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The Story of Yuji Numazawa - Armsgain


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Nobody in the golf industry even comes close to the success that Yuji Numazawa has had in his career in regards to golf equipment design, no one...

Payne Stewart, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Gene Sarazan, Lee Travino, Jose Maria Olazabal and that is just a fraction of the players who used his handmade equipment back in the day. This is Numazawa-san's story.

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In 1970 Numazawa-san was the chief designer and wood grinder for Honma Golf he climbed the ranks in the company and became a valuable asset when tour players in Japan began to notice the beauty and shape of his persimmon woods, he was the tour rep on the Japan tour for many years and one day he arrived to work with many Japanese players lined up for his clubs after they learned that Gene Sarazan had them in play immediately after his designs were in 90% of the Japanese players not under the Honma name but as one off custom made hand ground wooden clubs with no marking other than his initials. "YN"

Lee Travino was the next American player to use his equipment back in 1975 and following Travino Gene Sarazan who played the YN driver and spoon asked that Numazawa-san travel to the Masters as his guest in 1986 but when Numazawa-san went to work and shared the good news with Honma golf they didn't want him travelling to the states to work outside of the company name and at the time Honma Golf was not in the business of sponsoring tour players. So Numazawa-san quit his job and got on a plane for the U.S.

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Shortly after things really took off for Numazawa-san when the famous international talent agency IMG contacted him to make golf clubs for most of their top players his next job was to travel to the British open with Payne Stewart making and adjusting his clubs to his exact requests.

The following year at the masters Solheim Karsten said something to him that would forever change his life he said putting is a different game and although you have mastered creating the perfect club you will never create the perfect putter, it's a different world. These words were buried in his mind for many years after.

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Numazawa-san travelled the PGA tour for 1 year and when he returned to Japan he was famous for his work with Payne Stewart and other famous American Golfing Legends so many companies were trying to get him and in 1986 he met Yukihiro Yamanaka the founder of Bridgestone who shared a similar philosophy when it came to golf & life as Numazawa-san.

At the time Bridgestone's golf division was making spalding golf equipment yet still had no great woods to offer, Numazawa-san entered a 20-year non-exclusive contract with Bridgestone and at the same time created his own design studio in Azabu Japan for tour pros to come to him directly for their equipment needs, not open to the public only prototype clubs for professional use only.

His final works with Bridgestone was called AXIS, super expensive non conforming clubs for the senior player this was during Japan's hay day and these are still the most expensive golf clubs in history at $300,000 usd for the full set.

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In 1997 Numazawa-san closed his design firm and stopped making tour pro's clubs working strickly for Bridgestone on the Axis line in 2004, in 2006 he decided to stop making golf clubs when the equipment rule changes began to take place he also had his own TV programme with NHK and David Leadbetter around the same time. He was with Bridgestone Golf from 1986 - 2006.

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From 2006 until 2015 Numzawa-san didn't produce anything and was basically retired now he is back remembering the words Karsten Solheim told him, Numazawa-san in his life has made the woods of the best players in the world by hand, even irons and wedges were used by Greg Norman, Payne Stewart and many others companies in the 80's and 90's contracted "YN" to produce their pro's clubs because of the beautiful shapes and details of his designs and now his dream is to come full circle to finish his life by making an amazing putter. Introducing the Armsgain Model - 01.

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I've posted previously about this putter after Numazawa-san was introduced to me by a Himeji manufacturer and good friend of his, I had no idea about his history for many months I simply said it's a nice looking putter we would be happy to help, it's a brand based on a single product I was blind to it's shape until I learned who Yuji Numazawa-san was last week I invited him to my apartment in Tokyo where we sat down and he shared his story with me. I was shocked and honored as TSG already had a relationship with this man yet didn't know enough about him to give his product the credit it deserves.

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Is it psycological now that I look at his putters shape a different way? now I see it's not a normal answer design there are subtle shape differences that make it unique, it's an original design all of his own made 100% in Japan, it's face isn't so deep it's got a profile slightly longer heel to toe it's a perfect 350 grams and made of SM490A. Why SM490A? keep in mind this is the only putter he will ever make and he chose what just happens to be my favorite material for the reason that it's not so firm and not so soft with the ideal sound, I'd like to think that great minds think alike ;) blah! but anyway his Model-01 now comes standard in black boron with optional NiCr Satin or a Sumitomo DLC finish that is the thinnest finish in all of golf DLC = Diamond Like Carbon

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TSG will be updating the Armsgain Model-01 listing in the store to offer all new finishes, we appreciate you reading the story of Yuji Numazawa-san and will keep you updated if and when he decides to add to the Armsgain lablel.

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Awesome story - mission this year is to get one of these. But I want a sightline.

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just when i was all set on the standard black, i see the diamond like carbon!

the original finish was gun blue, but now standard is black boron. DLC retails at 180,000 yen I will of course give you a great deal on it if u need one.

by the way sorry for my usual horrible spelling and gramer, believe it or not ego is my first language.

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the original gun blue was ment to wear then i assume? how flashy is the DLC? the flaming looks nice.

i guess i should ask, what it does to the softness. i see all the different softness numbers for each finish on the armsgain website.

gold is softest? then DLC; then nickel; then gun blue?

I use the same finish factory as him and same material so I have personal opinions on feel.

DLC is very durable, when it's used a lot it has a scratchy look that begins to look super nice. it's 0.01 micron thick or something, very expensive finish to apply.

gun blue is softest as is Nicr satin, then DLC then black boron but SM490A is just perfect. I wouldn't worry too much about the feel on these they will all be great.

But ya the armsgain shape is wonderful.

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I will wait for a blade....but as plumbers go these look insanely good.

Hutchy.. I was just thinking "Thank goodness there's no L-shaped design" ... Yet...

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The creation of art is a beautiful thing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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