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Kamui Works sent me two of their new KamuiPro drivers to check out.  The new KamuiPro heads are available only in conforming versions with a specially designed 4 piece structure.  The crown is made of BT14 Ti while the sole uses Ti 4-1-1 and 6-4 Ti in the hosel. Kamui cold forges the face using high strength BT14 Ti for a hot but soft feel.  The KamuiPro is only available in 10.5* and targets the average player looking for more distance and wanthing to hit a straighter more accurate ball.

Kamui decided, in order to keep costs down and to make the head more attractive price wise, they would reduce the number of options available compared to the Ray and 456/420 models. The options are still pretty good though and you can choose from a brand new Pearl White finish they have or Dark Pearl Green. The head features a mid height face which is rounder than previous Kamui models and a head which uses a high crown design that quickly tapers off into a more shallow height at the back. This helps bring CG low but reasonably short for a strong trajectory low spin ball, optimizing carry and run.

The forged face is designed to provide soft feel and great energy transfer at impact.  The wider face reduces distance loss on miss hits towards the toe and heel which are common for average golfers.  While this head is aimed at more aveage and recreational golfers, it really can suit any player who wants more distance in an easy to use head. And for those looking for a premium Japanese forged driver that is more reasonably priced.

The following options are available for the KamuiPro:

Loft: 10.5* Marked - real loft choices of 10* 10.5* and 11* are available
Lie: choice of real lie angles 59.5* 60.0* and 60.5*
Face angle: choice of real face angles 0.5* closed, 1.0* closed or 1.5* closed
Head Weight: 193g to 200g
Finish: Pearl White or Dark Pearl Green
USGA Conforming Only

As always the new Kamui head will be available as head only or custom made with any Japan market shaft and grip. Based on the head weights available, Kamui suggests that this driver be best built between 45 to 46" depending on the shaft and desired swing weights.

I'm hoping to get the chance to test these heads out soon once the cold weather passes. I'd love to get a Crazy Royal Decoration in here and see how long this driver could be. In the mean time I will be adding it to the pro shop tonight!

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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It was a fun but busy few days testing out all the demos from Yamaha. They ended up sending a total of 31 different clubs when in fact there were only 4 new drivers and 4 new irons as well as the 1 new D Power Spoon to test. For some reason they decided to send the clubs with their most popular shaft options so I in fact got about 3 or4 of each club with different shafts. This was in fact a good thing as I got to see not only how the new models performed but how they performed with each shaft. This also allowed me to get a few of the neighbors in on the testing since we all have different swing speeds and swing styles.

With so many clubs to give feedback on I thought I would group the clubs into two posts, one for irons and one for drivers.  Today I'll take a look at the 4 new 2012 Inpres X iron models, the V Forged Tour Model Limited, the  V Forged, the D Forged and from the new line at Yamaha, the Z Cavity. This whole Yamaha party started with photo taking mixed in with hitting the clubs all through Saturday and Sunday. Taking photos is tiring and a lot of work but quite fun and actually very educational. I actually spend the most time simply looking at each club and its design when taking pictures. When hitting the clubs we have we don't really look at the design or compare them to other models side by side. So spending the weekend alternating between photos and testing was a great way to really understand each irons design as well is how they perform.

As most of you probably already know from Yamaha models of the past or from reading the blog, the 4 models are designed to cover all bases when it comes to playing level. The V Forged Tour Model as you can imagine is for the pro and low handicapper while the standard V Forged is for the low handicapper and better/improving player. The D Forged is designed for the mid capper and average golfer while the new Z Cavity is really made for the average golfer and high handicapper.  Just by looking at how each iron sets up I pretty much agree with the designation of each irons intended target audience. The irons gradually progress from the Tour Model to the Z Cavity with increasing head size, including top line thickness, face heel to toe length and more offset. Of course for most better players based on address looks alone,  they are going to prefer the Tour Model or standard Forged. Those who lack confidence striking the irons and need more ease of use will feel at ease with the can't miss impression that the D Forged and Z Cavity convey. Lets take a closer look at each individual iron.

