Yururi Raw Flatback Irons with Nippon Modus 3….

[EdGolf]

HI! my name is EdGolf and I'm becoming a JDM Golf Hoo Addict.

Long time lurker but I don't usually post much but those babies arrived last Sun straight from Japan!

…….. and I was like a kid on Christmas morning.

As you might already have guess, I order them from and the service was top notch and Tario was extremely patience with all my silly questions after questions after questions. Each heads came individually wrapped with the actual weight sticker on them (sorry no pictures as I was too busy ripping them open)

Apologies for the crappy pictures quality but as I'm busy traveling, I've to take the pictures indoor (night time) in my hotel room and I got with me at this time is my iPhone camera only.

When I was looking to replace my Mizuno MP68 I was looking for feedback and review on em raw blades but unfortunately not much was available so I decided to do a little review of my own.

Yururi are well known for their raw wedges and it' fine grind work but not much talks on their irons series so hopefully some of you will find this review useful.

This is taken from their website:

"Yururi Raw Flat Back irons are some of the softest blade irons ever produced. Feel, playability and control are the key strong points for the Flat Back Blades. Yururi Flat Backs are designed with input from Japanese tour pro requests for consistent performance and consistent distance. This iron targets professional level and low handicap golfers with great ball striking skills.

This is the new 2010 model with conforming grooves. The head is the same as the previous model except the grooves have now been changed for competition play.

Aesthically where the old iron said Flat Back it now says 2010.

Available in raw black OR satin."

Here's a side-by-side link to the rest of their models for those who miss the review: http://www.golftoimp...ide-comparison/

[EdGolf]

Heads:

You can see the sweet spot is not very large but still larger than some blades out there!

The master hand grind work can be seen clearly here on the face and the back. Wonder over time how it will look with some rust on the face. The raw face surface hopefully will add additional spin for those short irons. If you look closely you can see some cloth fiber sticking on the face – yes, that's how sharp it is.

The sole is fairly slim with the leading edge slightly grind back which should help in reducing turf interaction or digging. However I still won't recommended to a digger.

Love how simple the back is – would be even better if they could make the '2010' smaller IMO and keeping the rest clean but I guess as this is the conforming model, they need to make it more obvious as otherwise looks identical to their non-conforming model.

The holster is long which I like as it bring the shaft closer to the head and enhance the overall feeling IMO

[EdGolf]

Shaft:

My previous gamer was a NS Pro950 which I absolutely hate as all my long irons are ballooning up HIGH like my pitching wedge so I switch em out to a DG S300 which bring my ball flight down quite a fair bit and I was able to game back those distance loss playing NSPro. However one department was missing – FEEL which has always been in my mind and thus' the reason for this quest for another blade. I wanted to make sure I shaft this right and after much testing different shaft, research and reading up in different forum, I decided to go with Nippon Modus 3 as I felt it was the most balance shaft for me.

A couple of reason why I choose this:

1. Weight – my elbows are starting to give me issues so didn't wanna go too heavy

2. Ball Flight – wanted something slightly higher than DG but not as high as KBS, PX or NSPro series.

3. Feel – with a head like Yururi, feel is everything and I wanted to make sure the shaft use for it was able to give me that

Another shaft I originally wanted to test out was the all-new rave KBS C-Taper but unfortunately couldn't get that here to try out. The weight of the C-Taper also turns me off a little.

Grip:

Getting a sticky grip was no brainer for me, as my current gamer I'm using Iomic sticky 2.3 but the problem I have with Iomic is sometimes it feels too soft for me. I like the feel of multi-compound but at the same time love the slight stickiness in a grip as it gives me confident to swing and not over griping the clubs. Another sticky grip choice would be Nowon but base on what I've read, it seems it would be even softer than Iomic sticky.

After several discussion with Tario, we decided that Iomic X-Evolution will be the best of both world…. a little of multi-compound feel and still get the stickiness in the grip.

And on top of it, there are over 8 colors combination you can choose from X-Evolution series.

I decided on the white grip with red cap to match both the heads and shaft and it turn out really really sexy…. ! (my wife is already giving me the weird look now)

Fitting:

I play my irons 0.5" above standard length and initially was requesting a SW of D3 but unfortunately this was not possible as it will come up to a SW of D5 so it was a choice of either using counter balance to get my ideal SW or go slightly shorter by 0.25" and ended up with a slightly higher SW of D4, which is fine.

