1. The Tradition of Ultra Distance +2
For nearly 20 years, I've tracked the development of golf clubs on a daily basis, visiting manufacturers in search of improvements and changes. Every time I set foot into a factory or lab, I wonder what has changed from last time. Yet I want to leave with the impression that the brand itself has not changed.
I recently visited Yamaha in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, expecting to feel the greatness I always feel there.
The RMX series, for golfers who are always seeking to improve. The inpres series that delivers fantastic flight distance.
Yamaha's inpres clubs are the most anticipated new product of Fall 2016 among avid golfers. The last time I visited Yamaha's development facility in Hamamatsu was when they had completed the RMX (Remix) series. Prior to that, the clubs were marketed as "inpres RMX.", but they removed "inpres". I remember thinking that something was up, but I wasn't sure what. The recent unveiling of the new inpres series has finally cleared all doubts. It's apparent that Yamaha will continue on with two separate product brands: inpres and RMX. People have different impressions of the inpres series. While the series makes me think of Hiroyuki Fujita, Toru Taniguchi and other pros who endorse Yamaha, others see inpres as the clubs that result in the best flight distance. Pros who endorse Yamaha use the RMX series of clubs. The only current models that bear the inpres logo are the inpres RMX UD+2 irons. "+2" describes the ultra distance (two clubs longer distance) Yamaha sought to enable these popular irons to deliver. Why did Yamaha keep the inpres logo on only these irons? I found the answer in the brand's debut product catalog.
The amazing Flight Distance of the inpres Series is Certain to Surprise!
"Believe it!" This was splashed in large type across the 2005 inpres catalog, which included the following headlines: "Amazing flight distance, even compared to theoretical values. The amazement grows when people actually test them. 20 yards of extra flight distance."
An extra 20 yards represents the two clubs longer distance. The inpres series brand was always meant to give amateur golfers an enhanced level of distance previously reserved for their fantasies. Though the success of Fujita, Taniguchi and other pros who endorse Yamaha have shifted that vision more toward advanced golfers, it all started with the aim of providing the two clubs longer distance.
The success of inpres RMX UD+2 irons lies in the Yamaha engineers' return to inpres, the brand known for great flight distance. They probably re-realized that inpres and distance are the legacy of Yamaha Golf.
Components of the new inpres UD+2 3-wood The entire sole is high-density tungsten. This is what fairway woods look like when they are obsessively engineered for distance.
2005 inpres Catalog
Hit long with the inpres series. Hit the ball farther than you ever could have imagined.
The inpres series' debut product catalog starts with those lines. Golfers then were stunned by the flight distance delivered by the high-repulsion club heads constructed using Yamaha's classic thin-face technology.
2014 inpres RMX UD+2 Irons
The amazing flight distance of these popular irons made UD+2 a buzzword among avid golfers. This success was the trigger for returning to the origins of "inpres," and for restructuring the brand.
A new way to customize your ideal trajectory.
The RMX (Remix) series is the manifestation of Hiroyuki Fujita's belief that even amateur golfers can maximize their flight distance if they use clubs that are right for them. Driver heads and shafts are detachable, which allows golfers to get fitted and select the optimal specs for themselves. The RMX series presents a different line of clubs for progressive golfers who constantly seek to learn more about themselves and enjoy trying out different clubs. These are completely different to the inpres series.