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We were able to secure a few  of every color for the new Dance with Dragon Camo and Impact Putter grips. They certainly are not cheap but pretty stylish and unique looking. They are mid sized and weigh approximately 83g + or - 3 grams. The Impact is available in black or red or blue while the Camo is available in black or pink or khaki. They are available for order now in the pro shop!

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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So I've actually had a new Dance with Dragon 60* forged wedge here for the last couple of months. The new DWD wedge is made by one of Japan's true grinding masters, Masahiro Tomaru of Grind Studio. When I first received the wedge for testing I noticed that the 60* had a very high 10* bounce. I thought it would be interesting to try this "lob" wedge out as a sand wedge.

Just to give some background on Tomaru-san, he was an aspiring pro golfer and from 18 years of age to 22 he worked hard at trying to pass the pro test (as Q-school is called in Japan) to become a professional golfer on tour.  Tomaru-san came to the realization that making the tour was to high a mountain to climb so he instead joined Dunlop (Sri Sports as we know it today) in the golf sales department hoping to expand his golf background. As Sri grew, Tomaru-san wanted to move into golf club design, where his real passion lay however, Dunlop had no vacancies there so he left at age 25 and went to Fourteen Golf.  At Fourteen, Tomaru-san spent 11 years fine tuning his skills as a club designer and craftsman. He was responsible for most of Fourteen's irons designs as well as credit as the creator of the MT-28 wedge. In case you didn't notice, MT = Masahiro Tomaru.

Tomaru-san decided to leave Fourteen to start his own company called Grind Studio. At first he also lent a hand at designing wedges for other top Japanese brands including the still sought after Royal Collection DB Forged wedge (Double Bounce). This wedge has a cult following for its tour like grind and shape and was made in very few numbers, each hand ground by Tomaru-san and stamped with a small "T" on the toe face. Tomaru-san went on to focus on his Grind Studio brand and as a one man brand personally hand made every GS wedge and iron to spec. GS has a huge cult following in Japan as well as heavy top amateur usage as well as some pros on the Japan tour. Because of this, Tomaru-san spends more than 60% of the year grinding for pros and top amateurs only, so getting his services for a custom wedge is quite rare. Dance with Dragoj however wanted one of the best so they had Tomaru-san create and grind their newest wedge.

There are two finishes available, a satin and raw black, as well as 4 lofts. Lofts are marked on the sole and by a "fleur de lis" mark to indicate loft (the 60* above has 4 x fleur de lis). I received the raw black model and as you can see the finish will wear especially since I used the 60 in the sand. You can see the black finish rub off and the wedge does require minor maintenance like keeping moisture off and being wiped dry after shots. The wedge itself has a wonderful shape to it and Tomaru-san always does a great job on the grind and the neck and top line. It sets up wonderfully at address and opens up easily thanks to a lot of heel and trailing edge relief.

The top line is rather sharp and straight and the higher toe allows for more control and workability. The sole itself has a blunt and slightly rounded leading edge. The trailing edge allows for very clean exit from any turf and as you can see from the image below there is quite a bit of heel relief. With an open face, this wedge still points easily at the target.

Depending on who you are and how you look at it, a 60* wedge can be a very versatile club. There are players who rely on it as a complimentary club, for the occasional flop shot or as they are usually called lob shot, and then there are those who rely on it for everything including bunker play. Looking at the DWD 60*, its certainly a good looking club that sets up well. The back face may be busy for some especially on the 60 which has those 4 x fleur de lis marks that indicate the 60*.  I think they could have dropped these for a cleaner design especially since the loft is already marked on the sole. Feel wise the wedge is crisp and you can feel the ball compress on the face and spin off.  It is not mushy soft but soft enough and spin is on par with most conforming groove wedges. For bounce, many may think 10* is a bit high for chip shots and short approaches from the fairway but it really depends on the players type of swing and the course this wedge is used on. Most 60* wedges seem to have bounces that range between 4 and 8* to suit a variety of players.

