7 Amazing Ways that Collagen Protein Will Upgrade Your Life

Let me ask you a question: Did you know there is one natural protein that can help maximize awesomeness in your life?

In fact, researchers have found that it:

• Helps to optimize your performance both in and outside the gym;
• Gives you beautiful looking skin and hair;
• Relieves and prevents joint pain;
• Boosts your recover from strenuous workouts and can assist in putting quality muscle mass to your frame;
• Reduces anxiety, promotes calmness, and aids the quality of your sleep, and;
• Possibly even helps you get rid of those extra pounds that have been bothering you for years.

The protein? Collagen.

But what exactly is collagen? And how can you get enough of it in your diet? That, and more, is what you will discover in this article.

What Is Collagen Protein?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. You'll find it in most tissues including your muscles, tendons, skin, and bones.

The function of collagen depends on the type. While there are sixteen different types of collagen, type I is the most plentiful in the human body – it makes up around 90% of all collagen.

Type I collagen gives strength and structure to your skin, connective tissue, tendons, fibrous cartilage, and your teeth.

It is often described as the glue that holds your body together. In fact, without collagen type I, you would literally fall apart. That’s why it is crucial for optimal performance and overall health.

But the problem is that the quality and quantity of collagen in your body goes down as the years go by. As a result, your skin ages, the quality of your joints decreases, your muscular strength drops, and you’re more prone to breaking a bone.

Fortunately, you can slow down – or even reverse – this loss of collagen by consuming enough collagen.

A healthy outside starts from the inside. – Robert Urich

Click to tweet

Why Does Collagen Make My Life More Awesome?

Most of the benefits collagen provides is due to its excellent amino acid profile. You can look at those amino acids as the building blocks in your body.

In total, there are twenty-two different amino acids, and the ratio of amino acids various among foods.

But since most people rarely eat connective tissue, bones, and organ meats, and rely almost solely on the muscle meat of animals, almost everybody has an imbalanced amino acid intake.

We over-consume the amino acids tryptophan and cysteine, and under consume proline, glycine, and lysine. Not good!

That's why taking a collagen supplement – or drinking bone broth, one of the best dietary sources of collagen – can make your life so much more awesome. It will balance out your amino acid intake. Here are a few of the many benefits of increasing your collagen intake.

7 Amazing Ways that Collagen Protein Will Upgrade Your Life

Collagen decreases anxiety. Researchers have found that getting enough glycine – one of the primary amino acids in collagen – can reduce anxiety, promote calmness, and increase the quality of your sleep [1-2]. The reason is that glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Collagen reduces joint pain and degeneration. Losing collagen, which is a natural result of aging, can lead to swollen and stiff joints, and impairs movement. They often call this “skeleton legs.”

But the good news is, if you consume collagen, you get lots of proline. Proline is crucial for the production of hydroxyproline, an amino acid that plays a critical role in collagen stability [3].

One double-blind, placebo-controlled study, for example, found that supplementing with collagen significantly decreased pain over a period of seventy days in a group of patients with osteoarthritis [4].

Collagen aids weight loss. Researchers have found that collagen protein is extremely efficient at reducing hunger, even more than “normal” protein [5]. That’s why adding collagen to your diet can aid weight loss. It helps you control your calorie intake.

What's more, since collagen increases the elasticity of your skin, it can possibly reduce loose skin and even treat cellulite [6].

Collagen helps you build muscle and recover from your workouts. The importance of protein is well-known among lifters. But for many, getting enough is a daunting task. While you can cook another piece of chicken or gorge down an extra protein shake, supplementing with collagen is also an excellent way to get your daily proteins. It is made up of over 90% protein.

That collagen is useful for building muscle was shown by a twelve-week study published in the British Journal of Nutrition [7]. In the study, a group of researchers looked at the effects of post-workout collagen supplementation on muscle mass and strength in a group of elderly men.

At the end of the study, the researchers found that those who consumed a collagen supplement in combination with a resistance training routine increased their muscle mass and strength more than those who took a placebo.

Collagen gives you beautiful skin. If you don’t get enough collagen, your skin will lose elasticity and firmness. In fact, a loss of collagen is the main reason your skin ages.

But by consuming enough collagen, you increase the elasticity of your skin and slow down the aging process. That’s why collagen will make your skin look healthier and more beautiful.

