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Unicorn Shafts?


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Who has found their unicorn shaft(s)?  I went through trying most of the Obans, a few Padersons, some USTs, Aldila Rouge 125, a Nunchuk (!), Accras and others over the past few years trying to find something I really connect with (almost all of which I bought second hand).  Many of which I really liked.  Only a couple were in my bag for more than a season.  Some of which I flipped almost right away.  When I first saw the Diamana X'17 I was pretty intrigued.  There was no way I wanted to pay the $750 MSRP for the shaft.  Having tried out many shafts I have a good idea of what I'm looking for and how the manufacturers describe what they're selling raltive to how they perform.  I thought the X'17 would be really great to try out.  

End of last season I got my hands on a Fujikura TR 857 and put it in my driver.  I really liked it, but thought I'd like it more in my fairway woods.  So I put the first shaft in my 3W and then got ahold of a second shaft off eBay and put it in my 5W.  Looove them for my fairway woods.  Smooth, responsive and flow beautifully into the ball.  In my hybrids, I stumbled onto the Adila Tour Green which feels more like light steel than graphite, which I like.  And I can really step on it and it just keeps up with me.  Also at the end of last season I said screw it and got a new X'17 70 X (not MSRP) for my Z585 driver.  I will be buried with that shaft.  And the second X'17 I bought to put in a Z785 head.  And then I bought a X'17 X 60 with a Taylormade adapter when it came up at auction and stuck it in an M5 head.  Needless to say, I've became a bit impulsive about this shaft.  I didn't pay retail for any of the three shafts and also bought the heads second hand, so I don't feel terrible about the dent in the wallet.  You could not pry them out of my cold dead hands.

What is your unicorn shaft?  Have you opened your wallet for it?  Has anyone tried the uber-$$$ JDM shafts?  What's your experience?

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2 hours ago, sumadoggie said:

Who has found their unicorn shaft(s)?  I went through trying most of the Obans, a few Padersons, some USTs, Aldila Rouge 125, a Nunchuk (!), Accras and others over the past few years trying to find something I really connect with (almost all of which I bought second hand).  Many of which I really liked.  Only a couple were in my bag for more than a season.  Some of which I flipped almost right away.  When I first saw the Diamana X'17 I was pretty intrigued.  There was no way I wanted to pay the $750 MSRP for the shaft.  Having tried out many shafts I have a good idea of what I'm looking for and how the manufacturers describe what they're selling raltive to how they perform.  I thought the X'17 would be really great to try out.  

End of last season I got my hands on a Fujikura TR 857 and put it in my driver.  I really liked it, but thought I'd like it more in my fairway woods.  So I put the first shaft in my 3W and then got ahold of a second shaft off eBay and put it in my 5W.  Looove them for my fairway woods.  Smooth, responsive and flow beautifully into the ball.  In my hybrids, I stumbled onto the Adila Tour Green which feels more like light steel than graphite, which I like.  And I can really step on it and it just keeps up with me.  Also at the end of last season I said screw it and got a new X'17 70 X (not MSRP) for my Z585 driver.  I will be buried with that shaft.  And the second X'17 I bought to put in a Z785 head.  And then I bought a X'17 X 60 with a Taylormade adapter when it came up at auction and stuck it in an M5 head.  Needless to say, I've became a bit impulsive about this shaft.  I didn't pay retail for any of the three shafts and also bought the heads second hand, so I don't feel terrible about the dent in the wallet.  You could not pry them out of my cold dead hands.

What is your unicorn shaft?  Have you opened your wallet for it?  Has anyone tried the uber-$$$ JDM shafts?  What's your experience?

So it must be nice for some of you guys to have swings that need a X flex shaft. Geezzzzz I am just trying to keep in the R flex area 😃.

The fitters after seeing my numbers always say "you'll do fine with stock shaft offerings" 🙄. Just once I want them to offer an exotic "unicorn" type shaft. All the ones you referenced sound nice and appear $$$ but I say go for it if you can. 

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In my mind, I think the Ventus Red Velocore is my unicorn shaft. It is currently working well for me.