For those of you thinking of getting this iron and playing slightly longer, just take note that SW can be an issue as the heads with standard #6 iron length 37.75" is already around D2 (with Modus S shaft) and the head variance are so small it doesn't really matter if you choose the lightest head weight. (I know cause TSG – Tario was great in assisting me to choose the lightest of each head to try to keep the SW between D3 to D4)

I eventually ended up with a perfect D4 with a 0.25" under my current playing length.

[EdGolf]

How It Play?

So does it plays as well as it looks? I've only been hitting them over the range mat for the past week and they have yet to taste the tuff but will still try my best to give some feedback once I can find time over these few weekend.

Upon receiving it the very next day I sneak out to the range and hit 150 balls with it. The initial few balls I was hitting it on the heel and then I realize this club is build slightly shorter than my usual iron length!

Once I realize that, I started to frame the ball slightly forward off center of the face and BAM…. Sweet spot each time. However, might need to look to see if I can adjust lie angle so I don't have to do this each time.

The Modus launch slightly higher ball flight compare to my DGS300 but the trajectory is much better and not ballooning like NSPro and seems to stay in the air forever before it comes down. Roll was the same as my DGS300. Overall distance I felt I've gain a few yards more, even with a slightly shorter shaft. I think this is because of the trajectory and more carry (which is great) but at this moment not sure how it will perform into the wind!

However, the Modus seems to play softer in flex compare to DG so for those playing a stiff in DG might wanna consider going X flex in Modus.

Will comment more once I have the chance to take it out to taste some real turf!

Feel:

Coming from playing Mizuno MP68, I must say these Yururi irons feels a lot sweeter. I was not sure how a raw head should feel like but from my perspective it feels a lot softer coming off the face as it seems the ball 'stick' to the raw face a lot longer than anything else I've game. (not sure if I'm making any sense here) I would say it's between Epon and Miura - not as soft as Epon but much softer and less clicky than a Miura. Not tried too many other forge irons out there so cannot really compare to the rest.

Obviously the grip and the shaft have a lot to do with this new 'buttery' feeling I'm getting. IMO the feel is perfect, as sometimes too soft a feel doesn't give you any feedback anymore and too harsh a feel makes you feel like you're hitting rocks so this is a good in-between.

But one thing for sure I can tell you this Yururi are ball shredder as after hitting a few balls, I can already see how it's sheading those range balls to pieces. Can't imagine what it will do to my Penta as those premium balls are not known to be lasting lol.

The feel of Modus shaft is definitely a lot better than DG as those who use DG before you know what I mean when I say it feels 'harsh'

Workability:

Too soon to tell as I will need more time to work in this area but will report back after a month or so with this new baby. So far I've only tried to control ball flights and it seems no difference from my Mizuno.

Forgiveness:

In terms of blades, I think they are as forgiving as my Mizuno on mis**ts which was pretty generous IMO

Looks:

If you've seen these clubs in person, you know these things are sexy…. Sorry I cannot find any other words to describe them. At address the knife-like top line is all business and set-up wonderfully for me. From my eyes seems little or no offset.

For those of you wondering, the top line is much thinner than Epon and a tat thinner than Miura blades.

Conclusion

For those looking for top-end forged blades and wanna something more unique than the usual Miura or Epon, should defiantly consider Yururi Flatback. It comes in both satin and raw finish but for me a raw finish is very unique and did I mention 'sexy' already??

Already in the range many people just stop and started looking at me while I swing this baby as I guess they must be thinking "what is this crazy dude doing using an unfinished club" LOL

More pictures…….

[supo]

ye GADS..................................!!!!!!!!

what on earth are u doing with THAT ball on THOSE clubs.

quickly, wipe it down with sword oil !

[EdGolf]

ye GADS..................................!!!!!!!!

what on earth are u doing with THAT ball on THOSE clubs.

quickly, wipe it down with sword oil !

Relax - it's a Penta but not sure how this ball is going to react to this raw surface lol. Might need to consider a different ball now :)

Off topic, how often do you think I should oil em?? After each game, Monthly, quarterly, yearly, never??

