Blader-X

Round or teadrop is more of what looks better to the eye. In terms of the leading edge, some players like it straighter to play shots where they use just the edge like a putter come out of thicker grass near the green. In regards to bounce the general rule of thumb is that the softer the conditions one plays the more one needs bounce, the firmer, less bounce. However, bounce was created mainly to deal with sand shots and the occasional thicker lie from the rough where you're playing it like a sand shot. Coming out of sand is just as much a matter of the swing as it is the bounce of the club. Many ways to play them but I've found hard, aggressive swings don't produce favorable sand shots. In fact, its my belief one needs to be ultra smooth coming from the sand. The only time a hard swing is called for is when the ball is buried on a unslope and all you're doing is burying the club into the ball to pop it out. Bounce and one's preferences really are a matter of experimenting as Idrive has stated. I've actually changed my wedge setup just recently myself. I took the 52 and 58 out and put back in a 55, 60 because I felt I was losing a few shots by not getting as close as I had in the past. Of course I dropped my PW and have added a 50. Now I feel I have my yardage gaps covered and I have the versatility of my 60 back along with the 55 for most of the bunker shots. The 55 has 11 degrees of bounce just what I need for most my bunker shots but the 60 has only 6 which is very important when I play in the desert where I'm facing tight lies and fast greens and I need all the spin I can generate especially when the wind is blowing. At one course I play this is generally most of the year when I go. Wedges are very much like a putter even more so in terms of how unique and individual they are to a player. We could write pages just on this topic, let alone different grinds, wedge makeups such as how many to carry, what kinds, etc. I've used to always play Vokeys and they're still very good wedges. Tried Mizuno's (off the rack) which I didn't favor, went with G-Fields (very good feel but just something was missing. And now a defunct company) and have now come to Epon. I'm very, very happy once again with my wedges and for me, its the ultimate set up. At least as we all say, until we find something better. Good luck.

Allright boys and girls, just a fun little post here. Seems beer and golf sometimes go hand in hand and was just wondering what is the favorite beer of TSG'ers from around the world. I myself love quite a few different styles, ales and lagers mostly. In Japan, Sapporo takes it for me, but since I'm here the US I'll pick a domestic beer. Sam Adams lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Kona Brewing Company are just few favorites that come to mind. I love them ice cold! Anyone else care to share their thoughts on this wonderfully delicious topic??

It looks to me to have an asymmetrical face. Does this promote any type of fade or draw bias? Very clean look from the address position.

Very nice, are these the new "gamers" you were talking about??

Very interesting results so far. Thanks to yourpressed some initial reviews. As more TSG'ers put this shaft into play please post your impressions often as this shaft seems to have far more questions than answers right now. Its even mysterious to how it is properly placed into a head. I know its got all of the TourSpec community intrigued!

Thanks man! B

Just to compare two of the offerings from Epon. I have an Epon Technity 52 bent to a 51 in black finish, and two Epon X-wedges in copper, a 56 bent to 55 and a 60. All three have Black Gold shafts in s-flex. In terms of spin, the Technity in black puts quite a bit more spin on the ball than the Copper X's at least with my swing. In fact, I prefer the X's because I can predict the spin a little better. I'm ripping the Technity back a good 15 feet and that's on slower greens. Both models have tremendous feel. My touch shots have returned and I couldn't be happier after switching back to 3 wedges from 2. I might grab one more X-wedge to replace the Technity just not sure about that yet. Anyone else who's played both models getting these results as well?

