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I have a poster of Ai Miyazato's swing sequence here on my wall in clear view as I sit at my desk. I have starred at it for over a year, every day and watched her swing on video over and over. Why? Because I want to swing like her. Yes she's a girl but the flow and tempo and full length of her swing has always blown me away. I have actually altered my swing to do a slow take back but unlike Ai, I have a but more aggressive transition. This slow take back actually helped me overcome my bad shot, which was a push or slice. Now my aggressive transition can lead to hooks if I get overly aggressive or block right if I lag the club behind too much. However when working correctly (don't we love those days), it has produced some amazing results for me. Of course nothing beats practice and everyone should certainly develop their OWN swing but I tried it and liked it and it worked for me.

I saw some of these videos online and thought I'd post them here. The first one is a real time comparison of Ai's swing with Brittany Lincicome. The difference between the two is amazing. Ai is only 5 foot 2 (157cm) and she doesn't seem to swing hard or fast... just smooth and with beautiful flow.

Utility club (this is her favorite club) slo mo:

Nice video about Ai-chan in late 2009 before she went on her awesome win streak at the beginning of 2010:

So how many of you try to imitate or take parts of pro players' swings and incorporate them into yours to some degree?

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 finally got some time to whip together a post on my testing for the forged cavity back shootout. Part 1 feature a focus on each irons design an aesthetics while part 2 here will talk about performance aspects of each iron. As I mentioned in part 1, organizing and actually doing this shootout was much more difficult logistically that I had imagined. Being able to organize all the demos within the same window proved to be impossible from all the different manufacturers. I'm going to have to re-think the way I do shootout style testing by either going with smaller groups and numbers of clubs or stick to one by one reviews and one on one comparisons.

Due to the excruciatingly long time it's taken to get this test done (I know people have waited and I am sorry taking so long!) I've decided to throw some models I've received in the past few weeks into this performance test along with the first batch of irons rather than doing a second test that will also most likely take too long to do. Many of these irons deserve their own individual reviews as well which I will do down the road but for now, their performance aspects will be presented here. These irons include the TM Burner Forged, R9 Forged, Titleist VG3Forged, Royal Collection Tour VS Forged, Tourstage X-Blade GR Forged and the PRGR egg Forged (which I actually already reviewed here).

When it comes to testing irons, general opinions and views can be made on each irons design and looks as well as performance. It certainly can be hard giving accurate feedback on an iron I sometimes only get to test for a few days. As we all know, sometimes switching to a new iron can take several sessions just to get used to. I try and test irons for several days straight when I have them otherwise its just not enough time to make a fair assessment. I spend at least a day staring at each iron and taking photos.  I examine the irons design based on the manufacturers listed features and specs (if you read all the specs and product descriptions in the pro shop, I actually write all of those, translating from Japanese which is how I learn about all the products). I then spend at least a day at the range hitting the iron(s) off the tee and off the mats. Personally I don't like driving ranges. If you want to work on your swing that's all fine but I feel hitting a nice forged iron on hard practice mat (there are rarely any grass ranges in Japan, at least for the public)  is not nearly the same as hitting it on a lush fairway. However, range sessions are a must, all I have to do is pay for balls and I can stay there all day.

Living on a golf course also makes it convenient for me to bring lots of test clubs right on the course to test out which I usually do the day after the range. This is my favorite kind of testing, real world testing. Here you can see how different head and sole designs really work. Uneven lies, rough, lush fairway, hitting off the tee into the wind, real hazards like trees and bunkers and water. The club attendants and staff sometimes think I'm weird heading out on the course with 5 different 7 irons.

While I am obviously not a professional golfer, I am an enthusiast like all of you. I represent the average consumer who wants the best cutting edge clubs. Every year I am lucky enough to hit almost every club released by all the big manufacturers so I hope that has given me some sort of measure to properly evaluate many of today's designs and clubs.  However in the end, when I think about it, evaluating certain aspects of golf clubs is very very subjective. These are my opinions and my findings that may differ from the next player. Measurements like feel and forgiveness are very hard to quantify and will vary from person to person. What feels soft to one player may not for the next.  Some players believe that to a certain extent even forgiveness in a club is based on the players mindset and of course skill level. A club that is considered as forgiving by a skilled and confident low handicapper can very likely be not forgiving for a once a month average golfer.

In the end these are my findings and my subjective opinion. I hope people can use this as a reference for deciding about a certain iron but keep in mind there is no clear winner. Every player is different. We all have different swings and different levels. It's all about finding the right set of irons that suits your game and play and personal taste.  All the irons I have tested are of very good quality and performance. Are some better than the other? For me yes, which is why at the end of the test I'll let you know what my personal favorites are (which I actually bought already). I've broken up the ratings as follows along with written feedback on each iron:

FEEL: This is of course feel at impact. Many factors affect feel. People always talk about who forged that iron, what material is it made of etc etc... however where it is forged and what material it is is really only one factor on how an iron will feel. The actual design of the club head as well as the grind will also affect a clubs feel. The right shaft also affects feel of a club. All the irons here are forged and feel pretty good. Some are more firm and some are more soft. This rating is very subjective but I'll try my best to convey what I feel.  Each individual will have their own perception of soft and what they like. I know some players who prefer a more "firm" soft with feedback rather than a "mushy" soft.

TRAJECTORY: Irons today feature many designs and technical features that push the center of gravity lower and lower in heads. However all irons have different CG positions which will affect the actual trajectory of the ball. Besides rating the trajectory as high mid or low, I'll try my best in the description to describe the actual ball flight.

SPIN: This is a very difficult rating for me. I work out of my house so I don't have a launch monitor or any high tech gear to measure spin.  I have to go by eye and base my rating on the irons performance ie what it does when it lands. This is probably why you see the smallest variance between all the irons in the spin category. That coupled with the fact that most of the irons feature new grooves while a few feature old grooves make it unfair when comparing the spin as the older models will out spin the new ones. That said, many average golfer models are based on distance performance which actually produce less spin on purpose for more carry and total distance.

DISTANCE: Distance is one of the quantitative measures I can actually give, either using flags at the driving range or GPS at Kiminomori GC.  Distance is effected by trajectory and spin created by each design in each iron and of course ultimately by the loft of each iron. The tested irons are all 7 irons however, they range from 28.5* to 34* so there will obviously be a difference in distance. So keep this in mind when looking at the distance rating. An iron with more distance does not necessarily mean its a better iron unless you are a player specifically looking for a distance iron.  Then you're more likely to choose the strong lofted model over the weak lofts.

FORGIVENESS: As an average golfer I feel I can judge how forgiving an iron is based on its design and ability to minimize distance lost on off center hits because I do in fact have off center hits.  My forgiveness rating is not only based on minimal distance loss but how easy a club is to hit in different lies including uneven lies and thick rough as well as the design of the club ie lots of leading and trailing edge forgiveness, a pocket cavity, a wider sole etc. Again many features can affect forgiveness.

