I was very excited to open up a package from PRGR today to find the new Egg Spoon PX-03D and Egg Spoon Forged Iron! The first thing I did was step outside in the blazing hot and sweaty 35C weather to take some quick photos before heading over to the local driving range to get some initial impressions on these new clubs which are released on August 29th.
Initial Impressions…
My plan is to do a video review of both new Egg clubs so the initially it will be first impressions and pictures. The new Spoon has been redesigned and is really scooped out in the back this time, and I mean really scooped out, and even longer from face to back with a lower center of gravity and more MOI than the first generation Spoon. PRGR has decided to not only change the design but also the materials of the Spoon. Where the first generation featured a stainless steel sole plate matched with titanium face and body, the new Spoon will have a SUS630 body matched with Maraging ES230 face.
Click here to read more initial impressions on the new Spoon!
15% more MOI in the new design…
The back of the club is very thin looking and my wife noted it could pass for a blade like weapon. The sole of the club is much cleaner and features a V like sole and U like groove to help reduce friction and make it more versatile in any lie. The huge scoop out in the back allows for the weight to be placed towards the heel toe which is the reason why the Spoon has nearly 15% more MOI than the previous model. The face appears a touch more shallow and the club comes with a completely new shaft which is still branded an EGG shaft though I am guessing is made by Mitsubishi Rayon since PRGR has moved to Mitsu for many of its new line stock shafts.
Huge shoes to fill…
The new Egg Spoon has HUGE shoes to fill in replacing what many consider one of the longest if not longest and straightest fairway woods to ever come out of Japan. The 1st generation Egg Spoon dominated many tests even garnering special categories and ratings for itself from top publications like Golf Digest Japan, and Albatross Review among others. Here at TSG, we love the club and that love has passed down to many members and customers. So I am sure many people including myself wonder if this club can be as good or even better than the it’s first generation senior.
Slick and aerodynamic looking…
First impressions on taking the club out of the box were that while the general shape is the same you can tell that PRGR made out to create a completely different club aesthetically. I had my doubts when I first saw the pictures but I kind of like it’s high tech almost streamlined space ship like shape. Looks wise it is a beautifully designed and finished club and you can tell a lot of thought has been put into it.
So off I went to range with my neighbor Taka who happens to be my regular weekly playing partner. I should note that I gamed the first generation Spoon for nearly 2 years. I could not during that time, personally find any 3 or 4 wood that came close to matching the club’s performance (for me at least) and I tried almost every club from every brand in Japan. It will be impossible for me to fairly compare this new generation PX-03D with only one range session so please again keep in mind these are initial impressions.
Completely different sound…
First things first… the SOUND. It sounds nothing like the previous Spoon. Due to design changes and the SUS630 body Maraging face rather than Ti face and body in the 1st gen, the new Spoon gives off a more familiar “tink” at impact. Not overly loud but a very normal and clean “tink” unlike the “POCK” sound that came from the 1st generation. Admittedly I was kind of let down by the sound, don’t get me wrong, its not a bad sound. I just got so used to the sound of the 1st generation Spoon which I grew to love as an intimidating call out to everyone around that the Spoon is here and is hitting the ball a long way. Right away Taka said “that doesn’t sound like your old Egg”. For some this may be a welcome change but for me it made the Spoon more ordinary. The previous sound while many found odd, made it different. I’ll definitely do a sound comparison during my video review between the two clubs.
(Edit: after a second day early in the morning at the range, the sound was more appealing as I was the only one at the range and it was quiet. I must say it is more of a “crack” at impact like PRGR drivers rather than a small tink as I had previously reported – the first day range was crowded and noisy. I’ll have sound in the video I am putting together.)
Lower more penetrating trajectory….
The face of the new Egg is pretty much square and the scooped out back really helps frame the ball at address. The club definitely gives a sense of security. Interestingly, even with the CG deeper and lower than the 1st generation I found the ball flight to be lower and a bit more penetrating. One key factor for the 1st generations huge distance gains was it’s higher launch and max carry performance. This could be due to the shaft as both heads I have are 17* models. I can carry the old Egg over the 200y mark while the new Egg and its lower trajectory landed around the 200y mark but gave more run afterwords. This can equal more control especially on windy days. Feel wise (which is a very subjective thing), I thought the new and quieter Egg felt more muted at impact, still soft thanks to its thin maraging face but once again different from the old Egg.
More testing on the way…
So after a day with the club, I honestly have not come to a conclusion as to whether the new PRGR Egg Spoon is as good as or better than the old one. Nor did I expect to be able to compare a club after one day to a club I’ve used for 2 years. The new Egg is definitely different. It’s definitely a cool design, with a more muted but still soft feel. It launches lower and seems to run more. I am going to bag this and over the next few weeks really tell how it stacks up to the legendary 1st generation Spoon but at least we have some first impressions and of course pics everyone wants to see!
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I cannot wait for your feedback on the new spoon as I am very interested in getting one anytime soon! Thanks
Wow props to you for gettting it so soon! I bet this is the first review on the web. I too had the older spoon for a couple years and i’m excited to hear what you think about this one. Looking forward to your feedback.
I made an edit about the sound of the club. Did a second session this morning and it was more appealing and more “significant” sounding.