Edited November 11, 2011 by EdGolf

[supo]

what a marvellous review.

hat off to you sir.

very nice to read. very nice indeed.

and what a fantastic choice u made

those clubs will test you but the rewards are most satisfying.

the 8-9-pw in these heads are LETHAL when ur on.

the grips are fantasitc aswell, they go well in the wet and they offer a bit more roughenss than the stickys

they are my choice.

shafts well id think these are damn fine choices for these heads, i struggeld a bit with my choice o nthese, tried a few but couldnt get satisfied, i thikn these are an excellent choice.

jason shud chime in here any time soon, hes got a set as well.

fair play. shoot low.

[supo]

man oil these . buy a tube of golds sword oil

do it now

it smlles great it isnt wd40!

and do it after they have been in the wet. or if they have been dormant for a while

i redo my raw wedges about every 6 weeks

just a light coat with a dry rag

let it sit over night

the look is amazing once done. keeps them looking new all the time.

[EdGolf]

Thanks - loving the shaft at this moment but the problem is if I really go at it, my shots will go left !! Have to swing it smooth as the kick is very graphite shaft like.

Glad you like the review as I was thinking it might help others who are considering this club as I was initially searching and can't seem to find any real-world user review much on this club.

Edited November 11, 2011 by EdGolf

[EdGolf]

man oil these . buy a tube of golds sword oil

do it now

it smlles great it isnt wd40!

and do it after they have been in the wet. or if they have been dormant for a while

i redo my raw wedges about every 6 weeks

just a light coat with a dry rag

let it sit over night

the look is amazing once done. keeps them looking new all the time.

Will definitely try to get some sword oil but at this moment too busy trying to break them in lol. You think the oily surface could reduce spin??

[JMCMB]

You can buy any Japanese clove oil, that's what sword oil is, not sure if the Gold's Sword oil was in the pro shop last time I looked, if it is grab it from T.... It really does smell great, it's basically mineral oil with a tiny bit of clove in it for the scent, it won't take the bite off your raw heads at all, I believe Yururi ships there clubs oiled or at least the last few wedges I have received from them have come oiled, it bonds to the metal to keep from oxidation(rusting), and it's DEF a good idea if you want your raw heads to look pretty and new for a while... Although if your just looking for max bite, allowing for a bit of rust on the face will give you that....

Yup, ive got the flatbacks, I have them in satin though, they're DEF one of my favorite blades, AWESOME to shoot at pins with, in my opinion the best scoring irons in golf, and this set is my go to links iron set without a doubt, very razor blade like clubs and they're pretty strong lofted for blades which brings the flight down a touch more, these really eat links courses alive when you really need precision iron play.... A pretty demanding club, you won't find much else out there that gives you more of a challenge, but they are very, very sweet when struck pure, very workable, no problem moving these any way you like.... You got yourself a fantastic set of blades there that excels in the hands of a skilled golfer mate.... Also your shaft selection for these is pretty much top notch for this set that's available retail, ive tried alot of shafts in these and have continuously came back to the Modus, i originally tried the Modus in them in Stiff which were a bit soft and thin for me, but once I found the correct flex in the Modus they went better than anything else I tried in them.... SP Blues in them were a bit low and the ball didn't wanna move at all, Monacos were good but again I really wanna move the ball with these heads and the Monacos are pretty much dead straight, Crazy Steel 120 is a very solid option and so far would def be my second choice to the Modus but the Modus get the nod over them in these heads for ease of use... Only other shaft I'm waiting to try in these heads is the NS Prototype C10, I have high hopes for these, but if I still prefer the Modus in these heads then I'm gonna keep the Flatback/Modus3 setup and give myself a pat on the back for getting it right the first time, lol...

J.

[JMCMB]

Forgot to toss this in there... If you like the weight of the Modus in Stiff but they're playing a bit loose, try hard stepping them, I know that Carlo has had fantastic results with the Modus after hard stepping. For me I needed a considerably stiffer flex and a bunch more weight to tighten these up, after some trial and error I eventually settled on them in Tour X soft stepped once, the Modus plays a bit soft, so the X or Tour X flex even won't play quite as stiff as an X100.... The Modus are a very solid shaft and the NS Pro feel is very difficult to beat, but it's very important to get flex and weight right with them or shot dispersion can get a bit crazy.

