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So as I had mentioned in my post last week called "As the swing changes - so do the clubs", I had decided to counter my increase in swing speed and aggressiveness by going with heavier and stiffer shafts in an experiment to gain stability.  Its natural that many players as they improve increase their swing speed and change their swing style which can be impacted by the clubs or more specifically the shafts they use.  Just to recap over the last year my transition at the top has become more aggressive and I had begun pulling my fairway woods and my irons as well. As an average golfer with a 90mph (or less) swing speed I had always gone with lighter weight Regular flex shafts in all my clubs to maximize distance performance. However my swing has changed and my speed increased, the lightweight R flex shafts have become less stable and harder to time resulting in pulls and pull hooks and occasionally pushs or even slices due to missed timing. Its no doubt that a soft flex can produce maximum feel and distance but it doesn't always work that way.

I decided to increase the weight and overall stiffness of all the shafts in my bag in order to create more stability by smoothing out my tempo, creating more balance with the added weight and allowing me to feel the clubs more in my hands. The heavier weight would also help counter my occasionally hit thin shots. I began the experiment by shafting up a first generation egg Spoon with a Rombax 7V05 Regular Flex shaft tipped 0.5".  The Rombax V is already on the stiffer side especially at nearly 70g and tipping it helped the finished club up to 276cpm, making the club considerably heavier and stiffer than what I was used to. The experiment continued with Crazy Black Iron 02 Regular Flex 99 gram shafts going into a set of Burner Forged.  This was an increase from usually 60g range iron shafts for me.  The CB-02 play very close to steel stiffness wise with the CB-02 Stiff Flex CPMing out higher than S200 by over 10CPM.

At first I had several concerns about moving to heavier and stiffer shafts. Firstly that I would lose distance and secondly that heavier shafts and clubs would tire me out more quickly as I am by no means a big guy at 5'4" and 120 pounds. I headed out last week to Hirakawa Country Club with my regular playing partner Hayashi-san with experimental clubs in tow. Hirakawa is a long course and distance is a big plus but so is accuracy. I am glad to say my worries were for nothing as I felt as if I lost no distance at all because I simply struck the ball better and straighter with the heavier clubs.  As I adjusted to the Rombax 7V05 which is considered a great control shaft,  I found my trajectory lower and more penetrating as well as much straighter and at worst a soft draw or little fade.  As for my irons there was no distance lost as I was able to hit the ball far more pure and very straight.  On the 163y par 3 number 8, you must carry across a pond all the way to the green and the right side of the green is completely shielded by bunkers. The pin location was on the left side of the bunker and while this new iron setup goes pretty much straight, I was able to hit a nice draw just to the right of the pin. I had a very successful round considering it was my first time with these shafts. Needless to say I was pretty happy with the results, especially the control and stability with no time spent in the forest at Hirakawa (which borders every single hole like you see in the picture below).

So as the experiment continues what have I learned so far? We golfers are far to possessed with distance. Yes distance is important and we all want to hit it long and far, but accuracy and control can be far more important. We all would rather be 240y in the center of the fairway than 260y out in the woods. I have found that the heavier shafts have given me more control and allowed me to strike the ball more purely resulting in no distance lost.  So no distance lost but a straighter more consistent ball flight all around.  I will take that any day over an unstable +20 yards off the tee. I was a little more tired than usual at the end of the round but I attribute that to the heat and my need for more conditioning (as pointed out by one of our avid readers, fitness and practicing are just as important which I certainly agree with). So to all you average golfers out there with slower swing speeds like mine. It isn't always as simple as choosing the R flex shafted club off he shelf. We are all different, swing differently and play differently.  Its certainly not an easy task nor a cheap one but find the clubs and shafts that suit you best and you'll love the game of golf that much more.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Mitsubishi has released their all new W Series Bassara shaft. The W stands for Wyvern, a legendary reptile like creature with a dragon's head. The Wyvern was often symbolized as a crest of power and athleticism back in Medieval times. The new W series is designed to be a premium distance shaft. With a slightly more active tip than other Bassara models, the W squares quickly at impact and creates increased ball speeds thanks to elastic titanium fibers in the tip which also increase stability.  While the tip is more active, the mid section is purposely stiffer to keep ball flight under control and added direction.  The Butt of the W Series is softer which provides more feel and allows players to easily load the shaft for maximum energy transfer.

As you can see in the chart below compared to the very popular Griffin, the Wyvern has a slightly softer tip but quite a bit firmer mid section and softer butt.

The Wyvern at 47" (raw length) is longer than the other Bassara models but is in fact lighter.  It's longer length and profile lead to optimal installations at longer finished driver lengths ie 45.5 to 46.5".  It's active tip will appeal those who battle the slice and what to hit a penetrating trajectory draw.

