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CHAMP Spikes Challenge Review Thread

SuperStroke
Smallville said:
Question for the testers about how long their former spikes lasted and what they have been doing since they got these:

I used to put my shoes on at home and throw some tennis shoes in the car in case I went somewhere after the round. I noticed that I was replacing the spikes a lot, just because of the added wear of walking from the car to the clubhouse and back. The past few months I have been getting the cart first, then putting on my golf shoes when I get back to the car to get my clubs and the wear on the spikes is considerably less. (It was amazing to me what a one minute walk on asphalt does to the life of spikes.

Just wondering what your routines are for putting on your golf shoes, and whether you have changed what you were doing from before now that you've got these. I've seen it mentioned that people avoid walking on the cart paths when they can, but I see a lot of golfers walking through the parking lot with their spikes on.

It made a huge difference for me in how long the spikes lasted (though I must admit I would continue to play in spikes that were pretty worn down, always saying that I needed to get new ones!).
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As far as my usual routine with my spikes, I usually have regular shoes on until I get into the cart for the round. My old spikes in my FootJoys lasted around 8 months this way.
 
Smallville said:
Question for the testers about how long their former spikes lasted and what they have been doing since they got these:

I used to put my shoes on at home and throw some tennis shoes in the car in case I went somewhere after the round. I noticed that I was replacing the spikes a lot, just because of the added wear of walking from the car to the clubhouse and back. The past few months I have been getting the cart first, then putting on my golf shoes when I get back to the car to get my clubs and the wear on the spikes is considerably less. (It was amazing to me what a one minute walk on asphalt does to the life of spikes.

Just wondering what your routines are for putting on your golf shoes, and whether you have changed what you were doing from before now that you've got these. I've seen it mentioned that people avoid walking on the cart paths when they can, but I see a lot of golfers walking through the parking lot with their spikes on.

It made a huge difference for me in how long the spikes lasted (though I must admit I would continue to play in spikes that were pretty worn down, always saying that I needed to get new ones!).
Click to expand...

My last set of spikes lasted for about 4 months and that was cause I was walking 9 holes every single day for those three months. I made the mistake today of walking from the car to the course today and the parking lot did a little bit of damage. You really can't tell there was much damage just the little plastic ends were a little rough thats. all. One thing that I have changed though is I stopped wearing the golf shoes from the house to the car and drive to the course lol the driveway gravel really makes a huge difference on how they wear. I also have been cleaning my spikes every chance I get to keep them nice and clear of any rocks or so. I also noticed one spike was coming off so another thing I do os a post round routine where I check each spike and make sure it's not loose.

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From now on I will be walking to the course in my normal shoes and then put them on in the cart once I tee off. I am really impressed with the stingers so far though. That's also another thing I've had to do, avoid the cart path as much as possible and sometimes I tend to hit into the rocky desert and the rocks also eat away at the spikes, recent;y however I have had better luck with my drives and haven't missed too badly.

As far as putting today the green was soggy and the spikes went a little deeper than usual but I was able to make some awesome putts and didn't really slip on the chips and stuff
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So at the end of the round today, this is what the shoe looked like it didn't have too much wear but the shoes were quite dirty (note the subtle product placement)
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Overall I'm still relatively happy with the spikes but for some reason today they weren't as soft as the other days and I could really feel where the spikes were pushing up into the shoe itself maybe It was just a long day and I didn't notice it before.
 
To answer JB and Tadashi's question, I only use 1 pair right now and per my previous post I think I had about 12-15 rounds and about the same amount of driving range sessions in those spikes I posted.

Will post some more thoughts on the Zarmas tomorrow as I'm currently on my phone.
 
Smallville said:
Question for the testers about how long their former spikes lasted and what they have been doing since they got these:

I used to put my shoes on at home and throw some tennis shoes in the car in case I went somewhere after the round. I noticed that I was replacing the spikes a lot, just because of the added wear of walking from the car to the clubhouse and back. The past few months I have been getting the cart first, then putting on my golf shoes when I get back to the car to get my clubs and the wear on the spikes is considerably less. (It was amazing to me what a one minute walk on asphalt does to the life of spikes.

