EMAIL

We're having  very nice weather these days in Chiba. After typhoon number 15 cleared across Japan and swept away the humidity and moisture, days are much cooler now and great for golf.  I headed out yesterday to Nouvelle Golf Club which is a very convenient 5 minutes away.  I decided to bring 4 different golf balls with me which I would play 3 holes each with to get a bit of a head to head impression of how they play. Along with the ride came the Tourstage X-jD, New Super Newing, Mizuno MP-8 and the Kasco Kira Soft & Distant in Lime Green. Conditions were about 23C and reasonably windy with swirling winds around 4 to 5m/s.

New Super Newing

I  just made a blog post about the New Super Newing as you can see right before this post. It has a tough act to follow in replacing the Newing Brill which has been my gamer all year. I have to say distance is as good if not better and the strongest point is the ball feels fabulous off ALL clubs.  It shoots off the driver and woods and compresses nicely with irons and wedges. With the putter, dare I say its almost too soft.  The wind played a big factor today especially teeing off so the Super Newing as well as the other balls were certainly put to an aerodynamic test.  Against a very strong headwind on the first hole, I hit the driver as I always do and did not try and create a lower trajectory or de-loft the club in anyway. Even with the strong wind, carry was affected only slightly but the key here is it hit the ground running and I must have gained 20 yards of run and that's even with the wind. On the next hole the wind was behind us so I could not resist teeing it up a bit higher and launching one.

Let me say the Super Newing is a wind surfer... it knows how to ride the wind. The ball has lift and on the 2nd hole 548 par 5, I received a much needed 250+ yard drive well above my average of 225-235 and well on the way to a nice 3 on. I like this ball a lot and highly recommend it especially for those players 100 mph and under who are looking for added distance. It is average when it comes to approach spin but afterall the strength of this ball is not the rpm it can produce but the yardage it can cover.

Tourstage X-jD

I also introduced this ball earlier on the blog and described it as the distance ball for the pro and better player. For an average golfer or slower swinging player there is always a concern when playing a tour labeled ball that one cannot generate enough swing speed to properly compress the ball and take advantage of its design characteristics. Unlike many tour balls out there, the X-jD has a relatively manageable compression rating of 86.  This is actually a ball I very much look forward to playing as I loved the previous X-01 B+ which was an all around ball very much like this one.

The X-jD feels almost as good as the Super Newing. It's pretty soft and has crisp feedback off the face of woods and utilities. While distance doesn't quite match the Super Newing it is still very good with a slightly lower trajectory than the Super Newing which just climbs and keeps going. It doesn't spin quite as low it seems as the SN but where it does shine is with irons and wedges. The X-jD had noticeably better spin characteristics around the greens vs the average spin of the SN.  Stopping power is quite a bit better on full wedge shots and still better on even half and 3/4  swings. Off the putter, the X-jD is soft but not as soft as the SN which may be a good thing as there is a bit more feedback from its slightly crisper impact.  If the SN is a pure distance ball made for average golfers, the X-jD may be the balanced ball for everyone even though it is labeled a tour ball.

Mizuno MP-8

I haven't officially introduced the Mizuno MP-8 ball yet here on TSG but it was one of 10 balls I received for testing and I decided to bring this along with me yesterday based on my past experiences with the Mizuno Tour 352s ball. The new MP-8 is a premium 4 piece ball designed for mid trajectory and soft feel with both increased carry and increased spin.  Unlike many balls today which are going with larger dimples and less dimples the MP-8 features a 366 variably sized dimple pattern.  There are currently two balls in the MP lineup, this MP-8 aimed at golfers 90mph and up and the MP-8x aimed at golfers approximately 100mph and up. Mizuno is the ball brand that doesn't use the typical round or ball core. Their balls usually use a what they dub a cross core which is designed to control spin and distance.

Playing this ball in the wind at Nouvelle had its advantages as the mid trajectory provided stability and good run. The core of the MP-8 is designed for a swinger of my speeds and the ball felt soft and responsive will all clubs. It was not the longest ball (Super Newing), nor was it the best spinning (X-jD), but for the 90mph player it may have very well been the best balanced ball. Feel off the putter is soft, right in between the SN and X-jD. For average swing speed players wanting a more mid trajectory ball and with balanced performance the MP-8 is certainly worth considering.

