TG Magazine Digital Sampler | Issue 257

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Today’s

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Today’s Golfer JULY 09 (MAY 21-JUNE 17)

Golfer FREE* DRILLS DVD WORTH £14

THE ACCURACY ISSUE

59

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HIT IT CLOSE IRO TESN SETS TE D !

H REAl GOlFERS GIVE VERDICTS On 59 SETS - £180 TO £999 H TECHnO-BABBlE EXPlAInED H

JULY 20o9 MAY 21-JUNE 17

£3.99

TUITION

✓

STOP THE HORRORS!

Humble the hook, sizzle your chips, laugh at sand, bomb your drives INSIGHT

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NEXT BRIT TO WIN A MAJOR?

We ask the men who should know – they’ve done it!

www.todaysgolfer.co.uk

TRAVEL

✓

FOCUS ON FRANCE!

Cheap, easy and lots of top-quality courses...

257

2-FORE!-1 GOLF : Play UK’s top links courses for half price

ProDUCt

R VE D SIL AR AW

T EA E GR LU VA

R VE D SIL AR AW

R VE D SIL AR AW

R VE D SIL AR AW

Orka PS9 CB frOM £65 PEr CluB

CallaWay diaBlO £749

ClEVElaNd Cg7 TOur £475

CallaWay X-fOrgEd 2009 £749

MiZuNO MP-52 £85 PEr CluB

The more forgiving sister of the PS9 MB which won our 'Best on Test' in the Tour Quality section gets another good result for Orka. Jon loved the extra forgiveness due to the perimeter weighting and while not as clean as the MB it is nonetheless a good-looker.

You'll either love or loathe the detail in the cavity – we loved it. And it was also long – comfortably the longest in the whole test. So why did it not win? Jon found it hard to control, with a dispersion stat of over 25 yards. Don't let that put you off having a look at a classy club though.

This good-looking iron wowed both testers.

Performance-wise it stood up well, with Tom admitting this could have comfortably fitted into the 'Tour Quality' category. A sound display from a set of irons that look and play the part yet won’t break the bank.

The X-Forged are the irons in our pro’s bag, so it was no surprise when they performed well in his hands – even if he isn't mad keen on their looks. Jon also got some impressive stats, giving them full marks in the looks department. A stunning set of irons.

A cracking-looking iron that performs well. It’s not lairy in design so perfect for those seeking a clean, classic-looking bat. It's got a chunkier sole than the MP-62 with the CG deeper than in any other MP iron.

Our guys loved it and it welldeserved its high ranking.

Looks: 3.0 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.5 Distance: 5.0 RATING: HHHHH

Looks: 4.5 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 3.5 Dispersion: 3.5 Distance: 5.0 RATING: HHHHH

Looks: 4.5 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 4.0 Dispersion: 4.5 Distance: 3.5 RATING: HHHHH

Looks: 4.0 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 4.0 Dispersion: 5.0 Distance: 4.0 RATING: HHHHH

Looks: 4.0 Feel: 4.0 Forgiveness: 3.5 Dispersion: 4.5 Distance: 5.0 RATING: HHHHH

Contact: 0845 862 0061 www.orkagolf.com Graphite: Yes, from £65 per club

Contact: 0800 096 4591 www.callawaygolf.com Graphite: No

Contact: 01420 541709 www.clevelandgolf.com Graphite: No

Contact: 0800 096 4591 www.callawaygolf.com Graphite: No

Contact: 0118 9362 147 www.mizunoeurope.com Graphite: No

PiNg i10 £75 PEr CluB

y’s da To

LD GO ARD AW

Not the prettiest iron – but performs like a dream he i10 is another Ping success story. Not the best-looking club on test, but in terms of performance it was awesome. The thinner topline was a big hit with both testers and the ball flight was low and penetrating. Jon reckoned it was one of the most consistent clubs here, while Tom found the longer iron more forgiving than most others on test – yet still with a good level of feel and workability. If you're happy with how it sits behind the ball, its performance make these irons an essential purchase.

