Mark Kanai, golf writer and club designer, highlights forgiveness and performance in the PC-3 Game improvement Irons for amateur golfers.
Mark Kanai, who is familiar with golf media and has a gear opinion number
I visited the Fourteen headquarters for the first time in 15 years.
What is Mark's roots hidden? An editor of a golf magazine.
He used to be devoted to interviewing and writing, and laid the foundation for his golf insights to this day.
Takamitsu Takebayashi, the founder of our company, was the subject of the interview on many occasions.
To Mark, who came to the company after a long time due to such an old acquaintance, is here to test the latest irons to be released in April. PC-3 Game Improvement.
Gear opinion number
Mark Kanai visits the company for the first time in 15 years!
Mark Kanai
Marukunai, born September 16, 1958, from Osaka prefecture, a club analyst. He is the opinion number of the gear industry, and he is developing trial hits and reports in various media. Nowadays, he is also active as a club designer, and has released a number of products under the theme of clubs that save amateurs that major manufacturers cannot make.
Fourteen is difficult!
The impression is 100%,
It's wrong!
First of all, I asked Mr. Mark Kanai frankly about the impression of the entire Fourteen product.
"I have the impression that Fourteen clubs are always pursuing functions sincerely without being swept away by trends. Although they look simple, players make claims about the club's (design and development intentions) such as its functionality and necessity. You can feel and choose. Nowadays, the theme of development is how to make the pursuit of functions into a complicated structure (gimmick) and strongly express the advancedness of foreign manufacturers that lead the trend. It is attractive to have a manufacturing policy that sets it apart from its founding. And ... ".
He talked about the essence of the club maker called Fourteen, which was built by Takebayashi, along with his memories of Takebayashi.
The existence of a manufacturer called Fourteen, which is well-received by the market. The "serious pursuit of functions" that Mr. Mark talked about is sometimes misunderstood by many golfers as "for advanced golfers." As fans of this web magazine know, FOURTEEN is well-targeted by product. And the basis of making itself is to be from the perspective of an amateur golfer. Mark emphasized our feelings and spoke on behalf of us.
"It is often misunderstood that Fourteen is difficult. It was triggered by the fact that" MT-28 ", which prevailed all at once about 20 years ago, won the first place in the Japanese men's tour usage rate, and that image has become firmly established. But as far as I know, Mr. Takebayashi is an engineer who has shaped a club from an amateur's perspective more than any manufacturer. Since the days when professional top-down clubs were commonplace, he was "friendly" than anyone else. He was the first person to shape the club. "
Fourteen Iron
The sole has changed! ??
Easy to score "PC-3"
Mark Kanai, who is familiar with making clubs for Fourteen, picked up the iron "PC-3" to be released on the 40th anniversary of this year.
"First of all, I can tell that the first impression is the large head, which is an iron that emphasizes forgiveness. As usual, the simple and beautiful design feels" Fourteen-ness ", but there is a gap with that" -ness ". It is the finish of the sole that you can feel. "
Mark points out the crescent ridge sole of "PC-3". By providing a crescent-shaped "receiver" on the leading edge side, the so-called bounce effect is exerted and the impact on the grass is tolerated (strong against duffing).
When the sole is placed on a hard plate, the state where the leading edge side floats (the space between the plate and the plate) indicates that there is a so-called bounce angle. Not only "PC-3" but also "TB-5 Forged", "IF-700 Forged", and "Geron D IX-001" have a moderate bounce effect.
"When I look at the function of an iron, first and foremost, the sole shape, the so-called bounce angle, is the criterion. Irons without a bounce angle tend to have a severe impact. If there is a bounce angle, it will push the head hard to pierce the ground on the grass. By the way, I would not choose it as an ace iron unless it is the latter. I want to prioritize the forgiveness of the sole that makes it about. "
The forgiveness of the sole that Mark emphasizes. In other words, the change in the sole was a necessary evolution for Fourteen irons in order to functionalize the gentle irons that general amateur golfers need to support score making in actual battles. FOURTEEN has a sole-shaped technology that has been repeatedly researched and developed with models developed for each target for about 20 years from "MT-28". The evolution of the sole realized by "PC-3" is based on the know-how cultivated in the wedge.
The aim was to release the NO1 gentleness "PC-3" in the history of Fourteen on April 9th. The "PC-3" is fully functional for players with head speeds up to 40m / s. The pursuit was to provide ease of use, ease of swing (lightness), and gentleness of ball height and flight distance performance for target players with head speeds up to 40 m / s. With a PW of 44 degrees, the strong loft of the flying iron is not adopted.
