nobmontana

local rules are dictated by the club. My men's clubs throughout the year play preferred lie within 1 club length on fairways and 6 inches in the rough which makes our lives a heck of a lot lot easier compared to just using pre-2010 clubs. 🙂 even this "preferred lie/pick up and replace" local rule is often debated in my club. I personally think amateurs should be allowed to use pre-2010 irons and wedges. it should not make a difference in our scores. What I find hilarious in the above rule is that they still call out Ping Eye2 irons as exceptions... WTF!! They some how think that an elite amateur or professional would consider using Ping Eye 2 irons in this day and age?

Yep, wedges and irons have the same rule. The rule only applies to professional or elite amateur competitions. In the US ... if it is a USGA or PGA sanctioned event, then this applies. Like a State Mid-Am or a qualifying event for US Am or US Open... etc... The rule does not apply to Men's club events at your local course nor Club Championships unless they decide to include it to their local rules. ***** G-2 Groove and Punch Mark Specifications Purpose. Effective 1 January 2010, the Equipment Rules were revised to provide new groove and punch mark specifications for all clubs other than drivers and putters. Until at least 2024, clubs made before 2010 are not required to meet these specifications. But a Committee may choose to adopt a Local Rule requiring players to use only clubs that meet all the specifications included in the current Equipment Rules. This is recommended for use only in competitions limited to highly skilled players (that is, professional and elite amateur competitions). An Informational Club Database can be found at www.USGA.org to assist in finding which clubs may be used. An exception was made for certain Ping Eye2 irons made before 31 March 1990, as stated below. The exception should not be inserted for competitions where an agreement has been reached to exclude it. Model Local Rule G-2 “In making a stroke, the player must use clubs that conform to the groove and punch mark specifications in the Equipment Rules that took effect on 1 January 2010. An Informational Club Database of fairway woods, hybrids, irons and wedges which have been tested for conformance to the current Equipment Rules is found at www.USGA.org. [Exception – Ping Eye2 Irons Manufactured before 31 March 1990: Ping Eye2 irons manufactured before 31 March 1990 with a groove spacing to groove width ratio of 2.3 to 1 are allowed for play under the Rules of Golf, even when this Local Rule is in effect. In using this Exception, the player is responsible for proving when the club was manufactured. If the player cannot do so, the club must conform to the groove and punch mark specifications that took effect on 1 January 2010.] Penalty For Making a Stroke with Club in Breach of this Local Rule: Disqualification. There is no penalty under this Local Rule for carrying but not making a stroke with a club which does not conform to these groove and punch mark specifications.”

I love all black caddy bags. Though I have a couple of black caddy bags, they are both H2NO from Sun Mountain as I require waterproof bags for the rainy season. But man... what a set you are putting together there. Nothing short of an "Ultimate JDM" set up!!

I appreciate you understanding!! And these putters, they truly are one of the best. Did you know that the curved hosel on the Espade is actually not bent at all but shaped like that from complete CNC milling?!! 🙂

Welcome to the forum. My personal opinion is that while there are times when you can appropriately ask for lower prices, there are others when it just does not make sense. ( again my opinion ) If someone asks you for further discount on some uber nice equipment that you are selling at a greatly reduced price already, I think you would feel the same way. If these were cheap "As Seen on TV" type stuff, I don't think others would care... but they are not. As you know, these are top of the line best of the best products in the industry. Also as a side note, I feel that there are too many users who don't utilize the Personal Message feature of this forum. ( the envelope icon at the top of the page) Negotiating prices on the forum where everyone can see/read is probably not the best idea.

Those are really nice builds!! One of the best feeling DIs around.

This will go to the auction site soon if no one takes it.

someone make me an offer that I can't resist!!

Considering the original price and the condition they are in, I am of the opinion that the price is really really low already. But that is just my opinion.

Not sure about the offset on these heads, but the CBI-80 shafts absolutely matches well with MBs. Piercing flight is what you would get with a combo like this. I'm putting mine in the Seven x Shinagawa MBs.. I think... but then I'm also tinkering the idea of NS V90 in those heads.... choices.... Hope this set finds a good home!!

