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We've got a few product announcements for today. ONOFF has officially announced their new 2012 line to the general public now and as I mentioned back in October the clubs look great. We should be getting in demos at the end of the month for full testing and all the new models for both men and women will be up for pre order in the next week or so!

Left handed players are always emailing me feeling left out from all of the great Japanese club offerings. Well we got word from Crazy today that they have released a limited number of Crazy CRZ435 Drivers for leftys!  Lofts are limited and at this point Crazy has not yet decided if this will be a standard offering. If you are a lefty or know a lefty who wants one of the top JDM distance drivers for better players now is your chance to contact us and get one!

Finally for today Epon has released some new knit headcovers for drivers and fairway woods featuring the Epon Dog. There is also a new Epon Dog headcover which comes with a set of 3 doggie shirts so you can change his look! Also released are new Epon Dog ball markers! Contact us to order or wait for them to show up in the shop later 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.

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Epon Golf has announced their all new AF-902 utility which will go on sale officially September 9th. The new AF-902 is quite a change from the first generation AF-901 utility we saw a few years ago. The AF-901 was a forged hollow head driving iron type utility made from S20C steel with a HT1770 Stainless face. Epon realized that while a driving iron produces great stability and control it didn't necessarily suit every type of player.  Epon designed the new AF-902 as a premium utility aimed at the mid to average golfer (AF-5 and 7 series players) with maximum forgiveness and playability in mind.

The AF-902 is a true one of a kind utility. While most utilities these days are made from cast stainless steel bodies and faces with some manufacturers also using maraging steel, Epon's new AF-902 takes manufacturing for a utility to an all new level. The AF-902 is a four piece super precision forged all titanium utility and the most advanced of its kind. Using high intensity titanium, KS120 Forged for the crown and sole, 15-3-3-3 Forged for the face and a pure Titanium forged neck, the plasma welded AF-902 provides the ultimate feel and maximum COR distance performance. Materials aside, the AF-902 also features a double stepped sole which reduces friction with the turf or rough minimizing the loss of swing speed during contact. This also keeps the club head on a stable plane creating optimal pure impact. At address the wood style shape give confidence and frame the ball well with its square face angle for aiming at the target.

The Epon AF-902's titanium face is on the shallower side creating lots of forgiveness heel to toe. The deep and short CG create an easy launch from any lie and the higher trajectory will carry for maximum distance performance. Epon has always been about premium construction and feel and the new AF-902 fits right in there with its wonderful feeling and performing woods. While Epon can custom build the AF-902 with any shaft available in Japan, a premium head deserves a premium shaft so the the clubs standard shaft is the proven Graphite Design Tour AD UT-65. You can also choose from other great Utility shafts like the new Bassara Hybrid 60 or a Crazy Black Utility or even opt for a steel shaft like the NS Pro Utility. The AF-902 will be available in 3 lofts, 18* 21* and 24* with respective weights of 227 231.5 and 237 grams. As with all Epon clubs there is some room to wiggle with specs and the heads can be made heavier up to +3 grams to accommodate slightly shorter club lengths or to reach slightly higher swing weights. We have a demo coming in next week which we will take live pics of and review as always.

Tourspecgolf.com is taking pre orders now for the AF-902 so you can order now to get an early September shipping (official launch September 9th as noted). Please contact us for recommendations in building your perfect utility from Epon!

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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As we approach the end of May and the golf season is in full swing, I thought I'd do my usual ramble on what's up at TSG. Here in Japan, the earthquake and Tsunami seem like a long time ago but surely no one has forgotten as they are still tallying up casualties and dealing with tens of thousands of misplaced people living out of school gyms and community centers. We still get tremors every day, mostly small but the occasional 5-6 second stronger jolt.  I've pretty much learned to sleep through them with my biological alarm only set to react to anything over 5 magnitude and longer than 10 seconds.

On the golf front, we're excited to start carrying Akira products as you saw from Chris' post below and also having Dance with Dragon again in the pro shop. We'll be slowly adding products for both brands so keep your eye out or as always if there is anything you want or need do let us know. That also reminds me to remind readers that even if you don't see a certain product in the pro shop, it does not mean we cannot get it. We have accounts with every major brand and several of the largest distributors here in Japan so we can pretty much get anything. Please just send and email and ask.

