corky3 Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 So I now have 3 range sessions and 1 18 hole round under my belt. Firstly the specs.... 10.5 deg loft, 1 deg open, shaft is Crazy TJ 46 LY1 Nero 6.9 flex. Im not a Bomber like Stu, but am usually straight, but my miss is a pull left. Why did I buy this club? I wanted a little help in eliminating the left side, I wanted a better( read higher) trajectory as I am a low ball hitter. I also never fell in love with the look of the 102. So after playing it what have I found? The looks are much improved, not perfect, but much better on the eye, both the shape and the 1 deg open justlooks way better at address. Sound and feel have been improved over the 102, I can't say I joticed a big differance in sound, but feel was a little better off of off-centre shots( try saying that after a couple of beers!)... it was less harsh. Myabe because of this I would say it was a little more forgiving, a couple of drives were hit slightly above the sweet spot, didin't feel too bad at all and didn't appear to lose much distance, although this was a bit of a subjective view. Still I was happy with the end result, which is all that matters really. When truly 'nutted' there is no finer feeling than an Endo Forged head, be that EPON, TS, Yamaha etc.....This is in that category. The trajectory is just so much better... of the 13 drives I hit, 9 just brought a smile to my face, 1 was too high because I pegged it up a little higher and a little further forward and 3 were just ok. Only 1 missed the fairway...... :-) the ball seems to climb steadily, flatten and then descend(not too sharply) but not a lot of roll. But this I attribute to fairly wet frairways due to rain the previous day. Length wise, I see little difference, but maybe with more roll this would improve I would certainly think so but this is just the findings from 1 round. In Summary then, Looks better, feels better, the performance gains are not earth-shattering, but then I don't really think any new driver is with the current regulations. For me though it is an improvement and thats all we can expect really, small gains. I know I need to do some work over the winter to improve my launch angle, but thats a whole other avenue to explore..... If you currently play the 102 and are happy with it, then you probably won't want to 'upgrade' to the 103, but if you are happy with incremental gains like I am you'll not regret buying one. I will post addtional thoughts when I've played a few more rounds,. cheers Corky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supo Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 great stuff..................... have u had a 101 ? if so do uthink its reminscint of that shape , is it a bit workable, bec the 102 was point shoot and the 101 was a lot more workable i thought.., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corky3 Posted October 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 stu, never had a 101...... Jury is still out on the workabilit aspect,, but the one drive i needed to hit a fade, it did .... but now that t have a more open face, my confidence with fading the ball is helped... I reckon its still happiest going straight, maybe the Zero is better for working the ball. I,ll let you know how it goes with greater experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoon Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Shape is definitely more pear compared to the 101. 101 is roundl This One reminds me of a larger zero. Even the angular sole is similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmclarenf1 Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thanks for the review and the candid feedback on incremental improvement over the 102. This is rather dissapointing as I found the 102 to be less than a success and did nothing much over the 101 for ME. THe Zero also was so niche that there seems to be nothing much from Epon by way of drivers for a while. I was hoping the 103 would have been a marked improvement over the 102. For ME, there has not been anything like the Ryoma or the JBeam 435 in terms of actual on course improvement distance wise but then again, I came from the 101 which I gamed for close to 4 years. Thanks again for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thanks for a great review. Good to know that Epon maintained all the goodness of the 102 and made minor tweaks for improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoon Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) awesome review corky! i was very fond of the 102. i liked it more than the 101 BUT the 101 felt better Edited October 17, 2012 by Spoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corky3 Posted October 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thanks for the review and the candid feedback on incremental improvement over the 102. This is rather dissapointing as I found the 102 to be less than a success and did nothing much over the 101 for ME. THe Zero also was so niche that there seems to be nothing much from Epon by way of drivers for a while. I was hoping the 103 would have been a marked improvement over the 102. For ME, there has not been anything like the Ryoma or the JBeam 435 in terms of actual on course improvement distance wise but then again, I came from the 101 which I gamed for close to 4 years. Thanks again for the review. of course... this is just my findings, you might feel differently.... hopefully others will post their thoughts too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmclarenf1 Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 of course... this is just my findings, you might feel differently.... hopefully others will post their thoughts too I should have a demo soon. I'm just hoping it is miles better than teh 102 was for ME performance wise. I'm willing to sacrifice sound and feel for actual and meaningful distance gains.. Thanks again for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPONfreak Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I should have a demo soon. I'm just hoping it is miles better than teh 102 was for ME performance wise. I'm willing to sacrifice sound and feel for actual and meaningful distance gains.. Thanks again for the review. If you have a driver that's not going anywhere, you have the wrong shaft in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmclarenf1 Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 If you have a driver that's not going anywhere, you have the wrong shaft in it. Or it could be that the head just does not suit. New does not always mean good and I am not one of those that buys just for the "latest is greatest" thingy. I'm not saying you do but many do. For me to switch, I have to see meaningful performance increase and in the case of a driver, its distance (of course :-) ) like the Ryoma and the jBeam 435 was a quantum leap ahead for me over the Epon 101 in terms of distance. If not, why bother changing drivers if I am getting the same distance. To hit it straighter yes and that is what I think the Ryoma does very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xerobound Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Great review. I'm all for small or incremental gains! Every inch counts! