gocchin

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.

Personally I hit the Egg longer than any other FW I have tried before. You have a swing speed close to idrive who is also using the Egg and can chime in. The Egg is shallower than the Fourteen and is also more forgiving. As a matter of a fact I think idrive replaced a Fourteen with the Egg.

As I posted on http://www.golftoimpress.com Yamaha has announced its all new line of 2010 clubs. Today I'll start by introducing its driver lineup. The Yamaha Inpres X Driver series has really dominated the Japanese market in recent years. A combination of awesome design, finish, performance and feel have kept them at the top of the sales charts in Japan. Yamaha has always released drivers to suit several player levels and styles and 2010 is no different as they will be releasing 4 new drivers up from their usual 3 models a year. The V series which has always been aimed at the athlete golfer or low handicapper and pro level player has gone from 1 model to 2 models with an introduction of a limited edition TOURMODEL. The D Series for the average golfer remains with 2 models a standard model and a Type S model. Here is a look at the breakdown of the 4 models and what kind of players they target. The V Series is aimed at control, for those who want to work the ball left and right, while the D Series is automatic in other words swing away and the driver does the work. The V Series features a higher and shallower center of gravity for a more piercing and controlled trajectory. Both models feature a 0* square face angle and neutral weighting. Interestingly, the V201 TOURMODEL has a lower CG placement than the standard V201 model which launches the lowest of all 4 models. The V201 TOURMODEL provides a mid trajectory and is easily workable left or right. The standard V201 launches low and straight. The trajectory of both V Series models can also be attributed to the stock shafts which are high end shafts from Graphite Design and Fujikura rather than OEM Yamaha shafts. The V201 TOURMODEL features the new Tour AD DI-6 shaft as its stock shaft. This is an all new design from Graphite Design featuring a touch softer butt than the EV Series but a much firmer tip area than the EV. This results in a lower trajectory and increased control than the previous EV series which launched higher. Paired with the Yamaha, this is a mid launch combo with low spin and the control that pro players want. The V201 features an all new Fujikura shaft, the Rombax J. The 6J10 is made only for Japan and compared to last years 6Y09 has a much stiffer mid section to tip area. The Rombax J features a 2 carbon ply overlay overlapping a 3 carbon ply weave. The softer butt provides feel but the stiff mid section and tip area make the launch low and piercing. The Inpres X D Series which is the number one selling driver series in all of Japan for 2009 features the standard D201 and D201 Type S. Like previous years, the standard D201 is weighted for a draw and the Type S for a straight to fade ball. The CG placement in both D series drivers is identical at 37.0mm deep and 33.5mm high. Only the weighting is different and the face angle as the Type S has a 0* square face and the standard D201 a 1.0* closed face. So these provide higher launch coupled with lower spin thanks to the new shaft and face design. There is a new forged Ti face for both the V and D Series, an evolution of Yamaha's X inface design. The 2008 had the X inface and the 2009 the multi X inface design. The 2010 models feature an all new Cross X design with a circle stroke around the X to create the biggest sweet spot ever on a Yamaha driver. The Cross and Circle create 8 sections of the face with variable thickness hence the name OCTAFACE. The shape of the cross as well as the thickness measurements vary between the V and D Series. The Cross pattern favors misses high and low on the face for the V Series as the better player doesn't miss as often on the toe or heel. The D Series Cross is rotated to create forgiveness high on the toe and low at the heel, typical miss spots for the average golfer. The OCTAFACE V on the V Series features a thicker sweet spot that caters to faster and harder hitters while the OCTAFACE D features a thinner walled sweet area to focus on distance performance. The D Series also features an all new shaft from Yamaha the "orbit". The oribit comes in two flavors, a Square Impact Design model and a Draw Impact Design model. The orbit focuses on creating stable kick and squaring the head at impact for optimal contact. Not only does the orbit square the face to the ball but it creates a plane where the head lines up to the ground creating a parallel line between the CG point and impact point on the face. This provides optimal launch and spin. The dual kick orbit creates a mid to high kick followed by a mid to low kick that creates an accelerating feeling as the shaft unloads. One of the reasons why the Yamaha drivers perform so well is that their heads always spin relatively low. Rather than focus on the high launch max carry concept, the Inpres X line has always focused on optimal launch (which is not necessarily high) with low spin for carry AND run. The combination of head design mated with the right shaft produce the type of trajectory that players today are looking for as shown in the chart below: So Yamaha looks to continue its streak of best selling drivers as they seem to always produce what the Japanese consumer is looking for, cutting edge designs, features and technology that simply perform and feel great. Look for the new drivers to be in our pro shop very soon for pre orders. Make sure you check out the blog in the next few days for my 2010 Yamaha irons preview.

