I can't find a review of this set of clubs anywhere. However, reading through the description of the new for 2007 Hippo Hiptec set, and seeing how they were relatively cheap, I thought I'd buy them anyway.
A newcomer as I am to golf (well I played as a teenager but haven't picked up a club for about 10 years), and having some painfully out of date, cracked and shiny gripped, blade irons given to me after the previous owner had bought them second-hand himself to use at the driving range, I thought it would make sense to make a small investment while I decided if this is something I'm going to be good enough to continue doing.
Their website seems to be down at the moment (http://www.hippo-golf.com) but they are Hippo's newest 'set' for 2007. They RRP for £200 but you can find them for as low as £150 and the set consists of a very nice stand bag, modern putter, titanium 460cc graphite shaft 1w, graphite shaft 3w, 2 'hybrid'/'rescue' clubs to replace the 3i and 5i (also with graphite shafts), and cavity back irons up to and including SW and PW.
Very nice so far on paper anyway.
Speaking as a newcomer, and one who has been struggling for a couple of months now with a 1w so old it was actually made of wood (!), and various other difficult to wield clubs, it took this new set to the range with my fingers firmly crossed.
I had had some lessons from a pro prior to this and though I would never suggest I'm anything but a complete amateur, I was blown away with how instant and far-reaching the difference was with this new, modern set of clubs.
Of course, I cannot say that if I had picked up *any* set of new clubs, the difference would not also be as dramatic, as I don't have any other 'budget' manufacturers sets to compare this set to, but I can promise you that at the range, and after hitting a dozen of so balls I felt like a bit of a 'cheat' as my drives where *so* much easier to strike, sounded beautiful when the face connected with the ball and had far more fly straighter than I was getting with my old Wilson 1w from the 1970s :)
This 'review' is aimed at anyone coming into this sport, and not at those of you who already have seen the difference a good set has made to your game, and who probably own a much more expensive set (and frankly, I think my Hippo Hiptec set will eventually be replaced with more 'top end' clubs if I am still into this in a few years time). This is more for anyone who is wondering just how much of a difference it makes. More importantly, is a new budget set worth getting, or is it a waste of money?
So if you are a beginner, and are using old hand-me-downs and you're struggling to get things going well, and like me, cannot decide if it's just you not being very good at this (and never will), or if the small investment in a beginner's set of clubs would be a waste of money, I can promise you that for me, this set (or maybe ANY beginners set) is well worth spending money on in my opinion.
cont...
