Miyazaki Kusala White Shaft Review

[Matt Saternus]

Miyazaki Kusala White 61 Shaft Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Until now, shaft manufacturers have kept the actual performance characteristics of their shafts under wraps, hidden behind meaningless generalities like “Mid Spin” or “Low Launch.” How can a golfer be expected to find a shaft that works for him when this is the best information he can get? He can't. Then came Miyazaki, who has bucked the industry trend in an effort to provide “the most precise shaft fit in golf.” Intrigued? You should be. Now read on, spies…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Flex Code

 

How many shafts have you read about that are listed as “Low spin/Mid launch”? Probably a million. Does that mean that they all feel and perform the same? Of course not. Miyazaki is aiming to remove the generalities of “Low/Mid/High Launch/Spin” from the shaft fitting game by introducing the International Flex Code.

 

The International Flex Code is a four number sequence that is printed near the tip of each Miyazaki shaft. The numbers represent the stiffness of each of the four sections of the shaft: butt, mid-butt, mid-tip, and tip. The numbers range from 0 to 9, with 0 representing a very soft section and 9 representing XX-Stiff.

 

The beauty of this system is that it allows golfers to learn precisely what they like and need. Miyazaki offers a tremendous variety of profiles, so golfers can experiment with balanced profiles (5555), butt-stiff/tip-soft profiles (7552), butt-soft/tip-stiff profiles (5689) or anything in between. I also found, through the Cleveland website, the International Flex Codes for many non-Miyazaki shafts. You can see that listing here. With this handy resource, you can look back at some of the shafts you've loved (or hated) and figure out why they did or did not work for you. You can also use it to find out what other shafts might be worth a look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes, Feel, and Miscellaneous

 

Now on to the Kusala shaft itself. For this review, I worked with a Miyazaki Kusala White 61g shaft in stiff flex. The International Flex Code for this shaft is 4631, so it's a fairly soft tip with a firmer butt section. There are four other models in the Kusala line: silver, blue, indigo, and black, each with their own unique profile.

 

The Kusala line is named for the artist who did the shaft graphics, and I have to say that Mr. Kusala did a fantastic job. The look of the shaft is utterly unique and drew a great deal of attention at the shop.

 

As for the feel of the shaft, I would say that it's very smooth and surprisingly stable. When I saw the “1” in the tip section, I expected it to feel like a noodle, but it really doesn't. That said, you can definitely tell that the tip is the softest section. What I really enjoyed about the feel is that there's a nice kick, but none of that torque-y/twisting feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

Performance

 

As usual, I've broken the Performance section into two pieces: Data (launch monitor testing) and Real World (range and course). For the launch monitor testing, I put the Kusala up against my Diamana Kaili (70g), both in an R9 460 9.5 head. I hit 10 “good” shots with each shaft, changing frequently so that fatigue was not an issue, nor did I get grooved with one shaft to the detriment of fairness. I went through this process twice and averaged the two sets of data.

 

For anyone interested in the swing that produces these numbers: my clubhead speed is usually between 100MPH and 110MPH, my biggest problem is getting quick/out of sync from the top, and my miss tends to be a block right.

 

Final note: In a way, it's unfair to test anything against my Kaili because it's a shaft that I'm very familiar and comfortable with, but I think it's good to have a reference point of some kind and the Kaili is a shaft many people are familiar with. That said, here are the numbers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATA

 

*Each metric shows low, average, and high. For dispersion and sidespin, L represents left or hook spin, R represents right or slice spin.

 

Kusala: Ball speed: 158-161-166 Distance: 254-279-295 Launch Angle: 8.9-11.4-14.4

 

Backspin: 1400-2950-3800 Sidespin: 488L-450R-900R Dispersion: 9R-21R-50R

 

Kaili: Ball speed: 155-161-167 Distance: 256-275-295 Launch Angle: 7.9-11.3-15

 

Backspin: 1130-2300-3100 Sidespin: 200L-300R-600R Dispersion: 8R-15R-30R

 

 

ANALYSIS

 

To me, the results were largely unsurprising. The Kusala White has a softer tip than my Kaili, so the launch and spin numbers were, on average, higher. While the Kusala did offer a slightly longer average drive, both shafts topped out at exactly the same number, and the Kaili offered better dispersion. I feel that this is the result of both a stiffer tip and a slightly heavier weight.

 

 

 

REAL WORLD RESULTS

 

Real world results mirrored the launch monitor data quite well. The difference in terms of ballflight was somewhat noticeable, but not enormous. The biggest difference was dispersion, with my Kaili coming out a bit ahead of the Kusala. Again, I think this relates to the weight as much as anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Profile

 

The Miyazaki Kusala White would be a great fit for the player looking for a shaft that will give them a little boost in launch and spin without sacrificing a tight, controlled feel.

