flight a try and PING paired the clubs up with a shaft that would fit that need.

The only club I have ever had fitted was a driver at GolfTEC years ago so I was intrigued to see how the clubs came out. One of the more appealing aspects of the fitting process was how they take into consideration your hand size and match your measurements with one of their grips.

Speaking of the grips, the ones that come on the G25’s are from PING and I’ve found them to be quite comfortable – not overly aggressive and very receptive to my hands. When I compare them to the grips on my other clubs it was easy to see that the off-the-rack irons are made for people without pigmy hands like I have. With the correctly sized grips to go along with the club cut to the right length to match my height and posture, I could tell a difference almost instantly the first time I held the clubs and I really felt in control of my swings.

The look of the G25’s is very appealing. In my mind I was sure that I was going to be swinging some grossly oversized, offset clubs that looked more like a kids toy than a golf club, but that wasn’t the case at all.

You can see from the pictures that the G25’s have a unique color and when standing over them addressing a ball there is virtually no glare or any type of distracting aspects. They have a very traditional look and in no way do they feel like an oversized beginners club. Shows you what I know.

I was able to spend a good 4 days with the irons before I had to pack them up for Florida. Yes, I would have like to spend some more time with them at the range but with setup that I currently have at the house it was easy for me to get a feel for the new clubs before I headed out to the East coast.

Without a doubt the best feature of the irons is their ability to handle off-center hits. With my previous irons any off-center impacts sounded like a piece of lead being dropped on a broken cymbal. I’m still working on my over the top move, and because it’s still a dominate component of my swing, I find the toe side of the club more often than not. With the G25’s a swing that would have previously resulted in either a penalizing shot or one I really didn’t like attempting instead puts my rock down the fairway in a very manageable situation.

Even more impressive than the miss-hits was the elusive “catching it flush” right in the sweet spot. I don’t like saying I have a favorite club, I want to think love all my clubs equally so I’m never in a situation where I don’t want to make a swing with a specific stick, but the G25 6iron has rapidly climbed to the top of chart as my go to club. With the CFS shafts  PING included with the irons I was flighting the ball like I had never done so before, hitting some beautifully high shots that came down like a feather falling from the sky. Unlike anything I had ever experienced before on the course.

It wasn’t just the 6 iron though; all of the irons in the set have the same high trajectory shot. The game improvement approach of the G25’s allows the ball to get higher, quicker, with its deep cavity-backed heads and when it was combined with the CFS shafts I was getting that dreamy ball flight I’ve been wanting for so long.

Although it was very appealing to see that high ball flight it did take a little while to get familiarized with the new distances I was hitting. The PINGs were cut down a .25” and that made a big difference when combined with different degrees of loft compared to my previous clubs. With my short game improvements though I was able to get up and down a lot more often because the miss-hits were still in the general area I was aiming for.

It also didn’t help that I was playing at nearly sea level which is very much different than what I’m used to playing here in Vegas. That being said I couldn’t have been happier with the performance of the G25’s. With each additional round I played (6 in all) I started to get a better feel and understanding for the clubs. At the end of my six straight days of golf adventure it was no brainer to me that the G25’s were going to be a taking up a permanent residence in my bag for the 2014 season. It may be too soon to tell but I most definitely foresee see some better scores coming my way.

Custom fit to my specs, amazing forgiveness on miss-hits, superb ball flight and to top it off a gorgeous looking iron set. PING certainly did it right when they created the G25’s and this blogger couldn’t be happier playing with a game improvement iron!

You can visit PING the website and go through the same nFLIGHT Web Fitting that I did where you can then take the specs to a certified retailer and have your very own custom clubs ordered. The G25’s have a retail price of $699 for a 3-PW set with steel shafts.

Cheap by nature, I am not one to think shelling out $350 for a round of golf is very prudent. In my opinion there are only a few courses that truly fit that bill. Pebble Beach is certainly on the list given its history and stunning views (or so I have been told), Pinehurst #2 would probably be another one. For my 40th, I played Pinehurst #2 and my caddie telling me “don’t worry, Tiger missed that same putt” alone justified the $340 I paid. With the rare opportunity to play TPC Sawgrass, I was going to get a first-hand look at another one of the famed courses that is a potential “bucket list” track.

