WOW.....I would've figured there would be a HUGE difference between the 5.0 v 6.0 shafts. That's actually quite amazing. Its opened my eyes a lot. Thank You!
I love when you, mark cross field, mygolfspy and others make these videos because I know comments will be entertainment. I just switched from the Project rifle 6.5 to modus tour 120 x. I'm a 4 handicap and can't really tell whats different. keep up the videos I enjoy them.
I love these type of videos 👏👏 really interesting. I’m currently gaming nippon shafts in my irons which I got fitted for around 6yrs ago and they are fantastic, I just can’t tell you if they are stiff flex or regular flex I trust my club fitter, all I knows they felt amazing and the numbers were awesome. I would definitely love to see more testing like this
Great video! I was fitted with kbs c taper 130 extra stiff due to overpowering my old shafts and creating a ballooning effect on my iorns! Thanks for the great content for my morning coffee James! Cheers mate!
I love it when this type of video on flex is posted. Always the same results, but loads of comments that disagree with the evidence in front of their eyes. I can see weight making more of a difference to most people. Can you do that video James? Take the heaviest stiff shaft and the lightest you can find and hit loads of shots with it. I switched from heavy PX LZ to S300 AMT because the weight of the PX felt tiring as a round went on. I thinks there’s about 15g difference which feels massive to me.
@@vika0194 There was no difference in James' dispersion. You're claiming something that the test didn't bear out. Admittedly, we're all different. But, there are plenty of videos on RUclips showing actual proof there's no meaningful difference in numbers between regular and stiff shafts. But, players will tell you they like the "feel" of one type of shaft over the other. There's too much focus on gear and not enough on player ability. Play the shafts you want but claiming there is measurable difference in results when the test doesn't bear that out is just illogical.
I am now using Royal Precision FCM 5.5 with a soft tip trim. I made these clubs years ago, and only recently been in shape enough to start using them again. Pure!
I went from the 6.0 project x steel to mimaya f2 smakwrap graphite. No difference in carry distance but the graphite are just easier on my aging joints
For me, it seems to be more about profile and weight. I should care about Iron shafts but I play whatever comes stock in them, usually Dynamic Gold or KBS I think :). I currently play a mini driver with a high launch shaft and it works because of my attack angle and simplifies my game. Lightweight might increase my swing speed but I feel like I have no idea where the clubface is during my swing. The heavier weight also helps me slow down my tempo.
From what i can gather a regular shaft may make someone with a faster swing go a bit to the left and much harder to work the ball left to right, maybe wrong though. I personally play with dynamic gold regular in Mizuno mp60's bought off the shelf around 11 years ago, Love them.
Thanks, James. Good Video. "Numbers Testing" in recent years have disproved many of the "Shaft Myths and Lore" of old. So, 718 AP2 (5-9), plus Vokey 46 & 50 SM6 / All Standard Length and Loft, Bent 1 degree Flat / using PROJECT X LZ 5.5 (115 gram) Then, Vokey 54 V Grind and 58-06 K Grind / Standard L & L, Bent 2 Flat / using P X LZ 5.0 (105 gram) I prefer a firmer Feel and moderate Weight for the Shaft, yet I like a Softer Feel at Ball (2019 Pro V1x) Impact. As for Driver & Woods, 917 D2 Diamana BLUE "S" - 70 Grams. 3, 5, 7 - 917 F2 Diamana BLUE "S" - 80 Grams. ALL Four are Standard Length and Hosel Adjusted "Flat". Thanks Again, James.
I've played Project X 6.0 for about 6 years, love 'em....I recently tried (and fitted) the JPX Tour 919's, and the optimum shaft for me was the X's 5.5 115 LZ....Much more feel, and great punch. Maybe it's time for a trade in for me James.
I do club building, and the most notable thing to me is swing weights. The flex matters to a certain degree, the swing weight is differently the most important factor. Also where you put the weight too. If you put the weight in the hands its harder to feel but if you put it in the shaft tip you can feel it.
I use a project x lz 5.0 shaft in my irons, I tried the 5.5 and the 6.0 shafts as well, I just liked how light the shaft felt. numbers between the 5.5 and the 5.0 were almost identical in peak height and distance, but for me the spin numbers were significantly different between the two shafts.
I play dynamic gold x-100 shafts.... I recently came off dynamic gold s300 shafts... but when I started I played the cb alta stuff regular shafts from ping. So from a stiff regular to extra stiff I can tell you there is a huge difference for me. I can feel the flex of the club on my downswing and I really find it weird so I prefer extra stiff
He didnt test different shafts, only different flexes of the same one. I can tell you that i went club fitting a few days ago, hit many balls with different shafts and the difference in l/r distrubution and leangth were noticeably worst with some of them. HCP -4 so probably not "the average", you need a decent swing id say, otherwise it would be pretty hard spotting any difference.
I play Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my older Mizuno MP-67 blades and I have a high launch and a high spin rate. I don’t have a fast swing speed per say but I found that the Project X 6.5 does everything it needs to do to get my numbers in the right direction and straighter as well.
I play project x shaft. I typically play a stif shaft (6.0). When I last got fitted I found I didn’t like the weight of the 6.0. The Club fitter recommended I “tip” the 5.5 which would give it the flex of a 6.0 but the weight of the 5.5. Very happy I did.
