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Taylormade R11 Driver

The New Taylormade R11 Driver will be showcased at the 2011 Tokyo Golf Show  and as usual you can expect GolfToImpress/TourSpecGolf to have plenty of HD Video and High Resolution Images as well as a Taylormade R11 Driver Review.  last year we revelaed the Taylormade R9 TP Forged irons along with some other Japan only tid bits.  Will it be the R11 DEEP or perhaps an R11 Max this year dedicated to the Japanese Market?

AST = Adjustable Sole Technology

The new acronym on the sole of the club is (AST) and it stands for Adjustable Sole Technology. Combine that with FCT and MWT and you got a lot of adjustments your able to make. It's pretty amazing stuff if you ask me.

R11 Ghost Driver?

Around the web people are chiming in with positive & negative opinions on the fact that Taylormades future flagship model may come standard in white.  This seems to be the flavor of the month or month(s) with Taylormade's Ghost putter series and recently Cobra's limited edition white driver.  Still no word on if Taylormade will label the new R11 "ghost", my guess is not.

Taylormade R11 TP Driver

Yup it's a safe bet there will be the R11 TP Driver not too far down the line as well.  We can figure the MSRP on the Taylormade R11 will be in the $399.00 range and with the R11TP coming in near $699.00 these are just my guesses, confirmation should be coming soon.

Were these Images Leaked too Early?

My take is that it was an intentional leak and that Taylormade knows exactly what they are doing by getting the pictures out there on the web then asking websites to take them down. It causes a stir getting websites to speculate and customers to get into a pre release frenzy.  Taylormade markets product behind the scenes like no other companies.  Will they ask GTI/TSG to remove the images while they spread like like fire on the web?  Only time will tell...

Taylormade R11 Forged Irons?

Let's keep going right?  It's not to far of a stretch to say the Taylormade will release R11 Irons with or soon after the release of the driver. R11 Fairway Woods, R11 Wedges, R11 TP Irons, R11 Bags & Hat's it's all coming!  It's also pretty safe to say the Japanese Market will be the first to announce R11 Forged Irons and R11 TP Forged Irons.

GolfToImpress will keep you guy's updated as news comes out ...

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Pictures have surfaced in Japan of the new Supertri Ti Fairway wood for Japan. We don't have much info on the club yet but as with previous JDM Japan Domestic Market Taylormade models like the R9 Max Ti FW, Burner Ti FW, r7 Ti FW, they are releasing a Titanium model for the Supertri. As always cost will probably be higher for the all titanium model over the standard stainless steel head.

EDIT: When images of the R9 SuperTri Ti began making the rounds on the internet, we speculated that it might be the new Japan market FW. This made sense as TM Japan has typically always released a higher grade Ti model for the Japanese market. However as confirmed by TM Japan and discovered by many golf enthusiasts, TM Japan had no plans or intentions to release the above club and turns out those heads floating around are not from TM. Please stay away from these heads if you see them on the internet as they are NOT a Japanese release or a TM release for that matter.

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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New UST Mamiya ATTAS T2 shaft was first spotted at the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Tour last week and is landing in the hands of many Japanese tour pro's and top club makers.  Very little is known about the shaft's specifications even in Japan.  TSG expects a fall release date along with a hybrid model and rumors of an iron version being released later down the road.

Pro player comments point to the Mamiya ATTAS T2 Shaft as being slightly softer than the current orange ATTAS with heavier weight and more stability. On the Japan tour players using the Tour AD EV Series shafts were making the switch to this one which can only lead us to think that it fits the same player demographic.  This is just my personal wild guess but I'm thinking it will be a low/mid kick shaft with a medium trajectory and medium spin rates.

The new red/black graphic design on the ATTAS T2 are an improvement for me over orange and it's pretty safe to say that UST Mamiya has spent a good amount of time and money in preparing this model as they just don't release shafts as quickly or frequently as other shaft makers.  Stay tuned for more info as it begins to trickle in...

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Test results are in!   For those who have missed it there was a big controversy about Scratch Golf's advertising claims that spanned across multiple forum's and blog websites.  Here were the claims I made against Scratch Golf last week:

1.  It was my opinion that they did not use 1018 carbon steel for their Irons & Wedges
2.  Scratch Golf claims Forged by Ishihara-Shoten yet Ishihara-Shoten doesn't forge golf clubs 
3.  ( TSG ) wedge was not Ishihara Forged or made of 1018 as we were led to believe
4.  Scratch is using Open Model Blanks dispite claiming their products are Original Designs

Let's get right to it with the Test Results! I sent in 6 sample heads to METL. Metals Engineering and Testing Laboratory based out of Phoenix, Arizona.  Here is a short blurb on what they do for their customers...

(Metals Engineering and Testing Laboratory) customer base includes major aerospace and defense contractors, both the fossil and nuclear power utilities, the fastener industry, the automotive industry, insurance companies, attorneys, construction, manufacturers, and metal processors such as heat treaters, coating and plating shops, weld shops, foundries, forge shops, extrusion plants and machine shops. Our metallurgical testing laboratory serves as a valuable resource for a number of smaller companies who use the laboratory for in-depth metallurgical engineering and testing support.

