Golfing News & Blog Articles

Introducing the AXIS GOLF Z2 MBI – A lower center of gravity blade with a beautiful shape and adjustable weighting.    Not many have heard of the brand AXIS GOLF.  Perhaps you have heard of the brand HARRY TAYLOR?  The two brands have one thing in common,  the grinder who manufactures their clubs Kazuyuki Ogoshi.   Kazuyuki Ogoshi has been working on the Japan tour as club support for more than 20 years.  He has worked in Japan at some of the big OEM’s as a grinder for top men’s professionals and after 2 decades of grinding and servicing tour players he founded AXIS GOLF.

These are Japan Forged with a milled back cavity and adjustable weighting. The bounce angles are on the higher side with a 3-cut rounded sole and the mass positioned low to make these blades easier to hit more consistently.  The 6 screws allow for finer adjustments to swing weights.

The beautiful hairline polishing on the top bump with milling lines below the step creates a unique look that combines handcrafting style with modern manufacturing technology.

The lofts are slightly strong with the PW coming in a 46*. so about 1* stronger than usual.  The offset is extremely minimal and the shape is stunning.  I consider this a more forgiving blade as the sole is wider,  heel to toe its a bit longer, and a lot of mass is positioned deep and low compared to most other blades on the market today.

DISTANCE + STRAIGHTNESS  = The eRook II Driver! The new eRook II is definitely a driver worth considering for a wide range of players.  Let’s start with the basics.  It is 450cc’s,  this is an adjustable driver face angle, loft, lie, head weight, weight bias.  In the neutral setting, the face angle sits at 0.5* open.  The standard head weight is approx 200g.

JIGEN the actual brand of the new eRook II driver is driver design-focused and this is their second product to hit market.  The first model the eRook RK55z was a hit in Japan,  known as a very straight low spin club with excellent distance now the eRook II is completely redesigned from the ground up and it shows.

The center of gravity distance, depth, and height along with gravity angle was intentionally designed to give the player equal to better performance than many of the most well-known golf brands drivers.  This is a 3 piece structure (excluding the hosel adapter and weights.)  The eRook II is made of the well-known (Body) Ti811 titanium that is wax precision cast while the (FACE) is made of Ti-180 which is pressed into the structure, finally the large encompassing crown/body is thermal pressure molded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic or (CFRP).

Does that mean anything to you?  well a lot of R&D as gone into this driver compared to many other boutique brands which is why the new eRook II really performs.  The symmetry wing rib arranged inside of the sole does two big things,  it transmits repulsive energy to the ball with extremely low loss and how they achieve this is by controlling rigidity and vibration for a stronger straightness.

The massive CFRP carbon-encompassing crown gives this head a surplus of weight to take advantage of, which for a driver designer is a luxury.  In this case, the designers at JIGEN redistributed the weight savings mostly to the sole and combined with the extra weight adjustment screws on the exterior of the club head further lowered the CG while maintaining their ideal characteristics so that the eRook II fit the wides range of player possible.

The Baldo Corsa Hybrid is all about more distance in a driving iron.  The face is made of forged DAT55 which is what you would usually see on a driver.  Imagine hitting the 18* 230 yards!  The body is made of full 8-1-1Tititanium and internally there is almost 100g positioned on the sole.  On paper, this is a tiny driver,  DAT55 + Titanium + internal weighting is the recipe for many drivers on the market today but never in any driving irons.

Oh and I almost forgot,  Adjustable weights on the sole.  Standard it comes with dual 8g weights but you can also buy 2,4,6,8,10,12 and 14 grams.  Big selection.  Left-handed is also available :).

Baldo considers this the most distance-oriented driving hybrid in the world.  It works particularly well for those with faster swings who strike down on the ball yet it is extremely accommodating to slower swingers as well thanks to its high trajectory and low CG.  The head itself is made of some very light materials while the majority of the mass is positioned internally near the sole.   Accurate,  high launching with plenty of distance.  The longest and possibly easiest driving iron in the game today.

We can offer the Baldo Corsa Hybrid driving iron head only or shafted with any JDM shaft,  I would suggest Fujikura MCH, Modus 3 Hybrid,  Loop Hybrid, Bassara Hybrid, Tour AD HY or the NS Pro Zelos 7 Hybrid shaft just to name a few.

Baldo Corsa Hybrid 2020 Specification

Introducing the RomaRo Ray V V1 Irons! A Hollow blade with unique inner weight screw technology to provide different performance characteristics. Today there are many hollow players irons on the market, in a somewhat newer segment in the states but has long been around in Japan. RomaRo has a unique take on this type of iron with their new Ray -V- V1 iron.