TARGET PLAYER: The target player rating is really a handicap range where I think those players could have no problems playing each specific iron with success. Some irons are aimed at better players while some are aimed at more improving players. Its also true that a mid to higher handicap player or someone who shoots in the 90's could play an iron aimed at the 15 capper if he or she is a great ball striker.  Typically, the larger the head, the more offset it has, and the more distance it gives gears the iron towards the mid to higher handicapper. In this case I made the range 0 - 20 as typically that is what a forged CB targets.

In my descriptions I will also classify each iron as manual or automatic. Manual meaning workability left and right with a certain level of control. Automatic meaning point at the target and swing for a straight and high shot.

Okay let's get started with the ratings. Click Read More to continue with the irons!

NIKE 2010 MACHSPEED FORGED...

First up we've got the Nike Machspeed Forged iron. This advanced 2 piece cavity features a soft S20C forged body and a laser welded SUP10 asroll face. As we know most manufacturers don't publicly announce where their irons are forged/manufactured but as I noted in my Machspeed Forged review a few months ago, this head shouts out Endo.  It's made in Thailand where Endo has a forging plant and the design is very much Endo like with a laser welded asroll face to a forged body. I also take into consideration Nike and Endo's prior relationships and the fact this is Nike's most expensive mainstream iron (Endo produced irons typically hold a higher premium).

While the design and looks are hit and miss with many, cavity logos and colors aside, the Machspeed Forged is a great looking head shape wise. It is very balanced with great lines and the neck flows into the head very smoothly.  It has a nice sharp toe and a rather thin top line. All these adds up to a very nice looking setup at address.

This iron is automatic, the pocket cavity and sole grind with trailing edge heel and toe relief make it pretty forgiving. Trajectory is on the higher side which results in good carry and distance. The spin is average which is pretty much what I say about most new irons with new grooves.  Aim the Nike at the pin and swing away and expect it to go straight with a nice mid to high launch. The feel is of course affected by the pocket cavity. Pocket cavities are love and hate, people love them for their added forgiveness but some hate them for their supposed click at impact.  This really depends on the player. I find newer designs today are able to suppress the clickiness of the face thanks to altering the pocket cavities depth and design. As you can see from my feel rating, feel is average because of the pocket and most likely the SUP10 asroll face.

The Nike's pocket and automatic nature make this a great iron for the improving player and even 10 handicapper wanting an easy to play iron with some extra distance. I'd put its main focus audience around 15 and up with average golfers really appreciating this iron the most.

EPON 2010 AF-502 FORGED...

Next up we have the Epon Forged AF-502 cavity back. The AF-502 is another iron that uses a super soft S20C Endo forged body matched with a precision laser welded asroll super spring face... sounds familiar.  Epon takes it a step further but creating a hollow body cavity and filling it with what they call an alpha gel made for shock absorption and anti vibration.

The Epon AF-502 is a great looking iron. Heck all Epon irons look top quality and scream design and performance. The AF-502 is by no means the smallest head nor is it the biggest. It probably sits somewhere in the middle probably leaning more towards mid sized than compact. This attibutes as well to its forgiveness, thanks to the hollow pocket cavity and leading edge relief the iron borders on automatic but is still reasonably workable for the better player who can command a draw and fade.  The AF-502 is a well rounded iron, its not the longest, doesn't launch the highest but it gets the job done.

One area of contention since the AF-502 has come out has been the feel.  Vibration dampening types of technology are very hit and miss in irons. For some people it's a great feature and helps suppress unwanted vibrations but for the very picky player who wants feedback, the AF-502 may feel as if it doesn't give enough feedback. Miss hits can feel the same as pure strikes and I've gotten comments from some people that the iron lacks feel or is too muted. This kind of feel is very difficult to rate and judge. For me the feel was a little bit too muted.

As for an audience, performance wise and playability wise the AF-502 suits a very wide range of players. It's forgiving enough for the double digit and improving player but also appealing to the single digit player who wants a more forgiving iron.

MIZUNO 2010 JPX AD FORGED...

Mizuno's 2010 JPX AD Forged is a bit of a departure from the E500 and E600 which were pretty good forged irons for the average and improving golfer.  The E500 and E600 was even embraced by those with handicaps between 10 - 15 who wanted to play a very good feeling and forgiving Mizuno forged iron (E500 was made by Endo I might add). The reason why I say its a bit of a departure is that the new JPX AD Forged suddenly became bigger in size, with a thicker top line and more chunky appearance at address.  The CG is placed low with a tungsten weight sole which results in a higher launch and more distance.

The low CG, bigger head and sweet area coupled with a rounded sole make this iron rather forgiving. Feel is reasonably good and soft and the automatic JPX AD will be very attractive for those players 15 - 25 handicap wanting to play a forged iron. While I liked the feel and forgiveness of the iron, the chunkier size at address was something I didn't like so much.  However who can argue with an iron that goes high and straight with an easy swing.

HONMA 2010 BERES MG700 FORGED-F....

In the past Honma only saved a forged model for the pro line, the Beres 9 series. This year they announced the new 2010 MG700 Forged-F. What that model name means is yes, only the face is forged (by Endo) and the body is in fact SUS630.  The MG700 is designed for the average golfer and it packs technology to make it perform in the forgiveness and distance categories. Loft is strong at 28.5* which makes it very good distance wise and the tungsten weights in the sole and pocket cavity make for forgiving high launch that carries for distance.

This iron is automatic and golfers who are into premium models will appreciate the workmanship and design as well as high grade carbon ARMRQ shaft which also contributes to the iron's distance.  I felt this was the firmest iron of the bunch feel wise. A lot probably has a lot do with it's use of a stainless body and the iron's pocket design. There is a more obvious click on impact with the MG700. However these design aspecs are what make this a very high MOI and forgiving iron. The MG700's key point is not feel but performance and ease of use which will be very much appreciated by players 15-25 handicap.

YAMAHA 2010 INPRES X V FORGED...

In the last 3 years, Yamaha has done very well in the Japanese market with the V Forged line. The 2010 Inpres X V Forged is 1 piece forged cavity made from S20C steel at Endo.  This is one of the best looking irons I've tested this year, the back cavity impressive looking and the head shape with sharper toe, thinner topline and sole with a bit of offset is very balanced. Even more balanced is the irons performance. It's no coincidence that a 1 piece forged iron from S20C get's very high ratings for feel. No pocket cavity, no extra tungsten forged into the head. The V Forged is very pure also thanks to the slightly higher CG position creating a thicker sweet spot for that buttery feel.

The most surprising thing about the V Forged? It's distance and forgiveness. Because there is a more compact and harder to hit limited Tour Model of the V Forged, the standard V forged we have here was made just a bit more forgiving and with stronger lofts (25* 5 iron). The standard V Forged is played even by top Yamaha pro Toru Taniguchi on the JPGA tour. His reasoning for playing the iron is simple, awesome feel in a forgiving yet workable iron. The V Forged has really great leading and trailing edge relief but other than that doesn't have any fancy pocket cavities or ultra low CG thanks to weighting. It's almost hard to explain why its so forgiving.  It is classified by most publications as a manual iron and meant for the under 10 handicapper but I truly believe this iron can be played by a 15 handicapper and even a good ball striker all the way up to a 20.  Truly great feel and performance from a great looking iron.