Follow my golf journey to break into the 80s

Tester for the Titleist TSi Driver

Spring 2020 MGS Tester for the Fujikura Motore X Shaft

Updated 07/15/2022
Driver:callaway-small: Rogue St Max LS - Autoflex
Fairway Woods:callaway-small: Rogue Max St 3HL and 7 Wood
Irons:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal 5 to AW - Aerotech Steelfiber i95 Stiff parallel tip
Wedges:ping-small: Glide 4.0 54 and 58
Putter:  :ping-small: PLD Custom Kushin 4

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I wouldn't describe my favorite shaft a unicorn  - but I have one that works for me. That's really all I care about. As many long time forum members know... I'm not a shaft guy. That means I don't give a S what kind of tech/data/specs/graphics any shaft have attached to them. All I care about is "does it work for me?" When I hit the ball is my flight good? Is my distance good? Good dispersion pattern? Does the shaft feel good? That's it. Nothing else matters to me. Data? What data? I see the data every round.

My favorite shaft (the one that works best) for my driver for the past 5-6 years has been a stock offering made by Fujikura. The shaft is labeled: TaylorMade Fujikura Speeder 57. Printed on the shaft is: Fujikura Precision Engineered, 57 grams, Flex S. Pretty sure it's not an expensive shaft. That's all I know or care about it. This particular shaft originally came paired with a 2014 TaylorMade SLDR I own. About a year ago I guess; I purchased a Exotics EXS driver. It came with a stock Mitsubishi Tense CK Series 60 Flex S. Hated it. Everything was wrong about this shaft and my expectations for the driver in general. I tried a couple of other Tense flavors and one other brand/type that I've forgotten. Nodda. Then I decided to try the old Speeder shaft before giving up. Walla! I was back in business. And just like my old SLDR - Speeder combo this Exotics EXS Speeder combo is a fairway machine too. I have since purchased a backup Speeder shaft just in case. Will it be the same and perform as well if I need it one day? Maybe. Maybe not.

 

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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6 hours ago, jlukes said:

Unicorn shafts only exist for people that don’t get fit and randomly buy shafts based on what they read or watch online. 
 

If one gets a proper fitting then they’d come away with shafts that fit their swing rather than burning through money on the 2nd hand market with trial and error. 

 

... 👍  There is no question getting fit is your best option. But if you know what kind of shaft works best for your swing from a previous fitting, it can be fun trying different shafts. Mid torque, mid spin, mid tip stiffness and mid trajectory shafts work best for my swing and I have bought and sold several shafts that fit that category. Some I have really enjoyed are the Rogue Tour Black 110, AD-MT6, Tensei Orange, Even Flow Blue and the Atmos TS Blue.  Have I lost some money experimenting? Sure although not an egregious amount, but that comes with the fun of trying different shafts. That said, things can change over the years and new heads can mean perhaps a softer/stiffer tipped shaft will work better in my new Extreme. I was planning a fitting inPhoenix over the winter but Covid derailed that plan, but I will be getting fit again in the near future. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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8 hours ago, jlukes said:

Unicorn shafts only exist for people that don’t get fit and randomly buy shafts based on what they read or watch online. 
 

If one gets a proper fitting then they’d come away with shafts that fit their swing rather than burning through money on the 2nd hand market with trial and error. 

I resemble that remark, sort of,,,,,, some years ago, I saw on ebay, a Callaway XR-16, 10.5  driver with a Matrix 5X3 white tie, regular flex.  my winning bid was $99.99. BEST driver combo I ever had, until earlier this year. I saw a Cobra F-8 with a Aldila 2KXV Blue on the used rack at the PGA Superstore, had to try it against my XR-16.  Same monitor same balls, 5-7 more yards with longest 15 yards longer.Not paying $289,, so, off to eBay, $129 w/shipping,  loved until the shut down. 

 DRIVER: default_cobra-small.jpg.125f3712aad21ad9f7ca2c672e34a299.jpg  Cobra F-8 set at 10.5,  Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60 (R) 44 1/2 "

3 & 5 WOOD: default_callaway-small.jpg.a58e7c6760b71a9eb95d385ecc5d2200.jpg Callaway XR-16, Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 Red (R) 

IRONS 5-SW: default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-700, 2 upright, std loft  Alta CB (R) + 1/2"

HYBRID 3-4:  default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-410, 1 upright,  Alta CB 70 Red (R) + 1/2"

PUTTER: Byron Experimental GSS

 

 

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20 hours ago, jlukes said:

Unicorn shafts only exist for people that don’t get fit and randomly buy shafts based on what they read or watch online. 
 

