MEMBER REVIEWS: Fujikura Ventus HB Hybrid & Utility Shafts! See What Members Are Saying!

[getitdaily]

No questions from anyone on performance,  feel, etc?

[golffeen007]

**Original post update #1. Received and looks amazing and the etching is top quality!

[EaglesGolf99]

18 hours ago, Fujikura Golf said:

I would suggest looking at the Ventus Blue HB 9X. A little lighter weight. You may be struggling with it because of the total weight and possibly swingweight if it is feeling too heavy. The 9X may be able to help you with both. If you're looking to significantly reduce weight, I'd suggest the Blue 8X.

 

Hope this helps!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

Austin, thank YOU for the suggestions! The Blue 8x is where I was leaning. 

 

Playing Devil's Advocate, with the limited information you have about me, and knowing the 904HB is my all time great! Why would you suggest Blue over Black?

 

Look forward to your response.

 

Thank YOu, again, Austin!

[bjmdo]

So jealous! Great to hear the reviews thus far!

[HackinNut]

Gonna hit the range today to see what this bad boy does!  Really could use a launch monitor though 😞

[3_Jack_Par]

I played again this morning, and hit the DI 5 times (6 if you count one time I used it to punch one about 150 yards under some trees), and this seems like it's going to be a really good combo for me. I seem to consistently hit it with a pretty tight draw, both off the tee and off the ground, and I'm getting pretty impressive distance with it, even on shots that are a bit into the wind in cool conditions. I need a bit more time with it to see if I can hit a consistent fade with it when I want to, which is something that I'd like to be able to do to hold greens on long par 3s and hitting it into par 5s. I haven't had much of an opportunity to try that yet, but the couple of times I've hit it on par 3s so far, I haven't hit very good shots, but that's something I feel like I can work out, and the performance I'm seeing off the tee on par 4s is definitely an improvement over what I was seeing with the HZRDUS Black. 

[Fujikura Golf]

On 11/4/2020 at 3:41 AM, EaglesGolf99 said:

Austin, thank YOU for the suggestions! The Blue 8x is where I was leaning. 

 

Playing Devil's Advocate, with the limited information you have about me, and knowing the 904HB is my all time great! Why would you suggest Blue over Black?

 

Look forward to your response.

 

Thank YOu, again, Austin!

Happy to help!

 

Here's what I'll say - 

1. The Black only comes in 9 and 10 TX flexes. They are significantly stiffer than just about any hybrid shaft offered - stiffer than anything we've made to accommodate the fastest (and increasing) swings on Tour. We also know that there are golfers that do not play on Tour that have these speeds and wanted to give them this same option. 

2. Blue 8/9 X models are still quite stiff, but have an accelerated taper that helps with loading and feel. So you're still getting the stiffness needed based on our data with ball/club/turf interaction (for stability, ie: VeloCore), paired with a feel that isn't harsh or boardy. For reference, I'm at about 116mph clubhead speed and find the Blue 9X to work far better for my speed/swing than the Black. But this is just my personal experience with multiple tests with both of these shafts.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything I can help clear up for you!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

[Fujikura Golf]

On 11/4/2020 at 9:09 AM, 3_Jack_Par said:

I played again this morning, and hit the DI 5 times (6 if you count one time I used it to punch one about 150 yards under some trees), and this seems like it's going to be a really good combo for me. I seem to consistently hit it with a pretty tight draw, both off the tee and off the ground, and I'm getting pretty impressive distance with it, even on shots that are a bit into the wind in cool conditions. I need a bit more time with it to see if I can hit a consistent fade with it when I want to, which is something that I'd like to be able to do to hold greens on long par 3s and hitting it into par 5s. I haven't had much of an opportunity to try that yet, but the couple of times I've hit it on par 3s so far, I haven't hit very good shots, but that's something I feel like I can work out, and the performance I'm seeing off the tee on par 4s is definitely an improvement over what I was seeing with the HZRDUS Black. 

