What’s a great test for a golf bag? How about walking 122.7 miles with it, after schlepping it thousands of miles across the pond from Utah, USA to the Home of Golf, St Andrews, Scotland! The bag I chose for that test is the Puma Superlite Stand Bag. Let’s look at the bag’s features and then talk about how it fared on my grueling and fantastic testing.
Puma Superlite Golf Stand Bag Features
The Superlite is, of course, super-light. It weighs in at a mere 3.8 pounds. Every ounce counts, especially over time.
The bag has a 4-way top with four dividers which go all the way to the bottom. This is great because it helps keep clubs from tangling up and becoming hard to put in our take out. At the top of the bag is a grab-handle with comes in very handy. I use it every time I put the bag down to stand the bag straight up for getting clubs in and out. I also use that handle when putting the bag in the trunk of the car.
There are five zippered pockets on the Superlite. These are one reason I went with this bag for Scotland. I thought of using a smaller bag, but needed room for rain gear and sweaters and such. There’s a large apparel pocket which fits an amazing amount, plus two small item pockets, a ball pocket, tee pocket, and insulated beverage pocket. The small pocket at the top with the white zipper is waterproof and has padding inside. That’s where I put my phone and small camera to protect them. Each pocket has a large rubberized loop which makes them easy to grab and open. Nice touch. The ball bag has room for a lot of golf balls. So many, that I barely even fill it up 1/5 of the way. I use that extra space for other necessities like extra beverages or apparel items.
The stand portion of the bag is very solid. Some cheap-o stand bag’s stand mechanisms work poorly and the bag has to be set down just right or in a strong fashion to get the legs to deploy. This bag’s legs open and close with ease. Plus, they open to a nice wide and solid base. Once again, the cheap-o bags may not open wide enough and as a result the bag’s base isn’t wide enough for a solid stance.
The bag has padded dual shoulder straps to help the bag stay balanced on the player’s back. More on the straps later in the critique section.
The Superlite is made from 100% polyester. It protects the contents from water and moisture extremely well. A couple of the rounds in Scotland were very wet. I deployed the included rain-hood and with that in play the bag kept everything dry. In the image below you can see how well the bag deals with water.
Looks
Style is part of the overall package and this bag has it. I love the solid, bold looks and colors of this bag line.
Critique
My critique of this bag, and an area I think it could be improved, is with the straps. I have a bad back so carrying the bag isn’t typically going to happen. But I do it sometimes. In Scotland I carried a few times, one in particular at the extremely hilly Cruden Bay. Since my back problems are in the lower area of my spine, I like to wear the bag up high. I don’t want the weight of the bag in my lower back or buttock area. I need it laying in the middle of the back or higher. With the bag very high the X part of the straps ended up right on my shoulders. So the weight of the bag was not on the padding of the strap, rather it was on the gap between the padding and the frame of the strap. Also, with that setup, often the strap would flip over as I put it on, resulting in the non padded side being the one against my body. Then I would have to mess with it for a bit to flip the strap over.
On The Course
I’ve used this bag for dozens of rounds at home in the desert heat of Utah. I’ve also logged rounds in French Lick, Indiana, Philadelphia, and over a dozen rounds in Scotland. The performance and ease of use has been great. The variance in conditions has been large and the bag has performed brilliantly in all of them.
At Panmure Golf Club near Carnoustie, Scotland
My favorite highlights about the bag is the large pockets, for such a small footprint of a bag. The bag’s design makes great use of space. Getting the clubs in and out is super easy.
Conclusion
With it’s brilliant design and engineering the Puma Superlite Golf Stand Bag seems to defy the laws of physics. It has the space of a larger carry bag or cart bag, but is light and easy to carry. Golfers looking for a solid carry bag, or any bag to just lighten the load for travel or other reasons, should check out the Puma Superlite.
The upcoming Hooked on Golf Blog World Tour trip to Scotland is 22 days, 4 hours, 12 minutes and 34 seconds away. But who is counting? During this particular tour I intend to carry my bag and what would you know, a great candidate for that job has arrived for review from Puma Golf. This is the Superlite Stand Bag:
I’ve been thinking about using a “Sunday Bag” for the Scotland trip because of how light and small they are. A couple of problems with Sunday bags are that they don’t have stands, and they typically can’t hold much. In Scotland I am going to need some room for sweaters and rain gear. That’s what may make this Puma Superlite the ticket. It’s only 3.8 pounds but has room for 14 clubs plus a ton of rain gear and other needs, like flasks full of scotch or extra golf balls if the gorse is particularly hungry.
I will begin my testing as soon as my next round, in two days. Stay tuned for my full review after I’ve had enough real rounds of golf to fill up my cranium with opinions about this bag. And stay tuned for the upcoming Scotland pictures to see if this bag made the cut for the trip to the birthplace of golf.
Hooked On Golf Blog insiders have sent me a photo of the newest, LONGEST DRIVER EVER. This unique driver is an industry first, with three golf companies teaming up and implementing all of their technologies together. TaylorMade, Cobra Golf, and Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) will soon be releasing the KINGPXGM1-MEGA driver, guaranteed to be the longest driver ever created. It is longer than the longest long one….. ever. Featuring newly co-developed “RFL” technology, this driver is REALLY EFFING LONG!