If one gets a proper fitting then they’d come away with shafts that fit their swing rather than burning through money on the 2nd hand market with trial and error. 

Boop beep beep.  Me golf robot.  Me only play what me told to play.  Meep boop bop.  

 

Lighten up dude.  Plenty of fitting has happened here.  Golf - and golf equipment - is fun.  Jeez.

Edited by sumadoggie
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  • 1 month later...

Anyone try the Steadfast shafts?  small U.S. company in Missouri.

Driver: Taylormade M5 9.5* Tensei Stiff

Woods:  Orlimar Tri-metal 13* and 17* original stiff flex shafts (also have the SF-302 iron set 2-SW)

Irons: Mizuno JPX 900 Tour 3-PW

Wedges: Vokey 50*, Harry Taylor 56* and 60*

Putter: Bettinardi BB1 (original)

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On 9/10/2020 at 12:26 PM, chaeslounge said:

Anyone try the Steadfast shafts?  small U.S. company in Missouri.

The only mention I have found for Steadfast shafts here, I want this community perspective! I too would like to hear any review or speculative opinion. Should this get it's own thread? Very Low Torque intrigued me, highly informative / convincing site too. Here is an answer to a question in their FAQ: "What makes Steadfast Shafts perform so well? What's technology? We start with premium carbon fiber that costs 10 times more than what our competitors use. This premium material (and some proprietary manufacturing processes we can’t share) allow us to create finely tuned, superlight, and effectively “spineless” shafts with less than 1 degree of torque (twisting) that deliver the most distance and accuracy for YOUR swing (fast, medium or slow)…and you get these performance gains regardless of how you adjust your driver." 

"We offer a 30-DAY SATISFACTION / FLEX GUARANTEE"....."We offer a 3-YEAR PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE".....

"And we offer a LIFETIME PRODUCT GUARANTEE: If your shaft ever breaks, we will replace it for you at no charge and with no questions asked."
 
i put one in the cart but am hesitant to purchase. At $99 with w/ adapter and grip installed, is this too god to be true? Sounds like a "Unicorn" for sure and with little financial risk.
Anybody think this is an introductory price and will go up once a good word gets out?
Steadfastgolf DOT Com .....VERY INTERESTING!!!
 
 

We believe everyone should able to benefit from -- and afford -- the performance gains that come from playing premium golf shafts.

Edited by Nihonsei
Wrong info / change a line
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The Steadfast shaft is an interesting one. Makes a lot of claims like they use premium carbon fibers that cost 10x as much as their competitors use, I also haven't see any back-up of their claims, and they won't submit their shafts for OE testing, but still I'm intrigued. A golf shaft, tip and a grip for $99😲

Either this is a true revelation or may be as Barnum once said...............

 

:ping-small: G400 MAX  Ping Tour 65

:cobra-small: FW 15* King F-7 :Fuji: PRO-65

:ping-small: G400 Hybrid Alta CB-70

PXG 0211 5-SW Mitsubishi MMT Graphite

:titelist-small: AP1 52* SW TT XP-95

:taylormade-small: MG 58* TT DG Wedge

Scotty Cameron Custom welded LN 

Grips- GP MCC+4

 

 

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My only argument to fitting vs trial and error is with smaller fitters when there aren’t enough varying lengths, tipping length, etc... to test with.  Had it not been for shaft hoeing, I never would’ve gotten my hands on the Aldila Synergy Black.  I’m not currently gaming that shaft, but it’s still my all time favorite, just didn’t work as well in the M5.  It is definitely more expensive, but I like the trial and error method with shafts.  It helps when, like what @chisag said, you have a good idea of shaft profiles that work for you.  I’m far from a pro and my swing is not always the same day to day.  Because of this, what I see on a launch monitor today may not lead to real world results tomorrow.  Plus, it’s just fun.

