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Taylormade added all their new 2012 Japan market offerings to their site today so I will briefly go over some of the products and you can see what the lineups now look like below. We will get demos to review at a later date and at that time I will go into more detail. As I mentioned the other day Gloire is the new premium distance line which is a whole new offering. Its aimed at the recreational golfer looking for max ease of use and distance in a premium club.  They've added a few other clubs along with Gloire you can see below.

DRIVERS

The Gloire is the new distance driver and is Taylormade Japan's forged model - yes a forged driver from TM!  They've also added the R11-S and RocketBallz driver. One thing I did not expect was the redesigned R11-J which has been increased to 460cc in head size and 45.75" in length and re-tuned for max forgiveness and distance. TM calls it the R11 distance model for the Japanese market.

FAIRWAY WOODS

TM Japan has added the premium Gloire FW made for maximum distance and forgiveness and they have also thrown in a Japan only R11 Titanium FW! There is also the RocketBallz FW.

IRONS

TM Japan has two models of Gloire premium irons. One is in fact a utility iron at 20 and 23* lofts and the other are max distance irons with a Maraging face and 26* 6 iron! Though I must admit it looks a lot like the RocketBallz Max shape. They also added the RocketBallz Irons.

WEDGES

TM Japan added two new All Terrain Versatility Wedge models, standard ATV wedge in tour satin and the ATV Forged wedge in smoked Ion Plating finish!

PUTTERS

TM added the new Tour Preferred Ghost which features 4 head shapes and a deep milled forged face. They also introduced  Ghost Tour putters which feature 5 head shapes with Pure Roll faces as well as the Ghost Manta which goes along with the stingray and limited edition Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost.

So it seems like an exciting time once again in Japan for new TM products. Stay tuned for live pics and reviews of all the clubs.

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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Today I received the brand new Taylormade Japan Limited Edition Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost Putter. While the Itsy Bitsy Ghost was previously seen only on Tour in the bags of top TM pros, Taylormade Japan decided that the Japanese market which sees many Japan only TM putters, would be a great place to first release the Itsy Bitsy as a limited edition.  When they first announced the IBS Ghost, I asked TM sales how many of these so called Limited Editions they were making. At that time sales said it was not determined. Well it turns out, they made a lot as the 33" center shaft IBS Ghost I received is marked as Limited 5314. So I'd have to guess they made at least 6000 pieces which compared to most retail runs is probably a small percentage but as a limited edition, its quite a number.

The TM Japan Itsy Bitsy Spider comes in both double bend shaft and center shaft models, both face balanced and with 33 34 and 35" lengths. It comes with a new Itsy Bitsy Spider headcover and the usual TM Japan warranty papers attached to the grip. The IBS Spider of course features Moveable Weight Technology and comes with 2 x 4 gran weights installed in the head. One of the improved features of the IBS Ghost is that the head weight of the steel wire aluminum body has been increased by 10g over the previous Japan IBS to around 365g. One of the questions I get asked most by customers is how heavy is that TM putter head and most of the time TM doesn't state the head weight specs.  I have certainly found many of TM' Japan's previous model putters to fall on the light side which is a negative especially for those who play shorter weights and end up with lower swing weights.  I added 20g of weight to my current Corza Raylor Ghost and handling them side by side, the IBS Ghost feels very similar now but without having to add any additional weight. The 365g head is a big plus.

The heavier head allows the player to feel the putter more in their hands and creates a more stable and controlled stroke.  The design of the Spider originally was to create a high MOI, max forgiveness type putter but many found and still find the standard Spiders on the large size which also resulted in less direction.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider's smaller head and white body with single alignment line frame the ball very well especially with black weight ports in the back (yes it still looks like something out of Star Trek from the back view!) I really like its look at address and for some reason I find it looking much cleaner. This new "panda" look really works for me with the black and white contrast. Unlike some center shaft models, the single alignment mark extends all the way to the the top line edge, unobstructed by the shaft.

