TourSpecGolfer

Gonna dump some pics in this thread! Thanks RLL for this write up, we need more reviews like this on TSG!

Stew you are hitting the original Crazy Black UT, my favorite UT shaft before the STP came out. Something about this STP is electric and has got me experimenting with the tip cut of the STP iron shafts. So STP iron shafts come with an uncut tip what I recently did was go with the STP 100 (only made in SX) and only had the tip section cut 0.25" this resulted in a flex just over SR and man these are the STP UT in irons, totally electric. Crazy stock will go up if people try the STP UT, that should get them to try the iron shafts with less of a tip cut. Then everyone will be demanding a FW and driver version. It will take time but STP UT will become a very popular shaft here.

How about that guys? Itobori has been putting out some cool stuff lately shall we bring them aboard? Mayuki Takai has some major skills, his nickname is wedgeman in Japan.

Full review in the blog. I really like the way this one performs, especially with an aftermarket shaft like the EVO II in stiff. I just wish it wasn't so ugly at address, if they fixed that I could easily bag this for a while.

Its the best hybrid shaft I know of hands down.. it changes the club.

Introducing the next-generation Blue Board shaft by Mitsubishi - The Diamana BF Series Blue Continuing the same tradition of the original blue series the new BF blue board shaft is known for a tight dispersion combined with a smooth feel. Mitsubishi started by reinforcing the tip of the shaft to improve impact efficiency ball velocity. Mitsubishi utilized their new Superelastic DIALEAD material to particular areas such as the tip and butt section. What this does is improve the maneuverability of the ball at the players will. The tip section has also been reinforced with their new MR70 high strength carbon fiber mixed with boron fiber to improve elasticity without hindering energy loss transferred to the ball. The result is more distance with better direction and workability making the overall shaft experience both stronger and more flexible at the same time. Reexamining the raw material fibers and the manufacturing process of the original blue board allowed Mitsubishi to create a new carbon fiber material possessing both improved elasticity and strength, something which has been hard to achieve in the past. Approximately 20% strength improvement and 10% elasticity improvement compared to Mitsubishi Rayon's past products.

It's in hand now, will post pics just need to shaft and hit it.

That's what pals do they egg you on to buy 7D's ;)

For some reason Sonartec isn't being run out of Japan like Royal Collection is. They have reached out many times to TSG but we decline letting them know their Japan office needs to get in touch. Also I know too much about RC, enough so thatout of principal I will always support Ako-san of A-Grind.

Yup opps, forgot your name. Contact me buddy.

So today Jacque and I sat down to read the testimonials you guys wrote and were blown away. Often we get caught up just trying to stay on top of all the orders, problems, and working new projects on the horizon that we forget what an amazing group of people are part of this community. In the forums I'm often unable to relate the members screen name with the real one, it all becomes a blur, and I forget who I'm talking to at times. There are just too many member names and customer names to be able to connect. We read everything twice, some even more and realized that most of you spent a lot of time writing these out. Many of you are successful professionals with families, amazing careers and so much to do yet you spend hours, days and more here at TSG. We thank you for this! So It was too hard to choose the top 5 best. We felt bad for anyone 6 and beyond. So if you guys don't mind, we are going to change the rules of this contest at the very end... 10 members will win 3 wedges each (52/56/60) 9 members will win 1 wedge each (choice of loft) Instead of giving away 15 wedge heads we are now giving away 39. Total entries were 19, so everyone wins today. --- Here's what I ask, not required but as a courtesy: - To make things easy, we use translucent blue on all wedges paint fill - Please don't sell these wedges, play them, hit them, and give them to a buddy when done. - Please review these wedges on TSG and any other forum board you wish. - If you need a shaft most steel options cost +50 with your choice of grip, length, and swing weight - shipping is 35.00 to most places. Are those fair requests? Basically, after reading these it was too hard to choose just 5 winners, the letters made us want to do better for you guys, and this is what we came up with. So will the following people please reach me via email [email protected] (3 wedges winners) Rob H Jag Augustine F Tuan H Dave O Eric S Brian H Stephane M Steven L Jason D (1 wedge winners) Serge Christopher F Allen Y Mauricio R Björn N Mark R Kristofer B Bryan K jon b --- In the first email, please tell me the following: 1. Do you want it shafted? Yes or No? If Yes please tell me shaft/grip/specs so I can quote. 2. What is your shipping address you would like your prize sent to? 3. If you are a 1 wedge winner what loft would you like? 52/56 or 60? That's it guys; Again we really do appreciate the testimonials submitted!

