EPON AF 503 Irons

[chiromikey]

[quote name='coops' timestamp='1370977056' post='7215662']
Thing is there's the RF-551's... cheaper, better looking 500 series with undercut cavity. The RF-551 is very sexy looking and visually has surprisingly little offset.

I'm just looking for an excuse to get a set of copper chrome 302's
[/quote]

why do you need an excuse to get one the most beautiful AND playable irons ever made???

[coops]

Thing is there's the RF-551's... cheaper, better looking 500 series with undercut cavity. The RF-551 is very sexy looking and visually has surprisingly little offset.

 

I'm just looking for an excuse to get a set of copper chrome 302's :slow_en:

 

why do you need an excuse to get one the most beautiful AND playable irons ever made???

 

Well... I do have 301's in copper-chrome, and they are lovely.

 

I've had them so long, I didn't even feel guilty buying a Mizuno Craft MP611 driver - gorgeous.

This should appease the golf buying gods... but.

 

Maybe get my swing where i want it, have a one really good fitting and test for the best iron shaft for me (maybe even Nunchuk graphite iron shafts) and then go copper chrome mental - 302's custom stamped one club weak, so the 9 iron is 46 degree loft, matching 210wedge at 50deg. Beg on my knees, wallet open, for a matching copper chrome 901... maybe 2 even - fancy a 17deg one with nunchuk hybrid shaft as an almost 3 wood.. with a 20deg or so one to line up to the 302's. That should do it for another 8 to 10 years.

 

*sigh*

 

[vanla01]

If anyone is interested in a set of epon 503 iron head's only, feel free to pm me. Winter is officially here in Colorado & dont know if I can't wait until spring to try them out.

[GoJia]

my friend got one set, and it's a bomb.

[bjp1]

Was able to hit these today. Head was very compact for its size, and the offset was minimal. Appeared to have less offset than my AF301's. The feel is typical Epon soft, but the clicky sound can change that perception of soft.

I hit the 6i with Nippon 1050 installed. Nice mid-high ballflight, very playable. I will admit that it would be difficult to spend Epon dollars these days. I remember when they were much more affordable. Now they are positioning and reiterating by price that they are an ultra premium brand. I remember paying less than $1600 for custom, sole engraved AF-301's. That would be a bargain price these days.

[Spoon]

[quote name='bjp1' timestamp='1393038538' post='8719888']
Was able to hit these today. Head was very compact for its size, and the offset was minimal. Appeared to have less offset than my AF301's. The feel is typical Epon soft, but the clicky sound can change that perception of soft.

I hit the 6i with Nippon 1050 installed. Nice mid-high ballflight, very playable. I will admit that it would be difficult to spend Epon dollars these days. I remember when they were much more affordable. Now they are positioning and reiterating by price that they are an ultra premium brand. I remember paying less than $1600 for custom, sole engraved AF-301's. That would be a bargain price these days.
[/quote]

I remember those clubs,

[Super Tuna]

As an aside to this thread, does anyone know of a place that can still get the RF551's? Every Epon dealer I've spoken to has told me they don't have access to that model.

[Duffy19]

Perhaps you can order a set from the International distributor in Taiwan (listed in Epon site). Somehow I don't think the RF551 is being sold thru other authorized fitters.

[vma03]

Has anyone else started using the 503?

Anyone know of a place in Northern California that can fit Epon, I'm thinking about going with a different shaft for my 502 so I can get a few more years out of them. Can't afford to upgrade a set of Epons every time a new one come out, like the US stuff.

[vanla01]

Spoon is probably the only person who actually owns the 503's & can give a indepth review, but with the new Epon Sus316 irons.....I am curious which one he prefers?