I've owned a few Spiders in the past and I always ended up dropping them from my bag. It wasn't about the design of the head but more the feel. I just never got along with TM's AGSI and RSI faces because I found them too soft to the point where I was not getting enough feedback from the putter.  Sure everyone lofts soft feel but I like soft but crisp and I like feeling the ball compress (ball choice of course has a lot to do with this as well). When Taylormade moved to the Surlyn Pure Roll faces, I really embraced them as they still felt soft but I could clearly feel and get feedback from the face on impact. I've also found that since switching to the Pure Roll face, (in my Corza Raylor Ghost which I have been using since early Summer) I've rolled the ball better than ever with less skidding and immediate forward rotation. This has resulted in much better distance control as well.

I'll be taking the Itsy Bitsy Spider Ghost for 18 holes tomorrow and if the Pure Roll face rolls as well as my Raylor and the the Spider is as forgiving as it should be I think there will be a new gamer in my bag. Face balanced and center shafted should get along with my straight back and forth stroke better than the double bend Raylor. Sales of the the new IBS Ghost have been brisk and its no wonder mine is already at over number 5000 on the limited count. We were warned that they would sell out by TM  sales and even with their big production number this seems to be the case. Quite a large number of customers were able to pre-order them and have them go out last week, just in time for Christmas. If you try you could very well still be able to get yours in the Pro Shop before Christmas too.

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 other day at Katsuura CC I picked up a sleeve of the Taylormade Japan Five TP balls to try. I usually don't play TM balls and I knew that Japan's Five TP was the same as the Intetnational Penta TP release.  However, these balls were different as they were the new Five TP 322 ball released earlier this Spring in Japan (yes we're a bit late on this one). I did some checking around when I got home and apparently outside of Japan the 322 dimple Five TP  is a tour only ball overseas and played by several of Taylormade's top staffers.

The new Five TP 322 features not only a change in the number of dimples and its design but compression of the 322 is at 83. The new bi-pyramid pentagonal dimples as they call it, feature 10 different depths and create a much stronger and stable trajectory than the original Five/Penta TP. All Taylormade Japan pros have switched to the Five TP 322 for its feel and ability to excel in the wind thanks to the more powerful trajectory it creates. Playing at Katsuura CC was the perfect place to test the Five TP 322 ball out as its valleys and high tees right by the Pacific Ocean call for pretty much strong and unpredictable winds every round.

With a compression rating of 83, the Five TP 322 is far more playable by an average swing speed golfer like myself. It feels nice and soft off all the clubs and at 83, you can feel the ball compress on impact. The new 322 aerodynamic dimple design and lower compression produced a strong mid trajectory for me with very good run when using the driver. I liked the way it felt especially compared to many harder tour balls out there that are just unplayable by golfers under 100 mph. This similar trajectory with run carried over to my fairway woods and utilities and as I went to my irons, the spin increased and the ball had very good touch and direction on approaches around the green but the trajectory was still strong which I think helped increase spin.  I cannot stand a ball that feels too firm off the putter and to my surprise, the Five TP 322 was almost too soft! Compared to the number one average golfer rated Newing Brill and new Tourstage top tour ball the X-jD, it actually felt softer or at least maybe more responsive off the putter face. Taylormade has rated the Five TP 322 to have a cover hardness of 57D.  A lower shore D number means a softer feeling cover and at 57 the Five TP 322 just falls in the softest feeling category.  For reference the Titleist NXT Tour is 57.2D and the  Callaway HX Hot is 67D.

The Five TP 322 is of course a 5 piece ball and its construction and performance focus are similar to the current Penta TP 360 dimple version overseas. It's layers are broken down as follows:

COVER = FEEL - Premium soft feel and control off wedges and putters- Thermoset Cast Urethane Cover delivers a soft Tour feel plus a combination of higher spin-rate and lower launch angle on wedge shots. The new 322 dimple design creates a stronger more stable ball trajectory.

