Blader-X

Welcome to the board. There's been quite a bit written about the Epons, the Yururi's are still a little new but you can find some info on them. Use the search at right and you'll be able to pull up quite a few posts. Both are of the highest quality and it really comes down to a matter of personal preference as well as what you're looking for in a wedge. For me, its the Epon X-models. Never have I put a better wedge in play than those. Simply unreal, yea! Right now, we're really spoiled with the wedges as there are quite a few from which to choose which are of high quality.

For all you "Trekies" out there. The NCC-1701 putter head offered by Golfsmith is not only a cool replica of the U.S.S. Strarship Enterprise you can also putt with, it offers a very high MOI of 6818 g-cm² as well. It has a weight of 350 gm and a loft of 2.5°, stainless steel frame, aluminum weight bars and a urethane face. Live long and putt well!!

I would expect clubs to be off here and there but what I find very interesting is that in every example given, the true lofts were higher each time than the stated loft. I would have thought that you would see some true lofts being lower than stated lofts and some higher just do to randomness of manufacturing. However, all are higher. Maybe this is something within the industry to help golfers perform thus help their sales? Why are they are all higher and not some lower and some higher? Conspiracy? It would be nice if a driver's true loft was the actual stated loft.

Looking foward to seeing the pics!! I was at one time heavily devoted to Vokeys myself. I believe they're still very good wedges and useful, but the some of the JDM stuff just plain beats them out. Haven't had the pleasure of hitting the Miuras or TourStages, but I play TourStage irons and am more than happy with them. My current wedges, the Epon X-models are by far the very best I have ever come across when it comes to my game. Thanks again for sharing your insight.

Great review!! And since I have an X-UT on order for myself, I'm even more impatient now!! Can't wait.

Mrambo, great review. A lot of usefull info for other TSG'ers here. I would have to add Jack that with my limited experience of a couple of rounds with the Roddio WA model, I find it better for hookers than the AxivV. I could get the AxivV to hook and often but no so much with the Roddio. Still "learning" this shaft though, as I am so used to swinging the AxivV; the Roddio is a little different. Like the feeling of it though and just can't wait to really understand it. I think you're right to say a good comparison would be the original Axiv against the BA model. Also to add Jack you once asked me for reference what my swing speed was. Went to check that out the other day and swings were registering between 110-115 mph. Don't know however, how accurate the machine was but that's probably close enough.

Thanks T, I'm still playing around with the M2. Making more long putts now. I thought the M2 was face-balanced as mine points straight up to the sky. I'll try dragging it a little to see if I can dial it in even more. I do wish there was a face-balanced anser-style putter with the G-Field insert. Well, actually, I'm sure Sasaya-san could build one under the Gold's line but you're talking a $1000 putter now. Might just have to save up for that one, one day.

For me, feel is a high priority to how I will perform with a club. If a shovel had great feel, I could get it to perform. I don't think you can separate one from the other. However, a shovel doesn't have aesthetics either which is also an important factor. Great feel is exactly the thing that was lacking when I played US domestic equipment. Its my opinion that feel enhances the performance of a club and when I have that, I know exactly where that ball is going and what I'm trying to do with it. Like I said just yesterday, I went and hit a few "domestic" drivers the other day after hitting the Epon exclusively for the last year. I was sick after 15 minutes. No feel what-so-ever and I just did not want to take another swing. Now that I know what a club should feel like, I just won't settle for anything less. Yea, I'm spoiled, but this golf the way its supposed to be.

One member, Randy is playing these now. Here's a link of what's been said about these in the past. Maybe a few more could chime in as well. Being TourStage, though, you can bet they're of great quality. http://forum.tourspecgolf.com/index.ph...p;hl=x-blade+gr

Good initial review. I'm sure this will be helpful to few us out there.

No, you would not be. I know several on this website who could use an intervention, myself included. However, I am shooting some really great scores lately and if I could just find a little more time to play it could turn into something special. That and a little more tweaking to my bag. Most of the clubs are set but still working on a couple new additions. Never have I enjoyed golf more than I am right now!! And its all thanks to this equip. Its really special. In fact, I went the other day to a store to see what my swing speed was and hit several drivers they had there as demos. The Titleist D2 and D1, the Nike toaster, er, Sumo, and several others. None of them and I mean none could even come close to the feelings I get from mine. In fact, after a short time I didn't even want to hit them. I had to go back home and hit the Epon/Roddio into the net for awhile to purge myself of those "awful" feelings. Golf is definitely a different game when you hit equipment that feels that great as well as when its matched up for your swing and characteristics. It really is just that great!!

I'm actually doing this right now having replaced the Premium Zone #1 in the bag for the M2 Plus. Getting much better results now having done that. I think due its face-balanced design it more suits my putting style. I used to putt with a Wilson 8802 for years until I went with Scotty Newport. The Zone #1 replaced that and was working well but of late wasn't getting me the results. I'm not overly in love with the mallet look of the M2 Plus, but, with the CNC insert the roll is just as good as the Premium Zone but better contact with my arc-style of putting. The M2 is small though so its not at all overly huge like some mallets out there now. For me personally, I can't get over the look of huge mallet style putter but I know they are very effective. I'm going to give the M2 a go for awhile and see if I can't make a few more putts here and there. So far its doing just that. We'll see how it goes. Too bad G-Field never made an face-balanced Anser-style putter.

