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ONOFF has always prided itself in creating well designed golf clubs that not only look good but make golf easier and more fun. The Fairway Wings has been their utility model over the last half decade and while in the past there was only one Wings model, for 2012 there are two. In 2011, in addition to its standard Fairway Wings model, we saw ONOFF release a limited edition Pro Spec Fairway Wings which was the choice utility of top ONOFF Pro Shingo Katayama. The club was a hit for not only better players but players of all levels. Because of this, 2012 now sees a Type-D or Red Fairway Wings model made for the average golfer as well as the new Type-S or Black Fairway Wings made for the better and athlete golfer. I was very excited to test these two new demos as over the last 4 years I have always at one time or another had at least one ONOFF Fairway Wings in my bag.

At first glance, the new Type-D and Type-S are not all that different from one another. A quick look at the specs show their head volumes are in fact very similar (the 21* D or Red is 120cc and the 21* S or Black is 122cc). Both feature multi level soles to minimize friction and increase versatility in various lies and both feature tungsten weighting to control CG placement, spin and trajectory. The Type-D Red has a V sole to help the average golfer from loosing too much speed at impact when the sole hits the ground. The V sole also brings the CG a tad lower for a easy strong launch.  The Type-S Black sole is rounded which increases its versatility in deep rough and uneven lies, maintaining stability and control.

Both Type-D and Type-S feature variable thickness faces for better feel, more forgiveness and higher ball speeds at impact.  What many will like about both models is that they are not very shallow faced like many modern clubs are these days. Lots of clubs are shallow in order to push the CG as low as possible and to make it easy to pick the ball off the fairway right in the center of the face but aren't always friendly for use off the tee. The Type-S Black is a tad deeper than the Type-D Red but both excel off the tee for longer par 3's or if you just need to be straight and in the fairway. The feel of both faces is quite crisp but soft, with the Type-S Black being a tad softer due to a thicker center and thicker face areas above and below the sweet spot. The Type-D Red is thick in the middle as well but the walls surrounding the sweet spot are thinner for more spring action benefiting the average swing speed player and golfer.

As I mentioned earlier, both head sizes are very similar in volume and the face depth is also very similar? So whats different besides the sole shape, face thickness and aesthetics? If you look at the clubs from the heel you can see that the while both taper to a shallower crown, the Type-S Black is shorter and more tall through the crown while the Type-D Red is flatter and overall shallower.  The shape of their heads alters the CG length and position with the Type-D producing a strong mid trajectory ball which is very stable and controlled for the better player and faster swinger thanks to its shorter CG. The Type-D Red has a longer CG producing a strong but higher launch helping average golfers with more distance through a higher trajectory and more carry.

At address we continue to see more differences. Carried over from the Pro Spec model, the Type-S Black has an iron like look at setup due to the two tone crown. It's longer ferrule and neck create more of a flow like an iron. The Type-S also features a 0* square face angle. The Type-D on the other hand sets up like a wood and features a 1.0* closed face on all lofts. Its hard to see the visual size difference but the the Type-S Red "appears" bigger due to its shallower crown.

It's not uncommon for an average golfer like myself to rely heavily on a utility. When the woods are not going well and you still need that distance on a second shot, or in a tough lie,  the right utility can have you go from saving par to making double bogey. Because of this, when I look at a utility, first and foremost it has to be easy to hit. It is after all the "rescue" club in your bag. I am happy to report that both Red and Black models of the Fairway Arms are pretty easy to hit even with their deeper faces.  Their soles are versatile allowing for good contact resulting in great distance. Another factor in making good contact is the length of the club. Both the Type-D Red and Type-S Black do NOT have a loft where the club length is over 40.00" and that is a good thing. The shorter length club allows for more control and consistency which in turn leads to better impact and more overall distance. I swung both clubs very confidently due to their length. For comparisons sake, my Royal Collection TRC 20* is 40.50" in length and the ONOFF Type-D Red 21* is 39.00", however I did not see much difference in distance as I was able to strike the ONOFF so well.  The ONOFF clubs also use maraging  faces but are a tad more high pitched at impact which I call crisp.  Maraging face feel is very good and you can easily tell when you pured it which is most of the time as the sweet spots are quite large.

