gocchin

While the Epon putters are nice... its the other two I like best. Will shoot them and get them up asap!

Everybody who ordered up to today, your head/clubs shipped our office in Tokyo today from TRPX!! You should see yours soon!

Yes we've already taken orders for X-Line. By the way i confirmed specs, they were testing from high 60g to low 70g but in the end they are 66g for S, 67g for SX and 68g for X.

Ant pretty much hit it on the button. Too many people look at flex and swing speed in a one dimension. Every 100mph golfer swings differently and as ant said transition or as I say swing style plays an even bigger factory than actual swing speed. Heck a super smooth 110mph swinger could excel with an R flex while a ultra aggressive 95mph swinger could use SX. Recently working with fitters at Crazy and ABEX at TRPX we have looked a lot at shaft timing or lack of, and how a shaft matches your swing at meeting the ball. Some shafts require effort when it comes to timing, in other words you need to adjust to the timing of the shaft release while other shafts the timing matches your swing. Swing weight can play a difference to some extent in how a club feels, releases and times impact and even launches. Total weight can also play a factor as a very aggressive player will have a hard time keeping tempo in check with something so light he can't feel. Some manufactuers have actually reversed their thinking and are slowly edging back towards heavier heads. There was a 5 year span where everything got longer in length and lighter meaning heads were lighter than ever. We even saw swing weights around C4 and yes this was for men as manufacturers experimented. But they have come to discover that a heavier head and even heavier combo can create more smash factor. This is not exactly the same aas its quite exaggerated but what would create more damage, a smart car driving 100mph and smashing into a wall or a MACK Truck driving 100mph and smashing into the same wall. So brands have started increasing head weights again and trying to find the right balance of swing weight. Swing weight is afterall about balance. I am a slower swinger but I ended up writing the article heavier and stiffer here: http://www.golftoimp...-impact-part-3/ I talk about weight and stiffness and swing weight choices. Keeping your drivers consistent spec wise will keep your drives consistent especially if you are constantly changing shafts, If they are constantly D1 vs D5 or 305g vs 328g, the differences can throw you off. (we are not pros afterall)

Chris's comparison with the D and 388 has nothing to do with design or shape, only that it flies straight and stable. So based on that you can't really say the D is not for you. The difference between the D and S is barely HALF a centimeter. Honestly I found both equally forgiving and easy to hit. The D worked for me as ABEX pointed out right away I like to tee it up higher and a deep face allows me to strike it better. Though the S worked just as fine.

Hi Richard Messenger is only red.... at least for now.

Nope no lefty models unfortunately.

Art you are probably best with the S-013 in 10*.

If Rich says this then you have your answer! (^_^)

Info updated and I wanted to make something clear. There are times when it takes a longer time to provide a product ie Ryoma maxima and TRPX but there are always customers who don't want to wait. I would like to make it clear that when it comes to the internet loyalty goes out the window and we understand that. There are many who are impatient and go to so called "other channels" to get ryoma, trpx or any other jdm product. Please note we work hard to be official international dealer and agent (which is why it takes time), so if you buy through another channel ie tourspecgolf, or auctions and your shaft or club breaks, you can forget any warranty or recourse. I have already had a customer send back a shaft from Crazy that was broken only for us to find out it wasn't purchased through us but through a Japanese shop through tourspecgolf and the warranty was denied by Crazy. We will not only provide you the best service, fitting and advice but also guarantee and after service. All we ask is some loyalty as part of the TSG community. Heck we can even beat most peoples prices. I am sorry for the rant but too many times I have customers coming to me saying other members or customers are "getting it" through other channels.

Michael both the weights on the heel and toe were inserted on curved parts of the sole ie the toe and the heel so it was difficult to make the flushed without slightly curving or rounding the weights. Since Gold's machines the weights themselves, the added a beveled edge around each weight and this bevel makes the appearance that the edges are flush. If the bevel was not added, the weight would jut out on each side of the curved sole.

