tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56804519392684183032024-03-13T22:29:40.631-07:00Adam Barr Miura Golf InterviewAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11805484078952476596noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5680451939268418303.post-86940900609327281582012-04-14T09:54:00.000-07:002014-05-05T21:49:56.650-07:00<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Taking Care Of Business: The Adam Barr Interview</span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">An eye-opening discussion with Miura Golf’s
Renaissance Man</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Pete Pappas </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/PGAPappas">@PGAPappas</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">And on blogspot at </span><a href="http://pgapappas.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">PGAPappas.Blogspot</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Somewhere in the historic
city of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Himeji</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;">, home to the ancient art of Samurai sword-making, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a man is working</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">foreground of Himeji Castle,
Japan’s magnificent and most famous remaining feudal castle, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a master is creating</i>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And as the cherry blossom
season of April awakens in this </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Kansai </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">region of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial;">, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a legend is
growing.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For nearly half a century, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Katsuhiro Miura has
meticulously studied the golf club, and crafted the most exacting, most
elegant, and most lethal weapons the golf world has arguably ever seen.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Every Miura Golf club is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">personally</i>
inspected by Mr. Miura’s “Hands of God” for precision balance, unique
specification, and individual grace.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">his is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Miura Way.”</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">10,000 miles west of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Arial;"> in </span><st1:place><st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;">Orlando</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;">, </span><st1:state><span style="font-family: Arial;">Florida</span></st1:state></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Miura Golf’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i>
national treasure is “taking care of business.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wi</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">th exclusive dealerships
already on four continents spanning more than 35 countries, Miura President
Adam Barr has positioned Miura Golf on the “Bullet Train” to worldwide
prominence.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">A</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">nd he’s just getting warmed
up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Barr attended the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Arial;">University</span></st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Arial;"> of </span><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pennsylvania</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">, where he received his B.A. in English Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He earned his J.D. from the Duquesne
University School of Law, and practiced law in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pittsburgh</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chicago</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;"> for several years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Adam was also tax and legal
editor for a national corporate leader in tax and business law solutions, and
after that a columnist and business editor for Golfweek Magazine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Before becoming Miura Golf
President in 2010, Barr was one of the original on-air personalities at Golf
Channel who helped pioneer the infant network through unchartered territories.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">In 12 years with Golf
Channel Adam became a prominent business reporter, analyst, and acclaimed
tournament correspondent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also served
as host to the incredibly popular segment, “What’s In The Bag” (the forerunner
to modern day WITB segments far and wide).</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Barr is outspoken,
discerning, and quick-witted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And his
dynamic ability to get things done is making Miura Golf increasingly available
to the delight and gratitude of golf enthusiasts everywhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">We’re not going to rip the cover
off the Miura secrets today (not all of them at least), but Adam will share
some insights gained from his 19 years experience in the golf industry,
elaborate a bit on the kinship between himself and Mr. Miura, and spotlight
some things about Miura Golf you probably didn’t know (and I’m not just talking
about their exciting new releases).</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam it’s great to speak with you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks, Pete.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s start at the
beginning. How did you become Miura Golf President? It didn’t just happen by
chance did it?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miura called me in 2010 and asked if I wanted
the job. But of course, it wasn't that simple. I had visited Miura in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in 2003 when I was with Golf Channel; we were shooting a segment there for our <i>What's
In The Bag? </i>show. I met the family and saw the operation. I was very
impressed, and I kept in touch with the company over the years. I was really
honored to be considered for the post when they decided to expand.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you remember the
first thought that went through your mind (and where were you) when it sunk in
you were going to be President of Miura Golf?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in my office at home, and I believe I
was editing video for the website I was running at the time, <a href="http://www.adambarrgolf.com/">adambarrgolf.com</a></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. I remember thinking,
"I won't have to think about this for very long." It was an easy
"Yes," knowing as much as I did about the company's quality and reputation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miura craftsmanship
is legendary in the golf industry. But it’s the Miura feel and performance most
raved about by tour pros, competitive golfers, and even weekend warriors. What
is it about the forging process that makes Miura irons so unique?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We forge differently, to be sure. Miura-san
has always insisted on forging the heel-to-toe portion of the iron head on its
own, then adding the hosel later in a process called spin-forging. (You can see
this in our "Visit to <st1:city><st1:place>Himeji</st1:place></st1:city>"
video.) The chief reason is that if you forge the entire head all at once, you
get a pulling-up effect as the clubhead curves into the hosel -- and this,
Miura-san found, stretches the grain in a bad way. It increases the chance that
there will be little voids that can lead to a "clanky" feel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">But Miura-san's way -- heel-to-toe portion only --
compresses the grain so it's fine, uniform, and free of any voids, bubbles, or
other flaws that could interfere with what we like to call "the purity of
the strike." The most frequently used analogy is that ordinary forging
might produced a structure that's similar to a jar of marbles -- they're all
close together, but there are little spaces between them. Miura forging is like
a jar of sand -- no spaces between the particles. It makes a huge difference in
the way the club feels. And as we know, solid feel, shot after shot, is what
builds confidence in a club, and confidence is what leads to satisfying shots.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add to this the inexhaustible patience and high standards
the Miura family insists on, and you get a potent quality combination.