We look forward to hearing more from your experience!

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

[getitdaily]

16 minutes ago, Fujikura Golf said:

Happy to help!

 

Here's what I'll say - 

1. The Black only comes in 9 and 10 TX flexes. They are significantly stiffer than just about any hybrid shaft offered - stiffer than anything we've made to accommodate the fastest (and increasing) swings on Tour. We also know that there are golfers that do not play on Tour that have these speeds and wanted to give them this same option. 

2. Blue 8/9 X models are still quite stiff, but have an accelerated taper that helps with loading and feel. So you're still getting the stiffness needed based on our data with ball/club/turf interaction (for stability, ie: VeloCore), paired with a feel that isn't harsh or boardy. For reference, I'm at about 116mph clubhead speed and find the Blue 9X to work far better for my speed/swing than the Black. But this is just my personal experience with multiple tests with both of these shafts.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything I can help clear up for you!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

@EaglesGolf99

 

For reference, I'm 108-109, play a fade, and am in a 9x tipped 1/2 inch. The shaft feels super smooth, not loose and not boardy, but it stays right with me and doesn't balloon in a 19 hybrid (clk that's a bit spinny). 

[EaglesGolf99]

2 hours ago, Fujikura Golf said:

Happy to help!

 

Here's what I'll say - 

1. The Black only comes in 9 and 10 TX flexes. They are significantly stiffer than just about any hybrid shaft offered - stiffer than anything we've made to accommodate the fastest (and increasing) swings on Tour. We also know that there are golfers that do not play on Tour that have these speeds and wanted to give them this same option. 

2. Blue 8/9 X models are still quite stiff, but have an accelerated taper that helps with loading and feel. So you're still getting the stiffness needed based on our data with ball/club/turf interaction (for stability, ie: VeloCore), paired with a feel that isn't harsh or boardy. For reference, I'm at about 116mph clubhead speed and find the Blue 9X to work far better for my speed/swing than the Black. But this is just my personal experience with multiple tests with both of these shafts.

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything I can help clear up for you!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

Austin, THANK YOU!

[EaglesGolf99]

1 hour ago, getitdaily said:

@EaglesGolf99

 

For reference, I'm 108-109, play a fade, and am in a 9x tipped 1/2 inch. The shaft feels super smooth, not loose and not boardy, but it stays right with me and doesn't balloon in a 19 hybrid (clk that's a bit spinny). 

@getitdaily THANK YOU!

[Fujikura Golf]

On 11/3/2020 at 4:47 PM, golffeen007 said:

**Original post update #1. Received and looks amazing and the etching is top quality!

Love to hear this. Looking forward to your experience and testing review!

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

[TheSphynx]

😶

Edited March 20, 2021 by TheSphynx
😐

[golffeen007]

8 minutes ago, TheSphynx said:

I wasn’t cool enough to be part of the test but I have a black 10 in my sim udi 3 iron and I’m not disappointed with that decision 

I bet that setup is point and shoot! 

[golffeen007]

18 minutes ago, Fujikura Golf said:

Love to hear this. Looking forward to your experience and testing review!

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

The suggestions that were made with the setup are spot on man, and I thank you very much! Can't wait to get it on the course tomorrow and dial it in. 

[3wood]

Brief intro of my golf game.  Driver swing is around 112. 4 handicap. Moderate to aggressive tempo. Putter usually decides what my game will be that day. So for this review I’ll be comparing my u500 Ventus black 9tx against my long time gamer 718 tmb tour ad 95. After being selected I thought maybe the 9tx will be too much.  But I tend to like and hit stiffer shafts better.  
 

