Hybrid shaft options conundrum!

[Drivingrangehero]

I recently had work done to a club in order to fill out the top end of my bag. I didn’t like the flight (too high) or dispersion (pushes/hooks) with my Adams Super 9031 20* hybrid, so I had it re-shafted. I removed Kuro Kage Black 2nd gen at a PGASS and swapped with a Modus 105 S steel shaft and now I love it. While I was at the PGASS I hit a TEE EXS Pro with a Tensei Sliver AV 70 stiff shaft and wow!  The flight was amazing. 
 

I tend to hit my hybrids too high, so I gravitate towards the more iron like ones, and I’m wondering if it’s the head, the shaft, or the combo that was so good. 
 

I’ve tried a few graphite hybrid shafts and they usually feel too light, or too whippy. Not the Tensei Silver ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I have a Callaway Apex 2016 with an Aldila 2KXV 85x tipped 1 inch and it feels lighter, and flies way higher than the TEE EXS pro with the 15 gram lighter Tensei Silver shaft. 
 

I recently purchased a TEE CBX119 at 16* and was planning on re-shafting it with something to be an off the tee primarily 3 wood replacement.  I liked the Modus 105 in the 9031 so much, I was thinking of going that route........ until I hit the Tensei AV silver 70s.  My conundrum is that I don’t carry a 3 wood, so I wanted a bomber of a hybrid, that can find the fairway and I always heard graphite was longer, now I’m not so sure. After talking to a fitter at the PGASS he said, “ the ball doesn’t care what material your shaft is made from, it’s all about leverage, optimizing your loft, and spin in relation to your club head speed.” 

 

The Modus 105 worked so well in the 9031 I was thinking of putting one in the TEE CBX119 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Wondering if anyone has put an Tensei AV shaft in a hybrid with similar results? The Tensei AV silver 70 didn’t feel too light at all, but I’m wondering if that had more to do with the head. I’m leaning towards going that route due to the flight of the 19* TEE EXS pro, I figure the 16* it would be perfect ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

I didn’t have the golf balls I use on the course with me,(Bridgestone BX)  so I had to hit some what looked to be Wilson Range balls in the bay, but my numbers were as follows. 

Adams with Modus 105s steel

TEE with Tensei AV 70s silver

 

TEE EXS PRO 19* VS ADAMS 9031 20*
Average between 10 shots with each 

TEE 18.5* launch vs 9031 18* launch

TEE 149mph bs vs 9031 145mph bs 

TEE  RPM spin 3800 vs 9031 3650 rpm spin

TEE Carry 234yds vs 9031 227yds

suggestions wanted! 
 

 

[ChipNRun]

General "laws" of fittings:

• Loft and head design are major influences on ball flight
• Shafts have a fine-tuning influence (unless you try a tube that is way out of your shaft band)

Also, bring a half-dozen of your gamer balls to the fitting. Don't get fitted with distance balls if you play mid-spin or high-spin on the course. 

[Drivingrangehero]

27 minutes ago, ChipNRun said:

General "laws" of fittings:

• Loft and head design are major influences on ball flight
• Shafts have a fine-tuning influence (unless you try a tube that is way out of your shaft band)

Also, bring a half-dozen of your gamer balls to the fitting. Don't get fitted with distance balls if you play mid-spin or high-spin on the course. 

Thanks. I tried to bring my launch/spin down on my Callaway Apex 2Hybrid with a stiffer/lower launching shaft, and there was almost no change. I added 2 mph of ball speed, and that’s about it. The ball speed increase probably had more to due with me having the shaft 1 inch over the previous one. 
 

i don’t notice much difference in flights between shaft bend profiles, or stiffness. The biggest change that is measurable to me is weight. That is why is was thrown off by the much lighter Tensei Silver, but it may just be the club head weight/ overall weight that influenced that particular flight and feel to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 
 

 

[nick_CO]

KBS tour Proto hybrid shafts are worth looking at. They tout that if you prefer steel iron shafts, this is supposed to be an easy transition from irons into hybrids. I have one in 95 grams on an Adams a12 and it’s probably my favorite club. Very versatile shaft. I used it as my second club after driver for a long time. 

Edited September 26, 2020 by nick_CO

[Stetson]

The new Ventus Velocore HB is great. Very tip stiff and boring flight. 

[agood3putt]

10 hours ago, Stetson said:

The new Ventus Velocore HB is great. Very tip stiff and boring flight. 

Agreed love my Blue HB 9X

[Drivingrangehero]

Thanks! 

After going to the range, I can’t get over how good the Modus 105 steel shaft performs in my 20* Adams 9031. It’s probably slightly longer than the Kuro Kage that I had in it, but I think that my contact has improved with it. Dispersion is off the charts better. It tossed my T-MB 2 and 3 iron out of the bag, which enables me another wedge 50* 55* and 60*. 
 

I don’t necessarily see that graphite is my only option now. I’m looking for something in the ball park of what the Modus has done to change my hybrid for the better. I may explore a Nippon 850gh in S flex. I’m thinking I may retain that Nippon feel at less weight than the Modus 105.  I may have to do some research into many 90ish weight steel options and ask some questions over at the Club tech part of the forum. 
 