Crazy contacted us on the weekend to tell us that all 50 sets of the Crazy Toyoshima Limited Wedges are sold out so it took just over a week as we predicted. Crazy and Toyoshima-san are still catching up with the orders and producing the wedges on the fly and building the for customers. About 25% of all the sets were sold through TSG so I have to report that buyers will have to be patient and wait a little as Toyoshima-san is only one person and hand grinding and polishing every single day to get all the orders out. This means there may be waits of a couple of weeks+ depending on when you ordered.

It's always nice when a manufacturer/brand listens to customer demand and I'm happy to report Titleist Japan has done just that. The Titleist VG3 Forged Iron has probably been our most popular iron over the last 6 months or so. I game a set myself and love them for their looks, feel and performance. However one gripe I had with them was that the lofts were so strong with a 44* PW that it left a large gap between my approach wedge and the PW. It seems this was an issue for many players as the VG3 Iron has done so well in Japan, catering to players of all levels including those who wished there was an actual VG3 Forged AW at around 48 and 49*. Well Titleist Japan listened and have produced a new 48* AW as a special order for those who need it. I got mine today and I'm glad to report it is not clunky or overly large like many in set AW's can be. As a matter of a fact its shape and design flows wonderfully with the set and has very little offset, the way most like their wedges. So any VG3 users or potential VG3 buyers can now get an AW as well if they desire. Just contact us for details.

Another key development here at TSG is we've received Epon's permission to include the Middle East as part of our shipping boundaries. So we can now accept Epon orders from any North American and Middle Eastern address but you still have to contact us directly for order placing. Epon is always in stock but cannot be checked out of the pro shop. You have to contact us to make your purchase. Epon has released some really cool accessories along with their new Limited Tour Bag (which black is already sold out of!). They've got new caps which are all very cool looking and finally some real iron head covers. The iron head covers come in a set of 10 4-PW + AW + SW + an F cover (F for Free so you can use it on a 3 iron or additional wedge). Please contact us for more details or to order!

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's about time Epon released a new Tour Caddy Bag!  How long will it be before these sell out?  Every year Epon releases a limited tour caddy bag and it's gone within a couple of weeks.  In my opinion these are the most sexy caddy bags ever announced by the Big E.  I'm considering the purple for myself.  For those interested "click here" wait before you click I should warn you that these cost $560 bucks and that's before shipping.

This full sized limited bag is made of premium synthetic leather and features a 5.1kg weight and 9" opening. The Epon bag features a 3 point harness and comes in Orange, Purple, Black or Blue.  They call it the Global edition Tour Caddy Bag and notice how it says JAPAN FORGED on it instead of ENDO FORGED.  I like that..:)

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Today I shafted up the New Epon Golf AF-702 forged demo iron I received.  The AF-702 is geared toward the mid to high handicapper as it features an S20C Endo Forged body with an ultra hi COR stainless steel face. I suspect many low handicap Epon fans will swap out their long irons for these as well.  The release date is March 11th expect to see them in the proshop later this week.  I spent the day taking some high res images.  Unfortunately I won't be able to test them until the coming tuesday so for now enjoy the pictures!

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If you have been following the GTI Facebook page you witnessed the un boxing of the first AF-152 to hit U.S soil.  That was this morning and since then I have shafted it up with the all New 2011 Crazy CB-46 "BLACK" shaft.  It's a lightweight control shaft with distance like the TJ-46 but control like the Black 50. Made for the aggressive and hard hitter who wants a lighter weight shaft, the 46 features lower launch and torque than the TJ-46 and lower spin like the former Black 50 and 80LS II. The torque however is still higher than the 50 and 80 resulting in more feel and perceived kick.

I'm awaiting official specifications, materials, and manufacturing data on the new Epon AF-152 and AF-702 clubs they should be around shortly but until then enjoy these images.  Expect a full written and video review by next weekend.

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Epon AF-152 driver revealed!  It's set to launch March 11th, TourSpecGolf has it's samples on the way.  I will be attaching it to a Crazy longest yard HOT shaft most likely.  It appears both the AF-152 and the AF-702 has some sort of cut away feature.  Expect the Epon AF-152 to be slightly draw biased and come in at 450- 460cc's.  The AF-502 is manufactured using Super Precision Forging using a High Intensity Titanium Alloy. Its new design and forged 4 piece variable thickness face has superior feel and sound at impact and creates very high ball speeds coupled with low spin for an optimal trajectory and great distance performance.

