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We're already into the second month of 2012 and I haven't finished the recap yet for 2011's best clubs at TSG. I've been swamped with the new site launch and getting ready for the Japan Golf Fair as well as helping many golfers get their 2012 bags in order.  As I had mentioned in part 1, Tourspecgolf probably sells the widest range of equipment of any store and that goes for even top Japanese based local outfits.  With many top end premium boutique brands, to famous mainstream brands to smaller budget brands, there is something for every playing level and budget.  Many demanding golf enthusiasts shop here and what they buy is very reflective of what is not only the most popular but also what is top performing. We should always keep in mind though,  not every club is for every golfer.  We are all different in swing styles and handicaps and finding the right fit doesn't always mean simply buying what is most popular. Its about finding the right fit for each individual. Today I'll look at what were (and still are) the most popular clubs of the last 14 months or so here at TSG.

There are so many great wedges to choose from coming out of Japan. This is both a good and bad thing, good because we all love to have choice and bad because we can't make up our minds which wedge to get! One thing is for sure is that the forged wedges rule the roost here and is one of the reasons why many customers around the world turn to TSG for the ultimate in soft feel and awesome spin.  The only cast wedge to ever make make a dent in yearly wedge rankings has been the Vokey TVD and its past 3 iterations. Otherwise, you can pretty much count on every popular wedge being forged. Some of the best selling and most popular wedges this year include the Royal Collection DB Forged, forged at Endo from S20C and with very versatile performance and wonderful feel, the Fourteen MT-28 V5 Forged, with its taper blade and beautiful no frills shape at address as well as great spin, Yururi's Forged Tour Wedge which excels in tight lies and provides amazing spin control. However 2 wedges pretty much dominated the top and continue to do so even into 2012.

Yururi Gekku Raw Forged Wedge

The premium forged Gekku Raw wedge has long been a popular seller even before 2011. This year it seemed to make a big comeback as people seemed to come to appreciate its one of a kind look much more.  Compared to other wedges it can be purchased as heads only, and is the lowest priced of all Yururi wedges which all play a factor in its popularity. 2011 also saw many golfers going out of their way to find non conforming sharp grooves which all play into the hand of the Gekku Raw. The Gekku Raw is the oldest wedge model in the current Yururi lineup but as a classic it still exudes superb looks, quality and performance. What makes it stand out from many mass produced wedges these days is it's grainy black appearance and the fact that every Gekku head is grinded and finished individually by hand. One would think a raw unplated wedge that is not buffed smooth would look like a rough stone, but on the contrary the Gekku has always looked like a work of art. By looking at the wedge you can tell the grinder's skill. Yururi has told me as well sometimes they can tell which of their grinders did which head due to signature style of grinding for each grinder meaning each Gekku Raw wedge is truly unique in small ways.

I'm pretty much copying what I wrote about the Gekku back in the summer when I already began noticing its revival, there is no need to re-write what has already been said. A great feeling wedge is not only about what type of steel it uses and how it was produced ie cast of forged. The design of the head plays a huge part into how a wedge ends up feeling. The grind of a wedge can dictate what kind of impact you get though various conditions. Yururi attention to the Gekku's grinding is very obvious and can be seen all around the head. Leading edge and trailing edge relief allow for easy entry and exit from the turf, heel relief allows a player to open up the wedge and still keep the face aimed at the target and careful grinding of the neck make it flow seamlessly into the wedges top line. Many of these aspects allow a player to create wonderful feel and spin and reap the benefits of this soft forged head. Finally another reason why the Gekky Raw is so popular is its wide variety of lofts. In this day and age with so many different iron and wedge setups available, I can't understand why so many brands will limit themselves by releasing a wedge with 2 lofts options. People ant variety and the Gekku gives it with  41* 45* 49* 53* 57* and 61* heads AND 49* 53* 57* and 61* as LEFT Handed models! This is why the Gekku Raw outold pretty much every wedge in 2011 until...

Titleist Japan Vokey Forged

Let's face it, when many of us think about wedges the name Vokey pops up. There are many Titleist fans around the world and top pros (even under contract with other brands) who swear by their Vokeys. So when Titleist Japan announced a Vokey Forged wedge for the Japanese market late last fall... all hell broke loose... literally.   The Endo forged S20C wedge was a hit long before it was even released with tons of pre orders not only through TSG from global customers but all throughout Japan from many who live and die by their Vokey wedges. At launch towards the end of October, only a handful of customers were lucky enough to get  in on the first batch before Titleist ran out of clubs. In the following months we have had many many orders, more than any other wedge by far, but unfortunately with customers waiting for quite a long time while Titleist caught up to demand (at this point the wait is still 4-8 weeks for standard spec and custom orders).

So does the Vokey Forged live up to its demand? It seems so as feedback I get from customers as well as testing I have done (review here) say this is one versatile wedge with very good feel and very good spin. Lofts ranging from 46* to 62* in 2* increments are available making for very versatile wedge combinations in everyone's bag. Bounce ranges from 8-10* on all the wedges meaning, its not really a low bounce wedge nor is it a high bounce wedge.  The design of the Vokey's grind and sole make it versatile so with its medium bounce numbers it can actually perform well in a variety of conditions and with different swing types. The new Vokey Forged features a combination R and M Grind (on the 54 56 58 60 and 62*) with a pre worn leading edge. The M grind results in trailing edge relief as well as heel relief allowing for more control type shots and deft touch around the greens when opening up the face of the wedge. The leading and trailing edge also produce clean entry and exit through a variety of turf conditions and in fact create a thinner sole area for usage in tighter lies. The 46 48 50 and 52* also feature a pre worn leading edge but the sole is flatter and in turn a bit wider to allow for full shots and less digging. Unlike the non conforming grooves of the Yururi, the Vokey Forged Wedges do possess  USGA Conforming grooves with 17 double pressed score lines more tightly bunched together for more spin. A spin milled face adds more bite and spin control across the entire face and helps keep spin up even on partial swings. Its undoubtedly one good looking wedge with versatile performance to boot. 

