Randy

They have not showed up. I'm was told in a couple of weeks from now, but who knows.

How does the spin from the top spinning JDM wedges compare to the original Ping eye 2 wedges with the square grooves? I currently have a Ping Eye 2 BECU LW which puts a pretty good amount of spin on the ball, but not very fond of the shape and would like to move to a JDM wedge with a more traditional shape and not as wide of a sole, but don't want to lose any spin. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Randy

It has been a while, but I have hit the CB2 Exoctics and although it is a very nice club, I did not get quite as much distance as the AF-201. AF-201 also seems to be a little more solid feeling.

Fairway wood - The only club that made it from last season is the Epon AF-201. This thing is a rocket launcher from the t-box and hit it almost as long as most drivers and much more consistent with it. Irons - Nothing from last season, but just bagged the Epon Technica Pro1 irons and so far they are great. I may get a set of Epon 701s to try. Hybrid - Have an Epon AF-901 19 degree coming to try

Looking to get a JDM 64 (or something close to that) degree wedge with minamal bounce (6 to 8 degrees), agressive grooves as possible and maybe a M grind. Did a search, but couldn't find anything. If any one has any suggestions at what company/modeL I should look at it would be greatly appreciated. Aloha Randy

It has taken me a long time to get there, but I can now relate.

I have played more than 1/2 the clubs listed better than EPON and I didn't find one the comes close to the feel or craftmanship of the Epon AF 301. I am makeing the assumption that 301 is just like the Technica Pro 1, which is the set of irons I have in the bag.

"Could you expand a little bit on the offset of the 3 models? which has more, less, progressive, etc" Sorry, but quite honestly after looking at all three and seeing they didn't have a huge amount of off-set, I didn't pay real close attention to which had more or less. Although the Epon seemed to have maybe a little less. It was time to thin the herd, so I already got rid of the other two sets, so can't go compare now.

"I need to plan a trip to Hawaii... you guys available to play if I do?" I travel quite a bit, but if I am around I am available to play. Aloha Randty

"but OnOff Irons have a little to much going on compared to the other two sets." I was refering to the cavity. You can't see the cavity when addressing the ball, but for me it counts in the overall looks category.

The OnOff CB 247s are becoming when and maybe if, so decided I will limit this iron shootout to the 3 sets I have in hand and winner will take on the 247s should I get them. Over the past week I have taken the three sets to the driving range, practice geen and course every day. Play late in the afternoon when hardly anyone is around and have my big staff bag loaded down with 3 sets of irons. First of all, let me say that all three sets are really excellent and would play any one of them if I didn't have the other two. To play the Fourteen 550 forged I would have to change out the shafts, but more on that in a little bit. Following is how, IMHO, the clubs rank in specific catagories: Looks 1st - Fourteen 2nd - Epon 3rd - OnOff Very close between 1st and 2nd with both having fairly simple looks, but I liked the Fourteens just a little better because of the more satin look. To each his own, but OnOff Irons have a little to much going on compared to the other two sets. Forgiveness 1st - OnOff 2nd - Fourteen 3rd - Epon All are similar and have decent, but not lots of, forgiveness. To me OnOff were some what noticeably better in forgiveness and it was pretty close between the other two sets, but again nothing significant been the three sets. Set up 1st - Epon 2nd/3rd - tie between Fourteen and OnOff All three set up nicely behind the ball. When you look down at them, none have what you would call blade like topline, but none of them had toplines that I couldn't look at with out thinking game improvment iron. All have some amount of off-set, but again nothing huge. What really set the Epon apart from the other two was the darker colored face. It really frames the ball nicely. Sole width (for me less is better) 1st - Epon 2nd - Fourteen 3rd - OnOff I did not actually measure the width of each sole, but visually Epon has the least and OnOff the most. The course I play doen't have significant rough, but didn't have any trouble getting through it with any off the irons. Feel 1st - Epon (by a lot) 2nd - Fourteen 3rd - OnOff Starting with 3rd place, the OnOff irons have just a little click sound to me when hit. Not that is bad as a lot of irons do, I just happen not to not like it. Fourteens irons had N.S. Pro 750 GH wrap tech shafts and they were just not for me and if I change out the shafts it may have improve the feel. The Epon irons have a feel that I have been searching for a long, long time. Not sure where I got the term from, maybe I picked it up from a post or maybe I got it from watching Batman show when I was a kid , but I would describe the feel of the iron hitting the ball as a "ker-thunk". Extremely solid, no click, not to hard and not to mushy. Overall 1st - Epon 2nd - Fourteen 3rd - OnOff Although the Epons may not be quite as forgiving or be 1st in looks (although close), everything else, especially the feel, makes it the overall winner by more than just a slim margin. I was debating if I should put a different set of shafts in the Fourteens, but decided even if I did it wouldn't get them into 1st place, so going to save the money and they will be a great set of irons for someone that has a swing for the shafts that are in them. This has been fun and glad I did it with the highlight being finding out how awesome the Epons feel and play. If the CB 247s never show up I am now not going to be disappointed as they would have a really hard time dethroning the Epons. As a side note, there was one thing I didn't like about the Epons and that was the grips. I like ribbed grips and am now off to change them and get ready for tomorrow's round of golf. Aloha Randy

