Mine goes like this: 3 minutes to one that you never really know what you might get in the mix, 5 minutes to a decent range with the yellow type practice balls that are Nike and Srixon I think and then 20 minutes to a really nice place with TaylorMade balls and seperate practice areas. And it cost $25. Oh and the first place is mats only.
TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Review Thread
Mine goes like this: 3 minutes to one that you never really know what you might get in the mix, 5 minutes to a decent range with the yellow type practice balls that are Nike and Srixon I think and then 20 minutes to a really nice place with TaylorMade balls and seperate practice areas. And it cost $25. Oh and the first place is mats only.
Staples
Dirtydawg67
Ha. My local course bought used range balls from a driving range for their range. They are srixons that reached their useful life 3 years ago. I have started hitting the cracked ones into the woods hoping they wouldn't go in and find them.
ROliver
Member
Hanks, Thanks for the write-up and pictures.
Hanks
On the Fringe
hit these again for a bit today and the results were the same..nice, smooth, consistent contact. I'll write some more thoughts down in the morning but I wanted to check in and say that these irons are quickly winning me over!
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Thanks for the pics and feedback Hanks. Oh and thanks for chiming in too OEM, I'm glad you got a chance to get some swings in with these!
- Staff
- #233
Ok. I have a lot to say. Probably too much, but that's just how I roll.
First off. I hit about 220 range balls and then shot an 80 (yes, an 80 ha!) on the simulator. I can vouch for the distances on the sim since things were typical of my distances and swing speed. Got terribly tired towards the end of the day, but it was awesome to be outside and hitting some golf balls. Conditions were breezy and in the mid 40's to low 50's.
I've hit a bunch of different irons over the last year. In fact, I've had four sets in my bag and demoed many others. During the middle of last season my confidence in iron play was as low as it gets. I ended up buying 'hybrid irons' as a confidence booster and was able to claw my way back. I'm hitting the ball cleaner and higher than I ever have right now. The reason I say that is because at one point last year I actually posted that I thought the CB's might be too hard for me to hit. Yea, I was low. I've also been testing the Cobra S3's and had a chance to put them directly against the CB's today. I'm not going to talk much about them, but I needed a point of reference for my testing.
Let's talk looks
I love the modest offset of the CB's. It's there, but not as severe as some of the other sets I've used recently. They just look nice when you look down at them. The cavity is basically invisible at address until you get into the longer irons, which cant hide it as well. The cavity itself is great. The black portion is a matte finish and the whole theme is really just simple. I like it. Alot. I didn't notice any glare from the chrome finish and found it to be pretty refreshing after my foray into the dark finishes. Also, the slightly smaller head and thinner topline really frame the ball nice. You feel like you have something in your hand that is going to hit the ball well.
Ball Flight, Distance, and Control
Ball flight on well struck shots is high and piercing. Not the 'springs off the face way up in the air' ball flight that I get from the S3's, but more of a steadily rising flight that drops softly. I have stuggled with low ball flight in the past, but these are very easy to get up in the air, which I appreciate.
Distance was slightly shorter than the S3's, but not by much. Well struck shots held their own and were maybe 5-7 yards shorter. Still, I was hitting the ball further than I ever did last year. What I found was that I didn't mind the slightly shorter distance because I had much more control with the CB's. I was able to keep the ball tighter with them and didn't tend to lose it right like I did the S3's.
Feel and Sound
I've never really get much of a sensation from well struck shots. Not one that I can really describe any other way than nice. These were nice on good shots just as I'd suspect. As for mishits, I know the feeling well and the CB's didn't disappoint in terms of providing feedback. I miss on the toe when I'm off and was able to tell when I did it. I was pleased to find out that the sensation wasn't painful in any way, which was surprising considering the temperatures.
Sound on good shots is CRACKY. It sounds like a major leaguer hitting a baseball. Crack! It's addictive.
