RLL33

Tario said he did a couple of Yamada copper's for you, Stew, and that he'd post pics. Looking forward to seeing those and then probably sending mine in. (I've found that Tario's taste and recommendations work great for me, and those putters of yours make me smile already... ;=] )

Mike, I don't disagree. I was talking more about what Ant was saying with "...instead of swing speed the release characteristics of a golfer is where the torque would actually matter," which I was emphasizing. Torque has to do with twisting, which has more to do with release than anything else, although as Chris says, it's one of many factors in feel, all of which are obviously combined in a golfer's swing. But flex is the most blatant.

+1 to ant & Chris on this. Feel has way more to do with flex than torque. The place torque really matters is in a golfer's release, as in early or late, smooth or quick, how long he keeps the face square after impact.

What model is it?

I might if I get the 85029 re-finished.

Gotta say, those are some gorgeous putters, Stew. What does a re-finish tend to cost? I have a pretty beat up Yamada 85029 in burning copper that I'd love to get cleaned up. I got a new Kamakura from Y just before he was deluged with orders after giving one to Obama, but I prefer the feel of the 85029. It's lighter and has a full offset vs the half on the Kamakura... Thanks.

I agree with this, Duffer. While I've loved the Bold for short hop-and-stop chips, I get an odd feeling in the down part of a full swing that has left me missing pins and even a few greens to the right from about 100 yds with the 50*. For now, I've gone back to my Miura Y-49, which returned me to target right away. (Still just crushing drives with the t.388 though, and I mean CRUSHING 'em! ;=]

Def looks interesting. Looking forward to that one! ;=]

These look really nice. Somewhat similar to the Miura 301's that I play. Looking forward to seeing the new S-Yard offerings when they come out. Any word on the fairway woods yet, btw?

In that case, I def think your smiles are going to come while you watch that ball climb into the horizon. ;=]

Agree on the shaft. I'm having my 50 bent to 48 and putting a DG Spinner on it.

I feel like I've probably said (more than...?) enough about this club, but for anyone who might still be considering it (whether they've hit it or are just thinking about trying it), I would make one more suggestion. Ignore the whole tee height thing and just do what you do when you hit your current driver. That's the only way to get a comparison that will have meaning for you. I personally think some of the discussion about tee height is making some assumptions that are misleading and might not be of real concern for many, if not most, players. It's not like this club is so small that it can't be hit from a high tee. Get that in your head and you won't be swinging your normal driver swing or giving this club its due from your very first swing. I also personally think it doesn't take long to know if a club (or shaft) is right or wrong for you. If you have decent feel, you can know in three swings. First impressions are often accurate with golf clubs (and balls). And I totally respect any golfer's ability to say nope, this one ain't for me, and move on. Lord knows, I've done that enough... But one more time, and finally, I tee this baby up the same as I do with any driver I've played, and swing my same swing. I do get a slightly lower, more penetrating ball flight for most hits, but I've hit many high bombs, too. All I'm saying is I think it's reductive to talk about tee height as a governing factor in the way this (or any) driver operates. Tee height has more to do with the player than the club.

Interesting discussion. Agree with bogeydog that it's a question of technique, and the t.388 would obviously be no exception. In my original post on the t.388, I mentioned that my quest driver-wise has been for some time to find one I felt I could control like my 3-wd, and that the t seemed to ring that bell. The surprise for me was that it also gave me greater length than I had found with all previous comers. But even so, what I was interested in, and still am, is accuracy more than distance. I realize this is a different goal from most, which is why I emphasize that it is MY goal. Again, however, the bonus for me with the t is that I've got greater accuracy AND greater distance. / FWIW, I also wanted to mention that I do NOT tee it up particularly low. Maybe 1/8 to 1/4" lower than with one of the big bombers. But I vary the height of my 3-wd, too, when I use it off the tee... / Of additional interest to me, I'm in the process now of alternating between the stock S and S/R shaft when I play rounds on the course. I don't find that much difference between the shafts feel-wise, they are both controlled explosive to me, but there seems to be a very slight trade-off between distance and accuracy. A very small gain in distance with the S/R shaft, but the most fairways hit with the S. So it seems to affect dispersion a small amount for me, and I have a feeling I will slot each one in under different conditions. I'm not a big, fast swinger either. Avg is right around 101, distance 260-275. And that's just fine with me. For those asking, I don't think it's a club necessarily just for low cappers, it's more a question of feel and preference, which is to again say technique. As always, to each his own. And for me, this club not only feels just right and looks just right to my eye, it's producing lower scores. I'm all for experimentation, too. Onward and upward and cheers to all in the quest for the grail.