So the Yururi Gekku Raw pretty much dominated most of the year until Halloween came around and the Vokey Forged pretty much blew all other wedges out of the sand to dominate demand even up to today (and who knows for how much longer - though there seems to be no slow down and people seem willing to wait for their orders).  The truth is there are many amazing wedges out there and key points people look for when they come to TSG is soft forged feel, great spin and most of all versatility.  Versatility is a major purchasing factor especially for the average golfer or recreational player which most of us all. We can't always make the same swing, we can't always land in the same place, we end up in all kinds of lies and our game is nowhere near perfect. A versatile wedge can be a life saver.  We have been very lucky that there are many amazing forged wedges coming out of Japan that are very versatile and this year will be no different as we look forward to new releases at the Golf Fair. Look for a nice forged versatile wedge that fits your swing and playing level and you will go a long way towards bringing down your score. As always we're here to help if you need recommendations!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Miura Giken Japan has introduced their all new WMF-06 Forged wedge for the 2012 season (introduced late 2011). The WMF-06 is aimed at the better player wanting top notch spin control along with the purest feel in a verasatile wedge. Like all Miura Giken irons and wedges, the new WMF-06 is W.D.D. (Weight, Dimension, Density) Accurate Forged from premium JIS S25C.  This forging technique perfected by Miura creates a perfectly balanced shaped head with consistent density in the quality of steel and with perfect weight.

When I first received the WMF-06, the first thing that stood out was of course its grind and sole design. The WMF-06 features a two step or two stage grind which creates a versatile multi level sole. The purpose of this was to eliminate unecessary parts of the sole creating toe and heel relief as well as a unique type of trailing edge relief.  While the sole features a lot of relief, because there is less sole making contact with the ground it actually excels in tight lies as well. The unique cut away center area of the trailing side of the sole serves a couple of purposes, one is to create more pure approach shots by reducing friction through the turf and secondly to provide maximum control and accuracy out of the bunker by channeling the sand through that cut away and keeping the head on line straight at the target.

The WMF-06 is a tear drop shaped wedge with a taller toe allowing for better players to work the face and create maximum spin control.  The leading edge is slightly rounded to prevent digging and the bounce is actually on the high side at 9* for the AW (53) and a whopping 15* of bounce for the SW (58*). These bounce numbers can be a bit misleading as with the multi level sole, it is the point of he sole where there is the highest bounce.  However when opened up bounce is reduced dramatically due to the two stage grind and cutaway which plays an even bigger part when the face is opened up.

The Miura WMF-06 features very little if any offset at all which will please the better player. It sets up nicely at address framing the ball well with subtle nickel satin finish. The finish of the WMF-06 is a big part of Miura's new design for his wedge as well. It features a new Cu-Ni dual plating toe enhance feel and bite of the wedge. With conforming grooves, Miura decided to underlay a first plate of copper finish to enhance feel and bite of the wedge. They then used a thin plating of Nickel to protect the wedge.  This produces a very soft feel taking Miura impact even a step further.

This is certainly a very unique looking wedge and its design is one that I have to test out so I've decided to bag this wedge as my SW for a while and see how it goes.  I am no pro so spin is not my strong factor, so when I choose a wedge its very important to me that it feels great and while it looks compact and has a straight neck, still can produce good spin PLUS good forgivness.  So far on looks and design alone, the Miura WMF-06 will very well fit  those characteristics.  More testing soon but it the meantime, look for the WMF-06 in the pro shop available as 53* and 58* heads only or contact us to get a custom shaft and grip built to your specs!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Taylormade added all their new 2012 Japan market offerings to their site today so I will briefly go over some of the products and you can see what the lineups now look like below. We will get demos to review at a later date and at that time I will go into more detail. As I mentioned the other day Gloire is the new premium distance line which is a whole new offering. Its aimed at the recreational golfer looking for max ease of use and distance in a premium club.  They've added a few other clubs along with Gloire you can see below.

DRIVERS

The Gloire is the new distance driver and is Taylormade Japan's forged model - yes a forged driver from TM!  They've also added the R11-S and RocketBallz driver. One thing I did not expect was the redesigned R11-J which has been increased to 460cc in head size and 45.75" in length and re-tuned for max forgiveness and distance. TM calls it the R11 distance model for the Japanese market.

FAIRWAY WOODS

TM Japan has added the premium Gloire FW made for maximum distance and forgiveness and they have also thrown in a Japan only R11 Titanium FW! There is also the RocketBallz FW.

IRONS

TM Japan has two models of Gloire premium irons. One is in fact a utility iron at 20 and 23* lofts and the other are max distance irons with a Maraging face and 26* 6 iron! Though I must admit it looks a lot like the RocketBallz Max shape. They also added the RocketBallz Irons.

WEDGES

TM Japan added two new All Terrain Versatility Wedge models, standard ATV wedge in tour satin and the ATV Forged wedge in smoked Ion Plating finish!

PUTTERS

TM added the new Tour Preferred Ghost which features 4 head shapes and a deep milled forged face. They also introduced  Ghost Tour putters which feature 5 head shapes with Pure Roll faces as well as the Ghost Manta which goes along with the stingray and limited edition Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost.

So it seems like an exciting time once again in Japan for new TM products. Stay tuned for live pics and reviews of all the clubs.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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There has been a lot of hype for the new Ryoma F fairway woods. It has the reputation of its driver counterpart the Ryoma D-1 to live up  to. The D-1 Driver as everyone knows is probably one of the most forgiving drivers to ever come out of Japan. It was easily Tourspecgolf's most popular driver of 2011. So when Ryoma announced a fairway wood that would perform like the driver, people jumped at it right away. So after more than a month of testing, does the Ryoma F deserve all the attention its been getting?

