FASHION | BEAUTY | LIFESTYLE

The appearance of the Alpha Reactions has pleased everyone (even our Frenchman who doesn’t think that the color blue should be allowed on golf clubs). These are attractive, modern-looking irons that look more expensive than they actually are. The fit and finish on these heads and shafts is good. These Alphas look and feel like quality irons.

The stainless steel Reactions are undercut cavity backs with a touch of muscleback in their design. Called a pocket cavity by Kent Sports, this deep, semi-internal cavity has a weight pod in the back to give added punch to trajectories. (See article: Undercut Cavities) The heads on these game improvement irons are moderately oversized. The progressive offsets run from a slight 1mm in the PW to a pronounced 5.5mm in the 3-iron. The Reactions set up cleanly and nicely at address. Their toplines are relatively thin by game improvement iron standards.

When hit particularly thin, the feeling of the Reactions at impact can be a little unpleasant. The majority of the time, however, it is decidedly sweet and solid. These Alphas come across as light and well balanced in the hands. Everything about them is smooth, graceful and airy. In fact, a couple of our testers tended to swing these irons too easily – as though they were soft, senior flex irons. For a while, we thought that the lengths produced by the Reactions were a bit too short for most players. It took a bit of time to realize that these smooth hitting cavity backs took well to higher swing speeds. They remain quite stable when cranked up. The Alpha Platinum shafts are filament wound graphite with a torque of 3.3 degrees. They can accommodate a wide range of swing speeds. Our stiff-flex testers had little problem controlling these regular-flex shafts.

In our article about Undercut Cavities, we use a hammer analogy to illustrate how mass located back from the impact point optimizes the force delivered by a blow. Hammers are long and pointy for a reason. If tapping small nails were all that was to be done, any shape hammer would suffice. But for driving large nails in hard and fast, mass back behind the impact point is more effective. So it is with the Reaction’s small weight-pod. When hit hard, the ball flies with a more tour-like trajectory. Its path starts low and curves slightly upwards. When hit hard, balls fly strong with good penetration. When hit easy, the trajectories are higher and more softly arched.

Forgiveness with all irons throughout this set was ample. The long irons proved to be quite manageable. While using them for extended ball-testing sessions, their results were consistently long and accurate. Our crew found that hitting the short irons and wedges was particularly enjoyable. Shots flew high and soft for good, easy distances. A SW was included with the demo set. It turned out to a friendly, likeable wedge that produced consistently decent results. It’s not a wedge for low-handicappers, but most mid- to high-handicappers should see satisfying results with it.

The Reactions will suit many players who tend to overhit their irons. They inspire smoothness and restraint. This triple combination of soft Winn grips, smooth, filament wound shafts and large, forgiving cavity backs makes for a mellow hitting experience. Those who tend to ease off on their swings through impact may prefer a more aggressive set of irons. Or, they may prefer this set in senior-flex shafts and thinner, non-Winn grips. We used the Reactions for some of our extended ball testing sessions. They proved to be very low-stress irons. During long sessions of pounding balls with various irons, all appreciated switching back to the pleasant Alphas. Range hounds will find that the Reactions are very easy and comfortable to use for protracted periods of time.

Undercut cavities, in general, add more punch to the ball, but sole-weighted irons do a better job of getting it airborne. They get a higher percentage of mass below the ball at impact. From thick lies and heavy rough, the Reactions work reasonably well, but they do lack the authority produced by sole-weighted irons. On the other hand, the Reactions hit a flatter, more dynamic shot from better lies than most sole-weighted irons. The sole-weighted irons we hit in direct comparison, such as the Titleist 762’s and Cleveland Quadpros, hit higher, more arched trajectories.

Summary: The handsome and refined-looking Alpha Reactions from Kent Sports are smooth, easy-swinging irons with undercut cavities. They have a sweet, luxurious feel to them. Forgiveness is ample on mishits. Performance parameters are good across the board and will suit a wide range of high- to mid-handicappers. The Reactions should prove more than satisfactory to those who desire a luxury, graphite-shafted set of game improvement irons, but do not want to take out a second mortgage to finance the purchase. Those who need maximum launch height might look into sole-weighted irons, however.