J.

[EdGolf]

You can buy any Japanese clove oil, that's what sword oil is, not sure if the Gold's Sword oil was in the pro shop last time I looked, if it is grab it from T.... It really does smell great, it's basically mineral oil with a tiny bit of clove in it for the scent, it won't take the bite off your raw heads at all, I believe Yururi ships there clubs oiled or at least the last few wedges I have received from them have come oiled, it bonds to the metal to keep from oxidation(rusting), and it's DEF a good idea if you want your raw heads to look pretty and new for a while... Although if your just looking for max bite, allowing for a bit of rust on the face will give you that....

Yup, ive got the flatbacks, I have them in satin though, they're DEF one of my favorite blades, AWESOME to shoot at pins with, in my opinion the best scoring irons in golf, and this set is my go to links iron set without a doubt, very razor blade like clubs and they're pretty strong lofted for blades which brings the flight down a touch more, these really eat links courses alive when you really need precision iron play.... A pretty demanding club, you won't find much else out there that gives you more of a challenge, but they are very, very sweet when struck pure, very workable, no problem moving these any way you like.... You got yourself a fantastic set of blades there that excels in the hands of a skilled golfer mate.... Also your shaft selection for these is pretty much top notch for this set that's available retail, ive tried alot of shafts in these and have continuously came back to the Modus, i originally tried the Modus in them in Stiff which were a bit soft and thin for me, but once I found the correct flex in the Modus they went better than anything else I tried in them.... SP Blues in them were a bit low and the ball didn't wanna move at all, Monacos were good but again I really wanna move the ball with these heads and the Monacos are pretty much dead straight, Crazy Steel 120 is a very solid option and so far would def be my second choice to the Modus but the Modus get the nod over them in these heads for ease of use... Only other shaft I'm waiting to try in these heads is the NS Prototype C10, I have high hopes for these, but if I still prefer the Modus in these heads then I'm gonna keep the Flatback/Modus3 setup and give myself a pat on the back for getting it right the first time, lol...

J.

Thanks J - you think those massage oil they use for aromatherapy will works? I think it's olive oil and I have those handy lol. Too bad I'm base in China and can't just pop into T's place to get the gold sword oil. I might just oil the longer irons and keep the shorter irons back well oil n maybe leaving the face to rust. Will see....

The irons did come pre-oil in them and I did notice there was a lot more spin once I wipe the face off. I'm guessing the oil does indeed reduce some spin. Agree once you hit em solid, those blades are sweet and that why I decided more driving range time for me till I can get a handle of them as they feel completely different from my Mizuno blades. Even their loft are stronger so all my distances have to be re-dial back again.

Will see how the shaft works these few weeks as they do play a little soft should I go at it but with the stronger loft on em blade I can swing easy and still get my old distances (in fact a few yard further). Worst come to worst, I will do as you suggest - hard step them but I've never hard step a shaft before and not sure if I will loose the feel of the shaft as I'm loving it at this moment. I've tried NSPro 850, 950, 1050, 1150, KBS, PX, DG and none I like as it was either too high or too harsh and at one time I was thinking of going graphite just for this reason and I'm happy that Modus came along.

In your experience with them do they dig in the turf much in real life playing, especially on a wet course?

[JMCMB]

Hard stepping def won't change the feel of the shaft, it will just play stiffer.... Lol, when I said pick it up from T I actually mean order it from TSG, or you can search "choji oil" on goggle and order it from just about anywhere that deals with Japanese swords.

The way a club interacts with the turf will def depend on your swing, but I haven't noticed the flat backs dig any more than hay other irons I own, actually I find that the thin soles on em cut through the turf very well...

J.

[EdGolf]

Hard stepping def won't change the feel of the shaft, it will just play stiffer.... Lol, when I said pick it up from T I actually mean order it from TSG, or you can search "choji oil" on goggle and order it from just about anywhere that deals with Japanese swords.

The way a club interacts with the turf will def depend on your swing, but I haven't noticed the flat backs dig any more than hay other irons I own, actually I find that the thin soles on em cut through the turf very well...

J.

Thanks J. Can't wait for Sun to come any sooner as I will take it out for a round and see how it perform in the real world. So far in the range it's just wonderful and hopefully can transfer that to the course

[swisstrader]

Stunning set and a great review and pics!

