RLL33

You'd have to pry the Miura HB3 from my cold dead fingers... <g>. Just love that club!

I know what you mean about the look of the MB... That's what got me at first sight<g>... Shaft-wise, I'm unusual in that I go lighter than most with my irons. But Tario is the one to talk to to help you sort that out. He gets to know everybody's preferences and is invaluable with those choices. Good luck. Look forward to hearing how it goes for you. best, Richard

I echo the welcome, Mike. I'm now a few weeks into playing the RMX MBs, and am loving them. I did an initial review here in earlier post... Unfortunately I haven't hit the CB to make a direct comparison, but I have hit the Epons and Miuras. I think I can fairly say that the MB would feel less forgiving than the 302s, more like the TBs, but with a little more muscle in a well struck shot. I always preferred the feel of the Miura 301s before. I still think they're the closest I've seen to a blade that gives you CB forgiveness, but mine were wearing out and Miura doesn't make them anymore. (I haven't been particularly thrilled with the new direction Yos**taka seems to be taking their new iron offerings... Others like the design or feel. I don't really like either. ) So... I'd say if you're looking to try something new that is more on the forgiving side, the RMX CB is the one. The MB would fall closer to your TB feel. Both, however, are beauties to my eye. And since I was looking for precision this time around, I went with MB. Only thing. I might experiment with is mixing in my old CBs for the 5 & 6 iron, like it looks like you've done with previous bags too. (Wish Yamaha would offer individual clubs for sale like Miura does...) Either way, let us know how it works for you. regards, Richard

Nice work -- congrats! (and condolences on the weather...)

Thanks for the Fourteen info, Stew. And I totally agree with you on short chips. Especially the low trajectory variety. Higher lobs -- different story. Ash, those Buchi's look like beauties! And I also agree with what you're saying about changing selection to match conditions. I just like the feel of Miura's, but I do use the multiple grinds they make available for different types of shots. And P.S., just love playing links golf that favors low shots and bump & run's. Wish there were more American courses that favored that style.

PS. Agree with you, Pete, that once you've found what sits right for you, it's then about practice and feeling the torso move the wedge. That's exactly what I do when practicing the one-handed shots. Have to say though that I definitely get my hands involved when it comes to play. Closest I've seen to what I identify with is what Victor D did last weekend in the desert match play. Cock the wrist with the first turn of the torso and then just turn into the ball -- but with the hands kissing good-bye on the release.

I've always used either 3 or 4 wedges -- just because I love hitting wedge shots. I built a practice putting green in my backyard with a net behind it because I love to spend hours on weekends chipping and pitching. It's meditation for me, and where I learned how to use bounce through experimentation. Best way for me to test a wedge or get into using it is to hit one-handed shots from different lies. What I have to do with the bounce to make one-handed shots work tells me so much about each wedge. Also told me that the DG Spinner was the shaft of choice for me. It's pretty much come down to Miura for me, although I had to use a Cally 64 for years because until a couple of months ago, Miura didn't make one. I like a low bounce Y-grind 49 bent to 47 as a pitching wedge. It's scalpel-like in its ability to punch shots in tight -- the low, two bounce and stop variety. Also use a low bounce 53-Y for short chips around the green. High bounce C-grind 57 is right for me out of the sand. Agree that big bounce makes soft sand thump like a cupcake. And then there's the 64. The more everyone always told me not to use that baby, the more I practiced with it and fell in love. Always liked it with low (almost no) bounce. And am now having fun learning what the Miura K-grind can do with the three knuckles cut out. It's money out of rough. Makes a devouring sound that gobbles up the ball and spits it out with the softest touch I've ever felt. Not so great off of tight lies so far. The thing about a 64 is that you can hit it absolutely square and get what you get from opening a 58 or 60 wide -- and you don't have to deal with the adjustments in stance, bounce, etc. And once you overcome the silly prejudice that says Phil is the only human who can hit a 64, you're golden. I used to go through wedges like stock options, but now I love having a set locked in that I know performs in all conditions. I rarely sell them after I'm done with them though. Keep them in a bag in my office and garage, and like to take out old ones and visit them every now and then just by holding them. Remembering shots each one produced makes me smile... Just love my wedges... ;=] --Richard

Beautiful, beautiful clubs. Might have to do a set some day.

Great pics, Ash! Glad you had a reprieve from that winter white stuff...

