1st impressions of the Nike STR8-FIT driver
Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Categories: Golf Clubs • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear
Tags: Nike STR8-FIT Driver
Categories: Golf Clubs • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear
Tags: Nike STR8-FIT Driver
On the 1st tee today I pulled the shrink wrap off my new Nike STR8-FIT driver.
I spent the evening last night reading the manual. Never read an owner’s manual for a driver before. Never even seen one. My conclusion for today’s round was to start the driver in neutral position and see how it worked.
This thing is much lighter than my old driver and it felt like I could swing it faster. On the first tee I yanked it left but after that I hit the thing very well. It has been raining for days here and the humidity is at about 90%. Even with the heavy air I hit this driver about 20 yards longer than my old one. The flight is a bit lower than I’m used to due to the fact that this model is 9.5 degrees and my old driver was a 10. I don’t mind a low trajectory though.
Poorly struck shots straightened out fairly well and I didn’t lose much distance.
So far so good.
Iron Maiden Drummer Nicko McBrain Beaned By Golf Ball
Can any golf blogger out there other than me find a way of combining golf and Iron Maiden? I doubt it.
I’m a BIG Iron Maiden fan. When I was an aspiring rock & roll drummer I used to jam to their tunes back in the 80’s. I was in attendance for the ORIGINAL Number Of The Beast tour, when the album came out. That’s before all you Playstation Rock Band guitar wannabes were even born.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing “Maiden” live three times and their shows are always awesome. We don’t get to see Iron Maiden’s drummer Nicko McBrain much because his kit is so big and the drums are all at steep angles.
When Nicko McBrain (pictured right) isn’t playing heavy metal drums or winning beauty contests, he plays some golf. How did I know? I was watching the new Maiden movie, which documents their 666 tour.
In the video below, we see some back stage footage after Mr. McBrain was beaned by a golf ball. Apparently it came close to hitting the McBrain McJewels. Mr. McBrain’s ability to spread his highly aesthetically gifted genes across our planet was almost compromised. The good news is that he was able to play the gig, since the ball was a “low compression Maxfli” and didn’t do too much damage.
2009 continues to be a bizarre year for my game
Two weeks ago I was fighting off the shanks. Then I played consistent, but not stellar golf in the Salt Lake Am with a 77, 78. I shot about 7-8 rounds in a row in the 70’s. Then I had a shank relapse. Funny thing was I went birdie, shank-double, birdie. That is insane. Next round I started shanking again and shot a humiliating 82.
No power
I’ve lost 20 yards off the tee this year. My normally long driver is not long. Now I’m the short hitter in my group and I used to be the bomber. I’ve lost yards with my irons as well. I’m a good club shorter than I’ve been for the last 10 years.
Colonel Klank
When I look at the ball marks on my driver face, they’re all over the map. They’re inside, toe, high, low… Something is changing my position. My irons are almost all shanks and seldom do I feel that compression I used to feel almost every shot. My normal deadly wedges are short right.
Fading away
I used to be a draw or straight ball hitter. Seldom do I draw the ball anymore. They’re all fades. Weak sister fades to be exact.
Just don’t know
I’m unsure about ball position. I’m not sure if I’m taking the club back properly. I have poor concentration. My shoulders don’t seem to be aligned right, nor do my feet.
One good thing
My putter is freakin’ incredible right now. Unfortunately I’m draining bombs to save par or bogey. If I could hit some damn greens in regulation I’d be making a ton of birdies.
Time for a break
I’ve been playing golf a lot lately. My game has not improved and has actually gotten worse. I’ve burned myself out, and beaten my golfer’s elbow up so bad I’m in a ton of pain. Time for a break.
Why?
I have some theories as to why my game is such a mess right now. The two primary ones are somewhat related. I suspect I’m not able to concentrate because of things happening in my world outside of golf.
I also suspect that my losing about 24 pounds in the last couple of months could be causing my power loss and making my swing more wild. How could it make it wild? I’m much more flexible.
Swing rebuilding
When I come back from my break, which could be a few days, a week or who knows… I plan on enlisting my PGA Pro. I’m going to start from the ground up and rebuild my swing.