  • PXG 0811X Gen 4 7.5* - Graphite Design Tour AD-HD 7 TX
  • TaylorMade M6 15* - PX HZRDUS Green 80 TX
  • Titleist 913 Fd 18* - MCA KuroKage XMS 90 X /// OR /// Callaway XForged UT 20* - Aldila Rogue Black 105 TX
  • Srixon Z745 4-P - PX LZ 7.0
  • Vokey SM7 49F / 53F / 58K - DG TI S400
  • Odyssey Black #3 34”
  • Titleist AVX
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  • 2 weeks later...

In regards to shaft/club unicorns and the fitting conundrum.

Based on my own experience of being fit multiple times over the years; a fitting is based on how you were swinging on that particular day.  It may have been a good swing day or a bad swing day.  

How a shaft, or club/head/shaft/grip combo performs long term over a season is a different thing altogether.  

There is certainly room for both tinkering and fitting.

Professional golfers have the benefit of launch monitors, tour vans, club fitters, swing coaches, and yet once they find a shaft/head/grip combo that they like and works for them consistently are reluctant to make too many changes. If they are not getting the consistent results they need or want they change quickly.

The best way to tell if you have confidence in a club/shaft/grip combo Is how often you use the club.  If there is a club in your bag that you rarely reach for anymore I would suggest you change it out to something that performs better and more consistently.

Once you find a shaft/grip combo that works well, copying it to your other clubs is a good idea.  

The shaft that has worked well for me in my fairway woods is the Fujikura Fuel shaft.  Trying it now in my driver too.

 

Tour Edge C723 8.0 MCA Tensei AV Blue Xlink 65S

Cobra LTDx 3W lofted to 16.5 Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7S

Tour Edge E723 21 degree MCA Tensei AV Blue 65 S

Cobra LTDx 24 degree 5 hybrid Fujikura Fuel 85g Stiff

Corey Paul - 5-PW Japan Forged Minimalist Blades KBS $-Taper 120 Stiff

Corey Paul Functional Art 52, 56 & 60

Odyssey O Works Black #7 with BGT Stability Tour Shaft, SuperStroke Traxion 3.0 & 75g CounterCore

Bridgestone Tour BRX or MaxFli Tour

Tracked by Arccos

Bushnell V4

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My unicorn is the Mitsubishi Tensei ck Pro white 60 gram: including the grip, it was pushing $450 out the door, which on top of the G410+ makes my driver $800 . But worth every penny? Oh hell yes! My misses are so much better, and a bomb is still a bomb. I’ve been thru multiple drivers and shafts since I started playing, but this is “the” shaft for me: it didn’t matter what OEM’s head was on the shaft, the results were the same.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mine is very clubhead dependent but the original HZRDUS T1100 prototype that is in my bag hasn’t been supplanted since I got it before the retail release. 

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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Ive been through my share of fittings and shafts, both stock and handcrafted. I've just sold off my last three extra drivers and am down to one from 13. Shafts went with the heads certainly. I do still retain about a dozen driver shafts that will be moving to new homes soon.

Ive been through all Cobra stock variations plus hancrafted project x shafts here. TM M4 gine with three shafts, epic rogue, flash, big bertha dbd, with 6 shafts, pings offerings. Long story to get to the point...presently, G400 driver with a Project X LZ handcrafted, 5.5 flex (which can stand up to a 110 mph swing speed).

Chosen because its straight, reasonably long, and consistent. Its the combination that works for me.

(Yes, im a club ho)

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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I typically will go get fit. However, on a spur of the moment I was cruising ebay and found a brand new uncut Project X Handcrafted M66  Proto in X-stiff for like $49 bucks. I emailed Don Brown and he confirmed it was real and one of only 3 that was made for a Georgia Alum that was currently on the PGA Tour. He said it was close to a Hzrdus Black but not quite and suggested I tip it 1.5 inches. I through that thing in my Tour Edge E8 Beta and it was a bomber and very straight. Sadly the head cracked and instead of getting a new head I went and got fit for another driver and ended up selling the M66 Proto... I wish I never did

In my bag:

Driver: :callaway-logo-1: Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS 10.5* (set to 9.5) UST Lin-Q Gunmetal 6f5

