gocchin

The Roddio untipped would be pretty soft which is why its usually installed by a certified Roddio Technician who knows how to reach a certain finished CPM with it. GD recommends tipping anywhere from 0 to 1.0" for the MD depending on required performance and feel. The true MD characteristics come out when the MD is tipped an inch for standard bore (mid trajectory left side out of play). The W6BA will go left especially without proper tipping/installation. Both of mine are tipped properly and the MD5 which is an R2 (between R and A Flex) plays firmer than the R Flex W5BA I have but they are very different profile shafts and this shows aside from the stiffness ie I can hit a draw and go left on aggressive swings with the Roddio which also launches higher but I cannot even go straight with the MD5, at best it's a soft fade and the trajectory is much lower (I am not an aggressive swinger so the MD5 doesn't really fit me but I wanted to try it). So as a guess for both untipped, I would say that the Roddio Stiff W6BA is close to a MD6 SR maybe a tad softer. This is just a guess.

No need to apologize Goodsie for your rant, you have every right to do so. I didn't even know this was the case myself as I don't play Miura's and haven't in the past. I was surprised to find this out from Chris as well. It doesn't really make sense to me either so go right ahead and torture them. (^_^)

He's teasing cause he knows they are coming real soon. (^_-) wink wink

I currently play both the MD5 and the W5BA, sorry not the 60g but close. 1. The Roddio is softer. But both will depend on the head it goes into and the tipping done. 2. Roddio hits it higher. 3. Roddio spins a bit more. 4. The MD is a tad tighter.

I've added the new Diamana to the pro shop for pre order. The ali'islei did very well but was more geared towards the smoother swinger. Diamana has used some of its new technology to create a lower torque shaft geared towards more agressive swingers with the kai'li which roughly translates into blue diamond (Hawaiians can correct me on that) (^_^) Mitsubishi Rayon introduces an all new shaft for the 2009 season, the new kai'li. The kai'li is a multi dimensional design utilizing thin sheets of carbon arranged in a multi layer structure to control torsional stiffness, stability and elasticity. A mixture of uni-directional carbon fiber for stability coupled with high elastic modular carbon fiber make up 68% of the shaft. This reinforces the shaft for control and dispersion while still giving it elasticity when storing and releasing energy during a swing. The kai'li is available in 60, 70 and 80g ranges with lower torque and mid to high kickpoints. Unlike the ali'islei which was more geared at smoother swingers, the kai'li is designed to give harder more agressive swingers confidence and control with a low to mid trajectory, low spin shot. The kai'li will begin shipping in early November 2008 so pre order yours now!

They do offer custom options for woods, but barely any for irons. I have the 2008 Fall Winter catalog right here and under irons and wedges for steel they've got DG, NS Pro 950, NS Pro 900 and Tourstage M266V along with a few Tourstage graphite shafts for irons. Wish they had more.

Initially DG and NS Pro 950... I really hope they get on top of things and offer more shafts and even custom options as that's the direction everyone is heading in!

Mid to late October release so look for pre order soon!

They will be available for pre order soon. Mid to late October release.

Tourstage introduces 4 new X-Wedges for 2009. The following models will be available: X-Wedge 901 X-Wedge 101LB X-Wedge 101HB X-Wedge 102HB The X-Wedge 901 is a pro-spec wedge set made up of a 53 and 59* just like the old Maru sets. It features a compact teardrop style head with multi round sole and near right angle grooves with a cnc micro milled face. Both wedges have a 9 bounce and are only available with S200 or X100. The 101LB is also forged and more on the compact side with a multi round sole and teardrop shape. It features lower bounces 50/8 52/8 54/10 56/10 58/8 and 60/8* lofts. The 101HB is the higher bounce version featuring a dual grind sole and milled face and is available in 52/10 56/14 and 58/12 lofts There is also a 102HB which is a round shaped wedge with a slightly larger head and dual grind sole and milled face as well. There is a semi goose neck here making it easier to square up. Available in 50/10 52/10 56/14 58/12. Graphite is also an option on the 102HB's. If you have any questions please ask away!

