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ONOFF is about to release their all new 2012 lineup and the first club I'll look at today is the new ONOFF Iron or as some call it the RED Model. In the past, ONOFF was divided into two lines, the RED line aimed at the average golfer and the BLACK line aimed at the athlete golfer. While ONOFF has done away with the red and black they still separate their models with similar targets. The ONOFF Iron compliments the Type-D line which is now the name of the line that is made for ease of use and max performance.

The ONOFF Iron has year in year out been a top performer and pick of the average golfer looking to gain more distance and simply enjoy golf with an easy to use iron. It's also a favorite of users here at TSG. As I had mentioned in my post the other day, I felt like the previous 3 generations, the 2006, 2008 and 2010 models were all too similar with only minor tweaks cosmetically and design wise. However when I first laid eyes on the 2012 model at their product launch in Tokyo I was very impressed with its new look.  In my opinion its a much better looking iron that previous models and its overall materials, and design have changed as well, all for the better.  Gone is the big red ONOFF logo, replaced with a much more subtle color scheme and brushed satin cavity area. ONOFF has come through this year with some very good looking clubs and the Iron is a bit part of that new look.

The ONOFF Iron is a stainless steel iron and ONOFF decided to use a newly developed ST22 soft stainless steel to improve the irons feel. Typically most JDM manufacturers will not offer loft or lie adjustments with any stainless models but with the softer material, ONOFF will now do 1 degree changes for loft and lie on the ONOFF Iron.  Like previous models, the ONOFF Iron sports a huge tunstgen weighted sole. The 2012 model features a whopping 78g of sole weight (5 iron) which is their heaviest yet. The weight is distributed towards the back of the cavity and towards the heel and toe for increased MOI and an easy launch. The sole of the ONOFF Iron is wide enough to prevent digging thanks to its leading edge relief but not overly wide to the point where it is bulky.

I found the previous 2010 model face profile to be quite rounded and a tad on the large side. The 2012 model is much more eye pleasing face on. As you can see in the picture I took above, I overlayed an image of the variable thickness maraging cup face. The face features 4 areas all quite think except for a ribbed Y area which is 2.5mm. This design creates a larger sweet spot with more spring effect and higher initial ball speeds. It minimizes distance loss and maintains an optimal launch even on strikes off center. It also promotes very good feel and I have to admit I am liking the feel of maraging more and more whether it be in irons like these or fairway woods and utilities as well.

At address the new ONOFF Iron has obvious offset but this is common in more average golfer models to help square the face at impact. It's not bad looking by any means. The top line is not overly thick or rounded so its actually quite eye pleasing and confident inspiring at the same time. This is one easy iron to hit. The ball launches very easily and distance is superb. Strong lofts and big carry type trajectories will help those in need of more distance get it. I'll have to say again, I really like the feel. The face feels hot and springy yet rather soft thanks to the thin maraging L cup. The ONOFF Iron is not meant to be a workable iron nor does it pretend to be. It is a performance iron made for ease of use and it excels in that role. The ONOFF Iron comes with both graphite shafts ranging from R2 (54g) to R (58g) and S (63g). ONOFF makes very good graphite shafts (they design and produce their own), so those wanting a light weight iron can go for the graphite shafts for even more feel and distance.  The graphite shafts have dual kick points too, mid and high, which will keep the trajectory from ballooning. The other option is Nippon NS Pro steel in either 850Gh Regular or 950GH Stiff which will suit the slightly stronger player and faster swinger. (Roddio is an option as well from their Labospec division) The iron picks the ball off any lie and gives it a great launch. My bad shot is hitting it fat and when I do I try and adjust and hit it thin out of fear of hitting it fat or incorrect swing adjustments. The sole of the new ONOFF iron was very good and I was able to make good contact on every shot.

Whenever I test an iron as good as the ONOFF, I am tempted to change to it. It looks good, is well designed, feels good and most of all its darn easy to use. Golf is a hard game, we all sometimes forget, equipment should make the gamer easier not harder. If you want more distance in a high quality, great feeling iron, the ONOFF Iron should be near or at the top of your list. If you are a high handicapper or an average golfer looking to get better, the 2012 ONOFF Iron will help you on your way.

We'll have the entire new ONOFF line in the pro shop in coming weeks. If you need help choosing or advice on the ONOFF or any other model, please feel free to contact us as always.

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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Crazy has provided me with official info on the new Target Tour Steel shafts from their new Crazy Sports line. There will be two different finishes as well as two different weights for irons and wedges. I had thought that Crazy was using some sort of steel and carbon mix however it turns out that Crazy is using a proprietary technique derived from ancient Japanese sword making to control the hardness and shape of each Target Tour steel shaft.  By controlling the hardness via high frequency heat, Crazy actually stops short of completely hardening the shaft. Like a Japanese Katana/sword, it gives the shaft the proper flexibility yet firmness for optimal feel and performance.  Crazy has designed the Target Tours to have the consistency of steel but the playability and feel of carbon. This tedious process involves much more work for each individual shaft but at the same time gives each shaft much more attention to detail, thus more consistent performance.

