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It was a fun but busy few days testing out all the demos from Yamaha. They ended up sending a total of 31 different clubs when in fact there were only 4 new drivers and 4 new irons as well as the 1 new D Power Spoon to test. For some reason they decided to send the clubs with their most popular shaft options so I in fact got about 3 or4 of each club with different shafts. This was in fact a good thing as I got to see not only how the new models performed but how they performed with each shaft. This also allowed me to get a few of the neighbors in on the testing since we all have different swing speeds and swing styles.

With so many clubs to give feedback on I thought I would group the clubs into two posts, one for irons and one for drivers.  Today I'll take a look at the 4 new 2012 Inpres X iron models, the V Forged Tour Model Limited, the  V Forged, the D Forged and from the new line at Yamaha, the Z Cavity. This whole Yamaha party started with photo taking mixed in with hitting the clubs all through Saturday and Sunday. Taking photos is tiring and a lot of work but quite fun and actually very educational. I actually spend the most time simply looking at each club and its design when taking pictures. When hitting the clubs we have we don't really look at the design or compare them to other models side by side. So spending the weekend alternating between photos and testing was a great way to really understand each irons design as well is how they perform.

As most of you probably already know from Yamaha models of the past or from reading the blog, the 4 models are designed to cover all bases when it comes to playing level. The V Forged Tour Model as you can imagine is for the pro and low handicapper while the standard V Forged is for the low handicapper and better/improving player. The D Forged is designed for the mid capper and average golfer while the new Z Cavity is really made for the average golfer and high handicapper.  Just by looking at how each iron sets up I pretty much agree with the designation of each irons intended target audience. The irons gradually progress from the Tour Model to the Z Cavity with increasing head size, including top line thickness, face heel to toe length and more offset. Of course for most better players based on address looks alone,  they are going to prefer the Tour Model or standard Forged. Those who lack confidence striking the irons and need more ease of use will feel at ease with the can't miss impression that the D Forged and Z Cavity convey. Lets take a closer look at each individual iron.

Every year, the V Forged Tour Model Limited Iron sells out within weeks. Only 1200 of these premium Endo forged S20c beauties are made and then quickly swept up acr0ss Japan. 1200 sets may sound like a lot but in a gear crazed market like Japan, even at its higher price, they go like hot cakes. That sometimes leaves us struggling to get enough sets for our own customers. Luckily this year we hit the pre orders much earlier than usual and quite a lot of customers thankfully have them pre ordered. When the V Forged Tour Model was first spotted in Hiroyuki Fujita's bag late this summer, many Yamaha fans hesitated to embrace its looks, myself included. The thing is Yamaha works hard to actually make the iron different from previous years models and of course better. Some of us loyal club addicts take time to embrace something different and the more I look at the Tour Model the more I lie it and see its design strengths.

As with previous years Tour Models, the 2012 is very sharp. It has a straight top line, the boxiest and highest toe of the 4 models and is of course the most compact with the least offset. While it technically is a small cavity some may mistake its design and look for a neo blade as the cavity runs quite thick and high, almost like a muscle. The extra meat is put there for a couple of reasons, one to raise the center of gravity higher for a more stable spin control type trajectory and of course for feel. Let's cut the technical blah blah here, the fact is the V Forged Tour Model is VERY soft at impact. In fact I smiled every time I struck it pure as I have not hit an iron this soft in a long time. And what amazed me the most was that I COULD strike it pure rather consistently. Its no secret that I am an average golfer with average ball striking skills but dare I say I hit the Tour Model as well if not better than even the average golfer D Forged and Z Cavity!