For me as a low hcp golfer it's easy to just "hit" a ball with almost any type of shaft... what it all comes down is the possible SHAPING and how easily I can shape it multiple ways.... high, low, left & right... rainbow flight... airline take off ect. Nippon Stiff Tour 120 did it all for me in a very comfortable way.... tried many shaft types and flex ... there was noticeable difference ... specially when wind was added to the equation ;) Cheers James... Iceland ... Out :)
Shaft model matters more than the flex as they all vary with their kick/flex points etc. which is affected by how you load the shaft in your individual swing. I was recently fitted for my new irons and tried about 7 different shafts all the same flex but hit the Nippon Modus 3 120 8 yrds further and straighter than anything else, just because it was working in harmony with my swing. Also just because a shaft feels great in 1 set of irons doesn't mean it will behave the same in another set due to head weighting. Moral of the story get custom fit with whats right for your swing, it may cost a little more but its worth the extra!
Yeah. Go in the next day and you'll hit another shaft better. All hype. Karsten put all stiff shafts in ping 2's. Everybody played them well period well not everybody but most people. People can play stiff flex doesn't matter.
Feel, individual feel to me is everything. I have had more than my share of irons and woods and if it feels good keep it or them until it doesn't feel the same. Everything changes as we age, gain strength, lose strength and the same with flexibility. I have had shafts with no feel at all like lead pipes and then shafts where you know exactly where the bend/kick point is and love that feel and flight or hate that feel and flight. Just a couple swings is enough to know whether a club stays in the bag or goes back on the market. But back in the day the S400 was my favorite shafts in mid to long irons and the S200 in my short irons and wedges, but back in the day was forty plus years ago, damn it, I miss those days.
I play Dynamic Gold R300 in my irons. Finally got rid of the last stiff shaft hybrids and went to Aldila reg flex. Seems to be more noticeable in hybrids and woods.
Great comparison. I play stiff but when I borrow a regular iron of same type I don’t notice a difference, this matches your results. I do notice a significant difference in graphite shat flex on my driver.
I was thinking this myself the other day, not knowing a lot about different shafts, I've just played with the shaft that's came with the clubs I buy. but shocked with your results there James. good video. could you do one (if you haven't already)? that shows the difference between steel and graphite shafts on Irons please?
I use dynamic gold s300 shafts for my apex irons. Tbh, I have tried different shafts, and the only difference in shaft flex I noticed is feel. The regular flex just feels whippy to me, and I don’t like that feeling. Numbers and dispersion are the same though. So I choose to use stiffer shafts purely due to feel.
I performed a similar test using a stiff versus Xstiff tour shaft. The Xstiff shaft tended to give me a few yards more and they flew straighter. I also seemed to feel the stiff shaft flexing during my down swing. I may have biased the results somehow as I knew which shaft I was hitting.
Great video. Not really suprised by the similarity (the further down the bag you go the greater the similarity - shorter shaft etc) but I'd like to see you do a similar test with a driver - perhaps comparing a senior flex with a regular. After a long lay off through ill health when I returned to playing I was fitted for a senior shaft. Perhaps not suprisingly over the next few months my swing speed increased a bit (I'm in my 40's) and after about 6 months the driver felt odd. As though I was waiting for it to catch me up (and I have by no means a fast swing speed). I'd like to know your thoughts and perhaps a video to test that out.
Weight and length are probably more important. The answer ultimately depends on the individual. I have tried both regular in my Epic and stiff in an M6, swing speed was the same but in each case fitter was clear that the flex was right for me, I could not tell the difference but the numbers suggested the M6 in stiff was better, although not enough to make it worth spending £400
I use Project X 6.5 in irons. Only went for that because it felt the best and had best performance during testing. It's 120g so was a big change from the stock stiff shaft I had before at 80g true temper
KBS $-Taper 120 in my Srixon Z 785's. Feel great. Don't feel like boards like the C-Taper did and not as high launching as the tour. Great dispersion in the fitting and haven't disappointed on the course. Weight seemed to make the biggest difference in the fitting. I would like to see if you tested a stiff Project X 6.0 against a stiff Project X LZ. More significant weight difference. See if dispersion changes on a shaft with the same flex but different weight. I'm toying with putting the $-Taper Lites in Stiff in my 4 & 5 iron as the 120's do feel a bit heavy.
Very interesting. I swapped all my irons to 5.0(older Mizuno JPX800 pro= show me more forgiving clubs to hcp 6) from S300 TT, biggest change - variety and shape up to 7 iron, it feels also more consistent in distance. Avg low 80,high 70, but also even par 1x! Riffle shafts also boosting your confidence in my opinion. ( rest of hybrid,3W n driver I have stiff n heavier shafts). Wedges still more towards stiff... weird combo isn't it🤣
I did not think the shafts would be so close in numbers. I figured the 5.0 would go much higher and maybe spin more than the 6.0. Thank you for the video. I’d like to see this test with driver shafts.
Great video James! I play a Project X 5.5 on Mizuno MP-4s. I went in for a ball fitting and had the fitter tell me I needed to upgrade to the 6.0. Cant imagine there would be any difference. Keep the great content coming!
I'm using DG 105s Reg in my TM P790s. That shaft resulted in tighter dispersion and it felt better for me. Also found stiff rated shafts more difficult. It just me I surpose!
