K2_2

All great stuff - I just picked up a few Le Coq items although I haven't splurged for a stand bag. If you get the chance to go to Japan, by all means, do it! In addition to the cars and golf equipment, the food, culture, heritage, and history are really impressive.

Quoted for truth! I don't think the NV is a bad shaft, but I've never gotten along with it in the driver, so I haven't looked at it for a hybrid. On the other hand, I've had great luck with some of Graphite Design's other shafts, hence the interest in the Tour AD UT's. However, you're mentioning bargains got me to thinking about one of XXIO's old clubs set up with an IROD... XXIO, are you still playing an IROD in any of your hybrids?

Well, As a variation on the traditional dream bag thread - which someone needs to revive - I wanted to see what clubs and shafts might be of interest for an alternate bag. These might not be clubs that you plan to put into the rotation, but things that look 'cool' or innovative, and have left you wondering 'how would that play.' Mine would look something like this; Driver: Epon EMB, stock shaft and Fubuki. Fairway: Mizuno JPX A25- Quad 6 shaft Hybrids: Epon AF-901 with the appropriate Mach Line shafts Irons: 2008 OnOFF with Diamana Thump Wedges: Fourteen MT28 TS Spec Putter: Crews-Bettinardi Mallet So, if you had to come up with a bag of 'new tricks and kit' what might you try?

Pretty nice although I might have left off the script with the red border... how's the view from above?

A pleasure... I like to see people finding cool new gear, and once you've got the right shaft, it is probably the last time I will ever be able to give you any advice . BTW, you aren't moving to Hawaii are you?!?!

Idrive, onece you find a good set of graphite shafts, you'll be hard pressed to go back! T has obviously mentioned the best of the best. I settled on the Roddios, and in a decade of playing graphite iron shafts, I have to say these are as good as it gets. Although I haven't tried the new AD 105 or Diamanas. T, what about the Diamana Thump irons in S-flex? The Axiv's aren't bad, but the demos I tried just didn't feel that good, to me. More experience with them might change my mind. The 759 in a wedge is just too light for someone with you current specs, so don't worry about that feeling a bit off. Try something with the heaver Tour AD, the Roddio I-10, or the new Diamana and I think you will be really impressed. Slightly off topic; T, is Chris getting some demo clubs with a few different shafts built up?

I think the release is slated for sometime in March... they are not Japan only, but they will be released first in Japan, much to the dismay of some stateside Ping fans.

Wonderful review of a fantastic set of irons! Chris, I'll look forward to the review with a set of graphite shafts as well.

Thanks again guys... I think I will go with the smoother swinging option for the moment. If I need to change it out later though, there's no harm in that!

Blader-X, I have never hit a better utility shaft than the UT-85. I've tried some Fuji's in the past, but I always liked the GD UT series a bit better. I don't have the UT-85 in the hybrid in question at the moment, so it will be somewhat fun but lacking in surprise as I already know what to expect - all of the wonderful characteristics that Blader-X mentioned!

I know that it would be easier to: A) Put in a Tour AD UT-85 or B) wait for the new Diamana Thump hybrid shafts... but there is no challenge in doing that. Before I go that route though, ss there anything else out there that people have been impressed with? Smooth feel, mid bend, and easy to get some height WITHOUT balooning, and 80~90 g would be great!

Great reviews and info guys... 'I will wait until AFTER the Tokyo show to buy a new driver... I will wait!' T, on the longer shaft and flatter swing, every pro & fitter I've worked with felt that longer shafts, if you were striking the ball well, gave you a slightly higher trajectory due to the extra club head speed you generate, all other things being equal. Has the thinking on this changed a bit?

I think there are still a few people playing it... some people didn't get along well with the shaft. I have the irons and wouldn't trade them for anything... atleast not until after the Tokyo show lol. One thing with the drivers, and this is not a slam against any independent club-makers, but I loved the factory demos and one aftermarket setup by a big shop in Japan. I've tried a few Roddios that someone has 'thrown in' to other clubs though... I'm not sure if they were bad match-ups, improper installs or what, but none of these 'private' installs impressed me - again, the exception being a large shop up in Tokyo.

I guess that eveyone has forgotten about their 2007 gear already! The ViQ forged is a midsize club I guess, not a player's cb like the X-Blade CB's, but not as large as some other GI irons... it is a nice middle ground of sorts. They have a pretty good grind, slightly higher than average launch with tungsten weights in the mid and long irons, and better than average feel, to say the least! They were very popular on the JLPGA, but they are not a women's only club, so don't worry about that bit... they are gender neutral. I'm not familiar with the V90, so hopefully someone else can chime in.

