ProTo Concept woods, irons & wedges - 2021

[NerdyGolfer]

On 10/16/2021 at 3:04 PM, LowAndLeft32 said:

Hi Brian. Any additional feedback after a month plus of play? Thanks 

I play these and can tell you they are absolutely the best irons I've ever played!! I love a good JDM club and the feeling on these does not disappoint! I know it's old but just saw this and wanted to help out!

[LowAndLeft32]

On 1/17/2022 at 1:51 PM, NerdyGolfer said:

I play these and can tell you they are absolutely the best irons I've ever played!! I love a good JDM club and the feeling on these does not disappoint! I know it's old but just saw this and wanted to help out!

Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I got set and still trying to figure out how well I like them. Waiting for the weather to get better so I can get on the course and give them a go. 

[hammergolf]

Good looking stuff… but $400+ for a wedge I’ll pass.

[NerdyGolfer]

2 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Good looking stuff… but $400+ for a wedge I’ll pass.

Eh, you just gotta know the right people 😉 

 

they still aren’t cheap though, even at a discount. 

[NerdyGolfer]

2 hours ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I got set and still trying to figure out how well I like them. Waiting for the weather to get better so I can get on the course and give them a go. 

Which ones did you pick up?

[My2Dogs]

Those wedges 🔥

[NerdyGolfer]

50 minutes ago, My2Dogs said:

Those wedges 🔥

Omg yes…and their feel is pretty damn great too! 

[Forged4life]

Top lines look massive 

 

fairways look like the old titleists

[JAMH03]

Fresh Metal and Pal Joey are back!

Live long enough and you'll be surprised at what you see. Damn I'm old.

[Notashank]

EXPENSIVE 

[ND GOLF]

Awesome fairway wood. Gives me vibes of Nike T40 tour fairways. 

[PearSorbet17]

The 007 irons look like the Epon AF 705-706. 

[LowAndLeft32]

Hard to believe there isn’t more interest in these clubs. Endo forged, top ranking irons by other sites and mags, and Lida Ko and other Korean players gaming. 

[corky]

Anyone played the driver?……

[Puttersaurus Rex]

3 hours ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Hard to believe there isn’t more interest in these clubs. Endo forged, top ranking irons by other sites and mags, and Lida Ko and other Korean players gaming. 

The price though...

 

The irons are at the top of my list.  Maybe next year.  Also some interest in the jdm forum.

[BirdieBob]

 

 

[LowAndLeft32]

27 minutes ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

The price though...

 

The irons are at the top of my list.  Maybe next year.  Also some interest in the jdm forum.

I agree price is high. But a lot of OEMs have sets around $2k these days. Miura’s are even more. I can get rid of my like net set for 70% of what I paid for them. 

[NerdyGolfer]

42 minutes ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

The price though...

 

The irons are at the top of my list.  Maybe next year.  Also some interest in the jdm forum.

The price is high, but the quality and precision is there. Price is really no different than Miura or Epon if you play those. But if you don’t there’s definitely a sticker shock, I agree with you there!

 

can almost guarantee if you get a solid shaft with these that they will be in your bag for a very long time.

[NerdyGolfer]

25 minutes ago, BirdieBob said:

 

 

I follow TXG a ton and never saw this, thanks for posting!

[dalehead]

5 hours ago, NerdyGolfer said:

I follow TXG a ton and never saw this, thanks for posting!

 
Don’t beat yourself up. Just posted today.

[LowAndLeft32]

Just lowered the price of my proto irons on the BST if anyone is interested. Thanks 

[dmeeksDC]

15 hours ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Just lowered the price of my proto irons on the BST if anyone is interested. Thanks 

Those are great irons, GLWS. The 03 is one of the few pure forged irons out there. Forged by Endo and I think they feel better than Epons. Still soft but a little crisper than the AF line. 

[LowAndLeft32]

8 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

Those are great irons, GLWS. The 03 is one of the few pure forged irons out there. Forged by Endo and I think they feel better than Epons. Still soft but a little crisper than the AF line. 

