chiromikey

lol...gotta ask! i was asked last minute to fill in for a scramble this weekend and we got stuck using one of my partner's drives on a typically reachable par 5. we had 273 into the wind to the pin and i told the guys to hit first because i was going to hit driver. i was waiting for the green to clear and they all kept telling me to hit. the approach was the perfect shape, a nice right to left shot with a lake along the left and front of the green with bailout on the right. i finally gave in to the peer pressure and wrapped my typical draw right up on the front right side of the green. it didn't have any steam on it when it got there but needless to say i still got scolded by the group in front! no way i could do that with the 435 or my kamui. btw, we all missed the putt anyways... :-/

we've got some courses that have some long par 5's. even a couple of the shorter tracks have a par 5 at or just over 600yds. my local course (southern dunes) tips out at over 7500yds and our best public course (papago) at over 7300! i've had some really good golfers think i was much better than i am because that shot is so easy with the ryoma! ...and it doesn't help that my buddies refuse to let me play the lady's tees!

actually, while the ryoma is typically a few yards shorter than the 435, it has still given me some of the outright longest bombs i've recorded. one reason i forgot about that might convince me to say that the ryoma would edge out the 435 is that i can hit low piercing 270yd bullets off the deck without much effort. i have to step on my 3w for that and if there's any wind there's no way the 3w will reach. i don't know of any other modern driver that allows me to repeat this shot with any consistency...not since my old ping wooden driver.

for me, this pretty much sums up the debate between the 435 and ryoma v-spec. so different that i wouldn't be without either.

now just gotta hope someone decides to make some deals on last year's stuff!

if the quadra fex 75 i have waiting for it doesn't work, no question...ngs!!!

with the 2013 stuff available, will there be any close-outs deals on 2012 equipment? i'd pick up the x-fw type t 5w in an instant if there was a "clear out the old stock" sale!

at that price there's almost no reason not to have two!

are we trying to answer this for you or for our own games? if for you, what are your needs, what's your swing speed, how proficient are you with the driver, etc?

yeah, but do any of you have an official ball washer...you know, someone to wash your balls?

just paid for my wedges...do we have a concrete shipping date?

could this be why you found it low launching?

those ARE gory details...but it was still fun to read! ;)

i agree. i own many drivers and will likely own several more...but i'll never be without a v-spec or 435!

since the shorter irons are typically played further back in the stance, more offset gives them extra time to square up. at least that's the theory that makes sense to me...

vertical gear effect is not partial to only specific drivers but i would theorize that the specific bulge/roll design of a particular driver might increase it's effect. i'm sure google or a search on the wrx site would yield many hits but i'll look around for a good link. **edit** definitely check the wrx site. here's some hits from google http://www.andrewricegolf.com/tag/vertical-gear-effect/ http://mytrackman.com/university/learning-tools/mark-anderson-case-study-1--vertical-gear-effect

yep, it is an actual phenomenon. the first few times it happened i recall saying to my partners "meh...i kinda toe'd that one" and then found my ball 75yds past theirs. now when it happens i just keep my mouth shut and laugh to myself...and when we reach my ball and they're all talking crap i just humbly say that i must have landed on a sprinkler head.

glad you're at least waiting for the bolds to arrive before letting anyone pull the trigger!!

i mentioned this a long while back in a review of the v-spec but nobody really commented on it so i didn't discuss it any further. although i have an understanding of gear effect i don't pretend to be the best person to explain the physics behind it so if you're looking for that part of the discussion you'll have to seek elsewhere. the 435 is consistently the longest driver i've ever played and the ryoma has always been the most point and shoot. but every once in a while, usually about once per round, i can get the ryoma to out bomb just about anything...and anyone! i've always known the reason but just chalked it up to luck since i'm not good enough to consistently hit the face a tiny bit high and off the toe. but when i do...look out! and i'm talking. 350+ yd bombs with about 290yds carry and 60yds roll. i've been able to work gear effect with other drivers but nothing like the ryoma. the only thing to ever come close was the ping i15. obviously it helps to have hard fairways but my swing speed certainly doesn't deserve bombs like these. i'm considering using several layers of athletic tape and taping up the entire face except a spot just high and towards the toe and focusing on trying to do this more often. anyone else been lucky enough to experience this with the ryoma (or any driver) or good enough to do it consistently?

i can't compare to the i33 but i do have the epon zen and compared to my yamada shogun in copper the zen was softer. however, until i got the zen, the yamada was close to the softest i had played.

first an f2 shows up on bst and now this! where were these things when i was scrambling for a strong 3w 6 months ago??? glws!!

where'd he go? it's not often that a wtb as gets top shelf choices like this thrown at it!

geez...are you trying to get epon talk banned again???

i have a jbeam bm-ti 5w on a graphite design ad dj-6 in stiff. i just picked up a different shaft for it because as is, it's too anti fade for me but it's so solid and easy to hit that i almost hate to break it up. http://www.tourspecgolf.com/product_info.php?products_id=4173

wow!