CHAMP Spikes Challenge Review Thread

[Wake]

I installed the Champ Zarmas in my old FootJoys last night, and was excited to play with them today, since I was playing 36 holes and it was going to be wet. I got up early to head to the course, and got halfway there and... oh crap I forgot them at home. I was extremely disappointed but the good news is I am playing tomorrow, and should be walking for a great initial review.

I am thinking I am going to buy the Scoripions for my Nike's, which are in Dire needs. That way I can do a heads up comparison between the two spikes.

Should have plenty of thoughts after tomorrow.

 

[omega4]

I've used the Champ softspikes. They were good but nothing spectacular. Traction was average to above average. They didn't seem to attract debris any more or less than other softspikes.

 

[JB]

I've used the Champ softspikes. They were good but nothing spectacular. Traction was average to above average. They didn't seem to attract debris any more or less than other softspikes.

Are you referring to the two spikes being tested here? Which ones showed average traction if I may ask?

 

[INgolfer]

Just got my champ spikes in my shoes today. Bought the scorpion stingers. Haven't played with them yet, gonna play with them in tomorrow. Looking forward to trying them out.

 

[omega4]

Are you referring to the two spikes being tested here? Which ones showed average traction if I may ask?

Sorry about that. I was commenting on the Champ Stingers. I used them with Nike SP8 TW Tour shoes and Nike Lunar Control shoes.

I used them in dry conditions mostly. In wet conditions, they showed average traction.

I found better traction with Black Widows and Pulsars softspikes (both dry and wet conditions).

 

[Buckjob]

Wake that sucks bro. I had my shoes on top of my bag last night in my trunk so I wouldn't forget them today lol.

 

[Wake]

Wake that sucks bro. I had my shoes on top of my bag last night in my trunk so I wouldn't forget them today lol.

I changed the spikes out right before going to bed. Then sat them next to the balls I had to have also. In my sleepy haze I grabbed the balls and left the shoes. I don't really function at 745 in the morning.

 

[thedue]

06/09/12
Champ Golf Spikes Challenge
Elks Country Club Course
18 Holes

After coming in yesterday, right before work, I stayed up late changing out spikes for the new Champ Zarma's that arrived. To be honest I was only partially excited as I've been using the Champ Stingers for some time now, and while I find these an extremely solid product I expected these Zarma spikes to be some what less in the area of traction and more for a walkers benefit, which I do very little of. Also, this idea of a cushion and more comfort? I found that sort of laughable, come on... I was born at night, but not last night. As it turns out I could not be further from the truth.

To start with, changing spikes with less than quality equipment is a real PITA. My tool of the moment was a combination spike/divot tool from Champ with no grip, not good for stubborn spikes that take some torque. A little soaking and I was able to free these, clean up my shoes and replace with the Zarma spikes. About an hour of icing my right hand and another the next morning I was ready for my round, lol.

My Findings: These things have traction and will mark up the green. I will try to take pictures tomorrow, now that Liz is back home with my camera. You could see every where I walked and I was kind of appalled that I move around so much, hehe. Make no mistake, as I did, about the grip these Zarma spikes have, I'm notorious for swinging out of my shoes and these will help you do just that. The way these spikes spread with your weight seem to help the grip take hold, even on concrete as I tested several walkways today. They will not help you stay balanced if you have a serious problem like I do, but they will help you stay planted if you are reasonably balanced and on unlevel ground.

But what's up with this cushion crap? After many years of foot problem's consisting of a lot of discomfort, I'm more than aware of what works or does not and these do work. Going in as a non-believer it's tough to admit it, but I could feel a huge difference from the original spikes that came with these Adidas shoe and from the Champ Stingers in my FJ shoes. On the parking lot, side walk or hard fairway you can feel the flex and cushion support, they are without a doubt more comfortable.

Con's: Ok, every product has to have something wrong with it and about all I could find is the color. Mine came in simple white and by the rounds end they are a puke yellow from the grass. As far as the "Staying Clean" feature, nothing works well with mud and I did have to work at these a little, but then again I expect the old spikes would have been worst.