All mid kicking Target Tours are taper tip 0.355" and will be available in two finishes, a standard silver finish and an upgraded dark chrome finish. The Tour 120 is a 123g and available in Stiff/Regular, Stiff, and X-Stiff. There is also a Tour Lite 105 is 106g with Regular or Stiff Flexes. The Target Tour 120 is for the faster and stronger player wanting a stable mid trajectory ball and a shaft with good feel and consistency. The Target Tour 105 is for the slightly slower swinger who wants a slightly higher launch and the feel of carbon in a a 100g+ steel shaft.

There are two Target Tour Wedge shafts, the Tour Wedge 120 or 121g Wedge Flex or Tour Wedge 110 which are 111g wedge flex.

Pricing is as follows for the shafts, any model in Silver Finish is 120.00 per shaft (MSRP 140.00), while Dark Chrome Finish models are 150.00 (MSRP 170.00) per shaft.  We are taking pre orders now so contact us if you would like to reserve a set.

UPDATE: Clarified a few things with Crazy. All shafts are 0.355" taper tips. Butt size is 15.25mm or 0.600". The Target Tours are all mid kick. There was some confusion with the color, the silver looking finish is actually the standard finish and the darker Dark Chrome Finish is the more expensive finish.

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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Back at the end of November I received the new PRGR iD lineup for some demo time. I did write a couple of reviews on the blog for the drivers and woods and I kind of put the irons on the back burner. I figured since 2011 is no here and the irons are now available I'd take the time to give some brief feedback. iD stands for Inspiration and Data and is broken down into  lines, the athlete model iD435 line and the average golfer model iD455 line. iD brings together two key aspects of top performance golf clubs. "i" is for Inspiration that is from all golfers who want to hit it further, straighter and take it to the next level. "D" is for Data or the technical aspect of the club designs based on data collected by PRGR over the years on players of all levels.

Nickel-chromium-molybdenum Face

The new iD435 Forged iron is fits on the control side of the new iD fitting chart made for the better golfer who wants forged feel and workability. This Endo forged iron features a premium soft S20C body matched with a SAE8655 (Nickel-chromium-molybdenum) alloy face making it another one of those tradition bucking hybrid forged irons. This triple alloy face is stronger and more durable than S20C but is hardened to a similar softness. Because it can be produced thinner, the SAE8655 face creates a hotter feel at impact as well as less weight allowing for PRGR to place weight lower in the sole area. PRGR decided on a 20.5mm CG height across all iron lofts. As the lofts get weaker this means that the CG point is actually higher up on the iron face. From their data, PRGR concluded that a similar CG line across the set allows the player to make the same swing with every iron and produce more consistent sweet spot striking.

Pocket Cavity with some offset...

The iD435 Forged does have a touch of offset, probably more than most athlete golfers might want, but it seems again that PRGR has decided that one cannot have enough forgiveness no matter what their handicaps is so they've incorporated not only a touch more offset but also a rounded sole with a lot of leading edge and trailing edge relief. They have also decided to release their smaller athlete cavity back with yet another pocket cavity design. These days more and more better player irons seem to feature pocket cavities. In the past the concern was that pocket cavities created too much of a clicky feel at impact but I've found that designs have evolved with many of the smaller cavity backs using much smaller and shallower pockets than the larger pocket cavities of the past. This is resulting in much less noticeable click at impact and maintaining the pure feel. The iD435 pocket actually shrinks in size as the irons get shorter which again allow the short irons to focus more on control.

As a mid handicapper, the slight offset doesn't really bother me and probably aids me in squaring the face at impact but standing over the iD435 Forged at address, I can't help but think there will be those better players who will write off this iron because of the slight offset. My tester 7 iron came with M-43 Spec Steel III PRGR shafts. I've always found these to be pretty high quality stock steel shafts which feel and play a lot like Nippon NS Pro.  When irons have a progressive design like the iD435 does with constant CG height and shrinking pocket cavity, I always wish I had a whole set to test as a single 7 iron doesn't necessarily represent how a long iron will play with the bigger pocket cavity vs say the PW with a much smaller pocket cavity for feel. Nevertheless the 7 iron provided very good feel with minimal if any clicking (this is subjective of course) and the ball was very easy to get up in the air.

All Around Iron...

