Graphite Iron Shaft Shootout

[mattj]

[quote name='Mob' timestamp='1431912308' post='11576028']
Agree with Tony. I was very impressed with the quality graphite shafts produced by all the companies. I still love my Recoil Prototypes, but want to try something else on one of my other sets. Now that we found the shaft that gave the best numbers (smash, dispersion, total yardage, spin) I am going to test it in the Titleist 690 mb head, both on the monitor, then on the range, side by side with my Epon and Miura 6 irons. Tony will then MOI match the whole set. Looking forward to putting them in play.

It was really interesting to see how important the weight was in choosing the best shaft for my swing. At the end, we tried the Accra in 110, 100, and 90 grams, and it was really interesting to see how the dispersion got worse when I changed from the 90, to the other ones. I am sure that with time, I would get used to whichever weight I chose, but the 90 clearly was the best match during the testing.

Really liked the feel of: the Accra, Recoil, Mitsubishi OT, and Fujikura MCI shafts

Great thread, thanks for all the detailed info!
[/quote]

[PT1911]

[quote name='Mob' timestamp='1431529803' post='11551986']
[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1431524774' post='11551464']
Changed my mind, I bought a set of Accra Tour 100i based on your posts above.
[/quote]

That is a great shaft and I have been impressed with it, but I wouldn't recommend buying a shaft based on my experience with it. Hope it works for you as well.
[/quote]
Ok, I got a set of Accra Tour 100i's and put them in my AP2's, first range session and they are AWESOME!!! Dispersion was great, feel was great, distance was great.......nothing to dislike about them! Now, I also put some prosoft inserts in them too because they were laying on the bench when I put them together and in combo with the shaft it makes range balls feel like a Pro-v1! Thanks for turning me on to these guys!

[Mob]

[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1432071173' post='11588778']
[quote name='Mob' timestamp='1431529803' post='11551986']
[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1431524774' post='11551464']
Changed my mind, I bought a set of Accra Tour 100i based on your posts above.
[/quote]

That is a great shaft and I have been impressed with it, but I wouldn't recommend buying a shaft based on my experience with it. Hope it works for you as well.
[/quote]
Ok, I got a set of Accra Tour 100i's and put them in my AP2's, first range session and they are AWESOME!!! Dispersion was great, feel was great, distance was great.......nothing to dislike about them! Now, I also put some prosoft inserts in them too because they were laying on the bench when I put them together and in combo with the shaft it makes range balls feel like a Pro-v1! Thanks for turning me on to these guys!
[/quote]

I'm glad that you like them. I just hit my 6 iron with the Accra Tour 90 shaft in it, and I am impressed as well. Seems to be like my Recoils, but slightly tighter dispersion and tighter feel. I am probably going to shaft up my Titleist mb set with these, and if this goes well, then put them in my Miuras as well.

[PT1911]

Played on course last night with my newly installed Accra Tour 100i's and I think I can safely say I don't think I will be going back to steel any time soon! These things are just unreal. Dispersion was better than any steel I have tried EVER and it's the first time this season I have finished a round and didn't have elbow pain!!!! Which was my main reason for giving them a try. As stated earlier in this post, I think graphite iron shaft technology has made HUGE leaps in the last few years and the majority of the golfing public has no idea.

[ccorrada]

[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1432300530' post='11607444']
Played on course last night with my newly installed Accra Tour 100i's and I think I can safely say I don't think I will be going back to steel any time soon! These things are just unreal. Dispersion was better than any steel I have tried EVER and it's the first time this season I have finished a round and didn't have elbow pain!!!! Which was my main reason for giving them a try. As stated earlier in this post, I think graphite iron shaft technology has made HUGE leaps in the last few years and the majority of the golfing public has no idea.
[/quote]Did you follow the Accra standard tipping instructions?

[PT1911]

[quote name='ccorrada' timestamp='1432315812' post='11609144']
[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1432300530' post='11607444']
Played on course last night with my newly installed Accra Tour 100i's and I think I can safely say I don't think I will be going back to steel any time soon! These things are just unreal. Dispersion was better than any steel I have tried EVER and it's the first time this season I have finished a round and didn't have elbow pain!!!! Which was my main reason for giving them a try. As stated earlier in this post, I think graphite iron shaft technology has made HUGE leaps in the last few years and the majority of the golfing public has no idea.
[/quote]Did you follow the Accra standard tipping instructions?
[/quote]
Yes, and they don't play soft at all for me. And for reference I'm about 115-118 with the driver.

[Mob]

[quote name='PT1911' timestamp='1432300530' post='11607444']
Played on course last night with my newly installed Accra Tour 100i's and I think I can safely say I don't think I will be going back to steel any time soon! These things are just unreal. Dispersion was better than any steel I have tried EVER and it's the first time this season I have finished a round and didn't have elbow pain!!!! Which was my main reason for giving them a try. As stated earlier in this post, I think graphite iron shaft technology has made HUGE leaps in the last few years and the majority of the golfing public has no idea.
[/quote]

Great to hear. Glad you are liking them. I will probably try them in my Miura iron set, just not ready to pull a good set of Recoil shafts; seems kind of wasteful.