As I had noted before the fairway woods looked better than I had originally expected. I was not the biggest fan of the look of the driver though its performance far out weighs its aesthetics.  The fairway wood is on the larger side at 220cc for the F2 to 140cc for the F9.  If you want to see a physical comparison, I did one earlier with the egg Spoon here. All of the D-1 F heads are spec'ed to have square face angles. Like the driver it appears to have a slightly closed face which many have said is an illusion caused but the slight onset/face forward and the way the sole sits. Even if the face is closed, its not by much and for many average golfers who will consider the Ryoma F, a tad closed may not be a bad thing. At address, the head does make the ball look small and could pass for a 350cc compact driver. For some the head may seem to big but for others, its size may inspire a can't miss image.  At first I did think the head was too large however I quickly got used to it.

The F2, F3 and F5 models all fall right below 0.83 COR and share the same all titanium monocoque (unibody) construction as Ryoma's D-1 Drivers. Ryoma is able to fit a 60g Power Booster weight on the back of all the FW models.  Not only that but they also add an additional 60g weight on the front sole called the Spin Control Unit. Considering the 13* weighs 209g, and uses 120g worth of weights, it means the 0.4mm walled body is a mere 89g in weight! Ryoma then plasma welds on their premium forged TDW face for maximum ball speeds and feel.  The F7 and f9 shorter woods have a similar design except use a maraging face and stainless steel body.

Thanks to that 60g backweight, the sweet spot of the Ryoma  fairway woods is huge. So huge that Ryoma claims there is very little difference in direction and distance on off center hits vs shots off the center of the club.  In order to counter the huge weight in the back which in a smaller fairway wood head would push the CG too far back and low, Ryoma uses that Spin Control Unit I mentioned earlier, another 60g right below the leading edge of the head. Ryoma says this weight drastically reduces spin and creates a strong and powerful trajectory that will not lose out to the wind. I certainly liked the trajectory and for me it was more of a mid ball flight.

Ryoma has designed the CG Point of their fairway woods to match the ball exactly at impact whereas on some deeper fairway woods the CG point on the face is in fact higher than the point of impact.  The face of the Ryoma's are considered shallow but not super shallow. They are shallow enough that make hitting off the deck and launching the ball rather easy. I had no problems teeing off with the Ryoma and I felt more confident doing so than with the ultra shallow egg Spoon. The egg Spoon which for me has always been the longest fairway wood, was coming short of the Ryoma by 10-15 yards on average. I also had a TRC FW and ONOFF Fairway Arms Plus as well as a Geotech GT SP and none of them could touch the Ryoma in distance. The testers I have here came with the stock Ryoma shaft. Its a good shaft but a bit on the soft side and the higher torque numbers especially in the softer flexes really do benefit the smoother swinger. I found that if I got aggressive with it, and I do have an aggressive transition and down swing, and if I released early, the soft shaft would cause me to go a bit left.  Even so, thanks to the very forgiving nature of the head, I was still out hitting the egg. It made me think if I had put my preferred Crazy Black FW80 I would gain more control and even more distance.

When it comes to sound and feel, at first the Ryoma F reminded me very much of the first generation egg Spoon with that hollow thwock. Its not nearly as loud but the pitch is similar thanks to the heads size and all Titanium construction.  It's rather solid feeling and while it did not feel hot off the face, it IS hot off the face. There were several times I did not feel like I hit it right on the screws and the ball just kept going, much further than I expected and pretty straight. Much of the results I got are thanks to Ryoma's huge forgiveness and near 0.83 COR. Considering how much smaller a fairway wood face is than a driver face makes this number quite staggering as many fairway woods on the market feature COR of around 0.70 to 0.75.

At the end of the day not everyone will like the looks of the Ryoma F. Not everyone will like its huge head size. Some people might get turned off by the sound. Others the price. But in the end you have to love the Ryoma F for what it is, and that is stupid easy to hit fairway wood that can probably rival your driver for distance AND forgiveness.

The stock shaft is a good fit for those who are smoother swingers, especially the softer flexes. The stiffer flexes do add some control thanks to lower torque and heavier weights. Many golfers will opt for an upgrade shaft and the Ryoma F is available with any shaft in Japan though more than 75% have gone out with Crazy shafts since they seem to be such good fits with Ryoma heads. If you need help with your selections as always just contact us. If you'd like to go ahead and get the stock shafted model, it can be found in the pro shop.

I took a quick video of the sound at impact. As you can hear its not terribly loud but its not that great sounding either. I also had my egg Spoon and TRC FW on hand and also an egg i+ utility so I thought I would throw that in as well.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Today in part 2 of Tourspecgolf's best clubs of 2011 I'll quickly take a look at what was hot when it comes to irons.  As I had mentioned in part 1, Tourspecgolf probably sells the widest range of equipment of any store and that goes for even top Japanese based local outfits.  With many top end premium boutique brands, to famous mainstream brands to smaller budget brands, there is something for every playing level and budget.  Many demanding golf enthusiasts shop here and what they buy is very reflective of what is not only the most popular but also what is top performing. We should always keep in mind though,  not every club is for every golfer.  We are all different in swing styles and handicaps and finding the right fit doesn't always mean simply buying what is most popular. Its about finding the right fit for each individual. That said, the top irons of 2011 did indeed belong to more mainstream brands.

Titleist VG3 Forged

For the latter half of 2010 and for the most part of 2011 leading up to the winter season, the Titleist VG3 Forged iron dominated demand and sales. Premium forged and with a similar size to the AP2, the VG3 provided even more ease of use and more distance all with better feel.  Demand was high all through the VG3's model lifespan and Titleist Japan was constantly back ordered. Even I got on for the ride and gamed the VG3 Forged for nearly a full year (this is amazing for me considering I can access any iron at any time). It still is one of my favorite irons and you can find quite a few posts I made on the blog about them. Its all around performance, good looks and size were a big draw for players of all levels. Truly an iron that is forgiving enough for the average golfer but with enough performance and feel to suit the better player. Sadly Titleist suddenly discontinued the VG3 forged in December even though there was still demand for this wonderful iron. It really makes us wonder what they have in store as its replacement.

