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Mitsubishi Rayon has once again decided to delve into the high modulus carbon shaft segment currently dominated by Crazy, Quadra, Bangvoo, ATTAS and others.  They have decided to release an all new premium high modulus carbon model dubbed the Diamana X. Unlike the limited Stinger model which used an existing boron material, Diamana has gone to its own MCHC Group (Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation) in order to develop an all new 78t high grade carbon sheet to be used in the X. The Diamana X will be limited to only 5000 pieces and is focused on the athlete golfer/pro and better golfer with a special emphasis on the stability and control for the hard hitter wanting even more distance.

Mitsubishi incorporates a new manufacturing technology they developed called Tough-QURE. Its a new technique used for carbon fiber composite moulding which allows Mitsubishi to cure carbon prepregs at a lower temperature and faster speed.  The faster speed allows Mitsubishi two benefits, one to incorporate Black Copolymer Technology which increases durability and two less resin flow which creates carbon that allows for better and more consistent formability thus great for a perfectly rounded shaft with less deformation and inconsistencies.

Thanks to lower torque, consistent load and unload from 78t carbon as well as increased overall stability due to less rounding and deformation, the Diamana X is designed to supress side spin and transfer maximum power by squaring to the target predictably and reducing off center hits.  March 3rd is the release date for the new X shaft and we will start taking pre orders soon. There will be 5 models/flexes as seen in the table below topped off by a 70 XX flex with a mere 2.2* of torque. The Diamana X has a mid to high kick made for a strong penetrating launch combined with lots of run.  So far Mitsubishi Rayon has listed a MSRP of  68250 yen which translates to about 900.00 USD. We have yet to see what the street price will but we'll surely be below that.

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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Just got this driver head in and its dark outside so I can't take pretty pictures. Here is a little teaser until tomorrow. It's a 4 piece head, white crown and an all new face shape (not the typical Kamui Works face). Check back tomorrow for more pics and details

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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I was in Akasaka yesterday attending the Pro Support meeting for the LPGA. I met up with Miysohi-san from Yururi and we headed out after the meeting for lunch and to talk about some new clubs in the works for Yururi. One of the clubs he showed me, and keep in mind this is NOT the finished product so it may be a bit rough around the edge, is the new MH-1112 forged cavity back for 2012.  Yururi has always been known for intricate CNC Machining on its irons and the MH-1112 takes it a level further.  Many advanced cavity designs these days are simply produced by either a cast or forging moulds. Cavity steps or design features are all created in that mould. Yururi has always premium forged their head and rather than just mould the cavity shape, they CNC machine the head which makes it look like art and is much more costly to do. Miyoshi-san told me that some of the Yururi models take 3 hours to machine a single iron. He passed the head on to me so I could bring it home for pictures.

The older KM-0107 is a beautiful iron and features some very nice CNC machining in the cavity however if you look closely, each machined step is flat. The new MH-1112 is the first Yururi iron to feature a 3D CNC machined cavity. This diamond shaped cavity is machined so the center is the highest and thickest point of the cavity. Its in line with the sweet spot of the iron so center strikes are rewarded with pure and buttery feel.

As with most of Yururi's better player irons, there is very little offset. The clean satin finish is pleasing to the eyes.

The face of the MH-1112 Forged features a straight top blade and taller toe area for more spin control and a nice strong appearance. The MH-1112 is a smaller cavity but at the same time its not tiny so better players all the way up to good ball striking mid cappers should have no problems enjoying this beautiful iron. As I mentioned here, this head is not the final finished product. It will still be fine tuned and the finish will be tweaked to look much better. Lucky enough we were able to provide the first sneak peak of this iron though it probably will not be revealed until later next month at the Golf Fair!

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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We received samples of the new Yururi Seida KM-0312 Forged iron today. They look simply fantastic. Before shafting them up for some testing I thought I would post a little preview here.  The KM-0302 is new for 2012 and does feature conforming grooves.

The premium Kyoei forged S25C head fits somewhere between a small and mid sized cavity back. The beautiful satin finished and CNC machined cavity look great and each iron has the loft engraved in the cavity which is kind of a cool design feature.

The cavity is low but deep and the face actually is thicker where the loft is engraved increasing soft feel right in the center of the face. Because of the pearl like satin finish the head just looks so clean!

The Seida Forged Iron is aimed at the mid capper to better player wanting an easy launch and some forgiveness but with premium feel. The face is not overly boxy but features a sharper toe with a rounder leading edge making it more versatile in various lies.

At address the sharp toe adds to the irons lines and defines where the face begins Less offset and a reasonably thin and straight top top line all add to the irons pleasing appearance. I'm looking forward to shafting these up for a go and a more detailed review!

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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As we lead up to the Japan Golf Fair at the end of February we will begin to see many new product announcements come rolling in. Taylormade Japan and Titleist Japan have both been rather quiet, while many wait for new TM Forged irons and a replacement for the VG3 forged. On the other hand, Mizuno has already announced the release date, January 20th for their new JPX iron lineup which will consist of two models, the JPX 800 AD which features an S25C forged body matched with high rally spring steel face and the JPX 800 AD Forged which is an S25C forged iron with embedded tungsten weighting in the long and mid irons.  Both irons are similar in size and feature identical lofts. However the 800 AD has a large undercut and the spring steel face. Matched with an inch longer lengths and Mizuno has its longest ever JPX iron out distancing the previous JPX 800 XD by over 10 yards.  The 800 XD forged is for the player who wants premium all forged feel in a forgiving distance package.

