gocchin

I've tried it briefly indoors and it feels a lot like the Spoon and is very easy to hit. I like the sound it gets at impact. I am waiting for a demo so I can test it in real conditions. The shorter shaft definitely does make a difference at squaring it up and puring it but as you've noticed Randy with the shafts you'd definitely have to get a M-43 at least. As for distance wise, on the monitor I was getting 15 yards or so more than the spoon. That is because the face and sweet spot on the driver is afterall bigger and thus able to create a larger sling shot effect.

The 502 does have a hollow body but that body is not technically hollow because it has a new alpha gel Epon developed particularly to create a softer feel and absorb vibrations. The gel is injected into the hollow cavity and that helps produce feel and a more muted sound at impact. This also overrides the so called undercut cavity which does not look like an undercut ala previous 501 model. So there is much less click with a softer feel.

The difference is the EGG Spoon BODY and FACE are Titanium which is why it is like a driver. The EGG FW is SUS630 Stainless steel. The Spoons are built for hot feel and distance while the FW is more for accuracy and solid feel.

The ERC III is conforming. All ERC's before that were not conforming so the III does meet SLE Rules.

From what I heard they won't be doing a black one at least not initially.

Hi Leonard, anytime my friend. The more you play it the more you will enjoy it. The feel is a real pleasure to hit and for me it is also longer than Epon.

Aaron they are cast but actually feel pretty good thanks to the pocket cavity. The 701G is a rather compact iron but has a pocket cavity for forgiveness. (it is smaller than the Srixon's you play) You might like lie the GR C-1 then if you still want forged or the new 703. Otherwise the P-1 is the most forgiving of all X-Blades.

Ryu-zen is officially for sale! http://www.tourspecgolf.com/Gold39s-Factor...n-Putter-1-of-1

It's too early to tell with the Yamaha since its not out yet. The 43.5" personally for me will make it hard to square up. I play my EGG at 42.5". Also the Yamaha is over 40cc larger which is good for some but maybe too big for others. However if it is as solid as other Yamaha FW's it could work awesome with the FricOff Sole.

Great feedback Randy, let us know more when you get a chance. I am also considering a 9w Egg in the bag because these are so easy to hit in any lie, even easier than some hybrids in my opinion.

As I posted on the GTI blog! Spoon to the rescue... Low lofted fairway woods don't have to be hard to hit. In Japan, most golfers don't call these fairway woods by their number ie "3 wood", they say "spoon". Hence the name EGG Spoon from PRGR. These so called spoons rival your driver in distance and are made to be silly easy to hit off the fairway or the tee. I would have to say that the EGG Spoon is my number one performing club as it saves me with a long second shot that nearly equals my driver in distance. Spoon's aren't just for average golfers though but for anyone who wants a mini driver off the grass or rough including pros like Shingo Katayama and Hideto Tanihara who both carry the EGG Spoon in their bags. Soon PRGR won't be the only one offering a hot Spoon to Japanese consumers. FricOff... no its not a swear word. Yamaha has decided to enter the Spoon picture and add the new Inpres D Power Spoon to their standard Inpres fairway wood lineup. The new 2010 Spoon shares some features of the Inpres D Fairway wood like the Fric Off sole I spoke about earlier this year in the blog, a slight hump in the leading edge of the club that is the only point to make contact with the ground at impact thus reducing friction that slows down your swing speed. 43.5" long and 208cc head?!?! The Power Spoon is made of precision 6-4 Ti all around. This thin and lightweight Ti allows for the sole to have an incredible 72g of tungsten weighting creating optimal launch and spin. The weights are purposely not placed far back in the head to keep a balanced CG and launch with lower spin. Note the 43.5" length and 208cc head size. This is no compact fairway wood nor does it pretend to be. This clubs is made to produce confidence and has one purpose in mind, DISTANCE and it is designed to perform. At address it looks nearly like a 350cc driver as the head is long from face to back and features a rather shallow face. The Spoon is made in Japan and is only available in one loft 15* and has a slightly closed 0.5* face angle. It features the new multi kickpoint Orbit shaft that really squares the face to the ball at impact. This is a mid kicking shaft and also rather lightweight which makes the entire club feel like a little driver at just under 310g. Interestingly the lie is rather flat which may appeal to some better golfers who are always looking for flatter lie FW's. The Power Spoon has a lie of 57.5* which is even flatter than the pro model Inpres V FW. The new Power Spoon will launch literally on December 5th and TSG should have the pre orders for this club soon. We hope to also get our demos in for some testing and real live pics!

What do you mean by too light? The Swing Weight?

You'll have to go with Fourteen because the 6150TG is discontinued... barely any lofts left.

