TourSpecGolfer

If the shaft is full Boron it's going to cost a lot. If they throw in some fancy words like Nano and bring the price down I would call that a red flag. We also need to be aware how much of the high end carbon is being used. Many shafts may put some 50T in the tip and call it a 50T shaft that sells for half of what a the full length 50T shaft would sell for. Lots of word games going on.

Yes Tario, Tatsuro, and myself have hit the GS 450 on multiple occasions, I have one that I consider a gamer now that I absolutely love. So no weight kit. In the future drivers I believe he is working on adjustable weighting. This driver is made using a Japanese DAT55 face, It feels very good and launches very hot. Of all the co branded Crazy drivers with George Spirits and Jbeam this is the most coveted in Japan. It isn't what I would consider to be a low spin head, I think its a pretty good balance of spin, feel, and forgiveness. This was a collaboration between George Spirits, Jbeam & Crazy. One labelled Crazy the other Labelled George Spirits, both the same. For me all it took was a shaft to tame the spin and I'm hitting some of my best drives this year. Also don't forget to look at the new Mono 455 driver he just released a more shallow face players driver.

The gloss black is the least durable finish but its also not a plating, it's a coating so you get the closest feel possible to the raw metal. My favorite are these:

I believe I used to game these minus the proto type stamping, I've had just about every version of the Toyoshima and they have always performed well for me. The ones above were very easy to open the face. outside of that grind difference the shape and size is almost identical to the current Toyo's.

The SS15 is a stunner from finish to feel and I'm happy your enjoying the T388, theres something about that driver that leaves me wanting to hit it again and again.

Every craft driver has felt better than most over the years, they always setup fairly close to classic JDM style and I'm most curious about spin and roll out. We will bring in a a couple 611's to test out asap, It's worth doing a head to head vs the 388 for.

More shallow face than both and a little more offset as well.

For me 340g head weight on a 34" putter with a "click" works best on fast greens. On a slow green I take 360g 33.5" with a softer feel at impact.

Of course everyone’s saying: what about the 909 Limited Blade? that review is coming. What I’d like to focus your attention now on is the 709MC and at first glance notice how it’s all brushed satin except for the edges of the back face which are in chrome. It’s just enough right imo. Last year it was the 707 series which were a little funky but still cool. Last years 707 Forged was noticeably larger than this years MC and had a lower CG making it a more user friendly iron. I think design wise last year TS was a bit wild and too futuristic, this year they seem to have tucked the unnecessary away to make what could be one of the best players cavity of the year. Visually it may have already won. If we take it back to 2011 and look at the then comparable 705 model to the MC which was called the Type M That is what I would say resembles the new MC although the MC is a bit more compact with what seems to be more focused and potent mass placed encasing the back face. I’d call it some really effective perimeter weighting. Accuracy, so I’m currently gaming two different irons right now the George Spirits Mono 3D and the ONOFF Forged 13’s. Both much larger than these MC’s and focused on feel, accuracy, and forgiveness which are kinda sacrificed in the new TourStage MC although for good reason... feedback and setup. Accuracy by design limits workability at a certain point. You want dead straight all day steady and stable or you want to be able to work the ball with ease, nice high or low cut shots and maybe the low hook to get out of trouble & back into play. Very hard to do with what I currently use but the MC is as close to a blade as you will get for workability. I’m not the stick to really be testing this so we handed it over to Tatsuro to give it whack in the video below. So how does it feel? Very TourStage, If you value irons giving you superb feedback you must try the new MC’s as well as most other TourStage irons in general succeed in letting the player know when the impact wasn’t right. I’ve said in the past its good to have one semi players CB and a blade to go back and fourth from. I take that back in this case, these MC’s are really the best of both worlds because the feel lets you know where your mistakes are made versus barely knowing with a larger softer CB. TourStage uses Endo S20C, they can make their clubs as soft or firm as they want to. I could see this type of feel growing on me If I could greatly improve my ball striking skills. So this year TourStage also pulled out all the stops for the better player. Limited Blades... True as True can be players cavity. even a 709CB Cavity Back model and it’s not too big. Thats the largest of the X-Blade series and its still a touch smaller or equal to my current gamers. Even The X-Blade largest sized 460 driver can appeal to the better player. The X-series now fits a wider range of golfers yet really appeals to and delivers for those who like to hit butter knives. Distance vs the blade, well this is one of the biggest benefits over the blade, Its a more stable head with more mass behind the impact zone meaning more inertia meat to nuzzle that ball forward into the air. More distance in other words and it’s been commonly known that game improvement irons usually have more distance, depth, and mass not to mention jacked lofts which will produce more carry. A more shallow face to back mass provides less umph behind the ball like a blade, although it allows you to work the ball with a more delicate level of control. Both is good as to each is own. At identical lofts the MC wouldn’t be as long as my current irons but it also wouldn’t be as short as the muscle back at that loft. Setup, I don’t think I have to say much. You look, It’s sick! <!-- This version of the embed code is no longer supported. Learn more: https://vimeo.com/help/faq/embedding --> <object width="648" height="364"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=62979101&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=62979101&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="648" height="364"></embed></object> <p><a href=" TourStage X-Blade MC Irons Review ( Tatsuro )</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/tourspecgolf">TourSpecGolf / Golf To Impress</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p> PW