Hey, Tario, considering I say a private thank you to you after walking off most every tee these days, no problem, no problem at all. Hope to shake hands with you some day -- let me know if you're ever in the LA area -- a round at my club any time, my friend! Oh, and P.S., don't be surprised if you see some more interest from the Left Coast here now that I'm sporting that beautiful white S-Yard bag. Three guys at the club came up to me last week to ask what it was. ;=]

Good post, Craig, which I agree with. I was an onlooker here at TSG for years after accidentally seeing (and pining for) a set of irons that i think were called Zestia's (or something like that). I found my way into JDM gear through Miura. Then the more I read, the more I learned to trust Tario's writeups. Eventually I tried the Ryoma Premia and loved it with a Crazy Noir shaft installed. But the t388 sounded, from Tario's description, like what I'd been searching for literally for years -- a strong driver with a head smaller than the massive 460's, which always felt like jumbo airliners to me, as opposed to my 3-wood which felt like a fighter jet by comparison. I tried the t.388 and not only did it feel like a fighter jet, but as I described it in my first post here, like a stealth fighter jet with it's shadowy profile and supercharged hits. I totally respect the sceptic's attitude, wmc. It's my nature, too, not to believe excessive claims. But as many have noted here besides myself, the t.388 is not hype, it's the real deal. It's genuinely the first driver I've owned where the honeymoon not only continues to last, but continues to surprise with new tricks. For instance, many have noted its ability to penetrate even into the wind. But last week I found myself standing on a tee with a strong wind at my back. I smiled and teed up the ball as I used to with my Ryoma -- super high -- and let it rip. Well, not only did it launch way up in the air, but the ball seemed to disappear. (This hole is also downhill and a blind dogleg.) When I finally tracked my shot down, it was in a region I had NEVER reached on that hole. Not even close. In short, I continue to maintain that Kobayashi-san has designed a breakthrough driver here, one that has the potential to possibly turn the golf world away from the 460cc heads that now dominate even on the pro level. (I'd give a lot to see the look on Tiger or Rory's face if handed the t.388 and told to take a few hits with it... <g> ) Not only did I end up selling my Premia, but I bought a second t.388 to hold in reserve in case anything happens to my first. Not to mention that it's been billed as a limited run club... I think it's great, btw, that the XV is out, too, and sounds like a similar club, but for those who still prefer a slightly larger head. I know there are more folks who would prefer to get on a 747, but for anyone who would choose a fighter jet or even a six-seater, I say try the t.388. She's a mistress who reveals herself slowly -- and then keeps getting better and continues to surprise.

Personally, I wouldn't presume to. I'd rather think of Kobayashi-san going to his bench alone and letting his mind go wherever it wants to take him.

You have to hunt for these, and they're not JDM, but the TM R7-CGB is the best all around 3-wood I've ever found. It's scary easy to hit, gets the ball up from the turf almost without effort, and has a delightful sound and feel to its kick whether off tee or grass. Oh, and it's long, very long. It's also a beautiful deep wine color that was used for that one season and never again by TM and is currently (badly) imitated by the latest Nike woods. You can occasionally find one on eBay for $100 or less... I've tried to kick it out of my bag many times, but no other club has been able to. (S-Yard will be the next to try when their new fw's come out...)

Just got the beautiful white bag, too, Tario. Thanks for getting it sent out so fast!! (Bags apparently fly through LA customs -- wasn't there even a day...)

Great review, Tario -- really got a sense of the variation between all three. Was also interesting to me as I came to the t388 from another high faced driver, the Miura SIT, which I didn't care for, in part because the face gives a bit of a harsh feeling and sound, but also because I didn't like teeing it up as high as I needed to hit the sweet spot consistently. I'm sure I'd enjoy hitting the XV just for the sake of comparison, but I think I'll stick with the t388. I honestly think it's the best driver I've ever hit. It's that unusual and that special! And the wonderful thing is I feel more that way each time I get out on the course with it.

Excellent -- thanks, Tario.

I'm with you on that. I did go for the very first TM adjustable back in the day, and I kept fiddling with it so much that I was more concerned with the settings than my swing. Taught me a good lesson (about myself). Then of course they went white and all the adjustables have followed, getting more and more gaudy it seems by the day. I think it's a fad that'll slowly disappear, like the square head drivers. And man, if someone on the tour got onto what K-san has done with this driver and started using it, maybe the 460cc would go away too.

Think an "average Joe" would like it just fine -- as long as he didn't mind hitting drives long and straight. <g>

Chris & Tario, I'll be watching in particular for your reviews of the FW. I'm always on the lookout for a 3-wood that might kick the R7 out of my bag after all these years. Have tried many... but nothing has ever come close. Somehow I think TM had an anomaly with the R7, or maybe it's just me it was made for, as I've never seen another player using it anywhere in the world... <g>

A man's dream: a honeymoon that lasts. ;=] (still smiling here, too)

The best I've found. It amazes me that I can have an almost real time discussion with someone in Japan who already knows my preferences and can advise me on product and get the stuff to me faster than I can even get someone 90 miles away in Carlsbad to answer a phonecall or email... Not to mention the quality of the results and products. In fact, has made me remember a time in Ireland when a guy at Ballyliffin found a pair of shoes I wanted in my size with the club name on them and drove 40 minutes to Rosapenna to hand deliver them to me. It's embarrassing to say it, but the US is broken or at least close to it when it comes to most services...