ONOFF Forged 2011

Towards the end of 2011 as the VG3 was rapidly approaching a 2 year model reign, many customers began taking interest in the new 2011 ONOFF Forged. The ONOFF Forged is very much like the VG3 Forged, in that it is an all around performer that appeals to a wide range of golfers who especially want a soft feeling iron like the Endo forged S20C ONOFF. I personally made the change from the VG3 to the ONOFF and the ONOFF picked up right where the VG3 left off, great distance, accuracy and even better feel. The ONOFF while appealing to many, had a new challenger as well come November of 2011.

Yamaha Inpres X V Forged Tour Model Limited

Yamaha introduced its all new 2012 lineup and again included a limited edition V Forged Tour Model Iron. Yamaha has had a tour model since 2008 and every year it has sold out even before launch, and this year was no different. As I noted in my review late last year, this generation of the V Forged Tour Model may be the best looking and best overall performing yet. We were lucky enough to secure the most sets of the Tour Model that we ever have and customers who got them have all been very happy with the Yamaha. Looks, Endo S20C forgings and a new cross X milling face pattern which customers have said is producing as much spin as non conforming grooves have been big news. Moving over 16 sets in just a couple of weeks made the Yamaha the strongest selling iron towards the end of the year.  With it already sold out, many are now going back to considering the ONOFF forged and the standard V Forged iron which is also very good.

Later this week I will take a look at the best wedges, putters and shafts of 2011!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Winter is officially upon us and the courses are browning nicely. What that means is colder weather and unfortunately less golf for me even though golf is year round here in Chiba.  Below 10 degrees Celcius and golf just isn't as fun! 2011 was a great year of golf for me, I played more regularly than every and shot more consistent scores than ever however as father time catches up to my body I found that the increased frequency of my rounds also took a toll on my body. Aches and pains and a battle with arthritis in the joints all made recovering from one round to the next quite a task. I've also realized that I am not getting any younger so it will only get worse.  I've decided to use the time off from golf (don't get me wrong, I am still getting out but not as much as I would like to because of the cold) to improve my fitness, swing and overall well being.

Many of us obsess of over equipment and forget that the foundation of a sport like golf goes beyond the clubs we are using to our core fitness and metal well being. We all want to hit the ball further but we put all the emphasis on finding a club that will produce miracles rather than starting from the source, our own bodies. Building a strong core and flexibility as well as being in great overall shape and having strong mental focus will improve our games as much if not more than having the best clubs out there - if there even is such a thing as the best clubs.  We can't control what golf brands do but we can surely dictate how we live our lives and prepare ourselves.

I've given myself two main focuses that I will concentrate on as I prepare for the new season. One is conditioning in other words for golf, building strength, balance and flexibility. This takes motivation and dedication and of my two focuses can actually be considered the easier one as there are many conditioning programs and training aids to help with core fitness.

My second focus is improved health and general well being (which is also of course connected to the first focus). Improving health and physical well being aren't only about exercise. As we get older its harder to stay in shape, eat the right things and combat ailments and illnesses. I realize that I am not a chemist nor am I or my wife a nutritionist. Tourspecgolfer and I were discussing how time is flying and how we are aging along and he suggested I take a look at supplements which fill in the gaps of what may be missing in my diet. He peaked my interest so I began researching more on supplements. Many generalize a supplement as simply a vitamin but its more than that.  While many supplements certainly do provide vitamins they go beyond that and give the body much needed nutrients like minerals, fiber, fatty acids or amino acids. In other words they give the body balance by giving you whats missing in your diet.

I am the kind of person who researches something very thoroughly before I can commit to it, whether it be golf clubs or cars or computers, I spend a lot of time educating myself on what I need to know. The truth is there are many dietary supplements out there so where do I start? Tourspecgolfer and Tourspecgirl have been using products from a very well know nutrition company call Shaklee, and having very good success. I thought I would see what Shaklee is all about so began researching their background and what they have to offer.  It turns out Shaklee has been in the nutrtion business over 50 years and boasts 54 Olympic gold medalists using Shaklee products.  They have invested 250 million dollars into research and development and have produced over 100 scientific papers, 90 of them published in peer-reviewed journals. Based on the fact also that Shaklee products are based on purest natural ingredients I decided to give them a try.

I started with two products the Vitalizer which you could say is the ultimate multi vitamin. An all in one supplement with 80 bio-optimized nutrients to improve vitality and health in every way. Sounds pretty good huh? The second product was Shaklee's Joint Health Complex which is supposed to reduce joint pain and increase flexibility and joint stability leading to improved muscle strength. Now this is what I really looked forward to trying. Anything that could reduce joint discomfort and increase my flexibility would be like finding gold. These are only two products in a wide and vast offering from Shaklee but I was not about to buy everything they had without trying first.

I was not planning on writing about Shaklee until I knew for sure it made a difference. As you may have guessed by me writing this post, it has made a difference far faster than I expected! Starting a month ago I began taking a daily strip of Vitalizer and 3 capsules a day of the Joint Health Complex. Within a week my joints felt better and I'm experiencing much less aches and pains now compared to before.  Some of the benefits of the Vitalizer include stress reduction/management as well as heart and brain health thanks to a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-aging phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics. I spend a lot of time as you can imagine sitting at my desk in front of my computer and my focus can surely wander but after being on Vitalizer for month I'm feeling more energetic, I'm sleeping better, I've got better focus and I feel generally refreshed. At first I thought perhaps it was all in my head but then I realized I was feeling much more alive after lunch whereas in the past I would feel more like taking a nap after lunch (that's what I get for working from home!).