I did have the V Forged Tour Model shafted with its standard spec S200 shaft (which by the way is sold out - only custom specs are available now and even at that not for long). which I thought for sure would be too stiff and too heavy but the Tour Model was very cooperative and very straight with a manageable mid trajectory ball. An easy swing and impact right in the center of the face was very very rewarding, very soft but with that ball compressing sensation. So rewarding that I only felt the ball compressing and no vibrations most of the time. Perhaps my heavier and stiffer experiment was on the right track after all (see posts from earlier this Sept/Oct). The grind of a club has an influencing factor on feel and in the case of the Tour Model, the sole's killed leading edge and trailing edge relief really play a big part in taking the ball cleanly. It also allows you to manipulate the iron and hit high shots or low shots and work the face of the iron towards the taller toe. Spin is pretty good on the Tour Model and even on partial shots the new X Face Milling seem to bite and needed spin for stopping power. The fact I could make the tour model perform so well makes me wonder how good it would be in the hands of a more capable golfer. Good looks, design and amazing feel and control certainly are the strong points of the Tour Model. If there is anything to complain about is that its the shortest of the bunch when it comes to distance but that is completely understandable as the tour model is not a distance iron nor does it pretend to be. Now if only it weren't limited!

The Yamaha V Forged standard model is one of the most popular forged cavity backs in Japan every year. The Endo forged S20C iron simply is so balanced that almost anyone can consider playing it.  The V Forged fits between a small and medium sized cavity and has a little bit of offset with a slightly longer heel to toe compared to the Tour Model. The largest difference besides size, is the cavity design which is far lower and more weighted towards the exterior toe and heel for a higher launch, and more MOI/forgiveness.

Lofts are stronger which mean more distance as well and I think this is one of the big drawing factors for the midcapper and improving golfer who want to play a so called player's cavity that goes beyond just control and feel. I remember when I first gamed the standard V Forged a few years ago which was right after having the ONOFF Red and Legacy Forged in my bag, I right away thought I would lose distance. But on the contrary distance was just as good compared to those irons whose main strengths are in fact hitting it a long way. This plus wonderful feel and direction make the V Forged the winner it is every year. It shares the same X Milled Face that the Tour Model has which provides good bite and control. Feel is not quite as soft as the Tour Model since the face is not as thick but it is still very soft.  When hitting the V Forged and Tour Model side by side, I did happen to have the Tour AD 75 graphite shaft in the V Forged and this produced a higher trajectory with good carry but also good direction.  For the better player wanting to add a bit of forgiveness and distance or the improving player who wants to take it to the next level, there are not many irons that can produce the same balanced performance that the V Forged does... maybe only the ONOFF Forged which has similar design aspects and target audiences.

In the past the D Series was aimed a the average golfer and typically featured more technology oriented designs with materials like maraging steel and multi-piece heads.  This years D Forged still keeps the high tech multi-piece design but for the first time has a forged S20C body making it 3 out of 4 irons forged in the 2012 Inpres X line. The D Forged leans more towards the automatic side and one look at the head design and you can understand why. Its noticeably bigger than both the V Forged models and has more offset. The cavity is huge and there is an undercut.

Most of the weight is pushed towards the sole for big MOI and higher launch. The undercut cavity helps curb lost distance on miss hits towards the toe and heel. In the past, irons with undercut cavities were often criticized for feeling too clicky at impact. This has changed  a lot over the years with new designs, materials and manufacturing processes. In many of these new generation undercut models, there is still a click at impact but you'd be hard to notice it or at least get used to it really quickly since its so subtle. The D Forged has many characteristics that an average golfer should want in his bag including confidence building size, pretty good looks and feel, above average distance and very good ease of use. The D Forged is easy to launch in the air and goes very far. At the range, a guy next to me happened to have the 2011 V Forged Tour Model in his bag so I asked him if he wanted to hit the irons I had with me. He proceeded to hit the D Forged 7 Iron with 850GH Regular shaft about 190+ yards.  For him the D Forged was the longest, even longer than the Z Cavity (which he probably could not hit well due to the light R flex graphite shaft) but his favorite was the standard V Forged model which he found simply so easy to hit.

Average golfers and higher handicappers wanting to play a premium quality and designed forged club should seriously consider the D Forged though the better player may find it lacks workability compared to the V Forged line. But if straight and far is where you want to go  then the D Forged is a great choice.