Kasco Kira Soft and Distant

I've always loved Kasco balls especially their colored ones. Come to think of it, I've never ever played a white Kasco ball though white Kasco models certainly exist. Kasco golf balls afterall are best know for color first followed by performance. That is not to say that performance is sub par, its just that everyone seems to notice the color first and foremost. The Kira Soft & Distant is a  very soft, 3 piece, high launch max carry type ball that produces average spin around the greens. It's aimed at the average golfer with a swing speed between 80 to 100mph.

The term "kira kira" in Japanese means shiny or glittery and that is how the Kira line has always been thanks to a special fluorescent coating used in their balls that diffuses light when reacting to ultraviolet rays of the sun. Kira balls also possess some of the unique technologies used in Kasco's balls. Kasco has worked on implementing nano technology in their balls and in the case of the Kira a unique silicone molecule which provides a high degree of flex and rebound all this while providing a soft feel that Kasco is known for. This is what also produces great distance off the tee. The Kira S&D has very good feel, it is indeed very soft and it launches high and carries far and you can clearly see doing so. Like the ruby red Klenot I reviewed before, when you launch a Kira into the sky its hard to lose sight of it as it glows in the sunlight.  I've never thought much about its spin around the greens (which means its probably pretty average) however I enjoy playing it as it feels good and is rather long off the tee and easy to find if you aren't hitting it straight on certain days.  One cool thing is that Kasco is currently raising funds for the earthquake victims in Japan with their special "Smile for Japan" Kira edition. It's a sleeve of 3 +1, so 4 balls in all 4 colors, yellow, pink, orange and my favorite and easiest to see in my opinion lime.  For every sleeve purchased, Kasco makes a donation.

As always there are many great balls to choose from in Japan. The pros are that they are for the most part very high quality and high performing usually with very good feel. The cons are that they are not cheap to buy and even worse, shipping them overseas makes them more expensive than they already are. If you want high performance, great feel and a something unique plus you don't lose balls regularly, any of these four JDM balls above will make many a golfer happy. The X-jD is already in the pro shop, looks soon for the New Super Newing, Mizuno MP-8 and MP-8x and Kira Smile for Japan sleeves to be added.

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

Bridgestone Tourstage has long been a dominant force on the Japanese tour when it comes to golf balls. They rank right up there with Titleist and Srixon in the battle for tour supremacy.   Tourstage's X Series of balls have always been very popular with not only tour players but better athlete golfers and improving players as well. Their X01 Solid and Mild are among the most popular balls in Japan. Tourstage however wanted to take the performance of the Solid and Mild a step further by altering the ball designs to create a tour level distance ball without sacrificing control and spin.

Three Basics of Distance...

Tourstage decided that average golfers are not the only players trying to gain distance. Tour pros also want as much distance as possible of the tee while still having great feel and spin and feel with shorter clubs. They went back to the drawing board and decided to start with the basics... the 3 main factors that create distance in a ball.

Ball Speed

Launch Angle

Back Spin

By changing the aerodynamics and designs of the dimples and swapping out the inner cover for a higher resistance inner cover, Tourstage created the new X-jD distance ball for Pros and higher swing speeds. The X-jD's design and 326 SHALLOW dimples create more lift but less spin off the tee for a higher launch and much more carry. The new high resistance Ionomer inner cover as well as a firmer more durable high rebound urethane outer cover create more energy transfer and increase initial ball speeds and help reduce back spin as well.

Very manageable 86 Compression...

Even though the X-jD has a firmer outer cover and inner cover for a more crisp feel, the compression of the X-jD is still rated as 86 which is very playable by a wide variety of golfers. Tourstage recommends that the X-jD be used by players with swing speeds between 90 and 110mph.  It is these firmer and high resistance inner and high rebound outer covers that creates a reverse action at impact when using the driver. This reverse action drastically reduces back spin and allows the X-jD which launches higher and carries further than its tour counterparts the X01 Solid and Mild, to even out run them as well when it hits the ground.

