Suggestions wanted, please explain your reasoning: PX 5.5, Rifle 5.5 or Rifle 6.0?

DON SVO · February 1, 2010

re-shafting a set of irons, would love opinions and explanations

I am going to be re shafting a set of Mizuno MP-32s, and I have been researching and researching and researching… I still can’t get a solid answer. I’d love it if someone could break down the explanation after I give a bit of info on myself and my swing.

I play 4-8 times a month
Driver speed: 101-104mph

6 iron club head speed: 81-84mph

Typical 6 iron Ball speed: 118-122mph

Typical launch monitor 6 iron carry: 175-178yds

Real world numbers are very close to that (170-180 yards is 6 iron territory)

I have a medium tempo with my iron swing, I rotate around my spine and have good shoulder turn and keep the plane identical on takeaway and down swing. I generate a lot of my club head speed by releasing the club and not attacking it with my arms… if that makes sense. I would prefer a more medium height ball flight, I only want to sky my 8i-LW wheen absolutely needed. I can generate effective backspin.

I’ve been fitted recently and when doing the fitting, found a PX 5.5 to be right in my wheel house. I’ve heard from numerous people that the regular Rifle is a ‘smoother’ shaft shoice over the project X, and I could easily swing a 6.0 Rifle and would like it.

Aside from the associated stiffness, what would make me choose a PX over the regular rifle, and would I be best served in regular Rifle shafts with a 6.0 or a 5.5? My thoughts are get the 5.5 regular Rifle and take a 1/2" off the butt if needed.

BallzOut · February 1, 2010

I play KBS Tour shafts now, but have had PX in my bag for over 8 years and have been thru their company change over to True Temper from Precision Rifle, and have witnessed their slow quality decline, this is why the Tour Players are mostly all still using the older Satin Finished Original Precision non-flighted PX sticks. With that being said, the PX are a firmer and more accurate stick with less deviation when compared to that of the Rifle Flighted FCM sticks, hence the extra cost.

I have fit many people thru the years and without actually "seeing" your swing, I would suggest using the Flighted PX 6.0 and have your club maker "soft step" them to play at a 5.7-5.8... The new PX flighted shaft will play a touch weaker than the older satin finish PX originals, so with your numbers you are on the cusp of Stiff with your driver and 6 iron (acknowledging indoor simulators are +/- 10% unless you are working on an outdoor Track-man device, and that your day to day swing speeds vary unless you are tour professional dedicated to 6+ hrs of practice a day...LOL....)

I have Soft-stepped many PX Rifle products and have found it to be a great compromise in flex variations! I stay away from hard stepping... (personal choice, that way if you get stronger you can always re-step your clubs back to original and add 1/2" extensions and save $250 in new shafts... and have your PX 6.0's back)

DON SVO · February 1, 2010

It's funny you mention that, a club builder I've talked to about this said to hard step them and use a spinner 6.0 shaft in my PW. Theoretically it would be roughly the same result in stiffness, but with a bit higher kick point which should give me higher ball flight, correct? Also the hard stepped versions would need to be extended right off the bat.

BallzOut · February 2, 2010

Well, if you Hard Step your shafts from a 6.0 you will get a 6.2-6.3, this is a Stiff+ almost an X(6.5). If you hard Step blanks, meaning not previously used shafts, you don’t have to extend them, you would just cut less off the butt end... I would buy 5.5 and hard step to 5.7-5.8 if that’s the way you want to go.... Only issue is as you get better, or if your swing changes, you will have to buy another set of shafts to get to the 6.0 level. That's why I suggest starting with 6.0 and soft Step them to 5.7-5.8... That way if you want to get back to the 6.0 all you have to do is move your shafts up one step and add the appropriate extension, this is much less expensive $20 vs. $250. The soft step will produce a truer set because you can buy a 2 Iron shaft for your 3 iron to match the flex ratio.... But If you hard step, you will have to use (2) PW shafts, one for your PW, and the other for your 9 Iron. So the PW wedge would have to be a 6.0 and soft stepped to 5.7 to match the 5.5 hard stepped in your 9 iron to 5.7.... Its more trouble and not an exact match... Get the 6.0 and soft step them all equally. The Flighted PX will produce more than enough height, you don't need that extra spin, trust me....