The Ray V1 is a single piece S20 forged iron yet has a long hollow port milled out, which can take 3 different toe weight screws and 3 different inner insert screws of varied length and material. By changing these screws/inserts, you can alter the performance and feel of the iron. The shorter screw is made of titanium and creates a more firm and solid impact yet increases ball speeds, while the longer screw made of chrome-molybdenum steel makes the impact feel softer. Mix and match the 3 varied weight screws with the 3 inserts to alter the ball’s initial velocity, launch angle, spin rate, and even feel of hitting within the same head or remove the insert screw entirely to raise the center of gravity and increase ball speeds.

The new Ray V1 utilizes a reverse taper blade that thickens near the top line area yet remains unseen at address; combined with its diagonally ground top line it creates the appearance of a compact players iron slightly larger than a traditional muscle back.

The Ray V1 is sold with a base set of #5-PW.  #3 and #4 are optional.  The standard weight screw configuration is (stainless steel 3g) + inner screw (titanium 4.5g) installed

Sold separately:
Weight screw Titanium (1.5g), Stainless steel (3g), Tungsten (5g), Tungsten (7g)

KYOEI is on a tear!  This is their fourth release in less than two months!  It started with the KCM Heritage blade,  yes that beautiful raw grain black dye finished muscle back iron,  then their new mold RRC wedge which is their new S25C player’s wedge,  then the new  2021 Heritage cavity back iron, and now we are proud to introduce the 2021 K1 Heritage series blade!  One of their blades is based on the KCM mold, raw grain in black, and the other one is based on the K1 mold, smooth polished in NiCr chrome satin-finished in-house at the KYOEI factory!

Why two blades?  It’s hard to deny JDM fans of the original KCM mold,  it’s got tour victories and has been used across multiple JDM brands over the years with only success.  At the same time, the K1 blade has historical meaning plus PGA tour victories and has been used countless times over the decades. The K1 has a thinner topline and less offset mold vs mold although both can be ground to meet any player’s needs.

The two are also differentiated by the finish.  Some people don’t want their irons to patina,  some want that smooth-looking no-fuss soft nickel chrome plating that KYOEI is famous for.

When it comes to mold characteristics the K1 not only has a thinner sole, topline with less offset but it has a more shallow face and it’s slightly longer heel to toe.  We like this a lot because it supports forgiveness and a high launch to help balls drop dead near the pin with ease.

The specs also support accuracy with traditional lofts.  That’s right the #5 is 38* and the PW comes in at 48*.  Face progression is the way Japan measures offset,  it can be confusing to those new to JDM gear but simply put 5.5 is no offset while 6.0 leans toward onset.  Please keep in mind the neck taper and angle which is not offset can have an impact on how the appearance of offset plays visually.  If you look at the specifications the #8, #9, and PW all have 6.0 face progression.

Introducing RomaRo Ray V V1 460 Driver, A new driver that is RomaRo’s low-spin model providing a medium trajectory that achieves both a soft feel and a strong trajectory. RomaRo has a newly developed “Double Titanium Face” that incorporates high-strength titanium that is absolutely advantageous for flying. In addition to the high resilience performance of high-strength titanium, the launch direction can be controlled neutrally to hit both draws and fades with confidence.

The new “double titanium face” uses a high-strength titanium “DAT55G” cup face that is integrally molded to the body and crown. V-shaped protrusions  aka (CNC Fang’s) are provided on the left and right sides of the thinned clamp cup face, and the upper and lower winding parts are further thinned and grooves (Speed ​​Groove) are provided to realize a “core attack area”

Forgiving and deep faced with great feel and distance was the Aim.  The face is made of DAT55G Titanium with an 811 Ti precision cast body. This driver features Adjustable weighting with optional 1,3,5,7 gram weights with wrench.

TourSpecGolf can offer heads only or custom shafts from a variety of high end shaft companies.  For custom requests please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

RomaRo Ray V V1 460 Driver Specification

Introducing the 2021 KYOEI KK Heritage Cavity Back Iron! A very simple and classic design featuring some notable improvements in shape and design.  KYOEI has decided to continue the evolution of their original cavity back but further improve it by using an all-new mold, new grind, and shape adjustments.  The Heritage series will stay true to the molds and classic aesthetics that their clients return for.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, KYOEI is a factory located in Ichikawa Japan (HIMEJI).  It is known today as Japan’s original golf club foundry and factory.  Many industry masters have honed their skills within their walls,  even old man Miura was an employee there and openly praises KYOEI as the job where he learned about forging techniques and perfected his grinding.  He is not the only one though,  countless industry masters have learned during extended and sometimes even short visits.

