needmoregolf

I love the horizontal PZ milling on my Golds, offers very true roll and holds a nice straight line without skips or hops. Pretty soft feel too, but not sure if it's the same feel as next gen. Pretty sure you can't go wrong with either though. I love the look of the horizontal which became my deciding factor with the way it worked with the rest of the putter. The soft black looks amazing but is subject to fade over time with wear. Not sure about the Teflon black, but I selected the black boron since i wanted more of a plating to stand the test of time. that being said, I will for sure one day go soft black on either a putter or iron set. Just my $0.02 Good luck and keep us posted.

I agree totally, and most of the time it's the person, not the tool. that being said, most Epons that I've played or tried have had a very unique feel to each of them, and you know you're getting premium craftsmanship and a very special club. I'd also agree that there are a bunch of other great JDM brands out there, and there are a few I personally want to try before getting another set of Epons, but it's definitely worth it to identify one set of Epons you'd like to try and experience the brand, very nice stuff.

you're right, C, only you stew would find such gems sitting unknown for years in random groupings lol hilarious!

I believe the idbl's are Endo, but not sure about the Nabla RS'....Chris??

sorry to hear bout the injury mate, was it onset by too much golf activity over the holiday or doing other stuff?

hey Chris, what's the price on each and are they available in the pro shop?

Any info on whether this Zero will be any more forgiving than the original??

Thanks guys, it was a pleasure to try some cool new gear and offer some thoughts, so hopefully it helps anyone on the fence about either of these 2 clubs. As for the shafts, I had noted what they were and somehow forgot to include that information in my review. Both were Nippon steel: The RomaRo MC is shafted with NS Pro 1150GH and the Nabla RS has a made-for-PRGR Nippon M43 shaft. I'm not clear at all about the spec differences between these two shafts, so please inquire more with Chris if that is of interest to you.

Happy New Year fellow TSG'ers!! Well, I had some time off during the holidays, which allowed me some range and course time with a couple clubs that Chris sent to demo, and will put together some thoughts here on my experiences with them. First off, let me say that both clubs were very nice and produced great results, but of course they each had their own nuances and things that I liked about them. Also, I tested a 7i for the Nabla RS and a 4i for the RomaRo MC, so it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison in this review, so please keep that in mind. A bit about me: I'm a mid capper and tend to find myself in different types of places on the course every other hole or so, so my scramble game is important. Perfect for demoing clubs right?? ;) Let's just say I was able to try these 2 clubs in several different types of lies to see how they performed overall. When it comes to golf gear, the areas that are important to me and stand out the most are: Looks, Feel and Performance *note: Nabla RS is always first in the pics* Looks This was an easy call, as the RomaRo MC just has a very nice classy profile and shape. Looking down at address inspires confidence with its thinner top line and lower offset, so there was no adjusting for me eyes, just a classic player's CB here. The cavity is not too busy and overall, it has a clean look that is easy on the eyes with it's matte finish. The Nabla RS, on the other hand, takes some getting used to visually with it's thick cavity and high polish finish. The top line is noticeably thicker than the RomaRo, the overall head is bigger and I detected more offset, although I have to admit this is all by eye-balling the clubs at address. For me, the thicker top line took some getting used to standing over the ball, so it definitely didn't feel quite as natural and took some adjustment for my eyes. Feel I'd have to give this to the RomaRo MC as they are just a very classic feeling player's CB. Soft forged feel yet not mushy at all which made it a delight to hit (and this is with a 4 iron even!). I don't usually carry a 4i as I tend not to hit it well, but I really had no trouble with this club and hit some very nice long drawing shots on the range and course. It had a very nice soft yet crisp sound on impact that I allowed me to feel the ball compressing on the face. For me, the Nabla RS had a harder and much firmer feel at impact, which didn't feel great in my hands for some of those early swings on the range in the early morning. That being said, it got better and I started to appreciate the firm feel as it inspired confidence as I watched the ball taking off in perfect flight. Definitely provided a clickier sound, but I wouldn't describe it as displeasing to the ear, so no worries here. Performance This category was a bit tougher for me, and although I wanted to give it to the RomaRo MC, just because it had met my expectations in the other categories so well, it just wasn't that obvious. Sure, I love the classic soft forged feel and had good results, but there were other things afoot here, and as we all know, PRGR is known for building some amazing technology into their equipment. While the Nabla RS felt more firm, had a thicker/bigger head (from a purely subjective visual standpoint at least), there was something about what happened to the ball during impact with the club...it friggin took off!! There seemed to also be a very unique feel, almost like an extra punch, that bellowed out from whatever is stuffed in that cavity that gave the shots some extra oomph (super scientific, I know ;) All shots with this club were longer than my normal shots with whatever set I have in the stable, by about half a club. The shot that sticks out most in my mind, was an uphill approach where I was in a nasty bit of rough and had about 160 yds left to the pin. I figured I'd shorten my backswing and concentrate on good contact and leave myself an uphill putt since I couldn't see how the green was laid out let alone what was waiting for me behind the green. I executed a beautifully controlled swing as I watched and felt excellent interaction between the club and turf, and just as the club fired through the ball, I felt this extra kick that sent my ball soaring to the pin. It ended up pin high and just off right on the fringe, about 8 feet from the hole. I did one of those scratches of the head as I stared long and hard at this club, "hmmmm.....not bad, eh??" Tough to give a clear cut winner here, but let's just say my opinion of the Nabla RS has totally changed and while I wouldn't give them the sexy award, I would bag them and lean heavily on my confidence that these would deliver excellent results (especially given more time and dialing them in fully). Overall If you're the type to be drawn to classic stylings and love that forged feeling softness, the RomaRo MC would be an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you don't mind a slightly larger club with thicker top line, and just expect great performance from your clubs, you will be delighted by the Nabla RS. BTW, thanks Chris for the opportunity to demo :)

