The All New 2009 Epon AF-Tour Blade w/ PiCS!

[gocchin]

The new Epon AF Tours are absolutely stunning. I will need a set of these down the road but right now I'll be busy with the TourStage 901's. I'll have them back this week with the KBS (and a tune-up!. Thanks Goodsie) and you can best believe I'll be hitting them a lot and providing feedback for you all.

One thing about the 901's. Having hit them a limited time before I sent them off, I believe them to be a better iron than the old X-blade 2's. While they are the same length, the 901's are taller and have a much better "feel". Its my early prediction that if one could hit the old 2's the 901's will be even easier.

It is my opinion that any blade released now, is of superior technology than those of previous years just because the knock on blades for so long has been they are unhittable. However, when you've designers such as the ones at Epon with all their CAD design and testing, I don't think one could go wrong. Even the Miura 5003's which could look very intimidating to some have been touted here as being very easy to hit.

I'm sure its only a matter of time before the AF-Tours are released with finish options as well as lie options and it will be just another stellar product from Epon.

I think you're totally right B, with new designs and new materials and technologies blades are definitely easier to hit than ever. What does this mean? Are you going to own both the 901 and AF-Tour?? (^_^)

[88 ROUNDS PER YEAR]

I kinda agree with Jacksonlui that the word "forgiveness" is often refered to vaguely in forums and even magazines. However, in the golf equipment industry, I believe the term "forgiveness" means mainly two things: 1. minimum distance lost on off center hits, and 2. minimum side spins created as a result of unsquare club face at impact which cause direction deviation. I still believe, no matter how modern a golf club is, the laws of physics always apply. Years ago, there were so many poorly designed (technically) blades in the markets, even from great brands like Ben Hogan, Macgregor, Titleist, Taylor Made, Honma, or even Miura. From a forgiveness scale of one to ten, one as least forgiving, most of those older models would score 1. I believe the new modern blade designs, i.e. AF Tour, TS-901, MB-5003, would probably score 2 or 3 (more than 100% improvement in forgiveness!) This, I mean for the "CORRECTIVE" aspect of forgiveness.

Then, why do modern blades feel so much better and lose less distance on mis-hits, easier to square clubface, and get the ball up easier? Better club balance from heel to toe (COG manipulation), better club making, better shafts, better balls, better club head materials, and even better turf condition. Also, blades like MP29, MP14 with some offset also help many golfers squaring the club faces. These factors, IMHO, enhance golfers to hit better shots. They are the "PREVENTIVE" side of forgiveness.

Therefore, the general reviews from forum members, or magazines, as Gocchin said, still give useful insights, especially on the preventive forgiveness. For the corrective forgiveness, we would have to use robot with launch moitors to accurately measure the true forgiveness of golf clubs.

Still, a poor swing is always a poor swing. No matter how large a CB is, it will not change a banana slice into a gentle fade, or a duck hook into a high draw! Personally, I do not score any better with big CBs, so I opt for more feel. Also, one plus point for blades, they have never been aesthetically obsolete. BLADES RULE!!!

Jacksonlui, I probably would go with AF Tour with Nippon Super Peening Blue shafts after I read your review. Personally, I like blades that provide super solid feel, not soft, light, and hallow. Could it be the NS Pro 950 shaft and the titanium insert that give you that feeling? If I buy the AF Tour, I would post a comparison against MB-5003. Too bad I could not (do not want to) shaft them the same. (Super Peening Blue VS Tour Concept).

[idrive]

When will different finish options be available?

[froggy10]

Yes, a nice sharp looking blade.

Nice to see they didn't go crazy on the graphics like that one post would have lead us to believe.

Obviously other kinds of finishing options will be possible, so looking forward to what those will look like.

Last but not least, a Miura-Giken MB-5003 vs. Epon AF-Tour blade comparison and shootout WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN. That will definitely drive my decision.

Finally, do we even know yet if the pricing will be in the range of the MB-5003's? Sure hope so.

Nice job.

