2020 Official Member Review: Fujikura Motore X shaft

[StrokerAce]

Some say that the golf shaft is the engine of the swing....

But we know, from reading master clubmaker Tom Wishon, that the engine is YOU and if we want to use a car analogy the shaft is actually the transmission.

With that being said join me in congratulating our 5 testers of the new 2020 Fujikura Motore X shaft 

@azstu324: REVIEW
@dlow206: REVIEW
@goaliewales14: REVIEW
@revkev: REVIEW
@Rtracymog: REVIEW

Let's see how well they use the new Motore X shaft to transmit the energy from their engine to the clubhead and send the ball speeding straight and fast!

[azstu324]

Intro

Once again, a very sincere thank you to MGS for allowing me to be a part of this testing experience! This will be my 4th MGS test in 3 years and I will say that it does not get easier. If anything, the weight of responsibility only gets heavier with experience and I welcome that!

Thanks to Fujikura for looking to MGS for this partnership. You truly picked an amazing group to work with! 

About 2 ½ years ago, if asked to describe my game, my response would have gone something like this: I’d really like to break 90 someday but probably not in the foreseeable future. My driver is all over the place, but mostly in every neighborhood right of whatever hole I’m on. Swing speed.. What’s that? Forged clubs are for professionals only.. or at least I think. What ball do I use?: Whichever one I pull out of my bag next.

Fast forward to today and my perspective on the game has changed a bit.. Any coincidence that it was almost exactly 2 ½ years ago that I joined MGS and my golf game has improved in a way that I didn’t think would be conceivable? Looking back at my very 1st post when I was digging for answers on Maltby golf clubs, I was welcomed to the fold by MGS staple figures such as @tommc23, @revkev, @MattF, @BIG STU, and many others who have played one part or another in my blossoming obsession with this game that we’re all gathered here to celebrate.

Most days I find myself shooting in the mid to high 70’s with a handicap between 8-9. Driver swing speed is just a hair north of 110 mph. Back swing is slower and very deliberate with a pretty smooth transition and tempo. Prior to beginning the test, I would say my average driver carry distance is around 265 yds with a good 10-15 yds of roll out. To average around 280 yds total.

Typical ball flight is lower than most but powerful with some decent roll out. Here in AZ where the ground is harder than most parts of the country, you have to use crappy conditions to your advantage and a lower spin, runner ball will get you much more distance than a pop fly.

 

My typical miss would be the dreaded pull. The good thing about having spent countless obsessive hours working on swing mechanics is that when I start to see the pull, I know that I’m getting lazy with my swing and know how to fix things before it destroys my round.  

I try not to look at my game as having strengths and weaknesses to compare. I enjoy all aspects of the game and try to focus on each equally. Driving, Iron shots, wedge play, putting, course management, mental strength, etc all get equal attention. I feel better knowing that if one or 2 skills don’t show up on a given day, that I can usually balance them out by having the others sharpened and ready to go.

I just love this driver! This one for me just checks all of the boxes. When it first came out with the carbon crown and milled face I just knew I had to have one. Took me a couple of years but I was finally able to get one in the bag and haven’t looked back. I’ve been playing it with a 67g UST ProForce V2 Black (S) for the past couple seasons and have had some good success with the combo. I’ll admit that the flex may be a tad light but the shaft in general is pretty stable and has produced some really great #’s for an aftermarket option.  

As far as what I’m looking to get out of any club in my hands, it’s all about consistency and reliability. I want to know that as long as I’m doing my part, the club will deliver. I don’t need crazy long yardage. I just expect that Distance, Spin, and Trajectory are (X, Y, Z) and that this is what I’ll get back. Is that too much to ask?

On-course game, course management, etc, I’d say that I’m a calculated risk taker. There are some courses that I play regularly and am very familiar with the risk/reward shots. I’ll definitely play more aggressive lines if I know the rewards and if my abilities can outplay the risks. Otherwise, I’ll play more conservatively if I’m not familiar with the course layout. Most par 5’s I’m able to reach in 2. I didn’t say that I land on the green in 2 but am very capable of reaching the distances in 2 shots. As for par 4’s, I’ve recently changed my tone on using driver just because it says “par 4”. I’m going to be sticking to a new rule moving forward: less than 375 yds = less than driver. Whatever club leaves me with a full 100 – 125 yd approach shot, I seem to have a better outcome than a ¾ wedge shot.

 

Hi, I’m MotoreX, it’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.. (first impressions)

I’m a person who finds beauty in simplicity. I think it’s admirable when something can be created that has so much detail under the surface but doesn’t need an exterior that says “hey look at me!” to be noted as something extraordinary. I find that to be case with the MotoreX.

 

Performance Specs:

Fujikura has a very interesting claim with this particular shaft. Their marketing slogan “Multiply Your Speed” had a lot of us wondering how they were going to deliver those claims. By utilizing their proprietary, and very high-tech, High-Speed Motion Capture system (ENSO), which uses 8 motion capture cameras from various angles, they are able to detect every single bend and twist point throughout the shaft, throughout the entire swing. This allows Fujikura to manufacture an even more refined and fine-tuned shaft that retains the necessary bending qualities for load and release, while nearly eliminating the counter-productive twisting that can occur throughout the driver swing.       

    

 

Imagine a catapult, it has 2 primary directional movements. Backward to load and then forward to release sending all of its energy in the direction of the target in a straight line. Now imagine if you were to add a 30* twist just before its released. Probably not a very accurate outcome right? That’s essentially what’s happening a lot of the time when we swing a driver and the shaft has too much twist through the release and contact with the ball. With this ENSO technology, Fujikura claims to have that all but eliminated the counterproductive twisting while maintaining those sweet feelings that we all look for in a driver shaft.