Not overly surprised about the lack of difference in irons. Would be good to see the same for driver shafts as I definitely saw a difference between reg and stiff shafts when fitted.
I think irons would be closer than long clubs. I improved dispersion drastically moving to tour x stiff in my driver and ordered one for my 3 wood also. Changed my swing which increased speed and feel like strike moved all over the face. X stiff improved that and based on testing made my 3 wood the same. Waiting for my 3 wood shaft from ping to test on course but you might try this same test with woods.
Hey James good insight again. Here's a crazy idea for a test to do regarding balls and the manufacturers statements that certain balls are more stable in the wind , TP5/5x , Mizuno RB Tour over Titliest , Callaway etc . Hit balls in a wind tunnel 😁 Now that I would love to see and I'm pretty sure it would be a you tube first 😯
Got regular steel mid launch shafts on my irons, I do notice they seem to go really high, and my hybrids are the same shaft however dont go nearly as high and have a stiff shaft on my driver. I dont think it makes too much difference with your irons but I notice a big difference when it comes to the driver, maybe try that out!
Great info. Next time test the FST Pro Stepless 115 iron ($9.99 per shaft) shaft vs the more expensive Project X Stepless shafts. Now I love to save money and I’ve played those shafts before and they performed well.
went for an iron fitting after years of adapting to whatever I had in my hands and making my own changes, put me into an AMT X100 White and wow I can finally concentrate on shot making rather than shot wishing....wish it was this easy 30 years ago when I started playing
I play Titleist MBs on DGS300. Went to Club Champion to hit some AP2 with DG tour 120. Same club head speed of 92 mph with a 6iron but the carry increased by 10 yards with tour 120 shaft.
The stiff shaft will go father because of the shaft deflection and your timing change due to your higher swing speed... your timing though in the video is really solid and you are indeed a good golfer so hence close carry I could not do that even close to as well as you did... project x shafts because of the slightly bigger od also helps stabilization... better test would be an L A R S X in a 4h or 3h you might see a change. I game nippon modus 120 X which I feel it’s a great shaft!!! Great video and thanks for the daily content
Hi James, id love to see a similar video with a bit more of a forgiving iron like a forged mizuno and comparing two different shaft brands. Project x are quite stiff shafts and mizuno mp18’s are bladed so there wasn’t going to be much difference
I chose graphite, since I liked the feel better. Mamiya regular flex, one length Cobra forge tec irons, despite having quite a high swing speed. My wedges are dynamic gold s200, which feel pretty nice around the greens and within 80 meters. I did notice a change in my F9 Speedback, where i trade in the regular one, for the Camo with the even flow shaft. A little adjustment in my setup and technique, but i hit 290 meters the other day, compared to a high of 265 with the previous x stiff shaft. I think it's very difficult long process of you were to perfect and try out every possibility with every club head, so for me, it's about the feel mostly.
I played the Project X 6.0 (soft-step). My swing is very aggressive and compact. Love the heavy feel and the flex. I don’t recommend it, if you have a slow swing. My old shaft was a Nippon, it tend to balloon all my irons. Main reason why I switched. Great shaft, but highly recommend you get fitted. Don’t get caught up on stiffness, look at how it feels in your hands.
I've played PX 6.5 for years and like a heavier shaft. Had a Mizuno fitting and tightest dispersion was 6.0 but preferred weight of 6.5 Mizuno soft stepped a 6.5 to flex of 6.0 👌
Di you mention “feel”? Which one felt better or more controllable? With the numbers the same I would say you are picking the shaft that gives you the best “feels” and that is important as well?!??
Kbs c taper x stiff 130 in my Ap2 718 for me it was feel. I used to use px 7.0 in my old Ap2 and wanted a change. I tried px6.0 but lost distance it felt as if I was holding back on it. I have tightened my dispersion with the c tapers. Ultimately tho if you have the speed for the weight and flex of the heavier shaft it comes down to feel and how comfortable you are swinging within yourself.
All down to personal ability surely? As you know at my Ping fitting the NS Pro Modus3 105 Tour stiff shaft dramatically improved my dispersion stats compared to the Dynamic Gold and Ping AWT shafts.
Awesome video, always wondered myself. James what’s the difference between a standard stepped steel dynamic gold shaft and a rifle?. That’s another question I’ve always wondered
I’m an average mid handicapper and play a Project X 6.5, tried a few shafts during a fitting and none have better numbers of felt better than this one, ended up with a PX 6.5 with JPX 919 Forged irons and they are beautiful
Hi James, I would expect you to hit further with the 5.0 than the 6.0. My swing speed is somewhere around 85mph with a 6 iron. When I bought my Irons I tried the stiff shaft and was slicing crazy to the left (I'm a lefty) Depending on your speed I would expect a slight Fade with the 6.0 shaft ...
I play PX 5.5. I like the weight and consistency of these shafts, but I imagine you can get used to any shaft in the end. I've seen other videos agreeing with you regarding how little difference there is between shaft flexes. I'd like you to do this shaft comparison with your driver..
I think weight makes more difference than flex, however, flex does make a small difference to me. I use the Project X LZ Tour 5.0, 90g , graphite with my MIzuno MP54s. This is the absolute best shaft i have ever used. So good I saw how rare they are and bought a second set of these shafts on ebay. A close second is the Ozik Program 130, which I have in my Bridgestone J38 DPCs. A great combo. Honorable mention, KBS Tour 90, which i have in Nike VS Pro Combo 2014s.
