The draw has been made for the knockout stages of the Winter Leagues at Colchester Golf Club.
On paper it is one of the strongest fields in recent years, with no weak links in any of the matches. This is not a surprise, as the league's themselves were very competitive with three of them having to go to a complicated countback to decide which pairings qualified for the knockouts.
The top of the draw is eye-catching with the holders twins Ben and Joe Williams, both off five handicaps, drawn against the strong pairing of Dick Bokenham and Tim Rogers. Rogers and Bokenham from their nine and twelve handicaps will receive shots, and a tight match can be expected.
Paul Jackson and Paul Smith have a tough game on their hands against Keith Newnham and Lionel Keightley as indeed Rob Tucker and Richard Watts do against Ian Parry and Russell Storey.
Looking down the draw there is no let up, with Andrew Smith and Steve Dack, who have both shown some form recently, drawn against the seasoned pairing of Adam Harper and Tony Jordan. Rob Svennson and Ralph Charles are up against the tough father and son pairing of Rob and Cai James.
Father and son pairings make up both sides of the next match with Trevor and Miles Hooton playing against Charlie and Lewis Barber.
From the last couple of matches the keen competitiveness of the earlier pairings continues as Steve Sharman and Gary Driver have been drawn against Phil Hayward and Alan Hyde and finally Jeff Johnson and Mike O'Sullivan are playing Martin Halls and Danny Simmons.
All in all it was a great draw where none of the matches can be considered predictable and quite a few have an edge to them. With the matches having to be played by 19th February the weather can stay cool as some of these matches will create their own heat.
The ladies are starting to play their matches after a comparatively long layoff. Tuesday saw them a 14 hole Stableford where Alison Clare (23) returned 27 points to take the winners spot from Elizabeth Napier (34) who returned 25 points.
Third place on her own was Janet Wilson (36) with Cathy Burchell (9) topping three players who all returned twenty-two points. Julie Dicks (13) and Gillian Crayston (23) were the two other ladies on the twenty-two points.
They have arrived!! One length are here to demo and try! Click here to view the video.
Here is some great info on the new range and why they are going to be so popular.
Can One Length irons be fit like standard irons?
Yes they can, Cobra recommend you see a fitter to look at all the options. Demo clubs will also be available at some retailers for you to try on the golf course.
What shafts are available for One Length irons?
All the same shafts offered within Cobra's custom fit program.
Who fits into One Length?
Players of all skill levels seeking more consistency and accuracy.
Why One Length?
One Length offers less variables. One swing, one swing plane, and one posture. This makes it easier to be more consistent and hit more centred shots.
Are the shafts different between the F7 and F7 One?
The shafts are the same for F7 and F7 One. And everything is built around the 7 iron, some will ask if there's a specific 7 iron shaft in every club. F7 One length uses parallel shafts and like variable length parallel shafts they are the same shaft cut to different specs. The Forged One and Tour Forged are slightly different as the shafts are taper tip, so each shaft is designed for the corresponding head and is unique.
What makes One Length irons work?
The key is matching head weights. Since all clubs are built to a 7 iron length, the head weights on the longer irons are increased while the short irons decrease in weight. To get them all to match, all heads in the F7 One and Forged One sets weigh 270 grams.
What does changing the head weights do to performance for long irons and short irons?
Long iron heads get heavier, which lower the CG and increases inertia (higher ball flight) Short iron heads get lighter, which raises the CG and reduces inertia (lower ball flight) In almost all cases Cobra reckon, One irons are better because impact consistency is greatly improved. So especially in the longer irons, consistency of swing and impact location produces much better shots, not only on average, but all the time.
What about shot variety, workability, knock downs, half shots, etc?
Cobra say anything a golfer can do with their 7 iron, can be done with One Length irons.
Won't the longer One Length 'short' irons and wedges be more challenging around the greens?
In testing, Cobra found many players are better around the greens with One Length irons vs. variable length. It's easy to chip with a 7 iron, just remember that stance and setup with One Length irons is like your current 7 iron.
What about flop shots and bunker shots?
Players should use the same technique as a standard flop or bunker shot. As the SW is a longer length it provides a wider arc which aids creating a higher softer trajectory on short shots.
What is the ball flight of One Length vs. Variable length?
How do head weight changes affect ball flight? Lower CG One Length long irons fly very similar to variable length longer ones (that have higher CGs). For most players the flights will be the same, but the One Length irons will be much more consistent (One swing, one swing plane, and one posture). Higher CG One Length short irons will fly similar to (but very slightly higher) their variable length version if played from a 7 iron ball position. If played back in stance like some players do with short irons, ball flights will be similar.
What about MOI changes?
Long irons with more head weight, have higher MOI, which is beneficial since longer irons are typically harder to hit. Higher MOI provides more forgiveness on longer irons versus variable length versions. Short irons are much higher spinning due to loft, so the lower inertia is not as critical.
What about lofts and distance/gapping?
In testing Cobra found most players produce similar gaps with F7 One Length irons and variable length F7 irons. The lofts are the same between these two sets. Loft is the most important predictor of distance in irons. As we know current variable length sets have proper gaps in their wedges, and almost all wedges in sets today are single length.
Convinced?
Book a fitting or try a FULL Set today!
Click here to book.
Only 1 WEEK left in the BIG January SALE!!
This is your LAST CHANCE to get hold of shoes, clothing, clubs and bags at up to 50% OFF!
FootJoy, PING, ProQuip, Puma, Green Lamb & Ashworth items ALL up to 50% OFF!
Pop in store now to see what fantastic products we have on offer.
Pro/Pro Vs Members match this week
After last week's defeat, the Professionals bounced back with a good performance to beat a good pairing in
David Newley and
Barrie Cutchie. With
David and
Barrie both making birdie on the 10th at the Brabazon, the pro's were one down straight away. With
David/Barrie 1 up with 3 to play, it looked like another defeat for the Pro's, but
Mark B made birdies at 16 and 17 to be all square on the last.
Chris managed to make a birdie on the last to secure victory and a 1 UP win!
Kyle Appleton and
Richard Arnold are still the leaders of the challenge, with the overall winner getting a rematch at a top golf course with the professionals all expenses paid.
Who wants to challenge us next??-
£20 per player
- Victory means you will be refunded your
£20 - 4 Ball better ball over 9 holes on the simulator on a chosen course
- 9/10th Handicap