[jacksonlui]

it's in the pro shop

[HungryPillow]

Man these blades have really grown on me. When I first saw the spy pics I didn't think much of them, but now that they've launched officially I'm thinking hard about picking these up as a backup set. The current state of the economy has me thinking twice though... baaah the dilemmas of being a ho...

[danitrio1]

How does blade length/face size compare with Miura MB-5003 or Tourstage 901??

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Here are some real images of the new Epon AF Tour Iron.

Custom finishes are not available at this moment, Epon is such a detailed oriented company they actually produce heavier heads for each custom finish. Chrome usually weighs 7-10 grams while Black or Copper weighs less. So TSG put a light brushing on the stock chrome finish to produce a Satin Look Alike.

Standard Chrome Finish:

Brushed Satin look alike:

[jacksonlui]

i love the finish on the face, it's like the faces on the Miura and many TM TP irons...what finish is that called?

That's one complaint I have on the 901. These type of finishes on the face is much more durable but someone had said that it's not as flat? I don't know but it's sweet looking.

[karel]

Will there be any left handed club from EPON 2009 ?

thanks,

[HungryPillow]

Awesome pics, that brushed satin is definitely the way to go. I agree that the Miura satin finish was one of my favorites of any irons out there, and this one looks just like it!

[88 ROUNDS PER YEAR]

How do they feel at impact compared to AF301? What about the reverse offset progression? Do they measure it differently from AF301? From the spec sheet, they seem to have more offset than AF301.

[Duffer19]

How do they feel at impact compared to AF301? What about the reverse offset progression? Do they measure it differently from AF301? From the spec sheet, they seem to have more offset than AF301.

It doesnt make sense to have more offset than the 301. The bigger the face progression number, the less offset (have not actually compare the two.)

[Spoon]

ok guys i have tried the AFTOUR, after several sessions in the range let me just say that these are so easy to hit. not as easy as the 701 but certainly not less forgiving than the af501 and 301. other golfers also unanimously agree.

had these shafted in dgs300 and kbtours, according to epon, the shafts were designed with the 110g and up shaft selection so it would be unwise to put a much lighter shaft.

what is surprising is that it plays easier than it looks. what was hard to adjust to was the lofting of the irons, they are approx 1 club weak and lofts seem to be weaker by 3-4*. so naturally my distance was way off compared to the af701 which naturally ahs stronger lofts to begin with. over clubbing certainly fixed that.

what makes the iron shine is that that it is extremely balanced, im not a consistent ball striker but i was consistenly hitting the ball in the center of the face and the marks will prove it:) there is certainly loss of distance compared to a same lofted 701 but not by much. the dispersion is very very tight. looked like around 5-10 yards compared to the very fickle 701.

what is weird is that the af301 is suppose to be much easier to hit on paper but testing the tours for real is that it seemed much easier to hit. its very weird. also do not that it is suppose to be more difficult to hit the sweetspot of the tours but i was more consistent than the larger faced 301. doesnt make sense to me at all.

i guess im quite surprised coz these are blades as easy to hit as cbs. maybe helps that i was concentrating more and using a smoother swing coz of the smaller face compared to my gungho style with the af501/701s. another feat was being able to hit a double dime sized sweetspot on face most of the time unlike with the af501/701 it was dicey this one was spot on. epon has something uber special here.

im sure there is a scientific answer as why i hit these better than 301/501, or maybe its psychological dont quite now. if its a love at first site thing then it should be shortlived. only time will tell as ive already pulled the triggger on this set.they are not unforgiving at all, im a high capper and i can hit these quite well, those will lower caps will even be more amazed. for thsoe that think it is unforgiving i suggest you try or borrow a set, couple of hits and youl see why this is touted as the easiest blade to hit.

[gocchin]

Amazing feedback Spoon! It makes me think I will be trying a set!

As for the offset, there is less on the AF-Tour. Be careful not to get confused by the specs as AF-301 specs show face progression while AF-Tour specs show actual offset.

