Blader-X

That's not right!!!

I'll be gaming the RC in a 17 degree. Its off with Goodsie right now being shafted up. As soon as I can I'll be sure to post a review on it. I really don't think that you could go wrong with either one. I'm partial right now to the RC's because I think they've got such great feel along with providing really strong trajectories. Before I sent off the new RC to Goodsie I did swing it around some. It had very good balance and provided much confidence that hitting it would not be a problem. As soon as I can I'll let you know more. I've already posted some pics on another link I'm sure you seen, if not check it out.

The sole is killer. Thing about also is that even though its basically a gap wedge, you can still open up the face if need be w/ no problem of the bounce getting in the way. Yes, the RC is fabulous! Probably my personal favorite so far. Just needed them to make a 61 or 62 degree and then most likely I don't go with the Fourteen. Might you be referring to the RC DB's? There is a set of the proto's in 52/58 and then there's the individual sets coming in either black or satin.

Hit full shots with the SDJ and spin is on par with my old TourStage however I really can't comment until these come back with my shafts and specs and then I'll be able to really relay how they spin.

Well after bagging only the TourStage X-wedge 901's 53° and 59° for the past couple seasons, it was time to change it up and go back to 3 wedges. So new to the bag this year will be SkyDreamJump DP2010 51°/7°, Royal Collection DB Forged 56°/13° and the Fourteen MT28 V5 T.S. 62°/6°. Why go to this set up? I feel these three wedges will give me more flexibility and diversity to my short game. At the moment these wedges are off getting KBS Black nickel shafts as well as flatter lies, but I'll be sure to review each and everyone. For now, I've included pics for those who are interested. Topline comparison SkyDreamJump DP2010 51°/7°. This club will be the go to wedge for full shots in the 110-120 yard range as well chip and runs. Small head, very thin topline allows for a very clean setup to the ball. This wedge is not forged but you could never tell from its feel. Awesome feel. Royal Collection DB Forged 56°/13°. The new dedicated sand wedge. I really feel the grind on this club will benefit my sand game which is the weakest part of my short game. In playing around with it at home, I can even open the face wide and hit high lobs. Very versatile grind, heavy head. Topline doesn't matter due to the loft. By the way, this club has probably the best feel of the three. Its very, very solid. Larger head than the SDJ and similar in size to the Fourteen. Fourteen MT28 V5 T.S. 62°/6° A pure lob wedge. Head seems lighter than the DB but should be heavy enough after being reshafted with the KBS at an inch longer. Another solid club and should provide all manner of short game shots and I'm thinking 75 yard full shots, but will see what the numbers come out at. I'm very excited about all three of these wedges and feel that the short game will be a lot of fun this year. Once the clubs get the "Good package" I'll be sure to put a lot of range/round time for review. Until then here's another pic to enjoy:

Love to hear how this hits combined with the new Muuzik 787

Yes its currently has the steel shaft but that won't be for long. I'll be changing the shaft out and I'll let you all know when I put in play and get some quality time with it. I just felt like posting some pics to get us started. Yes the shape is very similar to the old TRC which for me, I really like. In fact I pulled this old 22 degree TRC out of the closet one day and brought it to one of my marathon range sessions. This old TRC has a Speeder 757 shaft and its always been a great performer. Well in that range session I was hitting it so well, I decided that it needed to come out of retirement. I think what makes it suit my game so well is that one, it has a tall face so it really frames the ball well. Two, the head is compact enough in that it doesn't get in the way, but still effective. And three, the sole with the twin rails I believe is still really ingenious in all lies from rough to fairway. I'm very accurate with this club. SO . . . , when the TRC was brought back last year by Royal Collection I had been thinking of making a change for some time. After hitting the 3 wood I reviewed on this site, combined with the new lineup from RC this year, I made the decision to go with this new 17 degree to try and replace the X-UT. Time will tell how good it is but I will report to you all on how it goes. I'm also replacing my wedges this year but that will be yet another post . . .