Post your info on TourSpecGirl's different shaft fitting/reccomendation sites and see what she comes up with for you. There's one for Axiv, one for Ozik and one for Diamana. Its one more way to get some info. Definitely do this!! In regards to Axiv and Accra, even though the companies are the same the technology used in the shafts are different. JDM equipment is IMO by far better than anything you can get domestic. So much more feel. However, not sure if JDM equipment would fit your swing since you so fast. But it might. I'm not knowledgable enough to know for sure. In utilities, I've hit the Speeder 904 and like it but I find the GD UT-85 far superior. They also make a UT-95. I would reccomend that shaft in X-stiff to you. Lastly in regards to your driver, it sounds like you want a shaft that you can go at harder and that your best results come when you swing at 70-80%. Let me bold here and say that swinging at 70-80% is exactly what the pros do and what all of us should be shooting for. Trying to swing at 95-100% is fun, but its only going to lead to problems because at that speed its too hard to control the club. Golf is different from other sports in that its not reactionary. Its stationary. One should try to make as efficient a swing as possible to hit the sweetspot of the club every time. This is what leads to length and accuracy. I don't think you'll find a shaft that will let you go "full out" and still give you pinpoint accuracy and control. Also, your very blessed with size, strength and speed. Anyone who can put it in a greenside bunker 362 yards off the tee is hitting the ball far enough. I hit that length but only when playing downwind on hard/firm courses in the desert. When I play locally near the coast its a completely different story. So I ask you, are you looking to lower your scores or just simply to have fun regardless of the score and bomb it like the guys in the long driver contests. If its for score, find a good stiff shaft with heavy weight. It will "slow" you down (so to speak) so you'll make a better, more accurate swing that will still be plenty long. Good luck and definetly post to TourSpecGirl's posts and see what she comes up with. You could also PM TourSpecGolfer (Chris) with your specs and see what he might suggest.

Ho, Ho, Ho, . . . HO, Ho, did someone say Club Ho?? Yea, I blame Chris, Gocchin and everyone else here for hyping all these products!! Have never enjoyed golf more than I have this last year!! Golf should not be enjoyed!! Actually it should. Thanks boys!!

You sly dog!! I had a feeling you would eventually own that club!! Thanks for the pics alongside the G-Field. If I didn't love my G-Field I'd say if the Yururi didn't work out you could just send it my way!! But, alas, your safe as I just had the lie adjusted on the G-Field and its rolling better than ever! I must say your pics are always nicely done and you're always thinking of us fellow TSG'ers!! Thanks for sharing. By the way, how is the living room divot growing in?? Nicely I hope. Its been a few weeks I would expect you wouldn't even be able to notice now!!

Forty-seven gram shaft??!! Eeegadds! That sounds awful light. I had these same kind of problems when I experimented a few years back going to lighter shafts. I had used high 70 gram shafts and even at one time had the Speeder 952 (90+ grams). I then went with the trend at the time and went lighter. Much lighter. Had all the same problems you're having. Went back to heavier shafts and all was well, in fact better. I'm a believer that the weight of the shaft plays into the shafts characteristics just as much as flex and torque, if not more so. I don't play TaylorMade and haven't hit any of their clubs for some time now, so I'm not quite sure what to suggest to you other than my favorites the GD Tour AD line. I'm sure some other guys here that regularly play TaylorMade could give us some info on whats working well for them.

We might need to get Gocchin some tissues or maybe even a towell!!

That finish is definitely a work of art!!

When I'm swinging well I hit straight or slight draw. Most of the time I'm a little left of my intended target. Its my natural flight. Bad shots are pulls and pull-hooks. Not pretty when it happens. Having an open face angle on my driver has helped me with that. Not just in the results but the the way it sets up to the ball. It doesn't give me that look like I feel I'm going hit it out there and have it come back to me like a boomerang.

I play the B330 after having played the ProV1 and many of its versions. I love that ball and believe it gives me the most distance while still giving me great feel and touch. Having said that, though, a few others who have hit the Srixon Z-URC say that is the best ball. In fact this topic was on this site just a few weeks ago. Chris says the Z-URC is a more technologically advanced ball over the B330. I haven't tried this ball yet it has piqued my interest.