I'd second the MCI suggestion. I've played both the 60 and the 70, and have settled on the 70 as my shaft of choice.

Thanks, Ash. Hope your Florida trip is going well (...and that it's not snowing down there... <g>)

Thanks to all three of you for indulging all my questions.

As 2014 approached, it was the first time in a few years I had to face abandoning my Miura CB301's for a new set of irons -- not because I particularly wanted to, but because I had to admit the Miuras were showing their age. So I conferred with Tario, Chris, and Tatsuro about the new Yamaha RMX Tours, and we talked about both the cavity backs and the muscle backs. I had tried the S-Yard GTX's, and although I really liked the feel, I found them a little thick at address for my eye, especially in the top line. I also tried the MG CB1007 (in beautiful black), but I'm not nuts about what seems to be this year's use of swirls in a lot of the CB designs I've seen... I was torn between my usual preference for CB's and my attraction to the RMX MB, both because of the look of the Yamaha MB design and my desire to narrow in on precision this year with my iron shots. Also I believed I had played one of the finest CB's ever made in the 301's -- from pictures I've seen, they were very similar in design to the Miuraism's I saw posted by Craig earlier this year -- and I felt like trying something new. Chris and Tatsuro gave both the CB's and the MB's a thorough try and were kind enough to share their experiences with me. And as always, Tario helped me zero in on the right shaft fit for my game. I'm a little different from most on that, as I prefer lighter weight shafts that still make the grade on distance and dispersion, and knowing that, Tario helped me select the NS Pro 850's. And so, I decided to give the MB's a try. And man, am I glad I did! Right out of the box, I posted my two best scores of the year at my club, and I found the MB's to be just what I was looking for. They feel like scalpels precision wise, and I'm actually hitting them farther than I was hitting the Miuras. As Chris and Tatsuro said, they definitely let you know when you miss the sweet spot, but when you hit it... oh, it is sublime! Reminds me of the smile on my face the first time I pured a Miura, but with a little more horsepower behind it. I don't know if it's the small pattern on the face around the grooves, but I definitely feel a nice long contact with the ball on the face, which I've found gives me a great feel for working the ball. On one of the Par 3's at my course, I deliberately hit two shots off the tee with the 7-iron, one a draw and one a fade, and felt like both were available to me with only a subtle change in my release. In short, the new bag looks set for this year, and it's smiling at me as I post this. (Only thing up for consideration is possibly swapping out the shafts for the MCI's I had Goodsie fit into my other irons...) The RMX Tours are, as Tario, Chris, and Tatsuro have noted, a pretty special run. And I'm happily in MB territory for the first time with these beauties. Here's a pic of the bag for those interested:

That IS a drag... Very glad I grabbed two T388's and two XV's. If Kobayashi-San does retire, these will be legacy clubs, IMO.

It's one I don't think has ever made an appearance here, called the Hiskei Wave.

I posted a more in-depth review in another thread here somewhere, and guys here know how I feel about these S-Yard woods, but I continue to be amazed by the XV's. Huge distance, rope like accuracy, missile like flight, and incomparable feel off the face whether from the fwy or off the tee. IMO, these woods are in a class by themselves, and as is my style, they will be in my bag a long, long while. I've played the Exotics, and IMO, the XV's are what the Exotics aspire to be. I, too, swapped out the stock shaft until I found my nirvana, but once set, I haven't looked back, I look forward to every time I pull this club.

Fine looking wedge! Fine new look to the site!

Agree with the others -- Cameron's rep is due to his rep -- i.e., he's famous for being famous. That said, the Circle-T's do have a better feel than the rack versions, but nothing close to Gold's which, for me, has a feel unlike any other putter I've had the pleasure of holding. Still, a complete collection could definitely want to hold one of these. And because of his rep, Scotty's often make for fine investments, esp in re-sale terms... So... putter-wise, meh... Money-wise, yeah. PS. Briny Baird's caddie plays at my club. If I see him, I'll ask what putters he's used.

Totally agree. I've never felt anything like the PZ mill -- before or since.

My MB's have shipped, in LA Customs now.

Beautiful, Toki -- enjoy!!

Personally, I'd like to see them offer light shafts as well, as in a hyper-light 40 or 50.

Those look nasty sweet! If they perform like the Messenger driver shaft, they're going to have another winner.

Gorgeous! Don't think I'd ever want to lower them to hitting golf balls...

Looks beautiful, Tim. Hope to visit some day.