picking the right shaft-- need help!

Hi all, i am a scratch golfer who is looking for a temp set to play until i can save enough to get fitted. i had a set fitted previously but traded it in after getting shoulder surgery and have been playing a used set since. i have always played titleist ap2 and currently have the 710 ap2 with a project x rifle 5.5 shaft. recently have had some wrist pain which feels like the product of the shaft being a bit too heavy. I want to step into a slightly lighter/smoother shaft without losing any performance or distance. The Nippon 120 pro modus has been recommended to me so i wanted to see how the two compare and if i should be looking at anything else. I hit 7 iron about 170-175 for reference. Thanks!

If weight is your issue then moving from a PX Rifle 5.5 (115g) to a Modus 120 isn't gonna help as it's 114g in S flex and 120 in X. Granted it feels a bit smoother to me than the PX but if you've got wrist pain I'm not positive it's a step in the right direction. You might see if you can find a set with Steelfiber shafts in them. They tend to play a bit strong to flex so you can drop weight and not worry a ton about being soft for your swing speed and they're going to feel a little smoother for your wrist issues. Maybe the 110S might be a good stepping stone until you can get fit and go from there.

I agree. Steelfiber are probably your best bet, albeit at a pretty hefty premium usually.

Try the Mizuno shaft optimizer for some suggestions/places to start!? Light weight, vibration damping properties(smooth feel), stable tip=Modus 105 for me. But for sure, get fit!

I doubt the heft is causing wrist pain, but the lack of dampening from the px can. If your hitting your 7 iron that far, going lighter, you may have control issues. Id seek a different shaft first thats In that 120 weight class but less harsh and dampens vibrations better. Graphite is the best at this, but there are a number of Steel shafts that Can reduce some vibration.

Maybe try some Prosoft inserts? Less expensive alternative to new shafts.

Factory installed shafts?

I’m a midhandicapper and recently got steelfibers. I was worried about moving away from steel. I love them though and my hand and wrist pain is much better since I got them.

Modus 120 is very different than Project X. If you like project X, you will likely not play well with Modus 120. Played both extensively. Firm handle and mid, with a moderate tip in the project X. Soft handle and mid, with a stiff tip on the Modus 120. This will sound crazy, but if you like Project X 5.5 and want something a little smoother, try Modus 105 X. A little lighter, smoother, and frequency measurements are very similar.

thank you for all the feedback. seems like the weight may not be an issue as much as shaft. i used to play the KB's and loved them. the project x shaft provides consistency but as a high ball hitter i struggle to flight it as well as i did with the kb's.

I’m nowhere near scratch, but I think the prosoft insert idea is an inexpensive and intriguing option to try. I have two sets of irons and one has S300 Sensicores. The difference is pretty noticeable on even slightly off center strikes.

I’d also love to try Steelfibers, it’s just so much more expensive to try.

If you are able to do your own club making, and is on a budget, here is my suggestion.

Pull the #5 iron shaft and move it to your #7 head. You DONT need to cut off the 1.0" over length, just lower your hands on the grips by 1.0" inch and try it off.

If it works and feels better, you need 2 extra PX 5.5 shafts and new grips, and during that process when grips is off, ADD prosoft inserts. This would be the lowest priced option.

Project X standards is about the strongest shafts on the marked vs its weight, and thats whats causing your wrist/elbow pain, not the weight, so if they are made softer using soft stepping, and you add prosoft inserts, they should feel different and smoother and dampen vibrations, hopefully to a level thats good enough but only testing can tell.

PS! the reason i suggest you use the #7 iron for this test is that the #7 iron is the club with the highest apex. When we soft step we alter the profile against higher launch, but that can be fixed by tweaking lofts stronger if needed. Since you are a Scratch player you should be familiar with how that #7 launch now, so you are able to see if the change for flight is good or bad.