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I’ve had the Ryoma Maxima Type D 10.5 for a while now and have since put several shafts in it. But before I share experiences about the shaft, a bit about my swing and my views on the Maxima.. I’ve got a very imperfect swing that’s past parallel (think John Daly .. not size but swing) but a swing that’s rather consistently imperfect. Swing speed measured several months back on a PRGR red eye is 91 to 95 mph with more swings being closer to 95 so I average that out at 93mph. Misses are typically high push fades. Average driving distance is 220-225 meters or approx.. 241-246 yards. Driving is the weakest part of my game. Currently playing off an inconsistent 8.2. The Maxima head relative to the original D1 I feel gives better carry and better roll and for me, a longer head overall as well as should be the case if I feel carry and roll are better. Forgiveness wise, I find this head up there. Anywhere off center, you still get relatively little distance loss. For off center hits, its best (if there is a best for off hits) toe high I feel. It dislikes heel misses the most. For dispersion, that is very much up to the shaft as well so I’ll comment on that later. Trajectory wise, for me, loft for loft, it launches a tad higher than the D1 but not super high like one or 2 have found. My thought for a slower swing speed like mine is that I need a generally higher as opposed to a generally lower trajectory which will give better carry and better distance for the slower swing speed. The subjective part…Feel is a tad less solid than the D1 and sound at impact less muted. Not tinggy by any means but just not as muted as the D1. It’s a tad more triangular in shape and while some have found it less eye appealing, I’m ok with it. The paintwork has a nice fume effect in the sun. Head is about 3mm shallower than the D1 and a tad longer from face to back. Mine weighs in at 196 grams and is slightly closed face as what the Type D is supposed to be. The first shaft I put in was the Roddio M:6 SR flex. This is a very smooth feeling shaft and I would say up there with giving me some of the longest drives with the Maxima. Now although long, it was not the tightest in the Maxima for me but it did enough to show me the potential of the Maxima. I am ruthless about heads and feel that I can assess the potential for me swing early enough. While the Kamui TP07S, S-Yard 388 and Epon 102 and 103 were in and out before a speck of dust could even settle, the Maxima for me immediately showed its potential with 435 matching distance and roll. But again, the M:6 while long, was not the tightest. I am looking for the Maxima to bridge the distance gap between the D1 and 435 with the fairway finding confidence of the D1. Next up was the Crazy CB46 6.4 which I tipped half an inch. Found that I could not launch this high enough consistently and get enough spin consistently. It did indeed help to bring down trajectory. I then tried a Crazy LY02 6.7 in her. Lower trajectory than the M:6 and higher than the CB46 for me. Dispersion, it improved over the M:6. It was however stiffer than I prefer. I was on the lookout for a LY02 6.4 flex. Then I stumbled on the WBQ55 SR flex. This is not a low low shaft contrary to what some may think. It’s a mid kick shaft and I think or feels to me, a tip stiffer shaft than the TJ46 which I game in my 435 and D1. Not as tip stiff as my CB46 but I did tip the CB46 half an inch. I need to indirectly thank Chiromikey who although swings much faster than I do from what I gather here and has a stronger game than I do, it was Chiro’s postings on WBQ that got me looking at it. The Quadra Composite Fire Express WBQ 55 is a great feeling shaft.. I would perhaps say the best feeling shaft for me so far. Provides great feedback and you can feel it load so to speak. Its got a quirky color scheme of white, yellow/gold and a brown/black carbon effect at the lower end which goes well with the fume finish of the Maxima I feel. I have it playing at 45 3/8 finished length grip on and SW of close to D2. So how does it play… I think by now, you know I like this shaft and that it is working for me in the Maxima. Great carry for me and its got roll as much as the 435 and several times more. I’ve had 2 range sessions with it and 45 holes so far. I can safely say, it matches my 435 distance wise on average but where the Maxima WBQ 55 is better for me is on long drives in the fairway. Does it find close to 90% fairways like my D1 can? Well, as I get more used to it, I think it can and if it can do so with longer drives, then objectives met with the Maxima. So far, my longer drives measured with a Leupold GX1 rangefinder with the Maxima are 256 meters, 241 meters and 239 meters or 280 yards, 263 yards, 261 yards. Now again, this is short compared to quite a few on this board but for me with my 93 mph swing speed and average distance of 220-225 meters or 241 to 246 yards, this is massive for me. Trajectory to my definition is mid high. I would say with this shaft, it launches similar to the D1 with TJ 46 bearing in mind that the TJ 46 is a low-mid kick and the WBQ55 is a mid kick. So a happy camper I am… by shaft changes, the Maxima is probably the most expensive driver for me but from first hit, I felt it had potential and worth the trials and tribulations. It seems to be paying dividends now and long may it do so. From my experiences with the Maxima, I would recommend that for anyone interested in it, bear in mind that loft for loft, it is likely to launch higher (not ballooning high) than your existing driver and going down 1 degree may be advisable especially if you are planning a low or low mid kick active tip shaft. If you are staying in the same loft, I would suggest a mid kick (and not higher launching) and a tip stiffer shaft is probably a good calculated bet. Just like any driver, the Maxima is not for everyone but if the head profile suits your swing and you get the shaft loft combo right enough, I think you will find a very forgiving and long driver.