Miura-san and his sons, Yoshitaka-san and Shinei-san, are involved with
virtually every club. Yoshitaka-san often grinds clubs side by side with his father,
and Shinei-san is an expert on quality forging. There is more family in the
paint fill room and working on other processes. And the tolerances they insist
on at every level are very tight. The weight variance in the heads, for
instance, is about half a gram. That's right, <st1:time hour="13" minute="56">one
fifty-sixth</st1:time> of an ounce. That's remarkably small.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he Miura Tournament Blades have been popular for many years, and the Limited
Forged Black Blades were a huge success (sold out, but returning soon by
popular demand). Your newest irons are the PP-9003 and CB-501 irons (used to
win The 2011 PLAYERS Championship). What are some distinguishing features of
the PP-9003 and CB-501 irons?</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B: </b>Our entire iron line has been doing pretty
robust business, but the Passing Point 9003 and the CB-501 have been the stars
of the last 12 months. The Passing Point is Miura's first forged cavity back in
this size; it's the culmination of efforts to offer a large cavity model that
has big-head forgiveness without an oversize appearance. We expected a lot of
higher handicappers to like it, and they did -- the club, after all, has a sole
that works for players who sweep at it more than hit down, and the trajectory
is fairly high. What surprised us, pleasantly, is that a lot of better players
like it too, either in full sets or for the longer irons as part of a
combination set. We figure this is because the turf interaction is crisp for a
bigger head, and the trajectory gets up but doesn't flutter or balloon. Paired
with the right shaft, the 9003 can work for a lot of different players, we have
found.</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">That's part of the strength of the 501s as well. Here's a
forged club with a classic at-address look and a reasonably large cavity, but
with a little workability left in. The weight bar in the bottom of the cavity
gets the ball up, but again, no ballooning. The sole is a little more of a
classic shape, so the divot will remind many players of the forged models they
played growing up. Incidentally, our CB-202 is a sister head to the 501 --
similar design, just no weight bar in the cavity.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Both these models are selling well, and we expect them to
remain in the line for a long time. Our clubs come out when they're ready, and
the only calendar we follow is the one in the minds of the Miura family.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Times;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you share a
favorite Mr. Miura story (ever see him cut a golf ball in two </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">mid air with a Tournament Blade)?</span></span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LOL, as they say. Miura-san would not want to
waste a good golf ball. Seriously, though, my favorite story about him is
something I have actually seen more than once. Miura-san likes to help players
on the range; he's a pretty good player himself. He also has a keen fitting
eye. Well, more than just an eye. I saw him once, crouching behind a player on
the target line, far enough back to be safe. He watched a few shots, then closed
his eyes and didn't move. I asked Yoshitaka-san -- what is he doing? Turns out
he was listening. "He can tell a lot from the sound of impact,"
Yoshitaka-san said. "Both fit and swing." I have seen him do this a
number of times since. I really believe Miura-san brings every sense he can
muster to the analysis of a golf club.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Times;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ready for the “front
9” quick-fire questions?</span></span><br />
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</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your most memorable
shot (where was it, what was it)?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Competitive: I recently
set up a birdie putt on No. 15 at <st1:city><st1:place>Keene</st1:place></st1:city>'s
Pointe, my home club, and my least favorite hole on it. I usually double bogey
it. I clobbered a Miura 5-iron from 168 to 18 feet. (I missed; no worries, par
was fine.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Non-competitive: sand wedge from <st1:place>Great Wall of China</st1:place>
to <st1:place>Inner Mongolia</st1:place>, 2003. Cleared wall; did not injure
tourists or camera crew. Gave producer heart condition.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best advice you received from your mom or
dad?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dad: If you get up one
more time than you get knocked down, you win. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mom: Elbows off the table.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Most balls lost in one round?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where
