Proto Concept C03TC vs. Miura TC201

[Yoshimonster]

Need help deciding.

Getting first set of JDM irons.  

Proto Concept C03tc or Miura TC201.  Or Epon AF tour CB2. can the pros out there anyone nudge me right way? 

 

7 handicap

Using PXG 0311T

Edited October 15, 2023 by Yoshimonster

[gm12673]

I have the OG 03s as well as the TC201s, in the exact same specs. I know - I have issues!
 

For me, it’s night and day - the 03s are miles more forgiving, notwithstanding the small-ish profile. They feel awesome too (not Miura awesome, but awesome). They have super turf interaction too. IMO, they are a much better iron than the 201s unless you are a truly elite ball striker (and they are beautiful, but not in the same league as the 03s in terms of playability). 

[gm12673]

Just now, gm12673 said:

I have the OG 03s as well as the TC201s, in the exact same specs. I know - I have issues!
 

For me, it’s night and day - the 03s are miles more forgiving, notwithstanding the small-ish profile. They feel awesome too (not Miura awesome, but awesome). They have super turf interaction too. IMO, they are a much better iron than the 201s unless you are a truly elite ball striker (and they are beautiful, but not in the same league as the 03s in terms of playability). 

I’m a 6 handicap for reference, playing links golf almost exclusively - 03s are fab off tight lies FWIW. 

[Yoshimonster]

This is super helpful especially coming from a person who has both sets.  Thanks again. 

[Yoshimonster]

@gm12673 quick question.  Does C03 feel softer or firmer than the TC201's?  

[gm12673]

22 minutes ago, Yoshimonster said:

@gm12673 quick question.  Does C03 feel softer or firmer than the TC201's?  

I’d say ever so slightly softer / not as dense as the Miura. But that’s not to say the Miuras feel any way firm or harsh - they don’t. Hope this helps. 

[jomatty]

I’m playing the proto c05’s and they are really amazing irons.  Nice and compact shape but tremendously forgiving for the size.  Great turf interaction.  Really great sticks.  I haven’t hit the co3’s and personally would be unlikely to go that direction as much as I am enjoying the co5’s (2 handicap) but I’m sure the co3’s are amazing.  I can’t be much help but just wanted to pass along what nice irons Proto c makes….

[Yoshimonster]

@jomatty thanks for your input.  You're a very accomplished player at 2 handicapp.  Any specific reason for going 05 vs 01 and 03?   

[jomatty]

12 hours ago, Yoshimonster said:

@jomatty thanks for your input.  You're a very accomplished player at 2 handicapp.  Any specific reason for going 05 vs 01 and 03?   

Thank you!  I’ve never been a blade guy or someone who likes the smallest profile possible, although I do want to look down at something player like and pleasant to look at.  To be totally honest though, I got a great deal on the co5’s with MMT’s in them (bad elbow, wrist and back so I play graphite) so I jumped on them, as I was on a JDM kick.  It was a good enough deal (lightly used) that When I saw Lydia Ko was in them, I figured “ why not”, if I don’t like them I’ll sell them.  That said, im very happy with them and the profile is nice, feel is very good, and performance is really good.  The performance is what won the day, over my Fourteens and a few other sets I was playing around with. Especially on toe strikes (my miss) I just am not losing as much with these irons.

if money was no object I might be in a 3 way combo of Protos with the 5 iron in co7, 6-8 in co5 and 9-p in co3.  No real reason for this other than I can’t leave well enough alone.

For the first time in years I am not constantly looking at irons and thinking about trying something new.  That’s a long winded way of answering your question…basically I could have gone either way with the co3’s or co5 but the deal I found made the decision for me.  The co5 are compact enough that I think they were the right move, luckily enough.  

[jomatty]

The sole with leading edge grind on the co5 is also perfect for me and my game.  I’m sure I’m giving up some feel vs the one piece forgings of softer steel, but I can live with that.  

[dmeeksDC]

Proto Concept makes tremendous premium irons. I had a combo set of the original C03/C05/C07 irons. What I found:

 

— Profiles are very similar, which is the design philosophy of the lineup. Not a big difference looking down at the 05 vs 03. The C07 is the bulkiest. Only had it in the 4 iron. It was fine but I thought the C05 offered plenty of help so no need for me to play the C07. 
 

— The C05 is noticeably more forgiving than the C03 on mishits. Different construction so just has a larger speed retention area. Best of the bunch in terms of checking all the boxes I like. 
 

— Be sure not to confuse the new C03TC with the original C03. My understanding is the new one is a little sleeker and more of a player’s iron but also more demanding. 
 