PING 2010 ANSER FORGED...

One of the hottest releases of the year is the new 2010 Ping Anser Forged.  The Anser Forged targets the low handicapper but in reality is somewhere between compact and mid sized and has been a popular choice of even the average golfer. It has one of my favorite finishes on an iron, that pearl milky satin that the burner forged also has. Appearance wise it's a pretty good looking iron and very Ping like when it comes to head shape.  To maintain a more traditional look ping does use a ferrule for the Anser Forged which gives the illusion of a longer neck compared to those Ping models with no ferrule. This allows the neck to flow into the head especially with the shorter irons where there is less offset. The long irons though seem to have more offset than most people would have preferred but this was Ping's design at making the longer irons easier to hit.

The machined grooves do give a  bit more bite than some of the irons here and the tungsten sole really help get the ball in the air with a nice and low CG placement. Distance is average which is fine as the Anser Forged's main focus is not distance performance. When it comes to feel, once again we have an iron which utilizes some sort of sound control or vibration suppression technology via Ping's CTP or custom tuning port. This along with Ping's choice of a form forged 8620 carbon steel head has rendered many mixed opinions on the Anser's feel. Yes it's softer than pretty much most of Ping's iron offerings but it doesn't quite compare to the pure feel of a S20C forged CB in my opinion. Still the Anser Forged has good looks, is unmistakably Ping, nice forgiveness and overall performance and has custom fitting options that pretty much most other manufacturers CANNOT match.

A manual iron with hints of automatic performance, dubbed by Ping for the athlete and better golfer but easily played by the mid and improving golfer.

ONOFF 2009 PLUS FORGED...

ONOFF releases a new forged iron every 2 years so we have the 2009 ONOFF Plus Forged here. The ONOFF Plus forged is another iron I really like the looks of. It's clean and simple design, matched with a thin top line and less offset make it a very eye pleasing iron to look at. Hit it and you'll be even more pleased. This is the same iron Top Japanese Pro Shingo Katayama (one of the winningest ever on the Japanese Tour with 26 wins) plays and we all know Shingo is the biggest believer in forgiving golf clubs. He even plays his ONOFF Plus with graphite shafts.

The S25C forged ONOFF Plus has very pure feel. Like the V Forged there is a bit more meat behind the sweet spot thanks to the way the back cavity is designed.  However the ONOFF launches higher and spins more thanks to non conforming grooves and a tungsten weighted sole. This is a manual iron targeting the single digit player but with enough forgiveness for the mid capper ie 10 - 15.  This is not a distance iron nor is it meant to be. It's for the player who wants great feel in a clean looking workable iron.  We're about a month away from the announcment of a new 2011 ONOFF Plus forged so this model has already ceased production. Those who own this iron are pretty lucky though I do look forward to how ONOFF plans to top this model.

TOURSTAGE 2010 X-BLADE 703 FORGED...

The Endo forged S20C Tourstage X-Blade 703 is probably the most players oriented cavity back in this test. It's the most compact, has the least offset and the sharpest lines.  It's a manual iron made for the good ball striker and better player.  The 703 is borderline too advanced for this test of forgiving forged cavity backs (as I mentioned in part 1 I wanted irons that appeal to also average golfers) but does provide some forgiveness with very nice toe and heel relief in the grind. The X-Blade 703 is not an ultra compact and is in fact bigger than the X-blade 701 and 701G by a touch. A smaller head means a smaller sweet spot but this 1 piece cavity won't disappoint when it comes to feel. Tourstage designs are known to be soft yet provide firm feedback however pure strikes on the 703 definitely lead to a buttery feel.

I wouldn't suggest this iron to a player with an average score of more than 85 unless they were a very good ball striker.  Better players will appreciate not only the feel but stability and control.  Draw and fade as well as controlled lower trajectory shots by picking the ball just below the CG point are all within the X-Blade 703's capabilities.  It has even more workability than the V Forged which is probably second in this aspect.

XXIO 2009 FORGED

XXIO from Sri Sports has long been one of the best selling average golfer brands in Japan. XXIO knows that average golfers also have the desire to play a forged iron. This is the 2009 XXIO forged the 2nd generation of XXIO Forged.  The XXIO Forged is another iron that utilizes a  S25C forged body and alternate material face, in this case a thin walled forged chrome vanadium face. At address the XXIO has the largest face of all the irons in the test here and did that equal a bit sweet spot? I think so. The deep pocket cavity and tungsten weights in the sole equal a low CG placement making the XXIO very easy to lauch the ball in the air.  This iron is forgiving and and produces very good distance thanks to the high launch and great carry.

The feel does have a bit of a click to it thanks to the deep pocket however the click is rather subtle. Like the MG700 players may gain close to a full club in distance by going to the XXIO. This is truly for the average golfer who wants a forged feel and great distance performance and ease of use.

TAYLORMADE 2009 BURNER FORGED...

The Taylormade Burner Forged from 2009  has always been my favorite looking Taylormade iron.  It's muscular looks, and high tech appearance matched with a milky satin finish is certainly a looker. This groove conforming S25C forged iron is a favorite of many Taylormade fans outside of Japan who want a one of a kind forged TM iron.  The Burner Forged along with the R9 Forged were not part of Part 1's Aesthetics and design writeup as they didn't show up in time but you can see comparison pics I took here: Taylormade R9 Forged and Burner Forged Comparison. For an iron that targets mid handicappers the offset is very acceptable and comparable to irons like the V Forged. It sets up well and has a forgiving grind.

Feel is on the softer side as there is no pocket cavity. The weighting of the iron is pushed towards the toe and heel of the head though launch is more mid trajectory. Interestingly, though this iron is aimed at the mid capper and improving golfer, lofts are on the weaker side. The Burner Forged is not made for distance performance but rather provides feel and control but in an automatic package.  This is a swing away iron with some workability built into it. Average golfers will like the Bassara shaft option and even lower handicappers can appreciate this iron for its feel and control plus added forgiveness. Forgiveness comes in the form of a more rounded sole with leading edge relief as well as a cavity that is rather deep.  This has been a favorite of customers at TSG and we're waiting to see if they will produce a 2011 model.

TAYLORMADE 2010 R9 FORGED...

When the 2010 R9 Forged was first announced and I got to see it at the Japan Golf Fair, I had a hard time visualizing where it fit in with TM Japan's iron lineup. This iron would make 4 forged irons in the TM line, the muscleback TP, the R9 TP, R9 Forged and Burner Forged.  Taylormade called the R9 Forged a low handicapper athlete model but specs wise and size wise there was not much to distinguish itself from the Burner Forged. Also made of S25C but with an undercut cavity in the long and mid irosn, the R9 Forged has similar lofts and offset, top line and width.  The R9 Forged as seen in the comparison pics in the link I noted above actually has a longer face than the Burner Forged.