Just wondering what your routines are for putting on your golf shoes, and whether you have changed what you were doing from before now that you've got these. I've seen it mentioned that people avoid walking on the cart paths when they can, but I see a lot of golfers walking through the parking lot with their spikes on.

It made a huge difference for me in how long the spikes lasted (though I must admit I would continue to play in spikes that were pretty worn down, always saying that I needed to get new ones!).
Click to expand...

I always wear sandals to the course but being as I walk just about every round I always put my shoes on in the parking lot and walk through, then up the walk to the clubhouse, etc.

The last pair of Stingers I had lasted about 8 months of 100% walking with them every round. I have odd shaped feet so the outside ball area of each foot had to be replaced about 3 times but the rest of the set lasted all season. They are extremely durable.
 
Smalls...I do walk from the car to the proshop in my spikes. That probably does add to the wear.
 
Smalls, in the past I would walk everywhere in my spikes and it definitely contributed to the wear and tear. But for some reason the past couple of seasons I avoided cart paths due to a ligament issue in my big toe and walking on spikes and the pressure point from underneath made it uncomfortable.

I chose the zarmas more for comfort and wanted to check durability and performance versus the champ stingers. I've had the champ spikes in my shoes for 2 seasons and they have been great.

I felt that if I stay off the pavement, avoid cart paths, these zarmas will last me a while. the comfort has been off the charts so far.


Tappin' dat pad on tapatalk
 
I got these in the mail today and installed them for the round today. Here are some pics.
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I went with the Zarmas because I prefer to walk. As you can see my spikes were in desperate need of changing. I was really happy that these were black and white instead of the yellow and blue color. I know it is a small thing, but these blend in very nicely with the colors of the shoes.
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The performance was fantastic! No more slipping. I sometimes have an issue with my back foot slipping on my downswing, not with these. These are advertised to be more comfortable while walking and I can happily report that this was indeed the case. I could not feel the spikes even on the pavement, which is sometimes the case. So far I am very pleased with these. Comfortable and provide the grip I need. Pretty good combo.
 
Kind of a side note but I tested out the champ fly tees and I was really surprised at the quality, I think I only bent one out of shape real bad and I noticed a little higher ball flight, perhaps it was remembering the same length from the red lines. I also noticed that with the irons, the ball came off the tee easily and on hybrid shots and fairway shots, the tee head didn't break off with the higher speeds. Over all I make the switch to these as my official tee

now If could remember to pick them up after haha.

I also took a picture of the impressions left behind on the green by the spikes themselves, it's not too deep but you can tell it still digs in enough for stability but keeps from piercing the green

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You can see the spikes mark on the green next to the shoe, it's not too bad
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There is some great information in here guys, I really enjoy reading through it. I'm looking forward to hearing about the durability of these more as testing goes along because my spikes are wearing down quicker than I'd like.
 
Reading this thread makes me want to check my spikes. Some of them wear quicker than others, and I have spares. I should probably get those changed out. Great information everyone.

~Rock
 
Drumdog said:
If they could fix my knees, I would put them in all my shoes !
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I'm not thinking these will fix anything for me, but if they can take some bite out of the step I hope to see some extra comfort and less fatigue after the round. It's something I didn't see from the Stingers, only the Zarma spikes. So far so good!

Smallville said:
Question for the testers about how long their former spikes lasted and what they have been doing since they got these:

I used to put my shoes on at home and throw some tennis shoes in the car in case I went somewhere after the round. I noticed that I was replacing the spikes a lot, just because of the added wear of walking from the car to the clubhouse and back. The past few months I have been getting the cart first, then putting on my golf shoes when I get back to the car to get my clubs and the wear on the spikes is considerably less. (It was amazing to me what a one minute walk on asphalt does to the life of spikes.

Just wondering what your routines are for putting on your golf shoes, and whether you have changed what you were doing from before now that you've got these. I've seen it mentioned that people avoid walking on the cart paths when they can, but I see a lot of golfers walking through the parking lot with their spikes on.

It made a huge difference for me in how long the spikes lasted (though I must admit I would continue to play in spikes that were pretty worn down, always saying that I needed to get new ones!).
Click to expand...