Soft But Crisp Feel = Impact Feedback

As swing speed decreases with irons and wedges, the resistance decreases as well allowing the ball to spin higher and land softer around the greens. The X-jD uses a very large NeoG Core which acts almost like a superball at impact. In the past I was a very big fan of soft balls, and I'm probably not alone. Everyone wants soft feeling drivers, soft feeling irons, wedges and putters and ultimately soft feeling balls that come of the face of these clubs. Recently though, I personally find some balls too soft to the point they lack impact feedback. The X-jD is NOT one of these balls. Off the woods and irons and even putter, the X-jD is soft enough to feel the ball compress but firm enough to get some nice crisp feedback which I really do like. I feel this way even though Tourstage ranks the X-jD as firmer on their firmness scale (the lower compression certainly helps).  I find the X-jD to be as long as the average golfer champion ball the Newing Brill and as good feeling if not better.  It has similar launch characteristics and looks to spin even lower.

Previously on the Japanese tour, the X01 Mild was probably the most popular ball with a very good balance of distance and spin and feel, the X-jD looks to have overtaken its place in the bags of many top Tourstage pros giving them more distance plus the same spin control the X01 series balls do.  I'd recommend these balls for players who swing 95mph or more and who need more launch and lower spin off the tee but don't want to give up feel and spin control. I'll be adding the X-jD to the pro shop later this afternoon.

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

The New 2011 TourStage X-BLADE 905 CB Limited Edition Irons were first spotted at the Japan Golf Fair back in late February.  TSG immediately put the Pre-Sale up as we know the new TS limited irons would sell out quickly.  I had to wait for my sets one 905 Limited MB and CB until all customer orders will filled.  I finally got them in and I just can't wait to hit them.  Already TourStage is almost sold out.  They have only a few left as of today with NS950 only,  If you didn't jump on the presale you may want to do so now.

I have all sorts of idea's running through my head,  Do I go with a combo 4-8 in CB & 9-PW in MB? Should I give them a brushed satin look and change the paint fill and install Muziik Grips to match?   I'm Even considering Crazy 80T graphite shafts...  Things have been coming around lately for my golf game with the last 2 rounds in the low 80's and one 9 at 2 over.  It's almost a 10 stroke swing from where I was at almost a month ago.  Thank's Tatsuro Sensei for helping me sort out swing issues and thanks to Ryoma/Muziik for keeping me in the fairway and longer than ever!  I have the confidence that I could handle a Combo set, but should I?

Forged of S20C at Endo and backed by all the technology Bridgestone Golf could throw into these I consider the new 905CB the latest evolution of the ultimate players CB.  The next Generation MR-23CB if I could with hint's of the TS-201's in there yet in a much smaller more refined package.  The loft's are as close to semi traditional as one can be now days.  The 905 CB comes in with a PW at 46* while the MB 47*  Traditional set makeup is at 3-PW but I opted for 4-PW and will probobly only bag 5-PW as I use utility woods and a driving iron in place of the *4.

Above is a comparison image of the New 905 Limited Blade's sole next to the 905 Limited CB's.  I will be posting more comparisons shortly in the TSG Forum shortly.  Both irons have an extremely think top line with almost no offset.  The MB has less than the CB of course but heel to toe lengths and overall shapes are similar enough to make a great combo set.  Both are in NS950 with the same swing weights and I think that should work out good as the design produces a lower flight while the NS 950 will help get the ball up.  Below I have Images to share, please take your time and look through them.  Full written review + video coming early next week along with a profile post of the Muscle Back Tomorrow!

 EMAIL

Tourstage has decided to release their prototype P02-6 driver as a limited edition model to the public.  This prototype was reserved only for tour play by several top Tourstage pros in Japan including Shigeki Maruyama.  The P02-6 features a compact pear shaped 365cc head and is made to produce a strong penetrating trajectory.  The small solid size allows for easy workability for the athlete golfer allowing him to move the ball left or right with a stable trajectory.  Even smaller than the X-Drive 905, the P02-6 Driver is for those who want the ultimate in solid feel and control.