Good video. Wonder what the results would be if you used same club head and flex from all the major iron shaft companies? Using all the most popular shaft models.(ie PX, TT, Nippon, KBS)
I was hitting the Dynamic Gold S300 for years and two years ago went to the R300. Picked up a good 15-20 yards throughout the irons. Still hit stiff with Driver, fairway woods and hybrids but with the irons, saw a massive difference
My swing speed is what you’d expect from a 58 y.o. mid- handicapper. I play TM P760 with Project X Rifle 6.0. With the weight of the Rifle 6.0 shafts I can feel the club in space in my back-swing and I like the kick of the club on strike. My previous set was TM M4 with Fujikuira Atmos Red standard flex. I struggled with accuracy and never had a sense of feel with the lighter shafts. I had an immediate improvement in accuracy with the Rifle shafts but lost some distance because the P760 is a more traditional lofted club. I'll take the trade-off.
Over many years of playing golf (64 actually!!) I have found that using too flexible shaft in irons tends to produce "fat" shots, so although I'm now 77, I still use DG S300 ahafts in my irons but 'R' shafts in my driver and 5 wood, with 12 degrees of loft on driver. Has anyone else found this tendency? What does James think causes such fat shots with "flexy" irons, I wonder?
It went by quickly, but did I see you dispersion(lateral distance) a little better with the 5.0 shaft? I'd also be interested in the weight difference between the shafts. I know with my age and strength, I can get worn out using a heavy steel shaft (I switched to graphite years ago) over the course of a round.
Been using project x5.5 for years now. The equivalent in dynamic gold seemed to throw the ball wayyyy to high for me. Guess an actual fitting (as I did and recommend to all) will work out your individual idiosycrasies and requirements.
Nippon NS Pro. Customs fitted and build. Shaft effectively a timing mechanism. Different for different people. Hence the need for multiple bend profiles, balance points and weights.
The most important part about being fitted for a shaft is strike consistency. I'd be interested in seeing which shaft you were able to find the center of the face with cause that's all the shaft really does.
I play the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged. I stick ‘em with Project X graphite 5.0. I like all the whip I can control. Picked up a little distance due to the lighter weight not the flex.
Great video, but I have a theory! Most golfers will get to a stiffness of shaft that does not benefit their game. While you can play regular and stiff shafts quite comfortably us normal players may struggle when given a stiff or X stiff. Also I have had shafts which is labeled stiff but felt like a steel rod to me and not something that would help my game. Can you re-run this test using Dynamic Gold stiff and X stiff and even stiffer. I think those would reflect better us playing regular and stiff. Lockdown is definitely affecting my thinking!
I have to agree with you, James, that the MP-18 is a fabulous looking club. I think it's the best iron to date, bar none. While the MP-20 is close, the 18 is better. Regarding shafts, I've had S300 in my irons from the start and love them. I've got stiff in my driver and 3w but x stiff in my 5w. I love the x stiff 5w! My driver swing speed is 105+. I've tried regular shafts and they feel like they're flying all over the place. No thanks!
WOW.....I would've figured there would be a HUGE difference between the 5.0 v 6.0 shafts. That's actually quite amazing. Its opened my eyes a lot. Thank You!
You mentioned it in there James, the “feel” is different though. And what I have learned in near 30 years of golf....you can’t underestimate feel
I love when you, mark cross field, mygolfspy and others make these videos because I know comments will be entertainment. I just switched from the Project rifle 6.5 to modus tour 120 x. I'm a 4 handicap and can't really tell whats different. keep up the videos I enjoy them.
My handicap is 18 and I am 66 years old.
I find regular in irons and hybrid but fairway woods and driver old farts flex.
I love these type of videos 👏👏 really interesting. I’m currently gaming nippon shafts in my irons which I got fitted for around 6yrs ago and they are fantastic, I just can’t tell you if they are stiff flex or regular flex I trust my club fitter, all I knows they felt amazing and the numbers were awesome. I would definitely love to see more testing like this
Great video! I was fitted with kbs c taper 130 extra stiff due to overpowering my old shafts and creating a ballooning effect on my iorns! Thanks for the great content for my morning coffee James! Cheers mate!
When I got my fitting for my I500s I wa fit into the Project X LZ 6.0 and love the feel the ball flight with hat shaft.
I love it when this type of video on flex is posted. Always the same results, but loads of comments that disagree with the evidence in front of their eyes.
I can see weight making more of a difference to most people.
Can you do that video James? Take the heaviest stiff shaft and the lightest you can find and hit loads of shots with it. I switched from heavy PX LZ to S300 AMT because the weight of the PX felt tiring as a round went on. I thinks there’s about 15g difference which feels massive to me.
Matthew Hall Yes absolutely agree. That‘s what most fitters say today as well.
You get the same results but some can’t control a ball with a different shaft
@@vika0194 There was no difference in James' dispersion. You're claiming something that the test didn't bear out. Admittedly, we're all different. But, there are plenty of videos on RUclips showing actual proof there's no meaningful difference in numbers between regular and stiff shafts. But, players will tell you they like the "feel" of one type of shaft over the other. There's too much focus on gear and not enough on player ability. Play the shafts you want but claiming there is measurable difference in results when the test doesn't bear that out is just illogical.