I’ll admit that while all of the techy stuff sounds very interesting and even plausible, I just didn’t know how it was possible to turn my 110 MPH swing into 113+. I was also very interested to see how the shaft chosen for me by Fujikura based on my swing characteristics was going to perform well for me when @goaliewales14 was recommended the same shaft and has what sounds like a more aggressive and even faster swing. Ultimately though, it was extremely cool to be talking directly with Fujikura and getting the opportunity to pick their brain about the different shaft offerings for the MotoreX.

Ultimately my hopes throughout this testing were not even to increase speed or distance. I know.. sounds silly doesn’t it? But having a swing speed and distance slightly lower than the tour average doesn’t hurt my feelings one bit. My overall expectation is to find a new level of consistency with my driver while maintaining my distance and trajectory, and lowering spin a few hundred rev’s. Added distance would be the cherry on top.

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

Flat black is always a favorite when done correctly. What color there is, is not over done in the slightest and doesn’t look like a unicorn threw up its Halloween candy (like so many others). The 1 very minor gripe is that you aren’t really given a “logo down” option. With the logo facing down, you still have the graphics on the back side of the shaft. Again, very minor. Everything about the appearance just says “Premium” grade!. The icing on the cake was the added MGS logo laser etched into the paint. Knowing that this is 1 of 5 in the entire world just makes this all the more sentimental (sorry rest of the world).

Feel (10 out of 10 points)

I don’t know how Fujikura did it, but they nailed my fitting perfectly. The weight, balance, butt, middle, tip, and kick point are all just what I’m looking for. This is my first X flex shaft too and I was slightly hesitant to go stiffer. Ultimately I’m glad I did and it’s been a tremendous payoff.

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

My testing consisted of both “dry” and “wet” ball data as Mark Crossfield would put it. I spent time collecting stats on the launch monitors as well as putting the shaft to the real test on the course. Ultimately it’s all about how the shaft performs in the elements on the battle field. While live course data won’t give spin and launch numbers, total distance and where the ball stops is as good as anything a launch monitor can show. During the course of testing, I spent probably a good 10 hours at my home away from home (PGATSS) and played a good 10 rounds at Springfield GC where I’m a member as well as another 5 or so rounds at other local tracks. The pictures shown are GPS tracking from the tee to where the ball stopped.

Below: The first picture is with my original ProForce V2 shaft. You can see that the dispersion wasn’t great. The spin wasn’t horrible but the distance and ball speed were definitely lower than the MotoreX. I found these results to be very repetitive throughout the entire testing.

UST ProForce V2

MotoreX F1 6X

 

On-Course (28 out of 30 points)

Something that I’ve noticed is that the shaft does it’s real work on the course (as it should). Launch monitor mumbo jumbo is nice and all, but take all the fancy numbers away and focus on the basics, in real-life scenarios, how does it perform when it really matters? Dispersion, Feel, Total Distance. I just need those 3 things to be consistent and I’ve got a winner.  

Here are just a few (of many) GPS tee to ball trackings that I was able to take during actual rounds. I would say that these are a good field sample of probably 80% of my shots. The course data tells the most important story IMO. To conclude the performance aspect of the shaft, it’s safe to say that Fujikura’s original claims of the MotoreX have been gift wrapped and hand delivered and I couldn’t be more impressed with my experience.  

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

Not a whole lot to say here that hasn’t already been said. The personal experience with Fujikura, the craftsmanship and qualify of the product along with the cohesion of marketing and tech with actual performance delivery have left me with nothing but happy feelings.

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

No chance I’ll be trading, selling, or giving this away. This is what some of us would refer to as the “cold dead hands” classification of golf equipment.

Conclusion

Regardless of your swing profile, The MotoreX F1 is a shaft that will help you find YOUR best swing. It delivers on all claims and the tech under the hood is the real deal!

Final Score: (95 out of 100 points)

MotoreX.. Swing Faster, Hit Further, Play Better you will...

 

 

[dlow206]

Intro

First off, thank you to Fujikura and MGS for providing me the opportunity to review the Motore X shaft.

A little about me and my golf game. My name is Derrick and I am a high handicapper (low 100s). Although I first learned to play golf at the age of 10, I never really played golf consistently until 2019. In January 2020, I joined a club that is close to my house here in the Pacific Northwest, and I am now playing once a week. I would consider myself a beginner that is on the road to playing decent golf.

My current gamer is the SIM Max 10.5 degree that came with the stock Ventus Red (made for) shaft. I was sort of fit for it in the sense that I tried a few different drivers in a retail store and then tried a few different shafts within the TM offerings on a GC Quad.

I am not a big hitter, my swing speed on the launch monitor is typically between 100 to 105. On the course, I am guessing it is lower than that because I am not swinging as hard. I am happy on the course if I can hit the ball 230 and put it in the fairway. I do aspire in the future to hit longer as I continue to improve my swing.

Overall, my goal with this shaft test is two-fold. First, I want to try to increase my driver distance while decreasing dispersion. And second, I want to do a test for all the high handicappers out there in the world who are motivated to improve and are equipment junkies like me. I would like to help answer the question on how much difference can a shaft make for a high handicapper that does not put a consistent swing on the ball. I feel like most reviews out there on the interwebz are often by either pros or low handicappers, not the larger proportion of golfers out there that are like me.

 

 

About the Shaft & First Impressions

The tagline for the Motore X shaft is “Multiply your Speed”. Fujikura uses phrases like, “Engineered for speed and backed by stability.” It sounds like there is a lot of technology that went into the design, including using Fujikura’s Enso proprietary 3D motion capture system. In layman’s terms, Fujikura is trying to create a shaft to hit the ball farther while maintaining accuracy. Isn’t that the goal of every shaft maker? To do this, Fujikura has created the Motore X with the following bend profile:

When I received a call from Fujikura, we discussed my swing and ball flight tendencies. Based on my swing speeds and my desire for a higher trajectory and more spin, I was fit in the Motore X F3 which is the higher launching and higher spinning model out of the two Motore X models. It is officially classified as “mid-high launch” and “mid spin”. I selected the 59 gram version, which is within the same range as my stock shaft.