We submitted sample heads from popular brands like Mizuno, Epon, Miura Giken, Geotech and Scratch Golf. Click "Read More" to continue on for the test results...

We submitted 2 heads in total from Scratch Golf, one 1018 wedge and one EZ-1 cavity back iron.  From Epon we sent in the AF-Tour, Mizuno MP-67, and Miura Giken the CB2006 model. 

In regards to testing, heat treatment and plating make no difference at all  in the test results as the testing finds the chemical and mineral balance deep inside the head.  The above are UNS standards not JIS, the difference between the two is that JIS standards hold tighter tolerance on the minerals and chemicals.  The carbon rating is not the only thing to look at, there is a range of other minerals that need to fall into a tolorence allowing METL to come to the conclusion as stated at the bottom of the test.

There is no room for question due to any overlap's in minerals. If it says 1020 it's 1020 by UNS Standards. If it says 1010 it's 1010 by UNS standards.

When cross referencing the UNS results with JIS,  The 1020 UNS in the the EZ-1 iron falls near the minimum requirements of JIS S25C.  While the UNS rated 1010 doesn't have the acceptable tolerance to meet JIS standards.  By both UNS & JIS standards of the two Scratch Samples sent in none of them are using 1018 steel.

But why that 1010 conclusion on the 1018 wedge?  It would have to be an EXTREMELY poor quality piece of metal skipping from 1018 past 1017, 1015, 1012 into the 1010 range.  I don't know if this is a freak wedge but it doesn't meet any countries standards if it's supposed to be 1018. It's 4 carbon metal designations apart from what it was advertised to be. That is surprisingly bad if it was supposed to be 1018 even by China's metal standards.

In regards to the Mizuno, Miura Giken, and Epon product checkout the chart below...

When looking at JIS standards the Mizuno and Miura Giken are right on the edge of S20/S25C which makes complete sense as this is what they advertise and the Epon AF-Tour is right where it should be for S20C like Epon advertises. 

The Scratch EZ-1 Iron also fell pretty close to being able to fit into the S25C category. The only surprise out all of these heads was the 1010 Scratch Wedge head.  I will let you guy's draw your on conclusions on the test results...  Whatever the case I now know for a fact that of both Scratch Golf heads submitted for metallurgy testing none of them are 1018. 

I requested the destroyed heads returned to us so we could take pictures. The results just got back to us today via Email we also have the data listed next to the picture of the club head via METL for those who want to question the test.

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Callaway FT-iZ in Play
Ernie Els became one of the first golfers to put the new Callaway FT-iZ driver to use in the Sony Open last weekend. The Callaway FT-iZ is set to release soon and features a triangle shape which the company claims to be their best driver ever produced. The FT-iZ features a woven carbon fiber body with Callaway's famous hyperbolic face, the forgivenss is enhanced big time by its high density rear weighting and aerodynamic design.

Ernie El's driver average has increased by 15 yards to an amazing 306 yard average at the Sony Open when combined with the new Callaway Tour i(s) ball.

Titleist Prototype <+---PRO V1x--->
According to Golf.com writer David Dusek Titleist has put a new prototype ball into play. Although most ProV1 users stuck with the standard and current version six players decided to put the ProV1 Plus Spin & Plus Trajectory models into play.

The Plus Spin is marked with <s----PRO V1---s> on it's seam while the Plus Trajectory has a <+---PRO V1x---> on its seam. Golf.com reports that Titleist that they are customized versions of the latest ProV1 and ProV1x golf balls to enhance results for a small handful of PGA Tour Players and that this in no way has anything to do with the new groove rule.

The Titleist Tour Rep Also Noted:
" These products are not in response to nor designed to address new groove rules and they are not planned to be sold commercially"

Taylormade XFT Wedge @ Sony Open
Retief Goosen became the first player on the PGA Tour to request a new face plate be installed in his Taylormade XFT face changeable wedges in 54* & 60*.  I guess all that practice and play wore it out, It would be helpful if Taylormade provided information on when he began testing it, how many shots hit and exactly how long that first wedge face piece lasted him.

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( Taylormade R9 SuperDeep Prototype Driver via GolfWRX.com)

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( Gold's Factory Prototype Wedge Grind minus official release engraving )

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Gold's Factory's Masayuki Sasaya has been working on some new model muscle backs, cavity backs, putters, and wedges for the coming 2010 golf season.  The new models look excellent and as many Gold's Factory fans already know Sasaya produces the most extreme and rare limited product by hand with vast options & intense attention to detail with their only drawback being their VIP type prices. 

Great news is that Gold's Factory will still feature its highest end and most elite line up of products but soon will offer product that features ultra high quality, materials, and the most desired designs at market fair prices.