To make things complicated and at the same time offer more selection to the consumer, Tourstage has released their all new X-Blade lineup for 2009 made up of 5 different models, 4 forged and one cast geared at all different levels of players. The following models are available: X-Blade 901 MB X-Blade 701 X-Blade 701G X-Blade GR-C1 X-Blade GC-P1 The new X-Blade 901 is a compact blade featuring minimal offset and a lower center of gravity focusing on feel and workability. It is in fact a new unique hybrid forging. A forged cylindrical bar with a titanium insert is forged right into the muscle of the iron. This is to enhance the soft feel. The 901 is geared towards to scratch to low handicapper looking for control, workability and feel. The X-Blade 701 really reminds me of the old Z-101 and MR-23 CB (at least the diamond shaped badge!) These are compact forged CB's with minimal offset and a magnesium insert in the back cavity to enhance feel. They are geared at the low handicap golfer looking for control, workability and a touch of forgiveness over the blades. The X-Blade 701G is a step up in forgiveness from the 701 featuring a forged undercut cavity style head. Tourstage lists these as the most balanced iron in the X-Blade series offering a bit of everything inlcuding performance and feel. They are also available with new Tour Design graphite shafts from Tourstage and are geared at low to mid handicappers looking for a slightly larger than compact sized forged all around performance CB that still has reasonably small offset. The X-Blade GR-C1 is a forged mid sized CB with a little more offset and slightly larger head than the 701's. They are also available with graphite as an option. They are geared towards the low to mid handicapper looking for a sense of confidence and forgiveness with the larger head and more offset but still wanting to play a sold forged CB. The X-Blade GR-P1 is a mid sized SUS431 Stainless cavity back with more offset and a thicker sole. The P1 is geared for max forgiveness and performance in a mid sized package and is for mid handicappers and probably could be played by improving higher handicappers as well. These are initial descriptions. If you have more questions please ask away.

They are available in steel at the moment only. I'm waiting to get the price on black carbon heads then they will be added. (^_^)

Thanks Goodsie. as always I look forward to your feedback. I have a feeling these will have that Miura feel coupled with forgiveness. Let us know how it goes!

So Tourstage announced it's new X-Drive lineup for 2009. It consists of 4 models, the 901, 701, 701G and 701GR. They are all aimed at different player types. The primary differences are: Head Size and Shape CG Placement Lie Angle Face Angle These differences result in different trajectorys and shot types including the following: 901: Low trajectory and Fade ball - face angle slightly open 701: Low-medium trajectory Fade and Draw - face angle square 701G: Medium trajectory Straight and Draw - face angle square GR: Medium-High trajectory Draw - face angle slightly closed As you can see from the images below, the Head shape as well as the CG and weight placements affect all these characteristics. The X-Drive will also be available with some very interesting shafts: A couple of Tour Design Prototypes from Tourstage. The new Tour AD EV Series shaft from Graphite Design The new Diamana Kai'Li Series shaft from Mitsubishi Rayon The new Rombax F from Fujikura If you have any questions about actual specs just ask and I'll try and answer them.

It's been a while since Tourstage has introduces some putters (besides the ViQ putters aimed at mid to higher handicappers). The new 2009 Tourstage putters are forged carbon putters with head weights around 340g or so. The feature 3 key technologies boasted by Tourstage, the first being H.E.A.T. Turbo Rubber HEAT stands for Hyper Energy Acceleration Technology. Tourstage has long used turbo rubber in many of their clubs as they believe it creates feel and performance. The Turbo rubber is also in the putters now for feel and roll. The 2nd new tech point is an Neo Skid Groove that they use. These are insert putters with dual layer inserts. The back being a forged milled face and then the front insert being the turbo rubber. The two combine to create that instant roll and optimal contact. The 3rd new tech point is the tungsten weighting it uses on the sole for stability and added weight. There are 4 head shapes which I think are much better looking than the ViQ putters. The B1-P will be available custom order left handed as well.

Actually the MB-5003 just happens to be much more forgiving than anyone ever expected. The MB-5003 is considered by Miura Giken as a pro-spec model geared towards scratch golfers while the CB-2006 is a standard model aimed at low to even good ball striking mid cappers. The CB-2006 is not as compact as the MB-5003 and with it's cavity "should" technically be more forgiving, it does have slightly more offset as well. Feel wise the CB-2006 uses the same steel and forging process of course has a different design. We still need to test them out and see how they feel.