In terms of looks, the shaft looks great, I will let the pictures speak:

For testing approach, I had planned to have multiple launch monitor sessions, but due to the Covid situation, I was only able to get one Trackman session in. In addition, I wanted to get in multiple rounds out on the course to see how it truly performs compared to other shafts I own (did I mention I am a shaft junkie?).

My criteria on whether the Motore X F3 shaft earns a spot in my bag is more than just how it performs on the launch monitor. While I think launch monitor performance is important, for me at least, what you see on the launch monitor is not always what you get out on the course. Ultimately, is this the shaft that gives me the most confidence and trust out on the course.

Grading

Looks (10/10):

For me, looks of a shaft are not that important. However, I would say this is a good looking, eye catching shaft. It has a race car look to my eye.

Feel (9/10):

I am one of those players that doesn’t really “feel” much difference in driver shafts, except when a shaft is too stiff or too boardy. The Motore X F3 is definitely not too stiff, and is not harsh feeling, which is what I expected. I would say its not as smooth as my Oban Kiyoshi Gold, but I believe that shaft has a more active tip. I would say the Motore X F3 feels good enough.

Basic Characteristics (18/20):

I had one launch monitor session on Trackman back in early March that I posted in this thread. I would re-post the entire set of stats but will give the TL DR version. During that session, I was a bit disappointed in the performance of the Motore X F3. It had performed better than my stock Ventus made for shaft but was beat out in distance and dispersion by the Project X Evenflow Red shaft. However, I had a pretty significant swing fault at that time that I recently fixed.

With my recent fixing of my setup/swing fault, here is a more accurate picture of the characteristics of this shaft for me:

• Trajectory: Mid-High launch would be an accurate assessment. I thought I was looking for high trajectory, but seeing the mid-high performance of the Motore X F3 showed me that is the best trajectory for me
• Accuracy: Without a launch monitor to test my improved swing, its hard to say how the accuracy is compared to other shafts, but when I put a good swing on the ball, the ball is going where I want it to go. The snap hooks I hit are not the fault of the shaft
• Spin: On the launch monitor, my spin was below 2000 with the Motore X F3, which is a little low for me. My miss is a toe hook, so that will naturally cause low spin. What I have noticed on the course is that besides the toe hook miss (which is my fault), the spin is sufficient, no knuckleballs falling out of the sky, which is what I am trying to prevent

On Course Performance (28/30):

 As a high handicapper, I don’t really track hard stats. My goal is to keep the ball in play and moving forward. During my time playing golf, hitting driver has always been a liability for me. The snap hook off the tee has been the bane of my existence. I can’t blame any equipment for that, its me and my swing.

However, I had a recent epiphany about a setup issue where my left palm was coming off the grip at the top of the backswing. After fixing this issue, my driver swing has improved significantly. I played today and used the Motore X F3 for the full round and here were my key findings:

• Hit some of the farthest shots I have ever hit off the tee, and with accuracy. Carried a bunker 250 yards out. Would have loved to see how far that ball would have went with some roll-out, but that fairways were so wet that the ball buried itself in the fairway where it landed
• Accuracy was good, had a few misses to the right, but minimal snap hooks, only 1 today. Had a few pulls, but there were me putting a bad swing on the ball. I would very satisfied with the accuracy
• The biggest thing for me was that I trusted the shaft. A couple of holes I went after it and it produced the shots that I wanted. I believe being able to trust your equipment is especially important

Today, I shot my lowest 9 holes ever, a 44 from the blue tees, when I normally play from the white tees. The guys that I was paired up with insisted on playing from the blue tees, and I was a bit intimidated by that. But I ended up blasting it by them on almost all holes.

My on-course performance takeaway is that while I am not sure if the Motore X F3 is the absolute best performing shaft out of the 100s and 1000s of different shafts that exist in the market, but I trust it, period. It’s staying in the bag.

Miscellaneous (10/10):

Interaction was great in speaking with the folks from Fujikura and I believe I was fit into the right spec shaft.

Play it or Trade it (20/20):

It’s in the bag.

 

Conclusion:

I trust the Motore X F3 with my SIM Max 10.5 head. I have hit some of my longest, most accurate drives with this shaft and head combo. Being a high handicapper, don’t know how much of that is due to fixing swing faults, but all I can say is I trust this combo and it’s going along for my golf journey.

Final Score (95/100)

[goaliewales14]

The Review

Intro

Hello fellow Spies!  I’d like to start by saying a huge thank you to MGS and Fujikura to allow me to review the new Motore X shaft!  I’d also like to thank everyone for their patience with this review as we work through these difficult times.

Over the past year, especially during quarantine, I’ve been going through some swing changes.  Those changes have led to my driver not performing the same as when I first purchased it.  I used to love taking out the driver and letting it rip.  Now I’ve been using my 3 wood, or driving iron, off the tee and having a longer club into the green.  This club is definitely holding me back from lowering my handicap.

I’d love to be able to take out the driver and have confidence to know I’ll be in the fairway that I’m actually playing rather than the hole next to me.  Consistency and forgiveness are my #1 priorities when I look at drivers.  I just don’t feel that my current shaft is setting me up for success anymore.  I feel that I’m losing where the club is during my swing.

Current Setup

I’m currently gaming the PXG Gen2 0811X with a Handcrafted HZRDUS Yellow 6.0 76g shaft.  Interesting enough, I had a PXG tune-up fitting hours before being announced as a tester for the Motore X shaft.  During that fitting, I was fit into the Aldila NV Green 65 NXT X-flex.  I will also be using that shaft as a comparison for this review.

First Impressions

The more research I did about this shaft, the more I couldn’t have been more excited to get this shaft out on the course!  To add to this excitement, we received a personal over-the-phone fitting from Fujikura themselves.  Who wouldn’t be excited to hit a shaft that the manufacturer personally walked you through?  Based on their analysis, they fit me into the Motore X F1 6X.  What makes it even better is that this shaft is supposed to have an extremely similar profile as the NV Green shaft I was just fit into by PXG.