Lofts are medium strong with a 26* 5 iron spec and this 7 iron performed well at getting the ball in the air with good carry and reasonable spin (yes new grooves of course) on landing. With a steel shaft and 32* 7 iron loft I was hitting the club around 145 ish which is shorter than my average of 150-155y with strong lofted irons and graphite that I typically use. That is certainly acceptable as the iD435 is not meant to be a distance performer but rather an all around iron with feel, ease of use aspects and control all for the better golfer. The forgiveness is definitely enough for a good ball striking mid capper to play. While the id435 certainly possessed "ease of use" the club was workable as well with soft draws or cut fades. When it comes to forgiveness and target audience, admittedly this happened when PRGR first released their GN502 line a few years ago and had a standard GN502 model for the average golfer and a GN502 Forged for the athlete and better player. It turned out the GN502 Forged could pretty much be played by everyone as it was that forgiving and the iD435 Forged fits that same mold again.

In my opinion it could be a trend similar to ONOFF where models have shifted more in favor of the average golfer which is of course the biggest target audience in Japan. The average golfer models have become even more forgiving than ever (like the id455 Iron pictured above with the iD435.. yes its bigger too) and now with many athlete models sharing similar aspects of forgiveness. In the end I'd recommend the iD435 for the better player wanting more forgiveness and ease of use or the mid capper/improving player wanting to move to a forgiving forged iron. Golfers wanting a true player's cavity are better off looking at Tourstage and their X-Blade line. Look for all the new PRGR iD clubs in the TSG Pro Shop 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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Taylormade always offers quite a nice balance of irons between the athlete golfer and the average golfer segments.  In the summer TM Japan announced their new R9 Supermax lineup, clubs that focused on max performance and distance.  The R9 Supermax is for the average golfer looking for ease of use and distance performance.

The R9 Supermax Iron features long and mid irons with a 2 piece undercut cavity design and shorter irons in a 1 piece design with no undercut. The long irons feature a 17-4 body and a custom 455 face while the 8 to wedges are all 17-4 SS.  The irons do have some offset especially in the longer irons which becomes progressively less as the irons get shorter. The lofts are ultra strong with a 23* 5 iron again showing a big focus on distance.  This is not a tradition undercut in that it has an open pocket cavity. It is in fact a hollow cavity and face filled with foam and a plug behind the sweet area of the face. These features are used to create vibration dampening and soften the feel at impact. The back cavity is pretty good looking and does feature TM's inverted cone technology.

Back when the lineup was first announced I called the Supermax iron mid sized. Now that I've received the Supermax clubs from TM for testing I realize that I was visually fooled into calling them mid sized, and that's a good thing. One of the biggest complaints about higher handicapper or so called game improvement irons is usually their bulky size and enlarged dimensions and offset creating an awkward balance and appearance at address. The shovel appearance of game improvement irons is often enhanced by a huge goose neck or in simple terms too much offset. The new R9 Supermax iron is NOT like this at all.

I realize now that when I looked at initial pictures the Supermax iron, the pictures gave the illusion of a smaller head thanks to having less offset and very balanced dimensions. Even when I first pulled the iron out of the box I said hmmmm size is not bad. But when I put it side by side with Epon's AF-502, a more mid sized cavity the R9 Supermax was indeed bigger all around. The key here is that the R9 Supermax is very proportional. The offset is in fact very similar to the Epon if not less even! Because of this the head on it's own doesn't look large at all. For the average golfer who still wants maximum forgiveness and class leading distance but not a huge chunky look this is a huge plus. As you can see from the picture with a ball at address, the Supermax iron looks pretty good compared to most average golfer higher handicap models. Definitely prettier than the Burner Superlaunch.

On to performance. As I mentioned the lofts are very strong on the Supermax. We're talking a 23* 5 iron and 43* PW. This iron is made to hit it high and long. An easy swing launches the ball in the air and it just carries. I brought along my Yamaha V Forged 7 iron (32*) to test along with the Supermax 7 iron (29*) and the Supermax was higher launch and longer by a good 10 yards which is about right for that 3* loft difference. This means the slower swinger does not have to go to a longer harder to hit iron to achieve the same distance.

While the Supermax obviously has the V Forged beat in distance, it won't be rivaling a one piece forged iron in feel anytime soon.  Feel is subjective and some players might like the slightly more deadened feel especially those with aching joints and those who don't strike the sweet spot consistently. The foamed and plugged cavity of the R9 Supermax dampens vibrations well and off center hits don't rattle the hands. Miss hits also don't lose much in distance.  The face is on the larger side and the sweet spot appears pretty big. It's especially longer heel to toe which is very helpful for the average golfer which misses side to side towards the toe or heel. The CG is placed low so those who pick the ball can still catch the ball low on the face and have good success.

The sole of the Supermax iron features a blunt leading edge with trailing edge relief. It's not a super wide sole by any means but is bigger than a mid sized cavity as you can see with the side by side picture with the AF-502 (Epon on the left). The R9 Supermax sole is also two tone in finish. At first appearance one might think it has a tungsten sole but on further inspection it's just a different finish for aesthetic purposes.