@@richardneel6953 Why Are you just repeating what I said? But with more words?
@@vika0194 Because there's plenty of evidence that suggests that shaft flex makes no difference in dispersion. James test bears this out.
I am now using Royal Precision FCM 5.5 with a soft tip trim. I made these clubs years ago, and only recently been in shape enough to start using them again. Pure!
I went from the 6.0 project x steel to mimaya f2 smakwrap graphite. No difference in carry distance but the graphite are just easier on my aging joints
Quality video as always......I use true temper dynamic gold 120 in my blueprint irons
For me, it seems to be more about profile and weight. I should care about Iron shafts but I play whatever comes stock in them, usually Dynamic Gold or KBS I think :). I currently play a mini driver with a high launch shaft and it works because of my attack angle and simplifies my game. Lightweight might increase my swing speed but I feel like I have no idea where the clubface is during my swing. The heavier weight also helps me slow down my tempo.
From what i can gather a regular shaft may make someone with a faster swing go a bit to the left and much harder to work the ball left to right, maybe wrong though. I personally play with dynamic gold regular in Mizuno mp60's bought off the shelf around 11 years ago, Love them.
Thanks, James. Good Video. "Numbers Testing" in recent years have disproved many of the "Shaft Myths and Lore" of old.
So, 718 AP2 (5-9), plus Vokey 46 & 50 SM6 / All Standard Length and Loft, Bent 1 degree Flat / using PROJECT X LZ 5.5 (115 gram)
Then, Vokey 54 V Grind and 58-06 K Grind / Standard L & L, Bent 2 Flat / using P X LZ 5.0 (105 gram)
I prefer a firmer Feel and moderate Weight for the Shaft, yet I like a Softer Feel at Ball (2019 Pro V1x) Impact.
As for Driver & Woods, 917 D2 Diamana BLUE "S" - 70 Grams.
3, 5, 7 - 917 F2 Diamana BLUE "S" - 80 Grams.
ALL Four are Standard Length and Hosel Adjusted "Flat".
Thanks Again, James.
I just got fit and purchased the Mizuno 919 hot metal's w/the project X 5.5 115 regs.🥰 Love e'm !!
I've played Project X 6.0 for about 6 years, love 'em....I recently tried (and fitted) the JPX Tour 919's, and the optimum shaft for me was the X's 5.5 115 LZ....Much more feel, and great punch. Maybe it's time for a trade in for me James.
I do club building, and the most notable thing to me is swing weights. The flex matters to a certain degree, the swing weight is differently the most important factor. Also where you put the weight too. If you put the weight in the hands its harder to feel but if you put it in the shaft tip you can feel it.
I use a project x lz 5.0 shaft in my irons, I tried the 5.5 and the 6.0 shafts as well, I just liked how light the shaft felt. numbers between the 5.5 and the 5.0 were almost identical in peak height and distance, but for me the spin numbers were significantly different between the two shafts.
I play dynamic gold x-100 shafts.... I recently came off dynamic gold s300 shafts... but when I started I played the cb alta stuff regular shafts from ping.
So from a stiff regular to extra stiff I can tell you there is a huge difference for me. I can feel the flex of the club on my downswing and I really find it weird so I prefer extra stiff
Great video James. It confirmed my suspicions when a Pro tests different shafts.
But an “average” golfer? Let Mark repeat this test please.
He didnt test different shafts, only different flexes of the same one. I can tell you that i went club fitting a few days ago, hit many balls with different shafts and the difference in l/r distrubution and leangth were noticeably worst with some of them. HCP -4 so probably not "the average", you need a decent swing id say, otherwise it would be pretty hard spotting any difference.
I play Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my older Mizuno MP-67 blades and I have a high launch and a high spin rate. I don’t have a fast swing speed per say but I found that the Project X 6.5 does everything it needs to do to get my numbers in the right direction and straighter as well.
PX 5.0 in my Mizuno EZ Forged and love them
I play project x shaft. I typically play a stif shaft (6.0). When I last got fitted I found I didn’t like the weight of the 6.0. The Club fitter recommended I “tip” the 5.5 which would give it the flex of a 6.0 but the weight of the 5.5. Very happy I did.
For me as a low hcp golfer it's easy to just "hit" a ball with almost any type of shaft... what it all comes down is the possible SHAPING and how easily I can shape it multiple ways.... high, low, left & right... rainbow flight... airline take off ect. Nippon Stiff Tour 120 did it all for me in a very comfortable way.... tried many shaft types and flex ... there was noticeable difference ... specially when wind was added to the equation ;) Cheers James... Iceland ... Out :)
Shaft model matters more than the flex as they all vary with their kick/flex points etc. which is affected by how you load the shaft in your individual swing. I was recently fitted for my new irons and tried about 7 different shafts all the same flex but hit the Nippon Modus 3 120 8 yrds further and straighter than anything else, just because it was working in harmony with my swing. Also just because a shaft feels great in 1 set of irons doesn't mean it will behave the same in another set due to head weighting. Moral of the story get custom fit with whats right for your swing, it may cost a little more but its worth the extra!
Yeah. Go in the next day and you'll hit another shaft better. All hype. Karsten put all stiff shafts in ping 2's. Everybody played them well period well not everybody but most people. People can play stiff flex doesn't matter.
