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We are back and back with a vengeance! As we said in our first March posting we have been working on a number of ideas for the website during the months past but it is only in the past few weeks that we have taken time to look at the direction we need to move in to provide you all with the information and service that you demand.
So this has seen me off on a course to learn a little about video and how to point a camera, its still not perfect but it is much better than it was. I have also managed to get a few more demo days lined up which I will be attending with the camera by my side to ask as many questions as I possibly can.
Easter Sunday just around the corner and some important events coming up in the golfing world. To follow this that week we will be taking a spin around Club de Golf Aloha which will see the European Tour take to its fairways once more this year. We will be chatting with members who play the course week in and week out as well as some of the top players in the game and will be asking if it is possible to stop Tiger Woods this season.
So even though it has been a little quiet here at Online Golfer this month so far there is plenty to come and it is going to be a busy summer I can promise you that.
Over the past 3 months I have been reviewing golf clubs like there was no tomorrow, and spending an awful lot of time writing reviews and hints and tips. I have seen visitors grow from about 300 a month to well over 300 a day (close to 14,000 unique visitors in Feb alone) and many of you seem to be coming back so I thought as today was the first day of a brand new month I would take a look at the month ahead and give you a heads up of what is coming.
A slightly new approach this month as reviews will be looking at some of the more outrageous products on the market such as some of the strange putter designs that Nike have been producing.
I will also be interviewing some of the Caddy’s on the European tour, they are the ones that really know what is happening and we will be introducing a photo blog and possibly some videos shot from the inside of the tour. The best bit of all is that it would seem that the Caddy (who for now shall remain a secret) has the full support of the European Tour to do all of this.
On the subject of the European Tour, we will be heading up to the Marbella event at Club de Golf Aloha to give you a slightly different view this year, we are going to give you a video tour so you know what it is all about.
While we are at the event we will be bringing you updates direct from the course onto the blog as well as, all being well and video camera permitting, interviews with players. The event this year even though the entry list is still open should pull a very exciting field this year as the event is two weeks before The Masters at Augusta so all the major players will be using this event and that in Portugal the week after as a warm up.
We will also be introducing some guest writers and bringing you a whole bunch of new hints and tips. There is also news of a shop on the horizon with discounts and great deals. The aim is to really celebrate the month of our first birthday in style and we are looking forward to sharing all of this with you. Make sure you grab our RSS feed and keep up to date with what is going on.
Its been a busy week for me, as I mentioned on twitter to Golf Girl Patricia Hannigan earlier this week the weather has changed back to blue skies and fantastic sunshine and it has been a complete return to the course and getting in as much golf as possible. So it was time for me to take the Cleveland Hibore XLS out on the course for a proper outing.
Having already taken the Cleveland Hibore XL 2007 out to the range in the pooring rain I have to say I am a little impressed at the smooth look and feel of the club. It sits right in your hands and has a natural look to it even with its sunken back.
Sales bumph below:
Now the first thing I noticed about this club is the club head it is massive compared to the 2007 version. The Cleveland Hibore XLS 2008 has a club face that is around (according to the bumph) 17% larger than the previous version. This means it has a larger sweet spot and is a lot more forgiving for those golfers looking to take their club head speed up a level and still get the control.
The technology the club uses means that the weight from the back of the club is channeled directly into the sweet spot giving a greater control of the club face at point of impact.
At the moment there are so many new drivers hitting the market it is impossible to say that any of them don’t meet up to being a good club to have in your bag because of the fact that technology is making clubs better and easier to use. The Cleveland Hibore XLS Gold is no exception its not as long as the Nike Sumo2 SQ 5900 Driver but because of the size of the club face the control is in my opinion as good. One special thing that Cleveland have added is a little hologram that turns yellow to show that the club is genuine see if the fakers can crack that one. Cost of the club is around $299 and I personally feel it is a good driver.
I am a fairly big fan of the Cleveland lob wedges but have always steered clear of their other clubs, so seeing the Cleveland HiBore CL 460 Ti with the Gold shaft in the pro shop today it was time to break the norm and take it for a test. Its out on the covered range for the test as the weather is still bad and the course is alas closed.
Now I am used to a driver being a large club head and I am slowly coming around to the new HiBore designs that have the dipped back, which gives in my opinion better ball control. The Cleveland Hibore XL 460 Ti has this very design and as in my previous experience with the clubs of this design it has that control but it also has a few differences that surprised me a little.
First off some sales bumph below:
The club gives good control of each shot and when hitting slightly off centre it is forgiving as with most clubs these days, but the Cleveland HiBore XL Driver also has a good control of trajectory. What I mean by this is with different tee heights still produced a solid trajectory of the ball, this isn’t always the case but I found this club very consistent.
The one thing I did find with the Cleveland HiBore XL Ti was that when I tee’d up for a lower trajectory and a slightly topped ball missed the sweet spot completely and resulted in what can only be described as ugly sound and an even uglier shot, this wasn’t forgiving.
Overall though a nice club and more affordable than some of the other clubs as it currently has $100 off due to the release of the new driver Cleveland have released, which I will be taking a look at next week, when I hope the weather is a little better than when I tested the Cleveland HiBore XL 460 Ti Driver cause to say I got wet was an understatement even under the covers of the range!
Today is the first time we have seen the sun in about a week and after the past 5 days of pretty much constant rain, which we don’t complain about because we don’t get that much, I managed to get out on the course for a round that tested other aspects of my game. Playing out of a bunker is one thing but when the water hazards are higher than normal and the actual hazard markers are below the water line.
Now on the course I played this morning there are a number of times where running close to the water is the best line you can take to get a good position into the pin. However this morning on a number of occasions running close to the water on the right was a test of my skills to play out of the water. Yep thats right playing out of water.
This particular shot is not for those who don’t like to get a little wet and if you wear glasses make sure you have a cloth to wipe them clean.
OK so the shot itself is possible as long as the ball is no more than around 2 inches below the surface, any deeper and you risk hurting yourself as the resistance on the club is fairly heavy. Most players don’t even consider this shot so it is a good one to have if you get the chance.
You need to have a good solid stance on dry land or take your shoes and socks off, lets face it the save of one drop shot isn’t worth destroying a good pair of golf shoes. It is worth playing the shot if you are in a good position, however it is worth pointing out that playing this shot with anything longer than an 8 iron will cause a big splash and thats about it!
Set yourself up with the ball forward in your stance, make sure you have the club face nice and open and that you are hitting down on the ball. This will ensure that you are cutting into the water and not just bouncing the club off the top. Keep your wrists and grip solid and make sure you follow through the same way you would with a bunker shot.
Make sure you know just how deep your ball is before you take a good hard swing at it as you will notice it is very easy to misjudge the actual depth of the ball as we all know water distorts the view.
It is hard to actually practice unless you flood your driving range, so if you get the opportunity to try it then do so as it is something to impress your opposition with. One final tip that you will thank me for is to take an extra towel with you when you go and tuck the towel in your trousers so it hangs completely across your back leg so it is totally covered. That way when you twist into your shot you will be protected against most of the spray, keeping you dry!
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