Rickie Playing Black Irons?

[Pomps]

4 hours ago, speeder757 said:

That is what I am stating. He has been looking for additional spin with multiple head and shaft changes. 

 I’m just one tester but In my dry ball testing I’ve found tp5 to be more similar in spin to prov1 and tp5x to be more similar to prov1x left dash. If he wants tp5x with a little more spin, isn’t that tp5?

[Happyday_J]

Strange how it seems not many people have been able to notice that is downward spiral and constant tinkering with iron shafts and heads coincided with the signing to play the Taylormade Golf Ball.

 

Perhaps the lower spinning characteristics just doesn't suit him and he's been trying to alter his irons to get some sort of control back.

Obviously, poor iron play then leads to more missed greens, which puts pressure on constantly making putts from 7' for par, leading to a loss of confidence in putter, and a putter switch.

 

And I know he won his first event the WM open after putting the ball in play, but who here hasn't had a honey moon period and then a crash with a new piece of equipment

[Buzzkill]

5 hours ago, QuigleyDU said:

Honestly the cobra CBs are not any bigger than the blades he was playing. I would say they are pretty much the same size. Just a thicker top line.  They are as compact as anything out there. Plus they are really not all that forgiving. 

 

 

Just posted pics of my Cobra CBs against RF blades in another topic.  My heel to toe length was shorter.

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Buzzkill

[BC33]

What’s Rickie’s contract status with Cobra?  I could see Parsons paying him quite a bit to be that PXG flagship guy.  Sign with PXG, go back to a Pro V, career resurgence?

[PatScan]

Isn't it kind of wild how much has changed for touring professionals in terms of the irons that manufacturers offer them? I am one of those wackos who watch old Majors (usually on my phone, in bed) and it's funny to see the number of Ping and Callaway staffers in the 90s. 

 

Because for almost twenty five years (80s - mid-2000s), the equipment manufacturers offered was the equipment they offered. So if you signed with Ping in the 1990s, they pointed at Eye 2s or ISI-Ks and were basically like we can put any shaft in either of those, let us know which one you want. Same with Callaway. What if you wanted some kind of blade or something? They just sort of shrugged and maybe mentioned how the X-12s had a Pro Series option with slightly less offset. 

 

And pros basically said fine, that's cool. Ernie played Eye 2s at Muirfield in 1992, it looked like. (No where else can I admit I just googled "Ernie Els WITB Ping 1992".) If you weren't a Spalding or Titleist or Ram or Wilson or Mizuno guy, then you just played shovels and you dealt with it, basically.

 

I remember when Callaway made the X-Tour specifically for Phil and that felt like the turning point. Everyone dropped to one knee about Callaway making a forged players iron. I can't remember anyone else playing them, but I remember them being a big deal on this website.  I am not sure I've ever seen them in person.

 

I remember people fantasizing about Ping making a blade, and then a forged iron, and then all that stuff happened. And everyone was bowled over by the S59 and the Anser Forged and all that. But what's Ping's best model the last 10 years? It has to be the i210 by a mile. 

 

And same with Callaway. They make all these fancy blades with screws and weights all this other horseshit, but their best irons are those older versions of the Apex Pros or something, probably.

 

So what I'm saying is that I think all of this stuff about making all these different and fancy players irons may have been a waste of time. I am more confident about the Rev33s being a waste of time than I am just about any other iron model. Now what I'm not saying is that I haven't enjoyed all of this fancy stuff they've all come out with (I have), but one wonders where it got us or the equipment cos.

 

I also am rooting for Rickie. He and his game are interesting, and as much fun as we all have with his commercialism/"best pal to all", he's good for the sport.

[rkelso184]

4 hours ago, hokiealumn said:

There are 10+ variations on the USGA conforming list for TP5X, I doubt if the ball Rickie is playing is same one we all have access to at retail.

 

That said, I agree with you if Rickie is looking for spin TP5>TP5X

He plays the tp5? He hasn't played tp5x for some time.

[Andygolderson]

On 3/19/2021 at 5:22 AM, speeder757 said:

Yes looks like Black CB’s. I was planning on ordering a set of the new MB’s cause the shape looks epic but if even Rickie can’t hit them hmmmmm

just because he doesn't use them , doesn't mean he can't hit them. Same applies for you - depends whether you really want a tool to maximise your game, or one you just enjoy using.

[QuigleyDU]

3 hours ago, Buzzkill said:

Just posted pics of my Cobra CBs against RF blades in another topic.  My heel to toe length was shorter.

 

Doesn’t surprise me. Those cbs are tiny..

[speeder757]

5 hours ago, brutusflash said:

S3 pros still the best cobra irons in the last 15 years, absolute money.

 

Flash

Those were great irons 

[speeder757]

3 hours ago, Andygolderson said:

just because he doesn't use them , doesn't mean he can't hit them. Same applies for you - depends whether you really want a tool to maximise your game, or one you just enjoy using.

I was joking 

[rgk5]

17 hours ago, cmy said:

He needs to switch to Titleist full on. Play a mix set of CB/MB, Titleist TSi3 driver, TSi2 woods, Vokey wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2, Titleist ball.

What would that accomplish?  Do you think that the Cobra engineers and Tour staff are incompetent?

[MJisGOAT]

On 3/18/2021 at 11:41 PM, grm24 said:

That photo is from the first round of The Players Championship.

 

Same irons.

[drbonesvt]

Ricky

 

as 2 wrx accounts now , one that supports blades and the other anti blade / even a pro shouldn’t play 

 

BST is active 

 

**I really like Ricky , I hope he fixes it ***

[drbonesvt]

On 3/18/2021 at 3:58 PM, Yacuone said:

Yeah, looked like the Forged CBs with lead tape in the cavity. Still has the MMTs.