KYOEI is still today the only factory in all of Japan to do forging, grinding, finishing, and polishing,  they stock hundreds of heavy molds to produce some of the world’s most famous one-piece forgings.

The new 2021 KK Heritage CB features a very little offset,  a thin topline with slightly heavier heads and lofts based on a 46* pitching wedge.  It is designed for the mid to low handicap player or even the professional golfer looking for a single-piece forged players cavity design that produces an amazing feel with excellent accuracy and workability.  Forged, finished, and ground at KYOEI using premium Japanese forgings for the most demanding golfers.

Areas of improvement over its predecessor include reduced offset, improved neck transition, shorter heel-to-toe length,  new sole # stamping font, updated 3-cut sole, and custom paint fill offered. These adjustments take the classic KK CB to a whole new level for the JDM enthusiast.

KYOEI has had an aggressive swing of new releases lately starting with their limited-edition handmade cavity and muscle back irons that sold out in a flash,  now we await the standard production model of both of those due out sometime in 2021.  Then just yesterday they announced their new KCM Heritage blade.  Today they announce their new flagship wedge the new RRC KK Wedge!

Like the KCM Heritage wedge, KYOEI is staying true to mold/model naming.  We like this because it’s transparent and at the same time it shows what can be done with the raw molds we sell on TSG (click here) those crafting molds we offer are the same raw heads used to produce the clubs they offer to the public and this combination is an industry first.

This is known as the KK wedge because it has the exact same aesthetic stamping as the original KK wedge but that is where the similarities end because this is an entirely new mold.  The original KK wedge is based on the W-08 mold (click here) while the new KK RRC wedge is produced using the RRC mold (click here).

The difference?  The RRC is slightly more compact with a more aggressive grind all around,  there is more ground off the trailing edge and heel as well as the toe so it’s easier to open up and more versatile towards firm turf conditions.  To put it simply its a little more playeresque.

The shape is beautiful,  the Forging is superb and the feel is sublime! All of these are ground by Okamura-san the head grinder at  KYOEI and use a triple press of the 2 ton then cooled and reheated to 900* and double pressed in the precision press.  That’s 5 presses all around for a more uniform grain structure.  Few brands use a second forging machine and re-heat.  KYOEI calls this the precision press.

The 2021 KYOEI KCM Heritage Blade – For those unfamiliar with the brand, KYOEI is a factory located in Ichikawa Japan (HIMEJI).  It is known today as Japan’s original golf club foundry and factory.  Many industry masters have honed their skills within their walls,  even old man Miura was an employee there and openly praises KYOEI as the job where he learned about forging techniques and perfected his grinding.  He is not the only one though,  countless industry masters have learned during extended and sometimes even short visits.

KYOEI is still today the only factory in all of Japan to do forging, grinding, finishing and polishing,  they stock hundreds of heavy molds to produce some of the worlds most famous one piece forgings.

The KCM is the name of a mold,  one of the most famous molds they have produced in the modern era of golf.  It has won countless victories on multiple tours in the hands of players across more than a few brands.  The heritage series pays homage to the factory and the KCM mold itself and to name a specific model based on the mold is unheard of as most brand try their best to hide mold names from the public.  At TSG we not only sell these new KCM heritage irons but we also offer the raw molds to experienced crafters who want to produce their own irons.  We thank KYOEI for allowing this to happen.

The predecessor of this iron was known KYOEI was the KK MB.  In 2021 KYOEI has updated the shape and design.   In this blog post, we highlight what is known as (ARAKENMA) grain,  which is this cool raw grain effect on the heads resembling a deep brushed look.  (KUROZOME) finish,  this is the black dye applied over the grain-finished head,  this finish allows the player to feel the purest form of Japan forged S25C steel because it is not a plating and does not influence the vibrations or feel at impact when the ball is struck.

This finish will eventually wear but beautifully if taken care of.  First, the sole and impact zones where contact is made turns silver,  we suggest a quick dry wipe at the end of each round and if you want to really enhance the look of these a quick blast of oil or wd40 every month or so.  You do not want to keep these wet and especially with sale water or they will rust,  although some people go for that look.  In the end the look is stunning as is the feel of these irons.  Pure Japan Forged!