[Spoon]

[quote name='vanla01' timestamp='1398386071' post='9164689']
Spoon is probably the only person who actually owns the 503's & can give a indepth review, but with the new Epon Sus316 irons.....I am curious which one he prefers?
[/quote]

well i have gamed the 503 exclusively for a year before changing them to sus316.
they are different animals and can't be bundled up together. the sus316 is a players
club less forgiving but a joy to use.

the 503s are point and shoot forgiving irons with less offset and smaller head profile
compared to the SGI 703 irons. when i say offset there is still some but not a hindrance
to better players using them. i have friends in their low singles that love the 503 and game them.
they are long too! my only comment is that the undercut cavity makes the club seem hot of the face.
for someone used to pure forged clubs these will feel different. not a bad thing for me.

[Batman1971]

Hey Guys ,
Just wondering if there are others out there who have been gaming the 503s .
Looking for more feedback , opinions etc .
Many thanks in advance and will look forward to hearing back .

[freehb]

I am gaming them and they are incredible! I love them. Super hot off the face. I have some arthritis and have only been able to consistently take 3/4 swings but the 503 is as long or longer than my were when I had more club head speed. Nice strong trajectory, distance control is very good but still get pretty high and hold greens.

If you're looking for long, workableish (easy cuts and draws) with a soft electric feel, I guaranty you won't be disappointed.

They are excellent w the roddio I10 or i9 shaft. They have been my gamers for 5 months and have never had a reason to change. Hands down the vest performing iron I've ever owned. I have to say, I'm not a fan of how the pocket cavity looks. It could have been simpler but they look great over the ball and I have a ton of confidence in them. I hit a 180 yard 5i today, into a slight headwind 10 feet past the cup. I haven't done that in 3 years.

[Batman1971]

[quote name='freehb' timestamp='1401661355' post='9409239']
I am gaming them and they are incredible! I love them. Super hot off the face. I have some arthritis and have only been able to consistently take 3/4 swings but the 503 is as long or longer than my were when I had more club head speed. Nice strong trajectory, distance control is very good but still get pretty high and hold greens.

If you're looking for long, workableish (easy cuts and draws) with a soft electric feel, I guaranty you won't be disappointed.

They are excellent w the roddio I10 or i9 shaft. They have been my gamers for 5 months and have never had a reason to change. Hands down the vest performing iron I've ever owned. I have to say, I'm not a fan of how the pocket cavity looks. It could have been simpler but they look great over the ball and I have a ton of confidence in them. I hit a 180 yard 5i today, into a slight headwind 10 feet past the cup. I haven't done that in 3 years.
[/quote]
I am really looking forward to trying these irons out for myself !
Nice 5 iron by the way . Gotta love it when those shots come off !

[Batman1971]

[quote name='freehb' timestamp='1401661355' post='9409239']
I am gaming them and they are incredible! I love them. Super hot off the face. I have some arthritis and have only been able to consistently take 3/4 swings but the 503 is as long or longer than my were when I had more club head speed. Nice strong trajectory, distance control is very good but still get pretty high and hold greens.

If you're looking for long, workableish (easy cuts and draws) with a soft electric feel, I guaranty you won't be disappointed.

They are excellent w the roddio I10 or i9 shaft. They have been my gamers for 5 months and have never had a reason to change. Hands down the vest performing iron I've ever owned. I have to say, I'm not a fan of how the pocket cavity looks. It could have been simpler but they look great over the ball and I have a ton of confidence in them. I hit a 180 yard 5i today, into a slight headwind 10 feet past the cup. I haven't done that in 3 years.
[/quote]
Got to hit the 503s for the first time this weekend . My fitter let me take the 6 iron fitting club to play around with . Am going to be trying it with a Recoil 95 F4 & a NS Pro 950 GH stiff .
Will post feedback when I've hit it more but first impressions are terrific !
Hit 2 greens in reg back to back today with on 2 tough holes .

[freehb]

That's what happened for me. I just started hitting greens again. When you're 3/4 club longer I feel so much more confident with the extra loft. Yes, the undercut does not for vide that deep, solid nothingness like the 302 when pured but you can feelish kinda where you hit it and it is rewarding on oure contact....course it's kinda rewarding on halfway decent contact as well.