So what does this equal in performance and playbility? Not much difference from the Burner Forged. It features a rather forgiving leading edge and trailing edge as well as a pocket cavity. The cavity does affect the feel making with a subtle click bringing its feel ranking lower than the Burner Forged.  Distance wise they are on par with the Burner Forged, both sporting 33* lofts for the 7 iron but with the R9 Forged launching slightly higher thanks to the pocket. Now here's something interesting, I did not find the R9 as forgiving as the Burner Forged. I could not pure the R9 as consistently and I found the Burner Forged simply easier to hit all around. So perhaps the R9 Forged truly does sit between the R9 TP Forged pro model and the Burner Forged average model as the 10 handicap and better athlete model.

TITLEIST 2010 VG3 FORGED...

The Endo forged S20C Titleist VG3 iron was hyped all summer and for very good reason. Apparently it was well worth the hype as the VG3 was sold out on launch in September then back ordered for over a month till October. This iron looks superb at address, it has a wonderful finish, great neck lines and face profile and the offset is very acceptable. The VG3 has been classified as a distance iron but with great feel and stability. The VG3 has a 5 iron loft of 24*  and a 7 iron loft of 30*. Matched with a low CG thanks to variable tungsten weighting in the sole (the position of the tungsten changes depending on the iron number) and a pocket cavity this iron launches easily high and far.

The pocket of the VG3 is not deep so the click associated with a pocket cavity is barely noticeable if even noticeable at all.  I gave it a really good feel rating as the feel was very pure.  The VG3 targets the low and mid capper but can easily be played by an average golfer 15 - 20 handicap. It is forgiving enough and provides enough distance also for the slower swinger. Faster swingers and better players will easily gain a club over their current irons without losing stability and feel.  Honestly this iron deserves its own review which I have planned to do after this shootout post. It's an all around great iron and even though I felt it was automatic, I had some level of control over the ball left and right as well.

ROYAL COLLECTION 2010 BBD'S TOUR VS FORGED...

The RC Tour VS is from Royal Collections BBD's line aimed at the better golfer. This 2010 Endo forged S20C model has the weakest lofts of all the irons in the test and is more compact than pretty much every iron in this test except maybe the X-Blade 703.  Even as an athlete model in a small size, the Tour VS has many forgiving aspects including a cut away V sole with toe and heel relief as well as a small pocket cavity.  Like the VG3 the pocket is very close to the back face making it negligible in feel but still bringing that added forgiveness.

The trajectory of the Tour VS was mid high for me and was surprisingly rather easy to hit considering its aimed at the single digit player. The feel is very pure and I could not notice a click of any kind on impact. The v sole is great and I believe the sole grind really contributed to making more pure contact with the ball. Players 10 handicap and lower will love this iron for it feel and manual control. It's very stable and I could hit a nice soft draw with the 7 iron every time.  I also noticed that I could stop the ball with this iron easier hence a slightly higher spin rating. Again I believe it's the irons ability to make pure contact thanks to its design, creating optimal spin. I have to say I like this iron and I can't wait to write up a full review on it.

TOURSTAGE 2010 X-BLADE GR FORGED...

The Tourstage  2010 X-Blade GR Forged was just released this month. This S25C iron is a departure from the 7 series X-Blades and even a change from the previous generation GR Forged. The new GR Forged features more offset, a longer more shallow face with a thicker top line. Seeing the GR Forged made me think that we're never going to see another ViQ Forged as this is most likely the replacement. With the iron's larger size comes a good amount of forgiveness. Easy swings bring high trajectory shots carrying a good distance. The iron is pretty good feeling even on miss hits. The grind features leading and trailing edge relief.

For the average golfer this is a pretty good forged iron choice, and may be as good feelng as they get for a 20 handicapper. Mid cappers and better golfers may consider other irons as the size of this iron along with its offset may be a turn off for the more experience player. I'd classify the the new GR Forged as an automatic iron best suited for 15-20 handicappers.

PRGR 2010 EGG FORGED...

PRGR's egg line has been very hot since its introduction just over 2 years ago. The previous egg irons have mostly been aimed at the average and senior golfer looking for a hybrid like iron for max distance and forgiveness. This summer PRGR decided to release a new egg Forged iron.  Pro Gear has designed the Egg Forged with the experienced golfer in mind. They note that it targets senior golfers who have been playing for years and are now looking for more forgiveness and distance yet still want to play a forged iron.

The body of the Egg Forged is soft premium Endo Forged S20C steel then laser welded with a specially designed variable thickness high strength SAP10 face. The face creates high ball speeds thanks to it's thicker center and sweet spot area matched with thinner outer face which creates the slingshot effect like many drivers today.  The wedges in the egg set are all 1 piece S20C forgings for bite and feel.  Feel is surprisingly pretty good and matched with less offset and a dark nickel finish setup pretty darn good even for an iron with a thick sole.

The egg Forged is without a doubt automatic. Being a hybrid style iron, its the most versatile of all the irons tested here. It also has the strongest lofts. I could hit the egg Forged longer and straighter than every iron in this test and its not surprising considering its design and loft.  The egg Forged could be played by anyone from a 10 to 25 handicap and especially those wanting more distance.  Even though the soles get narrower as the irons get shorter, it's like having 6 or 7 hybrids in your bag at once.  I swing 90mph and can hit the 7 iron over 160y... 'nuf said.

Conclusions...

One thing I didn't touch on much in this test is shaft selection. I am always a big proponent of choosing the right shaft for each unique player however since this test featured all but two irons using the NS Pro 950GH steel shaft, it turned out to be a constant I didn't really bring up. Only the Honma and the PRGR, the two most distance oriented irons used graphite shafts and they probably are best suited with graphite.

There were so many great irons in this test. There really are no winners or losers. Every iron here is capable of performing for a player it matches. And that's the key, choosing the right iron that suits you. If you're a senior player who has lost swing speed and needs distance, the egg  and VG3 are great options for you. If you're an better player on the verge of breaking the 80 mark, the X-Blade 703 and Tour VS are ready to take you there.  How about an improving golfer ready to take it to the next level? The V Forged, ONOFF Plus, Ping Anser could all work. There are just so many choices.

So what did I choose? As a quickly improving golfer who doesn't swing so fast I ended up choosing two sets irons. When I first did part one of this test back in the summer I immediately went out and bought the 2010 Yamaha V Forged and have not regretted it at all. I got the set with Tour A-75 EV color graphite shafts and could not be more happy. The irons have been a pleasure to play all summer with wonderful feel and accuracy like I've never experienced in my bag before. I did not lose much distance going from my average golfer model XXIO and ONOFF Red but I gained better scores by hitting it closer to the pin.  The knock on the Yamaha's is that a new model will be coming out towards years end. Yamaha releases models quickly though they really don't have to as their Inpres X clubs are always so good every year.

The Titleist VG3 Forged appealed to me when I first saw it in pictures. After seeing it and trying it in real life I did not hesitate to order a set. The VG3 may be the most well rounded iron in this test, looks, feel, trajectory, distance, forgiveness and stability, it's no wonder the iron has been flying off the shelves here in Japan.

One third iron I'm very tempted to play is the egg Forged but I can only play so many irons at once.