The Z Cavity is an all new addition to the Yamaha Lineup. Yamaha decided to grow their line with a high handicapper distance iron even more automatic than the D Series. Thus the Z Series was born and honestly looks like the D Forged but on steroids. It has a similar look and design but is bulkier and rounder and the cavity is even bigger with an even wider undercut plus added tungsten weighting. This iron targets the new golfer and player looking to break 95. It also targets the player who wants more distance and maximum automatic launch.

While the D Forged also pushes weight towards the heel and toe, the tungsten weighting in the wider Z Cavity are right on the bottom of the undercut. This provides the highest launch and most forgiveness of all the irons from Yamaha. You could hit this iron off center all day and it would still go pretty straight and far. The 2.0mm thin maraging face feels pretty good and has some pop to it generating high ball speeds and the wider sole helps prevent hitting shots too fat. The lofts are strong, and the Z Cavity is matched with lightweight graphite shafts at longer lengths. All spell maximum distance iron. For some players the killing point may be the offset which there is quite a bit of but for those higher handicap players the offset will help square the face to the ball. I can't see midcappers playing this iron unless they did not care about the big size and want to go for maximum distance and forgiveness without thought of deft touch or stopping it on the greens. The Z Cavity is any easy to swing and let it fly type iron. Perfect for the player new to golf or high handicapper who needs a lot of help.

This post has turned out to be pretty long so I'll conclude that at the end of the day there is something for everyone in Yamaha's new 2012 Inpres X Irons lineup. One thing you can be sure of is well thought out designs, premium quality and workmanship and of course very good performance.  For me the Tour Model was the big surprise. Too many times in the past few years I discounted it from my bag because it was a "Tour Model" afterall. Little did I realize how much I was missing. I am so impressed by the feel I am thinking of getting a set though if I knew better I should should follow my brain and go for the standard all around performer V Forged.  I love the looks of the Tour Model and I can sacrifice a club of distance for that rewarding feel and great control.  Golf is all about feel and going straight after all.  After the Tour Model sells out later this month, I can see a lot of players going for the standard V Forged as well as the D Steel. The Z Cavity may have a narrow market even though it probably fits a huge portion of golfers in Japan. Many of those golfers just might have a hard time choosing it due to its size and because they could otherwise choose the D Steel or V Forged if they were daring enough.

As always look for the products in the pro shop and if you need advice or recommendations we are always here to help. All the Yamaha models are available with custom shafts too directly from Yamaha so let us know what you need.

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 not everyday that we are lucky enough for a manufacturer to send over their entire product lineup for us to review and photo shoot but that's exactly what Keigekiku Yururi has done for us. I received a huge box from Hyogo Prefecture today, the home of Yururi and also home to some of Japan's most well established steel and forging industries. Yururi sent over every model iron as well as every wedge (in every loft I might add) which made me think that this is the perfect opportunity to show all the Yururi models side by side to help those interested in Yururi make the right choice when it comes to the model for them. Yururi's irons and wedges are playable by a wide range of golfers, from professionals all the way to average golfers. Its all about choosing the right one for your game.

Unfortunately today, its pouring rain outside so I can't do much photo taking.  I took a quick snap of all the iron models on my desk, ranging from the compact Flat Back blade in satin and raw black to the KM-0107 in black and in satin finish, and to the very fine KM-0208 and new Iwazono SY-0209 head for the more average golfer.  Hopefully the weather clears up tomorrow and I can look more closely at each model and compare them side by side for size, offset, design and intended audience!

Yururi has also introduced an all new grip. It's a very tacky multi textured cross pattern which I really like the looks and feel of. Keep your eyes on the pro shop where it will be available for purchase soon!

