coops1967

Great pics as always... Any chance of a comparison pic of those two with the Mizuno Craft MP 611 next to them (!)....? (I couldn't hold out and have one on order at 56 1/2 deg lie)

The first time I went to Golfcraft, it was only to get a different putter grip... chose a lovely Lamkin Deep Etched Paddle.... BUT not long after, ended up ordering my beloved 301's.... so be warned... I made the 'mistake' of swinging a demo AF301 while i waited for the grip to be fitted... and that was it. The lady is Paula Marti... something odd in the Spanish air or something over there....

Was at Golfcraft on Ekkamai Rd in Bangkok, just needed to fit some new shafts etc... but there is a brand new set of Epon Personals there. And they are unshafted, heads still in shrinkwrap, new. Apparently the guy who bought them realised afterwards and before having them made up, that muscleback blades do not work for him... so there's a pristine set , PW all the way to 3 iron, available... Sarintr there says they have them now on consignment for the guy, so they're up for sale. http://www.thegolfcraft.com/about_us.html Also saw the new RF irons... the 551's look very good indeed, looks like less offset than the original 501's in the shorter irons anyway ( due to the grinding), and the black nickel finish is lovely, as is the black cavity. Oh, Sarintr mentioned that 302's etc could probably be ordered in that finish also... If you like Golf Pride velvet grips, they have Epon branded ones in white (as well as black), and the EHR driver there with a Fire Express shaft, shaft label up, oddly. All that Honma stylee gold is not noticeable when the club is at address (!). The wife's enjoying some 'new' second hand S- Yard hybrids of last generation... and a Fairway wood, seem very good indeed... will need to checkout their irons when we next visit Japan...

I didn't realise Honma is a Chinese owned company, since 2010... http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120828a3.html

I'm interested too..... very intrigued by the 56.5 degree lie option - I'm going to have to replace my Adams 9015D eventually (?)... and a flatter lie with such a nice shape like the yonex 380 but without the composite crown dead sound/feel. My order finger is getting very twitchy... i'm thinking since i've now been using my 301's for so long, that I deserve to splash out some money as a late xmas/new year pressie to myself. I'll just ignore the new set of C-taper shafts i bought for them, and ignore the two lovely forged ATV wedges, and obviously i can discount any putter purchases (waiting for my friend to bring over a bronze Seemore FGP i got on ebay... and also just ordered a Protype black Odyssey two ball at 32", the wife's 32" divine 2-ball is great except for insert ) as after all putter purchases are an entirely excusable search for something that will magically cure my putting woes.

If it turns out not to your liking... i can take it off yoru hands for a few baht, no need for shipping costs, just meet up at All Star range and i'll pass you an envelope of notes, or PEx for a tstage 705, or a G10 in handy 12 degree loft... with a nice ion 73 blueboard thrown in... or how about a beautful Yonex eZone 380, hmmm? ;-)

Would be great to include the new Srixon 925 in that collection of drivers... and the new Epon 103 as 'reference'

Oh, my 301's are so old. New shafts and grips, though.

Oh..... i loved the shape of my Yonex ezone 380, but the sound/feel just wasn't there.... and am back to my Adams 9015D. BUT I have just been to that google translate page - go to the T388 page and go to the photo gallery.... oooooooh, look at the top down address view. Mmmmmmmmm. I lusted after that Techinicity 380, from pics i'd seen, so this also Endo and 388 size/shape .... happily S-yard is available in Thailand. Looking forward to your reports on it...

well, in that case.. I don't think you have any real option except to get a set of 302's in copper chrome. It's not like you're going to regret it. Just get fitted for the perfect shaft for them, to save any faffing around later. And I still love & recommend Gripmaster leather grips... gloves not needed.

Just get the 302's in copper chrome already ;-) and may as well get matching copper chrome wedges while you order them.... got a 50 degree myself to go with the 301's (and then the forged TM ATV's for the fiddly 56 and 64 stuff.... in desperate hope it may help my clunky short game) Copper chrome...mmmmmmmmm.

Tom Wishon has a database and software, where they've tested many/most shafts - measuring the flex/stiffness along the length of the shaft (at 7 points?)... he's posted a very informative guide to graphite/driver shafts over at golfwrx, if you want to go over there and search for it.

I fell in love with the TM TP Black (ldp) some time ago - tried a 3 pack,,,, luvverly - felt/sounded like an old wound ball but performed like a new age ball, perfect. Then, when i went to buy some, found they'd been discontinued...... doh. Used to love the old U-tri Tour... then the following X-01G+..... but the 4 piece X-01 solid is nasty, but found i really appreciate the bright yellow cover option - even wearing glasses again, the yellow is easier to spot. Intend to try the Srixon XV in yellow.... suspect they may be in line for an update also... and now Epon balls to consider.... does it come in yellow? or copper- chrome

If they're made by Bridgestone, i hope the 4 piece feels better than the X-01 Solid... not very nice at all :-( I stocked up on TM Penta's.... the 'old' model

Epon refinished them - gave them back to the guys at Golfcraft, Bangkok and they sent them off to Japan. Would not dream of letting any other company touch them / refinish them.... i'd seen a copper-chrome wedge so knew roughly what to expect, but was still surprised & impressed by just how good they looked - the matte areas on face and in cavity, and overall quality were astonishing.