The P02-6 is premium forged using top grade VL Titanium for the face and KS100 Ti along with Ca-Ti for the body. The new Integrated Power Body creates a huge sweet spot even with its small size. The P02-6 will be released April 22nd and only 1000 pieces will be available for all of Japan. The standard shaft is Tour AD DJ-7 Stiff and a 9.5* loft with straight to open face angle. Custom builds will be available but only if there are any heads left since these will sell out fast. Contact us to reserve yours soon as TSG will only get very few!

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

Just received my 2011 X-UT hybrid from TourStage yesterday and have already taken it to the range.  I've got a lot of clubs I'm reviewing right now and tomorrow I have the support of TSG club tester Tatsuro Oshimoto to help me out so that we can provide a mid handicap perspective (ME) along with a plus level player (Tatsuro).

My first impressions right out of the box are, is this thing gonna be hard to hit?  It's a fantastic looking hybrid it's face is fairly deep and it's dimensions playeresque.  Its overall a compact design and extremely appealing to my eye. The face looked a bit open which I like because I have a tendency to pull hybrid clubs.  I was never one to get along with wood style utilities and always preferred driving irons over them so I decided to order this one with a steel NS950 shaft to keep dispersion tight and predictable.

First Impressions were extremely positive, with the steel shaft it flew dead straight, It had a low/mid trajectory and felt very easy to get off the ground. I've only got about a half bucket 30 balls under my belt with it so far and real course testing occurs tomorrow.  If your familiar with last years model the UT-101w this one has a slightly lower CG yet has been moved forward for less spin and workability. The 2011 TourStage X-UT features "onset" which supports you in keeping the left side out of play. For those of you not familiar with onset, its the opposite of offset where the face is slightly positioned forward of the hosel.  The body is made of SUS630 stainless steel and the face is a hyper stainless 455 variable thickness cup face.

Tomorrow it goes up against the new Miura MG Hybrid which has a deeper face than the X-UT. The comparison will be difficult as I have shafted the MG hybrid with the Ozik Altus Hybrid shaft in X.  Stay tuned many reviews coming up!

 EMAIL

Tourstage is considered one of the largest brands in Japan and their booth size always reflects that by being one of the bigger ones at the show. The golf wing of Bridgestone Sports here in Japan, Tourstage has long catered to all level of golfers with premium high performance clubs with cutting edge designs and materials.  This year, Tourstage's main focus at the show was the release of their new 2011 X-Series clubs including the very limited 905 Series which consist of a pro model 385cc driver, new blade and new compact CB.

The first thought when hearing that Tourstage has a new 385cc head is "whoa that's way too small" however, better players have embraced the head as it is probably the most advanced sub 400cc head ever made, producing awesome distance plus workability with a solid feel. At address it actually doesn't look as small as 385cc and could easily pass for 425cc or so which is a good thing for confidence.

The new 905 Blade looks awesome. Sharp lines, boxier toe and very little offset in a very small head, the limited muscle back will be very popular with pro level players and those wanting pure feel. The back of the blade is a bit on the shiny side with its mirror chrome finish however that's of course not noticeable at address.  Tourstage has increased the feel of the sweet area by making the muscle area thicker right in the center. This also brings the CG up ever so slightly to create a more stable launch and trajectory for optimal control and workability.

Tourstage also took the opportunity to introduce an entirely new line of clubs called PHYZ which is based on what Tourstage calls Human Harmonized Design.  The PHYZ line is a premium line made with a main focus on ease of use and distance performance. It fills a line left void by the former Tourstage EXE premium line targeting higher handicappers, average golfers and senior players looking for clubs that will make the game easier and more fun. The PHYZ line features all clubs ranging from, Driver, fairway woods, ut, irons, wedges, putters and even balls and their own accessories lineup.

Tourspecgolfer (Chris) has created an awesome video looking at the new 2011 products especially the in demand X-Series line, including the limited 905 series and the new 705 line of woods and irons. The video is set to play at 720p HD but as we all know Youtube can choke sometimes and if it does please drop the resolution down to 480.

Here are the rest of the pictures from Tourstage! I found it may be too much to load on the front page of the blog by adding all the images the bottom of each post so please click  on the album below to check them out!

Bridgestone Tourstage at the 2011 Japan Golf Fair

74 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.