I see that Tensei White AV and Ventus Velecore Blue/black both make shafts in the 90-100 gram window.  I’m not sure how weighting goes from iron shaft to hybrid/wood shaft, but the  Aldila 2KXV at 85 gram and the Kuro Kage at 82 gram feel way light compared to Modus 105. The thing that throws me off was the Tensei Silver AV was only 70grams but felt much heavier than the 70 gram Riptide, the Aldila 2KXV and Kuro Kage as well, and they we’re about 15 grams heavier. It was also on a different head so That may have made the difference ? 
 

Perhaps I’d be better off looking at graphite shafts that are made for irons like Steelfibers or Recoils in the 90-100 weight realm ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

thanks for the input ? 

 

[Stetson]

Was the Silver the same length as the others?  If it was longer it will feel heavier

[Drivingrangehero]

It was standard length in a TEE EXS pro 19* hybrid 

 

it felt heavier than my Aldila 2kxv that’s 15 grams heavier and is 1 inch over ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  maybe it’s me ?

[jokerusn]

If you like the Modus 105, they have a Graphite on Steel hybrid shaft that's supposed to be amazing.  Haven't read many reviews but it could be what you're looking for.  I'd stay away from the GH line from Nippon if you like the Modus. They are very different from the Modus 105.  

[Drivingrangehero]

46 minutes ago, jokerusn said:

If you like the Modus 105, they have a Graphite on Steel hybrid shaft that's supposed to be amazing.  Haven't read many reviews but it could be what you're looking for.  I'd stay away from the GH line from Nippon if you like the Modus. They are very different from the Modus 105.  

Thanks, I figured they were similar, but haven’t really looked into it. 
 

I hit XP 115’s in my irons, and I see  that they make a XP 95. May just be an option if they make a .370 tip ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[geochitown]

The other graphite shaft that has the torque of steel is the Diamana Thump hybrid shaft.

Pricey though.

 

That CBX119 might give you similar feel to the EXS Pro (both deeper faced hybrids).  That shaft is pretty inexpensive (Tensei Silver 70), so that could be an easy experiment (just use lead tape on the head to get to the feel that you want).

 

I purchased a older TEE hybrid (XCG7 Beta 22*) with that same Tensei Silver shaft in 70 weight (stiff), and it does feel heavier than 70'ish grams.

[Gorlu52]

Tensei pro white is awesome hybrid shaft.

[Drivingrangehero]

1 hour ago, Gorlu52 said:

Tensei pro white is awesome hybrid shaft.

The Tensei Pro White 90 HY does interest me. 
 

Funny, I like the White, Blue, and Silver, but hated the orange in my Driver...... not because it was counterbalanced (my current gamer is CB) it just felt dead. 

[geochitown]

I recently tried and am now gaming the Aldila Rogue Black hybrid shaft.

MIght be the most counterbalanced shaft I've playing, but I am seriously loving it.

Mid-High Flight with lots of weight added to the head.

 

85 TS shaft in a TEE XCG7 Beta 4 Hybrid (22 degrees)

[Vinsanity23]

On 9/26/2020 at 1:10 PM, Stetson said:

The new Ventus Velocore HB is great. Very tip stiff and boring flight. 

Agreed. If you're using it primarily off the tee perhaps check out the Ventus Black vs Ventus Blue. Will be lower launching and spinning.

[Stetson]

12 minutes ago, vstensrud23 said:

Agreed. If you're using it primarily off the tee perhaps check out the Ventus Black vs Ventus Blue. Will be lower launching and spinning.

The only reason I do not blindly recommend black to anyone is because 9TX is the softest shaft they have at this time. That is a shaft few fit into. The Blue will fit far more golfers and bring more versatility. 

[Vinsanity23]

2 minutes ago, Stetson said:

The only reason I do not blindly recommend black to anyone is because 9TX is the softest shaft they have at this time. That is a shaft few fit into. The Blue will fit far more golfers and bring more versatility. 

Valid point regardless of EI profile. Although I think it goes without saying that if you're considering a $200 hybrid shaft you should probably make an effort to swing it before purchasing, although I know that isn't always an option.

Edited September 29, 2020 by vstensrud23

[Drivingrangehero]

I’m loving the Modus 105 is the Adams, I’m thinking of going something more steel like ...... perhaps a steelfiber i95. The weight is right, and I’ve heard it compared to DG s300 for feel, which I like. 
 

I get better dispersion numbers with the heavier shafts, so I try to steer away from counterbalanced shafts in hybrids and irons. I may go i95 steelfiber and play it at 41 inch..... the thing that throws me off, is that my dispersion with the Tensei AV was great and only 70+ grams ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

I will have to see how the shaft (Fujikura EXS Blue) that my club came with performs before I make a move. Since I have an Aldila 2KXV 85 x-flex tipped 1 inch in my Callaway Apex (2016) hybrid, and I like how it loads. I could try it in the CBX 119. The club (Apex) feels light-ish. It may just be a difference in head weight that makes or breaks it........ some lead tape if I have too! 
 

thanks for all replies! 