What's In My Bag -

Driver-Sim 9 Ventus black 6x

3 wood - Taylormade M5 rocket Tensei orange 70x

3 utility  - Titleist U500 Ventus black 9tx

Irons - Miura tc201 4-p 1* Flat - Project X 6.5

Wedges - Vokey sm5 50, tw 56 vokey t grind 58

Putter - stroke lab 10

Ball- tour B X. Messing around with the pro v left dash

Feel

This shaft feels fantastic. Playing the black in my driver I already knew I would like it but didn’t realize I would like it this much. It has a nice kick at the bottom and the harder you go the softer it feels. If someone told me I was swinging a 9tx shaft I wouldn’t believe it. The feeling I get with the GD tour ad is smooth but that I could lose it at any moment. With Ventus I get that same smooth feeling but with stability. 
 

Performance

Point and shoot is really all I need to say. I can hit it high medium and low.  Ball flight is flat and boring.  With my tmb I struggled to keep it low and tend to hit that slow riser. The Ventus has fixed that problem, I can hit that low stinger off the tee that runs forever.  Hitting into par 5’s I can hit it high and let it land soft. Distance gains are minimal but accuracy is what I was hoping to gain and that’s what has happened so far. 
 

I’m looking to do more testing Monday and Wednesday next week.  I’ll try to get on the sky track at the club to get some numbers. Not as accurate as gcquad or TrackMan but should give us some idea.  High possibility the tmb finds it way to the bst next. 
 

UPDATE 11/9

I’ve got to play two rounds so far with black 9 in my u500 3. I’m in love, this thing is point and shoot. I can tee it up and hit that mid flight shot that will run on short par 4’s and also hit that high shot into par 5’s. 
This shaft has a really nice kick that I can feel about 3/4 the way down the shaft. The stability is phenomenal and accuracy has been great.  It bores

through the wind, which I would struggle with the tour ad. 
Do yourself a favor and put one of these into your hybrid or driving iron. I think the hb is my favorite shaft and I have a ventus black 6x in my driver. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by 3wood

[3_Jack_Par]

Updated my first post now that I have had time to really test it for a few rounds.

[QuigleyDU]

I really like the blue 9x. I purchased one right when I heard they were coming out. I thought about getting the black but I prefer some feel and ability to feel the shaft load. 
 

I swing pretty hard but tend to hit the ball a little low. So, the blue 9x is giving a bit higher launch and and spin characteristics. 
 

I my Gapr is a club that I really trust and becomes a go to club when I have to hit a fairway and I really like this shaft for that. 
 

it also works well for shots on par 5 into greens. 
 

 

[icemakr]

Big thanks to GolfWRX and Fujikura for this opportunity to test the Hybrid Ventus!!

 

I will be adding to my post in the coming weeks as I get a chance to test more and maybe get on a launch monitor. 

 

A little about me:

Age - 58

Location - Northern California, San Ramon

Handicap - Currently 9.4 

Driver SS - 100mph

Ten years ago I was a +1 and played amateur events, 2013 I was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. Desmoplastic Neutropic Melanoma. Not fun, if your fair skinned WEAR SUNSCREEN & a bucket hat.

Anyway, 5 years away from the game, surgeries, chemo, radiation & Immunotherapy. I’m 2 years NED.

 

My Bag:

Titleist TS3 10.5* Tensei Orange Regular tipped 3/4”

Titleist TS2 16.5*  Fujikura Motore 70 Regular

Ping G400 20.5*  Fujikura Motore 80 Regular

Titleist TS2 23* Tensei Blue Now VENTUS BLUE 80 S

Ping i500 6,7 irons bent 1* strong, iBlades 7-Pw Fuji Pro 85i (R) hardstepped

 

I was excited to find out I was selected to try the Ventus hybrid but I was a bit worried if I fit the profile they were looking for. I don’t have the swing speed to use a 90 or 100 gram X flex anymore. I had a great talk with Austin from Fujikura, and after getting a little more information about me, he thought the 80 Stiff would fit my swing if installed untipped. My hybrid is a 4 iron replacement, Ive tried a bunch of DI, GI, Gapr stuff but I couldn’t launch them hig enough to hold firm greens. The TS2 has been pretty good but it could use some better dispersion control. 