Tech packed and beautiful – The all-new RomaRo Ray Type-R+ iron now shipping at TourSpecGolf!  This is an iron that has a great balance of distance forgiveness, shape, and feel.   This is a single-piece S20C forged iron!  Pretty much every iron with this amount of tech is multi-piece so you lose feel and a small degree of accuracy.

The first major feature is its deep pocket cavity.  It is a tapered cut out wide near the top and narrows at the bottom to achieve the most forgiveness without compromising feel and sole durability.

The Type-R+ iron also has what Romaro calls the 3R sole,  here at TSG we call this the triple cut sole and it is one of if not the best types of sole grinds in golf today adopted by both smaller and larger equipment manufacturers.  The purpose of the 3R sole is to reduce digging if you come in steep but also work well with those who come in more level sweeping the ball.  It also helps the ball sit like a player’s iron when grounded at address.

The overall size and appearance from the address I rate excellent,  it has only a small amount of offset considering the segment it is intended for.  The top line has some width but still not chunky in appearance.

Copper Underlay is implemented to improve feel and softness.  This is something unique as you usually only see copper underlayer on players’ cavities and blades.  This is a semi-game improvement undercut design that has implemented the use of copper for feel.

Introducing the new 2021 A-GRIND BX-PROTO Driving Iron!  A-Grind has produced a beautiful players driving iron which is actually bendable in both loft and lie angle thanks to its soft forged S20C body.  This is a key feature of the BX-PROTO as it allows players to go as upright or flat as they need to make proper contact with the turf and ultimately the ball.

The face is made of high-strength SUS455 steel for more distance and combine that with the forgiveness of a hollow body and you have a serious contender in the driving iron segment.   The BX-PROTO also features a toe weight to increase MOI and center the sweet spot.

The BX-PROTO has a playeresque sole with both a leading and trailing edge grind that is not only attractive but very functional in preventing digging for steeper swings but also narrowing the effective sole width along with making the head easier to manipulate at address.  This is known as the double-cut sole which is often seen on players’ irons and not as often in driving irons.

At address, this is one of the very best-looking driving irons we have seen if you prefer minimal offset and a straightforward shape that doesn’t look funky and overly rounded.  The top line is cut diagonally to reduce the visual thickness of the topline.

The head is Finished in Black IP  and the standard weight is 4g with optional 2g stainless and  6g tungsten weights available for $20 each.  Available in 18/21/24/27* lofts and we offer head only or can install many high-end steel or carbon shafts.  Currently, Fujikura MCH has the best and most stable reviews for this segment based on customer feedback.

The JBEAM ZY-8 Driver!  Introducing the new ZY-8 by JBEAM, which is their newest flagship model for the better player.  When I say better player, I mean the characteristics cater to faster swing speeds that seek very low spin and a medium-high trajectory.

This is a 450cc driver that TourSpecGolf can handpick specific face angles and lofts.   For example, you may choose lofts anywhere between 9* to 11* even in increments of .25*.   We can also handpick face angles anywhere from square to the full 3* open, which many good players who try to avoid the dreaded hook will appreciate.

The ZY-8 has a traditional bonded hosel and features the tried and true JDM face material known as Forged DAT55G; this material and SP700 are becoming very rare; they are expensive, and stocks globally are dwindling.  In my opinion, it’s the best way to get amazing ball speeds,  no gimmicks needed,  simply the best face material that comes in HOT for faster ball speeds.

Other options from TourSpecGolf are hosel reaming,  face shaving to almost any C.O.R, and head foaming, which has been a popular option for players who enjoy that muted thwack dead feel.

Tourspecgolf is offering a variety of custom shafts and grips from Japan.  If you have any questions or need suggestions on specs, builds, and shaft options, please reach out to us.

Introducing the 2021 KYOEI CB Handmade Edition – KYOEI’s new flagship cavity back iron! Buttery soft with a beautiful shape that’s packed with solid performance.  The goal was to improve upon the original cavity back designs shape and make an easier hit iron with approximately the same dimensions as the KK / Proto CB.

100% Forged, Ground, and Finished at the KYOEI factory in Ichikawa, Japan, and designed using the KYOEI K1 mold instead of the KRC mold used on the previous KYOEI cavity back.   Why is this important?  No other golf factory in Japan can with their own forging press, original molds, and plating all under one roof.   Many of the popular JDM boutique brands have to outsource their work,  which really isn’t an issue. Still, there is a sense of pride in having everything done in one spot,  especially a place as historically significant to Japanese golf manufacturing as KYOEI.

