coops1967

Saw the review of the new 435 driver - looks good... just saw the 'old' 435 version, i'll keep an eye out and give it a try. Went to the PRGR site to have a look. There's some very interesting data in their calogue, available at bottom of this page :- http://www.prgr-golf.com/catalogue/en/ 'Don't trust conventional wisdom of adopting long and lightweightclubs' and shows results of tests of 100 amateurs swinging a 46 and a 45 inch driver... they had higher ball speeds with the shorter driver...i'll be staying with 44 1/2inch then ;-) coops

Gripmaster leather stitchback (round) for all irons/woods... Feel great, durability will make for initial cost and most importantly the grip in hot & humid conditions is outstanding. Try one out and see how good they are (the leather wraps are also good and there are embossed sets available on net cheaper).

lordy, that 70deg 'wedge' is ugly... I've got a 73. (!!!) degree Feel wedge on the closet somewhere... looks like a regular wedge, just hilariously lofted - works ok, actually. May have to dig it out

well, I love my 19deg 901, with same steel shaft as my irons. It's obviously a big blobby iron compared to my Epon 301’s, but it's not as disturbing to me as a hybrid (!) which is why i chose it over those spawns of the devil. Before the Epon, i used a Ping HL 2 iron - so, relatively speaking, it's gorgeous!

I disagree and it's surprising how many still carry on thinking this - similar to still 'believing' that initial ball direction is due to swing path whereas in reality it is approx. 80% due to where the club FACE is aiming (and difference between face direction and swing pth creates curvature). Check out this youtube clip, with Maltby and particuarly after the 1:30 minute mark where you have the rod pointing out of the face and he changes the lie angle. Besides that , you can consider this:- Any decent (or even half decent) iron shot off a fairway (not gnarly deep rough) will have you striking the ball FIRST before the ground.. and furthermore the ball has already left the clubface before the sole strikes the ground. You can tee up your ball on a par 3, and an incorrect lie angle will produce the same pull/push problems even if you don't touch the ground at all. The 'pull' or 'push' is simply a result of where the face is aiming. This also explains why shots off sidehill lies will result in a pull or push.... if the ball is above your feet on a sidehill lie, when you setup the club will be toe up compared to true horizontal - and the face WILL point LEFT of your toe line even if you make a 'perfect' swing - you're not pulling the ball, it's just due to the lie angle of the hill causing your clubface to point left of your toeline. You can choose to intentionally try to make a 'push' type swing to compensate or simply aim your toe line off to the right and allow for that 'lie angle' to correct it for you. hope it helps!

Clean them just the same as any nickel-chrome clubs... water and a stiff brush or kitchen scouring pad is ok if it's really caked on dirt. They're as maintenance free as regular chrome clubs, really - no danger of rust unless you use them daily at the seaside on a firm packed beach for practice and don't bother rinsing off the salt water (!). So... you going to order that custom copper-chrome 901 ? ach, go on, go on... Coops

When i got my 901 i think Sarint at Golfcraft asked whether i wanted it finished in copper chrome (!) ...... not sure, now - but if you don't ask... or to put it another way, there really isn't any technical reason i can think of why the 901 couldn't be copper finish. Could be a first/unique... coops

i've the 301's to 4 iron, believe the 4 is at 23 degrees - and then have a 19degree 901 as a blobby iron/pseudo hybrid thing. it's excellent, and a nice 4 degree gap. Note, i have the exact same (steel) shaft in it as the irons... You can replace any iron with a 901 or hybrid with the same loft and not create any silly distance gaps... if you maintain the same shaft. Don't fall in to the ridiculous 'distance' trap with hybrids etc. You're using the different head because it's easier/more forgiving, not to hit it further on a good clean strike. Wishon will tell you this, it's not just me ranting ;-)

You'll love how the purple flames die down with time... virgin... experienced... If i get some 302's i was thinking about just satin chrome... 'til I saw these latest pics of yours and the copper-chrome 302's...

Forgive me... I've posted links to your pics of the 380 over at golfwrx in a "Best Looking Driver" thread (i'll remove the links if you want), Very, very glad to hear it performs as well as it looks. Lordy.... I shall have to see if the friend in Bangkok who has Epon drivers (and Gauge, Miura, Epon irons etc etc !) has one of those, forgotten somewhere in some cupboard/closet/garage. Here's hoping... what weight is the shaft you're using (or the raw headweight if you know it)? I'm using an Adams 9015D (they picked out a heavier head) with a Blueboard 83, at 44 1/2" length which feels like a good overall weight. My gut feeling is that if you're using regular weight steel shafts in irons (around the 120's-ish) then a 44 1/2" driver shaft would best be mid 70's or heavier; lighter steel shafts maybe you could go to a mid 60's to 70's in a 44 1/2" driver, and any superlight steel/graphite irons then...? The 'old' swingweight system was only a reasonable estimate and works only with 1/2" shaft increments with same steel shafts including up to the driver, so getting a 'superlight' head and 50g shaft to 'swingweight' at D2 doesn't mean it's going to remotely feel like a D2 7 iron with a DG shaft in it when you actually swing it. I'd be interested what experienced/expert club fitters really think about the issue (rather than the OEM's and their Iron Byron test results and marketing - and more to the point, tests with golfers hitting alternate 7 iron and then driver shots to see how they cope with the change of weight/length of club. Stand up there long enough whaleing away at the ball with your driver time after time, and you'll get used to it's swing feel etc).