OUTER MANTLE = SPIN - Outer Mantle promotes optimum spin off short-irons, as well as higher ball speed and increased distance. Its actually the easiest to compress and most rigid layer of the Five TP meaning the slower speeds of short irons can activate this layer for optimal spin and control around the greens.

MIDDLE MANTLE = CONTROL - Middle Mantle is a high resistance layer which prevents ballooning and falling short of the green, by providing more ball speed and performing for all swing speeds.

INNER MANTLE = LAUNCH - Inner Mantle of the Five TP 322 surrounds the core with a soft and high rebound layer delivering soft feel, strong powerful launch and low spin off the long-irons for exceptional distance plus a high, soft-landing flight. Again this Inner Mantle is easier to compress creating distance for all players.

NDv5 CORE = DISTANCE - The NDv5 core features a very soft and high rebound design. This core is activated by the driver and produces low spin and strong carry and distance, as well as more ball speed for faster and harder hitters whose speeds affect the core even more.

Like most Japanese market balls, especially the premium ones, Taylormade's Five TP 322 ball is NOT cheap.  At 90.00 a box of 12 balls we're talking  7.50 a ball.  Average golfers who lose a lot of balls suffer great pains when expensive balls like these go missing (this ball isn't even the most expensive as there are some brands that cost over 10.00 a ball). But for the better player who wants soft feel off all the clubs, an easy to compress ball, a stronger stable trajectory that won't lose out in windy conditions, the new Five TP 322 is an amazing choice. Just don't lose them.

I'll be adding the balls to the shop this week along with a few other JDM ball releases but as always if you can't wait, you can contact us to order directly.

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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Every year Taylormade Japan has one of the most popular booths at the Japan Golf Fair. This year, was no different. Popularity aside, there certainly were other differences, the most obvious being EVERYTHING was WHITE. With a newly relocated booth, easily more than twice as large as last year's booth (which was black in color I might add), TM Japan also brought along the most employees by a long shot.  Besides their irons and wedges, every club, putters included were white 2011 models, much to the fascination of the Japanese golfer.

TM Japan is easily one of the most popular and dominant sales brands in Japan. They very well know this and take certainly play this to their advantage. Frequent model updates with a mash of Japan Only products every year, keep consumers spending their yen and anticipating the next release. New designs, new technologies (whether they perform better or the same), seem to draw in the Japanese who actually think a 60,000 yen TM driver (or 720.00 USD) is actually on the cheaper side of drivers in Japan.

Along with the worldwide R11 models (the JDM models do have different shafts), the all new Burner Superfast 2.0"J" model, which is Japan Only hence the "J", was heavily showcased.  The J's feature an all new design Burner Superfast which is broken into two models, a more average golfer Red model and a Silver model for the better player.  The Red models feature lighter weight, more draw biased heads and longer shaft lengths to focus on distance while the Silver models are heavier, square faced and shorter length clubs for control/stability and workability for the faster more aggressive swinger. The new J driver has one of the more shallow back heads TM has produced (but still maintains the semi deep face). It's head shape is more reminiscent of the very popular 2007 Burner, which is rounder and not nearly as triangular as Burner Superfasts of recent years. TM has also redesigned the face of the Burner to feature a bulge with 16* radius and roll with 12*. This is meant to reduce distance loss and loss of direction on miss hits.  A all new ridged sole on all the new J clubs help with aerodynamics and reducing friction (in the case of the FW's and UT) on contact with the ground.

Taylormade's Rossa Ghost putters were very popular worldwide so TM decided to release Ghost Tour models for the Japanese market including the Fontana, Maranello and Daytona. To follow that up there will also be 2011 Ghost Raylor putters which look very much like the Red Stripe putters except white and black. These feature the new Surlyn Pure Roll insert face and feel very soft at impact.

On the irons side, I have to admit I was disappointed to not see new JDM forged irons like a TP Forged or new Burner Forged or Burner TP irons, all which have always been Japan only. I spoke to one of the managers there and he explained that any new JDM iron release will come later this year, so as to not steal away the thunder from the standard global models, the Tour Preferred MB MC and CB which are being released right now.

