shaft thoughts.....

[supo]

ok.

ive hit almsot everyhting there is thats very top end JDM.

ive learned theres no , good- better best- over all no 1 .

theres more what is best sutied to a particualr head. than a clear winner .

i m lucky as i have THE best clubbuilder this side of the pond 1 km from my house.

my old guy was good..

the new guy is REDICULOUS for his ability to build a club to such precise details, he wont do some of them bec in his eyes they are imperfect for me.

that my firends u cant pay enough for...!

so u shud see his face when i bring in 20 drivers and say .. tired of these what do u think ,

what goes where ?

he always says

which one is yr "favourite" and which one do u hit best in both heads and shafts

i always state the diamana stinger is my "gold standard" everything gets judged against this

and head wise i use the yamaha tour .

both these together make a hell of a club combo, but curiosity killing the cat , i have to swap everything out just to make sure.

doing this ive actualyl found that these two together are NOT the best combo for me.

but on another head/shaft then i cud die happily with just that combo

ie.. stinger / ryoma------------or yamaha /crazy cb50 for example

but what ive found individually is this

the crazy shafts , each of them, play tighter and truer to the indicated flex than the rest. i guess thats why they are so damn expensive .

the one i like to play the most is the cb50 . but the one i play the best is the ls noir.

this is also the most incredible feeling shaft as well. its doenst feel like theres a weak point or flex point in it at all.

(to be brutally honest with myself i shud prob just be using this shaft alone and forgo all others.and i shud be usung it in the ryoma!)

the cb 50 sigma is the BRUTE of the bunch. this hting is humongous when i get th middle of any head with this shaft its the longest. but at 83 gram im still to find a perfect partner for it head wise. the ryoma struggeld , the yamaha faltered the crz 425 was too lofty.. im thinking the kamui pro kp-x 9.5* h head @ 198 gram and this will be a match made i n heaven , this is going to be my new weeks make for this wekeend. i know how good the GD p9003x is in it and this shaft is jsut a bit softer than the GD so, pretty sure this will be a beauty.

the longest yard 01 was huge but hi ad to play it at 46 inch and i hated having 12 feet of overhang out the back of my hands. this is a really strong shaft made purel;y for distiance i found , its light . prob too mcuh for my liking hence why i havnt gone the roy dec route.

the GD range ive never really gotten on with........................... till now

i played the ev6 for while and found t hat balooned too much for my liking, it was really easy to play and a great hsft for a bit sorter swinger, my mate still playes it nad is deadly accurate, but it wasnt my style.

the DI..... hmmmmmmmmmmm the di.............

strong finicky and tempremental.. (gee wonder why somone BIG played it?) i found this to be a very good shaft if u hit the ball at smash factor 1.49+ if not.. the ball went everywhere, i guess thats why they wenth te eact opposite direction next yr with e DJ, thats gone too far control i think, dontthiink u get full vlauce for hsots distance wise, but oh boy the ball doesnt really deviate side ways one bit.

if thats what u need, this thing is really quite good.

the BB ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the BB

the more i play htins shaft the better it gets. ive gamed it in 6s-6x-7s-7x and its a bloody good all rounder.

im my opinion ithink this shaft is the best allrounder i have

flight is nt high. low strong weak, fadey or snappy. its not huge nor short.

and for the price, well..................... its a winner winner chicken dinner.

they amke this in so many weights and flex it sutie every player out here, the graphics are beautiful just a lovely dakr sky blue and white rings. suits every head ive tried it in.

ths is MY recomened shaft too all and sundry. theres better tighter ones like crazy, and ive hit them in the same head same day same tee ,and the crazy is better, but tis double the price so it would want to be!

but if u havnt hit the crayzline then this is a beaut.

the quadra line .

the fex is a ledgend u can feel the extra glass in it immediatly and ur a happycamper.

if u slice the ball id stay way from this but if u can ht draws all day then u prob dont want another shaft.

incredibly wll priced for the quality u get.. its ESASILY the pound fo pound shaft at the price,

but

only if u dont slice!

theres a reason shigeki maruyama gamed this out of the blue 4 years ago. at the ime it was the gold standard.

