K2_2

Hi Blader, I hit these a few years back, so please keep that in mind! If you are looking for a 115 g iron shaft, there are only a few options. The MFS shafts have a low torque rating, seem fairly consistant through a set, and perform well. One very cool thing about them is the availability of subflexes: instead of getting an R, S, or X I think you can get one of three subflexes in each (they might have 4 subflexes, I'm not sure). If you work with someone who carries alot of Matrix stuff, you could really dial in the shaft to suit your liking. Although you can softstep other shafts that don't have so many options, I think the Matrix shaft has an advantage here in so far as fitting. Now for a Japanese/high end equipment perspective. These are kind of like a "premium economy" or middle of the road shaft. The quality is great, but they don't feel as smooth as Graphite Design's Tour AD Pro (these shafts go from 90 g in the long irons to ~ 110 g for the short irons). I know Axiv has a set that also ranges from 90-100+ g as you progress through the set, but I don't really have any experience with those. Fuji's Rombax 9E05 is a fantastic shaft, but this only comes in a 90~100 g shaft. Chris or Gochin might have more info on other heavy Japanese shafts. However, if you're not fussed about where the shaft comes from the MFS 115 is great choice.

So many beautiful irons, and so little time... Back to the serious side of TSG though, this is a fantastic reference Chris.

Sorry to hear about that, and I'm sure we're all hoping that your clubs will find their way back to you!

At the end of the day you want a shaft and head combo that suits your swing. The shaft weight, bend profile, feel, and flex need to be matched up with a head that has the right weighting, loft, and spin characteristics. Can you do this and find a good fit with a US or Japanese head and shaft? Yes. Will they feel the same and allow the same degree of optimization? In my experience, no. Edit for brevity: I'll leave the rest to Chris.

Thanks Chris, that looks better! Also, apologies if this was already floating around the 2007 Tokyo forum.

Having been a big fan of Yonex with some of their older irons (Yonex Tour and ADX Tour) I was excited to run accross their new Nano V Forged Irons. They look stunning! I know Yonex is not that big of a player in Japan atm, but have these created any buzz? They have that sort of neo-industrial look found in the Yamaha Inpress series, and I've really warmed up to that over the last year or so. Yonex_NanoV_Forged1.bmp

Gochin, I'll look forward to hearing what you think about the Matsumotos and especially how they compare to some of the custom Gold's factory gear you have (or have on the way). As I mentioned in another post, they're a bit more 'common' in Thailand at the moment, which takes away some of the mystique for some, but they are beautifully crafted clubs imo. Which models are you trying out?

Chris, From looking through the 2007 show pics, it seems that even the short irons have the tungsten weights. How is the trajectory on the short irons? Tough call between these and the 2007 ViQ forged. I like the simple look of the ViQ, but while the Mizuno has a bit more going on visually, it looks well thought out, and very well executed.

Hi Duffer, The thanks for the link, those wedges look great (one example reminds me a bit of the grind on some Yururi wedges floating around Thailand). As for Matsumoto, you've already said it, but they have indeed been around for a long time! Edit for Gochin's quick response while I was typing! Gochin, while Matsumoto isn't mainstream per say in Japan, wouldn't most avid golfers there be familiar with the brand? In other parts of Asia the brand has pretty good recognition and distribution. You can even find Matsumoto putters and irons in department stores around Bangkok, along with some specialty boutiques that only carry their gear.

My pleasure Vincenti, and I'm glad to hear that you're playing well with the club. I think you have really hit the nail on the head. The driver is 'forgiving' relative to older, sub 400 cc drivers, but it is not designed to hit bombs on every shot. It is however quite good for working shots and manipulating the trajectory of your drives as well.

Any news on a hybrid? That said, I love the X-UT and have zero reason to switch away from those at the moment (am I the only one who thinks its stupid easy to hit?). Also, does anyone know how they will balance out the X-series, the more forgiving X-series (a la the GR stuff) with the ViQ line? I thought the X-series was the more player oriented gear while the ViQ line was a bit more of a game improvement line.

I have only tried 9 series drivers, but I didn't think the 911 was bad. It feels pretty solid, and I love the ARMRQ shafts in the 9 series. The 911 is not super forgiving, from my limited time with it... I hadn't heard that was why the 912 came out, but it makes sense. The heavier (60g plus) ARMRQ shafts are really, really solid. They play true to flex (if even a touch stiff imo) but they load well, and they have a nice kick that is smooth yet controlled. I haven't done a comparison between the Epon, ERC Hyper and X-Drive 460, but if I do so, it would be fun to throw the 912 into the mix.

Just to echo what has already been said, great vision for the set, and a fantastic 'special order' from TSG .