Chris has together an awesome TSG video on the TM Booth as well as with Stew testing the new R11 and Burner Superfast 2.0J drivers.

While Stew surprisingly did not mind the looks of the drivers considering he said he wouldn't play a white driver, the R11 did not give him as much distance as the other drivers he tested today. The R11 had a very low launch and did not produce the carry we would have liked, while the Burner 2.0J fared slightly better and had one drive get out to about 290y.

Check out the images from the show for TM by clicking on the album below!

Taylormade at the 2011 Japan Golf Fair

75 Photos

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

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Taylormade R11 Driver

The New Taylormade R11 Driver will be showcased at the 2011 Tokyo Golf Show  and as usual you can expect GolfToImpress/TourSpecGolf to have plenty of HD Video and High Resolution Images as well as a Taylormade R11 Driver Review.  last year we revelaed the Taylormade R9 TP Forged irons along with some other Japan only tid bits.  Will it be the R11 DEEP or perhaps an R11 Max this year dedicated to the Japanese Market?

AST = Adjustable Sole Technology

The new acronym on the sole of the club is (AST) and it stands for Adjustable Sole Technology. Combine that with FCT and MWT and you got a lot of adjustments your able to make. It's pretty amazing stuff if you ask me.

R11 Ghost Driver?

Around the web people are chiming in with positive & negative opinions on the fact that Taylormades future flagship model may come standard in white.  This seems to be the flavor of the month or month(s) with Taylormade's Ghost putter series and recently Cobra's limited edition white driver.  Still no word on if Taylormade will label the new R11 "ghost", my guess is not.

Taylormade R11 TP Driver

Yup it's a safe bet there will be the R11 TP Driver not too far down the line as well.  We can figure the MSRP on the Taylormade R11 will be in the $399.00 range and with the R11TP coming in near $699.00 these are just my guesses, confirmation should be coming soon.

Were these Images Leaked too Early?

My take is that it was an intentional leak and that Taylormade knows exactly what they are doing by getting the pictures out there on the web then asking websites to take them down. It causes a stir getting websites to speculate and customers to get into a pre release frenzy.  Taylormade markets product behind the scenes like no other companies.  Will they ask GTI/TSG to remove the images while they spread like like fire on the web?  Only time will tell...

Taylormade R11 Forged Irons?

Let's keep going right?  It's not to far of a stretch to say the Taylormade will release R11 Irons with or soon after the release of the driver. R11 Fairway Woods, R11 Wedges, R11 TP Irons, R11 Bags & Hat's it's all coming!  It's also pretty safe to say the Japanese Market will be the first to announce R11 Forged Irons and R11 TP Forged Irons.

GolfToImpress will keep you guy's updated as news comes out ...

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I had a chance recently to spend a couple of weeks with the new R9 Supermax from Taylormade Japan. As you all know, Japan gets all the global models in the R9 line, the R9, R9 460, R9 Supertri, R9 Superdeep, plus all it's own Japan market only drivers. Japanese models have included the R9 Max, R9 Max Type E, and now the R9 Supermax.  All in all that's 7 different R9 models since the release of the original R9 back in the spring last year.  Some people have commented that Taylormade releases too many drivers far too often in an attempt to have players spend money to upgrade.

All brands love tweaking design...

Are there a big difference in the drivers they release? The differences are probably small but there are differences.  Many companies are in the same boat, when it comes to driver design, they are maxed out at 460cc and topped out at 0.83 COR. They strive to tweak design, materials and manufacturing processes but there is a lot of competition out there.

Taylormade's thinking is not that it expects every player to change drivers several times a year when a new model comes out  (though some of us certainly do), but rather that consumers upgrade at different times ie player A upgraded earlier this spring to the new R9 Max Type E but player B is now ready to upgrade to the R9 Supermax.  Taylormade Japan is also a brand (well pretty much every brand is like this) that likes to make those design tweaks and changes to improve performance any way they can.