The R9 Supermax is an automatic iron made to go straight and far. Attempts from me to draw the ball sometimes resulted in pulls, but that's probably just me. This iron is best with an easy swing as it simply wants to go straight. Lately, manufacturers have been sending me both steel and graphite demos to test. This iron excels with the Motore Supermax graphite. It's a small upgrade over steel but you get a considerably lighter iron(-45g) and you don't lose much in stability but you do gain feel and distance.  The graphite shafts launched even higher and carried even more than the standard NS Pro 950GH.

I'd recommend this iron to Taylormade fans who are still improving at golfing or those who want automatic style distance. It's reasonably good looking and provides enough confidence at address without looking huge.  Far and straight, isn't that what we all want? You can check out the conforming grooves R9 Supermax here 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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Since the Titleist VG3 irons were announced earlier this summer and since their release at the end of August, I've talked about the iron many times on the blog as its performance has been a hot topic here in Japan. Two months later, nothing has changed as it is  still the most in demand iron in Japan surpassing the summer's big seller the Ping Anser Forged.

All Around Performer...

I have to admit after demoing the VG3 iron for a couple of weeks, that it lives up to the hype. Most publications in Japan including Golf Digest, Golf Today, Waggle and others have given the VG3 stellar reviews and all around top ratings.  Looks, design, feel and performance all are top notch. After completing my iron shootout, I immediately contacted our Titleist rep asking for a set of irons for myself and was very disappointed to find out that October's allotment of VG3 irons has been sold out all across Japan!  The next batch is available in November. This must be the first time I haven't been able to get an iron I want and honestly it makes me want them even more!  The funny thing is I always tell everyone to pre-order and I didn't even do so myself... duh?!? Luckily my bag contains the Yamaha V Forged iron to hold me over while I wait.

Carefully thought out...

There are so many things that make the VG3 a wonderful iron that could satisfy any golfer. The VG3 would be my first Titleist iron ever as in the past I never really considered the brand. In Japan, it has always had the reputation of being an athlete level club especially the drivers and irons. Titleist USA worked together with Titleist Japan in their first ever joint venture to design the VG3 clubs for the Japanese market. They did not rush their efforts and took over a year just tinkering with design and testing, making sure it would satisfy not only the athlete golfer but also Japan's largest segment of golfers the average golfer (like myself).  For those who missed it this video shows some of the history behind the first VG3 club the VG3 driver, which all of the testing was actually done in the US (video is in Japanese though there are parts in English from Dan Stone, VP of Club R&D).

Variable sole weighting...

One of the key features on the VG3 iron is the variable weighting on the sole. VG3 stands for variable gravity design. On the driver there were 3 varying gravity design models varying between the 9 10 and 11* lofts. On the irons its the same 3 tier design with the long irons featuring dual tungsten weighting embedded in both the toe and heel in the sole of iron while the mid irons feature a single tungsten weight in the center of the sole.  The 3rd variable gravity design is the short irons where there is no tungsten at all.  This variable gravity design alters the trajectory by changing the CG on each iron. The dual tungsten on the long irons increases forgiveness and MOI while dropping the CG low for big carry and distance ball. The mid irons with a single tungsten weight allow for a higher ball to attack the green from a distance. The short irons with no weights have a higher CG point lowering the trajectory for a stable controlled shot and that touch around the greens.

Great looks and design...

Another aspect of the VG3 which stands out a lot is of course the irons looks. Not only the beautiful design and back cavity but the way the iron sets up. For a strong lofted iron the offset is considered less however where the design aspect actually takes place is the way Titleist shaped the heads. The long irons feature a very straight and sharp top line designed to create an image of going straight when lining up with the ball. The mid irons have a slightly curved topline and head shape for more workability and ball movement and the short irons are curved more like a wedge for control and pin point ball movement. You'll see more of this in the videos I post below.

Feel and ease of use...

The strongest points of the VG3 are probably feel from the Endo forged S20C head and ease of use thanks to what Titleist calls a pre-worn sole or a sole already designed to produce more clean impact thanks to its ability to move through the turf. So the VG3 excels in looks, design, feel, distance and ease of use. The one thing I wonder is how better players will adjust to the stronger lofts and more point and shoot nature of the VG3 Forged. The mid and short irons are certainly workable but the lofts are strong and will still provide more distance than some better players are used to. For example the PW is 44*, and this alone will force some players to alter their wedge lineup as those who carry a 52* may find the gap of 8* too large.

Update: Larger address picture. Offset amount is just right... beautiful flow from neck to head.

Custom Options...

Those who have purchased the VG3 Iron from us have all been different levels of golfers, from average golfers to single digit players and slower swingers to fast heavy steel players. Luckily Titleist offers custom orders for the VG3 including lie and length changes as well as custom shafts like PX, KBS Tour, DG, DG HL, DG SL, and even lighter weight steel like NS Pro 750GH Wraptech.  Some of the better players have told me that heavier shafts have brought the ball flight down for them and were happy in moving from the AP2 to the VG3 even with the stronger lofts of the VG3.  So like everyone else I have to wait for my set. If you want one I'd recommend ordering soon and waiting. After all good things come to those who wait!