Impressive, right, this collagen stuff?

FACT: Collagen gives the skin its strength and structure.

Click to tweet

But Here’s The Biggie…

Not all collagen is created equal. Most collagen supplements come from grain-fed animals that get loaded with probiotics and estrogenic compounds, and that live in high-stress environments. The result? Low-quality collagen that creates inflammation in your body.

Most collagen supplements also come from chicken. While there is nothing wrong with chicken collagen, cow and beef collagen are superior. They score higher in the amino acids glycine and proline.

So what supplement do I recommend? Hands down, the Upgraded Collagen Protein by Dave Asprey (yes, the same guy that created the Bulletproof diet and Bulletproof coffee). It is by far the best one on the market – the gold standard for protein powders.

Why? Because Upgraded Collagen protein comes from pasture-raised cows that spend their entire lives in the pasture. It is also enzymatically processed several times to leave all peptides intact.

And contrary to most other products, Upgraded Collagen protein mixes extremely well, so you can consume it with other foods, make a shake out of it, or use it to bake delicious Real Food Collagen pancakes.

 

Upgraded Collagen Pancakes in 5-minutes

Healthy twist on a breakfast favorite. Takes less than 5 minutes to make… and everyone loves them! Enjoy!

• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp psylium husk
• 1 tbsp Bulletproof Upgraded Collagen
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla powder
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 1 pinch Himalayan sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.

2. Grease an iron skillet with 1 tsp grass-fed butter (salted or unsalted) or GHEE.

3. Cook pancake mixture on a low heat, a few minutes each side until golden brown.

How To Use Upgraded Collagen Protein

If you want to use Upgraded Collagen, it is best to consume it before you go to bed. The reason is that this brand scores high in the amino acid arginine, which helps to stimulate the release of growth hormone.

Growth hormone is a highly valuable hormone that naturally rises while you sleep. It aids fat loss, increases muscular strength, and promotes muscle growth. Some researchers even label growth hormone as the fountain of youth.

Consuming Upgraded Collagen before you go to bed also gives your body the nutrients while you’re most primed for growth and recovery.

Sounds great, right, the Upgraded Collagen protein?

I agree. So if you want to increase the awesomeness of your life, check out the Upgraded Collagen protein now by clicking here.

FACT: The word “collagen” is derived from the Greek “kolla,” meaning glue

Click to tweet

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bulletproof360. The opinions and text are all mine.

And to be absolutely clear, this is my disclaimer: “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t  share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn't matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me, if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” ~ Coach Moose

References

References

1. Mol Membr Biol. 2001 Jan-Mar;18(1):13-20.
2. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 May; 40(6): 1405–1416
3. Nelson, D. L. and Cox, M. M. (2005) Lehninger's Principles of Biochemistry, 4th Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York.
4. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Apr 25;60(16):4096-101.
5. Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;28(2):147-55.
6. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2014;27(1):47-55.
7. Br J Nutr. 2015 Oct 28;114(8):1237-45.

from Dai Manuel: Your Lifestyle Mentor http://ift.tt/2pdHWom

The Truth About Book Publishing: 3 Stories All Writers Need to Hear

The stories we tell ourselves are like glasses through which we understand the world. They define the field we play on and guide the decisions we make, whether about book publishing or any other area of our lives.

Unfortunately, in the world of writing and publishing, there are a lot of false narratives floating around that create a romantic idea about the life of an author that can end in self-doubt, frustration, and stagnation. To avoid falling into the trap of bad stories, it’s important we pause and consider the world we exist in.

3 Stories Writers Tell Ourselves

Recently, I was speaking to a friend about book publishing. He was weighing all the options in front of him: indie vs. traditional, Amazon exclusive vs. wide, DIY vs. paying a pro. These are difficult choices many of us “writers” are not prepared to make when we finish our first manuscript.

The conversation with my friend got me thinking back to when this crazy journey called writing began for me. It was almost four years ago that I signed up for the Story Cartel course and began writing and publishing fiction.

Now, three novels, four anthologies, and loads of short stories later, I think my understanding of the publishing industry has grown; but still, I feel like a rookie.

Every day I learn new things about the art and business of writing. Every day the stories I tell myself are being reshaped to match the reality I see. Here are three stories I’ve had to wrestle with this year.

