chiromikey

I was almost certain the Flatbacks and the Crazys were from the same Kyoei stock...and those pics seem to reinforce my feelings. If I'm correct, any difference in feel or playability would be more shaft or plating related.

Actually, I think they would match the C-Tapers almost exactly...

Looks like they went back to the Flatback design from the PDGs. Wonder what the offset is compared to the Flatbacks...or is it the exact same blank?

The Flatbacks have been in my top spot for a few years now. I may stray here and there when I try to talk myself into gaming something that's supposed to be more forgiving like a player's CB but I always end up with the Yururis back in the bag. I've played every top Epon and other Endo irons but Kyoei forgings are my favorite because of these. They're just as soft but not in a mushy way...much more pure to me. Not sure what else to say about the Flatbacks that hasn't already been said so let me know if you have any specific questions. Best iron I've played so far. If they had zero offset I'd never look at another iron again...

Send me an email! I want that done to mine!!!!

Following this thread and chuckling at how many people feel this way about the Zen. I had my Cabretta Stitchback waiting for it before it arrived and that set up hasn't left my sight since. Only putter to give me any feeling on the same level as the Zen is one of Stew's custom putted from Masda!

Lol, he's on a level that on my best day I could only aspire to be!

Lol, you're such a bad influence!! I've still got a stash of wedges I haven't even played yet...

I'm surprised those wedges are still around. They're different but they flat out work!

Monacos in stiff...one of the unicorns right there! Glws

Btw, I really wish you could have made it!!!

Hey Craig, they were amazing. I play most of my golf in and around the Scottsdale area which is home to an accumulation of some of the best courses in the states and I believe the second most courses per state. That makes it hard for me to come across a course that leaves me speechless...but there's only a few courses up north around the Flagstaff area that can come close to matching the backdrop of what I saw in Japan! I really wanted to take more pictures but with Stew making me hit 3-5 balls per shot I just didn't have the time! Lol!!! I can't remember the course names right now but the first course was a great layout. It really made you think about your shots and made you play a variety of shots. Unfortunately I didn't get to warm up and I was playing the A-Grinds/Modus 125 X that didn't fit my swing at all and I struggled on the front. By the turn I settled down and found Stew's Egg driver and made him swap my irons for the Masda/Modus Pro combo and things got a lot better. I'd love to think my way around that course with my own gear. It would be a fantastic challenge! The second course really favored a draw player so it just set up to my game really well. I was familiar with the Egg for that round and although I wanted to try more stuff, I stuck with it so I could enjoy the round. I don't think I missed many fairways and I had a lot of fun with the R9 TPs/Modus 120 Protos. I hate TM but those irons are like cheating. Good grief are they easy to play and that unreal Endo feel! Because the course suited my eye I think I could score well there with a few rounds to familiarize myself. Bottom line, both courses were top notch and enough to make me look forward to another trip!

Lol, Japan made me feel normal for the first time in my life! :)

Yeah, I thought I could get rid of my Ryoma for a split second but I took it out for a couple of rounds before my trip and there's no way that club is going anywhere. It's just too easy to hit and the overall performance is hard to beat. I'm still in love with your Solid Contacts fw. If that came in a stronger loft I'd be all over it. The most beautiful feeling fw I've ever used!!! Oh, I'll be back!

Hey E, yep I'm staying with my 47" length and ultra heavy SW. You should have seen the look on master's face when I told him my current specs! He kept asking for the proper translation because he couldn't believe the numbers I gave him. This will be going in my 435. Here's a pic with some chap I stumbled into on the course!

Well, just one shaft fitting that I'm going to admit to...and that was from 7D. The physical fitting isn't much more than what you'd get from any local store with a launch monitor. That is until the master starts analyzing the output from the proprietary 7D software. With only a few swings into my session, and without even really looking at my swing, Hasegawa-san starting telling me my swing flaws and telling me how I lose power and what my miss was. I just stood there in amazement that he knew all that from just a few swings because it's exactly how I would have described it myself. Even though i think he already had figured out what my shaft needed to be he had me hit several shafts just to see what my input was and how they responded to my swing. So the fitting part was fun but where I was really impressed was with the post fitting analysis. To go over the data collected from the shaft sensors was amazing. To be able to see what parts of the shaft are causing my swing to lose power and discuss the plan to eliminate those losses was really where the fitting got me excited. Shaft selection has always been a trade off where you give up one thing to fix or increase something somewhere else. Now someone is telling me, here, you can have it all and not sacrifice a single thing to get it...ok, maybe a little coin, but you get the drift. Anyways, it was fun and if I get half the performance promised I'll be more than happy with the experience.

His gear is set up so differently than mine that it took nearly a full 9 to start hitting decent shots. The Masdas are spectacular and arguably the only iron worth owning with a Taylormad stamp, the R9 TPs, were beautiful...but the only new fav I can definitively say I have is for NS shafts. Geez Stew has some good ones. I must have annoyed him asking after each shot to sell me some sets of his NS Prototypes. I was really expecting to fall in love with the A-Grind driver but the head is just too light for me and there's no way to make it heavier. It is a looker with good feel though. The Egg drivers were both superb but for me the newer one edges out the older just slightly in looks, feel, and sound. Actually I did fall head over heals for Stew's custom Masda putter. Feel was softer than anything I've played...EVER! Absolutely unreal if you like soft.

I also have one at 33" with the FF shaft upgrade.

Your partner is worn out...but looking forward to another round today! Hitting 10 balls per hole was awesome but not the golf I was expecting...especially bright and early after a night in The Pong! Btw, fellas...I'm not exaggerating...10 balls per hole...I finally had to stop and count to believe it!!!! This guy is insane. When he posts about testing clubs on the course where it counts, it's amazingly all true. I've always paid attention to his comparisons but now I have a new respect for everything he writes. His club builds are amazing. His builder, a genius! I've got so many things to try with my gear when I get home! And Craig, you were spot on about what I would like!!

I'll give some details when I get a sec. Right now I gotta get ready...Stew has dinner and some trouble lined up for us!!!

Welcome back brother!

I brought enough money for both! :-o

Awesome Stew!! :))

Thanks Chris for setting everything up!

Been screaming for a wedge with onset for years! Pics please!