Smally, I always waited until I have the cart to the car, except Sunday where I wanted to see how these felt on the paved parking lot. My spikes generally last about 6 months before I'm switching them out and frankly they are usually still in pretty good shape at that point. I do walk quite a bit for a cart person. I usually play with someone else and walk to my shot a lot while they are at their ball. No bigger/ heavier than I am they don't really have a lot of stress on the spikes, lol.
 
Smallville I put my shoes on at home before I leave the house and wear them to the course, this may include stopping and getting gas, going in and getting a drink, or anything else I might do right before my round, I do not plan to change this at all so I can see the wear just like I would with any other pair of spikes I have used. Yes this does include walking through the parking lot at the course as well and cart paths. I just want to keep it consistent with my normal routine so I can get a accurate indication on how durable these really are.
 
I was able to play 36 holes this past weekend and these Zarma spikes were great. I did walk 18 and ride 18, so I was able to get a good feel how these would work for both kinds of golfers.

Walking:
I walked an afternoon 18 Friday and the sun was out and the course was dry. The spikes held up well in the dry turf and I didn't see any issues with slippage. I did notice a few times where the spikes were easier on the feet to walk on pavement than my previous Scorpions. I don't walk on paths much during the dry days, but some times it is unavoidable. The greens were pretty firm so I didn't notice many imprints or 'tracks' at all. However, I did notice my bad habit of 'lazy feet' late in the rounds was not as disturbing to the greens. It could be the dryness or it could be the 'flexible' cleats found in the Zarmas compared to the Scorpions.

Riding:
I played a morning 18 Saturday where the ground was damp from morning watering and had freshly mown areas. I did not see any slipping or did I feel loose at any time. The ground wasn't wet or saturated by any means, but I would say it was at least damp. It might be the spread out cleats, but I did notice small wet grass clippings didn't clog as much as my Scorpions.

Here is a pic from my saturday morning round about 9:30am in Indianapolis.

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Here are a few shots after the 36 holes:

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Nice update DDXU, that is still less grass/clogging than what I am use to, usually every spike in my shoe is clogged to the max. Did that grass come off easy?
 
Great job ddxu, so you thought these were more comfortable as well? Good to hear man, I was beginning to question my own thoughts, lol. Well done man!
 
Went to the range on Sunday afternoon and played in a charity scramble Monday and had the Zarma spikes in ready to go. From the range, I did walk from the car to the range with the shoes already on. I'm always interested to see how new spikes feel on the concret as I walk on them. Sometimes you can really feel the spikes, whether it's a giving feeling or a sliding feeling, but it's really a chance to see what a certain spike feels like on the shoe. I could really feel the rubber tips/ends as I walked. They didn't give, were not sliding but it was just a good solid feel.

So lets cut to the end of the golf round on Monday. As most of you know in scrambles you tend to try and drive out of your shoes with the big dog, esp. when your partner puts one out in good position. I was no expection. I made many of these swings with my driver and did not notice one slip of my right shoe on the follow through. Good sign. They also felt pretty good on the greens. Soft. As far as comfort of a spike so far, this is it. No question. If you are a walker, this spike is for you.

Another thing I had to look back on and think about was that I really didn't notice the spike throughout the day. I never had that slip moment on a big drive or walking down the cart path and had to catch myself sort of thing....which is good! A good spike is one you don't have to think about! There were some impressions in the greens as I walked around, which are common with new spikes. Nothing damaging, but just noticeable. They were bent grass greens as well which are going to be softer than the bermuda greens.

First impressions after a couple of outings is I like the spike. Simple, comfortable and does what it should be doing during the golf swing. I am really curious how these spikes are going to wear. It does have a think rubber end but want to see how these ends hold up throughout the rest of the summer. So far....so good over on this end!
 
