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Cleveland Niblick to the rescue!

SuperStroke
JPsuff said:
Sorry, but I just can't see myself using one.

The main reason is that I don't want a club that is "designated" for any special purpose other than my putter and driver. Secondly, the fact that the flange extends past the topline (looking from above at address) is something that I simply can't get used to. I've never liked clubs like that and I've looked at many over the years.

Thirdly, from the point of view of simplicity and efficiency, if I need a 42-degree club, I'll just use my 9-iron which is exactly 42-degrees. Like I said, the reason it's called a "Niblick" is because it has a 9-iron loft and in the hickory days, a 9-iron was called a Niblick.

It will never be a club I'd use but as I've said, if it works for you or someone else there's nothing wrong with that and if it helps you play better and score lower than who am I to argue?


-JP
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I respect everything you have said and I too was in that train of thought. I even thought I was good enough that I didnt need one but in my short time playing around with this club I have holed more chips than I have in the past year using my wedges. That is not only impressive but telling me that what I thought was not right. The ultimate goal in golf has been and always will be to get the ball into the hole.
 
The Niblick is most certainly not just a chipper. I was hitting it at the range 115-120 with a full swing and getting great loft. I am replacing my 9 iron with this bad boy. I can see myself using it 10-18 times a round minimum. It has many many purposes for sure.
 
JPsuff said:
Sorry, but I just can't see myself using one.

The main reason is that I don't want a club that is "designated" for any special purpose other than my putter and driver. Secondly, the fact that the flange extends past the topline (looking from above at address) is something that I simply can't get used to. I've never liked clubs like that and I've looked at many over the years.

Thirdly, from the point of view of simplicity and efficiency, if I need a 42-degree club, I'll just use my 9-iron which is exactly 42-degrees. Like I said, the reason it's called a "Niblick" is because it has a 9-iron loft and in the hickory days, a 9-iron was called a Niblick.

It will never be a club I'd use but as I've said, if it works for you or someone else there's nothing wrong with that and if it helps you play better and score lower than who am I to argue?


-JP
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That is absolutely not true in regards to why it is called a Niblick. THey also make a 37* Niblick.
 
JB said:
That is absolutely not true in regards to why it is called a Niblick. THey also make a 37* Niblick.
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Well that would be closer to a Pitching Mashie.


OK JB, I'm all ears.


If not named for its loft and/or its use, why then is it called a Niblick?


-JP
 
Your exact quote was this line...

"Like I said, the reason it's called a "Niblick" is because it has a 9-iron loft and in the hickory days, a 9-iron was called a Niblick."

According to the designer, the reason it is called the Niblick has nothing to do with loft. It has everything to do with shaft length. The pitching niblick was the historical golf club whose short shaft made the club the #1 choice for short approaches. Sets differed so much in loft so most took loft out of the equation. Some used lofts as high as todays common wedges and some as low as todays 4 iron.
 
solidkjames said:
I respect everything you have said and I too was in that train of thought. I even thought I was good enough that I didnt need one but in my short time playing around with this club I have holed more chips than I have in the past year using my wedges. That is not only impressive but telling me that what I thought was not right. The ultimate goal in golf has been and always will be to get the ball into the hole.
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Hey if it works for you that's great.

But as I said earlier, I don't generally chip with wedges - I almost always use an 8-iron as a first choice and I will change to a different club depending on the circumstances.

Clubs like the Niblick (in various incarnations) have been around for a very long time and they've always had their fans and their detractors. I'm not a detractor so much as I'm simply not a fan.

Over the years, I've developed quite a variety of techniques using quite a variety of clubs and I've come to regard the various clubs I use for "touch" shots around the green in the way that an artist will switch to a particular type of brush for a very specific effect or use in creating a painting - and there's lots of different types of art and lots of different artists.

See, I don't look at golf as simply a quantitative thing and although it may be true that the "ultimate goal in golf has been and always will be to get the ball into the hole", it matters to me just how that's accomplished.
The way I play is the way I've come to enjoy playing and I love the challenge of deciding on the proper club and technique for each shot, especially the touch shots. So to me, a club like the Niblick, which has obviously been designed to slide through tall grass and whose emphasis is on getting the ball airborne from a variety of lies, would be "cheating".

I like to know that when I execute a perfect chip it was because of what I did and the way in which I did it rather than because a club's design made it easier.

That's just the way I am.


