Ping "Tour" shaft (In 2019-2020)

UPDATE from below - it's still UST. Now trying to figure out which one it is, since they discontinued the Elements line.UPDATE2 - Looks like it could be actually the same, since Ping is clearly capable of ordering enough to make it the same as it has been. Seems like it really is just new paint. If someone knows something else, please share, but this seems relatively firm.

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Hi everyone,

So for several years, the Ping "Tour" shaft was essentially a repaint of a UST Mamiya Elements Chrome shaft… closer to a Chrome Plus allegedly, but whatever. Now with the 400/410 shafts lately that have a new paint job (lots of pinstripes), it has some different characteristics. If I had nothing to go by, it feels more like a Mitsubishi Whiteboard, but I say that because the rumour mill is that it's not a UST shaft anymore.

Does anyone know the super-secret handshake to know what this beastly shaft is under its new coat of paint? And are they the same through the hybrid?

Ditto. Would love to know this. Previous tour shafts have been excellent quality.

I’m curious too now that you have mentioned it?

I play the 85 in the G410 2 Crossover and was really surprised by the stability, tight dispersion and ship thru impact.

Interesting, because Ping has been involved with UST for so long.

Maybe Aldila or Nippon ?

This is a great question/thread and I hope someone knowledgeable can weigh in.

Just changed the grip on my G400 w/ Tour 65 a few weeks ago, shaft label was UST.

Have a Ping G410lst with the Ping Tour 65 shaft that purchased new from a top Ping fitter and when made a grip change, label on shaft showed was a UST Mamiya product.

The Ping Tour 65 and Tour 75/80 specs have not changed since inception. The only changes have been the cosmetic and the Tour 80's name change to the Tour 75 (the actual shaft did not change). These are still produced by UST (other stock Ping shafts have been produced by UST and/or Aldila).

Storm, am I following you correctly that you're saying they're no longer calling them 65/80/90, but instead 65/75/85… but that the shaft itself didn't change? I certainly believe you that they are still UST; happy because I like what they make. But how sure are you that the characteristics are unchanged despite the "gram change" (allegedly)? Because UST discontinued the Elements line… Elements Graphite Woods | UST Mamiya

The inaccurate rumor mill strikes again. They are still made by UST and unchanged except for the graphics and designation. Plenty of us have re-gripped and/or pulled newer versions and the UST/Mamiya "Made in Bangladesh" label hasn't gone away.

Just pulled the grip on a tour shaft from a G410:

Great detective work, everyone. Pretty obvious with those bands!

Now that we've sorted it's definitely UST, but they aren't making Elements anymore, which shaft is it? Is it still the same shaft? Or is it different as suggested by the gram number change?

I hate the rumour mill as well. That's why I wanted to ask here…

My understanding is that there are some similarities to the Chrome Elements, but made to spec for Ping, it's different,

UST no longer producing the Elements Chrome from an aftermarket perspective has no bearing on their OEM arrangement with Ping. With the volume that Ping is likely ordering, I am sure that UST will continue to produce these for as long as Ping wishes.

Straight from Danny Lee at UST the Ping Tour shafts were built off the same platform of the Elements shafts but designed specifically for Ping based on their specs that they wanted. When I talked to him about it he said they were definitely not the same but the quality of the materials is the same or better. His comment was the Ping Tour shaft was using the just as high modulus graphite as their better shafts. Any Ping shaft with a Ping label is engineered by Ping to meet their exact specifications. They do not let any shaft mfg just relabel a shaft for them.

Been using the Ping Tour shafts on and off for years. Would love to see an actual EI profile done on them.

I haven't profiled one but I'd guess it's very similar to the UST Chrome with just some very slight tweaks. Reminds me of the Mizuno FUBUKI shafts that came with the MP tour fairway woods. They were the same bend profile but just slightly stiffer tip to lower the launch slightly.