Black head, red accents...

Physically the R9 Supermax is not all that different from the R9 Max Type E which the R9 Supertri also had a similar head shape. It does follow along the lines of the the R9 progression in that it now has a black satin head though the finish is a bit different from the complete IP style heads of the Supertri and Superdeep. It looks a lot more "mature" than the original mirror finished R9 Max.  Black finish when done well on a driver can look very cool and done poorly can look very cheap. The R9 Supermax has a mix of IP black finish in the sole center plate where the logos are coupled with matte black finish and red accents. The grooves in the head design make it look more muscular. The face is that nice black satin and it has the white score lines in the center. It is quite long heel to toe as the typical miss for the average golfer is horizontal rather than vertical. There are no removeable weights in the Supermax, it's weighted for a straight ball with weighting towards the back of the longer shallower head.

The lightest R9 series driver...

The Supermax is designed for MAX distance and MAX ease of use. The  460cc conforming black Supermax features high MOI and higher launch and big carry thanks to a deep and low center of gravity. The shallower face and larger head provide a large sweet spot and confidence at address. Like all other R9 drivers, the Supermax also features Flight Control Technology which allows for the head to be adjusted to 8 different positions altering trajectory and direction by changing the loft, lie and face angle. With the new FCT Sleeve the R9 Supermax comes in at an ultralight weight of 287g (R Flex)! This makes for increased swing speed and more overall distance for the average golfer. The all Titanium head features an inverted cone technology face and ultra thin wall crown at 0.6mm.

Good for the slicer....

Even with the FCT, the SuperMax features a 1* closed face in standard Neutral setting which along with it's ultra light static weight shows that this driver targets the more average golfer battling the right side with a push or slice and those looking for more distance. It's not terribly huge like some drivers these days at address but it certainly has the look of a new style 460cc head.

The new shaft is a Motore Supermax 50 shaft which features torque in the mid 4's and a low 50g weight shaft. At at 45.75" this seemed to be a good match for the Supermax, enough torque to have good feedback and feel but not too much where control would be lost. Definitely this stock shaft is for the smoother average swinger.  Of the current "black" drivers in TM's lineup the Supermax also has the lowest swingweight at around D0 to D1.

Good feel good trajectory...

So how does it feel and perform? My tester came with a 9.5* head and the stock Motore Supermax shaft in the R flex. Yes it is a very light driver, very easy to swing. Taylormade specs the driver at 45.75" but I always find TM on the shorter side compared to other brands as there is no fixed standard for length measurement and depending on the method for measuring  a driver length can be different. What I'm saying is I usually don't like long drivers and try not to play anything over 45.5" and that is the max. The Supermax felt softer at impact than the Type E and Supertri and the sound was more of a subtle tink. I actually liked the trajectory of the 9.5* as it was not overly high unlike many max carry high launch drivers today.  The closed face of the driver and the design and weighting of the head produces a soft draw with good distance.

The Supermax is forgiving. It's a shallow head so tee'ed lower my misses are towards the toe and it does not lose much distance. Some distance and direction is lost off of low heel hits but this is common with most drivers.  The shaft has good feel and I can feel it load and release right before impact.  An aggressive swing results in a bit of a push to the right as the shaft seems to not unload in time leaving the face angle open a bit. These are typical characteristics of a mid to higher torque shaft which help the head square at impact especially for the player who is not as strong or quick, but on the other hand an aggressive player can force the shaft to either not unload in time or with too much wrist action create a pull/hook.

I was getting good run as the 9.5 seems to have a good balance of spin and trajectory.  For those average golfers who hit the ball too high with too much spin, stepping down to a 9.5* for more stability and control  and run is not a bad idea. I've been considering it for a while myself.

A definite option for the average golfer...