Story #1: Publishing is a team sport.

When I started, I thought of writing as a solo thing. I had an image in my head of the lone author who spent days in a dimly lit room pouring over words and paragraphs, tortured and isolated, hoping to fight through the wall that was holding back potentially amazing work.

Then finally, this creative hermit would emerge holding his book high, ready for it to be published and distributed to the world.

I tried it with my first novel. I wrote the book alone. I did all my own editing. I made my own cover. I did my own formatting.

And it was a disaster.

The experience taught me that I needed to start telling myself a new story.

“

Book publishing can’t be done in isolation. It’s a team sport.

Tweet this

Tweet

While I do spend hours alone writing, I also have a cover designer who wraps my books in an amazing package. Why? Because I’m terrible at designing covers.

And while sometimes writing does feel like a battle, I’ve got a great group of readers who will test read things for me and help me think through plot lines that aren’t working anymore.

And when I emerge ready to share a manuscript, it is far from finished. At least one, sometimes two editors need to look at it because my grammar is so bad I often don’t know when I’m making mistakes.

And we haven’t even gotten to the publishing and marketing side of things yet. That requires an entirely different team. For that, you need other authors who are willing to help you share your work with the world.

As Joe Bunting says in the Story Cartel course, “Every writer needs a cartel.”

Story #2: Like any startup in any industry, scaling is accelerated by seed money.

Along with my image of the author-hermit was the idea of tech geniuses creating the next incredible product alone in their garage.

You’ve probably heard this story before. The intrepid geniuses build a prototype in their garage, take it to market, and launch a giant company.

While I am sure there are amazing people working in their garages around the world, the reason you know about a product is because someone invested money in it to help it scale.

This is something we don’t talk a lot about in the indie community, which is a shame. Yes, the gates have come down. With the rise of indie publishing, the gatekeepers have less power, and anyone can publish.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still barriers to successfully launching a writing career that have nothing to do with talent and hard work.

Is it possible to write and amazing book, have friends edit it for free, self-publish it, find readers, and launch a career from it? Yes. Of course, it’s possible; and there will always be outliers that can be held up as an example of this story.

Is it easier and more likely you will be able to build a career as an author if you have disposable income to invest in cover designers, editors, courses, and advertising? Without question, yes.

Please don’t hear this as a complaint. I’m not complaining. I happen to be one of the ones who has the blessing of resources.

I’ve had a leg up over the past four years because, while I don’t have discretionary money of my own, I’ve had family members who were able and willing to support me by paying for parts of the team I mentioned above. Even the Story Cartel class I took that originally got me started down this road was paid for by a family member because I could never have afforded it on my own.

This is how the world works. It is how all businesses work. And we, the writing/publishing community should be open and honest about it because false narratives don’t help anyone.

There are lots of talented authors around the world that don’t have the resources I have. Over the past four years, I’ve often heard people rightfully bemoaning the absence of diversity in the book publishing world.

My suspicion is that, like in other industries, part of the reason many minority groups are missing from the publishing world is not because there is an absence of talent, interest, or disciplined hard work in those communities, but rather because they do not possess the discretionary resources required to accelerate their success.

If this is a problem we are going to fix, I think we need to consistently acknowledge the reality that becoming an author is like starting a small business and seed money goes a long way to accelerate success.

Story #3: I don’t have a choice.

I think the question every writer has to ask herself or himself is, “Will I do this anyway?”

If I never find my team and I’m forced to go it alone, will I keep going?

If I never find my readers and no one ever reads my work, will I still tell the stories rattling around in my head?

If this is always a slow slog and I never make a dime, will I continue pushing through until all the stories are done and my pen has run dry?

“

If I never find my readers or make money from my writing, will I keep writing anyway?

Tweet this

Tweet

I was driving in my car yesterday and a song came on the radio I hadn’t heard before. Suddenly, I found myself thinking about a scene I’ve been working on. I can’t tell you why that song made that scene click, but it seems to happen to me all the time. I’ll see something mundane or hear something or smell something and suddenly I’m back in the middle of my story.

This never happened to me before I started writing, but now, I’m constantly being pulled back into the plot and the characters I’m working on. The narrative is never far from the surface of my mind.