6 iron pics. Aloha Randy

The OnOff CB 247s are becoming when and if, so thought I would post pics of the other 3 irons sets. PW pics. Sorry, but my picture taking skills are pretty limited and haven't tried posting pictures before. I'm sure you all probably know, but Epon Technica Pro 1 Left or top, Fourteen center or middle and OnOff Forged Plus right or bottom Aloha Randy

I have a round in with them and they are very nice, but will see how they compare to the other irons sets I am tryin in my "shootout"

I have been playing a few different sets of irons recently including Titleist AP1 and AP2 and several different models of Pings. All are good irons sets, but not quite, IMHO, up to JDM forged feel so decided to get a few sets of JDM irons that peaked my interest. Taken a while, since I wanted to get used sets as only one will make the bag. The irons I have decided to try are: OnOff + forged = currently have these irons and they are shafted with 950 GH Fourteen TC 550 forged = currently have these irons and they are shafted with 750 GH wrap tech Epon Technica (like J spec) = in the mail and should have them any day. They are shafted with BG stiff OnOff CB 247= Friend is supposed to be sending me a set from Japan, but not sure of the shaft and will hopefully have them in a couple of weeks Don't know how interesting this shootout will be for anyone else, but I have no preconcieved expectations of which set will end up in my bag, so this is going to be very interesting to me to see which one does. Some of my likes and dislikes that will influence my decision: - I am a 13 capper and need a little forgiveness, but have never done well with GI clubs - I like a iron that has a solid but somewhat soft feel, but not real mushy. Also don't like irons that produce a click sound. - Some offset is okay, but not a tremendous amount - Medium width topline and sole are okay, but thinner is better and nothing huge. I am a picker of the ball so thinner sole seems to work better for me. We will see how it goes. Aloha Randy

The 445 I had has been replaced by X-drive GR. Went for a little more forgiveness. However, when hit flush IMHO the 445 is longer. I may go back to a 445 again if my swing gets a little better where I can hit most shots flush.

I have a TM Spider and really like it, but would like to get a JDM putter that is similar. By that I mean similar MOI and the same, somewhat, basic look. Does Gold's have anything like that, or I know it would be expensive, would they make something like that? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks Randy

Thanks for the feedback. Played 9 holes for with them today. For certain people, I think they would be excellent shafts , especially someone that wants graphite weight in a steel shaft, but not for me. To light and a little to soft. Aloha Randy

I picked up a used set of Fourteen TC-550 forged irons today and they have N.S. Pro 750 GH Wrap Tech iron shafts. I only had a chance to hit them a couple of times. I know the shafts are pretty light, but seem fairly stable. Anyone played these shafts in their irons and if so, what did you think of them? I did a search, but didn't find much information, but did see in the Pro Shop they are more expensive than standard N.S. Pro shafts. Any info would be greatly appeciated. Thanks and Aloha Randy

Jack, I have one of the Z factor putting machines. I think it is well designed and has helped my putting stroke. I used to putt straight back and straight forward method, but wanted to putt with a little bit of a gate method. It has really helped me do that. Lots of different settings to groove the style of stroke you want. Not like a lot of putting devices that only give you one fixed option. Couple of negatives is that it does take a little time initaly to set up and if you don't have a putter face that sticks to the magnets, the double tape type attachment of metal pieces to the putter face is a little humbug. Overall I am very happy with it, but is it worth the cash? For me it was as I wanted to experiment to find the stroke that worked best for me and then groove that stroke and this machine let me do that. Aloha Randy

I tried this grip about 6 months ago and although it really helped take the hands out of the stroke, I did't like the feel that I got from the putter. Sort of hollow or lack of feeling. That being said, I picked up a Spider putter a week ago and was messing around with it to make it more like a Heavy putter by putting the heaviest weights I could find in it and filling the shaft with sugar. I decided, since I already had the original grip off, to try this grip again. This time the feel is really good. Decided to leave the grip on and play a few rounds with it and see how it goes. Aloha Randy

Just picked up a set of ONOFF Iron Plus (4-PW, AW and SW). Only had a chance to chip and pitch with them and they had a really good feel, but won't be able to play or even get to the range with them until Saturday. I will post a review after the round, but until I have a chance to develop my opinion, wanted to see if anyone else had tried them and what they thought about this set of irons. Did a search and didn't find much. Aloha Randy

IMHO, clubs are to be played, especially a really great set of irons like these.

For feel, looks, sound and distance it provides, this is one of the best drivers I have tried. However, I found it not to be all that forgiving.

Time for me to get on the EMB bandwagon, but not sure what loft and shaft (standard one that comes with driver) flex that I should get. Not sure of my driver swingspeed and should get on a monitor, but not likely to happen soon, but following is my normal shots with a Tourstage 9.5 degree 445 with the standard Daimana stiff shaft at standard length: - Carry is around 235 yards with good roll - Ball flight is medium and probably should be a higher - At times I have a nasty pull hook, but normally with this driver I leave everything out a little to the right - Trying to change, but more of a hitter than a swinger Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Aloha Randy