JokerUSN's WITB

[jokerusn]

3/6/2017:

 

Not a ton of changes but...

 

6/14/2016:

I finally had the good weather to take outside pics of the bag so I'm putting up my WITB which is accurate to about 5 days. :D Here is the setup.

• Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Alpha '14, 9°, 7g toe, 1g heel, -1/N setting - Project X HZRDUS Black 85g 6.5 - 45.5"
  
• 3w: Cobra Fly-Z+ set at 14.5°, Aldila Tour Blue 85 X (everything stock from the factory - a first for me)
  
• 5w: Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 18°, 30g front, 3g rear, -1/N setting - Fujikura Motore F3 90 X, tipped 1.5" - 42.5"
  
• 3h: TaylorMade R15 4h 21.5°, "Lower" setting - Aerotech SteelFiber 110i X, tipped 0.5" - 40"
  
• 4-P: Callaway '07 X-Forged 5-P - Project X 7.0 - +0.5"
  
• GW: TaylorMade Tour Preferred 52° - Dynamic Gold X200 Soft-stepped x2 - 36"
  
• LW: TaylorMade Tour Preferred 58° Wide Sole - Dynamic Gold X200 Soft-stepped x2 - 36"
  
• Putter: (Fighting it out for gamer status)
  
  1. Newport Button Back - SuperStroke Flatso 1.0 with Counter Core 25g
      
      
     
  2. Bettinardi Inovai 3.0 - SuperStroke Flatso 1.0 with Counter Core 25g
     

Here be the pics!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hybrid Headcover

 

 

Rose and Fire Putter Cover made from used truck inner tubes - Uber durable and padded cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory Bag Tags

 

[DE-ILLINI]

Nice looking bag. The putter cover is interesting.

[jokerusn]

Nice looking bag. The putter cover is interesting.

 

Thanks. Yeah, it's about 2-3x the size of an AME. It feels like I could slam it against concrete and not even mark the putter inside.

[Judge440]

Hey I see that Mauna Lani bag tag. Played there many times. Good stuff. Nice gear...looks like a players bag there.

[jokerusn]

Hey I see that Mauna Lani bag tag. Played there many times. Good stuff. Nice gear...looks like a players bag there.

 

Yeah, took a vacation there quite a few years ago. Gorgeous island and loved the courses. Had an amazing time, just wish I had the time now to go back.

 

Thanks. I have my moments. Unfortunately, there's usually a break or 2 in the middle of a round that ruins the illusion of my prowess for my playing partners.

[Puppetmaster]

Great seeing this WITB. Love that those irons and the 3Deep are still in play! Didn't you have the 12.5* initially? Those TP wedges are very underrated, I have a 52* and 56* myself.

[jokerusn]

Great seeing this WITB. Love that those irons and the 3Deep are still in play! Didn't you have the 12.5* initially? Those TP wedges are very underrated, I have a 52* and 56* myself.

 

Hey, thanks! This is the same 3Deep from before and I still haven't found irons I like as much as these although the Z745s are damn close. Those things are NICE! While the 3Deep works well for me, I'm not super confident with it so I always have something in testing. Right now it's the Jetspeed Tour Issue w/ Tour Green 95 and a tour issue Aeroburner w/ YSQst95.

 

Totally agree on the TP wedges. The ATV grind is really good and they feel solid but soft. I was playing a 52/58 with DG but found the 47 and 58 wide head on the bay to try. I already had the 452 with PX so I got the same PX for the 47 and 58wide to try out without disrupting the 52/58DG in case the PX experiment doesn't work. So far, I'm liking the setup but I may put another PX shaft in my 52 to make it a full set.

[BigUnit68]

Nice setup. I especially like the Bulle Rock tag. Love that course!

[jokerusn]

Nice setup. I especially like the Bulle Rock tag. Love that course!

 

Thanks! I had a great time playing Bulle Rock even though my swing sucked and it was raining that day.

[jokerusn]

Some updates:

 

Like many of you, my hybrids tend go very left. I have tried MANY options including lead on the toe and steel shafts to get them to straighten out like my irons. The problem with the steel shafts for me was that when they got lighter, they still went left. And the heavy shafts were just that, heavy and I lost trajectory and yardage so they negated any benefit a hybrid is supposed to give. What I decided to try was a graphite, tip-stiff iron shaft that was lighter than my irons but still heavy enough to help me keep my tempo in check. Lots of good reviews about the SteelFiber 110s had me ordering one for the hybrid. All it took was one swing to know that this was the solution to my hybrid problems. The ball flight was medium but strong and the flight was straight to just a hint of draw like my irons. And it felt AMAZING. So, if you're struggling with hooking your hybrids, I highly recommend giving the SteelFibers a try.

 

Also, the Apex UT 24° is in and in the bag! Great piercing trajectory and same great SteelFiber feel.

[Hit em good]

nice sticks

[jokerusn]

Just picked up a Cobra Fly-Z+ straight from Cobra out of their clearance section. HOLY CRAP it's a good club! Played 18 on saturday with it and it earned its spot in the bag almost immediately. Great sound, great feel, REALLY good distance. Got it with an Aldila Tour Blue 85 X. I've never had any club work great for me straight from the factory but this one does. I've either had to adjust the weights or the loft or something. My problem with the 3Deep has always been that it looked closed so I was constantly manipulating the face and never just swinging freely. This one sits just open enough so I'm not fiddling with it at address. I decided to get it in blue - blue head, blue shaft, so blue grip. "You're my boy Blue!" Pics to come later.