The Motore F1 in Japan is also considered the stiffer control shaft made for the hard hitter, faster swinger. The JDM model "might be percieved" as softer because if I am not mistaken it has higher torque numbers which translate into more feel in the shaft. This seems to be the case for many of Fuji's shafts that are both US and Japan models. The JDM models follow a trend where there is more torque to move away from a boardier feel.

B, if your main concern is forgiveness which from our discussions I think it is, you would indeed miss the AF-701's. The 502 have less offset and are a smaller head with smaller sweet spot. If you want to stick with forged, the AF-701 is one of the most forgiving sets out there.

Technica Pro, Type J, AF-301 = Same iron, rebadged for global release idrive is right that the AF-Tour could be perceived as harder because the sweet spot is simply smaller and harder to pure.

Fourteen is now forged in China. But of very high quality. I am a fan of Fourteen wedges and they are amongst the best and most popular in Japan regardless of where they are forged. As a matter of a fact I think I will be switching to Fourteen to replace my milled RC 6150TG wedges.

Lots of clubs in to test these days. Got the Z-TX line in and surprisingly I can hit them! Here is the driver mini review, tons of pics at the blog http://www.golftoimpress.com Z-TX Clubs in the house I received a box full of Srixon clubs for testing recently including the all new Z-TX Driver, Fairway Wood, Irons and new Srixon Hybrid. I'll start off today with the Z-TX driver which as you know Tourspecgolfer has already reviewed himself. Usually I would NOT be reviewing a driver or clubs from Srixon, especially anything from their "Z" lines as in the past they were aimed at the Athlete golfer (low handicapper) and pro player. However, the Z-TX line peaked my interest as Srixon completely redesigned the driver from the ground up with input from Srixon Pros Jim Furyk and Tommy Nakajima on head shape, face design and feel and even the sound of the driver. Also it seems the trend these days even for athlete model clubs is an emphasis on forgiveness. So how forgiving are the Z-TX? Super-TIX 51AF comes calling Another feature of the new Z-TX driver that caught my attention is their decision to move away from the cold rolled Ti-9 face to the very hot and softer feeling Super-TIX®51AF found only in XXIO drivers. This is a special mix Titanium that was developed by Srixon for XXIO and used in the best selling XXIO drivers in the last few generations. The Super-TIX®51AF produces amazing feel and spring like action unlike previous Srixon faces which were more solid and had a firmer feel geared towards harder swinging professionals. So how does the Z-TX feel and can a slower swinger like myself benefit from a Srixon driver now that it uses Super-TIX®51AF? Good looking head It was a beautiful day for taking pictures and I must say the driver is a looker. It may not appeal to those who prefer a clean looking basic sole but those who like high tech strong looking clubs, the Z-TX looks like it is ready to transform and challenge Optimus Prime. It's indented twin cam sole features a weighting system to increase MOI and help bring CG further back in the head for a low spin and piercing trajectory. The head features 11g of weight placed at the toe and heel to achieve an optimal launch. At address the head is slightly larger than the ZR-800 and ZR-30 but still retains a pear like shape. Jim Furyk actually took part in the head design and this is a size and shape he felt comfortable with. It gives confidence at address but is not overly large like an MOI driver (which this is not) The Z-TX features a square face angle and neutral balance for a workable ball. Forgiveness comes from the new Super-TIX®51AF face with 6% larger sweet spot than the ZR-800 and an overall shallower face. Srixon still chose to use the 6 split bulge and roll design but with the new face material was able to make the areas surrounding the sweet spot thinner while the larger center area retained a 3.4mm thickness for feel. I guess you could say it kind of resembles the old starburst design we saw on the last generation of ZR drivers. Low Torque stock shaft The Z-TX is available with two stock shafts, the SV-3020J in T-55 (55g) and T-65 (65g). I received a T-55 in regular flex. The stock shafts are lower torque that what you would usually find in a JDM driver with OEM shaft. This T-55 has 3.8* of torque which is low for regular flex in Japan. I am used to playing higher torque shafts which result in more feel but I was glad to see that at 3.8* the shaft does not feel boardy and still has good feel to it. The 10.5* I had with mid kick T-55 shaft gave a mid to high trajectory with roll out. So to answer my questions above, can a slower swinger and mid capper hit the Z-TX and how does it perform and feel? Firstly it feels very good. Sometimes athlete spec drivers can feel harsh for the slower swinger/average golfer because manufacturers design the sweet area to be thicker to handle the faster and more aggressive swings of better players. The Z-TX felt very good to me and having come from hitting Srixon and XXIO drivers before, I would say the feel is close to the latter albeit with the thicker sweet spot muting the feel and sound a touch over the XXIO. Yes its forgiving Forgiveness wise this is where the Z-TX surprised. The shallower face allowed me to catch the sweet spot more consistently and I did not lose much distance on of center hits. The thinner outer walls of the driver face do seem to contribute to an equal slingshot effect around quite a large area of the center of the face. I dare to say this has forgiveness on a similar level as my 2007 TaylorMade Burner driver which I still keep around (I have to say that is one USDM driver I can't miss with). Distance wise I was right around where I usually am with the longest drivers I have hit including the Kamui and Epon EMB. There are still aspects of this driver aimed at the better player such as the lie of the Z-TX which is a flatter 57.5* where as many average golfer models are now 60* or more to compensate for the natural flattening out of the shaft on the down swing. I will not brag that I can hit draws and fades at will, its more like I hit them accidentily so I cannot give my honest feedback on control but with the neutral face and bias this driver should be workable especially shafted with a good control shaft like the Motore F1 or Kai'li. Thumbs up Overall the Z-TX is very good looking, feels pretty good and is rather forgiving. It's a fun club to hit and that's what we all look for afterall, something fun that stays in the fairway (albeit with a slight fade for me). Thumbs up for the Z-TX driver quality wise and performance wise for the mid capper or better. I'll post a Mini review on the fairway wood tomorrow.

