The Ecco S-Drive golf shoes are quite unique, even between the right and left shoes! This design is an asymmetrical concept which is not only interesting, it is stylish and highly functional. I’ve been gaming these shoes for a few months with great results not only on the golf course, but in daily use. Let’s take a look.
Ecco S-Drive Golf Shoes – Overview
The S-Drive is a light-weight golf shoe which is stabilized by bonded microfiber. The microfiber provides strength while still delivering support. Despite this strength, the shoe is still able to flex with the golfer in the golf swing or walking the course. In my case, it also walking to lunch from the office.
The inlay of the shoe can be removed to make the shoe more roomy for those who need the space. Rather than doing that, I switched out the inlay for some specialized golf shoe inserts since I’ve been fighting off plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a painful situation in the arch and heel of the foot. With or without the inserts the shoes are comfortable and stable.
The S-Drive repels water through the use of Ecco’s special “hydromax” leather.
Lastly, the outsole of the shoe provides great traction, performance and stability due to 800 “traction angles,” as seen in the photo below.
Looks/Style
The S-Drives are extremely stylish and I love the asymmetrical concept. Each shoe’s shape reflects the foot, not a cookie cutter pattern that the foot is jammed into. I love wearing these shoes on and off the course. At the office I get a lot of interested looks and questions about them.
Comfort
Despite not having much in the way of laces, I can tighten them perfectly which gives me great support without sacrificing comfort. The shape is very friendly to my feet. I’ve walked many rounds on hard ground with them with no fatigue or aches.
Performance
Most importantly I find the performance of the Ecco S-Drives to be fantastic. From the first round I put them on I seemed to gain power and accuracy in my golf shots. The solid base with great traction certainly helps me make better golf swings.
Sizing
Sizing is the one funky area with Ecco’s offerings. They’re European sizes, which is fine. But the size ranges cover ranges like 8 to 8.5, 9 to 9.5, etc. One has to definitely see how the fit is first to make sure the shoes are the correct size. If the shoe fits, wear it.
Conclusion
The $160 retail Ecco S-Drives have been a great addition to my gamer setup. I’m undefeated in golf money games since putting them into play. I may have to wear them to Vegas…
The S-Drive scores highly in the the most important categories in my personal rating system, performance, style, and comfort.
In for review is a new 2018 Sun Mountain Hybrid Vest. I’ve just started putting this vest through the rigorous Hooked on Golf Blog test battery so I’ll post my full review later this spring after I’ve had a chance to evaluate it on a real-deal golf course.
Sun Mountain Hybrid Vest
The Hybrid Vest comes in four colors: blue, black, light gray, dark gray.
The vest design provides thermal properties as well as wind resistance, while stretching with the golfer’s movement and providing quiet comfort.
Sun Mountain Hybrid Vest
I have a minor problem due to my vest’s blue color and my college football affiliation being red, definitely not blue. But the vest is so super comfortable that I’ll have to take my chances being spotted by fellow non-blue-wearers.
Stay tuned for the full review after the snow here in northern Utah melts and I’ll have the chance to put it through the paces better.
I live in the land of “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” the home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Last year’s snowfall was massive and I had a fantastic time with my new skis enjoying the “pow pow.” But this year has been very different. High temperatures and very little snow. The skiing is pretty bad. But with the high temps the golf courses are open. If mother nature gives me snow, I ski. If she gives me green grass, I golf.
I golf.
I played my first two rounds of 2018 this past weekend, 9-holes at River Oaks and 18 holes at Hidden Valley. I made birdie on my very first hole of 2018, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice. Despite there being no snow, it can still be well below freezing at times, so as you will see in the video below, the lakes on the course are frozen. That gave me a chance to play “ice skip it.” I had no idea the ball would still be spinning minutes after I hit it.
And below is a golf instructional video on how to get the ball off of an icy lake when it is too far to get with a golf club. You can thank me later.
This Trump global warming is great for my golf game. Normally all the courses here in northern Utah would be closed and under a deep blanket of snow, but instead the temps are around 50 degrees and there’s grass! So I hung up the skis and got the sticks out yesterday and played my first round of golf for 2018, a 9-holer at River Oaks. River is my former and about to be current home course again, since moved to within a wedge of the 8th tee a couple of months ago.