As much as I like the wood look on the 360... that 380 is perfect. That last top view pic has me seriously wanting one - I'd liked the look of the new 380 yonex but reports of not so good sound/feel were disappointing, and as i'm using an Adams 9015D which sounds/feels better than any other modern 460cc driver i've tried... Would love to hear how it sounds - take a video if possible, please! I say this because a family friend used an Epon driver for a while and the sound was quite unusual in a good way - almost soft and a kind of thump to it rather than hideous crash/ting sound. I shall have to see if there are any kicking around in Bangkok.... That is what 'pear-shaped' means, i've seen some terrible round backed heads optimistically described as pear-shaped....

Lovely. I'd recommend Gripmaster black leather 'stitchback' grips - the stitching is in red, and the feel/stickiness is wonderful. Coops

No need for the headcovers at all (except when travelling/airplane etc) - my copper 301's are fine and have never been hidden beneath my unused set of epon headcovers... i've been surprised at how few dings have shown up - maybe due to thai caddies using trollies rather than the shoulder carrying of old in the UK maybe producing more bag chatter. They wear really nicely.

They've got (or had) Epon umbrellas (and towels etc) at Golfcraft in Bangkok - so they are around. The umbrella doesn't have the Epon dog though... that would have been worth getting. Coops

Very nice.... good to see they still have some of those ferrules, they go well with the copper-chrome. Outdoor pics please when done... see some of the flaming. and don't forget pics of a face view - love the matte face with chrome-copper and so on. I was thinking my next set may go back to regular nickel-chrome... but very very not so sure now. Luvverly. Coops

which coppers? If they're Epon 302's in copper-chrome, please don't post pics ;-) I'm perfectly happy with my 301's in copper... did check out the 302's, very nice and so far have avoided the Epon shoppe as a result... my 301's are fine. Really.

Did you look at this thread? You can see a 'new' copper 301's and the after much use 7 iron there... You won't regret getting them in Copper.... or Satin or shiny or .... ;-) The inital purple highlights seem to quieten down, but otherwise they wear very nicely. No corrosion issue or any worries at all - unlike the black finish. Take your time getting the right shaft for YOU - this makes a huge difference to any set of irons, and nowadays there's surely a design out there that fits you just right.... just difficult to find/demo, so a really good fitter would be a big help. 302's will be my next set... if i ever need a new set to replace the 301's. Coops

I had my 301's originally in black - felt somewhat harder than standard chrome finish. In Thailand the heat and humidity meant rust was a major issue - so Epon refinished them for me to the copper chrome. Same feel as regular nickel chrome, same anti corrosion properties and wear is fine. Pics of a brand new iron then after much use....

Yes, AF-tours in copper-chrome finish..... no rust issues and lovely finish.

I'd say the feel is the same for the copper and the regular chrome finishes - as far as i'm aware it's the underlying nickel plating that is how the colour is changed (and how the 'black nickel' look is achieved for the custom Mizuno's etc), so it's still a chrome plated head..... the black nickel/chrome look will tend to show wear worse just due to it's 'blackness' - compare it to black cars etc showing up scratches and dirt or paint imperfections more than a light or white coloured car. I'm quite surprised how few dings there are on them actually.... The only problem i've had with them, is caddies getting nervous in stormy weather - (lightning!) I did have those same 301's in the black finish before.... that finish did feel different - a bit harder/harsher in fact. Lookeded great to start with.... but in Bangkok, the heat/humidity meant way too much rust and/or maintenance required..... I saw a set of the AF-Tour blades at Golfcraft in the copper finish....... oooooooh mama. Coops

You can get a matching set of 302 irons in the finish if you ask..... they feel fine, and wear nicely - like a regular chromed set.... the finish is presumably a copper'ed nickel with chrome as the outer plating layer as usual (don't know the details, I'd be interested to hear them though, just out of interest) and the same underlying steel. Any way, it's lovely - here's pics of my copper chromed 301's (as new) with some of the 7 iron after much heavy practice/lessons on mats... the purpley flaminess does 'cool' off after a few months... they age very nicely. NO IRON COVERS WERE USED IN THE LIFE OF THESE IRONS ;-) the worn 7 iron... Coops

Try and demo some shafts too - Nippon steel, and Shimada for instance.... for somewhat lower swing speeds, there's plenty of choice and can make a huge difference to any of the iron sets.

If it's the usual black finish it does rust easily if you're in Thailand (or any other hot humid place). My 'copper' 301's though are fine - no rust issues, and wear is 'normal'... meaning i can see they've been used, but i kind of like it. Here's pics of my 7 iron just so you've an idea - i've been using this club a LOT, as i've been working with a pro on my swing - so lots of practice off mats.... no iron covers used, either.

Blimey - i'd be interested in more details in all those balls, aswell. (Espceially the Tourstage/Bridgestone products... never been sure where the Newing etc fit in to their scheme of things - are they lighter weight, low compression or?) I'm playing and enjoying the X-01 G+ for a while now... used to love the U-Tri Tour way back when.... but found the B-330's very scuff prone. the X-01's are great ( the latest B330 in the US is the previous version of the Tourstage X-01's i think, so 4 piece.) A brief run-down of the Mizuno's would be interesting - never heard much positive info on the whole 'cross rib' design, who makes them for Mizuno? Coops

I'd give the Epon AF-tours a good demo at least.... very, very nice, restrained graphics (and you could order them with less paintfill if you want).... and you could also request either a satin finish or even more unusual and pretty go for the copper chrome. The wedges are offered as standard in this finish as an option, so you can check the look at the epon website... there was a few pics of AF-tours in copper chrome somewhere on the web.... can't find them now. to see how they look, both new and after wear/use.... you'd have to request the copper look ferrules if you want them, as i believe the blades come with plain black ferrules as standard. Did you look at the Adams blades in black with the swingweight plugs, also? Coops