The Type-S Red is available in 18 21 24 and 27* lofts with ONOFF's in house MP-512U graphite shaft. ONOFF's graphite shafts are typically very good and considered in Japan a step up on most OEM shafts thanks to Daiwa's expertise in carbon and graphite (see Roddio as well as Daiwa fishing rods).  Both the 24* and 27* are surprisingly useful and great for those average golfers who don't get along with their long-mid irons. In a strong lofted iron set, they replace the 5 and 6 iron very admirably.

Interestingly the Type-S Black which is a Labospec model aimed at the better player comes only in 21* 24* and 27*. It would have been great to see an 18* as well here. The Type-S is offered with a steel shaft only in its stock form, either the 850GH Regular or 950GH Stiff. This is kind of too bad as I can see many players wanting the Type-S with a graphite shaft. The good news is it can be custom ordered with Labospec high modulus shafts or Roddio shafts though there will be a reasonably long wait on those.

I liked both models very much but as a player who uses his utility off the tee and sometimes battles a hook with shorter clubs, the Type-S was my choice of the two. I also like the way it sets up with the two tone crown. I could play both as they both are easy to hit and with good distance but the closed face would only help me if I sliced. I wish however the Type-S also came with a stock graphite shaft as not everyone will fit an iron shafted utility into their set.  For the average golfer who needs more distance, ease of use and battles the left side, the ONOFF Type-D Red is a premier choice. Look for the new ONOFF Fairway Wings to be in the pro shop in coming days!

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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After testing the Geotech GT N SWS Fairway Wood the other day, I was confident that the new GT N SWS would be just as good.  So instead of just borrowing a demo from Geotech, I took  a leap of faith and asked Geotech to build me a GT N SWS Utility 24* to game in my bag.  With Geotech able to custom build any of their clubs with any available shaft in Japan, I had a lot of options to choose from and was considering the new Tour AD DI Hybrid as well as a Crazy Black Utility shaft. Then I thought about how the Geotech heads are ultra attractive due to their cost performance value so why not build the club for me with their most entry level shaft and see how it performs?

Value performer...

Geotech sent over the complete club built to my requested specs which were GT N SWS UT 24*, Geotech Hybrid 75 shaft Regular Flex, Tour Velvet Lite Grip, 39.25" 357g D0.5 Swing Weight.  This combination comes out to 180.00 built to spec which is less than any other shafted utility we offer. They also sent me a GT N SWS 19* Utility demo for me to test side by side with my RC TRC 20*. The GT N SWS shares the same visual cues and technologies and materials as the its Fairway Wood sibling. Stability Screws in the toe and heel allow for altering of bias and trajectory and the stepped sole create trailing edge relief and less friction through the turf and rough.

Wide sweet spot...

Like the FW, the GT N SWS features the Maraging face which provides Titanium like performance and feel equaling nice pop at impact. The Utility face is shallower than the FW and long heel to toe which stretch the sweet area towards typical miss spots for the average golfer. With the shallower head and back weighting, the GT N SWS Utility is very forgiving and designed to launch the ball high and far with a soft landing from any lie. Feel is similar to the FW though not quite as crisp bordering more on the soft but solid side. This is probably due to the size of the head and its more compact shape (being a utility vs a FW).

Nice looking at address...

At address all GT N SWS Utility lofts feature a square face angle and no offset.  This UT targets the average golfer but characteristics like face angle and offset will also appeal to the better golfer wanting something forgiving and easy to hit.  You can see from the picture above how long the head is from heel to toe. The head shape is very nice and appealing at setup. The GT N SWS UT's lines flow very well and frame the ball quite nicely providing plenty of confidence.

Reasonable "entry level" shaft...

I was torn over getting the Crazy Black Utility or trying Graphite Design's new DI Hybrid but as I mentioned, I opted for a basic shaft from Geotech just to see how the the head would perform. Many people are drawn to Geotech clubs for their cost performance so it makes sense to test the club with an equally based cost performance type shaft. The Geotech Hybrid Series shaft are 75 and 85 models that cost around 45.00 (even less if the yen was not so strong).  They range in weight from 74 to 89g and are mid torque type shafts with low mid kick. These numbers translate into a stable shaft with good feel thanks to the torque and active tip area. Shafted with the Utility the 75 Regular which I chose created a higher but stable and straight ball trajectory. Performance was very acceptable especially considering its cost. at this point I have no urge to swap it out and will play with it as is. It's certainly as good as any stock shaft of the shelf from any top manufacturer if not better since you can have it custom installed to spec.