The R9 Supermax provides pretty good results for the average golfer and those with a smooth swing looking for more distance.  It's forgiving and will yield great results to someone who doesn't swing out of their pants or overly aggressive hard hitters.  It doesn't launch as high as the R9 Supertri, it feels better than the R9 Max, and is better looking than the Max Type E (hey looks count too right?).  All in all an improvement over previous Japan Market R9 models though it definitely has a lot of competition out there from other brands. You can check out the specs as always in the Tourspecgolf.com pro shop.

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

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A lot of golfers have been asking for the new white Taylormade Ghost putters to lose the hole like the models being used on tour by pros. Taylormade Japan has decided to release 4 under the new Rossa Ghost Tour AGSI+ series including the following head shapes:

Rossa DA-12 Ghost Tour AGSI+
Rossa  MA-81 Ghost Tour AGSI+
Rossa FO-12 Ghost Tour AGSI+
Rossa FO-74 Ghost Tour AGSI+

The DA-12 is the Daytona head, the MA-81 is the very popular L-shaped Maranello 8 head while the FO-12 and FO-74 are the Fontana shaped mallet head. All models will feature SUS304 soft stainless construction with Titalium AGSI+ insert. All models also feature 3 black sight lines for easy alignment and aiming at the hole thanks to outstanding contrast with the white body.

Japan is looking at a December release for these tour spec'ed models though official pricing has not been announced yet. All 4 models will be available in 33, 34 and 35 inch 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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Taylormade is about to release 11 new putters based on the core classic models. The "New" models feature a AGSI-R insert made of Surlyn an Ionoma polymer insert for soft feel producing smooth and consistent roll with it's AGSI grooves. The Core Classics feature a soft SUS304 body finished in flat non reflective flat gray finish.

11 head shapes will be available including:

Daytona 1-02
Daytona 8-02
Sebring 1-02
Sebring 3-02
Indy 1-02
Indy 4-02
Monte Carlo 7-02
Monte Carlo Center Shaft
Fontana 7-02
Maranello 8-01
Maranello 1-02

All models will be available in 33, 34 and 35" lengths and feature 4* of loft. Look for them in the pro shop this weekend!

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

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As many of you may have read, the Taylormade Japan Burner Forged and R9 Forged were supposed to be part of my forged cavity shootout however they demos never came in time from Taylormade for the initial test. Because of the delay I had broken the test into 2 groups, with the Burner Forged and R9 Forged being part of the 2nd group to be reviewed in September. However on Friday, a box appeared at my doorstep from TM with both demo irons ready for testing. My initial thoughts were to simply test the irons in September with the second group and report the results then but after taking a few photos of them this weekend I decided to make this post first with a basic comparison of the two irons since I have gotten so many requests and questions about how the two fit into TM's lineup and their differences.

The good looking Burner Forged...

The Burner Forged has in fact been out for nearly a year and this is the second time I've had the chance to spend time with the demo iron.The soft S25C Burner Forged features USGA approved V Grooves and a very slick silver satin finish.  The new Burner Forged is a modern looking iron doesn't have some of the flashy colors of TM Burner irons of past which is a good thing as its clean design is very eye catching. This is a solid iron with NO pocket cavity. Taylormade launched this iron late last year as an iron for the better player wanting forgiveness and something a little larger than a compact cavity as there is some offset and the top line is not thin by any means. The Burner Forged is soft and forgiving and simply looks great.

(All pictures have the Burner Forged on the left and the R9 Forged on the right.)

R9 Forged: For those who can't play the R9 TP Forged

The USGA conforming R9 Forged was released in May of this year and just like the Burner Forged it is also aimed at the better player wanting forgiveness and more ease of use in a forged iron. Unlike the all S25C body and face of the Burner Forged, the R9 Forged features a 2 piece design in the 3 to 7 irons featuring a 17-4 stainless steel body and a soft S25C forged face. The 2 piece irons use a pocket cavity for added forgiveness and ease of use while the 8 to PW  and AW and SW are 1 piece S25C forged heads with no pocket cavity.  While the Burner Forged features that cool pearl silver satin finish, the R9 Forged is a combination of chrome and satin.

