The global market for golf equipment is a wide warehouse, with as many brands as possible as wind directions in the 12th Tee of Augusta.
And the situation can be just as confusing.
Ping, Title, Callaway and Taylormade prevails the news cycle and any significant market share reports. But the story does not end there.
Some of us have a superiority for manufacturers whose financial status can only be represented by “other” in any comprehensive market share graphics. In a macro sense, these companies do not matter – speaking economically.
But for me and anyone who wants to join my cheerful gang of abusers, these smaller brands serve as an industry segment that is honestly not interested in a mass market launch or attractive board members and shareholders.
Do they want to sell clubs? Of course. But not to the extent or for the same reasons you might think.
With this, let’s turn the site and make another chapter in the annals of JDM equipment manufacturers (Japanese domestic market).
What (or who) is machine?
Lihei Nomura began Mako Golf after leaving his job as an industrial designer in Tokyo to start a new career more in accordance with his passion for metallic work. Nomura landed in the prefecture of Hyogo, a region in Japan known for his cultural history and the friendly artisan environment.
(Think of it a bit like Dutchess County, NY, or Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina. If this reference helps, excellent. If not, disrespect it.)
We tend to accompany JDM brands as a deep -rooted unit with historical links and descent to pass the Japanese eras (did anyone look?).
Comparatively, Maro is a relative newcomer. However, the reputation and patterns of nomy clubs show a maturity and arrogance that are everything but beginner.
“Maro” embodies CraftJoining the elements of “Nomura” and “Makita” (Japanese company known for its high quality power tools and innovative solutions to DIY enthusiasts and professionals). By combining these influences, the brand honors Japanese heritage and construction, producing golf clubs that are functional and artistically created.
I asked Nomura what singles out of the most popular JDM brands (eg, Mira, epon).
“Maro stays mixing art with crafts, creating clubs that feel really personal,” he told me. “While brands created as Mira and Epon are known for accuracy and consistency, we take a different approach, focusing on small, hand -finished clubs, where individuality comes first. As a boutique brand, we give priority to creative expression over mass production, allowing us to experiment and push traditional zeal.”
This makes me believe that the Nomura target matches the spirit of Katsuhiro Mira and Tamaki Sakamoto (Kyoei) – at least as much as Mar seeing himself as a brand that can provide players a more personalized experience by limiting production to fill an invalid market. Again, many of these terms are relative. Many players have never heard of Mira or EPON, let alone Maro or Fujimoto.
It is a difficult task – to balance the basic needs of income and responsible growth while maintaining the ethics of the brand. Sold enough, but not too much. Be familiar and appreciated for what you do, but not so much that you risk losing the essence of what makes you different.
It is a problem Ferrari and Bugatti, not a Honda or Toyota issue.
How many people are known for a secret fishing hole before it is no longer a secret?
MARKO BB-83
Over time, if done properly, brands create some of the equipment that serves as a signature. Target 88-B2 player’s cavity defender served as a template who Mako refined little in creating 88-b3.
Hallmark parts with significant differentiation serve as a living testimony about the craftsmanship and model that consumers come to be associated as a brand DNA. My feeling is that while 88-b3 embodies all the necessary DNA of a machine machine, clubs like CB-1 with two tones And Modal Architex Putters are what will make players stop moving on social media and say, “Damn, what is it?”
Comparatively, what offers 88-b3 are delicate refinements and design signs that many will be lost. Okay okay. It is not meant to be decorated as much as it is underestimated. 88-B3 is less banana bananas and more brulee.
Forged by S20C (which is the same as carbon steel 1020), thin toplin and muscle formation suggest an iron directed towards elite ball attackers. But a single width, slightly wider, large of the score (55 millimeters compared to 50 to 88-B2) and semi-empty cavities provide sufficient apology to the 10-15 handicap.
88-B3 performance
How any of us evaluate iron performance is about our skill set. Iron Play is the weakest part of my game, but I would categorize myself as a very “best” player of the player. Minimal compensation, thin thin toplin and compact heel traces of heel are non -negotiable features.
88-B3 favors consistency and feeling over comprehensive distance, which, fortunately, is becoming less of a primary point of sale. Mako says that by 15 handicap players can play 88-b3, but I’m not wild about the equation of handicap strings with a single model.