Nicasio, It is 35"

Thanks guys for the positive feedback, she's definitely a real beaut! Added a pic from address and a price drop for my TSG brethren ;)

Thanks guys, it's seriously an amazing looking and feeling putter

I'm not familiar with that putter, and I thought I uploaded an address pic but didn't seem to make it and now I'm in my phone. PM me your email addy and I can send anyone specific pics. thanks.

Hello gents, this is probably one of the most beautiful putters I've ever personally seen, and would make a great addition to someone's collection. Price includes shipping in Con US, so PM me for int'l quote. Bettinardi Proto BB2 3-Slot DASS - $OLD - pictures don't do this immaculate 10/10 putter justice - never gamed, only admired and carpet putted - includes Tour Stock headcover and paper COA certificate - black smoke stepless shaft and purple rubber Betti grip Registry Number: RJB5315 Putter Type: 3 SLot BB2 Tour Material: DASS Finish: Torch Blue Head Weight: 350g Offset: 3/4 shaft Neck Style: Flow Toe Hang: Full From Betti: "Prototype DASS BB2 with a beautiful torched finish. What really sets this BB2 off from the rest is the 3 slot sole with the 350g head weight and the high contrast orange paint on the bright blue and purple head." 2. Piretti Cottonwood II GSS Tour - $OLD 9+/10 condition 365g head sound slot and blank sole GSS and Tour bumper stamps purple oversized Gripmaster smoked shaft - plays 35" white Tour Only headcover 3. Machine M2A Custom - $OLD 9+/10 condition custom neck and back flange smoked shaft - plays 33.5" (some scratches on the shaft that don't affect playability - see pics) white Iomic grip black Machine headcover 4. Bettinardi BBO Copper w/ welded Twizzler neck - $OLD new, never gamed or even been outside for that matter (some patina has darkened the face from carpet putts and my hand oils, which IMO makes it look even better!) ultra rare putter came off Tour van so no COA but its legit and I stand by that rare welded Twizzler neck smoked shaft - plays 35" black Betti Gripmaster stitched white rare Copper Candy series head cover (small mark that isn't really noticeable - pic by request)

very very nice... and tempting

uber uber sweet deal, someone jump on it!

I was gonna say, better be something uber nice!! a new timepiece is a great reason, dibs on that IWC when it hits the block ;) lol Good luck buddy, kinda had a feeling these would never knock the CBC's out. Happy New Year!!

was in SF today and yeah it was cold. south San jose was pretty nice tho earlier in the day, prolly was 55-60F all day at least ;)

it's beautiful here now, Reggie, so buy these and test them alongside your sweet new onoffs in the upcoming weeks of clear skies ;)

Ian, I think stew is on holidays but he would definitely have all the info between the two. for me, what I've found is that these Idbl's are super underrated clubs...blade-like at address and Eric's right, great versatile grind allows it to perform in soft and hard conditions. I get great distance (as strong as any other CB I've ever played) and the lack of offset is outstanding, point and shoot! I couldn't say the same for the AF tours as there was definite offset and the distance was always short for me. Feel-wise, I'd probably have to give the edge to the AF's but not by much, these idbl's have a very nice soft forged feel to them. Keepers for me as they'll always be great sticks, would make a great winter or travel set as well. hope that helped, pm me me if you have specific questions :)

these sticks are the real deal, love em!! excellent pricing as well, someone is going to be getting a steal!! GLWS!!

Happy Holidays to all the TSG brethren around the world!!

haha awesome idea! the branches on my tree would likely snap ;) in all seriousness, these look outstanding! congrats nobaru!

it's true, yamadas can be ordered again, and John Muir is a valid source. I've emailed him personally as well as receive his newsletter which mentions this all in the latest issue

Nob, big fan of Havanese as they have that soft fur that is like human hair and won't stir up the allergies. they are bigger than the other dogs with similar fur too, which is nice. question tho, they good with small kids?