jacksonlui

.

you can blindbore - you can cut the shaft on the D2 and drill it out to about 1.2 inches, then install your onoff shaft. if the head weighs the same on both, the flex would be the same, the only variable would be your head design. pro shops should be able to blindbore for you. let us know how it goes

how's the forgiveness of epon vs. GR vs. 445? the grooves on the xdrive is pretty cool, would think that extra spin will get it up and minimize side spin, but ballooning might be a concern, not sure...

ok thanks. i measured mine to be 1.6 and it went it exactly that much. I'm in the ballpark then. You still have the xcon5 in the head? I've put in a code 6 but haven't had a chance to hit it yet. I even put in altus hybrids in both my X-UTs, works nice.

hi, I've recently bought an X-Drive GR head and noticed that the insertion depth is 1.6 inches. There's an orange plug that sets the insertion depth in the hosel. Can someone that knows about these heads confirm that this is true? Most heads are 1.2 inches but this one is deeper than normal, very Callaway/Titleist like. Does anyone know if I pull a shaft in the future, that the orange plug inside the hosel will not melt? thanks Jack

any extended reviews yet or pictures?

i like the Epon type S. sets up nicely. the old tried and true ss forged are also nice, as well as the 695cb. for something even more forgiving, the mx23 at a bargain price. i own all three and switch it up all the time. i'm thinking of mixing the baby blades with the type S cavity backs. the shorter mb irons are great out of the rough and the larger cavity backs are great for approach shots.

my main driver has been an Epon 460ZR xcon6 and my backup is the domestic TM425. I don't find that the larger head is that much more forgiving while the 425 is a little easier to turn over. Is the 460 suppose to be a lot more forgiving than a 425? is there any truth to a smaller head being easier to turn over?

perhaps it might help if someone measured the cpm (ungripped) with a 5 inch clamp. that way we can always compare apples to apples.

I own many sets between an MX-23 to the Miura baby blades. I've played all of them at my home course with no difference in my score whatsoever. In fact, my lowest round is a 12 with my baby blades. I'm typically a 18 at my home course. So in the end, use whatever gets you birdies. There's always a point of no returns in forgiveness. You just have to know the weak points in your game. I also carry hybrids, I don't carry any iron longer than a 4. So its never good to assume, especially in golf. It's a game that isn't suppose to make any sense. Federerfan23, I can't wait for your review. I've been wondering how these compare to my baby blades which also has tc s3 shafts. I'm waiting to put on some iomic stickies and try those guys out.

has anyone tried tmlab or taylormade lab fitting where they put sensors on your body and charge you $400 for a 2hr sessions? wanted to see what your feedback was and was it worth it. thanks Jack

i've been reading quite a bit about removing the chrome finish on several boards and most people have been reverse plating? in any case, how ever you remove the chrome, the consensus is that there's a noticeable weight loss. I'd keep that in mind before you remove the chrome. unless of course you add something back to it. I've always love satin clubs, they exude class.

what shafts do the jpga guys use the most in their irons? i don't hear a whole lot about tour concepts eventhough they are really good shafts, just a tad expensive and the coating peels off easily.

the 1150 is more true to flex while the 950 and 1050 are softer to stated flex. i have all 3 and the 1150 are really nice. i don't know if it's true but many have said that the 950 and 1050 would sometimes balloon on them as they hit these pretty high.

how do we sign up? it's only a 5hr drive for me. gives me an opportunity to pick up a driver

Duffer, you probably have a billion wedges at home, why don't you hook him up since you live in the same city.

i don't know but striping a 300 yard drive is pretty tops in my book. definitely would need to cater your bounce to your swing tendencies and course conditions. I'd get fitted from someone in Toronto, that's probably the best way. Other than that, people on forums can just speculate and make suggestions. Everyone is so different, you really need to know your own specs and then come to this forum and go crazy with purchases. Or if you have the money, just buy a bunch of wedges and see what works. That's just my opinion. I remember days where I spent lots of time reading and think that what I buy next will be the be all and end all. Not true, the only way is to buy and try. I believe that's what everyone does here. Some brands I'd look at are Epon, Miura, Chikara, Gauge Design, Yururi, MTI if you're into Japanese. There's so much. I'd look at TSG's pro shop, they basically carry all good stuff, made it easy for you. If you're okay with US stuff, vokeys, sonartech, yCutters, cleveland zip grooves are all good and save choices. like you said it's personal, you'd have to keep your buying decision personal as well. good luck

hi, Does anyone know if this is doable and has anyone done it? Sounds like it might crack if bent. thanks Jack

