Golfing News & Blog Articles

Here we have the Miura Giken TB-ZERO blade, which is Miura Japan’s latest muscle back. Today, we have a particular version produced in limited numbers using a material process called fe 99.3% pure. Why would Miura Japan create a second version using a different technique? The simple answer is for a softer feel, as Miura’s are known to deliver firm feedback outside of the clubface center. This is what better players often want, yet Miura irons are known to fall short in softness outside of the face center mostly due to the design and the fact they use spin welded hosel’s they acquire from the foundry TADA mfg in Himeji. Spin welded hosels can be a somewhat controversial topic, yes they are inferior to a single-piece forging, but it’s virtually impossible to tell. There are a few other brands that use them; they cost less in design and in-mold production. I know some guys at Endo and Honma who can spot spin welded just looking at it, but 99.99% will never see the difference.

Oh, and before I forget, Miura’s lawyers want me to write that we are no longer an authorized dealer. There are many reasons I’m sure you guys would find surprising, and I won’t get into it. One thing has been clear, Miura Global doesn’t want the rest of the world to see or purchase the best and newest versions offered by Miura Giken Japan. Both are quality products made the same way, but to put it simply, many of the global products are dated, Japanese models. For example, the “new” MB-101 is the 2007 MB-5003 from Japan. The baby blade and 1957 blade, as they are known in the USA, are designs so old they have not been used for almost two decades in Japan. The TOUR wedge in Japan is made of FE99% standard while the global model is not, So one would only guess that the TB-Zero from Japan is Miura globals next blade model in a year or two, hopefully not ten years from now like some of the others. Feel free to cross-reference the release years (here)

Introducing the all-new KYOEI Tour Wedge.  Following the success of the KK Series and Prototype Series wedges, this new version Tour Wedge is now made of S15C Forged Carbon Steel.  It is made with a more compact mold, a new polishing technique is utilized and features a more traditional sole grind.  Also, the new Kurozome Tour Wedge is now offered in 50/54/58* lofts.  The Kyoei Kurozome Tour Wedge is a single-piece forging with no internal weighting. Pure and simple with a compact shape and design preferred by the better player.  It is 100% made and hand-ground in Japan.

The offset is extremely minimal reaching into onset on the 58*.  Special attention was given to the shape and sole design for optimal turf interaction in a variety of playing conditions.  All three lofts feature relief in both the heel and toe side sole with an extra cut away at the leading edge.  This sole grind provides a high degree of versatility whether you want to address the ball with a square face or opening the face for a flop shot.  KYOEI did their best to design this wedge to perform well for both diggers and sweepers. The Arakenma Kurozome finish promises the softest feel that a carbon steel wedge can offer.

Kyoei Tour Wedge Kurozame Specification

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The 1998 Limited Edition Titleist Japan Tiger Woods Replica Irons by Miura Giken

I’m sure many of you reading this blog are itching to get out to play some golf by now!!  And so are we!  While I, unfortunately, can’t actually help you to go out and play,  I do want to treat you today with some real “eye candy”  for die-hard JDM enthusiasts!

For those of you new to the blog,  this is a 2 part post.  First, you will want to go back and read ( Click Here ) Don’t forget to watch the YouTube video I made as well.  ( Click Here ).

I would like to make a correction to what I said in the video that these are Tigers grind – While these are an extremely limited release they were made as a replica set for the Japan market by Miura Giken Japan.  Not intended to be exactly what Tiger played back in the day.

Introducing the new GIII Iron 2020. Evolving maximum Distance. Improved High Repulsion techonology to push the ball speeds even faster. An innovative shafts design that increases swing speed and directional stability. A distance iron that produces an easy high ball flight that let’s you just aim at the pin. TSG will break down all those techonologies of this iron in this post.

The first thing we want break down is the face, This iron comes with Neo Titanium Face which realizes higher ball speeds. GIII’s proprietary Neo Titanium Face produces an unheard of 0.825COR in an iron. Large sweet spot and more ball speeds equal unrivaled distance from an iron.

It also comes with Full Core Groove Technology, The back of Neo Titanium face features an all-new Power Trench Design. The lower area of the toe and heel back face feature 3 curved grooves which help increase the sweet area of the iron. Distance loss is minimized on off-center hits.

Heavy sintered tungsten is placed in the sole towards the toe side to help promote a low and deep center of gravity and a higher moment of inertia. The weight helps stabilize the rotation of the head, allowing it to optimally square at impact. this heavy sintered tungsten creates straighter shots even on miss-hits.

GIII Iron 2020 also comes with GIII Neo Twin Cut Sole Technology which reduces the friction and resistance from the ground at impact. This maximizes swing speed and stabilizes impact for better distance and accuracy. Aim at the pin and swing away. Better impact equals better distance and better accuracy.

The new. Yamaha RMX 120 is made to be long distance with a high trajectory plus loads of forgiveness.

Made of a single piece chrome-molybdenum steel for more rebound and combined with a thinner face for increased distance. Yamaha has also intentionally designed the iron with a wide sole and low position weight mass.

While looking face on the toe peak high,  not sharp but it extends a good amount past the edge of the score lines.

The weight is positioned very low as you can see in this photo.

The cavity badge has an aluminum insert for vibration absorption.  Yamaha is known for sound tuning which is their science for making otherwise firmer materials feel soft and rewarding.

Fourteen TC-920 Forged Iron

An updated players’ club.  Golf swing mechanics and dynamics are undergoing a massive change given the new drivers and their new designs in CG and MOI. Reviewing these components and their designs, there is now a gap in the club specification in their center of gravity between compact players’ irons and woods. Fourteen TC-920 Forged Iron has been designed to bridge this gap and achieve closer CG Specification to modern-day drivers and is matched to achieve overall balance and delivery in the golf swing.

