bogeydog

What do you expect to see? Have you received them yet? How will you set them up? I assume you are talking the 2010 model. I have only been able to hit my briefly as we have tooooo much snow.

BB, Are you buying a set? What happened with the new TM irons?

Shoutout, Yes I am in Montgomery County. It is snowing now and I am leaving the office. I haven't heard of a snow wedge so I don't think testing will happen for some time. I will try as soon as I can. PM me and we can work out meeting up sometime. Gocchin is correct - Time to come to the good side!

The Kamui is 3* flatter (if the Yamaha is really 60*). The third pic shows the same as the shafts are set against the same chair at the same angle.

Today begins an epic journey for me. Background - Being 5'-3" tall, I have never ever had a driver that wasn't significantly "toe-up" at address. With the materials of today's driver, bending them is a precarious event and thus I have never tried. Since late 2008 I have owned a 2009 Yamaha 4.6V RPM Tour driver, 10* loft, 60* lie with a square face. For more than one-half the time, I have had it shafted with a JPGA Griffin stiff at 45" and D3 swing weight. I have reviewed this driver extensively and quite frankly it is the best I have ever owned in both distance and control. Enter the 2010 Kamui 420. I ordered this custom head only, non-conforming at 201g, 57* lie, square face, 10.3* loft. I shafted it with another JPGA Griffin shaft at the same specs as the Yamaha. Time to test. Find time to test. They are calling for 2 feet of snow, so I only have pics and observations to share. Who knows what this all means other than it may be a tough competition. My goal was to set the Kamui with similar specs as the Yamaha except for the lie of the club. I cannot tell if lofts are exactly the same because I really have no way to measure and the face roll plays games with my eyes. I am excited in the promise a flatter lie may offer me. It seems to me that with a "toe-up" driver position, the effective sweetspot in relation to my swing is small. With a flatter lie, I stand to have better chance of hitting the sweetspot or at least get some forgiveness because hits towards the toe will be higher than a low toe hit on the toe-up driver. Make any sense? Time will tell. In all pics, Yamaha is on the left (silver on ferrule) and Kamui on the right (black ferrule) Top address - They look so similar in shape it is hard to tell. This will make adjusting to the Kamui easier. Face - The Kamui look taller. Measurements confirm this towards the toe. The height to the top of the crown is about 2mm taller. Front view - Here they really differ. The Kamui tapers more towards the center while the Yamaha maintains the height of the crown more. Sole - The Kamui has more taper/roll towards the shaft.

Ok so there is feedback from Quadra users. Any info on Crazy, Bangvoo, Stinger?

I wouldn't sleep on the Basarra Griffin. For the smooth to moderately agressive player, this shaft fit correctly is a surprise. Yes it is a light weight shaft it behaves and performs differently than most expect a light shaft would. I don't have any LM numbers however I have played the JPGA version as well as other shafts in the same head, setup the same way for quite some time. I have had this shaft when first released and it hasn't left the bag yet. Compared to the Ozik XCON 5, whick IMO, for an average tempo player was amazingly long and fairly well controlled, the Grffin performed better. Lower spin, better control, slighly lower launch. The Grffin still alows me to go after it however if I lay off I can. Distane wise, I am consistently with or longer than my fellow players and this is coming from a guy who is 5'-3" tall and 160 lbs. Idrive plays the Griffin and I think he has similar comments. I too am intrigued by the availability of the 50t and 80t carbon shafts however I find the Griffin a very nice shaft. In fact, I have a second I will install in a Kamui 420 head in a few weeks. At some point I will probably try out a Crazy Shaft or Quadra.

A think a good baseline would be 100 however there are numerous variables such as tempo, club set-up, etc.

PPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEE E!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In all seriousness, I was concerned about reviewing it so high as many would doubt it. However it fits the bill for ease of use, confidence, forgiveness, feel and distance.

Sure it is a little larger than what you may be used to seeing however not disturbing. Again, I think this club is built for unabashed distance and cranking the ball.

I can't say the face is too round. From the top the crown is round.

