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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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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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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.

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The weather sucks, its cold and raining. I can't really get out and test these two wonderful fairway woods but I had a break in the rain today so snapped pics of the newly arrived Ryoma F3 15* to compare it with the PRGR egg Spoon 15* I also have here. As most of you know, the egg Spoon has been a top choice among JDM fairway woods for the last 3 years and all for good reason. It is unique, very easy to hit and best of all very very long. On the other hand Ryoma has been the dominant driver of 2011, outselling almost all our other driver models COMBINED. For many the Ryoma is the longest driver ever, and for others the most consistent, but without a doubt it is one of the most forgiving if not the most forgiving of drivers. So it was only natural when Ryoma announced a new fairway wood back in late August, there were many excited Ryoma owners as well as current egg owners.  Today I will take a look at both fairway woods and their specs as well as compare them side by side visually and design wise. I will get out to hit both side by side later this week.

The Ryoma F looks very much like the D-1 driver with a similar color scheme and a similar design concept. Key features include:

- 15* Real Loft
- An all Titanium construction
- Monocoque one piece body
- Forged DAT next generation Ti Face featuring an unheard of for an FW 0.82 COR
- DSI or Deep Strong Impact design featuring a 60g power booster weight right in the back
- A 60g spin control unit weight on the front of the head to manage launch and spin
- Large confidence inspiring head size (215cc for the F3)
- Square 0* Face Angle

The egg Spoon needs no real introduction as it has been Japans longest fairway wood for 3 years running and probably the most popular FW among TSG customers over that same time span.

- 15* Loft
- Scooped out back design is aerodynamic and frames the ball at address
- Ultra shallow face
- SUS 630 Stainless Body
- ES230 Maraging Face
- Multi level U sole
- Confidence inspiring size at address (165cc but looks bigger due to the scooped out back)

Looking at the above specs and the clubs themselves, the egg Spoon is the more unique looking club with its razor thin sole thanks to its scooped out back. While it does not have the huge 60g weight in the back, because it technically has no crown, the weight is all positioned low on the sole for a higher launch. The Ryoma F is also designed to be a high launch low spin FW thanks to its weighting. If there is one complaint about the egg Spoon, its that it is almost too shallow faced making it less than ideal for teeing off. The shallow face excels off the deck and picks the ball off the turf with a high launch but one has to tee the ball VERY low for the Spoon or risk coming under the ball. The new Ryoma F has a marginally taller face but as you can see from the picture above, the Ryoma F on the left has quite a bit longer face from heel to toe. Ryoma's thinking is that average golfers tend to miss horizontally with fairway woods ie towards the toe or heel. The faces are so shallow on fairway woods today that missing up and down is virtually eliminated. They created the Ryoma F so that shots off center towards the toe and heel would lose very little distance and still go straight, thanks to the huge MOI created by the heavy back weighting and spin control unit on the sole.

Both heads are very shallow back, well if you think about it, the egg has no back but comes to a thin tapered point thanks to its scooped out back. In the image above you can also see how the Ryoma F, like its big brother driver, also has a longer neck raising the tip of the shaft from the sole of the club creating a more active launch. Both fairway woods are meant for easy off the deck usage and easy high launch. The feedback I have gotten so far from users is that the Ryoma F does just that. It launches the ball nice and high and best of all effortlessly.

At address, you see the hugest difference between the two clubs and I do mean hugest.  The new Ryoma F looks like a little driver at address. Because its flat and shallow it could actually pass for a 300cc driver. The egg Spoon is not exactly small even though its volume is 165cc vs 215cc for the Ryoma. The egg is a big 165cc thanks to its volume being spread out in the head, but next to the Ryoma it certainly is a smaller club. Both clubs are spec'ed with 0* face angles but the Ryoma I have looks a tad closed. Its interesting because this goes for the driver as well. Many times a Ryoma driver looks closed but does not perform that way. We'll see about the FW.  The Ryoma also has no alignment mark though the way the score lines are designed, you can clearly see the sweet spot on the face at address.