The New KINGPXGM1-MEGA Driver
KINGPXGM1-MEGA DRIVER FEATURES
- Movable Weights
- 30 weight/screws which don’t appear to do anything
- “Space Port” which opens up and shows fun messages on the inside of the driver like “I’m afraid I can’t do that” and “What are you looking in here for?”
- The Space Port features 17 movable weights
- Adjustable loft, lie, length, closed, open, high, low, left, right, slice, hook, fat, thin
- RFL technology which is “Really Effing Long”
- 1456 shaft options
- Guaranteed to be obsolete tomorrow when the KINGPGXM1-MEGA Driver “PRO” comes out tomorrow
- Retail price to be a factor of 1700 times what it cost to make in China
The release date is yet unknown. When more details become available I’ll post right here at Hooked On Golf Blog.
Well it has begun. It is only March 3rd, but I’ve received the first announcement about limited edition Masters golf gear. Cobra Golf’s new Masters green Bio Cell driver will be available on March 15th with a limited run of 2014 units.
Masters colored golf equipment, a PR tradition like no other…
I must admit, this green looks quite splendid. I want one.
For more information check out the Cobra Golf Limited Edition Green Bio Cell driver press release on the HOG sister site HogWire.biz. HogWire is where I post all the golf press releases I receive.
Cobra Golf is definitely on an ascending path. Their gear is getting better and better. The latest example is the new Cobra Baffler XL Hybrid, what Cobra says is the most forgiving and easy-to-hit hybrid in their 40 year history.
Cobra Baffler XL Hybrid – click to zoom
Has Cobra been making hybrids for 40 years? Anyway… Lets take a look.
Cobra Golf – Baffler XL Hybrid
Baffler XL Features
One of the most unique features of the Baffler series of clubs for many years (maybe even 40), has been the trademark rails on the bottom of the club. What do the rails actually do? They provide smooth turf interaction as less of the club is in contact with the ground. The lower drag on the sole and leading edge of the club help the club launch the ball higher and longer from all kinds of lies.
The Baffler XL Hybrid has tungsten weighting positioned at critical places low and in the back of the club. This weighting increases the clubs MOI (moment of inertia). The higher the MOI the more resistant the club is to twisting. This makes even off-center hits fly farther and straighter.
The center-of-gravity of the Baffler XL Hybrid is also low and back. The result is a high trajectory shot with low spin and more distance.
Specifications/Models
| Model |
Loft |
Length |
Swing
Weight |
Stock
Flex |
RH/LH |
| 2H |
17° |
41″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH |
| 3H |
19° |
40.50″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH/LH |
| 4H |
22° |
40.00″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH/LH |
| 5H |
25° |
39.50″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH/LH |
| 6H |
28° |
39.00″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH/LH |
| 7H |
31° |
38.50″ |
D2.5 |
S, R, Lite |
RH/LH |
Shafts
| Model |
Flex |
Weight |
Kick |
Torque |
Tip Diameter |
| Baffler XL Graphite Hybrid |
A |
60g |
Low |
Mid |
0.370 |
| Baffler XL Graphite Hybrid |
R |
62g |
Mid |
Mid |
0.370 |
| Baffler XL Graphite Hybrid |
S |
63g |
Mid |
Mid |
0.370 |
Cobra Golf Baffler XL Hybrid Topline – click to zoom
Looks and Feel
I’m not a big fan of blue (college football issues). But the dark blue hue of this club is beautiful. My playing partners have all salivated over this beauty. The look at address is as Cobra advertises, confidence inspiring.
The feedback of the club in feel and especially audibly, is great. The club makes a very nice sounding “ping” on crisp shots. You know when you’ve hit the sweet spot.
On The Course
There was a slight period of adjustment for me with this club. I think it is primarily due to the mid kick point of the shaft. I had to experiment a bit with ball position before I started to hit it really well. The best position, forward in the stance, produced some amazing results.
Once dialed in the XL for me launched very high and produced a slight draw. I’m normally a straight ball player. The model I tested, 19 degrees, was great for layup shots on short par-4’s or going for it in two on par-5 holes. The high launch and forgiving performance made those very long par-3 holes quite fun.
I understand and love the rails now. This hybrid launches the ball brilliantly from any kind of lie, tight or thick.
Baffler XL Hybrid Head Cover – click to zoom
Head Cover
I dig the head cover on the Baffler XL. It is small and fairly thin, which helps keep it from taking up too much space in my bag. I typically use smaller carry bags so club real estate is valuable.
Despite being so compact, the cover protects this beauty well.
Critiques
My only critique is that the club is only available in blue (a college football issue once again). I’d prefer any other color.
Conclusion
At $159 retail, the Baffler XL is a great hybrid. It is very easy to hit, launches the ball very high, and produces long shots. This one has earned a starting position in the bag, and the previous hybrid is now keeping the garage warm.
Related Links
Cobra Baffler XL Hybrid pictures
Cobra Am Cell irons review
Cobra Amp Cell driver review
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