KBS TGI Shaft 101 For Dummies

[Ruleschamp]

Admitted shaft dummy here. I have been playing a KBS TGI 80 shafts that I was fitted into based on my 6 iron swingspeed. I just don't get along with them now. They feel too light. And they feel too "tight" (if that makes sense). I want to go to the TGI 90, because I like that weight, but I don't want it to feel like an ultra stiff telephone pole. Since there are no listed "flex", I assume a fitter achieves a certain flex by trimming or soft/hard stepping? Is that possible? Would a fitter be able to trim these or soft step these in such a manner that they would feel like a "regular" in equivalent Steelfiber FC's or Recoils? Or do these shafts just become stiffer at each weight starting at 50 and going to 110, and there's nothing a fitter could do at any weight to make them feel or play softer?

 

[BirdieBob]

I had a couple of sets of the TGI 110.....very stiff. Research showed they were equivalent in stiffness to the KBS 130 Xstiff!!

So, as you go higher in weight they will be stiffer...no way to reduce that by soft stepping or trimming.

 

[WristySwing]

Okay, so here's the cool thing about KBS and Project X. Is they aren't really "stiffer" in the sense that they become stiffer due to tightening certain aspects but because they add more weight to control flex. The question though, is where did they add the weight? A quick rough and tumble example is anything Graphite Design in X vs. TX. The TX versions usually have a slightly larger butt diameter and are a fraction heavier, which you can easily see on their website to get an idea of what is going on. They usually add more weight to the tip and butt (mostly butt) as your faster guys are going to want something stable in these two areas predominantly. Now if we apply this to KBS, by and large they increase in 5g intervals depending on the flex jump (as they have + models that not many people know about, such as R+) and KBS being counterweighted to a degree (meaning the handle area is the stiffest portion of the shaft) that likely most of the mass is going to be concentrated near the butt end if we go "stiffer". So while the 90 is technically "Regular" and your 80s are technically "stiff", the 90 should be a stiffer overall design as it is heavier and part of the tour portion of the KBS graphite lineup. Rounding this all out, what you are feeling is a combination of too low torque and too stiff/too butt stiff a shaft. This is EXTREMELY common for a lot of back weighted shafts, you either love them or hate them. Look at the threads about Project X, there's equal parts "love" and equal parts "hate" and there doesn't seem to be anyone who falls in the category of "they are okay".

If you can get your hands on it, try the Accra 90i, or Recoil 95. Both have a much smoother overall profile. The Accra has a bonus of being parallel so you could literally make it into anything you want from a senior flex to a XX if needed.

[Thayneil]

The KBS 90s are taper tip

 

That means you can order longer length than normal to soften the flex

[Stuart_G]

KBS choose to only offer one 'flex' for each weight. Soft/hard stepping can allow for some small tweaks to that feel but not anything really significant. So if the stiffness profile is not a good fit for the particular weight you need, then you're really out of luck and need to find another shaft make/model to use. If you're looking for a softer offering in the 90 gm range - I'd suggest trying the newer Steelfiber fc90.

Even with the steel shafts, KBS has almost always had a similar approach - almost all the models the weight changes with the flex. Never been a fan for that reason. In a proper fitting, weight and stiffness need to be fit independently and are not tied to each other the way KBS seens to design their shafts.

 

[gos71]

Hi , 

I bought a set pullouts 4-P TGI 80 just for fun when price wise was OK ,

Seller stated Stiff flex 80gram 

Got the shaft delivered , looked great . Felt directly as i grabbed one shaft 38" for #4 

It felt crazy light !  Just put on a iron head 4 and just waggled without grip etc.. 

And yes they were really flexible... way to flexible my feeling. 

 

Grabbed " P " shaft put that on scale..67gram !   Got some bad feel  ,  work them thru scale.

Yes , note these are cut prep to standard lenght,

It was chocking for me.. they came out  :  43gr - 67 gr !  

Pulled light out in garage , have never touch them for two week´s now...

The info just disapointed me so much  that i never even tried yet to glue a head and try it out..

 

 

Current gamers have KBS Tour 90 stiff in my P790 , have tried a lot if shaft´s in this range before:

for ex: Nippon 950  s-flex  , XP 90 reg , XP95 stiff , DG 105 reg and so on..

 

Total weight should be super low?  So i understand @Ruleschamp feeling just reading.

And flex wise ? TGI 80 Stiff ?  waggling them  feels like noodle.  ard to understand they play different.

 

Swing speed : "100 mph"  driver ( typical 

Hit 7 iron : 165yds ( 146-150 meter ) 

 

So i wonder :  Are these even worth trying to assembly for play ?

Heads :  Wilson FG tour m3  

Shaft :  KBS TGI 80  

SW : preferd as my current  D2  ( hard to get with out lot of tip weighting )

 

Regards , Gert from Sweden 

[Justsomeguy]

What's the difference between tour and tgi? I recently bought a club without the tgi designation and I love it. Considering redoing other clubs to match, but harder to find without the tgi.

