TourSpecGolfer

When you said "they sell at a loss to keep quality supreme" it sounded like a statement. Of course things look peachy from the outside. If you don't know what's going on then just take it all in and enjoy the read. Endo leaving the golf biz is likely based on what I'm hearing from very reliable sources. I care not just as you and we both hope they stay in as they make awesome stuff. For everyone else reading this, Hope you enjoy the banter.

These irons are amazing. I have the full run down in the blog and got to hit them on the range again today. Just super long considering their size. about 1.5 clubs longer than a normal 1 piece forged players iron. They feel soft in a synthetic way ( great ) sort of like the Epon 503's but even more dense and compacted vibrations. Nice springy vibe off the face. Besides it being very long they were extremely straight with the standard spec steel and the forgiveness is off the charts, these are players cavity backs evolved. I don't know if the 45* loft on the PW will bother the purists but the performance makes up for that easy. http://www.tourspecgolf.com/blog/29700-2/

With all due respect this is getting silly and your making stuff up. "They sell at a loss to keep quality supreme"... So the head cost is higher than the wholesale price? or are they throwing away thousands of heads? I don't know where to start with that one. Yet somehow they are doing well. They took Niimi's accounts and cut him out because they were in bad shape... Yet somehow they are doing well. They continue adjusting past designs because they have a great design team and are doing well right? We are still in the Kobayashi era of Epon until this new design team makes something completely original of their own. If you Produce high volume at a high price in a slow golf market and distribute only sell to club makers. This situation is not optimal for a brand. Remember what the Personal marketing said "Only 500pcs made". it did not say (500 Japan domestic and 500 worldwide). A sign of a brand doing well with limited releases at Endo is similar to the Yamaha Tour, first year 500pcs , next year 1000, year after that 2000 then 2500. That shows a brand is doing well. I don't doubt the AF105 is better than the 101. Thats a 6+ year gap. I wouldn't argue with you how to fly a plane because I love planes or talk to pilots so just read what my opinions are and take it with a grain of salt and if you don't agree that's totally cool.

We are all in agreement there and of course time will tell and we both hope they do great. I'm just disagree'ing with what you are saying. Such as 1. they are doing well as few are 2. talking as if what you are playing has little to do with Kobayashi 3. I don't even agree that there is this entirely new design team or new management team. 4. 1000 does not break even try closer to 4000+. 5. Boutique brands don't make at Endo. Endo math is: expensive molds, you must sell a high volume to make your money. Doing well with that In this golf market is a tall order if your not big OEM that's lean with serious market share or a boutique brand with low expenses that sells well.

Take a look at the AF101 thru AF105. see any similarities? Take a look at Personal 1 now look at Personal 2. How about now? Take a look at the Personal 3 and Technity Type X. Catch my drift? Again you don't get it you don't just produce 1000 heads of a new design and break even. You love and play Kobayashi designs you just don't know it. In regards to "Limited" - You said it yourself if they can get 500 or more orders they will make more... Does another production run make it not limited? The Taylormade M1 sold out it's first run, it that limited too?

Jimmieboi, I respect and appreciate your insights and opinion but (imo) your out of the loop sir. Your right that Golfcraft has a much better idea than most but they are only 1 source and they know more than they are telling you and for good reason. I take all the noise in Japan put it together and look for a pattern. The Endo math of minimum qty, mold cost vs Epon's volume do not create an environment for doing well. Especially in today's golf market. Kobayashi had real designs from scratch. Everything you see today is still based on his work. It's pretty obvious so have a good look for yourself. The whole sold out before release thing, here is just a few ways to spin it: Can't sell very many, make it limited. Factory behind schedule it's sold out. Have a newer release coming, make the gap product limited. Production defect or QC/QA delays, it's back ordered. Or not including global production into the # marketed as limited. We are talking about mass production here, if they can sell more than they could they would. Let's be real, just about every product is limited from all brands by definition. Limited Edition is used similarly to the word prototype.

Not sure where you got that when I said great distance but all drivers are within 5-10yds of eachother just with different characteristics.. So it depends on your needs, the shaft and build specs.

Yup it's very good. nice feel and great distance. It's mid/high trajectory and looks player. I have not hit the high COR model. Important to note that each loft has different CG locations, same with the high COR so I would assume the HCR version caters to slower swingers. I can see the TourStage influence in the design. I think it's better than any TourStage driver.

In the store now.. they will not last.. some suppliers in Japan are almost out.

