Why Do You Buy JDM?

[golfcaddy1969]

First off I am not a JDM hater. I have gained many of the JDM brands. They are second to none in terms of quality and craftsmanship. I am a little vain about my gear so yes I liked having Rare equipment in my bag. The problem I ran into was the performance for me was no better than a proper set of US clubs. I was chasing the performance aspect only and that is where I got into trouble. I truly understand why some people will pay a lot more for the JDM brands. However for me it was a pure performance deal. In the end the JDM gear did not produce any better results than the US equipment. Because of my experience I still respect And like JDM products. It just came down to the fact that my Adams CB3 irons are just as soft and perform just as well as any other that I have tried. The same is true for my driver. my Adams launch lab is just as nice and performs just as well if not better for me than any JDM driver that I have tried. Still I visit the tourspec website a lot because I continue to be curious about a few models that I have not tried. If you love quality craftsmanship the putters I see from JDM brands cannot be beat. But Does that guarantee that I will make more putts, NO! So for the guys who love JDM equipment I totally understand it just did not work out for me.

[fumanchu1]

[quote name='xxio' timestamp='1360102190' post='6368947']
Or we, yes I own and play JDM, can admit we ALSO buy JDM for status, among other things.
[/quote]

Yet I know of only two golfers that even are familiar with jdm models and brands, I talked to around 25 people about miura(which is one of the better known jdm brands) and only 1 person knew what they were and thought they were actually discount clubs.

Vanity would be to buy a lambo or ferrari as a car yet having no use for it(yes some peoplle actually use these to enjoy roads vs show off). They buy these brands because of their exclusivity and because everyone knows that ferrari = status, power, money, etc.

Now how is the same applicable to jdm clubs when most guys you see will think you have knockoffs/discount clubs and have 0 idea of what the brand/make is. (I am not saying that there arent people buying these for vanity but generalization of that sort is illogical for reasons stated).

Everyone knows what a rolex or cartier watch is no one know wth miuras are and therefore they aren't associated with a high status and tehrefore aren't for a big majority vanity purchases.

The same applies to cars actually, why do I own a 2003 lexus is300(built in japan and shipped overseas) instead of a 2014 cadillac or lincolnr, well because my 11 year old jdm built car is built right and with attention to detail and probably has less rust on it than a 2011 ford fusion.

Its a well known fact that the japanese people as a culture have a great attention to detail and craftsmanship whether for golf, cars, electronics, why do you buy a japanese made electronic (made under proper regulation and quality control) vs a china made, china designed device, well because the standards of production and what is acceptable as far as error is much more controlled/severe in japan then in china. The mentality of us companies is mostly build as much as possible for least expensive to make most money, where as places like japan the mentality seems to be more along the build a great product to have a good relation with your client and therefore keep them as a client.

Us designed/made quality was true... in the 80s and before no its mostly a gimmick as most of these (US? companies) have their produciton in 3rd world country.

Now why would I buy a japan designed/made/assembled club in japan vs a american design, chinese made, taiwan assembled club you say... Really I have to answer this(BTw I dont own jdm club but have gotten to try and tst a few and I agree they run on higher standard of quality and yes it is measurable in the tolerable margin of errors) Your TM loft is 2deg off well too bad you pay to get it fixed to what its already supposed to be, what do miura do with a 2deg off club... make it right before they even send it out is what

[bluejeeprubi]

[quote name='idrive' timestamp='1360132760' post='6371571']
[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1360131169' post='6371533']
I drive a BMW, and have heard the "BMW drivers are pretentious ***holes" comment from plenty of people that didn't know that I drive one (AND from some who do!)

The difference is I'm not on Internet forums overreacting to anyone and everyone who says that about us. The reason? Because I don't care! Think whatever you want! I'm gonna keep on toolin around in my bimmer having a good time no matter what people think!
[/quote]

Because I don't care! Think whatever you want! I'm gonna keep on [s]toolin[/s] [u]playing[/u] around in my [s]bimmer [/s][u]JDM eq.[/u] having
a good time no matter what people think!

You wouldn't go on a BMW forum and tell people they drive the car because they are vain. They spend
too much, not a value purchase etc. etc etc. Get on MBWorld and tell the Mercedes owner his car isn't worth what he paid
for it.

Try it, see how they react. Just make sure they don't know where you live.

Like I have said repeatedly and been flamed for repeatedly, I don't care what anyone else thinks
about JDM. It's what I like. Putting me down for it isn't your place or responsibility.

This is the JDM forum. If you don't want to know about it or care about, stay the hell out.

Steve Martin said it best,

I don't neeeeeeeed yooooooooouuuuuuuuuu.