So while its still early, I feel I've had a pretty positive start with Shaklee products. I had a talk with Tourspecgolfer and Tourspecgirl who have been using Shaklee for the last year and they echo the same sentiment in their experiences with Shaklee products.  I'm glad I was able to get the chance to try and if it didn't work for me I would have simply stopped.  The more we talked about it the more we thought it would be a good idea to do  a test run and make Shaklee available in the pro shop for anyone who would be interested in trying.  If you are health conscious, looking for a change of direction and something to help supplement your physical training, consider Shaklee for performance nutrition.  Now hitting the weights and honing my swing seem easier than ever!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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With the holidays winding down in Japan its time to get back to more regular posting on the blog. We hope everyone is energized and recharged for the new golf season and better play and scores! Before we roll on to many of the new releases coming out for 2012, its time to look back at 2011 and recap what were the best selling and most popular clubs of the year.  Tourspecgolf probably sells the widest range of equipment of any store and that goes for even top Japanese based local outfits.  With many top end premium boutique brands, to famous mainstream brands to smaller budget brands, there is something for every playing level and budget.  Many demanding golf enthusiasts shop here and what they buy is very reflective of what is not only the most popular but also what is top performing. We should always keep in mind though,  not every club is for every golfer.  We are all different in swing styles and handicaps and finding the right fit doesn't always mean simply buying what is most popular. Its about finding the right fit for each individual. That said, today I will look at the best selling and most popular woods of 2011. I guess you could say these models had the most success fitting the games of most enthusiasts.

RYOMA D-1 DRIVERS

I have never seen a driver receive as much attention and sell as well as the Ryoma drivers in 2011. When we first began assessing the Ryoma D-1 late 2010 and deciding whether we should carry them, admittedly we were a big scared off by the big price tag.  However our fear was premature. After we introduced the driver in January, sales and demand of the D-1 took off and continued to be the best selling driver we have had every single month up to now. Not only has it been our best selling driver, it has nearly outsold all our other drivers COMBINED. The Ryoma paired with the right shaft has turned out to be one of the most forgiving and best distance drivers ever to come out of Japan. For most of the year, Ryoma carried 3 models, the standard D-1, D-1 Vspec and D-1 Premia all fitting different types of golfers but all equally popular. It turns out people are willing to pay if a driver performs. Towards the end of the year Ryoma announced a Special Tuning Hi COR (non conforming .88 head) which we are all still waiting for. If Ryoma dropped the ball anywhere its for this model and announcing it too early and requiring them to be reserved. With such huge demand we along with quite a few customers haven't exactly been thrilled that its release has been delayed. Alas good news could be shining upon us with a January release of this elusive Special Tuning driver. Now we all just need it to live up to the hype of 10-20 extra yards!

CRAZY DRIVERS

A distant second behind Ryoma but still with a very strong showing were drivers from premium shaft company Crazy. Consistent sales of their CRZ435 (last years reigning distance champ for the better player) and their newly introduced 2011 models, the CRZ-460 and CRZ-435II. This marks the first time for TSG that the top two driver lines sold came from two smaller premium boutique style brands. Its these brands who cater to the hard core and have no boundries when it comes to materials and manufacturing. Crazy shafts and heads are designed by the enthusiast for the enthusiast. Their leap into second place was fueled by a strong showing towards the end of the year for the CRZ-460 (thanks to its pairing with the Royal Decoration shaft) and the CRZ-435II, two very different drivers aimed at opposite ends of the spectrum.  The CRZ-460 the higher launching, more forgiving head vs the lower launching , low spinning and very stable CRZ-435II for the better player. We're very exited about what might be up Crazy's sleeves for 2012.

OTHER DRIVERS

While Ryoma and Crazy dominated the enthusiast market in 2011, Epon did not go down without a fight, their drivers came a solid 3rd with the AF-102 and AF-152 leading the way. Many if not most will still tell you that Epon drivers are the best feeling of any driver in golf due to their premium Endo forged faces. That said, its no surprise that the list follows with drivers from Yamaha and Tourstage all utilizing forged faces from the big E.

PRGR EGG SPOON

The PRGR egg Spoon has pretty much been the best selling fairway wood since late 2009. Publications in Japan and user reviews have always ranked it as the leading fairway wood for distance and forgiveness. I have always had a Spoon in my bag since its release in 2009 and my current bag is no exception as the 2011 model has a firm place in my rotation (though the Ryoma F3 looms). The 2011 improved on the original first generation egg Spoon's looks and feel and sound though it went with an even shallower face. If there were any negatives to pick at many have commented that the shallow face makes teeing off a tad more scary since the ball needs to be tee'd very low to avoid any ugly sky marking action. However for most owners, the egg Spoon is that dream club that hits the ball nearly as long as a driver and helps mere mortals reach par 5s in 2.

RYOMA D-1 F FAIRWAY WOODS

While the egg Spoon owned most of 2011 when it came to popularity and sales. Ryoma's release of a 0.82 COR D-1 F Fairway wood created quite a stir in November and December of 2011 by pretty much pushing the egg aside and taking the sales crown for those months and nearly catching the egg in total 2011 sales. The Ryomas are big and made like mini Ryoma drivers with an unheard of 60g of weight in the back of its monocoque (unibody/one piece) head. A forged Ti face with Cor as high as drivers was hyped by Ryoma as outdistancing other fairway woods by 15-20 yards. They may very well be the longest fairway wood out there now and even longer and maybe more forgiving than the egg spoon. I have my review coming up later this week so I'll go into more detail there on how they perform.

OTHER FAIRWAY WOODS

There were no shortage of good fairway woods in 2011 and we also saw the Royal Collection TRC woods do very well especially among the better player preferring a more compact head and square face angle. The more traditional look and feel along with a stable trajectory was favored by faster swingers and lower handicappers looking for control as well as distance. Another very popular fairway wood was Geotech's GT N SWS did very well thanks to awesome performance and a very attractive price tag.

Royal Collection New TRC Utility

Not only was it chosen utility of the year in Japan, TSG users seemed to embrace the TRC thanks to its wood like appearance and distance but iron like versatility. The Twin Rail Cavity sole for which it is named after excels in all lies and simply makes this utility perform. It feels great, is reasonably forgiving and has both good distance and control. The face is reasonably deep as well which makes it awesome for teeing off.  After becoming utility of the year and with its every popular sales, I decided to write a second take on the TRC back in September here.

