Rory new driver shaft

[Lenny2]

What shaft is this Rory has switched to at the Skins game? Its white and black . Not the best pics but all you who are watching I’m sure someone will know, It’s not the Tensi.

 

[lummers13]

Looks like his old Kuro Kage XTS

 

[Wenz]

It is the Kuro XTS, both him and JD have recently gone back to it

[mjbaker80]

Trusty KK XTS

[collje26]

Damn that shaft always seems to make a way back in his bag. Circa 2013?

[texcellence86]

He always goes back to it...just keep what works.

[MakersMarsh3]

Kinda surprised they haven’t made an updated version of the exact profile. So many guys still game!

[QuigleyDU]

seems like he hit the tensei really well. I don't know why he would switch..

[mackepa]

I love watching Rory hit driver. He's one of the best drivers of the ball i've ever seen.

[Chilli9880]

I could be wrong but doesn't Adam Scott game the Kuro Kage as well? I always remembered Rory having the trusty Rombax shaft in his woods.

[JStang]

> @MakersMarsh3 said:

> Kinda surprised they haven’t made an updated version of the exact profile. So many guys still game!

 

They have made a couple of "updated" versions. The Dual Core XT was the first and the XD is the latest.

[MakersMarsh3]

> @JStang said:

> > @MakersMarsh3 said:

> > Kinda surprised they haven’t made an updated version of the exact profile. So many guys still game!

>

> They have made a couple of "updated" versions. The Dual Core XT was the first and the XD is the latest.

 

Definitely understand that. Don’t think either are close enough to feel and performance of original profile

[bostonbrahmin]

Weird that he would switch back after having such a good season with the PW. Seemed to have a bit of trouble turning the ball over during the Skins match, no idea if that was related to the shaft switch tho

[Lenny2]

> @QuigleyDU said:

> seems like he hit the tensei really well. I don't know why he would switch..

 

My thoughts, last half of the season he was driving it so well and long with the tensi. He’s the pro I guess he has his reasons.

[QuigleyDU]

> @Lenny2 said:

> > @QuigleyDU said:

> > seems like he hit the tensei really well. I don't know why he would switch..

>

> My thoughts, last half of the season he was driving it so well and long with the tensi. He’s the pro I guess he has his reasons.

 

It may be due to testing new equipment and want to get ready for a change. I would think we would see a new TM driver over the next two months.

[mizuno player]

Maybe he can hit it better right to left for a certain tunnament in April?

[alecfeltman]

I noticed too. Same fairways so back to ole reliable in the driver.

[J13]

He bouncing back and forth between the Tensei White and KK XTS. Both great shafts

[KrazyTrain18]

> @Chilli9880 said:

> I could be wrong but doesn't Adam Scott game the Kuro Kage as well? I always remembered Rory having the trusty Rombax shaft in his woods.

 

Yeah Adam gamed it from 2015-2017 and then here/there this past year but always going back to the AD-DI8X

[GoGoErky]

> @QuigleyDU said:

> > @Lenny2 said:

> > > @QuigleyDU said:

> > > seems like he hit the tensei really well. I don't know why he would switch..

> >

> > My thoughts, last half of the season he was driving it so well and long with the tensi. He’s the pro I guess he has his reasons.

>

> It may be due to testing new equipment and want to get ready for a change. I would think we would see a new TM driver over the next two months.

 

90ish days per tm

[QuigleyDU]

> @GoGoErky said:

> > @QuigleyDU said:

> > > @Lenny2 said:

> > > > @QuigleyDU said:

> > > > seems like he hit the tensei really well. I don't know why he would switch..

> > >

> > > My thoughts, last half of the season he was driving it so well and long with the tensi. He’s the pro I guess he has his reasons.

> >

> > It may be due to testing new equipment and want to get ready for a change. I would think we would see a new TM driver over the next two months.

>

> 90ish days per tm

 

Yeah. Sounds about right. It will be released after the pga show per the norm. I was just thinking we would see it in about 2 months or so. I am sure Rory has already been hitting it some.

[Valtiel]

The XTS is that old high school flame that still looks good that these guys keep going back to, hah.

[Smitty120]

The PW and the XTS feel somewhat similar to me. PW having a softer handle to me. I am just a hack though.

What would we do if these were the same shafts with different paint jobs? :p

[musclefront]

Have this shaft it’s really an amazing feel and low spin. The profiles are confusing as heck tho as I thought it’s the KK DC XT TX (Tour only) not the XD or XTS

[Valtiel]

> @musclefront said:

> Have this shaft it’s really an amazing feel and low spin. The profiles are confusing as heck tho as I thought it’s the KK DC XT TX (Tour only) not the XD or XTS

 

 

Yeah it is a bit confusing for sure. As far as the relevant premium products/tour only stuff, I believe it goes like this:

 

**Proto TiNi 2013** - A tour only prototype blueboard-style profile, the first iteration of the TiNi-based Kuro Kage profiles(?).

