MGB

Vijay's using the new Cleveland 460 Comp driver.

Its Tourstage in most parts of Asia. Myself and others think the B330 is the same ball as the 04 release Tourstage X01. If it is the same as the X01, it'll be a sweet ball. A bit firm feeling but it flat out works. I got on well with the X01s, too.

Not a revolt. I think (this is just my 2 cents) that the consistent losses on TM's balance sheet last year forced them to cut a lot of their contract pros loose. That data was in all the golf business epages. Not surprised they lost money with the way they were coming out with new product flooding the market and driving prices down. Callaway won't come out and say it, but they blame TM for their losses too. I think Nike has the most to gain from the strife. Titleist didn't get caught up in the hoopla so although they may have lost marketshare, with enough relevant product, they're poised to make a move.

Price played the Precept ball when he was having those monster seasons. Appleby's been w Bridgestone for years. Freddie's the new kid on the Bridgestone block.

What are the specs Chris? Torque, bend point, player profile if provided by GDI? You da man!

Nice Pics, Chris. I'm sitting on a set each of the fusion and x-18 irons. Supposed to test em for a local golf mag. They have regular shafts on em though. Not sure I really wanna hit em, but ah, well... it's a tough job but someone's gotta do it. :laugh:

True! The correct rotation of your body should square the clubface. Stick the butt of your 5-iron in your sternum and grip down the shaft to approximate holding the club at address. Take a backswing and notice how the shaft point to the ground. Return the club to the impact position and rotate your body through. The butt of the club should stay pointing to your sternum as the club points down the target line. You'll notice that the toe of the clubhead will close through the impact zone without any manipulation.

Started tweaking my swing bout four months ago with the start of the rainy season in Asia. Shortened up my swing and fixed first move down. It's taken quite nicely, I have half a dozen rounds in the mid-70's to show for it. :cool: You can read more in the thread called "just had a lesson". Good luck with what you're working on.

You might check out Tom Wishon's stuff. He has a complete line of clubheads if you're bent on going the component route. Or you might try Scratch Golf, they'll basically make the set to order for you, but I'm not sure they'll be as forgiving a club as you're looking for.

Although I'm partial to Mizuno (I think the MP37 and MP32 are the best), I must admit to being very impressed with the Srixon I302. Very solid, soft feeling clubs.

The 27s are more game improvement than the 30s which is really a player's cb. I hit the 27's the other day. They have a very soft feel, typical of Mizuno, but being used to the feel of a blade, I couldn't tell exactly where on the clubface I hit the ball. A friend with me at the session said they felt like forged Pings.

The higher ball flight of the 33's is due to the 1* weaker loft than the 37 or 32. If you already have a set of 33's you could lower the ball flight a bit by strengthening the lofts a degree. Just came back from a range session w Mizuno dealer here. Hit everything he had. I must say that I'm very impressed w the 32's.

Those are gorgeous, Chris. I've been looking at them just to have a bit more help with my long irons. I've got a test session set up later in the week. I'm stoked.

I was on their website and it appears that the shafts are already available over there. The I-65's going for a srp of $420! :surprize: Of course it won't sell for that, but still! :surprize: I'm a big fan of the YS-6 and YS-7. I think they're the best bang for the buck out there.

Very nice, Chris! Honma has changed direction a bit since I first found out about them ten years ago. Heads seem to be designed to match certain preferences, ie accomplished players, intermediates and magic-seekers. The status of the line seems to be more tied to the shafts than the heads. The higher the number of stars on the shaft, the more prestigious the club. Many decorative touches adorn the 4 and 5 star shafted irons and woods, 18 or 24 karat gold hosel rings and medallions are the norm. The five star heads are too much, they're literally jewelry. The new Tour World stuff looks very interesting but slightly behind the curve, now spearheaded by the industry giants and other more focused Japanese clubmakers.

Looking forward to the review. Anything from JK should elicit rave reviews. :cool:

Just want to update ya'll on my progress. The new move down finally feels like my own. I've become familiar with my tendencies with it, too. I just played a team tournament at a beautiful mountain course. Very picturesque and of moderate difficulty 128 slope 71.6 course ratings. Hadn't played there in 5 of 6 years and was pretty much playing the course blind. I shot 74 gross on my 8.5 index. My best tournament round ever. I felt like I left maybe four strokes out there on wasted birdie chances. Golf felt easy for minute there! If you haven't tried this drill, you might give it a whirl. It's worked wonders for me!

Thanks for the comprehensive report, Ari. I'm particularly pleased that the new Staff line by Wilson lives up to the brand's former reputation. I still have an old Wilson Staff sand wedge in my bag which I find very hard to replace.

I'm with Chris. Mizuno has the softest feel and the most forgiving blades i've played.

Two keys to avoiding coming over the top. First, check your swing plane. If you go too far inside on the backswing, you won't have anywhere to go but over the top on the way down. Second, The first move down from the top should be to drop your hands about six inches down. Your right elbow (for right handers) should be in front of your right hip bone. Then just accelertate the club through the hitting zone for all you're worth. Good drill for this is to make sure that with the clubhead at 9 o'clock the shaft is parallel to the target line. Break your wrists and rotate to the top. From the top, drop your hands til your right elbow is in front of the right hip, WITHOUT MOVING ANYTHING ELSE. Bring the arms back up to the top, repeat, then hit the ball. This drill's been magic for me. Hope it helps you.

That's a dream set-up if ever there was one. Thanks for giving us a look. :cool:

Also 300 Tour is larger than the 300 retail, 350cc if I remember correctly.

Wow! Livin' the dream. All the best. :cool:

Belated Happy Birthday, buddy! As one who's also pushing senior status, I commiserate with you! :smile2:

I'm a bit over a month into this swing change and there are very positive signs that I did the right thing. To help the drill set, I didn't play for a week and a half and I practiced the drill everyday, twice a day. The swing felt weird when I finally did play, but I did notice that I hit straighter shots and I picked up a bit of additional distance along the way. I also noticed that I'm less sore after a session at the range or after a game. I've equaled my low 9 hole gross score (1 over)on one of the courses at the club, but have yet to hold it together for the entire 18. I like the results a lot. I hope you have similar success with your games.