Loved the vlog James, there’s so much vanity in the game which stops so many improving...👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Cheers dude
I use the recoil ZT9 shaft on my big bertha irons. Feels great when u feel the flex on solid shots
Feel, individual feel to me is everything. I have had more than my share of irons and woods and if it feels good keep it or them until it doesn't feel the same. Everything changes as we age, gain strength, lose strength and the same with flexibility. I have had shafts with no feel at all like lead pipes and then shafts where you know exactly where the bend/kick point is and love that feel and flight or hate that feel and flight. Just a couple swings is enough to know whether a club stays in the bag or goes back on the market. But back in the day the S400 was my favorite shafts in mid to long irons and the S200 in my short irons and wedges, but back in the day was forty plus years ago, damn it, I miss those days.
I play Dynamic Gold R300 in my irons. Finally got rid of the last stiff shaft hybrids and went to Aldila reg flex. Seems to be more noticeable in hybrids and woods.
Fitted last 2 iron sets with KBS C Taper 120 stiff. Love the flat flight it gives and fights the wind.
Amazing. Would like to see a similar test with driver shafts though. Something tells me flex is more important when there is more variance.
Always chosen shaft on feel not flex or weight, so many variables to consider, strike and swing angles will override any shaft.
I've got a mix, reg in driver and irons stiff in 4wood and wedges
I agree with your evaluation. Same results for me. I go back and forth. I do think shaft length for me is important as I am tall and go extra 1".
Great comparison. I play stiff but when I borrow a regular iron of same type I don’t notice a difference, this matches your results. I do notice a significant difference in graphite shat flex on my driver.
I was thinking this myself the other day, not knowing a lot about different shafts, I've just played with the shaft that's came with the clubs I buy. but shocked with your results there James. good video. could you do one (if you haven't already)? that shows the difference between steel and graphite shafts on Irons please?
I use dynamic gold s300 shafts for my apex irons. Tbh, I have tried different shafts, and the only difference in shaft flex I noticed is feel. The regular flex just feels whippy to me, and I don’t like that feeling. Numbers and dispersion are the same though. So I choose to use stiffer shafts purely due to feel.
I performed a similar test using a stiff versus Xstiff tour shaft. The Xstiff shaft tended to give me a few yards more and they flew straighter. I also seemed to feel the stiff shaft flexing during my down swing. I may have biased the results somehow as I knew which shaft I was hitting.
Great video. Not really suprised by the similarity (the further down the bag you go the greater the similarity - shorter shaft etc) but I'd like to see you do a similar test with a driver - perhaps comparing a senior flex with a regular. After a long lay off through ill health when I returned to playing I was fitted for a senior shaft. Perhaps not suprisingly over the next few months my swing speed increased a bit (I'm in my 40's) and after about 6 months the driver felt odd. As though I was waiting for it to catch me up (and I have by no means a fast swing speed). I'd like to know your thoughts and perhaps a video to test that out.
Weight and length are probably more important. The answer ultimately depends on the individual. I have tried both regular in my Epic and stiff in an M6, swing speed was the same but in each case fitter was clear that the flex was right for me, I could not tell the difference but the numbers suggested the M6 in stiff was better, although not enough to make it worth spending £400
I use Project X 6.5 in irons. Only went for that because it felt the best and had best performance during testing.
It's 120g so was a big change from the stock stiff shaft I had before at 80g true temper
KBS $-Taper 120 in my Srixon Z 785's. Feel great. Don't feel like boards like the C-Taper did and not as high launching as the tour. Great dispersion in the fitting and haven't disappointed on the course.
Weight seemed to make the biggest difference in the fitting. I would like to see if you tested a stiff Project X 6.0 against a stiff Project X LZ. More significant weight difference. See if dispersion changes on a shaft with the same flex but different weight. I'm toying with putting the $-Taper Lites in Stiff in my 4 & 5 iron as the 120's do feel a bit heavy.
Very interesting. I swapped all my irons to 5.0(older Mizuno JPX800 pro= show me more forgiving clubs to hcp 6) from S300 TT, biggest change - variety and shape up to 7 iron, it feels also more consistent in distance. Avg low 80,high 70, but also even par 1x! Riffle shafts also boosting your confidence in my opinion. ( rest of hybrid,3W n driver I have stiff n heavier shafts). Wedges still more towards stiff... weird combo isn't it🤣
I used to play 6.5 until nippon brought out the 130 Modus. I got more sidespin out of the 6.0 and couldn't time the weight drop to 5.5
I did not think the shafts would be so close in numbers. I figured the 5.0 would go much higher and maybe spin more than the 6.0. Thank you for the video. I’d like to see this test with driver shafts.
Great video James! I play a Project X 5.5 on Mizuno MP-4s. I went in for a ball fitting and had the fitter tell me I needed to upgrade to the 6.0. Cant imagine there would be any difference. Keep the great content coming!
I blind bought MP-4s with PXi 6.5s (currently gaming MP-57s with S300s). What is your 6i carry?
I'm using DG 105s Reg in my TM P790s.
That shaft resulted in tighter dispersion and it felt better for me.
Also found stiff rated shafts more difficult. It just me I surpose!
Not overly surprised about the lack of difference in irons. Would be good to see the same for driver shafts as I definitely saw a difference between reg and stiff shafts when fitted.
