So today started like almost any other day; I woke up to my dog jumping on the bed and licking my face, I had a bowl of Lucky Charms, and I jumped on THP to read the latest and greatest since, well, about 9 hours prior.
I then remember that the TaylorMade launch was last night and decide that I will take my driver to Golf Galaxy to score some Lethals. I roll in around lunch time, hit some warm up shots, and then get on the monitor with my current driver, an RBZ with a C.kua 43x shaft. The results were typical: 111 swing speed, 280-285 carry.
I pick up the R1 and immediately notice it's quite heavier but still a very solid feeling club. I hit some very solid shots with a similar swing speed and get a ball that carries 287-292. Pretty solid increase, and the GG employee hands me a bag with 8 Lethals. Score!
There is hardly anyone else at the store, so I hit some more drives with the R1. Very solid club, good dispersion numbers on mis hits. I really was not a fan of the sound off of solid hits or toe/heel hits.
I look over and see a Stage 2 driver and figure I'd give it a whirl. Whoa. The driver was very light. Very easy to swing. 118 mph, 119 mph. I'm in awe. The ball launches off of the face. 300+ yards of carry. Two people have begun watching me launch shot after shot into the simulator stratosphere. What am I going to do? I'm not going to buy a new driver, am I? No, I can't. Especially without consulting the boss. So I take my balls and go home, in full blown ponder mode.
I jump on THP to relay my experience when a little devil (or perhaps angel) named ddec appears on my shoulder and reminds me of the laser show I put on with the Amp Cell at the Atlantic City van stop last fall. Oh boy, I couldn't possibly buy a different driver without hitting the Amp Cell again.
Fast forward to 4:39pm, my wife arrives home from work only to immediately notice the s--t eating grin on my face. "What do you want now?" she groaned. I figured at this point I had a better chance of asking for 3-some with Kate Upton than bringing up a new driver. However, I proceed to enter into full blown "Ralphie from A Christmas Story" mode as I ramble on my Golf Galaxy experience earlier that day. She brings up the fact that my birthday is in June and before I can get out the "yeah, but" she says 'I guess it could be an early birthday present.'
We then immediately set out back to the fut.... err... Golf Galaxy. On the way she brings up the fact that I should probably test all of the clubs and choose the best one. This is why I married her.
We get into the store and head over to monitor where I tell Dan, the store GM what I'm there to accomplish. He goes around and grabs me an XHot, Amp Cell and the Stage 2.
I start where I left off, the smoke show with the Stage 2 - 10.5 loft, stiff shaft. The club is so light that I was breaking the 120mph swing speed mark and seeing distances that I'd never imagined. 310 carry? Seriously? My one problem with the Stage 2 was the dispersion. Misses were high fades, big fades too. The shaft was just a bit too whippy where sometimes I felt the club head didn't square up in time and it caused the push fade.
The next club I was handed was the XHot - 9.5, stiff. I don't know it's because I've played a white driver for the past two years, but the first thing I noticed was I was having trouble squaring up the face due to the dark gray crown and black face; there just wasn't enough contrast for my liking. I also found the black alignment aid to blur into the dark gray crown too much as well. The club felt very solid through the swing, but I just didn't hit it well. Carry was similar to what I was seeing with the R1 earlier, but the dispersion was worse. Just not a good fit for me.
Lastly came the Amp Cell. It was a bit like finally getting to talk to that gorgeous girl you made small talk with at a party months ago but really didn't get a chance to know. I set the loft to 10.5 degrees and had the stiff shaft. The Cell was definitely the most balanced feeling of all the clubs. As I took some practice swings, this wave of confidence overtook me. I hit some balls and the results were just beautiful. Every. Single. Drive. I was only getting swing speeds of around 112-113, but the ball was consistently carrying 295-300. Dead straight. Every time. Wow
I picked up the Stage 2 again and let 'er rip. Swing speed jumps, distance up, but the accuracy just wasn't there. Back to the Amp Cell and it was as if the monitor was broken and just kept displaying the same thing over and over again. It was a great feeling.
After much deliberation with Dan and my wife, it was time to make a decision. While I hit the ball further with the Stage 2, I opted for the total package and am now the proud owner of a Cobra Amp Cell! My first full range session with it will be tomorrow morning and I will be sure to share my thoughts here!