The new Epon AF-702 irons will be revealed on March 11th as well and features a single cut away center sole.  Made for the golfer looking for a forgiving iron providing maximum distance, the AF-702 provides game improvement like ease and performance in a mid sized cavity back. Still possessing a relatively thin topline and small offset, the Epon AF-702 is precision forged from soft S20C steel with a high strength AsRoll Stainless steel face featuring COR over 0.8. The thin face produces high ball speeds and allows weight to be distributed to the toe and heel to provide a wider sweet spot and lower center of gravity.  The center of gravity is further helped by two tungsten weights placed in the sole towards the toe and heel. The forgiving undercut design and stronger lofts will help golfers of all levels reach longer distances even on off center hits.

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The new Epon 2010 Tour Bag has just been released in Asia and expect it to be available in the TSG ProShop this coming week.

The new Epon Tour bag is a limited production product and produced of the highest quality bag materials.  It's total weight is 4.3kg coming in with a 9" opening and another unique thing is its made of a synthetic leather that really makes this bag feel as if its on another level.

Available in White/Sax, White/Silver, Black/Red, and Black/Gold expect the bag to run for about 500.00 USD.  Below we have some real images for you to enjoy!

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New EPON 210KGX Wedge Information and specifications went public today and is scheduled for an early March release date to the retail market. TourSpecGolf will be getting some early for testing and reviews to help Epon get the word out on their new Hi-CG performance model.

Made of Super Precision Forged JIS grade S20C steel the 210KGX arrives with the perfect steel hardness rating of HRB80. If you enjoy the soft and rewarding impact of Epon Golf's forged products then this one will satisfy your craving. The 210KGX is availble in a NiCR plating ( satin silver ). In previous models like the 208KGX several options were available, this year Epon Golf is offering copper and vintage black but it comes at a pretty steep upgrade cost.

Epon incorporated a new Laser Hardening technology used on the shoulder of the groove giving it more spin and durability while remaining soft like S20C forged Japanese steel. In the U.S many in the golf industry say V groove but the edges up close are not like a V but rather a double R or dual rounded edge.

They designed the 210KGX for more playability and spin stability. Stability + the 210's Hi-CG placement really helps compensate for the new groove ruling keeping the ball accurate and in play. It's slightly higher CG position was designed for the most stable high spin rate possible.  Epon also aggressively ground a good chunk off of the heel trailing edge enabling the player to open the face with minimum lift of the leading edge while amazingly allowing the wedge to keep its effective bounce.

Available in six different lofts from 50/10, 52/12, 54/12, 56/14, 58/11, and 60/11. Stock shafts are DGS200, KBS Tour Hi Rev125 and the NS950 Stiff. Custom shafts, finishes, and specifications can be ordered from TourSpecGolf.com.  To give you an idea about swing weight balance with S200 all lofts come out to D4 at their stock lengths. With the KBS Tour Hi-Rev 125 you get D3 and NSPro you get D2.

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At last the moment many Epon fans have been waiting for,  a new Fairway wood release!  We waited patiently for Epon to update the current AF-102 model,  don't get me wrong  it felt good and was basically produced like a mini driver it just wasnt that easy to hit off the deck when compared to other options on the market. 

Epon has been working on the all new AF-202 design for quite some time making sure it really did perform better than most and provided  quality and Substance!  The Epon AF202 was designed with a lot  more emphasis on forgiveness and distance.  They make this one like a mini driver which explains the higher price point, In fact it's made better than other brands actual drivers are too.

New Technology
To go over a little bit of what Epon has put into the new AF-202,  This full 4 piece Forged Titanium structure was fine tuned to providing maximum LEGAL COR, the forged titanium produces unrivaled feel and rebound off of the face.  The AF-102's  leading edge radius has been sharpened to the optimal roundness allowing the player to easily pick up the ball and create a higher and longer trajectory. The new leading edge design also adds to the forgiveness by allowing the head to make better contact with the ball.