The W Series is available in 3 models, a W53, W43 and Ultra Light W33. All models are mid kicking and 0.335" tip. The W53 is again available with a TS flex for those above Stiff flex and wanting to play a lightweight shaft. The W33 weighs only 41g and is available in a Regular flex and Lite flex which is for seniors and ladies.

Also released by Mitsubishi are all new Bassara Iron shafts and Hybrid shafts.  Both the New Iron and New Hybrid shafts are available in 50 and 60g weights. Look for the new Bassara shafts in the pro shop this week!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Last year Fujikura co produced their highest end and most technologically advanced shaft ever with a company called muziik.  The BangVoo was born produced of a 3 axis high modulus sheet design implementing 50 ton and 70 ton high elasticity carbon.  Since then the series has gained significant exposure in Japan for it's extra distance and directional stability over the majority of other shafts on the market.

Rombax BangVoo 787
The new Rombax BangVoo 787 is based on the uber popular  Speeder 757 Tour Spec of years ago.  Based on the blueprint of the original 757 Speeder it's designed to accommodate faster more powerful swings.  The stiff flex spec's out at 265 cpm's 75 grams heavy with a torque rating of 3.2*.  While the X-flex comes in at 275 cpm's @ 77 grams.  The Original 757 Speeder was 77 grams with 2.5* torque.  The advancement and use of high elasticity carbon allows the same directional stability with more user friendly torque numbers.

The New BangVoo 787 is now available from TourSpecGolf.  It should be in the TSG ProShop in the next few days! If you need one for Christmas just drop us a private message or email and we should be able to get one out to you pretty quickly!

New BangVoo Premium Graphite Iron Shafts
Coming March 2011 the Fujikura Rombax BangVoo Iron shaft.  Produced and manufactured using the same three axis woven carbon design with the 50 metric ton & 70 ton carbon sheets as the rest of the BangVoo models utilize.  Expect the high end materials and technology to produce maxium repulsive force and incredible resiliency back to its original shape which produces an amazingly long and accurate result.

With all the amazing and recent technology advancements in graphite materials and especially iron shafts we have seen a huge influx of players moving to high end graphite in their forged cavity backs and blades. With the new Ozik Program Shafts, Crazy Black Iron & Longest Yard,  the new Quadra high modulus shafts we look forward to testing and evaluating the new Fujikura Rombax BangVoo Graphite Iron Shafts soon.  Expect more coverage and information in just a couple of months when TourSpecGolf covers the 2011 Tokyo Golf Fair!

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We all know Crazy makes some of the best performing shafts thanks to awesome high grade carbon materials and profiles made for big distance performance without sacrificing control.  Along with Quadra, Crazy has been one of our best selling shaft brands.  They've always had many models based on different materials, different swing types and weights and trajectory. Well things have gotten crazy at Crazy as they have revamped their entire woods shaft lineup for 2011. More selection is great for the consumer but it makes choosing the right shaft even harder!

I'm going to take a stab at explaining briefly the new lines  today before they get listed up in the pro shop and available to the masses. I won't go into to much detail on each specific as I still have to translate the product descriptions for the product listings.

Basically Crazy has decided to break their wood shaft offerings up into 3 major lines. In the past there were many models non really falling under a certain grouping of characteristics. These 3 new lines feature several models that all target the similar style player swing. Three lines also allow Crazy to create more high grade carbon shafts for different swing profiles. Previously for example, there really was only one main 80t shaft the Crazy Black 80 and one main 50t shaft the Crazy Black 50. Now there are 3 of each suiting 3 different style players.

BLACK NERO NOIR Lines...

The three new Series offered by Crazy are the "BLACK", "NERO" and "NOIR". Crazy has always been focused on premium distance performance and the new lineups are no different, there just happens to be more shafts to choose from (or get confused over!!).

Top Grade Carbon...

For those of you not familiar with Crazy Shaft, they are a brand that believes in creating the best performing shafts only from the best carbon available in Japan. Crazy uses 46t to 80t  full sheets of hand rolled carbon in all their shafts. So how does carbon grading work? Shafts are created with carbon fibers weaved together, and these fibers are measured by their modulus of elasticity in tension. Typical golf shafts are around 24t or 30t, the measurement of tensile strength. These lower grade shafts are more flexible and because of this the shaft is slow to regain its original shape on the downswing creating inconsistent impact where a player must rely heavily on timing due to the flexibility of the shaft.