scientific notation could come in handy....</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Favorite course played?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sooooo hard. Royal
Dornoch, Pacific Dunes, Old Course, Merion, Oakmont, Carnoustie, in no
particular order. That's as far as I can narrow it down. If I was any luckier,
I'd be twins.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A person (outside of family) who influenced
you most?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, this is
difficult, because I've been privileged to know a lot of good people. The late
Bruce Montgomery, my college choir director, was one; he was a gentleman's
gentleman. In golf, Jaime Diaz was the one who kindly advised me in 1993 to
cover golf business. Steve Pike, Jim Nugent and Dave Seanor gave me my start at
Golfweek. Ken Carpenter, managing editor at Golfweek back then who is also a
dear friend, is a great example of what a journalist should be. Miura-san
conducts himself in a way I find inspiring. My friend Jim Teague, of <st1:place><st1:city>Skokie</st1:city>,
<st1:state>Ill.</st1:state></st1:place>, is a man to be proud of. Teresa Barr,
my wife, is a never-give-up competitor. Joseph Barr, my son, has an enormous
heart and, for now, laughs at my jokes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most regrettable bet (wager) you’ve made on
the golf course?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People like me
shouldn't play golf. With people. For money. (That said, how much do you have
on you, and I get four a side, right?)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone you’d like to golf with (but haven’t
yet)?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sandy Tatum. Tom
Watson. Annika Sorenstam. Greg Maddux. Bryn Terfel (Welsh opera singer).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever swing a club inside your house and break
something?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohhhh my goodness, yes.
Most notable was in our <st1:city><st1:place>Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>
house...a low chandelier. It was frosted glass, and it broke into something
like six jillion pieces.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> Haha, Adam Barr making it rain!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><strong>P.P:</strong> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Adam Barr: “What’s In The Bag?”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driver: Miura Precious
Edition 10.5, but only for a few more days. Once I get done doing some video
work on it, I can put in my bag our new driver, the SIT-460, also 10.5 degrees,
with a stiff-flex Fujikura Speeder Motore shaft. Just had it fitted by Chip
Usher, our dealer in <st1:city><st1:place>Savannah</st1:place></st1:city>. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">We
determined that I'm really between flexes, and that the Motore is perfect for
me. I see a lot of short grass in my future.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hybrids: Miura MG in HB3 and HB4 models. I had a couple of
these from stock to use for video work, but the shafts were wrong. Chip is
putting me into Fujis in these too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Irons: Miura CB-501s, 5-PW. Loooooove these irons. The
flight is magnificent for me. Until now, I have been playing them with True
Temper M80s, which are of course light, and also out of production. Since I
have been doing yoga twice a week, I have gotten a lot stronger, and as a
result the lighter shafts aren't quite right (although when I got them, they
were perfect. David Butler, our fitter in <st1:place><st1:city>Half Moon Bay</st1:city>,
<st1:state>Calif.</st1:state></st1:place>, did them for me). Now I will go
with <st1:place>Nippon</st1:place> 1050s, because I need something heavier and
I like the feel of those shafts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wedges: Miura of course. 51-degree Y-Grind; I like the
beveled trailing edge. Full swing on this one is 85 yards, and higher than your
real estate taxes. Lands and sticks. Gap is the famous K-Grind, 56 degrees.
Most useful wedge in golf, hands down. Lob is 59-degree C-Grind; its bounce is
15 degrees, but I can adjust my hands forward and pick the ball off of tight
lines.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Putter: Miura KM-006. Hefty; feels like a dream. No putter
has ever been in my bag this long.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hybrids have become
increasingly popular alternatives for long irons and even fairway woods. I
believe Miura originally entered the hybrid market with the MU Precious Edition
utility clubs? How are the MG hybrids different than the MU hybrids, and why
would someone choose an MG hybrid over other manufacturers?</span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The MUs served a lot of golfers very well.