Saw a FIVE PUTT today
Today my Dad and I played in a 27 hole member-guest tournament at his club Hidden Valley. We play this tourney every year and enjoy the format. The course has 27 holes and each nine is a different game: two man scramble, alternate shot, net best ball.
We started out great and kicking the butts of my pal Arnie and his partner Bruce. But when my Dad and I get to the alternate shot it is very difficult. The pressure of alternate shot is high and if you mess up you leave your partner holding the bag. My dad and I did that to each other a few times and flamed out on that nine.
Throughout the rest of the round Arnie and Bruce caught fire and started burying us. It was an old fashioned demolition. Despite a great session at the range prior, my 2009 “mystery swing” reappeared and I started finding parts of the course I never new existed. I’m getting tired of that.
The end result when all was said and done was not finishing in the money, and having to pay Arnie and Bruce for the nice golf lesson.
Five putt
There was about a 30 minute rain delay when we were on a par-5. It was there I witnessed something I’ve never seen, a five putt. This was during the stressful alternate shot. I watched Arnie and Bruce trade putts and trade putts and trade putts. They ended up carding a five putt on that hole for a total of nine strokes. Had they even two putted they would have probably finished in the money. Despite that nine, they still waxed my Dad and I.
Congrats guys. We’ll be seeing you next year…
SUMI-G golf head covers just might be the coolest ever, and they have a rigid exoskeleton. ’nuff said!
Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Interviews • Reviews
Tags: Father's Day Golf Gift • golf head cover • sumi-g
Categories: Golf Accessories • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Interviews • Reviews
Tags: Father's Day Golf Gift • golf head cover • sumi-g
I’ve been touting how cool the products from SUMI-G are. My new golf buddy Marius, the cranium behind SUMI-G, has a talent for making super hip, elegant, unique and functional golf accessories. Every round of golf I play I have people drooling over my new head covers. Just two days ago a military buddy of mine wanted the driver cover so bad I gave him the one off my personal set so he could have one in time for a trip to Hawaii.
Tired old head cover designs
Lame head cover #1: This one is a stretchy cotton sock which wears out and eventually just falls off.
Lame head cover #2: This one is leather or plastic and has velcro, which wears and and gets shabby looking over time.
Lame head cover #3: This one is leather or plastic and has a zipper. The zipper may work for 1-2 rounds, then fails.
SUMI-G Mega-cool super stylin’ hip headcover
Looks
The SUMI-G head cover (hybrid shown upper right, driver cover lower right) has a stylish look with a silky black finish which feels like velvet. I’m no fashion expert, but the black finish will match any bag color.
Mechanical enclosure
This headcover has a unique mechanical closure which protects the head. The mechanical enclosure allows for installation of the cover with one hand can be put on the club from the ground without even having to bend over. This one handed ground installation can save having to bend over dozens of times (drivers, fairways, hybrids) during around, helping guys like me with a bad back stay off the injured reserve list. This 12 second video below shows just how quick and easy it is to slip the cover on:
Rigid exoskeleton
I’ve been excited to write this review not just because this is the coolest head cover on our planet and several others, but because I could use the words “rigid exoskeleton.”
The SUMI-G head cover employs a rigid exoskeleton to protect the club and the shaft. Drivers these days are quite an investment and I don’t know about you but I’d sure want a rigid exoskeleton protecting my $500 driver with the $150 shaft.
On the course
These headcovers bring more enjoyment to my golf rounds because of their ease of use. I just throw the head cover on the ground by the tee and slip it on with one hand when leaving the tee after blistering a drive down the middle. It has become sort of my “post shot routine.”
Conclusion
Style, uniqueness and a perfectly useful functionality. This is the coolest innovation in head covers in years and they’re so classy and sharp looking to boot. Who wouldn’t love to own a head cover which has a rigid exoskeleton and convenient one handed ground installation?
Related links
If you just have to have a set of these head covers now, the new Golf Space SHOP carries the entire SUMI-G product line.
SUMI-G interview at the 2009 PGA Show.
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