As the tensile strength increases, the carbon weaves are more dense, more rigid and return more quickly to their original shape. The flex and rebound of the shaft becomes more predictable equaling more consistent shots and much tighter dispersion. The higher tensile ratings ratings in golf shafts are also related to the higher grades containing more glass and metal particles which are more rigid and lower grades containing more flexible rubber particles. Part of the reason why Crazy shafts are so explosive are that, even though they use those tightly weaved, denser carbon weaves, they create shafts with very active and thinner sections which lead to very high action (but controlled) in the shaft.

Two for the Hitter, One for the Swinger...

As you can see from the table above showing the 3 Series, you can pretty much tell the carbon grade of each shaft by the model name, except for the Longest yard models which use 46t.  Crazy originally began as a company making shafts for long drive competitors which included the fastest swingers and hardest hitters in Japan. Because of this the bulk of their product is still aimed at more aggressive hitters and made for crazy distance performance. The "BLACK" and "NERO" both target hitters with slight differences in their designs. The "BLACK" is for the fastest and most aggressive swinger who does not want to worry about timing. Just swing away and the head will meet the ball with the same release every time giving max distance and control. The "NERO" is more for the hitter who doesn't swing quite as fast as the "BLACK" series player but still aggressive and  wants to feel the shaft more. Both the "BLACK" and 'NERO" line are great at eliminating the left side.

The "NOIR" line is made for the fast but smooth swinger looking for max distance and feel. The "NOIR" series plays the softest of the three lines and will be a good option for those looking for a straight or soft draw ball. All Crazy shafts have always been known to spin very low and the new models are no exception.  It all comes down to finding the right model which matches your swing style and speed and give you the performance you want. Typically Crazy plays up to a flex stiffer than most other aftermarket shafts so it's good to to step down a flex or half if you are not overly aggressive or powerful. As always I'm here to help you find the right shaft as well so feel free to contact me with your swing specs (spec list on the golftoimpress.com contact page).

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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It's been a while since posting a review, been busy with all sorts of amazing projects and I feel refreshed and thankful to be back into the swing of things.  I recently got out there to try the new Diamana 'ahina 70 Stiff flex in an Epon AF151 10.5 head .5 closed face angle.  I built the club un tipped with a final length of 45 inches coming in at a D3 swing weight.  I first want to comment on the Epon AF151 head, it's the closest thing I can find to the ol Epon 460ZR which was a driver I am absolutely head over heels for.  On to the review...

About My Game:
I am about a 14 handicap today, I've been in the single digits off and on and recently more so hovering around a 16+.  I've wrestled with back and weight problems that have prevented me from reaching my full potential.  I naturally hit a medium trajectory ball and with equipment tweaks know how to get it a higher,  I'm very sensitive when it comes to equipment and feel and shafts.  The long game is my weakest aspect, accuracy has always been my key over distance.  My driver swing speed is currently averaged around 97-100mph with a very fast tempo.  My bad shot is a slice or pull due to the common over the top problem while my good shot is dead straight.

Diamana 'ahina review

I received a sample of the Diamana Ahina to review and requested  the heavier 70 gram version to help smooth things out with my tempo.  Keep in mind this is only one man's experience and also be aware that I shouldn't even be playing a high kick shaft in the first place.  Before building this Epon/ahina combo i had the Titleist VG3 in play with a Graphite Design DI-7 Stiff flex installed aftermarket by yours truly.  I am in love with this combo and will never ever sell it..:)

During the first round of play I did need adjustment time, The positive was that it was long no matter with a pull or fade.  My bad shot the slice had a tighter dispersion than with my Tour AD shaft.  This I can appreciate when my game is not on firing on all cylinders.  I feel that the extra distance came from spin reduction and the medium trajectory creating more forward roll.  With modest torque ratings at 2.7 its not difficult to turn over.

By the second round into the new 'ahina things were more fluid and I really noticed the great feel this shaft has which I contribute to it's softer but section.  Compared to other high kick low spin mid trajectory shafts it doesn't feel nearly as boardy as others.  The kick was smooth and well mannered all in all throwing the ball out into the 235-245 range for me which is great considering I was able to hit most fairways consistently. Below is a chart showing the stiff tip of the 'ahina and softer butt end promoting improved control and maximum kick/power in the downswing.

To sum it all up this shaft is great for those who already hit a higher ball and those who require a tighter dispersion.  I personally will not be using this shaft as I do not feel it serves my already low ball flight yet I can totally see it working very well for the faster swinger who go's after it and wants to keep their trajectory in check.  Overall It's an amazing step forward when compared to the Diamana white board improving on dispersion, feel, and distance.  I'm more of an 'ilima guy myself...  The Diamana 'ahina is now available at the TourSpecGolf Proshop for $360.00, need a discount?  contact us via PM through the forums.

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October 12th: Update added below.