If I bought them again — and I would, they are nice — I would go C05 for the full set, maybe go to the og C03 in 9 and PW. But maybe not. The C05 felt great and there’s no reason to not take the forgiveness. 

[Yoshimonster]

Even Lydia Ko plays the C05 and figured there is a good reason for it. 

[NerdyGolfer]

2 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

Proto Concept makes tremendous premium irons. I had a combo set of the original C03/C05/C07 irons. What I found:

 

— Profiles are very similar, which is the design philosophy of the lineup. Not a big difference looking down at the 05 vs 03. The C07 is the bulkiest. Only had it in the 4 iron. It was fine but I thought the C05 offered plenty of help so no need for me to play the C07. 
 

— The C05 is noticeably more forgiving than the C03 on mishits. Different construction so just has a larger speed retention area. Best of the bunch in terms of checking all the boxes I like. 
 

— Be sure not to confuse the new C03TC with the original C03. My understanding is the new one is a little sleeker and more of a player’s iron but also more demanding. 
 

If I bought them again — and I would, they are nice — I would go C05 for the full set, maybe go to the og C03 in 9 and PW. But maybe not. The C05 felt great and there’s no reason to not take the forgiveness. 

This is a very accurate representation, but I will interject that the new C03TC is actually larger than the older C03 head. Forgiveness increased with that as well. It’s nearly identical is size/ shape as the current C05 head. 
 

Having played the C05’s and hit the C03’s, I’m torn between the two. I ultimately landed on the C01TB’s as they are the most incredible feeling irons I’ve ever played. They are surprisingly forgiving for an MB, but that’s not me pushing you into them. From the sounds of it either the 03’s or 05’s would be an excellent choice, but I too kind of lean C05’s. 
 

I was able to demo a few clubs before pulling the trigger on my set. Might be worth a look? 
https://aspengolfdirect.com/pages/demo-program

[dmeeksDC]

20 minutes ago, NerdyGolfer said:

This is a very accurate representation, but I will interject that the new C03TC is actually larger than the older C03 head. Forgiveness increased with that as well. It’s nearly identical is size/ shape as the current C05 head. 
 

Having played the C05’s and hit the C03’s, I’m torn between the two. I ultimately landed on the C01TB’s as they are the most incredible feeling irons I’ve ever played. They are surprisingly forgiving for an MB, but that’s not me pushing you into them. From the sounds of it either the 03’s or 05’s would be an excellent choice, but I too kind of lean C05’s. 
 

I was able to demo a few clubs before pulling the trigger on my set. Might be worth a look? 
https://aspengolfdirect.com/pages/demo-program

Interesting about the new C03. They look really good but I have to say the way they did the black finish in the cavities of the originals, those look really cool and different from other irons. Looks so premium. 
 

The og C03 is a very nice iron, just more of a traditional forged carbon steel cavity back (at least in the 8-P irons) vs the fast faced chromoly in the C05. But I found the 03 to be super in the short irons. All of those heads offer clean turf interaction.  

[NerdyGolfer]

9 minutes ago, dmeeksDC said:

Interesting about the new C03. They look really good but I have to say the way they did the black finish in the cavities of the originals, those look really cool and different from other irons. Looks so premium. 
 

The og C03 is a very nice iron, just more of a traditional forged carbon steel cavity back (at least in the 8-P irons) vs the fast faced chromoly in the C05. But I found the 03 to be super in the short irons. All of those heads offer clean turf interaction.  

Yeah they actually did a slightly different grind on the new 03’s and I too prefer the look of the older models (color wise). With them changing the sizing of the 03 head I’m not really sure what will happen to the design of the 05 and 07 heads when they get redesigned (assuming they do). I prefer the turf interaction of the OG 03 to the new one as it lends to more shallow divots, but that personal preference honestly. I just think it’s cool to make fun divots haha 

 

100% agree with you on the forgiveness on the OG C03’s vs C05’s. They are very similar in size but whatever voodoo magic they did to the 05’s design wise makes them just stupid straight and stupid forgiving for the size. Pound for pound they are some of the most forgiving clubs I’ve ever played (in that size category). 

[Yoshimonster]

9 hours ago, NerdyGolfer said:

Yeah they actually did a slightly different grind on the new 03’s and I too prefer the look of the older models (color wise). With them changing the sizing of the 03 head I’m not really sure what will happen to the design of the 05 and 07 heads when they get redesigned (assuming they do). I prefer the turf interaction of the OG 03 to the new one as it lends to more shallow divots, but that personal preference honestly. I just think it’s cool to make fun divots haha 

 

100% agree with you on the forgiveness on the OG C03’s vs C05’s. They are very similar in size but whatever voodoo magic they did to the 05’s design wise makes them just stupid straight and stupid forgiving for the size. Pound for pound they are some of the most forgiving clubs I’ve ever played (in that size category). 