After my fitting, I ask if he had time to answer a few questions around this shaft to get a little more in-depth as to the reasons behind why this shaft was created.  They took the learnings from Ventus, tightening dispersion, and basically asked how can we hit the ball further while still keeping the tight dispersion that Ventus promises.  To come up with that design, they used their ENSO system to capture what happens to a shaft at certain points in the swing.  One of the areas they really focused on with ENSO is minimizing how much the shaft twists during the swing.  Less twisting means more consistent delivery each time.

When the shaft came in, I couldn’t believe Fujikura added the MGS logo into the shaft!  We are now the only ones that will have a truly custom Motore X shaft.

The coloring of this shaft is beautiful.  I love the black, especially leading into the PXG head.  Just flows so well.

 

Testing Process

During this review, I used multiple different launch monitors, as well as taking it to the course.  For this shaft to be “successful” in my eyes, I will be monitoring dispersion.  As I already mentioned, that is the #1 factor for me.  I’d love to know what it feels like to hit a 2^nd shot from the short grass. 

I was also be paying close attention to club head and ball speeds.  With Fujikura saying this shaft “multiples speed” I would expect a small increase in both.  During my fitting with Fujikura, they mentioned I might be the * on that statement since my smash factor is already around 1.48.  When they make statements like “multiples speed,” they refer more to the people who haven’t had a proper fitting. 

 Grading

Looks (9 out of 10 points)

I feel that most driver shafts on the market lack minimalism.  Whereas, most driver crowns are moving towards very simple and clean.  You have matte black crown with a very small alignment aid paired with a driver shaft that has oversized logos, multiple colors, and different size fonts.  Fujikura has listened with the Motore X!  They made sure to line up our adapter setting so when you’re looking down the shaft, all you see is black and the ombre rectangles.

 

When you flip it over, you get the lettering of the shaft.  The one thing I love is that it doesn’t wrap around the shaft.  If you can clearly read everything.  Then right at the end of the lettering, the cherry on top, the MGS logo.  The only thing I would have liked to see would be the lettering continue to the ombre affect to allow it to blend in a bit better.  Most of us on here will eventually mess with the settings, possibly causing that lettering to be on top.

Feel (10 out of 10 points)

From the first hit with this shaft, I knew something was different.  You can feel the stability.  That shaft isn’t allowing that club face to twist, even on bad strikes.  We’ve all had those toe strikes where it feels like the club just twists wide open.  That can hugely impact where your ball ends up.  It could mean the different between OB and in the rough.  We I took the NV Green out for the first time, I really felt that difference.  The NV Green shaft was allowing the club to twist at the top of the backswing, and impact.  Whereas Motore X wasn’t twisting at all during any point in the swing.  Even if I wanted to really step on one, I had 100% confidence that the Motore X will keep up with me.

 

As I mentioned earlier, with my HZRDUS shaft I lose the club during my swing.  I believe a lot of that is due to it being counterbalanced.  That is the reason I ended up reaching out and getting fit again by PXG.  The NV Green shaft definitely allows me to feel the club, but the feel is just enhanced so much with the Motore X.

 Basic Characteristics (20 out of 20 points)

GAME TIME!!  I was actually at the PGA Tour SS when I got the notification that I have a box from Fujikura sitting on my porch.  I immediately left to grab it and come back to jump on a launch monitor. 

The one thing that I noticed when looking at numbers was my backspin numbers.  At some points I was below 2,000 rpm.  I definitely needed make some adjustments to my weights and loft settings.  I went from having all my weights in the draw setting and 1 forward (I have an extra titanium weight) to all of them in the back and 1 forward.  I also lofted up 1.5 degrees.

Once I got the driver settings dialed in, I was hitting bombs!  I was typically averaging around 285 off the tee.  I was now averaging 300.  I did notice an uptick in swing speed and ball speed.  Not only were my shots long, but they were stacking on top of each other.  My dispersion dropped dramatically.  It looked like I might actually have my driver back. 

On-Course / LM Performance (30 out of 30 points)

I can’t think of anything on the course that this shaft isn’t giving me.  In a lot of situations before this shaft, I was teeing off with a driving iron or 3 wood.  This was leaving 30-50 yards on the table that would allow me to hit shorter clubs into greens.  Pretty much all of the par 5’s, I’d have to make them a 3 shot hole instead of trying for that eagle.

Granted, I’m not down the middle every single time, but no shaft in the world is going to fix a bad swing.  This shaft surely tried though!  There were some shots I put a terrible swing on it, and I’d end up just in the rough.  It wasn’t that I hit it 2 fairways over, under a forest of trees, or OB.  This was a major struggle with par 4’s.  My second shot was just to get it back into play rather than go for the green.

I do have to say that I’m experiencing 1 problem out on the course…I keep running through fairways.  There have been multiple times where I’ve gotten up to my ball to see it just in the rough from over shooting the fairway.  We’re talking one shot below where the fairway ends at 300 yards before the creek.  May be time to start moving back to a new set of tees!

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

The major thing for me on this review was getting to speak with Fujikura personally.  It was amazing to be able to ask them questions and have them personally set up your shaft for you.  It almost feels like a pro who’s on contract with them.  I was a bit worried if Fujikura was going to have a PXG adapter just, but sure enough, they had them!

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

100% playing this shaft!  It actually wants to make me look at getting a Motore X for my 3 wood.  When you can step up to the tee box and call your line, what more can you ask for in a driver?  Looks like I’ve got a HZRDUS and NV Green up for sale now!

Conclusion

Are you someone who has an aggressive transition?  Are you someone looking for stability in your shafts?  The Motore X is hands down the best shaft I’ve ever put into my driver.  That includes going head-to-head with 2 shafts out of fittings with PXG.  I’ve picked up distance, speed (both swing and ball), and dispersion.  I’m not sure how this shaft will ever come out of my bag!  I can’t thank MGS and Fujikura enough for this amazing opportunity!