The MG is best seen as an enhancement, a maturing of our hybrid design based on
what we learned from experience and golfer feedback with the MU.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you look at the heads
side-by-side, you'll see some subtle shaping changes in the MG. The reason is
the same as it would be for any designer: we simply learned over time how to
improve the aerodynamics of the specialized wing that is a golf club head.
Beyond that, look at the MG's sole: that "Circle Cut" design, which
the Miuras came up with during prototyping, improved travel through the turf,
which is really important with a hybrid -- let's face it, you're going to use
it in everything from a tight fairway lie to gnarly cabbage, and everything in
between.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then there's the actual size of
the MG head. The face is purposely engineered to be the same size, top to
bottom, as the diameter of a golf ball -- so the face "covers" the
back of the ball at address. This promotes a lot of confidence; you never feel
as if you're going to slide under the ball. The look says solid. On a long
shot, that's what you want.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And of course, as a hybrid, the
flight is nice and high and lands soft and holds.</span></div>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who try Miura
clubs instantly become Miura devotees. So it surprises me to not see Miura
commercials on television, advertisements in magazines, and player endorsements
(pay to play) on Tour. These traditional methods of generating and increasing
brand awareness work effectively for other OEMs. Why isn’t Miura doing the same
thing?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's simply not the best way to spend our
marketing resources. We aren't as big as some of the companies whose names you
commonly see in advertising or on players' visors, so it doesn't make sense
economically for us to get into that kind of marketing. But even if we could, I
don't think we would. We prefer what has become a non-traditional approach to
golf club marketing, one that relies on trial and education -- as you said in
your question, people love them once they try them. So that's what our focus
has been, increasing trial. That takes some time, patience, and ingenuity. So
far, so good -- we added 56 dealers in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="color: black;">U.S.</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black;"> alone last year. We may one day branch out into
advertising in small ways, but never with the magnitude you see from some of
the bigger companies.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">As for player endorsements, when a
player does use our clubs to excel, improve and win -- and many have -- it's
the purest endorsement there is, free of any doubt that pay-for-play might
involve.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s an
expression, “price is what you pay, value is what you get,” and someone looking
at Miura Golf is going to pay more than they’d pay for other OEM clubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you talk about the value a person
receives with their new Miura club?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">MB:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The value is the focus here. I never
apologize for our pricing because the value lives up to it. What you get with
Miura is, first and foremost, the finest clubs made from the finest materials,
patiently crafted and never mass-produced, by the world's finest clubmaker and
designer and the two sons he educated. You also get a lifelong partner in your
game: the authorized Miura dealer/fitter, who is always ready with advice,
follow-up club care, and resources for any equipment question.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><strong>P.P: </strong>The Miura
dealership network is expanding literally all over the world. However the
selection process is demanding and dealerships are very exclusive. Why does
Miura operate through an exclusive dealership network rather than through the
bigger retail establishments (wouldn’t these create greater brand awareness for
Miura)?</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPMtq5cjf8m-b-kgq5t4yrUvJgbjLKJ6MnZJYZh5qfElskbpy10PDr2B8LIzmVZoV5zC8VYvx0DKdr83SnzelLJ9UDt60PNdvTtwrqInfbYimTqlS3terkg8YQAglF8qI_AlsRH1bEfJP/s1600/Miura+Barr+Dealer+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPMtq5cjf8m-b-kgq5t4yrUvJgbjLKJ6MnZJYZh5qfElskbpy10PDr2B8LIzmVZoV5zC8VYvx0DKdr83SnzelLJ9UDt60PNdvTtwrqInfbYimTqlS3terkg8YQAglF8qI_AlsRH1bEfJP/s400/Miura+Barr+Dealer+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A.B:</strong> We actually do have a few outlets that
qualify under the "big box store" definition, such as selected Edwin
Watts and Golftowns. But they are there because they live up to the same
standards as the smaller, storefront-style dealer/fitters. That kind of outlet
makes up the majority of our distribution network because it is best suited for
the crucial custom element of what Miura provides. (The same is true for the
big boxers mentioned above, each of who has a Miura "evangelist" in
the store to do fittings and provide all the services a non-big-box dealer
offers.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The key aspect of the
dealer/fitter network is that each one is a person -- an individual who
flat-out LOVES golf equipment, fitting, and helping golfers. This is someone
you can go back to as your game grows and changes. That's why we endorse the
personal approach, whatever the size of the building -- it fits with the
personal way in which our clubs are made.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><strong>P.P:</strong> The Series
1957 K-Grind wedge is Miura’s latest addition to the wedge family and features
a fluted sole design that looks to be as versatile as it is groundbreaking.