The most important thing I’ve learned over the past four years is that now writing has become a part of me. I’ll never be able to escape it.

Even if I tried, these characters and stories would haunt my mind until I finally surrendered and did the work to bring them life. They are like a burning in my gut that has to come out before it eats me alive.

So even if I never successfully scale, I’ll continue, because I can’t stop.

What Stories Do You Tell Yourself?

Telling myself these new stories helps me explain the world around me. They help me make better-informed decisions as I work to build a career as a writer.

No, not all these stories are fun to hear. But if we’re going to make it as writers, we need to honestly understand the industry we’re operating in.

Then, we can come together and support each other as we face these challenges together.

What stories do you tell yourself to help you make sense of the world? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

So many stories are about teams. Think of the Avengers—they could never save the world alone. Today, take fifteen minutes to write a story about a team working together to succeed against a common adversary. Maybe it’s an alliance of superheroes, or a sports team, or a group of friends. What’s their common challenge, and how will they be victorious together?

When you’re done, share your story in the comments. And remember, writing isn’t an isolated activity—don’t forget to leave feedback and encouragement for your fellow writers!

The post The Truth About Book Publishing: 3 Stories All Writers Need to Hear appeared first on The Write Practice.

from The Write Practice http://ift.tt/2oDHVZW

And The Putter Went…PING – New Book Offers An Inside Look at Nearly 60 Years of PING History

The book chronicles PING’s heritage and its on-going efforts to advance golf technology for the benefit of golfers of all skill levels. It takes readers behind the scenes of a genuine American success story that began in the family garage of Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian immigrant and mechanical engineer who invented the PING putter in 1959.

Are you a fan of PING, innovation, family, integrity and maybe even humor too? We think you might like to take a look inside a new book being released by PING on May 1st.  Featuring nearly 1000 pictures, many unreleased, the new book chronicles the innovative and influential history of PING. We got an early copy, and after reading cover to cover, we can say it's a book we'd definitely recommend.

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the PING HQ or meet the individuals/families that work for the company, you would almost surely agree.

A visit to PING HQ is an opportunity I wish every single golfer had the chance to experience once in his life. And the Putter Went...PING provides a taste of what that's like.

It's a bit like being taken back in time. Not with respect to technology, but rather morals. It's the people. PING does things right and it does them with integrity.  That's something we not only respect around here but cherish for its rarity.

I have yet to find a single golfer or industry insider that has ever said a single negative thing about this company. It's remarkable when you stop to think about it in the context of today's time. Simply put, PING is the most reputable golf company in a time where being reputable is no longer in style.

It's a way of doing business that started with Karsten Solheim and continues to this day, and that comes through in the book.

If you are a fan of PING  for its history, its innovations, it's people, and how it does business (what company insiders have called its moral compass), we'd highly recommend you get your hands on this book.

RELEASE DATE: May 1st
COST: $100
*A limited edition with padded leather binding and gilded edges will be available for a U.S. MSRP of $300.

We would also like to thank author Jeffery Ellis for including some of the research and testing completed at MyGolfSpy test facility.  We were both surprised and honored to be included.

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2onxZrq

5 Promises To Make to Yourself on a Monday

The Secret to Reading Poetry? First Dates

Happy Poetry Month! My students often scowl when I announce we’ll be reading a poem or covering *heaven forbid* an entire unit on poetry. Reading poetry often bothers people—it certainly bothers me in the best possible way.

Sometimes poetry feels lofty and pretentious and seems to say, “I know something you don’t know,” which is obnoxious, like an older sister taunting us. Some poetry makes us scratch our heads and say, “What the heck was that all about?”

But if we keep reading, poetry often moves us in ways a paragraph can’t. It requires a compression of language and meaning, tucked inside precise words that create concrete images. Poets, with a wink and a wry smile, trust us to read well. (Writers of all genres: we can learn so much from the poets!)

So what is the secret to reading poetry well?

Here’s what I tell my students: Approach reading poetry the same way you approach a first date.

Some students frown at me. Others’ mouths drop open in abject horror that I might know anything about dating. The room gets deathly quiet, until someone always bursts out, “WHAT?!”

It’s true. When you go on a first date, you are open to new ideas, excited to make connections. You try not to compare him or her with the dates you have had in the past. You listen and ask thoughtful questions.