Typically a 60* wedge used as a sand wedge might be considered for more advanced players however in the past few weeks I've learned to use the 60* out of the bunkers and it works. 10* of bounce is adequate for the soft sand conditions and still works on the lush fairways here in Japan.  Higher bounce can actually be more forgiving for average golfers especially ones who have a tendency to dig.  There are after all many 52* and even 50* Japanese model approach wedges that also have 10* of bounce.  For tight lies and hardpan it will be harder to keep the leading edge down to the ground due to the bounce so sweeping type players and more advance players may find the bounce too high especially if they play on those kind of courses with compacted soil.

Overall I've been happy with the wedge and it has been very versatile for me.  From 50-60 yards and in its pretty much the 60* unless I need to pitch and run.  I'm satisfied with the looks, feel and spin. The finish or lack thereof since it is raw does wear and some may not like the weathered look but I like it as it looks well "used".  Others can simply opt for the satin version.  Of course you can also go for the more traditional type of sand wedge lofts as a 56/10 and 58/10 are also available.  Everyone is different and there are so many possibilities when it comes to wedges and the setup each individual carries. The 60* worked for me even as a sand wedge but how about you?

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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We're proud to announce that TSG will once again be able to offer Dance with Dragon products to our members and customers.  DWD has grown to encompass even more products than ever due to its growing recognition thanks to the addition of sponsored top pro Shingo Katayama. DWD however still maintains its boutique style offerings and prices meaning quantity is limited and sometimes hard to get.

I've actually been testing their new forged wedge, designed and grinded by Masahiro Tomaru from Grind Studio. For those of you who don't know Tomaru-san, he is one of the great master grinders and wedge makers in Japan and I did do a blog post on a visit I had with him last year you can read here. The new DWD wedge, forged in Japan from S25C do have conforming grooves but honestly when I look at them they do look like sharp square grooves. Like Tomaru-san's own GS wedges, it has a versatile grind and very little offset.  It comes in either brushed satin or raw flat black and is available in 52/8 56/10 58/10 or 60/10 lofts with DG S200 or 950GH Regular or Stiff shafts. It also comes with one of those very nice DWD grips in Black. Swingweight is higher at D3-D4. I've been testing the 60* and even though its listed as 10* bounce it has worked rather well in all conditions and even out of the bunker.  Bite is fantastic.

We'll also be carrying all the new headcovers, caps, bags and accessories though it will take some time for us to get all the new products in the TSG Pro Shop.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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It was a rainy day today in Tokyo but it was not enough do dampen my visit to Shinagawa where I went to visit the Dance with Dragon 2010 Collection Preview with Master Sasaya from Gold's Factory. Next years DWD collection has a Star Wars theme as you can see in the poster behind Master Sasaya and I. The Star Wars theme song played in the background as we spoke with DWD staff about their new collection, signing top Japanese Pro Shingo Katayama and how Dance with Dragon will take golf enthusiasts to where no golfer has gone before!

The large staging area was filled with racks of DWD clothing. Clothing is always the major focus of DWD especially for a summer collection where clothing sells the most. The displays had both the coming Spring Collection and Summer Collection and Dance With Dragon showed off its usual bright colors and daring designs for both men and women. Since TSG is now selling clothes and looking to slowly expand their golf wear offering we really wanted to pick out some of the hot items at this DWD preview launch. As always, the new caddy bags stood out with awesome design and quality. I have already decided I am getting one for the new season though a certain master also told me that he would have his own caddy bags in the new year... decisions decisions!

Other standout items included new Dance with Dragon putter grips to go along with their sticky wood and iron grips. There will be two new styles of putter grips and 6 different colors in all.  Dance with Dragon has a close relationship with Iomic and these do look very similar to Iomic's new Absolute putter grips.  The camouflage grips look very cool!

As always Dance with Dragon is releasing some of the best looking caps in golf. I own a few already and I can say they fit great and are always top quality. They have several new caps including integrated magnetic ball markers in a couple of their models. The white and black one below is definitely one I am targeting for the new season.

Finally comes the clothes. They have some really hot stuff for next season and a lot of it is definitely influenced by top Japan pro Shingo Katayama who will be wearing all of this collection. From very stylish polo shirts, to slick solid colored pants, to the brightest checkered pants, there is something for everyone, men or ladies.  This simple D and DWD logo is going into my clothing rotation for sure.