Thanks for the kind words. The P9003x that I had put in here was in the Epon AF201 before. That setup was very good. However as it is here in the world of JDM there's always something coming along that one just has to try. When the EGG first came out I felt I really had to try it. So I of course I did and in the EGG I had a Graphite Design SF8 shaft. The club was an excellent club but I didn't see and huge increase in length and the trajectory was too high for my taste. I like 3 woods to be low/medium piercing bullets. Also, I just never could get over the sound of the EGG. Don't get me wrong the EGG is a great setup, but I just wanted something different. Royal Collection had been catching again which is why I went this route. And, I haven't been disappointed. This new setup, for me, is better than the previous two I've bagged. The feel is better than both. Trajectory is along the same lines as the Epon and better than the EGG. Also, I prefer the height of the face of the RC. While I know that the lower faces like the EGG do help in getting the ball airborne, lower faces have always made me nervous. I feel like I'm going to dig underneath them even though I don't. Just that uneasiness though is not something I need when I'm over a shot. I think we all know how much confidence plays in hitting any club. Some clubs are just better than others in inspiring that confidence and its different for all golfers.

Okay, I've promised this review for some time and I know I'm way overdue but good things are worth waiting for. While they do have a newer lineup for this year, I wanted to share some thoughts on a new favorite club of mine. Many here are familiar with Royal Collection for many years now and their clubs have always been outstanding. I myself played several models years ago and they had always been very solid performers. I moved away from the brand for a time looking for something better as is the case with most of us; but, RC has caught my eye again and I couldn't be more pleased. I've had the club installed with a Graphite Design TourAD P9003X shaft at 43" and a swingweight of D3. Same shaft I have in my current driver and also a shaft that I had in an Epon AF201 fairway wood. This club replaces a PRGR Egg w/ GD SF8 that was previously in the bag and before that an Epon Technity 3 wood. The TourVS provides the best feel of any fairway club I've hit to date. That's the one major thing that I enjoy about JDM is the feel of the clubs is usually much more enhanced. Ultra smooth is how I would describe it. Upon the hit a silky feel is transmitted up the shaft through the arms bringing much joy!! While I describe the hit as smooth, it should not be interpreted as soft or mushy. The hit is very solid. Quite a bit of punch is employed on the ball. Trajectory is low to mid for this club as would be expected. While the EGG has been a big hit here and it was in my bag for a time, I didn't get the trajectory I was looking for in the EGG. A little too high for my taste. The TourVS is a laser beam. Very straight both in dispersion and flight path. Off the tee the flight is very level and long. Hitting off the fairway is no problem for this club. I have not noticed any problems at all and I believe the design of the sole really helps in that regard. I did hit this club for some time the the Nippon steel shaft that it came with. The difference was with the steel trajectory was even lower but still deadly straight. The P9003x is my shaft as I've written before here how the shaft seems to be a perfect fit for me. Sound of this club is not at all loud nor muted. Quite harmonious is how would describe it as it only enhances the feel. The feel and sound seem to go hand in hand. All shots with this club seem to rocket off the clubface and pure shots are just unreal. A very solidly built club and an absolute joy to hit. Who is this club for? Most likely the lower/mid handicap player who doesn't have a problem getting a fairway club airborne. The main reason I went to this club was for a lower trajectory than what I had with the EGG. Overall I'm very pleased with this club and because of this club have recently decided to delve back into Royal Collection. I recently ordered a new TRC rescue club and while only hitting a little bit of that around the house, I can tell the faces of each club provide the exact same feel. The newer line of RC fairway woods are exciting as well since they now incorporate the twin rail sole which I believe will help with tightening up dispersion even more. Royal Collection continues to build extremely solid clubs and are a definite must look for those in the hunt for new fairways/utilities. PRGR Egg - Epon Technity - Royal Collection TourVS Epon - RC TourVS - PRGR Egg

New to the bag will be a 17° TRC utility by Royal Collection. While its way too early to review here's some pics for all to enjoy. My initial view of this club is stellar. Very clean with an excellent set up to the ball. Comparative view of utilities. My old TourStage X-UT 17°, New RC TRC and an old Sonartec TRC 22° Face view comparison - TourStage X-UT - RC TRC - Sonartec TRC I'm looking to replace my current TourStage X-UT with this new RC TRC. Once I reshaft and regrip this club to my specs I'll be giving it a thorough exam up against the X-UT which is a very solid club in its own right and club that I've hit with much success so the new TRC will have its work cut out for it. I'm very excited about this new TRC because I've been very much impressed with my new 3 wood from RC that I've been bagging the last couple months. Excellent feel and I suspect the new TRC will have that very same feel.