Every year, the V Forged Tour Model Limited Iron sells out within weeks. Only 1200 of these premium Endo forged S20c beauties are made and then quickly swept up acr0ss Japan. 1200 sets may sound like a lot but in a gear crazed market like Japan, even at its higher price, they go like hot cakes. That sometimes leaves us struggling to get enough sets for our own customers. Luckily this year we hit the pre orders much earlier than usual and quite a lot of customers thankfully have them pre ordered. When the V Forged Tour Model was first spotted in Hiroyuki Fujita's bag late this summer, many Yamaha fans hesitated to embrace its looks, myself included. The thing is Yamaha works hard to actually make the iron different from previous years models and of course better. Some of us loyal club addicts take time to embrace something different and the more I look at the Tour Model the more I lie it and see its design strengths.

As with previous years Tour Models, the 2012 is very sharp. It has a straight top line, the boxiest and highest toe of the 4 models and is of course the most compact with the least offset. While it technically is a small cavity some may mistake its design and look for a neo blade as the cavity runs quite thick and high, almost like a muscle. The extra meat is put there for a couple of reasons, one to raise the center of gravity higher for a more stable spin control type trajectory and of course for feel. Let's cut the technical blah blah here, the fact is the V Forged Tour Model is VERY soft at impact. In fact I smiled every time I struck it pure as I have not hit an iron this soft in a long time. And what amazed me the most was that I COULD strike it pure rather consistently. Its no secret that I am an average golfer with average ball striking skills but dare I say I hit the Tour Model as well if not better than even the average golfer D Forged and Z Cavity!

I did have the V Forged Tour Model shafted with its standard spec S200 shaft (which by the way is sold out - only custom specs are available now and even at that not for long). which I thought for sure would be too stiff and too heavy but the Tour Model was very cooperative and very straight with a manageable mid trajectory ball. An easy swing and impact right in the center of the face was very very rewarding, very soft but with that ball compressing sensation. So rewarding that I only felt the ball compressing and no vibrations most of the time. Perhaps my heavier and stiffer experiment was on the right track after all (see posts from earlier this Sept/Oct). The grind of a club has an influencing factor on feel and in the case of the Tour Model, the sole's killed leading edge and trailing edge relief really play a big part in taking the ball cleanly. It also allows you to manipulate the iron and hit high shots or low shots and work the face of the iron towards the taller toe. Spin is pretty good on the Tour Model and even on partial shots the new X Face Milling seem to bite and needed spin for stopping power. The fact I could make the tour model perform so well makes me wonder how good it would be in the hands of a more capable golfer. Good looks, design and amazing feel and control certainly are the strong points of the Tour Model. If there is anything to complain about is that its the shortest of the bunch when it comes to distance but that is completely understandable as the tour model is not a distance iron nor does it pretend to be. Now if only it weren't limited!

The Yamaha V Forged standard model is one of the most popular forged cavity backs in Japan every year. The Endo forged S20C iron simply is so balanced that almost anyone can consider playing it.  The V Forged fits between a small and medium sized cavity and has a little bit of offset with a slightly longer heel to toe compared to the Tour Model. The largest difference besides size, is the cavity design which is far lower and more weighted towards the exterior toe and heel for a higher launch, and more MOI/forgiveness.

Lofts are stronger which mean more distance as well and I think this is one of the big drawing factors for the midcapper and improving golfer who want to play a so called player's cavity that goes beyond just control and feel. I remember when I first gamed the standard V Forged a few years ago which was right after having the ONOFF Red and Legacy Forged in my bag, I right away thought I would lose distance. But on the contrary distance was just as good compared to those irons whose main strengths are in fact hitting it a long way. This plus wonderful feel and direction make the V Forged the winner it is every year. It shares the same X Milled Face that the Tour Model has which provides good bite and control. Feel is not quite as soft as the Tour Model since the face is not as thick but it is still very soft.  When hitting the V Forged and Tour Model side by side, I did happen to have the Tour AD 75 graphite shaft in the V Forged and this produced a higher trajectory with good carry but also good direction.  For the better player wanting to add a bit of forgiveness and distance or the improving player who wants to take it to the next level, there are not many irons that can produce the same balanced performance that the V Forged does... maybe only the ONOFF Forged which has similar design aspects and target audiences.