Both the Ryoma F and egg Spoon are rather high tech fairway woods. The egg has the sleek looks but the Ryoma has the sleek internals. The egg has proven that its not just looks and flat out performs. I'm looking forward to seeing and feeling how the new Ryoma F3 will perform. I actually have a hunch it may feel and sound like the original egg Spoon based on its materials.  Stay tuned for later this week when I report back on performance, feel and sound.

Both fairway woods are of course already available in the TSG Pro Shop if you want one or need to see more 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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Royal Collection introduced a new SFD Black line which focuses on distance and stability. The clubs are all marked with the words "Super Fairway Drive" which stands for the objective of the SFD Black line of getting the ball in the fairway on every shot (hence the short form SFD). While RC is usually known for its athlete models like the BBD's, Tour VS and TRC lines, the SFD line has always bridged the gap between the athlete golfer and more average golfer by providing more ease of use, higher launching type clubs.

As you may have guessed the new SFD Black utility is indeed black in finish. It features a slightly larger head size for a utility with the 3 lofts ranging from 135cc for the 19* to 125cc for the 25*. The SFD Black also uses RC's U channel or as they call it the driving cavity sole.  The sole is not only used to create less friction at impact with the ground but also for optimal CG placement. Average golfers will appreciate the SFD Black's shorter club lengths which allow for more consistent ball striking.

The SFD Black features a reasonably shallow face which allows the player to get the ball up in the air quickly from virtually any lie.  Interestingly while the head is larger and the supposedly more forgiving, I found the face firmer than the current RC New TRC UT which in fact shares the same 455 Stainless face.  Perhaps the difference in body materials, 17-4 for the TRC and SUS630 for the SFD Black, changes the overall feel. I found the TRC to be more crisp and better feeling on miss hits while the SFD Black quite firm feeling especially on hits towards the heel. Luckily the SFD Black is not difficult to hit so you can catch the sweet spot on a consistent basis.

One of the strong points of the SFD Black is that it hides its size well yet still provides confidence at address. The face is longer heel to toe and frames the ball well. While there is minimal offset, the face is slightly closed to aid average golfers in squaring up to the ball at impact and avoiding the right side.

I have to admit I was not blown away by the SFD Black. I still prefer the TRC Utility which I think has better feel and is even more versatile thanks to its twin rail cavity. The TRC is more workable with its square face angle and distance is already pretty darn good. With the SFD Black sporting shorter lengths it is reasonably easy to hit on the screws. The SFD Black is easy to launch high and actually has a pretty stable club weight which promotes better tempo and rhythm. The SFD Black comes with a special made for RC Fubuki shaft which is 58g for the R flex and 63g for the S flex. Its a mid kicking shaft and I found it quite stable with this head.

I would recommend the SFD Black to those looking for an easy to launch confidence inspiring larger UT to replace their long irons with. Those who want a deeper face and even more versatility should look at the TRC which we've reviewed here before as well. Look for the new SFD Black 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.

 EMAIL

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.

 EMAIL

Before I undertake the huge task of snapping photos and doing writeups on Yamaha's new Inpres X line for 2012, I thought I'd tackle something easier but equally as hot, the new Titleist Japan Vokey Forged wedge! We've been lucky enough here in Japan to always get a Japan only retail model Vokey like the TVD, TVD-CC and TVD-R in the last 3 years. In Japan, and with many golf enthusiasts around the world, there is always an obsession with forged clubs.  Titleist fans have always wondered, why no forged wedge? Well Titleist Japan has finally decided to come out with the Vokey Forged wedge for 2012.

HUGE Demand for the Vokey Forged ....

Tourspecgolf.com had the Vokey Forged pre order up a few weeks in advance of the Japan wide launch which took place on October 21st.  Even with pre orders in place, the demand for the new Vokey Forged was so huge that Titleist Japan had a problem meeting demand at launch.  This shortage is expected to last for a few months as they catch up to orders made all across Japan. Currently the wait for standard spec models is around 1 to 2 weeks and custom orders 2-4 weeks depending what is ordered.  So does the new Vokey Forged live up to the hype and demand? We received a 58* (and 56*) wedge for testing so I headed out today in the light rain to snap pictures, eagerly anticipating how good a forged Vokey would feel.

