Other Graphite Iron Shafts Besides Recoil, Steelfiber ?

[Hit-em]

I'm wondering what other graphite iron shafts are out there that guys have tried & had good results with beside the more main stream shafts like Recoil & Steelfiber

I've tried the Recoils & found them to be OK & I didn't care for the steelfiber

I'd like to find a tapered shaft if possible but it's not set in stone

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[spaldingsmails70]

I have a GTECH by Graphite Design I'm going to test out in a 7 iron. There's does not seem to be alot of feedback online about this shaft.

[Stuart_G]

45 minutes ago, Hit-em said:

I'm wondering what other graphite iron shafts are out there that guys have tried & had good results with beside the more main stream shafts like Recoil & Steelfiber

I've tried the Recoils & found them to be OK & I didn't care for the steelfiber

I'd like to find a tapered shaft if possible but it's not set in stone

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

 

Don't overlook the fact that Aerotech has two very different lines of the steelfibers.   If you don't like the more common i-series because you found it to be a bit too stiff, give the fc series a try.  They are a very different shaft.  Higher launching and much smoother (or softer tipped).

 

What options are available will largely depend on what weight you're looking for.  For the heavier (> 90 gm) const weight tapered options, there are a few more but they do tend to be more expensive and harder to find to demo/test out.

 

KBS TGI's  - downside is that weight and flex change together so harder to find the best combination of both but some people will fit well into them.

Fujikura MCI's

MRC's MMT's

Accra iSeries iCWT 2.0 - also limited only 95 gm stiff or 115 gm x-stiff

 

A few more options for heavier shafts that are descending weight parallel tip.

 

Lots more options if you don't mind descending weight shafts and fit into the lighter weight parallel tip shafts < 80 gms.  Too many to list.

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Stuart_G

[Sparty4202]

What kind of shaft weight range are you looking for...

[ephmen]

MRC also has OTi which I play and love. 

[CallawayOffCenter]

The Fujikura Pro's are definitely worth looking in to! 

[Hit-em]

2 hours ago, tbccgolfer said:

What kind of shaft weight range are you looking for...

I'm looking in the 80-95 gr

[kylemd]

Matrix program F15 85 grams. Lots of em on ebay. They may be parallel.370 but you can hand sand the tips to a taper.... easy and I do it weekly. Only taking off 2  100 th ‘s of an inch or so. I have a set in my Mp14 ‘s and like them. 

[SEP1006]

Accra Tour 90i is a great shaft. Been playing them for almost a year now. Had the Accra Tour 100i's for 4 years before that. Very smooth and dispersion is great.

[jdanlaw]

30 minutes ago, CallawayOffCenter said:

The Fujikura Pro's are definitely worth looking in to! 

 

Fuji Pros have been great for me, as well.  SteelFibers, KB TGi, and Recoils, both Prototype and base versions, have not worked.  Fuji Pros are in a set of Wilson V6 and it's an outstanding combination. 

[NRJyzr]

On top of all mentioned, there are also the PX Catalyst shafts.  And Xcaliber have a couple products, including their new Rapid Taper shafts, that @Popeye64 is rather fond of...

Edited December 23, 2020 by NRJyzr

[jas904]

I’ve tried just about everything. For me, KBS TGI 95 stiff hard-stepped one time was the magic by a land slide. If the weight/flex matches up for you, I would highly recommend them. 

[cardoustie]

There is some older aldila stuff that is good rip115, nv105

[Sparty4202]

1 hour ago, Hit-em said:

I'm looking in the 80-95 gr

I’ve played the Project X Catalyst70 gr and the xcalibers 95 gr and liked both...playing the taper tip Recoil 680 now, seem to be the best for me.

[Popeye64]

1 hour ago, Hit-em said:

I'm looking in the 80-95 gr

Xcaliber has a set of Classic taper tips (not the Rapid Tapers) in a 80g weight. I can get you a full set of shafts for $150. Very under-rated and a great bargain. I've built a few sets this year and it has surprised all that have hit them. 

[Cwing]

Currently trying the KBS TGI 80. Too soon to tell but I’m liking then thus far.

[nitram]

Mitsubishi MMT.

 

"Just Do It".

[Feelingofgreatness]

I get along real well with Accra iSeries. Currently gaming i80 with 8i to GW all flighted. 