I have all the info and pictures and specs. Just waiting to put them up on the blog first. 4 new models and they look very very good.

B, they are releasing a new FW very soon. Their old model is not one I would recommend as it is a model from over 2 years ago.

It's hard to say really when it comes to non-conforming vs conforming. A I mentioned feel wise I could not tell the difference between the conforming and non-conforming faces. There has long been a lot of discussion on Conforming vs Non Conforming and some have said it does not make a difference unless the swing speed of the player is a lot higher. That said the Kamui non-conforming is a very high 0.88 COR whereas other non conforming brands and models like my old Nike DFI Ignite+ were 0.86COR, so I guess that could equate to 6% more COR. Does that equal 6% more distance? Most likely not, but it could equal some. It's hard to measure because as you say everything would have to be EXACTLY equal to see if there are in fact differences. The truth is, non-conforming drivers are still popular and the demand is still there. I get requests for non conforming drivers at least 3 times a week so people do still "believe" it makes a difference. So if you are not competing and it doesn't make a difference whether you have conforming or non-conforming why not try the 0.88COR I say, which is what I did. As I play my home course more I may be able to tell some differences in distance but that will take some time. The choice of finish is for the top crown only and as far as I know the colored areas on the sole remain that dark wine color you see in my first picture. Some people have ordered the navy and green but I did not see the finished product. I guess I will ask them.