Titleist Promo Videos...

In the mean time I've got 3 promo videos from Titleist Japan for the VG3 Forged. They are of course in Japanese but I'm sure you'll enjoy them anyway. They touch base on a lot of the points I noted and you get to see Titleist Japan Pro Nobuo Serizawa hit the irons. He's the guy who helped design the driver and the irons and is a top pro on the Japan Senior tour (and of course was a top pro on the JPGA men's tour as well).

Titleist VG3 Iron Part 1: Feel

Titleist VG3 Iron Part 2: Weighting and trajectory

Titleist VG3 Iron Part 3: Topline and performance

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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In the last 2 years, PRGR's EGG irons have garnered tons of press as being the easiest and most forgiving average golfer irons on the market. Maruman Golf released the Mega Shuttle i3000x Iron, a similar hybrid style iron boasting similar performance and ease of use. So far magazines have chosen both as being the easiest, highest launching, longest distance irons in Japan.

So how does this new Mega Shuttle iron feel and perform? Let's take a look first at some of the features of the i3000x before getting on to my testing with a demo 7 iron.

Click here to Read More of the Maruman Shuttle i3000x Review!

All Maraging and tungsten design...

The i3000x is plasma welded from 2 kinds of maraging steel, Maraging 200 for the body and Maruman's Toughest Maraging  771 for the face. The hybrid style i3000x has a wide sole and boasts the highest MOI of any iron in golf at over 3000g/cm2 and the largest gravity angle of any iron at 19.6* (the larger the gravity angle, the faster the face squares up at impact avoiding an open face and pushes and slices). The huge and deep cavity back (as you can see from the picture on the top right) and wide all tungsten sole allow the CG to be placed at 8.93mm deep, 218% deeper than a conventional iron making it unbelievably easy to get the ball in the air for high launch and max carry.

Lightweight and strong lofts for distance...

The i3000x is also features lighter weight and longer club lengths with very strong lofts (25* 6 iron) meaning a regular flex player who swings 90mph or less can hit their i3000x 7 iron 160+ yards!  These are very similar specs and numbers to PRGR's EGG II irons.  The wide tungsten sole is supposed to reduce digging and fat shots and the gravity angle and offset make this iron very hard to slice. The Mega Shuttle are available only with graphite shafts specifically designed for the i3000x providing smooth feel and kick. Maruman touts the i3000x as the ultimate average golfer iron for those looking for distance and ease of use.

Modern looks and design....

So what did I think of the i3000x? At first glance, it is easily mistaken for a hybrid. It is bigger, thicker, wider than any iron in the Japanese market save the PRGR EGG II and even at that, the i3000x seems bigger than the EGG because it sports a larger face. It is true to it's Shuttle name in that it is like a space shuttle, sleek and advanced looking. Yes sleek even for a bigger iron as the black IP finish and subtle design points make the iron look very high tech.  This iron is definitely not for every one visually. Some may find it simply too large, but others will find comfort in it's ability to imposingly frame a golf ball, with that can't miss aura.

You can't hit this fat....

The Shuttle i3000x is very easy to hit. I have a steep downswing and I can occasionally hit fat shots so my first inclination was to see how this iron would react to digging and a steep down blow. I am happy to say these irons are very difficult to hit fat or dig,  they slice through the grass easily even with a steep angle of attack thanks to the wide sole, blunt leading edge. The sole is in fact a dual level sole meaning the front half or about 60% of the sole is lower than the back of the sole creating essentially a huge amount of trailing edge relief for easy ground clearance. A forgiving grind allows a player to make more pure contact with the ball and that's exactly what the i3000x sole does. Another thing to note is that unlike the PRGR EGG irons the i3000x sole gets wider as the irons get shorter.

Unique feel and very forgiving....

The face area of the i3000x is on the large side and due to its huge under cut cavity is very forgiving all across the face.  If you look at the picture on the right you can see it has an interesting non traditional shape unlike other irons (it's actually more egg shaped than the EGG!). It is shallow and long from toe to heel and rounded. An all maraging iron as quite an interesting feel to it. It's almost a cross between forged and titanium faced irons,  soft but with a click or tink to it almost at impact. Purists and traditionalists may not like it as its definitely a feel and sound that takes getting used to. Average golfers probably won't care as the amount of forgiveness and the distance achieved will easily out weigh the different feel. Please note I'm not saying it is bad feeling. I'm saying it is different feeling. I play all kinds of irons, and I kind of liked the feel.

High launch - big carry...