**XTS** - A tour only prototype whiteboard-style profile with the TiNi tip section.

**XT** - Retail release of the XTS, premium aftermarket product.

**XM**- Retail release of the Proto TiNi 2013(?), premium aftermarket product.

**Dual Core XT TX** - The "second gen" tour only prototype. More TiNi in the tip section and possibly a tweak to the overall profile?

**Dual Core Silver Series** - OEM release of the Dual Core XT, cheaper "stock" shaft.

**XD** - Follow up to the XT, firmer overall profile, premium aftermarket product.

 

I am not 100% sure on the origins of the Proto TiNi 2013 and whether or not the XTS was an evolution of that shaft. Supposedly Rory had the Proto 2013 in play and then obviously he had the XTS after that so perhaps it was an evolution of what Rory was looking for. He did originally play Blueboard-style shafts but has moved towards using firmer, lower spinning profiles since moving away from the Rombax stuff. The popularity of the XTS on tour with Rory and beyond seems to have led to the retail release of the shaft in the XT, and subsequent tweaking with the XD. The whole "Dual Core" series seems to have started like the XTS, but ended up being an OEM release instead of an aftermarket one, perhaps due to less interest on tour or maybe that was just the plan all along.

 

From what I can tell, it seems that Mitsubishi have a strategy where they have an initial product design or concept, they seed prototypes on tour to gauge the level of overall interest, and it either makes its way to being a premium aftermarket product, a cheaper, larger scale OEM release, or perhaps gets scrapped altogether.

 

[mjbaker80]

I know Mitsu stopped printing certain graphics on their shafts. The XTS had two finishes (one silverish on the bottom half and one more black on the bottom...that one was usually etched with XTS). I believe those have been discontinued and all of the graphics now look like the KK Dual Core (more stark black and white contrast). I think Fleetwoods XTS was painted like the KK Dual Core before he switched to the DF more recently just like this one Rory is using. It's extremely confusing, for sure. There are other threads on the KK XT, KK DC and KK DC XT that have all the info and will also make a guy go cross-eyed!

 

I have owned them all and the graphic differences are extremely subtle. The Dual Core was a wholly different profile that Rory never liked. I know for a fact (from MRC) that Rory, Day and Fleetwood were all in the original KK XTS. Adam Scott had been too. Rory never liked the silver bottom (his was black and white much like the Dual Core XT). But, they all used the XTS or XT as it's more commonly known. This was confirmed by the MRC guys at the PGA show.

 

Bottom line - I'd bet a healthy sum that Rory's is the Kuro Kage XTS (simply painted in the new Dual Core graphic). MRC just doesn't make the old paint jobs anymore even though they were very similar.

 

The XT or XTS is an amazing shaft and it's not a coincidence that it's been a baby blanket for Rory, Day, and so many more for so long....

[ignitewvu]

> @mjbaker80 said:

> I know Mitsu stopped printing certain graphics on their shafts. The XTS had two finishes (one silverish on the bottom half and one more black on the bottom...that one was usually etched with XTS). I believe those have been discontinued and all of the graphics now look like the KK Dual Core (more stark black and white contrast). I think Fleetwoods XTS was painted like the KK Dual Core before he switched to the DF more recently just like this one Rory is using. It's extremely confusing, for sure. There are other threads on the KK XT, KK DC and KK DC XT that have all the info and will also make a guy go cross-eyed!

>

> I have owned them all and the graphic differences are extremely subtle. The Dual Core was a wholly different profile that Rory never liked. I know for a fact (from MRC) that Rory, Day and Fleetwood were all in the original KK XTS. Adam Scott had been too. Rory never liked the silver bottom (his was black and white much like the Dual Core XT). But, they all used the XTS or XT as it's more commonly known. This was confirmed by the MRC guys at the PGA show.

>

> Bottom line - I'd bet a healthy sum that Rory's is the Kuro Kage XTS (simply painted in the new Dual Core graphic). MRC just doesn't make the old paint jobs anymore even though they were very similar.

>

> The XT or XTS is an amazing shaft and it's not a coincidence that it's been a baby blanket for Rory, Day, and so many more for so long....

 

I agree and I never bought any of the stories about the DC series, it was a confusing mess of a line. DC, DC TX is a XT, DC TS is just a tour stiff although it had the exact same butt sticker as the XT TX which was different from the regular DC. If it was the same shaft the pro's wouldn't be going back to the previous gen Premium shaft.

