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Gear Dive: Legendary club builder Larry Bobka speaks on Tiger’s old Titleist irons

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Legendary club builder Larry Bobka joins us in the first episode of our new podcast called “Gear Dive,” hosted by Johnny Wunder, GolfWRX’s Director of Original Content. Gear Dive is a deep look into the world of golf equipment, and Wunder will be interviewing the craftsman, the reps and the players behind the tools that make up the bags of the best golfers in the world.

Bobka, our first guest, is a former Tour rep and club builder involved in some of the most important clubs of the past 25 years. From his days at Wilson Golf working with legends such as Payne Stewart, Hale Irwin and Bernhard Langer, he transitioned into the Golden Age of Titleist/Acushnet building clubs for Tiger Woods, Davis Love, David Duval and Brad Faxon. He currently runs Argolf where he builds and fits handmade putters for Tour players and amateurs alike. He’s one of the Godfather’s of modern golf equipment.

Skip to 45:30 for the discussion about Tiger’s Titleist irons.

Check out our podcast on SoundCloud below, or click here to listen on iTunes!

What do you think of the new podcast? Leave your feedback in the comments below!

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42 Comments

42 Comments

  1. Bert Sugar

    Apr 27, 2019 at 3:53 pm

    This interviewer is, let’s be nice and say poor

  2. len

    May 14, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    It’s sooooo important to gearheads to know Tiger’s WITB… and to offer a juvenile opinion or twitter-brained blurt or give us your feeeeelings … 😛

  3. bogeypro

    May 9, 2018 at 8:23 pm

    ugh…. podcast…. sad face

  4. peter collins

    Apr 27, 2018 at 6:40 am

    podcast bye

    • Casey

      May 1, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      See ya. Take your 6 hpur pace of play with you

  5. Brett Weir

    Apr 26, 2018 at 10:33 am

    The interview with Bobka starts at 12 minutes 46 seconds.

  6. charles peed

    Apr 26, 2018 at 10:24 am

    way too much bs/tease at start. glad to know interviewe knowsrso much gratuitous info (david toms had a putter,etc). never made it to the interiew. whoops guy came on while I was typing.guy didn’t too well in college. met gene sarazen, & so on.

  7. Jim

    Apr 26, 2018 at 3:32 am

    I MUCH prefer reading – Podcasts are fine for those times when you’re stuck in a car in heavy traffic, or a long road trip, but since I’m usually surfing the old web at my desktop, I prefer reading. If you must do Podcasts, please also print a script.

  8. Lance

    Apr 25, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    Would love to READ the article Both formats please

  9. Joe Perez

    Apr 25, 2018 at 7:28 pm

    Nice. I like listening to these while standing at the beach, looking at the waves.

  10. Doug lamb

    Apr 25, 2018 at 4:57 pm

    Tired of being teased with an interesting story. Only to end up being a podcast!!

  11. tom missler

    Apr 25, 2018 at 11:51 am

    very interesting club builder. most interested in what he had to say about the players and other personalities he’s worked with over his career.

  12. Shanks Happen

    Apr 25, 2018 at 10:40 am

    I also would love a transcript of the podcasts. And yes, if it means they are available a week after, that is cool too.

  13. rex235

    Apr 25, 2018 at 2:03 am

    Larry Bobka answered my questions to him almost a year ago. Took almost 13 minutes to hear him?

    “Uno Nuno?”

    Wait a minute…

    John Daly didn’t use a Wilson Whale Driver at the ’91 PGA, he used a Cobra Ultramid model.
    Daly also had PING irons, and a PING putter at Crooked Stick.

    Payne Stewart used a Wilson Laminated Whale Driver first at the ’89 PGA, and didn’t like that Wilson gave Daly such a large contract, so he left. (Bobka corrected him.)

    • Jim

      Apr 25, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      JD was caving in virtually every Ti or steel driver then. The Cobra was a solid composite head. You’re also right on rest of post.

  14. Tommy

    Apr 25, 2018 at 1:03 am

    I like to multi task….podcasts are of no use for this. Please include transcripts. I, like many, skip these stories completely.

  15. mlb

    Apr 24, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    I agree transcript would be helpful.

  16. Harp007

    Apr 24, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    Awesome interview with Larry Bobka. I’ve known LB for over 20 years and his knowledge and recall are amazing. Great podcast and insights.