I would go back to the 302 if my iron swing was just a bit more powerful but in an event I would take the 503s every time...maybe even over the 551s....

[Batman1971]

I am enjoying the launch and the feel of the 503 . I have found that the feedback while subtle is still there & I must say that I am so far really enjoying the feel of the 503 .
I put a ball within 12 foot on a par 5 to be on for 3 that was playing into a tough wind from 165 yards out .
The next hole I had the wind at my back for the tee shot on a long par 4 that's about 430 yards . The elevated green's protected to the right by a creek & to the left by 2 grass bunkers that the green slopes away from and have about a 12 foot face . It's one of those shots that's quite intimidating and I knocked it on easily from about 175 out that the wind had eased for that moment .
To have lined up 2 bird putts on index 6 & index 3 was a great result . Did not either but given that it was a par event , 2 putting each hole still got me a + on each hole .
Am really looking forward to hitting a lot of balls with each of the 2 shafts that my fitter has recommended .
Gotta say though , so far , so great !

[freehb]

Yeah, subtle but there. I don't mind the feel in fact they feel pretty good, even on mishits. I can't tell exactly where on the club face I made contact like with the 302 bit have a sense of it.

[freehb]

[quote name='Batman1971' timestamp='1402869011' post='9501429']
I am enjoying the launch and the feel of the 503 . I have found that the feedback while subtle is still there & I must say that I am so far really enjoying the feel of the 503 .
I put a ball within 12 foot on a par 5 to be on for 3 that was playing into a tough wind from 165 yards out .
The next hole I had the wind at my back for the tee shot on a long par 4 that's about 430 yards . The elevated green's protected to the right by a creek & to the left by 2 grass bunkers that the green slopes away from and have about a 12 foot face . It's one of those shots that's quite intimidating and I knocked it on easily from about 175 out that the wind had eased for that moment .
To have lined up 2 bird putts on index 6 & index 3 was a great result . Did not either but given that it was a par event , 2 putting each hole still got me a + on each hole .
Am really looking forward to hitting a lot of balls with each of the 2 shafts that my fitter has recommended .
Gotta say though , so far , so great !
[/quote]

How is the recoil in it?

[Batman1971]

[quote name='freehb' timestamp='1402975309' post='9511697']
[quote name='Batman1971' timestamp='1402869011' post='9501429']
I am enjoying the launch and the feel of the 503 . I have found that the feedback while subtle is still there & I must say that I am so far really enjoying the feel of the 503 .
I put a ball within 12 foot on a par 5 to be on for 3 that was playing into a tough wind from 165 yards out .
The next hole I had the wind at my back for the tee shot on a long par 4 that's about 430 yards . The elevated green's protected to the right by a creek & to the left by 2 grass bunkers that the green slopes away from and have about a 12 foot face . It's one of those shots that's quite intimidating and I knocked it on easily from about 175 out that the wind had eased for that moment .
To have lined up 2 bird putts on index 6 & index 3 was a great result . Did not either but given that it was a par event , 2 putting each hole still got me a + on each hole .
Am really looking forward to hitting a lot of balls with each of the 2 shafts that my fitter has recommended .
Gotta say though , so far , so great !
[/quote]

How is the recoil in it?
[/quote]

Am really enjoying the Recoil so far . It's very stable throughout my swing & it's definitely responsible in part for making a great head feel even better !
Had a range session with it after work last night and tried all sorts of shots with it & not only was the 503 great but the shaft responded beautifully every time .
Am still yet to try out the NS Pro 950 in it as i have only tried that shaft in another head & i have to wait for my fitter to get one sorted for me but at this stage I have a feeling that I will be ordering a full set of 503s with Recoil 95s .
If you haven't tried them yet I definitely suggest you give them a crack . The range is enormous and the performance is very very good !

