JDM Equipment - Not Only My Story (PG-13)

By bogeydog

Dedicated to Chris Pierson and all the TSG moderators as well as all the club ho’s that share my experience. All this wouldn’t have been possible if my wife kept better track of me and occupied my time in other ways.

The Beginning

It all started as an innocent search on the web for “high end golf equipment.” Google results showed a few nondescript pages, but there was a site www.tourspecgolf.com ranked 3rd. I clicked and all was history. What I discovered was a site that showed pictures of sexy, smooth, soft, sleek…………golf clubs. I booked marked this site next to a few other X-rated sites. I found myself constantly returning at many times during the next few days. I was looking at the same pics, but I never grew tired. I was hooked and I couldn’t explain why. JDM equipment forced me into a second puberty!

My first venture into this vice was the purchase of a Callaway ERC III with Rombax 6V05 shaft. I waited by the front door for days for this club. The mailman must have thought I was stalking him. When I met him at the door to receive it, I just threw the box in the trunk of my car and sped to the driving range! I looked pretty funny taking a club out of a box in the parking lot of the range. I was so excited, it didn’t matter how well I hit the club….I was determined to enjoy my first $600+ club as I was slicing it into the nearby townhouses…..

A Growing Need

Life was pretty good, but I was captivated with the review and posts of the shafts made by Axiv. Post after post ranted and raved at about this great shaft. How could I go wrong? I must get it and I did. I bought a 6064M and had it installed locally. Not knowing anything about tipping, butt trimming, etc. I had the Rombax reinstalled and sold it here on TSG. Lesson learned….Know what you are buying and get fitted. All the info was on TSG, so to work I went.

My next purchase was a G-Field Zone #1 putter at 33”. I liked the blue, so that was what I bought. Again the reviews were great, so I bought in. The putter arrived and I wanted to shorten it a tad...I am not a normal size human at 5’-2”. My local club builder shortened the putter. I also asked him to bend the lie a little flatter. He did, but he also dented the soft forging on the bottom insert of the putter. Now I had a damaged brand new putter. I couldn’t sleep that night. The next day I called Chris and bought a new putter. The original one went on eBay. Nothing like an immediate financial loss, but I had a shiny new putter. The G-Field putter was great. Roll was superb, weight was nice and heavy, the putter very stable. Ah, my first great purchase.

The Callaway ERC continued in the bag, but he was nervous hearing me talk about this Epon ZR460 driver. The Callaway was super long, pretty straight, but seemed very hard. I like smooth and soft….ok back to golf clubs…The Epon sounded great, but was this going to be another hasty purchase? I decided to research all the info that I could. I pounded the TSG pavement, asked questions of the membership and Chris. I gathered info on myself and my swing. The result, a brand new baby Epon 460 with an Axiv-V 6066 shaft. He was so beautiful. I shook as I held him for the first time. Now to the range and for some punishment. The club was great. Nice and straight, no right side, no left, boring trajectory. JDM club #2 in the bag, almost!

A New Drug

Here came Roddio! I couldn’t pass up this shaft. It looked beautiful and what reviews. Again I took the plunge. I overnighted my Epon to Chris and he installed the W6BA SR shaft. I had him overnight it back to me. Now here is where the real power began. This time, no range, just the course. Bang, bang, bang…..Sweet, 13 fairways, super long, what a kick! My swing could be calm and powerful! ビンゴ! (I think this is bingo in Japanese.)Man what can I say, I was in love.

Now what to do next? I must admit that I was lurking around another website that caters to US equipment. They all talked a great game….Maybe I was wrong? Maybe US stuff was good also. Next stop $1800 set of Taylormade Taper Tour Irons. Honeymoon period, great. Daily grind…nag, nag, nag. (No names allowed as per the gag order in the divorce)

Now a 3 wood. Of course, my previous research took me to the Epon 13.5 degree. I ordered it up with, you know it, a Roddio W7BA shaft! Chris warned me that it hadn’t been tested in a fairway would, buy I was hard headed. I wanted a Roddio in my FW. I had an internal temper tantrum and bought it. To the range…Damn, I couldn’t get the ball in the air. F*&k! It was supposed to work! Waaahhhh.

To The Doctor

Hmmm….Ok time to look again. Study, study, study…..I was going to be in LA that month so I called Chris and asked if I could come to see him. Although I was going to be in LA, I could catch a flight to Sacramento to see the Holy Grail. Chris was more than accommodating. We met at his store which was closed to the public. The store was outfitted with many of the clubs that were displayed on TSG as well as many yet to be featured. There I saw, felt, swung many of these clubs including new wedges, the Yururi clubs, etc. Although I didn’t realize at the time, a few clubs were highly anticipated.

First: What to do with the Roddio? I hand carried it from Maryland, to LA, to Chris to discuss with him. He suggested a few shafts. I studied his bag of shafts and decided on the stock Mach Line provided by Epon. Chris installed it right there for me. Talk about customer service!

