Rory McIlroy swings a driver with a Fujikura Ventus Black shaft. Jon Rahm uses an Aldila Tour Green shaft, and Justin Thomas opts for a Mitsubishi Diamana ZF shaft in his driver. Off the tee, all three are sensational, and this perfectly illustrates how one product will never be perfect for everyone when it comes to shafts.
For that reason, companies that develop graphite shafts for drivers are constantly tinkering with new materials, manufacturing techniques and designs to offer a portfolio of shafts that best work for every swing.
The cliché goes that the shaft in your driver is like the engine in your car: It creates the power so everything else can perform. That’s true, and many highly skilled custom fitters prefer to start driver sessions by hunting for a player’s ideal shaft. Only after they discover it do they begin thinking about which head and loft the player needs.
When it comes to driver shafts, there are no set-in-stone rules, but some things are typically true:
- When referring to flex, terms such as regular, stiff or extra stiff do not have universal standards. They mean different things to different companies.
- Heavier shafts create a lower flight, while lighter shafts often help golfers swing faster.
- Shafts that are more flexible in the tip, where the shaft attaches to the clubhead, tend to produce higher-flying shots
- Longer shafts can help players generate more speed, but recreational golfers tend to often mis-hit longer-shafted drivers. Many club players swing shorter-shafted drivers more slowly, but they hit the center of the face more often, resulting in longer and straighter drives.
The only way to know which driver shaft can help you find the perfect blend of ball speed, launch angle and spin rate is to work with an experienced custom fitter who has a launch monitor. The shafts listed below are among the newest on the market and come in various weights and flexes.
Aldila Synergy golf shaft (Aldila)
Weight and flex range: 51-86 grams in S, X and TX (Tour extra stiff) stiffness
Who it’s for: Golfers who need a smooth-transitioning shaft.
Designed to create a mid-launch, mid-spin shot, the Aldila Synergy Blue features an ion-plated electric blue coating over Graphene-infused carbon in the tip section. Graphene is 300 times stronger than steel, so adding it to the resin that Aldila uses to bond the graphite sheets in the tip section makes that area especially firm and stable.
Fujikura Ventus TR graphite shaft (Fujikura)
Weight and flex range: 56-66 grams in R, S and X stiffness
Who it’s for: Golfers who want more stability on mishits.
Over the past two years, several high-profile players have used Fujikura’s Ventus shafts in their drivers because they feature an extremely stiff tip section that increases stability on off-center hits. The new Ventus TR, which produces spin and launch between the low-launching Black and mid-launch Blue, debuts a new technology called spread-toe carbon material in the handle area. It requires less bonding material, so it is comprised of more carbon, making it stronger. Fujikura said this keeps the shaft from twisting in the transition from the backswing to the downswing to help hit the ball more solidly.
LA Golf Bryson DeChambeau Signature Series (LA Golf)
Weight and flex range: 55-75 grams
Who it’s for: Powerful golfers who want more feel.
Designed to meet the needs of heavy hitters such as its namesake, the LAGP Bryson DeChambeau Signature Series wood shafts focus on creating low launch and low spin. The mid-section and tip have been reinforced, but the top area, under the grip, is slightly softer, which LA Golf said helps enhance feel while also increasing stability and accuracy.
Mitsubishi Kai’li White shaft (Mitsubishi Chemical America)
Weight and flex range: 65-87 grams in R, S, X and TX stiffness
Who it’s for: Fast-swinging players who want more feel.
Pronounced ki-lee, the name of this shaft translates in Japanese to “the power of the ocean,” and you can see white waves in the handle area. You can’t see the MR70 carbon material used to make the shaft, which Mitsubishi said uses 20 percent less bonding agent, so it is stronger and delivers more feel.
Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX (Project X)
Weight and flex range: 50-73 grams in R, S, X and TX stiffness
Who it’s for: Golfers looking for more carry distance and higher-flying tee shots.
The Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black has been used by several PGA Tour players looking for lower spin and a lower launch angle. However, many recreational golfers need more spin and height to increase carry distance and overall yardage. The HZRDUS Smoke Red delivers that with a firm butt and mid-section but a more active tip area. The result is a mid-launch, mid-spin drive.
TPT Red Range (TPT)
Weight and flex range: 45-85 grams
Who it’s for: Players who want consistency and smoothness.
TPT developed an automated method of creating graphite shafts by winding strips of carbon fiber around and around to form the desired thickness and shape without creating a spine or seam. The company said this increases consistency from shaft to shaft. The lower the number, the lower the torque, and the shaft comes in Hi options for a higher ball flight and Lo versions to create a more-piercing, lower flight.
UST Mamiya LINQ M40X (UST Mamiya)
Weight and flex range: 66-75 grams in R, S and X stiffness
Who it’s for: Golfers who need high stability but who do not like a boardy feel.
Designed to create a low to mid ball flight for a wide variety of players, the UST Mamiya LINQ M40X uses a new carbon fiber that has a 30-percent higher tension strength but that delivers good feel. It helps transfer more energy to the ball for increased speed, while its stiff tip area increases lateral stability on the downswing to help players achieve solid contact more often.
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