PRGR egg i+ Utility

While the TRC was the dominant utility club, quite a few users began flocking towards the PRGR egg i+ utility towards the latter part of the year. Much of this was thanks to a lot of positive feedback from existing egg i+ owners who proclaimed the club as probably the longest and easiest utility on the market today. Its unique maraging construction and iron like setup make this truly a hybrid type club for any situation. I have been gaming one in the last 3 months and it has been my "save me club" many a round. For more average golfers who need an easy to hit utility with max distance, there are not many who can match the egg. Even better players have embraced it thanks to an iron like profile.

Tomorrow I will take a look at the best selling irons, wedges, putters and shafts of 2011 so stay tuned!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Today I received the brand new Taylormade Japan Limited Edition Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost Putter. While the Itsy Bitsy Ghost was previously seen only on Tour in the bags of top TM pros, Taylormade Japan decided that the Japanese market which sees many Japan only TM putters, would be a great place to first release the Itsy Bitsy as a limited edition.  When they first announced the IBS Ghost, I asked TM sales how many of these so called Limited Editions they were making. At that time sales said it was not determined. Well it turns out, they made a lot as the 33" center shaft IBS Ghost I received is marked as Limited 5314. So I'd have to guess they made at least 6000 pieces which compared to most retail runs is probably a small percentage but as a limited edition, its quite a number.

The TM Japan Itsy Bitsy Spider comes in both double bend shaft and center shaft models, both face balanced and with 33 34 and 35" lengths. It comes with a new Itsy Bitsy Spider headcover and the usual TM Japan warranty papers attached to the grip. The IBS Spider of course features Moveable Weight Technology and comes with 2 x 4 gran weights installed in the head. One of the improved features of the IBS Ghost is that the head weight of the steel wire aluminum body has been increased by 10g over the previous Japan IBS to around 365g. One of the questions I get asked most by customers is how heavy is that TM putter head and most of the time TM doesn't state the head weight specs.  I have certainly found many of TM' Japan's previous model putters to fall on the light side which is a negative especially for those who play shorter weights and end up with lower swing weights.  I added 20g of weight to my current Corza Raylor Ghost and handling them side by side, the IBS Ghost feels very similar now but without having to add any additional weight. The 365g head is a big plus.

The heavier head allows the player to feel the putter more in their hands and creates a more stable and controlled stroke.  The design of the Spider originally was to create a high MOI, max forgiveness type putter but many found and still find the standard Spiders on the large size which also resulted in less direction.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider's smaller head and white body with single alignment line frame the ball very well especially with black weight ports in the back (yes it still looks like something out of Star Trek from the back view!) I really like its look at address and for some reason I find it looking much cleaner. This new "panda" look really works for me with the black and white contrast. Unlike some center shaft models, the single alignment mark extends all the way to the the top line edge, unobstructed by the shaft.

I've owned a few Spiders in the past and I always ended up dropping them from my bag. It wasn't about the design of the head but more the feel. I just never got along with TM's AGSI and RSI faces because I found them too soft to the point where I was not getting enough feedback from the putter.  Sure everyone lofts soft feel but I like soft but crisp and I like feeling the ball compress (ball choice of course has a lot to do with this as well). When Taylormade moved to the Surlyn Pure Roll faces, I really embraced them as they still felt soft but I could clearly feel and get feedback from the face on impact. I've also found that since switching to the Pure Roll face, (in my Corza Raylor Ghost which I have been using since early Summer) I've rolled the ball better than ever with less skidding and immediate forward rotation. This has resulted in much better distance control as well.

I'll be taking the Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost for 18 holes tomorrow and if the Pure Roll face rolls as well as my Raylor and the the Spider is as forgiving as it should be I think there will be a new gamer in my bag. Face balanced and center shafted should get along with my straight back and forth stroke better than the double bend Raylor. Sales of the the new IBS Ghost have been brisk and its no wonder mine is already at over number 5000 on the limited count. We were warned that they would sell out by TM  sales and even with their big production number this seems to be the case. Quite a large number of customers were able to pre-order them and have them go out last week, just in time for Christmas. If you try you could very well still be able to get yours in the Pro Shop before Christmas too.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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ONOFF has always prided itself in creating well designed golf clubs that not only look good but make golf easier and more fun. The Fairway Wings has been their utility model over the last half decade and while in the past there was only one Wings model, for 2012 there are two. In 2011, in addition to its standard Fairway Wings model, we saw ONOFF release a limited edition Pro Spec Fairway Wings which was the choice utility of top ONOFF Pro Shingo Katayama. The club was a hit for not only better players but players of all levels. Because of this, 2012 now sees a Type-D or Red Fairway Wings model made for the average golfer as well as the new Type-S or Black Fairway Wings made for the better and athlete golfer. I was very excited to test these two new demos as over the last 4 years I have always at one time or another had at least one ONOFF Fairway Wings in my bag.

At first glance, the new Type-D and Type-S are not all that different from one another. A quick look at the specs show their head volumes are in fact very similar (the 21* D or Red is 120cc and the 21* S or Black is 122cc). Both feature multi level soles to minimize friction and increase versatility in various lies and both feature tungsten weighting to control CG placement, spin and trajectory. The Type-D Red has a V sole to help the average golfer from loosing too much speed at impact when the sole hits the ground. The V sole also brings the CG a tad lower for a easy strong launch.  The Type-S Black sole is rounded which increases its versatility in deep rough and uneven lies, maintaining stability and control.