 

 

 

Value

 

The Miyazaki Kusala shafts can be found for around $250 new. Obviously, this is a premium shaft at a premium price, so there are going to be a large number of people in the “I'd never pay that for a shaft” category. For those that are willing to spend the money, Miyazaki offers a product that is on par with any other shaft out there, in my opinion, and enough profiles to fit every player.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

First of all, huge kudos to Miyazaki for offering the kind of substantive information that will help golfers to make informed decisions about their equipment.

 

Now, all the information in the world doesn't matter if the product doesn't deliver, but this definitely does. The feel is great, and the Kusala line up offers a profile for every golfer. If you are looking to upgrade the shaft in your driver or fairway woods, you should definitely be talking to your club fitter/builder about Miyazaki.

 

 

 

 

 

VISIT WEBSITE: http://www.miyazakigolfshafts.com/

 

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[finalist]

Here's a link to a PDF Cleveland Golf put together. It shows the Flex Codes for a bunch of different brands, so you can compare.

 

http://www.clevelandgolf.com/pdfs/Cleveland_Golf_Srixon_Custom_Catalog_Spring_2011.pdf

 

 

I used that guide a ton when testing different shafts. It really illustrates why I personally don't like some shafts and love others. I found I like semi soft butt sections that gradually get stiff towards the tip (that sounds gross, can't believe I just typed that). I feel the softer butt section gives me that "smooth" feeling while the stiffer tip gives me control and options for various types of shots.

 

 

I also was playing an aftermarket Kaili, 60 gram stiff before what I'm currently playing - a Kusala Black 70gram stiff. I loved the Kaili until my swing started launching the ball higher and higher. I do recommend the Kaili, but I found it became a one trick pony that offered me almost no roll. Very high straight flight that often apexed and fell to the right just a hair with a one hop and stop action. I was loosing up to 50 yards at most on drives into the wind, and trying to hit a low shot just created too much side spin. I began looking around for something lower launching and smooth feeling. I got a lot of that from just going down in loft from 9.5 to 7.75, but the Black's flex and weight helps a ton. Because the tip stays more constant (whatever that means) I can work the flight apex higher or lower without hitting low hooks on the low shots.

[Super Tuna]

Cheers for the review mate.

 

I'm a huge fan of the Kusala line and now that they've added the White and Indigo it's much harder to find a golfer who doesn't fit into their line somewhere. It's also rather hard to argue with $275 retail for a premium shaft where as a Kai'li or the ilk can be running into the $360 mark for MAP I believe.

 

I couldn't control the white worth a fishcake with the super soft tip but for someone who wants some extra height while keeping ball speeds up it's a top, top shaft.

 

What I wish though is that Miyazaki would get on with releasing the Kusala line the 80 weight range raw in something other then X flex. I'd really like to throw a Black into my fairway as well but it's just too light for it when starting with a 72 and then cutting it down. While they're at it, how about some Kusala hybrid shafts with a .370 on them. One can only dream eh.

[finalist]

What I wish though is that Miyazaki would get on with releasing the Kusala line the 80 weight range raw in something other then X flex. I'd really like to throw a Black into my fairway as well but it's just too light for it when starting with a 72 and then cutting it down. While they're at it, how about some Kusala hybrid shafts with a .370 on them. One can only dream eh.

 

 

I'll take an 80gram blue for my three wood and a 100 gram something for my hybrid!

[Jgolf]

Here's a link to a PDF Cleveland Golf put together. It shows the Flex Codes for a bunch of different brands, so you can compare.

 

http://www.clevelandgolf.com/pdfs/Cleveland_Golf_Srixon_Custom_Catalog_Spring_2011.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks! I'm in the market for a new set of club, and I'm sure this will help greatly. One question though for the more knowledgeable club makers on the forum. The list, in addition to the Flex Codes, also lists weights. When looking at the shafts for Irons, if the logic follows that the heavier the shaft the stiffer the shaft (in steel), how does that fact correspond to the huge differential in weights between the brands. Basically I'm asking, what does each brand do differently to achieve a similar flex at drastically different weight levels?

[Matt Saternus]

Super Tuna: I agree 100%. I understand why they do it (lack of demand) but I wish more things were offered in heavier weights without being rebar-flex.

 

Miyazaki also just sent the Kusala Indigo 72g, so I will be putting that through the paces shortly. I also have a review of a C. Kua shaft that's locked and loaded for next week.