As with so many Snake Eyes products, the Fire Forged Max C.O.R. 400 makes for a terrific looking component. Sincere attention to aesthetics is one of the primary reasons that the Snake Eyes line has been so very successful with clubmakers around the world. In this case, a deep, luminous burgundy-to-black paint job with gold accents has been used in an understated manner that allows the head to participate harmoniously in many color schemes. We have tried the Fire Forged with five, different shafts. Each has made for a beautiful combination. The Fire Forged, as with most Snake Eyes drivers, looks dead sharp in the bag, and at address, as well. This driver sets up nicely. Its 400cc head looks reassuringly large, but without any of that “Volkswagen on a stick” look that afflicts some 400+cc heads.

All of our testers have found that the feel at impact with the Fire Forged is very substantial. The shimmer and high-pitched tingliness that accompany many rival, titanium drivers is not present. Instead, the Fire Forged resonates with a solid, lower pitched smacking sensation, or more appropriately, a “sma-ocking” sensation since a touch of springiness in the face can be discerned. Balls struck across most of the face leave with a good sense of authority.

With the Snake Eyes ProLite shaft, the feel is sweetest, though it is a bit too soft for some. With the AccuFLEX Icon v2, the feel is mellow, but very firm – almost boardy. With the SK Fiber Tour Trac 80, the feel is solidly responsive and comparatively vibrant. Aside from these three shafts, we also briefly tried the Fire Forged in two versions of the Aldila One – the Stiff 65 Low Launch and the Regular 65 Mid Launch. They produced lower trajectories, but feel was not very memorable. It was decided that no real chemistry existed between these components and extended testing was discontinued.

The Fire Forged Max C.O.R. 400 likes to be hit with authority. It seems most responsive when a little oomph is laid into it. When hit hard with any of the three test shafts, the Fire Forged delivers up powerful drives that carry very well with relatively high, arched trajectories. Distances are consistently first-rate – not always exceptionally long, but generally quite good. The 9-degree test drivers flew moderately high for their loft in the ProLite and SK Fiber shafts – more like a 10-degree head for some hitters. Consequently, roll was less than with some rival drivers. With the AccuFLEX and Aldila One Mid Launch, the trajectories were a bit lower. With the Aldila One Low Launch, trajectories were noticeably lower, but were still not as low as some other heads on the same shaft.

In terms of workability, the Fire Forged can be a little reluctant to turn over. It can be hit straight or with a draw, but most testers found that its dispersion patterns favored the right side of the fairway. Fading was easier than drawing. Hooking was infrequent. These tendencies really manifested themselves when our hitters laid off the ball too much, or when they were just plain weary. When either happened, drives went higher and shorter to the right. With the SK Fiber senior flex version we used a short length of 44.5”. This gave a low swingweight of D1. The Fire Forged became quite easy to manage and drives hung out to the right less often. The right side tendencies were still visible,however

The stiffer flexed versions of the Fire Forged were shafted between 45.5 – 45.75 inches. This made the rightwards inclination more pronounced. At 202 grams, these Snake Eyes heads are a few grams heavier than are some rival heads specifically designed for overlength shafts. Swingweights ranged from D5.5 to D7.5 in all longer-shafted versions. As a result, the inclination for these heads to be a tad slow in coming around can be exaggerated with longer shafts. For this reason, most players will want to keep this head at 44 ˝” to 45”. Still, the Fire Forged worked quite well for us at longer lengths; it just needed to be struck well and struck firmly.

Because of these general right side tendencies, chronic slicers will probably be best advised to avoid the Fire Forged completely. However, handsy players who succumb too readily to snap hooks may find that this driver keeps a higher percentage of their drives in play. In terms of making mistakes to the left, the Fire Forged is a very stable performer, particularly when coupled to lower torque shafts such as the AccuFLEX Icon v2 and the Aldila One. For some, this driver may bring their patterns back to dead center.

s to overall consistency of accuracy: The Fire Forged is good, but not great. Basic aiming is intuitive, but precise aiming is not. The snazzy, little Snake Eyes logo is used on the crown as an alignment aid. This is a sharp looking bit of graphic design. It is not a particularly effective alignment aid, however. Some users may not be sure exactly where it should be pointing. Consequently, the head may register a little too open or closed. Such uncertainty can occur whenever a company decides to use its own logo as an alignment aid. In general, any graphics on a crown should be specifically designed to be effective alignment marks, or the crown should be left plain. Nonetheless, reaction to alignment marks varies greatly, so this aspect may be completely irrelevant to many players.