 

I sent my club to Fujikura to have the shafts switched out, and got it back about 10 days later, and with the bonus etching. Really nice touch. Ive had one range session and one round so far and I’m really impressed. Really easy to launch, very smooth feeling but not loose. I hit a laser on the Par 3 15th 197yards today to 5 feet! 

 

[icemakr]

[golfmatt]

On 11/7/2020 at 4:19 AM, QuigleyDU said:

I really like the blue 9x. I purchased one right when I heard they were coming out. I thought about getting the black but I prefer some feel and ability to feel the shaft load. 
 

I swing pretty hard but tend to hit the ball a little low. So, the blue 9x is giving a bit higher launch and and spin characteristics. 
 

I my Gapr is a club that I really trust and becomes a go to club when I have to hit a fairway and I really like this shaft for that. 
 

it also works well for shots on par 5 into greens. 
 

 

I've just had one put in a cobra 2 utility, tested a bunch of shafts and this one really stood out in terms of feel, bonus was it was also longer than the others too. Just need to wait for lockdown to finish to get out in the course again

[getitdaily]

44 minutes ago, golfmatt said:

I've just had one put in a cobra 2 utility, tested a bunch of shafts and this one really stood out in terms of feel, bonus was it was also longer than the others too. Just need to wait for lockdown to finish to get out in the course again

I remember claims of 2-4 mph ballspeed increase when ventus first came out. I was skeptical of that claim but I saw it with the hybrid shaft. Not same day testing, but still saw an increase.

 

Where are you that you can't play golf? Are these new lockdowns or have you been off the course since March? 

[HackinNut]

First post updated with initial thoughts.  🙂

 

[Fujikura Golf]

On 11/2/2020 at 2:19 PM, golffeen007 said:

Hey WRX!

I want to send out a HUGE Thank You to GolfWRX and Fujikura for the opportunity on the Ventus HB giveaway! I'm usually the guy that's the only one in the contest and somehow still finish 2nd , so I was more than stoked to see a PM that I had been chosen as a tester! The whole process was such a joy to have been a part of and kudos to everyone involved! It was such a pleasure to talk over the build with Austin from beginning to end he was very helpful. When he first gave me a call , we chatted a little and he was very knowledgeable and seemed like he knew exactly what I was searching for in the 2i spot, so we came up with some ideas to build that perfect setup, and if it plays half as good as it looks , we've got a sure fire winner here!

I got THE alert today(11/3) from FedEx that my package from Fuji HQ had arrived, so of course in WRX fashion, I had to find an excuse to leave the office and run home to check it out and this beauty below was waiting for me! They were even kind enough to use one of my Bbf&co ferrules and it looks phenomenal! 

 

I will have a chance to hit it in the coming days and get some on course feedback and better pictures , but just giving it the waggle test , it feels as if it's going to be something very special. I've played many iron/driving iron shafts out on the market in the last couple years , so I can give some comparisons to my findings , if it could help you guys that are undecided. 

 

Little about me -

Age : 43

From Dothan Alabama , about an hour north of Panama City FL, for those who've vacationed here , we get a 12 month cycle of golf that includes maybe 2 weeks of leave changing winter 😆. I love to build clubs nearly as much as I like to play but with 3 little ones ages 1,3 and 8 ,  I don't get to play as much golf as I'd like , but I still get around the course pretty good as a lower single digit handicap. Putter is my kryptonite.  A nice and smooth swing speed with the driver for me is a pedestrian 116-118. Maybe a few more in the tank if need be , but I find it harder to get out of bed the next morning.  Not a member of a club , most of my golf is played on the Robert Trent Golf Trail here in Alabama along with courses down on the coast that require some precision shot making off the tee and into par 5's and that's where I hope this beauty completes my bag. 