I've recently moved away from my GP Multicompound Red grips which I found to be excellent grips to these Iomic X-Evolutions. Thanks to Forte, I bought an X-UT from him and it came with an X-Evolution. These are advertised as for people with larger hands but I've found that to be a little exaggerated. I think they are just a tad larger than tour velvets, perhaps the same as a M58 (Lamkin). I am between a small and medium in glove size, they suit me just fine. For someone that draws the ball a little too much, this is a nice compliment. These are pricey ($15-$20) but are more durable than the MC reds so they even out in the long run. I don't believe in any of the negative ion hype, but these feel really nice in my hands and is very easy to clean. They install in a snap with some mineral spirit which also doubles as a cleaner. I got these in white (all they had at the time) and like how it looks. These are about 50g which is the similar to the tour velvet and about 2g heavier than the MC reds. It makes your club stand out, I mean stand out A LOT. You better not mess up on that tee, because these player screams player with style. You can always go with a darker color, the white is hard to keep clean. More on the size because I'm a stickler for measurements. I'm a righty. For the left hand, the diameter is similar to the MC reds, but for the right hand, it's less tapered so it's slightly larger, not that much to mess you up, but you can feel it. The pattern on the grip is a diamond pattern and has tiny bumps. I'd suggest you try one to see how they work for you. I've learned you can't fit yourself by a chart and some standards. Standards have gotten me close to perfect and you tweak from that point on to see what works for you. Grips are one of those things. The other thing I'd like to mention is that they go on very easy (install) and you can't stretch these. Many like to stretch their grips so it's a little thinner, these are pretty resilient, they snap back. Here are some pics, Enjoy.

thanks guys, for the feedback. I don't typically spend time on reviews but this forum has helped fueled my JDM obsession and thought I'd give some back. I've never tried the Miura wedges, always wondered if they were any good, just didn't like the way they looked. I love the Epon X wedges so far, the Chikaras couldn't kick those out of the bag. I personally hold TourSpecGolfer and Gocchin responsible for being the drug dealer of golf =) I also added a review on the Bog Moss putting green a few minutes ago.

