Stock shafts vs. After-market shafts

[clubchamp]

I always thought the UST Gold line usually runs around 40 bucks was one of the most underrated shafts out there guess I was waaaay off.

[hero12]

98% of other players:  Play golf using their "Oh so terrible" stock shafts and enjoy their time out with friends, seeing the beauty of the courses and enjoying the game that is clearly a "joke" because not enough money is spent on it.

OP:  Plays golf to show off the amazing "stuff" he/she can buy to make him/her look amazing, money that would be better spent on a trip to St. Andrews to learn what golf is really about.

Sure the right equipment helps, but at the end of the day I prefer to play the game for the game, not the equipment I can afford.

[max power]

No-you're spot on, great shaft.  UST Gold and Proforce V2 are two of my favorites, get the job done as well as anything else at a fraction of the price.

Originally Posted by clubchamp

I always thought the UST Gold line usually runs around 40 bucks was one of the most underrated shafts out there guess I was waaaay off.

[kevin.chan]

UST V2 is a value for $ deal .

[M2R]

In an interview, Kim Braly sort of hints almost the opposite: that "designed for shafts" might have a more focused design (better?) because the design parameters are known a priori and the after market offerings are by definition going to be a "best" possible compromise.  Totally my interpretation of what he said though, the original interview can be found here .

Quote:

GolfWRX: You mentioned a little bit about club head design. What exactly is the synergy between club head design and shaft design? How have changes in club head design affected changes in shaft design over the years for you guys?

Kim Braly: I'll touch on it real quickly. Basically the center of gravity of the golf club will have an effect on what you're trying to do in terms of the shaft design. Two golf clubs, one having a higher CG and the other having a lower CG, golf club having the lower CG will require in most cases a shaft with a tip that's more flexible (this would be in the horizontal). There is a direct correlation between the shaft design and the club head if that is what the design criteria is. If an OEM comes to us and says, "We want you to design a shaft for that head for this golfer", then it becomes a lot more specific in terms of how you go about that design, versus designing a line of shafts that would be used in the after market or would be used for any of the OEMs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by max power

No-you're spot on, great shaft.  UST Gold and Proforce V2 are two of my favorites, get the job done as well as anything else at a fraction of the price.

Originally Posted by clubchamp

I always thought the UST Gold line usually runs around 40 bucks was one of the most underrated shafts out there guess I was waaaay off.

+1 on the vote for UST shafts from me too.  Still using the Gold FW and would be using the V2 also if I hadn't accidentally backed over my bag one day ... OOPS!!!

[Saxguy102]

Is there anything wrong or suspect with the "made for" shafts?  Everyone seems to differentiate between the made fors and the real deal.  I get that there is a difference, but are the made for shafts bad?  Reason I ask is I was fitted by two separate TItleist guys recently for the made for Ahina 72 tipped a half inch.  I hit it pretty good, but if there is an issue with the shafts, I'll re-consider.

All I keep reading is the Project X, RIP and other shafts are the real deal, but the Ahina and other made for shafts are just Titleist's doings.

[WUTiger]

"Made for" can represent a serious partnership between a clubmaker and a component maker.

From 2002 until 2009, I played Tour Edge Bazooka Beta-Ti fairway woods (3 and 5). They came with a Bazooka .350 Powertip Perfected Flex Ultralight shaft (Stiff) by Grafalloy.

The low-profile head plus the Grafalloy shaft produced an almost-magic club when I was swinging well. I quit using them in 2009 because I can't bend the stiff shafts anymore.

[RedFox999]

Originally Posted by Saxguy102

Is there anything wrong or suspect with the "made for" shafts?  Everyone seems to differentiate between the made fors and the real deal.  I get that there is a difference, but are the made for shafts bad?  Reason I ask is I was fitted by two separate TItleist guys recently for the made for Ahina 72 tipped a half inch.  I hit it pretty good, but if there is an issue with the shafts, I'll re-consider.

All I keep reading is the Project X, RIP and other shafts are the real deal, but the Ahina and other made for shafts are just Titleist's doings.

Most made for's are kinda whippy, thats why alot of people dont care for them. Although, the made for titleist Ahina is a good shaft, I hit it and it was nice. Its a pretty stiff shaft and has low torque, although the real deal ahina coming out in april? has even lower torque. Most made fors have a higher torque and thats not good for the fast swinger, hence alot of people dont like them

[Saxguy102]

I just ordered the 910D3 with the made for Ahina.  Reason 1, I blasted it at my fitting with good numbers across the board.  Reason 2 - no upcharge.  I can't afford a $400 driver and then pay another $200-$300 for different shaft.

I was just curious if the shafts were inherently flawed or garbage, but doesn't sound like it.  Thanks all for the feedback.