We are very sorry for the delay and the amount of time it has taken to set up our TRPX account. Just to let you know, JDM brands can be slow to work with initially and sometimes it takes a lot of back and forth between the brands and TSG to come to an agreement. For many of these brands selling their product internationally is a big step. Well we have finally reached one and will begin officially carrying TRPX. So the good news is we will begin offering the products to forum members and customers here in the forum with a special launch promotion. The bad news is the X-Line Concept which is made for faster swingers and better players is delayed a bit till most likely month end. First I will introduce TRPX for those who have not seen my thread. Earlier this year Masakazu Abe also known as ABEX in Japan the lead shaft designer at Crazy left the company along with several top craftsmen. It has always been Abe-san's dream to form his own shaft company so he began Triple X which goes by TRPX a high performance shaft company that uses only high modulus carbon. I first dropped by their head office in Shinjuku back in July to find out the scoop behind the company and it's products. Abe-san was originally the one who Chris dealt with when we started dealing with Crazy a few years ago, so he was more than happy to talk about the possibility of working with TSG again. The key behind TRPX is quality and design. Every shaft is of course designed by ABEX and made of high modulus carbon using a new design ABEX dubs HPI or high power impact (more on this later). TRPX is small so the focus is on lesser quantities with higher quality. The Factory consists of 4 craftsmen... thats right 4 people. One person doing each job in the creation of a shaft. One managing carbon prepreg, one doing hand rolling of the shafts, one doing a thorough quality control and spec check and one doing painting of the shaft. They released their first shaft models back in June the 50t Messenger, the 40t/46t combo Ravie and the 46t Touale. I stopped by the factory in August and finally got a chance to hit all the shafts with ABEX and product manager Nakayama-san. There are 6 key staff in TRPX. Today I will fist introduce 3 of them whose photos I snapped when visiting the factory. Abe-san (pronounced Ah-Beh) also know as ABEX in the Japanese golf world, is of course the mastermind behind TRPX (as he was at Crazy), the shaft guru and the brain behind the brand. He created all the shafts at Crazy prior to 2013 and now is the face behind the shafts at TRPX. Sekine-san (pronounced Seh-kee-neh) is the top craftsman in the TRPX as he was at Crazy too. He runs the factory and is a high modulus carbon specialist. He pretty much rolls EVERY shaft by hand himself... which is why TRPX models are so limited (Abex said even though these are retail models we should treat them as limited due to supply.) I filmed a Sekine-san rolling a new X-Line prototype while at the factory. I will put that up soon but you can see a few screen caps... Nakayama-san (pronounced as is (^_^)) is the product manager for TRPX and is also in charge of club development like the TRPX drivers as he was at Crazy too. He spent 12 years at Taylormade Japan in the metal woods division before moving to Crazy. He has spent the last few years working with Crazy and Jbeam collaborations and now the original TRPX driver made by Jbeam for TRPX. The Raytis Ravie is an ultra light 50g distance shaft for slower swingers. If I had to compare it to another shaft it would be the Royal Decoration. It plays soft, is easy to load, has a super kick and its primary focus is distance. Those with a smooth swing will benefit from this