I have had good relations with hybrids for some time. For me I like the deeper face ones such as my current TourStage X-UT and the old TRC clubs. With the new RC hybrid coming my way it will soon be off to you G for some reshafting. Stew, I highly recommend putting really good shafts into hybrids. I brought back into the bag on old favorite, my 22 degree TRC with a Speeder 757 shaft. That club is still money and in fact since I've put it back into the fold, I've finally decided to take out both the 3 and 4 iron since that one club can perform both clubs functions. I haven't always liked the "utility shafts" in utilities. Always felt something was lacking. Not really sure what I'll put in the new 17 degree coming my way but I'm sure I'll fun deciding.

Excellent review. I'm still bagging an older model X-UT in 17 degree and that club is money. Its a club that I've got a lot of confidence in and this new X-UT looks outstanding as well. The new X-UT looks shorter in the face compared to the older model which would work well for those who struggle to hit utilities.

That was the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.

Chris, are you seeing any distance gains in these smaller headed drivers versus the larger 460cc heads? What I am trying to assess is are these smaller heads better for a player who hits it on a more consistent basis and why would that be. From what I would suppose the smaller heads provide less resistance when hitting because they take up less space. Consequently one would expect a faster swing speed. From there if you hit the sweet spot consistently and with more swing speed that should translate into extra distance. Am I right in this?

Completely agree with everyone above. In my situation, my daughter's school is still open though they (the school) have decided to only be open for half the day. There is one week left and my daughter is staying. She doesn't want to leave, her grandparents feel good about things as they've more than enough food and really life is going on there as it always has. For my wife and I being here on the other side of the Pacific the decision is agonizing and the news doesn't really help. In fact its blogs like this and others that my wife goes on that help us get real info about the goings on over there. The other part of it too is that the school my daughter is going to really went a long way to allowing my daughter to attend for the last few months. We feel we have a commitment to see it through and while yes it may be scary, there really are no guarantees whereever you go in life. Disasters happen and they happen everywhere and at anytime. All one can really do is live life to the fullest and have no regrets. Just prepare, make exit plans for if things go wrong and then just do you best and live with a strong spirit. My thank yous to everyone here at this site who has posted all info, thoughts, feelings and well wishes. Its times like this that can really bring strangers from all over the globe closer to one another.

It is crazy the roller coaster of emotions this is having on my situation. My daughter currently in Yokohama is not all that far from such chaos. However for her, its life as usual and she in no way wants to leave. She's made some really good friends in such a short time. Not to mention she's being spoiled by the grandparents. She was scheduled to come home next month but we've got so many family members telling us to bring her home. For the past few days I really was fine with her staying put, but these last couple big tremblors in Shizuoka and Chiba have got me reconsidering. Watching the news, its seems so crowded at the airports that it might prove too difficult to try. So, I think in the short term we are thinking we will most likely send her down to other relatives in Kyushu. But still its very difficult to decide because so much is just so unknown. What I find so interesting in watching the footage is the evacuation camps. When you watch you see a lot of the older people sitting still with looks of despair. While at the same time you see a bunch of kids in the background playing and laughing as if they were all at summer camp or a giant sleepover. Ah, the carelessness of youth and how wonderful it is to be able to feel that way. That whole scene though really is poignant for me. I have many relatives calling me to ask about my daughter and when they all first call I can hear so much fear in their voices. You see the all they know, not having been to Japan is the images they see on the TV and they have a perception that ALL of Japan has been thrown in chaos. When in reality, so much of Japan is still intact and so much of it is doing just fine. The devastation is by all means vast and I'm not trying to take away from that, its just crazy to think how extreme it is there right now. In one area all is well and in another total anhilation and between the two you have so many varying degrees of each. The one common bond is the empathy that I think most share and that is the well being of every person affected. I myself don't have a large family and even a very large contingent of friends but its been amazing how many phone calls I've received over the past days in regards to all of this. It does feel good and it is helpful. So while I sit here and ponder what the next step is for my daughter and my family, I will sit here and think of those kids at the evacuation shelters. But my toys and my playfulness will be focused on the things many of us here love so much. JDM clubs. I've already got a list of items I want and to me its no better time to start getting them and in turn helping a country that means so much to me in so many ways.