Forgive Me
If anybody is well suited to test forgiveness, it's me. After testing today I saw ball marks all over the face. I did notice some distance loss on shots out towards the toe, as you might expect. Depending on the poorness of the mis hit, it could be anywhere from 5-15 yards. Perfect example is that a good 7 iron was in the 160 range, while a poor shot would be 145 or slightly more. I found the forgiveness to be enough to make bad shots decent, but I still had enough of a reminder to make me try to hit it cleaner next time.
So, after a first date, I think I might have something special here. There has only been one other set I've hit this year that have made me get all weird and gushy. I just kept saying to Jrod, "I love these things".
Here's a vid of me hitting a 7 iron. I think you can get a feeling for the sound of a good shot. The first one I hit a bit fat, but the second one was pure and long.
[video=youtube;qeQQyV-5nDw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeQQyV-5nDw[/video]
First off. I hit about 220 range balls and then shot an 80 (yes, an 80 ha!) on the simulator. I can vouch for the distances on the sim since things were typical of my distances and swing speed. Got terribly tired towards the end of the day, but it was awesome to be outside and hitting some golf balls. Conditions were breezy and in the mid 40's to low 50's.
I've hit a bunch of different irons over the last year. In fact, I've had four sets in my bag and demoed many others. During the middle of last season my confidence in iron play was as low as it gets. I ended up buying 'hybrid irons' as a confidence booster and was able to claw my way back. I'm hitting the ball cleaner and higher than I ever have right now. The reason I say that is because at one point last year I actually posted that I thought the CB's might be too hard for me to hit. Yea, I was low. I've also been testing the Cobra S3's and had a chance to put them directly against the CB's today. I'm not going to talk much about them, but I needed a point of reference for my testing.
Let's talk looks
I love the modest offset of the CB's. It's there, but not as severe as some of the other sets I've used recently. They just look nice when you look down at them. The cavity is basically invisible at address until you get into the longer irons, which cant hide it as well. The cavity itself is great. The black portion is a matte finish and the whole theme is really just simple. I like it. Alot. I didn't notice any glare from the chrome finish and found it to be pretty refreshing after my foray into the dark finishes. Also, the slightly smaller head and thinner topline really frame the ball nice. You feel like you have something in your hand that is going to hit the ball well.
Ball Flight, Distance, and Control
Ball flight on well struck shots is high and piercing. Not the 'springs off the face way up in the air' ball flight that I get from the S3's, but more of a steadily rising flight that drops softly. I have stuggled with low ball flight in the past, but these are very easy to get up in the air, which I appreciate.
Distance was slightly shorter than the S3's, but not by much. Well struck shots held their own and were maybe 5-7 yards shorter. Still, I was hitting the ball further than I ever did last year. What I found was that I didn't mind the slightly shorter distance because I had much more control with the CB's. I was able to keep the ball tighter with them and didn't tend to lose it right like I did the S3's.
Feel and Sound
I've never really get much of a sensation from well struck shots. Not one that I can really describe any other way than nice. These were nice on good shots just as I'd suspect. As for mishits, I know the feeling well and the CB's didn't disappoint in terms of providing feedback. I miss on the toe when I'm off and was able to tell when I did it. I was pleased to find out that the sensation wasn't painful in any way, which was surprising considering the temperatures.
Sound on good shots is CRACKY. It sounds like a major leaguer hitting a baseball. Crack! It's addictive.
Forgive Me
If anybody is well suited to test forgiveness, it's me. After testing today I saw ball marks all over the face. I did notice some distance loss on shots out towards the toe, as you might expect. Depending on the poorness of the mis hit, it could be anywhere from 5-15 yards. Perfect example is that a good 7 iron was in the 160 range, while a poor shot would be 145 or slightly more. I found the forgiveness to be enough to make bad shots decent, but I still had enough of a reminder to make me try to hit it cleaner next time.
So, after a first date, I think I might have something special here. There has only been one other set I've hit this year that have made me get all weird and gushy. I just kept saying to Jrod, "I love these things".