[Duffer19]

Amazing feedback Spoon! It makes me think I will be trying a set!

As for the offset, there is less on the AF-Tour. Be careful not to get confused by the specs as AF-301 specs show face progression while AF-Tour specs show actual offset.

T:

It just couldnt be as easy as 701 or 501 not matter how you look at it (not from actually trying it). It might be easier or more forgiving that other blades but still not a set for a high(er) handicapper. Golf is still about scoring and not about a good shot here and there.

[gocchin]

T:

It just couldnt be as easy as 701 or 501 not matter how you look at it (not from actually trying it). It might be easier or more forgiving that other blades but still not a set for a high(er) handicapper. Golf is still about scoring and not about a good shot here and there.

Oh I agree R. I don't expect them to be as easy as the AF701's. I just want a set. We're all ho's remember? (^_^)

[Spoon]

T:

It just couldnt be as easy as 701 or 501 not matter how you look at it (not from actually trying it). It might be easier or more forgiving that other blades but still not a set for a high(er) handicapper. Golf is still about scoring and not about a good shot here and there.

that is precisely why i am going to take the afternoon off tom and get a round with these sticks under my belt. like i said they were all amazing in the range, tom lets see how it performs in real playing conditions. hoping to report back with some good news. ...crossing my fingers

[livetoplay]

My concern with the new AF Tours is the loft is 2 degree's weaker in these than the other Epon's which makes mixing a set of the AF Tours with say the 301's difficult. Is 2 degree's a lot to be bent for an iron? I wonder how bending them will affect the bounce on the club and how the leading edge will go through the turf now that you have changed the face angle to match the 301's loft it seems this will alter the play of the clubs. I would be curious if anyone else has thought about this and if so what are your thoughts . I guess you could get the 301's bent 1 degree weaker and the AF Tour 1 degree stronger to match them up but, that's a pain and also now you have double the cost to get that work done. I am really interested in mixing a set of the Tour's and the 301's but I am hesitant because of the loft's; maybe I am making much to do about nothing.

[Spoon]

My concern with the new AF Tours is the loft is 2 degree's weaker in these than the other Epon's which makes mixing a set of the AF Tours with say the 301's difficult. Is 2 degree's a lot to be bent for an iron? I wonder how bending them will affect the bounce on the club and how the leading edge will go through the turf now that you have changed the face angle to match the 301's loft it seems this will alter the play of the clubs. I would be curious if anyone else has thought about this and if so what are your thoughts . I guess you could get the 301's bent 1 degree weaker and the AF Tour 1 degree stronger to match them up but, that's a pain and also now you have double the cost to get that work done. I am really interested in mixing a set of the Tour's and the 301's but I am hesitant because of the loft's; maybe I am making much to do about nothing.

i wanted to get a mixed set as well but from what i was told epon will only sell a minimum of 5-pw and no purchasing of single irons except a 3 or 4 i as an additional piece to an existing set. Maybe chris can confirm this one. i considered strengthening the lofts as well but decided to leave them alone and adjust my other irons in relation to the af tour lofts. these are blades and i dont want to decrease the forgiveness by ++ the lofts.

so my aftour 5iron has a loft of 28* which is basically a 6i for the 501/701. one may add a 5i 701 etc and adjust the loft to a 25/24*. i wont have that problem as i already have a 24/25* hybrids to select from

[Duffer19]

Oh I agree R. I don't expect them to be as easy as the AF701's. I just want a set. We're all ho's remember? (^_^)

OK then get a set to 'your (mine)' spec so I can pick it up after the next set comes along for you.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Duffer19

[livetoplay]

i wanted to get a mixed set as well but from what i was told epon will only sell a minimum of 5-pw and no purchasing of single irons except a 3 or 4 i as an additional piece to an existing set. Maybe chris can confirm this one. i considered strengthening the lofts as well but decided to leave them alone and adjust my other irons in relation to the af tour lofts. these are blades and i dont want to decrease the forgiveness by ++ the lofts.

