Popeye64 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Xcaliber as a company has risen up from a spot that no one was sure they would come back from. But cooking back this year is some amazing designs and a level of looks and quality that is gonna be huge. First off is an iron shaft that is known as a Rapid Taper design. Right after the grip section it drops down to a very small diameter all the way to the tip. I had been hitting versions of this shaft for a couple of years and this year he has finally perfected his initial vision. It's truly unique in how it feels coming into the ball and then releasing. A bull whip sensation of sort, is one way to describe it. But what this shaft has also shown is how well it worked across a broad spectrum of golfer. From pro level swings to low 80s it worked for everyone. It launched high without excessive spin and had fantastic dispersion. Xcaliber is also launching an Xclusive line. It's a next generation of the shafts he has been offering in the last year. Flexes were tweaked and perfected as well as very strict testing protocols during all levels of production. Plus the graphics are wild. Ion plating is being used and the colors just pop. He has also updated the Tour X iron shaft and that has a red to black translucent coating that still shows the weave of wire mess over graphite. This is going to be a huge year for them and it's great to see them make such a come back. It's hard to really capture how good these look in person. As with the rest of the golf world and this Corona virus when these are gonna be available is a little up in the air. I hope to have some production pieces I can put under torture test soon. Will be a real struggle to figure out if I will play the Rapid Taper iron or the Updated Tour X in 95 g weight. I have an email that discusses the new products. I'll see if I can copy and paste it some how. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Rtracymog, MattF, HardcoreLooper and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_BNG Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Them are some good looking shafts there. Intrigued by the rapid taper design. Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using MyGolfSpy mobile app Popeye64 1 Quote What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag Driver: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45” Fairway: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5” F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5" Driving Iron: Rapture 2-Iron Irons: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s Wedges: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft Putters: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Them are some good looking shafts there. Intrigued by the rapid taper design. Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using MyGolfSpy mobile appI dont have any in hand pictures of one with graphics. From what I've seen these might be a run away hit for them. It's a huge departure from a normal looking shaft so time will tell but I I loved it the second I hit one. The feel through the turf is unique. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk GolfSpy_BNG and MattF 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Not sure which is the final version but you get an idea of the Rapid Taper shapeSent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk GolfSpy_BNG and MattF 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmishJason Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Those are indeed some good looking shafts. I don't know much about shafts and their performance characteristics, but I like what I see. Popeye64 1 Quote Driver: Cobra Speedzone 10.5 Mitsubishi AV Blue S flex Wood: Cobra Bio Cell 3-4 Grafalloy Pro Launch Blue (low launch original version) S flex Hybrids: Taylormade GAPR 3 KBS graphite shaft Strata 4 and 5 hybrids R flex Irons: Strata 6-PW R flex Wedges: Texan Classics 52, 56, 60 R flex Putter: Odyssey Red Ball mallet Ball: Srixon Q Star Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therod Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 I've used the TourX shafts in my irons for several years now. Glad to see they're not going away. As long as a version is available in the 100 gram range, I'll be very interested in the new shaft. Every Xcaliber shaft I've used has been excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 I've used the TourX shafts in my irons for several years now. Glad to see they're not going away. As long as a version is available in the 100 gram range, I'll be very interested in the new shaft. Every Xcaliber shaft I've used has been excellent.It's just the 85 and the 95 gram versions. The 105s never did well. Years ago I did a head to head with all three with 8 players. The 85 tested best and the 95 had better feel. 105 was just ok. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quigleyd Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 On 2/29/2020 at 2:19 PM, Popeye64 said: Not sure which is the final version but you get an idea of the Rapid Taper shape Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Very interesting. Anything in heavier weights? Quote Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple diamond 10.5 Ventus black TR 6x 3 wood ; Callaway Paradym triple diamond 15 degree, Ventus black TR 7x Apex UW 19 degree, Ventus black TR 8x Utility Iron: Mizuno Pro Fli Hi 4 utility, Ventus blue HB 90X Irons: Callaway Apex MB 5-PW, KBS $ taper 130x Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50, 54, 58, KBS $ taper 130x Putter: Wilson Staff TM22, hand torched, KBS cutter putter shaft, Super stroke Pistol GT 1.