Great workmanship... Great Cost Performance...

One thing you can be certain of is the club work done by Geotech. They are after all Japan's largest component brand and because of this they assemble a lot of clubs and do a good job of it. Specs are always right on and workmanship is always superb with perfectly matched and turned ferrules which result in better looking work than some of the mass produced big brands off the shelf. Overall I'm impressed with the GT N SWS Utility and its cost performance.  There are many utilities that will cost 2 to 3 times more which are out of many players' budgets. If you want a utility custom made for you under 200.00 (or more depending on the shaft you choose) and want something with top notch materials like a maraging face and technology like interchangeable weights, the GT N SWS is something worth seriously considering. Couple that with its ease of use and high forgiveness and you have a club deserving of a place in any average golfer's bag. We'll be adding the GT N SWS to the pro shop this week as heads only (17 19 21 24 27 30* lofts - quite a wide selection) and as a custom club listing with some of the more popular shaft options. As always you can contact us directly for a custom quote and build by Geotech with any shaft and grip of your choice.

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

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In addition to the New egg 7 Iron I reviewed yesterday, I also received a couple of new egg i+ utilities from PRGR. In the past many golfers had purchased the long irons from previous generation egg sets because they were great at replacing their existing long irons due to their ease of use. This time around Pro Gear has decided to release their New egg Iron with only 5-SW available and co-release the new egg i+ as 3+ 4+ 5+ and 6+ utilities.  While there is a little overlap with the New egg Irons, the egg i+ will appeal to even golfers who don't play egg irons.

I won't go into extreme detail since I just reviewed the iron and their concepts are very similar as well as their looks and performance. I'll instead go over some of the differences and how they feel and perform. Right off the bat you can see in the above image that the 4+ utility which is 21* is has a considerably wider sole.  You'll also notice that the PRGR i+ utility does not have tungsten in the sole and the reason for that is thanks to a much shallower face and that wider sole, most of the weight is already placed way down low and deep.

Looking at the face profile of both clubs you can see that the egg iron is shaped much more like an iron albeit with a shallow face. The egg i+ utility is even shallower and rounder with a rounded sole and leading edge that much more resembles a utility wood. The CG is just as low and even deeper than the iron creating an easy launch in any lie. The egg i+ utility, like the iron, is made for maximum ease of use and distance.  The 3+ 19* is 40.5" with lengths gradually decreasing to the 6+ which is 25* and 39.00". The strong lofts, longer lengths and very low CG create a higher maximum carry ball.

At address both have very little offset. The New egg iron has the thinner top line because the inside of the egg i+ utility is in fact hollow (the iron has a solid face).  The hollow construction provides the feel and forgiveness of a traditional metal wood.  At address you can clearly see the larger scooped out back of the egg i+ utility. It almost looks like a smaller version of the current egg spoon and egg fairway wood and its no coincidence that it does. The proven design from the Spoon has been carried over to the i+ utility and enhanced for utility type usage in any lie.

The PRGR egg i+ Utility features slightly different materials than the iron.  It utilizes an even hotter and thinner maraging face called ES230. This is paired with a soft SUS630 body. Feel wise I was surprised when I hit the i+ as it feels and sounds very much like my Titleist VG3 Utility. If you tap the face it has the same tink sound. You can pretty much swing the egg i+ like an iron but it provides the feel and sound and distance of a wood. Distance is fantastic and I hit the 4+ 21* egg higher and further than my VG3 Utility. The VG3 is a 22* but the egg outdistanced it by at least 10-15 yards.  The wide sole makes it very hard to hit fat shots and its shallow face very easy to pick balls purely off any lie.   The egg i+ is very forgiving as hitting virtually anywhere there are scorelines seems to produce equally long and straight distance.

Again the catch for many players will be their ability to adjust to the unorthodox look of the PRGR egg i+ utility. Some people may not know what to make of it, a driving iron? A utility wood with the crown missing? As strange as it looks and as different as its design is, the egg i+ utility is easy to hit long and straight meaning it rightfully belongs in the egg lineup.  The egg i+ utility will launch on August 6th and be available in 19 21 23 25* lofts with PRGR egg carbon shafts. Be sure to look for the pre order this coming week 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

Golf is all about consistency but the reality of it is we can't always be as consistent as we'd like to be. We don't always land the ball in the middle of the fairway or an ideal area to make the best shot. That's when versatility needs comes into play. This year can certainly be said to be the year of the utility. While rescues, hybrids and utilities are nothing new, there are more and more to choose from with all different styles, designs, and to suit players of all levels.

