bogeydog

Plus, Went out today with my Yamaha Tour 8I reshafted with the new KB Tour stiif, softstepped once. I play 1/2" under standard (US) in length. I have a 96mph driver SS and usually play Black Golf S shaft. It was a surprise. Feel - Butt stiff, moderate soft tip. More Black Gold-like then I expected, but slightly firmer or more solid. Bend profile was nice. Seemed well balance. My guess is the counterbalancing properties led to this. Performance - Here it shined. Ball flight was higher than I expected. I would classify it as high, but it didn't balloon. Distance was superb. For me ball flight was straight to a draw. Seems easier to turnover than the BG. I would say 1/2-3/4 club longer for me. Hard swings didn't over come the shaft. Feel was very smooth but not mushy, performance top notch. Overall, I am surprised as many are with these. The shaft really played well in the Yamaha heads. The Yamahas have a higher center of gravity and the KB Shafts just seemed to give back some launch. Remember the Yamaha's have S200s stock. I hate the stock shafts. I softstepped the S to take the edge off and see how they played next to the BG. I am ordering the rest to install soon.

Is there anything other than the Graphite Design Quattro Tour?

The Yamaha are Endo forged.

YAMAHA if you can find them!

DKJ, These are unhit. They are so similar to the Tour that there wasn't any reason to hit them. Due to the tungsten weights, they should be easier to hit and more forgiving. I think that is why this model is so popular right now even on the JPGA. It was hard to get and took more than one month of waiting. Since you WE both are in the DC area, you can sve shipping! The tour are special. So are these. I think you can see from the pics they are so similar. PM if you want to discuss.

Duffer, See my posts on the Yamaha. Selling a set also.

Anyone try these? Seems like there has been talk lately about playing some of the JDM heads with lightweight steel. I know that the 850 model if the #1 shaft on the women's J tour. I think I have that correct.

I am away from the clubs until Monday but don't recall seeing any tungsten from the outside. Maybe it is inside. The shafts on the NT model are NSPRO950 so yes it feels lighter right now. I think these heads will benifit from lighter shafts so I will likely change out the DG S200s in the tour. All good stuff though.

Here are the comparo pics. The Tour model is on left. Upon observation, the Tour is only slightly shorter, a bit more boxed toe, a thicker 3 grind sole and a bit less offset. The Non-tour looks and feels great also. It sets up very well, looks compact. I haven't hit the non-tour and won't be able to until Monday. I could play with either they are both that nice. The NT may be up for sale as I can't keep both.

I also have a set of regular V's arriving today. If someone wants them, let me know.

There should be a few reviews in the archives. Search under the old name Type S. From what I have seen, the Type J or AF-301 has been the better seller. If you are a 10HC then you should be able to play the AF-301s. Surprising forgiving. Some would argue that they are more GI/CB than you would think. Also the AF-301s have a better resale IMO. PM me...I may have set for you.

Better pics than mine! What are your thoughts now that you have them?

Ok here are a few pics. I have also compared with the Epon AF-301. I don't have Gocchin's and Chris' picture taking ability, but I tried. Let me say that if you like low offset CB irons, these are it. The offset is very small. Setup is excellent. The top line is essentially the same as the Epons. The length of the head seems the same. The overall head shape is a bit taller at the toe and slightly more square. The sole is wider and seems to be almost a 3 cut sole. The leading edge is slightly blunted, but not as much as the Epon, The back edge is has a grind that lessens the balance there. I can only assume that it lets it sit open if you want. The CB is slighly deeper than the Epon. The finish is really nice. A combo of satin and chrome. The Yamaha symbol is tastefully placed at the back toe. Lettering is small and quite elegant. A nice combo of gold, white and black. All in all class all the way. I haven't hit these outdoors, but did so today into the net. I don't prefer the S200 shafts, so I will likely change them. I may test the KB Tour shafts. Feel is very solid. I think the S200s feel harsh having played the Black Golds all last year. I like the softer tip of the BGs. The club head really frames the ball well. I think the taller toe, square toe does this. Having switched back and forth with the Epons, I can really tell the offset difference. After a while, the Epons looked like they had too much offset. I will try to hit these outdoors tomorrow and report back. Initial reviews are stellar. Maybe Chris can dig some more up.

