ACCRA Tour TZ6 Hybrid Shaft Review

ACCRA Tour TZ6 Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

ACCRA is now owned by True Sports. True Sports was formerly known at True Temper. For the past several years, the owners of ACCRA through their distribution company, PGMC have been the distributors of True Temper shafts to golf fitters.

PGMC runs the Performance Fitting Center certification program.for True Temper. The owners of ACCRA have a long history in golf shaft production and golf club fitting. The company is dedicated to professional golf club fitters. Their products are developed from feedback from the top golf club fitters in the world.

The ACCRA TZ line incorporates high modulus material into the Tour Z design. The EI profiles of the ACCRA TZ6 hybrids are much the same as the ACCRA TZ driver designs.

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Russ

Fujikura Motore Speeder Hybrid Shaft Review

FUJIKURA MOTORE SPEEDER TOUR SPEC HYBRID SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

Fuji_MotoreSpeeder_Hybrid_Image

The Fujikura Motore Speeder Tour Spec hybrid shaft is an extension of the Tour Spec line of shafts from Fujikura. As with the Tour Spec driver and fairway shafts, these hybrid shafts are state of the art shafts designed for elite amateurs and tour players looking for the best performance available.

HB Speeder EiGjTbThe Tour Spec hybrid shafts are designed with a very stiff butt profile, a moderate mid section and a very stiff tip. Using very high modulus materials, the shaft design team at Fujikura is able to create a shaft with torque numbers approaching those of steel shafts. These low torque values combined with a stiff tip result in outstanding dispersion control and a lower controlled ball flight even for the strongest players.Our personal experience is that there is no greater pleasure than knowing you can count on your hybrid shafts to deliver greens in regulation consistently. And that comes from steel like control. The Fujikura Motore Speeder Hybrid is designed to deliver steel like control in a graphite hybrid shaft.

These Tour Spec hybrid shafts are highly recommended for the elite player or other stronger amateur players with high swing speeds and heavy shaft loads looking for control in vertical launch, ball flight and dispersion that can only come from the state of the art in graphite hybrid shafts.

Fujikura Fuel Hybrid Shaft Review

FUJIKURA FUEL HYBRID SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

Fuel_Hybrid_Image

The Fujikura Fuel hybrid shaft utilizes the same Fuel technology found in the other driver and fairway shafts in the Fuel line of shafts. This technology results in an extremely stable feeling shaft at a fairly moderate price point. These shafts have the same tight, low launching characteristics of the other Fuel shafts that will generate greater distance and accuracy on a more consistent basis.

HB Fuel EiGjTb

The Fuel’s torque numbers shown above are very impressive for a moderately priced hybrid shaft. These torque numbers are very similar to steel, which in our fitting experience means lateral dispersion control. The design of this shaft creates a low boring trajectory with excellent lateral dispersion. It may feel slightly harsh for the slow to average swinger, but is an excellent choice for the stronger player that can load the shaft on the downswing. The Fuel hybrid shaft is highly recommended for the stronger player looking for a boring trajectory, good dispersion and a moderate price point.

 

 

Oban Devotion Shaft Review

OBAN DEVOTION DRIVER SHAFT

By Woody Lashen, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Pete’s Golf, Mineola, New York

Oban_Devotion_Driver_ImageThe OBAN Devotion was one of the original shafts introduced by Oban. They come in 4 different weights plus a hybrid version.  Designed to for mid launch and low spin; as with many shafts they vary in launch and spin as the weights change.  As with all Oban shafts they do not use words for flex, they use a number system from 1-6 to designate flex.   The 45 model ranges in weight from 46 t0 49 grams, and is offered in 1 to 4 flex.  It runs much softer than the rest of the line with a very smooth feel and high launch high spin launch conditions.   The 55 model is 53-59 grams and is available in 2-5 flexes.  As the weight s starts to get heavier flex’s get stiffer and the launch and spin come down, the 55 is still a mid to high spin and launch shaft.   The 65 version is 66-69 grams and available in 3-6 flex’s.  It is one of the best mid 60 gram shafts for lowering spin while keeping the smooth feel of the devotion line.  The 65 runs much stiffer then the two lower models, even for the highest loader of the shaft the 5 flex will be sufficient, in the many years of fitting this shaft we have not had the need to use the 6 flex in any of the versions of this shaft.

The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers

To continue reading this section of the review, you must be registered at a higher level membership.
Russ

To continue reading this section of the review, you must be registered at a higher level membership.
Russ

Diamana Series W Golf Shaft Review

 Mitsubishi Diamana W-Series Third Generation White Board

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

MRC DiamanaW ImageThe third generation Diamana White Board is a departure from previous designs. Like many shafts in the 2013-2014 season of super low launch head designs, it creates a higher launch tendency presentation of the head to the ball.

Three Generations of Diamana White Designs Compared

MRC Diamana 3Gens
There was little change between the first generation Diamana White Board and the second generation ‘ahina. Torque was unchanged, weight went down slightly as the era of higher density materials began. A stiffer tip area required an adjustment to the mid section of the shaft and a quicker loss of stiffness in the mid-tip transition zone.

In the third generation Mitsubishi Diamana W Series we see a huge change in the EI profile of the shaft. The Tip to Butt ratio, a simple indicator of launch tendency is unchanged, but the path there is quite different. The signature profile of the White Board, and its cousin, the Mitsubishi Fubuki Alpha, a mid shaft bump in stiffness is gone. What we see now is a profile that is similar to many shafts, a consistent loss of stiffness from butt to tip. The signature mid shaft bump is still there, albeit lower and softer. And, unlike previous generations, there is a slight but significant change in profile as the Diamana W series gets heavier.

UltraLight vs 50 gram models

A 50 gram version has been added to the line.  The Diamana W series 50 gram model have higher torque, consistent with creating feel in a light weight shaft. The tips are softer, and in looks much like a stouter version of the ultralight Bassara W series. The line between ultra light shafts and light weight versions of standard Mitsubishi models is blurred with the introduction of 50 gram shafts in both the Diamana W and Diamana B shafts. The Bassara models extend down to 40 gram models, but the 50 gram Diamana’s bridge the gap between the 50 gram Bassara’s and the 60 gram Diamana’s.

MRC Diamana W EiGjTb

Radial quality of all the review samples was excellent. The Diamana W series is suitable for rotating hosels without any regard for alignment. As you can see from the chart above, it does not get any better than this.

Project X Hybrid Shafts Review

True Temper Project X Black Hybrid Shaft
True Temper Project X Blue Hybrid Shaft

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

ProjectX_Hybrid_imageAt the time of this review the Project X Black and Blue Hybrid shafts have been on the market for several years. They represent classic hybrid shaft designs seen over and over from different brands. The Project X Black has a quick loss of stiffness tightening around 18″ from the tip and running from there into a long stable tip. This design is easy to tip trim into different loft hybrids, increasing the stiffness for the increased head weight as the lofts get larger. From my experience with similar profiles you will see a mid high flight with enough spin to create a nice drop and stop ball flight.

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Russ

If you have experience with these shafts, you can take that experience to other designs.  Look at the bend profiles and reflect on the feel and flight of other shafts reviewed here. I have done countless fittings with hybrid shafts with these designs. If it is working for you, stay with it.