T

LooKs

3.5

FeeL

3.5

ForGiVeness

4.5

DisPersion

5.0

DistAnCe TG RATING

4.5 HHHH

Contact: 01427 619224 www.pingeurope.com Graphite: Yes, £90 per club

38 TodaysGolfer.co.uk Issue 257

If the thin topline was a rare aesthetic success, the performance was simply awesome.

Back view

BETTER PLAYER IROns

y’s da To

LD GO ARD AW

COBra PrO CB £689

N T OT S BETES ’s day To

Expected forgiveness, unexpected finesse. Top notch! hese were the stand-out irons in this category, performing magnificently across the board – no mean feat given the wide range of categories and stats we had in place.

Game-improving experts Cobra aren’t necessarily noted for their blades but these benefit from the feel you’d associate with a classic, player’s iron.

However, that is not at the expense of forgiveness – a quality you certainly do expect from Cobra gear, which gets millions of amateur golfers round their course every week!

The thin topline and minimal offset appealed to our pro, while the cavityback design helped to inspire confidence for eight-handicapper Jon when he was standing over the ball.

Tom also noted a very welcome high level of workability and shot-shaping ability with the Pro CBs – often a failing of today's more forgiving clubs.

It is therefore no surprise that the Pro CBs were designed with input from Cobra’s Tour players.

Anyway, back to the hard facts of the test: distance-wise they performed impressively well too.

We only have flightscope data for the 6-iron and while it was excellent in terms of accuracy and distance it was especially noticeable on the day that the 4-iron was exceptionally long – with a beautiful shape of flight.

Because of the way the club looks at address, both of our testers felt that you could really let fly and rip into the ball – yet they did this with minimal risk... as the dispersion stats show.

In summary, this is a terrific set and well worth every penny. Ignore it at your peril.

T

At address

It's clear that the Pro CBs look the part as you gaze down over the ball. Confidenceinspiring or what?

Toe view

A thing of such beauty also managed to hit the ball a very long way...

Back view

There's plenty of meat here, giving them a level of forgiveness we expect from Cobra kit.

View more from Cobra's 2009 range @ www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/cobra

LooKs

4.0

FeeL

4.5

ForGiVeness

4.0

DisPersion

4.5

DistAnCe

5.0

TG RATING

HHHH

Contact: 01480 301114 www.cobragolf.co.uk Graphite: No Issue 257 TodaysGolfer.co.uk 39

TRAVEL BRITTANY

FRENCH LESSON

Not many of us would consider France as a key golf destination. TG’s trip to Brittany demonstrated why we would be wrong... by keVIN bROWN

hink long weekend golf break and chances are France is not on the hot list. It should be!

The French golf revolution is well underway and with courses being easy to reach and increasingly good value, it’s time it appeared on more golfers’ agendas.

The French, it seems, have finally taken to golf... with a vengeance. And Brittany is leading the way.

The sport on the other side of the channel is big, and getting bigger, with the locals no doubt inspired by the emergence and success on the world stage of their countrymen such as Ryder Cup star Thomas Levet and the conqueror of Loch Lomond, Gregory Havret.

All four courses were a hive of activity when TG visited, with a competition taking place on one – St Malo Golf & Country Club – and a junior event being held at another, the corking clifftop layout, Pleneuf-Val Andre.

It’s a sign of progress for clubs which have for many years entertained an army of visiting British golfers.

Indeed, about a third of St Malo’s 15,000 casual golfers come from the other side of the Channel.

And no wonder the Brits have a strong affinity with Brittany’s Emerald Coast, the priceless golfing gem offering both quantity and quality of golf courses.

Altogether, there are 34 courses dotted around this classy, picturesque region and there’s barely a weak link in sight. There is a great mix of courses too – top links, cracking clifftops and pretty parklands. In other words, something for everyone...

The price is definitely right too. With the economic downturn forcing us to look ➤

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130 TodaysGolfer.co.uk Issue 257