As a verticaly challenged golfer, I have always struggled with fairway woods and hybrids because they were not available with lies flat enough for proper ball contact. This summer I was able to hit a friend's Ping equipment which had very flat lies. It wet my appetite for JDM equipment with these flatter lies. Much has been written about the PRGR spoon offerings however the lies were still too upright for me. behold the Yamaha Power Spoon at 57.5*. I sent the Power Spoon (PS) to Goodsie to have him cut it down from 43.5" to a more manageable 43". He then pured and flo'd the stock Orbit shaft (S flex). He may be able to add more, but his commented to me that the shaft was of high quality and test, setup well. I have hit the PS two times at the range. Here are my initial observations. Look The view from setup shows off the roundish and deep crown of the PS. This size and shape is pleasant to me as it inspires extreme confidence. It feels as though I can't miss the ball. Setting up square is easy. The sole is rather flat so setting it down doesn't create much roll from proper setup. The face depth is shallow. Not quite as shallow as the original Orlimar. Overall very nice yet I can see how some may take some time to adjust to the deeper crown. Score - 4.5/5 Feel Strong and solid. Feels very powerful. Sound is powerful also. Not tinny and not too muted. Sounds fits the look if that makes any sense. Feedback is somewhat muted as I would expect. Enoigh to know, but not harsh at all. Score - 4.5/5 Trajectory The stock shaft is good, very good. I was surprised that the trajectory ws mid flight and very penetrating. I was expecting a higher launch and spinny shaft. Not so. Very happy so far as it may save me a few $$ by not replacing the shaft. Score - 4.5/5 Distance The length of this club is a little longer than typically. It was designed to be so thus the flat lie. I cut mine down 1/2" to fit be physically better. WOOOOW. This club is a monster. The ball just goes and goes. Maybe as long a driver off a shallow tee. This will change my game on monster par 4s and par 5s. No question. Score: 5/5 Dispersion Not ready to grade this yet as I have only hit it on wide open ranges. However, I thing the shaft holds up very well. Forgiveness Maybe the most forgiving I have ever had, but maybe I am just feeling the better ball contact with the flatter lie. I think it is forgiving all over the face. Swing and go. I don't work my long wood fairway shots much so I haven't tried many fade or draws. Score 5/5 Overall I must say this club is doing what I wanted it to do. It will allow me to just get over it and feel as though I can go for it without pause. It will close a major gap in my game and likely cut 2-3 stokes per round. Whether it is the club and/or better spec setup, I dunno however I bet that anyone can get good results here. I didn't buy this as a finesse club. I wanted something would help me see par 5s in two and allow tee shots with a long club other than a driver. Hopefully someone can compare to the PRGR Spoon and two flags will be given.

It probably is no surprise that I would chose Yamaha. PRGR would be second. Both are inventive in their technology and that helps satisfy a club-ho's desires. I am not placing Yamaha and PRGR against one another, but these would be my top two choices based on all around appeal and results. I only mention my experiences to differentiate between my opinions. However, as one of the more if not the most experienced Yamaha users here, I can say that I haven't been let down by their products yet. The drivers, fairway woods and irons are superb. Never tried a putter though. Their product line is high tech and well planned. PRGR is also an innovative line and admittedly I only have experience with the 502GN Tour Driver and the BL irons from a few years ago. All nice stuff, but Yamaha excels. One case in point was my experience with the 2009 Yamaha 4.6V RPM driver and the PRGR GN 502 driver. I used multiple shafts in each and the Yamaha driver remained king. It was significantly longer and more controlled. I couldn't and haven't found any driver that can beat this setup, period. (Have a Kamui 420 on order) PRGR does have a leg up in the frequency of their product releases though. I am tempted to buy a set of the new TR500 irons from PRGR, buy I keep asking myself "Why?" What is missing from my new Yamaha irons? Nothing.

G, Have you tested the Crazy Shaft Longest Yard shaft yet? I think you commented sometime you were going to.

Anyone playing or have played/tested one of these or other super high end shafts? If so, what was it, what setup did you have and what were the results/opinions?

