TourSpecGolfer

Mr. Kobayashi told us in person that the personal 1 he designed is short on distance. I think none of this is a problem, I don't look for distance in irons much anyway just that my gaps are filled, and I also don't mind some offset. The thing is this is not normal offset making it more of a fun and interesting back up set imo, I've never seen this much offset on a blade in over a decade and for that I applaud Epon for going there but this also doesn't make much sense. As pete said if you need that much offset I suggest a different iron. I'm interested to see how many who said "club X" has way too much offset now go for this one that has even more. Another option is to have TSG refinish it in black boron, black oxide, or soft black to minimize the look and size of this club. Don't forget it's not just the offset that's an issue for some, these have a different more Japanese rounded shape.

Sorry guys and thanks to Mikey for helping me understand better. I'm not able to compare SD to other shafts because I have no time with it. We have 4 members 2 of them are pretty active in the forum that do have time with them just recently so we will find out.

There is a new RAW wedge 100% exclusive to TSG coming soon.

Yes this is the NiCR satin with raw face option. Working on the program now will have details shortly.

I wanted to quickly share a little about a special set of PRGR Tour Nabla's we have worked on. NiCR Satin finish w/ Raw black oxide face, yes that's a raw face with a plated body the best of both worlds as your irons stay looking satin pretty while the area that makes impact still has it's pure steel feel and will wear which some may like.

Introducing the new Yururi Golf Tataki Wedge, It's been a while since Yururi has released new wedges and why should they with the continued success of the Raw Gekku and Gekku Tour easily TSG's best selling wedge over the years. This is Yururi's new players wedge, it's no joke, it's compact, rounded in all the right places and just finished beautifully. It's available in a wide range of lofts 50.5/52.5/56.5/58.5/60.5 and in lefty they even have 5 different lofts, It sells for $175 U.S head only and TSG will build it custom with just about any shaft and grip you choose. Mr. Miyoshi-san the owner and designer of Yururi Golf has taken his time with the Tataki, He already has a another amazing players wedge in the gekku tour so this one had to be different yet appeal to the same level golfer. Forged of S25C in Himeji Japan this is a 5 X pressed wedge which you will see shortly in the video in this posting this Tataki Wedge has a good amount of trailing edge relief with a nice smooth rounded leading edge, heel relief is adequate to open it up making it more versatile. Speaking strictly as a fan not the person marketing and selling these clubs, I can tell you without a doubt as far as value, feel, performance goes it get's no better from Japan than this... The shape is reliable, reminds me of the cold forged vokey or the buchi wedges, the curves and smooth finish just glide through turf. A little more about that finish, it has a rough look to it, there is no glare whatsoever it just looks so cool but even better it feels so nice at impact, 70% of tour pro's play raw/black oxide wedges and this wedge makes you understand why, the finish does just a good enough job to reduce wear and rust while keeping feel in tact. Below an image of how it looks from above, stunning and again a bit cold forged vokey like, nearly perfect to my eyes. Impact is dense soft and pure at at the same while and the spin this wedge produces is probably better than what you play now and for those who know Yururi wedges they know spin comes with the territory.

Yup I ordered the "control" shaft it's being built now. I hope to also do the Haute Couture model when I visit Japan next month.

That makes perfect sense, there are 2 things that ride along side this. 1. The player must get on a launch monitor with his final build and add/remove lead tape to find out what that optional head weight is. 2. Too much weight added via hot melt, foam, even adjustable weights can ruin the performance of the original design. If there is something I can ask SD do tell.

Thank you, but I still don't know how you think it's flawed, can you give me a question to bring to SD to stump them? Your saying the heavier head weight will create more force and distance right? I'm saying in the REAL people don't swing the heavy clubs as fast as they do the lighter club. So in the REAL your equation only matters when all things are equal while SD's equation ( to me at least ) takes into consideration the variables What am I missing here Mikey?

I'm gonna need help with that one because I'm not seeing the flaw in their logic. Can you please explain?

How does the SD equation assert that a heavier club generates a higher ball speed? Also what do you see as the flaw in their logic?

I looked over this thread and it seems like a shaft issue, you don't need any new heads to try so may I suggest a small assortment of shafts that work for your swing and a nearby club maker to play mix and match with the different heads you own to be a good learning experience. The times I learn the most about my swing and about clubs is changing shafts between heads. Lighter profile shafts stiff mid section and a little softer in the tip looks to be worth noting for you. Let us know how it goes with that 388.

Better looking pics: The info sheet I got from Japan showed a brushed satin looking head, in the flesh this thing is chrome to the bone.

I think it's time you try a Quadra skyline. Most likely the TP-V would fit you best, it's got a stiffer mid and tip while the butt is a touch soft to promote better feel. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't the original FEX been discontinued for the TP-V? I will get more info on this Black proto as soon as Quadra re opens on the 18th after holiday.

Mikey challenges the SD assertion that a lighter weight equals higher ball speed, he counters it with FxMA which requires all variables to be constant including the swing. That is not golf, that is a swing robot in a controlled indoor environment. Let's take FxMA into the real world and see how it applies to golf and what the OEMs are doing with it that make actual and tangible differences. In the real world YOU swing the lighter club faster, YOU have a higher initial ball speed while the opposite is true of the heavier club... Lighter weight tech has been one of the biggest advancements in golf since the 70's period, not a gimmick. How has force x mass improved your driver build and game?

Nope, club in one hand and camera in the other. the cavity is pretty deep. Sorry no blades yet. There is yet a bigger iron I will post pics of this weekend.

