Since the Titleist VG3 irons were announced earlier this summer and since their release at the end of August, I’ve talked about the iron many times on the blog as its performance has been a hot topic here in Japan. Two months later, nothing has changed as it is still the most in demand iron in Japan surpassing the summer’s big seller the Ping Anser Forged.
All Around Performer…
I have to admit after demoing the VG3 iron for a couple of weeks, that it lives up to the hype. Most publications in Japan including Golf Digest, Golf Today, Waggle and others have given the VG3 stellar reviews and all around top ratings. Looks, design, feel and performance all are top notch. After completing my iron shootout, I immediately contacted our Titleist rep asking for a set of irons for myself and was very disappointed to find out that October’s allotment of VG3 irons has been sold out all across Japan! The next batch is available in November. This must be the first time I haven’t been able to get an iron I want and honestly it makes me want them even more! The funny thing is I always tell everyone to pre-order and I didn’t even do so myself… duh?!? Luckily my bag contains the Yamaha V Forged iron to hold me over while I wait.
Carefully thought out…
There are so many things that make the VG3 a wonderful iron that could satisfy any golfer. The VG3 would be my first Titleist iron ever as in the past I never really considered the brand. In Japan, it has always had the reputation of being an athlete level club especially the drivers and irons. Titleist USA worked together with Titleist Japan in their first ever joint venture to design the VG3 clubs for the Japanese market. They did not rush their efforts and took over a year just tinkering with design and testing, making sure it would satisfy not only the athlete golfer but also Japan’s largest segment of golfers the average golfer (like myself). For those who missed it this video shows some of the history behind the first VG3 club the VG3 driver, which all of the testing was actually done in the US (video is in Japanese though there are parts in English from Dan Stone, VP of Club R&D).
[flv:http://blog.tourspecgolf.com/videos/vg3_promo.flv 640 427]
Variable sole weighting…
One of the key features on the VG3 iron is the variable weighting on the sole. VG3 stands for variable gravity 
design. On the driver there were 3 varying gravity design models varying between the 9 10 and 11* lofts. On the irons its the same 3 tier design with the long irons featuring dual tungsten weighting embedded in both the toe and heel in the sole of iron while the mid irons feature a single tungsten weight in the center of the sole. The 3rd variable gravity design is the short irons where there is no tungsten at all. This variable gravity design alters the trajectory by changing the CG on each iron. The dual tungsten on the long irons increases forgiveness and MOI while dropping the CG low for big carry and distance ball. The mid irons with a single tungsten weight allow for a higher ball to attack the green from a distance. The short irons with no weights have a higher CG point lowering the trajectory for a stable controlled shot and that touch around the greens.
Great looks and design…
Another aspect of the VG3 which stands out a lot is of course the irons looks. Not only the beautiful design and back cavity but the way the iron sets up. For a strong lofted iron the offset is considered less however where the design aspect actually takes place is the way Titleist shaped the heads. The long irons feature a very straight and sharp top line designed to create an image of going straight when lining up with the ball. The mid irons have a slightly curved topline and head shape for more workability and ball movement and the short irons are curved more like a wedge for control and pin point ball movement. You’ll see more of this in the videos I post below.
Feel and ease of use…
The strongest points of the VG3 are probably feel from the Endo forged S20C head and ease of use thanks to what Titleist calls a pre-worn sole or a sole already designed to produce more clean impact thanks to its ability to move through the turf. So the VG3 excels in looks, design, feel, distance and ease of use. The one thing I wonder is how better players will adjust to the stronger lofts and more point and shoot nature of the VG3 Forged. The mid and short irons are certainly workable but the lofts are strong and will still provide more distance than some better players are used to. For example the PW is 44*, and this alone will force some players to alter their wedge lineup as those who carry a 52* may find the gap of 8* too large.
Update: Larger address picture. Offset amount is just right… beautiful flow from neck to head.
Custom Options…
Those who have purchased the VG3 Iron from us have all been different levels of golfers, from average golfers to single digit players and slower swingers to fast heavy steel players. Luckily Titleist offers custom orders for the VG3 including lie and length changes as well as custom shafts like PX, KBS Tour, DG, DG HL, DG SL, and even lighter weight steel like NS Pro 750GH Wraptech. Some of the better players have told me that heavier shafts have brought the ball flight down for them and were happy in moving from the AP2 to the VG3 even with the stronger lofts of the VG3. So like everyone else I have to wait for my set. If you want one I’d recommend ordering soon and waiting. After all good things come to those who wait!
Titleist Promo Videos…
In the mean time I’ve got 3 promo videos from Titleist Japan for the VG3 Forged. They are of course in Japanese but I’m sure you’ll enjoy them anyway. They touch base on a lot of the points I noted and you get to see Titleist Japan Pro Nobuo Serizawa hit the irons. He’s the guy who helped design the driver and the irons and is a top pro on the Japan Senior tour (and of course was a top pro on the JPGA men’s tour as well).
