Most of our Bunkers Paradise Community may or may not know that I am a former LPGA Tour Player. While on tour, we all had the opportunity to work directly with club manufacturer’s club fitting reps who followed the tour every week. They would be there to tweak our clubs, introduce a new set or simply support the clubs in your bag and help you build confidence.
Once I retired from competitive golf and became a regular 4 times a week golfer, I began to realize how amazing having someone there who could fit you with the right clubs. It was easy to overlook the importance of a good fit because ever golfer and every swing is uniquely different. But as time passed and my life’s goals changed (starting a family), I just played with whatever I had or even whatever I would win in a charity event.
Fast forward. I haven’t been feeling comfortable with my clubs for some time (no brand names to protect the innocent 🙂 ). Bunkers Paradise was approached by Miura Golf to do a review. But it wasn’t just gonna be— here is a set of clubs off the manufacturing line let us know what you think? It was going to be a ‘cool’ process. Once our team heard about how this process would take place, I chimed in to be the chosen one.
Miura Golf takes their golf clubs very seriously and wants the player to have a set that fits their style of play. Now this is what I have been preaching for years to all my friends and it was a reminder to me that I must ‘fit’ my clubs to produce the best outcome in every shot.
In order to play and review Miura Golf Clubs, I had to be fitted and I had the most amazing experience with Josiah at Cool Clubs — Southern California. To be honest, I had heard of them but never seen what they do. Wow!
Let’s talk about Cool Clubs first and then I will step into Mirua Golf.
Who/What is Cool Clubs?
Cool Clubs are the largest independent club fitting organization in the world! Who knew? They are expanding as I write with 16 sites in 6 countries. What is really ‘cool’ is that they have no affiliation to any one club manufacturer which means you go in, get fitted to the equipment that performs best for you and not getting wrapped around the axel trying to ‘fit’ into a brand that may not be best for your game.
Unlike some other fitting companies, Cool Clubs has developed their own and unique state of the art software and testing equipment allowing them to ‘in-house’ test all equipment fitted. Way ‘cool’! Not relying on each manufacturer’s internal testing allows Cool Clubs to know exactly how every aspect of the club components perform vs. the others. Bottom line: you get a better fit for your own unique game.
Cool Clubs objective is simple: build clubs that fit the golfer precisely to their own unique swing thus improving overall performance on the course from tee to green.
What does Cool Clubs do? —> They fit clubs to every individual player; build those clubs based upon the fitting session; and repair clubs if needed at any point moving forward. All of this is done to a high tour standard without compromise. What this means is you will be confident knowing you will receive top of the line, custom built clubs that fit you and only you.
Why should I consider getting fitted for clubs? The answer is as simple as we are all created uniquely and we each hit the golf ball differently. We are like snow flakes—no two are exactly the same. The question should be—> Why should I try to ‘fit’ myself and game into clubs that may not be right for me? We all want to lower our scores and hit the ball with more consistency and the only way to truly achieve our golfing goals is to have clubs in our hands that fit our unique swings. I know there is no way I could grab Jordan Spieth’s clubs and break 90 because they just would not fit my swing at all! It would be like swinging a telephone pole because he swings faster and is much stronger that me therefore, I need club heads and shafts that cater to my game.
My Cool Clubs Fitting Experience
I will admit, I was very fortunate to find out the closest Cool Clubs Fitting was just around the corner. However, I did see that they have fitting centers all over the country…very cool.
Josiah Solberg was my ‘fitter’ and he was amazing. His knowledge was impressive and his approach was spot on. I felt like I was part of the process instead of being told what to do and how to do it. He was patient and explained each and every part of the fitting process which included: indoor assessment, outdoor extensive hands on assessment, utilization of the Trackman, unique Cool Clubs software that is state of the art and amazingly accurate and one-on-one interaction with and experienced fitter.
What is even more cool is that the expert fitter has access to over 10,000 club and head combinations to give you the best fit of your life to improve your game from tee to green. I was totally blown away with the equipment available at his fingertips.
After 90 minutes and hitting multiple combinations, Josiah and I came to the same conclusion to what fit me best and I was in total shock! I fit into Miura ‘FORGED” club heads! What?! Forged heads?? Can it be, I swore that I was a more ‘perimeter’ weighted club head player…my entire career and yet, I hit Miura better that I have ever hit a club. I was in denial, but after seeing the ball flight, amazing contact at impact and better consistency, I became a true believer over the entire fitting system that Cool Clubs offered me and walked away confident, excited and a forged head hitter!