If few of the same variables apply this is nothing more than a very big tangent were on. We are discussing the merit of the SD equation which makes perfect sense in golf. The force x mass thing does not apply to golf very well so now I'm missing the point of having this discussion.

Yes I get what your saying, so if it were indoors on a swing robot you think the heavier overall weight will create more distance or are you just talking about the weight behind the impact zone?

Swing speed, COR, ball mass, launch conditions, weight, etc.. etc.. are never a constant in golf so that's where I'm missing your point. You swing a lighter club faster than you do the heavier club, almost everyone does. Let's say a brand went all in with the heavy philosophy, they would produce heavy clubs that people can't swing very fast thus creating shorter distances. Technology also allows for clubs to get heavier but I don't see anyone pulling that one out and I doubt increasing overall weight will be the next "thing". Weight has always been a problem for golf club design, there are too many examples of this from the move to Titanium, carbon shafts, thinner walls, CFRP crowns, to mizunos boron carbon steel all in the name of reducing weight. I guess I don't understand what your saying, The lighter thing has been going on for decades, it's not fluff and it's probably one of the single biggest advancements in golf in the last 50+ years. This heavier is longer stuff is great but doesn't resonate with me because everything in golf is a variable.

Modern - Art aka Modart has been getting great reviews among our clients and readers, not only has Modart seemed to have created something different but also has a produced an entire line up of clubs that perform very well. Back in Feb at the golf show obviously the first thing to catch everyone's eye was their more compact CBC CNC milled iron, time when by we had some customers wait months to receive their CBC's then following that members started picking up on how good the Driver MA01D and S along with their fairway woods and utility clubs. More recently TSG will go on the record saying the Suda-wedges are the best we have to offer here or anywhere else in our opinion. In this post we will highlight a club that we have already tested putting it through it's paces and we will break down how the new Modart A60-G CNC irons stack against the others in the same players category. So who is this club for? I would categorize it as mid sized head for the low/mid handicap player who is also looking for a extremely rewarding feel at impact, size wise think OnOff Forged or RomaRo Type-R, or Mizuno JPX EIII. This is Modart's next iron up in forgiveness after the CBC (most compact) which is shorter heel to toe with less offset, a thinner sole, and top line but keep in mind these are made of S25C soft carbon steel BUT they are NOT FORGED!... Each head is CNC MACHINED from the block!!! Suda-san explained that this creates the most pure iron when it comes to materials. The pressure and heat from a forging press can create inconsistancies in the steel including cracking and weakening of the material ultimately degrading he feel. With each Modart iron and wedge being milled straight from the block, there is no contamination of the steel and you get S25C in its original pure form. As you can see these are crafted beautifully, Each iron head is made as if it were a putter, Modart has chosen to keep milling accents all over the club face as a reminder. With meticulous Japanese manufacturing it comes at a price, each of these irons or any of the CNC'd S25C (non forged) models come in pretty steep at near $600 per iron, that makes for a set that retails in the $4400 range... So is it worth it? That's up to you and your wallet to decide, I can describe the feel and forgiveness though, In terms of feel there is nothing like it, I have hit the CBC and that was surprisingly great in a different, firm, vibey sorta way. This A60G while being made of the exact same material feels very different with it's increased size, the Vibrationey, reboundy, firm forged like'ish feel is addicting. Picture a spongy Mizuno soft iron that has a firm aftertaste and hints of road tar....lol makes no sense and I'm still trying to figure it out. As for forgiveness, it doesn't have an undercut cavity, it does not have tungsten buried deep in the sole nor does it have a 2 piece structure, All this thing is got is a sound design and a great size and shape to it. All I can keep coming back to is that this is noticeably better than the 2013 ONOFF forged in just about every way except in price. I'm tempted to get into a set of these with some MCI''s or graphite but that would cost a small fortune. Talking distance it is not as long as others it rides along the same yardage as some player CB's and this makes it interestingly geared to players who want more forgiveness, the best possible feel at impact, yet want to keep their yardages in check. Above is another pic of the top line, the lighting shows the true offset just perfectly, from this angle it has a better setup than many of it's competitors. If your someone who is looking for a set of really good feeling and forgiving irons yet doesn't play mainstream brands and want's to fly under the radar using a truly boutique brand like Modart here's your ticket.

I think most people will be able to swing a lighter club faster and more consistently than a heavier club. It's not just about shaft's getting lighter, heads are getting lighter as well and on all the PGA tours the weights are getting lighter in both shaft and head. Gone are the days of most swinging 90-100+ gram driver shafts. Advanced Composite Materials (ACM) = lighter/stronger/directional all key attributes in golf. Wishon wraps it up this way:

So a swing robot testing a heavier club will have better distance than with a lighter club? If your answer is yes, why are the top brands going lighter? Must they ignore that fact because of the variables that a golfers swing bring to the table?

Heavier head = more distance? Why are brands going lighter? I think physics doesn't prove either, they almost contradict each other. If heavier club head equals more distance and it's as simple as that you just came up with the next gimmick every brand will adopt. Weight does not equal distance. Head speed and a whole mess of other variables come into play for distance.

Today they can make carbon materials stiffer and stronger than steel, shafts with great materials can go higher torque and maintain stability unlike before. Shorter drivers being easier to hit center is true, but also important is how well the shaft matches our tempo to allow us to square the face up.

This is getting complicated! To simplify this, what exactly are we trying to solve here, shaft specs for a player or a basic philosophy of club design?