 EMAIL

In 2 weeks TSG will be live at the 2011 Tokyo Golf Fair previewing some of the hottest new Japan Only releases. With speculation from GolfDigest Japan we can safely guestimate some of whats coming from the major OEM's. That said there are surprises in store that golf companies are just not willing to reveal yet.

As you can see on the chart below it highlights releases starting back in November with the TourStage 705 series, Srixon New Version Z-TX Driver, and new 2011 Yamaha Inpres X models followed by December Yamaha Inpres X utility woods, PRGR Egg driver and two new XXIO drivers.  This month (January)  the new Callaway Legacy APEX was released, XXIO VP Prime, and Srixon's updated GiE series.

The chart also shows some blacked out models coming in February,  To save time I'm skipping over new USDM releases because all that stuff is common knowledge and covered on most mainstream websites.  I'm pretty sure the woods from Nike are the U.S release VR Pro models yet there is usually something Japan only that we could see during the show.

Titleist will have a Japan Only TVD model wedge and Mizuno for the most part has kept hush on their new releases outside of the Japan only and Endo produced MP Craft 425 and JPX 800S Drivers.  The return of the T-Zoid has also been rumored since recently announcing their new T-Zoid utility club.

There will be a slew of Odyssey putters as well as a few designs produced exclusively for the Japanese Market along with  a couple of Japan only finishes. On the very right hand side of the Feb. line were assuming thats the Callaway Legacy APEX utility wood and  moving over to March there should be a new players model of the Tourstage 705 driver that could be named the 705R. Another unknown Callaway driver is also present on the list. The replacement to the Taylormade Burner along with the TourStage PHYZ series has already been announced yet is shaded in, could these be other new releases?  In regards to Taylormade we do know the Burner 2.0J (Japan Only) has already been announced.  More to come on that one this week.

We are aware of a handful of other  new releases that we were asked not to mention. So far that's all the news that the major OEM's are comfortable with officially releasing.

 EMAIL

There have been a lack of conforming groove muscle back blades lately and Tourstage is looking to step in and fill the gap. Today they announced the release of the new premium forged X-Blade 905 and 905CB. Both irons are small and compact with minimal offset and aimed at the scratch golfer and pro player wanting premium feel and control.  The new 705 series which has already launched already has heads that lean towards the smaller side. I expected Tourstage to eventually release a blade but I'm surprised they went with an even smaller CB with the 905. We're looking at a February release for the new clubs and we've already requested demos as always!

There is also a brand new pro model X-Drive 905 driver to be released. It shares many of the features of the 705 series including the  hybrid intergrated power body utilizing an all new CA-Ti lightweight alloy in creating a hyper mesh crown which is 0.35mm at its thinnest point. The cup face features a dual arrow design and a variable thickness face for feel and high ball speeds. The toe and heel are chemically milled for optimal MOI and CG. The conforming 905 is premium forged at Endo and get this... is 385cc in size!! This must be the first time in few years that I've seen a new model driver released under 400cc!

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

Tourstage has released 2 wonderful looking players forged cavities for 2011. I received two 7 iron demos last week for testing of the new X-Blade 705 Type M and 705 Type S. At first glance both premium forged irons look very similar and it's almost hard to see the differences but on further inspection they are subtly different and for good reason.

The Type M is the smaller of the two but not by much. As both irons target the pro to better player, both 705 models are on the more compact size.  The differences can really only be seen when the two are placed side by side. The Type M has a thinner top line, slightly less offset (but almost impossible to see to the naked eye), and a slightly smaller sole. Both irons have very sharp lines and a boxy toe. Both also share the multi grind sole (Tourstage calls it a Hyper Grind sole - I guess that sounds more fancy!) featuring a lot of cut away toe and heel relief as well as leading and trailing edge relief. These versatile soles are made to help the player make the purest contact possible in any lie and reap the benefits of a pure premium forged iron.

Another key difference between the two models is the cavity itself. The slightly more forgiving Type S features an undercut pocket cavity in the longer irons #3-6 for added forgiveness and ease of use. The 3-6 irons are made to focus on straight away distance performance. I wish Tourstage had actually sent me a 5 or 6 iron of the Type S so I could compare the pocket cavity to the Type M. The Type S also has a a slightly wider sole and lower cavity creating a lower CG point and higher launch.  The Type S on the other hand has a higher thicker cavity made for a more pure feel and a focus on a stable launch and spin control. You can see the cavity comparison well in the top picture and the higher cavity of the Type M in fact makes it look larger than the more forgiving Type S but that's just an illusion as the pro model Type M is indeed smaller.