 

[Buckjob]

nice write up Due

 

[jmatt]

I like the sounds of that. If the Zarmas are even slightly more comfortable than a solid spike, they're worth a try for me. I grow tired of mincing around on aching feet after a round.
Has any Zarma tester noticed any downside? Any extra sway or give during the swing? I know it's too early to discuss durability, I'd hope the spikes wear out before the cushioning gives way.

 

[thedue]

I like the sounds of that. If the Zarmas are even slightly more comfortable than a solid spike, they're worth a try for me. I grow tired of mincing around on aching feet after a round.
Has any Zarma tester noticed any downside? Any extra sway or give during the swing? I know it's too early to discuss durability, I'd hope the spikes wear out before the cushioning gives way.

Too early for me to say on the wear, but comfort wise these are noticeably better to my feet. The 3.0 shoe's come with 8 spikes each, so sway is not likely, but they were sort of stiff or spiky feeling to walk on hard pan, where with the Zaema there is a similar feeling to adding the cushion insoles to a pair of shoes. I found it a bit hard to believe and thought it was all market speak, so I tried my FJ's on to see the difference and its there.

I just hope that last's. We are talking a small plastic object that takes a lot of abuse with walking a course. Time will tell.

 

[Buckjob]

I like the sounds of that. If the Zarmas are even slightly more comfortable than a solid spike, they're worth a try for me. I grow tired of mincing around on aching feet after a round.
Has any Zarma tester noticed any downside? Any extra sway or give during the swing? I know it's too early to discuss durability, I'd hope the spikes wear out before the cushioning gives way.

i havn't noticed any downside yet.... but only have 1 range session a par 3 round and 18 today. and the ground has been drying out from day to day. as for the extra sway or give during my swing i havn't noticed anything i feel like i have solid footing even today when the ground was sloped for most of my shots even from the fairway. I'm also interesting in seeing how they wear and how it affects the cushioning they provide im assuming sooner or later they will not flex back as much but i guess thats something that i will have to wait and see how they hold up down the road.

 

[TripleBogieTim]

Played the first round with the new Scorpion Stingers in my Footjoys today at the Texas THP Tour Van stop and I have to say I was impressed. This course offered lots of elevation changes, lots of downhill and sidehill lies and some pretty steep bunkers that I unfortunately ended up in and I had no traction issues what so ever.

I felt grounded and solid all day. After seeing some others talk about how clean they stay, I walked out to the garage and looked at mine and low and behold.....NOT A THING ON THEM.....no grass, nothing! Pretty impressive because I usually have to clean the bottom of my shoes after every round. The course we played today had some pretty think round too where you could pick up the grass that likes to wrap around the spikes....but didn't get any!

So far, I am very pleased with the Champ Spikes, but lots of golf to go.

 

[Mr. Satchmo]

So I walked 9 holes today at my usual course and I noticed a couple of things. The first thing when I stepped up to the tee box and swung was that I didn't really sway and my bad habit of sliding my feet around was not there. It was easy to stay balanced and landed to the ground even during my aggressive Driver swings. I felt like I could focus on other things in my swing since I had great stability and I was able to generate more power from the ground since my feet were planted instead of sliding around.

Strangely enough, even in fairway and greenside bunkers I was able to dig in and feel confident from the ground up-I'm not too sure the spikes play to much of a role in bunkers but the mental aspect of knowing I had consistent stability eased my mine. The one thing that I was concerned about was missing into the desert The desert in NM tends to be very rocky and there are lots of sharp rocks. My previous spikes wore prematurely and the little spike arms broke off cause the rocks really screwed them up when I looked for my ball in the desert-today I was actually surprised there wasn't too much wear on them maybe I missed the nasty rocks cause I could hear some crunching under my feet.

On the green itself I noticed that it made a shallow impression of the spikes but it still didn't damage the green. I also noticed that in deep rough I still was digging into the ground rather well.

Since I tend to play in the evenings when the course sprinklers go off I had to play in some soggy conditions today and even though the ground was soggy towards the end I was still able to hit solid shots and not slip since the spikes did a great job.

After 9 holes walking the spikes themselves had minimum gunk on them and with a quick shoe brush on the way out, they were nice and clean except from when an idiot left gum on the green and I stepped in it yuck! So far the spikes still look in great condition and I am tempted to see what they will be like on monday night when I play at the Red Hawk links golf course where the rough is so thick and deep and the ground is even harder and rockier!