Both Type-D and Type-S feature variable thickness faces for better feel, more forgiveness and higher ball speeds at impact.  What many will like about both models is that they are not very shallow faced like many modern clubs are these days. Lots of clubs are shallow in order to push the CG as low as possible and to make it easy to pick the ball off the fairway right in the center of the face but aren't always friendly for use off the tee. The Type-S Black is a tad deeper than the Type-D Red but both excel off the tee for longer par 3's or if you just need to be straight and in the fairway. The feel of both faces is quite crisp but soft, with the Type-S Black being a tad softer due to a thicker center and thicker face areas above and below the sweet spot. The Type-D Red is thick in the middle as well but the walls surrounding the sweet spot are thinner for more spring action benefiting the average swing speed player and golfer.

As I mentioned earlier, both head sizes are very similar in volume and the face depth is also very similar? So whats different besides the sole shape, face thickness and aesthetics? If you look at the clubs from the heel you can see that the while both taper to a shallower crown, the Type-S Black is shorter and more tall through the crown while the Type-D Red is flatter and overall shallower.  The shape of their heads alters the CG length and position with the Type-D producing a strong mid trajectory ball which is very stable and controlled for the better player and faster swinger thanks to its shorter CG. The Type-D Red has a longer CG producing a strong but higher launch helping average golfers with more distance through a higher trajectory and more carry.

At address we continue to see more differences. Carried over from the Pro Spec model, the Type-S Black has an iron like look at setup due to the two tone crown. It's longer ferrule and neck create more of a flow like an iron. The Type-S also features a 0* square face angle. The Type-D on the other hand sets up like a wood and features a 1.0* closed face on all lofts. Its hard to see the visual size difference but the the Type-S Red "appears" bigger due to its shallower crown.

It's not uncommon for an average golfer like myself to rely heavily on a utility. When the woods are not going well and you still need that distance on a second shot, or in a tough lie,  the right utility can have you go from saving par to making double bogey. Because of this, when I look at a utility, first and foremost it has to be easy to hit. It is after all the "rescue" club in your bag. I am happy to report that both Red and Black models of the Fairway Arms are pretty easy to hit even with their deeper faces.  Their soles are versatile allowing for good contact resulting in great distance. Another factor in making good contact is the length of the club. Both the Type-D Red and Type-S Black do NOT have a loft where the club length is over 40.00" and that is a good thing. The shorter length club allows for more control and consistency which in turn leads to better impact and more overall distance. I swung both clubs very confidently due to their length. For comparisons sake, my Royal Collection TRC 20* is 40.50" in length and the ONOFF Type-D Red 21* is 39.00", however I did not see much difference in distance as I was able to strike the ONOFF so well.  The ONOFF clubs also use maraging  faces but are a tad more high pitched at impact which I call crisp.  Maraging face feel is very good and you can easily tell when you pured it which is most of the time as the sweet spots are quite large.

The Type-S Red is available in 18 21 24 and 27* lofts with ONOFF's in house MP-512U graphite shaft. ONOFF's graphite shafts are typically very good and considered in Japan a step up on most OEM shafts thanks to Daiwa's expertise in carbon and graphite (see Roddio as well as Daiwa fishing rods).  Both the 24* and 27* are surprisingly useful and great for those average golfers who don't get along with their long-mid irons. In a strong lofted iron set, they replace the 5 and 6 iron very admirably.

Interestingly the Type-S Black which is a Labospec model aimed at the better player comes only in 21* 24* and 27*. It would have been great to see an 18* as well here. The Type-S is offered with a steel shaft only in its stock form, either the 850GH Regular or 950GH Stiff. This is kind of too bad as I can see many players wanting the Type-S with a graphite shaft. The good news is it can be custom ordered with Labospec high modulus shafts or Roddio shafts though there will be a reasonably long wait on those.

I liked both models very much but as a player who uses his utility off the tee and sometimes battles a hook with shorter clubs, the Type-S was my choice of the two. I also like the way it sets up with the two tone crown. I could play both as they both are easy to hit and with good distance but the closed face would only help me if I sliced. I wish however the Type-S also came with a stock graphite shaft as not everyone will fit an iron shafted utility into their set.  For the average golfer who needs more distance, ease of use and battles the left side, the ONOFF Type-D Red is a premier choice. Look for the new ONOFF Fairway Wings to be in the pro shop in coming days!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

 EMAIL

ONOFF is about to release their all new 2012 lineup and the first club I'll look at today is the new ONOFF Iron or as some call it the RED Model. In the past, ONOFF was divided into two lines, the RED line aimed at the average golfer and the BLACK line aimed at the athlete golfer. While ONOFF has done away with the red and black they still separate their models with similar targets. The ONOFF Iron compliments the Type-D line which is now the name of the line that is made for ease of use and max performance.

The ONOFF Iron has year in year out been a top performer and pick of the average golfer looking to gain more distance and simply enjoy golf with an easy to use iron. It's also a favorite of users here at TSG. As I had mentioned in my post the other day, I felt like the previous 3 generations, the 2006, 2008 and 2010 models were all too similar with only minor tweaks cosmetically and design wise. However when I first laid eyes on the 2012 model at their product launch in Tokyo I was very impressed with its new look.  In my opinion its a much better looking iron that previous models and its overall materials, and design have changed as well, all for the better.  Gone is the big red ONOFF logo, replaced with a much more subtle color scheme and brushed satin cavity area. ONOFF has come through this year with some very good looking clubs and the Iron is a bit part of that new look.

The ONOFF Iron is a stainless steel iron and ONOFF decided to use a newly developed ST22 soft stainless steel to improve the irons feel. Typically most JDM manufacturers will not offer loft or lie adjustments with any stainless models but with the softer material, ONOFF will now do 1 degree changes for loft and lie on the ONOFF Iron.  Like previous models, the ONOFF Iron sports a huge tunstgen weighted sole. The 2012 model features a whopping 78g of sole weight (5 iron) which is their heaviest yet. The weight is distributed towards the back of the cavity and towards the heel and toe for increased MOI and an easy launch. The sole of the ONOFF Iron is wide enough to prevent digging thanks to its leading edge relief but not overly wide to the point where it is bulky.