Main Selling Points:
- Designed for more distance and forgiveness
- Larger crown area to give a more forgiving appearance
- Full 4 Piece Forged Titanium structure for the highest Legal C.O.R
- New design sharp leading edge radius

Epon is offering an HT version sold only in 15* lofts as well. It features an even more shallow face promising to be auto point and shoot for any decent player.  The standard spec is supposed to improve a lot on trajectory vs the AF-102 but the HT model of the 3 wood takes easy to hit to a whole new level.

The new AF-102 will be available by late April and will arrive in 15/HT, 15*, 18*, and 21* lofts. Standard lie angles are 58-59* and when coupled with the standard Mach Line  FW65 at around 43" you get a D2 swing weight. Please remember the head weights can be custom ordered up to +10 grams from it's original weight. To give you an idea of original head weights for the new 102 Fairway wood the #3/HT = 211, #3 = 212, #5 = 216, & #7 = 220 grams.

Checkout the stock images below. Epon AF-102 reviews and actual in hand images coming soon!

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2010 has been the best year in a long while for golfers searching for the perfect players iron or semi players design.  For a while it almost appeared that technology had maxed out in forged iron arena but when Epon released it's AF701 model just over a year ago everything changed...

The all new AF-502 like the AF-701 features a hot steel face attached to an S20C forged body.  Endo owns the patent on this technology and all OEM's that use it are required to pay a licensing fee. I'm not 100% sure but I think they have this patent for another several years before its free for other OEM's to take advantage of.   What this technology does for the player is expand the sweet spot over a much larger zone making poorly struck shots travel much further. It also incorporates hot spring steel which really cranks up the distance so be prepared for the increase, this was the most noted thing about the AF-701.  The downside to his face insert is the feel at impact it feels like a driver had a child with an Iron set. What Epon has done to fix that is fill the AF-502's hollow areas with a vibration dampening " Alpha Gel " making it soft and very rewarding when you make contact with the ball.

This year I have gone through a ton of different forged cavity backs.  Everything from the Yamaha Tour Model to the PRGR TR500 or the Epon AF-302, and more.  All very good irons but I figured it's about time I drop the ego and play something that is easier to hit. While golfing with Gocchin about a month ago he was kind enough to let me play his ONOFF backup set, they had a healthy portion of offset, a bigger profile and was no where near compact but to my surprise I could easily produce straight high shots that landed softly. This helped me realize that I don't need to have the most playeresque iron out there, I can handle a some offset, a thicker sole and top line in the name of forgiveness.

Click "Read More"to see stunning In-Hand images of the Custom AF-502 Irons by Epon...

I decided on the Crazy Longest Yard Iron Shaft. It's produced of 50 ton carbon and plays much lighter (77g ) than past graphite shafts I have had in Irons. It also spec's out much stiffer than other carbon shafts I have tried.  The stiff flex for this shaft plays to the same frequency as a DG S200 steel shaft. The 50T carbon really helps square the club head up at impact very quickly.  I decided on a single soft stepping of the shafts.  I really hope my experiment works out as these shafts run almost 250.00 a piece! combine that with the price of the 502's + Custom Finish and I'm look at a very expensive trial.

It's been a long time since I have had graphite in Irons, The Miura MB5003's with Roddio I-10s were the last set I gamed with carbon shafts.  The graphite gave the Miura muscle back extra added distance, It also allowed me to swing at a more controlled pace. I feel like mis struck hits did not vibrate as harshly up the hands and overall it was just a good solid performing experience.  That has me excited about my new irons, instead of going muscle back im going semi players cavity back. Instead of the pure feel of a blade I am giving an advanced CB technology a try. It should be interesting stay tuned.

I have a couple of rounds scheduled this week with lots of Demo club's to hit. Expect some reviews coming soon with my input as well as our top tester "Tatsuro" who is back in town and will be testing with me. Should be good to get feedback from two very different levels of players.

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In the last several months Epon Golf has revealed 3 new drivers with the most recent being the AF-102 set to release this month. With all three drivers in my possession I felt like It was my duty to test, compare, and submit my honest opinion to the readers of GolfToImpress & TourSpecGolf.