Yes I know who you are Mr. A? Long time :) Yup I know what sorta stuff you like, stuff many of us mortals don't dare. I do think Zero would be right up your ally. I also think the S-Yard would be as well & Jbeam 425 Tour...lol I'd say the Jbeam for compact head mute feel and low spin + traj. Tatsuro is stuck on this head and he has hit almost everything, more models than anyone I know. The Zero is purely for feel & setup but then you should also look at the TS909 or the Yamaha Tour and 388 for the same.

Feel and ball speed but I'm lusting over it because few makers use it due to the price. It's a Japanese process that isn't being used widely enough which is making it harder to get and much more expensive.

Geotech get's little love for what it is, especially on the forums here yet when it comes to U.S B2B distribution it's our top seller above all others by a wide margin. obviously due to price. Some of it's made side by side with brands that are more than double the price, Its got incredible value, great design by Tado-san at Geotech, It's always rated highly in performance in Japan.

Tell me about it, we've sold quite a few without being able to hit it enough ourselves, There is a big SYD hype train steaming on right now. On paper and aesthetically it should reign king but what I don't want it to be is like the older HG wedge K.K did for Epon that actually had a fairly similar design but perform as well as hoped.

Yes it's deep! Main thing is you can't tell at address though, It's hidden forgiveness.

The OP is a beast, He plays a J340! he could handle the Zero, like stew, and maybe yourself as it really caters to a select few, while the 388 would not only be playable by you guys but also the almost average player. I can't say if it's worth the hype Jay because right now for me so many other drivers rival the 388. Yamaha vs Zero in Forgiveness goes to the Yammy while feel goes to Zero but both are nowhere near as forgiving as the 388. Also I would say the 388 actually feels better than the Yamaha and has a bit less spin. If you look closely half of the 388's in the B/S/T were customers who bought another T388 at a different loft which is usually a good sign. Looking at our Zero sales, very few have kept it to our knowledge. Looking at our Zero testing on the trackman it ranked last against the Jbeam 425 & Ryoma V-Spec that's not my swing that's Tatsuro and 2 other true scratch players. It's really weird what gains traction sometimes on the boards. I like the 388 as much as any but of Mr. Kobayashi's designs the older SYD GT driver 2011/2012 I like better and that would have been Epon's next generation driver, The GT-S forged irons of the same year is the Epon AF302 with a lower trajectory and updated sole grind, those had a good chance at becoming the new 303 before he left. That said I do have what appears to be my unbeatable combo (for now) The George Spirits 450 w/Crazy CB-46 Mofo in the bag that I'm completely destroying, I'm in a DAT55 phase right now and trying to find a shaft/loft combo that gives me 388 type roll with GS450 carry and forgiveness.