In the past the D Series was aimed a the average golfer and typically featured more technology oriented designs with materials like maraging steel and multi-piece heads.  This years D Forged still keeps the high tech multi-piece design but for the first time has a forged S20C body making it 3 out of 4 irons forged in the 2012 Inpres X line. The D Forged leans more towards the automatic side and one look at the head design and you can understand why. Its noticeably bigger than both the V Forged models and has more offset. The cavity is huge and there is an undercut.

Most of the weight is pushed towards the sole for big MOI and higher launch. The undercut cavity helps curb lost distance on miss hits towards the toe and heel. In the past, irons with undercut cavities were often criticized for feeling too clicky at impact. This has changed  a lot over the years with new designs, materials and manufacturing processes. In many of these new generation undercut models, there is still a click at impact but you'd be hard to notice it or at least get used to it really quickly since its so subtle. The D Forged has many characteristics that an average golfer should want in his bag including confidence building size, pretty good looks and feel, above average distance and very good ease of use. The D Forged is easy to launch in the air and goes very far. At the range, a guy next to me happened to have the 2011 V Forged Tour Model in his bag so I asked him if he wanted to hit the irons I had with me. He proceeded to hit the D Forged 7 Iron with 850GH Regular shaft about 190+ yards.  For him the D Forged was the longest, even longer than the Z Cavity (which he probably could not hit well due to the light R flex graphite shaft) but his favorite was the standard V Forged model which he found simply so easy to hit.

Average golfers and higher handicappers wanting to play a premium quality and designed forged club should seriously consider the D Forged though the better player may find it lacks workability compared to the V Forged line. But if straight and far is where you want to go  then the D Forged is a great choice.

The Z Cavity is an all new addition to the Yamaha Lineup. Yamaha decided to grow their line with a high handicapper distance iron even more automatic than the D Series. Thus the Z Series was born and honestly looks like the D Forged but on steroids. It has a similar look and design but is bulkier and rounder and the cavity is even bigger with an even wider undercut plus added tungsten weighting. This iron targets the new golfer and player looking to break 95. It also targets the player who wants more distance and maximum automatic launch.

While the D Forged also pushes weight towards the heel and toe, the tungsten weighting in the wider Z Cavity are right on the bottom of the undercut. This provides the highest launch and most forgiveness of all the irons from Yamaha. You could hit this iron off center all day and it would still go pretty straight and far. The 2.0mm thin maraging face feels pretty good and has some pop to it generating high ball speeds and the wider sole helps prevent hitting shots too fat. The lofts are strong, and the Z Cavity is matched with lightweight graphite shafts at longer lengths. All spell maximum distance iron. For some players the killing point may be the offset which there is quite a bit of but for those higher handicap players the offset will help square the face to the ball. I can't see midcappers playing this iron unless they did not care about the big size and want to go for maximum distance and forgiveness without thought of deft touch or stopping it on the greens. The Z Cavity is any easy to swing and let it fly type iron. Perfect for the player new to golf or high handicapper who needs a lot of help.

This post has turned out to be pretty long so I'll conclude that at the end of the day there is something for everyone in Yamaha's new 2012 Inpres X Irons lineup. One thing you can be sure of is well thought out designs, premium quality and workmanship and of course very good performance.  For me the Tour Model was the big surprise. Too many times in the past few years I discounted it from my bag because it was a "Tour Model" afterall. Little did I realize how much I was missing. I am so impressed by the feel I am thinking of getting a set though if I knew better I should should follow my brain and go for the standard all around performer V Forged.  I love the looks of the Tour Model and I can sacrifice a club of distance for that rewarding feel and great control.  Golf is all about feel and going straight after all.  After the Tour Model sells out later this month, I can see a lot of players going for the standard V Forged as well as the D Steel. The Z Cavity may have a narrow market even though it probably fits a huge portion of golfers in Japan. Many of those golfers just might have a hard time choosing it due to its size and because they could otherwise choose the D Steel or V Forged if they were daring enough.