In the end though, I'm lucky to be able to try all these irons. I know its not easy for customers to buy irons they don't know much about or can't see which is why I always ask them to contact me directly if they need recommendations or any help regarding any of these irons.  Many of the irons here are also available with custom specs directly from the manufacturer as well so you can get the shaft you want with the specs you want.

Going forward with reviews, I am going to try and make each individual review more detailed including even more pics and some video too starting with the VG3 iron in coming weeks. Thanks for reading.

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 all new Royal Collection BBD's Tour VS line is now available in the TSG pro shop so I thought I'd take the time to test out some Tour VS demos sent over by Royal Collection.

Always a leader for fairway woods....

Royal Collection has been known to make some of the best Fairway woods over the last 10 years or so and have been producing clubs for over 17 years. Many golf enthusiasts in the West may be familiar with their Driving Cavity design through that was borrowed by the now defunct brand Sonartec. Sonartec has long been a popular choice of many PGA and LPGA professionals for their superbly designed and super performing fairway woods and utilities, most of which were passed down from Royal Collection years after their model release in Japan. In the past however, RC focused more on the  "Athlete" golfer (what they call low handicappers or scratch golfers in Japan) or professional player but in the last few years they strayed away a bit from that path by offering clubs like the Star FD and SFD III which were very playable and offered enough forgiveness for the average golfer.

Tour VS, typical RC for the Athlete golfer...

With the new BBD's Tour VS line, RC goes back to its bread and butter which is premium compact clubs made for the better player. As a smaller company here in Japan, Royal Collection puts a lot of emphasis on design and quality. Like TSG, they are small enough to care and big enough to deliver. They have long taken feedback from top professionals all around Japan as well as world wide on many of the design aspects in the clubs.

The new Tour VS is no different, with the driver and fairway woods sporting the very familiar channeled center sole coupled with a newly designed V cut outer sole. As desired by the better player and pro, both driver and fairway wood are very compact and traditionally pear shaped. Also noticeable right away is the deep face of both heads. Both these clubs are aimed at control and workability. The deeper faces sport a higher center of gravity resulting in a much more penetrating trajectory c0mpared to many drivers and fairway woods on the market that focus on high trajectory with super low CG points.

Designed for the faster swinger...

Both the driver and fairway wood are geared towards the faster swinger, the feel of the driver is solid and and higher swing speeds will reap the benefits of great distance and run.  The head is 425cc and looks it or even smaller and the face angle while spec'ed as square, could pass for being up to 1* open.  The Fairway Wood is crisp at impact thanks to a special high rally 455 stainless face matched with it's soft sus630 body. The tester I had was a 5 wood and at the driving range, several onlookers commented on how small the 5 wood was and how it made their fairway wood look huge. The Tour VS FW is not tiny volume wise, in fact it's bigger than the previous Pro TP when it comes to CC's at 152cc for the 5 wood but because of it's deep face and high back head, at address it could pass for 130cc's.  The deep face, high back design and square to open face angle of the fairway wood makes it easily workable with draw and fades at will. Many automatic fairway woods these days are made to go straight as possible or draw but this one will go either way with some forgiveness as well. The channeled sole and V Cut sole outer edges help reduce friction with the ground to make cleaner impact. The sole features are really helpful benefits especially with the FW's deeper face.

Penetrating ball flight from 425cc's...

While RC is best known for fairway woods, their drivers are no pushovers. The Tour VS driver is spec'ed at 45" in length and comes with stock Tour AD RC graphite that plays true to flex. This 60g shaft in stiff flex features 4.1* of torque so has good feel to it and matched with the head produces really penetrating flight.  The shaft itself is mid kicking and while it contributes somewhat to the trajectory, the biggest impact is the shorter and higher CG on the Tour VS which is natural for a high back compact head.

See the driver in action...

Feedback from many testers and publications have pointed out the low spin and low trajectory. Tester Kanetani pro over at GDO recently did a video review of the driver which you can watch here, and he notes the low trajectory and stresses the compact nature of the driver.  (clicking on the image below will open the movie in another window and media player is required - video in Japanese but as always you can see the driver in action).

Tour performance and quality from the Tour VS...

I really liked the compact shape of both the new Tour VS driver and fairway wood myself. They are aimed at the better player who likes a deep face and wants woods that focus on stability and control coupled with good feel. while the Tour VS line is available with R flex shafts, I'd recommend the driver to those with over 95mph swing speeds and I believe the driver will best excel at 105mph and above based on its design and face feel. The fairway wood can be played by the better player who wants a deep face which is also great off the tee. The FW's are on the heavier side which don't benefit the slower swinger.  As an example, the PRGR egg Spoon is comfortably under 310g for it's 15* club while the Tour VS 3 wood is right around 330g. If the stock shafts don't work for you, custom orders as always are available from Royal Collection with many of the top shafts in Japan today. Traditional shape heads, solid feel, penetrating and workable trajectory all packaged in a pretty good design and look. Athlete golfers will be pleased.

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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Demos have begun appearing of the new Tourstage X-Drive 705 type 415 driver and they look great.  Only 415cc but still confident looking at address with deeper face and higher back which tapers off.  We're waiting to get our Type 415 and 460 in for testing. This should be one solid driver. More good news is the new X-Blade GR Forged will arrive this week for us to try out.

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 put together the Yururi Tour and Seida Rupas wedges yesterday so it's time to report back on the blog. When building clubs you can really learn about all the different components that make a club feel and perform the way it does. Especially once the club is completed it's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. I had thought the DG Spinners were X Flex due to the coding printed on the shafts butt end but after building the clubs, the do seem more like Wedge flex as they are marked on the stickers. CPM for the Yururi Tour with DG spinner came out between a typical S200 and S300 flex. Keep in mind again that CPM is just a guide to get an idea of flex and many variables can affect these results. I also thought about it after posting Par 2 the other day when I noted the Yururi/Fujikura graphite wedge shaft was rated for 420+ cpm which is definitely very high and indeed that was true as the finished CPM is much lower leading me to believe those initial numbers are raw and uncut.

Here are the finished specs for the clubs:

Seida Rupas with Yururi/Fujikura Graphite wedge shaft 75g (raw) with Iomic Square Sticky 1.8

Rupas 52: 35.5" Long, 422 grams, D1.5 swing weight, 346cpm

Rupas 58: 35.25" Long, 426 grams, D1.5 swing weight, 347cpm

Yururi Tour with Dynamic Gold Spinner wedge shaft 120+g (raw) with Iomic Square Sticky 1.8

Tour 50: 35.25" Long, 462 grams, D3.5 swing weight, 354cpm

Tour 56: 35.00" Long, D4 swing weight, 464g, 354cpm

Some interesting items to note. when building clubs, one does rough calculations on finished swing weight based on length and head and grip weight but I didn't guess that CPM would pretty much be the same for both Gap and Sand wedges in both sets.

DG Spinner is Wedge Flex...

Also when seeing the CPM the Spinner was less than I had expected (since I guessed it was X) and the Yururi graphite was far higher than I expected, with less than 10cpm separating the lightweight Yururi Regular flex graphite shaft and the much heavier DG Spinner Wedge flex.  However the higher swing weight and shorter length of the Tour wedges does contribute to a lower CPM rating. I'm very curious how the graphite Seida Rupas will play especially since the CPM is very comparable to a wedge shafted with S200 at 35". Again this goes to show that CPM can only be used as a general reference for flex or stiffness, how a club plays or even feels is another story.

