gocchin

Actually the putter supposed to be next.

The Niigata trip is a tough one. Its about 4 hours from Tokyo by car and 1 hr and 37min by train and there is not much in Niigata besides the steel industry though there are some very nice traditional Ryokans (Japanese Inns) and onsen (hot springs). I wish they would open up a big shop here in Tokyo! T

This is what I've always been saying about the 502... glad you agree! the purpose of the alpha gel is for vibration reduction but yes it kills the feel (at least for us).

As I said above I will be taking a lot more pics and testing them side by side. That was just initial impressions taking them out of the box. (^_^)

Reserved

EHR photos.... yes the thing is pretty much gold. Gold head, gold socket. It has a very thin hi cor face which is why its rated for 90mph or less. Light weight and easy to swing and the FEX Light is a great match. When I had the EHR I did not have the Ryoma Special Tuning so I could not hit them side by side but the EHR is longer than my conforming Ryomas. Its a very premium driver as reflected by the cost.

Still have not had a chance to shaft up the AF103 but I stuck a shaft in the hosel just to make it easier to snap pics. The more I look at it the more I like it, its a very clean look and while there are less grooves and waves in the sole design the waves that are there are deeper and more renounced. Definitely more pear shaped at address and love the face.

Well the new Epon products are now rolling in and I've had a chance to try the EHR and RF551 and will be trying the AF103 soon (its here but I have to shaft it). Thought I would have a thread with my impressions, first, second and after the facts. If there are previous models the new model is replacing I will eventually post side by side comparison pics as well. The RF551 as we know is a tweaked AF501. I personally prefer the 501 to the 502. It is a tad clicky due to the undercut cavity but for me (and this is just personal) the 502 is too deadened by the alpha gel pocket cavity. Side by side, the RF551 actually appears smaller and looking closely this appears to really be the case and not just an illusion created bu the beautiful smoked finish. Good news is the carbon weave ferrules are standard but as of now are back only for the RF551. The 551 seems sharper and straighter than the 502 shape wise and its been a long time since I saw the 551(501) and what surprised me was the top line is in fact thinner than the 502 and the RF551 has noticeably less offset as confirmed by the specs. (502 3.6mm in the 7 iron vs RF551 2.9mm in the 7 iron.) 0.5mm of offset in the same 7 iron is quite noticeable and in this case its 0.7mm. The smoked finish looks very good face on at address vs the shiny chrome toe of the 502. I think some people may look at the RF551 as more appealing. Comparo pics to follow. Still in heads only as I need to shaft them up. Yes they look VERY similar. But on closer inspection there are at least noticeable visual cues. There are less grooves on the sole of the 103 vs the 102. The "e" is bigger in front of the Epon logo - I am reaching here (^_^), no but honestly, the AF103 looks like a cleaner design for some reason. The face has complete scorelines all the way across and the shape of the face seems more attractive. From the top you see probably the biggest visual difference and that is that the Af103 is more pear shaped and more compact looking. Epon touts that the biggest difference will be in feel and performance characteristics so we shall see when I compare them. Here are more pics of the RF-551.

Almost all the major brands have junior sets, TS, Srixon, Honma, PRGR, Mizuno to name a few, Just email me if you need more info and I can help choose the right set.

Hi Chuck, I asked for a description of the V-Specs performance in your email but I do see it here now. Definitely the 9.5* V-Spec should be tee'ed up and best hit on the up swing. I would personally tee it half a ball above the top of the driver. Do you find the shaft stiff in the Driver? Both shafts are 80t but they are a bit different the FW80 is very active in the tip and gives a nice healthy launch, the Nero provides more control while the FW80 is an actual distance beast.

I posted this on Facebook as well... Mitsubishi did not even bother releasing the Diamana + in Japan as it's just a tweaked 1st and 2nd gen shaft. These are the 3rd gen and they are completely new. New materials, new design with similar profiles. B = Kai'li = Blueboard

It depends on your schedule and how we arrange it. Just contact me a few weeks in advance so I can plan with you and make arrangements.