Great looking wedge with a lot of loft choices...

The new Vokey Forged visually looks great. A satin finish with simple graphics on the back, its your typical Vokey fare. Lofts ranging from 46* t0 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.

Versatile Grind...

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.

Tighter Grooves - Milled Face...

The new 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.

Nice flowing lines and balance...

Vokey's are rarely ever considered compact wedges however their designs seem to always work. Credit Bob Vokey for knowing how to visually make the lines of his wedges flow creating a head shape that is always pleasing to the eyes. The Vokey Forged has a very consistent top line and upper cavity thickness which enhances the overall soft feel of the forged head and its shape. As I said this wedge is by no means small, it could actually be considered mid sized but, the balance is done so well that you would never think the wedge is large in any way. In fact the TVD models Japan has had have very much the same visual idea.

Cast Vokey Soft... Forged Vokey Even Softer!

So now to the important part, how does it feel and perform? Vokey wedges have always been pretty soft feeling even though they were cast. They probably are one of the softest feeling cast irons around. The new Vokey Forged improves on the feel and purely hit shots are very very satisfying with the ball compressing on the face of the wedge. Even shots hit low on the face create little vibration. Titleist does not state what kind of steel they are using for the new Vokey (though I will try and find out this week) but regardless of what grade steel it is, it feels as soft as any of the top forged wedges on the Japanese market now.  I don't need to tell you how well the grind on this works since many are familiar with the similar grinds on other Vokeys, but I will any way. For the 58* tester, the M and R grind allowed me to make a variety of shots at different distances around the green all resulting in clean impact which ultimately provides that pure feel we all want from a club. Spin control is superb and head sets up really well at address, not only providing confidence but a sense that you can control the ball as you please. Opening up the face is easily done with the grind and working the ball across the milled face produces very good spin control and direction.

TSG's 58* tester has a 950GH Stiff in it and I also have a 56* tester with S200.  The overall club weight of a 950 shafted wedge is about 30g lighter than the DG S200.  While the 950 is an easier shaft to load than the S200, that doesn't really play into affect as much with a wedge, especially a higher lofted wedge where a lot of partial and controlled shots are being made. I actually liked the feel of the heavier S200 as the additional weight creates stability and controls swing tempo. For me personally a heavier wedge results in less thin shots and more pure contact. I used to own a set of the original retail TVD's from about 3 years ago and I'm glad to say these are an improvement in looks and feel and touch around the greens. The versatility of the wedge allowed me to hit shots high and low and use the milled face to its full extent. I have to admit, I am itching to bag a 50 56 62 combo.... there are just too many good wedges out there to consider!

The new Titleist Japan Vokey Forged wedge is now available for order in the Tourspecgolf.com pro shop. Expect to wait a few weeks to get your wedges due to the huge demand, but in our opinion a wait well worth it as the Vokey Forged is a great addition to a long line of tour worth higher performance wedges from Titleist and perhaps the best feeling Vokey ever.

Check out more photos here!

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

PRGR sent over their New iD Forged iron for the 2011 fall season. The new iD Forged fits in right below the pro model iD BL iron as the new better player forged cavity back.  While the iD BL is a pure one piece forged compact cavity, the new iD Forged is designed to be a small CB with some technology in it as well.

Premium Forged with Technology...

The new iD Forged iron is forged by Endo and features a soft premium S20C body. What makes this different and more high tech is that the iD Forged is in fact technically a 4 piece iron. While the body is S20C, the inside of the cavity features two specially designed pieces of Alpha Gel which helps soften the feel at impact and reduce vibrations on miss hits.  The gel is thicker towards the sole where the two layers double up to reduce vibrations on low stuck shots on the face, and thinner towards the sweet spot to maintain a pure feel. For the face,, PRGR utilizes a 2.3mm thin SAE8655M for high COR performance and increased ball speeds. As many TSG readers know, 8655  is in fact Nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel which has a soft feel but is more durable than S20C as well as with its thin construction rather elastic. This results in a springy feel at impact with the ball jumping off the face.

Constant CG Height...