Does the K-Grind wedge benefit a particular type of player? Why would someone
choose the K-Grind wedge over the Miura (Yoshitaka) Y-Grind wedge?</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54KWDT_u8T1oQ8Vwf_mogsyYoHaHlUevSAHHFNVKkqcr5zIOGAi7AECyOoIArjYr2tffv5zibL0i11MpFpmd_1F7ITEqWjFH87CInzAFG52FynGfQ69nNhbCU6phG6Xoxqlh_Q73WmC8K/s1600/K-Wedge+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54KWDT_u8T1oQ8Vwf_mogsyYoHaHlUevSAHHFNVKkqcr5zIOGAi7AECyOoIArjYr2tffv5zibL0i11MpFpmd_1F7ITEqWjFH87CInzAFG52FynGfQ69nNhbCU6phG6Xoxqlh_Q73WmC8K/s400/K-Wedge+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.JPG" height="376" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A.B:</strong> To this day, I remain amazed at how versatile
that K-Grind is. I can do anything with it. So can a lot of other people, so to
answer your first question, it's not for any particular kind of player; anyone
can use it with great benefit. I don't think the K eliminates another choice --
I never see it as, say, an "instead of" choice versus a Y or a C.
Rather, I think it's an essential part of any wedge arsenal. Whether you carry
three or four, having this one in the bag just broadens your short game options
and takes a lot of nervousness out of bunker shots. That trailing edge/sole
design gives a lot of confidence that the club is going to get through whatever
is in its way with minimal loss of speed and force. </span></span><br />
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking the turn into
the “back 9”.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait; I wanna get a hot dog.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Grab me a Snickers.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong>P.P:</strong> OK, wh</span>ich tradition do
you enjoy most, amateurs playing in The Masters, the U.S. Open finishing on
Fathers Day, or PGA Club Professionals competing in the PGA Championship?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Difficult. U.S. Open/Fathers Day by a hair,
because I'm a dad (my son is 11), and I love U.S. Open Sunday.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nickname people
probably don’t know you have?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;">There's a REASON they don't know....</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will Tiger win a
major in 2012?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;">Oboy. My No. 1 rule while at Golf Channel was to never
underestimate him. That said, it looks unlikely.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you weren’t Miura
Golf President, and weren’t doing anything in the golf industry at all, and not
working in the legal profession either, what would you be doing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two ways to answer this question,
and they both have to do with likelihood. More likely: I would be a poorly
dressed, deadline-stressed newspaper reporter. (Actually, that's redundant. All
I had to say was newspaper reporter. My friends who are newspaper reporters
will read this, curse me, and note the truth of it.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">Less likely: I would be an
opera singer. Yes, you read that right.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who’s more annoying
to play with, guys who don’t rake sand or replace divots, or guys who hunt
and hunt and hunt for lost balls?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overhunters. Take your medicine. Although
non-rakers usually get reclassified in the dork column.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>P.P:</strong> Haha, I get the feeling you can talk trash with the best of them</span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">A favorite PGA
Tour broadcast moment?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;">Not involving me: "YES SIR!"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">Involving
me: At the John Deere Classic some years back, I was doing my first player
interview gig for Golf Channel on the live broadcast. CBS had the weekend, so
their production team handled the Thursday/Friday broadcasts as well. Lance
Barrow, the great producer who scares the crap out of reporters with his high
standards, was in charge. The show was easy for him and his crew; they had done
so many. Lance was joking around with his hole reporters (McCord, Feherty,
etc.), and at one point he said in our headphones, "The only ones doing
any kind of good job today are Peter [Oosterhuis] and Adam!" Not strictly
a broadcast moment, but I liked it anyway.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Japanese
government considered moving the nation's capital from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Tokyo</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> to picturesque </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Himeji</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> after the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake
(the most powerful ever recorded until the 2011 Tohoku earthquake). The one
year anniversary of the 2011 quake recently passed. How are Mr. Miura and his
family doing?</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bbs03l2X7_9qZORi1dHm2qC-GMq5OdY9S7jQdF7kuAGBTiT-QAVnLlUGhAxzEyQIjIVUUgCI77PTSjEJK_rU_dQgXfWW8y4q3xKHk5lfp32AiCLLw8CCUT_QMNvS_tvg6HSHTdNFbJ9t/s1600/Kansai+(Himeji)+&+Sendai+Regions+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bbs03l2X7_9qZORi1dHm2qC-GMq5OdY9S7jQdF7kuAGBTiT-QAVnLlUGhAxzEyQIjIVUUgCI77PTSjEJK_rU_dQgXfWW8y4q3xKHk5lfp32AiCLLw8CCUT_QMNvS_tvg6HSHTdNFbJ9t/s400/Kansai+(Himeji)+&+Sendai+Regions+Pappas+Interview+TheGreekGrind.png" height="253" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family is fine,
thank you. </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Himeji</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black;"> is about 400 miles (crow fly) from the </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Sendai</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black;"> region, where the quake and tsunami hit