the prototype they introduced a cpl of yrs later was lower and tighter i thought i gamed it im my epon102 and that was a match made in heaven, the best combo i n that head ive ever hit .

didnt like it in a few others but i nthe epon whoa dragon!

the nthe diamanas.

so many so very very many....,

the new X shaft si t he one thats caught my attention the most.

the spin numbers with it at he tokyo show were eye opening .so much so i had to have the first one available.

headed it with a kamui pro nad didnt miss a fairway.

its now it hte epon zero and its controlling that beast like schumaker did the prancing horses once upon a time.

the zero IS the ferrari of driver heads, make no mistake, its the ENZO of heads.

i dont take this out unless im planning on doing a few laps at norburgring in the sunshine in no wind! if u get my drift. it had the crazy ls noir in it and oh my god.... this was peerless. i coundt handle it tho , the diamana deos a much betetr job of keeping the tyres on the tarmat!

the boron gang the diamana stinger the original (and best? )

and the crazy two-three boron .

diffent feel. high flight electric eel feel. not overly stiff but not soft . gives a ver yfalse sense of security bec it feels like its play s soft but it most cetianly doesnt!

these were made for the pros in 2004 then redesigned STIFFER in 2009 for the lucky 1000 recipients at the price of small country in africa. but they out and out perform. for the doubters out there about its ability , well i was 100% confirmed of its legitimacy in march this yr when i lent a STIFF not an x to my buddy wh swings ESAILY over 125mph and he flew my 301 yard wind assisted happy gilmour drive with a baby miid flighted draw by 15 -20 yards???

ive never seen anything like this drive before nor do i exect to see it again. we marked out 335 yards with a nikon350 rangey .. yes the stinger IS THE REAL DEAL . (and in S ! )

the crazy boron is thinner with a bigger circumfrence that the stinger. and it think its a bit softer and easier to play.

its half the cost as well.

(weird that???)

i have one in a epon 101 and it aint coming out anytime this century.

perfect match. idint think this was possible but its even beter than the the quadra fex matching that head.

juts beuattiful to play,. dont feel llike u have ti kill it, can just swing thru the ball , no real sideways movement with it , tis not a shaper, boron and shape just dont go together.

swing ting down there!.

the only other shaft range that gets no airtime no love and no sales is the roddio range.

obv they dont do any valuable advertising, .

i ahve as many ofthese as anything else.

the new range are heavy stiff and thunpimng, the S range is quitefierce, the M range a lot easier ahd higher ,but incredibly tight. i acnt wait t osee what the new ones they are releasing end of this yr come out like. u can guarantee il be getting one. the mack daddy of them is the 2010 shingo spec m6 proto@ 280 cpm.

i just putthis in my ryoma d1 last weekend and im breaking her in , sh was a bit bucking bronco i nthe match on sunday ,but the good swsing i hit were as good as anything i have hit. and as long. just need to choke down an inch to get the ball to turn over, bec this shaft u can make sing like kate bush can hit high notes.

awsome driver this one .... think i mihgt have new ichi ban driver.

ithink ....,

this concludes my thoughts.

adieu.

[Spoon]

after all the shafts i have tried i keep coming back to GD and Quadra.

have tried most of the crazies with the exception of the boron and the royal

deco and i can say definitively that i prefer GD and Quadra. something about

the crazy lineup that doesnt get along with me and im not speaking about the price.

i find that of all the shafts i have tried, fex proto, and any of the higher end GDs

take my vote. my favorites are the QT green /md for fairway woods and 9003, DI, Dj

for drivers. i have not tried the BB but that is next on my list. The Dj in a FW is phenomenal

reminds me of an updated version of the old classic QT green.

as we speak im building my 3wood with DJ7s and will install a DI7s in the yamaha 440 i got from

you. seriously i think GD shafts are underpriced for the performance they give. Oh and that Quadra

WB max driver shaft looks interesting as well

[chiromikey]

awesome info...maybe now i won't have pm you all the time! ;)

[Craig]

As always a great and entertaining post

Keep it up

[corky3]

Stu, awesome post.....with so much info, there is someting in it that everyone can relate to.