Both wedges great at address:

Once shafted up you can see the true beauty of these wedges, the satin rounder raw faced Seida Rupas and the dark black tear drop shaped Tour both share something similar, great straight long necks.

Similar face progression...

While their target audiences and general designs are different, the straight neck will appeal to those players who dislike offset and want a straight line when aiming at the pin. From the pictures and even in person it almost looks as if the Seida has the straighter neck but the specs for face progression are in fact the same for similar lofts. One other factor is that the Seida is a 58* while the Tour is a 56* and the 58*'s for both the Seida and Tour have slightly higher face progression numbers meaning less offset than the 56*.  So in this case with the Seida having so little offset yet that more forgiving round head and wider sole, it will really appeal to those mid to better players wanting forgiveness but still very little offset.

The makings of a great Tour wedge...

The Yururi Tour on the other hand has all the characteristics of a pro wedge. Besides the heavier heads equaling higher swing weights, the tear drop shape and thin sole matched with a very thin topline and very straight long neck are a better players ideal club. Most of the golfers in the shop at the time we finished the clubs were flocking to the Tour Seida and wanting to handle it and check it out at address. People were curious about the Spinner shaft and also how the Tour set up so nicely with its shape and thin sole and top line.

When I arrived home with the wedges the first thing I did was head to the backyard and take some pictures and chip with both wedges. There is an obvious overall weight difference but the Yururi Tour's did not feel overwhelmingly heavy but rather very balanced and controlled. Chipping with the wedges is very nice but its time to put both wedges in play to see how they perform in the real world. I'll be putting them to the test at Hirakawa Country Club, home of the Japan Open on the JPGA men's senior tour. It's always fun to go to Hirakawa though I'm still getting used to having a caddy carry for me there.  I'm very excited to test both wedges especially for the feel and spin Yururi is well known for so stay tuned for Part 4 results!

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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Keigekiku Yururi was kind enough to send me some wedges for a start to finish build and some testing. They sent me two of their new 2010 models, the Yururi Tour Wedge and the Seida RuPaS. Both Premium Japan forged wedges are popular choices for any player looking for feel and spin in a great designed wedge.  I decided to document a start to finish build since Yururi is typically purchased as heads only by many of our customers.

Yururi has come a long way over the years. As a small company it has of course had its ups and downs but all the time worked hard to improve its designs and product quality. The past year has seen Yurui grow more than ever as its reputation grew with the usage of its wedges and irons by several top Japan tour pros.  The best part is, these pros chose to play Yururi even though Yururi is a small company and does not sponsor these pros.  So in other words, top pros like So Hee Kim, Eun A Lim and Jae Hee Bae all play Yururi for its feel and performance, not because they are paid to do so.

For part 1 I will do a basic overview of both wedges and their features while I wait for shafts to arrive next week for the part 2 actual build. A first look both heads have very straight necks, and after checking the specs, the Tour and RupaS have almost exact face progression numbers pointing at little to no offset at all.  This is a bit plus for many players. The neck however is where the similarities end.

The Tour model is aimed at the pro player and top amateur looking for maximum feel and spin control around the greens. The flat black finish and compact head feature a narrow sole and thin top line which blends in well with that very straight neck I mentioned.  The grind features a flatter sole and a slightly blunt leading edge and as well as trailing edge relief however the part that really stands out is the heel trailing edge which is very much ground away for easy heel clearance in any lie. The ground down heel allows for the wedge to be opened up and loft increased while still maintaining a straight line at the target. This trailing edge reduces heel friction minimizing quick swings that may pull the ball with too much heel contact. The head is very tear drop shaped which suits the pro player.

The Seida RuPaS on the other hand has a slightly larger head that is rounder in overall shape, the higher heel and rounder head provide more forgiveness in deep rough for those who cannot make the right swing to get pure contact. The taller rounder face still allows the wedge to catch the ball on the face even if a player is coming too far under the ball in very tall grass. The sole of the RuPas is also wider and rounder providing more forgiveness for the mid capper and average golfer.  The raw face really stands out and should frame the ball well.

I should note that the Tour is available in both conforming and non conforming grooves while the new RuPaS does have conforming grooves. I actually got the Tour model in non conforming so that I could compare how much the raw face helps the RuPaS spin against a non conforming grooves counterpart.  Once the shafts for these wedge builds come in I'll document the build including look at the wedges and their head weights, swing weights and optimal lengths.

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.

 EMAIL

Taylormade Japan has just released a few new caps and visors that are Tour Professional models. These are the same caps worn by Taylormade Pros on the Japanese tour.  They are all limited editions and numbers are very limited. Like most Taylormade items in low supply they will sell out fast.  So this is a heads up to Taylormade fans to order soon to avoid disappointment!  Check them out in the pro shop here!

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

In this day and age of mass produced golf clubs, there are very few TRUE masters that still craft a club by hand. I have had the pleasure of watching Masayuki Sasaya of Gold's Factory hand make all his wedges, putters and irons and in the process learning what it takes to make a golf club not only perform but a work of art.

Introducing Grind Studio...

A couple of weeks ago, I took a drive up to Gunma Prefecture to visit Grind Studio and its sole employee and owner, Masahiro Tomaru. Tomaru-san happens to be one of the few great grinders left in Japan that does every single club Grind Studio produces with his own hands. I had a chance to sit with Tomaru-san for nearly 2 hours as he talked about his designs, work and also his background in the golf industry. It was a great visit and I really learned a lot about his passion for golf club design.

The Background...

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

Click Read More to find out about Grind Studio products and all the great pics!

RC DB Forged - a Tomaru grind...

Tomaru-san decided to leave Fourteen to start his own company called Grind Studio. At first he also lent a hand at designing wedges for other top Japanese brands including the still sought after Royal Collection DB Forged wedge (Double Bounce). This wedge has a cult following for its tour like grind and shape and was made in very few numbers, each hand ground by Tomaru-san and stamped with a small "T" on the toe face.

Original designs premium Japan forged...

Since starting Grind Studio, demand for Tomaru-san's wedges have steadily grown as has his skill for grinding and designing wedges and irons. He currently has his own wedge designs forged for him by Kyoei and Oichi from both S25C and S20C which he then grinds, engraves, stamps and finishes from the raw head. This includes a cavity back and muscle back blade as well. Since Tomaru-san creates everything from scratch, customers are able to not only choose lofts from 45-62* as well as bounce, but also, grind type, head shape ie round or tear drop, conforming or non conforming engraved grooves, face milling, amount of offset including zero offset,  custom logos, stamping and finish including non plated raw satin and black or a plated satin or chrome.

Very large demand, heavy Japan tour usage...