Now here is the good part (besides being ultra easy to hit), these irons launch high and long easily. With the strong lofts, graphite shafts and hot maraging face, thes i3000x creates tremendous distance.  Using Stiff/Regular graphite I could hit the 7 iron 165 - 170 yards (more than a full club longer than my XXIO).  The i3000x is meant to launch high and carry so it will excel for those with slower swing speeds or have trouble getting a ball in the air. Because of the strong lofts and strong distance the i3000x actually feature a 10 iron between the 9 iron and PW to properly fill the gap (otherwise the PW would be a 130-135y 41* club for most average golfers but instead that is the 10 iron)

It has it's niche...

So for the average to beginner golfer looking for the easiest set of irons to use and maximum distance, the i3000x is a great non traditional choice. Along with the PRGR EGG II, there are probably no easier irons to hit high and far. The Shuttle i3000x features modern looks, interesting feel and top notch materials. However, because of the materials and design the negative is the price which is quite a bit higher than typical cast or forged irons. For me its a toss up between the PRGR and Maruman, you can't go wrong with either if you want high launch distance in a very easy to use hybrid style package.

The i3000x are in the pro shop here and you can check out the pics I took below.

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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(Callaway Legacy Forged Iron and Odyssey Tri Hot iX #3 - Pic of the day - thanks to GDO)

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 were lucky enough to get a chance to try the new Ping Anser Forged iron at the Japan Golf Fair yesterday. The Anser Forged is slated for an April release here in Japan and features a sharp toe and straighter toe matched with a premium forged 8620 Carbon Steel body (this is a correction as I mistakenly said S25C earlier, 8620 Carbon is used in Adams Idea Pro Forged irons for example) and Tungsten Sole.

Ping fans are surely excited about a forged offering and they have every right to be as we hit the forged Anser and it is soft and easy to hit. The sole of the cavity which is hollow allows the weight to be pushed low with the heavy tungsten sole making for an easy and forgiving launch.  The Anser Forged back cavity features a thicker sweet spot area for a pure feel. Look for the Ping Anser Forged to be available soon for pre -order at TSG!

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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I was lucky enough to have Nike Japan send me a demo for their new Japan Only 2010 Machspeed Forged Iron. I'll be honest that I have had a mixed opinion when it came to Nike designs in recent years and when I saw the Machspeed line back in October I felt the irons might be a bit too high tech for my liking but when I got the Machspeed Forged I changed my mind.

Another Japan Only Iron...

The new Machspeed Forged Iron was designed by Nike exclusively for the Japanese market. Nike wanted to create an iron based on the demands of the Japanese average golfer for an easy to used premium forged iron. The Machspeed features a soft S20C body with a laser welded Asroll SUP10 face. The face is 3 times stronger than soft forged steel so it can be made thinner for high rebound and great distance performance. Nike wanted to use precision laser welding to ensure minimal distance loss on mis hits creating maximum forgiveness. There is a rather large and deep pocket cavity

Sharp lines with a compact face...

When I first saw the pictures I thought the iron would be on the larger side with a wide sole and thick topline. After getting the iron today, I'd have to say it actually has a rather compact face along the lines of the Callaway Legacy Forged and actually features strong and sharp lines with a boxier toe. The face of the iron looks very good. Head size wise I would say the top line and sole as well as amount of offset are typical average golfer mid sized cavity back.

With its large pocket cavity this is definitely designed to be a forgiving mid sized forged cavity back and is meant to go head to head with the likes of the Legacy Forged and the Burner Forged. This type of CB in Japan really appeals to a large audience. It is forgiving enough for the average mid capper who wants to play a forged iron but also can perform enough to meet the demands of a better golfer looking for some forgiveness. The cavity design allows for the CG to be placed low in the head to create high launch and soft landing.

Nike Bassara shaft...

The new Machspeed Forged is available with two standard shaft options from Nike Japan, the NS Pro 950GH HT steel shaft or the SQ610i graphite shaft, a  Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara shaft made especially for Nike. The demo in my possession has the Nike SQ610i graphite and it complements the forged head well. More and more average golfer forged CB's in Japan are available with standard graphite these days and I think its a good move. Graphite is smooth and more forgiving than steel and suits the majority of the average golfers out there who are not power swingers or hard hitters. The graphite shaft is rather stable but feels better than steel on mis hits and provides more distance with its lighter weight and more obvious kick. The higher torque (than steel) help the club face square at impact.

I have to admit I kind of like the way this iron looks and feels. It has a slightly thicker sole and top line (but by no means large as you can see in the pictures) which provides confidence at address but the face is still on the more compact side which still requires the player to concentrate on making good pure contact. This kind of design is great for the improving average golfer as it provides enough challenge and forgiveness to really improve ones game. The average width sole provides forgiveness and versatility in most lies with a nice blunt leading edge.

There is a subtle click...