So what happens next you ask? Cool Clubs takes all the data and sends it to Miura and they build the set specifically for me from the ground up. Miura takes the time to custom build the set of irons to the precise specifications for which I was fitted. I could not wait!!!! The irons will only fit me! That rocks! Take a tour here and see what I am talking about: Cool Clubs
Miura Golf
To be perfectly transparent, I had only a slight thought that I had ‘heard’ of Miura. I wasn’t completely convinced I knew the name but felt like it had been out there in the golfing community. I did a little quick research and realized that the likes of some pretty big names have played the irons.
Behind Miura Golf
Miura Golf comes from the heart of Katsuhiro Miura who is referred to by the Japanese media as having ‘the hands of God’. He wanted to create hand crafted clubs that would take player’s games to a new level. He is a Master Craftsman who never deviates from his quest for perfection and has been making clubs since 1957. To this day, along with his sons, he is hands-on in the factory in Himeji, Japan.
Mr. Miura’s philosophy is simple: make each club one by one using handcrafting processes and never mass produce. In other words, you can be sure that the clubs you receive are unique and ultimately one of a kind. He uses special forging techniques that assure that the grain of steel in each club will be fine and uniform with nothing that will interfere with impact. Now that is taking club making to another level if you ask me.
Bill Holowaty Executive Vice-President, Product Strategies Miura Golf
I had the honor of speaking with Bill Holowaty to dive deeper into what makes Miura tick, where do they see Miura over the next few years, and what separates Miura from the competition. Bill is absolutely an asset to Miura golf with his sports background as well as a degree in Economics. However, Bill sets himself apart with his passion, love of golf and determination to let the whole world know about Miura clubs and how it can change the golfer’s life on the course. We had a blast chatting. What a fun man with so much wisdom and true love for the game.
Mr. Holowaty has been with Miura for over a decade but actually has know the family for over 25 years. During those 25 years, there has been many chats about golf and bringing Mr. Miura’s product to North America. As I mentioned, Japan sees the clubs Mr. Miura makes as the best of the best.
It was actually Professional Japanese Hockey that brought Mr. Holowaty and Mr. Miura together. Bill played pro hockey in Japan and by chance they met up and discussed their passions for golf as well. Like fine wine, their talks got better with age and eventually, after Mr. Holowaty’s hockey playing days were over, the discussions became more serious about bringing top of the line custom made clubs to the other side of the world.
Today, Mr. Holowaty is Executive Vice-President, Product Sales and he shared with me the desire of Miura having a little more presence in North America.
I asked Mr. Holowaty about his philosophy and that of Miura and how often will we see new clubs moving forward.
Plain and simple he says—> Provide high quality equipment that is custom made to the specifications of each individual player and only introducing a new design if it will improve the players performance on the course. We had a club head that stood the test of time from 2007-2014 and even through R&D we just didn’t find anything better during that time, so why just ‘push’ something out into the marketplace that won’t help the golfer from tee to green.
I was amazed. I shared with Bill that during my playing days on tour, we were offered ‘newer/better’ equipment at least 3-4 times a year and some of those ‘you will hit it father/more accurate’ clubs were duds in my book. I thought this type of thinking was refreshing.
Of course, I then wanted to know where he sees Miura in the next 2-10 years.
We want to stay true to our philosophy while growing in a niche market. We are unique and jumping into the deep end with the ‘big boys’ is not our style. Competing on quality of our product while creating relationships with the golf community is our strategy. Our high quality equipment can stand up on its own and the ‘golfer will find us’.
We plan to get the word out into the marketplace and seek the golfer looking for an edge. We are utilizing social media platforms, blogs, and other forms letting the golf community know we are here for each other them. We can’t match the resources of the bit OEM’s, but we can provide the best in quality and let the golfer know that the investment they make in our clubs will last many years to come. We are confident the golfer will have success with Miura clubs and will not need to seek the next best thing for a long time.
I like this approach. I personally find it hard to continue to see and hear that another ‘better that ever’ club is coming out just 3 months after I purchased the last ‘best’ club. In my opinion this separates Miura from the competitors. I have said it before: a breath of fresh air.
Now I did have to chat with him about my ‘utter shock’ that I am now a ‘forged club’ player. Mr. Holowaty explained it to me like this:
The unique process of building the clubs creates a feeling at impact of — ‘that was butter’… in other words, pure at impact. The forged process gives the golfer better contact with every swing. Miura builds club heads in which the energy transferred at impact is complete due to the grain structure and durability. We look to create a club that gets back to square at impact creating more consistent shots.
Most players have a misconception about forged being for better players. This is not the case with Miura. Our clubs are made for every golfer.
I can see how Miura separates itself from the competition with the focus on quality of product over quantity.