. . . so . . . Idrive, have you put this one in play yet?? Any experiences with it you care to share?? Definitely one sweet club!!

All great suggestions but I think you might be on to something when you say that you're much straighter with the heavier 3 wood. Once you put the AxivV in if you're still hooking it a bit, try weighting the driver head in the toe area. I just know from personal experience that too light a head is hook city for myself. Keep us informed of how it goes.

T, You are one sick puppy!! But my, do you take some great pics for us all to drool over!! Much love for those Epon X-model wedges. Since I've put those in my bag I haven't the want or need for any others. For me the perfect wedge coupled with the Black Gold shafts. Mine are 3 degrees flat and just perfect. Hitting that Epon with the Roddio is something else right now but until a few more rounds I won't be able to judge it completely. I think I know what the end result will be, but I can't believe it might actually be as good as I think it'll turn out to be. Can't wait to hear feedback on all these clubs. I know some TSG'ers would like to hear more about the Diamana White Board. Not too many putting that one into play. Nice clubs, man, nice clubs. Its a good thing they don't have interventions or 12-step programs for JDM addiction or else you'd be a prime candidate!!

Thanks for the initial review and we look foward to hearing more. Do those clubs look as sweet in the flesh as they do in the pics? Or, even more so??

Great initial review and thanks for the pics. Really nice of you to include comparative pics as I think this helps others in choosing clubs. Hope they work out well once you've adjusted them.

Great review, I have a feeling that this is how I'll feel after a couple more months with the Roddio as well but we'll see. I can relate to a lot of the "feelings" you received from the shaft.

I'm with you on that one Jack! The ERC is one fine club having had it in my bag for a little bit, but the feel of the Epon even outclassed that one for me. I look a lot at all the domestic equipment here in the States, but nothing even tempts me to want to hit them let alone replace my precious JDM equip.

WOW Absolutely beautiful irons! Your pics are well done and simply gorgeous to drool over. Thanks for sharing!! Both bags are definite TourSpec quality!!

I wanted to update those who were interested as I had my first round with the Roddio today. Just some background for all you "spec-heads." Before the Roddio, my club was the Epon 9.5° at 1° open. AxivV 8076 shaft at 45.75", cpm = 258. I hit that club very well but I wanted to take the left side away. You see, for me, the AxivV wasn't completely anti-left as it claimed. Still a very, very good shaft and one which I loved but I was seeking something just a little better. Chris installed a Roddio W-8WA in stiff flex. I told him I wanted the Roddio to be as stiff as the AxivV if not a little more. In order to do this Chris had to make the current driver at 45", tipped 10mm and cpm at 259. According to Chris this plays to an s-x flex. At 270 cpms one is reaching beyond X. If needed I still have room to tip more in case I need more later on. So anyways, on to the round. Mind you, I want to take some time to get to "know" this shaft but I came away from today very, very impressed. One thing which is very apparent right away is that this shaft is much tighter than the AxivV. The left side is not nearly as much an issue with the Roddio as it was with the AxivV. I feel that I can really go at it if I want and have no fear of losing it left. Ball flight is tighter as well as the dispersion. Distance is longer by about 7,8 yards but I really can't say until a few more rounds. My feeling is that once I become more comfortable with this shaft, distance gain will be even more. Trajectory is definitely better, a little lower and staighter which will give me more roll. Played a local course which doesn't get a whole lot of roll but I can tell when I get the harder/faster courses in the desert, roll will be huge. I'm holding judgement on this shaft for now because its still all too new, but I'm very happy that I made the switch and Chris did an outstanding job delivering to me a club which fits me even better than the one I just had. If you are thinking about a Roddio, by all means decide what you're looking for and be honest with your stats and I know Chris will be able to get very close to what you're seeking. The only negative is that I'm not completely sold on the white on the top of the shaft. It was a little distracting to me upon set-up, but I'm sure over time that won't be an issue. The two-tone does look cool, its just the white color is a little more prominent and could take your eye away from the ball. We'll see how that goes. I'll write more later after more time with this shaft, but I can tell you based upon the tightness of the shots alone, this Roddio already has the edge over the AxivV at least for me. I'll also mention that with the Roddio, I don't feel I could overswing it. The AxivV I never swung hard at because the results weren't as good as I felt I would overpower it a little. The AxivV was great at smooth swings. The Roddio, you can get more aggressive if you want and still keep it in control. Thanks for reading and I hope this offers a little more insight.

Chris is dead on about the UT line from Graphite Design. Have a UT-85 in G-Field #3 utility and its a great club. Ball gets up flattens out and carries. Actually have on order UT-95 being put into X-UT u1. Can't wait for that one!!

I think one reason you don't see a whole lot of cart bags from the JDM's is that in Japan while just about all take carts, the carts over there are different than you find in the States. In Japan cars seat four people, with the bags in the back all lined up next to each other at about a 30 degree angle or so. The carts are automatic and stay on a path. You operate it with a remote control. So I think that is why you see more of the higher end staff bags. Old leather bags are popular over there as well. I found these carts to be the case at each of the four courses I played there a couple summers back.

Epon X-Model. Epon Technity if you're in need of mega-spin.

OH MY!! THAT IS ONE BEEEEAAAUUTIFFFFUUUUULLLLL BAG!! I really like that green. Hey, how does it feel as a carry bag? Comfortable?? That is very nice, thanks for sharing. I just love it when fellow TSG'ers post pics for all of us to enjoy!