TourSpecGolf has been providing member and customer suggestions to Master Sasaya to help produce a Japanese forged, ground, & finished iron at a fair price but most importantly contains all the best aspects of what TSG'ers desire.  One of several prototype muscle backs to just arrive has caught our eye and is on the right track featuring an ultra thin topline, virtually straight neck, J.I.S grade S25C steel, Forged, Ground, Finished & CNC  in Himeji Japan. The grooves of course comply with the new USGA & R&A rules.

We feel your opinion counts and we still have time before the new Muscle Back goes into full production,  It currently has a very minimalist and clean appearance with subtle and small logos along with a fully brushed satin chrome finish. Our plan is to implement semi traditional lofts and potentially a copper underlayer but the downside to that is increases chances of ripples during loft/lie bending.  The leading edge is dull rounded for softer conditions and players who strike downward on the ball. 

We want your feedback!  What would you like to see added, removed, changed or ...?

JIS Muscle Back : Early 2010
JIS Forged Wedge: Early 2010
GF New Series Putters: Early 2010
JIS Cavity Back : Mid 2010

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( Counterfeit Taylormade R9 Super Tri Driver from China Spotted! )

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Rumor has it that a significant number of PGA Tour Pros had tested positive for drugs yet not punished.  A lawyer by the name of Jeffrey Rosenblum told a court in memphis that his client  Doug Barron had been singled out and used as an example while there were many other golfers who tested positive for recreational drugs like marijuana and cocaine and not punished at all.

The Guardian UK's Lawrence Donegan wrote:

Barron, who has made $3m in prize money during his PGA Tour career, was banned for a year after testing positive this summer for beta-blockers and testosterone – both drugs prescribed by his doctors to combat medical conditions. He had sought, and had been denied, "therapeutic exemptions" to take the drugs and continue to play in tour events.  "I cannot say how many positive tests there have been on the tour but from discussions I have had with my client and other people, I believe the number is significant," Rosenblum told the Guardian last night. "I am very concerned that if the PGA Tour knew of even one person who took an illegal drug and yet chose not to punish that person, while at the same time my client was thrown out of the sport for one year. I believe that is an abuse of discretion."

The PGA Tour's commissioner and it's other press staff could not be reached for comment.  Tim Finchem did mention earlier in the year that they may have had some test results that trouble them but that they would not publicize them.

Barrons lawyer is expecting a ruling on his request to stay and play on tour as its how he supports his wife and kids. So this leaves me with the question should players be banned from the tour, suspended, both or put into treatment? Should regular testing be done on the Tour and is it really any of the PGA Tour's business if a player is using non performance enhancing recreational drugs like Marijuana?

What say you? Please vote in the poll and sound off in the comments section:

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The U.S Golf Association ( USGA ) recently reversed its original decision to not allow taylormade to sell the interchangeable U-Groove faces for its new TP XFT Wedge in 2010.

Taylormade's Benoit Vincent their chief technical officer flew personally to the USGA headquarters in New Jersey to appeal their original ruling based on the case that the interchangeable wedge faces should be subjected to the same deadlines as normal wedges.

Just a couple of days ago the USGA's equipment standard committee  made the decision to give the U-Groove face the green light until Jan 1, 2011 when all OEM's are not allowed to produce or distribute non conforming grooves.

Golf Week Reports For 2010, here is what will be sold by TaylorMade:

• factory assembled TP xFT wedges with interchangeable faces that contain large U grooves (TaylorMade calls them Z grooves);

• factory assembled TP xFT wedges with interchangeable faces that contain smaller grooves that conform to 2010 PGA Tour standards (TaylorMade refers to them as ZTP grooves);

• individual interchangeable faces with Z grooves;

• individual interchangeable faces with ZTP grooves.

In 2011, no fully assembled wedges or individual interchangeable faces with Z grooves will be made or distributed by TaylorMade, although retailers will be allowed to sell their remaining stock of 2010 wedges.

I totally agree with Taylormade here, why should they be held to a different standard than other manufactures. Props to the USGA for becoming aware of this and changing the ruling.

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Taylormade R9 Super Tri?

Taylormade is at it again with another release coming early 2010 sources report. GolfWRX was first to break the story about the new R9 Super Tri Driver while our Japanese sources first reported the 2010 updated Taylormade Burner driver along with the Japan release  Taylormade R9 TP Forged Irons which should show face sometime early 2010.

The Super Tri R9 has the same material make up as the current R9 460, it features a black finish and 3 weight ports total. For now prototype images may or not be legit, we found one image here of what appears to be the R9 460 MAX in black while yet we are told that the new R9 Super Tri driver will sport the Super Tri logo on it's sole.  Japan has already released it's own Taylormade products like the R9 Type E, Burner Forged Irons, & several new putters. Now it's North America's turn to show us the new goodies.

From the looks of things it looks like these could be the next product releases from Taylormade:

- R9 Super Tri Driver
- 2010 Burner Driver Update
- Taylormade R9 TP Forged Irons ( Japan Only )
- Taylormade Black Itsy Bitsy Spider ( Japan Only )

We will keep you posted as new information comes to light...