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If you're reading our blog, you're probably just like us, golf enthusiasts who can appreciate some great clubs. Some of us like to take the golf enthusiast hobby a bit further by trying and buying lots of golf clubs whether we need to or now. It sure can be addictive, seeing all the newest, and supposedly latest and greatest gear promising more distance, more forgiveness, more performance. Some of us are have more restraint than others, and some of us are simply more impulsive but we all dream of finding the perfect clubs or the next "holy grail".

I now consider myself a recovering golf club whore as I have learned that while it is fun and definitely exciting to try lots of new clubs constantly changing golf clubs especially my gamers did not necessarily reflect well on my scores. This may not apply to everyone, but I'm still a work in progress, changing and tweaking my game and as an improving average golfer, constantly having to adjust to different equipment was and is hard. So what I decided to do is game one fixed set of clubs each season while still testing and trying lots of other clubs as practice only.

The truth is there surely is a lot of great new clubs out there and there will always be newer and supposedly better clubs being released. The key is to do your research and find the clubs that suit your game the best and your swing. I spent over a year trying to find the longest driver (for my swing) and must have gone through at least 15 drivers. It can be never ending.   Throw in the shaft equation and that is an even bigger mess of experimentation. Feed back from peers is always great about a new club/equipment but we do all swing different after all. As someone who gives recommendations to all TSG customers it's my job to test clubs, though admittedly its a pretty good job to have (^_^).  The recommendations are the hard part as I've learned that everyone is so different even if they have the same swing speed. Every one wants a club that is better and longer than what they are playing or miraculously fixes some swing flaw. It creates the never ending quest for the perfect club for that specific person.

So how many of you out there are always changing clubs or buying new clubs or own a lot of clubs? I'm sure there are many from the conversations I have with all our members and customers. At the same time there are those customers who have gamed the same set of irons for many many years and are finally looking for replacements as the time has come. Which one are you?

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

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'm going to take a look at Mizuno Japan's all new 2010 Stability Style Golf Shoe 45KM0189. The original Stability Style shoe from 2008 was perhaps one of the best golf shoes ever made in Japan and that position was well reflected as it was the best selling golf shoe for both 2008 and 2009.  I'm an owner of the 2008 model and today I received a new 2010 model to check out side by side with the original.

Stability Style = Premium Comfort + Performance

Mizuno has long been know to make tour level, high performance shoes with maximum comfort. The Stability Style line as well as they Light Style, Performance R and MP Tour shoes are all made to EEE (3E) width and because of this fit with lots of room. It is a common misconception on the internet that Japanese brand shoes fit smaller than their American counterparts. As many people have learned, it is in fact the other way around. Because of the extra width in Mizuno shoes, they can fit anywhere from half a size to a full size larger depending on the brand it is compared with. I wore Nike's back in Canada, a size 8US which translates to between a 25.5cm and 26cm Japan. In Japan I had to step down to a 25cm or US size 7 because of the extra width. Make no mistake though this extra width is very comfortable and Mizuno has several technologies to ensure a snug fit.

New updated designs...

There is no doubt that both models of the Stability Style shoe are indeed very good looking and to some very similar looking. Mizuno kept a similar look while improving certain shared technologies in the shoe and altering the colors. I'll go over some of the differences as well as similarities and advantages of the shoe design. Both shoes feature a similar spike pattern aligned on an angle based on a golfers stance towards the target. They spikes are slightly angled to account for the body turn. I actually have a picture of the right shoes here but should have added the left shoes as well because the orientation of the spikes are different. Unfortunately the spike positioning is made to benefit the right handed golfer once again showing how small the left handed population is in Japan.  Around the outer sole edge of the new 2010 shoe on the left, you see the presence of more prortruding treads which adds to the already awesome grip power that the Stability Style shoe has.

Aggressive IG3 Spikes...

The new 2010 models uses a revised IG3 spike as opposed to the IG 2 spike in the 2008 model on the right. (the IG2 was also used in the Performance R). As you can see from the pictures below, the new IG3 spike is far more aggressive. These spikes like the IG3 and IG2 can be purchased and replaced. Both shoes do come with an IG spike wrench. IG spikes dig and hold very well in the ground, whether hard or soft and Mizuno shoes are known to be very stable because of this spike design.

Mizuno Wave sole...

A big part of the shoes comfort is the Mizuno Wave sole that is a part of most of Mizuno's high end shoes in one form or another. The Mizuno Wave sole is the heel part of the sole that not only produces stability and comfort during the swing but even just for walking around. During the swing, the Wave allows for key energy transfer from the ground up. As you can see from the sole images below, the 2010 model on the left has a larger gapped Wave sole, producing more spring for comfort and energy transfer.  What this does also is bring the player's heel slightly higher than the 2008 model. This allows for the player to place his weight forward to the balls of his feet rather than sit back on his heels. I took a picture of the back of the shoes side by side and you can see that the 2010 model on the left is in fact taller than the 2008 model on the right. This design also provides more angle support and keeps the shoe snug.