hardest. So there were no ill effects physically on the Kansai region (where </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Himeji</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black;"> is, in </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="color: black;">Hyogo</span></st1:placename><span style="color: black;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="color: black;">Prefecture</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="color: black;">), and no significant business
interruptions -- except many of our retail partners in the northeast part of
the country closed and may not reopen. Understandably, all of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black;"> felt it would be inappropriate to play
golf in the first months after the disaster. So business there <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">was down.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">The company has
weathered that shock, for the most part. But for the Miura family, the effects
are greater than economic. They are most concerned about friends and colleagues
in the northeast who are struggling. The family shares in the quiet patriotism
typical of the Japanese, and hopes for better times. It may well be that
Miura-san has helped directly, but that is a personal matter with him. It is
not common for charitable efforts to be publicized in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">P.P:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You always refer to Mr. Miura as “Miura-san.” Is that a sign of respect
or friendship?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both. It's the typical form of address in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="color: black;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black;"> to show respect, even among close friends. Miura-san is my
senior, my employer, and yes, my friend. It feels natural to call him that way.
He also extends to me the same courtesy, although neither of us would dream of
demanding it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you share a
few of your favorite books?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow. How much time do you have? I'm all over
the map. Many many many. Golf in the Kingdom (golf's special affinity for
self-discovery), Jane Eyre (fantastically constructed novel), anything by spy
master John Le Carre, the Aubrey-Maturin seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian
(Master & Commander, etc.), all of Dickens, most of John O'Hara....and on
and on.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Miura has made
clubs played by some of the most prestigious names in golf including Retief
Goosen (44 professional wins), Nick Price (50 professional wins), and Tiger
Woods (99 professional wins), and he’s been trusted to make clubs for notable
manufacturers such as Nike, TaylorMade, and Titleist. Multiple major
championships have been won with iron heads made by Mr. Miura including the
U.S. Open and The Masters. And Miura Golf is represented on all major tours
including the PGA, European, Champions, and LPGA Tours. Yet you rarely if ever
hear about these things. Why is that?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the clubs you mention were made when
Miura-san did contract forging for other manufacturers. It was a good business,
but his dream was to have his masterworks bear his own name -- hence the Miura
you see today. As for the contract forged clubs, we don't discuss them publicly
because we don't want to inadvertently embarrass players or former clients who
may now have endorsement relationships with someone else.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technology in the
golf industry sometimes seems to be more about marketing hocus pocus than about
real design and equipment improvement. Where do you think the next big (and
real) equipment breakthrough will come from (and care to reveal any secret
Miura projects in that regard)?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I make it a habit not to comment on the
competition. So you'll have to ask them what they are planning. But one thing I
can say about Miura is that we are not "breakthrough-centric." Sure,
there's a chance we will come up with a design that revolutionizes the game,
and we would be proud to do so. But our main mission is making the most
high-quality, useful and satisfying (add beautiful) golf clubs we can, whether
that uses existing technology, an improvement over an earlier model, or a
full-blown innovation. Quality first, breakthrough if necessary.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of new
releases (and you mentioned you’ll have this in your own bag soon) the Miura
SIT-460 driver just became available this month. How is that different from the Miura Precious Edition driver? Can we
expect other new releases this year or early next year (when will the new Miura
Giken 2012 Staff Bag be available in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">U.S.</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">)?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The primary difference with the SIT-460 is
that it's 70 cc bigger than the Precious Edition -- but it doesn't look it. So
you get all the distance and forgiveness benefits of a max-size driver in a
compact shape. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The tall face is part of that; it plays off what we learned
about tall faces with hybrids. But the height, plus some careful shaping,
enabled us to make a 460 cc driver that looks more like 440. No flanges, no
"floppiness." Just a solid, confidence-inspiring look.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Other releases: KM-007 milled
mallet putter later this spring (it had a limited release last year; this will
be a wider release), new wedges (details secret). Tour bags are on the way for
early summer</span>.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> New wedges? Secret details?? Hmm!!! </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">OK on that note l</span>et’s wrap this one
up Adam. People are tremendously more familiar with Miura Golf today than they
were a mere 18 months ago before you became President. Can you talk about
specific positive steps Miura has taken to become better known? And going
forward what you might do differently having the benefit of hindsight?