Final Score: (99 out of 100 points)

[revkev]

June 2, 2020 

Fujikura – Official MGS Forum Review by RevKev 

Intro 

Grandpa will you tell me a story please? 

 

Of course, Lilly!  This is a story about how your grandpa was picked by My Golf Spy to test the Motore X driver shaft made by a company called, Fujikura. Can you say, Fujikura?  Great!  Thanks to both for allowing me to be a part of this test.  I apologize to you and our readers that my offering won’t have launch monitor data in it, but a little thing called COVID 19 got in the way and my normal LM source has yet to reopen.  I will however have actual playing data from ARCCOS.  In my opinion it’s the most important kind of data, the kind that shows up on a scorecard.  

 

My swing is a mixture between homegrown and professionally taught.  In my quest to keep my handicap in the low single digits, I’ve had three certified PGA instructors over the course of the past 20 years. From my early 20's through my late 40’s I was between a 3 and an 8.   

 

The lessons and fittings lowered that further and I enjoyed a sustained period where I was between a .8 and a 2 until I was in my late 50’s.  At that point I had some health issues coupled with a good deal of weight gain.  This resulted in a tremendous loss of clubhead speed, distance, ball striking consistency and a struggle to keep my handicap below 10.  I embarked upon a fitness program two and a half years ago, have kept the weight off and gained back some distance through doing SuperSpeed workouts.   

 

Last summer I had a complete bag fitting.  The fitter replaced my hybrids and 3 wood with three Ping fairway woods and my driver which was a 10 degree G400 LST with a 12 degree G410 plus with an Alta Distanza Shaft.  I was surprised at this fit, given that I had picked up around 10 miles per hour of clubhead speed, but he assured me that because my tempo and transition are smooth I would do well with that combo and I certainly hit it fine at the fitting, consistently launching it 15 degrees with around 3,000 RPMs of spin, swing speed in the low 90’s, ball speeds between 130 - 135.   

 

What worked well in the lab however didn’t bear fruit on the golf course.  While I haven’t been back on a LM since that fitting I had a great deal of trouble with dispersion with that shaft in my driver.  I normally play a draw.  With the Alta Distanza I was getting a mixture of blocks and hooks and my fairways hit dropped from 75/80 percent to around 60 percent.  Once I got the ARCCOS system through an offer by Ping, I was stunned to learn that my driving handicap was a 15.  My overall handicap index at that time was right between 6 and 7 so what had once been a strength was now a glaring weakness. 

 

I had already resolved to get fit for a new shaft when this review opportunity came up.  In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve also resumed SuperSpeed workouts in order to recapture some of the clubhead speed that I lost when I stopped last summer.  I have gained back that distance during the test period but let the reader understand that its possible this wasn’t solely the shaft.  My swing speed has inched back up into the mid 90’s so it’s right on the cusp of a stiffer shaft profile. I have however often preferred a bit weaker shaft than my swing speed might indicate.  

 

Most important to me as I began this test was how I might get my consistency back.  Normally driver is an automatic club for me, pull it out of the bag, pick a target and bang the ball flies in a nice medium high draw towards that target.  I’m looking to get that back.  Let’s see if I did. 

     

First Impressions 

 

 

The Motore X F3 is one of two new driver shaft offerings for the 2020 season from Fujikura.  They tout this shaft as increasing ball speed and stability.  It is mid spin and mid-high launch or just what the doctor ordered for a moderate swing speed older player, like me.  For those who require it, the tech information is all available and neatly displayed on the Fujikura website www.fujikuragolf.com along with information about the F3’s partner, the F1, that’s the one for younger, stronger guys and gals.  

 

The fitting for this test was done over the phone through a Fujikura rep named, Austin.  We talked about my current set up, I told him that my swing speed was low to mid 90’s (it’s solidly in the mid 90 range now and creeping upward).  I also told him that I was struggling with two sided misses that were wreaking havoc with my handicap.  We settled on the F3 50 R at 45”, regular tip, Tour Velvet 1 extra wrap.  This shaft is ¾ of an inch shorter than what I was gaming because at 58 grams it’s 14 grams heavier than the Distanza.  I will add that this choice was in line with other driver fittings that I’ve had over the course of the past few years.  The one that netted the Distanza was the outlier.  

I was happy when the Motore X arrived, and I was able to take the old shaft out.  Most people would head to the range with a new driver shaft, but I already had a round scheduled the next day and honestly believed that I couldn’t do any worse if I put a telephone pole in my driver.  I went to the course, warmed up, hit driver three of four times on the range and it was off to the first tee. 

 

Not only was I looking to find more fairways that day and beyond, I was looking to eliminate that block which had become so prevalent with the old shaft.  In order to get my handicap back under five I knew that I needed to accomplish that.  If I could get my ARCCOS driving handicap down below 10, I surmised that my overall index would drop below five.  My chipping handicap hovers around scratch (sometimes making it to the plus side) and my putting handicap is around 2.  I still have that really good short game so keeping it in play off the tee and somewhere around the green with my approaches are my keys to good scoring.  To stay in my driver the Motore X F3 needed to help me get my consistency back.  

 
My testing was performed on two Private Golf courses, Saint Pete Country Club and my home course, the Bayou in Largo, Florida as well as on the range at Bayou.  Because the test began in late February, I was able to test in a wide variety of weather conditions from dry and windy to classic Florida summer weather, hot, wet and humid.  Being able to play in the wind was extremely important because I wanted to be sure to put this club through its paces.  While I never had access to a Launch Monitor because of COVID, I’ve logged 10 rounds with the driver shaft and had it in my driver for at least twice that many range sessions.  I’ve also tested it for raw speed both dry and hitting shots on a radar device that I use for my SuperSpeed workouts.  The 111 was a dry swing after a workout, the 107 is typical of a normal drive after finishing a protocol with 95-97 being the norm whether on the range or course for real.  The radar registers about 3 mph “faster” than trackman. 