Hot news from Quadra Composite Techno! They are releasing all new white Fire Express Prototype shafts that produced a strong penetrating trajectory for the fast swinger and quick tempo. This shaft is made for stability and to take the left side (hook/pulls) out of play.  The torque is lower than the standard Fire Express but the shaft still gives great feedback and feel thanks to the 80t high grade carbon.

The original Fire Express is still one of the best performing low spin shafts in Japan and easily one of our best sellers. This new Prototype will appeal to the even faster and harder hitter. Like the original FE, they will be available in 65 and 75 models.

Also being released are white Fire Express Prototype iron shafts! I've asked Quadra to confirm the materials of the shaft but I'm guessing 50t carbon  which like Crazy would make them the highest grade graphite iron shafts in the golf world today. The iron shafts will be available in 118g stiff flex and 120g x flex shafts. Steel like accuracy but graphite like feel and kick with consistent and predictable timing and impact. Check out the shafts in the pro shop here!

Update: I spoke to Quadra Composite Techno yesterday to ask them what kind of differences were there with the prototype and the standard model besides the torque numbers and rigidity distribution. Technology wise, the new prototypes feature an additional wrap of 70t carbon on top of the full length 80t carbon to reinforce the butt area. This stiffens up the butt over the standard model and provides a lot more stability especially for those with aggressive transitions and lots of wrist lag. The Prototype is made to provide similar big distance as the standard shaft but with more control for the hard hitter.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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( Ozik HD Program 130 6.0 Taper Tip Shaft Review in Japan Only R9 TP Forged Irons )

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Ozik Program 130 Graphite Iron Shafts

The Ozik Program 130 Graphite Shafts are not designed as an alternative to steel shafts but rather to replace it!  That's a pretty bold thing to say but from the perspective of someone who has extensive experience with both steel and high end graphite shafts I do buy into that.

Here's what we know, PGA, JPGA, and LPGA tour players with fast swing speeds can indeed get along with graphite iron shafts. Although not many use them we do know that they can spec out as stiff or stiffer than X-100's with the right build. In my personal experience I gained lot's of distance and consistency with graphite iron shafts from Crazy Shafts & Daiwa's Roddio brand. Now I'm excited to try the new Ozik Program 130 shafts.

Lead Designer for Matrix Shafts Daniel You has produced what Matrix say's is his finest shaft to date.  Created with the desire to provide 2009 like spin control with 2010 USGA approved grooves.  It's a Tour Optimized shaft, so we can shed the stereotypes of graphite shafts being for older people or slower swingers all together.  The Program 130's by Ozik are supposed to have more stability, more control and tighter dispersion than even steel shafts.  Spec's Below...

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New UST ATTAS T2 Shaft!

TourSpecGolf is getting the Japanese pre release Mamiya UST ATTAS T2 shaft late August!  Still no word on when it will hit U.S shores but based on the specifications it's a very good match to the average player.

The ATTAS-T2's official Japan Only release date is min September 2010 and is considered more user friendly to help golfers to win the distance power game. The shafts series will range from 50, 60, 70, and 80 gram versions with torque ratings starting at 5.6 moving tight to 2.9.

Below we have the official Japan spec chart, MSRP is 400+ dollars wow!   Not to worry TourSpecGolf should have the pre order listed this week at a much lower price.

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There was a time where may customers and members asked about black tinted steel shafts for irons and wedges from both KBS and Shimada. People still seem to have interest. How about colored steel shafts?

Dagalo Japan in collaboration with Shimada Shafts are introducing colored shafts based on Shimada's top performing steel shafts. These new Design Tuning models will be based on the following Shimada shafts:

Irons: Wine Purple, Wild Green (looks almost blue), Shining Gold, Vivian Red
Shimada Tour: Tour S and Tour X flexes - 123g
Shimada Tour Lite: R and S flexes - 106g

Wedges: Chrome base on all with Brilliant Black, Mystique Blue, Cassius Red, Dark Bay Black
Shimada Wedge 110: Wedge flex - 111g
Shimada Wedge 120: Wedge flex - 121g

I love how Japanese companies always make up such interesting, if you want to call it that, naming for their color selections.  Since Dagalo used Shimada shafts, players can be assured that the shafts are not looks only and also made for performance. Because of a limited number and the tinting color process, the cost is relatively high ie double what a Shimada steel shaft usually costs.

What do you think?

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Crazy Shafts is not only know for making some of the hottest performing premium grade carbon shafts in Japan. They also make cool clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Crazy worked together with Zippo USA to make a couple of limited edition Crazy Zippo Lighters, the Monogram and the Emblem. TSG has a few to offer for those who appreciate and collect! (^_^)

You can find them already in the pro shop!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.