SECRET JAPANESE IRONS You should be testing. Epon, ProtoConcept, Miura, Mizuno, Srixon.

Japanese irons are renowned for their soft-feel, great feedback and precision craftsmanship. While Mizuno and Srixon rightly have an excellent reputation, there are other Japanese brands you should be testing or you’re missing out.
SGGT stocks a wide range of Mizuno and Srixon but also some lesser-known Japanese brands like ProtoConcept, Miura and the clubs we test in this video – Epon, Forged by Endo.
Endo is one of the most famous and respected forging houses in the world. While they have forged top quality irons for many brands you’ll recognise, they also have their own in-house brand, Epon, only available through selected specialist fitters, like SGGT!

EPON IRONS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
Epon AF-Tour CB2
Epon AF-306
Epon AF-307
Epon AF-507
Epon AF-707

日本語訳
日本製アイアンは、その打感の柔らかさ、優れたフィードバック、そして精密なクラフトマンシップで高く評価されています。ミズノやスリクソンは当然ながら素晴らしい評判を誇りますが、ほかにもぜひ試していただきたい日本ブランドが存在します。
SGGT では、ミズノやスリクソンの幅広いモデルを取り揃えているだけでなく、プロトコンセプトや三浦技研といった知る人ぞ知るブランド、そして今回の動画でテストする「エポン（遠藤製作所による鍛造）」も扱っています。
遠藤製作所（Endo）は、世界でも屈指の名門かつ信頼される鍛造メーカーのひとつです。数多くの有名ブランドの高品質アイアンを手掛けてきただけでなく、自社ブランドとして展開している「エポン」は、SGGT のような限られた専門フィッターを通じてのみ入手可能です。

ABOUT SGGT
SGGT is known for its unique, detailed 4, 6, 8, PW iron fittings at our flagship Edinburgh and Chesterfield studios. Where as many fitters use only 7 iron to fit an iron set, SGGT goes through the bag to find you the best fit for your game.

Recently, a customer said he thought SGGT offered the “World’s Best Iron Fitting” at our flagship Edinburgh and Chesterfield studios. He challenged us to find anywhere else in the world that offered all this in iron fittings:

• Fitting across set 4, 6, 8 irons & PW. Not just a 7 iron.
• Completely brand independent so you’re guaranteed unbiased advice
• Largest heads/shaft selection in Europe. We have the biggest matrix.
• Premium balls – ProV1s etc instead of range balls.
• Your choice of grip – We’ll put your preferred grip on the clubs you’re testing.
• An opportunity to test off mats & grass, indoor & outdoor during the fitting. It’s the only way to see the true ball flight and test turf interaction. Plus you still get the benefits of our Trackman launch monitors.

We haven’t found anywhere else yet. So, is SGGT the “World’s Best Iron Fitting?”. We’d be genuinely curious to know so please do get in touch.

Please Note: There are regional service variations offered at our Netherlands studios. Please contact them for details.
If you’d like to experience an iron fitting on this level then contact our Edinburgh or Chesterfield studios – or book online at www.sggt.co.uk

SGGT has a number of great fitting features including
The biggest matrix selection of club heads, shafts and grips to ensure you get exactly what you want
Trackman launch monitors
Open bays so you can see the real ball flight
SST Shaft Puring to get the most out of your shaft
S3 shaft profiling
We’ll fit your preferred grip during fitting sessions
Iron fitting with 4/6/8/PW instead of just one club
Outdoor wedge testing including in bunker
Premium balls
Matt and grass testing

DRIVERS & WOODS – FULL RANGE including
Titleist GT1, GT2, GT3, GT4 Series drivers GT280 Mini Driver
TaylorMade Qi35 Qi10 Core, Max, Maxlite and LS
Ping G440, G430 MAX, LST SFT and 10K
Cobra DS Adapt, Darkspeed
Callaway Elyte, Ai-Smoke, Paradym, Max D, Triple Diamond
Srixon ZXi Driver
Mini-Driver, Fairways and Hybrids

IRONS AND WEDGES – FULL RANGE including
Titleist T100, T150, T200, T250, T350, 620, 722
Taylormade P7CB, P790, P770, Qi irons
Ping G440, G430, G730, i230, i530, i59, Blueprint T
Callaway Elyte, Standard, X, HL (high launch) and Max Fast. Paradym Ai Smoke, Apex
Srixon ZXi7, ZXi5, ZXi4 Z-Forged II, ZX4 MkII, ZX5 MkII, Zx7 MkII
Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal, JPX 923, Pro 245, 243, 241

SGGT custom fitting service creates golf clubs that are personalised to you and your swing only. Using our own proprietary fitting system we can combine heads and shafts from all the leading brands to create the ultimate combination in one of our two tour fitting studios. The Lyle Studio covers the woods and the long game and the Hogan Studio fits irons and wedges. All orders are built in our own in-house workshop. You can also trade in your old golf clubs for new ones. For more information choose the fitting you require below and book online.