I think irons would be closer than long clubs. I improved dispersion drastically moving to tour x stiff in my driver and ordered one for my 3 wood also. Changed my swing which increased speed and feel like strike moved all over the face. X stiff improved that and based on testing made my 3 wood the same. Waiting for my 3 wood shaft from ping to test on course but you might try this same test with woods.
Hey James good insight again.
Here's a crazy idea for a test to do regarding balls and the manufacturers statements that certain balls are more stable in the wind , TP5/5x , Mizuno RB Tour over Titliest , Callaway etc . Hit balls in a wind tunnel 😁
Now that I would love to see and I'm pretty sure it would be a you tube first 😯
My girlfriend definitely prefers the stiff shaft. Ball speed varies. OK I'm gonna stop now.
Ken Magee what kind of trajectory do those give, would they be low shooting or does it just shoot up
I haven’t done many hole in ones but my shaft has always been stiff then, maybe easier to shoot straight when using stiff.
Mine prefers longer, more whippier shafts. Preferably black for some reason.
Your shafts don't cause you to spray all over the place?
Just make sure you get her permission before attempting to play the back 9.
Got regular steel mid launch shafts on my irons, I do notice they seem to go really high, and my hybrids are the same shaft however dont go nearly as high and have a stiff shaft on my driver.
I dont think it makes too much difference with your irons but I notice a big difference when it comes to the driver, maybe try that out!
KBS X stuff C-Taper helped control pulls and hooks. Feel great with KZG blades
Still using a set of old Callaway Memphis 10's. Old reliable and super consistent.
Great info. Next time test the FST Pro Stepless 115 iron ($9.99 per shaft) shaft vs the more expensive Project X Stepless shafts. Now I love to save money and I’ve played those shafts before and they performed well.
went for an iron fitting after years of adapting to whatever I had in my hands and making my own changes, put me into an AMT X100 White and wow I can finally concentrate on shot making rather than shot wishing....wish it was this easy 30 years ago when I started playing
I play Titleist MBs on DGS300. Went to Club Champion to hit some AP2 with DG tour 120. Same club head speed of 92 mph with a 6iron but the carry increased by 10 yards with tour 120 shaft.
The stiff shaft will go father because of the shaft deflection and your timing change due to your higher swing speed... your timing though in the video is really solid and you are indeed a good golfer so hence close carry I could not do that even close to as well as you did... project x shafts because of the slightly bigger od also helps stabilization... better test would be an L A R S X in a 4h or 3h you might see a change. I game nippon modus 120 X which I feel it’s a great shaft!!! Great video and thanks for the daily content
Hi James, id love to see a similar video with a bit more of a forgiving iron like a forged mizuno and comparing two different shaft brands. Project x are quite stiff shafts and mizuno mp18’s are bladed so there wasn’t going to be much difference
I chose graphite, since I liked the feel better. Mamiya regular flex, one length Cobra forge tec irons, despite having quite a high swing speed.
My wedges are dynamic gold s200, which feel pretty nice around the greens and within 80 meters.
I did notice a change in my F9 Speedback, where i trade in the regular one, for the Camo with the even flow shaft. A little adjustment in my setup and technique, but i hit 290 meters the other day, compared to a high of 265 with the previous x stiff shaft.
I think it's very difficult long process of you were to perfect and try out every possibility with every club head, so for me, it's about the feel mostly.
I played the Project X 6.0 (soft-step). My swing is very aggressive and compact. Love the heavy feel and the flex. I don’t recommend it, if you have a slow swing. My old shaft was a Nippon, it tend to balloon all my irons. Main reason why I switched. Great shaft, but highly recommend you get fitted. Don’t get caught up on stiffness, look at how it feels in your hands.
I've played PX 6.5 for years and like a heavier shaft. Had a Mizuno fitting and tightest dispersion was 6.0 but preferred weight of 6.5
Mizuno soft stepped a 6.5 to flex of 6.0 👌
Di you mention “feel”? Which one felt better or more controllable? With the numbers the same I would say you are picking the shaft that gives you the best “feels” and that is important as well?!??
Kbs c taper x stiff 130 in my Ap2 718 for me it was feel. I used to use px 7.0 in my old Ap2 and wanted a change. I tried px6.0 but lost distance it felt as if I was holding back on it. I have tightened my dispersion with the c tapers. Ultimately tho if you have the speed for the weight and flex of the heavier shaft it comes down to feel and how comfortable you are swinging within yourself.
Project x evenflow green regular in driver and 3 wood, kbs tour 105 stiff in wilson staff c300 forged works a treat for me
All down to personal ability surely? As you know at my Ping fitting the NS Pro Modus3 105 Tour stiff shaft dramatically improved my dispersion stats compared to the Dynamic Gold and Ping AWT shafts.
Awesome video, always wondered myself. James what’s the difference between a standard stepped steel dynamic gold shaft and a rifle?. That’s another question I’ve always wondered
New to the channel and truly enjoying the content!
I was amazed how little difference there was. I think then it all comes down to feel.
Especially on a steel shaft, graphite is another story
Maybe try test comparison for 6.0-7.0? Would interest me as I’m thinking I need upgrade!