 

 

Grading 

It’s always difficult to assign number grades during these tests.  Please understand that nearly every piece of equipment that we test is a fit for someone but not for everyone.  So keep in mind that you need to consider the person giving the grade, does he or she have similar swing characteristics to yours?  When I watch video reviews it’s actually quite comical because the testers all have driver swing speeds that are not helpful for someone like me or quite frankly over 90 percent of all golfers.  What does it mean for me that a guy who swings 110 hits a particular set up well?  What does it mean for the guy who swings 110 that I hit a set up well?  
 
 

Looks 

The shaft coloring is understated.  The MGS logo lasered into ours is a cool touch but of course that is not a standard feature.  Overall, I think that most of the driver shafts that I’ve seen look great and fit a majority of driver heads well.  I’m going 8/10 here not because the shaft looks bad but because it’s as expected. 

 
 

Feel  

I’m not a huge feel person in that it will be a determining factor for what clubs or shafts I game.  If the head/shaft combo works, I will get used to its feel and looks.  Having written that this shaft feels much more stable than the shaft that I used to have in my driver.  Perhaps this is because it has the dual characteristic of medium stiffness towards the handle and a stiff profile in the tip.  I have no trouble identifying where the clubhead is throughout the swing and squaring the face up at impact is easy.  I’m going to do something I’ve never done with a piece of equipment is score it 10/10 for feel. 

 
 

Basic Characteristics 

You will recall from earlier in this review that I took the shaft out of the box, put it in my driver, hit a couple on the range and played a round at St. Pete Country Club.  It seems like an age ago, but spring training was in full swing and all the boys of summer were here.  The young man between my buddy and me is a trainer in the Yankee minor league system.  He’s one of the winter visitors at my church and we play together frequently.  On this particular afternoon he brought the Yankees strength coach along with.  about the 11th hole he said, “I really like that shaft for you.  Just a much better ball flight.” 

 

I agree!  Gone almost immediately were the blocks and after lofting down a click – from 12 degrees to 11.25, I have a head shaft combo that produces a nice medium high draw time after time after time.  While I don’t like to I am able to hit fades if I want.  That’s fine in a casual round or on the range but I would never hit an intentional fade off the tee in a tournament unless I absolutely had to.  Up until a couple of weeks ago I was getting nice roll out but the rain has started to kick in so that has gone away.  I’m still hitting it out past where I was prior to the new shaft, though I can’t give all of that credit to the shaft.  I’m going to give it a solid 18/20.   

 

 
 

On-Course Performance 

 

This is truly where the rubber hits the road.  While I wish that I had some solid LM data I have my ARCCOS system, my eye balls and the guys that I regularly play with to help measure performance in a meaningful way.  Before I put this shaft in, my driver handicap in that system was 15, my fairways hit were right around 60 percent, my smart range 200 – 221 and overall ARCCOS handicap was 6.2. 

 

The most problematic number though was the exact split between misses right and misses left.  It was maddening particularly on tight driving holes.  I never knew which miss might show up and since I launched the ball so high, I really struggled in the wind. 

 

Since installing the Motore X F3 into my driver I’ve played 10 recorded rounds.  My driver handicap has dropped to a far more respectable 9.3, my smart range has increased to 206-230.  Best of all my misses are now trending left.  As a residual my approach handicap has dropped as well, from 12 to 8.2 no doubt because I’m hitting the ball farther and finding less trouble off the tee – in fact I don’t believe that I have lost a ball or taken a penalty on a tee shot since I put the shaft in.  This is much more typical RevKev performance with the driver. 

Of course I’m not hitting any par 5’s in 2, I just don’t hit it that far but I’m able to attack them with wedges and it’s a lot easier to get into position with a 7, 9 wood or 6 iron than it is with a 3 or 5 wood.  My most recent round was a 75 and on the two front 9 par 5’s I was able to position myself perfectly 80 yards from the pin, great angle in with 7 wood and 9 wood lay ups respectively.  Both of these holes have well guarded lay up areas.  I parred each but had good birdie looks of inside 15 feet on them. 

 

My distance gains are tangible.  My buddy pictured in the distance hits the ball the same distance that I do normally.  This has not been the case the last few times that we played.  These drives were well struck into the wind – he had 4 hybrid into the green, I had 8 iron.  Not all of that distance gain is attributable to the Motore X shaft but it gets props for holding up to my increased clubhead speed nicely.  

 

My overall ARCCOS is now a 3.7!  My actual USGA handicap index has dropped proportionally as well from 6.8 to 5.2.  Why there’s a difference between the two is anyone’s guess and outside of the scope of this review.   I will give the Motore X F3 shaft a very respectable 27/30. 

 
Miscellaneous  

When I consider the things that might be mentioned under miscellaneous, I feel as if I’ve covered them in the review.  Customer service, check, speed of delivery, check.  I suppose that the one thing I haven’t covered is price.  According to the Fujikura website the MSR for the Motore X series is $275.  While not the most expensive that is a significant enough price point to give a person pause and to cause me to bring the miscellaneous rating down to 8/10.  The reality is that I would not likely have purchased this shaft new unless someone had gifted me with it which means that I would have missed out on a great thing because of cost. 

 
Play it or Trade it 

It would seem to me that this category is an all or nothing sort of thing.  I guess the piece of equipment could be a bridge step up and so in the bag temporarily until something better comes along.  That’s not the case with this shaft for me.  It’s in to stay.  My guess is that this head/shaft combo will be in my bag for the next two to three years baring something unforeseen like a driver that changes the game in the same way as the Pro V1x.  That’s very unlikely to happen though and I’m not taking points off based on pure speculation so here we get a whopping 20/20. 

 
 

Conclusion 

So that’s the story.  ARCCOS driving handicap from 15 to 9.3, overall, from 6 to 3.7, fairways hit from 60 percent with misses evenly split to 70 percent tilting left.  My confidence is back when I pull driver again.  I know that I can aim the ball at a target in the distance and the ball is going to start a bit right, sore up into the sky and draw right at it.  If there’s no suitable target I just go to the left side of the tee box, aim it a bit right of where I want to be in the fairway and let it rip, easy, peasy.   