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supo Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 esp........................... on the greens! hahahah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmclarenf1 Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Great review. I'm all for small or incremental gains! Every inch counts! :) Yup... to each his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPONfreak Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Or it could be that the head just does not suit. New does not always mean good and I am not one of those that buys just for the "latest is greatest" thingy. I'm not saying you do but many do. For me to switch, I have to see meaningful performance increase and in the case of a driver, its distance (of course :-) ) like the Ryoma and the jBeam 435 was a quantum leap ahead for me over the Epon 101 in terms of distance. If not, why bother changing drivers if I am getting the same distance. To hit it straighter yes and that is what I think the Ryoma does very well. heads are maxed out......there are some (esp JDM heads) that will suit some more than others.......but there isnt a huge difference.....performance is capped fella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmclarenf1 Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 heads are maxed out......there are some (esp JDM heads) that will suit some more than others.......but there isnt a huge difference.....performance is capped fella. No doubt in terms of COR... BUT... a certain head profile that maybe spins less and launches lower may suit me or you better than say a head that is designed to spin more and launch higher. Both can still be max COR so yes the shaft is important but the head and what it is designed to do and whether it suits your swing is no less important and perhaps even the most important starting point in selecting a driver... a fella told me that :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supo Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 performance capabilities have pretty much reached thie full potential for every maker, right... so what makes one driver head """better"""" than another for me comes down to basically.... looks......... and what i want to design it especially for.. i the shape of the head for me is THE most single important determinant . bec they are all uber top quality that doesnt need saying......................., beceause if i can see the head gettign sqaure at impact in my mind before ive even hit it t , then the chances of me getting to do that when i play are massively increased. and thats why i took such a huge shine to the kamui pro kp-01 when i first saw it i just went WOW,, yes THIS is def for me..!!!! ... that "weird" non symetrical shape immediatly lets me see long crushed left field PULLS but the shape of the head doessnt actually let it go left.... and over the alst 4+months since i found this thing this head has delivered me consistant fairways with a much more midddled shot much more often than anything else i got..... thats why it prob goes a bit longer and straigter " on average " for me.., than my others. its def NOT my best feeling club , the epon zero is that by a country mile. and its not my straightest thays the ryoma nor the most workabkle , thats the yamaha tour. nor is it the longest. thast hte jbeam 435 but overall combining these just works .but if i hit 20 drives with every driver i have i reckon ill get closer to the centre of this baby more often than anything else. and ill prob get it longer on average thats why im using it certian drivers i build suit certian conditions better than others.. id never play my 9* jbeam 435 /GDbb7s on rainy days in japan in summer. and id never play my 12* kamui pro--bimatrix at NSW in a southerly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 I used to think that performance was maxed, then the Ryoma D-1 was born. 2 things stand out for this driver are the monocoque body and most importantly 60 grams in the rear. I've spoken to the factory insiders and its unanimous that the Ryoma is a truly special design and yes even the guys and Endo think so. There are other monocoque body drivers, not many but when you combine that with a super hot face then the 60G's in the back designers believe its a game changer. Then there are Crazy shafts with more active tips although more fragile, that and the really aggressive shaft profiles/design & expensive materials they have been able to get even more distance provided you select the right model and combine it with the right head. Then finally lots of this is mental. A new driver does release dopamine into the brain which releases pleasure signals just like expensive scotch, or wine, or a watch. The more expensive, rare, exotic, and limited gives you a bigger high! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjr. D Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 True that. Wise words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoon Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 have a couple of rounds under my belt. took awhile to get used to the larger head as my trusted gamer for the last year was a old school yamaha 405cc. this one is the best incarnation so far of the 10-1/2 series of driver heads. this one in particular is in between the 101/102 not quite as soft as the 101 yet not as metallic as the 102. it is loads easier than the epon zero, launches higher and has almost the same roll out. i dont know how epon were able to keep launch on the high side yet kept the spin down. this is defintely lower spinning than the 101/102 by far. dont know if the diamana stinger has played a roll in this but the combo is stellar. im happy i went with 10.5* in this one and suits my particular track nicely. if i could do things over i would have requested for a heavier head say 200-202grams instead of my requested 198grams. i will play couple of more rounds with this and ask other guys to give their inputs. now for those people who kept complaining how difficult the zero was then this is Epons answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idrive Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Been hitting a bunch of new drivers over the last few weeks..... This was the last one to go out and play..... Paired with a WBQ FE. This is the best Epon driver to date. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it Was able to work it right or left. Feel, sound, looks, performance and even forgiveness, it's all there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogeydog Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Been hitting a bunch of new drivers over the last few weeks.....This was the last one to go out and play..... Paired with a WBQ FE. This is the best Epon driver to date. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it Was able to work it right or left. Feel, sound, looks, performance and even forgiveness, it's all there. Tell about this Quadra shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoon Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 That's the only FEX I have not tried. Long drive specs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idrive Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Tell about this Quadra shaft. Will be playing today and again tomorrow. Will give a much better shaft review after these 2 rounds. Was so focused on the head I didn't pay much attention to the shaft. Didn't have to as it just plain worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corky3 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 I've grown to love this driver's overall performance, doesn't excel i. any one department but does everyting well. In short its very reliable, and reliability breeds confidence which all helps to put a good swing on it which is half the battle. So for me it's a grower not a shower...... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.