As to the shafts that were used:

The AccuFLEX Icon v2 is for very strong hitters only. Teamed with the Fire Forged it creates a real blaster. A player can lay into this combo with all he’s got and still maintain tight patterns. Slicers will definitely want to avoid it, however. Trajectories are noticeably lower with the AccuFLEX than they are with the other two shafts tested. They penetrate well and produce more roll. Appearance-wise, the charcoal and pewter Icon made for a very handsome, very rich looking driver with an ultra-serious appearance.

For another combination, we decided to go with the Snake Eyes ProLite by Grafalloy because we were familiar with the shaft. We thought that it would make a good point of reference. In retrospect, we wish that we had opted for the Snake Eyes Fire Forged graphite by UST. The ProLite graphite provided its typical feel; a feel that is smoothly responsive and enjoyably mellow. Cut long, however, it provided a bit too much head movement for most of our crew. The Grafalloy shaft felt a shade too whippy and loose with somewhat of a slingshot effect – more like a firm, senior flex than a regular flex. It did generate the best distances of the bunch with moderately high trajectories, but consistency of control was somewhat lacking. Though we have not tested the combo, we would suggest that stronger players who desire a matched head/shaft combination opt for the Snake Eyes/UST shaft cut to no more than 45 ˝”. Its reduced torque rating should provide tighter patterns.

In the third combination, we teamed the black and red SK Fiber Tour Trac 80 senior-flex graphite with a dark, burgundy leather grip from Gripmaster. Another exceeding fine looking driver resulted. Besides looking good, this combo produced the most consistently pleasing results of the three. The SK Fiber is not very soft for a senior shaft. Few would consider it to be at all whippy. It should be thought of as soft regular flex best suited to those with smooth, slow tempos. True seniors may want a shaft with a little more kick to it. The Tour Trac 80 is an inexpensive shaft with a mid bend point and a moderate torque rating of 4.0. It seemed to add some additional height to the Fire Forged drives, but ballooning did not occur. Feel was reasonably vibrant and patterns for those hitters suited to this shaft remained quite good. For a 44.5” driver, this combo pronounced some very good yardages – high, but good.

The added trajectory height and shorter shaft length of the SK Fiber combination were genuine blessings for one of our testers. His normal tendencies are to hit draws that fly too low to achieve top-rate distances. Low-flying, snap hooks are his primary nemesis. For him, this combo flew very straight with trajectories that were still low, but more arched than normal. Carry was improved noticeably with only marginal reductions in penetration and roll. They both remained quite good. In the past, other large-headed drivers had reduced his inclination to go too far left, but they generally did so due to stiffer, hard-feeling, low-torque shafts. Though the Fire Forged/SK Fiber combo was an inch shorter than his usual, regular flex drivers, it produced a better, overall distance average. This was due to an increase in carry and a noticeable reduction in mistakes to the left. Also, the jumbo head and shorter shaft were very reassuring at address. This created swings that were more confident and relaxed.

Summary: The Snake Eyes Fire Forged Max C.O.R. 400 is an extremely good looking head with a color scheme that goes well with many different shafts. Fit and finish is very fine. This head looks like an expensive, top quality component. Feel at impact with the Fire Forged is decidedly solid and substantial. Shots leave the forged face with authority and carry very well with arched trajectories. This is a moderately high-hitting head that can achieve fine distances for those who need a bit more height. The Fire Forged is a workable head, but it is also one that goes to the right easier than to the left. Severe slicers and those who push their fades too often will probably want to avoid the Fire Forged. Hookers, on the other hand, may find it suits their needs quite admirably. When coupled to overlength shafts, this head produces some heavy swingweights that can exaggerate its right side tendencies. For most, it will work best at 45” or less.