Yes I secretly snap them in the background so as not to distract you. I don't use a flash and my camera is very quiet so its hard to tell. (^_^) Hope you don't mind me sharing your superb swing!

I actually snapped early (or late)... Carl does go parallel at the top.

Here is a nice shot I took of of Carl right before he unloads one of his 300 yard drives. (^_^) And testing fairway woods...

I actually rank this as the second easiest and longest driver behind Ryoma. It has better feel than the Romaro HX but as I noted in my blog, is quite high launching so getting the right loft is important. Here are other reviews:

I have the driver here right now and yes it is a driver for the better player and for the one with a faster swing. Its more compact shaped, face is deeper and much more firm than say Epon. Forgiveness is quite a bit less than Ryoma. I hit the driver and honestly as a mid capper and slower swinger it does not work for me. That is not to say it is not a nice driver because it is in fact quite a beauty, it is made by kamui works to target the better player. Those who want more forgiveness need to look at the TP-07s.

It was a pleasure meeting Carl who is a greatguy and I must say he swings and hits it like a pro so was a pleasure to fit. He pured every driver shot right in the center and never varied from 290-300 yards. I hope you will be coming back Carl as there is still so much to see in Japan, and bring your clubs next time! As Carl said, everyone is welcome to come!

Keep in mind though the Diamana X is not an option for the egg7 and it is not necessarily the best choice as the design of the egg Seven excels with shaft with a more active tip to produce the right amount of launch with the egg's lower loft (though if I remember correctly there may be one Seven user with the X in it). I know there are quite a few Seven users here. Driverhead (OP) did end up getting one as well. And so did Mjr. Diarrhea. The concept of the egg is to not only produce a strong trajectory but also out carry higher lofts and definitely out run them. My review was here: http://www.golftoimp...-driver-review/

Yes you can choose between conforming or non.

My distance average is 230 ish and started hitting 240 and over with the ST. The other day I hit one over 275. It was the first tee and first swing of the day and i did not even swing hard... I was shocked as were all my playing partners as I had never driven it this far on this hole. According to gps I carried 240 and rolled another 35 yards. Of course I could not replicate that distance again for the rest of the day but I know its in there somewhere. (^_^)

Whoever said the Ryoma is a hook machine? The V-Spec certainly is not. If it hooks its either the shaft or the swing. I know how many Ryomas we've sold and its certainly not either love or hate it. Its mostly love and by a large margin. Obviously there is no perfect driver or everyone would have it and not every driver will work for every player for the most part people have had success with Ryoma and those who have not are in a small minority but it happens as with any driver.

I have tested every single one you listed plus other hi cor's like the Quelot and EHR. None can match the Ryoma in distance or forgiveness. The Ryoma is not only the longest but as forgiving if not the most forgiving of any driver which is why it is the distance king. Even if I miss a shot badly off the center, even off the heel, the toe or anywhere around the outer areas of the face it still goes reasonably well and straight. This is thanks to the monocoque body and the way it peforrms with the head. I am testing a new Hi Cor head right now, the new Kamui Pro TP-07s Aero. A lot comes down to shaft but with all things being equal, the Ryoma is the king. Many users have given me feedback and noted they gained up to 20y and these are for slower swingers too. The thing about the ST though is it launches higher than the normal Ryomas, I actually stepped down a loft to 9.5*.

I compared the VG3 side by side with the AP2 Forged and the dimensions were virtually identical, but when hitting them the VG3 felt quite a bit better as the feel is deadened a bit due to the design of the AP2 cavity. The AP1 are slightly bigger with more offset but I'd say forgiveness was about equal thanks to the weighting and big pocket of the VG3. Feel wise the VG3 was softer than the AP1 which if I remember correctly is not forged.

Welcome Mastaj, the VG3 are very similar in size and offset to the AP2 forged.