Poetry requires the same gentle approach.

What if I can’t figure it out?

You have two options: 1. Move on to another poem or poet, or 2. Reread and look for the clues to the poem. (Strikingly similar to the options you have on a first date, right?)

Clues? In a poem?

The clues are almost always hidden in the images and the form. Let me use the sonnet as an example. Without getting too technical, the sonnet is usually fourteen lines of rhymed iambic pentameter, which just means that there is an established rhythm that sounds like this: da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM.

Why might a poet use such a tightly controlled form? Often, it is either to reinforce or to resist its message.

Take the sonnet “Design” by Robert Frost. (Yes, go read it.) Frost uses the first eight lines (called an octave) to observe a scene in nature. It is a rather tense scene, as the spider has caught a moth. At the end of line eight, he makes a turn (called the volte) and the final six lines (sestet) connect the octave’s images to his theme.

Let’s add up the clues

1. Title: “Design” (Is this a poem about how things are designed or created and why? If not, what is the significance of the title?)
2. Octave’s images: Two characters in a setting (spider and moth on a flower). What do the images suggest? (death, the cycle of nature)
3. The sestet’s questions: He basically asks whether the flower asked to be blue, the spider asked to eat, or the moth chose to fly—the answer? Nope. So why do they do these things? Take a look at the end: “What but design of darkness to appall?— / If design govern in a thing so small.” These last two lines are ambiguous. He seems to believe “design” might govern such elements of nature, but then he adds the word “if.”
4. The form: He chose a sonnet—a tightly controlled form to express the poem. The poem itself is “designed.” The form reinforces the meaning of the poem.

Add up the clues and we find that Frost seems to believe there is some element of design to our lives, although we can’t always make sense of it (sound like a poem or first date?).

If nothing else, we have pulled in close next to Frost and watched a vivid moment in nature. We don’t have to agree to share that moment.

Go on, try it. Date a poem this week.

You are not going to love every first date, just as you will not love every poem you read. However, if you keep listening, you will hear what makes the person or poem tick, and you will walk away with a greater understanding of humanity and the world around us.

Here are a few of my favorite poets and sites to explore for great poetry:

“Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins (There’s also terrific animated version of this on his site here.)

“Traveler, your footprints” by Antonio Machado

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

Spoken word: performed poetry like “Touchscreen” by Marshall Jones

Sarah Kay’s site (So fun! Click on any picture to hear a poem—try the peacock feather.)

What clues do you look for when reading poetry? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

What are your favorite poems? Think of one you’ve read before, or choose one of the poems I listed above.

For the next fifteen minutes, read it and reread it. Look for the clues, following the example above. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact words to describe the form or meter—notice whether or not it uses one and take note of the concrete images. Which images are strongest and what do they seem to say?

When your time is up, tell us which poem you picked and share your analysis in the comments below. And if you share, remember to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

The post The Secret to Reading Poetry? First Dates appeared first on The Write Practice.

from The Write Practice http://ift.tt/2pLfpGm

THE BEST PERFORMANCE GLOVES IN 2017

Trend or Fad: Single Length Irons

It's easy to overthink a problem, but sometimes the simplest answer is also the most effective. So, if you struggle to hit your irons consistently, you could take lessons, read instructional books from the who's who of teachers, practice more, try a couple of different brands, or, you could remove a bunch of variables and play them all at the same length.

It's the kind of solution which almost seems too obvious, resigning one to mutter, "why didn't I think of that?”

The idea isn't new. Ben Hogan's set of MacGregor's circa 1953 was more or less a single-length concept with hickory shafts. Over time variable length became the standard, but this is golf where eventually everything old is new again, and so single length irons are making a comeback of sorts.

The current market is more receptive, due in part to the recent success of Bryson DeChambeau, who used a set of Edel single length irons on his way to becoming the 5th player in history to win both an individual NCAA championship and US Amateur Championship in the same year. After signing with Cobra in spring of 2016, DeChambeau had the company’s single length irons in the bag when he claimed his first professional victory at the Web.com Tour’s, DAP Championship. That victory earned him his PGA Tour card.

A Rejuvenated Trend or Short-Lived Comeback?