K, I'm done. Worn out from playing Golf all day.
[/quote]

[bluejeeprubi]

Depends on which bmw you drive

[bluejeeprubi]

To answer the question why I bought Jdm
1. I like having something in the bag not everyone has.
2. I like small blades (well 6-w) and miuras 1957s worked perfectly
3. I don't own or have ever owned any Jdm wood (can't buy a club I haven't tried)
I do buy tour issue woods for the sole reason of an opened club face.

Now I love the miuras but I can't really feel the buttery sweetness many speak of so often. If I make perfect contact with a 714mb or a miura I can't feel the difference. Not saying others can't just what I experience.

I do play vokey wedges, off the shelf non cold forged because they work, feel great and are cheaper than Jdm versions, which is important because they get replaced often due to wear.

To the poster saying vokey does make forged for Jdm. Do you think it's possible he likes making money and wanted a piece of that market?

Why don't Jdm play pros to use their product?

Practice gets the ball closer to the hole not the club

[swizbeatz]

For me the numbers were awesome. I bought TM time at a fitter for over the winter and kept picking up an epon 302 6 iron and it was awesome. Didn't want to pay $2500 for a set of irons, thought that was ridiculous. Fast forward 6 months and countless hours spent on this site and my views started changing(circle t's same as stock head going for $2500+ will do that.)

Got a chance to hit a members set on the range and course and it was all over, numbers translated to the course really well and the feel was still there. Had a used set of heads on the way within a week and I've gamed them every round this year.

Things like looks, status, uniqueness etc all played a much smaller part in it too I'm sure.

[freehb]

Status...ha...that's silliness.

I play jdm almost exclusively because they're just better...and I really love the look, sound and feel over the china usdm stuff. As others have said, performance is a big part of it but those of you who buy a club because of numbers on a screen....I don't understand....golf is mental, emotional, psychological, spiritual...numbers...ha...I get something to love it, not use it and discard in a season or two.

All the whining about money/cost...u get what u pay for. I will take a club that feels and sounds good...that I enjoy hitting and have confidence in over something that is 10 yards longer but irritates me every time I look at it.

My golf is meaningful to me and so I like my gear to be meaningful. If that means paying 40-100% more for the same performance (excluding the benefit of loving your gear which I believe to be material) then I'm okay with that.

Some guys spend it on cars or women or cloths...whatever floats your boat....man.....if you disagree??!well that's like your opinion...man...

[freehb]

Only usdm is the Kombi belly that looks like the starship enterprise. I make putts w it though...

[subwrx]

Quality!! To me it has nothing to do with prestige cause most people never heard of a Miura or Epon.
It was funny when I went down to pick up my clubs, there was a set of Nike Blades, so I asked. Turns out they are one of the local pros and he was adding tape, tweaking the lofts and re-shafting them! Made me laugh!
My heads were bang on for weight and lie angles were good out of the box and the shafts were the best he's ever seen for weight and frequency.

[xxio]

I will admit there is a little something to owning JDM, being able to say WHEN someone asks that my Tourstage irons are forged in Endo and that Bridgestone products are generally trickle down.

If being on spec and built correctly were my only concern I would buy Wishon. I haven't bought from them lately but my friend ordered a combo set when Tom Wishon first established Wishon. Everything was spot on for swingweight, loft/lie, etc. I bought them off him and eventually reshafted to lighter shafts and that set did not have a single tipweight. That would save a ton of money for green fees as well.

However I do like a little zing in my bag, that is why I have JDM irons, Bettinardi wedges and a putter. My shafts except for the 80t Graman are all GD and Nippon. No harm in admitting I'm a little vain. Thats why I wear nice clothes and buy nice shoes for golf as well. It would to be great to be to afford the $400 JDM golf bags but I can't.

[golfcaddy1969]

To me it's the quality and mostly the softer feel with drivers. My Japan TM Jetspeed is better in ever way. I have hit the US head with the same shaft. The JDM looks better, feels better and actually spins a little lower. I gamed the US version for a month so I had enough experience to be objective. I had a Jbeam 435 as well as many others. The common question is are they longer? not really but if you find that magic combination with the right shaft they are the best that you can get in my opinion.

[Bigmean]

It is feel, first and foremost, not to be confused with "softness". I am a feel player. I can hit into a net and for the most part tell you if I pull hooked it or hit a small draw or push fade etc. My buddy is always baffled when I start cursing at a ball going 5 yard right of the pin after I hit it becuase I know it is ending up off the green left before it turns. I am not saying this like I am awesome at golf becuase Golf is a game where everyone sucks relatively speaking, that is why it is so awesome....but just giving background to the following comments that could be shredded by some on an online forum:

Forged clubs 100% offer more "feel" and feedback. I have read this argument over and over, and if someone like me that can shoot 85 tomorrow can tell this, I can't comprehend how this is not golf fact. This is like no contest, no argument to me. Is continued marketing of cheap cast s*** what perpetuates this no difference nonsense?