Tomaru-san's popularity has grown immensely in the last two years however he has remained a one man shop guaranteeing that every Grind Studio club is made by his hands. But because of this popularity, wait times can be long for customers wanting his wedges. As Tomaru-san noted to me in our meeting, his priority especially right now with the new golf season underway, is the over 50 pros around Asia (primarily on the Japan tour) using Grind Studio wedges.  Players who have used his wedge at one time or another include Ryo Ishikawa, Shinobu Moromizato, and Yusuke Miyazato (Ai's brother).  At this time customers are waiting 2-3 months for wedges and irons and even at that, most customers feel it is well worth the wait as customers wedges get the same options, attention and quality workmanship that pro wedges do.

The Process...

Creating each wedge is time consuming and a lot of hand work. Here is a break down of what it takes to grind one wedge, non plated satin.

Pricey, takes a while... but worth it!

I was lucky enough to own a Grind Studio wedge a few years back when Grind Studio was just becoming popular. (since then he has been featured in Golf Digest, Albatross, Weekly Par Golf, Choice and many other top Japanese magazines.) I sold that wedge and have regretted it ever since as it was one of the softest and easiest wedges I have ever played. Not to mention it was beautiful and spun the crap out of a golf ball. I am glad that I was able to meet Tomaru-san and discuss having him create Grind Studio wedges for Tourspecgolf customers.  Tomaru-san has agreed to begin crafting wedges and irons for global golf enthusiasts through TSG starting this summer due to his heavy workload at this moment.  The exciting thing is that this also includes custom irons with any kind of grind and bounce as well as any amount of offset including zero offset. The cost will be high due to the amount of work involved and the quality of the wedge since customers pretty much get a one of a kind custom made tour quality wedge. The wait time will be long, but good things come to those who are patient and wait. (^_^)

Contact us if interested in a some Grind Studio Wedges.

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 time to countdown the top selling and most popular shafts currently in the Japanese market. As always these rankings are based on a number of criteria including TSG sales as well as sales throughout  Japan, user reviews and feedback, media hype, and overall buzz and demand. Here are the shafts that have been grabbing all the attention in the first 4 months of 2010!

1. Graphite Design Tour AD DI Series: The new DI series from Graphite design stands for Deep Impact. It sure has made a deep impact on the charts as it has taken the top spot in the rankings based Japan tour dominance and huge sales all over Japan. The DI is the latest and greatest performance control shaft in the GD's premium Tour AD line. The key feature of the DI shaft is the use of nanomaterial in the tip area of the shaft which allows it to square to the ball quickly and accurately. It's balanced performance of both distance and control has made it a top choice of most Japanese OEM's as the step up shaft upgrade for their drivers. It seems to have also helped that some guy named Tiger played this shaft in his driver at the Masters.

2. Crazy Longest Yard Series: Crazy Shafts and their higher prices are no doubt not for everyone, however they still take second place in the rankings due to support from golf enthusiasts and smaller shops and independent testers around Japan that choose Crazy as the choice performance brand thanks to the shafts ability to produce optimal smash factor. Compared to most mainstream brands, Crazy shafts use the highest grade carbon in their shafts including 40t, 45t, 46t, 50t and 80t which creates optimal energy transfer and release and predictable impact. This has translated into superior control and distance performance which has caught on with those demanding the best.

3. Diamana 'ilima Series: the Diamana 'ilima has displaced the 'kaili in the charts as the top ranking shaft from Mitsubishi Rayon. The 'ilima features a stiffer mid section with softer butt and active tip section promoting a higher launch than the kai'li but still with low controlled spin.  On the Japanese tour many have not only chosen the 'ilima as a driver shaft but have found the 'ilima to excel in fairway woods as well thanks to the shafts stability and accuracy using Mitsubishi Rayon's Multi-Dimensional Interlay (MDI) Technology.

4. Quadra Fire Express Series: The Fire Express from Quadra Composite Techno has quietly been rising in the charts over the past 12 months. The Fire Express simply gets the job done. Quadra is another company that uses premium 50t and 80t carbon like Crazy which produce predictable controlled performance shafts. To add to the shaft's popularity Quadra has released a 55 model in addition to the Fire Express 65 and 75. The Fire Express 55 features mid 50g weight and softer flexes for the average golfer and slower swinger wanting a premium performance shaft.

5. Bassara Griffin Series: Mitsubishi's Griffin continues to hang around the charts as a premier choice for those players wanting a ultra lightweight performance shaft. Premium distance AND control from a 40 and 50g range shaft can be hard to find but the Griffin does it well which has kept it as a great choice for average to even athlete golfers wanting lighter weights. It will be interesting to see if Crazy's Longest yard Series which is also in the 50g range continues to take share from the Griffin.

6. Fujikura Motore Speeder VC.1 Series: The new Blue Motore Speeder features Fujikura's Quadra Axis Composite and Triax Woven material and like last years Red VC.0 creates the world's first 7 axis desgin. This uniformity throughout the shaft eliminates rounding and deformation and provides max feel through out the swing, for maximum energy transfer and stability. The Blue VC.1 features lower torque numbers than the Red Motore Speeder from last year and have a slightly stiffer tip section for more control and lower spin which has helped its popularity grow especially among better players.

For more information or specs available on all these shafts, please check out our 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.

 EMAIL

Pro Gear or PRGR as most of us know Yokohama Rubber's golf wing as, was kind enough to send me a few demos including the new Tour Driver and Forged irons as well as the RED 505 driver and irons. Having both the new RED 505 and 440 Tour side by side really showed what different drivers they are, which is a separation PRGR really wanted to make with this years driver lineup.  The thing is while last years GN502 Driver and GN502 Tour Driver were indeed best sellers in Japan, they were a tad too much alike when it came to design and looks, and performance and feel.  Even though last years Tour Model was dubbed Tour, it played forgiving enough that even the average golfer could play it.

440cc Equals Optimal Size...

The new 440 sets out to meet the demands of the better player the way the 2009 GN502 probably could not. PRGR decided on going back to basics when it came to design and head shape. They decided that 440cc was the optimal size that would allow a driver to be workable yet still have a big sweet spot creating maximum distance. The did away with the recessed top line that both 2009 GN502 models shared and went back to a traditional pear shaped head with square to open face angle and a deeper face than the 2009 Tour.

Click on READ MORE to check out the full review plus VIDEO of the driver in action!

New Variable Thickness Face...

The new PRGR GN502 Tour 440 features a high back design with a mid to deep face. Pro Gear has implemented a new variable thickness face design which enhances both feel and ball speeds at impact.  The all Titanium 6AL-4V face and body maximizes energy transfer along with a shallow CG for a strong penetrating trajectory. Previous PRGR drivers boasted high gravity angles which help the head rotate faster to a square position at impact. This benefited slicers and those battling an open face at impact but for the better player and faster swinger, it led to shots left. The square to open face plus a low 19* gravity angle allow great workability and control.

Personally I liked how this driver set up and at address the face on my demo does appear slightly open. What I also noticed is that it seems to have far less face bulge than the previous model, allowing for more control . There is no alignment mark on the head which is something I personally like. The shaft which is red towards the butt goes gradient to black at the tip so there are no distractions when you are framing the ball at address along with a much straighter top line.

CG Placement towards Heel...