The brand George Spirits is starting to grow on a lot of people. The man behind the brand, George Takei consistently releases cool new designs all year long. They have a beautiful showroom in Beijing a Japan HQ under construction, and the products are sold in high end department stores like Isetan in Tokyo. The product is quality it's obvious from the pictures and especially when in hand. I wanted to share some pictures of his Mono 3D Forged irons which I have been rotating between the ONOFF Forged irons for a little while now. The ONOFF have C-Tapers, the GS 3D's have Recoil 110's stiff. What I like best about the Mono 3D is it's forgiveness, setup, and feel. It's not your average iron, George Takei always has a style about his designs that set it apart from other brands. His use of CNC milling design has just the right amount of bling while remaining tasteful at the same time. For me the feel at impact is similar to the Endo made mizuno JPX Forged iron although the 3D is no where nearly as big.

Lets see how long i keep it. It's in my top 3 for sure. I just like different things on different days I guess

Thats what I'm looking for. Last week I took out the Jbeam 425 Tour I shafted with a BB-6 stiff, It was less forgiving than the T.388 but to my surprise it was also straighter with equal to more roll which are the two main things I like about the SYD.

Anyone try the Jbeam 435R?

Everything just arrived today.

That sucks! I'm gonna have to order me another one just in case these go dry now.

If your looking for Japanese forgings at a reasonable price one must not overlook Geotech Golf. I'm always amazed by this brand as they release dozens of new models each and every year with no signs of slowing down anytime in the near future. This year the debut of the 2013 GT series was the big deal starting with the new GT Forged W-213T wedge. Available in 49/52/56/58/60 degree lofts with bounces ranging from 5.5 to 10 the W213 wedge also has spin the Geotech claims will rival any top leading brand and surpass most smaller companies thanks to their background and experience in golf club design. I can second this as I've watched Geotech design with a focus on details that create performance . The W213 wedge is now available and in righty and lefty. Best part is your getting a stunning Japan Forged wedge for 105.00 found here at the TSG ProShop. Next up the new I-813 GT Forged another offering that is priced aggressively, $450 bucks 5-PW heads only. Geotechs focus on dialing in things like the center of gravity, moment of inertia, gravity angle and depth and specific measurements for top line thickness and face progression it's clear that these not only look the part but probably perform it as well. This I-813 Forged iron is made of S25C for a medium softness feel. The new Geotech D-0939 comes in two versions conforming and Alpha spec which is non conforming. Geotech has been recognized in Japan for creating a simple and effective weighting system that carries through a wide array of different models from irons to woods and even putters all using the same weights and wrench. It's 450cc's large with a deep forgiving face with the 9.5 loft coming in at a square face angle. On top of the new GT Forged models that are not only extremely attractive * these pictures don't do it justice, you must see them in person... There is also the GT Limited Series, These are limited edition models slightly up market with a focus on big distance non conforming style at least the irons are although they do offer woods in a conforming version. Even the Alpha spec can withstand high swing speeds in fact Geotech used both an ultra sound device and X-ray along with lots of hard hitting testers to ensure durability and enhance the ultra high resilience in the face. What's cool about the finish is it's crown is painted in a special semi-transparent black. I haven't seen it outside in the real yet but hope to soon. The stock shaft is the Motore Speeder by Fujikura with custom Geotech graphics. S15C Japan Forged! Hows that for pure and soft feel! Very few irons are produced of S15C. It's a players iron with a thin top line and just the slightest amount of offset, Geotech has always had good balance between appearance and performance. There has been no compromise in the manufacturing of these irons with a distinct focus on CG placement and consistency of it's location throughout each iron.

It's a normal production model I believe.

No ship date yet, this wedge is in massive demand. No country will get their fill in the first batch. We are hoping the first orders to go out this week. Key word is hoping! Will post an update very shortly here.