Just recently saw a couple of sets of BeCu Ping eye2's at Thaniya Plaza in Bangkok... they do look lovely, but i just can't deal with the offset. One set even had the titanium shafts... Now BeCu S56's...... mmmmm. Or BeCu Miz MP32, or AFTours or 302's.... lordy. A direct comparison of a cast BeCu AFTour (or MP32) and the steel forged versions would be really interesting...(shame about the Be issues)

Yes - Epon irons can be refinished.... I know this because I had my 301's refinished from my original order in black to the copper-chrome... (the black rusted too much in Thailand for my lazy liking ;-) ) The black did seem firmer at impact than the normal nickel or copper chrome, but this can just as well be due to slight sound differences etc due to the finish or even just a psychological thing due to the black looking indeed mighty bad ass@ I do not have any inside knowledge on how the copper chrome is done, but I understand a 'regular' nickel-chrome is a layer(s) of nickel deposited on to the raw head, then a layer(s) of chrome on top... the chrome layers being fairly transparent and you seeing the shiny underneath nickel. Epon's copper-chrome finish i would guess is some kind of nickel and copper mixture for that underneath layer below the outer protective chrome (and not a pure copper plate under the chrome... (i read somewhere that copper was very difficult to get a good coat and why Mizuno and others went away from the underlayer of a copper layer below the nickel-chrome in their older models...). Anyway, the copper-chrome is fantastic. All the rust-free no maintenance of a regular nickel-chrome with looks to fall in love with. And those looks age just as beautifully... the Helen Mirren of golf club finishes. With time it seems oxygen very gradually can diffuse in to the copper-chrome layer and allow it to 'quiten' down from the brand new 'flame' look to an equally good patina type finish.... spanky new old and lovely... no head covers ever used, plenty of time beating balls off mats etc Must resist urge to get 302's in copper-chrome.... ;-) coops

there was some testing done comparing spin from the 'old' v groove wedge and a completely smooth faced wedge... in dry conditions the smooth face spun MORE. In the wet and thicker grass the grooves allow stuff ( water etc ) to get out of the way easier and so get the ball surface on the wedge face. Mizuno were ( still? ) very keen on full face grooves on their drivers - again, in wet conditions they argue this can help avoid the occasional screwy ball flight , i guess when the ball compresses against the face, if there are grooves and water on a rainy day, then the water can channel away easier - similair to a car tyre in the rain... so less chance of aqua planing. Any influence on spin from this grooves at this dynamic loft at impact is i reckon NOTHING compared to how the COG is placed in the head... just give the Zero a demo - holy low spin 10 1/2 degree lofted monster.

Yup, but good to see it in person. It really does suit my eye... Now as for an i33 putter reissue... do it in copper chrome and make sure they're well stocked, it'll sell like nothing on earth. I can't aim an anser style head at all, at all but would be sorely tempted.

Saw the 103 driver today at Golfcraft ( and my new copper 210 wedge ;-). ) Compared to the 102 it is a bit longer heel to toe, and shorter from front to back - which results in it looking noticeably more pear shaped from above... very, very pretty. The shorter front to back dimension should give less spin than the 102 and i'm told it should give sound/ feel as per the 101. Just swapped out the Yonex 380 for my Adams head in the nunchuk shaft, will give it some time... may be tempted by the 103 though, later. New putter? My guess would be a pretty heel shafted mallet, like the Del Mar, Odyssey 9 designs.... we,ve already had a Ping Anser type, and the Wilson 8802 type.

Whaaat, no top views of the 102 v 103? Even from this view, the 103 looks like it could be really good looking... hope so. Hope to test my yonex 380 against my Adams 9015 first, in both shafts, then let the winner fight against possibly my first Epon driver. The iron does look good too.

Seriously, get the wrap type putter grip. I like the stichbacks too... i mean they are a huge improvement on the awful winn type cr@p that seems standard ( due to the graphics ie marketing possibilties of it) ... but really, there's something that little bit more right about a wrap leagher grip. The old brass bullseyes of Reuter fame had them... and the Zen deserves them too. That Zen plastic grip is a disgrace. Main problem is finding them... probably can't find a demo or example, sadly - may need to order or contact gripmaster directly, but do it. Nothing feels as good & nothing lasts as good as real leather. ps just had my Titleist 3 wood shortened to a realistic 42" and changed from the gripmaster clubmaker's stitchback to the Pittard wrap... with a rib built in to the high side... ooooooooh, grip nirvana.

They should go back to the Blueboard, Whiteboard, Redboard names - well loved and respected... and stop fannying around and give those guys in the States the ion and flowerband finish.

Definitely needs a proper Gripmaster leather wrap grip - not stitchback... the pistol or d-paddle wrap type in black leather. Have one on a Byron Morgan of mine... lovely grip - here's a pic form somewhere just as a guide

I want my lovely 19 deg 901 in copper- chrome to match my 301's...