Is the re-emergence of single length irons a fad or can we expect it to stick around and perhaps even grow in popularity? That depends in large part on whether or not real golfers see real benefits from the change. Even if traditionalists – and that includes a substantial chunk of the better player demographic - struggle to embrace a simpler approach to the game, the modern single length iron is probably more than a fad. That said, nobody, including the people designing the clubs, is certain how the technology will evolve, or even what’s going to happen next.

Many Problems, Many Solutions

Designing a set of single length irons is an engineering exercise that requires mitigating the numerous and varied issues associated with making the concept work. On paper, the positives are overwhelming. When every club is built to the same length (most built at a 7 or 8 iron length), the golfer needs only one setup, one ball position and only one swing for every club. In theory, this should make it easier for a player to make consistent contact.

Paper and reality don’t always align perfectly.

Because every club is the length of a typical 7 or 8 iron – the single length long irons (3, 4,5) are comparatively shorter than their variable length counterparts, while the short irons (9, PW, GW, SW) are longer. Using standard head weights, the pitching wedge would swing like a sledgehammer, and the 3 iron would feel like the driver from your kid’s junior set. And that’s before we even consider ball flight.

To get consistent yardage gaps between irons, every facet of the club needs to be considered and tweaked to optimize performance.

The challenges presented by single length irons are universally accepted, but surprise, surprise, there’s little agreement on the right answer. As with any organic process, it's just that – a process. Evolution, as it always is, is ongoing. There’s little reason to believe that the answers offered in the first-generation products will be final.

As single length irons slowly re-enter the consumer consciousness, there are three OEM's – Edel, Wishon, and Cobra - who are taking the lead and defining the current market. Let’s take a closer look at what each company brings to the market, and the unique approach each takes to single length.

Edel Golf

David Edel believes so strongly in the single length concept that he's dedicated a significant amount of capital to the effort. Other OEM's are more or less using 7 or 8 iron shafts throughout the entire set, but because Edel pairs each club with a particular shaft, "you can't just buy a bunch of 7 iron shafts and go with it." For a small OEM that is in the process of stocking and distributing 150 fitting carts, there's an enormous financial burden associated with building the inventory of shafts, heads, and weights necessary to stock accounts. It’s a risky proposition given the uncertainty of the single length market. Orders may come in, or they may not.

It's a bit like sending out 500 invites to your wedding without an RSVP and waiting to see who shows up. That said, Edel is optimistic.

If I didn't believe in this 100%, I wouldn't be doing it, but if this doesn’t work out, it could crush us. - David Edel

Edel's confidence in single length irons is partially rooted in his experience with Bryson DeChambeau, which started during Bryson's time at SMU. Because Bryson has won at the highest levels of amateur and professional golf, hold the PGA Tour, it's understandable why Edel and others see this technology as offering tangible benefit for a wide-range of players.

More than a conventional set of irons, single-length requires an expert fitter. David feels the term tailor is more appropriate than fitting. Anyone can get fit for a suit at Men's Warehouse, but a truly bespoke experience comes at the hands of a skilled tailor, who not only understands all of the possible variables but can manipulate them in a way which gives the customer a quantifiably better end product.

Regarding construction, the SLS-01 starts with a forged hollow-body clubhead with a variable thickness face and progressive internal cavities. The CG (Center of Gravity) sits directly in the middle of the clubface and the sole width, grind and bounce angle are, according to Edel, optimal.

A soft thermoplastic polymer fills the hollow body which results in improved sound, feel and energy transfer. It also pushes some weight toward the perimeter of the head which increases forgiveness. Finally, Edel’s interchangeable head-weights make it easy to match MOI throughout the set.

Then there's the shaft. Edel has partnered with Paderson Kinetixx to create a series of proprietary shafts specific to the single length concept. My first thought was "Why Paderson?... Why not go with a more known brand like Aerotech or UST (Recoil)?"

Well, the reason Aerotech doesn't have patents on its shafts is because of Paderson, which has more patents than every other shaft company combined. That's a boatload of intellectual property that, frankly, other companies can't access. Paderson produces roughly 3 million shafts per year, and because the technology and raw materials are proprietary, it can better control cost and quality. The only other major shaft manufacturer who can make the same farm to table claim is Mitsubishi Rayon. Given Paderson’s capabilities and Edel’s deserved reputation as a premium fitter, the lack of shaft options is a bit curious.

