J13's WITB: Update- FUJIKURA AXIOM

[J13]

yes sir. Love em

[Z1ggy16]

Nice, so not just a honey moon phase before.

[J13]

No honeymoon phase. They perform and i love the feel. I hit a steel shaft in an iron now and it's feels like i'm hitting rocks. Not kidding.

[Z1ggy16]

Yeah I'm really considering trying them out this year... might ask the guys at TXG to toss one into an iron for me real fast when I'm up there. Im not sure my 760's can feel any silkier.... if they could.. my word.

[J13]

Oh they can and the TXG boys know their stuff. I think a lot of people will like when the 125S comes out.

[J13]

SHAFT SHOOTOUT WINNER IS ..................................
So why? All the shafts I tried in this test performed pretty well. The reason the Orange won for me was it had the best dispersion. It's long but honestly not noticeably longer than the Ventus or Agera. Both of those shafts are great in their own right and to be honest those two tied in my book. Ventus Blue feels more active while the Agera has a more uniform feel (think Green Hulk) but both produced similiar shots. It really comes down to the type of player you are and what you want to feel from a driver.

The Tensei Orange 70TX for whatever reason is just a rockstar for me. I tried V1 and V2 when they first hit the market in the proto phase but wasn't a big fan. Once they settled on V3 as the retail option I got to try it on course in a friend and fellow WRX'ers driver (shoutout @Smitty120) After hitting his setup I was intrigued but never got around to grabbing one myself last year. Fast forward to this winter and i decided to scrap the whole bag and start over which meant new shafts in everything, including irons.
For me the Orange is straight, yet workable and has one of the most unique feels of any shaft. It's extremely stiff in the butt and tip sections and also allows me to add a little more weight to the head which I think helps me with my temp aside from giving me a little more swing speed.

So if you want a great shaft that feels active try the Ventus Blue (just tip it appropriately, mine was tipped 1.5") It's one of those shafts that needs more tipping then you normally use. TRUST ME, the fuji guys confirmed that I didn't just make it up.
Agera - It's a rockstar and will always be a trusted go to. I get a little more speed out of the orange but I know the Agera so well it's perfect for testing shafts or drivers. It is the benchmark for me.

NEXT UP ..... IRONS


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[Z1ggy16]

Yeah my biggest thing is idk if I'll want to soft step or not.

[J13]

Soft step which shaft? The 125TX?

[Z1ggy16]

Yes. I'm trying to make more slightly controlled, less aggresive iron swings this year focusing on hitting greens so I wonder if the TX straight in is going to feel too stout. I probably have the speed for them but I always like to ere more on the side of softer than stiffer.

[PreppySlapCut]

Its funny how personal tastes are so different. Like I can’t stand looking at the 8i of the new Titleist blades, but I think the Staff blades are perfect.

[J13]

You could wait for the 125S if you are concerned with that. Little birdie told me Mitsu has seen the light and will be coming out with them in the summer of this year.

[Z1ggy16]

Well, hopefully txg will have them by June 6 bc that's when I'm going to lol. I do take X flex in most mca Graphite though, sometimes I may soft step once for a little more feel.

[J13]

haha not sure about that date but i'll cross my fingers for ya. Honestly the TX's are great and not rebar so you will be fine either way. Look forward to hearing how your fitting goes. Ian runs a great operation up there.

[Z1ggy16]

Oh I know, this won't be my first time there lol. Thx I'll let you know if I get to hit them.

[J13]

EXACTLY. People say the same thing about me but my bag rarely changes when it comes to a round that has money on it. The only thing that changes from year to year might be upgraded wedges with fresh grooves (and that's usually every 2 years) and maybe driver. This is the first year that i'm doing a wholesale change except for putter and ball.

Testing for me is fun and i'm fortunate that i'm in a position where i can test clubs outdoors and on the course. Indoors is ok but rarely do you swing the same speed. Plus it's impossible to judge things like turf interaction, especially for irons and wedges.

[Smitty120]

J13, I was correct with my driver fitting thoughts for you! A few years ago after the 17' M2 and Pro Orange I knew that shaft was for you!

[J13]

haha you saw the magic in the 1 drive before the weight came off the M2! SIM MAX/ Orange combo is producing mid/high flat rockets.

[Warrick]

I pimped it for a while myself, had about a 3 month span of the best driving in my life, but when my tempo got off, had trouble with it, amazing shaft, great BS and dispersion, but must be tamed by a consistent swinger.

Come on, what is next, lot to cover....

[J13]

Agree and we will see how it behaves as spring arrives.

 

SO next up:

Driver - I've hit almost everything and i've narrowed it down to the SIM MAX or the Mavrik stuff. In about 2 weeks i'll be able to get the Mavrik stuff on course for proper testing.

Irons - This is next up and will begin in about a week as i'm heading down the FL for minute. I won't have the luxury of testing everything with my shaft of choice but IMO all forged irons perform about the same so it comes down to turf interaction, sound and feel.

FWY Woods - Same as driver testing. I like stuff to match.

Wedges - That will be updated soon with a quick rundown

[Z1ggy16]

Sry if I missed it, but did you try VA nemysis yet? I'm getting reallg curious about cb shafts and seeing if it can help my dispersion at all...maybe up ballspeed a touch too.

[J13]

I haven't. The tensei orange profile is working so well for me that I doubt i will.

[Z1ggy16]

.... Try it??? ;)

For ya know... Science.

[J13]

haha of course. For science! lol

[300_Straight]

Always nice to see what great players think about certain shaft / club options. I wish I was as lucky as you to test these combos outdoors. Indoor launch monitors are great, but on the course is where it really counts.

I've heard great things about the SIM head; very stable, high launching and low spin...not to mention it looks great.

Interesting take on the MMT shafts. I have never swung an iron with graphite shafts, but it's kind of amazing the way you described them feeling so much better at impact than steel. Good luck this season!

[J13]

Wedges for 2020

Setup:

Callaway MD5 50* with 10* bounce S-grind

Callaway MD5 54* with 10* bounce S-grind

Callaway MD4 60* with 8* bounce C-grind

ALL with Mitsubishi MMT 125TX shafts

 

Performance - Outstanding. My main concern with the MMT's was maintaining the feel and ability to flight the ball when needed. I'm happy to report that after multiple rounds and practice sessions I have ZERO issues doing anything i could do with my Nippon Modus wedge shafts. And like the iron shafts they feel much smoother than steel. MMT's are the real deal and i can see a lot of people dropping the 125S in wedges when they come out. Since i play wedges all the same length and hit full shots with all of them (including the 60) i like the same shafts in all irons regardless of loft.

 

[GC70]

J-

Did you test any other wedges or did you just stay with what your use to?

[Z1ggy16]

Will the 125S still be 125g?

[J13]

Yes I tested the Vokey's and new Mizuno T wedges. Decided to stick with Callaway because i love the shape and they have all the loft/bounce/grind options i need. Last year I played a md3 60* W grind. I realize that it was great in soft conditions but when the summer months came and the sand and fairways got a little firmer I had some issues. Back to C grind.

 

My opinion on wedges : Very much like players irons just find a set that you love looking at. And when in doubt, play whatever Roger Cleveland is designing haha

[J13]

Not sure

[Warrick]

Easily the best looking at address, great shape, finally get them on turf this weekend.