-JP
 
JB said:
Your exact quote was this line...

"Like I said, the reason it's called a "Niblick" is because it has a 9-iron loft and in the hickory days, a 9-iron was called a Niblick."

According to the designer, the reason it is called the Niblick has nothing to do with loft. It has everything to do with shaft length. The pitching niblick was the historical golf club whose short shaft made the club the #1 choice for short approaches. Sets differed so much in loft so most took loft out of the equation. Some used lofts as high as todays common wedges and some as low as todays 4 iron.
Click to expand...


Shaft length -- loft, we're both in the same ballpark.


-JP
 
JPsuff said:
Shaft length -- loft, we're both in the same ballpark.


-JP
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Um Okay. You said it was because of loft and the designer said "it has nothing to do with loft". That is a pretty big ball park.
 
JB said:
Um Okay. You said it was because of loft and the designer said "it has nothing to do with loft". That is a pretty big ball park.
Click to expand...


Short club/high loft...long club/low loft...


...do you see the connection?


-JP
 
JPsuff said:
Short club/high loft...long club/low loft...


...do you see the connection?


-JP
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UMMM. Read the quote from the designer again. The lofts changed QUITE A BIT!

"According to the designer, the reason it is called the Niblick has nothing to do with loft. It has everything to do with shaft length. The pitching niblick was the historical golf club whose short shaft made the club the #1 choice for short approaches. Sets differed so much in loft so most took loft out of the equation. Some used lofts as high as todays common wedges and some as low as todays 4 iron."

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
JB said:
UMMM. Read the quote from the designer again. The lofts changed QUITE A BIT!

"According to the designer, the reason it is called the Niblick has nothing to do with loft. It has everything to do with shaft length. The pitching niblick was the historical golf club whose short shaft made the club the #1 choice for short approaches. Sets differed so much in loft so most took loft out of the equation. Some used lofts as high as todays common wedges and some as low as todays 4 iron."

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
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bunny1.jpg



-JP
 
The day they put style points on a score card is the day I stop playing golf.
 
solidkjames said:
The day they put style points on a score card is the day I stop playing golf.
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It's not about style points, it's about the emotional payoff.

If I have a lie in fairly deep grass and I select a club - a regular club - and dig that ball out and have it cozy up to the pin, the emotional payoff is infinitely greater than the one I'd get if I used a club that's designed to flatten out the grass and let the club slide through so that I can easily hit the ball.

To me, it's the challenge, not the result.

I love to shoot a great score just like anyone else, but the score isn't all there is to golf.
Ty Webb posted in another thread that he once shot a 65 and a couple of 67's but his most memorable round was a 77.

He doesn't have to explain why that is because I already know. I've had rounds that weren't so great from a scoring point of view, but there were shots I made during those rounds in situations that called for a perfect shot and I made those shots and THAT is what I remember most and THAT is what keeps me coming back.

I know what I can shoot and I've played up to my potential (or as nearly as I could) and I've had rounds where I've strung endless pars together and though the score was good, the round itself was a yawner. But give me that moment when I absolutely have to "create" a shot and if I pull it off I'll remember that shot or that round more than all the routine pars or birdies.

It's not about the destination, it's about the ride!


-JP
 
Well I unboxed my niblick yesterday evening and popped a mid sized tour velvet grip on it. Around my club I am known for my wedge game which I am rather proud of. I have put many hours at our practice facility to hone that skill. My handicap would easily be in the single digits if not for my putting and inconsistant tee shots. My irons and wedges or my proud and joy. I love my 58 lob wedge and have become quite a shot maker with it. In saying all this I still chose to buy the Cleveland Niblick and give it a chance to make my bag. I would put on a pair of pink panties on if I thought it would make my golf game go to another level! :eek:) No offense to any of you cross dressers out there. Now me being 6'2" 212lbs I would be a site in sour eyes with pink drawers on! Being an x - linebacker in football I certainly would not tell my golfing buddies I wear pink drawers. I am going out today (Friday) and check this puppy out. Not expecting much without a good week of practice with it. I love to practice except for putting. Now you know why I hover around a 12 handicap. I will report later on my new club. Have a great Friday!!!!
 