The sole is pretty no frills and shape wise it is relatively plain with what appears as two wings towards the back of the sole toe and heel. This appears to be weighting of some sort to help increase MOI and launch.  PRGR claims that the sweet spot of the Tour 440 is bigger especially high and low on the face where a better golfer's typical miss is (if they do miss at all) unlike average golfers who miss towards the toe and heel. The CG point is actually placed towards the heel side but with the variable thickness, the most flexible part of the face is opposite the CG point towards the face. This creates a slingshot like effect for which is part of PRGR's center of gravity design to create maximum ball speeds. PRGR which had typically used their own branded shafts ie Inspec, and GN502 shaft in the past now uses a shaft made for PRGR by Mitsubishi Rayon simply called Tour Original Flex. The Tour 440 come stock with a 60g range shaft that is mid kicking. Custom shafts are also available from PRGR.

Soft but Crisp Feel...

So of to the range I went to see how this driver performed. I did spend time last year with the 2009 GN502 Tour which I found had a very hot face. The first thing I noticed was that the new Tour still has the feel PRGR is known for at impact which is soft but crisp. Launch is lower than last years Tour Model and definitely penetrating. The ball is workable especially fades as the lower gravity angle and open face made it hard for me to force the ball left.  One thing I really like is that PRGR always makes their so called "Tour" models 45" or shorter which shows a focus on control unlike average golfer models striving for distance with their long lengths of 45.75 -46.5".  This gives a great sense of stability when swinging this driver, especially with a stock shaft that gives a lot of feel. The torque numbers are higher on this shaft and this does contribute to the feel of the club. The stock shaft is a pretty good match for the driver head and gives what Japanese call a high "shinari" feeling. "Shinari" describes the ability to feel the shaft bend or load and unload.

Strong Trajectory with good distance and roll...

The soft but crisp feel and nice sound at impact equal great distance distance, I tested this at the same range I tried the 2009 Tour Model at and was definitely hitting this driver further and with more roll. I like this driver a lot.

This time around I am going to introduce some videos from our friends over at Golf Digest Online. Kanatani Pro is a top tester for GDO and a former winner on the Japan tour.  In this video he tests the Tour 440 so you get to hear the sound at impact and some of Kanatani Pro's comments though they are in Japanese. Its too bad in the morning sun and dew we can't see the ball flight well but he describes it as a strong piercing trajectory from this compact head. He also notes as I did the lack of face bulge on this driver and sharp and straight face lines.  The below video will open in a separate pop up window so make sure you allow for popups. It also requires Windows Media Player as this is using Windows Media.

Simply click on the image below to view the video (in Japanese but see and hear the driver in action).

Highly Recommended for the Better Player...

So this new PRGR Driver looks to be a great one especially for the better player wanting a compact head, nice feel and sound, but most of all control and a strong trajectory ball with ability to work left and right. You can check it out in the pro shop here and also see the pictures 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.

 EMAIL

With the official showing to the public of the new Titleist VG3 driver at the Golf Fair this weekend here in Japan, I thought I would go into a bit more detail on what will most likely turn out to be one of the most in demand drivers of 2010.

Titleist has long been known as a brand made for the better golfer and professional player. Titleist however wants the golfing world to know that it not only makes the best clubs for the better player but also for any golfer who demands the highest in quality and performance. To help support this point, Titleist Japan and Titleist America joined forces to develop a new concept driver specifically designed with the Japanese market golfer in mind, and the idea of hitting it long and straight.

For many years, Titleist has been accumulating data about golfers head speed, age, distance etc. They came to the conclusion for this new design that this driver should provide the best performance at an average club head speed (40 - 43 m/s), unlike previous Titleist Drivers which were made for faster swinging and better players. Tileist Japan's development team with joint cooperation from Titleist America sought to create a high performance Titleist driver with a focus on flying distance.

The VG3 was actually in development for almost a year and, through constant testing, and trial and error, Titleist created a driver with a Variable Gravity and CG position based on loft that would maximize the ability for the driver to grab the ball with clean impact creating maximum distance.  The new Variable Gravity 3 or VG3 was born.

Without changing the head shape or size, Titleist alters the center of gravity on each loft (9, 10 and 11*) using two weight plates towards the back heel of the driver.  The weight plates on the sole were designed to look like the tips of two Japanese swords pointing at one another. As you can see from the different positioning of the weights, the 9* is towards the heel but more forward creating a smaller gravity angle and a shallower CG point. While heel weight typically promotes a draw in this case it actually aids to battle the left side as the shorter gravity angle does not rotate square as fast as a larger one. The 10* places more weight further back to increase the gravity angle and push CG back but not as far as the 11* which is the high launch max carry model of the 3 with the CG back and big gravity angle that squares the face quickly for those slicers or those looking for a draw ball.

The sweet spot was also designed to match the typical strike pattern of the average Japanese golfer.  Using the date Titleist Japan collected over years from hundreds of average golfers, they determined that by widening the sweet spot towards the heel lower, this increased the smash factor of the balls hit off center. The weighting coupled with the sweet spot allow average golfers to maximize distance, in other words, straight with optimal spin and carry.

Titleist did not stop there as they know as well as anyone that a good shaft contributes to a good club so they worked to creat 3 stock shaft offers that will suit players looking for different kinds of trajectories and styles of ball flight. The Yellow line in the chart represents the Motore 5.0 which is made for a draw ball and a distance focus. The red line represents the VG50 shaft made for high launch and max carry for those who have trouble getting the ball in the air or simply want to carry it as far as possible.  The blue line is the VG60 which is the heaviest and lowest torque stock shaft and produces a lower more penetrating flight with a focus on control.

A large part of the development of the VG3 was Nobuo Serizawa, a 5 time winner on the Japanese tour and well known contributor to many golf publications when it comes to lessons and swing tips for average golfers. He is the spokesperson for the new VG3 line and took part in all the development and testing as a consultant and tester.  Check out the promo video from Titleist for the new VG3 driver which features Serizawa in the US testing the driver and commenting on its performance as well as Dan Stone, VP Club R&D making comments on the driver.

So how does it feel and perform? We were unable to really test performance as we had to hit indoors at the show in hitting bays so performance tests will come when I get a demo from Titleist in coming weeks. Feel however is superb. This driver is premium forged titanium and a multi piece laser welded head with forged cup face. Just these characteristics alone plus the soft feel make me suspect that this Japanese built driver could be made at Endo especially with a history of Titleist manufacturing at Endo.  As with all premium forged drivers in Japan, they come with a price tag that surprise many who don't know the Japanese market. Titleist has set the MSRP of the VG3 at around 850.00US based on the current Yen and USD exchange rate (we've tried to price it lower at 729.00). While this is the average price for a premium driver in Japan, I am sure most Titleist users are not used to this kind of cash for a driver. I guess we have to think of it as a tour quality premium made driver as a lot of people do consider when they purchase Japanese gear.

The pre order is up in the pro shop for the mid to late March shipping date. Initially the VG3 will be only available with the 3 stock shafts I mentioned above. The VG3 will eventually be available direct from Titleist with all the top shafts in Japan.

Here are a few pics we took from the show:

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.