[Stetson]

34 minutes ago, vstensrud23 said:

Valid point regardless of EI profile. Although I think it goes without saying that if you're considering a $200 hybrid shaft you should probably make an effort to swing it before purchasing, although I know that isn't always an option.

Yes you should try it if possible. There was no way for me to try it first so I bought two of them and am keeping the one I felt fit me better.  I figured that I would be able to sell pretty easy ... I was wrong haha

[Drivingrangehero]

9 minutes ago, Stetson said:

Yes you should try it if possible. There was no way for me to try it first so I bought two of them and am keeping the one I felt fit me better.  I figured that I would be able to sell pretty easy ... I was wrong haha

I was able to try what i thought would be similar with the TEE EXS pro, but I felt like I had to jump on the CBX 119 being that it was $90 and new with headcover still in the plastic. 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Drivingrangehero
Spelling Head cover

[Drivingrangehero]

1 hour ago, Stetson said:

The only reason I do not blindly recommend black to anyone is because 9TX is the softest shaft they have at this time. That is a shaft few fit into. The Blue will fit far more golfers and bring more versatility. 

 I hit the Ventus Blue in a SIM hybrid..... may have been the head, but it flew sky high and was super light feeling...... I shelved it after 4 swings...... too high, too light = poor dispersion for me....  hook/push/ pop fly centerfield 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Drivingrangehero
Auto correct

[Vinsanity23]

3 minutes ago, Drivingrangehero said:

 I hit the Ventus Blue in a SIM hybrid..... may have been the head, but it flew sky high and was super light feeling...... I shelved it after 4 swings...... too high, too light = poor dispersion for me....  hook/push/ pop fly centerfield 

Was this the aftermarket velocore shaft or the made-for version they sell off the rack?

[Vinsanity23]

27 minutes ago, Stetson said:

Yes you should try it if possible. There was no way for me to try it first so I bought two of them and am keeping the one I felt fit me better.  I figured that I would be able to sell pretty easy ... I was wrong haha

Not the easiest to do with hybrids due to the occasional lack of adapters, but shaftshack will let you rent shafts for like $20 for a period of time to try and then send back/purchase depending on your feelings. I live about 1.5 hours from the nearest fitter so this is a cool option for me.

[Drivingrangehero]

25 minutes ago, vstensrud23 said:

Was this the aftermarket velocore shaft or the made-for version they sell off the rack?

Made for off the rack at a PGASS

[Vinsanity23]

1 minute ago, Drivingrangehero said:

Made for off the rack at a PGASS

Ah okay. The Velocore shaft will play totally different. The made-for is a wet noodle.

[Stetson]

4 minutes ago, Drivingrangehero said:

Made for off the rack at a PGASS

 

As stated above significantly different shaft without Velocore.  As stated elsewhere test were done on the Velocore vs Non-Velocore version of the shaft in a driver and the offline results were 3 yards vs 22 yards offline (V vs N-V).  And the Velocore was 8 yards longer.  

Obviously that is just 1 person with a launch monitor but I think it probably paints a fairly accurate picture if the test were conducted across a large section of players.  It likely would be closer to X vs X*1.5-2 for yards offline  (Such as 10 vs 15-20).

[blueonblack]

39 minutes ago, vstensrud23 said:

Not the easiest to do with hybrids due to the occasional lack of adapters, but shaftshack will let you rent shafts for like $20 for a period of time to try and then send back/purchase depending on your feelings. I live about 1.5 hours from the nearest fitter so this is a cool option for me.

I'm just getting back into the game and wanted to thank you for mentioning that site. Pretty cool.

Now if only my drivers were a little newer......ha! I was thinking a new shaft for my 913D2, so that may be an option! How are their prices if you choose to purchase? Pretty standard MAP pricing? Do they apply the rental to the shaft purchase then?

Edited September 29, 2020 by blueonblack

[Drivingrangehero]

4 minutes ago, vstensrud23 said:

Ah okay. The Velocore shaft will play totally different. The made-for is a wet noodle.

Ok. 
i only hit that off the mat and it went sky high. I couldn’t imagine off a tee. 
 

im familiar with the differing profiles of TX/Pro/Tour profiles from stock. My driver TX shaft spins about 400 less than the x-flex counterpart, and feels tighter. 
 

im not looking to spend much. I think there are cheaper options for me, or I would have just paid full price for the TEE EXS Pro. 
 

with 2 kids at 1 and 3.... I don’t get out much 

[Vinsanity23]

Understandable. If you're looking for a similar profile at a lower price the ATMOS TS HB (black or blue depending on your desired characteristics) is a good one I've used recently. Also, and this is kind of out of left field, but a shaft I've used in hybrids off the tee before and loved is an Aldila RIP Alpha 105. Oldie but a goodie for tee shots. Runs about $40 on eBay.