Edel has more knobs and dials to play around with, but does it matter to the end user? For Edel the answer is unequivocally YES.  "The other guys haven't addressed the issues the way we have," asserts Edel. Compared to Cobra and Wishon, Edel feels its platform has more credibility because they've been doing it longer and are willingly less bound by the final price point. At $245/club, they're nearly twice the cost of Cobra’s Forged offering, and some potential customers will be turned off by that.

Moreover, Edel believes those entering the single length market need to do a better job fitting players. The rub here is how you define better, and not everyone agrees Edel's approach is the best.

Kirk Oguri, a Golf Digest Top 100 Clubfitter with extensive single-length fitting experience that I spoke with, feels players are best served by relying on CG (center of gravity) location and COR to manipulate flight and distance. That’s where Edel misses the mark.

They designed a single length set with all matching CG locations, and with the same Paderson shaft,” he said.  Their shafts have a progressive kick point to try to compensate for the lack of CG location and COR change in heads. - Kirk Oguri, Golf Digest Top 100 Fitter, Pete's Golf

As with most debates inside the equipment industry, bright minds disagree, and given Edel's past success with fitting-intensive products, it's hard to knock the approach.

Wishon

Tom Wishon’s industry pedigree is well-documented. He's a respected source on nearly all equipment topics, and he recently partnered with professional golfer Jaacob Bowden to create the Sterling single-length irons. (link to our story here)

Like their competitors, the goal for Bowden and Wishon was to create a functional set of irons which leveraged the benefits of single length, and "looked cool."

In contrast to the Edel SLS-01 irons, Sterling uses the same proprietary Wishon (steel or graphite) shaft in each iron while relying on changes in COR and offset to produce optimal flight in longer irons.

Specifically, the 5-7 irons use thinner-faced HS 300 steel to boost ball speeds. The top end of the set is cast from 8620 carbon steel. Wishon cautions against companies like Cobra who use 17-4 stainless to create hi-cor heads. Wishon believes the material isn’t strong enough to support faces thin enough to generate the ball speed necessary to overcome the distance challenges associated with single length long irons.

To protect against too low launch and spin, Wishon increased offset in the long irons to move the COG farther back, which helps players launch the ball higher and, all things equal, farther.

Another distinction in the Sterling approach is that the set is built to standard 8 iron length, not 7 iron like Edel and Cobra. While each set can be altered to the player’s preferred specs, starting with a shorter club, in Wishon's experience, makes the adjustment to longer short irons easier, while making the entire set easier to hit in general.

Admittedly, the Sterling irons are targeted at the middle 75% of golfers, most of whom struggle hitting their irons consistently and don't have the swing speed to create optimal launch conditions with anything with less loft than a 6 iron.

Wishon has long been a vocal proponent of custom club fitting and has authored a variety of books and columns on that topic. Even so, Wishon particularly emphasizes the importance of working with a fitter who can fit single length and understands the compensations necessary to optimize performance.

While not as expensive as the Edel set, the cost for Sterling irons ($117/club in steel and $143/club graphite) is on par with Cobra, and keeping prices in-line with the majority of iron sets on the market is part of the Sterling strategy.

Wishon has been around long enough that he doesn't get too excited about the hot product du jour, which is why he hasn’t piled all of his chips in the single length basket. That said, Wishon is convinced there's a real benefit in single length, particularly for golfers who have never been able to find a repeatable iron swing or are just taking up the game.

COBRA

Cobra is currently the only large OEM in the single length conversation, and that means its dynamics are different. Cobra is the most visible of the three brands and, with Bryson DeChambeau, they have the only player on the PGA Tour currently using a single length set.

For what it's worth, at least one reputable fitter believes Cobra is also the closest to nailing the formula. According to Kirk Oguri, 2016 MET PGA Teacher of the Year and Golf Digest Top 100 Clubfitter, "Cobra has it (right) with the F7, but wrong with Forged One. The F7 uses the same designated shafts for the length regardless of the loft. Forged One uses different shafts based on the number on the sole. That changes the stepping of each shaft, which, in my opinion, adds a variable compared to utilizing the same exact shaft for each iron."