so my aftour 5iron has a loft of 28* which is basically a 6i for the 501/701. one may add a 5i 701 etc and adjust the loft to a 25/24*. i wont have that problem as i already have a 24/25* hybrids to select from

Chris gave me a quote yesterday for 7-PW so yes you can order the Tour's in various head combo's which really is a great thing and something that makes ordering the Epon's very tempting because you can mix and match your set. Most people can't hit a long iron in a blade like the Tour so being able to get a more forgiving long irons in a mix set is something that most should take advantage of IMHOP. I know some people have felt like the AF 301's left a lot to be desired when it came to shot making especially in the long irons, I for one have loved the long irons in the 301's and felt the short irons to be good but not excellent because IMHOP they really were hard to shape shots with unlike my X-Blades which you can shape so easily you're tempted to hit crazy shots just for the fun of it. The long irons in the 301's are very forgiving and hit the ball very straight which is exactly what I want in a long iron, now add improve shot making abilities with the AF Tours in the short irons and IMHOP you have one of the best sets you can get. Only problem with this setup is the lofts which really makes me wonder what the heck was Epon thinking.

[livetoplay]

Chris gave me a quote yesterday for 7-PW so yes you can order the Tour's in various head combo's which really is a great thing and something that makes ordering the Epon's very tempting because you can mix and match your set. Most people can't hit a long iron in a blade like the Tour so being able to get a more forgiving long irons in a mix set is something that most should take advantage of IMHOP. I know some people have felt like the AF 301's left a lot to be desired when it came to shot making especially in the long irons, I for one have loved the long irons in the 301's and felt the short irons to be good but not excellent because IMHOP they really were hard to shape shots with unlike my X-Blades which you can shape so easily you're tempted to hit crazy shots just for the fun of it. The long irons in the 301's are very forgiving and hit the ball very straight which is exactly what I want in a long iron, now add improve shot making abilities with the AF Tours in the short irons and IMHOP you have one of the best sets you can get. Only problem with this setup is the lofts which really makes me wonder what the heck was Epon thinking.

I just got off the with my local club fitter and asked him about changing the loft of the AF Tour by bending it 2 degree's stronger and if that would affect the play of the club and the bounce. He said that 2 degree's was nothing and it takes 4 degree's to have any affect. So there you have it, apparently you can bend the irons and not worry about affecting the play of the irons according to my local club fitter who better be right because he will be doing the work.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Chris gave me a quote yesterday for 7-PW so yes you can order the Tour's in various head combo's.

Im sorry but I was mistaken. Epon is only willing to sell 5-PW with optional 3 & 4 irons. I was mistaken because this is a first as with all other models they have been able to offer in any amount of clubs.

In regards to the question about the finish from Jackson, That is the same bead blast over chrome or satin that 99% of all plated clubs use. There is nothing special about it but I think by the direct sunlight in the images I took they appear to be something out of the ordinary. The question Jackson asked about the flat faces is technically true the faces are not as flat but the same could be said about grooves making the face less flat or a putters or irons milling making a face less flat. It is so microscopic that no golfer should be concerned with it.

[livetoplay]

Im sorry but I was mistaken. Epon is only willing to sell 5-PW with optional 3 & 4 irons. I was mistaken because this is a first as with all other models they have been able to offer in any amount of clubs.

In regards to the question about the finish from Jackson, That is the same bead blast over chrome or satin that 99% of all plated clubs use. There is nothing special about it but I think by the direct sunlight in the images I took they appear to be something out of the ordinary. The question Jackson asked about the flat faces is technically true the faces are not as flat but the same could be said about grooves making the face less flat or a putters or irons milling making a face less flat. It is so microscopic that no golfer should be concerned with it.

Chris do you see Epon changing its policy in the future to sell the AF Tour in individual irons? Once the opening launch is over. I know a lot of companies won’t sell individual irons until later in the life cycle of the product and they have sold the initial run of already bundled sets. The AF 301/ Tour set would be a great set.