It feels a little restrictive and fails to accept that all handicaps are not created equally. Yes, I am watching you the Lord “Bombs IT 300-Plus yards away from tee, but fights around green”.
In addition, my GPR (intestinal performance recommendation) would be that 88-b3 fits the best players with a one-digit iron game. If you try to make consistent contact or prefer an iron with more compensation and a larger profile, but still want a high quality Japanese counterfeiting, I would suggest you read NNRG.
Report Card MARKO 88-B3
Playero player is unique and data is probably best viewed as directed than absolute. That said, I compared 88-b3 with my shackles Mizuno Pro S3 (5i, 7i, PW).
Top speed – 88-B3 were 1 MPH faster on average, probably due to its semi-empty construction. That is to say, no one should make a purchase decision in a set of handcuffs due to a few miles per hour the speed of the ball. If you are hungry for the iron distance, it is best to look at the pure player distance or game improvement shackles.
Spin – Even as a characteristic of performance, rotation is relative. Must match the trajectory and ball speed to give the optimum transfer distance. I am not a high -rotating player, so any iron that contains massive properties directed to produce a high/low rotation combination can be a matter for me. 88-B3 sits straight on the edge of the “movable rotation”, meaning if I do these always, I would bend them 1 ° weak or pass them on a softer shaft.
Trajectory – I tend to hit the ball up, so, if anything, I try to bring the ball flight down, especially in short cuffs. I am happy to report that it was not much issue with 88-B3 even though I would still give the node Mizuno Pro S3 in this department. It is likely, 88-B3 has a lower marginal center of gravity which is probably best for most players.
Feel – Yes, this has the potential to get a little spicy. There is no doubt that plating, single design and quarrel can contribute to the general feeling of a club, so we will keep those variables constant at the moment. In my world of JDM prayers, Mizuno is very gentle (like a dense marshmallow) and endo (epon, proto concept and others) is strong but powerful. Kyoei forms (Mako, Nnrg, Vega) sit exactly in the middle: Kyoei is Goldilocks of Premium Prayers. And because someone will ask, seven are 100 percent of the ground CNC, so sit in a completely different category. (Injuries: Seven CB review is in the queue.)
Playing – I often try not to “work” the ball too much. If anything, I play a small draw with my handcuffs and a cut with my driver. When manipulating the ball, it is to bring the flight down to short cuffs. Sometimes, with certain models, especially lower CGs with hollow cavities and thin faces, mass properties make it difficult to hit the lower ball, which, as mentioned before, is a very small criticism.
Where 88-b3 is withdrawn shortly before the Pro S3 is on strike outside the center. With a slightly longer blade length and more surrounding mass, 88-b3 performed a little better for me on thin shots. As a shallow player who does not get deep divotions, my prevailing missing is to catch the first or second grooves more often than the desirable third to fifth grooves (AKA The Sweet Spot).
With this class of handcuffs, performance is not a race about who can post the fastest 0-60 time, but the entirety of the management experience.
Mako 88-B3 offers continuous performance, enough distance and a wonderful appeal to the center of the turn.
0.05 $
Cynic which is beaten by 12-month product cycles is likely to fight many JDM products. The fall of $ 2,500 in a group of handcuffs is not the type of value proposal that many North American buyers are looking for, but again, the world of JDM is different. If you consider how well a club will maintain its value in the resale market, you are already a few steps down the wrong path.
The JDM of the early 2000s is not what it is today. At one point myya did not exist. Neither fujimoto, prgr, onoff or others. With that, Mako is making an argument that deserves to be recognized as a Founding member of the next generation of JDM (or maybe we label it neo-JDM Because it feels like a term I just did and I like).
While some old heads may not be ready to admit that NKOTB is a worthy competitor, I do not see a weakness in the actual approach of the MARKO. If anything, playing 88-b3, felt a little like what should have been to hear Ramones playing in your neighbor’s garage. You knew it was different … and well … but you didn’t know where everything would lead.
If you are in JDM gear, tell me which brand we should dig into another!
office MARKO 88-B3: A new generation of counterfeit Japanese cuffs first appeared in MygolfSSS.