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
I then remember that the TaylorMade launch was last night and decide that I will take my driver to Golf Galaxy to score some Lethals. I roll in around lunch time, hit some warm up shots, and then get on the monitor with my current driver, an RBZ with a C.kua 43x shaft. The results were typical: 111 swing speed, 280-285 carry.
I pick up the R1 and immediately notice it's quite heavier but still a very solid feeling club. I hit some very solid shots with a similar swing speed and get a ball that carries 287-292. Pretty solid increase, and the GG employee hands me a bag with 8 Lethals. Score!
There is hardly anyone else at the store, so I hit some more drives with the R1. Very solid club, good dispersion numbers on mis hits. I really was not a fan of the sound off of solid hits or toe/heel hits.
I look over and see a Stage 2 driver and figure I'd give it a whirl. Whoa. The driver was very light. Very easy to swing. 118 mph, 119 mph. I'm in awe. The ball launches off of the face. 300+ yards of carry. Two people have begun watching me launch shot after shot into the simulator stratosphere. What am I going to do? I'm not going to buy a new driver, am I? No, I can't. Especially without consulting the boss. So I take my balls and go home, in full blown ponder mode.
I jump on THP to relay my experience when a little devil (or perhaps angel) named ddec appears on my shoulder and reminds me of the laser show I put on with the Amp Cell at the Atlantic City van stop last fall. Oh boy, I couldn't possibly buy a different driver without hitting the Amp Cell again.
Fast forward to 4:39pm, my wife arrives home from work only to immediately notice the s--t eating grin on my face. "What do you want now?" she groaned. I figured at this point I had a better chance of asking for 3-some with Kate Upton than bringing up a new driver. However, I proceed to enter into full blown "Ralphie from A Christmas Story" mode as I ramble on my Golf Galaxy experience earlier that day. She brings up the fact that my birthday is in June and before I can get out the "yeah, but" she says 'I guess it could be an early birthday present.'
We then immediately set out back to the fut.... err... Golf Galaxy. On the way she brings up the fact that I should probably test all of the clubs and choose the best one. This is why I married her.
We get into the store and head over to monitor where I tell Dan, the store GM what I'm there to accomplish. He goes around and grabs me an XHot, Amp Cell and the Stage 2.
I start where I left off, the smoke show with the Stage 2 - 10.5 loft, stiff shaft. The club is so light that I was breaking the 120mph swing speed mark and seeing distances that I'd never imagined. 310 carry? Seriously? My one problem with the Stage 2 was the dispersion. Misses were high fades, big fades too. The shaft was just a bit too whippy where sometimes I felt the club head didn't square up in time and it caused the push fade.
The next club I was handed was the XHot - 9.5, stiff. I don't know it's because I've played a white driver for the past two years, but the first thing I noticed was I was having trouble squaring up the face due to the dark gray crown and black face; there just wasn't enough contrast for my liking. I also found the black alignment aid to blur into the dark gray crown too much as well. The club felt very solid through the swing, but I just didn't hit it well. Carry was similar to what I was seeing with the R1 earlier, but the dispersion was worse. Just not a good fit for me.
Lastly came the Amp Cell. It was a bit like finally getting to talk to that gorgeous girl you made small talk with at a party months ago but really didn't get a chance to know. I set the loft to 10.5 degrees and had the stiff shaft. The Cell was definitely the most balanced feeling of all the clubs. As I took some practice swings, this wave of confidence overtook me. I hit some balls and the results were just beautiful. Every. Single. Drive. I was only getting swing speeds of around 112-113, but the ball was consistently carrying 295-300. Dead straight. Every time. Wow
I picked up the Stage 2 again and let 'er rip. Swing speed jumps, distance up, but the accuracy just wasn't there. Back to the Amp Cell and it was as if the monitor was broken and just kept displaying the same thing over and over again. It was a great feeling.
After much deliberation with Dan and my wife, it was time to make a decision. While I hit the ball further with the Stage 2, I opted for the total package and am now the proud owner of a Cobra Amp Cell! My first full range session with it will be tomorrow morning and I will be sure to share my thoughts here!
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