Biolock + Arch Hammock...

A couple of other technologies really aid Mizuno's comfort in the Stability Line. The biolock shoe top outer shell is featured in both models which shapes and locks to the shape of your foot. The other is the insole. The old 2008 model had the LR Insole (I assume LR means Left Right?) which featured support for the inner arch of the foot. The new 2010 model on the left below has altered that design with the new LR2 Arch Hammock insole.  The LR2 provides not only support to the inner arch of the foot but also the outer edge of the foot creating a hammock effect like a person lying in a hammock as the hammock wraps around the person from both sides.

New colors available now!

Both shoes feature a similar artificial outer layer which is waterproof. Mizuno tested the shoe by immersing it in 4cm of water for over 2 hours without water penetration. While I have not had a chance to go for a round yet with this shoe, wearing tells me it is as comfortable as the original and perhaps more stable with even more grip. I feel my weight naturally going to the balls of my feet. I just love they way they fit and grip.  I can't wait to get out there for a round with these great looking shoes! The new 2010 Stability Style golf shoe from Mizuno is already out and available in White (used in this post), White/Navy and a cool Gun Metallic/Bronze.  They are available in size 24cm to 28cm which is 6US to 10.5US (Sorry to those with bigger feet but manufacturers in Japan just don't make them so big edit: though apparently 29cm or 11.5US is a special order). Check them out here in the pro shop! If you need help with sizing, please feel free to contact us for advice.

Here are more pics!

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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Lots of data are now coming in for the 2009 season when it comes to sales and trends in Japan's golf market. Today I'm going to talk about shaft trends from 2009. Overall in general, we saw the trend move away from high launch max carry type of shafts to shafts that produce a lower more penetrating launch and a focus on control and stability with the main goal being keeping the ball in the middle of the fairway. As manufacturers strive to meet the needs of consumers in the most demanding market in the world, technology and designs are ever changing. The bottom line though is results and the sales data for shafts can give a good idea of what is working for golfers who reshaft.

2009 Trends...

Using data received from 18 various club making shops around Japan, we can get an idea of some of the popular sales trends. The data comes from smaller independent club makers as well as large golf chain stores and Tourspecgolf.com's online shaft sales. Of course every shop or club maker has their favorites but the popular brands seem to always stick out. Sales data only includes wood shafts not shafts for irons.

Last years data saw a very popular Graphite Design Tour AD MD Series dominate the charts which was reflective of GD's market dominance in Japan both on the Japanese Tours and in the consumer market. With only the EV Series released this year, we see a bit of a decline in GD's presence on the 2009 charts as a number of new up and comers begin to not only appear but take a large chunk of GD's market share.

The Mainstays...

Japan's big three, Mitsubishi Rayon, Graphite Design and Fujikura each released at least one premium shaft as a flagship product for 2009. Mitsubishi released the lightweight Bassara Griffin, Graphite Design the Tour AD EV Series, and Fujikura the Motore Speeder line. (the Diamana kai'li and Rombax F were released in fall of 2008 though they could be considered key 2009 models as well).

Bassara Griffin...

Mitsubishi's Bassara Griffin bucks the trends of lightweight shafts lacking stability and a penetrating launch with the G Series very much a stable light weight shaft with a low-mid launch and low spin.  Pretty much no 40 and 50 gram range shafts can boast the control and launch that the the Griffin provides and this is reflected in the chart as the Griffin makes it on the top 3 for 6/18 shops which actually bests the Diamana kai'li which made it on 5/18 shops.

Tour AD EV 6...

Graphite Design's main release for 2008 the Tour AD MD Series made it to the top 3 on every shop we had data for (only 10 shops were used in 2008).  This year's Tour AD EV series, which features a stiffer butt for control but still with a higher launch and low spin made it on the lists of 7/18 shops which is still a very repsectable showing. Interestingly the MD Series which was easily the top shaft of 2008 has pretty much dropped off the charts. Initial reviews of the 2010 Tour AD DI-6 series have been very positive so GD looks to bounce back to dominant form in 2010.

Motore Speeder...

The biggest disappointment might be Fujikura's Motore Speeder which only made it on 2/18 lists. The Motore Speeder was made to be a very forgiving distance shaft with good kick and control but consumer seemed to have shunned it for its softer overall feel and profile.  I am currently using this shaft in my Kamui driver and while it definitely excels distance wise, it could be overpowered by aggressive swingers.  Fujikura seems to have realized this by releasing a newer apparently more stout version, the Motore Speeder VCX.1 series.   Overall Fujikura shafts made it on 8/18 lists buoyed by the ever popular classic Rombax alphabet shafts V X Z and F. One shop, Golf Messe in Tokyo has the Rombax Bangvoo as its number one seller which surprised me considering its a 1000.00 shaft (Japan is supposed to be in a recession but it never shows when it comes to golf).

