gocchin

Hi Dave, All the new items are September releases so they are not out yet unfortunately.

Those are the CB1 from 2004 released in December of 2003 so nearly 5 years old.

The Z101's are the only Tourstage iron ever released in the US and in very limited amounts. While not "technically" JDM they are 100% made in Japan. I wouldn't say the cB1's look like the 2008's. They are a nearly 5 year old design and may be similar in appearance but different in quality and design.

Hi Flashman, The X-Blade is a JDM market iron. Everything from Tourstage is considered JDM. The CB1 is from 2004 and CB2 is from 2006, they are both no longer available. We don't have pics of the first generation as they are that old! But here are the CB2 from 2006 and 2008 XBlade. 2006: 2008:

As of now, there is no news of new Yamaha irons. The V Forged, D-black and D-steel are all still available as new models so probably not till winter will we hear anything.

Best looking club is still the original r7 Forged that's been long sold out.... when they came out with that I thought they were taking a step in the right direction style wise... then they took a 180 turn...

Here's a look at some of the new stuff coming out from TM Japan including the new Burner Forged Iron, Itsy Bitsy Spider ASGI+, Rossa TP w/ ASGI+ by KiaMa and others! Some items "may" come out in the US like the Tour Preferred Forged but at the moment the Burner forged seems to be Japan only and maybe ther putters too.

You may be correct G and that may be a printing error. Chris can confirm as he has the putters on hand but it sure looks that way from his pics. And yes they are reversed.... picture has been fixed.

I'm a lucky enough to have a GS 56* in the bag, initial impressions are very positive. Workmanship and finish is top notch as expected from George. It just screams quality. After one grass range session I can say the wedge is very compact and has a thin topline, which sets up very nicely. The grooves are very sharp and the feel is very soft. Put those two characteristics together and we are talking super spin here with feel like butter. I was very surprised how good this wedge is as I've gone through some of the top JDM wedges over the last year and I when it comes to the best wedges, they are all very close, spin, feel, versatility. This wedge though has something about it that's just different. Will report back more when I get out to play with it this week.

It's sold out. Mizuno bags always sell out fast, especially limited ones.

I think your goal is to not necessarily go with a higher launch as your angle is not bad and your spin is not terrible but you could bring it down a bit. Are you still hooking the ball with that YSQ?

It could be... whats your trajectory and backspin now? Ever been on a launch monitor? Golf is all about experimentation. (^_^)

Offset is very close. The 2008 ViQ's definitely have more because that cast set is considered the closest thing to game improvement that Tourstage has. The AF-701 and ViQ Forged are targeted at mid handicapper/athlete golfers in Japan while the 2008 ViQ is for the average golfer. We've had even single digit players get the AF-701's because of their ease of use... they are a very high quality high tech forging. Don't get me wrong, the ViQ Forged from 2007 is also a very nice solid iron but if it's more fogiving forged you want, nothing beats the AF-701 except maybe the FD Star from RC but hey we all know that's practically an Epon Type X. (^_^)

The X-Blade is not forgiving at all... especially the new 2008 one. Even some single digit cappers have a hard time with it. If you want to stick with forged go with the AF-701... it feels good and is easier than the ViQ Forged to hit and may actually be a touch smaller as the ViQ Forged are reasonably chunky. I went from the ViQ Forged to AF-701's and the AF-701's are still in the bag. They are just so easy to hit straight and long.

When I get back to Japan I plan on getting one for sure... (^_^)

I played 18 today and my Geotech 9w was simply amazing. I did not once pull my 5 iron from the bag and used the Geotech every time, from the fairway, rough and off the tee. It simply gave a predictable ball flight every time... a soft draw with an equally soft landing. It's a small 120cc head at address but I really really like it.

Yes I did have them in the bag and they were very good irons. Not one piece as you mentioned so with the undercut a similar click as the AF-701's but still good feel. I moved on cause that's what I naturally do (^_^) and not cause they were not good because they were! Interestingly though, while I always have the itch to try new irons, I have stuck with the AF-701's since they came out... just so easy to hit and with my main priority being distance, I can't ask for much more.

I do have the putter. It's a very good looking putter but unfortunately not a well thought out one when it came to materials and specs. It feels awkwardly upright and the feel is hard with almost no feedback. Not worth $600 unless that shaft is worth over $400 by itself.

Welcome to the forum! There are definitely quite a few fans of Yamaha irons and clubs here as they make some wonderful equipment. In their current lineup, the Inpres X Drivers, i.F.F. Fairway Woods and Inpres X Irons are the big standouts. The GRX lineup is there premium lineup, kind of the way Lexus is for Toyota. The irons are a 3 piece iron, a Forged Beta Titanium face, with a full titanium body and 90g tungsten weight in the cavity. Very high tech stuff. (^_^) One iron that you may be interested in is the wonderfully forged Inpres X V Forged, regular and Tour version. You can check out member bogeydog's recent review here: http://forum.tourspecgolf.com/t26964.html

As a matter of a fact the NanoV has won Golf Digest's D1 Driver Distance shootout before. I think it was 2006.

It's always been well received in Japan and even more so recently because of their signing of teen phenom and price of golf Ryo Ishikawa. Seems like pretty good stuff all around especially woods and irons. When I get back to Japan next month I plan on demoing it all. (^_^)

You're right that the butt will be longer with the grip. I always have the shafts cut to exact length ungripped. The truth is when you hold your club you are usually not right up to the end of the grip anyway. That little bit is still sticking out is like 1/8" I think?

Here are the master's from his blog:

While I said BB is the most durable... I too prefer the Teflon Black... which is why mine is Teflon. As LC sad just looks stealth. (^_^)

J Beads Boron is considered the most durable finish. It is also non reflective so the sun is not a problem. If you need design forms for a quote just let me know. (^_^) T