Motivation: Now that the golf season is drawing to a close, some of us are trying to find ways to groove their swings during the off period and others are searching for good deals. I'm lucky enough to have an extended season in San Diego but that hasn't stopped me from doing both. I know that I have to work on my short game, especially my putting...something I almost never practice. How many times have you got up to the tee and absolutely bomb it, followed through, and stood there all balanced feeling like Tiger. I do...many times...sometimes I even look to see where Elin is =) Now you followup with a decent approach shot and lands on the first cut. You accept it and say you'll chip it in close for a tap in. Well, that never happens does it. You chip it, and it runs to the other side of the green and you end up with a 3 putt. What the hell... Turned a birdie opportunity on a par 4 into solid...err...6. Well, this season, I've decided to work on some putting and shipping. I had wanted something I can putt and chip into inside the house. Being a father of a 3 year old, time is not something that comes by easily. I already own the Boomerang, it's nice but you can't putt to it and I'm tired of putting that straight putt everytime. I've done some research, and thanks to the nice folks on a few forums, I've decided on the Big Moss. You're suppose to be able to chip and putt as well as add breaks. Pretty neat if you ask me...perhaps a little too perfect. At $430 shipped, it's not too bad. I was torn between this and the Tourlinks. The Tourlinks looks nicer and is raised so it has real cups, but the largest they have is too small and cost a pretty penny. Needless to say, the Admiral Bog Moss was ordered and got it within the week. Making Room: I've convinced the wife to move the formal dining table from the living room since we don't use it and turn that room into a putting room. It's perfect because we've already moved that table from the dining room to make it into a play room for my daughter =) I made sure I had enough space for the largest model they had. I've planned for it to lay on top of a carpet where I had a concern. This was made to lay flat on a hard surface or maybe a carpet with a short tight pile. My carpet is medium fluffy and was worried the green will not lay flat and have many low spots. I was also worried that there would be a depression where I stood. I've tried emailing the Big Moss guys but received no response whatsoever. I'm very disappointed in their lack of response and service. Delivery and Appearance: When the little brown guy with the bog box came to my door, I was happy as a clam. Not sure why people say that, why are clams happy? Anyways, the box was a lot smaller than I thought. it's a rectangular box that measured maybe 1.5x1.5x7 ft. I opened the box feverishly and poured out the contents. I was disappointed again at what I saw because I had expected something more. In short, the green is nothing more than a carpet, literally. It unrolled pretty flat and looked like the picture. It didn't have a border or platform and doesn't look as nice as I thought it would. The green inclines where the 3 cups laid via a foam backing. The cups are not real cups, just cutouts into the piece of foam and the backing is a white canvas that is held in place by glue. Ok, well, not classy, it doesn't make the room like I had hoped. One thing to keep in mind that if you are thinking of making this a showcase or a piece of furniture, it's not going to wow anyone except for golfers. It doesn't look impressive, a factor which I hadn't put too much thought into. Well, let's see how it performs. Putting Performance: Once it laid on my carpet, my worries were semi-dismissed. There was only a little depression where I stood, but the ball rolled very nicely. I would guess the stimp with that incline is about 9-11, pretty true to what I'm use to. The inclined holes will help me stop leaving my putts short. The puttst rolled very nice and true. I struggled with alignment since the green had no imperfections to use as a marker. I've putted to a few holes and it's exactly what I had wanted for putting. It would be a lot nicer if the green was wider. One thing that sucked is that you can't stand on the area where the foam is, it will sink under your weight. I wouldn't suggest putting this green on a really thick plushy carpet. A hard surface is best and tight pile carpet is fine. This came with one long piece of foam to place under the green to create breaks. I've opted to used it as a backstop so the balls don't roll off instead. Chipping Performance: The other benefit of having a large green is to work on your green side chips. This thing came with a 3x3ft chipping mat which was really small and not very useful. I'm glad I didn't upgrade my package to pay $30 for an extra break and a larger chipping mat, definitely not worth it. I suggest placing the chipping mat on a carpet so it doesn't shift around. After a few chips, I was ho hum about it. It didn't hold well for me mostly from being hesitant on accelerating into the shot. I think it can really hold chips well if you have the guts and lots of confidence that you won't blade it through the window. Conclusion: Overall, I'm content with the purchase. It does what it's advertised to do and will no doubt lower your scores. I'd get it if you want a large surface area to putt with with mini chips. Go with the largest that you can fit. It rolls up easily like a carpet for storage and weighs about about 50 lbs. Don't expect it to look expensive and don't expect any customer service and heed the different gotchas which I've mentioned. For $430, it's a decent buy. If you have really deep pockets, perhaps the Tourlinks would be the expensive choice, they run a few thousand. Here are some pictures that I wished I had when researching this. Hopefully, this review will give you answers to some of your unanswered questions prior to pulling the trigger, enjoy.