Similar Target - Similar size and dimensions...

At initial glance, both irons look very close in physical size. They are both in between compact and mid sized irons. Face progression specs actually say that the R9 Forged has a touch less offset but the difference is small and it's hard to see with the naked eye. The R9 Forged in fact has a slightly thicker top line but again the difference is very hard to spot. The R9 top line has two finishes actually which give the illusion of a thinner top line than it actually has. At address, the R9 Forged seems a touch more straight and boxy while the Burner Forged is a bit more rounded.

While both heads are very close in heel to toe length, the Burner forged actually has a smaller hitting area on the face and its scorelines are shorter from heel to toe. From the face profile view (R9 Forged on the top and Burner Forged on the bottom) you can also see the slightly boxier toe and straighter top line of the R9 Forged compared to the Burner Forged but again the differences in shape are very subtle. The height of the irons at the toe and heel are almost the same and both have the same number of score lines. The Burner Forged has a more rounded leading edge while the R9 Forged is straighter. Aesthetically they use the same ferrule and both have Taylormade embossed on the hosel, in black on the R9 Forged and with no paint fill on the Burner Forged. Both irons have serial numbers laser etched on the hosels above the TM logo.

The R9 Forged and Burner Forged have rather different soles when it comes to grind and appearance. The Burner Forged has the rounder sole with leading edge relief and cut away grind on the toe and heel to prevent digging of the toe and heel which can cause slices and hooks. The R9 Forged actually appears a touch more narrow but that could be an illusion from the leading edge and trailing edge relief which you can see in the picture.  Both grinds work for each iron and contribute to each model making pure contact in various lies.

Both great mid capper mid sized forged irons...

You can see in the picture above the pocket cavity of the R9 Forged and the solid and deep cavity of the Burner Forged.  Because of the cavity design, the Burner Forged may have the slightly more pure feel at least when compared up to the 7 iron in the R9 Forged set which has a subtle click due to the pocket cavity. The 8 iron and up are more solid feeling and just as pure as the Burner Forged.  I like both irons and the way they look. As a mid-capper striving to improve, both these irons suit me performance and appearance wise. They are not too small yet also not too big and set up nicely. Both are easy to hit straight and even workable for me with a slight fade or draw (both irons were shafted with 950GH Stiff). Players in the 80-90 range will appreciate these irons for their forged feel and size yet ease of use and performance.

I really like the R9 Forged but as I've said before, I love the Burner Forged and still think they're the best looking TM iron out there. Maybe the best all around balanced performer as well.

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

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Taylormade Japan introduces their all new tour model iron, the premium 1 piece R9 TP Forged iron. The new R9 TP Forged is 2010 USGA Groove Conforming and with design supervision from major champion Nick Faldo, is designed to meet the demanding needs of the professional and low handicap golfer.

While offset numbers are similar to previous Japan TP Forged models, the new R9 TP Forged features sharper lines and a shorter blade length with thin top line and a traditional shape and size. Premium forged from S25C steel, the R9 TP Forged focuses on feel and control.  Manufacture Suggested Retail Price is 1260.00 USD 5-PW but TourSpecGolf has them on sale for 1099.00!  Click Here to view the official sales listing with more images and information.

Gocchin also did a comparison with the Burner TP back in March for those better players considering both.

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Golf Digest Online Japan has a few new videos up for our viewing pleasure. Respected tester and former Japan tour player Taichiro Kanatani tests both the Ping Anser Forged and Taylormade Japan R9 Tp Forged Irons.

Kanatani Pro finds both irons on the soft side with the Anser Forged rather forgiving even for a supposed players cavity. He calls the R9 TP Forged a true athlete golfers iron, with pure feel and control.

You can check out both videos below which as usual are in Japanese but it's the visuals that we all want to see! Windows Media player or plugin required.

Simply click on the one of the images below to watch the videos! (this will open a pop up window with the video)

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.