 

@NerdyGolfer does it mean 05's are less workable than 03's in shaping shots?  How would the 03's feel for a person playing PXG0311T.  More bulk and mass or similar?

 

I really need to just see them and try them out.  It's been difficult finding a dealer around me.  I may need to do the rental program that you suggested. 

[NerdyGolfer]

2 hours ago, Yoshimonster said:

 

@NerdyGolfer does it mean 05's are less workable than 03's in shaping shots?  How would the 03's feel for a person playing PXG0311T.  More bulk and mass or similar?

 

I really need to just see them and try them out.  It's been difficult finding a dealer around me.  I may need to do the rental program that you suggested. 

So the cool thing with Proto irons is they are put numerically into hard to easy to hit. C01tb's are going to be your traditional MB's, smaller sole, a touch smaller length and workable. C03tc's are going to be your traditional players CB that's workable, but extremely stable. You want it to go straight, it will go straight. You want to work it, go for it. C05's are still workable for sure, but the way they are designed is to help the ball go straight. The C05's are two piece like stated above and they manipulate the back of the face to help with off center strikes (which really does help btw).

 

I've never been a PXG guy, so I can't give you direct feedback, but looking at them I'd say they are fairly similar for sure. Feel wise any S20C iron will blow PXG irons out of the water, just like comparing apples to motor oil lol

 

The demos really helped me get a sense of the differences as I too was a bit confused. The OG C03 and OG C05 are VERY similar in size/ shape, but like stated above the forgiveness gains are pretty good in the 05's which makes things even more confusing...but I pulled this screenshot off of the proto website as I remember referencing this. You can see how the size of the C03's changed (as well as the sole grinds) in comparison to the C05's. The rabbit hole is deep my friend haha

 

 

[Yoshimonster]

That's helpful!  Thanks for the guidance. I'll have to do the demos for sure 

[PearSorbet17]

Just ordered a set of the C03TC!  40% off on Proto concept’s site. 

[NerdyGolfer]

1 hour ago, PearSorbet17 said:

Just ordered a set of the C03TC!  40% off on Proto concept’s site. 

Nice 👍 their website is very overpriced, but 40% brings it to a more reasonable number for sure

[Yoshimonster]

What’s the diff between R and x for the dragon skin golfgrips they offer? 

[sheezymaneezy]

I only see Calm (Standard) and Fire (Firm)?

[Bigmean]

I really haven’t been paying attention to brands for a few years But proto concept is new to me.  They look like nexgen to me so reading the comments on that made sense.  
 

That said you can get nexgen sets (I like the blade one with slot in long irons I think) for like under $300 all day.   Are they that good?  I always never seriously considered a lot of things like nexgen/muziik/grindworks/shinigawa/golden ratio/buchi and on and on because I know I will take a big hit when I sell them on eBay vs bigger named things.  
 

Being a JDM guy means there is no store to hit balls in, you are going to run through clubs and shafts to land on things you want to keep, which is why I try err that way.  Nexgen has some good looking heads for low money.  I’m about ready to give muziik a shot for a tinker set with shafts I have no home for.  How bad can forged 20c be?   I owned a romaro wedge and it was one of the softest clubs I have hit, with a dg400x in it!

[NerdyGolfer]

13 minutes ago, Bigmean said:

I really haven’t been paying attention to brands for a few years But proto concept is new to me.  They look like nexgen to me so reading the comments on that made sense.  
 

That said you can get nexgen sets (I like the blade one with slot in long irons I think) for like under $300 all day.   Are they that good?  I always never seriously considered a lot of things like nexgen/muziik/grindworks/shinigawa/golden ratio/buchi and on and on because I know I will take a big hit when I sell them on eBay vs bigger named things.  
 

Being a JDM guy means there is no store to hit balls in, you are going to run through clubs and shafts to land on things you want to keep, which is why I try err that way.  Nexgen has some good looking heads for low money.  I’m about ready to give muziik a shot for a tinker set with shafts I have no home for.  How bad can forged 20c be?   I owned a romaro wedge and it was one of the softest clubs I have hit, with a dg400x in it!

So part of this is correct. There are plenty of fitters out there that have Proto heads, but yes it will be far less than say Miura. There are a couple of different ways to try them out though, so that’s a plus. JDM in general doesn’t hold value like it should and that’s a shame. 