Well, Between work and... work I haven't been able to play much. Over the past four months though, I've been playing around with a few different drivers; 2007 Tourstage and Callaway's with the old Graphite Design Quattro, a 2007 OnOFF Plus, and the Grand Golf Gear or GIII driver. I just took the GIII out for a spin, and so far I am very impressed . I haven't driven the ball that consistently for some time, and I wasn't knocking down all of my iron shots either, so I didn't just have a banner day with my swing. The GIII, may not being as long as the ERC Hyper or a Yamaha on my best shots, but it was was very, very consistent in terms of both distance and direction. Furthermore, shots off the sweetspot feel as good as they have with ANY driver I have hit before in my 15+ years of golf. I'm guessing a fair bit of that comes down to the shaft and head combo working well for what I am aiming for right now - smooth, easy swings without having to go after the ball as much. Shots toward the outside of the sweetspot produce a bit of a different feel and sound - not quite as smooth - giving you feedback without a huge hit in distance or direction. The stock shafts are fairly light, but if you are a smooth swinger, these are an absolute gem. Other than the new Yamaha 4.6D Type S (another fantastic stick for the 2008 season, but suited to a bit more of an aggressive swing) I think this has to be one of the best stock shafts I have ever hit. Before anyone runs out to buy one, please read the following caveat; if you have a fast transition and or don't like ultralight shafts, you would hate this set-up and would curse me up and down the left side of every fairway until you switched the shaft out. For our more aggressive folks who like low launch clubs with a Whiteboard or something similar, I would definitely try the new Yamaha 4.6D Type-S. That is one of the best out-of-the box player's clubs I've demod in quite some time. However, if you like to make a less frenetic move through the ball, and would like some help in placing the ball more than a few yards down the middle of the fairway, the GIII is definitely worth a look.

Exactly... so when are you going to put the 500 BL into play? J/K

Hi T, Thank you for the info! Are there any shots of the crown floating around? I'm not normally a big fan of composite crowns, but Daiwa's GIII and PRGR seem to do a better job with the sound and feel than most other manufacturers, imho. As to the collaboration between Mitsubishi and Fujikura, I don't recall two major shaft companies collaborating together before, so I'd be interested to hear more about the arrangement they made and the results as well!

Sorry I just got back onto the forums and saw this... The 2007 Labo-Spec utilities are fantastic! If you asked the right person you could get them set up square (if you wanted). Square or a touch closed, they are dead easy to hit... higher than the Tourstage X-UT to be sure, but I don't have a problem with them balooning.

Hi Chris, Great review of the Miura+Roddio combo! If there is a better graphite iron shaft out there right now, I have yet to hit it. Now, if I could get around to playing more, it might be fun to pair a set up with some Miuras...

Hi guys, thanks for the advice! T I was playing the 2007/Green Quattro, but when I put that into something other than a lower spin X-Drive, my trajectory control isn't as good. If I was playing more I wouldn't be looking to swap things around, but the X-Drive isn't that much fun without a bit of practice now and then. As for the Rapture, yes, one of the local guys here had one shafted up with the new Axiv. I guess I'll have to read up on the MD now . Cheers.

Well, I tried the new Axiv-X (5068), and while it is a nice shaft, it didn't peform much better than average for me (compared it to a stock TFC??? in a Ping Rapture). The Axiv V was better at taking the left out of play, and the orginal Axiv and Roddios seem to kick quite a bit more. Does anyone have a recomendaiton for a new shaft that would have a similar flex and weight (around 60 grams) with a bit more kick?

Exciting news for Yonex, and don't get me wrong, I would jump on the deal as well! But, how many investments in guys under 18 have paid off so far? I think Ryo has fantastic potential, but he didn't really light things up after his win... I think it might have been nice if he could have developed his game a bit more, out of the limelight. But, with the JPGA searching for someone to try and help them match the JLPGA's young stars, maybe he would be in the spotlight regardless of his status (am vs pro). Since the deal is done though, all the best to the Shy Prince.

Agreed, that was a surprise! For both this driver and the bag, we're seeing a bit of black and gold, not something I would have custom ordered, but it looks pretty nice. Of course, we will all be looking forward to a review!

No jest, I figured you would have some more info, and you did. As for what to do when it is -10C... booking a flight to SE Asia sounds like a start!

Short answer: Quattro Tech (green, not the new MD), Diamana Red, Roddio BA. I dropped you a pm with a longer version :-) Edit: I see Duffer reading this, so he might have some more up to date solutions for 2008!