T and Stew thanks for getting me through the night here last night. You see, my wife called me at work to tell that an earthquake had just happened in Japan and that it was big. My first question to her was about our daughter who has been in Yokohama since December going to school and staying with her grandparents. Unfortunately she had no answer as the phones were down and she wasn't able to reach her by Skype or email. It was a long night at work as I watched the internet news scanning all info I could. I logged on to TSG and the info we all shared here helped me some because I knew that Yokohama while affected; wasn't in the main path. Thankfully my daughter is all right but it wasn't until almost near the end of my shift that I was able to find that out. I feel for all of you over there and hope you all are safe. Even now, my daughter is still up watching the news as the power just came on for them a couple of hours ago. I was able to see her on Skype this am and I can still hear her speaking with my wife. Take care everyone and thanks again to Tario and Stew. You guys helped me quite a bit. B

Stew, I believe you hit the Yonex 385 at the show, correct? If so what were your thoughts on it and do you have any thoughts on the TourStage 385? All these smaller heads and the new Muziik 787 have got me thinking.

In need of new wedges, well not so much need as want. Very interested to see what Sky Dream Jump is bringing in this year. Secondly, need my Royal Collection fix. Absolutely loving the new VS 3 wood. Really thinking of getting the TRC from '09 but waiting to see if a new TRC hybrid will be out this year.

For me its all about the feel of the club first and the look that inspires me second. I've really never had a problem with the "big" look of a 460 head. And with the feel that Epon provides I'll hit that club all day long. Should a smaller head give me even more feel while achieving the same results I'm getting now, I'd definitely take a look at the smaller heads. But for me I've been playing long enough to know what works for me. I did take what others say and try to interpret how it might work for me but I'm lucky in that I do know what will work and what won't. I think that just comes with getting older and gaining the experience. As far as driver shaft lengths, 45.75" is ideal for me. I've tried 44" and I even gone as far as 46.5", but 45.75" is perfect. It really does come down to what works for you. How do you find out? Trial and error, . . . trial and error. These slighter smaller heads do intrigue me though, and I may just have to give them a look.

Yes awhile back I too had a Roddio. The W-8WA was in an Epon head. Its now just shaft only sitting in my "club" closet here at home. I remember using it for a few months but it just never stuck with me. I didn't see any huge yardage gains as others had and quite frankly the feel didn't suit me as well. It was installed properly but I just never fell for it. Now the GD P9003x on the other hand, there's a shaft that suit my to a tee. I have yet to try the Quadra's or Crazy's.

Ah yes the Axiv-V. I had the 8072 in a Callaway ERC and the 8076 in an Epon. An excellent shaft and one of my all time favorites. I remember really liking the feel of them and yes they did bomb it out there. I actually wrote a review comparing these clubs which Gocchin still has up on Inpakuto. When I looked it up I couldn't believe I wrote four years ago. Time sure goes quick. Thanks for sharing Vegaman and it just goes to show that even if a shaft is a few years old, it can still wield some very good results when matched up with the right person.

I use the cord grips from here at Tour Spec Golf. Really love the feel of these as the cord itself is soft yet the grip is still firm allowing no torque in the swing. Haven't had any issues at all with slipping.