Updated that for you with lengths and swing weights.

Yes they can be played 44 - 44.5" but the feel gets firmer the shorter you go and it stiffens up the shaft. This is not just with these shafts it's really with all when you cut down the butt section. I can't remember a shaft that actually feels better when played shorter, I do like short sometimes though it makes me feel I can go after it and swing harder without as bad a result the only thing Im left wanting is that stronger kick feel that longer length clubs have near the grip.

My problem I'm having with Jbeam is I absolutely love more than a few of their drivers. I will not sell my blackout, I will always keep a ZY-11, I'm excited for my ZY-7 and the Glorious and 535 are not joke either as a couple of customers have 7D shafts in them and swear the Glorious is the best of the bunch with a low spin shaft. It's hard to choose just one. I am bias right now because the ZY-7 is where my eyes are fixed. I think the Blackout is less forgiving, more rewarding when pured with the ZY-7 having a bit more distance and better or slightly higher ball flight.

Sorry that was a typo and man these shafts are expensive, they retail at 55,000 yen. The upgrade cost is $450. I spoke with Kazuhiro-san about these and he doesn't want to disclose any information about the Jbeam drivers materials or the shaft designs because other brands have been trying to copy for a while. I can respect that but just makes me more curious to understand it all. Most multi-kick shafts are for slower swingers but it seems these ZY's can handle as much as you give them.

Choosing Winners Tonight Guys! last day to get yours in! Good Luck!

Jimmie, thanks for your insight on everything, you add lots of good info to this conversation.

Hot melt does change sound for sure, especially the more you add. length depends on the driver model and brand most better players clubs are still sub 46" in Japan.

Razzle Dazzle... Do your best to forget the name, the wedges are very nice. Soft made of SS400, good spin, a bit oversized but not a lot, forgiving, very easy in soft conditions or for steep angles of attack the cnc back face is cool. I've been hitting one for a few rounds and like it. have one being done in black boron which may look cool as well.

Hot melt is what most tour vans use. We can do the same. Even USDM drivers with no screws or glue are light. add heavier screws + hot melt and your right up there, doesn't matter if it's USDM or JDM what's important is how good your guy is at nailing the glue in the right spot and cooling it down fast.