American market is 90% GI clubs I have no interest in. GI clubs are more mind over matter IMO, and their "matter" does more harm than good if your goal is to be a good ball striker. I only played mizunos for a long time becuase my other titleist, taylormades etc. I tried and had felt like crap, had distance inconsistencies just never felt like I had them pegged . I would rather shoot 85 with mizunos than 78 with cast cavity backs, but against what everyone is told, I have more rounds that were lower, and consistantly lower with the forged blades. If your ball striking is that bad that day, your score is your chipping and putting no matter what irons you are hitting. If your ball striking is on, you will have closer putts from a more accurate and distance controlled forged blade.

All clubs feel different. When I first hit an mp 4 6 iron, I must say it felt damn good for my tastes, but I could distinctly and blindfoldedly tell the difference between it and my miura 57 blades, and my mp 14s, and when I finish my Vegas I am sure those too. Not in a better way(but the 57s are better to me in all ways) but let's say all sets are noticeably different to me as they should be. The JDM market offers a whole lot of different in forged offerings, hence my arrival to the "darkside". I do respect and understand that not everyone is a feel player or taught themselves how to play golf through feel and result and also that a bad swing that is 3 yards closer to the pin trumps feel, but I am saying that lee Trevino would TOTALLY play JDM if he was a 35 year old banker in another life.

All the quality control, samurai sword legends, uniques of clubs etc. is totally cool by me (especially the sword stuff) but at the end of the day it is feel, feedback and the shot consistency that comes with a head that offers those 2 things in spades.

[freehb]

+1 on feel...very subjective but if u hit a lot of balls u can tell a difference. Sound, esp on the long end is very important as well...

[Spoon]

its a disease and a fun one. nothing wrong with usdm it just doesn't interest me as much, its too obtainable:)

[Tiptx1122]

1st of all a club has to feel good and look good. I've only ventured off into the woods market as I really love my AP2 714 irons with steelfiber shafts. If I didn't own them I would buy some JDM irons for sure. I have been thru way too many OEM drivers and only come away being disappointed. I do own a Callaway V series driver as my back up which resembles the JDM Callaway. Now the JDM drivers are so much nicer looking not all that cheap looking plastic movable parts, fancy bright color schemes as they look cheap and feel cheap. JDM equipment are higher quality, tighter quality tolerances and much better design. They are not necessarily any more forgiving or longer but that all depends on who you ask. I don't like mass produced equipment as the club you demoed may not be identical as the one of the shelf that you buy. OEM equipment rely heavily on their advertizing which is hyped up so much.

[JonesScott]

I have a few ideas but just to be sure, what does JDM stand for?

[KuroOuji54]

[quote name='JonesScott' timestamp='1414257818' post='10349361']
I have a few ideas but just to be sure, what does JDM stand for?
[/quote]

Japanese domestic equipment. Clubs made for the Japanese market

[JonesScott]

[quote name='KuroOuji54' timestamp='1414277627' post='10350481']
[quote name='JonesScott' timestamp='1414257818' post='10349361']
I have a few ideas but just to be sure, what does JDM stand for?
[/quote]

Japanese domestic equipment. Clubs made for the Japanese market
[/quote]

So it stands for Japanese domestic 'market' correct?

[Shambles]

JDM has a fairly interesting birth as a concept, if I'm to believe a Time/Newsweek article I read sometime in the 70's when Japan's growth as an economy was so strong it had the problem of having a currency that was gaining too much value and was threatening to limit it's growth as an economy by making it's products too expensive for anybody except the Japanese. In very simple terms, in an effort to continue capturing the market for Japanese products and to keep it's products exporting at a competitive price the Japanese goverment severely reduced the taxes on products intended for export but maintained them for domestic consumption. The effect was that Japanese products cost more in Japan than they did in other countries. Japanese consumers who were able, traveled to other countries to tour, but left home without buying needed things. Instead they would go to places like the States and buy Japanese products while there.

To defend and maintain their domestic market Japanese manufacturers began introducing features into their products that were only available locally, at least for a year or two. Thus was born the JDM.



Shambles

[PETERMCKEE7]

What does 'JDM' stand for. I'm guessing the 'J' means Japan or Japanese.