I am in love with these stinger spikes so far

Thank you THP and champ for this opportunity, it's an honor and a privilege!

 

[10YardDraw]

Great updates Due, Buck, TBT, and leiruagetro. You guys are making me even more excited to be able to get back out and play on the 30th! It will be interesting to see on the Zarmas if the cushioning does give out before the spikes wear down, something I will be following closely. Keep it up fellas, good stuff.

 

[Nate]

Received the Zarma spikes at the end of this week and just now changed them out in the shoes. I currently wear the Adidas Powerband 3.0 and had the Softspikes Pulsars in there before. Here are a few pictures I took to compare:

Side by Side with new spikes not used:

Right off you can see the bulker tips on the Zarma's but all and all very similiar to the Pulsar's.

Ant View:

Again, bulker tip on the Zarma as if they are going to cushion the blow of the ground impact without give in the stem. The Pulsar's seem to work in the other way, looking like they have a little give in the tip and stem and will expand upon impact.

Placed a new Pulsar in the middle surrounded by 4 of the used spikes I removed from the shoes to show wear. I would guess I've had these spikes in for about 12-15 rounds and another 5-7 range sessions. Yes, way to long as you can see:

and again from the Ant view:

When I replace the Zarma's, I will do the same pictures with them as I did with the Pulsar's. Will see how many rounds of golf and range sessions I get in before the indicator "C" tells me it's time, but will try and do the same amount of wear to them.

Initial thoughts:
The tips look great for walking comfort and hope it translates to the ground. The Zarma is so much softer feeling than the Pulsar (by hand) and if looks could tell the story, looks like it is a bit more durable than the Pulsar. But because of that, I wonder if it will wear faster than the Pulsar?

It may be hard to tell in the pictures because it's black, but the 2 holes on the sides of the spikes that helps in the installing and removing of the spike (if you are using that 2 prong wrench) looks WAY more enforced in the spike than other spikes I've used. Will be curious to see if it's still solid after the wear begins.

Love the tee bag! I've never thought about having a seperate bag for my wrench (Champ Max Pro wrench w/ 3 attachments...do yourself and favor and go and get one of these today! You'll never need anything else.) and extra spikes. I'll just throw it in the back of the trunk and I'll know where it's at when needed.

Love the white and black look to these (although noticed some have the yellow Zarma's).

Heading to the range this afternoon and then playing in a charity scramble tomorrow afternoon so will get some thoughts up after that. Count me as excited to give these a try for the first time!

 

[omega4]

Received the Zarma spikes at the end of this week and just now changed them out in the shoes. I currently wear the Adidas Powerband 3.0 and had the Softspikes Pulsars in there before. Here are a few pictures I took to compare:

Right off you can see the bulker tips on the Zarma's but all and all very similiar to the Pulsar's.

Again, bulker tip on the Zarma as if they are going to cushion the blow of the ground impact without give in the stem. The Pulsar's seem to work in the other way, looking like they have a little give in the tip and stem and will expand upon impact.

I love the Pulsar softspikes. They're give just a good traction as Black Widows (dry and wet conditions) but are noticeably more durable.

They're the spikes that I currently use.

The Champs version of the Pulsars look like a "poor man's" version as they only have 6 "legs", not 8.

 

[pmoa]

Took the Champ Zarmas for nine holes on my dog track today, instantly I noticed a cushioning feel when I was walking through the parking lot. The spikes gave way and I did not feel any pressure points where the spikes reside.

It was a hot and dry day on the course and the course was somewhat hard in the brown spots, the spikes performed admirably and comfortably for the nine holes that I walked.

On the first hole, I stepped up to the tee box and took my stance, the spikes felt really balanced. I took a practice swing and the spikes held nicely. I really wanted to check the right instep where I push off and the spikes left a nice imprint right where my foot was. This tells me the spikes are allowing me to put my weight into the transfer confidently.

Next was the green. As I walked across the green, I could definitely see spike marks where I was. They weren't super deep, but the greens did see some marking. They were noticeable enough where the ball may bounce a little if they were rolled directly over it. But what spikes won't leave a mark? Not really a big deal.