Mjr. D. Tipping refers to cutting a portion of the tip off when installing a shaft into a head to make it stiffer. Each manufacturer has their own specs for how much this needs to be in addtion to a a clubmaker making it fit a particular golfer's specs. In regards to your bent left arm that's not always a bad thing. It actually creates a third lever in the swing with the other two levers being the shoulder turn and the arms picking up the club. This third lever gives great power but all three must be in sync for it to work well. Any mistiming can have bad results. However, here's where your great hand/eye coordination from being an athelete comes into play and is why you're able to get good results most of the time. I would say work in practice on trying to keep the left arm straighter but not so that its forced. Forcing a straight left arm will only lead to bigger problems especially if the shoulder turn isn't there. The impact is the most important postion and the longer we can get down there, the better. Let your swing build gradually and max out your speed at the bottom at impact with full extension to the target. Your flight pattern being a fade is not a bad thing. In fact with your length I believe its better because its more predictable. You can relay on a fade to be closer to a consistent yardage. Draws and hooks produce quite a lot of variables. Variables in golf are bad since you can't relay on them to give you consistent results. I would agree with you that the GD I-65 would be a good shaft for you. In fact if I were looking at shafts and had your characteristics that shaft would be the first I would try. I must say the QT is one incredible shaft which I absolutely love, I'm just not sure if you would overpower it. I am by far not the most expert on this site when it comes to shafts. There are others who have tried out far more shafts than I ever will. Plus1 is one individual that comes to mind as well as SFGolfer. Maybe we could get them to chime in on this one. Lastly, so you know where I'm coming from on all this, I'm what you call in sports a student of the game. When I was little all I wanted to do was play. Back then it was baseball, football, basketball and inline hockey. When I couldn't play with others I would spend time by myself just throwing the ball off the wall for hours. My only drawback was my bad knees which just took me out of ever competing in high-school. Because of two ACL recons on my right knee, golf is now the only thing I play. I would like to play my other sports, I just don't want a third surgery. And, although I don't get to practice all the time like I used to, there's still nothing better for me than hitting balls all day long. I mean from sunrise to sunset. Playing, practicing and playing again. I still get to do that, just not as often as it used to be. So when it comes to golf I'm very passionate about it. The great thing about it is you are your ultimate competitor in that its only yourself out there. No team to rely on. You get to know who you are and what your all about. Thanks for letting me ramble again. B

So true Chris and soon to have a third put on order!! Much love for the Epon fairways and drivers.

Hey Mjr.D, Epon is the ultimate in feel IMO. I have the Epon 13.5 with the QuattroTech shaft by Graphite Design and I hit low bullets with it and off the tee its a mini-driver. From the fairway its much the same. In fact love this club so much I'm thinking of getting a 7 wood to replace my two utilities. Epon 460 is a great head but trajectory is mid-high, however with the right shaft it can be hit low. For me, I would like to have Epon make me a 7.5 but when I'm swinging right, I can hit the 9.5 on a low trajectory that I'm looking for. The flight I get from mine is very piercing and have no troubles with it in the wind although other members on this site don't like it in the wind. I hit Epon because of how it feels to me. I've been playing 20 years now and have not hit a better feeling club. Having said all that, I really believe ballooning or lack there of is a result mainly of one's swing and the shaft they're using. I don't feel the head plays into it all that much but I'm sure others would disagree. Reading your posts recently you're obviously a very athletic person who goes at the swing from that point of view. Being very athletic myself I can share your experiences. I think the ballooning you've experienced could be a result of steep swing and over aggressive move. Couple that with a shaft not suited for you and it doesn't matter what head you use you're going to get those balloon shots. I say that because I've been there. As I've progressed over the years I've worked hard to shallow out my swing and be as "long" as possible through the hitting zone. In fact, this is essential in my view to be able to hit fairway woods, especially low lofted ones. Similar to Tiger, you come into the ball so fast that if you're not right with your timing you mistakes are magnified because of the speed you generate. So while you can hit it a great distance, you're mistakes when you make them can be very penal for you. All the more reason to have the right shaft to assist you in making that fabulous swing speed work for you. Also, very quick wrists can make the timing in the golf swing suspect as well. That's another thing I've worked on a lot to get right. Snap hooks are no fun. I say all this because judging from your posts you're obviously very much into golf and have ventured a few places to become better. All of us are seeking the right answers and its hard but the journey is so much fun. To me golf is all about feel. I like the feel of the Epons. Others like TourStage or Mizuno. I say find a shaft first then get whatever head looks good to your eye. With your strength and ball speed length will not be your issue. So as far as heads are concerned the technology is pretty much maxed out. I will say that as far as shafts I've become a big believer in the Tour AD line by Graphite Design. My trajectories with the QuattroTech and PT8 are all low bullets. If I miss and get too aggressive starting from the top I will hit a higher shot. Thats just the physics of the golf swing. Sorry to ramble so much but I enjoy sharing my thoughts on this website and I hope its helped you in some way. If you're interested in the Epons, do a search on this site as much has been written about them. B