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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PRGR has begun teasing the public with ads for their new egg lineup including 3 new models for 2011 Summer. PRGR will release a new eggbrid driver, egg i+ hybrid and New egg irons. The eggbird (yes the name is odd!) stands for egg hybrid driver which will be designed for those who want an ultralight distance driver - fly like a bird. Unlike the former egg Impact driver which was 43.5", the new eggbird will be 46 and 46.5" and ULTRA light at around 260g.  They seem to have broken up the egg iron line and released the longer irons in a redesigned form as the new i+ hybrids which will be a very shallow faced iron like hybrid made from maraging and stainless steel. The New egg iron replaces the egg II irons and will once again feature ultra strong lofts and maximum ease of use in its continuing reign as the longest hitting irons in golf. As always the PRGR egg is leading the class in ease of use and distance and we don't expect any different from the new models.

The new egg lineup is released on August 6th so please look for the pre order in the pro shop soon!

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

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

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

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

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

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About a month ago ONOFF provided TSG full access to their special and limited LABO SPEC RB-247 cavity back and Pro Spec fairway wings utility clubs  direct from the Tour Van in Japan.  I wanted to do a blog post comparing what in my opinion are their two top mid capper to pro level CB irons in 2011.  The 2011 ONOFF Forged is produced of S20C at what I consider to be the best manufacture of golf clubs on the planet Endo mfg.  It's soft, pure at impact, and very forgiving while the RB-247 fits right in between the ONOFF Red and ONOFF Forged providing the ease of use of the ONOFF Red but the control and performance of the ONOFF Forged.

The RB-247 may look like the red at first glance but it won't take you long to realize it's a smaller package with a lot less offset and a much thinner top line and sole.  LABO SPEC is ONOFF's custom build division which is known to be critical paying extreme attention to detail when building and crafting their special devision clubs.  The LABO division clubs are built to order for each individual customer.  We also offer the standard models built by the LABO team which allows you to get custom specifications and options for any model.

Above are images of the RB-247 as you can see it's designed for the better player yet features many forgiveness packed attributes such as good sized under cut cavity,  full perimeter weighting, and a customized leading edge and sole grind for easy entry and exit into and from the turf.  I put it up against the ONOFF Forged on the range and left that day feeling confused to as which one I would rather play...

Above you can see some pics of the ONOFF Forged and Here's my take when comparing the two of them.  The ONOFF Forged feels better at impact and I knew it would coming into the testing,  It's just such a pure addicting feel even not struck dead center I consider it a total game enhancer as it makes decent shots "feel" like they were struck perfectly.  The Forged feels better than 99% of the other ENDO irons I've hit.  It's forgiving and prior to hitting the RB-247 I thought I didn't need, want, or desire anything more forgiving,  Thats until I tried the RB-247.  The RB-247 is stupid easy to hit,  I will say that it's the MOST FORGIVING semi players CB on the market,  maybe ever.  It doesn't feel as pure and soft as the Endo produced ONOFF Forged but it's got a very stable muted meaty behind the sweet spot sensation off the face and when struck perfect a sorta rebounding effect that comes with it.  For the score I should be playing the RB-247,  for my addiction to feel it's the ONOFF Forged.

On the left we have the RB-247 Labo Spec irons and on the right the ONOFF Forged.  As you can see the RB-247 has a more rounded tear drop toe while the Forged model has a more boxy and In my opinion more playeresque toe.  My theory behind this is that the tear drops are more forgiving and the boxed in style more workable.  From initial test impressions the RB-247 flies just the slightest bit higher than the Forged.

I already have a set of ONOFF Forged Irons with NS950's and the test set of the RB-247 that Daiwa sent me compelled me to order the RB-247 for myself.  I ended up order 2 sets one with the Labo Spec Repulsion Kick ST-120g steel shafts and the other with the Roddio I-10 graphite with a custom white and black shaft color.  Oh yea that's another thing I should mention,  order the Labo Spec from TSG and you have the option of custom grip colors and custom shaft colors.

Below our image gallery,  all non comparison pics are of the RB-247 the others show the ONOFF Forged side by side.  Stay tuned coming later this week my impressions of the Labo Spec Fairway Wings Utility,  the same UT that Shingo Katayama is currently packing.