Whether you’re a high, mid or low handicap golfer SGGT can help. We offer a tour level fitting experience for all levels of golfer from an average golfer looking for improved performance through to the club champion or elite professional looking for precision in their equipment.

BOOK YOUR FITTING NOW

SGGT
100 Swanston Rd,
Edinburgh
EH10 7BB
0131 202 9055

Hello and welcome back to SGGT. Today, James, Aaron, and myself, we’re going to dive deep into Japanese irons. We’ve all heard the strixen and Mizuno, but there’s some offerings there that aren’t readily available at retail. So, we’ve got Eon, Mura, and Pro Concept. But today, we’re going to have a hit of the EON, explore the range, and see what we think. James, why these irons? So, what’s good about them? So, they come from one of the most famous forging houses in the world, uh, Endo. And Endo specialize in like really high-end Japanese forgings. Um, a lot of manufacturers will kind of outsource their forging to endo as well. I certainly have done kind of over the years. Uh, but Endo make some incredible products themselves. So, part of it um is Eon. Yeah. So, there’s a whole host of different different EON heads. The big big difference with these things is the feel. It’s such a different manufacturing process. They’re really a a real crafted golf club. They feel absolutely fantastic. And you just have to hit some golf balls to to kind of to get a sense of that. I think crafted is the perfect term there. Yeah. Yeah. Really is. So within the ZON range, they do a 307, a 507, 707. Um there’s AF 306. Mhm. We’ve got the tour head that you’ve got there. There’s a blade that we don’t actually carry. There wasn’t really a need for it. And there’s another few heads, but they’re the ones that we carry in stock here. We’re going to hit a few shots with each of them and just see what they do, Aaron. Yeah, perfect. Show us it. So, we’ve got AF2. We’ve got a sixiron. And for reference, this is just the same shaft I’ve got in my own irons project X6.5. So, your usual flavor. Yeah. Let’s have a go. Very pretty to look at. Yeah. You like look at that? Yeah. James put it perfectly. That kind of crafted. I like that. This is less Trackman and more feel, right? Yeah. Nice off the face. Was a little bit low in the face, but it it felt nice. Still felt really nice. Nice and soft. So, when people talk about kind of cast versus forged, you can still make a cast club soft. Um, but the way that the way that Endo forge their golf clubs, um, and the other Japanese brands as well is it just feels just feels softer. What’s the benefit? Uh, feel more feedback. Um, that guy that very feel inspired, someone that kind of likes that softer feel. um can sometimes be deemed a little bit slower, but when we go into the other clubs, we’ll kind of kind of blow that myth away a little bit because they’re they can still be quick. They can still be quick. Okay. But feeling feedback would be the main the main benefit. I think one of the main things that we that we talk about when we talk about feel is the sound of the golf club. Yeah. Um, so because they’re a single piece forged head, they just sound a bit different. Yeah. So if you have a kind of multimaterial head with multiple parts, it’s going to sound it’s going to sound a different way. Um, and because it’s going to sound a little bit different, it’s then going to feel a little bit different at the same time. And it’s not necessarily that that one is better than another. It’s a different manufacturing process, but in that process, it’s a different feel that the golfer is then going to experience. It’s going to be subjective player to player, isn’t it? Oh, completely. That was pure. That was nice. Best of the three. Right, James, what’s the next head in the range? Let’s go to the 306. So, a little bit deeper cavity I can see in the back of that there. Yep. So, a bit more help. Little bit more help. Still looks really clean from above. Okay. Who’s going to play this head? James. So, it’s a head that’s got some loft. Um, it’s one that really kind of covers quite a lot of bases. Um, this is maybe generally going to be that be that golfer who’s maybe got a little bit more speed. Um, but again, the type the type of golfer generally who’s who’s kind of picking this iron, they’re not necessarily looking for any any jumping distance. Let’s give this a bit of a blast. So, this is the AF 306. Let’s just change a tag on Trackman. How’s it look behind the ball, Aaron? Slightly thicker top line. Okay, not in a bad way. Slightly thicker top line, similar offset, uh longer blade length. So, kind of wider sole in the AF Tour. Maybe someone who’s a little bit steeper is going to benefit from this. What we see with like a lot of the Japanese irons is a lot of material that’s been removed on the bottom of the sole. Mhm. So, all these irons got what you’d call like a pre-worn leading edge. Um, this is a big big big sort of thing in the in the industry right now. How does the head interact through the ground? Cuz you’ve got a little bit of pre pre-worn leading edge there. Yeah. And a little bit of trailing edge relief as well. Yeah. So, the kind of active sole, if you wanted to call it, is actually quite thin. Yeah. But there’s still plenty of help there. Yeah. From a feel standpoint, does it feel similar? Really similar. I know with other brands as they make it bigger and more forgiving, that feel kind of goes away a little bit. Does this feel similar? Feels really similar to the the AF Tour. Um, looks a bit different on the back, but in terms of that ball strike, feels similar. Yeah. Good. Yeah. Give us one more and we’ll change again, pal. Good. Lovely. Really solid. So, James, what’s next? 307, is it? Yep. AF 307. And what’s the difference between a 306 and