[squishyy]

I had mine shafted with Recoil Prototypes F4 125. It was like cutting butter with just your fingertips...that's how soft the feel was. Anyway, the shaft did not work well for me so I am still debating on what new shafts to use. The head is great though, very hot and just great.

[Batman1971]

[quote name='freehb' timestamp='1402975309' post='9511697']
[quote name='Batman1971' timestamp='1402869011' post='9501429']
I am enjoying the launch and the feel of the 503 . I have found that the feedback while subtle is still there & I must say that I am so far really enjoying the feel of the 503 .
I put a ball within 12 foot on a par 5 to be on for 3 that was playing into a tough wind from 165 yards out .
The next hole I had the wind at my back for the tee shot on a long par 4 that's about 430 yards . The elevated green's protected to the right by a creek & to the left by 2 grass bunkers that the green slopes away from and have about a 12 foot face . It's one of those shots that's quite intimidating and I knocked it on easily from about 175 out that the wind had eased for that moment .
To have lined up 2 bird putts on index 6 & index 3 was a great result . Did not either but given that it was a par event , 2 putting each hole still got me a + on each hole .
Am really looking forward to hitting a lot of balls with each of the 2 shafts that my fitter has recommended .
Gotta say though , so far , so great !
[/quote]

How is the recoil in it?
[/quote]

Am curious ( as I've only hit the 6 iron ) , what are the scoring irons like ?

[Batman1971]

[quote name='squishyy' timestamp='1403492076' post='9554751']
I had mine shafted with Recoil Prototypes F4 125. It was like cutting butter with just your fingertips...that's how soft the feel was. Anyway, the shaft did not work well for me so I am still debating on what new shafts to use. The head is great though, very hot and just great.
[/quote]
Just curious but what shaft have you replaced the Recoils with .
Ives done a lot of reading about the Recoils and a lot of guys have found the 125s to be to much . For example most guys who have a driver swing of approx 95 - 100 are best off with the Recoil 95 or 110 .
Did you try some of the other Recoils in the range ?

[Batman1971]

Ok , so I've had a 503 6 iron now for about 3 weeks . It's a fitting club so I can test a number of shafts in it to be able to narrow down what works best for me with it .
My fitter also let me take the fitting club of the irons that I'm currently gaming ( Miura Passing Point 9003 Straight Neck ) so that I can compare the 2 heads also with the shafts I want to try .
Having tried a number of shafts I have decided that I will be going forward with UST Recoil 95s F4 .
The reason that this all came to pass was last year I injured my back and I have had a lot of trouble loading all my irons from 7 iron up .
Originally my fitter and I were just going to change the shafts in my set but when he had me swing a few in front of trackman he noticed that my swing speed had changed from an average of 91mph with a 6 iron to 83mph ! He also noticed that when trying out various shafts that I just wasn't launching the irons that I was using as well as I should've been . Hence that converted to not being able to maximise distance or drop and stops into greens . He also wasn't a great fan of the ball speeds that he was seeing either .
It was then he suggested I try out the Epons .
Enter the Epon AF 503 !
The feel of the 503 is different to the Miura , not better , not worse , just different . Now that could also be the Recoils but I really didn't notice a prominent click feel to the 503s . Once you absolutely nail one right out of the sweet spot it is put simply a feeling of electric euphoria !
Sure , the feedback is a lot more subtle than other irons I've gamed but talk about forgiveness , the 503s are absolutely choc full of forgiveness !
Launch is terrific ! The ball just keeps climbing to a fantastic height with a very pleasing length as well .
As a result , earlier today I contacted my fitter and ordered a full set of Epon AF 503 irons 4 - A wedge and I can not wait to get my hands on them and game them !
I really appreciate the posts and feedback that I've read and received . Particularly from freehb for your insights and also Spoon for your in depth analysis as well . This is what makes WRX so great !
I'll give some more updates once I get the set in the bag and out on the course .