That's how one would see it from the outside so I understand where your coming from. Many Insiders have been talking about Endo's exit from the golf industry, the rumors have come from factories, former clients and past employee's as well. The retail accounts will always hear it last unfortunately. I hope everyone is wrong including myself. Once Endo had most of the big OEMs volume which is no longer the case. Discerning fans on TSG could tell what club is made where by the face materials used in woods, S20C + how the cavity was pressed as well as the nuances of that beautiful Niigata TSUBAME SANJO polishing. Endo's business model is based high volume and very high quality mass production and now there isn't enough work so it's start and stop. Lay offs were made prior to even this recent equipment contraction. The recent loss of a key executive didn't help either. By the way this contraction of OEM orders started more than a year ago at a factory level and many knew what was coming. Many tier 2 factories in China have also disappeared. 3 key factories produce most the product today, sometimes they outsource smaller volumes or tasks to Tier 3. There is a lot of consolidation going on and competitors in some cases now work together. I can get deep on this topic in areas that would surprise many or just float over peoples heads as they don't really care. Like the strategy Chinese factories used to compete against each other or how some OEM's don't know exactly where their clubs are produced. The order flow of manufacturing has been disrupted from just a few years ago and many brands do not know about it. It's not drama, it's just business and equipment from the manufacturing side has never really been a transparent topic. How does TSG know these things? well it's pretty straight forward we deal with many OEM's "directly" and can kinda read what they are saying and figure out where it's made. Then we also introduce smaller brands to factories and provide advise to gain traction upmarket without using an agent, this gives us insight to the reasons why brands move production among other things. Then we know people in the industry and at the factories in both Japan & China. Take everything I say with a grain of salt or not, I do think we keep our finger on the pulse of the industry in Asia. There is some promising Good news for JPN golf manufacturing, a new factory has been built with major investment and construction going on now. They already produce what I consider the very best quality gear. I'm told former Endo staff has some part to play so Good luck to them. They do have a leader who has a vision and works his tail off. respect. The truth with any large company is it usually starts with a single persons vision then often decades go by and as it becomes the industry leader and a behemoth ways become set in stone. Then comes along big industry changes, competition from China and inner turmoil (especially in Japan). Different ideas and visions over time take it further from the core ideals that made it great. I'm not just talking about Endo, every strong company needs that passionate leader behind it who has skin in the game. Despite not working with Epon/Endo anymore I have a strong attachment to that brand. It was once our baby. While I can't say I created it I can recount the day I asked Endo to make me a wedge. It was too expensive and they showed me their obscure and faded brand that had almost no customers worldwide and asked for our help. The rest is history and the people working at Epon today know nothing of that turning point. Epon will go on no doubt and announce great new products, will it sell or stay and how do they exist in the future if Endo decides to leave as many are telling me is likely. I hope people find my opinion's interesting at the least.

Thanks for the pics Rex. I will be posting my brief review shortly in the blog.

No idea.

Loading these up in the pro shop soon!

Was browsing cars.com today for deals and came across this S65. I know it's a silly car the S63 is faster and this is more for showing off but what got me was the price! It's 156k asking with 10k miles and certified with warranty till 2020 by merc. This car's msrp is 230k. Someone took a hit on it big time. Update: someone bought it already..wow.

Yonex was kind enough to send us their new line early in the year. I was out of country for many months so I didn't get around to hitting them. Did today and was really surprised at how easy this UT was to launch clean off the turf, it had some legs too! Easily I can recommend to anyone who needs lift off the fairway. consistent and good distance the stock shaft was pretty decent as well. straight arrows. I know it's not new but I just wanted to give it some love. One of the better UT's for what it does although funky looking.

These feel like the standard MCI to me, they are just weight flow.

They are not like the TR500's these are a bit more chunky as stew mentioned. Will post pics to show you when it stops raining here.

Most Boutique brands could never afford to produce at Endo other than their own house label. Boutique brands tend to have handmade clubs so I wouldn't be worried about them at all. Endo used to be #1 at high quality mass production irons & drivers. There was a gap in quality between Japan vs China for years but with the rise of China's tech and capabilities Endo lost many of their largest brand clients due to cost and service, If you look for yourself at who used to be made at Endo vs who is now it's night and day. Golf equipment production is way down for all factories worldwide. Mold production, machine sales is down a lot too. brands are being way more cautious with their spending as well. This shift can be seen as a positive though, if harnessed correctly it can bring back handmade clubs and smaller companies helping club fitters over the big box stores.

Things have already changed and will likely continue to and while I cant say this story originated from me feel free to tell them you heard it here first. They know this has been floating around for a long time in the Japan Golf Industry and the whispers have become louder with recent events. I expect them to act surprised, say they have new products coming (which is true) and say they are growing and doing well.

Should be within 24 hours sir.

That's good news, maybe everything I'm being told is wrong. I hope that's the case.

Update: Went with a David August fit at their Orange County HQ in Classic Navy and Gray.

No spec differences but these reds sure are pretty. expected to sell out quick, in the pro shop today!

We have some crazy yoro 66's planned!