I recently had the opportunity to try the Acer XDS Cabriolet Irons with stock Apollo shafts and Karma grips. I find that a lot of companies have adopted the moniker of “Game Improvement” for their various style of clubs but the Cabriolets are truly a game changing club for the high handicap golfer. This and the Dynacraft Avatar XMOI Hybrid are by far the easiest clubs to get the ball up into the air, talk about buying yourself a new game!

     As of this writing the Acer XDS Cabriolets are going for about $22 dollars a club, who could not afford this? Especially considering what they can do for your game and enjoyment of golf. If you have a hard time getting the prescribed 10 yard increments in all of your clubs, I would recommend only getting the clubs you need, for example all the odd numbered clubs or the even numbered clubs until you improve your consistency and then rotate in the clubs you need at a later date. This will also make it a little easier on the wallet, don't go hog wild if you don't need to, just get what you need and enjoy getting the ball up in the air with little effort for once.

     One word of warning I will give you about them is the 3 iron, sometimes its sounds a little tinny when hitting this club. I, for one, can forgive this sound because of the way it gets the ball up into the air but if you think it will bother you, go for the Dynacrafts. To find them, click on the Hireko golf banner on this page, then click on the Hirekogolf.com text at the top of the page.

-John

         Most of us have had fun enjoying sports in the comfort of our backyards and city parks. We can spend hours losing ourselves in games of tennis, volleyball, basketball, and sometimes hockey, depending on what part of the country we live in. I have definitely enjoyed these sports throughout the years but the one sport we've been unable to play in that urban environment, until now, is golf!

      With the advent of a new one third weight golf ball it is now safer to play this time honored sport in backyards, parks and streets near us. The “almostGOLF” ball is a practice golf ball that is safe to use off-course, it is 1/3rd the weight and only travels 1/3rd the distance. Here is a brief overview of the almostGolf ball taken from their website, the rest of the article can be found at almostGOLF


      “The almostGOLF ball is perfectly balanced for true spin, trajectory and accuracy. Its unique cross-linked foaming and internal pressure results in a .32 COR rating, approximately one third of a traditional golf ball. As a result, the almostGOLF ball compresses slightly upon impact just like a real golf ball, giving it real 'pop' off the club face and long-lasting durability. But because of its special core construction, the almostGOLF ball is extremely soft, making it backyard safe.” -almostGolf



     In a recent phone interview with founder Robert Peterson, we discussed the uses of this golf ball in off-course applications. Though he is a business man, and was happy to extol the virtues of this new technology, one thing became clear very early on in the conversation - his passion for the sport. He shared how players have embraced it and are in the process of forming a new sport or derivative of the game of golf. Europe is exploding with this hybrid form of golf called “Cross Golf” or as it is becoming known here in the States as Off-Course Golf, Urban Golf, or as a more barbaric form known as Street Golf played in the streets of San Francisco and Berkeley with a tennis-ball.


      One thing I can say for sure is that I am now a huge fan of it and that it is a very addictive sport. Friends that have had an interest in golf are looking at this as an alternative past time and others as a way to get into the sport without the stigma of being the new guy when trying to gain entry into the perceived playing grounds of the Old Boy's Club. With the way TV has portrayed golfing in the past, I can understand where this notion comes from. I have embraced it because of the affordability of practicing and improving my game. Experts say to practice more often, yet the price of practicing cuts into the affordability of playing a round of golf at my local golf course. For example, if I go to my local golfing range, it is anywhere from $8-$10 dollars for a bucket of balls to lob down range at a target. In a month's time this can easily add up to a hundred dollars. This is a hundred dollars that I no longer have to spend on a round of golf with my friends. I now look forward to practicing because I know that I will get better and the price to pay is the walk two blocks down to my local park.


-John (aka. Konaexpress)