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The new Srixon Z-TX 2011 Forged Irons have just been released in Japan.  In the U.S the Japanese 2010 model has become the 2011 model so in theory we can expect this new Z-TX to come out as a 2012 model in America.  This is Srixon/Dunlop's flagship players cavity back.  It's an evolution of the current model as it carries a weighting system that provides better spin rates from the long to short irons.  Longer irons have a center of gravity positioned as low as possible with the use of tungsten sole weights in heel and toe thru the 3-6 iron which promotes stability.  The shorter irons have a higher CG point for better control.

Of course Srixon has implemented it's "Laser Milling" across it's line of Irons, wedges, and driving irons. I actually buy into this tech especially that it improves spin rates when the face is wet.  A couple of Japanese golf pro's like Hidemasa Hoshino and Komei Oda have commented that they enjoy the soft feel at impact and the long iron trajectory and height.

Forged of S25C the aim was ease of use for the advanced professional and Srixon has always produced some pretty forgiving players cavity backs. Srixon has also incorporated the opinions of U.S PGA Tour professional and gathered important information about the back-to-heel side edge and a more neutrally adaptive sole and leading edge design. In a couple of day's we are going to head out to the range & golf course to put it head against a few others and gather some feedback from several different player levels.  Stay tuned for the review.  We also have the new Japan version 2011 Z-TX driver & the Z-UTI Iron utility info and pictures over the next couple of days.

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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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Fourteen TC-710 Irons
Introducing the Fourteen TC-710 Forged Irons, It's a very clean and elegant design with modern influences.  Forged of S25C and new for 2011.  The TC-710 Irons sit between the TC-910 & TC-510.  It's geared toward the player who wants forgiveness combined with workability.  Built specifically for those who swing between 91 - 103 mph which in my opinion is a very large demographic.

The center of gravity distance and MOI are aligned exactly the same for every iron.  This produces exactly the same distance or yardage on every shot granted that it's not an easy feat to reproduce.  It's a midsize head traditionally shaped and features a newly designed flat sole shape with slight heel and toe relief.  Available #4-PW with only NS950 as an option.  The new Fourteen TC-710 is scheduled to be released in March.

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Fourteen TC-510 Quick Review

Fourteens latest iron release the new TC-510!  A bit of info here for you before we get started on the review.  It's made of S25C and forged in China, wish it was forged in Japan like some of Fourteen's previous releases.  It's got a satin nickel finish on the face and top line with chrome everywhere else.  Available  from 4-PW + PA and standard shaft options are NSPRO 950.

Design: It's a nice package overall,  It's offset is minimal for it's size and can suite a wide array of golfers.  It's what I would consider game improvement yet can suite low handicap players if set up properly It's got a pleasant overall shape from all angles.  The #4-#7 feature an undercut cavity design that supports in widening the sweet spot, I can attest to this it was a very easy iron to hit high and straight from most conditions.

Feel: The new TC-510 feels good, not stand out but as good or better than most Taylormade forged irons in my opinion. It's muted and fairly soft especially when mis hit.  I really think its forgiveness aids in the feel department as the sweet spot  absorbs the impact with no harsh vibrations whatsoever.  I don't think they could provide the same feel with a players iron due to the amount of meat behind the impact zone.  The #4 thru #7 irons feel more clicky upon impact due to the undercut design.

Forgiveness: For it's size it's forgiveness is awesome! the club's semi wide sole design makes it extremely forgiving from divots, rough,  and sand.  The TC-510 is to date the most forgiving single piece forged iron this size that I have hit.  It's low and deep CG position and sole design are the main factors that produce straight long shots.  Long irons are especially easy to hit.

It's not what I would consider workable, I like to test workability using #4, #5, and #6 irons hitting low & high fades, hooks, and draws.  In this case with my skills I could only hit the #4 iron low hook & draw consistently.  It's not a club designed for the sort of player who's game demands workability.

