Nippon 123 Driver Fitting System Review

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Nippon 123 Driver Fitting System 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

Most reviews here are focused on a single shaft model. The Nippon 123 system is three shafts brought to market as a fitting system. There are three profiles, each with an array of stiffness and weight. This is a fitting system that will soon be accompanied by documentation to guide the fitter using it. Mark Pekarek has been fitting over 35 years. Much of that time his company, Shaftology has been the distributor for Nippon shafts in the US. When I started with Nippon, Shaftology was the only source for Nippon shafts in America. Their distributors were regionally placed and had to demonstrate their golf competence as representative of the Nippon brand. Before you look at the data I recommend you watch this video shot at the 2019 PGA Merchandise show where the system was announced to the golf business.

This is the first time, to my knowledge, that a set of shafts has been designed and presented as a fitting system. Those of us with ample fitting experience have put together our own mix of fitting shafts. It takes years of experience and access to a comprehensive database of shaft properties to outfit a fitting cart for systematic fitting. As Mark said, the profiles in this system are different enough to make a difference to the average golfer. 

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

Graphite Design YS Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

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Graphite Design S Hybrid Golf Shafts

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

Hybrid GDYS imageThe Graphite Design YS-Hybrid was a shaft I discovered through customer trials. Almost every time I sent a fitting client out with a few hybrids to compare, they came back and asked for the YS-Hybrid shaft. Torque of the S flex was 2.5, about average for hybrid shafts. The design resembles the Nippon Modus3 iron shaft. A quick loss of stiffness in the mid section, with a long stiff tip. The closest hybird shaft I have seen since is the UST ATTAS.

The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers

Aldila Trinity Golf Shaft Review

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ALDILA TRINITY

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

Adlila_Trinity_image

The Aldila Trinity released in late 2012.  It combines the three Aldila technologies.  Micro Laminate, thin fiber was introduced with the Aldila NV. S-core, a corkscrew internal rib system was introduced with the Voodoo. Reverse Interlaminar Placement pioneered with the RIP.  The Aldila Trinity combines all three of these in a single product.

Aldila has traditionally produced families of shafts with different profiles in different weight/flex versions of the model.  The Trinity follows that philosophy.  The R & S versions of the Trinity are designed to launch higher with more spin.  The S & X versions, have stiffer mid and tip sections, to drop the launch and spin for the golfer that has the speed to load stiffer shafts.  The Tour X version is what Aldila designs for tour grade players.

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Aldila 44 Magnum Golf Shaft Review

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ALDILA 44 MAGNUM

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

Aldila_44Magnum

The Aldila 44 Magnum is the first ultralite driver shaft from Aldila.  Fitter take note, the R & S profiles are different from the X and Tour X.  When I look at the specs on the R& S verions, I see a shaft I used to love, the Mitsubishi Bassara Hawk which was a light weight Diamana White Board.  The Magnum 44 torque for the R & S is however 1.5 degrees more than the Hawk.  You can expect a low launch when properly fit.  If you like light weight shafts, and over power them, this will move to a boring mid launch trajectory.  Those higher torque numbers are a concern if you over power these softer flex versions.

The X and Tour X versions have some additonal stiffness in the tip area, and butt torque at 4.8 and 4.3.  With 3.3 and 3.1 tip torque, These are respectable numbers in a 49 gram shaft.  I am planning some range testing on a stack of light weight shafts that have been accumulating.  Radial quality is excellent, the shafts are suitable for rotating hosels.

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Aldila _44Magnum_Specs

 

Aldila RIP Phenom Golf Shaft Review

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ALDILA RIP PHENOM

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

Aldila_Phenom

The Aldila Phenom is a smoother version of the RIP Alpha. Like the RIP Alpha, the light version 50 gram model has a different profile than the 70 gram version. The butt stiffness of the 70 gram version is much stiffer that the 50 gram model. The torque ranges from 6.8 in the 50R to 4.1 in the 50g TX model. While that R flex number may seem high, the raw 46″ shaft actually weighs 47.6 grams and will build out at around 45 grams. One must be careful when looking at shaft labels on light weight shafts. The labels often understate the actual weights of the shafts. That is not the case with the Aldila Phenom. The RIP Phenom 70S torque is 3.4 and the Tour X is 2.9. The radial profiles are very good, the shaft can be installed in any orientation.

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The balance point of the Aldila RIP Phenom moves toward the butt as the weight increases.  The 50g R is at 23″ and the 70g Tour X is at 25″.  This appears to be intentional as most other shafts from Aldila hold a consistent balance through weights and models.  This shafts is a mid-low launch design.  The Tour X designation on this shaft is new for Aldila.  That shaft is designed as the designation states, as a tour quality shaft.  The butt torque is 2.9, tip torque 2.1.  The EI profile is smoother, and by design, the butt is stiff.  The profile of the 70 Tour X is not that far from a Mitsubishi ‘ahina with half degree higher torque.  That small amount of torque difference will remove the sense of stiffness from this low launch design.