 

Did I mention that my handicap is lower because I’m driving it straighter and hitting less club into the green?  That’s the bottom line for me here.  Thanks again to MGS and Fujikura for what has been an interesting testing opportunity and diversion during a very difficult time.  Stay health, stay safe, go play golf! 

Final Score:  91/100 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

[Rtracymog]

Fujikura Motore X F1 – Official MGS Forum Review by Rtracymog

Intro

First I just wanted to say “Thank you” to both MyGolfSpy and Fujikura for this amazing opportunity!  This is my first testing opportunity for the forum so I would love some feedback on what I can do better if I get another opportunity! 

I haven’t tracked an official handicap for a few years now, but I’m anywhere from mid-70s to low 80s.  I’m a high school teacher in Michigan and I spent the last 6 years working at a top 100 golf shop as well.  Needless to say with 2 jobs and 2 young kids, my rounds per year were at a minimum.  I took the boys and girls coaching jobs at the school I teach, so I’m no longer working at the shop and I’m looking for my rounds to go way up this year

I typically hover between 115 and 120 with the driver. I’m typically the longest hitter in my group, unless I’m playing with the shop guys, so my family members are looking for me to hit bombs and I try to oblige.

 

My miss tends to be a pull hook and my miss is typically on the toe.  When I was talking to my Fuji fitter on the phone, I said that I wanted to eliminate the left miss as much as possible.  I’ll address this a little more later in the review.  

I’m on the Wilson Advisory Staff and have been for the last 4 years.  I was a fitter at the store I worked at, so I was able to fit myself for each of the drivers.  I’m currently using the Cortex with a Rogue Silver 70X tipped 1” and I will be comparing it to the Fuji Motore X 7X tipped 1”.

The biggest goal for me with testing the shaft is to improve my accuracy.  My game comes and goes with how I’m driving the ball.  I don’t make a ton of birdies, so if I’m going to play well, I need to make a lot of pars.  If I’m wild with the driver, I know I’m in for a long day.  If I can keep it in play, I’m typically a short wedge into a par 4 and it gives me a great chance to score.

 

My biggest pet peeve on the golf course is losing a ball when I try to play it safe. There is no more frustrating feeling than saying, “I should have just hit the driver if I was going to lose a ball anyway.” So I play pretty aggressively most of the time.  My favorite saying when someone asks if they should go for it or lay up, “We didn’t drive all this way to play p*ssy golf.” 

First Impressions

This was my first chance at a real after market shaft, so I was geeked when this box showed up at my door!

 

I opened the box and pulled out this sexy beast! Everything just screamed “fast” to me.  Fujikura used a new “Phantium” finish that saves up to six grams of weight.  The weight of the shaft is 79g (1 gram heavier than my Rogue Silver), so I can’t speak much on the weight savings, but the pictures don’t do the finish justice. I asked for an MCC grip and I think that Fujikura choosing to throw the red on there to match the shaft graphics and Cortex head was just a nice added touch of class.

Of course since we’re talking class, I can’t forget to add a picture of this amazing graphic added by the people at Fujikura. I was a little disappointed that the tip looked rough right out of the box and that the grip was not installed straight.  No one is perfect and those little details can be easily overlooked.

 

So let’s talk some tech.  I already mentioned the Phantium paint job, but Fujikura didn’t spend 10 years (hence Motore X), just working on paint.  The Motore X is about “amplifying speed,” according to the marketing.  One thing they did to increase clubhead speed was that they had to torsionally increase the handle section. Basically they tried to keep the handle from twisting as much, so they weren’t losing energy in that part of the club.  Looking at the chart that @dlow206 posted, the handle was still the least stiff part of the club and you can feel that just a bit when flexing the club.  One of the key terms that I kept seeing and hearing about the Motore X was “stability.”  Fuji’s ENSO system can track up to 1000 frames per second, so they can see even the slightest movements and variations in the shaft.  Looking at thousands of swings over the 10 year development, they’ve incorporated some new tech into the Motore X.  They’ve used an accelerated taper in certain sections and the same 40 ton carbon fiber that they used in the Ventus.  So basically the Motore is supposed to increase your club head speed, be very stable and feel great.  Let’s see how those claims stacked up to the paces I put it through.

 

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

There really isn’t much else that I can say about the looks.  I love the graphics and look of the shaftI It looks great with the clubhead as well.

 

Feel (9.5 out of 10 points)

I’ve been focusing solely on hitting and straightening out the Motore X for the past few months.  I hadn’t done as many comparisons to my Rogue Silver as I wanted to .  I did put the Rogue Silver into my Cortex for the 2nd 9 holes on Monday and I absolutely could feel the difference.  I had gotten so used to the very smooth, stable feeling of the Motore X that my Rogue Silver felt, dare I say, harsh?  

 

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

This was my only Trackman session before Covid shut down everything in Michigan.

 

So with the first data session, I was underwhelmed with the Motore X.  I did see a slightly better ball speed, smash factor and club path.  However, the spin was noticeably higher and the dispersion was far worse than my Rogue Silver. I left a little disappointed. 

A few weeks later I managed to get a little bit of data from the Flightscope Xi despite having the kids there.

 

I don’t trust the spin numbers on the Flightscope as much as I do the Trackman. I’ve had the Cortex set up with the 8g weight in the toe for the first 5 shots here. where I was averaging almost 20 yards offline to the right.  For the last 5 shots, I flipped the weights and I noticed an immediate difference.  One big push, but I eliminated the big right miss!  I asked Fujikura to make an anti-left club and they succeeded.  I just couldn’t get the shaft turned over on a regular basis, until I flipped the weights.

 

On-Course / LM Performance (29 out of 30 points)

The first time out for the year was before the weight switch.  I hit three dead straight bombs and 6 pushes out the right.  The driver was not my friend that day. 