The next four hours I spent with Chris looking at clubs, talking about life, etc. It was probably longer than Chris wanted to see me, but he was very accommodating. Back and forth I went looking to buy a set of irons. Epon, Mizuno, Yururi….Yururi, Mizuno, Epon. Damn too many choices, no easy decisions. Ok deep breaths. I had remembered that Chris kept going back to his Mizuno JPX E500 irons. There they were! Sitting in his bag! He let me hit them. They felt good, seemed forgiving, and good value. Now the big decision….There were the Roddio irons shafts staring me in the face? Would they be another bad purchase? An experiment for sure. Hmmmm, Roddio driver shaft – great, 3W – nope, iron - ? Go for it…..Chris ordered the Mizuno irons and installed the shafts a week later.

The Ultimate High

Holy sh*t I said when I opened the box. WOW, I haven’t seen anything prettier. Should I soil these beauties? Yep….To the range with the old and new irons. Thwack, thwack, thwack…That was the sound of the Taylormades. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…That was the sound of the Roddios. Distance was amazing, 1 to 2 clubs longer. The feel was super smooth. Feedback still very good. A nice draw, from me? The TMs didn’t stand a chance, the JPXs and Roddios were the new guys in town. Like an old western, the TMs sat nearby, thumbing their guns knowing they would soon die and eBay death. That night I contemplated who would sleep with me…My wife or the Roddios?

At this point I was all JDM, but the wedges. In fact, a few TSG members brought this to my attention. It was like putting whipped cream on a pile of crap. More research, late nights, damn JDM porn. Eventually I bought 3 wedges from Idrive (Epon X-Model 50, 56, 58) Real beauties. Great performance: stop and drop accuracy, attention getting dart throwers. The copper finish was amazing. I play gold around quite a few Union Steamfitters. Copper is their thing, but they are all USA. I didn’t tell them these were JDM, so I was safe. They loved the copper though.

Here came “yourpressed.” This guy is great to buy from. He has more equipment “in and out” than a XXXXstar. Woops that was off color. Close your ears and eyes TourSpec Girl. Anyhow, my black OnOff golf bag came from him. Thanks for the great product. I like the bag. Neat use of materials, very light and very contemporary styling. I like their motto, GOLF MATTERS.

Just One More

Now a self admitted, daily TSG addict, Chris had to feed my habit once again. Boom, now he was posting about the Yururi Tour Seida wedges. Quote, “…its one of if not THE best wedge on the market right now.” Ok just one more line of this great drug…3 wedges please. Make them 50, 54 and 58 degrees, 3 degrees flat with a D3 SW. Tap, tap, tap my foot went three weeks later. Well 3 of only 50 produced each month; they will be worth the wait. Yahoo, the mail is here. Bills, bills, junk, bills, wedges! Back to the drug den. To the range.

The Yururi’s were sweet looking with the subtle sole grinds. No mistaking these lofts 52, 56, 60 printed boldly on the face. I guess drunk chipping would be easy. Initially they felt harder than the Epons. My guess is that they would. Spin though was noticeably more, and distance seems better. The Epons had Black Gold shafts and these were S400s. Ok lets bag them. Epons for sale.

Well let me say that JDM equipment is more than flash and glitter. It really does work. As a small guy, I will take any advantage that I can get. I have been playing golf for 30 years: Not good golf, but golf. Recently I have lowered my handicap index to 6.9. This is my first year in single digits. I am being serious now. If it wasn’t for Chris and TSG, me and much of the world would not have our JDM equipment and the joy it brings. I truly love my equipment and I know that many of you do also. High quality has always been a pet peeve of mine. I can’t buy or play with anything that isn’t the best quality. So here I am, basking in the best.

I must admit something…I still have a lone US issued club. A Cleveland Hibore 7 wood with a regular Fujikura stock shaft. It is so whippy that I think I could fold it up in my bag. But I can kill it and it doesn’t get very wild. The other clubs hate him as evidenced by the scratches on the crown. I keep finding him on the floor next to the bag so I put him back in. It is a hell of a fight, but I am sure he will find his place or a good home. Now I am looking for a JDM replacement. Excuse me; I must get back to TSG. Hello Chris, “ Price me up on…..”

For all those that may not recognize the symptoms of your addiction, here they are:
• Inability to relax or have fun playing golf or admiring JDM equipment.
• Sudden changes in work or school attendance and quality of work or grades.
• Frequently borrowing money, selling possessions, or stressing how to pay for the next purchase.
• Angry outbursts, mood swings, irritability, manic behavior, or overall attitude change when playing with non-JDM equipment.
• Talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks.
• Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming.
• No longer spending time with friends who don't use JDM equipment and/or associating with known users.
• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors, such as making frequent trips to the restroom, basement, or other isolated areas where internet and JDM viewing use would be undisturbed.
• Talking about JDM equipment all the time and pressuring others to use.

If you need help, please contact www.tourspecgolf.com