Originally Posted by RedFox999

Most made for's are kinda whippy, thats why alot of people dont care for them. Although, the made for titleist Ahina is a good shaft, I hit it and it was nice. Its a pretty stiff shaft and has low torque, although the real deal ahina coming out in april? has even lower torque. Most made fors have a higher torque and thats not good for the fast swinger, hence alot of people dont like them

[Bastid]

I've noticed stock shafts being a little weaker in flex and tip than their aftermarket counterparts. Perhaps it is my own preconceived notion that they will be different. All I know is that I didn't trust the TaylorMade version of the Fubuki, so I bought it aftermarket. Yes it was more expensive but I don't care, I'm happy with it.

I think the key to remember is that whatever shaft helps you get that high launch / low spin combination is the one for you. If it's a stock shaft, great, you just saved dumps of money, if you want to burn a bit of cash and get the aftermarket, well then you're entitled to do that as well. Love you guys.

[RedFox999]

Originally Posted by Bastid

I've noticed stock shafts being a little weaker in flex and tip than their aftermarket counterparts. Perhaps it is my own preconceived notion that they will be different. All I know is that I didn't trust the TaylorMade version of the Fubuki, so I bought it aftermarket. Yes it was more expensive but I don't care, I'm happy with it.

I think the key to remember is that whatever shaft helps you get that high launch / low spin combination is the one for you. If it's a stock shaft, great, you just saved dumps of money, if you want to burn a bit of cash and get the aftermarket, well then you're entitled to do that as well. Love you guys.

yea, i dont think you need to worry about the taylormade versions being the same, they are. Even the tour pros with taylormade use the taylormade ones because they are

[kevin.chan]

I just tried my friend's 910D2 with Titliest Diamana Kai'li 65S shaft yesterday @ A1 Setting at the range .

Compare to my 910D2 with Diamana Kai'li 70g S @ A1 Setting , there are some noticeable difference in feel , ball flight and distance.

Below are just my assessment.

The Shaft Flex - slightly different  65g S tend to be a little whippy compare to the 70g S

The Club Head Stability - 70g is better

65g is easier to launch but cant be overpower too much .

Titliest Diamana Kai'li - Made in China

I m not sure about the Kai'li 70 's origin ...

[WUTiger]

Went to a conference in New Orleans last week, and on a free afternoon I visited a veteran custom clubmaker. I asked his view on some of the debated questions from our Forum here.

On shafts, he has quit using one big-name OEM and after-market manufacturer because of persistent quality-control problems. So, you might want to consult with a clubsmith that really knows the business before getting a reshaft.

[Steel]

for me personally, I like the stiffest and heaviest shaft I can comfortably handle without loosing distance.  Directional stability is the key, and I find the heavier and stiffer the shaft is the straighter the ball flight, some softer shafts launch the ball quicker or get longer distances but this also increases left or right offline strikes.  As long as the shaft is made by a reputable manufacturer it shouldn't be a problem, I think alot of it comes down to personal prefference.  I still play my 15 year old Bridgestone irons with Brunswick 6.5 FM's and they work great, 99% of plane crashes are due to pilot error!!!

[Blades4me]

I'm from the school that sez, "if you are hitting it good and can control the ball, who the hell cares what shaft it is!". With that said, I too have been told by ppl in the business that "co engineered" shafts aren't the same as the same after market shaft, but if tipped ~1" they will play very close to the same after market shaft. I was told that the reason for this was that the OEM's felt that when they did that they were able to fit a broader group of ppl. Makes sense to me.

[handlez42]

i have a tour edge cb3 driver with a fujikura motore "exotics" shaft. which under my understanding the motore was a preferred shaft in the taylormade line. also have a cb2 3 wood with a taylormade fuji motore f1 shaft.

is there a reason people dont like made for shafts? more specifically the shafts designed for a "better-players" club?

[WUTiger]

Quote:

... is there a reason people dont like made for shafts? more specifically the shafts designed for a "better-players" club?

As others have said, the shaft is the engine of the club. Club designers make a stock shaft or two for each model of club, the shafts they figure a majority of golfers would want. Also, they usually suggest two or three upgrade shafts some people might want.

That said, people get on the launch monitor and may find the "made for" - or stock - shaft isn't the best one for them. Callaway, Titleist and others have several test shafts per fitting driver head you can see which one works best.

I play the Callaway HyperX Tour driver with the stock Fuji E360 R-flex shaft - midTorque and midKick. I tested out the regular HyperX with a low kick (high launch) shaft, and it ballooned the ball too much - excessive launch angle. By chance, the E360 tested out as the best shaft for me; I also have it on my XTour 3W.

If you're at the golf shop on a slow day, ask to see a launch monitor print-out sheet; there's about 10 swing factors they chart to get an idea of what sahft type and flex would be best for you. It'll give you an idea of what all is considered.

[RPMPIRE]

I was told by a local club pro that the "made-for" shafts aren't made to the exact specs as the same shaft sold separately.

For example, a Titleist 910 has a stock Mitsubishi Kai'li Shaft and retails for $399. The same shaft sold separately retails for over well over $300. So theoretically, the Titleist 910 head with the shaft should cost well over $600 retail. Only explanation why it retails cheaper is because they reduce the construction of the shaft to something more affordable.

Basically, instead of getting a Ferrari, you're getting a Ferrari body with a Honda engine.