When I'm not swinging the fairway woods well, I look to the utility as my go to second club. It shorter club length makes it easy to control and hit center and with many new designs today, you actually don't lose much distance going to a utility vs a fairway wood especially if you strike the center of the club more consistently on the utility. Its not uncommon to see players these days use a no fairway wood setup and go with strong lofted 16 or 17* utility. I've had Royal Collection utilities in the bag as gamers for nearly 3 years now and nothing has been able to knock them out of the rotation. As I've noted in several posts on the blog already, the TRC utilities are simply great all around performers with feel, ease of use, distance as well as stability.  When Titleist's new VG3 FW and UT where announced at February's Japan Golf Fair, I wondered if these would be able to compare to the RC's overall qualities. Since I play the Titleist VG3 Forged and don't like hitting a 5 iron, I thought I would get the VG3 UT 25* to test out.

At first glance, the VG3 H as it is called is rather simple looking and for many this can be a good thing. It's clean lines and shape are not distracting in anyway. However picking the club up you can feel its build and quality. Its a very solidly put together club. The VG3 H features the VG3 line's variable weight with tungsten weighting in the sole. This promotes squaring of the head and allows the player to catch the ball solidly on the sweet spot which is pretty large. The VG3 line afterall was specifically designed for the Japanese market and average golfer in a joint venture between Titleist USA and Japan. The VG3 line has turned out to be well suited for quite a broad range of players including lower handicappers wanting the most forgiving Titleist clubs up to higher handicappers who need clubs to grow with and advance to the next level. The VG3 H is no different as it has characteristics that many players will like.

At address the VG3 H was designed to set up like an iron type utility. I don't mean like a driving iron but rather a utility whose shape resembles the way an iron sets up at address with a taller toe area and clear view of the face. The VG3 accomplishes this with its slightly taller toe area and reasonably deep face. Like the TRC, the shaft lines up with the top line of both clubs making for a very nice appearance at address. I like the way the VG3 H flows along with the VG3 Forged 6 iron.

The above images shows the deeper face of the VG3 H and you can see how the toe is taller compared to the TRC Utility which is dubbed more of a fairway wood type utility thanks to its head and face shape.  The VG3 H also has a longer hosel/neck which places more mass over the top of the club actually raising CG and creating a more penetrating ball flight (which is of course more evident in the lower lofts). With its deeper face I'm looking forward to teeing off with it on those 180y+ par 3's.

I like the way the VG3 H feels in my hands, it is rated at D1 but it feels like it has a higher swing weight. Overall weight is much closer to my VG3 Forged irons with graphite shafts which is a good thing for consistency in feel.  Swinging the VG3 you can feel where the head is at all times. The Motore H stock shaft is not soft nor is it very stout. You can wobble the shaft and feel the head and its easy to load and release but not to the point where it is unstable. However aggressive swingers are probably best off going with one of Titleist's upgrade shafts for added stability. At address the the VG3 H sets up well and frames the ball with confidence. Its not a large head nor is it tiny. Feeling good about your club at address gets you off to a good and confident take back. While it does have a bit more of a tink sound at impact feel is rather crisp but soft similar to the 910H (it uses identical 17-4 stainless for the body and special 455 custon steel for the face) but with a bigger sweet spot.

The VG3 H is very easy to get the ball in the air.  The sole is pretty flat and really allows you to get under the ball. My VG3 H is a 25* so the trajectory is mid to higher but stable and still runs a little. So far with brief testing I have to say that is a very cooperative utility . As a 25* the shaft length of 39.5" is a touch on the longer side and this helps add distance. (the older 24* TRC was in fact 40.0" long) The additional length doesn't really make it any harder to hit as you can really feel the head unload to the ball. Sometimes I find with a longer club length and lighter head weight I can't tell where the head is which is a feeling I certainly don't like. Luckily this is not the case with the VG3 H. So far I'm pretty happy with how the club looks, feels and plays. For a midcapper its a great balanced performer between straight away distance and stable control. Its forgiving enough for the higher handicapper and at the same time that forgiveness is a draw for the better player wanting a - don't think just swing utility - that sets up favorably at address for the low handicapper.