Basically I’d like to get inside your mind and see the evolution of President
Adam Barr. You are the information gateway to Miura Golf.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you have seen in our efforts to be
better known and get more people to try Miura is just the beginning. We're
looking at all kinds of ways -- can't share the specifics yet -- of getting
people to think of Miura when they think of the world's best golf clubs. My
personal evolution isn't really germane, except as it relates to that mission
of message-plus-trial. We work as a team toward that, because we know that once
people try Miura, they want it.</span></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">P.P: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Adam it's been a pleasure and a lot of fun. But I have to mention before I let you go, I know y</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">ou’re a
die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and with me being a die-hard Cleveland Browns
fan, well, that just about makes us the Hatfields and McCoys. So i</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">n the words of one of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Pittsburgh</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">’s legendary sons Jack Lambert, “If you
can’t take it, you shouldn’t play!”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">If your six-time
Super Bowl winners knock off my Browns in their first meeting of the upcoming
2012 season, I’ll send you a box of freshly made pierogi from Cleveland’s most
famous and world renown pierogi restaurant Sokolowski’s (or a Cleveland
restaurant of your choice). </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Cleveland</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> is as famous for its pierogi as </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Pittsburgh</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> is (even if we don’t have the Pirates
“pierogi race”).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">But if my Browns
emerge victorious (as I completely expect they will), you send me the same, but
from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Pittsburgh</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">’s most famous pierogi restaurant (and
for the record I will accept a batch of your wife’s homemade pierogi as I
understand she makes a mean cuisine).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Do we have an
agreement Mr. President?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">A.B:</span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crap. I'm boxed in. Can't refuse. But do you
know what my wife is going to extract from me as a price for this if the Browns
get lucky? No, I don't imagine you do.....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>P.P</strong>: Here we go Brownies, here we go! Haha. Adam thanks for everything. It's been an exciting time for Miura Golf since you became President and the road ahead looks even brighter. Continued success to you and Mr. Miura and everyone at Miura Golf.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A.B:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks, Pete.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If a golden age in forged iron
making is upon us the dawning might be attributable to a legendary swordsmith
named Miura and enlightened president named Barr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miura & Barr: Forge & Fire.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Miura relentlessly challenges himself to make a better, finer club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One that’s ornate, but practical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One that’s traditional in strength, but
distinctly innovative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His pursuit is
perfection.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And with each sunrise Adam Barr’s
dedication and enthusiasm to openly demonstrate the excellence of Miura Golf is
equally impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His conviction is
tenacious.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put one of Miura’s extraordinary
weapons in your hands and you’ll undoubtedly want to call it your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But maybe more importantly you’ll understand
in that instant what Miura-san and Barr-san have known all along better than
anyone.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Miura swords will
never fail you in battle.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uQFHx6YW6OU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To learn more
about Miura Golf check out <a href="http://www.miuragolf.com/">MiuraGolf.com</a> a</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nd connect with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miura-Golf/174039178998">Miura on facebook</a> for their latest news and official
announcements.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also stay in
touch with Miura Golf on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/miuragolfusa">@MiuraGolfUSA</a></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, with Adam <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/abarrmiuragolf">@ABarrMiuraGolf</a>, and with <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Pete on
twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/PGAPappas">@PGAPappas</a></span>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">And for more interviews and articles visit Pete on blogspot at </span><a href="http://pgapappas.blogspot.com/">PGAPappas.Blogspot</a></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">©PGAPappas</span></span></span></span></div>
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