shaft. Those who are more aggressive, hitters, or those with a late release will have trouble with the timing of this shaft. I recommend stepping up a flex if you are not confident with a soft feeling shaft. I recommend Ravie Flexes based on your typical distance - these are approximates: RR 185-200y R 200-215y SR 215-230y S 230y and up The Raytis Touale is a lighter weight mid 50g shaft for slighty faster swingers, it is basically the Ravie with a stiffer profile. I was fit by ABEX for this Touale in a stiff. I am a bit more aggressive at the top as I do not have a full back swing and if I go after the ball I can pull or hook it. The Touale kept up with my aggressiveness and I did not have to think or worry about timing. It produced a mid and more penetrating flight for me and I hit paired with the D-013 around 230-240 which is what I max out with my Ryoma's at with my Favorite Crazy LY01 Nero. I recommend Touale Flexes based on your typical distance - these are approximates: S 230-250 SX 240-260 X 250-270 XX 260-280 and up The Messenger 1st is a 60+ gram all around shaft. It suits a wide variety of players and is made to have not only good feel and distance but forgiveness. It can handle a semi aggressive swing but those aggressive swingers really need to wait for the X-Line Concept which is high 60g and and for those who swing 105-120mph as well as aggressive hitters wanting stability. I recommend Messenger Flexes based on your typical distance - these are approximates: SR 230-250 S 240-260 SX 250-270 X 260-280 and up These first 3 shafts are not ultra stout, they play on the softer side (if you compare to Crazy) and are made to provide max feel and max distance. However as you can see by the following launch monitor numbers, TRPX shafts can create some pretty good distance. Please note I cannot vouch for these numbers, they are provided by other TRPX dealers who independently tested the heads and shafts. Another exciting aspect of TRPX is their connection to J-Beam. J-Beam's founder and ABEX go way back and are close friends so when JBeam found out ABEX was doing his own brand they immediately collaborated in creating an ORIGINAL driver for TRPX. The TRPX driver is available in two flavors as I note below and looks hot. (by the way I should note ABEX was pretty happy with the photos I took of him (^_^)) There are two models the deep faced D-013 and the slightly more shallow faced S-013 where the CG is slightly lower and deeper due to the shallow nature of the S-013. D-013 2,PCS Forged Volume (cc) 450 LOFT/° 8～12 LIE/° 59.5〜60 F/A (°) OPEN/0～1° Face height 58.mm Gravity Angle (°) 22 Bore Depth(mm) 41.mm (-0 +2) Head Weight (g) 195～197 (they told me they can get up to around 200-201g S-013 2.PCS Forged Volume (cc) 450 LOFT/° 9～13 LIE/° 60 F/A (°) OPEN/0～1° Face Height 54.mm Gravity Angle (°) 21 Bore Depth (mm) 41.mm (-0 +2) Head Weight (g) 193～196 (again 198g is possible) I will add more images of the drivers this week as I need to take them but here are a few I took before. S013: RETAIL in other words TRPX's MSRP for global markets are as follows: Raytis Ravie 625.00 Raytis Touale 585.00 Messenger 1st 585.00 X-Line Concept 535.00 TRPX Driver D-013 or S-013 675.00 Driver assembled by TRPX Shaft + Head + 40.00 for grip and assembly. For a limited time only we are offering special introductory prices to forum members and customers. Please email me for your pricing at [email protected] with the title TRPX order. You must have a pro shop account already for me to process the order and I will send you a paypal invoice. Even those who have already emailed me to order before this post was made please do so again to make it official!