My final question was directed at the pricing of Miura. I noticed that Miura may be prices slightly above other clubs, but I really wanted to know how Mr. Holowaty and Miura would address this concern from the golf community.
I believe there is misconception with Miura being ‘higher-priced’. We have great pride in our product and we use top of the line material. But beyond that, based upon the manufacturing technique our clubs are priced as top quality. Our clubs are not out of reach for anyone.
We pride ourselves on the idea that a good quality club head = long term love. Your investment is not a temporary one. Our clubs will last and stay with you for many years. Yes maybe your swing changes a bit, your may be stronger, or maybe you find with age your swing speed has changed…regardless of the reason your game has changed, all you need to do is switch out the shaft. The quality Miura club head you have purchased is durable and will stand the test of time.
Now that totally makes sense. You invest in clubs that will last for years vs. buying ‘the next best thing’ every 6 months. I like this approach more than anything. My investment = long term love of my clubs.
Mr. Holowaty is really an amazing part of the Miura family and it was an honor to pick his brain to have a better understanding of Miura and where they see themselves in the years to come. Keep your eyes peeled and give these clubs a try. Trust me on this one.
Let me change gears now and get to the meat of the review. How did Miura perform?!
Look
One thing that makes a difference to me and many golfers–>the look of the club head when addressing the ball. Knowing that the Miura head looks good when I address any shot makes me stand confident over the ball. This is something that can be quite significant. Imagine looking down at the club and feeling uneasy with the way it looks. It can affect your swing. Knowing that I will have this club head in my hands for years to come eases my mind and builds internal confidence.
Miura looks solid and gives the player a really confident boost at address. The lines and smooth and edges clean giving it the look of a champion club head.
Bunkers Paradise gives the Look of Miura irons a rating of 4.8
Feel
The first thing I notice during the swing was how effortlessly I was able to swing the club. As a matter of fact, I gained a few more mph on my swing speed! That was awesome and a nice surprise.
The shaft and club head together felt really like butter at impact. I could feel the weight in a positive way: more like I was in control of the club and not the club controlling me.
I was able to play several rounds in various conditions (wind, cold and warm–sorry El Nino hasn’t dropped much rain) and found the club felt exactly the same is each situation. It never felt to heavy or too light.
At impact it was solid and controlled. Sometimes you find clubs that ‘clunk’ at impact, but Miura felt and sounded like you were launching a rocket.
Bunkers Paradise rating for the feel of the Miura Irons: 5
Performance
Here we are were decisions are made. Do the Miura Irons actually perform? Yes! From the very first swing, I felt like I was in control of every shot. No matter how I moved the ball (right to left, left to right, low or high) I was able to do it with ease. I am sure having the right fit made a huge difference, but I am a stickler with how a club performs under many different situations.
I had the ball in tall rough, short rough, tight dirt lies, pine needles, bunkers, perfect fairway lies, uphill/downhill/sidehill lies and even one where the ball was slightly in the water hazard. In each and every scenario the Miura clubs nailed it.
Take note here that I never felt like I had to swing out of my shoes for any shot. The club head felt so good in my hands that I was able to swing with powerful confidence and watch the ball sail to my target area. Was I impressed? Yes, and I was truly amazed that Miura made me into a forged club head believer!
Bunkers Paradise rating for Miura Performance: 5
Final Thoughts
I know this has been quite a read for our Bunkers Paradise Community and I thank you for your time. There is do much more to be said about Miura Clubs and how I arrived through the fitting process (Cool Clubs) to my new babies–> forged Miura Irons!
There are so many manufacturers out there looking to grab your business. Take a moment to truly look at Miura and I think you will find clubs that will make a difference in your overall game from tee to green. Hey, I became a believer after starting with skepticism. I mean how many club companies out there take the time to custom build your set of clubs to your specifications and do this for every golfer in the world. Mr. Miura has developed a club head that will stand the test of time and bring your scores down. I say win-win!!
Take a moment and click here to really get a feel for what Miura Golf and Mr. Miura can do for your game. Miura Golf
I have totally changed my tune to clubs now. Yes me, the former LPGA Tour Player who was once ‘stuck’ believing in a hand full of club companies. My eyes are open wide and I am a Miura player going forward.
Check out my quick video/movie to get a feel for my experience with Cool Clubs fitting and Miura Golf: Kate Takes on Cool Clubs and Miura Golf
Might I just add here that I am hitting the ball farther and with more control than I have in a long, long time. I am up on the green in regulation more putting for birdies.
Thank you Miura for coming into my life and into my golf bag. Take a look Bunkers Paradise Community…you will not be disappointed; you will be amazed with a true game changer in Miura.
‘keep smiling and always believe’