Some of the more popular JDM brands not only outsource forging but also finishing and then use molds that are near-final weight for slight polishing and grinding adjustments; this is not the way KYOEI does it; the grinding is totally different as they are starting with much heavier heads which requires the grinders to work longer and harder with more skill to bring the product to its final shape.

The K1 mold also has a history as it was first created for the Spalding blacktop back in the day.  KYOEI has brought the original mold back to life, restoring it for its second coming.  The 2021 KYOEI CB and MB ( handmade version ) both use this same K1 mold.  That’s right, they used a blade mold to create a cavity back iron.

The face progression is along the lines of a muscle back, and if you look at the F.P numbers, there are almost no cavity irons on the market with as little offset.  The top line is perfect and inspires forgiveness with its 5.5mm thickness.  KYOEI has benchmarked many class-leading mass production irons and boutique JDM brands to create what they feel is a superior iron for the serious player who demands not only performance but also quality and history.

Introducing the all-new 2021 KYOEI MB!  A  new and original design handmade starting with a very heavy raw head.  When the KYOEI brand first launched their house label, they released two blades, the KK and the Prototype series, based on the KCM Mold.  The new 2021 MB is built upon a different mold known as the K1 and shows just how flexible these KYOEI original molds can be.

For those new to JDM gear, you are probably asking who or what is KYOEI. KYOEI is one of Japan’s original golf foundries.  They are also the only factory in Japan that can combine forging, grinding, and finishing all under one roof.  Many well-known grinders have also worked at the KYOEI factory to hone their craft.

KYOEI’s ultimate blade is made for forgiveness, feel and shape.  Forged of J.I.S (Japan industry standard) S25C in Himeji, Japan, the feel is sublime.  KYOEI also does a key secondary process known as “precision forging,” which takes the head after its initial 3 presses. After it has cooled, it then reheats to 900 degrees for a final pressing in a different forging machine and weight; this process is said to improve the grain structure for a feel that takes it to the next level.

With a very thin topline and nearly zero offset, the 2021 KYOEI MB is still forgiving as far as blades go.  The back face milled design keeps much of the weight focused low for a center of gravity that helps get the ball up faster.  The shallow face also aids in the forgiveness category as well.

KYOEI has mated their 5-cut sole to the new 2021 MB as it’s a game-changer when it comes to turf interaction, especially for blade players who often come into the ball steel.  The combination of the low CG,  5-cut sole, and a shape that kills really makes the 2021 KYOEI MB one of the best performing blades on the market.   Considering it’s manufactured at Japan’s original golf foundry 100% in-house, I’d say we have something exceptional here.

Baldo has been on an absolute tear recently with a consistent barrage of new products and updates.   Their growth in Japan, Korea, and SE Asia has been obvious, yet no attempt to enter the U.S market as of yet.  Today we are highlighting their newest wedge, the BALDO CORSA FORGED BOUNCE BACK WEDGE!

Forged of S20C, their new bounce-back wedge features precision machine cut grooves for the most spin possible just within the limits of conformity.  Baldo has also implemented micro-milling between each scoreline so that friction is further increased so that the ball is on the face longer, gaining and grabbing more spin as it launches upward.   The combo of machine-cut grooves and micro-milling gives you the most spin possible and enhanced wet ball, turf, face performance.

The new Corsa Bounce Back Wedge is also a very forgiving design; combined with the strong spin performance, it features a wide sole width that smoothly tapers off toward the trailing edge to give the player the ability to slightly open the face.  The trail edge relief is not as aggressive as, say, a Vokey or many others, so I would categorize this as a semi-players forgiving wedge.   The 50/52/56 feature an S-Grind sole that improves consistency on full swing approach shots, while the 56/68 are offered in a W grind sole to give more manipulation of the clubhead.

Now let’s move onto the back face as a lot is going on there.  That large bump located center of the backface Baldo calls the power shield.  It basically puts mass low and center for stability and feels.   Below the power shield, there is an undercut back, a small channel or cavity that improves the tolerance of miss-hits and helps with straighter, more accurate wedge shots.  Baldo has also extended the neck (long neck design) to further improve the CG locations based on the other dimensions in the clubhead.

My hitting impressions were very positive,  this wedge does not have the best shape, in my opinion, but that tradeoff has a list of rewards. First, it feels outstanding when you flush the ball in the center of the clubface; next, the grooves really zip the ball back; perhaps that why they gave it the name.  Finally, it forgives thanks to its wide sole, which puts it on the edge of a player’s wedge AND forgiving wedge.  Opening and closing the clubface are very possible with the W to grind, while the lower lofted S grind is extremely stable.