Here's a vid of me hitting a 7 iron. I think you can get a feeling for the sound of a good shot. The first one I hit a bit fat, but the second one was pure and long.
[video=youtube;qeQQyV-5nDw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeQQyV-5nDw[/video]
Staples
Dirtydawg67
Good update Hawk. I really want to hit these irons now. The second shot sounded goooooooooood.
Hawk, very nice write up bro. Its great to see everyone more or less finding the same things to be true about these irons. TaylorMade has winner with these for sure. You know the only thing I had an issue with was the video. Soon as I heard all that wind I had flashbacks to the outing and my lips got chapped.
Edit: Cover up that Mashie bro!
Edit: Cover up that Mashie bro!
- Staff
- #237
Nice write up Hawk. Sounds like you had a good first experience with these things. I love the sound of the MC's and it sounds like the CB's have that great sound to them as well. It's good to hear about the forgiveness because when people hear forged they automatically think that there is none. Your current bag set up looks great, but to echo my friend OEM, cover up that mashie dude!
- Staff
- #238
I haven't been able to stop thinking about these irons all day. It was absolutely pouring earlier and I was calling places to see if they had their driving range open. I need to get these on the course soon so I don't go crazy.
JRod
Well-known member
Yah I called Palmer today and the guy was being a complete nozzle. =(
- Staff
- #240
must be a midwest expression haha
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
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Hawk, I'm digging those pictures and that video. The sound is something else! Really looking forward to how everything plays out for all the TM testers!
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 21,982
- Reaction score
- 100
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Hanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm noticing a common theme among the testers... Smooth. That is great to hear.
White Rhino
SANDBAGGER!!!!!!!
Excellent write up and video Hawk. I hope you continue to have great success with these irons!
Hanks
On the Fringe
Here are some more of my thoughts after spending 2 more days hitting these things. If I may borrow a line from a comedian...boy are my arms tired.
Looks- These irons get sexier each time you pull them out of the bag. The look is just plain clean and functional with a certain amount of class to them. There's not a lot of bulk to them and I have no idea how they are so forgiving. More on that later. These almost make you focus more on your shot, in particular ball striking/contact which I'll expand on later as well. You know you have some serious sticks in your hand when other people walking past you on the range either stop or slow down and do the 'bag check out' look. I've adjusted to the chrome look and don't seem to notice that 'm not hitting a darker finish iron but I think if these were to be released in a darker finish that people would be lining up to buy them.
Performance- Once again these sticks did not disappoint. It was almost like I couldn't hit a bad shot with these. As long as you put the club head on the ball you're going to get a positive result. Even if you're not making a 'golf shot', you feel like you're making a 'golf shot.' These make you feel like you're executing perfect shots even when you're not. In a weird way, the thinner topline and the club head profile makes me focus more on the ball vs. the club and I've seen my ball striking improve. the ball marks on the club are not as spread out and seem to be more settled i the middle of the club face. That may be why the feeling is so good, middle of the club face hitting the ball. Who knew? The sound is a steady, solid crack that's not the kind you get when you thin a shot. The ball flight is what I'm very impressed with. The ball does get up there but the way it does it is really something, especially in the 5-7 irons. Mid-launch flight that peaks high but doesn't just drop out of the sky like a stone. You can see a gradual descent which is a nice thing to watch. These irons aren't overly long, I'd say a good 5 yards shorter than my previous set but the shot dispersion and accuracy more than makes up for that. The best moment of all was giving my buddy who uses X-20's the 9i to hit after he was finished hitting his own 9i and seeing his reaction. The shots were going farther, looked better, and sounded better. These immediately went to the top of his own pondering list after hitting just a handful of shots. See, it's not just me or the other testers with these irons.
Summary- Having these in the bag make you want to hit them. Again. And again. And again. In fact I'll be off to the range again this morning. I really want to focus on hitting the 5i and PW today as I've really been spending most of my time hitting the 6-9 irons. The 8 iron is still a favorite but look at the results of hitting the 7i like a mofo yesterday....mmmmm mmmmm good.