Motivation: I've always wanted a set of exotic blades that would compliment my Epon Type S cavity backs. My search for a compact muscle back with a razor thin top line, thin sole, minimal offset, brushed satin finish, sand blasted face, minimal text, from a top Japanese forging facility has brought me to this set of Miura Limited Edition 3-PW baby blades. I didn't want to pay $1400 for a set of irons but I had to in order to get exactly what I wanted and to appease my "ho-addiction". Basic Info: The limited edition or baby blades is 20% smaller than the tournament blade and 100 sets are produced twice a year. The idea behind this design is to put more mass behind the ball since the head weight is the same despite the smaller size. Originally they were available in chrome but due to manufacturing issues, only the brushed satin versions are available. Appearance: You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these and the current year tournament blades unless you compare them side by side. I would say they are very similar in size and shape to Nike blades of old. So far nothing has compared to how well they set up, although they didn't inspire confidence at first coming from a cavity backs, it required a range session before I became accustomed to the size and started to appreciated the attributes which I've paid so dearly for. If you think about it, It actually makes the ball seem larger. I love how thin the top line is with virtually no offset. Every time I pull a club out of the bag, it brings a smile to my face. I love the finish, the squarish toe, shiny sand blasted face, tastefully placed symbols and text. The Miura symbol and the smaller font is a nice addition. The stamping on the sole are in italics which is one way to tell the difference between the limited and tournament edition, with the PW being the most obvious. If you look closely, you'll find that the leading edge has been blunted to prevent digging, a complaint that many people had on the older models. The shorter irons don't look clunky like other Japanese offerings, they look just as small and compact, maintaining a nice transition between clubs. These are so pretty, it would be silly not to use head covers! Tolerances: I know many people have a dislike for the two peice forging. It doesn't bother me too much, perhaps it's part ignorance, but as an end consumer, I go with results. One thing I've noticed are the tight tolerances in the hosel diameter. The shafts go in really tight, straight, with virtually no play. The head weights were as expected. The hosel depth varied 0.05 inches throughout the set. I don't know if this is considered acceptable. It's important for clubbuilders to insert and measure each head prior to butt cutt to get exact play lengths. Blindly butt cutting shafts will put you at the mercy of varying hosel depths. This won't effect your yardage and is insignificant to your swingweight, but for picklers of high end clubs, you might as well do it right. 50mils of variance seemed a bit high to me, I don't really know what the specified tolerances are, I had expected better for a two peice design. I wrote part of it off as measurement error plus manufacturing tolerances. Feel: Apart from the aesthetics, they also have to feel like something special. I'll be the first to admit these aren't as buttery soft as Mizuno's, the best two words used to describe the feeling would be "pure" and "solid". You almost feel sorry for the ball. Some have said that it feels as if the ball stays on the face a little bit longer. I can't really comment on balance since it would feel different depending on the shaft used. So far I like how the Tour Concepts perform and feel with these heads. I'd expect the NSPRO 1150 and TCS3 would be great combos. The feedback is wonderful. I already know if it's too high/low, short/long, left/right before I look up. Ballflight: The satin Tour Concept in these heads gives me a pretty boring flight that gets up and flattens fairly quickly. I would say they are mid flight, a little higher than my DGS300 and lower than my NSPRO1150. Since the ball flight has more to do with the shaft than the head, I'll keep my comments at a minimal. These shafts spins and kicks a bit more than my DGS300. They don't feel harsh, a bit between the Nippons and DGs. They feel muted which I have grown to like. Basically, these shafts perform and gives good return on investment on the $200-$500 that you'll spend for them. It has been said many times, this shaft needs some time getting use to, so give it some time. For me, they get up, bore through the wind, drop and stop within 3 ft from where it lands (6-PW), just like the NSPRO 1150. I like a heavier shaft, so these fit the bill. One thing I've always hated about the tour concepts are the lack of durability of their outer anti-glare casing. It will eventually start to peel and look ugly. The brushed finish on the BGs and PXs are far superior. I might consider a set of satin px 5.5s, although I'm a sweeper so based on what I've read, these might not be for me. Forgiveness: These aren't very forgiving although they a lot easier to hit than you think. A bad swing is a bad swing, no club will help you. What makes these unforgiving is the distance control. If you hit it on the sweetspot, these are going to go a lot further than you had anticipated. An inch from the sweetspot, you'll lose 7-10 yards. I don't post better scores playing with my cavity backs which tells me I need to work on my game from 100 yards in. I consider myself a decent ball striker, so I call bull to those that try to equate a handicapp to their ball striking capabilities. I also want to mention that it's easier to turn the head over since they are smaller. I get a nice draw with these which makes it more forgiving for me, takes out the right side. However, being a blade, at times when I rush my swing, it will draw too much and turn into a nasty duck hook... In summary, these are a lot more forgiving than you are lead to believe. Don't be afraid to try a blade. You don't play golf for a living, so why not change up your game and keep it exciting. I think playing blades makes the game that much more enjoyable, I truly believe they will make you a better and more creative player in the long run. Other: I've changed from the Golf Pride Multicompound reds to the white Iomic X-Evolutions. I wear a small to medium glove so I'm slightly below standard in glove size. These Iomics are advertised to be for larger hands but they suit me just fine. I love the way they feel and how durable they are. I go through the multicompounds too fast so these are definitely worth it in my book. They may get dirty, but it reminds me to keep my grips clean. The shafts were spined and flo'd with the 6 iron cpm'ing out to 312. To me this feels more like a softstepped stiff which is perfect for me. (I'm expecting a 10cpm slope.) Conclusion: This is one of the best purchases I've made and everything I was hoping for. I feel so confident with these clubs. When I play, I don't really think that it's a blade anymore, I just worry about my target. It's priceless when you work the ball around a tree to pin high, that's what keeps you coming back. These have gone through 8 rounds and a few range sessions so far and the durability is better than expected. They seem to hold up better than the Epon Type S. Here are a few pictures, enjoy.

hi, Does anyone have any history on this putter? It's suppose to be a Tour Issued Gauge Design Japan Prototype putter modeled after the M2AL but at 360g. Supposedly only 2 were made for a JPGA pro. thanks

my vote goes for the Chikara and Epon. what do you guys think of the satin px5.5 shafts to replace the DGS300 for the wedges?

they look really cool. too bad they won't get away from the shiny chrome. the stain finish on the Epon and Miura would be a nice touch