Regardless, if early sales figures are any indication, the proof is already showing up in the pudding. Tom Olsavsky, VP of R&D for Cobra, says that year over year the F7 is selling well. “Both the one length and variable length are great irons, and performance-wise, we'd put the F7 series up against anything."

Once Cobra signed DeChambeau, it was inevitable a single length set would come to market in short order. What we didn't know was that Cobra would create two sets; the F7 ONE the Forged ONE.

The primary differences between the two sets is the standard ONE Length has more offset, a thicker overall profile and is available in both RH and LH. It’s your pretty standard game-improvement vs. player’s irons story, but for a more thorough comparison, see our introductory piece from the fall.

It's not like Olsavsky and his design team had years to ponder, test and refine numerous designs. Bryson signed with Cobra in April and by June decisions about the 2107 lineup had to be made. That's not a lot of lead time, especially considering the unknowns surrounding the market’s potential response. It’s the absolute definition of a crapshoot.

When you have some inkling where things are headed, R&D often runs several years ahead of retail. Olsavsky admits this product launched with a bit more uncertainty.

Cobra’s initial unease has subsided, and the company expects to sell 3-4 times more ONE Length irons (both models) than initially forecasted. Regardless of whether initial projections were cautiously conservative, 400% suggests the market is receptive to Cobra’s approach to single length.

Unlike Sterling and Edel, Cobra is readily available at your local big box store. For the time being, Cobra is the only large brand with a one length set, meaning that unless you specifically seek out Edel or Sterling, Cobra has a virtual monopoly on this segment of the market.

While that’s unquestionably positive from the standpoint of exposure and potential sales, it’s not without its caveats. There’s nearly universal agreement that fitting for single length requires a bit more precision and knowledge. This places a significant burden on what's generally a weakness in a volume sales operation. Poorly fit irons come with the risk of turning golfers off of the single length iron concept, and Cobra clubs in general.

While the long-term viability of the modern single length iron remains uncertain, the shaft industry insiders I spoke with told me that they are exploring in earnest both steel and graphite shafts specific to single length irons. To a degree, this validates the Edel approach, while suggesting others may be exploring the single length market.

It's also in-line with Olsavsky's thinking.

"Sometimes (changing) shafts helps. Sometimes it doesn’t... Bryson plays the same shafts throughout his set, and really, it's about getting optimal performance for the player. That may be graphite or it might not."

It’s reasonable to think 30%-40% of golfers could benefit from single length irons and even if only a fraction of those went on to purchase a set, that's a potentially significant number. DeChambeau’s signing accelerated Cobra’s entry into the market, but if more single length options materialize in the market, Cobra’s early entry has given it a pronounced head start.

FINAL THOUGHTS

On balance, this single length/one length concept is geared at higher handicap and beginning golfers who struggle with iron consistency. Sterling and Cobra ONE are better suited for those with less experience or less refined iron play, while Edel's SLS-01-01 and Cobra's ONE Forged are viable options for more established players.

There's also a group of players whom no one is talking about - the former decent player with a job, family, and kids who doesn't have enough time to practice contingent. I won't be surprised to see this segment embrace the single length concept, and do it quickly.

It’s simply a matter of finding the approach that works.

Edel has a fixed CG in each clubhead and manipulates ball flight primarily by adjustments in shaft (kickpoint) and head-weight. Sterling uses a progressive offset (more in longer irons) and CG to increase distance in long irons and maintain consistent yardage gaps throughout the set.

Cobra does a bit of both, with the Forged ONE more in line with the Edel SLS-01-01 and the F7 ONE more comparable to the Sterling.

That's where the market is today. Where it's headed is anyone's guess. In talking with several experienced fitters and others inside the industry, here's what my inner Nostradamus thinks will happen.

If single-length proves to be a viable product, mainstream shaft companies will find a way to develop a shaft (or series of shafts) specifically designed to meet the unique demands of single length. Single length performance will almost certainly advance because of it. When the next generation of single length launches, I expect shaft specific technology to be a key selling point.

It seems likely that another major OEM will jump into the fray. Whether that’s TaylorMade, PING, Callaway, or all of the above, remains to be seen.

If the science behind single length was good in 1953 and is good now -  it will still be good ten years from now. The question is, will consumers get far enough out of their own way to give it a try?

from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2pGuA3C