Ok so these arrived a few weeks ago and immediately I reshafted with my go to" KBS Tour black nickel shafts. This time I went and soft-stepped them once. Goodsie did all the work and they are right on spec and aching to be played. Well the weather has been cold here but today I was able to hit a small bucket at the range. My goal was to offer some sort of review against the 2008 and 2009 models that were setup the same. Look - The 2010 has a taller toe and it frames the ball really well. It gives a feel of confidence. Finish is superb with a nice combo of stain and shiny. The top line is medium to thin with just enough meat to inspire confidence. Setup - Great. Little noticeable offset. Comparable to most irons these days, these are compact and not shovel like. The cavity back is just cool to examine. You can't see anything on setup, but not quite streamline like a blade. That is ok for me, as I like the near blade-like look as it feels more substantial. Feel - IMO, very crisp and solid. Not super soft, but positive and penetrating feel. Hard to explain. Feedback is great. Mis**ts are still solid and not harsh. On well hit shots, I am not rushed to see my ball: I know where it went. Traj/Spin - IMO launches slightly higher than previous models. Goodsie and I agree that the new design of the clubs adds meat to the back, bit upon examination, it looks to have a lower COG than before. I can really see this in the longer irons. The shorter irons have a more boring trajectory. I don't have a launch monitor however these seems to have similar spin as the previous models. Spin control and consistency if one attribute that all the models have done very well. Forgiveness - Too early to tell. I expect a little more than the 2009 model and it seems possible. My winter golf swing is marginal, but I think these are a little more forgiving. Keep in mind that I don't play these clubs expecting that much forgiveness. These are Tour level irons that are made for a better player. I can see a good ball striker loving these. Distance - No vote here as it is in the 40s and my swing if goofy sometimes during the winter. Overall - A winner. As I have claimed before...Feel and looks are by opinion. The rest is by proof. Overall, still the best iron on the market, IMO. More to come as the weather improves.

Driverhead, Yes I heard about the ProAm yesterday. I live in the area so we should meet up and swing the Yamaha stuff. I have the 2010 Tour irons and the 2009 Tour driver with the Griffin JPGA shaft. I alkso feel the 09 is superb and have waffled back and forth if mnuch could be better. It would be cool to tests these out side by side. It may help us both to decide whether to buy the V201. Pm me if interested Bob

Jack, Glad to see they arrived. Mine with the KBS shafts just arrived but the weather has been poor here. Tomorrow I intend on hitting a few. The 2008 and 2009 models also had a solid crisp feel which I have found I prefer. I like the feedback better than the mushy softer irons. I haven't hit the new model yet, however I always found the spin control of the Yamaha's one of the strong points. Hitting into the greens will predictable spin is one of the highlights I spoke of in my previous reviews. I too didn't like the S200 shafts. The KBS paired well with the past models so I expect the same with the 2010. More to come...

Are the Yamaha irons you referenced the 2009 or 2010 model?

Do you think the bounce of the sole has changed? By memory it appears the 2010 model may have slightly more than the 09s. I am patiently waiting for my 10s to show after the reshaft by Goodsie. my gut says that the 2010s will launch slightly higher and feel should be better due to the additional meat. Lets see how the forgiveness is improved. IMO the 08 was more forgiving that the 09 however the 09 was slighly more forgiving in on the toe. Maybe they found a way to meld the two and take the best characteristics of both.

They are out right now having KBS shafts installed. Hopefully some feedback in a few weeks.

Here are some quick pics and observations of the new 2010 Yamaha Tour Model vs. 2009 Yamaha XV Inpres Limited Tour. Pics are of the PW and 7 iron taken quickly with my cell phone. I will take better pics after the new shaft installation. Initial observations: Head shapes are very similar 2010 PW length is slighly longer 2010 7 iron length is slighly shorter 2010 bounce angle is slightly increased Transition from back of head to the sole is more agressive in 2010 model Center of gravity seems lower in 2010 Head shape is squarish in each. 2010 may have a slighly boxier look. Finish is perfect and the same in each Sole grind is similar in each - 3 sole surfaces I haven't hit them yet as I am installing new shafts. It will be a few weeks until I do. Yamaha has done it again. Judging how difficult these were to get, jump on a set now before they disappear.

Anyone hit these yet? What are the experiences?

Looks like SRI owns the brand. I think they own Srixon and Cleveland also.