As always look for the products in the pro shop and if you need advice or recommendations we are always here to help. All the Yamaha models are available with custom shafts too directly from Yamaha so let us know what you need.

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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Geotech sent me their new Prototype RF700 driver to check out. The great thing about this driver is its their Alpha Spec model which is Hi Cor/Non conforming at close to 0.88 COR. Non Conforming models seem to be making a come back of sorts these days after nearly reaching extinction with most major manufacturers moving to USGA conforming heads in the last decade. Recently however, many amateurs who play for fun and recreationally simply want more distance and don't mind playing a non conforming driver.

The RF700 is finished in all black and it looks pretty good. It is aimed at the better player all the way up to average golfer wanting a head that maintains a traditional shape and has a square face angle.  With a non conforming SP700 face, this driver is obviously aimed at distance performance but at the same time Geotech did not want to sacrifice control and stability.

The SP700 face features variable thickness which provides pure feel when struck in the center. The CG point is located right in the center of the face and pushed back deeper in the head for a high launch but low spin trajectory. The face of the RF700 is actually on the deeper side which allows for control and workability.  It's score lines do not go all the way across the face which seems to be preferred by those looking for less spin and distance.

The head itself is 435cc and features a semi high back design. This allows the player to produce a level blow on the ball but still create a higher launch with low spin. The hosel insertion depth has be increased on the RF700 to create more stability and control.

Players will like the look of the RF700 at address as its shape is on the compact side and face angle open to square. The 9.5* is spec'ed as 0.5* open and the 10.5* as a 0* square face. The 10.5* tester I had certainly appeared square at address and looked to have very little bulge.

I spent a bit of time with the driver at the range here and it was more forgiving than I expected for a 435cc driver with deep face. Shots of the toe and heel did not lose too much distance and those struck in the middle launched very easily and with both good carry and run. As with most Geotech drivers, the sound is more muted. They never seem to make drivers that produce that high pitched metallic impact sound you can find in many drivers today.  Like usual, the strength of Geotech's heads lie in its cost performance value. The RF700 is no exception as it provides pretty good looks, feel and performance for a fraction of what other top JDM Hi Cor heads cost.  I'll be adding it to the shop for those who want to try it out this week.

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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Epon Golf has announced their all new AF-902 utility which will go on sale officially September 9th. The new AF-902 is quite a change from the first generation AF-901 utility we saw a few years ago. The AF-901 was a forged hollow head driving iron type utility made from S20C steel with a HT1770 Stainless face. Epon realized that while a driving iron produces great stability and control it didn't necessarily suit every type of player.  Epon designed the new AF-902 as a premium utility aimed at the mid to average golfer (AF-5 and 7 series players) with maximum forgiveness and playability in mind.

The AF-902 is a true one of a kind utility. While most utilities these days are made from cast stainless steel bodies and faces with some manufacturers also using maraging steel, Epon's new AF-902 takes manufacturing for a utility to an all new level. The AF-902 is a four piece super precision forged all titanium utility and the most advanced of its kind. Using high intensity titanium, KS120 Forged for the crown and sole, 15-3-3-3 Forged for the face and a pure Titanium forged neck, the plasma welded AF-902 provides the ultimate feel and maximum COR distance performance. Materials aside, the AF-902 also features a double stepped sole which reduces friction with the turf or rough minimizing the loss of swing speed during contact. This also keeps the club head on a stable plane creating optimal pure impact. At address the wood style shape give confidence and frame the ball well with its square face angle for aiming at the target.

