jBeam Fairway vs. RC TRC fairway

[sathundon]

I am a Newbie here and in need of comments. I have been searching for an ideal fairway for quite a while and now it comes down to two fairways that fit my liking. I heard many positive comments about TRC UTe but less has been talking about TRC fairway. This also the case for jBeam, lots have prided its driver but noone talks about its fairway. Please share your thoughts and enlighten me. Thanks.

[Spoon]

well i have no personal experience with the Jbeam, have not had a go

with any of their woods but i have had plenty with the RC trc. both

models you mentioned are geared towards the better player/athletic

golfer due to the deeper faces.

The Rc is top notch. it may not be the most forgiving wood out there

but it is very very workable and accurate. i like the fact that the head is

very compact and suits my eye more than most. the twin rails are an added

bonus for playing in tricky lie and gliding through the rough( never tried though)

love the feel of this club, very crisp metallic feel, robust not hollow. sorry not

so good with describing feel:)

i mainly used this off the tee, it was a straight shooter, very accurate but like

i said not the longest. Fwiw i am currenly using an older RC Type H 4+ wood.

its so old but delivers the job. Rc is one of my favorite brands for woods .

[sathundon]

Thank you Spoon for your input. I am also a fan of RC and know that RC will not make me disappoint but I would like to try something different.

[Spoon]

Thank you Spoon for your input. I am also a fan of RC and know that RC will not make me disappoint but I would like to try something different.

i see in your sig that you are using bbd 14, i think they play similar with the TRC being more forgiving. the BBD is longer though

especially of the tee, its a monster.. if somthing different is what you want then the Jbeams would be good. i have never tried them but

hope to one day!

see your playing RC db forged proto wedges! me too , theyr awesome right?

[Petethepilot]

I think you should widen your search to include the Yonex E-Zone Steel FW. I have a 13* with a Matrix Altus high launch shaft and it is a cannon! Beautiful shape and feel. Super value at a couple of hundred dollars (head only) from the TSG Proshop. I don't want to disparage JBeam but their driver head required some serious swingspeed to get the best out of it. Not sure if the FW would be the same?

Pete

[sathundon]

The RC DB Proto wedges are awesome but, same as you, I don't like the feel of S200. I am thinking of changing their shafts. Do you think Shimada will fit me well since I am using K's Tour S in my AF-tour?

Thank you Pete. I will look into it. I used to have Yonex drivers and loved them but never try its fairway.

[Spoon]

The RC DB Proto wedges are awesome but, same as you, I don't like the feel of S200. I am thinking of changing their shafts. Do you think Shimada will fit me well since I am using K's Tour S in my AF-tour?

Thank you Pete. I will look into it. I used to have Yonex drivers and loved them but never try its fairway.

i was going to comment on your s200 but decided not two since you are using them. i pulled them out immediately

did not even bother to try them, you will love the shimada blacks. its a no brainer since your using the k tours.

it will feel like a different beast, more stable and stinger-ish

[Ara selai]

I use a RC 5W and their 21 and 24 utes. Check my signature for specifics. They are all three absolutely top of their class! The 5W, in particular, is a force of nature. It might be my second favorite club after my putter.

Also, I posted a detailed comparison of all three versus a strongly competitive field of candidates. Do a search on "royal collection"'and my name and you should be able to find the relevant post without any problem. Or suffice with this brief summary: you would have to look long and hard in my opinion to find anything that would be their equal in terms of playability and reliability. Doubt you'd find anything substantially "better", though it depends a lot on what you like. I like small, compact heads and a solid-feeling shot. All three RCs have both in spades.

FWIW, I tried the RC MBs last Tuesday, shafted with DG S200s. One of the nicer blades out there, without question. I thought that, with the S200s, the club felt a lite shrill on Moabite, but pure shots were like Christmas came early. I was smiling a lot!

I also hit a new RC "frying pan" driver on Tuesday. In my opinion, RC cometely missed the plot on this one. It felt like I was swing a stick of cotton candy, and felt like I was hitting a balloon. Absolutely pitiful feedback, and zero need-that-in-my-bag factor. Really a big disappointment. May post this separately to see if others have had better experiences. Oddest thing? What purpose other than aesthetics does the twin rail serve on a driver? No need to channel through the rough with a driver, I hope!

[sathundon]

I use a RC 5W and their 21 and 24 utes. Check my signature for specifics. They are all three absolutely top of their class! The 5W, in particular, is a force of nature. It might be my second favorite club after my putter.

Also, I posted a detailed comparison of all three versus a strongly competitive field of candidates. Do a search on "royal collection"'and my name and you should be able to find the relevant post without any problem. Or suffice with this brief summary: you would have to look long and hard in my opinion to find anything that would be their equal in terms of playability and reliability. Doubt you'd find anything substantially "better", though it depends a lot on what you like. I like small, compact heads and a solid-feeling shot. All three RCs have both in spades.

FWIW, I tried the RC MBs last Tuesday, shafted with DG S200s. One of the nicer blades out there, without question. I thought that, with the S200s, the club felt a lite shrill on Moabite, but pure shots were like Christmas came early. I was smiling a lot!

I also hit a new RC "frying pan" driver on Tuesday. In my opinion, RC cometely missed the plot on this one. It felt like I was swing a stick of cotton candy, and felt like I was hitting a balloon. Absolutely pitiful feedback, and zero need-that-in-my-bag factor. Really a big disappointment. May post this separately to see if others have had better experiences. Oddest thing? What purpose other than aesthetics does the twin rail serve on a driver? No need to channel through the rough with a driver, I hope!