Longer CG distance.

Fourteen developed this iron with the underlying idea that a balanced progression among all 14 clubs is essential. With newer drivers that have increasingly longer CG distances, compact irons feel and play very differently, which can result in inconsistency in club delivery, trajectories and shot dispersion. While maintaining a compact head size, Fourteen TC-920 Forged Iron has a relatively longer CG distance, which is intended to bridge the gap between metal woods, resulting in better overall balance within the set of clubs.

Precise CG setting by club number.

By precisely altering the thickness of the cavity, the Fourteen TC-920 Forged Irons can achieve accurate CG specs as well as forgiveness that makes it easy to control distance and trajectory accurately with short and mid irons and to produce desired higher launch for longer irons.

Introducing the CGS Orion Himeji x Tsubame MB Iron. What makes CGS Orion stand out is that they go above and beyond when it comes to fit and finish.  Hand-ground and forged In Ichikawa Himeji, Japan’s epicenter of hand grinding. These heads are sent to the town of Tsubame Sanjo in Niigata Japan, this area is renowned for beautiful hand polishing. This combination of Himeji handcrafting and Tsubame Sanjo’s polishing creates a stunning effect.

Face forward it features a high and sharp toe that extends past the edge of the top groove.

These are forged of soft S20C and combined with the CP Silver (copper underlay nickel-chromium) finish. The feel at impact is amongst the very best in  Japan.

This blade maintains the functionality of a conventional muscle-back.  It’s also got modern and sharp going for its appearance, the shape and grind are done really well and it has a consistent beautiful neck transition.  I will go out on a limb and guess this is an Oichi forging with a Shinagawa grind.  Let’s not forget that the back face has a channel milled into it. perfecto!  I gotta say I’m extremely impressed with all of CGS Orion’s irons and wedges.  The steps they take and more importantly the decisions they make result in a quality offering.

Introducing the Progress BB4 Fairway wood!   The BB4 Fairway wood shares the same bellows sole design taken from the highly successful BB4 Driver for maximizing the repulsive energy upon impact. By strategically placing ultra light weight Titanium material and high strength maraging steel material,  they were able to optimize the CG location to make the head easy to launch from any turf condition.

Many BB4 owners have been long waiting for a release of a matching fairway wood. Finally it is here!

Light weight 8-1-1 Titanium is used for the face and crown and 450 maraging steel is used on the sole as well as the perimeter to create an ideal low and deep CG along with a relatively large CG angle.  By using a more dense maraging steel on the perimeter,  they were able to achieve a high MOI of 3300 (3250 for the #5) which helps with keeping the head stable through the impact.  The Titanium material used for the crown is especially made thin closer to the face.  This makes the crown flex more at impact which helps the head produce high energy impact resulting in high initial ball speeds.

Ever since Baldo was founded, they have been focusing their efforts on designing and producing high-performance driver heads.  The new Baldo Corsa Performance series features Baldo’s signature soft feel at impact and provides a deep sense of satisfaction.  All for a single purpose which is to enhance the limits of every player!

Introducing the Baldo Corsa Performance 435 Driver. It is a driver with excellent workability aiming at the target while controlling the ball with a draw or fade.  This head features a very deep face; in fact, the face height relative to the head volume is the deepest of the series.  This is a head profile preferred by the hardest of hard hitters.

The head is constructed of DAT55G face and 8-1-1 Titanium body which is the golden combination used on many premium JDM drivers.  The laser milled face also helps reduce the back spin.  Based on the CG specs,  it is easy to imagine that the head would be effortless to rotate through the swing and highly workable for experienced players.  The deep face and high back design also suggest a strong piercing trajectory preferred by hard hitters.   The Corsa Performance heads also feature weight screws on the sole that are replaceable for adjusting the swing weight.   The weights are available from 2 to 12g in 2g increments.

Baldo Corsa Performance 435 Driver Specification

CGS Orion Closer MB Iron

Introducing the CGS Orion Closer MB!   A couple of days ago we posted their Himeji X Tsubame blade (click here)

As I write this I am holding both of their blades in hand so I can share some comparisons.  The Himeji X Tsubame blade has a thinner sole,  thinner topline, and higher CG location due to more mass higher on the head. This CGS Closer blade not only has a wider sole but it also has a more pronounced trailing edge grind compared to the leading edge being ground on the Tsubame X Himeji model.

The CGS Closer MB is also offered as a combo set where you can pair it with the CGS Orion closer cavity. back. (we will do a blog post on the CB shortly).

As you can see in our photo above the Closer MB has a beautiful sharp toe and a modern back face design.

The closest comparison to this iron would be Miura’s MC-501,  both the 501 and the Closer MB are considered blades that have a bit more forgiveness.  The CGS Closer MB comes out ahead in nearly all categories:

Introducing the CGS Orion Closer CB Iron. CGS Orion has been in the JDM scene since founded in 2015 and has been producing high-quality wedges and irons that combine Himeji made heads finished with a hand polishing technique from Tsubame Sanjo in Niigata where they are very famous for mirror polishing silverware to the original iPhones!

The CGS Orion Closer series irons are considered players irons and this CB is compact yet provides many features to provide enough forgiveness without sacrificing workability and style.   The heel to toe length is shorter than most irons,  overall the head size is similar to a muscle back.

The sole has an abundance of leading-edge and trailing edge relief which makes it very easy for the head glide through the turf. It has a sharper toe shape which blends in nicely to the rest of the head shape preferred by better players.   Minimal offset along with a thin top line makes the Closer CB one of the most desired player’s CB irons on the JDM market today.  

The CGS Closer CB can be combined with the CGS Closer MB for the ultimate combo set. (see above MB)