If these clubs could allow career golfers to utilize the skills they've developed over time allow them to swing easily and hit easily with their usual swing, and also greatly improve their distance on top of that…

One of the golfer's in today's round, Yasuo Shimada is actually still fond of using slightly older model irons. The reason for this is that he doesn't feel comfortable with newer models.

"For example, with clubs where they make the centre of gravity lower and that have wide soles, you can see the rear section of the sole sticking out when you address the ball. I guess that's a technical advancement, but I get turned off by those clubs right from when I address the ball. And that's not only for irons. I understand that making clubs lighter makes it possible to swing faster, but the change in timing makes swinging difficult and makes it harder to hit the ball cleanly. Because of that, you have to add something extra to your swing movement, and that's not something I like to do. I've been golfing for more than 40 years, so it's hard to accept getting away from the feel that I've cultivated over all that time."

So how does a traditional golfer like Mr. Shimada feel about the New Premium Red?

"When I handled the driver and the fairway wood I didn't feel any awkwardness. The only difference from a traditional shape is that the club is bigger. That makes it very easy to address the ball. With the irons, too, I got the same impression. For me, I felt like they passed my first test when I addressed the ball. When I actually used the driver and the fairway woods, they were easy to swing, easy to hit, and they gave me a feeling of being able to get a lot of distance on the ball. That makes me excited about using the irons."

And Mr. Shimada's iron shot…

The hole was a 170-yard par 3 going over a valley. Mr. Shimada used the 5-iron on his tee shot. Surprisingly, the shot went all the way over the green!

"The swing felt great on the follow through, and it was a perfect shot. I would have used a 5-iron for this distance with my own clubs, which is why I chose that club. With the New Premium Red irons, there's one difference in distance is like moving up one club."

After seeing Mr. Shimada's shot sail over the green, Mr. Kanai approached the tee box holding 2 different iron clubs.

"Seeing that makes me think twice. I would also use a 5-iron if I was using my own clubs, but if I use the New Premium Red 5-iron I'll have to make my shot slice a little. If I'm going to hit a straight shot, the 6-iron looks good. Mind if I hit two shots?"

On that note, his first shot was a fade using the 5-iron. The ball was hit towards the left of the pin and had a nice fade on it. It was still a fairly strong shot, though, and ended up 4 meters to the upper right of the pin. Next was the 6-iron. This shot headed straight towards the pin. The ball landed 2.5 meters away from the hole.

"I get it. It's definitely a level up from my own club. The ball really flies. And not only that, you can adjust your shot with this club. The functionality of the club is an improvement."

Mr. Mitamura reached the green with his tee shot using a 7-wood and stated, "On this hole, with my distance, using an iron is out of the question. With a slightly elevated green like this where the back end is narrow, I used a 7-wood because I felt like the ball would definitely stop for me. For me, I think that was the best way to play the shot."

As he walked towards the green, Mr. Mitamura asked Mr. Shimada and Mr. Kanai a few questions.

- Mr. Kanai, when you hit the fade with the 5-iron, how did it feel when you struck the ball?

"With irons that loft the ball, the impact is strong and it feels hard to control the ball, but with the New Premium Red irons, the impact is soft and it feels like the ball is riding on the face. It has a clingy feel like with soft forged heads. That makes it easy to put just the right amount of rotation on the ball."

- I was told from the head of development that FEMAC metal is used for all of the face materials.

"FEMAC? What's that?"

- It's lighter than stainless steel and softer than titanium. With the face on these clubs, the body is made of stainless steel and the sole is tungsten, so the centre of gravity is set at the optimum positions, which is what creates the soft impact.

"I see. The feel on impact is because of the materials used."

- In addition, and I also heard this from the head of development, the score lines on the face are carved out individually so that spin capabilities are very high.

"These New Premium Red clubs really are amazing…"

The conversation was flowing, but everyone stopped talking when they reached the green. Next time, we'll hear the rest of the conversation and hear what everyone thought about the entire New Premium Red set. (Continued)