[kevin1826]

Love all of the info. Can you give some details on the Fuji MCI shafts such as launch, spin and distance relative the other shafts. Does it feel tight like the Steelfiber or does it have a pronounced load and unload sensation? I am trying to decide between some MCI 120x or Steelfiber i125 stiff. Thanks

[Mob]

I liked the MCI shafts a lot. They had a nice feel to them. Kind of like a cross between the Recoils and Steelfibers. I think performance was good, but Tony can give you the numbers, I don't have them. I preferred the way they felt and performed compared to the Steelfibers, but that just maybe because the Steelfibers didn't match my swing.

[tyro]

I am going to try to put the paddles to this old thread.

 

Due to some chronic joint issues, I am going to have to put graphite shafts in my next set of clubs and I am between Steelfibers and Recoils. I have owned i95 stiff, i110 reg, and i125 stiff. I would not want anything any stiffer than the i95 stiff, but would like something with a tad more weight to them. Are the i110 stiff a lot more firm than the i95? Also, are the Recoils easier on the joints than the Steelfibers?

 

Thanks for the help!

[Stuart_G]

There is only a small difference in stiffness between the i95's and the i110's and mostly just in the lower half of the shaft, but how much a difference you might feel will depending to some degree on your swing and sensitivities. I personally didn't feel any difference in stiffness between the stiffs (both soft stepped and my driver SS hovers a hair above 100).

 

Recoils and Steelfibers have different feels. You'll get a little more feedback with the stiffer tipped steelfibers while some prefer the 'smoother' feel of the softer tip recoils. Because of this, the recoils can give the impression of being easier on the joints. However, when I actually judged the two based on how it actually impacted the medical condition (in my case, osteoarthritis in the hands and wrists) and on pain levels and general comfort during and after hitting, I did not notice any difference.

[Snake Eyes]

Changed my mind, I bought a set of Accra Tour 100i based on your posts above.

 

That is a great shaft and I have been impressed with it, but I wouldn't recommend buying a shaft based on my experience with it. Hope it works for you as well.

Ok, I got a set of Accra Tour 100i's and put them in my AP2's, first range session and they are AWESOME!!! Dispersion was great, feel was great, distance was great.......nothing to dislike about them! Now, I also put some prosoft inserts in them too because they were laying on the bench when I put them together and in combo with the shaft it makes range balls feel like a Pro-v1! :) Thanks for turning me on to these guys!

 

Where did you buy the 100i's? I don't see them on Golf Works or Golfsmith. Did a quick search on Google and didn't really come up with anything obvious.

Thanks.

[trhode]

Changed my mind, I bought a set of Accra Tour 100i based on your posts above.

 

That is a great shaft and I have been impressed with it, but I wouldn't recommend buying a shaft based on my experience with it. Hope it works for you as well.

Ok, I got a set of Accra Tour 100i's and put them in my AP2's, first range session and they are AWESOME!!! Dispersion was great, feel was great, distance was great.......nothing to dislike about them! Now, I also put some prosoft inserts in them too because they were laying on the bench when I put them together and in combo with the shaft it makes range balls feel like a Pro-v1! :) Thanks for turning me on to these guys!

 

Where did you buy the 100i's? I don't see them on Golf Works or Golfsmith. Did a quick search on Google and didn't really come up with anything obvious.

Thanks.

 

Accra shafts are only available to qualified club builders and not for sale uninstalled. You can usually find used ones on eBay, but I rarely see iron shafts. Accra doesn't get enough press. They are some of the best shafts made.

[tyro]

Stuart, thanks a TON for the info. It is good to know that there is not a huge difference between the i95 stiff and i110 stiff. I had some i110 regulars and they were way too loose feeling. It sounds like the i110 SSX1 might be the way to go from me. My SS hovers around 105, so straight in or SS will probably work for me, at least according to the chart on the Aerotech website.

 

I know what you mean about the Steelfibers feeling more stout than the Recoils. When I tried a friend's Recoils, they felt a little bit "too" graphite, if that makes sense. The SF still feel somewhat like an iron shaft but with the shock-reduction properties.

 

These will be probably be going in either some Ping G's or Titleist T-MB's.

 

Oh, and I have an Accra CS1 60 with a Ping adapter that is a wonderful shaft. I can't wait to get a Ping G driver for it when they come out!

[trhode]

The new Accra iCWT prototype constant weight shafts are now available. I think they are even better than the iTour shafts. I like the heavier overall feel in the shorter irons and they match up nicely with the SPi wedge shafts. They are available in 75, 85, 95, and 105 gram weights and are setup like taper tip shafts with discreet lengths, but also have a 4" parallel section in the tip for flex adjustment. Their new Tour Zx and CS4 wood shafts are incredible. I can't say enough about this company. They are truly industry leaders in graphite shaft design.

With their new partnership with True Temper, they plan on revamping the Rifle brand as well. Gawain and Dave, Accra owners, came from Royal Precision and had a lot to do with the original Rifle brand. I was super excited to hear that.