Thanks Eddie. I just want everyone to feel that this is a happy place to visit and read on what we are all passionate about. JDM golf equipment!

30 minutes after I wrote the above.... I found a brand new unused Kurokage Proto 60 X on the bay. (been looking for a while now! ) The Kurokage Protos are a bit on the softer side and the 60 S I used this season was just a bit too soft that it likely spun the ball too much. Everything else about the shaft I loved. The feel, simple dark grey ion finish. only if it had less backspin ! I game the same KK Proto 60X in my 4 wood already and love everything about it and have no issues of it being too stiff.. Heck! I now need to try the same shaft in the driver and see if will outperform or equal the Ventus Blue 6S from a performance standpoint and still maintain that smooth feel with dense impact. Will update once I have the shaft.

In my journey to find an ideal shaft for my current driver, I've recently picked up a couple of shafts that have been talked about a lot in the last couple of years. ACCRA TZ5 55 M3 and Ventus Blue Velocore 6S... head is a TM SIM2 ( in all black! ) that I've been using since January of this year. Had a head to head comparison yesterday at the range. My swing speed is normally around 95 to 100 mph now and occasionally reaching 105 or so. At 54 yrs old, my peak head speed is a thing of the past. A good balance of consistency and distance is what I seek in my driving game. My stock shot is a pretty straight baby fade but am able to work the ball pretty consistently. Prior to these shafts, I've been gaming the 2013 Kurokage Proto TiNi 60 S for much of the Summer this year. However, I felt that I was wasting a few yards due to higher back spin. Prior to that, I did have a Ventus Black Velcore in 5X flex (Japan only spec) but I felt that the 5X flex was true to flex and thus waaay too much for my swing. I've also tried a couple of Tour AD XC in different flexes but at the end could not get it to behave like the Kurokage Proto. Based on 5 shots each with the TZ5 and Ventus Blue, the difference in performance was pretty clear. Average carry distance on Top Tracer was around 225 yds with the TZ5 and 232 yds with the Ventus. Dispersion was about the same. Trajectory wise, I did like the slightly lower trajectory of the TZ5. Feel was another thing I liked about the TZ5 too. Felt a bit softer at impact compared to the Ventus. This is possibly due to the lower torque on the Ventus.... However, the thing I noticed with the TZ5 was that it was easier to put a hook spin. This is not a desired characteristic since that can be trouble on the course. The Ventus definitely produced more consistent and milder side spins for me. At the end, Ventus was longer and easier to work the ball left and right with no surprise movements. the ball goes a bit higher and the feel is not as good .... but it is likely to provide better performance on the course for me. I wish I had tried the Ventus Blue sooner. Since I am a high ball hitter I've always thought that I am better fit for a low launch shaft... and so I went with the Ventus Black initially but that thing was a different animal all together. Ventus Blue for me is a mid-low launch but more than that, I feel the flex profile is similar to the Kurokage Proto ... which seem to suit my swing well.

Thank you. Gonna go watch the Tour Championships on TV now... 🙂 Love Cantlay's swing!! I like Rahmbo too but such a polar opposite swing.

Sorry for intervening. But this kind of exchange of bashing each other is not needed here. Com'n guys. I am hoping a simple apology would resolve the disagreements. We are all here because we all love JDM forged irons. I am at a point in my JDM experience that it really doesn't matter who makes the irons or where it is made. As long it feels good to me. How each iron feels for everyone is different. it is subjective. Heck, I thought that the most recent TM TP7MC (possibly from Taiwan or China) were excellent feeling heads. If you absolutely want Japan made Endo irons, you'll likely need to go back to 2010, 2011 year models from the brands that Supo listed. and of course the older (Pre 2011) Epons are likely made in Japan as well. Some Epons even say, "Japan Forged" like the early release of the original AF Tour MBs. later they changed that to "Forged by Endo" perhaps an indication that those were no longer made in Japan? not sure. Anyway.... let's all have fun here and leave the hatred elsewhere.