Wood: :titleist-small: Tsi2 15* Project X RDX Black 70 6.5

Hybrids: :cobra-small: King Utility 19.5* Diamana Tensei White Pro 90TX

Irons: :cobra-small: Cobra King Tour MIM 4-PW Dynamic Gold 120 X100

Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 3 50*, 54*, 58* Tour Issue S400

Putter: :seemore-small: Nashville Z1C 34"

 Ball: :titleist-small:  Pro V1x

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Mine us to be tour ad bb....  but know the xc is my new love.   It is everything the bb was except a bit more stable

Driver: Taylormade SIM Max d 9 with graphite design tour ad xc 6s

Fairway Wood:Taylormade Sim 15 with Graphite design Tour ad iz 6s
Hybrid:  Pxg gen2 19 with hand crafted hzrdus black 85 6.0 and Adams super ls xtd 22 with Diamana s+  stiff

Irons: 5-pw Miura Mc501 with modus 120s pured

Wedges:  Callaway md2 gold 50 Dg tour issue s400 black onyx, Taylormade MG 54 with DG tour issue s400 black onyx, and Taylormade hi toe 59 with modus 120r

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I've been to some fittings, but never an extensive one.

They usually had on hand what was offered by the manufacturer that year.

No specialty ADDI or anything.

Fortunately, the shafts that have fit me are the popular garden variety.

After borrowing and demo playing several shafts.

My driver is: Tensei White ( non-pro).

3 wood: Fujikura Fuel

5 wood: Aldila Tour Green

Nothing fancy, but they work every round.

Up until a year ago, Matrix Red Tie was my go to. 

Edited by Jackal

Always chasing different clubs

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On 7/19/2020 at 10:24 AM, jlukes said:

Unicorn shafts only exist for people that don’t get fit and randomly buy shafts based on what they read or watch online. 
 

If one gets a proper fitting then they’d come away with shafts that fit their swing rather than burning through money on the 2nd hand market with trial and error. 

I agree with this. I have a GC2 simulator so I am always tinkering around buying different shafts. Finally decided to get fit for a new shaft and I'm glad I did. Went with the Ventus blue and absolutely love it. For me, it was much better than anything else I tested.

I'm a hockey player playing golf today.
TSR3, Ventus Blue Velocore 7X
JPX 921 Tour Irons
Evnroll EV5.1
ProV1x

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On 7/20/2020 at 11:50 AM, sumadoggie said:

Boop beep beep.  Me golf robot.  Me only play what me told to play.  Meep boop bop.  

 

Lighten up dude.  Plenty of fitting has happened here.  Golf - and golf equipment - is fun.  Jeez.

Fitters also do not have EVERY shaft available to test out, only a select few. If you have an idea what you like / what works for you why wouldn’t you explore the market further... 

Driver: Titleist TSi2 10 / Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue Raw 65 S

3 Wood: Titleist TSi3 15 / Project X RDX Smoke Black 70 6.0

Hybrid: Titleist TSi3 18 / Fujikura Atmos HB Tour Spec Red 7 S

4 Iron: Titleist U500 / Graphite Design Tour AD DI 85 S

5 - 9 Irons: Mizuno 921 Tour / Nippon Modus 3 120 S

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46F, 50F, 54S & 58M / Nippon Modus Wedge 115

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport Select (2016) / BGT Stability Tour

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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  • 2 weeks later...

Unicorns never made it onto the Ark. so, they don't exist.

My personal favorite, and the one I'm currently gaming is an older school shaft: Misubishi Kuro Kage Black TiNi in 60g R flex. I was fit with this shaft when I bought my TM M4D at a TM /demo day. I tried every shaft the fitter gave me, and nothing seemed to work. He asked me tp try one more - the KK. That one produced the best numbers. When I said I'd buy the club, which needed to be ordered from TM, the rep discovered the KK wasn't an option for that year, and the one I demo'd was the only one he had. He and my pro agreed TM would take the KK out of his demo inventory, pull the shaft from my club when it arrived, and make the swap. The rep even threw in a dozen TP5s (at my suggestion) for being a sport about it.😆

When I recently bought a Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero from CPO, I also bought another KK like mine, and had it installed in the head of the EF. No regrets. It's still my favorite shaft.

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