Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver Review

Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, June 30th, 2014
Categories: Golf Clubs • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Reviews
Tags: BombTech Golf • Golf Driver Review

For the last couple of months I’ve been testing out the Grenade Driver by Bombtech Golf. I really enjoy working with some of the smaller golf companies who have a great entrepreneurial spirit, love of the game, and a passion for the gear. Sometimes those basic qualities can be lost lost in the mega-marketing campaigns and big-corporate worlds of the large players in golf equipment.

Below we will look at an overview of the Grenade and how it is built, the specs, aesthetics, and how it performs on a real golf course in real conditions. I base my reviews off of real on-course results, unlike lame golf blogs or review sites who simply regurgitate press releases and PR speak and if you are lucky, base their reviews off of hitting 10 balls on the driving range.

Grenade Overview/Construction

The Bombtech Grenade driver is a 460cc driver, the max cubic centimeters allowed by the governing bodies of golf. The unit was codesigned with the University of Vermont’s Engineering Department.

Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver

Two cavities in the back of the head provide a couple of benefits. First, air flow interaction with the cavities promotes square and straight club head path. Second, more weighting is distributed to the center of gravity as well as the outside edges of the head.

The driver face is plasma welded to the head, a process common in modern driver construction.

The max allowable COR (coefficient of restitution) in legal drivers is .83, exactly what the Grenade has. This is essentially a measurement of how much spring there is in the face.

The drivers are assembled in Vermont, not China.

Specs

Face Material: Ti-1188 hardened titanium
Hosel Depth: 38mm
Weight: 199 grams
Face Angle: 0*
Size: 460cc
Lie: 59*
Shaft lengths available: 44.5 to 47 inches.
Loft: 10.5 degrees
Shaft flexes: senior, regular, ladies, stiff, extra-stiff
Available grips: Pure Pro Standard, Pure Pro Midsize

Classy Top Line

Aesthetics

The Grenade features a very cool matte black finish. It reminds me of some great looking Harley Davidsons with badass flat black paint. The head is not decorated with busy and distracting artwork, lines, or designs. Its black, mean, and classy.

The green/black color scheme of the shaft and head is clean and sharp looking.

Feedback

Feedback from the club to the player comes in a few forms, most commonly audibly and through the feel. Through this feedback players will know if they’re hitting the sweet spot, or if there are adjustments needed due to toe or heel contact.

The sound this driver makes is very “sweet.” One knows that sweet pinging sound when a well struck shot is executed. The sound is slightly less pingy for off-center hits.

The feel of the club is great. Sweet spot shots feel buttery and solid, while toe and hosel shots are easy to detect.

Another small visible feedback is due to the black face of the driver. Golf balls will leave visible fingerprints on the face, allowing the player to see precisely where the contact is occurring.

Critiques

I’d have to say the one thing missing from the Grenade as compared to many offerings from the bigger companies is adjustability. The Grenade is not adjustable. That being said, most players, including myself, adjust the driver once and leave it set for their swing. For example, once I adjusted a driver I acquired in 2012, I’ve never changed the setting since.

One other critique is the lack of multiple lofts, especially in lieu of not being adjustable. The unit is only available in 10.5 degrees, which works great for me. But for those who need more or less launch angle, they’re out of luck for now. Perhaps more lofts will be available down the road.

Head Cover

The head cover for the Grenade is as solid as the driver itself. The cover is easy to put on and take off, and not too bulky.

Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver and Head Cover

On The Course

Over the last couple of months I’ve played the Grenade, and compared to popular drivers from bigger name companies. In my opinion this driver is equally as long as any driver I’ve recently played, yet as easy or easier to hit than most.

The feedback, especially the sound, is tremendous. I can tell immediately if I’m off-center, and make corrections quickly during a round.

The 10.5 degree model I tested launched at a solid and pleasing angle for my normally low ball flight. I had plenty of carry and roll and the ball did not baloon in the wind. One highlight drive includes being inside the 150 marker on the 470 yard par-4 18th at my home course.

Yesterday on the range a stranger inquired about the driver when he saw me hitting it. I told him about it and asked if he wanted to try it. He only hit one ball, perhaps not wanting to inconvenience me. His one ball hit the fence at the end of the driving range, ¾ of the way up! Wow. Not to be outdone, I teed one up and flew it OVER the fence.

