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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.