As I watch two golfers race to the 16th green (instead of the caddies . . . meh) at the Phoenix Open, I can’t help but wonder how my boy Tiger and his management team continue to whiff on what could be his most valuable PR move. Why in the holy Scott Hoch is Tiger not playing in this tournament?!

I am not exactly sure when, but certainly in the past two years, FedEx started to heavily promote their club shipping service. While the commercials were catchy, I was always wary of using the service because I figured the cost would be too much of a premium. I know this because I ship things on a regular basis (primarily via UPS) so I am aware of what it costs to ship a 45 pound bag. Throw in a box and service and I am thinking we are in the $75 per trip range. Side hint: UPS Stores and the like absolutely charge insane markups . . . go directly to a UPS location when possible.

Interested but also a bit skeptical . . . that’s how I would describe my thoughts about trying out some Tommie Copper athletic wear, particularly with the golf swing in mind. I know, we have all seen the late-night commercials for the next amazing product with cosmic curing effects. Unfortunately, they usually have about as much appeal as a leftover pizza box the next morning!

For some history, I suffered a back injury a few years ago that makes my mornings a little slower and creeky-er than they used to be. Since I don’t like to take ibuprofen or other meds on a daily basis, I am always on the lookout for things that might help with mobility, soreness, and/or quicker recovery. When I read that the co-founder of Tommie Copper, Thomas Kallish, created the line of clothing in part to help with his own post-injury pain and soreness, I was hopeful for some actual results.

The claims of Tommie Copper are fairly extensive, and outlined in detail on their website at tommiecopper.com, so I won’t go into all that you can easily read there. Instead, I will focus on my actual experiences. I was interested in a compression shirt and compression shorts for walking the golf course as I have used calf compression sleeves in the past with good success and continue to use them to walk the course, as I find that my legs and feet are less tired and recover more quickly .

I have worn the Tommy Copper short-sleeve compression shirt and compression undershorts during a few rounds and several range sessions, and have felt the same recovery effects I get with calf sleeves (and they don’t look as dorky).  The fit is lightweight, extremely flexible and snug without being constricting at all. In the end, my back, glutes and thighs feel more supported during the round and have recovered faster after the round.

Some of their literature spoke to the core support and greater ease of the golf motions with compression wear and I have to agree. My core feels more compact and more able to coil and throw when I’m wearing the gear. And the lessening of the soreness I normally feel afterwards has impressed me.

Tommie Copper makes claims as to the benefits of the actual copper which is infused into the nylon yarn that they use in the fabric along with spandex. Some of the claims are related to decreased soreness, spf 30 sun protection and anti-bacterial qualities. All of these are great claims conceptually . . . and while I can’t pretend to know exactly or scientifically how much this is working for me, my experience has demonstrated that it washes and dries in a snap, doesn’t seem to trap odor the same way that some of my other similar gear does, and as I’ve said, seems to have affected my soreness.

I’ve also tried a long sleeve shirt and a great looking Tommy Copper zip-up jacket from their Active Fit line that incorporate the same material but in a non-compressing cut. It has quickly become my favorite combination to wear over the compression shirt for working out in the cooler and colder weather. It breathes really well, moves effortlessly with my movements, is sewn to be rugged and durable, and I’ve gotten a number of compliments on the looks. In terms of the golf swing, it does fit my body closely so that it doesn’t flop around, but it also never feels tight or constrictive.

My wife isn’t a golfer, and doesn’t usually have much use for many of the products I’ve reviewed, but she was very interested in getting some Tommie Copper for her closet as she’s gotten more familiar with it.

Pricing is moderate with a long sleeve Active Fit long sleeve shirt going for $64.50 and the short sleeve compression shirt going for $49.50 on the Tommy Copper website.

Each year, Three Guys Golf reviews about 100 products per year. While not the biggest golf review site, we probably see more gear than most. The fact is, companies have come to realize that blogs are a great way to get real and mostly unbiased information into the hands of consumers. While each blog has a slightly different methodology and business model, each one is basically trading their creative talents for gear – the old win/win situation (still unclear who is winning more).