[squishyy]

[quote name='Batman1971' timestamp='1404293872' post='9621721']
[quote name='squishyy' timestamp='1403492076' post='9554751']
I had mine shafted with Recoil Prototypes F4 125. It was like cutting butter with just your fingertips...that's how soft the feel was. Anyway, the shaft did not work well for me so I am still debating on what new shafts to use. The head is great though, very hot and just great.
[/quote]
Just curious but what shaft have you replaced the Recoils with .
Ives done a lot of reading about the Recoils and a lot of guys have found the 125s to be to much . For example most guys who have a driver swing of approx 95 - 100 are best off with the Recoil 95 or 110 .
Did you try some of the other Recoils in the range ?
[/quote]

I have not found a good shaft to be installed into the 503s yet. The Recoils are on the BST currently. I did not find the 125s to be too much. My 6i swing speed is 85mph and I was able to load it well and I have a smooth transition. The only gripe that I have is that it was giving me a little too much spin. But thinking back to all of my shots, they were all straight as an arrow. Recoils are great shafts...just not for my swing type and I don't feel like changing my swing to fit a shaft.

[Batman1971]

[quote name='squishyy' timestamp='1404354425' post='9627571']
[quote name='Batman1971' timestamp='1404293872' post='9621721']
[quote name='squishyy' timestamp='1403492076' post='9554751']
I had mine shafted with Recoil Prototypes F4 125. It was like cutting butter with just your fingertips...that's how soft the feel was. Anyway, the shaft did not work well for me so I am still debating on what new shafts to use. The head is great though, very hot and just great.
[/quote]
Just curious but what shaft have you replaced the Recoils with .
Ives done a lot of reading about the Recoils and a lot of guys have found the 125s to be to much . For example most guys who have a driver swing of approx 95 - 100 are best off with the Recoil 95 or 110 .
Did you try some of the other Recoils in the range ?
[/quote]

I have not found a good shaft to be installed into the 503s yet. The Recoils are on the BST currently. I did not find the 125s to be too much. My 6i swing speed is 85mph and I was able to load it well and I have a smooth transition. The only gripe that I have is that it was giving me a little too much spin. But thinking back to all of my shots, they were all straight as an arrow. Recoils are great shafts...just not for my swing type and I don't feel like changing my swing to fit a shaft.
[/quote]
No , I'd never change my swing to suit a shaft either !
Good luck with the search though .
I hope you find an awesome shaft .

[freehb]

Roddio. Just do it, performance wise the combo can't be beat! If the recoil is cottage cheese, roddio is the smoothest vanilla shake you've ever tasted. Pinpoint control with distance. I am really loving them and have resigned trying any other iron shafts.

I may give the 703 a whirl though...don't need any more forgiveness but could always use more distance....

Missing my 302s though, perhaps roddio in them instead...they have always come out at least once or twice a month with every set I've owned but the 503/roddio, I think they've only been out 3 times in 6 months....anyone want a nice set of Aerotech i95 pulls, +1/4" with fresh no1s (4-p)?

[Batman1971]

[quote name='freehb' timestamp='1404605022' post='9643511']
Roddio. Just do it, performance wise the combo can't be beat! If the recoil is cottage cheese, roddio is the smoothest vanilla shake you've ever tasted. Pinpoint control with distance. I am really loving them and have resigned trying any other iron shafts.

I may give the 703 a whirl though...don't need any more forgiveness but could always use more distance....

Missing my 302s though, perhaps roddio in them instead...they have always come out at least once or twice a month with every set I've owned but the 503/roddio, I think they've only been out 3 times in 6 months....anyone want a nice set of Aerotech i95 pulls, +1/4" with fresh no1s (4-p)?!
[/quote]
I've not tried the Roddio .
My fitter has received my set and tells me I may have them in the bag at the end of the week .
I'm counting the days !

[puttingmatt]

Nice looking irons, where to try out in Michigan ?

[G-Bone]

[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1430928922' post='11510231']
Nice looking irons, where to try out in Michigan ?
[/quote]

Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills now carries Epon and has them available to hit and test on Trackman.