Hey gang! Here is another set of irons that I had stashed away for a while. The condition is about 9/10 on a conservative scale. Head covers and ferrules included with the set were unused. Also a 99.3 pure iron ball marker made of 99.3 pure iron scrap which is pretty cool. all packed up in the original box. Only 300 sets of 5-PW made and this one includes one of the only 50 made #4 iron . I've seen sets go for a lot more than what I am asking here.

I have a few things that I am going to sell this week but lets start with this one!! Seven SC 5-PW heads only / Standard Lie and Loft "SC - More forgiving, straighter, softer over the entire clubface and produced with a compact size with strong lofts. The pitching wedge is 44* instead of 47*. The SC iron features low CG locations, especially for it, 's smaller size. " Used them as my gamer for a season. (about 50 rounds + range time (mat)) Condition is 8.5/10 on a conservative level. Most noticeable wear is on the face with some tea stains on the grooves. No browning but just wear from hitting balls. Sole has a few marks from usage. but nothing drastic. The Chrome finish on these heads are so durable!! There is a tiny ding on the leading edge of the #9 as you can see in the pics. Always used head cover no other dings seen on the heads. These are truly the finest pieces of modern player's cavity back irons that the world has seen! I have scored my lowest rounds with these heads but it is time to move on to other things.

I really don't think this issue is specific to Japanese brand shafts. I find that OEM shafts (AKA "made for" shafts) have a tendency to be softer compared to aftermarket proper shafts. At the end, actually trying it yourself is the only way you know how it will play for "you" The OEM Diamana shafts on the RS will also differ in characteristics depending on which generation of the RS ( or RS-F) you have. I've tried the 2018 RS with the stock Diamana shaft in SR flex previously and I thought it was a pretty neutral feeling shaft. ( mid launch , mid to low spin ) Pretty nice shaft for a stock shaft in my opinion. And no it does not play exactly like an aftermarket Diamana. I think manufacturers try to design the stock shaft that will fit a wide range of recreational golfers. Based on some readings by shaft industry experts, the profile that fits most players would be a mid kick shaft. Diamana Blue, HZRDUS Yellow (or Blue) Tensei Blue, Ventus Blue are popular mid kick shafts just to name a few. but hey,,, if you end up liking the head but the shaft doesn't work for you, you can always re-shaft with your favorite shaft. For me re-shafting is part of getting a new driver. I wish manufacturers start selling head only as an option because I end up with a lot of unused shafts in my closet. 🙂 As my back up driver, I have a Tour Issued 2016 RS-F Prototype shafted with a Loop GK .... this combo is so consistent and goes so straight but unfortunately does not have the pop to match my USDM driver.. so it remains as my backup.

Yes the literal translation is "Golf Analysis." 　　but actually never heard of such brand. 　Typically when you see Japanese characters on a set of golf clubs, those clubs are designed by western companies. The only exception that I can think of would be the Yururi Keigekiku series, Yururi , Fuwari, Seida are the only Japanese characters I've seen on JDM branded clubs. The rusting suggests some form of carbon steel. If they look good and play good, by all means play them!! 🙂

Well ...Japanese UT are still split between .350 and .370... many are adopting the .370 these days but not all.

I shafted a Modart 14 with a Diamana D-Limited 60 S and also reshafted the Epic Speed 16.5 with a 2013 Kurokage Proto 60 X , They were both built to 43" and close to D2 .... Both go about 207 to 212 on average with the Yupitel. Some really good ones go 220 ... The Epic Speed head produces higher ball speed and is more forgiving than the Modart. I do still like the look of the Modart as well as sound. Epic Speed feels pretty good but has a kind of dead sound.

The 300 Mini driver looks interesting.... but if it goes near driver distance and I can only use it off the tee ... I won't see much use. My fairway stats with driver sits around 67%... so I don't really need a mini driver. Something that will get me 220 to 225 carry. My 5W distance is around 200 to 210 carry.. which I can probably get to with a 3 hybrid as well.

Yes you are right.... As you say, the sim max FW has even a more upright lie... but to me the face angle of the max is much more open compared to the Ti. Why they have the fairways so upright is beyond me but my guess is that it is made to be anti slice? Anyway, the Epic Speed FW 4W sits at a nice 56 deg lie with pretty much a square face angle which feels more natural to me. I'm still kind of a newbie when it comes to TM adjustable hosels and how they affect the overall angles.