I haven’t worn traditional spikes to play golf in years, and that’s not the chorus of the song. The fact is, I don’t ever plan on wearing traditional golf shoes ever again, and shoes like the Nike FI Impact are strong cases for the reason why. For those of you with short attentions spans, I am gonna spill the beans and say that these shoes have truly impressed me on several levels.

While much of the credit for the popularization of soft spike golf shoes goes to Fred Couples, you can actually trace some of the history through the NFL. Growing up, I came from a football family where it was the sport of choice for me and my brothers (and my father’s profession). Back in the 70’s when NFL teams were moving to turf, players like my dad were also making the transition to non-spiked shoes. In fact, my dad had a pair of one of the very first turf shoes ever developed. When I was old enough to play on turf in high school, he let me break out his pair, and I never looked back to traditional cleats again. So for me, soft spiked golf shoes seem to be the obvious choice.

Once I started playing golf in my 20s, I enjoyed the grip of cleats, but didn’t enjoy the hardness and unevenness of walking in them or the styles of the golf shoes that were the norm. My hips, feet and back were taking a beating as well. Fortunately, with the well-chronicled shoe revolution we now have quite a few great choices.

For this particular golf shoe, Nike brought in Suzann Pettersen to help design the F1 Impact. Suzann drew from her 8 years studying shoeless running, and working with the Stanford golf team. Nike learned that Stanford players were practicing barefoot, following in the footsteps of pros like Sam Snead and Rocco Mediate, who have long-extolled the virtues of feeling the ground with your bare feet during your swing.

The Nike FI Impact Golf Shoes truly wrap around my foot and fit like a glove and with the way the low-profile sole works with the ground, they give tremendous feel through the motion of the foot as it pushes off the ground in the swing. There are no cleats on shoe, but when hitting off of wet, dewy grass I was amazed at how much the nubs gave me a solid grip; and yet they felt like running shoes when walking on pavement.

The facts that these shoes are water-proof, exceptionally comfortable, lightweight, highly breatheable (due to the mesh upper), and exceptionally dynamic (due to soft ‘finger’s through the arch area that keep the uppers connected to the sole during the movement of your foot) make them a great value at $130.

They come in four color combinations, including grey and blue besides the ever-popular white and black. I have been trying the blue, and although they were a little bright for my taste when I first looked down to swing, I noticed that it made it very easy to check my setup and foot position with barely a glance.

If you’ve tried ‘barefoot’ running shoes or ever played golf barefooted, or even longed to, you should give these a try. They give you many of the benefits of your bare feet, with plenty of helpful options to go along with it.

You can learn more about the Nike F1 Impact golf shoe on the Nike Golf Website.

When was the last time you were excited to make a purchase at a golf course? What, no interest in being overcharged for sleeves of balls, gatorades and last year’s golf shirts? I’m guessing you didn’t buy your last set of irons from the pro shop either. Exactly when and why did this business model go so wrong?

At what length are you willing to go to improve your putting? For me it’s simple: if I could get a consistent roll from a tattered piece of driftwood that’s duct taped to a PVC pipe I’d throw it in my bag. That certainly wouldn’t be as cool as wielding one of the fancy $400 milled putters, but at the risk of tarnishing my highly touted reputation as a golf purist I’d have to consider it, right?

The people behind the Mantis Golf Company have taken a different approach to help you with your flat-stick issues by creating a very unique and uncharacteristic putter that might surprise you. We as golfers are so often consumed with the material makeup of a putter, or how it was created, or the alignment aspects . . . the list goes on and on. Mantis, however, took it back to the basics and from there made just one big change: Color.

OK, let’s first address the 300lb Jolly Green Giant in the room. Yes, the putter is green. Yes, the putter resembles the head of a praying mantis and yes, your friends will more inclined to think you’re parading around the streets at night in a mask with some magical ring rather than thinking you’re on to something when it comes to improving your putting skills.