Better players will like the face profiles of both irons and the way they set up. Interestingly, to my eye, there appears a touch more offset in these models compared to the 701 and 701G model from a year ago. The offset however is still mininal. (In the picture above and below the Type M is on the left.) You can also see in the offset picture below how the topline of the Type S is in fact slightly thicker.

I tested both irons more at the range and on grass mostly for feel, grind, trajectory and control. Both irons are very pure feeling and a lot of that has to do with what I mentioned earlier about the grind. The grind on both allows very clean entry and exit through the turf allowing easier contact right on the sweet spot of both irons. the Type M with thicker cavity area felt especially soft and produced a lower trajectory ball than the lower CG Type S. Of course this is also affected by the fact that both irons had different shafts, 950GH in the Type M and graphite Tour AD 95 in orange in the Type S. Their compact size and sharp lines frame the ball well and were easier to hit than I expected. Some X-Blade models in the past were rather difficult to hit for anyone other than a single digit and great ball striker but the 705 series seems to have improved on that. I'd still say the Type M is aimed at the scratch golfer and single digit player while the Type S can be played by a single digit to maybe a 12 to 15 handicapper who is a good ball striker.

I prefer both these irons to the new Tourstage GR Forged which I found off balance in size and odd looking in design. If you're a mid capper and a pretty good ball striker with aspirations at taking it to the next level I'd suggest the 705 Type S over the GR Forged. Both 705 models are already shipping and available 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.

 EMAIL

The weather in Japan is still very wacky with today hitting 19C. Very hard to believe it's almost mid December but that's totally fine with me as it means the weather is still great for golf. Today I headed out with two of my playing partners for a night round down at Moon Lake.  Since it was a night round, I dressed more warmly, but ended up overdressing as it was hot. Once you get going at a good pace it's easy to keep the body warm and loose.

Golf is certainly more fun when you're driving the ball well. Your second shot gets shorter, you feel confident at the tee and that awesome impact puts a smile on your face. Lately I've been in that phase, and interestingly, I've gotten it by testing drivers with stiffer shafts than I'm used to. Lately I've developed a very slow take back but very aggressive transition at the top, so the stiffer shafts have worked out for me. The PRGR iD 435 driver I tested recently was sporting an M-43 shaft which worked well for me so I decided to bring to Moon Lake the new Tourstage X-Drive 705 Type 455 loaner I got from Bridgestone to game. The 705 is shafted with a new Tour AD DJ-6 Stiff, so I thought it'd also be a good opportunity to check this shaft out.

The new X-Drive 705 is a high tech premium driver which is aimed at pro and better player. The 705 is available in 2 flavors, the Type 415 (415cc) and the Type 455 (455cc). The 415 is the more compact of the two, made for control and workability while the 455 is made for distance and stability. The 415 is deep and while the 455 is also mid deep it is also longer heel to toe.

Both drivers are high back and deep face pear shaped drivers (the 415 more so than the 455). The new 705 features a hybrid intergrated power body utilizing an all new CA-Ti lightweight alloy in creating a hyper mesh crown which is 0.35mm at its thinnest point. The cup face features a dual arrow design with a sweet spot 5% larger than the X-Drive 703 and a variable thickness face for feel and high ball speeds. The toe and heel are chemically milled for optimal MOI and CG. The conforming 705 drivers are made at Endo and feature straight to open face angles.

I like the way the 455 sets up. It is not tiny or compact looking at address even though it is more of a high back design.  As spec'ed the face angle does set up square . If you like a muscular looking high tech driver, the sole of the X-Drive gives you a futuristic almost Optimus Prime kind of Transformer look. It looks like it means business.  I had a 10.5* and with the DJ-6 I actually found the trajectory rather penetrating with very good run. It was a bit windy but I had no problems hitting some of my best drives of the year with this combo (I'm guessing I averaged around 235y today - 90mph driver swing). The low torque and what seems to be real loft, is very stable and controlled.