Please forgive my noob question

[gussie]

Japanese domestic market peter
JDM clubs are built to higher spec and tolerance levels
Titliest ping taylormade manufacture models for JDM market which demands forged iron heads
Vokey sells forged wedges in Japan
Ping anser irons where originally for Japan only
There are lots of boutique brands in Japan like golds putters yamada putters some of which retail for €1000s not €100s
Miura golf in North America and Europe is a premium brand but in Japan not as much
Vega golf also premium brand in Europe and usa (my personal favourite)is kyeoi forgings house brand where Mr Miura trained
Honma and xxio is what most Japanese and Asian play
Honnma in particular are real status symbol clubs with prices running into the 50k bracket
Sounds silly but that's the JDM market for you

[gussie]

Japanese domestic market peter
JDM clubs are built to higher spec and tolerance levels
Titliest ping taylormade manufacture models for JDM market which demands forged iron heads
Vokey sells forged wedges in Japan
Ping anser irons where originally for Japan only
There are lots of boutique brands in Japan like golds putters yamada putters some of which retail for €1000s not €100s
Miura golf in North America and Europe is a premium brand but in Japan not as much
Vega golf also premium brand in Europe and usa (my personal favourite)is kyeoi forgings house brand where Mr Miura trained
Honma and xxio is what most Japanese and Asian play
Honnma in particular are real status symbol clubs with prices running into the 50k bracket
Sounds silly but that's the JDM market for you

[Bigmean]

I think JDM is right for you to explore if you answer yes to any of the following.

Do you feel an undoubted difference between forged and cast clubs you have used in the past?

Do you prefer more subtle proven technology in classic proven head styles?

Are you sick of marketing brainwashing to sell new clubs every 6 months loaded with gimmicks?

Do you really appreciate your clubs or want to appreciate them as something that was fabricated and crafted and not made soulless from a large factory?

That is it in a nutshell. No magic, no lower scores, just much, much more game enjoyment. Hitting my baby blades pure draws out grin as a natural reaction, even if the shot turns out poor. I freaking never felt the need to just smile when hitting my titliest clubs. Feel is what brought me to JDM, but the above will keep me there. I just wish I could pony up for a ryoma driver...I never buy clubs expecting better scoring results, except for drivers, which is by far the weakest part of my game. But the Indian is the common denominator when it comes to my game off the tee.

I do hope that maybe if JDM clubs gain more popularity the prices would drop some, and have more used available on fleabay.

[MBBG]

the dollar has been strengthening relative to the yen so JDM is a lot cheaper than even 2-3 years ago

[lumberman2462]

[quote name='MBBG' timestamp='1414779951' post='10379351']
the dollar has been strengthening relative to the yen so JDM is a lot cheaper than even 2-3 years ago
[/quote]

Sounds like all the reason I need to go buy a bunch more stuff that I won't use until March.....not that I've ever needed an excuse before.

[jmvargas]

basically it's better quality....

...with patience and diligence thru the internet over a 3-month period i was able to acquire a set of not-too-well known JDM set of woods comprised of an 11.5* driver/ 15* 3W/18* 5W/21* 7W/23* 9W/25* 11W....

these are the Giga HS781 model and all have matching made-in-japan Fujikura Rombax shafts----clubhead construction is beta titanium face with titanium body very similar to the Tour Edge Exotics XCG series..

quality is almost flawless and performance is top-notch..

one of these days i would like to get some JDM irons to complement this set..

PS: based on what i can see ALL of the components of this set is made-in-japan..

[MJisGOAT]

[quote name='Bigmean' timestamp='1414724037' post='10376769']
I think JDM is right for you to explore if you answer yes to any of the following.

Do you feel an undoubted difference between forged and cast clubs you have used in the past?

Do you prefer more subtle proven technology in classic proven head styles?

Are you sick of marketing brainwashing to sell new clubs every 6 months loaded with gimmicks?

Do you really appreciate your clubs or want to appreciate them as something that was fabricated and crafted and not made soulless from a large factory?

That is it in a nutshell. No magic, no lower scores, just much, much more game enjoyment. Hitting my baby blades pure draws out grin as a natural reaction, even if the shot turns out poor. I freaking never felt the need to just smile when hitting my titliest clubs. Feel is what brought me to JDM, but the above will keep me there. I just wish I could pony up for a ryoma driver...I never buy clubs expecting better scoring results, except for drivers, which is by far the weakest part of my game. But the Indian is the common denominator when it comes to my game off the tee.

I do hope that maybe if JDM clubs gain more popularity the prices would drop some, and have more used available on fleabay.
[/quote]As good as its going to get right here.

[FairwayGolfUSA.com]

quality and tighter tolerance.

[matchavez]

At the shop I was at, they were able to sell heads only, and assemble to order. If major OEMs offered a "heads-only" option, there would be no choice but to order the heads, and bring them in to someone. Unfortunately, that's not the business model.