Thank you Ara selai. I saw that you have both TRC and Tour VS fairway. Which head is better in your opinion? Technology and feeling wise.

Edited November 10, 2011 by sathundon

[ant]

you mean VS Tour ?! I have one for awhile now and I love it but then again I'm an odd duck and seem to like clubs other people normally dont. If they made it under 400cc instead of 425cc it is that would have been beautiful. Other than that I think its great. No idea why they put that small signature rail at the bottom, maybe its weight distribution thing, maybe just esthetics but it certainly has no use in terms of channeling anything other than air, its pretty deep faced and unhittable off the deck anyway or at least I cant do it with this one. Because of the face design it performs best off high tee so you catch it slightly above middle of the face. The sweet spot is very small for a face that big and anything towards heel or toe feels very different and weak, vertical misses are better tolerated but not very forgiving either, with worst case vertically being lower part of the face. Thats why I think sub 400cc but similarly shaped head and face would have been beautiful on this one but even at 425cc it doesnt look anything like frying pan at address, if anything it looks rather small for anybody coming off anything like real 460cc frying pans unless someone is switching to this one from persimmon or something.

I also hit a new RC "frying pan" driver on Tuesday. In my opinion, RC cometely missed the plot on this one. It felt like I was swing a stick of cotton candy, and felt like I was hitting a balloon. Absolutely pitiful feedback, and zero need-that-in-my-bag factor. Really a big disappointment. May post this separately to see if others have had better experiences. Oddest thing? What purpose other than aesthetics does the twin rail serve on a driver? No need to channel through the rough with a driver, I hope!

[Ara selai]

@sathundon: If I had to toss away my entire kit today and start again, the clubs I'd miss most, in decreasing order, would be: my putter, my 5W, my 58* wedge. I think the Tour VS feel and technology is honestly unbeatable in fairway woods. But you've got to try it, as it's not a club for everyone. Very small, very surgical head. Not at all ideal for anyone who wants a big face behind the ball. Don't worry, the TRC (at least the utes I use) are bombers, too. The design and shape are classic and understated, and they get serious meat behind the ball. In fact, come to think of it, my two most memorable shots in the last month or so have been with the 4-ute. A 190-yard fairway bunker shot to within feet of the pin; and a 195-yard laser, over trees, across a water hazard, andcutting off a dogleg for a birdie putt opportunity. My caddie was very complementary for the rest of the day after that shot. She'd wanted me to lay up.

@ant: It was the new 455cc SFD driver I tried (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.royalcollection.co.jp/&ei=3Z27Tr2iIo7orQforvGqBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Droyal%2Bcollection%2Bgolf%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26biw%3D1391%26bih%3D1017%26prmd%3Dimvns). Very, very disappointed. Now that you've brought the VS Tour to my attention, I'm going to find one to demo!! Per my previous paragraph, if it's at all comparable with the FW, it might find a way to displace my Epon 101. cool that it's smaller. Wish, like you, it was sub-400.

[gocchin]

@sathundon: If I had to toss away my entire kit today and start again, the clubs I'd miss most, in decreasing order, would be: my putter, my 5W, my 58* wedge. I think the Tour VS feel and technology is honestly unbeatable in fairway woods. But you've got to try it, as it's not a club for everyone. Very small, very surgical head. Not at all ideal for anyone who wants a big face behind the ball. Don't worry, the TRC (at least the utes I use) are bombers, too. The design and shape are classic and understated, and they get serious meat behind the ball. In fact, come to think of it, my two most memorable shots in the last month or so have been with the 4-ute. A 190-yard fairway bunker shot to within feet of the pin; and a 195-yard laser, over trees, across a water hazard, andcutting off a dogleg for a birdie putt opportunity. My caddie was very complementary for the rest of the day after that shot. She'd wanted me to lay up.

@ant: It was the new 455cc SFD driver I tried (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.royalcollection.co.jp/&ei=3Z27Tr2iIo7orQforvGqBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Droyal%2Bcollection%2Bgolf%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26biw%3D1391%26bih%3D1017%26prmd%3Dimvns). Very, very disappointed. Now that you've brought the VS Tour to my attention, I'm going to find one to demo!! Per my previous paragraph, if it's at all comparable with the FW, it might find a way to displace my Epon 101. cool that it's smaller. Wish, like you, it was sub-400.

The Tour VS is a great driver and I have to agree with you, as a whole the new SFD Black line was a bit of a let down. The TRC lineup and Tour VS is so much better.

[ant]

Ah, I see, didnt know about those new models but looking at description and specs that driver looks like total opposite of VS Tour to me ie larger volume, forgiving head which is not surprising since they design/build it at 45.5 and good luck hitting smaller head sweetspot consistently at that length. I havent tried Tour VS FWs so cannot say, still have Pro TP I got from TSG here and no plans of replacing it. In fact I made a mistake and changed Nippon steel it came with to graphite so plan on changing it back unless I can find a heavy but alive graphite shaft to perform similar to original steel I really liked so much.

@ant: It was the new 455cc SFD driver I tried (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.royalcollection.co.jp/&ei=3Z27Tr2iIo7orQforvGqBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Droyal%2Bcollection%2Bgolf%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26biw%3D1391%26bih%3D1017%26prmd%3Dimvns). Very, very disappointed. Now that you've brought the VS Tour to my attention, I'm going to find one to demo!! Per my previous paragraph, if it's at all comparable with the FW, it might find a way to displace my Epon 101. cool that it's smaller. Wish, like you, it was sub-400.