[Sparty4202]

12 hours ago, Popeye64 said:

Xcaliber has a set of Classic taper tips (not the Rapid Tapers) in a 80g weight. I can get you a full set of shafts for $150. Very under-rated and a great bargain. I've built a few sets this year and it has surprised all that have hit them. 

I have a set of Maltby Irons with the Xcaliber Tour 95 shafts that I occasionally play and I really like the feel and performance.

[Colej]

18 hours ago, Hit-em said:

I'm looking in the 80-95 gr

I just recently tried the Xcaliber RT 75 in my hybrids, RT 95 in my irons, and the spin 100 in my wedges. Really like the feel of both the 75 and 95 on any kind of swing I put on them.
 

The spin 100 is awesome on the touch or finesse shots. I’m not completely sold on using these in my wedges for full swings. I may switch them out for heavier shafts. It’s late in the year and my season in pretty much over so I’ll continue testing until next year. 

 

these are .370 tip but anyone with some patience could taper these to .355

[Popeye64]

4 hours ago, tbccgolfer said:

I have a set of Maltby Irons with the Xcaliber Tour 95 shafts that I occasionally play and I really like the feel and performance.

The Tour 95 which is now the Pro X is a very unique shaft. Acts like steel with the steel woven mesh but dampens like graphite. I have always seen that shaft as the perfect transition for a player that isn't ready to give up steel just yet. I have played the Tour x and the Pro x longer than any other shaft combination by a mile. 

Its just recent that I switched to the Rapid Tapers but still have the ProX in my wedges. 

[Popeye64]

I'm going to build @Hit-em a couple of demos. An 85g Prox and the brand new Rapid Taper RTi 85 both R flex. The 85g RTI are have just been released so it should be the first club out in the wild. 

Since he is playing a Mizuno Mp20 MMC the Maltby PTM will actually be a pretty close head, design wise. 

Should be a really neat comparison for him with the two different shaft designs. 

[vakaviti]

The Mitsubishi MMT gets my vote

[Hit-em]

I want to thank Popeye64 for taking the time & making the generous offer to make me a couple of demos to compare the two shafts ..it's greatly appreciated !!

Thank you again

[dmarz911]

New to WRX so hopefully I can get some help with Steelfibers.  January 2020, I get fitted at Club Champion.  TM P-760 with Steelfiber i110 R-flex (taper tips).  Good results on trackman but Club Champion wants $3,000 for the set and TM did not offer the Steelfiber i110 so I passed.  Recently, I started looking at the Mizuno MP20-MMC (nice club) and went to a Mizuno Demo day last week. Fitter used the shaft optimizer and order of shafts were:

1) Steelfiber i110 CW S-flex

2) C-Taper Lite S-flex (softstepped once)

3) PX LZ 5.0 (softstepped once). 

 

Seemed like an odd group but fitter said all 110g weight which is #1 consideration and all have similar profile which is #2 consideration, and I should not think in terms of stiffness.  I hated KBS they always seem boardy.  PXLZ and Steelfiber had good ball flights, etc., but the Steelfiber felt a bit better.  I mention to the fitter that Club Champion fit me in Steelfiber i110 R-flex a year ago and he rather abruptly says that is incorrect for me. I am guessing he is basing that on the optimizer showing S-flex and I did hit them well.   My question is does a taper tip play firmer than parallel tip and is that possibly why I was fitted into a taper tip R-flex and parallel tip S-flex?  I know fitting is the right way to go and I have some comfort in two different fittings putting me in Steelfiber i110's, albeit different flexes.  At 60 years old and with an 81mph, 7 iron swing, which while it may get more efficient since I work with an instructor, it's certainly not going to get faster or more powerful.  I am definitely going to buy new irons, but want to ensure as much as possible I am putting the best shaft possible for me that will last a few years.

 

Interestingly, I have been hitting my buddies Maltby TS-2 head.  He loves them and they felt nice so I was considering building a set through Golfworks and save $500 over Mizuno, but on the Golfworks site under i110 R-flex there are notes "no longer available" but under the i110 stiffs they are available.  It almost seems the R-flex is being phased out.

 

Thank you

Edited January 1, 2021 by dmarz911

[Colej]

If your baseline is 81 mph I would not think you’re a stiff flex in steelfiber.  Maybe stiff soft stepped 2X or 3X? It is correct that the .370 plays just a bit softer but not night and day difference from the .355
 

I would think the first evaluation of regular flex in the taper was correct. 
 

call golfworks directly regarding the steelfiber in 110. It’s just something with their setup online. You could also only buy a couple clubs from them. You don’t have to do a full set. If you wanted to just try say a 7 and a PW. 
 