    • Larry Bobka

      Apr 25, 2018 at 8:46 am

      Thanks Harp..

    • Jim

      Apr 25, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      I don’t have time for ‘podcasts’. I don’t do ‘pod’ anything…

      Would much appreaciate the transcript

  17. Mike Rohmann

    Apr 24, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    Larry !! I was lucky enough to play some golf with Mr. Bobka in San Diego. We had some good duels in Team play and he was always a gentlemen and great golfer. I heard he’s moved on to bigger things after Titleist and I hope Larry that you are doing really well. I know the guys out at Vista Valley CC would love to see him back.

    • Larry Bobka

      Apr 25, 2018 at 8:44 am

      Mike. Thanks for the kind words. I always enjoyed our battles and beers afterwards. I’m in Jupiter, FL working for Argolf Putters. I miss VVCC and Saturday Team play. Take care, my friend..Larry

      • Kendall Thomas

        Apr 26, 2018 at 4:21 pm

        Larry, great interview! I heard you quoted Tiger saying an old guy gave him a set of Hogan Apex irons. 4 years, everyone believed he was playing a set of Mizuno irons. What company did you say the prototypes blades were?

  18. Diesel

    Apr 24, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    Glad he finally put the “Miura” iron conspiracy to bed.

    • Birdswing Golfer

      Apr 25, 2018 at 3:34 am

      I never understood the Miura conspiracy Tiger played Ping then Mizuno?

      surely if there was any truth in the clone irons they would of been Mizunos!

  19. Dan

    Apr 24, 2018 at 3:12 pm

    Great info but 30m is plenty

  20. Jamie

    Apr 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    Cliffs Notes please. The babble at the beginning was useless and my time is valuable.

    • Dan

      Apr 25, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      Yet you have times to criticize and post. Haha Love it!

  21. Tom

    Apr 24, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    The interviewer needs to shut up!!!!!! Just ask the simple question and let the guest talk – we don’t want to hear you. For example, “What was it like to work with Tiger… (stop here) blah, blah, blah, blah”. Just end it. Or, “Talk about David Duval… (STOP!!) blah, blah, Duval history lesson, blah”

  22. Brett Weir

    Apr 24, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    There you have it…Tiger’s Titleist irons in his heyday were forged by Endo…straight from the horse’s mouth.

  23. golfguru

    Apr 24, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    Wonderful interview. Keep up the great work and looking forward to the next one.

  24. ogo

    Apr 24, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Custom club propaganda for the neurotic who don’t have a golf swing but want to have a custom WITB set of weapons to give them false confidence. Custom clubs are total hokum… believe it..

  25. e

    Apr 24, 2018 at 11:52 am

    oh man this podcast stuff again… how about a transcript for those of us who don’t want to spend over an hour listening to something we could read in 10 mins?

    • golfguru

      Apr 24, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      Start typing one up for us…..

    • Brian

      Apr 24, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      Agree. I have no interest in listening to podcasts.

    • Thomas A

      Apr 24, 2018 at 1:32 pm

      Ditto. I’m at my computer at work, not driving in my car. I need to get this stuff on the downlow.

    • Mike

      May 15, 2018 at 11:55 pm

      +11111111111111111

  26. ProjectX

    Apr 24, 2018 at 11:37 am

    Who would win in a fight…Bobka or the Hurricane?

  27. J Zilla

    Apr 24, 2018 at 11:24 am

    Another Bobka?

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Live from Mexico Open + Insight on how the pros stay ready

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In this week’s podcast, we are catching up with Shawn on his experience at the Mexico Open and we dive into some of the techniques pros are using to stay ahead of the game.

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

GPI: 3,000 years and no change in how we exercise our bodies…until now

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EMS (Electro Muscle Stimulation) training is a highly effective and time-efficient workout that can benefit people of all ages and fitness levels. It involves using a special suit that delivers electrical impulses to the muscles, causing them to contract and work harder than they would during traditional exercise. The Team at Wisdom in Golf has partnered with the Katalyst team, which has sought to bring EMS training at the leisure of your own home. Their ultimate goal is to help everyone develop with this technology at their own pace.