 

I'm personally getting tired of Mitsubishi & their "TX" shafts that look exactly like made for retail lines but they "Claim" they are made with "Better Materials" Blah Blah. The fact they are doing that with the Tensei AV line which is a bust makes me even more confused.

 

I went to Fuji This summer and most likely won't go back at least with them I know my Ventus performs and it is made with LEGIT materials.

[J_Tizzle]

> @mackepa said:

> I love watching Rory hit driver. He's one of the best drivers of the ball i've ever seen.

 

Oh without a doubt. Honestly when he hits the driver the way he does, and just putts decent, he might be my favorite for best player in the world.

 

When every drive is 330 down the gut, you gotta putt BAD to not contend.

[mjbaker80]

It’s my understanding is that the Kuro line is done. Wonderful shafts; incredibly confusing to be sure. You are spot on... the KK DC TX was “the XT.” It was dizzying which culminated with the XD which didn’t get much traction on tour.

 

I commend Fuji for going to the red blue black blueprint to make their shafts more “understandable.” It helps everyone and even TMs tour van commented them for it.

 

A ton of options and models are fine. Just make it so the average guy can understand the options with out a masters is engineering.

[Valtiel]

> @ignitewvu said:

> > @mjbaker80 said:

> > I know Mitsu stopped printing certain graphics on their shafts. The XTS had two finishes (one silverish on the bottom half and one more black on the bottom...that one was usually etched with XTS). I believe those have been discontinued and all of the graphics now look like the KK Dual Core (more stark black and white contrast). I think Fleetwoods XTS was painted like the KK Dual Core before he switched to the DF more recently just like this one Rory is using. It's extremely confusing, for sure. There are other threads on the KK XT, KK DC and KK DC XT that have all the info and will also make a guy go cross-eyed!

> >

> > I have owned them all and the graphic differences are extremely subtle. The Dual Core was a wholly different profile that Rory never liked. I know for a fact (from MRC) that Rory, Day and Fleetwood were all in the original KK XTS. Adam Scott had been too. Rory never liked the silver bottom (his was black and white much like the Dual Core XT). But, they all used the XTS or XT as it's more commonly known. This was confirmed by the MRC guys at the PGA show.

> >

> > Bottom line - I'd bet a healthy sum that Rory's is the Kuro Kage XTS (simply painted in the new Dual Core graphic). MRC just doesn't make the old paint jobs anymore even though they were very similar.

> >

> > The XT or XTS is an amazing shaft and it's not a coincidence that it's been a baby blanket for Rory, Day, and so many more for so long....

>

> I agree and I never bought any of the stories about the DC series, it was a confusing mess of a line. DC, DC TX is a XT, DC TS is just a tour stiff although it had the exact same butt sticker as the XT TX which was different from the regular DC. If it was the same shaft the pro's wouldn't be going back to the previous gen Premium shaft.

>

> I'm personally getting tired of Mitsubishi & their "TX" shafts that look exactly like made for retail lines but they "Claim" they are made with "Better Materials" Blah Blah. The fact they are doing that with the Tensei AV line which is a bust makes me even more confused.

>

> I went to Fuji This summer and most likely won't go back at least with them I know my Ventus performs and it is made with LEGIT materials.

 

It was my understanding that the Dual Core TX was not supposed to be the same shaft as the XT, just similar in that it was the low/low "premium" profile that was next in line that never fully caught on. It was made even more confusing by the fact that it was referred to as the "XT" profile in lieu of there being any clearer marketing language behind it. Just a big mess overall. And I agree regarding the Tensei AV line as well, it seems to be going down a similar path. It is all just one big weird transitional growing phase between the maligned "made for" shafts of the past and the attempt to blur the lines between them and the premium offerings moving forward.

 

I don't know if this can be considered a phenomenon in Japanese business/marketing, but the same thing has been going on over the last decade with Ibanez Guitars. Most of products mid tier and up used to be made in Japan, then they sort of split into the standard line and the "Prestige" line with more and more of the "made in Japan" products moving to the "Prestige" label and everything else being split between Indonesia, Taiwan, and China. Then they split further by introducing a "Premium" line which was beneath the "Prestige" line, but above the standard line that was manufactured exclusively out of Indonesia it seemed. Now today, even many of the "Prestige" guitars are no longer made in Japan. That seems to be going on with MRC as well with an increasing number of shafts being manufactured in China. I think the portion of people who ultimately care about this is still small enough to where they can continue obfuscating things like this, but it sure is fatiguing.