Keep in mind Shawn that feel is subjective. Both irons are good feeling. The Ray H will launch higher though thanks to their half cavity design, much of the weight is really in the bottom half of the iron while the Miura tries to bring the CG up a bit by making the mid section of the cavity thicker.

Yes driver version is coming out very soon.

The DWD in teflon black with blue accents and inserts in the cavity just look awesome and for me it rolls amazing. Some people don't like the sound slot but I love it and the feel of the face is crisp which is different from Sasaya-san's usual ultra soft feel. Great feedback and something different feel wise for Craig.

While the two Epon putters are nice, the other two are actually my favorite. They are clean and classy and feel awesome, especially the DWD. Interestingly the DWD has a flat face and Hiro a fine milled face which provide great feedback. I won't repeat what the process was with the Hiro but I will just post what I wrote on the blog plus the finished photos. There was lots going on in the Gold's Factory workshop as we moved our attention to the Hiro Matsumoto Tour putter Craig brought in. The black dyed head was fading and edges of the brass putter were coming through. Sasaya-san sand blasted the head to remove the bulk of the finish and then came the work to begin refinishing this gamer. Scratches, dings were to be removed and this putter restored to a new look with its original brass material as the base. The putter was placed in the CNC machine and the un milled face checked. Gold's Factory does this for EVERY putter, regardless of whether it is a Gold's putter or other brand, regardless of whether it is new or old. As you can imagine, its quite important to have a perfectly flat face when it comes to putting and you will be surprised to discover how many brands or retail putters do not. They are able to measure and machine to fractions of a mm (they were machining the face of a putter before the Matsumoto at a depth of 0.04mm. Yes 4/100th of a millimeter which is half the width of human hair. Comparatively speaking the Matsumoto was pretty good overall for a flat face though Gold's was able to detect a slight concave dip towards the center at 0.05mm. This was easily corrected by machining the face with a very fine milling. Two passes heel to toe then toe to heel and the a second check of the face showed the Matsumoto was now perfectly flat. Gold's factory dubs this a very fine milling. You can clearly see the mill marks but running your hand along the face, it feels smooth! At this point the face can be left like this or polished which will remove the mill marks for a polished finish. Next up was some light grinding to remove rough edges and damaged portions of the putter. The grinding process is quite a tedious job and is usually done over the span of several days. Grinding is done with different grit of sandpaper depending on the wound 0r damage and then slowly the grit becomes more fine as the putter becomes more and more smooth. It was very cool to see this done as the black finish came off to show the brass. Sasaya-san's goal is to polish the brass and then allowing it to oxidize. Through the oxidation process the color of the putter will continue to darken and antique over time. The oxidation actually serves as protection for the putter against corrosion. As the putter was grinded and polished over and over, it transformed into a completely different looking head from just a few hours earlier. And here is the Hiro finished!

Craig's Epon ZEN putter was put on a balance point and the CG or sweet spot was more than half a centimeter off from the center of the putter/face milling. Craig really wanted a sight dot on the head but Master Sasaya was against it as if it was not right in the middle he believed it would be too ugly. We wanted to bring the headweight up so at the same time we attempted to shift the CG with a heavier weight on the toe and a lighter one on the heel. Alas the few extra grams on the toe was still not enough to move the CG dead center so the master said NO to the sight dot. Looks darn cool though and now the head is closer to the weight Craig wants.

As you all have probably seen, Craig and I went to Gold's Factory back in August so he could experience time with the master and watch as some of his putters were remade. http://www.golftoimpress.com/craigs-excellent-japan-adventure-part-1-golds-factory/ They 4 putters he brought with him that day are now finished and I have them here. First up the damage and rusted badly Epon i-33. Refinished and grinded to remove rust. Horizontal PZ milling, Orbit around G Weights and Initials added. Very cool Teflon black finish.

I have Craig's Zen right here.... pics tomorrow after the Typhoon passes tonight.

Ryoma is sold!

58 is unfortunately the highest loft. I keep telling George a 60 would sell but he doesn't make one. Both lie open very well due to the styles of the sole, especially the rounded sole but the Pro also lies open well thanks to a narrower heel area which flows into the thicker back face.

Tourstage is sold!

Both the TS and Ryoma are pending payment.

My room is a mess, I need to get rid of stuff. These 3 drivers need to go. 1. Tourstage X-Drive 705 415cc 9.5* 360.00 shipped via Paypal Gift - SOLD 2. Ryoma Original D-1 Driver. 10.5 360.00 shipped via Paypal Gift - SOLD 3. Taylormade Japan's last HI Cor non conforming driver. The R7 XR MAX 10.5*. Awesome feeling springy SP700 face with 0.88 COR. Draw biased, with new model Rombax Type X 55 Regular. Adidas Fashion headcover. 220.00 shipped via Paypal Gift

Yes to my eye they are identical in offset. It appears as onset because the leading edge on both is rounded making the leading edge protrude in front of the neck.