Titleist VG3 Iron Part 1: Feel
[flv:http://blog.tourspecgolf.com/videos/vg3a.flv 640 427]
Titleist VG3 Iron Part 2: Weighting and trajectory
[flv:http://blog.tourspecgolf.com/videos/vg3b.flv 640 427]
Titleist VG3 Iron Part 3: Topline and performance
[flv:http://blog.tourspecgolf.com/videos/vg3c.flv 640 427]
Why is there so much difference between clubs coming out in Japan versus the rest of the world. Like these Titleist clubs?
All the top US Brands make Japan only clubs. Japan is the only country in the world that gets all the global/US models PLUS all their own models. The Japanese market is demanding and flowing with consumers who are willing to spend money on cutting edge, premium material clubs and brands take advantage of this by producing products specifically for these Japanese consumers. So in part it has a lot to do with making money but the end result is also some very cool clubs and products as most of the manufacturers pump part of what they make into R&D and design and materials like the VG3 Forged.
Brands are willing to come out with 800.00+ drivers and 1200.00+ sets of irons because there is demand for them. Many Japanese golfers are willing to spend 3-4 times more than the average American golfer and the manufacturers know this. With the higher price tags of gear comes hopefully better materials, designs and workmanship/manufacturing processes.
Admittedly the prices are high, largely in part to the VERY unfavorable exchange rates right now, but in the end, Japan getting their own clubs is a good thing as we all get more choice of premium golf clubs.
Your take on making money and filling a very different market demand is absolutely right. I am neither Japanese nor living in Japan. I am an average Asian living and playing leasure golf in the Pacific rim and China region. These J-spec clubs are must have’s for many players like me, and they find their way to our hands through different channels. I appreciate and enjoy the details, cutting edge technology and fine craftmanships that comes with these clubs. More importantly, the concept of having something unique to rest of the world, is a natural high in itself!
On top of that, these J-spec clubs are more suited to me. Although at 5’10” 170lb, I seemed not smaller than average westerner, but in reality, muscle mass, body proportion, strength, flexibility, and body dynamics etc… are quite different. I found myself perform much better with these clubs than US-spec clubs. That’s why my last set of US-spec club was the Burner Bubble from 20yrs ago! Since then, I uesd over 10sets of irons and 40+pcs of driver/woods/others all J-Spec. And enjoyed them all!
In terms of the high price? Heck! Golf quipments are like toys to grown men, as long as they keep giving me latest tech, nice look, great craftmanship/quality, and uniqueness, I’ll buy it. It’s like luxury items… if our wives are buying $10,000.- Hermes bags and $2,000 LV shoes, why can’t we buy a set of $2,000.- iron or driver with unique shaft just for fun?!
Really Nice ! Wish we could get these in Europe so i could give it a try !
David you brought up some really great points. Design with the Asian golfer in mind is a very large factor in how clubs are thought out. Also not everyone is a pro or can swing 120mph and hit the ball 300 yards. So much of the designs are put the average golfer in mind. Also the uniqueness as you said, people love having an iron that no one else has especially if it hits it closer to the pin!
Interestingly, we have many Asian lady customers living abroad contacting us for Japanese clubs for ladies as they find American clubs for ladies too heavy, too upright and too long for their builds. So there are wives who don’t just buy those 10k Hermes bags (^_^) some also get golf clubs.
Thanks for the insight!
I find the Variable gravity tungsten weighting intriguing. I can see how that would make the longer irons more forigiving. The only problem (besides it being sold out) is trusting myself and swing to put the #3 & #4 iron back in the bag to make use of this new tech.
Beautiful pictures but really hard to tell size. With me playing the epon 502’s how much size differnce is their. Are the VG3’s smaller, bigger, thinner, you know what I mean.
Hi Kent, good question.I should have taken side by sides with the AF-502 and will when my irons get here. Off the top of my head they had slightly less offset and may have been a touch smaller. I’ll post up some comparison pics when I do them.
I did add a larger picture to show the offset above.
Like Kent, I’m also playing the Epon 502 with Fujikura Motore Speeder 45 shaft. It would be great if you could provide some comparison between the two. By the way, do you offer custom shaft (such as the Motore speeder 45) other than the stock shafts when buying the VG3 from you? Thanks
I prefer a little smaller head, topline, etc…. basically less GI-ey but these look great. I wonder if Titleist will incorporate some of the VG tech in the next iteration of their AP line.
I just don’t get this design. Certain aspects seem innovative, but the sole design is so squared and yesterday. Many of todays Players Irons have more grind deisgn going on than these.