I’ll admit it, the first time I came across the Mantis as the Vegas PGA show my thoughts were a bit scattered. There’s been white, black, silver and even Nike Golf has dabbled in the trendy Red with their concept putter, but green? After spending a little time with the people from Mantis though, my inner Kermit the Frog started to show itself and I became much more interested in the science behind the Mantis, which ideally is what it is all about.

My scientific background doesn’t travel beyond the understanding that when water gets cold it turns to ice so bear with me.

Everyone is aware that maintaining eye contact with the ball is key to striking a putt well. With your eyes not completely locked into the ball it is easy to get distracted by things such as a shiny white putter head or some overly dramatic alignment aids. What the Mantis did with its patented putter head color – that’s right, it has a patent – allows your eyes to lock in more on the ball and not be so easily distracted by the putter head moving away and coming back to the ball. It’s a very simple theory.

The design elements of the Mantis putter combine to instill confidence, facilitating a golfer’s ability to watch the ball, not the putter – leading to greater focus, concentration and putting results.

             – Mantis Website

The smart people in white coats (or maybe green coats) at Mantis Golf Company have figures that show an impressive decrease in eye movement when using their putter. It was this science that intrigued me the most, and when I thought about it, it really made sense.

Science is cool but how does it putt?

On the Mantis you’ll find a soft polyurethane face that puts a real nice roll on the ball. The overall sound of the ball coming of the face is a little too “pingy” for my liking but it’s nothing you’ve never heard before in other putters. Mantis ships their putters with an extremely comfortable Winn Grip that is in the company colors and also includes a head cover that’s kept in place via the very popular magnet method.

What I like about the Mantis is you know you’re holding it. What I mean by that is the weighting is top notch. Being a mallet it is of course face-balanced and very easy to swing and it didn’t feel out of the ordinary when I compared to other mallets I’ve played with in the past. My putting stroke has a very strong arc and for that reason I use a blade style putter, so making the switch back to a mallet was a bit nerve-racking at first, but after taking it out for a few sessions on my practice green at home I really started getting a feel for how it putts and how this green head of the Mantis could really be of some assistance.

Practice green stats aside, what really mattered was how it performed on the course, so I took the Mantis for a couple of spins around one of my local tracks to see how well it stood up under real game condtions. At home on my indoor green I was really pleased with the outcome, but a straight 6′ putt indoors on simulated carpet is more for technique work. But I found on the course the Mantis to be much like it was on my indoor green.

The ball really “pops” off the face and I remember saying a few times “WOW, this thing is hot!” I had zero problems with my lag putts, with that pop I spoke of the ball almost runs to cup off the face and there were no issues getting the ball close on those long nerve-racking putts. Not being able to go beyond six feet at home, my stroke during those sessions wasn’t exactly powerful, so the first time I had a lengthy putt I was really surprised at how fast the ball came off the face and started trucking towards the hole. 

I must admit that the Mantis, being a mallet, really had me stressing when the closer putts were not dropping like I’m used to. My strong arc path wasn’t a very good fit for the Mantis and its Mallet head, but lucky for me one of my friends that joined me the day I played was willing to give the Mantis a go for our second round. Dan, being a fan of the mallet style putter, instantly feel in love with the Green Machine. So much in fact he was willing to throw me some cash right there on the 18th green for it!  Yeah, he was a beast with the Mantis, probably the best I’ve ever seen him putt.

Even though my love affair with Mantis was limited to lag putts and my home indoor green, I still found the science behind the Mantis putter to the most interesting aspect. The putter did blend in very well with the greens we played on and my practice green at home. I can easily see how it could calm the nerves of players that might be more yippy than confident. It sure helped Dan with his yips.

The Mantis comes in either left or right configurations and is available in 33″, 34″, 35″ lengths or you can order it uncut.  The Mantis retails for $159.99 and you can purchase it directly from the Mantis Golf Companies website.

UPDATE: I just spoke with Sally Sportman who is the director of Media & Public Relations for Mantis and she informed me that Mantis has a new “Blade” style putter in the works and will be debuting it at the PGA Show later this month.