Ever since the Technity 460 Driver Epon has been known to produce quality above and beyond most other brands. They have a major advantage when it comes to knowledge of manufacturing as their parent company is ENDO mfg. which is arguably the most premium  and #1 golf equipment factory in the world located in Niigata Japan. Known for producing Japan's best forgings it is no surprise that they continue to improve and evolve their line Epon far beyond every one's expectations.

If your interested in reading about what I think of all three of the new Epon drivers and seeing comparison images of their face and crowns click "Read More" below...

I'm going to start with the new EM-S Driver. It's the predecessor to the Epon Monster Beetle aka EMB and a much improved version at that.  When comparing it to the EMB its not as large and obtrusive looking it's actually a design that I almost counted out because of the sound that the EM-B had.  Much to my surprise the EM-S doesn't sound anywhere as loud as the EMB and holds onto much of the forgiveness that the EMB had.

I have a medium trajectory ball flight and the face of the EM-S being shallow really helped me gain extra carry. I hate to say it but of the 3 drivers I will be comparing in this blog post this is the one I SHOULD be playing. Its a higher launching, low spin driver that is extremely forgiving on heel to toe shots. In fact I have not hit another driver that can produce straight long shots off the toe like this one can. Below I have some images of the face and top line.

A couple things did bother me though, I would have liked it not to have the metallic effect in the paint especially on the crown, its subtle and didn't bug me that much but still something I could do without. Another thing is the chrome face, I don't know if this is popular in Japan but most of our customers prefer a brushed metal face.  The last thing is the word "unconscious" on the very rear of the club, a nice EPON engraving would have done the job and I although it doesn't effect performance its not something I think the American golfer understands. I think what Epon means by using this word is that this driver is so damn easy to hit straight and long you dont have to think very much about your drive...

The next driver is the Epon AF-151, This one is something special for sure. It's another one that I should consider because it produces a medium/high trajectory and feels  so pure and far better than any Taylormade & Titleist drivers.

It's produced with Forged Titanium from Japan and it fit's a wide array of golfer from higher handicaps to low.  It's forgiving with a semi deep head and also has a design that expands the sweet spot near the heel side of the face.  Mid handicappers usually miss high, low, and toward the heel.  In my opinion the AF-151's best asset is that you simply won't find another driver that feels this pure with as much forgiveness from any other OEM. With drivers you usually sacrifice one for the other.

Like the EM-S it's 460 cc's and if money is no object to you we definitely suggest it with the Quadra FireExpress 65 80 ton carbon shaft. This is the setup I hit and it produced some of the longest drives of my life. I'm no big hitter by any means but this combo is crazy long. My drives are usually in the 240-250 range and with the FireExpress 65 I added a good 30 yards in distance with this combo.

I don't have any gripes with this driver, liked everything about it. Maybe I would enjoy if the sole wasn't chrome but at this point I am nit picking.

Have a look at the profile pics below...

Last in the line up is the soon to be released Epon AF-102 Driver.   Epon is dishing this beauty out with a great stock shaft, well maybe not exactly stock It's the Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6 or DI-7. It serves as a killer setup right out of the box. I selected a 10.5 with an SR flex DI-6 as my sample club and this driver is KING for any purist who desires a pear shape head and most importantly muted feel.  This driver head is all about distance and feel!

It's a 460cc head made of high intensity titanium alloy that is super precision forged at the Endo factory in Japan. It's got a deep face that produces a mid trajectory. Epon claims it has a persimmon like feel be using head deflection and a tapered face thickness. I don't really agree with the persimmon analogy but it is hand's down the best feeling 460cc driver ever to be produced in my opinion.

It's very long, It feels amazing, and it has a design and setup that is simple elegance. I have no gripes about this driver, If your a good player who desires these things It's a MUST HAVE!

Of all three drivers the AF-102 is the one I shouldn't be playing, my game is better off with a higher trajectory that is a bit longer heel to toe. Well who cares! I'm addicted to the feel and shape and am about to order the highest hand picked loft that Epon can possibly find then tune it with the highest launching shaft I can find.

Thanks for reading! I took all these images from the same point and distance so that you can get an accurate idea of their differences. I didn't get into much of the tech talk or their marketing points for it because It all comes down to telling it how it is.

All 3 drivers are really solid, Epon doesn't produce anything that is not quality and not designed well. Now they just need to switch up the wedge and fairway wood for the complete and ultimate line up.