What immediately distinguishes the Fox M2 Jr. club set from many other youth sets is its seriousness. This set comes in a highly attractive black, leatherette golf bag complete with matching rain hood. The clubs themselves are compellingly designed with small fox heads on the back of each club. They are cute, but hardly cutesy. They look like smaller versions of real golf clubs. The resulting presentation is one that should appeal to kids of all ages – including those wannabe grownups ten years of age and older. Unlike some colorful youth sets, these relatively staid kiddy clubs have the benefit of appearing to children to be just the same as adult clubs, but in sizes appropriate to their own physiques.

The durable heads of M2 Jr. irons are made from 431 stainless steel. They are muscleback cavities. They are moderately sized and provide some sincere forgiveness without sacrificing too much in the way of playability. In fact, they seem exceptionally playable when compared to some of the clunkier, jumbo-sized youth sets we have seen.

The heads of the M2 Jr. woods are made from 17-4 stainless steel. They are also of a moderate size – friendly, but not unwieldy. As with the irons, they are handsome and playable in their nature. Their elevated lofts are specific to the needs of juveniles. Their low, wide shapes help to get the ball airborne easily. From what we can tell about their performance, they are dynamic, lively, little woods.

The Fox Youth M2 Jr. youth clubs come in two, basic sizes: One for kids aged 5-9 and one for kids aged 10-14. We “tested” the basic set plus a 4-wood in the smaller, peewee version. The resulting experience was one we will soon not forget.

Our first tester was a six-year old boy with an enthusiastic, albeit moody, approach to golf. He had been repeatedly coached on the fundamentals of the game by a doting grandfather. His initial response to the Fox clubs was very positive. The image of the little fox and the overall, assertive nature of the irons soon overwhelmed him, however. After a few aggressive swings at golf balls, he spied a groundhog running into a newly dug den that was located smack in the center of one of our practice traps. Off flew our junior tester in pursuit. With Fox M2 Jr. iron in hand, he started flailing away at the entrance to the woodchuck’s den. Finding progressive too slow using traditional swing mechanics, he soon began digging at the hole with the iron. The iron did not have enough loft for the job at hand. Being inexperienced, Junior had little understanding of sand wedges. The result: No groundhog was brought to bear. Disillusioned, our pint-sized associate would not return to the testing fold. Oh well, some things are more important to a six-year old boy than golf.

Our next tester was an eight-year old girl. This young lady was a talented athlete who was well-schooled in golf, lacrosse and field hockey – a regular , little jockette. Again, this bantam tester liked the cute but no-nonsense presentation of the Fox clubs. Her past clubs had been all pink and yellow – too child-like for her current state of mind. Being an aggressive child, she took immediately to the more serious, weapon-like look of the Foxes. They looked good and felt good to her. Her results were immediately strong with both the irons and the 4-wood. Her little blasts flew long and straight, and with surprisingly good height.

Again, unfortunately, the testing session was destined for an early termination as there had been, unbeknownst to us, an invisible pony waiting on the tee beside our distaff peewee. After a short testing session, she jumped on this transparent steed and bounded off across the field. She then proceeded to engage an entire squadron of invisible ponies and riders in a full chukka (chukker?) of polo. After all was said and done, our mini-tester’s feedback read: “Nice clubs. The 4-wood makes a great polo mallet. I like the black bag and the little fox.”

Further juvenile testing netted results no more structured than those of the first sessions. (We should have gone with the bigger kid set) Needless to say, this will probably be GCR’s last attempt to conduct actual, on-site testing with kiddy clubs in the hands of actual, on-site kiddies. In the future, we will use our own opinions of juvenile club sets. We’re all arrested adolescents, anyway.

Summary: Four things about these sets of Fox M2 Jr. clubs were apparent to all, young and old. They make for a classy set of clubs of obvious quality. They look like serious, grownup golf clubs. They inspire users with an enthusiastic sense of fun. And lastly, they are real golf clubs in every sense of the word – playable and durable. These Fox clubs make a great second set of golf clubs for children – that set that comes after the adults have ascertained that the child has a real interest in golf.

Little, bitty kids should have cartoon characters on their golf clubs. Older kids who are ready to learn the game appreciate miniature versions of real golf clubs. These serious Fox clubs will not embarrass their users when said users are confronted by older children and teens on the course or at the range. The handsome, black bag is very practical. It will make a child feel like a serious golfer in front of all comers.