Equipment

Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized laser rangefinder review – Club Junkie Reviews

Published

5 months ago

Nov 22, 2023

The laser rangefinder market is stocked full of models ranging from basic units to full-of-features, high-end yardage finders. With all these options, golfers also have a wide range of prices from under $100 to over $500. While the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized is far from the cheapest, it does offer a lot of options that the cheaper models don’t.

When you get the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized out of the box, you are greeted by a black carrying case that is made from woven black nylon. The case itself is pretty basic with less padding than you might expect at this price point. The latch looks like a standard plastic clip but is actually a magnet for quick opening and closing. I will be honest, it would be nice to get a heavier-duty, more molded case for this $400 laser rangefinder, but it works and clips onto your bag with ease.

The Nikon Coolshot Pro II itself is a smaller profile that fits in your hands comfortably and with a good grip. The rubberized touch points make it easy to hold even with hot, sweaty hands, or in the cold when your hands might be a little numb. While the buttons don’t stand out aggressively, they are easy to find without looking, and once you use the unit for a little bit, they become second nature to press.

Out on the course, the Coolshot is lightweight, and you don’t notice it hanging from your bag even when walking. The 6X magnification is clear and seems to have a slight tint to it that works well on sunny days. The view is still clear and pins are easy to see in overcast conditions. The eyepiece rotates to focus the lens, but once I dialed it in I didn’t feel like I had to do any further adjustment on the course. I could easily see 200-yard shots as easily as 50-yarders. The accuracy is very good, and if you shoot the flag multiple times, you get the same distance every time. Using the Coolshot Pro II to measure the distance to trees, bunkers, or even grass hills was easy and again accurate. I have yet to shoot a target that gave me a reading that looked off or incorrect.

Now the one thing missing from the Coolshot Pro II is a magnetic side to attach to the cart. This isn’t very pleasant, but I spoke with Nikon about it and any magnet on the side of the range finder would interfere with the gyroscope that stabilizes the view. The slope measurements can be turned off and on and are indicated by a small light near the front lenses of the unit. I found the slope to also be pretty accurate, and only found some issues with extreme downhill greens — but a lot of that could be put on the golfer as well!

Nikon’s image stabilization is really what makes this unit stand above a lot of other laser range finders. Originally I thought it was great for those targets over 200 yards, but the more I use it even the shorter distance targets are easier to shoot. 120-150 yard targets can easily, and quickly, be targeted with one hand. No longer do I have to support my right hand with my left to reduce the shake in my arms. Longer par 5s take me half the time compared to other rangefinders as the stable crosshairs slowly move onto the flag. Once you shoot the flag, you get the vibration indicating the laser found the flag. I have also become a big fan of the bright red LCD markings in the scope as they are easier to use in darker conditions or when the background of the green is very wooded.

Overall, I am very impressed with the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized, and it has become the rangefinder I use in my bag. The stabilization just makes it easy to use from any yardage and the clear optics help aim at any target. This may not be the cheapest rangefinder out there, but it is one of the best I have used.

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Equipment

Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

Published

6 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

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Equipment

Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

Brian Knudson

It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.

We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.

From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.

“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.

TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°

TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

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Whats in the Bag

Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Check out more in-hand photos Collin Morikawa’s clubs here.

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)