For me the Crazy and Gd mirrors my own although as a mere weakling would never entertain the 80 gm CB50.......

I don't know how you choose which driver when going out the door........

Has your experience with the Zero gotten better over time?

[DaleUK]

Good read!

Opened my eyes up!...

[EdGolf]

Wow..... a lot of good info there !! Too much for my head but great sharing....... now if only I have so many shaft to play around with to get 'that' perfect fit

[pk923]

Shaft guide for dummies, great info. Thanks!

[nambo]

Hi Supo,

I have also played a few of the Roddios with some success. I have the last gen 7WA, stiff in an epon 101 that gives nice trajectory and plenty of roll. I have the newer S6 that I put in a Yamaha 440 but didn't like the combo so much. Had to work hard to get it to perform. I went slutty and put it into a Ping G20 and works well. Higher ball flight with plenty carry but almost zero roll.

[EPONfreak]

Awsome Stew, simply awsome.

Ever think about buying a TM purely so you can change shafts instantly? Either that or sell your old shafts and come and buy an office tower from me!

Side bar - why don't the japs incorporate the TM adjustable/interchangable technology? It's been out long enough for them to copy.

Tomorrow I'm seeing my guy to build a 102 / TJ-80 X, any thoughts on that combo?

Edited June 13, 2012 by EPONfreak

[+TourSpecGolfer]

The TM adjustable/interchangeable technology weighs 6-9 grams. That's no good. All of them are that heavy.

It puts the designer in a box and limits them really all in the name of adjustability. TM is stuck they should go back to non adjustable designs. It's a marketing guys dream and a club designers nightmare.

It's Japanese not Japs, please.

[corky3]

The TM adjustable/interchangeable technology weighs 6-9 grams. That's no good. All of them are that heavy.

It puts the designer in a box and limits them really all in the name of adjustability. TM is stuck they should go back to non adjustable designs. It's a marketing guys dream and a club designers nightmare.

It's Japanese not Japs, please.

but a store/clubfitters dream.......

I agree to it being pretty dumb...... after you have adjusted it to your preferred setting, it then is redundant., unless shaft swapping but even then, once youve found your ideal shaft it really is redundant.

nb as to the Japanese not using it.... check out the latest Tourstage 707 driver, probably not compatible with TM though?

[EPONfreak]

The TM adjustable/interchangeable technology weighs 6-9 grams. That's no good. All of them are that heavy.

It puts the designer in a box and limits them really all in the name of adjustability. TM is stuck they should go back to non adjustable designs. It's a marketing guys dream and a club designers nightmare.

It's Japanese not Japs, please.

My Apologies, no offense intended, just lazy typing on iPhone.

[sundowner]

Supo, really great post!

Did you try UST VTS (black, silver, red), ACCRA Tour Z(+), Rombax Type X or Vaccine shafts?

Edited June 13, 2012 by sundowner

[potuna]

Nice info Stew, I'll add that Crazy Boron is an awesome shaft, in my current gamer.

[chiromikey]

but a store/clubfitters dream.......

I agree to it being pretty dumb...... after you have adjusted it to your preferred setting, it then is redundant., unless shaft swapping but even then, once youve found your ideal shaft it really is redundant...

it's actually a recreational golfers dream. most of the people who buy these adjustable shafted drivers are players that don't have anything close to a repeatable swing and end up using the adjustability as a bandaid for swing flaws...open one day, closed the next...changing their loft the day after, etc.

[corky3]

it's actually a recreational golfers dream. most of the people who buy these adjustable shafted drivers are players that don't have anything close to a repeatable swing and end up using the adjustability as a bandaid for swing flaws...open one day, closed the next...changing their loft the day after, etc.

until they get bored and realise its not really helping.....

[supo]

tried the attas t2 red in 6s. that was a low low spin very low launching shaft.

didnt think it was in the same class as its similar priced contemporaries.

but i tel lyou what if its a piecing flight u want this one was very good at it. not sure what it was that i didnt like but i just thought it lacked a little finesse.

the BB is hte same price and its a much nicer to play shaft

only used the old rombax 6vo range, i LOVED that shaft.