Fourteen Golf has already released their new TC-930 players cavity back in December, this premium Endo forged S20C iron features less offset, and a compact head with more traditional lofts and a focus on feel and control. The TC-930 feature a low CG which works well with the latest golf balls out on the market today. Long range shots will produce less spin while short iron range shots will deliver optimal spin performance. The low CG provides just the right amount of spin on each shot, generating consistent performance on every shot. In order to achieve this, Fourteen used varying CG positioning depending on the iron, for example the 9 iron and PW have a shorter CG to maintain exceptional control plus increased spin.

Look for all three models in the pro shop soon!

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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Royal Collection has released their all new Next Generation BBD 305V fairway wood. Today I received 4 demo clubs and headed out right away to test them as they simply looked awesome. Unlike the SFD lineup, the BBD line like the TRC line, is made for the better golfer who wants max performance and feel in a more compact and stable club. The BBD 305V come in 14, 15, 18 and 21* lofts and are dubbed the Next Generation by RC thanks to a change in design compared to traditional RC fairway woods with its new V Sole.

Year in and year out, even though Royal Collection is a very small company, they continue to produce top notch fairway woods and utilities. It is this segment of clubs that they excel in and are best known for thanks to their driving cavity and twin rail cavities. The new BBD 305V's main design points are a new V sole which helps the club cut through the turf at impact, reducing friction and lost swing speed resulting in better impact and better performance.

The sole of the 305V still features RC's driving Cavity which is now a weighted  part of the club extending deep into the back of the head. While big back weighting is nothing new (see Ryoma) I like the way RC incorporated the weight into its driving cavity hence the name driving cavity weight.  More weight in the back of the head of a club typically creates higher launch but to keep trajectory down, RC shortens the CG in the 305V. This results in an easy and higher launch but strong and penetrating overall trajectory for more distance and control.

The back weighting on the 305V also increase MOI and the sweet spot of the club which I am glad to say is quite big and noticeable.  The face and head is a slight departure from past BBD models in that it is not quite as deep and more of a mid height or semi shallow face. This allows the 305V to make more consistent center impact off the deck but still allows for it to be tee'ed of with.

There really isn't anything I do not like about the head visually. The face shape and head shape are great as is the straight face angle which is on every loft. Even though the face is shallower than past models the heads are still compact and traditional. We see a lot of modern shallow faced FW's with very large heads as they get flattened out and to create very very low CG points.  The 305V sets up wonderfully and the better player will like how the smaller head frames the ball for a draw or fade.

In my morning session here at Kiminomori, I tested all 4 lofts which vary in size from 160cc to 146cc. 160cc is not tiny by any means but because of the 305V's shape it makes my 165cc egg Spoon look quite large. For an average golfer like myself that can be quite intimidating but I am please to report, that the 305V is not hard to hit. With advances in design and manufacturing, the line separating clubs for the average golfer and athlete/better golfer has become more and more blurred in recent years. Even better player models are becoming more and more forgiving which is a good thing. One can never have too much forgiveness. The great thing about the 305V is it still maintains all its athlete qualities, a compact square faced head, strong trajectory, workable stable shots with very very good feel.

Royal Collection's move to a custom 455 stainless face a few years ago was a superb choice and while the same materials are used on this years TRC models, the face of the 305V feels even hotter most likely due to the back weighting.  The 14 and 15* produce very strong trajectories with ample run and even the 18 and 21* while they are easy to launch, do not go overly high which is a good thing. The stock shaft is as usual made for RC by Graphite Design and is a Tour AD designated model meaning high quality and stable performance. Once again, RC offers shafts in various weights and flexes depending on the players swing style with 50 60 and 70g stock shafts available. The stock shafts (I had all 60g models here), have pretty good feel and are easy to load. For the very aggressive or faster swinger, RC also offers the 305V with all the latest shafts including the Tour AD BB DI DJ SF series, Fubuki K ahina FW,  ATTAS3 and Motore Speeder FW.

I have to tell you I am torn, I'm in the midst of testing the Ryoma F and I also finished testing the ONOFF Fairway Arms. Now throw in this new BBD 305V and we have some very amazing choices here for a wide variety of golfers in the coming season.  I honestly can't make up my mind which to bag for the new season and my egg Spoon probably is not happy that I am thinking this way! I hgihtly recommend the 305V to the better player wanting a compact square faced head and very good feel with a penetrating trajectory.  For the mid capper and improving player, this club is certainly forgiving enough and can definitely be an option if you prefer a smaller head.

I hope to add the new BBD 305V in the Pro Shop this weekend so make sure you check for it!

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.

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Thanks to the popularity and success of the Prototype RF700 Hi Cor Alpha Spec driver, Geotech has released a conforming model due to demand from those better players who play in tournaments. This post is not really a review since I already reviewed the Alpha Spec, it is more of an introduction of the conforming model.  Like the Alpha Spec the new conforming model shares many of the same design characteristics like a deeper face, mid high back head, open to square face angle and traditional compact shaped head.

The face shape is a little rounder and the score lines now go across the face. The head is also finished in silver vs black for the Alpha Spec and features a Ti face vs the springy non conforming SP700 face in the Alpha. The conforming model is made with a balance of distance and control in mind.  A low but shallow center of gravity allow for a low spin drive but penetrating trajectory for carry and run.  The hosel is 40mm deep vs standard 30mm deep hosels found in most drivers. This creates a firmer feel and more stability for the stronger and better player.

While the head looks more compact thanks to its deeper face and higher back design, it still provides a sense of comfort with good looks at address. The conforming RF700 also has a pretty big sweet spot but is workable with fade and draw at command for the better player.

Better players will appreciate its strong trajectory especially into the wind. Feel wise, the RF700 has neutral sound ie not too loud like many drivers today but also not too muted in that the player still gets good feedback. Best of all is the conforming RF700's price which won't break the bank unlike many higher end Japan market drivers.   At 229.00 in the pro shop it is certainly worth a go with you favorite shaft!

Here is the sound at impact video!

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 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.