Overall, the spikes did their job on a perfect summer day, but I would like to see what happens in a somewhat soggy day. I will be taking pictures of the undersides after every round that will be compiled into a time lapse. If they hold up as nicely as they did today, it could be a while.

Pics (no clapping done in parking lot):

To be continued...


Tappin' dat pad

 

[10YardDraw]

I love the Pulsar softspikes. They're give just a good traction as Black Widows (dry and wet conditions) but are noticeably more durable.

They're the spikes that I currently use.

The Champs version of the Pulsars look like a "poor man's" version as they only have 6 "legs", not 8.

IMO the Pulsars are horrible, they did not last me very long at all and I had all kinds of slipping issues even when new. The Black Widow Tours were better than the Pulsars but clogged like crazy. I think the CHAMP Scorpion Stingers are going to be a lot better just from the feedback already and the feel of them.

 

[thedue]

Nate, nice job man. Looks like those Pulsars were just a tad past time to change, lol.

 

[Hanks]

Good stuff Nate....I hate those Pulsar spikes so hopefully you see some good results with your testing going forward


^^^^^^ I Tapped That.....On My iPad ^^^^^^

 

[JB]

omega,
You have stated your thoughts on these spikes on a couple of occasions and its your opinion that they are "average at best". Being as though this is a forum review thread and you have posted said thoughts, why don't we leave the debate of others reviews to their thoughts. Participation is great as far as posting reviews (which you have done) or asking questions, however debating the reviews of the 20 testers or so becomes monotonous after your thoughts on the matter have been posted.

 

[omega4]

omega,
You have stated your thoughts on these spikes on a couple of occasions and its your opinion that they are "average at best". Being as though this is a forum review thread and you have posted said thoughts, why don't we leave the debate of others reviews to their thoughts. Participation is great as far as posting reviews (which you have done) or asking questions, however debating the reviews of the 20 testers or so becomes monotonous after your thoughts on the matter have been posted.

Does the same apply if I should happen to concur with another reviewer's opinion? My guess is "no", as I've seen numerous members chime in agreement with others' reviews, but haven't seen you post about the monotony of their thoughts of agreement.

But I get it. Discussion is bad. Agreement is good. Noted and acknowledged for future reference.

I've deleted the offending post.

 

[JB]

Does the same apply if I should happen to concur with another reviewer's opinion? My guess is "no", as I've seen numerous members chime in agreement with others' reviews, but haven't seen you post about the monotony of their thoughts of agreement.

But I get it. Discussion is bad. Agreement is good. Noted.

How dare you post this nonsense. This is a typical example of the same garbage you have posted on the forum for 2 straight weeks. There is absolutely no difference. If you were following every single post up with "Yeah, I agree" I would say the exact same thing. Last time I will say this, either grow up or find another place for your childish games.

 

[thedue]

June 10, 2012
Indianhead Golf & Country Club
Dry/Hot Conditions


Today was my second time getting out to test the new Champ Zarma spikes and the conditions out there today gave me the perfect chance to see just how well these would perform. While the course was mostly hot and dry, we also came across several areas freshly watered and soaking. Add to that a rather large parking lot where we walked across both dry and wet area's I think these got a full work out today. Once again I can say that these spikes are simply comfortable to wear. The flex and cushion to these really make a difference, one I certainly did not expect.

Throughout the day I had no problems at all with stability, the Zarma spikes kept me well grounded, not an easy chore if you have ever seen my swing. Hard dry pan areas had me wondering, but no problem at all. The one bunker I found myself in was hard packed yet these worked their way in nice and deep, much better than my shot coming out. Wet conditions were just as solid and I was surprised by how little debris stayed attached to the spikes. The one and only time I slipped a little was in the parking lot where water was bubbling across a corner and I tried to make them slip, lol. It looked like it had stayed wet for some time as it was beginning to get sort of mossy, but beyond that these worked great.

At this point I have to say my feet feel great after the round, which is rare, and I actually played pretty well, not sure I can blame that on the Champs though. The greens did show spike marks and a lot of them, but I have to believe no more so than any other spike.

After the round: Notice the tips yellowing from the grass I described earlier)