Youpressed, I hope you like the Epon and get some more nice weather to use it in! If you want to try another smaller looking head, the Beres 911 is 410 cc, but at address, it looks much smaller than most 460 cc clubs, and it has a higher than average center of gravity for drivers today, so you can work the ball a bit and get a more boring trajectory.

Great looking wedges Chris, I've only seen one so far in Bangkok. Any thoughts on how these compare to the Yururi wedges (grind, spin, etc)?

Hi Chris, I just wanted to see if there was any new or noteable gear from Tourstage on display at the show (the black proto drivers look good, but anything that will be coming our way?).

Sorry/very welcome . I can understand that you want to try them out, I am the same way, I'm a bit hesitant to drop cash on a club without a bit a demo. However, when you hit the 770's, I think you will enjoy them!

Yes, Fourteen stuff is 100% quality, both their castings and forged clubs. I have never heard anything bad about their irons. As for the price in Thailand, I have found clubs from some manufacturers to be about the same or slightly cheaper than Japan/US, but Fourteen stuff here is definitely more expensive than I have seen it in any other market.

I'm on the run, In short, the ERC Hot irons rock! They have a spring steel face (a little extra distance) and a slightly more compact head than the Fusions (sold as the ERC Fusion in Japan) yet they are still very, very forgiving. I have hit both and did not detect a big difference in forgiveness, but I did like the feel of the ERC hot better. Part of that could be due to the difference in shafts though (Nippon 950's versus the uniflex in the US spec Fusions). To answer your other questions, offset is not large (I will try to take a look over the weekend to do a direct comparison), and you can work the ball with them. As a bonus, the ERC HOT have a forged body making them easier to adjust than standard Callaways. However, Callaway in the US WILL adjust lies on their Japanese clubs - they are one of the ONLY companies that do that for their customers in the US who have clubs from overseas. They do cost a bit more than standard Fusions, but they are great clubs.

Nothing against more player's type cavities but all of these mid-handicap clubs look good, especially the Srixon and XXIO (I like the ONOFF's as well but I've seen them for awhile... the Srixon and XXIO are brand new :) ).

Nice looking bags Chris... the one from Fourteen would be my favourite, it has the most clean look imo.

I'll throw up a bag or two, although I have to agree that the on course massage would rock! Tourstage bag Driver: ViQ Deep with ??? PT-6, Ozik Altus, other? Fairway wood: ViQ 3 or 4 wood Hyrbids: Debating between ViQ's, X-UT's and something from RC Irons: Guess what... ViQ premium forged, I am loving these at the moment... final shaft selection pending Wedges: Ping SW (habit) and who knows what kind of LW Putter: Trying Bettinardis, G-Field, and a few others at the moment Japan Spec American Bag Driver: ERC III CF, PT-6 (amazing club!) Fairway: ERC Hot 3 wood, PT-7 Hybrids: Cally Fusion 2, 4 (not Japan spec, sorry), shaft to be determined. Irons: Callaway ERC Hot (5-PW) shaft to be determined. Wedges... still a ping SW and then a Callaway X-Forged LW I guess Putters: Quite a few Japanese pros use Odyssey but I'd probably stick with whatever falls into the first bag. Even if I stuck Tour AD Pro's or just 'plain old' Tour AD 95's into either set, they'd still come in under 5K. So if I had 'only one' that would leave me 20K for a few vacations, golf instruction with my pro down in Australia, and more money to spend after the Tokyo golf show this year!

Are you ordering these through Chris? If so, best to pm him with a description of your typical course conditions and your current wedge set up (shape, bounce, grind). Do you want a 60 degree for finesse shots off of tight lies, or do you like to use it from the rough, deep bunkers, etc? Others might be able to help as well if you throw that kind of information up here.

Duffer19, I can understand what you are saying (but you have Matsumoto irons ) but I do think you need to find a putter that works well for your stroke and that you can line up well. One thing that still surprises me is the lack of fitting for high end putters. My last instructor (who I try to catch up with when I make it to Australia) was a big proponent of a laser fitting system that tracked how you lined up different head styles with different shaft lengths (I think it was a Henry Grifiths putter fitting system). He found that he misaligned the style of putter he liked (one variation of the Anser) but with a different neck, he could put it bang on target most of the time. Granted, misalignment for him was fairly small (former Eurpean and Australian touring pro) but it did make a difference, and the fitter that worked with him found similar results for alot of amateurs as well.

So Gochin, What set up have you ordered for you putter? They do look fantastic, and when you think about how much you can spend on a driver that you hit 12~14 times depeding on the course, etc, it makes sense to drop some money (I tell myself it is an 'investment' though) on getting a quality putter that you like. Although I haven't put one in the bag, I have tried the G-Field premium zone, and I would miss the face insert from that club, as it feels like nothing else. I know you can't compare them as far as exclusivity, but do you guys think that the customization on the Gold's putters will outweigh the technology (face insert) on the G-Field when it comes time to put the ball in the hole?