On the first tee I found the subject of the first 2018 “Random Stuff You Find on the Golf Course” post, someone’s toothbrush. What’s the story behind this? Was a passer by brushing his/her teeth and dropped it? Was a golfer in such a rush from his house to the first tee that he was still brushing his teeth, then so mad about hitting that first ball in the water on the right forgot to pick up the tooth brush? Did someone’s woman throw his toothbrush out the window of a nearby apartment after she found out he was using his apparent girlfriend’s toothbrush? We may never know.
Stats on the first round of 2018
I made birdie on the first hole of the year. So there’s that. I thought of quitting for the rest of 2018 at that point. I’d be -1 for the year!
That 1-putt birdie on the first hole would be the first of FIVE 1-putts for the nine holes! I managed a double along with seven pars to go with it for a surprising 36 (one over par as the front nine is a par-35). 13 putts, 1.44 putts per hole average. Found 4/6 fairways but the two I missed were only by a couple of feet.
I’ll take that for January and a cold, tight swing. Actually it wasn’t even that cold. I had to take off my beanie and my outer layer because I was too hot. I’m playing 18 today at a nice country club. I wonder if there will be any additions to the “Random Stuff You Find on the Golf Course” story there.
I’ve played some competitive golf here in Utah and even won two club championships. That number should have been three, but unfortunately I had a strange situation where in one club championship I shot the lowest solo score of the day but still lost. By winning a club championship players are allowed to compete in the Utah Golf Association Tournament of Champions, which was extremely fun and challenging. That event is full of Utah golf tournament winners and club champions from courses all over the state. Playing with other competitors of such a high skill level was thrilling and I hope to do it again. All I have to do is win another club championship. Mark it down.
Meadowbrook Golf Course Aerial – click for more
Handicap
My larger state tournament resume is pretty small, partly because I’ve been in somewhat of a handicap “no man’s land” zone at a two-handicap for most of the past few years. Being a two handicap puts one into the “championship flight,” playing gross against players whose handicaps range from my range to the plus threes and fours. In other words, players who typically shoot three or four under par. Some are even scholarship players at BYU, the University of Utah or other smaller schools. That four-under score might be typical for one of those college players, a.k.a. flat-bellies, but that’s the best score I’ve ever shot (68), and I only did that once. A two isn’t going to beat a plus-player very often, especially in the pressure of a tournament situation and tournament setup.
The other aspect to consider is net tournaments. I’ll beat a 10-15 handicap player gross every day of the week, but when we are talking about net tournaments I almost don’t have a chance. Plus, as sad as it is to say, many of those 10’s are really 3’s. So net competitions are seldom an option for me, a low single digit.
Salt Lake City Amateur
I have played in the Salt Lake City Amateur many times, and some other bigger state tournaments. Best finish in the Salt Lake Amateur was 2nd, and I’m very proud of that. The last couple of years I have not done terribly well because of lack of playing and the handicap creeping up.
This past year’s amateur was a bit frustrating. I was actually hitting the ball very well, but had some control problems with my irons. The irons were very inconsistent distance-wise, and in some cases I was hitting shots 30-40 yards long. It turned out the new irons I was playing were very strong in the lofts, so clubs like 7-iron were playing more like a 5-iron. It’s nice to work these things out in a tournament.
Utah Open?
One tournament I’m thinking of competing in this coming year is the Siegfried and Jensen Utah Open. The tournament is held at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah, a course I have yet to play. The format is a four day gross with a cut after the 2nd day. Last year’s cut was three-over-par.
Being an “Open” means pros compete in it. Amateurs compete in it as well, though if they take cash prize money they would have to turn pro to claim it. The first prize for professionals is typically $20,000 and usually the winning score is typically well into double-digits-under-par. Last year’s event was won by amateur Patrick Fishburn who carded TWO 63’s en route to a final score of 26 under par. Unreal. That was nine shots better than the next competitor, the winner of the pro division! Low pro was Zahkai Brown who was also the 2016 Champion. Zahkai came in at 17-under-par, one shot ahead of PGA Tour pro Zach Blair.
Tough competition. Why play in it? I know I would likely miss the cut. The benefit to playing would simply be the experience of the event, but with a $200 entry fee that experience comes with a price tag. That’s why I haven’t pulled the trigger on playing in the event, yet.
Local Men’s Associations
I’ve been in four different men’s associations on and off over the years, Meadowbrook (photo), Bonneville, River Oaks, and Mountain View. I’ve enjoyed those very much. This coming year I plan to compete in two leagues, River Oaks and Bonneville. My two club championships are at River Oaks. Perhaps 2018 will be my third.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