[Stuart_G]

4 hours ago, Justsomeguy said:

What's the difference between tour and tgi? I recently bought a club without the tgi designation and I love it. Considering redoing other clubs to match, but harder to find without the tgi.

 

"Tour" isn't a designation with Kbs (nor is TGI).  Not like it is with DG.   They are just parts of the names for different shaft models.

 

"Tour" is a heavy weight steel shaft.  https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tour/

"TGI-tour" is a light weight graphite shaft.  https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tgi-tour-graphite-iron/

 

Well, in addition to the KBS "Tour" shaft, there is also several other models with 'tour' in the name.   So it can depend on which model shaft you're referring to.

"Tour V" "Tour 80" "Tour 90" "Tour 105"

https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Stuart_G

[Justsomeguy]

3 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

"Tour" isn't a designation with Kbs (nor is TGI).  Not like it is with DG.   They are just parts of the names for different shaft models.

 

"Tour" is a heavy weight steel shaft.  https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tour/

"TGI-tour" is a light weight graphite shaft.  https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tgi-tour-graphite-iron/

 

Well, in addition to the KBS "Tour" shaft, there is also several other models with 'tour' in the name.   So it can depend on which model shaft you're referring to.

"Tour V" "Tour 80" "Tour 90" "Tour 105"

https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/

Then what is this?

 

[Stuart_G]

That was their original foray into graphite shafts.   The predecessor of the TGI - that they don't make any more.  Unfortunately, I haven't seen any actual comparisons of that shaft relative to the TGI.   The TGI could be a new shaft or (more likely) just a rebranding of the original with or without some minor tweaks.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Stuart_G

[968cab]

I’m with Stuart on this.  I really wanted this shaft to work for me; but at the prescribed weight for my swing speed, the flex is unworkable.  
 

Too many other great options to frustrate over these. 

[Justsomeguy]

48 minutes ago, 968cab said:

I’m with Stuart on this.  I really wanted this shaft to work for me; but at the prescribed weight for my swing speed, the flex is unworkable.  
 

Too many other great options to frustrate over these. 

Sorry to hear. This one just works for me for some reason. I think bc it's simultaneously soft to flex, but not too light.

I can't find them for sale with an easy search, so probably moot. Might try the TDI if I actually go down that road.

[968cab]

👍🏼👍🏼
 

Golfworks has the full line, I believe. 

[shaolingolfer]

I have been playing TGI 80 "stiff" for a few months, they actually feel more stable and better than MMT 80 or Steelfiber FC 90 or Recoil 780ES.  Never thought it too be too light or too whippy and my 7 iron swing speed is from 86 to 91 depend on how warm up I am and how I want to hit it.

 

Now I have also try to match the wedge shaft to my iron shaft and have been playing TGI 95 and according to their website, it is a regular plus flex.  It is heavier for sure but not sure it is stiffer or softer, can't really tell.

[Thayneil]

16 hours ago, shaolingolfer said:

I have been playing TGI 80 "stiff" for a few months, they actually feel more stable and better than MMT 80 or Steelfiber FC 90 or Recoil 780ES.  Never thought it too be too light or too whippy and my 7 iron swing speed is from 86 to 91 depend on how warm up I am and how I want to hit it.

 

Now I have also try to match the wedge shaft to my iron shaft and have been playing TGI 95 and according to their website, it is a regular plus flex.  It is heavier for sure but not sure it is stiffer or softer, can't really tell.

TGI  shafts get stiffer as they get heavier

The  95  is  pretty stiff  and  used on Tour,

[shaolingolfer]

7 hours ago, Thayneil said:

TGI  shafts get stiffer as they get heavier

The  95  is  pretty stiff  and  used on Tour,

https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tgi-tour-graphite-iron/

 

My iron is parallel tip, wedge is taper tip.  So taper tip seems to play to a different flex according to KBS.  On feel alone, Taper Tip 95 seems to be little bit stiffer than TGI 80 parallel.

[Thayneil]

1 hour ago, shaolingolfer said:

https://kbsgolfshafts.com/shop/tgi-tour-graphite-iron/

 

My iron is parallel tip, wedge is taper tip.  So taper tip seems to play to a different flex according to KBS.  On feel alone, Taper Tip 95 seems to be little bit stiffer than TGI 80 parallel.

its late here but the  weights are roughly comparable to  swing speed required

 

70  needs 70 mph

80 needs 80mh

etc 

[SunnyGolfin]

Anyone ever play KBS TGI 110 or 100 in wedges? How did they feel? Debating between that and MMT scoring 

[97speedster]

On 6/12/2022 at 2:58 PM, SunnyGolfin said:

Anyone ever play KBS TGI 110 or 100 in wedges? How did they feel? Debating between that and MMT scoring 

Yes, I have for about 5 years and love them in my 52 & 58.... they have a great feel and ball flight and stop on the green faster than an S400.