As I posted on the GTI Blog: Kamui Works 456 Silver Since introducing the Kamui Works 456 Silver driver back in September, it has been a very popular choice for many golfers who visit our pro shop. The ability to customize so many specs and hand made to finish is a big draw. Also the fact that one can choose conforming 0.83COR or Non-conforming 0.88COR has been a big factor as they have probably been going at a 1 to 1 ratio of conforming vs non-conforming when it comes to sales. For the Average to Athlete Golfer Features aside, I've decided to do a one month update on how the driver actually performs. I've had a 456 Silver in the bag now for nearly a month and including 2-3 practice sessions and 1 round a week I'm ready to give a bit of feedback on feel and performance. Because the 456 Silver is so customizable, it is really made for all levels of golfers. As for me, I am a very "average golfer", the most common golfer you can find in Japan. I play for the enjoyment of golf but I'd always love to get a good score (shoot high 80's low 90's) so I need all the help I can get. I drive the ball around 220-240 yards at most and if lucky on an elevated tee with down slope fairway can hit it 260 or so (this is very rare). I struggle with the right side and an occasional slice especially if I speed up and rush my tempo resulting in an open face and glancing blow. So I'm a lot like many of the average golfers out there. Finding the right fit Getting a driver to perform optimally for each individual is not as simple as buying it off the shelf. Pairing a good head with the right shaft to suit ones swing is very important. A great driver head can become a very bad one with the wrong shaft in it and an average driver head can become a pretty good one with the right shaft in it. This can sometimes be the hardest thing to figure out which is why off the shelf clubs still sell well and can be perceived to provide "adequate" performance without having to worry about specs and right fit. Luckily I know my specs so I went with an 11* real loft as I need some launch, a draw biased head with 2.0* closed face to help battle the right side, a 61* lie and a NON-conforming model to see if it would help me gain distance. I have been using the Bassara Griffin in my recent drivers which is a very very good shaft. The Griffin has smooth feel, mid launch, low spin and very stable, but it was not giving me the launch I needed in the driver and I found the butt of the shaft a bit on the thick side (I have small hands), which made it hard for me to turn over sometimes. I am also not a fast swinger so I decided to go ultra light with some kick and chose the Fujikura Motore Speeder VC3.0. The Motore Speeder is the worlds first 7 ply shaft. It has done very well in Japan but truthfully it plays softer than say a Motore F1 and is really aimed more at the smooth swinger or regular tempo guy. Wrist clock and aggressive transitions need not apply (look at the new Motore Speeder X.1 series which solves this). I went with a finished club length of 44.5" and a total final weight of just over 280g. I personally find I have a hard time squaring a driver that is longer than 45" because I initiate the downswing with a body turn first and my arms and hand sometimes cannot catch up. I can also make much better impact with the shorter club. Those of you who read the blog will know that I am not a fan of manufacturers increasing club length to increase distance, ie 46.5" drivers. The longer length makes it so much harder to pure the sweet spot for max balls speedes and optimal launch and spin. So a long driver is not an advantage if you can't hit it consistently and honestly for the average golfer consistency is the hardest thing to we strive for. My Specs So the final specs, Kamui 456 Silver, 11* loft, 2* closed face, draw biased, Motore Speeder VC3.0 44.5" and C8 swing weight. For the swing weight I could have gone with D1 or D2 which is standard in Japan simply by getting a heavier head from Kamui but in my constant testing of drivers, I have found that I have a harder time loading the shaft on a driver with a higher swing weight. This is a personal thing and may not work for everyone but I believe as a slower swinger I can still feel the head at C6-C8 but I seem to be able to load up and unload the club much better. More forgiving than expected So how does 456 Silver stack up? First of all I cannot play any club if it does not feel good. I am a fan of soft feel and the Kamui is a pleasure to play feel wise. It is one of the softer drivers I have hit. The dimple face DAT55 next generation Titanium provides a sponge like slingshot effect. I cannot feel the difference between the conforming demo 456 I had earlier and this non-conforming one. They both utilize the same face but only with different COR. My typical miss on the face is towards the toe or low on the heel. With the shorter club I have been able to stay around the center (thanks to the shorter length of the club) but this club is ultra forgiving as many customers who have gotten one have also noticed, especially for a driver with a mid to deep face. I am in more fairways than usual, I have lost less balls out of bounds since switching to the Kamui. Off center hits still provide very respectable distance. Overall, I may have gained a few yards here and there just based on the virtue that I am in the fairway more often but isn't that what we all want afterall? Better 230 yards in the fairway than 230 yards out in the woods. The Motore Speeder lauches mid to high, with the VC3.0 being probably on the higher side due to its light weight. This paired with the 11* face is fine for me, as I have a tendency to use a strong grip slightly de-lofting the club and this combination gives me a launch just about right. I would have liked a bit more roll and the Kamui is rather low spin but the Speeder is probably adding spin to the combo as I had more roll when I initially tested the Kamui with a Griffin which spins less. Consistent Distance and Fairways keeps This driver is very straight and just as long if not longer than anything I have ever hit including the Epon EMB and 460ZR, XXIO, GN502, ViQ, Hyper ERC, Burner, etc which are all very good drivers that I have played. For any golf ho the ability to keep a club in the bag is a sign of its value and performance. I have no plans on changing out the Kamui 456 Silver anytime soon. The Kamui is a premium driver and is definitely not cheap. But you get premium quality and attention to detail with exact specs and hands on manufacturing. Knowing your specs and finding the right shaft is essential in getting the Kamui 456 Silver to perform for your swing. Do that and you will have a driver, custom made for you and finished by hand that you will play for a very long time coming.

I actually wrote up the descriptions in the pro shop and they have a little chart showing the 703 and how it fits in.The top of the table is larger head, the bottom smaller head. the left is higher launch, the right is lower launch. It is not a replacement for the 701, it is a more forgiving slightly larger version. Tourstage introduces the all new X-Blade 703 iron for 2010! This premium Japan forged S25C cavity back fits right in between the X-Blade 701 series and X-Blade GR for size and target audience. The X-Blade 703 is slightly larger than the 701 making it fall between compact and mid sized cavity. It still retains a thin topline and minimal offset but features a slightly rounder toe and slightly wider sole with more toe and heel relief for versatility. The X-Blade 703 will give you the control and feel of the 701 series but the higher launch and forgiveness of the GR series.

Yes its still considered JDM, lots of JDM clubs aren't made in Japan, most TM Japan clubs are made outside of Japan but they are still JDM as they are made for the Japanese Domestic Market.

I've got the 17 and it is also right behind my driver in distance. For me the 17* is perfect in ball flight as I usually use a higher lofted driver.