The new iD Forged features a nice face profile with taller toe and rather straight leading edge and top line. PRGR placed the CG point at 20.5mm high on all of the iD forged irons. AT 20.5mm high, its only 0.5mm below the center point of the ball. While the CG point is at the same height across the set relative to the sole, this in fact move the point from lower in the long irons to higher in the short irons due to the loft of the face of each iron. As loft increases and the the face angles upwards, that same 20.5mm from the ground equals a higher striking point on the face resulting in a lower trajectory and stronger spin for added stopping power and control around the greens. On the other hand the stronger lofts of the long irons places the CG lower on the face for more launch and carry.

Forgiving Sole...

In order to create a versatile iron for the better player, PRGR designed the sole to be thin but forgiving. It's rounded shape features leading edge and trailing edge relief.  This promotes easier entry and exit through the turf and more pure impact. This type of sole has been used a lot by PRGR recently on all its irons and seems to be quite popular with its customers and golfers here at TSG.

Performance Impressions...

The new iD Forged iron features a thinner topline and less offset than the previous model.  It sets up quite nicely at address and with its bead blasted face frames the ball rather well. I tested this iron for a couple of days and really have nothing bad to say about it. I like its looks though I think satin around the cavity rather than mirror chrome would have looked even better. The iron sets up great and while on the smaller side its by no means tiny. I usually am not a fan of inserts and vibration type gels that are placed in premium forged irons as in the past I have always felt they deadened or muted the feel far too much. Sure they can help with vibration control but too many times its to the point where you can no longer tell where you hit the ball on the face (you need to look at the face after each shot to be sure). HOWEVER, the iD Forged is not as extreme as other models of the past and it seems designers are improving the gel and insert design. Because the iD forged uses two layers of gel, most of the insert is low on the face so when you catch a ball thin, it helps reduce the vibrations, but when you hit the ball more pure and towards the center, the gel has far less affect which is a good thing. It feels pretty good off sweet spot strikes and the face is rather springy when struck pure. The fact I can feel the springiness is a good thing.

Forgiveness wise, thanks to the sole, its quite an easy iron to strike well.  I think better players will appreciate the added forgiveness and improving mid-cappers will be able to lower their scores thanks to the irons balanced performance.  PRGR sent TSG two testers, one with PRGR's Spec Steel III which is under 100g and plays very much like the 950GH with a mid to higher launch. The other tester had the Nippon Modus 3 which is what they call their standard-custom order shaft.  I's only about 25.00 more per iron to get the Modus and I think for the faster swinger and better player its a worthy upgrade though for myself, the Modus 3 is too heavy and too stiff.  Players under 100mph driver speeds should opt for the Spec steel and over 100mph really go for the Modus 3.  Both testers I had were 7 irons with 32* of loft, these created a mid to slightly higher ball flight with pretty good direction.

Overall the iron is a very nice package, premium forged from Endo with technology to boot, a nice look and design and good performance to go along with it. Please look for it in the TSG Pro shop 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.

 EMAIL

PRGR sent over its all NEW iD435 driver for some photos and testing. This new athlete model 435cc conforming driver will be released in Japan on October 15th. I had a round at Katsuura Golf Resort here in Chiba yesterday so I brought the New iD435 as the only driver in my bag.  As a matter of a fact I pulled the plastic wrap off right before the first tee off so I had no idea what to expect from the driver. I did not even have the chance to look at any of the specs or design technologies until I got home after the round. Without knowing any of the fancy features behind this new model, I wanted to see how this athlete model would perform for me as an improving average golfer.  So after I got home from 18, holes, I snapped these pictures and decided to sit down and go over the design of this driver so I could properly write a review.

The iD435 is forged at Endo and features its variable thickness face made for soft feel, low spin and maximum ball repulsion. The head is obviously compact and lining the driver up next to my playing partner's Tourstage 703 Limited confirmed this as it made the 703 look large.  The New iD435 features a mid height face and a higher back crown and overall head.  Since the New iD435 (I just wish brands would rename the damn models rather than just adding the word "New" in front - yes the previous model is the iD435) is aimed at the better player it is designed to promote a strong and penetrating trajectory. PRGR looked at many of the drivers on the market today, and found that a common feature among them (PRGR's own drivers included) were shallow faces and very shallow long back heads. In their opinion, shallow back heads due to the steep angle back of their crowns can promote and upward blow on the ball launching it higher than desired. While for many average golfers, this is not necessarily a bad thing to achieve max carry, PRGR believed that a better player model should promote a level blow allowing the true loft of the driver to do its work and create a strong and stable trajectory.

