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 Cleveland Golf: Niblick

One of the recurring features we at the NiceBallz blog plan to provide are product reviews.  While one of our contributors (Corey) is a single-digit handicap who delivers highly thoughtful analysis (see here for his latest ball review), well let’s just say this poster represents a more, ahem, ‘every man’ point of view?

The first product for a Hack-a-view (i.e. a review done by a Hack in case that needed explaining) is Cleveland Golf’s Niblick.  I purchased the Niblick, on a bit of a whim, a few weeks ago and have played with it approximately three times since then.  The Niblick can be described as a Jack of Many (and nearly all) Trades.  While on the surface it looks like a standard ‘chipper’ specialty club, to gaze upon it in such a limited way would only be going skin deep on this little marvel.

I have been playing with the 37 degree version and have found it to be a solid performing chipper around the greens.  A nice substitute for my gap wedge for bump and run shots and a full on replacement for my 9-iron on full swing shots.  Just a chipper?  Um, no.

While it does take some getting used to in the chipping department, it fundamentally dumbs-down what your average golfer, which we should always keep in mind still sports about a 16-18 handicap, needs to do to get the ball from the rough around the green to a place where they can have a putt to try and save bogey or par.  The 37 degree can be a little hot on short chips, which personally has me considering adding the 42 degree to my bag, and again practice with it is highly encouraged in order to reap the true rewards.

But where I think the Niblick really shines is on full approach shots.  It’s not uncommon for a mid-high teens handicapper to chunk their share of wedges and even short irons.  I’ve found that the heavier weighting of the Niblick and solid feel you get from it greatly reduces that risk and instills more confidence.  Even on shots that are mishit the odds of having them cover a good expanse of ground is greater than with a typical iron.  In my first round with the Niblick I used it 4 times for 4 style of shots in the first 4 holes: a full approach (which landed softly and even spun back slightly thanks to the Zip Groove technology), a bump and run shot, a chip and short pitch.  It was love at nearly first swing.

“Better” players may scoff at such a club (and by better I mean 10 or less handicappers) and expect a little ribbing the first time you pull it from your bag.  But soon the regular players in my foursome were making statements like “That’s a good club for you…” and “The Nibbler strikes again!”.  Yes, the short, heavy and somewhat homely club that was originally joked about, had risen above ridicule to earning its own nickname and grudging admiration by the end of one of my rounds with it. 

I’d highly recommend the Niblick for anyone who struggles with 9-iron distance approach shots, bump and run type shots (or thinks they can hit a lob wedge for 50-70 yard flop shots – really???) and of course chipping.

Hack

Hack is a ‘high-teens’ handicapper who can sometimes break 90 but usually ends up breaking his own heart after 3-4 snowmen a round.