Black to hide the cavity back , the shame !

[drbonesvt]

On 3/18/2021 at 3:58 PM, Yacuone said:

Yeah, looked like the Forged CBs with lead tape in the cavity. Still has the MMTs.

Black to hide the cavity back , the shame !

[drbonesvt]

On 3/18/2021 at 3:58 PM, Yacuone said:

Yeah, looked like the Forged CBs with lead tape in the cavity. Still has the MMTs.

Black to hide the cavity back , the shame !

[thomas55]

Man the irons say crisis of confidence. I hope he can pull out of his funk. Nobody like to feel that way on a golf course.

[Qegurezi]

On 3/20/2021 at 5:43 AM, hokiealumn said:

There are 10+ variations on the USGA conforming list for TP5X, I doubt if the ball Rickie is playing is same one we all have access to at retail.

 

That said, I agree with you if Rickie is looking for spin TP5>TP5X

 

Exactly. I'd be rather confident that TM would be providing him with a ball that spins enough if he was looking for more. I'd also be confident he has done a lot of ball testing with TM and knows what he needs and wants. There would be no shortage of choices. 

 

Perhaps he's just in a lull/rut and struggling, perhaps the irons really are too demanding day in day out even for a guy like him. 

[Old Tom Morris]

2 hours ago, Qegurezi said:

 

 

Perhaps he's just in a lull/rut and struggling, perhaps the irons really are too demanding day in day out even for a guy like him. 

According to some of the muscleback/blades advocates on this website forum, the zero offset blades should make him a better ball striker if he sticks with them.

[Josh L.]

I didn't know Rickie was a BBC guy....Big Black Cavity 🙃 

[PEI_Golfer]

It's all because he got married.  It's not like his career has gone up since that point...

[rkelso184]

3 hours ago, PEI_Golfer said:

It's all because he got married.  It's not like his career has gone up since that point...

How does marriage change golf? He won twice with her as his partner. A wedding is just an expensive day to make her go from partner to wife. I can't see how the ring can make so much difference. Maybe it's affecting his swing weights? Lol 

[AmazinBlue]

Based on Saturday's round at the Honda, equipment might be half the issue.  His putting was atrocious on Saturday with 4 3-putts and another one so far this morning.   None of his stats are great, kinda like Jordan in the middle of his downward spiral.  It just takes time when you make majo9r swing changes. 

 

I think he is way to flat at the top and that creates a clubhead that is not on the target line for very long in the impact zone.  Which means timing is crucial.  I think if he raised his hand at the top at least 4 inches (less flat), he wouldn't have to rely on perfect timing so much and his misses might be more playable.  I'm certainly no expert, but his ballstriking is horrendous and no club change will fix the timing issues he is apparently having. 

 

And as we saw with Jordan, poor iron play eventually affects putting and now his putting skill is gone too.  He has to fix the ball striking and the rest will come back.  his confidence has to be zero about now so he's in a dark place and doesn't have the history of excellence to remind him that he was there and can get back there.

[PEI_Golfer]

6 hours ago, rkelso184 said:

How does marriage change golf? He won twice with her as his partner. A wedding is just an expensive day to make her go from partner to wife. I can't see how the ring can make so much difference. Maybe it's affecting his swing weights? Lol 

 

Different priorities in life all of a sudden started to take more attention away.  You go from 100% it's all about you, to another person, possibly the talk of when to start a family.  

 

For some (me included), it is just another day and in reality means very little about how you go about your life already, but to others, it's a much bigger step.

 

It's not like it would be the first time a high profile player, started to play worse after getting hitched and it taking time to get back to what they once were.

Edited March 21, 2021 by PEI_Golfer

[Liam84]

On 3/19/2021 at 7:55 PM, brutusflash said:

S3 pros still the best cobra irons in the last 15 years, absolute money.

 

Flash

Absolutely,same as teh previous model Pro CB and MB, forged in Japan.

Maybe not unretlated but also the last model to be designed while still part of Acushnet.

[madaboutgolf]

Rickie Fowler switches irons in bid to change PGA Tour form | GolfMagic

[humps]

Hopefully he finds his form again... But alot has to do with confidence and being able to mentally perform. Kind of like Speith during his rough patch.

[AKbeltbuckle]

On 3/21/2021 at 4:24 AM, rkelso184 said:

How does marriage change golf? He won twice with her as his partner. A wedding is just an expensive day to make her go from partner to wife. I can't see how the ring can make so much difference. Maybe it's affecting his swing weights? Lol 

 

Lack of focus, happened to Rory as well. Golf is not his #1 anymore it seems, I've never seen Rickie seem so annoyed on the course. A troubled home life will absolutely wreck your golf game or any pro athlete.

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

On 3/25/2021 at 2:55 PM, AKbeltbuckle said:

 

Lack of focus, happened to Rory as well. Golf is not his #1 anymore it seems, I've never seen Rickie seem so annoyed on the course. A troubled home life will absolutely wreck your golf game or any pro athlete.

I have a troubled home life. And I’ve been playing the best rounds of golf ever. Almost on the same level as Ricky. 

[Rubenc87]

I'm not hating on the guy but I believe that it is due in part to the married life? Perhaps he doesn't have enough time to be selfish and dedicate more time for practice ? That's just a thought. Another would be that he needs to hear more people hating on him so that he can uncover whatever he did so that he can repeat the mindset he had when he won The Players.