Distance: The loft's are strong the PW comes in at 44* with a gap option at 48*, the trajectory is high and the combo of those two factors create outstanding distance.  It's not tops like many multi piece designs but as far as one piece forged cavity backs goes its what I would consider top 5.  The longer irons with their undercut design provide killer distance even on slightly mis struck shots so you get to factor that into the yardage equation.  Where I normally hit the #6 iron 160+ these seem to fly a good 5-10 yards further.  I must disclose these were shafted with NS950 shafts which are known as softer, lighter, with more kick which equals distance but the heads strong lofts and high trajectory provide above average distance no doubt.

Overall: I can recommend these irons to anyone looking for a good forged cavity back that would totally support the game a high to mid capper.  In Japan plus handicap JLPGA women do just fine with them.  I would love to test these out with some Crazy or Ozik graphite shafts,  I think the distance would be insane.  I totally wish they manufactured these of S20C at Endo factory in Japan, I know with certainty it would feel amazing if they did that.

We do currently have them listed in the TSG ProShop for 999.00 5-PW and 165.00 for each additional #4 or PA iron. Hope you enjoyed the short review.

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I just got back from the Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 at Makuhari Messe, a long 12 hour day of photo taking. I've got over 900 photos to sort through so I thought I'd do that over the weekend and instead do a quick review of the new ONOFF Forged Iron for 2011. While ONOFF refreshes their woods once a year, typically iron models are updated every 2 years with the Red model updated during even number years and the Plus model during odd number years. I was lucky enough (as always) to get the new ONOFF Forged Iron for 2011 back in late November for testing. I spent two weeks with the iron and will give some feedback in this post on what I thought.

RED or PLUS - Both forgiving...

ONOFF is a very popular average golfer brand in Japan. Their clubs always look good, feel good and perform, especially for ease of use. There has always been two lines, the ONOFF RED for average golfers and the ONOFF PLUS for the better golfer and athlete player. Even their PLUS line has always been know to be very forgiving. Starting with last years 2010 RED iron, ONOFF took forgiveness up another notch. They seem to have done another shift on the scale more towards forgiveness as the RED model went from a very good average golfer model and even mid capper model to a larger, more offset high handicapper model or dare I say it beginner iron.  This allowed ONOFF to release the PLUS version with a similar shift towards more forgiveness.

No PLUS - Just Forged

The 2009 ONOFF Plus Forged was a great iron and one of my personal favorites. It always got great comments for a simple look, thin top line and sole and while not compact still smallish and possessing awesome feel plus forgiveness. So how does the 2011 model stack up?  Interestingly as I talked about the shift towards forgiveness, I should also note that ONOFF for this new Forged model has dropped the PLUS moniker.

Less tungten in sole...

There are several design changes in the new model compared to the 2009, with conforming grooves being the most obvious. The 2011 model does possess a tungsten sole as did the 2009 model however the weighting is not as heavy, about 20g less. And while this would suggest that the CG has moved up higher in the head, the sole and cavity of the iron are in fact bigger/deeper (as you can see in the first picture above right) thanks to a tapered cavity keeping weight towards the bottom of the club. Overall the head appears larger than the 2009 model as well as what looks like a bit more offset.  ONOFF stresses that the key points of the new 2011 model are ease of use and soft feel.

Not really a small cavity back...

As I noted I am a very huge fan of the 2009 model so I had very high expectations for this iron. When I first received it, admittedly I was a bit turned off by its look and size. But this is a personal thing and probably because I got so used to the 2009 model.  Visually the face profile of the new 2011 model is pretty good, it has a sharp toe and a nice straight top blade. While there is more offset and the head appears larger, its not huge by any means however I'd say it leans more towards mid sized than compact sized, but still somewhere in between. The sole features a blunt leading edge and as you can see from the picture below, the tungsten is actually the back part of the sole.

Soft and easy...