People definitely love the ability to customize the specs and on top of it the performance and feel and forgiveness I must have helped more than 10 people already in the last month alone with their specs for the Kamui including one with a 57* lie and 2* open face at 9* loft and fade biased. If you need something specific (like idrive's 57* lie) feel free to contact me as I am in contact with Kamui regularly. I battle the right side so my specs were 11* 61* lie 2.0* closed Draw biased Black Pearl 0.88COR Motore Speeder VC3.0 lightweight specs 282g total weight C8 Swing Weight 44.5"

Yes B, they can also shift the weighting in the head since its built from scratch ie if you want it draw biased or fade biased or neutral. The CG is placed a touch back for a higher low spin launch but because the lofts are true to spec unlike many OEM's it actually launches lower for me even though I am using an 11* with Motore Speeder than say my PRGR GN502 10.5 with Griffin. There is no other custom built driver like this from any other manufacturer.

I've had one for a few weeks. I am very happy with it especially the feel. It's very soft and reminds me more of the 460ZR from Epon except more forgiving for me and longer. (I have the 0.88 COR one) It's been our best selling driver over the last few weeks and its not even close. Tourspecgolfer (Chris) tested one while in Japan here a few weeks ago and idrive has one as well so they may want to chime in.

I already did a quick overview and preview of the SP line as well here: http://www.golftoimpress.com/2009/10/geote...eries-overview/ Lots of pics and a sound at impact video.

The lofts are the same and they are better suited for a digger as the Proto actually has a slightly wider sole. The DP-2010 has no 60* loft though.

Any one who is interested in the Proto's can contact me as we have a few from the Three Luck tour van as described here: http://www.golftoimpress.com/2009/09/three...eam-jump-wedge/

ONOFF introduces their all new S-Forged wedge based on Prototype wedges used by pro golfer Shingo Katayama who joined ONOFF earlier this year. These premium Japan forged wedges feature mutli grind soles for versatility and micro milled face (on the 58* only) for awesome spin and control. The S-Forged focuses on feel and control with a teardrop like shape and minimal offset. The 52/6 S-Forged features a rounder grind sole while the 58/10 features a multigrind indented sole for that reduces friction and contact. The ONOFF S-Forged is finished in a soft Ni-CR plating and a satin finish. Both wedges are good for amateur play up to 2024 regarding USGA rules (they do not have v grooves). Available with NS Pro 950GH Stiff or DG S200 shafts. These are forged by Endo and are ultra limited. (I am trying to get a set for myself even). ONOFF S-Forged Wedge

Yes the new 2009 model complies with the new groove rules.

Actually 5 star has nothing to do with gold though yes you can add gold too. 5 Star equals work by the most senior Hon,a craftsman using top carbon for the shafts http://www.honmagolf.co.jp/item/shaft_e.ph...l_menu=10#grade and the following options to create pretty much your own custom irons and custom shafts: Irons 1. Changing head finishes 3. Putting name or Original logo 4. Changing face finish 5. Changing face thickness 6. Changing blade thickness 7. Changing center of gravity 8. Changing Grind 9. Changing Offset Shafts 1. Changing kick point 2. Changing torque 3. Changing flex 4. Changing weight 5. Putting name or Original logo 6. Changing color Grips 1. Putting name on grip end.

Mizuno's ultra premium bling bling monarch line. Been around a long time and for the rich folk who want premium bling. No where near Honma 5 Star though. That set is 6000.00+ Honma 5 Star irons are over 20,000.00 a set. And also Honma 5 Star is not necessarily bling bling. Maybe many years ago but Beres in in no way Bling. Note I removed the link (please don't link to competitors websites here guys (^_^))

Small brand in Japan. Relatively unknown. Uses open model catalog heads and restamps them with the Ikasu brand. Never used them myself so I cannot comment on finish and feel.

We can get all Sky Dream Jump putters but there really aren't that many outstanding models right now. They have not updated their putter line since 2007.

Well said G, now please email Epon the same words. (^_^) We have long tried to convince them of the advantages of selling on TSG and the marketing we provide but they have made their decision.

No problem R, you're pretty much echoing what I said and going a step further by actually mentioning "price control". (^_^)

Yes and he should since he's a great builder. (^_^)

Actually Epon will also eventually enforce the policy of no internet sales in Japan as well. It will just take longer to do so for them since there are many internet sellers of Epon in Japan. No conspiracy here. They want to build a network of retailers and protect those retailers ie buyer doesn't go to their own local retailer because TSG a company with low overhead can price lower just as golf 37 above said, and this makes local retailers hesitate to open an account if they cannot beat some online retailers price. As the manufacturer it is up to Epon to establish these rules, whether we like them or not (we don't and would of course love to continue selling Epon online). Also buying equipment that does not suit a player can hurt a company because an uneducated and unsympathetic consumer would immediately blame the company's gear ie these don't perform for me not because I didn't buy the right gear but because they are no good. Sad but true. While we here on this forum know clubs well and realize that not every club works for every player, some customers think just because people say a club is good it will work for them which is not always the case. So Epon has made their decision and we will abide by it even if we would rather not. (^_^)

Not a problem Doc, I will use this thread if you don't mind to answer any questions about the change for us and Epon.