Thanks much appreciated. Someone is going to get an awesome set. 

[LowAndLeft32]

Hey @joey3108 I know you are a big fan of the proto concept irons. Can I ask in your opinion what iron(s) are most similar to the C03 irons for comparison purposes? Thanks. 

[JungleJimbo]

14 minutes ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Hey @joey3108 I know you are a big fan of the proto concept irons. Can I ask in your opinion what iron(s) are most similar to the C03 irons for comparison purposes? Thanks. 

FWIW... These C03 irons really remind me of the Hogan Apex Edge Pros (and there is a Linkage ... i.e. IIRC... these Hogan Apex Edge Pros were Endo-forged!)

 

https://proto-c.jp/pages/c03

 

  

 

 

[dmeeksDC]

They look similar but the C03 long irons are much easier to play than the Hogan Apex Edge Pro. The CNC undercutting gives the C03 5-7 irons a lot of MOI and forgiveness. There’s a lot more modern manufacturing now that has been applied to the Proto Concepts. 
 

Looks-wise they remind me of the Callaway Legacy Blacks. Similar sole width and overall size. But having owned both I much prefer the Proto Concepts. 
 

Proto Concept irons are very premium in every way. They are not only forged by Endo, the company is partly owned by Endo. So everything is produced in Japan. 

 

They’re not widely marketed but those who try them tend to love them. The Srixon ZX5 series gets a lot of wrx love and rightfully so. I think the C05 beats them in the category because they are very forgiving and feel superior. The C05 have chromoly faces with a forged body and deliver excellent distance but there is no jumper feel, no clicky sound. They’re dense and precise. But the Proto Concepts cost a lot more so you don’t see them as often. Miura gets a lot of attention and I love their irons but I found Proto Concepts to be just as premium but a more forgiving design. Lydia Ko has performed very well and notched multiple wins with the C07/C05 irons. 

[NerdyGolfer]

3 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

They look similar but the C03 long irons are much easier to play than the Hogan Apex Edge Pro. The CNC undercutting gives the C03 5-7 irons a lot of MOI and forgiveness. There’s a lot more modern manufacturing now that has been applied to the Proto Concepts. 
 

Looks-wise they remind me of the Callaway Legacy Blacks. Similar sole width and overall size. But having owned both I much prefer the Proto Concepts. 
 

Proto Concept irons are very premium in every way. They are not only forged by Endo, the company is partly owned by Endo. So everything is produced in Japan. 

 

They’re not widely marketed but those who try them tend to love them. The Srixon ZX5 series gets a lot of wrx love and rightfully so. I think the C05 beats them in the category because they are very forgiving and feel superior. The C05 have chromoly faces with a forged body and deliver excellent distance but there is no jumper feel, no clicky sound. They’re dense and precise. But the Proto Concepts cost a lot more so you don’t see them as often. Miura gets a lot of attention and I love their irons but I found Proto Concepts to be just as premium but a more forgiving design. Lydia Ko has performed very well and notched multiple wins with the C07/C05 irons. 

Couldn’t have said it better. The C05’s are some of the best irons I’ve played. Came from the zx line and haven’t looked back. There is a large amount of tech and engineering in these clubs, despite what people tend to think. Hit them and you’ll understand.

[NNJ]

Another C05 fanboy here - the Proto C’s weren’t packed with technology to make them all super super long (although it gives them plenty of oomph for the relatively not super-juiced lofts), but instead, IMO, the technology is fantastic at maintaining consistency of spin and distance. Anecdotally I’ve missed one pretty far on the toe which of course left me wide of the green, but still exactly pin high. Smaller mishits, or if you’re a bit low, or a bit high, etc and you are often still putting. 
 

Feel is great for a two piece forging. Feels like a one-piece forging but has the extra tech built-in to provide quite a bit of help

Edited April 12, 2023 by NNJ