So how does all this translate into performance? The 2011 ONOFF Forged is very soft at impact. There are many in Japan who thought that 2009 ONOFF Plus Forged was one of the softest irons of the last two years and the new 2011 model is just as soft. This is thanks to that triangle/pyramid like design you see in the cavity which increases the thickness of the sweet area. The tester I had came with 850GH Regular steel shafts (which are the standard steel R Flex shafts, stiff is 950GH). As a player who is still improving and a self professed average golfer, I had no problems hitting this iron. It is not difficult to play. ONOFF's boasted ease of use and forgiveness is certainly there as the forgiving sole and tungsten weight easily help pick the ball up and provide a mid to higher trajectory. It does not launch as high as the undercut RED irons but its easy to get the ball in the air. Besides feel and ease of use, the iron is relatively workable as I could hit a draw or fade.  Lofts are on the stronger side with a 25* 5 iron so for those better players used to playing more traditional lofts, this iron does provide good distance.

A forged option for the improving golfer...

So the bottom line is a nice iron, with good ease of use and great feel. Looks are subjective but I have to say, that low handicappers and better players may balk at the size and offset. However low handicappers and better players looking for forgiveness and distance should not rule this iron out.  On the other hand, mid cappers and fast improving golfers who are ready to move to a forged iron or simply want a softer feel without losing distance have another great choice along with the VG3, Machspeed Forged, XXIO Forged, GR Forged etc to choose from. Plus there is a graphite option for those who want something more lightweight and easy to swing.

ONOFF continues to produce clubs that are easy to use and that appeal to the largest segment of golfers in Japan. Look for the new irons in the TSG Pro Shop this weekend and as always here are a few more 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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Our favorite time of year is rolling around and that's late February to Early March where TSG will be live with our annual coverage of the 2011 Tokyo Golf Fair.  The top Japanese golf equipment manufactures are beginning to leak info and images to us in hopes that we create the usual buzz around their soon to be released products.

An amazing new release by ONOFF has caught our eye this week,  the new 2011 ONOFF Forged Iron and it looks fantastic!  Made of soft forged carbon iron ONOFF has designed a player like cavity back with many of the forgiving attributes that a mid handicap geared iron has. Combine that with the size and shape of a lower handicap iron profile and you have a winner.

Have a look at the top line image above, ONOFF's approach was to produce a very forgiving iron that suites more players than just the pro level golfer.  The slight offset aid's in creating straighter shots and the slightly thicker top line than most players irons not only enhances feel and forgiveness but gives the golfer a sense of security from above.

A high density tungsten alloy weighting system has been implemented that features a variable weight pattern through the #3 thru #7 irons which not only makes it easier to get the ball in the air but also lends a helping hand to the overall forgiveness of the club.  Each iron is produced with a different design employing a tapered face & sole structure to achieve a soft hitting yet solid feel.

The set will be sold standard 5-PW but #3, #4, AW & SW are available separately and of course they meet the new groove rules.  Another new technology ONOFF is utilizing is an ultra high density SVF carbon shaft.  It's a new tech that produces a better feel and vibration dampening which incorporates tungsten powder in the four way multi-layered chip design that produces a heavier feel and better distance and direction.

The new 2011 ONOFF Forged irons will be in the pro shop for pre-sale soon for those who would like to get their hands on the first release before it's sold out. Expect live images soon on GolfToImpress.com!

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Here's what everyone's been waiting for, Yamaha's yearly promotional video. They make one every year and it's always filled with great footage of the clubs being hit by Hiroyuki Fujita and Toru Taniguchi, Yamaha's top 2 pros in Japan.  The video also covers all the great technology in Yamaha clubs like the chemically milled variable thickness web crown which increases distance by an average of 5.4 yards thanks to max energy transfer and low spin. Or the miss hit data used to create Octaface specially aimed at average golfers or athlete golfers depending on the model, the fric off sole on the fairway woods and the shafts and irons and wedges as well.  As always this is a great video for showcasing the new Yamaha lineup which is year in and year out one of the best selling lines in Japan.

Video is in Japanese and 16 minutes and 28 seconds long.  You don't "really" need to understand Japanese to enjoy the video.  A must see for all Yamaha fans. If you have questions you can always ask in the comments or email me! Fast connection recommended.

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.