[/IMG]
Here is why I want to spend more time with the PW today.....my final shot of the day and the feeling and sound that I had was better then sex...well almost
[/IMG]
More to come as I continue to get comfy with these irons...not only are these in my bag, I think they'll be in others' bags soon too if the results continue to be so positive. I need to get these to the course soon.
Looks- These irons get sexier each time you pull them out of the bag. The look is just plain clean and functional with a certain amount of class to them. There's not a lot of bulk to them and I have no idea how they are so forgiving. More on that later. These almost make you focus more on your shot, in particular ball striking/contact which I'll expand on later as well. You know you have some serious sticks in your hand when other people walking past you on the range either stop or slow down and do the 'bag check out' look. I've adjusted to the chrome look and don't seem to notice that 'm not hitting a darker finish iron but I think if these were to be released in a darker finish that people would be lining up to buy them.
Performance- Once again these sticks did not disappoint. It was almost like I couldn't hit a bad shot with these. As long as you put the club head on the ball you're going to get a positive result. Even if you're not making a 'golf shot', you feel like you're making a 'golf shot.' These make you feel like you're executing perfect shots even when you're not. In a weird way, the thinner topline and the club head profile makes me focus more on the ball vs. the club and I've seen my ball striking improve. the ball marks on the club are not as spread out and seem to be more settled i the middle of the club face. That may be why the feeling is so good, middle of the club face hitting the ball. Who knew? The sound is a steady, solid crack that's not the kind you get when you thin a shot. The ball flight is what I'm very impressed with. The ball does get up there but the way it does it is really something, especially in the 5-7 irons. Mid-launch flight that peaks high but doesn't just drop out of the sky like a stone. You can see a gradual descent which is a nice thing to watch. These irons aren't overly long, I'd say a good 5 yards shorter than my previous set but the shot dispersion and accuracy more than makes up for that. The best moment of all was giving my buddy who uses X-20's the 9i to hit after he was finished hitting his own 9i and seeing his reaction. The shots were going farther, looked better, and sounded better. These immediately went to the top of his own pondering list after hitting just a handful of shots. See, it's not just me or the other testers with these irons.
Summary- Having these in the bag make you want to hit them. Again. And again. And again. In fact I'll be off to the range again this morning. I really want to focus on hitting the 5i and PW today as I've really been spending most of my time hitting the 6-9 irons. The 8 iron is still a favorite but look at the results of hitting the 7i like a mofo yesterday....mmmmm mmmmm good.
Here is why I want to spend more time with the PW today.....my final shot of the day and the feeling and sound that I had was better then sex...well almost
More to come as I continue to get comfy with these irons...not only are these in my bag, I think they'll be in others' bags soon too if the results continue to be so positive. I need to get these to the course soon.
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
Great stuff Hanks. I had the same experience when playing blades last year. I concentrate a little harder so good contact comes more often. I can't wait to hit these bad boys at the Outing.
TC
Keg Thrower
Incredible wrute up Hanks. I'm glad you are finding such early success. These may be these best sounding irons at impact I've ever heard. I saw some great golf shots from One-T yesterday and I know that they are a blip on my radar for sure.
tapatalk: even available for lefties!
tapatalk: even available for lefties!
- Staff
- #248
good stuff Hanks. I am having the same feelings about the MCs. I just want to get out there and keep hitting them over and over again. So far the early results are very good for these irons.
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 21,982
- Reaction score
- 100
- Location
- Paul Casey's Twitter Page
- Handicap
- RCGA 14.2
Hanks those are some really telling pictures of the type of swing you're putting on the ball. I'm with TC on this one. I will be hitting the CB's for sure 100%.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Great stuff Hawk and Hanks! I am loving all these updates and it might just be me but I haven't seen a negative thing written or said about any of the 3 models yet.