[Kalicardplayer28]

Tony wanted to revive this thread. Very interested in Arcane iron shafts. Currently playing recoil 125 F5 soft stepped once and I do like them a lot but when I don't have my best stuff especially in the shorter irons I feel like I am not always loading the shaft. Was curious how the arcane shafts would compare. I understand the there would be a 20 gram difference or so but looking for something where I can bring a little bit more of a controlled swing. I find the recoils launch high which I am a high ball hitter but I have an arcane 640t X shaft in my driver and it is my favorite to date. Wanted to at least throw an arcane into the cobra utility when it comes out. I liked the Rome 988 but I like a little firmwr butt in the shaft.

[cxx]

So how much weight is given to the dispersion of shots? The Arcane X is by far the smallest grouping with a 13 yard diameter vs 22 to 58 yards for some others. Is that a fluke or is it repeatable? If it's repeatable, shouldn't it be the deciding factor for an iron fitting?

[Texsport]

I read this thread with great interest.

 

I have done similar tests but the clear winner for me was the RIP 115 in S played 1/2" long.

 

Most of the other graphites felt weak and didn't control dispersion as well as the RIP, which basically cut my dispersion with KBS C-Taper S in half, while adding a 1/2 club in distance.

 

Just goes to show that every swing is different.

 

The RIP 115 is being discontinued and I've started buying up extra sets for future use.

 

Golf is a crazy game!

 

Texsport

[Mob]

So how much weight is given to the dispersion of shots? The Arcane X is by far the smallest grouping with a 13 yard diameter vs 22 to 58 yards for some others. Is that a fluke or is it repeatable? If it's repeatable, shouldn't it be the deciding factor for an iron fitting?

 

Yes, the dispersion with the Arcane was impressive and the main reason that I was considering it seriously, but I struggled with the sensation of not feeling like I was loading shaft. It was causing me to feel like I had to swing harder with it, and took me out of my rhythm. Despite that, I still seriously considered it.

[Nessism]

So how much weight is given to the dispersion of shots? The Arcane X is by far the smallest grouping with a 13 yard diameter vs 22 to 58 yards for some others. Is that a fluke or is it repeatable? If it's repeatable, shouldn't it be the deciding factor for an iron fitting?

 

Realize that dispersion isn't a shaft characteristic. When a shaft agrees with a persons expectations for feel they typically put their best move on the ball and thus the shot accuracy is best it can be. Put that same shaft in someone else's hands and it can be a totally different story though.

[cxx]

So how much weight is given to the dispersion of shots? The Arcane X is by far the smallest grouping with a 13 yard diameter vs 22 to 58 yards for some others. Is that a fluke or is it repeatable? If it's repeatable, shouldn't it be the deciding factor for an iron fitting?

 

Realize that dispersion isn't a shaft characteristic. When a shaft agrees with a persons expectations for feel they typically put their best move on the ball and thus the shot accuracy is best it can be. Put that same shaft in someone else's hands and it can be a totally different story though.

 

Yeah, I wasn't thinking of this particular shaft for me. I was curious because so many other measurements, like distance, launch and spin, seem to get the attention during a fitting. If I found a combo with that significant of a reduction in dispersion, I'd be all over it. That's something that could lead to better scores, assuming it held up.

[Stuart_G]

For iron fitting, consistency (dispersion) is typically a very important aspect of the fitting results. For drivers it can also be important but tends to be balanced distance (launch/spin). Will depend on the individual being fit and what they might be looking for out of the fitting.

[SeaIsland]

Love all of the info. Can you give some details on the Fuji MCI shafts such as launch, spin and distance relative the other shafts. Does it feel tight like the Steelfiber or does it have a pronounced load and unload sensation? I am trying to decide between some MCI 120x or Steelfiber i125 stiff. Thanks

 

Agree with Tony. I was very impressed with the quality graphite shafts produced by all the companies. I still love my Recoil Prototypes, but want to try something else on one of my other sets. Now that we found the shaft that gave the best numbers (smash, dispersion, total yardage, spin) I am going to test it in the Titleist 690 mb head, both on the monitor, then on the range, side by side with my Epon and Miura 6 irons. Tony will then MOI match the whole set. Looking forward to putting them in play.

 

It was really interesting to see how important the weight was in choosing the best shaft for my swing. At the end, we tried the Accra in 110, 100, and 90 grams, and it was really interesting to see how the dispersion got worse when I changed from the 90, to the other ones. I am sure that with time, I would get used to whichever weight I chose, but the 90 clearly was the best match during the testing.

 

Really liked the feel of: the Accra, Recoil, Mitsubishi OT, and Fujikura MCI shafts

 

Great thread, thanks for all the detailed info!

I currently game the MCI 120s in Stiff. Love them, but always looking for something new. Had a fitter tell me the iCWTs were better. He recommended M4 flex, which takes weight down to 95s.... can you get a heavier shaft in M4 flex. Is M5 like an X? Would appreciate any info on these shafts. Thinking about them for Srixons or BS Tour B's. Thanks

[trhode]

Yes, you can soft step the iCWT105's twice depending on your set make up. Accra has slightly redesigned the heavier 95 and 105 shafts with a weave in the tip section for added stability. More info on their website.