"It is true that detailed development such as the design of the center of gravity for each iron number is true. The loft setting that does not participate in the flying of irons created by the market of gentleness = flight distance, and it is functionalized with the role of the club called irons. I also got a good impression. I felt that it was a "gentle iron" aimed at by Fourteen who understood the essence of golf, which is a score-making sport. "
"PC-3" flight distance check
"I have a head speed of about 40m / s (89mph), and I can aim at the 7th 150 yard carry (loft 30 degrees) and PW 100 yard carry (44 degrees) with the sense of distance I have cultivated! The essence of choosing an iron is" The correct answer is not to "blow away" but to "aim gently" for yourself. "
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Mark Kanai, born September 16, 1958, from Osaka prefecture, a club analyst. He is the opinion number of the gear industry, and he is developing trial hits and reports in various media. Nowadays, he is also active as a club designer, and has released a number of products under the theme of clubs that save amateurs that major manufacturers cannot make.
Practical forgiveness of "PC-3"
It is a sole that has a bounce effect and is easy to hit well! The sole technology cultivated with wedges is brilliantly installed.
1. Tolerant sole
The most important point for Mark to evaluate the forgiveness of irons is the sole. It is no exaggeration to say that the function of the sole is responsible for the fact that the ball can be hit firmly even with unstable swings and impacts like a professional.
"From the first glance of" PC-3 ", I felt the forgiveness of the" Crescent Ridge Sole" that was developed with the know-how of wedges like Fourteen's DJ-5. The sole surface that was scraped off from the toe to the heel on the leading edge side is grass. It has a resistance to resistance, that is, a bounce effect, and is very strong against duffing. "PC-3" is a shot hit from the ground (on the grass), and the sole function that promotes the head to come off even with an about impact is the greatest forgiveness. I feel. "
The loft angle setting that general amateur golfers of ~ 40m / s (89mph) can get the required flight distance for each count is ideal in PC-3.
2. Loft angle that can secure stairs of flight distance
Next, Mark checks the flight distance performance of each count. From No. 7 to PW, he seems to be convinced by the loft angle setting and pitch that can secure a long distance.
"First of all, it is GOOD that the loft setting of 7 iron is 30 degrees and does not adopt excessive strong loft. As Mr. Takebayashi said, the boundary line of ease of hitting as an iron is at loft 30 degrees. That is the reason why the set of 4 pieces from No. 7 to PW is set to 30 degrees or less is that the intention is to emphasize the function that can be aimed firmly like an iron. And by intentionally widening the loft pitch up to PW 44 degrees, the target golfer with a head speed of ~ 40m / s can make a staircase with a good flight distance. "
3. Dedicated shaft that allows you to choose the ease of swinging
The "PC-3" is equipped with an original carbon shaft designed and developed in-house. Based on 50g of FT-50i carbon, by selecting a model that matches your physical strength from 3 types of weight bands of 40g (FT-40i) and 60g (FT-60i), head acceleration and stability of ease of swing can be achieved. It is compatible.
"When I asked Fourteen about the definition of kindness, I immediately received the answer that it was easy to swing, but I also sympathize with it. The original carbon shaft attached to the" PC-3 "has a very well-balanced finish. I agree that I have no habit and I chose one flex. By choosing a weight band that matches my physical strength (head speed), I should be able to get a comfortable feeling of acceleration and stability. The strike zone mainly has head speed ~ Golfers up to 40m / s (89mph). Recommended for female golfers as the shaft is lined up from the 40g range. "
Mr. Ikeda and Mr. Mark Kanai, who are in charge of products that inherit the thoughts of Takebayashi
Takebayashi-san, 40th anniversary
Fourteen was for amateur golfers!
"The impression of my visit to FOURTEEN for the first time in 15 years is that FOURTEEN was a Fourteen. The stance of being unfashionable was alive and well, and the essence of the forgiveness that amateur golfers really needed was pursued.
As far as I know, Takamitsu Takebayashi has shaped clubs that are "friendly" to anyone since the days when professional top-down clubs were the norm, engineers who had the shape of clubs from an amateur's perspective more than any manufacturer. Is Fourteen. I felt that the thoughts from the founding of the company have been passed down to the current staff.
Mr. Takebayashi, "PC-3" of "Feather Line" which started this year, which celebrated its 40th anniversary, was a club for us amateur golfers, and it was very kind! (Mark Kanai) ".
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