Besides the high back design, PRGR concentrated on the face of the New iD435 which is a premium forged ELF Titanium face. Besides having intricate chemically milled variable thickness, PRGR strengthened the heel area by creating a thicker rib (the "D" area) and increased the faces repulsion power by placing a max flex point lower and towards the toe.  By doing this the exact center of the face is the spot where the highest ball speeds are achieved. In the photo below, I overlayed the face thickness which shows the thickest area actually not being the center but the B area around it.  Hitting the center provides a very soft but almost crisp sounding feel.

In this next image I added the 3 main points of the face, the CG Point, Face Center and Flex Point. The CG Point and Flex Point help create a large sweet spot encompassing the Center Point and most of the face.  The Flex point is the most flexible point on the face thanks to the E areas you see in the above picture. This creates an almost slingshot like feel but towards the front of the toe. This matched with a short and reasonably high CG point relative to the face height creates quite a strong ball flight, EVEN off the toe (see below)!

The crown of the New iD435 is also chemically milled to produced a ribbed like ripples in the head for maximum energy transfer. The head is pear shaped and the face angle square. There is not a huge amount of bulge in the face and it sets up very nicely at address.

The driver is on the heavier side with the M-43 flex shaft which is rated for 43m/s or 96mph having a static weight of 314g. Though I have been experimenting with heavier clubs I still like the driver around 290-295g so this heaver weight brought my usual 40m/s (90mph) driver speed down a notch (thanks to the PRGR Red Eyes Pocket I can now track this closely). My first shot was actually right off the toe and the REP (Red Eyes Pocket) showed 38.7 m/s (88mph). This goes to show one should actually test a driver or practice with it first before using it for a round unlike myself who unwrapped it for this first shot. Nevertheless the ball went very straight with a very strong trajectory and only about 10-15 yards shorter than I usually hit it. That shot resulted in a ball speed of around 54.7m/s or a smash factor of 1.4134 which I thought was not so bad considering how off centered I hit it - yeah completely off center!

As the day progressed I hit the driver better and my observations are that it produces a very penetrating trajectory even with the 10.5* loft. No high towering shots, but strong balls with good run. The driver was very straight for me and pretty much always in the fairway. With my slower swing speed, I did get a little more aggressive with the driver since it was heavier and it just kept staying straight. The thing that stood out for me most was the feel. It feels AWESOME. Softer than the Ryoma and very Epon like (they are made in the same factory). Compared to the previous iD435, this one looks loads better. While the original was simple and rounded, this New iD435 is more aggressive and high tech looking. I like the way it looks.  I'm not a physically strong golfer so I don't think I reap the benefits of this driver, nor am I its target audience. Stronger players with swing speeds 95mph and above, looking for a stable penetrating trajectory from a more compact driver will appreciate the New iD435 very much. It looks good and feels awesome and is certainly worth consideration for a place in the bag of any better golfer.

The New iD435 is available in lofts of 9.5* and 10.5* with stock M-40, M-43 and M-46 shafts made for PRGR by Mitsubishi Rayon. My tester had the M-43 as I mentioned which is a 64g 3.7* Tq Mid kicking shaft. It felt very stable for me then again it is one flex stiffer than what I would normally use.  We'll be adding the New iD435 to the pro shop for pre order in the coming week.

Tomorrow I will try and find the time to do a report on the functionality of the PRGR Red Eyes Pocket speed monitor which was really quite fun to have along. It turned out to be a rather useful tool.