I took  quite a few pics for everyone to check out. Dance with Dragon is by no means cheap, in fact it is one of the higher priced premium golf wear brands. One thing you can be sure of is getting high quality one of a kind golf wear. You can bet that nobody in your golf club has the same clothes as you do if you are wearing DWD. Look for the new collection to make its way into the pro shop in coming months!

Check out the pictures!

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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Dance with Dragon has released a few new caps as part of their fall collection.  They've chosen some interesting names this time around, and I guess they always do! Stand out head wear include a new Damage American Cap and Visor with the visor also able to hold tees. There are also two new Inpakuto caps (I love it that they use that name), including one cap and a knit cap for winter. As always DWD can be worn stylishly on the golf course or casually as a cool fashion accessory. These hats will sell out within weeks as usual so get your as soon as you can in the pro shop!

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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Here's a heads up that you should all lean in and pay attention to:  We have officially added some pretty sweet, pretty stylish and pretty all around great products into the Pro Shop, and some of it just so happens to be a whole lot of new Dance with Dragon stuff that you might be crazy if you're not wanting.

Dance With Dragon Added to ProShop

So, in order to shine a little light on the new products, here are my three favorite new Dance With Dragon products that have been added to the pro shop, and a little bit about them:

First up is the Dance With Dragon Camo Cart Bag D3-638003, which is more than just a great looking cart bag, it's also filled with more bells and whistles, pockets and great looking additions than you'll know what to do with.  Just look at it, can you imagine not having this hold Your clubs?  Didn't think so.

Next up, we have the Dance With Dragon Skull Stand Bag D3-638002 for all of you who don't want to ride on a cart during your round, but instead love walking the course and being able to set your clubs down without actually lying them on the grass.  Packed with features, this bag also comes in 7 different colors, all which look ridiculously cool.

Finally, something to keep those club heads safe, the Dance With Dragon Camo Fairway Cover D3-738011.  This headcover will match with the bags, and gives you the cool and one-of-a-kind style that only Dance With Dragon can provide.  It comes in three different colors.

Head Over & Stock Up!

There is plenty more in the Pro Shop, head over now and start doing some shopping.  After all, it's never too late to shop for yourself, and it's never too early to get your holiday shopping done.  No matter which holiday you just so happen to be

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Golf to Impress in Style

For those of you who like to bring style to the links TourSpecGolf.com has been the #1 source for Japanese Domestic Market golf gear and apparel over the last 7 years. TSG features a selection of hats that cant be found anywhere from brands like TourStage, Dance with Dragon, PRGR, Titleist Japan and much much more. You may notice that the hats are a little bit more expensive than what is available in the states and that is for good reason. The Japanese Domestic Market prides itself in ultra high quality golf goods, their golf clubs and apparel are noticeably made better and the design well you can see for yourself its ahead of the golf trends seen here in the U.S.

What to look for

When shopping for high end golf caps look for features like mesh polyester in the summer time that breathes easy and absorbs sweat. Also look for quality velcro straps or engraved metal hat buckles. Some models are limited edition like the Dance with Dragon gear. Often they well out in only several weeks after release. If you haven't heard of DWD check out our blog on Shingo Katayama and his new sponsors.

From Tour head covers to the latest Japanese import balls TSG has got what you need in the Tourspecgolf  pro shop. Comocome head covers Japanese Titleist and Tourstage staff or Carry bags; we give you the potential to create the ultimate set of golf clubs. So go ahead impress the guys at your golf club and show them all what accessorizing is really all about.

I personally like fitted caps over trucker style, I do notice trucker keeps your head much cooler but I don't need my head to look any bigger than it already does. check out this link to see the full Cap selection that TourSpecGolf carries: CLICK HERE TO VIEW JDM CAPS!

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Today I'm going to take a closer look at what's in the bag of ONOFF Pro Shingo Katayama. Katayama has long been one of the top Japanese players on tour here in Japan. Last year Katayama won his 25th tournament automatically qualifying him for a lifetime exemption on the Japanese tour.  He's now up to 26 wins and counting ranking him 7th on the all time list in Japan.  He turned pro in 1995 and began playing full time on tour in 1997. He has topped the Japanese money list 5 times including last year and is currently 4th on the all time career list at just over 14 million dollars in winnings.