I must admit I'm not such a big fan of the new graphics. I'll post some info about the new specs and designs later today.

The T1 is geared towards the more advanced player while the R1 could be played by a mid to low handicapper.

I've just added the new MP Craft's to the pro shop after finding out the specs. Available custom built by Mizuno with Lie, Shaft of choice and length as options. Some pretty good shaft options! http://www.tourspecgolf.com/proshop

Wonderful feedback! Thin topline and minimal offset with some forgiveness and awesome feel. Sounds great. Let us know to how those wedges play. (^_^)

I wrote this on the blog but thought I would post here as well. These are impressions only as they were pre release demos that did not have the right shaft for me. I had a chance the other day to try out the new Mizuno MP Craft drivers that will be released in November. There are two models, the R1 and the T1. Both drivers are 460cc and have similar aesthetics but the similarities end there. The T1 is made for the better player sporting a more traditional shape and a much deeper face at 63mm tall. Besides the 2g weight in the back it uses an 8g weight on the sole plate towards the face. The CG is moved quite forward as a result of this placement lowering the ball flight. The face angle of the T1 is also 0.5* Open and is designed this way for workability and to allow a nice little fade. Both models feature a variable thickness face but the T1 has a larger thicker center for a more solid feel and durability for the harder and faster swinger. The R1 on the other hand has a shallower face at just over 58mm and has a higher MOI look at address with the head stretched back. The longer head also allows for a deeper placment of CB with 4g placed deep on the bottom sole as well as 2g on the heel side + 2g on the toe sid and the center 2g plug. This results in a higher ball flight coupled with a square face for straight to draw trajectory. The face thickness is slightly thinner than the T1. Initally, both MP Crafts will be launched with Quad Butt Standard shafts. From Quad5 to Quad7. I tried an R1 10.5 with Quad6 sR and had to use a T1 10.5 with Quad6 Stiff as these are standard shafts. Quad5 Regular is available as a special order. These flexes are too stiff for me but I still wanted to try the drivers to see how they set up and felt at impact (thought the stiffer shaft would definitely affect feel negatively for me and not allow me to properly judge trajectory). The R1 sets up large at address and definitely looks like a 460cc driver. It is definitely bigger than the old MP Craft 460 and is more like many higher MOI designs today. With the shallower face I tee'ed the ball lower. It's nice though to have this type of larger driver with a square face. The SR shaft was a bit stiff for me, the new MP Crafts are available with REAL Quad shafts not stock ones so they do play true to flex. The T1 sets up very traditionally and does not look 460cc compared to drivers of today. It looks more like 420cc or so. It's face shape is similar to the MP600 but perhaps a touch deeper (I should have put them side by side but did not think of it at the time). People who like a traditional shaped driver will like this, epsecially the open face. The stiff Quad6 shaft was way too stiff for me of course. At impact, the T1's face felt more solid or harder meaning it's definitely aimed at the harder and faster swinger to make this driver work. It does have a simlar feel to the old MP Craft 425. The R1 felt a bit more metallic at impact, more like a JPX driver, probably due to the thinner face. Both these drivers are more high tech looking than the previous generation MP Craft thanks to the grooved sole and weight port in the back. They are also paired with better shafts (at least technically speaking). These were pre-release demos so I only had brief time with them indoors. Will hopefully get outdoors with them in the near future with the right shaft for me.

Brett has some new videos up at the TSG network including one on overcoming 1st Tee Jitters and part 3 of Julie's Road to Scratch. Check it out! http://www.tourspecgolf.com/video

If it's an 850 the specs should be the same. As B said they do indeed make stock shafts for many OEM's and if they are slightly different spec wise their model number will show it ie NS Pro 900 and 990's for Titleist and Cobra etc.

Sasaya can do all the finishes except the beads blast stainless (since this is not a stainless head) So that includes: Soft Black Teflon Black White Chrome Beads Boron He doesn't do these two as often these days but I still think he can do them. Oil Can Black Oxide

Yes they are available. Just added them to the Pro Shop! http://www.tourspecgolf.com/proshop/p2147/...oduct_info.html