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Colej

[DrDon]

49 minutes ago, dmarz911 said:

New to WRX so hopefully I can get some help with Steelfibers.  January 2020, I get fitted at Club Champion.  TM P-760 with Steelfiber i110 R-flex (taper tips).  Good results on trackman but Club Champion wants $3,000 for the set and TM did not offer the Steelfiber i110 so I passed.  Recently, I started looking at the Mizuno MP20-MMC (nice club) and went to a Mizuno Demo day last week. Fitter used the shaft optimizer and order of shafts were:

1) Steelfiber i110 CW S-flex

2) C-Taper Lite S-flex (softstepped once)

3) PX LZ 5.0 (softstepped once). 

 

Seemed like an odd group but fitter said all 110g weight which is #1 consideration and all have similar profile which is #2 consideration, and I should not think in terms of stiffness.  I hated KBS they always seem boardy.  PXLZ and Steelfiber had good ball flights, etc., but the Steelfiber felt a bit better.  I mention to the fitter that Club Champion fit me in Steelfiber i110 R-flex a year ago and he rather abruptly says that is incorrect for me. I am guessing he is basing that on the optimizer showing S-flex and I did hit them well.   My question is does a taper tip play firmer than parallel tip and is that possibly why I was fitted into a taper tip R-flex and parallel tip S-flex?  I know fitting is the right way to go and I have some comfort in two different fittings putting me in Steelfiber i110's, albeit different flexes.  At 60 years old and with an 81mph, 7 iron swing, which while it may get more efficient since I work with an instructor, it's certainly not going to get faster or more powerful.  I am definitely going to buy new irons, but want to ensure as much as possible I am putting the best shaft possible for me that will last a few years.

 

Interestingly, I have been hitting my buddies Maltby TS-2 head.  He loves them and they felt nice so I was considering building a set through Golfworks and save $500 over Mizuno, but on the Golfworks site under i110 R-flex there are notes "no longer available" but under the i110 stiffs they are available.  It almost seems the R-flex is being phased out.

 

Thank you

 

 

I have the Maltby TS-2 irons with Xcaliber Rapid Taper 75g graphite shafts.    These were built by Popeye64.  

 

I'm very happy with these irons.   I was looking for a higher ball flight and the benefits of graphite shafts after having major hand surgery.    

 

My previous irons were Ping Gs with Nippon 950GH steel shafts.

 

 

[Colej]

5 minutes ago, DrDon said:

 

 

I have the Maltby TS-2 irons with Xcaliber Rapid Taper 75g graphite shafts.    These were built by Popeye64.  

 

I'm very happy with these irons.   I was looking for a higher ball flight and the benefits of graphite shafts after having major hand surgery.    

 

My previous irons were Ping Gs with Nippon 950GH steel shafts.

 

 

I put the 75’s in my hybrids and 95’s in my irons. So far I’m very impressed. I had both hands done 3 months ago (carpal tunnel surgery). 

[dmarz911]

Thanks for the replys. I figured at my swing speed R-flex is a better choice. But, I had Edwin Watts also put me on the shaft optimizer 2 days ago and top 3 were all 120g S-flex - go figure. I somewhat dismissed those results because the fitter did not seem real familar with the optimizer. But he says at 81mph you are definitely a S-flex. Before I leave another employee says at 81mph you are definitely a R-flex - again, go figure.

 

I currently have Maltby TS-2 with PX LZ 5.5. Gave them a try earlier this year.  At least a club longer than my Ping 210s. But the bulky head just does not appeal and I want to get back to a more player looking iron. Today I hit my buddies TS-1 with AMT Red R-flex side by side with an Apex with DG 105 S-flex. Both were towering in height (but I always hit high as I am an early releaser with a slight flip) and about the same distance and forgiveness, but the Apex was harsh.

 

I recently hit my buddies Mizuno MP-20MMC with AMT white S-flex side by side with my TS-2 at the range. TS-2 were 7-8 yards longer, but MP flew nice, felt good and surprisingly forgiving but I could feel the extra weight. Incidentally, I hit the MP 5 iron very well which I attribute the reduced shaft weight and closer to my ideal weight. I am every fitters nightmare.

 

I figure its going to be the TS-1 or Mizuno MP-20mmc once I figure out shafts.

[27x10.5]

MMT’s...literally the easiest equipment choice