COBRA Smarter Ways to Lower Scores: 24-handicapper Peter Howe’s end-of-year report

After a full driver to wedge custom fitting in March, 24-handicap reader Peter Howe reflects on his COBRA Smarter Ways to Lower Scores campaign this season

(Image credit: Tom Miles)

After a full driver to wedge custom fitting in March, 24-handicap reader Peter Howe reflects on his COBRA Smarter Ways to Lower Scores campaign this season

COBRA Smarter Ways to Lower Scores 2018

Name: Peter HoweHome Club: HartlepoolHandicap: 24

Golf Monthly reader Peter Howe was one of our chosen duo for this year’s bigger and better COBRA Smarter Ways to Lower Scores project. A relative newcomer to the game, Peter was hoping to unlock the door to greater consistency in the quest to lower his 24 handicap.

Peter enjoyed a full COBRA Golf driver-to-wedge custom fitting at Silvermere in Surrey in March along with in-depth briefings on how to best use the incredible COBRA Connect shot-tracking system in association with Arccos. This was available throughout the bag this year for the first time, allowing Peter to analyse and better understand all areas of his game.

Peter getting the low-down on COBRA's King F8 range during his fitting at Silvermere

Along the way, Peter played played a lot of golf and a number of competitive rounds, as well as getting to tee it up in two EuroPro Tour Pro-Ams courtesy of COBRA Golf at Frilford Heath, from where he reported back on progress so far mid-season, and then Caversham Heath, where he gave us another progress report in the video below...

Now 2018 is over and it’s time to find out how Peter fared with his new COBRA clubs, the COBRA Connect system and his efforts to bring that handicap down…

On his COBRA clubs… Unfortunately, my official handicap is still 24, although this is down to me playing more social golf and only a handful of competitions. Confidence and lack of consistency are still my major downfalls, but on the plus side, I’ve only been playing for two years and I know this project has been hugely beneficial to my game overall. I’ve seen a vast improvement in my ball-striking, distances and gapping, which is without doubt down to my new clubs!

Previously most rounds were in the mid to high 90s with a few 100+ in there. Now, it’s typically low to mid 90s with a couple of sub-90s in there. The COBRA King F8 3-wood has been my favourite club. I also love the COBRA King F8 driver, which I struggled with originally but have learnt to love. When I’m hitting it well, it really goes!

COBRA King F8 One-Length irons have brought greater consistency to Peter's game

The COBRA King F8 One-length iron concept has proved ideal and I think my iron play has shown the greatest improvement in consistency although there is still much to do. If I could piece it all together, I'd have no problem reaching 18 or below, but I suppose that's golf!

COBRA Connect powered by Arccos was available in every club in 2018

On COBRA Connect… The COBRA Connect data has been very useful, highlighting the weaker areas of my game that I would not otherwise have recognised. I’ve then been able to work on specific things in lessons or on the range. The club distance data has also helped by providing actual figures on how far I can hit each club, so I can then make informed decisions rather than guessing.

Peter's COBRA Connect handicaps in various categories have highlighted the areas of his game that need most work

My COBRA Connect Arccos handicap is now showing as 18.6 (down from 24.3). Driving and approach play are my biggest weaknesses (my driving handicap is 26.5), while chipping and putting are almost into single figures, so I know where most work is needed for further improvement.

 

 

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response