I found the previous 2010 model face profile to be quite rounded and a tad on the large side. The 2012 model is much more eye pleasing face on. As you can see in the picture I took above, I overlayed an image of the variable thickness maraging cup face. The face features 4 areas all quite think except for a ribbed Y area which is 2.5mm. This design creates a larger sweet spot with more spring effect and higher initial ball speeds. It minimizes distance loss and maintains an optimal launch even on strikes off center. It also promotes very good feel and I have to admit I am liking the feel of maraging more and more whether it be in irons like these or fairway woods and utilities as well.

At address the new ONOFF Iron has obvious offset but this is common in more average golfer models to help square the face at impact. It's not bad looking by any means. The top line is not overly thick or rounded so its actually quite eye pleasing and confident inspiring at the same time. This is one easy iron to hit. The ball launches very easily and distance is superb. Strong lofts and big carry type trajectories will help those in need of more distance get it. I'll have to say again, I really like the feel. The face feels hot and springy yet rather soft thanks to the thin maraging L cup. The ONOFF Iron is not meant to be a workable iron nor does it pretend to be. It is a performance iron made for ease of use and it excels in that role. The ONOFF Iron comes with both graphite shafts ranging from R2 (54g) to R (58g) and S (63g). ONOFF makes very good graphite shafts (they design and produce their own), so those wanting a light weight iron can go for the graphite shafts for even more feel and distance.  The graphite shafts have dual kick points too, mid and high, which will keep the trajectory from ballooning. The other option is Nippon NS Pro steel in either 850Gh Regular or 950GH Stiff which will suit the slightly stronger player and faster swinger. (Roddio is an option as well from their Labospec division) The iron picks the ball off any lie and gives it a great launch. My bad shot is hitting it fat and when I do I try and adjust and hit it thin out of fear of hitting it fat or incorrect swing adjustments. The sole of the new ONOFF iron was very good and I was able to make good contact on every shot.

Whenever I test an iron as good as the ONOFF, I am tempted to change to it. It looks good, is well designed, feels good and most of all its darn easy to use. Golf is a hard game, we all sometimes forget, equipment should make the gamer easier not harder. If you want more distance in a high quality, great feeling iron, the ONOFF Iron should be near or at the top of your list. If you are a high handicapper or an average golfer looking to get better, the 2012 ONOFF Iron will help you on your way.

We'll have the entire new ONOFF line in the pro shop in coming weeks. If you need help choosing or advice on the ONOFF or any other model, please feel free to contact us as always.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

 EMAIL

A box of 2012 ONOFF demos arrived yesterday and as I noted when I first saw them at the ONOFF Product Launch in Tokyo in October, they look amazing. Top notch designs and finish and I can't wait to test them out. As always the ONOFF clubs are divided into two lines, the Type-D or RED and the Type-S or Black. The Type-D is more suited for the average golfer looking for ease of use distance performance while the Type-S is for the better player, featuring smaller heads and square to open face angles and has always been a favorite line at TSG.  The only clubs that were not refreshed were the 2011 ONOFF Forged iron and the ONOFF S-Forged Wedges.

I'll be reviewing the new forged Type-S Driver as well as Type-S fairway wood and new Type-S Utility which was derived from the very popular but rare fairway wings Pro Spec model we saw this year for Shingo.  The driver is forged by Endo and features a variable thickness and ribbed cup ELF Titanium forged face. The Type-S fairway wood looks awesome, compact, pear shaped and deep faced. They are 1* OPEN and have a V shaoed sole with tungsten weighting and a variable thickness high maraging face. The new Type-S UT has a similar look to the Pro Spec with the face and neck merged as one continuous line and a recessed top line. Again the face is deep and features yet again a variable thickness high maraging face.

There is also a new ONOFF Iron which falls in the RED line. The last 3 generations have seen minor tweaks to design and to the unfamiliar with ONOFF clubs, could have all passed for the same model. The 2012 model has bee radically re-designed and visually it looks more aggressive than the past models. The iron features a 3 piece design with a very thin variable thickness high maraging cup face which feels very very good. An ultra heavy tungsten sole (78g in the 5 iron) is featured on the 4-9 iron creating very easy launch and higher MOI.

The Type-D RED line is made for ease of use which you can clearly see in each clubs design. The driver is bigger and shallower and features a 0.5* to 1.5* closed face (depending on the loft) to help battle the right side. The fairway woods are larger in head size and feature a closed face for the 3 and 5 woods and square faces for the 7 and 9 woods.  Unlike many ultra shallow FW's these days, the ONOFF RED still maintains a mid height face. The Tungsten in the V Sole is designed for easy launch and big carry. The RED Utility has a confidence building size and is not overly long in length for more consistent ball striking.

I only have about 5 days with the clubs so I a will be snapping pics and hitting all the models in the next few days. Tomorrow I am testing the Ryoma F vs the egg Spoon and will throw in the ONOFF fairway woods as well as I am sure they can hold their own. Be sure to check the TSG Pro Shop soon if you want to order.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

 EMAIL

The new Ryoma F Fairway woods arrived this week for testing. We received a 15* F3 and and a 18* F5, both with stock shafts. Initial visual impressions are that the f3 is huge. At address it is like a mini driver and it inspires can't miss confidence. For some athlete golfers however it may be too large. I will be first doing a comparison between the Ryoma F3 and the reigning champion of fairway woods the PRGR Egg Spoon. I am sure many Spoon owners want to know if their club can be dethroned and many others who are looking for the ultimate in distance and ease of use would like to see the differences between the two. Stay tuned for the comparison and club testing soon!

On a personal note, the weather has been crazy here in Japan, yesterday nearly 19C and today a very cold 8C. The temperatures have been up and down which is perfect for giving me a cold. My brother happens to be arriving in Japan tomorrow for a short visit from Toronto and we'll be heading to Yokohama to spend the weekend at the Motorcycle and Hot Road Show (my brother's hobby). I will be out of contact for a while but have packed up all my camera gear for some hardcore photo sessions of Yokohama and interesting machines at the show. Will report back next week when I return!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.