 

What's In My Bag -

Driver-TSi3-9* raw white 65x

3 wood - Taylormade SIM TI Rocket 14* - Ventus Velo Blue 8x

3 hybrid - Titleist 818 H1 turned to C1 - HZRDUS 105 6.5

Irons - Titleist T100s 4-PW 1* Weak 1* Flat - Project X LS 6.5

Wedges - Mizuno T20 Raw 51,55,59 - Project X LS 6.5 SS 1x

Putter - Taylormade My Spider X Counterbalanced @ 36.5" (flavor of the week , could use a rake at this point) 

 

DI/Hybrid shafts I've had this year

Modus G.O.S.T X and TX

KBS Proto 95 & 105X 

Project X 6.5 90-105X

Rogue Black 110 MSI 95X

Tour AD DI 95X

Tour AD 95X

 

*Update 11/4

 

Although I was blessed to have this opportunity of winning this shaft , I wanted to put all that aside and go into this giving you 100% unbias review of my initial thoughts, so here goes. 

 

I had a chance this morning to head out to the range and give this combo a whirl.  I've had many DI setups in the past few years and I don't know that I've ever had one with an initial impression quite like this.  I wasn't able to get hardline numbers today but my intentions mainly were just to see what I could make visually happen with it on any type of shot. I can see why these are so popular and will continue to be. 

 

Feel

The 10X Blue shaft is so smooth in the load that it kind of reminds me of my old Oban Kiyoshi Purple 100x but with more stability and less side spin. Don't get me wrong , it wasn't "soft" at all , but very easy to load and transition on even slower speeds. It feels very sturdy, almost like a thicker walled , less brittle feeling than the PX 6.5 I was use to.  What blew my mind was when I would hit a little 3/4 holdoff fade it was perfect and then right back into a full swing , it stayed right there with you. It was almost as if the shaft itself would tighten up when I went after it and dial back when hit it three quarters. Not quite sure how that is. Very smooth linear load that felt amazing. 

 

Performance 

Initial target I shot was 230-ish out to the front hill of a sloped green with a 10 mph wind off my left and hurting. There were no flags on the RTJ range today, since the greens had just been cut, so I couldn't actually shoot a flag , but the front hill before the green. From the first contact , this guy did not want to waiver offline no matter what kind of swing I put on it.  After the first 10 or so range balls with it , I gave it all I could. Low runner bullet , low/high cut , low/high draw and it just wanted to stay straight with the slightest bit of curve. Everyone of them flew on top of the hill or over and within reason of my intended line. I'm generally a high spin player that can usually put quite a bit of turn on one both ways , but the ball was flying on target with just a subtle amount of movement either way. I even tried to miss hit it high toe side, for my usual duck hook miss and to look up to see it's flying just a little left of target and not completely hooking left was a welcomed surprise! I can see this being a fantastic shaft for the hybrid guys that want some feel in a DI/Hybrid shaft, but worry about losing it left or right when the swing gets a little quick or over the top. I was hitting it well today and couldn't miss with most other clubs in my bag. Might be the honeymoon phase or placebo effect taken hold here , but this shaft is looking very good for me so far. I'm playing Friday for some on course perspective and I'll be able to post some launch monitor numbers over the weekend. Until then , have a good night and I'll report back as soon as I get the data.   

 

If you guys have any questions that maybe I can help with in the meantime, please let me know!

 

Best , 

Jason 

 

To Be Continued....

 

 

 

Great feedback, @golffeen007! Love to hear that your experiences have been positive and we were able to dial your driving iron into the right combo. Looking forward to more from you and the rest of our testers!

 

Thanks!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

[Fujikura Golf]

On 11/6/2020 at 9:49 PM, icemakr said:

Big thanks to GolfWRX and Fujikura for this opportunity to test the Hybrid Ventus!!

 

I will be adding to my post in the coming weeks as I get a chance to test more and maybe get on a launch monitor. 

 

A little about me:

Age - 58

Location - Northern California, San Ramon

Handicap - Currently 9.4 

Driver SS - 100mph

Ten years ago I was a +1 and played amateur events, 2013 I was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. Desmoplastic Neutropic Melanoma. Not fun, if your fair skinned WEAR SUNSCREEN & a bucket hat.

