In 2011 at the Japan Golf Fair Yonex Golf showed off it’s new EZONE line which marks a major change of direction in the companies product line. Since acquiring their star player Ryo Ishikawa Yonex Golf has been trying to appeal to the better player with his pro edition clubs. Back in late February at the show we didn’t expect the new Yonex EZONE 380cc Driver to wow us like it did. Popular member and forum personality Stew aka Supo67 found the 380 to be one of the best drivers of the show where he produced some of his best distance gains and very tight dispersion even against other much larger headed drivers.
Upon returning from Japan I posted our usual content covering the show and Yonex took notice and reached out to us to form a special partnership. Here at TSG we have the unique capability to offer you the customer heads only of all models woods, irons, and wedges included. We were also given a fitting cart to do some T&E. After a few weeks hitting these extensively we are ready to display the Yonex Ezone Driver Review. It’s my personal take on the clubs along with TSG Club Tester Tatsuro Oshimoto’s comments in the Video below.
Distance: Overall all 3 models did well in carry, for me the distance was above average, The trajectory was lower on the 380, perfect on the 420 and 450. I did get a good amount of float while the roll was average with the 420/450 and a perfect mid trajectory and lots of run with the 380. The 380cc head + Graphite Design Tour AD DJ-6 or DJ-7 especially in the 10* would be my ideal setup. I have the TourStage 415 9.5* with DJ-6 to compare it to and all was equal in distance yet the Yonex flew straighter and a bit higher. The 380cc for Tatsuro rivaled his Jbeam in distance but had a wider dispersion. Based on our results it seems they have medium to medium spin rates which support a straight shooter in gaining distance. We both hit the 380 longer than the 420 and 450cc models.
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Forgiveness: The 450 is one forgiving driver, the 420 excels as well. It feels like there is a good amount of mass or a very stable and solid structure behind the heel and toe that kept the ball on target. While Tatsuro hit’s it dead center like a machine my shots impact all parts of the face. It’s no where near Ryoma forgiving but I can safely say it’s better than most on the market today. The 380 was surprisingly easy to hit but not forgiving on mishits low.
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Feel: Usually when venturing into bigger heads things get tin like or hollow. Tatsuro and myself both thought it felt well constructed and the sensation was stable/solid. We did not think it was soft nor hard feeling. The sound was solid pure as well very clean sensation and it took impact well. The 380 feels hard when hit poorly while the 420/450 takes bad shots very well.
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Trajectory/Dispersion: We had the full line of Rexis shaft’s and both the graphite design Tour AD DJ-6 and DJ-7’s in stiff flex at our disposal. I’m not usually a high ball hitter and would normally go with a 10*. My gamer Ryoma is 9.5* The Yonex 380 9* provided me with a similar trajectory to my Ryoma. The 380 and 420 in 10* was near perfect as well. I would go with 9* on the 450 head and 10* with the 380/420. The Tour AD shaft is designed for a high ball flight. It was a good match with the 380 head but I would need a lower trajectory shaft with the bigger heads.
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Design: Easy A+ to yonex on the design, they managed to build 3 driver that all feel playeresque. The 380 is has the best shape of any driver I have ever seen. They all have nice deep faces and a sensation of substance behind it. I love the fact that the CG is center of the club face as well. The 420/450 both feature 8AL-1V cast Titanium bodies while the 380 is 6AL-4V. All three models have SP700HM rolled Ti faces and a high strength carbon crown. If you look at the face pics you can see where the body material ends and the SP700 kicks in.
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that is the review i have been waiting for! SOLD
one 380cc in 10* on the way.
now what shaft to put in…………….
A fantastic review Chris, very well done.
This looks like a clean club… I look forward to seeing more reviews
I believe my impression of the 380cc is in line with Chris’s review ,
but wanted provide my review of the 380cc that I just acquired .
In Japan now and purchased a 380/DJ-7 S here in Saitama.
Went to a local range to hit a total of 400 shots in 3 days…
( FYI, I have a SS of 105 to 110 averaging about 265 to 275 yds )
Forgiveness: Coming from mostly using 460cc drivers in recent years, this 380cc head is definitely requiring me to be much careful with my swing. Lost significant distance on mishits…. However, It is not so hard to hit that I want to give up just yet. Just hard enough to motivate me to swing and hit better.
I am hoping over time that it will train me to hit more consistently wth better control.
Trajectory: I thought it was on the higher side for a 9* head.
My nomal trajectory is high … so I typically choose a shaft that gives
lower trajectory. This DJ7 shaft is designed for higher trajectory.
Distance: I was getting good distance even with the higher trajectory.
I feel that I can gain another 10 to 15 yards if I reshaft and get a lower
trajectory with more roll.
Controllability: Very responsive when you attempt to work the ball . Hook, draw,
fade, slice … you name it… it responds very well.
Feel: To me, it felt great … Not too soft … just right.
You can feel the ball being smashed on the face …..
Sound at impact: Muted but lively! Personally, I think Yonex nailed it!
It is the perfect sounding head in my opinion.
Design: Reminds me of my dad’s old Powerbilt Persimmon drvers.
Very classic looking. Sexy curves :)
In comparison with my Ace driver back home , PIng i15 9.5 / Radix 7321 S , the DJ7 shaft felt a bit flexier. Perhaps it is what people refer to as a “smooth” shaft. CPM measured out as 264…. In retrospect, I may have been better off with an X flex … but I can always reshaft.
The trajectory seemed higher in comparison to my i15 ( most likely due to the shaft difference ) , But I plan on doing a direct comparo when I go home next week.
Over the last 12 months, I have been on a seemingly endless journey in search for a driver that suits me best. ….. Learned how to spine align, reshaft too :)
WIth the i15/Radix Combo, I thought found the “one” But as soon as I saw the Ezone 380cc, I could not resist trying it. The head feel/sound was great as anticipated. I’m probably going to try putting different shafts which will give me lower trajectory. With the samller head it will probably require many more hours of practice before I can officially replace the i15 which is much more forgiving.
Now if I could get a few more yards out of the 16 deg Zero Iron I’d be even happier!!
Thanks!
fantastic video and review. I think i will go with the 420 now.
Thanks for your review mtgolfer! The higher trajectory is for sure coming from the Tour AD DJ shaft. those are designed specifically for a higher launch.
Hello. Thanks for the review. I am interested in this club but am confused with the stock shaft choices. I would like to keep the ball lower that I do at the moment (as I hit it a bit too high) and was thinking of the high kickpoint choices, of which there are three. What are the difference between these three choices please?
Where can I purchase one of the Ezone drivers and where can I purchase a new set of Yonex irons with graphite shafts. I have a 5 Yonex Hybrid and was wondering if I would have to wait until the next PGA Merchandise Show in January before I could buy a set of your clubs. By the way, I love the 5 Yonex Hybrid-Excellent job on making this club. It far exceeds the other Calloways that I am playing in my bag now. Your frend and future customer-Dan Shaffer.
Looking for either 380 or 420 cc Yonex Ezone driver head in mint condition that is no crown marks. Please advise when available Thks Jrooke