Feel is very good, the forged body and SUP10 face provide very soft feel even on mis hits thanks to the pocket cacity. There is a subtle click which is less evident on pured shots but the sound is very acceptable. As advertised trajectory is high with lots of carry and comes down soft. Unfortunately I only have a 5 iron demo though I would have loved to test some short irons to see how they stick on the green.

I hit the Machspeed Forged side by side with other irons I have on hand (including ONOFF Red, XXIO 2010 Iron, AF-502, AF-302, Burner TP, TR500 Forged) and they were at least as forgiving as more average golfer non forged models like the ONOFF and XXIO. The click of the face at impact was probably closer to that of the Burner TP and feel was similar to the AF-502. This iron has a bit of everything as Nike designed it to be. It has been a while since Nike has had a mainstream average golfer iron that can go head to head with the other big brands.

An Endo product?

Now I know everyone will ask, where is this forged and made? Nike is not shy when it comes to where their clubs are made as there is a sticker right on the shaft saying where each part of the club was made. As many know, Nike used to be a very big Endo client and did many of its forgings as well as their SQ drivers at Endo. They have since moved most of their production to China to save costs however with the Machspeed Forged being a Japan only product my guess is that it is forged by Endo at their Thailand plant (the sticker says head made in Thailand). Endo is one of the few forging houses capable of producing high tech mutli piece multi material irons especially with the precision laser welding.  The Bassara shaft is made in China which probably tells me that this is not the same as their standard Bassara iron shaft that is made in Japan but most likely a tuned down version material wise. The entire club is assembled in Thailand (which makes me think Endo even more as Endo is doing a lot of assembly in Thailand to save costs).

Nice entry in the average golfer market...

The bottom line is that this is a very good effort by Nike to provide an automatic easy to use forged cavity back for the average golfer. It has good looks, good feel and nice distance performance and forgiveness.  There are many loyal Nike users in Japan and this may be one of their best offerings yet. Look for the pre order in our pro shop this week.

Here are the pictures I took!

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 its been a month since the new 2010 Taylormade Japan Burner TP Iron was released and demand is still through the roof for this iron. Taylormade is having trouble keeping up with orders and they can't produce enough sets fast enough. After receiving demos for testing I can see why. I had initially reported a few weeks ago on how good the Burner TP Irons felt on impact and at this point my opinion remains the same. In my opinion this is definitely the best cast iron Taylormade has ever made looks wise and feel wise. Style wise it is nearly on par with two other Taylormade Japan top sales models, the original r7 Forged and the new Burner Forged.

Unlike the r7 Forged and Burner Forged, the Burner TP as we all know is cast but on pure hits it sure feels forged. The soft cast 17-4 Stainless Steel produces butter like feel in a small and compact head. The thin top line and minimal offset is sure to satisfy many a low handicapper. Average golfers or medium handicappers even will aspire to play this iron especially with the Tour AD Prototype Graphite which seems to make the Burner TP feel even more smooth.

The first batch of TP Irons sold out even before release through pre orders in Japan alone.  Since then, sets have been available periodically from TM with current availability being only NS Pro 950GH Regular. Every other shaft, including the 950GH Stiff, S200 and Prototype AD-75 Regular and Stiff are back ordered until sometime in February.  So those who have ordered or plan on ordering we thank you for your patience. If you prefer to check with us first on stock before ordering please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

In the meantime here are better pictures as I promised!

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.

 EMAIL

PRGR has put out some great irons in the past like wonderfully forged 900MD and 500bl athlete models, and while their GN502 line has moved to capture a large share of the average golfer market, they haven't had a stand out forged iron for the athlete golfer in a while. This February, PRGR or Pro Gear, the golf division of Yokohama Rubber is putting not one but two awesome looking forged irons for the better golfer. Along with the top model GN502 Tour Forged iron, PRGR is releasing a limited edition (1000 sets for all of Japan) TR500 Forged Iron.

One of a kind cavity/muscle...

The new TR500 Forged is focused on feel and performance and is made from premium S20C steel and forged at Endo. While PRGR talks about the TR500 using the term Muscle Back, it is in fact like a hybrid cavity that sets up like a blade. The Cavity features a thicker mid section and an intricately milled double bar section in the back that increases feel and stability. This one very unique looking cavity back. When I first saw the pictures I was unsure how it would turn out but seeing the new TR500 Forged in person the iron is definitely very cool. The thinnest areas are the pockets towards the toe and heel keeping most of the meat or the muscle as PRGR refers to it, in the middle with the thickest area being behind the lower portion of the iron.

Higher boxier toe...

PRGR decided on a boxier or sharper toe that seems to be preferred by better players. As for the size of the head, when PRGR first announced both the GN502 Tour and TR500 Forged, I wasn't sure how they fit with each other especially when the GN502 Tour was the athelete/pro model. Now that I have the iron in person, I can see that the TR500 is more like a compact CB like the AF-901 or X-Blade 701G in size. The size of the head is more in  However, PRGR kept the offset at a minimal and use a thin top line and sole which gives it blade like characteristics.