Anyway, 5 years away from the game, surgeries, chemo, radiation & Immunotherapy. I’m 2 years NED.

 

My Bag:

Titleist TS3 10.5* Tensei Orange Regular tipped 3/4”

Titleist TS2 16.5*  Fujikura Motore 70 Regular

Ping G400 20.5*  Fujikura Motore 80 Regular

Titleist TS2 23* Tensei Blue Now VENTUS BLUE 80 S

Ping i500 6,7 irons bent 1* strong, iBlades 7-Pw Fuji Pro 85i (R) hardstepped

 

I was excited to find out I was selected to try the Ventus hybrid but I was a bit worried if I fit the profile they were looking for. I don’t have the swing speed to use a 90 or 100 gram X flex anymore. I had a great talk with Austin from Fujikura, and after getting a little more information about me, he thought the 80 Stiff would fit my swing if installed untipped. My hybrid is a 4 iron replacement, Ive tried a bunch of DI, GI, Gapr stuff but I couldn’t launch them hig enough to hold firm greens. The TS2 has been pretty good but it could use some better dispersion control. 

 

I sent my club to Fujikura to have the shafts switched out, and got it back about 10 days later, and with the bonus etching. Really nice touch. Ive had one range session and one round so far and I’m really impressed. Really easy to launch, very smooth feeling but not loose. I hit a laser on the Par 3 15th 197yards today to 5 feet! 

 

Love it @icemakr! Can't wait to hear more!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

[golffeen007]

6 hours ago, Fujikura Golf said:

Great feedback, @golffeen007! Love to hear that your experiences have been positive and we were able to dial your driving iron into the right combo. Looking forward to more from you and the rest of our testers!

 

Thanks!

 

- Austin - Fujikura Golf

11/9 - 2nd update -  1st on course experience with my Titleist U500 2 iron and blue 10x Velocore HB shaft. 

[3wood]

Updated my post. 

[icemakr]

 

Another great day with the Ventus !

Yocha Dehe GC par 3 13th 194y

slight headwind. Hit a nice dart in there to 7 ft. 

Really enjoying this shaft. 20-25mph gusty day. Comfortably hit shots both high and low. Thanks Austin for the setup, weight feels good, slightly short really does the trick

 

[3_Jack_Par]

I've had a chance to hit my driving iron off the tee a bunch of times over the last few rounds, but I didn't have really any opportunities to hit it off the ground. Today, I played early in the morning, and had a few shots where it made sense to use it off the deck, and I think this is the biggest improvement that I'm seeing from the shaft change. I had one straightforward shot from the fairway, where I was able to hit it about 245 to get it into pitching range on a par 5. Then on the 9th hole, I hit my tee shot off to the right an had a couple of trees to contend with. I needed to hit about a 20 yard fade to get it toward the pin. I had about 250 to the front of the green, uphill and a little down breeze. It would be a stretch to get it there, especially with as much as I needed to cut it. I hit it exactly as I was picturing it, and it flew right at the center of the green bending around the trees perfectly, ending up just off the front of the green, and it should have been an easy birdie, had I not completely screwed up the chip and blown it by the hole. 

I'm getting a little bit of extra height from the HB Blue compared to the previous shaft, but it is still a very penetrating flight, and I'm getting additional carry distance, which is translating to improved playability. 

[Fujikura Golf]

15 hours ago, icemakr said:

 

Another great day with the Ventus !

Yocha Dehe GC par 3 13th 194y

slight headwind. Hit a nice dart in there to 7 ft. 

Really enjoying this shaft. 20-25mph gusty day. Comfortably hit shots both high and low. Thanks Austin for the setup, weight feels good, slightly short really does the trick

 

@icemakr Glad to hear it is working so well for you! Hope you made the putt! haha Keep the updates coming!

- Austin - Fujikura Golf