Played 18 today with Kmac in the rain. He wore the stingers I wore the zarmas. It was a steady rain during the entire round. I didn't experience any slippage at all today which was nice. The spikes were leaving small holes in the greens today when I was walking on them. Nothing damaging just from the rain dampening the greens. As for grass and mud building up on them it wasn't that bad. Much much better than my last spikes and the grass was recently mowed and they actually were mowing the grass today during some of the holes so I was expecting much worse grass build up. They cleaned right off with 2 smacks together after my round. As for comfort today there wasn't any issues and I walked a lot for a riding round since it was Cart path only. I prob won't be playing another round in the pouring rain any time soon but good to know that the zarmas offer great traction in those conditions and still didn't get clogged with grass and mud or sand today.
 
Nice update dude....the weather sure sucks here today but it sounds like those Zarmas worked out well

Buckjob said:
Played 18 today with Kmac in the rain. He wore the stingers I wore the zarmas. It was a steady rain during the entire round. I didn't experience any slippage at all today which was nice. The spikes were leaving small holes in the greens today when I was walking on them. Nothing damaging just from the rain dampening the greens. As for grass and mud building up on them it wasn't that bad. Much much better than my last spikes and the grass was recently mowed and they actually were mowing the grass today during some of the holes so I was expecting much worse grass build up. They cleaned right off with 2 smacks together after my round. As for comfort today there wasn't any issues and I walked a lot for a riding round since it was Cart path only. I prob won't be playing another round in the pouring rain any time soon but good to know that the zarmas offer great traction in those conditions and still didn't get clogged with grass and mud or sand today.
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Buckjob said:
Played 18 today with Kmac in the rain. He wore the stingers I wore the zarmas. It was a steady rain during the entire round. I didn't experience any slippage at all today which was nice. The spikes were leaving small holes in the greens today when I was walking on them. Nothing damaging just from the rain dampening the greens. As for grass and mud building up on them it wasn't that bad. Much much better than my last spikes and the grass was recently mowed and they actually were mowing the grass today during some of the holes so I was expecting much worse grass build up. They cleaned right off with 2 smacks together after my round. As for comfort today there wasn't any issues and I walked a lot for a riding round since it was Cart path only. I prob won't be playing another round in the pouring rain any time soon but good to know that the zarmas offer great traction in those conditions and still didn't get clogged with grass and mud or sand today.
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Nice update Buck. Did you notice on the greens a big difference between your Zarmas and Kmacs Stingers leaving marks, seems like the stingers would leave worse marks when its raining and the greens are soaked.
 
Today I went to the range and hit a medium bucket of balls. We have had 2" of rain here in the last couple of days so I expected the Zarma's to load up with debris pretty bad. To my surprise they really did not, I never had to knock them off the entire time on the range. I was a user of the Stinger's before testing the Zarma's and I know they would have had some debris (although not an awful lot) had I had them on in today's conditions.

I then went to the putting green and chipped and putted for about an hour and fifteen minutes, I never left any marks on the green and could not really see any evidence of my 220 lbs walking any where at all. Walking on the cart path to and from the green the Zarma's are still the most comfortable cleat I have ever walked in, the difference is very noticable to me and the only time I ever remember noticing a difference in spikes with the 1st time I ever walked on soft spikes after having always walked on metal spikes. So something like 10 years into wearing softspikes I have found one that feels much different than the usual.

The link is my 1st review after playing in the Zarma's last week, I am posting it for any who may have missed it. I did mention the softness of the Zarma's in this review. http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...eview-Thread&p=1397927&viewfull=1#post1397927
 
Great updates, everyone. I can imagine these spikes getting a bit dirty after a wet round. Hopefully I'll be getting out tomorrow for a round and I'll see how my stingers do on the softened turf from all the rain we've been getting today.
 
There is some great info in this thread. As soon as I get back to THP HQ, I am checking my golf shoes to see which pairs need new spikes.
 
10YardDraw said:
Nice update Buck. Did you notice on the greens a big difference between your Zarmas and Kmacs Stingers leaving marks, seems like the stingers would leave worse marks when its raining and the greens are soaked.
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I didn't notice anything. It was really soggy too.
 
Kmac said:
I didn't notice anything. It was really soggy too.
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I didn't notice more than this, The greens were recently watered since I was playing at twilight haha and I may have mentioned this earlier but this is the deepest I saw the marks in the green from my stingers

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