The JBEAM ZY-7 Driver Pre-order bank is now officially open at TourSpecGolf! You may contact us directly via email for a custom build [email protected] or purchase directly from the TSG ProShop listing that will launch tomorrow. This driver is only available via specialty JBeam dealers like TSG. A little background on why the new ZY-7 is such a highly anticipated driver. J-Beam has been known to produce some of the best and longest drivers in all of Japan many of their models have unique spin reduction and launch characteristics. Many brands like Crazy, TRPX and others have sought to collaborate with Jbeam seeking similar performance in their clubs. This new ZY-7 is being used on the Japan Long Drive Tour by JBEAM sponsored player Yasuhiro Yamazaki as a prototype already securing him the top spot twice in his last two events. The history of Jbeam's drivers date back more than 30 years where Mr. Kazuhiro-san the father of the current president shown below was a persimmon driver artisan famous in Japan, for years Kazuhiro-san watched his father meticulously grind wooden heads to the specifications of many of Japan's best professional players. Kazuhiro-san has taken much of what his father has taught him and incorporated modern technology and his personal philosophy on how to create maximum distance for many types of players. The ZY Series driver was originally unveiled as the ZY-11 a club that has been in my personal bag and the bags of many of TSG's most discerning customers for a while, the ZY-11 features a foamed head for a unique muted impact and sound along with an extremely deep face profile. The photo above shows a honorary driver constructed to commemorate Yamazaki-san's victory as the #1 long driver on the LDJ senior tour. I've had many drivers over the last year but none matched the distance and spin reduction of my ZY-11, I still own 3 ZY-11's in different lofts and shafts. A few months ago I was able to visit Jbeam to test the new ZY-7 prototype against my ZY-11 and to my surprise Jbeam has evolved the original to be even longer, straighter, and just as forgiving. The new ZY-7 also no longer has a foamed head yet still has a semi dense and soft sound at impact which I also to see as a welcome improvement over the ZY-11. The new ZY-7's head is 445cc's and was designed as a cooperative development with Yasuhiro Yamazaki. The head at address is beautiful, it inspires forgiveness yet doesnt look bulbous or oversized, it's matte black crown gives it a stealth appearance. Jbeam has developed an all new proprietary face material and structure design that it guards closely as a secret this new technology not only provides a metallic muted sound at impact but also has increased rebound capabilities providing a noticeable distance increase over it's predecessor. The face itself while still very deep now looks more refined, the edges of the face hae been curved which also makes sweet spot and impact zone produce shots that are more stable and straight with improved predictability. Overall the real estate on the face has decreased but it's still a driver geared toward the player who will miss high and low on the face yet my off center shots closer to heel I was getting no distance loss whatsoever. The sole features some very unique cut away's that help move the center of gravity higher and more forward. Instead of screws placed flat on the sole Jbeam pushed them well forward and has them secured up front lowering spin even further. The ZY-11 with standard weights and specs had a slight fade bias, this new ZY-7 is designed to go dead straight. You may request a draw bias custom from TSG and we will ask Jbeam to either hand pick a head with a custom face angle, or change the weights for a different weight position or for more extreme specifications even hosel reeming. Some of our hard hitting clients already have hosel reemed ZY-7's pre ordered with 3* open face angle and reemed lie angles to their particular preference. Consumers never get this type of service, this is also beyond what many tour vans can provide as well. This driver can be fitted to help professional players to even high handicap golfers who require less spin. For average golfers we often suggest 0.5* higher loft than their current club as well as a slightly closed face angle and lighter head weight with a draw bias. Many customers will go with 10.5 - 11.5* lofts to counteract it's low trajectory yet maintaining it's low spin traits which produces a mid/high trajectory with low spin. The spin reduction and forgiveness is a big part why the distance is so good on the ZY series clubs, when a player has spin rates that are too high they are losing distance while the ball goes in wayward directions, with the ZY-7's spin reduction it helps produce a straighter shot and lower spin keeping the ball tight on a stable path with less energy loss in the ball flight itself. Now I'm not sure if all these sole cutaways are actually the reason why the ZY-7 performs as well as it does. The ZY-11 was no slouch and I could be happy for a long time with it, but along comes the ZY-7 which is a noticeable improvement and It leaves me wondering how they were able to improve it this much, it's the same yet different, it feels similar but totally different, it flies similar but not so it's a very hard thing to explain but I do consider this a proper evolution of an already great club that will give the player tangible results with the right shaft. Jbeam has many prototypes, not just for aesthetics but also in shape, size, and materials this is something that is very good to see at their HQ because it shows they tinkered and tried all sorts of things before getting it right. The ZY-7 is almost 2 years in the making and was in design along side the ZY-11 from the very start. The image above shows a prototype where Jbeam used an alternative material and paint scheme. Below a different face finish as well. One of the most important parts of finding the correct driver for a player is the shaft. Talking strictly head only choosing the ZY-7 gives you spin reduction, distance, straightness and forgiveness next step is to make sure the shaft delivers the club face square for you with the proper kick and performance for your tempo, timing and transition. This is a vital part in your custom build, many low end shafts with inferior materials require more accurate timing by the player while now days many high end Japanese manufactures use better design and materials so the golfer can rely less on the hands squaring the club face up at impact. Jbeam and again with the collaboration of Yamazaki pro have designed shafts that not only work well in Jbeam heads but other brands as well. These shafts are in use on the US Long Drive tour in non Jbeam heads which says a lot. The older model white and black YZ shafts have been replaced with a new blue and yellow version YZ shaft. Blue = ZY-Speed and Yellow = ZY-Speed Yellow. These are multi kick technology shafts that allows the golfer to go after the ball hard or swing smoothly, each kick point fires off in relation to the previous kick point unloading. What this also does is help the shaft fit to a wider array of player and require less emphasis on torque and weight. You can swing 125mph and still use a sub 60g shaft. They have flexes starting at R going up to XXX for the long drive tour. So I personally am a Seven Dreamers fanatic, I play 3 of my Jbeam drivers with 7D shafts, my new final release ZY-7 has a special Ginza edition 7D shaft being custom made for it as I write this but that said I was able to hit both the new blue and yellow ZY shafts and found the blue extremely easy to hit straight with a nice tall penetrating trajectory with no balloon whatsoever. I think these types of shafts are great for players who lose a little steam on the back half like myself, I tend to start strong then by the end of the round get sloppy well with the multi kick ZY blue and yellow shafts I see it as permission to do my own thing and let the shaft take care of the timing for me. I highly suggest these shafts with any Jbeam head or even other makers heads for that matter. Anyway that is the end of my brief introduction, I have multiple ZY-7's on order for personal use with a variety of different shafts, so do many of our top TSG members so in coming months expect many updates and reviews in the blog and forum.