 

Nexgen is the house brand of golf partner. Proto concept is a partnership between many parties, but one of the major players is golf partner. Think of Nexgen as the more affordable line and think of Proto concept as the “luxury” line. 
 

Nexgen is not endo forged, Proto concept is. So you’re paying for the endo design, partnership and craftsmanship.

 

Proto concept is making a pretty big wave in the JDM world, especially for only being a few years old.

[Yoshimonster]

2 hours ago, sheezymaneezy said:

I only see Calm (Standard) and Fire (Firm)?

I found out that x is ribbed and r is round.  

[charlieh]

If you still like the look of the Epon AF tour CB2 and can test them, definitely do. I had the previous model and loved them (until they were stolen). Proabbyl my favourite iron that i've had, and that includes 3 sets of Miura's. This new one has slightly less offset and a neater toe, i'm hoping to test them early next year. They will feel amazing! Epon make the softest, smoothest feeling irons IMO. 

 

[Vincent Paquin]

Maybe some of you can help me out

I have always dreamed of buying a set of miura or kyoei for the past years, even before getting into golf, I thought those 2 brand made really nice good irons, lately I have been reading a lot on proto concept clubs, everything that could be read, I probably found it and this brand is really getting up there in my mind, they seems to have the perfect mix of forgiveness, turf interaction and soft feel.

I never had the budget to go into either kyoei or miura in the past, but I knew I want to play a japan brand from the start, so my first set of irons are the TR20V from honma, I had a really good deal on them, they are cavity back irons, they have been great, good soft feeling, I have never tried anything else that's from japan, so I can't compare their forgiveness, soft feeling, turf interaction etc

So I feel like my next set would be proto concept BUT I live in canada and I won't have the chance to try them before buying, so pretty much like my TR20V, I bought them reading comments online and went with my feeling, since they were in my budget

now if I would go into the proto concept, can anyone tell me which model would be similar to the TR20V  from honma?
C01? CO3? CO5?

 

[BigMac_Finn]

On 10/15/2023 at 4:22 PM, Yoshimonster said:

Need help deciding.

Getting first set of JDM irons.  

Proto Concept C03tc or Miura TC201.  Or Epon AF tour CB2. can the pros out there anyone nudge me right way? 

 

7 handicap

Using PXG 0311T

Talk to Nerdygolfer he knows everything. lol.. 

 

Just depends on what your looking for.. Feel, Looks, Forgiveness, etc.. just like normal irons you would chose for your swing style. 

 

Miuras to me look just amazing, but they are more elegant. Proto looks more to me like a ever day golfer (working mans/womans) type of club.. but also have great feel and such.. 

 

You won't go wrong on either, you just need to pick the one that looks the best to you. 

[BigMac_Finn]

On 12/7/2023 at 8:04 PM, Vincent Paquin said:

Maybe some of you can help me out

I have always dreamed of buying a set of miura or kyoei for the past years, even before getting into golf, I thought those 2 brand made really nice good irons, lately I have been reading a lot on proto concept clubs, everything that could be read, I probably found it and this brand is really getting up there in my mind, they seems to have the perfect mix of forgiveness, turf interaction and soft feel.

I never had the budget to go into either kyoei or miura in the past, but I knew I want to play a japan brand from the start, so my first set of irons are the TR20V from honma, I had a really good deal on them, they are cavity back irons, they have been great, good soft feeling, I have never tried anything else that's from japan, so I can't compare their forgiveness, soft feeling, turf interaction etc

So I feel like my next set would be proto concept BUT I live in canada and I won't have the chance to try them before buying, so pretty much like my TR20V, I bought them reading comments online and went with my feeling, since they were in my budget

now if I would go into the proto concept, can anyone tell me which model would be similar to the TR20V  from honma?
C01? CO3? CO5?

 

Im intrigued with Kyoei as well!! Also dont forget others: Fujimoto, Elon, proto Concept, Vega, Bridgestone, Yamaha, list goes on and on

Edited December 14, 2023 by BigMac_Finn

[Vincent Paquin]

1 hour ago, BigMac_Finn said:

Talk to Nerdygolfer he knows everything. lol.. 

 

Just depends on what your looking for.. Feel, Looks, Forgiveness, etc.. just like normal irons you would chose for your swing style. 

 

Miuras to me look just amazing, but they are more elegant. Proto looks more to me like a ever day golfer (working mans/womans) type of club.. but also have great feel and such.. 

 

You won't go wrong on either, you just need to pick the one that looks the best to you. 

thanks finn , Yeah I have been talking with Nerdygolfer for the past few days, he's a great guy 🙂