Conclusion

The Grenade is a solid driver which competes with or exceeds the performance, aesthetics, distance, and feel of the big name drivers on the market. And if one is not sure about spending the $299, Bombtech offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Related Links

HOG Grenade Driver photos

Bombtech Golf website

Video/Photo Flyover of Sandy Utah’s Hidden Valley Country Club Mountain #8 Redesign

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, June 27th, 2014
Categories: Golf Courses
Tags: Golf Utah • Utah

Last fall I wrote about some vandalism to one of my home courses, Hidden Valley Country Club here in Sandy, Utah. Some jerk (who I hope gets a lifetime case of the yips and the shanks) actually poisoned several trees on the course. Those trees played heavy roles in the strategy of the holes. Case in point was the Mountain nine’s 8th hole. The hole is a short par-5 which had a large tree on the right side at about 200 out. That tree was a great defense to bombers going for it in two. The tree died and was removed. Following its removal the club did some work on the hole, replacing the tree with a bunker. They also did some reshaping of the area about 100 yards short of the green. That spot previously was rough which blocked a view of the green and had an unsightly cartpath. The new shaping added more fairway and gave a nice look at the green, and removed the cartpath.

In the photo below, captured with my aerial photo/video quadcopter, the bunker to the right is the new one where the tree used to be. The two smaller bunkers short of the pond are on each side of the new fairway shaping. I’m sad to see the tree go, but I think the new shaping and work they did on this hole is excellent. I do however think the scoring average of this hole will go down.

Hidden Valley Country Club Mountain 8th Hole – Sandy, Utah

Below is a video flyover showing the approach with the new shaping and bunker tweaks.

First Look: Gurkha Centurian Cigars

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Categories: Cigars • Golf Lifestyle • Miscellaneous

After nearly a decade of golf blogging I’ve managed to play more courses and test out more gear than probably anyone. But until today, my golf blogging career was not complete. I’ve now received my first cigars for review.

Gurkha Centurian Cigars

My new best friends at Cigars City thought I’d dig the Gurkha Centurian cigars. Tomorrow night myself and my cigar aficionado best friend will do the first round of “testing.” Can’t wait.

Report to follow.

First Look: Swiftwick Compression Socks

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
Categories: Golf Apparel • Golf Gear
Tags: golf socks • Swiftwick

Ever try compression socks? They’re quite amazing. Somehow the compression of the sock helps circulation, reduces muscle fatigue, and helps prevent bone aches.

Swiftwick Compression Socks

Today was my first round testing out some new compression socks from Swiftwick. I was wearing the Vibe model (pictured right above and pictured below), an ankle high compression sock. In the heat of 96 degrees my feet felt very comfortable and dry today.

Swiftwick Vibe Compression Socks

Full review of the Vibes coming after I’ve had a chance to test them for a few more rounds.

Did a Bridgestone Golf Online Ball Fitting Tune-Up – Confirmed What I Already Suspected

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear
Tags: Bridgestone Golf

For a quite a while I’ve been gaming the Bridgestone Golf B330-S golf ball and really loving it. A couple of months ago my supply ran out and I had 2-3 sleeves of B330’s in the garage, so I decided to see if they felt any different. Mind you, these are last year’s models. This year’s model is “improved” but I have yet to test any out to see how much improvement there really is. So for the last month and a half I’ve been gaming the 2013 B330. I originally picked the B330-S because it has more spin than the B330. Surprisingly though, the S feels a bit harder than the B330. I seem to remember someone at Bridgestone telling me the S was in fact a little harder, which is part of the reason it can spin more.

After gaming the B330’s I do notice they seem softer, which is great for my golfer’s elbow. It also feels great off the driver. I’ve found no difference in distance for my granny dual chicken wing over the top swing, both are great.

A screen cap of part of my online fitting with Bridgestone…

Before I restocked I decided to jump on the Bridgestone website and do an online fitting, what they call BFit. I’ve done a couple of read-deal in-person fittings in the past, but not for a couple of years. Basically this session would be a confirmation of what I seem to have concluded, that for now my gamer is the B330. My swing speed is around 100mph, measured recently by the new Swing Caddy launch monitor. I can get it up to 102 or 103, but not without swinging too hard. That swing speed puts me on the borderline between a B330-RX series or the B330 series. I do feel I benefit from the added performance of the B330 and my online fitter “Mellowman” agreed. I’m sure that was one of his easier fittings.

I’m stoked to get my B330’s back in the bag and I have confidence in what they are doing for me. I’ve played some very improved golf this season so far, including a 2nd in my flight at the Salt Lake City Am.

I still think it would be fun to do an online fitting and totally mess with the fitter: “Yeah, can your golf balls fix my hook slice?”

Older posts

Newer posts

« Previous 1 … 250 251 252 253 254 … 1,165 Next »