This is the new Akira Prototype KS-201. It’s a players cavity back produced for rookie JPGA player Kawano. It was used in the recent U.S Open by Kenichi Kuboya along with the upcoming Forged Proto driver that Gocchin posted on a couple of weeks back. Click Here.
We’ve been evaluating the KS-201 for a couple of months now and know it pretty well to share some observations we’ve had. First off, It’s made of 8620 mild carbon so it’s a cast iron yet still feels fairly soft, I think the word dampened describes it best. It’s trajectory is medium like any true players CB due to a higher cg placement. It’s pretty forgiving for it’s size with perimeter weighting and a decent amount of width behind the impact zone.
What the KS’s got going for them is this fabulous shape. It’s grind and overal design is just refined. Take a look at the image below, as far as shape goes it can toe up with the likes of the TourStage 905 CB’s, Yamaha Tour’s, and AF302 without question. Supposedly the grooves are a big deal with these things as well.
People are asking why Akira has labelled almost all of it’s clubs PROTOTYPE. it’s a term that has been abused pretty badly in both Japan and the U.S. It’s cool factor has died down and stamping that word on a golf club could be considered a passing phase and trend. My personal meaning of the word prototype is one of the first production runs at the manufacturing level, the pre retail tester of a golf club design. With Akira that still could be said to be true. Every single one of the PROTOTYPE designs is produced specifically for one of their Tour Players by one of several skilled master club designers. M = Masuda-san or H = Horie-san are there names both are veterans and among the best in the business.
Akira makes small batches for the Tour Pro. This allows Akira to set the COR much higher than the big box manufactures due to the rejection ratio. Big OEMs have to produce thousands of driver heads, then they hand pick the hottest and send those to the tour. So in some cases 1 of 500 or 1 of 1000 will have the on the edge of legality COR for their most important contract players. Each Akira driver is like that 1 of 1000 head. They produce smaller amounts higher tolerance because there is a lot less risk of rejection and its all for the Tour Pro anyway.
When it comes to their wedges, many may not know this but there are wedges on the PGA tour that are considered grey, some perhaps illegal. They are carved very aggressively and again hand picked the same way the drivers are. Akira produces very aggressive original design CNC grooves right on the edge. Big brands have to go well below the limit to again avoid the risk of mass rejection.
Gorgeous Iron. They certainly have the it factor when it comes to the shaping and edging. I might have to get me a head or 2 and play around with em a little. I was beside myself with anguish after buying my Mizuno Mp25s. I’ve come to rely on Mizuno consistency over the years and after 7 sets. I could buy them in my specs without a test drive, but that changed between the mp15 & 25. The 25s feel like harsh garbage! No butter! Just hydrogenated vegetable oil in the shape of butter.