The new contenders...

So what stood out? I'd have to say the presence of smaller lesser known brands like Crazy, FSP and Quadra, while not a surprise, is definitely a fresh look. These smaller brands focus on high performance shafts with not only top quality designs but also top quality grade carbon. Crazy and Quadra both use 80t carbon in their top model shafts. So how does carbon grading work? Shafts are created with carbon fibers weaved together, and these fibers are measured by their modulus of elasticity in tension.  Typical golf shafts are around 24t or 30t, the measurement of tensile strength. These grade shafts are more flexible and because of this the shaft is slow to regain its original shape on the downswing creating inconsistent  impact where a player must rely heavily on timing due to the flexibility of the shaft.  As the tensile strength increases the carbon weaves are more dense, more rigid and return more quickly to their original shape.

The flex and rebound of the shaft becomes more predictable equaling more consistent shots and much tighter dispersion.  The higher tensile ratings ratings in golf shafts are also related to the higher grades containing more glass and metal particles which are more rigid and lower grades containing more flexible rubber particles.

Control AND Distance key...

Crazy's Black 80 and Quadra's Fire Express both use 80t and Crazy's Black 50 uses 50t carbon while the Crazy Longest yard is a hybrid shaft using both 50t and 40t grade carbon all higher than typical graphite shafts. Higher grade carbon also equals higher pricing with many of these models being priced from 500.00 to 800.00 USD. With the data in the charts though, it appears that Japanese golfers are ready to spend on getting the right shaft for their clubs no matter what the cost. And getting the right shaft isn't easy, many times it can turn out to be an expensive experiment as we all know. For those players though who want to maximize performance and truly match their swing getting the right shaft can make even an average driver head perform great while the wrong shaft can make a great driver head perform average or worse. It is also true that many average golfers can get along just fine with stock shafts and cannot tell the difference between a 500.00 shaft or 100.00 shaft. But for those willing to spend the options are there.

One other thing that stands out about companies like Crazy, Quadra and FSP is that their shafts pretty much put to rest the myth that Japanese shafts play soft. Crazy Black and Longest Yard as well as Quadra and FSP models all play with finished CPM's generally higher  (10-15cpm more) than the mainstream brands we know.  Crazy especially focuses on the harder and faster swinger and have developed a cult following in Japan for those looking for max distance AND control among the fastest swingers (Many Crazy models are available up to XXX flex). Crazy's Longest Yard shafts are mainstays on the Drakon circuit (Drakon stands for long driving contest) and their reputation for distance without losing control has filtered down to the average consumer as shown in the data above.

Looking ahead to 2010...

So what does this mean moving forward into 2010? In previous years, Japanese golfers were surveyed for the reasons why they wanted to reshaft and 65% had answered "to gain more distance". I believe the numbers have shifted more towards a combintion of "gaining more distance AND control". Afterall, 275 yards in the center of the fairway is better than 290 yards in the woods. It is very possible many of these smaller shaft manufacturers will continue to take market share from the big dogs, forcing companies like Graphite Design, Fujikura and Mitsubishi Rayon to design and manufacture even better shafts to compete. More competition is a good thing for the conusmer and while more awesome shafts mean harder decision making and fitting it is better than no selection of shafts at all.

Here at TSG we've seen our share of sales for Crazy and Quadra but the main brands still dominate probably due to a lack of recognition for the other brands. We always want to offer the best so we plan on adding to Crazy and Quarda's offerings in our pro shop. I'm about to test the  Crazy Longest Yard in my driver to see what all the fuss is about and will be adding it to the pro shop soon for those of you who have always want to try something new. As always getting the right shaft is not easy and I'm always here to help. You are welcome to send an email to me though our contact form (product recommendations and info) with as much info about your swing and the clubs and shafts you use now so that I can give you some recommendations.

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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If you liked the previous videos featuring the Yamaha drivers for 2009, you'll love this one featuring the 2009 Inpres X fariway woods and utility. Both these clubs feature Yamaha's new Fric Off Sole, a concave sole and bounce on the leading edge. The problem with many players and fairway woods is that they make too much contact with the ground before impact and this friction slows the clubhead and decreases distance and creates a far less desirable impact.

Fric Off minimizes the amount of the club that makes contact with the ground by only allowing the leading edge of the club to glance off the ground right before impact. This creates far better contact and increases club head speed through the impact zone. Because of the Fric Off design and the fact that Yamaha clubs have always been know to be great feeling and cutting edge design clubs, the Yamaha Inpres X line of fariway woods has been the number one selling FW for the average golfer in Japan for 2009. Check out Yamaha's woods and utility in the pro shop and this awesome 5 min and 34 sec video featuring the clubs and Fric Off.

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.