Hi great video - what about lie angle adjustments to remove one side of the course on those pull left shots - be nice to see a video on that
I’m an average mid handicapper and play a Project X 6.5, tried a few shafts during a fitting and none have better numbers of felt better than this one, ended up with a PX 6.5 with JPX 919 Forged irons and they are beautiful
Hi James, I would expect you to hit further with the 5.0 than the 6.0. My swing speed is somewhere around 85mph with a 6 iron. When I bought my Irons I tried the stiff shaft and was slicing crazy to the left (I'm a lefty) Depending on your speed I would expect a slight Fade with the 6.0 shaft ...
I play PX 5.5. I like the weight and consistency of these shafts, but I imagine you can get used to any shaft in the end. I've seen other videos agreeing with you regarding how little difference there is between shaft flexes. I'd like you to do this shaft comparison with your driver..
I use DG S300 AMT shafts in my irons. I think it all comes down to feel for the individual player...
Confirms what I already knew but is always good to justify it ie play Project x 5.5 on my Mizuno MP5s. Consistent and so straight for me 🙂🙂🙂
I play the same 6.0 project x great for low flight in windy days
I use Dynamic Gold R300. I tried S300 when I got my clubs fitted and it came down to how the shot felt. Everything else was similar to your results.
Great video James, would you do the same kinda test but with more of a mid handicap head something like a i500?
U should try the project x graphite 5.0 and the grph 6.0 and check the diff
I think weight makes more difference than flex, however, flex does make a small difference to me. I use the Project X LZ Tour 5.0, 90g , graphite with my MIzuno MP54s. This is the absolute best shaft i have ever used. So good I saw how rare they are and bought a second set of these shafts on ebay. A close second is the Ozik Program 130, which I have in my Bridgestone J38 DPCs. A great combo. Honorable mention, KBS Tour 90, which i have in Nike VS Pro Combo 2014s.
Good video. Wonder what the results would be if you used same club head and flex from all the major iron shaft companies? Using all the most popular shaft models.(ie PX, TT, Nippon, KBS)
I play NS Pro Zelos 7 regular as. A17 handicap golfer
I was hitting the Dynamic Gold S300 for years and two years ago went to the R300. Picked up a good 15-20 yards throughout the irons. Still hit stiff with Driver, fairway woods and hybrids but with the irons, saw a massive difference
Same Make and Model head with the Irons when you changed Shafts?
I play the 6.0 to keep my ball flight down, had regular but ball just ballooned, I do like them.
Currently play S300 dynamic golds, but have been fitted to protect x 6.0 using more than one method
My swing speed is what you’d expect from a 58 y.o. mid- handicapper. I play TM P760 with Project X Rifle 6.0. With the weight of the Rifle 6.0 shafts I can feel the club in space in my back-swing and I like the kick of the club on strike. My previous set was TM M4 with Fujikuira Atmos Red standard flex. I struggled with accuracy and never had a sense of feel with the lighter shafts. I had an immediate improvement in accuracy with the Rifle shafts but lost some distance because the P760 is a more traditional lofted club. I'll take the trade-off.
I play in a dynamic gold shaft and I love it gives me the ball flight I want to see
At my last iron fitting project x ballooned up a bit compared with dynamic gold stiff.
I play and really like the kbs ctaper 125.
I would like to see the difference in senior flex of a driver vs an extra stiff for the extreme differences
Over many years of playing golf (64 actually!!) I have found that using too flexible shaft in irons tends to produce "fat" shots, so although I'm now 77, I still use DG S300 ahafts in my irons but 'R' shafts in my driver and 5 wood, with 12 degrees of loft on driver.
Has anyone else found this tendency? What does James think causes such fat shots with "flexy" irons, I wonder?
It went by quickly, but did I see you dispersion(lateral distance) a little better with the 5.0 shaft? I'd also be interested in the weight difference between the shafts. I know with my age and strength, I can get worn out using a heavy steel shaft (I switched to graphite years ago) over the course of a round.
Been using project x5.5 for years now. The equivalent in dynamic gold seemed to throw the ball wayyyy to high for me. Guess an actual fitting (as I did and recommend to all) will work out your individual idiosycrasies and requirements.
Nippon NS Pro. Customs fitted and build. Shaft effectively a timing mechanism. Different for different people. Hence the need for multiple bend profiles, balance points and weights.
Dynamic gold S300. About 85 mph with a 6 iron.....ball flight a bit high though maybe...
The most important part about being fitted for a shaft is strike consistency. I'd be interested in seeing which shaft you were able to find the center of the face with cause that's all the shaft really does.
I play the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged. I stick ‘em with Project X graphite 5.0. I like all the whip I can control. Picked up a little distance due to the lighter weight not the flex.
Great video, but I have a theory! Most golfers will get to a stiffness of shaft that does not benefit their game. While you can play regular and stiff shafts quite comfortably us normal players may struggle when given a stiff or X stiff. Also I have had shafts which is labeled stiff but felt like a steel rod to me and not something that would help my game. Can you re-run this test using Dynamic Gold stiff and X stiff and even stiffer. I think those would reflect better us playing regular and stiff. Lockdown is definitely affecting my thinking!
@James It would be great if you would do the same test but with shafts having different weights.
I have to agree with you, James, that the MP-18 is a fabulous looking club. I think it's the best iron to date, bar none. While the MP-20 is close, the 18 is better. Regarding shafts, I've had S300 in my irons from the start and love them. I've got stiff in my driver and 3w but x stiff in my 5w. I love the x stiff 5w! My driver swing speed is 105+. I've tried regular shafts and they feel like they're flying all over the place. No thanks!