In a recent podcast, we did, with the CEO & Founder of Katalyst, Bjoern Woltermann, set the tone for what the EMS training is all about and what potential it has for every golfer out there, amateur or professional:

[Minute 02:09] “We’re talking about a new way of working out for the first time in 3000 years. Because for 3000 years, if we think about it, the Olympic Games are still the same, right? We wrestle, and we throw things, and we run, and we lift things. You know, it sure to be a rock, and now it’s a little bit more refined, but at the End of the day, we measure how much we can lift over our head. That’s literally what we measure.” – Bjoern Woltermann, CEO & Founder of Katalyst

This technology has been used for decades in physical therapy and rehabilitation settings but is now gaining popularity as a workout tool. One of the main benefits of EMS training is that it allows people to achieve maximum results in minimal time. A 20-minute EMS session can be equivalent to a two-hour traditional gym workout. This is especially beneficial for busy professionals and those with hectic schedules who struggle to find time for exercise.

Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or improve your overall health, EMS can help you achieve your objectives more efficiently than traditional exercise. Another advantage of EMS training is that it can be customized to suit individual needs and fitness goals. Within a month (Mid-March to Late-April) of utilizing the Katalyst Suit, the team at Wisdom in Golf claims to have seen profound gains in their golf swing, improvement with mind and body connection that is enhanced by the suit, and a better sense of well being.

Here is what Shawn said after using it for a month:

[Minute 35:09] “I did notice in the last week and a half I feel stronger over the ball, and I’m feeling more capable, and that’s, that’s a really fun feel to have for your confidence. So then I proceed to go through my practice session […] my beginning clubhead speed lately has been 102mph-104mph, and I can ramp it up to 110mph-112mph clubhead speed, and that’s pretty much where I have been staying. Last year it was at 114mph clubhead speed”, [35:53],” I haven’t been at 117mph clubhead speed since my 40s, I’m 57 years old, so I ramp it up to 114mph, Wow that’s pretty cool!”,[36:52],” Here I am at a 117mph clubhead speed at 57 years old, and I’m thinking I’m the king of the world right now, and then when I had a nice moment of gratitude, and I thought of you guys {Katalyst Team}.” – Shawn Clement

Furthermore, EMS is low impact and can be adapted to suit all fitness levels, making it an excellent option for people of all ages and abilities. It’s also ideal for those with joint or mobility issues, as the electrical stimulation can be used to target specific muscles without putting additional stress on the joints. Overall, EMS training is a highly effective and versatile workout tool that can benefit every demographic. With its time-saving and customizable approach, it’s no wonder why it’s quickly becoming a popular choice for those looking to achieve maximum results in minimal time.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Additional resources:

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie Review: Cobra’s new King Tour irons

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The Cobra King Tour irons have been proven on the PGA Tour already and will be in bags of better amateur players this year. The previous King Tour MIM irons were very underrated and offered great precision with a solid shape that many players liked. Cobra went away from the Metal Injection Molded construction and went with a five-step forging process for soft and solid feel.

Make sure to check out the full podcast review at the links below and search GolfWRX Radio on every podcast platform.

I was a big fan of the previous Tour MIM irons and played them in rotation throughout the last two years. Out of the box, I was impressed with the more simple and clean look of the badging on the new King Tour. Badging is mostly silver with just small black accents that should appeal to even the pickiest golfers. I didn’t notice the shorter blade length in the new irons but did notice that the leading edge is just slightly more rounded. Topline is thin, but not razor thin, but still has enough there to give you the confidence that you don’t have to hit it on the dead center every shot.

Feel is solid and soft with just a slight click to the thud on well struck shots while mishits are met with a little more sound and vibration to the hands.

These King Tour irons are built to be cannons and place more emphasis on consistent and precise shots. I also felt like the new irons launch easily and maybe a touch higher than some irons in the same category.

My launch monitor showed my 7 iron with an average launch angle of 22 degrees and spin right around 5,800 with a Project X LZ 6.0 stock shaft. Ball speed isn’t the ultimate focus of this iron but it did well with an average around 108mph and the iron was able to keep the speed up well when you didn’t strike the center. You will still see a drop off in speed and distance when you miss the center, but you don’t have to be Navy SEAL sniper accurate on the face to achieve a good shot. Dispersion was very tight, and while there are bigger irons with more forgiveness, this players cavity still allows good playability when you aren’t bringing your A-plus game to the course.

Cobra lists the King Tour as an iron for a Tour level player up to a 7 handicap and I think this iron could see the bags of more golfers than that. I am a 9.4 handicap, and I felt more than comfortable playing this iron even on less than perfect days.

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