I've been tinkering with my wood set ups as of recent and still continuing now... so let's see if I can remember. Another notable difference may be that on that weekend I got to play Saturday before going into the tournament on Sunday. Saturday's round , I shot 80... but may have worked as a practice round? it was the first time I played two days in a row in a long time. Anyway... - Driver SIM2 9deg / 2013 Kurokage TiNi Prototype 60 S - Fairway '20 SIM Ti 19deg 5W / 2013 Kurokage TiNi Prototype 60 X - Hybrid '20 SIM Max 22deg 4H / Ventus HB Velocore 7S - Irons Seven SC 5-PW / Crazy CBI-80 (red "Regular" ) - Wedges JDM Cleveland RTX 2.0 Matsuyama model 50 54 58 / Modus Wedge 105 - Putter '21 Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 / Stability Black shaft / Lamkin Deep Etched - Ball Bridgestone Tour B XS _____ Since then I'm still tinkering with my woods .... Driver shafts,,,, I tried the XC in 6 SR as well as 5 S but could not get the right level of distance and control and I went back to the 2013 Kurokage... which to me looks slightly spinnier at times but produces the most consistency and control. Even tried last year's Tour Issue SIM driver in 9 deg with a Diamana D-Limited which turned out to be a super low spinner that produced knuckle balls that I could not control or keep the ball in the air. This head is going back to the bay.... As for my SIM Ti 5W I was having issues of hooking the thing occasionally so I tried a SIM Max 5W which helped me with eliminating the hook.... I could not figure out why the SIM Ti was hooking on me but later discovered that since I had the loft turned down to 17 deg,, the lie angle was up by 2 deg!! I always thought that lower loft setting had a flatter lie!! no so with the TM adapters ..... I was shocked to learn this.... the bonded SIM Max 5W was good but it just launched a bit high for my liking... Played a couple of rounds with but just could not get the distance I wanted for a second shot on par 5's ... So now I have a Callaway Epic Speed 16.5 deg 4W but built to 42.5 in with a heavier weight screw shafted with a Loop FW6TS ....this is working pretty well.. higher ball speeds than the SIM Max but with a bit more spin which helps with control. Really forgiving and very neutral at address. Not ridiculously open faced like the TM 5Ws. In preparation for the Club Championship coming up in a few weeks, since we'll need to play from the back tees, I'm going to put a real 3W back in the bag... Have a Modart 14 deg on the way and may try a Sub70 14 deg as well. One of my playing partners has these Sub70 Tour model fairways and actually look and feel very good. For the Hybrid, I've been rotating between last year's SIM Max 4H and SIM2 4H shafted with Ventus HB Velocore... while I like them both, I actually don't have much opportunity to actually use it on the course. I'm waiting to try a Callaway Apex Pro 3H ... I know ... I have a lot less JDM in my bag now... but ultimately, I want to play what is best for my game. I've tried some other irons too like latest Srixon forged and TM P7MC etc.... but I feel that my irons are where it needs to be as well as my wedges. I may decide to play some of my other putters which are all blades, but for the current green conditions, Scotty's mallet is working pretty well.

I played in a 4th of July "Red White and Blue" tournament this morning and to my surprise shot a career low of 69!! 4 Birdies 1 Bogie. How we play this Tournament is that we individually get to pick 6 holes to play from Red (Ladies) tees, 6 holes from Whites (Men's Regular) and 6 holes from Blues (Champion Tees). Ever since dry season started, I've been struggling a bit and shooting between high 70's to low 80's..... Just could not put together a round without having a couple of really bad holes. Then out of nowhere, this happened. The best part about it is that since we can't post this score due to the nature of how it's played, it won't affect my hdcp. 🙂 We have our Club Championship coming up in a month, so I need to make sure I remember how I played today. Shooting below 70 was this season's goal .... so I am happy that I was able to achieve it.... then again it was not under normal playing style .... so maybe I shouldn't cross off my goal just yet. Either way it was a really good day!! I hope everyone is doing well and playing lot's of golf.. though it has been harder to schedule tee times with so many more golfers now. Happy 4th!!