The Epon AF-902's titanium face is on the shallower side creating lots of forgiveness heel to toe. The deep and short CG create an easy launch from any lie and the higher trajectory will carry for maximum distance performance. Epon has always been about premium construction and feel and the new AF-902 fits right in there with its wonderful feeling and performing woods. While Epon can custom build the AF-902 with any shaft available in Japan, a premium head deserves a premium shaft so the the clubs standard shaft is the proven Graphite Design Tour AD UT-65. You can also choose from other great Utility shafts like the new Bassara Hybrid 60 or a Crazy Black Utility or even opt for a steel shaft like the NS Pro Utility. The AF-902 will be available in 3 lofts, 18* 21* and 24* with respective weights of 227 231.5 and 237 grams. As with all Epon clubs there is some room to wiggle with specs and the heads can be made heavier up to +3 grams to accommodate slightly shorter club lengths or to reach slightly higher swing weights. We have a demo coming in next week which we will take live pics of and review as always.

Tourspecgolf.com is taking pre orders now for the AF-902 so you can order now to get an early September shipping (official launch September 9th as noted). Please contact us for recommendations in building your perfect utility from Epon!

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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One of my meetings yesterday was to drop by the Crazy Factory in Adachi to to talk to the Crazy folks about their products and take the time to test out a couple of new products.  I spent several hours with the new CRZ-435II driver as well as the Target Tour Steel shafts and the CRZ-460 with new Royal Decoration shaft (after all this time I finally got to hit the 460 which I will review later). The new Crazy CRZ-435II driver looks superb. In my opinion its much better looking than the original Crazy CRZ-435. The new CRZ-435II is also made for Crazy by JBeam in Tokyo but unlike the original CRZ-435 which was a borrowed and rebranded JBeam 435 head, the new 435II was designed from scratch by Crazy.

The materials and overall head size are similar to the original using 6A-4V Titanium from the US no less, and its signature cold forged in Japan DAT55G face. The face is even deeper than the original 435 making the sweet spot almost as tall as it is wide. Feel of the DAT55G is superb with that crisp but soft sensation. Sound is not loud but a rather pleasing cross between a "tank" and a "tink". I felt as if the new model provided more feel and feedback over the old head.  Feel is subjective and there are so many great feeling drivers out there now including Epon, Ryoma, Yamaha, Tourstage and others just to name a few. The Crazy is right there with them. The entire sole features a black IP finish which is very classy and the face is a very light black satin.  Matched with its piano black crown, this head is certainly a looker.

The CRZ-435II is aimed at the better golfer and faster swinger wanting a strong trajectory and stable control. All this of course coupled with monster distance. Thanks to the high back design and forward recessed weights, the CG is higher and shallower in this head creating a that piercing trajectory with plenty of roll. The original CRZ-435 was known to run forever after hitting the ground, and the new CRZ-435II should do the same (most JBeam produced drivers are know to have superb low spin big run capabilities).

At address the 445cc head is confidence inspiring and pleasant to look at. It is a bit more rounded in its shape compared to the original but is by no means big.  Like all Crazy drivers, their heads are true loft and true face angle meaning what you order is what you get. The club I photographed belongs to one of our lucky customers who was able to reserve in time for the first batch (which is already sold out - next batch is mid September). It features a real loft of 9.5* and a real face angle of approximately 0.5* closed (0.4* to be exact).

I sat and talked with a few of the Crazy designers about the new head and they are really happy with how it turned out.  So far customers who have gotten the first batch seem to feel the same way.  We discussed though how the deep face, high back, higher CG design of the CRZ-435II is better suited for the faster swinger and better player who can generate good ball speeds and smash factor to optimize the drivers penetrating trajectory and huge amount of run. After hitting the CRZ-435 in the launch monitor myself, I believe its best suited for players with swing speeds above 95mph. Average golfers and slower swingers are much better off looking at the more forgiving and higher launching CRZ-460 which I also tested and will write up a review for later.   The low spin was quite evident on the driver. Most average golfers including myself struggle with backspin. I usually generate too much back spin so I was surprised when I hit the 435II with CB46 that I was getting around 2500-2600rpm. That is VERY good for me and lower than what I get with the Ryoma.