Ironically the Tour version showed today. I have not hit them, but I can tell you the setup is impressive. I will post some pics later tonight.

What are your flight observations with the 7 wood? I am considering this instead of a hybrid. I haven't had much luck with hybrids. I need a good 210 yard club.

Of course we want to see comparo pics!

I have no idea if this is your problem, but is it very common. It is vital that you learn the proper coil and load of the swing. I bet that when you go after it, you are out of sequence because you are swinging from the top. This will kill club head speed. Sequence is so important in that it is how power is created. The coil is so important. A good measure is to keep or decrease the distance between your sternum and your belt buckle in the backswing. If this distance is getting bigger, you probably are not able to coil enough. To do this you need the flexibility in your torso and hips. The ability to "separate" the hips from the torso in the swing is key. Without flexibility, the coil won't happen, the shoulders won't turn, the hips will slide or turn incorrectly and the downswing will likely be out of sequence. Power is generated from a proper sequence.Hips first, then sternum, shoulders...arms will follow.

Review added to original post.

Chris, When will these be available for order?

No idea yet how this will perform off the tee. I bought it knowing this, but I seldom use a 3W off the tee. I wanted one that would be better off the deck and didn't have that with my Epon 3W.

I live near Washington DC in Maryland. Nearby is Club Golf Performance Center. It has been around for a few year, but I only recently joined. They focus on fitness and training for golf. Apparently they are very highly regarded and have a national presence. Numerous top pro golfers have visited and received evaluations and programs to follow. I have gone through their evaluation which is a 4 hour process. After physical and skills evaluation, I am essentially stiff as a board and have a very inefficient swing. Now I am on a program to improve my coil, get my swing in sequence along with a few pages of other things. So far so good, it has been about 3 weeks. A real plus is that my instructor is Sam Frost, brother of David Frost and past swing coach for a few well know players such as Retief Goosen. It is surreal that Sam is actually working with me. He has a very sharp eye and I am constantly impressed with his ability to see the smallest moving that is actually a big error. Maybe some of you have similar performance centers in your area.

I received this the other day with the stock M-43 shaft. The fit and finish is as good as any club I have had. Initial impressions are very very good. Head is on the small side as expected. Face is shallow and reminds me of the depth of the original Orlimar clubs or some of the recent Tourstage models. Shaft is a M-43 which TSG says is a SR flex. Look Club sits up very square. As said, the fit and finish is very good. Nice shape to the head. It is a small head, but I found it pleasant to stand over and never had any concern with its size. Feel The shaft kicks very very well and feels super to me. I hate boardy feeling shafts and this isnt that - very lively. I am pleasantly surprised with this shaft. I don't care for the stock grip and will likely change it. Remember this club has a 56.5 degree lie. I assume this is to promote a fade or avoid the left. It works perfect for me because I am short and this lie sets up for me as a normal lie would for a taller player. The sound is not Epon muted. It has a nice solid sound, but higher pitch than Epon. Feel is very soft. Feedback is great. Performance Deck - Easy, easy, easy to hit off the deck. As expected from the shallow face. Even though the CG is probably higher than the regular Hit model, this is still easy to get up. Tee - Great also. I tried to vary the tee height and still strong throughout the range. Of course, you can't go too high. Flight - A very nice flat medium boring trajectory. Fades and draws were available. Accuracy - I think pretty good. The shaft seemed pretty consistent. Nothing surprising, no hooks or fades from nowhere. I need some more time to make judgment here. I am probably not writing this as exciting as I feel, but I must say that this is probably the easiest club to hit in my bag right now. I found myself wanting to hit it more and more and found nothing disappointing about it. I was pleasantly surprised by this club as I have never owed a PRGR club before and haven't heard much here on TSG. Chris is playing one so I am wondering what he thinks.

I want a set.

PRICE DROP TODAY ONLY

I would try the Quattro Tech MD 5 that I have for sale! In all seriousness, that would be my next try if you are a Quattro man. 55g and stiff flex.