I love the blacks and really considered that finish with my newly purchased Epon 502's, but knowing something about myself and how I would not dry and then oil the irons as much as would be reqired or fear of them rusting up on me, I chose chrome.

Again, great purchase and I'm sure they'll serve you well for many years to come.

[EdGolf]

Stunning set and a great review and pics!

I love the blacks and really considered that finish with my newly purchased Epon 502's, but knowing something about myself and how I would not dry and then oil the irons as much as would be reqired or fear of them rusting up on me, I chose chrome.

Again, great purchase and I'm sure they'll serve you well for many years to come.

Thanks swisstrader - Epon 502 is a great iron as well. Very soft in feel and easy to hit. Was also one of my shortlisted irons to get as well should I decided on chrome. Wat did you shaft your 502 with?

[swisstrader]

Thanks swisstrader - Epon 502 is a great iron as well. Very soft in feel and easy to hit. Was also one of my shortlisted irons to get as well should I decided on chrome. Wat did you shaft your 502 with?

Ed: I went with Aerotech steel fibers and mainly about my bad elbows and wrists like yourself. I'm now a big believer in a shaft that feels like graphite but has the accuracy and consistency of an iron shaft. Went to MaxOut Golf in CA many years ago to get fitted for some Mizuno MP 32's and the fitter says "no doubt, you're a great candidate for Aerotech shafts...10 years later I go to Novo Golf in NJ (great high end JDM gear and fittings) and Bill says: "best for you would be Aerotech!"

I'm not a big shaft ho, just love the look and feel of the Aerotechs.

[EdGolf]

Ed: I went with Aerotech steel fibers and mainly about my bad elbows and wrists like yourself. I'm now a big believer in a shaft that feels like graphite but has the accuracy and consistency of an iron shaft. Went to MaxOut Golf in CA many years ago to get fitted for some Mizuno MP 32's and the fitter says "no doubt, you're a great candidate for Aerotech shafts...10 years later I go to Novo Golf in NJ (great high end JDM gear and fittings) and Bill says: "best for you would be Aerotech!"

I'm not a big shaft ho, just love the look and feel of the Aerotechs.

I tried Aerotech a while back and I must say its very smooth to swing. Defiantly something to consider in the coming years when my elbow and fingers start to give way more.

[Ara selai]

Excellent, thorough review. Those are glorious looking clubs. I've hit these a couple of times and just love the way they feel and look. Nice, compact head, and great feel. I'm very jealous.

[EdGolf]

Excellent, thorough review. Those are glorious looking clubs. I've hit these a couple of times and just love the way they feel and look. Nice, compact head, and great feel. I'm very jealous.

Thanks Ara, looking at your bag, you have some mighty fine stuff as well.

Off topic, I use to work in Jakarta for over five years back in earliy 90's and absolutely love the country.

[idrive]

Sweet irons, nice review with pics.... thanks for posting and enjoy your babies. :)

[EdGolf]

Sweet irons, nice review with pics.... thanks for posting and enjoy your babies. :)

Thanks for taking time to read it idrive. How's your Ryoma driver?? I order one but waiting for delivery?

[Ara selai]

@edgolf. Yes, Indonesia grows on you, that's for sure! (it's the other stuff that grows on you here that I worry about.) So many places to go and so much to see and do! I'm really enjoying it. Great people and amazing country.

[EdGolf]

Took the new babies to the course over the weekend. Overall I must say the shaft does hold against the wind as there are some holes where the wind was blowing left to right and it just flew as if there was no wind.

Shot of the day was a 5 iron 190 yards against wind onto the skirt of the green. However also hit some shorts thin. Still need to adjust to the slightly shorter length, especially on the shorter irons but otherwise the feel is even greater on the turf and don't dig as much as I thought it would. Took some shallow divots with the mid and long irons. Also out of the rough, those thin sole just seem to make it easier to glide right through....

Ball I was using over the weekend was Mizuno Cross eight and it does eat up the balls pretty badly :( Will try to use my Penta the next round and see how it hold up. Hopefully can last at least 9 rounds lol.

Will update as I play more with em new babies. Already this iron was the talk of our group with it's raw beauty !