a 307? Sounds like a pujo. Very, very little to be honest. Um 307 looks a little bit neater overall. Um we say the top plane’s maybe a we whisker smaller. Okay. But very very similar. Right. Okay. Looks similar, but I prefer the look of this one. Okay. Um similar to to the other ones. It’s kind of got that slightly higher in the heel section. Yes. Um which I don’t mind. makes it look a little bit more offset here, but there’s still very little offset at the bottom. Okay, which is where you’re really going to be looking. That sounded lovely. That was nice. Carry 192. Finish it. Finish at 2011. Nice and steep land angle there at the same time. You could definitely play that and agree. That’s really nice. Yeah. Oh, that’s towi. That’ll be interesting. See what that does. There’s a wee bit of ball mark on the actual toe. I’ve missed some grooves there. Self 188. Really? Yeah. Well, so when you talk about these kind of Japanese irons only being for feel, that maybe disproves that a little bit. Yep. That had no right going that distance. There’s a bit of life in that, isn’t there? Lovely. That was struck. That’s nice. That’s my favorite of the buns so far. Okay. Right. Next, James 507 is just a slightly bigger version. Is that correct? Uh 507 is a slightly bigger version. Yes. So, the sole the sole is a little bit broader. The the trailing edge kind of trailing edge grind has been taken away. Leading edge is still there. Um, this is now multiaterial. There’s a badge on the bottom which going to really kind of help get that CG driven down the way a little bit more. So, what we maybe expect to see from this is for the ball to fly a little bit higher. Are we going to sacrifice a bit of fuel? Don’t think so. No, I don’t think we’re going to sacrifice anything here. Loft will be what, one or two degrees stronger. Maybe we whisker. Right, Aaron. Let’s see it. Thank you, James. Visually top plane I don’t think there’s that much difference though. Nah, fraction thicker. But if you gave me them and asked me to guess which one was which, I’d maybe get it right half the time, 60% of the time. Mhm. Cuz I’d be guessing. Um, looks a bit beefier from the back. And then you can see that slightly wider sole, which I don’t mind. Longer blade length. I think now only can can only really see that because it’s behind the ball. Just a bit more mass there. All right. Still sounded similar. Yeah, it did. Felt similar as well. The numbers haven’t really moved throughout the whole thing. The tour was a little bit shorter, but everything else has pretty much been the same. Traman calculator for wind. Yeah, about 10 yards just over. Turn them up a bit. Still think my preference would be the 307. Okay, give us one more and we’ll give you 707. That was nice. Solid, isn’t it? Right, James, let’s change this head over. Let’s have we move. So 707 is the bigger guy. Um, sole is a little bit broader. We go back again to having a little bit like trailing edge relief, but the way they’ve done it this time is we’ve got a kind of undercut pocket cavity. So you’re not going to you’re not going to see that from the top. Uh, but there’s a little bit more life in this one here. So really as the numbers go up in EOM, the stability gets higher as well. Yes, that’s it. That’s the idea. Why did that one sound different, James? The undercut the back of the head. So noise is a little bit different because there’s a bit more space for that noise to move around. Okay. So club head speed’s the same. Quite a bit more ball speed, but if I drop in spin there at the same time, She’s definitely fast. That one a bit higher as well. It’s quick, but it’s easy to get that ball up in the air at the same time. So, I think potentially for that golfer who maybe needs a little bit more a little bit more help on on the on the speed side of things, you’ve got plenty of speed from the head, but it’s it’s easy to get the ball up in the air. Generally, when we go to like stronger lofted product, if a golfer’s not quite got the speed to get it going, that’s the peak height that that sort of suffers. This guy’s good. Lovely. Yeah, for something that isn’t can you can see it’s a touch stronger lock. It’s not sham BK 110. Still spins really good. Spinning definitely drops off with this head. Yeah. Still feel nice though. Still feels decent. Yeah, it still feels really good. It’s uh decent was is probably a vibrant of the ones I’ve hit previously. So it still feels nice and soft. So like when we when we fit using, you know, 468 wedge, if we need to make up a little bit of a combo set, we need a cheating stick longer iron, but we then want maybe want something a little bit neater down in down the short, we can go and test all these things and just make sure they blend correctly if it’s required. Good. So certainly heaps of performance throughout this the range, Aaron. Um, from a feel standpoint, it’s not like you’ve went a cast game improvement iron it, then you wouldn’t play. So, if you if you are a better player and want it to feel good, but you can keep that feel there. I think that’s important. Whereas, I think in some brands, the bigger it gets, the worse it feels. And why should you sacrifice feel if you’re a higher handicapper? That that still feels nice. It’s obviously a lot more fun than the other ones. And that is basically doing what I would expect to do. Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant. Well, thank you very much for your input, James. Thank you for changing over for us. No problem at all. And thanks to everyone for watching. Um, to come into the studio and try some Japanese irons for yourself, whether it be Mura Eon or Proto Concept, head over to the website at sgt.co.uk. And for more content, please like and subscribe to the channel. Thanks. [Music]