The second time out, the weights were switched and I hit my target or close enough 6 times.  A few wild drives, but that was my swing and no shaft could have fixed that!

During yesterday’s round, I hit the Motore X on front 9 and the Rogue Silver on the back.  On both par 5s that were into the wind or a crosswind, I hit shots like this.  Middle of the fairway and long.  I’m getting more and more comfortable with the shaft.  The only reason that I didn’t score this a 30 is that I went after one a little more and I could feel it flex a little too much and the ball went left.  The Motore X is a half inch longer that the Rogue Silver, so I might cut it down and see where it goes!

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

I can’t think of much to add here, but if you want some more clarification on anything I will be more than happy to answer them!

Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20 points)

I definitely think that the Motore X will be staying in the bag.  It checks all the boxes for me! I just want to see what cutting that half inch off will do to see if I can hit the center of the face more consistently.  

 

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a shaft to help your consistency, that feels smooth and stable, I would put the Motore X on your radar and give it a few swings.  You won’t be disappointed!

Final Score: (95.5 out of 100 points)

[StrokerAce]

Congratulations gents!

Really looking forward to your thoughts with this.  GolfSpy Harry had good things to say about it in the latest No Putts Given and he's seen and tested a bazillion!

[dlow206]

Wow, thank you for picking me. I will be representing all of the high handicappers who miss the sweetspot more often than not. Can't wait to see if this helps add ballspeed with good dispersion.

[edingc]

Another excellent group of testers, and another Michigander, too. Looking forward to this one. Shafts are such a cool part of golf tech!

[yungkory]

Excited to see how you all get on with these! Gonna be cool to read how it performs in @dlow206 SIM Max as I just put one in the bag as well.

[azstu324]

to quote my 7 year old daughter Kaylen.. HOLY CRAP SANDWICH THIS IS FLIPPIN AWESOME!!!.. the literal meaning is definitely much less appealing the the intent.

Thank you to MGS and Fujikura for this opportunity! 

To those new to the testing experience, get ready for the ride of a lifetime! 

 

[GolfSpy BOS]

Looking forward to following along with this one! Good luck testers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GolfSpy_BNG]

A great group of testers here. Should be a great follow. I have fond memories of the Motore F1 from years back. A new updated version sounds intriguing.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[dlow206]

6 hours ago, yungkory said:

Excited to see how you all get on with these! Gonna be cool to read how it performs in @dlow206 SIM Max as I just put one in the bag as well.

Will definitely be great to see how this Motore X works out in the SIM Max. I bought my SIM Max off the rack, couldn't resist the trade-in value I got on my old driver and bought it in a local store. Only tried the made for TM Ventus Blue vs. made for TM Ventus Red, and the Red fit better. I am always on the search for optimizing. 

[dlow206]

I am beginning to become a shaft nerd and can’t wait to talk to the fitter from Fujikura about which shaft will fit me best. 
I am assuming the F3 in stiff flex but not which weight.

[bens197]

Congrats fellas. Not going to lie, this one is intriguing.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[azstu324]

I am beginning to become a shaft nerd and can’t wait to talk to the fitter from Fujikura about which shaft will fit me best. 
I am assuming the F3 in stiff flex but not which weight.

Old man Crossfield would refer to us as "shaftoids"

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

[revkev]

Very excited to be a part of this and with a great team!  Thanks MGS and Fujikura - I played my best golf with their shafts in my Nicklaus Iron Max irons 10-15 years ago.  Here's hoping that I can catch lightning in a bottle again!

[goaliewales14]

To echo @dlow206 and @revkev, this is an amazing opportunity to be apart of this test! 

As we work through getting things setup on our end, what are some things you guys want to see out of this review?

[GolfSpy BOS]

To echo [mention=91232]dlow206[/mention] and [mention=16651]revkev[/mention], this is an amazing opportunity to be apart of this test! 
As we work through getting things setup on our end, what are some things you guys want to see out of this review?

I want to see you guys pick up club head speed and not lose out on accuracy. I’d imagine that’s what Fujikura would love to see too!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[goaliewales14]

7 minutes ago, B.Boston said:

 

I want to see you guys pick up club head speed and not lose out on accuracy. I’d imagine that’s what Fujikura would love to see too!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Isn't that the dream of every golfer?!   Dispersion is always #1 on my list in terms of looking at this type of stuff.  Although it is fun to be 300+ yards down the wrong fairway!

[GolfSpy BOS]

Isn't that the dream of every golfer?!   Dispersion is always #1 on my list in terms of looking at this type of stuff.  Although it is fun to be 300+ yards down the wrong fairway!

There’s one hole where I play where a good drive is great, but if it’s bad I want it to be realllly bad so it goes over the crap between the holes and into the next fairway. It’s an easy wedge back over and into the green in 3. Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[azstu324]

Will be very interesting to see what "multiplied" speed looks like..

I'm hoping for something like this...



the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

[dlow206]

2 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Old man Crossfield would refer to us as "shaftoids"

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..
 

I have been to a few different popular fitters in my area, and have left disappointed by their level of knowledge on shafts. I was told by one fitter that two iron shafts were essentially the same (both were in the same weight range, and both were stiff shafts). However, the bend profiles were significantly different and one felt way different than the other.

[fixyurdivot]

Looking forward to hear how the testers like this shaft and more importantly the data.  Have fun guys!

[sirchunksalot]

Congrats testers! This should be a good one and it'll be interesting one to read.

Sent from my SM-N975U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[JohnSmalls]

Really looking forward in how this works for you guys.  Congrats on being selected, enjoy!

[revkev]

I want to see you guys pick up club head speed and not lose out on accuracy. I’d imagine that’s what Fujikura would love to see too!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My dispersion has been way off with my current shaft - short and wrong is not a good combo. :(


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[GolfSpy BOS]

1 minute ago, revkev said:

 

My dispersion has been way off with my current shaft - short and wrong is not a good combo.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

Time for a change then! What are you using now?

[gobama84]

Congrats to all that were selected.