 For the Techie:

• Putter Weight: 350g
• MOI: 5000 cubic g/cm
• Material: 431 Stainless Steel
• Construction: Perimeter weighted
• Face Insert: Polyurethane
• Grip: Custom Winn Grip

Over the past 10 years or so, I have progressively been moving from game improvement to scoring irons. With that said, I tend to believe that most average golfers are better off erring on the conservative side. Too often I see guys playing with tour blades who frankly do not have the game to back it up. Speaking of “not enough game”, some folks might argue that I am right on the edge of having enough game for the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons. I play to a 9.3 handicap during the heat of the season and more like a 12 during the off-season (which was when I reviewed these clubs).

While I have never owned a set of blades (much less Nike irons), I have hit a number of brands and have had basically zero success. I have found that I either hit really bad shots or shots that I think were good only to watch the ball fly way short of my expectations. Can you see the set up here? Are the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons appropriate for a 10 handicap?

Let me step back and say that I totally understand the desire to play a blade. Blade irons give you immediate feedback and allow for better workability. Plus they look super cool, permeate the “yea, I am a player” vibe and are basically a chick magnet (or at least that is what I am hoping).

Perhaps this is exactly what Nike had in mind when they designed the VR Forged Pro Combo irons. With roughly half of the set (3-6 irons) having a cavity pocket and the scoring irons (7-PW) having split cavities, the Nike combo irons provide the advanced or aspiring advanced player with the best of both worlds.

Complementing the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Iron are the Dynamic Gold shaft which is meant to promote high trajectory in the long irons. Admittedly, I am not a shaft geek so I judge this performance on whether I am comfortable hitting the 3 or 4 iron rather than a hybrid. In the case of the Nike VR Irons, I am not shy about hitting the long irons. Adding to the forgiveness and overall seamless feel between the long and short irons is the polymer filling added to the pocket cavity. The science of this surely eludes me, but basically, it makes it such that it does not feel like two separate sets of clubs, i.e. 3-6 and 7-PW. Conversely, it feels like a progressive set of clubs.

For my review of the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons, I spent about 45 minutes on the range with the irons prior to taking to the first tee. Before I hit them, I was very aware of the fact they are noticeably smaller (or at least thinner) than my cavity backs. Admittedly, my swing is a touch goofy these days but I am still playing to around a 12 handicap. Hitting the 4-6 iron felt familiar to my other clubs in that it was fairly easy to  make solid contact. Still, I did notice that I got more feedback, both good and bad, with each swing.

With the scoring clubs, 7-PW, I was expecting to be really punished for off-center hits. Fortunately, this was not the case with the Nike VR irons. Yes, they are less forgiving than your “game improvement” irons, but they are way more playable than a pure blade. Plus, if you are like me and use a bump and run short game, they are really effective around the green.

Returning to the “can a 10 handicap play these clubs” question: Don’t get me wrong, I understand the carrot and stick mentality for playing blades. The argument goes that if you can learn to play blades you will become a better player as you will get instant feedback by which you can hone your game. On the other hand, you have to be committed to improving your game rather than hanging on to what you still have.

After playing 6 full rounds with the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons, I would love to say they will stay in my bag, but the reality is that I am at an age and point in my game where I probably need a touch more forgiveness with each passing year, rather than less. With that said,  I am very comfortable and confident with them in my bag.

On the other hand, for players whose game is still on the upswing and whose strength is not in decline I think you will find these clubs as a welcome middle ground between pure blades and bulky game improvement irons.

My bottom line is that Nike has gotten their act together and are now offering quality equipment for players at all levels, and the Nike VR Forged Pro Combo Irons fit nicely into that mix. In the end, if you are looking to split the difference between the forgiveness of a cavity back and precision of a blade, the Nike Pro Forged are a great option.

A final note on the Nike equipment brand. I, along with the whole Three Guys Golf crew, am a huge Tiger Woods fan. We have written many a post about why we love his game (and wish he was a whole lot cooler). Oddly, it was not until this year that I actually ever played with a Nike club. This year we reviewed the Nike VRS driver and Covert hybrids. In both cases we were pleasantly surprised by how much we like the clubs. It was therefore, perfect that I finally was able to review the VR Forged irons to complete the trifecta

Visit Nike Golf website to learn more.