Disclaimer – In these following posts I am not promoting nor “Knocking” any particular shaft line or shaft manufacturer. I am simply providing the latest data extracted from the state-of-the-art S3 shaft profiler to more accurately compare certain shafts to one another so that my readers can use their own noggin to make their own individual conclusions. Now I will provide my own opinions and conclusions based on the data provided, but these are only my opinions.  Please also keep in mind that utilizing the modern launch monitors which can precisely detail an individual golfers swing profile (including head speed and acceleration), its still up to the clubfitters knowledge and expertise to accurately pair that golfers swing with the best shaft regardless of price or manufacturer.

Note: if you have certain shafts that you would like to compare please shoot me an email and I will be glad to post a comparison for you.

Oban Composites

So I have been a long fan of Oban which produces some of the highest quality shafts in the business. I like the fact that Oban keeps to its guns by keeping their best shafts “unchanged” in each years lineup. I mean if something isn’t broke why try to fix it. Each shaft in their line is built to perform one specific task – to optimize a specific swing profile in order to provide maximum results for that individual golfer.  Now when Oban does release a new shaft line its always something special and always a unique fit to their already strong stable of premium shafts. Most golfers in the know always associate Oban w/ being a “Super Premium” shaft manufacturer only offering extremely expensive shafts. Most everyone would be pleasantly surprised to know that they actually offer a great mid-range line of exceptional shafts. Anyway, here we go:

I pulled the data for these three shafts which are great for that golfer who has a swing profile requiring a more active (YET Stable) tip profile in order to maximize a more optimum but with lower spin (which is difficult and typically expensive to produce). A stiffer and stronger butt section would also benefit the golfer who has a stronger and more aggressive move out of the top requiring even more stability.

I used the Kiyoshi Gold as the baseline. Notice the moderately stiff butt section with softer middle but that an ever so slight hump around the 40″ mark and then a slightly softer tip. This gives you the higher launch with added stability at impact.

Now here we throw in the white and notice how the shaft has similar characteristics but then gets gradually stiffer towards the lower 2/3 of the shaft. The real difference is the tip section which gets progressively stiffer for added control and stability for even tighter shot dispersion.

Lastly, I throw in the crown jewel – The Kiyoshi Tour Limited. Up until now everyone would always ask why this shaft is the most expensive and so limited to get (limited because they are way more expensive and much more time consuming to produce). Notice how  stiffer the butt section is compared to the other two with all three having similar mid sections. Now look at the tip stiffness! You can’t get a better combination of a great initial ball launch with lower spin and added control. Due to the exotic and super-premium graphite used, this shaft is both extremely stable but incredibly responsive at impact. Most other shafts that have a similar tip EI profile are that stiff due to excessive (and heavier) resins used in the manufacturing process which can tend to make the shaft “boardy” an/or hard feeling.  The uniqueness of this EI curve only supports the reason this shaft stands out amid all others in terms of both price and, more importantly, performance!