Crazy is diversifying its driver lineup with models to match every player level and swing speed. For the better player and faster swinger, the CRZ-435II looks to rank up there with the best there is to offer from Japan bar none.  It's no wonder the first batch of 200 heads sold out within a couple of weeks in Japan. If you are interested or want this head please contact us to reserve for the next batch in mid September.

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've been sitting here in my office staring at the new PRGR eggbird Driver. The driver has been right next to me for 3 days as I sit at my computer working and answering customer emails.  I am playing a round to tomorrow with it and I was planning on writing up my review afterwards but I thought I'd do  a quick introduction first. The new eggbird is a whole new concept and look from the first generation egg Impact driver. The PRGR eggbird is a whole 3 inches longer at 46.5" and nearly 50 grams lighter - yes you read that correctly FIFTY grams lighter than the previous egg driver.

Initial impressions are that they've done quite an overhaul to the egg driver and for the better. The original egg Impact was PRGR's attempt at turning the Spoon into a driver at 43.5" in length. It didn't feel that great, was not particularly long, though it was very stable and straight due to its club length.  The new eggbird looks like a lot more design effort was put into it. It's rather shallow and has a rather big head. The face is black IP and the sole features a much more intricate design with carbon webbing, channeled grooves, mirrored chrome as well as black IP.

The materials or the eggbird are completely different from the egg impact driver which will certainly result in a different feel. Tapping a tee on the face produces a sharper tink which is definitely already a departure from the more subdued thwock the previous egg driver produced.  The eggbird is made for maximum distance for the average golfer and slower swinger. At 46.5" it probably is not that easy to square up so PRGR decided to make it with a closed club face. By my estimation, the head is closed more than 2 degrees!  At least the demo they sent me is. This will appeal to those players who battle a slice and need help squaring the face. It could also be the way the driver sits on the ground at address which is something I will check tomorrow when I actually play with it.

Looking over the eggbird's specs, it has the potential to be a very attractive weapon for the average golfer. It's specs made me think of Ryoma's Premia driver which is also lightweight (though not as light as the eggbird) and 46.5" in length. Lucky me I just happen to have a Premia driver sitting here so I will bring it along with the eggbird tomorrow for our round at Nouvelle.  They both have similar characteristics and goals but the eggbird is almost half the price.

Look forward to my round tomorrow and afterwards a review and comparison!

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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The Yonex ZERO Iron was first introduced at the British Open last year as a prototype for Ishikawa to use off the tee in battling the strong winds at the open.  The ZERO Iron has a premium forged body from S25C Carbon Steel matched with a high strength SAE spring steel face. The ZERO iron provides a penetrating trajectory thanks to a short CG and the ease of use of a utility.  Extra weight is focused on the heel and neck area to keep shots centered and reduce shots off the heel. The sole is semi wide for versatility and features a semi groove trailing edge relief.   Because the ZERO Irons feature lower lofts, they are made for extra carry with that penetrating trajectory thanks to lower spin which also equals run out.

At the Japan Golf Fair I had a chance to demo these briefly into a net.  I wasn't able to make good contact then,  it was sporting the Tour AD Japan spec shaft.  In the U.S the new 2011 Yonex Zero Iron comes with a nanopreme 85 stock shaft which isnt on the same level as the Tour AD yet I was able to make great on course contact using this shaft.  It's 85 gram weight works well keeping me on plane.  I would also be interested to try the new Yonex Zero Iron with a steel shaft yet its not an available option at the moment.

The Zero iron has an interesting hump heel side,  Its a heel outer weight that helps the player square up the face at impact for a straighter ball flight.  It's something I haven't seen done for a very long time.  Another thing worth noticing is the shape while looking sole down.  It's thick and boxy,  my on course impressions are that this thickness really helps by adding substance behind the club face.  mis hits are absorbed a bit better because of this.  Overall the trajectory achieved was medium.  I suspect it would be a little lower with the Japan Tour AD standard shaft offering.   The big question for me is does the new zero iron have what it takes to knock the Srixon Z-UTi out of the bag?