Feel is very much like the previous 703 Limited, soft at impact with a nice crisp sound to it. It is reasonably forgiving for what is considered an athlete golfer model.  I was able to keep the ball in the fairway for most of the round even on off center hits, not loosing much distance.  The Tour AD DJ-6 does have lower torque than the preceeding DI-6 but I like the feel, the shaft has a very predictable unload even with an aggressive transition thanks to its nanotechnology design.

So is this a better driver than the 703 Limited? It's hard to say, and that goes for many of the new models these days trying to surpass their previous generation models. Manufacturers are trying to push the envelope of technology as to what they can do with limited COR and head size, and the 705 is representative of lots of innovative features, so in that sense it is more advanced than the 703 which was already pretty advanced.  It's definitely a good driver that will make lots of people happy offering a great balance of feel, distance and control/stability.  Yes looks are subjective, and I personally like the looks. It shows with quality and great finish and workmanship. I had a good round with it today, so I guess I can say for now, I like it. Hitting the driver straight and far will usually make most golfers pretty happy.

The 705 Type 455 and 415 are both available in the Tourspecgolf.com pro shop for anyone who's interested in getting one.

Pictures of the club in daylight from earlier today:

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

 EMAIL

I had the chance to take a quick spin with the new 2010 Tourstage X-Drive GR which was released back in August. Around 3-4 years ago when the GR line was first introduced, it didn't have a clearly defined position as to where it stood in the Tourstage lineup. Tourstage had decided the GR would be the "more forgiving" X-Drive however this was at a time when Tourstage had simultaneously released the X-drive 460, 460P, 430P and 410P. So there already was that more forgiving 460cc X-Drive which the GR looked very similar to.

Over the years, the GR line has evolved and finally taken its place as the line for the mid capper and improving golfer not quite ready for the X-Drive and X-Blade lines but wanting a balanced performer for both control and distance. But this has only happened because last year Tourstage had finally decided to stop relying on the standard X-Drive drivers for design cues with the GR line. This years GR driver stands alone with its design with a completely different look and shape from the standard lower handicap model X-Drives.

The new conforming 460cc GR features a shallower and longer head than previous models with deeper and lower CG creating more forgiveness and maximum carry with low spin. The special hybrid cup face has variable thickness with the thickest section being the center sweet spot. This provides a softer feel and sling shot like effect at impact.

The new GR has an ultra thin 0.55mm ribbed crown that helps repel the ball with the full energy from a swing. The crown is flatter compared to last years model which had a rounder crown. This is to aid in the energy trransfer.  The weighting and CG placement result in a sweet area 17% larger than last years GR model. The face is shallower than than all other current X-Drive models and wider heel to toe. The GR face is now also a full hybrid cup face unlike last years model.  The GR is meant to provide a higher launch with low spin but for me it was a more penetrating launch which I like. It supposed to start lower and rise then carry further than last years model. I find I have more direction and control with the  launch not being so high plus the run I need. Feel is typical Tourstage which is solid but soft especially with the dual arrow thicker sweetspot chemically milled face.

While the head is shallower and longer it does not look overly large at address. The face does appear a touch closed.  It does provide confidence at address. The GR is paired with a Tour AD B10-03W which varies in weight and torque depending on flex. The R and SR flex are rather light, coming in at 290 and 296g respectively, this makes the driver very playable by the slower swinger and more average golfer. The S flex club jumps up to 308g and lower 4..3* of torque in the shaft (vs 5.3 and 4.8*). The shaft is a pretty good match for the GR and surprisingly not bad for stock shaft when it comes to faster swingers, this is due to the stiffer butt section on the stock shaft. For example the stock stiff shaft has a stiffer butt than the upgrade option Fubuki though the Fubuki has a stiffer tip section and center section for even less spin and launch.

Overall I liked the GR driver. Good technology and design put into the head. A nice trajectory and good feel. But most importantly pretty easy to hit... for an X-Drive. Any improving player will do well with the new GR and reap benefits of good distance and control. Best of all the price is a lot lower than its more advanced and lower handicapper sibling models the X-Drive 705 Series. You can check out the new GR driver in the TSG 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

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.