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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Getoech Golf has really been going all out at producing a wide variety of club heads to suit many different target audiences of golfers, all without breaking the players wallet. Their latest driver offerings include the new GT420 Forged Tour driver which they sent me to review. With the new GTForged 420, Geotech's goal was to create a premium titanium forged head in a smaller package that would appeal to athlete and improving golfers both in feel and in performance. Couple that with a sexy black finish and the GT 420 Forged has the looks to match its performance as well.

CNC Variable Forged Face...

As you probably guessed, the GT420 Forged Tour is 420cc and is USGA Conforming. Besides using a forged titanium face, Geotech wanted to further enhance the drivers feel and ability to maximize energy transfer by using a CNC machined face with variable thickness. A thicker 3.1mm sweet spot area surrounded by slightly thinner 2.8mm top and bottom portions which stretch from the leading edge all the way up to the crown. The outer edges of the face are its thinnest at 2.4mm  equaling a slingshot like face that captures the ball at impact and spits it back out with minimal energy loss. The GT420 Forged has  a nice looking face profile and is on the deeper side. Geotech likes to use a flat black satin finish on their black drivers which is a very nice touch and much preferred over other brands that sometimes use a shiny mirrored black face.

Eye pleasing at address...

At address the 420cc head has a nice pear shaped too it and still provides confidence as its not overly small.  The square face angle which is on all lofts sets up nicely and its clear at address that there is less bulge in the face allowing for more workability. Its a very attractive setup.

High Back Head design

The GT420 Forged uses a high back design and Geotech reinforces the back of the head with what they call "muscled" walls. These braces are meant to optimize energy transfer going forward and to stabilize the head at impact. Thanks to the high back head, the CG position is optimally located for a strong penetrating trajectory which should provide low spin and good run. The CG height is at 41mm and its depth 35.2mm. The internal head bias is neutral towards a fade with just over a 20* gravity angle.  The sweet spot area is also more towards the center of the face meaning with the GT420's deeper face, the ball can be tee'd up lower for that strong and penetrating trajectory.

Square face angle for all lofts...

Another key feature of the GT420 Forged is that the driver design varies slightly between lofts. Geotech recognizes that as the loft a head progresses from 8.5* to 11.5*, the shape and design of the head is altered due to the change in loft. Geotech changes the lie of the head progressively more upright as the loft increases but is able to keep the face angle at 0* square for all lofts. This allows the GT420 Forged to produce an optimal launch for whatever loft is chosen without altering the trajectory due to face angle.

Considering the cost of the GT420 Forged Tour driver and its forged nature and the fact its available as head only, its very attractive for those who want to build a high quality driver at a budget price. Users can choose their shaft of choice thus controlling the amount they spend on this driver. While there are those golfers who are willing to spend anything on golf clubs, the truth is cost factor is huge consideration for most. At the same time, the club has to perform. The GT420 Forged Tour has very nice feel at impact and is not tingy sounding in any way. Its feel is rather solid and the sound a more subtle thwock.  The ball flight of my tester which came with a Geotech stock shaft called the GT Tour Burnish, which is one of Geotech's better shafts, produced a mid and very strong trajectory with a lot of run. The GT Tour Burnish is a low to mid launching shaft coupled with the GT420 Forged head equals low spin and very stable ball flight.

Optimal Trajectory Optimal Spin...

Recently I've actually preferred a mid trajectory and more penetrating flight flight as it seems like high launch max carry type performance does not seem to get as much attention these days.  I like hitting a strong penetrating drive that runs 40 yards especially on days when there is wind. In the past as an average golfer I'd have to say I hit many of my drives too high resulting in not getting the distance gains I wanted. Manufacturers in Japan have also changed their wording to things like Optimal Launch, Optimal trajectory rather than High Launch and High Trajectory. For each player its about get the right numbers to create the right distance, ball speed, launch angle and the right amount of back spin. For some people the GT420 may launch too low but a lot of that will have to do with the chosen shaft as well. For the better player wanting a balanced driver that provides good feel and stable control, the GT420 Forged Tour is a pretty good choice especially compared to drivers that cost 3 to 4 times as much. I'd highly recommend the driver for those players 15 handicap or better who are on a budget and want to build their own driver to spec.

Here's the sound at impact video so you can all get an idea of how the driver sounds.

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.