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Try saying ONOFF Labo Spec Fairway Wings Pro Spec Utility Wood 5 times real fast!  It's a mouth full of a name and a beauty of a utility club or as some may say hybrid.  It's the same club used by Shingo Katayama and built in limited numbers by the ONOFF Labo Spec Tour Division.

The tour designers moved the center of gravity higher to create a more penetrating and accurate trajectory.  It's got a very aggressive leading edge and straight neck and will appeal to the better faster swinging golfer.  It still manages to be pretty forgiving with its deep face that expands across the heel and toe not tapering up as fast as other UT woods.

I recently adopted the RB247 irons and this Pro Spec utility wood into my bag and as one who is more of a driving iron style man I got along very well with this Pro Spec.  My usual conversation with utilities are that they can often get me in unnecessary trouble being that they have big carry and usually a higher trajectory.  The closest comparison to this wood would be the TourStage X-UT which is also on the deeper side and flies low and true with a tight dispersion.  When I think about it there are very few true player utility woods on the market but these fit the bill no doubt.

As you can see from the image above it sit's just about perfect,  first thing to notice is how the face appears to wrap around the top line area of it.  It's a matter of personal preference but I like it.  Hybrids are often known be prone to sky marks and this design prevents that.  I'm not sure if that's a bi product of design or the reason for it but none the less it frames the ball well.

Like the ONOFF RB247 it's available with some very custom options like the ONOFF Smooth Kick MP-711I in Regular (65g) or Stiff (75g) (you can change colors here at ad upgrade - standard colors is black/silver gradient).  Labo Spec Tour #195-UT in Stiff (73g)  (for the hard hitter wanting a more penetrating trajectory - only one color silver/black gradient)  You have your choice of grip colors  as well.

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In 2010 the Japan Only Titleist TVD was one of our top selling wedges no doubt.  This is the new 2011 model.  What makes it so cool?  well first it's only offered to Tour players as well as on rare occasions sold in very limited numbers at Vokey Wedgeworks to the public.  The Japan TVD-R CC features a slightly different stamping but the best part is it's sold all year around.  This in my opinion is their best wedge to date.  A word that describes them that comes to mind is refinement. It's not forged or even made in Japan  It's just a solid wedge and that makes it a must for any vokey fanatics collection.

The new TVD-R features a new grind from Bob Vokey called the "R" Grind.  The R Grind is a modified TVD grind featuring a pre worn leading edge which allows for easy in and easy out clearance through the turf.  The new TVD-R features a spin milled face and C-C grooves (Condition of Competition conforming grooves).  The crescent shaped bounce surface is narrowed and cambered for shot making along with tour proven heel toe and trailing edge relief to create more pure impact. The leading edge grind is what I would call perfect.

The TVD-R is available in 8 loft/bounce options  48/8,  50/9,  52/10,  54/11,  56/12,  58/10,  60/9,  and 62/8.  The 62* sounds nice doesn't it?  You can custom order it with a variety of different shaft options and swing weights.  Graphite, KBS Tour, DGHL & SL and other NS Pro offerings.  The standard shafts are the usual S200 & NS950 and with those you can achive a D1-D3 balance but depending on what optional shaft you select it can go as high as D5.

I think the grind is standout, it's got everything I want just wish it was forged of S20C.  I have the previous TVD and it IMO isn't as sexy. Which leads me to the question and today's poll:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The new Titleist Japan 2011 TVD-R C-C Wedge will be part of our 12 wedge shootout soon to come. stay tuned to see which top wedge makers get honors.

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It's about time these arrived!  We've been waiting since  the end of February after getting our first sight at the Japan Golf Fair 2011.  First thing I noticed upon inspection of the retail release is how much it has changed from the prototype.  It appears to have a lot less of that trailing edge bump as well as a more tear drop and rounded face profile.  It's stunning to look at although I must admit I've been biased towards a more boxy toe in past.