Let's hope they're not fellow TSG'ers or else your in real trouble. "Uh, Mr. Gocchin we seem to have lost your shipment sooo . . . we'll go ahead and refund you the cost. $100. We're very sorry for the mixup and we'll be sure to call you if we find it."

Hey I applaud your efforts. Looks great for being home ground. I think wedges are the one club that can be a little rough around the edges. After all they are the blue collar workers of the bag. Doing all those little gritty things to help us save pars. Look in a lot of players bags and you'll see little grinds here and there, lead tape, etc. You'll have to update us once you take it to the course.

Besides they're the greatest feeling clubs I've ever hit, this is the single most reason why my bag is gradually becoming fillied with more Epons everyday. Both my driver and 3W are 1 degree open and I couldn't be happier. Hey Mr. D, the same shaft one uses for a driver are used in 3 woods no problem. However I'm sure that the tipping would be different for the fairways so if you have a 3 wood shaft it might not do well in a driver, not to mention its length would be very short as well. However, I've had a few driver shafts taken out and placed in fairways and even utility clubs and they've worked great. Lastly I'd hate to be golf ball sitting on a tee you're lining up on!! It would be a ride though!!

I'm very intrigued to hear more from all of you who are putting this shaft into play or will be putting this shaft into play. The W-8WA would be the choice for me, but then the Ozik F-7M also is there floating in my mind. This is getting to be like the choices in wedges. At least I solved that dilemma, now its off to which new shaft to put in a driver even though there's nothing wrong with my current model!! UUUGGH, its all so maddening!!

Shoe, hope its okay to add on to what seems like a post among a tight group of friendly TSG'ers. Being a blade-man myself, very interested to hear what comes of your results. I'm turning 38 next week and keep telling myself one day I'll switch to cavity backs but I just love my blades so much. The way they look and how they feel. Actually took them in today to have the lofts checked as well as to have them flattened a couple degrees as I'm hooking them. I tested each one at home on a lie board and pretty much confirmed what I was already suspecting for some time. Needed at least two if not three degrees. Anyways, I know the new tech with all these wonderful cavities are the way to go, but right now, just can't think about doing it. However, very interested to see the results of those who are making the switch. I hope it works out for you and keep us all posted.

Welcome to TSG. Sounds like you've played quite a few different clubs. Quite a few guys here are hitting the Ozik line with some nice results. Can't say I've hit them myself but they might be right up your alley. I'm thinking the F-7M as it low launch/ low spin and even comes in XX. Another shaft which is generating a lot of interest are the new Roddio shafts by Diawa. They're a five-ply weave which is supposed to help stabilize the clubhead. Very new and not a lot have used them but they have gotten some real nice results in the testing. As far as clubheads, Epon rules this site but TourStage is still a favorite as well. Lastly, its just my opinion but stick with heavier shafts. Weights in the high 70's and well into the 80's. The heavier shafts will help smooth out your swing and given your physical specs you won't have any problem with them. I used to always play heavy shafts myself and then went lighter thinking I could get better distance. It wrecked me for awhile, but I went back to heavier weights and couldn't be happier now. Lighter shafts definitely work for most but not all. I'm sure others will chime in here as well. This site has lots of good info and good people who are fairly honest and just love golf clubs. Again, welcome, good luck and have fun.

I've got two of those wedges on the way. I'll post pics but you'll have to wait a little while for the used pics. Rest assured however, that they will be seeing lots of use. I'll start a new thread for this so keep checking from time to time.