Not a big player by any means at 5'6" or 168cm tall, Katayama who has been called Cowboy Shingo because of the cowboy style hat he frequently wears relies on his creative play and deft touch around the greens. He is in no way a long hitter but accurate and controlled.  Katayama was one of the first players during his days as the number one Nike Pro in Japan to proclaim that he needed all the forgiveness he could get and  did not hesitate to play a 10.5* loft driver (which was rare at the time among men pros) and over sized irons with graphite shafts. In the past few years Katayama could be seen in many Nike ads, sometimes even along side world number 1 Tiger Woods promoting the latest in Nike gear.

This off season signaled a humongous change as Katayama parted ways with Nike, his clubs, shoes, clothing and ball sponsor.  He was signed instead by several Japanese brands including  ONOFF from Daiwa Golf for his clubs and bag, Dance With Dragon for his clothing, Asics for his shoes and Titleist for his golf balls. Even while transitioning to a new bag of gear he played confidently on his way to a 4th place finish at the Masters last month, tying the best finish ever by a Japanese golfer at the Masters.

Katayama's fashion and gear gain as much attention as his creative play so here is a break down of his official bag as of last weeks Tsurya Open and my take on the clubs of course!

Katayama is playing the 2009 ONOFF Red Driver 9* with Roddio Prototype at 46.75" 272.7cpm and 310.3g.  He has opted for the more forgiving Red Driver over the athlete model ONOFF Plus Driver.  He has also gone to a lower loft and considerably longer overall driver length. The Roddio will launch higher for max carry so paired with the 9* loft, Katayama appears to have found the right combination of launch, carry and run with these specs. The ONOFF Red is considered the average golfer model in Japan and provides a ton of forgiveness which Katayama likes.

Katayama's 3 wood is another super forgiving club. The PRGR Egg PX-03 is a composite style fairway wood with a high MOI scoop back crown that is very very easy to hit. I bag this same club in my setup and for the sole reason - forgivness. It is easy to launch long and far and has a lot of leeway on mis hits. Katayama is playing the 15*. This is his go to club in narrow fairways and when he needs control down the middle, or to reach those ultra long par 5's in two.

An ONOFF Fairway Arms Plus 5 wood occupies Katayama's bag. This 18* club features a square to open face and is made more for control. The Plus however only has a semi-deep face so still provides forgivness that Katayama likes.  Also unlike typical all steel fairway woods that are used by most pros the ONOFF Plus features a maraging face which provides great feel. (the Egg 3W he uses I might add uses a Titanium face).

Another sign of forgiveness in the bag is Katayama's use of a 21* 7 Wood.  This is the last remaining Nike club in his bag. He likes to use the Sasquatch2 instead of a 3 iron as it gives him an easy to hit club that still provides a super soft landing.

Katayama is carrying a Cleveland HiBore 4i UT that he has been using for quite some time.  In other words he does not carry a 3 or 4 iron! Once again forgiveness is the focus for his bag.

ONOFF Plus Forged irons 5-9 iron are Katayama's choice irons. They are definitely more compact than his old Nike OS irons but the ONOFF Plus do provide great feel and balanceｄ forgiveness.  He is still experimenting with shafts on his irons now but it seems he may be playing either his black Graphite Design Prototypes or moving on to Roddio iron shafts.

Katayama is carrying 3 wedges, all three are signature prototypes from ONOFF based on the Labospec 247 series.  A 46* 53* and 59* occupy his bag with the 46* taking the place of his pitching wedge.

A Taylormade Rossa Spider ASGI+ makes his putts for him and he now uses the Titleist Pro V1x 2009 ball.  As I mentioned above, all his clothes are the very stylish Dance with Dragon and his Asics prototype shoes which are not yet available retail have drawn much interest from golfing enthusiasts worldwide.

So there you have it a look into Shingo Katayama's current bag. A very nice JDM bag with a strong emphasis on forgiveness. One can never have enough forgiveness and we should never forget that!

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.