Done up in Japan only for limited numbers, the new R7 Ltd. Edition cavity back is made of soft forged S25C steel and features a design based off the ever popular Miura Forged 300 Series irons that the Japanese tour pros loved so much in the past.

We are not sure where these are forged, early reports said somewhere in Taiwan. Some people say Miura forged because Miura has a factory in Taiwan but I feel
R7 Forged Cavity Backs it’s not Miura yet it feels as good if not better than the original 300's. It’s been a while since Taylormade has released a limited Japan only product and it’s pretty cool to see them offering setup options like 2-PW, or starting at 3, 4, and 5 irons per your request. The lofts are also at a more traditional setting than today’s 46° pitching wedges where as the new R7 forged is set at 48° PW. Taylormade is on the right track in both design and quality of these irons and I hope to see higher end from one of golf’s biggest names in the future.

Only available in S200, NS950 S-Flex, and X100's.

You can find the last few remaining sets at TourSpecGolf.

To see what the TSG'ers are saying about these irons click here. 

I guess we can call it the first shaft at a thousand dollars. Actually it retails at $1200, but you will see it online for a cool grand. The question is, does it live up to its price tag? Some say "yes", others say "no", but whatever the case the OZIK line feels good and produces good results. Within the Ozik is wrapped Boron from the United States, Ballistic Zylon from Japan, and G-MAT from the United Kingdom. Each OZIK is built in the United States using a 12-step, 6-day, 9-person process that insures unmatched symmetry. The process is finished with the first of its kind soft feel finish.

OZIK TP-7

The OZIK TP-7 or TP-7x features our interplay Hybrid Technology: 118 count Boron sheets are wrapped twice over the shaft's full length at competing angles for impact stability. Ballistic Zylon surrounds the Boron over the full length for enhanced feel and recovery speed. The shaft is finished with G-MAT for consistency and durability.

Ozik has other options in its ultra premium line up like the Altus, The Code Series, Hybrid shafts, and coming soon: custom graphite iron shafts. If you don’t want to pay top dollar for the TP-7 you have many other affordable options from Matrix to choose from.

Click here to see what TSG’ers are saying about the premium OZIK line.

The term "frequency" is the number of times a periodic phenomenon of process occurs in a unit of time, i.e. number of oscillations of shaft per minute. There are several ways to frequency-tune golf clubs, the first and most popular is to compare measured frequency against club length. The second is to compare measured frequency against the overall club weight and third is to consistently weight sort all components. The term (CPM) = cycles per minute.

True Tempers Black Gold shaft

When I think "frequency-tuned", I think of True Tempers Black Gold shaft first because it is the most consistent descending weight frequency-tuned stepless iron shaft in the game of golf today. Do not compare it to a DG because it is not a Dynamic Gold. Does this mean it's the best shaft for you? Maybe or maybe not. That depends on you as a golfer. It's got a good look to it as well that actually has function and enhances feel. TT tried the Black Gold in various finishes and found the "gold" brushed nickel finish won out over chrome shafts in comparative "feel" tests.

Here are some facts about True Tempers Black Gold that you may not have known about:

• The Black Gold differs from the Dynamic Gold when comparing the discrete length versions of both shafts
• The Dynamic Gold features a constant weight design, while the Black Gold is a descending weight design. This means that the Black Gold shafts get lighter and progressively softer throughout the set when compared to the DG
• The Black Gold is stepless while DG is stepped
• The Black Gold features a slightly higher ball flight than the DG. DG is characterized as "low" while the black gold is called "low-mid", although this will vary with individual swing profiles.

Why is the Black Gold Stepless? It’s simple, two main reasons:

First, when you develop a shaft based primarily on frequency, you must remove the steps to provide club makers the flexibility to target various trimming scenarios to target various frequency slopes. True Temper offers pre-packaged sets, 3-PW of frequency tuned shafts based upon their recommended frequency slope per flex. Yet they still want to provide the club maker the flexibility in trimming to a particular player's needs.

Second, stepless shafts have appeal in the consumer market place similar to the Project X as a simple aesthetic preference. Remember the Project X is not frequency-matched because constant weight shafts cannot be frequency-matched.

The most exciting thing about this shaft is its frequency control, each Black Gold shaft is frequency tuned to within +/- 1 CPM. It’s got Weight Control where each Black Gold shaft is manufactured to within +/- 1.5 grams and it also has balance point control where each Black Gold shaft features balance point control to +/- .125". NO OTHER SHAFT ON THE MARKET IS THIS TIGHT!

Hope this helps you think more about the shaft in your irons. I think finding out what your preferences are in regards to descending weight vs. ascending weight vs. constant weight, as well as step or stepless and other factors really does bring a new mission to learning more about your gear.

Click here to learn more about true tempers black gold shafts:

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