[Puppetmaster]

Nice pick up. I've liked Cobra offerings since the Bio Cell line, easily some of the best feeling/sounding woods out there. The Tour Blue is a very underrated shaft too.

[jokerusn]

Nice pick up. I've liked Cobra offerings since the Bio Cell line, easily some of the best feeling/sounding woods out there. The Tour Blue is a very underrated shaft too.

 

Totally surprised me. I tried the LTD Pro driver not too long ago and was very impressed so I figured, for <$150, it's worth a try. I've been looking for a 3w that gives me confidence for a LONG time. I think the last time I felt good with a 3w was when I had the r7 TP in the bag so I bought a cheap one on the bay with a Diamana Blue 83 in it and sent it off to Continental for refinishing. The Cobra feels and sets up VERY close to it. I remember say "Holy $#!t!" after hitting it the first time. Tried a bunch of my backups and extras after it just to see and nothing came even remotely close to it. Boom! Search over!

 

I honestly didn't think I'd like the shaft but the combo is magical. I had a KK TiNi Silver waiting to get a Cobra tip just in case. I may just put a tip on it to play around but I doubt I'll get much better than what's in it now.

 

Now, I'm thinking about replacing my driver with a cobra. How do you like your Fly Z?

[Puppetmaster]

I like the Fly Z a lot. It's long enough and very forgiving, like a better looking and feeling Ping G series. I'm back to using a 9015D, but mainly to try a shorter driver because this one is around 44.25". I have a few shafts that I'm going to cut down to play the Fly Z at 44.5", because the Speeder TS 6.2 I have in it plays at 45.25". If I had one complaint about the Fly Z, it's that I wish they made the minimum loft 8* and not 9*. I'm fine playing it at 9*, but IF I needed to go any lower, I couldn't (hence the reason for the Speeder TS). I tried the Fly Z+ but for some reason don't like it nearly as much.

[llamont]

Here's to the vintage look with the "inside-out" fairway metal cover... Man, we did that in high school back in the late 90's. Nice bag!!

[jokerusn]

Here's to the vintage look with the "inside-out" fairway metal cover... Man, we did that in high school back in the late 90's. Nice bag!!

 

Thanks! I love those headcovers and can't seem to get rid of them. People always ask me what they are.

[peakposition]

Haven't seen a lot of HZRDUS Black 85's in drivers. Same with the PX 7.0. Beasty Boy! Good looking bag, really love the 07 X Forged! One of the best irons Callaway ever produced.

[jokerusn]

Haven't seen a lot of HZRDUS Black 85's in drivers. Same with the PX 7.0. Beasty Boy! Good looking bag, really love the 07 X Forged! One of the best irons Callaway ever produced.

 

I have a really strong transition so the heavier weights and stiffer shafts keep me in control.

 

I've had a really hard time trying to replace these irons. They look perfect behind the ball and feel amazing. I think they came out right after Callaway bought Hogan and they feel just like my old Apex Edge Pros. Very underrated iron. A lot of people complain about the sole grind and leading edge but it works great for me. My only complaint is that they have the old grooves and spin the ball more than I'd like.

[jokerusn]

So, after years with the X-Forged, they are going away. Turns out that the shafts have bent at the tips. I was cleaning them off on wednesday after 9 and notice that the ferrule was separating from the hosel but only on one side. Did the ole' eye line test and sure enough, the heads (all of them) were not in line with the shaft. I'd been eyeing some Bridgestone J40 CBs on the bay and said, what the heck. Farewell, X-Forged, you will be missed!

 

New irons:

 

 

[peakposition]

So, after years with the X-Forged, they are going away. Turns out that the shafts have bent at the tips. I was cleaning them off on wednesday after 9 and notice that the ferrule was separating from the hosel but only on one side. Did the ole' eye line test and sure enough, the heads (all of them) were not in line with the shaft. I'd been eyeing some Bridgestone J40 CBs on the bay and said, what the heck. Farewell, X-Forged, you will be missed!

 

New irons:

 

 

 

already pulled the trigger on the Bs?

[jokerusn]

So, after years with the X-Forged, they are going away. Turns out that the shafts have bent at the tips. I was cleaning them off on wednesday after 9 and notice that the ferrule was separating from the hosel but only on one side. Did the ole' eye line test and sure enough, the heads (all of them) were not in line with the shaft. I'd been eyeing some Bridgestone J40 CBs on the bay and said, what the heck. Farewell, X-Forged, you will be missed!

 

New irons:

 

 

 

already pulled the trigger on the Bs?

 

Yeah. I was watching them on the bay when I saw the bend. Pulled the trigger 10 minutes later and they showed up yesterday evening. Hit a few balls on the mat out back and I'm in love. Super solid and soft feel. They are sitting in the bag right now.

[Puppetmaster]

Beautiful irons, I think I was watching the very same set, or maybe they were on the BST... either way, great pick up!

[jokerusn]

Way too many changes going on. I need to take some new pictures.

[jokerusn]

Way too many changes going on. I need to take some new pictures.

 

Huh... I posted this in July and I came here to post the exact same thing again. Maybe in a couple of weeks when I have a free day, and if the weather is nice, I'll take some new pics. In the mean time...