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Made in Japan and manufactured of SUS304 the Yonex Ezone EZM-01 is a slant neck mallet with a deep milled face.  My initial impressions after trying it out is that it feels great actually very soft compared to other sus303 and sus304 putters I have hit.  It also has a nice semi heavy balance to it.  It's dark  grey finish reduces glare pretty well and it's just an all around decent offering from Yonex.

There are a total of 4 Yonex putters in their new line up,  2 are S25C forged and the other two produced of stainless steel.  We have them listed here in the proshop for anyone interested.  All in all you get very good quality for your money.   Available in 34" with 4* of loft and a 71* lie angle.

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We are looking for highly motivated business minded people from China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.  Speaking and writing english is a big plus .  The reason for this isn't employment but rather to create a business relationship outside of the golf industry that will be very profitable for those involved.  Please contact: sales@tourspecgolf.com for a screening.  select individuals will be hand picked for a video confrence call sometime in the next couple of weeks.  Thanks!

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They are sold out at the moment,  because of Akira's unique business model of only building clubs for their own tour players and the left overs being sold to the public they have run out of Tour Wedges.  I'm awaiting an update from them to see If and when more will be produced.

I was not very happy about this so what Akira has done is offer us their latest unadvertised unnamed wedge.  Not sure what we should call it and I don't know how long it will be available.  I know frustrating isn't it.  I decided to post pics anyway and to write this blog post to let everyone know that if you purchase the Tour Wedge in the proshop that you will be emailed the option of these rare beauties to replace it.

It's a purdy wedge,  I haven't hit it yet,  It's a RAW head so it will wear but it's also a heavier head for tour use.  It's basically their H1 series with an RTG finish and slightly different stampings.  Just wanted to let everyone know.  And for those waiting on the M215 #3 wood those should be in any day now.

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During a recent trip to Washington DC I managed to snap a few images testing out the Canon 7D + Tamron 18-270mm ultra telephoto lens.  The image above was taken at quite a long ways back allowing me to zoom in from a long distance away thanks to this lenses range and the 1.6x crop sensor on the camera.  This particular image and most of the ones below were shot then edited using a method called "HDR" high dynamic range where you set the camera to take 3 pictures at -2, 0, +2 exposure and merge the highlights and lowlights together in one image giving it a unique style.

It was an eye opening experience visiting America's monuments and museums during my short and HOT stay here in DC.  Wish I had more time to take pictures and play golf with some of our DC customers.

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It's easy to look past Akira with their huge product line not to mention everything is named prototype  and designated with a letter and numbers.  Many customers have been emailing asking about all the difference between the models.  Hidden in that expansive line up are some true gems.  One of the most notable would be the Prototype M215 recently seen in K.J Choi's bag and PGA tour player Jeff Street.  A couple of months ago TSG got a few of these shafted up with the Diamana Kai'li to try out and the results were unexpected.

Tatsuro and I have given the M215 by Akira a good beating and it flat out performed with excellent results.  There is a good chance that a 3/5/7 wood combo is in my bag's near future.  The feel and sound at impact is hot, metallic, with a slight spongy aspect to it.  Did I mention this thing was hot?  Super hot off the face!

It's appearance is pretty straight forward no unnecessary tech or gimmicks attached.  Although it has a weight screw it's not adjustable,  the Akira Tour dept uses this screw to match swing weight for professional players.  Looking down at the M215 it's nice and compact with a slightly open face angle at 15* yet the 5 & 7 woods are dead square.  Face depth was what I consider perfect, not ultra deep like Royal Collection but not shallow like the PRGR Egg im gaming now.

Dispersion with the Kai'li was incredibly stable and straight,  I was producing a piercing medium trajectory with above average amounts of carry and a big kick n roll forward.  As far as distance goes it's not the PRGR Egg but I can live with that as with a 3/5/7 combo I think my distance gaps would be more consistent and reliable.  Already we are seeing delays on the 15* model but in a couple of weeks that should be taken care of.

Recently one of TSG's members BogeyDog posted his thoughts in our forum click here to see what he says about his first 36 holes with his new 5 & 7 Akira M215 Fairway Woods.

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If you did, your lucky... Last week we found out that only 50 sets were produced worldwide.  I knew they were limited but not in such minimum quantities.

The RB247 was built to order with custom shaft paint colors and a variety of colored grip options.  I was able to hit a friend and customers set in July and although being cast and not forged these were pure pleasure.  Forgiveness was obviously the main objective while at the same time keeping a semi compact, low offset players CB.  The undercut cavity and sole grind made these.

These are the types of products that make what we do so rewarding.  At any time on TSG we offer a variety of extremely limited products that when sold out will never become available again. The RB247 slid right by me,  I was expecting at least 500 sets produced.

Special Thanks to Daiwa Japan for allowing TSG to sell these exclusively.

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

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

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

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It's been a while since posting new video's.  New software new workflow but good news is  I've got the basic's down so expect more videos in coming weeks.  In today's video we have a short clip with TSG Club Tester Tatsuro Oshimoto comparing two of Akira's better player driver designs, the K109 & M209.   After hitting the smaller K109 he loved it comparing it to his JBEAM 425 Tour with it's super low spin and low trajectory.  With the JBEAM he hits slight draws all day nicely down the middle.  With the Akira Proto K109 he was hitting slight fades which he can't do with 99% of the clubs on the market.  Tatsuro and I believe it's due to the 1.5*+ open face angle.

Shortly after the K109 driver became his new all time favorite he hit the M209 which stole its short lived crown.  This one sit's dead square so he began hitting his baby draw again but the major difference is how hot it came off the face.  Now he is fixated on his dream club which is the M209 with a 1.5* open face angle and the Muzzik 787 Speeder Shaft.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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