Minimal offset...

With these design choices, the TR500 turns out to be a very good choice of iron for those low handicappers that prefer little offset and thin top line but would not mind some additional forgiveness in a slightly above compact sized head. The TR500 Forged  sets up very nicely at address with with its straight top line and straight neck. The grooves are of course USGA conforming for 2010 as most new athlete models are. They finish is typical Endo with an NiCr plating and satin face, top line, body and neck and a beads blasted inner cavity. Once again I repeat, this iron looks great.

Forgiving grind...

More evidence of the TR500 Forged's forgiveness is the sole of the iron which features a slightly rounded leading edge with relief and additional trailing edge relief. This makes the iron very versatile in semi rough to rough and well suited for Japan's lush fairways.

Crisp yet soft feel...

So how does this iron feel? The TR500 Forged produces a crisp yet soft feel which those who use the similarly S20C Forged Yamaha irons may be familiar with. The feel is very pure in the meat of the cavity and with the face being wider you do get some feedback on miss hits especially towards the toe. I tried this iron at the grass range and even with the harder winter grounds, it glides well through the turf making very pure contact. A good ball striking mid handicapper could play these irons with great success even though the primary audience is the low handicapper.  The CG placement on the iron flows throw the set at the exact same height which is 20mm height. What this means as lofts increase is that the CG point in fact moves in the iron higher as the irons get shorter resulting in more controlled and more spin with shorter irons.

The standard set is 4-PW unlike the typical 5-PW you see in most sets in Japan these days. Because the TR500 Forged is limited to only 1000 sets, there are only 2 shaft choices, Dynamic Gold S200 or PRGR Spec Steel II M-43 100g shaft.  The PRGR Steel shaft is for those wanting something slightly lighter weight and swing smoothly between 95 and 105mph. Harder hitters 100mph and above would most likely opt for the heavier S200 shaft for stability. This is definitely an iron for the better player who wants pure feel and control.

Ready to sell out...

Like the 2010 Yamaha Tour Model Irons which sold out even before release. The TR500 Forged is already generating a lot of buzz and MUST be pre-ordered in order to avoid disappointment. We've already been told by our PRGR Rep that most retailers will be even lucky to get ONE set. We are trying our best to arrange for 3-5 sets of this iron.  Official launch is end of this month.  Please contact us if you are interested in a set.

It was another beautiful day in Japan for 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.

 EMAIL

I was testing drivers on the launch monitor yesterday and had the chance to spend around fifteen minutes with the new 2010 Taylormade Burner TP irons. Unfortunately 15 minutes indoors hitting off a mat does not count for me as a review so I decided to write up this post as initial impressions. The demo I had was shafted with the very nice Shinobu Moromizato (top Taylormade Japan ladies pro) red color Graphite Design Tour AD Protoype iron shafts in stiff flex. These shafts are 78-79g especially made for Moromizato on tour. The grips are Golf Pride Taylormade New Decade Red grips, a cool combination with the shaft.

The iron is quite stunning in real life, small compact, thin top line and very little offset. It makes the R9 Japan (R9 TP in the US) look larger and rounder. The Burner TP has athletic sharper looking lines and is very pleasing to the eye at address. I actually did not expect the top line to be this thin after spending time with the R9 late last year. The smoked finish looks great with the red shaft.

Looks aside I know everyone wants to know how this iron feels. First let me say that I have NOT been a fan of TM cast irons in the past. I have preferred their forged models like the r7 Forged and the current Burner Forged, both which feel very soft. I m glad to report that pured shots with the Burner TP are indeed buttery soft for a soft cast iron. Though I do not usually play stiff flex, these shafts were a very smooth combo with the Burner TP. A easy relaxed swing produced very smooth feel and buttery pure contact and the type of soft sound on impact you typically get with a forged iron.  Though the Burner has a pocket  style cavity design, there is no click to it in my opinion.

While compact players irons like these are not usually forgiving for the average golfer, I was surprised I could hit these rather well. They are obviously not the most forgiving irons nor are they meant to be but they definitely did not feel terrible on mis hits low on the face or towards the heel or toe. I believe the shaft itself may have contributed a lot to the feel so I have to say props to TM Japan for actually offering the Burner TP with Shino-chan's prototype shafts.

Workability is very good with these irons as even I could hit a draw and fade with these irons which made me begin to think I should have these in the bag. (a draw for me was easier than a fade once again probably thanks to the graphite).  As my fifteen minutes passed and I got back to testing the new Legacy Tour drivers, I began to understand why demand for these Burner TP's have been so high.  Based on intial impressions they seem to be a pretty darn good iron... so who wants dibs on my set after I get it. (^_^)

Though the environment was different from the surroundings around my house that I usually use as a back drop, I did take some indoor pics because everyone loves 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.