As always the real test will be taking it out on course which I will next week at Manna's Gary Player Course!  Hopefully the VG3 Fairway wood will arrive in time to accompany it!

You can check out the VG3 H in the pro shop as it has already begun shipping.

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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Miura Giken Japan has introduced their first metal wood since the MD Precious Editions several years ago. This new model, the MG Hybrid is an all around versatile utility to replace 3 and 4 irons. It's a beautiful looking black IP finished head with some gold accents and two weights in the sole to increase MOI.

The Miura MG Hybrid...

The MG Hybrid is designed to have the accuracy of an iron but the ease of use of a wood. The MG Hybrid produces a more penetrating trajectory thanks to a deeper face (purposely designed the same height as a ball) and optimal CG placement. Miura decided that to create the optimal trajectory for different lies and conditions, the CG should not be placed too low like in many clubs today. This allows for more stability, direction and control.

The MG Hybrid features a stepped sole or what they call a circle cut sole. Because the sole is stepped, less friction with the ground is produced by only allowing the front portion of the sole to make contact. They've also designed the club so that at address, the MG Hybrid gives the illusion of a low offset iron. They've done this by utilizing a receding crown giving the appearance of a top line like an iron.

I received the 23* head today and first impressions are that it looks very easy to hit. I stuck a shaft in it (just in the hosel, not actually installed) to take some pictures and it does set up rather nicely and the finish is pretty good. I personally don't like the gold so much but that is subjective and I'm sure that there are those who will like it or won't care since its on the bottom sole. The face profile is interesting and almost rounded and as I mentioned the same height as a ball unlike many utilities and fairway woods today which are getting shallower and shallower.

Head only or custom built...

This SUS455 club is available as heads only and we can have the club built to your specs with any shaft. It features a 0.350" diameter hosel and is available in 20 and 23* lofts. I only have the head for some picture taking and visual impressions as this head is going to Tourspecgolfer for testing.

For a limited time only, we've got an introductory price of 189.00 for a head going in the TSG pro shop now. Here are more pictures I took 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

Edit: updated post to include driver info!

Had a chance to speak with Taylormade Japan today and they faxed over some promo sheets of their fall club releases. They've got a new line of R9 Supermax clubs which will only be for the Japanese market only.

The following releases will be out in September and October:

Taylormade R9 Supermax Driver
Taylormade R9 Supermax Fairway Woods
Taylormade R9 Supermax Irons
Taylormade R9 Supermax Rescue
Taylormade Burner 2.0 Irons
Taylormade TP MB Irons Smoke (conforming grooves)
Taylormade TP Wedge with XFT Black
Taylormade Rossa Core Classics AGSI R (11 models)

The key release here is the R9 Supermax line in October which will be a JDM line with a focus on performance and ease of use for the mid capper to average golfer.

The all new R9 Supermax driver is all black and ultra forgiving with a focus on distance and ease of use. Hi MOI and high launch with max carry.  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.  The Supermax will be available in 9.5 10.5 and 12HT lofts.

Taylormade will also release all black fairway woods and rescues both with FCT and a new set of irons.  The Supermax FW features a bigger sized head (#3 175cc #5 152cc #7 146cc) with mid high custom 455 Stainless Steel faces. The 450SS body FW's are designed for high trajectory and distance performance. While the R9 Supermax FW does have FCT, it is naturally weighted for draw bias.

The new Supermax Rescue will also be all black and feature FCT as well. Made of 17-4 stainless steel and available in 19 22 and 25* lofts.  There will also be an all new mid sized R9 Supermax Iron which feature long and mid irons with a 2 piece undercut cavity design and shorter irons in a 1 piece design with no undercut. The long irons feature a 17-4 body and a custom 455 face while the 8 to wedges are all 17-4 SS. The irons do have offset especially in the longer irons which becomes progressively less as the irons get shorter. The lofts are ultra strong with a 23* 5 iron again showing a big focus on distance.

The all new Burner 2.0 irons are a performance iron with a focus on high MOI and a new sole design. Again we see strong lofts with a 24* 5 iron, inverted cone technology and Fubuki iron shafts.