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 Very interesting. Anything in heavier weights?The Tour X line which is a hybrid steel graphite iron shaft comes in a 95g option as well as an 85g. There are heavier versions of the Rapid Tapers being worked on. A 95g and a 105g. I have not hit one yet but someone else had a Rapid Taper in a hybrid and couldn't shut up about how good it was. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk GolfSpy_BNG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quigleyd Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Popeye64 said: The Tour X line which is a hybrid steel graphite iron shaft comes in a 95g option as well as an 85g. There are heavier versions of the Rapid Tapers being worked on. A 95g and a 105g. I have not hit one yet but someone else had a Rapid Taper in a hybrid and couldn't shut up about how good it was. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Cool. I am feeling the urge to leap head first into all graphite shafts. I just want the right one. Quote Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple diamond 10.5 Ventus black TR 6x 3 wood ; Callaway Paradym triple diamond 15 degree, Ventus black TR 7x Apex UW 19 degree, Ventus black TR 8x Utility Iron: Mizuno Pro Fli Hi 4 utility, Ventus blue HB 90X Irons: Callaway Apex MB 5-PW, KBS $ taper 130x Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50, 54, 58, KBS $ taper 130x Putter: Wilson Staff TM22, hand torched, KBS cutter putter shaft, Super stroke Pistol GT 1.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 Cool. I am feeling the urge to leap head first into all graphite shafts. I just want the right one.The graphite shafts of today give up nothing to steel. The play longer and many times are just as accurate. With the lighter weight you pick up swing speed. Plus... the shock absorption through the hands and shoulders really makes a difference. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Quigleyd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quigleyd Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 3 hours ago, Popeye64 said: The graphite shafts of today give up nothing to steel. The play longer and many times are just as accurate. With the lighter weight you pick up swing speed. Plus... the shock absorption through the hands and shoulders really makes a difference. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk I like all of that. I just feel I need some mass. I currently play 130 gram iron shafts. I don’t know that I want to go to 90. Quote Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple diamond 10.5 Ventus black TR 6x 3 wood ; Callaway Paradym triple diamond 15 degree, Ventus black TR 7x Apex UW 19 degree, Ventus black TR 8x Utility Iron: Mizuno Pro Fli Hi 4 utility, Ventus blue HB 90X Irons: Callaway Apex MB 5-PW, KBS $ taper 130x Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50, 54, 58, KBS $ taper 130x Putter: Wilson Staff TM22, hand torched, KBS cutter putter shaft, Super stroke Pistol GT 1.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 I like all of that. I just feel I need some mass. I currently play 130 gram iron shafts. I don’t know that I want to go to 90.You would be shocked once you spend some time with them. Years back I did a shaft experiment with three weights. 85, 95, and a 105g graphite Tour X shafts. I took 8 better players and had them hit all three. To a man they all said they could never play an 85 g shaft. Yet everyone of them had more distance and better dispersion with the 85 g shaft. They were all more than surprised. Even the pros are starting to play lighter shafts. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Quigleyd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revkev Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Glad to hear they are still out there - I gamed them in my fairway woods a number of years back and hit them great. Robin Arthur is a legend - haven't heard from him for a while - I know that he's had lots of issues with illness - is he still around and in charge? Quote Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60 Aldila R flex - 42.25 inches SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft Ping G410 7, 9 wood Alta 65 R flex Srixon ZX5 MK II 5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex India 52,56 (60 pending) UST recoil 75's R flex Evon roll ER 5 32 inches It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeye64 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Glad to hear they are still out there - I gamed them in my fairway woods a number of years back and hit them great. Robin Arthur is a legend - haven't heard from him for a while - I know that he's had lots of issues with illness - is he still around and in charge?Yes he is. Things are going well for him and these new designs are next level. Hoping he has a great year and builds on some amazing design work he already has in place. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk revkev and MattF 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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