The Original release date was in April and member supo67 (stew), Tario, and myself practically begged the Yonex staff to hit their lone proto set into a net for some pre release observations.  Well Yonex was not having any of that.  The reason was that Ryo Ishikawa was not pleased with them initially which explains the many changes since then to it's design.  I was informed by Yonex almost a month ago that Ryo has put them into play. Does anyone know what was in his bag during the U.S Open?   Anyway I had a range session and 9 holes with them while Tatsuro had did the same.  We rotated from the TS 905MB back to the Yonex.

In terms of feel when comparing the two I think the Yonex is softer overall while the 905 MB has a sweet spot that has a more potent and rewarding pure feel when struck on the screws. With my skills I think I would prefer the Yonex to achieve the softest impact over a wider range of shots..  When it comes to forgiveness the Yonex Ezone MB gets the nod as it was less harsh and off center struck shots seem to have  had a slightly better trajectory.  When I hit the 905MB poorly the ball flight was a bit lower.

Distance overall when hit center was equal. The Trajectory of the TourStage 905MB was a hair lower.  The Yonex Ezone Blade is not just another blade on the market.  While other OEM's are designing their blades with tall boxy toe's Yonex has gone for what I call the exaggerated tear drop effect which is my guess to as why its slightly more forgiving with a little higher lift on the ball.  The trailed leading edge has been toned down and like the Yonex Forged CB tilt's back in a very stable manner.  This new Ezone MB  is produced in Himeji Japan by Chiba-san formerly of Zodia Golf and made of S25C.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask in TSG's official Yonex guide in the forum or right here in the comments section.

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The new EZONE Forged CB by Yonex is another reminder that Yonex is serious in  its quest in appealing to the "better player" more than ever before.  At the 2011 Japan Golf Fair we witnessed an ultra pear shaped 380cc driver, some edgy looking muscle backs, a low trajectory driving iron named the ZERO,  along with their compact Miyagi designed and Zodia produced wedge.  I'll be honest I usually prefer not to have an undercut in a forged CB but after hitting this new EZONE CB I don't feel as penalized by sacrificing feel.  Although good feel is also hard to pin point as it's such a personal preference.  I mean is it soft or is it Pure?  Muted or dead?

I have a Srixon Z-UTi driving iron in my bag currently and the new EZONE CB feels much like it.  It's Hollow,Soft, and Pure which is a delight. Interestingly Yonex chose to produce this Iron at Endo of S25C.  I wonder what the logic was behind that considering both(S20C)  materials are very similar. The slightly larger Forged PB Iron is made of an S25C body and S20C face. Nonetheless I likey.

As you can see the Yonex has relatively little offset for an undercut cavity back iron.  It's top line also appears very slim from address all in all hiding it's most important feature which is forgiveness.  Endo seems to be the place to go for soft forged buttery undercut goodness now days.  The Titleist Japan Only VG3 packs a similar vibe to it as well.  Ezone CB's competitors would be the Titleist VG3, ONOFF Forged, RB247, Yamaha V Forged, Fourteen TC710,  PRGR iD Forged,  Royal Collection VS Forged and such. The Muscle Back and Wedges are made by Zodia's Chiba-san in Japan.

TSG is making these available as components (except UT ) so If you Heads Only it will make sense to have them fit according to your loft/Lie/Length/Swing Weight/Grip Size/ & Proper Shaft.  At the very least lie, length, and grip size needs to be done to give any iron a fair chance.

It's shape is boxy and appealing,  It's sole has a very interesting form of a trailing edge grind.  I spent some time messing around with it and it allows the player to open the face but not too much. it kinda just sits back firm and steady with slight change of the hand.  It has an aggressive lead edge grind as well to satisfy both the picker and slider.  So In the end it's cutting edge designed with the same features of any top tier company in Japan, It is made by the best, and in my opinion should be considered.