[supo]

Hi Supo,

I have also played a few of the Roddios with some success. I have the last gen 7WA, stiff in an epon 101 that gives nice trajectory and plenty of roll. I have the newer S6 that I put in a Yamaha 440 but didn't like the combo so much. Had to work hard to get it to perform. I went slutty and put it into a Ping G20 and works well. Higher ball flight with plenty carry but almost zero roll.

the 8wa i put in my adams 19* utility and its fantaistic!

used it on sunday get the ball well over the 220 mark with it not a problemo, if u get tired of that shaft then i suggest u cut it for a fw wood , the results are great. the w range are a bit on the high side, most guys thought they were too high

the new ones not so. my mate games the s50s get a ton of carry and great head speed

the s6 in a yamaha i can imagine will be pretty low . in fact very low esp if u have 9* , in a 10* head hmmmm thats something id do . if

[IshikawaFAN]

after all the shafts i have tried i keep coming back to GD and Quadra.

have tried most of the crazies with the exception of the boron and the royal deco and i can say definitively that i prefer GD and Quadra. something about the crazy lineup that doesnt get along with me and im not speaking about the price. i find that of all the shafts i have tried, fex proto, and any of the higher end GDs take my vote. my favorites are the QT green /md for fairway woods and 9003, DI, Dj for drivers. i have not tried the BB but that is next on my list. The Dj in a FW is phenomenal reminds me of an updated version of the old classic QT green.

as we speak im building my 3wood with DJ7s and will install a DI7s in the yamaha 440 i got from you. seriously i think GD shafts are underpriced for the performance they give. Oh and that Quadra

WB max driver shaft looks interesting as well

Ssh! They're priced just right. I've been eyeing the fire express for awhile, but GD and Fuji perform very nicely for me. How would you compare the fire to DI, QT?

Edited August 16, 2012 by IshikawaFAN

[Blader-X]

Graphite Design P9003x was simply made for me. It really was. I've got it in the Yonex 380 and KamuiPro KPX. Both drivers are fantastic. Not to mention one in the RC 3 wood I'm bagging. I don't hit it miles. I get it out there for sure, but its not miles. Maybe there was a time but age and everything else has crept up on me a bit but I can still hit that shaft. Feel, trajectory, dispersion. Its a great shaft.

I will say though that it didn't work in the Epon 8.5 AF102, But then that might have been because I had that head built at 210gm. I've got the FEX proto in that one and that shaft works much better in that head than the P9. This setup is good, but not as consistent as the other two.

The GD SF line for fairways is the most underrated shaft. I don't know another soul using one, but the one in my RC ute is pure money. There couldn't be a better shaft in that setup.

[IshikawaFAN]

that attas t2 line definitely caught my eye in the past as well... I hear they play stiff, similar to GD DI flexes...

Now this attas 4u caught my eye! I might give the the 7x a go...

Supo, maybe you can test it out for me?

[supo]

somehting baout these idoint get along with, i had the red something or other , it didnt inspire greta things in me.

was really low. but it lacked somehting i just don t know how to adequatley expalin.

i felt it was kinda dead feeling ,results were fine. but compared top the topehrs i was hittingo nthe day ,adn i had about 10 differnt ones out. it wasnt memorable.

dont know why these attas shafts are popping up in lots of heads nowadays.

[IshikawaFAN]

Just thought I'd give this brand a try. Looks very similar to the elements shaft.

From what I searched these attas shafts benefit the player who needs launch and spin. Which I don't need but I'm hoping this attas 4u is finally a lower launch and spin version seeing as this is the 4th version.

I read a post about BB vs elements and BB prevailed. Probably just stick with my trusty shafts. (Mitsu, Fuji + GD)

Edited August 20, 2012 by IshikawaFAN

[RIduffer]

the 8wa i put in my adams 19* utility and its fantaistic!

used it on sunday get the ball well over the 220 mark with it not a problemo,

Stew,

How long do you play 19*?

TIA,

RIDuffer