The new Rossa Core Classics putters will have the following 11 models released with the new and very soft AGSI R insert:

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

These are just a few of the new products coming to Japan from Taylormade. I've already requested demos which should be on the way soon!

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

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Mizuno has long been a competitor in the average golfer market with their JPX line. They have just announced the release of their new JPX AD line for 2010 which will be released right before the Golf Fair here in Japan. The last two generations of JPX clubs, including the A25 series and E600 series have seen a less than enthusiastic reaction from consumers in my opinion. Because of this, Mizuno has overahauled the look of their JPX line and gone with a new approach. This approach is that a longer club will equal more distance.

The new JPX AD Driver is 46.5" long, the 3 wood is 43.5" long and the 20* utility is 42" long. Those who follow my opinion on the blog know that I agree that a longer club adds distance BUT only if the player can square up that longer club at impact. I have said it many times, a longer club is simply harder to hit consistently. Mizuno notes that for every extra inch in length there is an increase in swing speed of 1m/s.  I am unsure as to what to think of Mizuno's new JPX stategy especially as an average golfer who can hit a 44" driver staighter and further than a 46.5" driver on a consistent basis. And golf is all about consistency right?  I'd rather swing 40m/s and hit it dead center and flush then 42.5m/s and hit a glancing blow off the toe.

However, Mizuno of course makes awesome clubs and is perhaps Japan's most well known golf brand outside of Japan and for good reason. So I will give them the benefit of the doubt until I test the clubs myself.   At a recent test session, Mizuno had 134 average  golfers test the new driver and 85 of them or 63.4% of them all saw an obvious increase in distance.  Sounds promising especially if you are one of those players who have no problems squaring longer clubs and are looking for more distance.

The new JPX AD line will step back to the old JPX E310 series colors and feature a gold and black theme. The E310 series was a very solid line and if the JPX AD can perform up to its standards we have something exciting to look foward to.  Once I get a chance to test the new line you'll surely hear from me on the blog. Look for the new JPX AD pre order in the shop sometime this week!

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

 EMAIL

Back in 2006 Fourteen Golf released the UT-106 a larger sized utility based on forgiveness and ease of use to replace long irons. The knock on this model especially by better athlete level players was that the club was too big and did not give them the control they wanted. The UT-106 stayed on the market for 2 years and was very popular with the average golfer.

In 2008 Fourteen released the UT-306. The UT-306 with its straight neck and compact head was what the lower handicapper and better player was looking for. A versatile hybrid with a CG that provided lower penetrating shots.  The UT-306 was hard to hook and great for the harder swinger or pro player wanting stable control. However this was not an upgraded model for the average golfer and those who used the UT-106 could not easily transition to the UT-306.

Enter the new UT-409 for 2010. This very good looking utility still has a rather compact head but is targeted at all levels of players by featuring a balanced combination of performance, forgiveness and control. Versatile from any lie, the UT-409 and it's lower CG is made to launch high and carry far, the perfect replacement for those who do not want to hit their long irons.  The head is designed for easy alignment and squaring up to the ball at impact.  The Fourteen UT-409 features a soft SUS630 body matched with a high strength 455 steel face and is available in 21 24 27 and 30* lofts in regular and stiff flexes.

I hope to get a 24* in soon to replace my 5 iron in the bag for testing. Look for the UT-409 in the pro shop this week as the launch date is October 24th!

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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If you liked the previous videos featuring the Yamaha drivers for 2009, you'll love this one featuring the 2009 Inpres X fariway woods and utility. Both these clubs feature Yamaha's new Fric Off Sole, a concave sole and bounce on the leading edge. The problem with many players and fairway woods is that they make too much contact with the ground before impact and this friction slows the clubhead and decreases distance and creates a far less desirable impact.

Fric Off minimizes the amount of the club that makes contact with the ground by only allowing the leading edge of the club to glance off the ground right before impact. This creates far better contact and increases club head speed through the impact zone. Because of the Fric Off design and the fact that Yamaha clubs have always been know to be great feeling and cutting edge design clubs, the Yamaha Inpres X line of fariway woods has been the number one selling FW for the average golfer in Japan for 2009. Check out Yamaha's woods and utility in the pro shop and this awesome 5 min and 34 sec video featuring the clubs and Fric Off.

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.