That CRZ head is sold out everywhere. Very hard to get. I can't even get one for personal use. Yes it's very similar to blackout.

I never thought of Baselius that way, my take was they never took off. AAA is great though. Many of these designers in Japan are often not business or marketing savy people they are eclectic and interesting for sure often making for passion or hobby and following the beat of their own drum regardless of money or logic. Its not the easiest thing to deal with.

Full write up in the blog, photos right here:

Just my 2 cents but we have to remember there are not many equipment brands in the USA (outside of putters) period so we will hear less of these stories. There is no golf manufacturing base in the states so for a smaller company or designer having the resources to create clubs just doesn't exist, this goes for woods, irons, wedges the USA has little manufacturing capabilities. Then take a look at Japan and even my experience here, I can catch a train anywhere meet with factories, meet with finishers, meet with companies that simply test CG locations in drivers, meet with agents from factories both in Japan, Taiwan and China and establish a network of accounts without having to do nearly as much. This is the big difference. If you count the amount of boutique driver brands in Japan it's unreal, boutique equipment brands period, the amount of shaft options etc.. It's like our food situation or shopping situation in the states, you see the same stores in the same malls and the same foods and companies in the same grocery stores, powerful brands take over in the USA and squeeze the small guys off the rack, then go to Japan and see every town and city and shop has something special and unique they are known for. Much more contrast and selection. Take Blades for example, open face drivers, XXX flex shafts, the actual people who make the worlds best shafts, you would figure those types of things should all be more abundant in the states, they are not. Japan has more of everything, Brands, CB's, Irons, Drivers, Wedges, etc.. etc.. Nearly nothing is handmade or forged in the big box USA golf shops now days it's all mass processed like our foods. Same with our malls we go to Best Buy for electronics, compare that to Akihabara the difference is huge, similar products in multiple iterations with key differences for different types of consumers. Noodles, Beef, Water, we can take this a thousand ways. Yes it can be seen as saturation especially in Golf as the Japanese market get's smaller as younger people are not taking up the game, but we can also see it as more options. Walk into a grocery store in Japan and compare it to our Ralphs or Walmarts and you will see how big boys take over in the states and squeeze out the passionate smaller producers. It's not easy to establish a brand in the USA like PXG has, it takes a bang and tons of cash. They are likely not profitable spending millions on the players with such low volume due to the high price point. Another thing is their expansion has come at a cost, PXG price lists are constantly forwarded to me for heads only coming from S.E Asia well before they had accounts established there. So with growth came uncontrollable headaches. Establishing a brand in the USA is very different, golfers don't pick up on boutique, craftsmanship, and the personal story like they do in Asia. The flashy brand name advertising and endorsements take the cake and just spending habits are different. For example at private courses in the USA I see many bags of they same ol stuff, TM, Cally, Nike, and lots of really old beaters even from very wealthy members at private courses. In Asia and Europe the quality of clubs on the range are on a different level, I've seen a lot of full Honma Beres bags in public courses in Italy and across Europe but in Japan and parts of Asia the diversity of clubs in the bags of players is a lot of fun to see, I see the same brands we are so excited about here on TSG in the bags of many. As for Technology, Big box Japan always rules imo. Main reason is price point. Because retail prices are higher we see the newest stuff in Japan first, even if it's fluff. They push the boundaries and I think PRGR, TourStage, and others are good examples of it. Truth is with USGA/R&A restrictions all this "tech" can't do much anyways. So we pick our favorite flavor ice cream and tinker and with changing heads with different launch, spin rates and mating things to some great shafts the gains are much more than those restrictive cavity soles, channels behind the faces, multi adjustable hosels etc.. again just me 2 pennys worth.