Update on the Niblick. No pink drawers on but let me tell you this dawg will bite. On the first hole I was left with 80 yards to the pin so I said, let's do it. I got to the course just in time to join my foursome so absolutely no practice time with the newbie. When I hit the shot it flew right at the pin but I could not see the results as it was an uphill blind shot. When I arrived at the green it was four feet for birdie :eek:)!! I missed the putt :eek:(..
I used it a couple more times on the front nine trying the bump and run. I need some practice with those shots as the ball does come off hot. On number nine I had another shot within the 80 -90 yard range. The ball flew towards the hole hoever I could not see the results, this green was elevated. I pulled up to the green and wow, another putt about 4 - 5 feet for birdie! :eek:) Missed the putt :eek:(...... I used it for a few more shots on the back trying out the chipping aspect. I got some work to do here but it sure does feel positive in my hands. I will get the feel down for those around the green chips. It's just a bonding thing. All in all it's a very cool club. The gap wedge is sitting out this weekend. My lob wedge will get most of the 40 yard in shots but old nippy will be hitting a few more as we bond.....
 
Glad to hear its working for you.
 
After months of consternation and trying to convince myself that I'm one more range session away from consistency with a sand wedge, I bought a 42* today.

Took it to the range and quickly found out that while I like the club, I needed two things - length and grip. My hands are pretty big, and if I play a standard sized grip I tend to strangle the club to keep it from flying out of my hands. So my club is now 1" longer and with a midsize grip.

But while I was at the range, I worked on hitting it. I think the power of the club is that it brings your left-right dispersion in tighter. Distance control is still key, but (at least for me) hitting the Niblick brings tighter left-to-right dispersion than hitting my gap or sand wedges. I was hitting to targets, so I didn't really get to see how it checked up, but ball flight was very similar to a 9 iron. Stomping on it I hit about 135, which is a bit longer than my 9. I don't think I'll be stomping on the club too often though, because a mishit can get bad in a hurry.

So far I'm pretty pleased with it. The salesman at the shop I bought it from said that they've put some in bags they never thought they would - one of the guys is a very low single digit 'cap who claims it's the best money he's spent on golf - ever.
 
Used my 42* today on the course for the second round today. I love this club. I used it from 80yds and in and found myself reaching for it automatically. Very easy to adjust to and will never take it out of the bag.
I picked it up after reading all the reviews on this awesome site.

Thanks for all the help!
 
ShortyGSA said:
Used my 42* today on the course for the second round today. I love this club. I used it from 80yds and in and found myself reaching for it automatically. Very easy to adjust to and will never take it out of the bag.
I picked it up after reading all the reviews on this awesome site.

Thanks for all the help!
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Im with you! Love the club in close and around the green! And welcome to THP its a great site. Be prepared for THP to help you spend your money!:D
 
Just got back from my Saturday round. It started out chilly and then got worse here in Georgia. Nasty cold drizzle on the back nine but we got it in. I shot my handicap (83) but it felt like a 73! I used old nicky and he saved me 4 shots today. It appears that those pink drawers or about to be put on! This club is kinda like cheating once you get the feel. I got to the course early enough to hit about 50 shots with it just in case I needed to pull it out. We played dollar scats today between two foursomes and I won nine bucks. A couple of the guys said what are you doing with that flicking chipper. I said your billfold will tell ya soon enough. And it did... JB and some of you other kind folks need to get a cut from Cleveland Golf. Great reviews for what I am finding out is a great product. It's not a flipping chipper, it's a weapon :eek:) That's all I got to say.
 
I agree. Just returned from playing today also in Georgia and had the same weather in Atlanta. My 37 saved me from the woods a couple of times b/c it was so easy to get out. The 42 was great from about 90 yards and in. The cold weather affected distance some but it is still the go to stick inside 110.
 
I use the Niblick sometimes, I have the 37 version. I recently took it back out of the bag though and just use my PW,9 and 8 around the greens and have the same success.
 
It was cold wet and raining here all morning. I used the Niblick a few times today and had pretty good results. I'm still timid to hit it on our elevated greens but when its clear sailing to the pin I let it rip. I hit the ball really well today but our new superintendent has our greens running over 10 and you can 3 putt from 4 feet. Needless to say as great as I hit the ball today I 3 putted 7 times today. It was the worst putting day I have ever had and all my great niblick shots meant nothing lol.
 
Been there and done that Solid. At least you were out Golfn.:act-up:
 
I kept the Niblick with me all day Sunday while watching football and the Redzone channel. Its great for chipping back and forth on the carpet! Thats about all the practice or playing I could get in with all the dumb rain we've been getting here.
 
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