ACL in February. I've had two ACL's in my time, both on the right side. Word of advice, start your rehab now by getting that leg much stronger. It will help you in the long run. Also, after the surgery be religious with your rehab and follow the advice of your therapist to the letter. Most people might not think that the ACL is involved in the golf swing but take it from me; it very much is!! Many years have I struggled with my knee and who knows how good I could have really been without having the problems I've had with it. The only thing you'll be able to start with will be putting. Small chipping/pitching maybe in 3-4 months, but don't fool around with the full swing until you get the okay from the medical side. Good luck to you. My heart always goes out to any athlete having to go through this. Actually when I twisted my knee again this past week, I almost thought that I had torn the ACL a third time but thankfully, it doesn't appear that I did. In terms of the P9003x, the uncut weight of the shaft is 80 gms with a torque of 2.9°. This is the P model. There are two other models in this line and that is the 9003 which come in both Stiff and X-stiff. Both have a torque of 3.2° with the stiff being 74 gms and the x-stiff 75. I've only played and hit the P9003 but I would imagine that both models share the same characteristics. I've never really been told what the exact difference is. The P model is touted as being for the Tour player or high level amateur with swing speeds in the range of 115-125. Its quite possible that my swing speed has been that fast in the past, but I'm sure its not there now but I'm still able to use this shaft with very good results. Not really sure why but this shaft has always just been the perfect fit from day 1 and remains so. Haven't hit any of the other shafts you mentioned so no help from me there. Good luck with the ACL and take my advice and start getting stronger now.

I might be one to be able to shine some light on this for you. As a few people on this site know, the P9003x is my driver shaft. I've used it for the last couple years in the Epon AF101 9.5° and as I've said before I feel this shaft was made just for me. Recently, I ordered the new AF102 8.5° with the DI-7 in stiff. I had a very long hitting session with it and sent it off the have the shafts switched. Now, the new AF102 has my beloved P9003x and the AF101 has the DI-7. However, since receiving them, I've been hit with a couple of injuries (non-golf related) and was also busy with some home projects. Needless to say I haven't been able to hit the new setups yet. I will but it'll take a little more time. I can however give you my feeling based on hitting them previously. Its my opinion that compared to the P9003X, the DI-7 will promote less spin and therefore give a lower trajectory. I prefer the feel of the new 102 head very much but didn't like the feel of the DI7 shaft. Yes, I can perceive the difference in both having hit the P9003 for so long now. While I like a lower trajectory, the 102 with the DI7 was lower than what I was looking for. With the 101 and the P9003x my trajectory I would describe as middle. Now, this is all subjective and one person's mid is another person's low but I've found that compared to most others I've played with, my driver trajectory is among the lowest and I prefer it this way. When I decided upon going to the new 102, I knew that I wanted to go down in loft to the 8.5°. (Both setups are about 2 degrees flat and a degree or two open so in terms of actual loft the difference is still only one degree.) So it really to me, comes down mostly to the two shafts. While I do believe the DI line is a very good shaft, it just doesn't match me as well as the P9003 line does. In terms of my swing speed, I had been in the range of 110-115 but have been hit by a few things this year. First off was my back on Jan 1st which really limited by golfing by a lot early in the year. When I did return, my swing speed definitely went down. My distance was no longer there but the trajectory was and the dispersion which is really the most important. I finally started to feel close to 100% when I received the new driver so when I hit both I would say the swing speed was at or near normal. Mind you, like everyone else age is starting to creep in so I know in time it will slow more, however, with the P9003x I'm still able to swing it as I wish. After I sent off both clubs to be reworked, I sprained my right thumb and later twisted my right knee. Both injuries are on the mend and I'll be back out soon to put both clubs to the test and at that time I will write up my thoughts and feelings on both clubs. I haven't written on this site as much as I used to but I have a couple of new toys which to write about so please bear with me until I can. I don't wrap myself up too much in technical jargon and really don't put all that much stock into swing speeds but I base a lot of what works on feel. I know my tendencies and what works for me so anything that I say is coming from that perspective. We're all a little different so it makes it difficult at times to know just what to do in regards to these clubs. Good luck in your decision and I promise to all to write a thorough review on both drivers, especially the new Epon AF102. I also have a new RC 3 wood that I will be reviewing as well. I just need to get some time in with both.