True Ace Blue Crush

[JBones]

I recently purchased a True Ace Blue Crush from Hireko. I was intrigued by information I received on here and after reading other reviews online. The biggest thing that caught my eye was the $20 price tag. I have always been one that firmly believes in the saying "you get what you pay for". That being said, I thought for $20 it was worth a try, after all, everyone says it's an awesome shaft. Here are the specs, R/S flex, 3.3* torque, 65gm, and a 46" raw length. The torque is what really reeled me in; most "cheap" shafts don't have that low of a torque and low torque is what I look for, I want my swing to determine the flight (draw or fade), not the shaft. Also all the reviews that I saw said that the shaft plays to more of a S/X than R/S. Now onto the actual review.

 

Looks

Out of the box this thing looks very nice; dark blue finish with red and white lettering. I knew it was going to look especially good with a white Karma NeIon grip and dark blue Adams 9032LD head.

 

Setup

Per the tipping instructions, I cut off 1" to get it to a S flex. I put the shaft in an Adams 9032LD 8.5* head with a Karma NeIon white grip. I'm playing it at 44.5" and I added enough lead tape to get the swingweight to D4.

 

Testing/Performance

The first thing I did was get the shaft on a frequency machine to get the actual flex. On the machine, I discovered two things.....the shaft actually flexed right between a S and X, which is exactly what I was looking for. The other thing I discovered I didn't like so much; there was quite a bit of ovaling when checking the flex. It wasn't bad for a "cheap" shaft, but it certainly wasn't as good as a high end shaft. After seeing the ovaling, I lost all enthusiasm about the shaft, I figured when I got it out on the range it was just going to spray balls everywhere. When the weather broke and conditions were decent enough to get on the range (48* and only hitting into a 10mph wind, instead of the 40mph winds we've had over the last couple of weeks), I was SHOCKED by the results. As I said, I was expecting to spray the ball everywhere, that was not the case. I was hitting absolute bullets with a 10yd draw, they were carrying about 260yds, directly into the wind, and for the first time ever I was actually getting some roll out, which was amazing, with the shaggy wet grass. I can't wait to get this shaft on a launch monitor and get some actual numbers to post.

 

Overall

I can't wait to see how this thing performs when we have some good conditions to play in. I was completely thrilled and shocked by the results I got with this shaft. It's exactly what they say it is "a low torque, low launch shaft, for higher swing speeds". It's not the best shaft out there by any means, but you could do a heck of a lot worse, for a lot more than $20.

 

[GolfSpy WD]

Very nice review. You make me want to run out an buy a frequency machine . What is ovaling btw? Do you mean you ran a FLO test and it had a strong spine?

[JBones]

Very nice review. You make me want to run out an buy a frequency machine . What is ovaling btw? Do you mean you ran a FLO test and it had a strong spine?

When you "flip" the shaft to get a frequency reading, you want to see it wobble back and forth. This shaft instead of just going back and forth, was also going up and down, making an oval shape. Skip to the 2:35 mark in the video below and see what a Voodoo and Radix look like on the frequency machine. Spining or Pureing would probably cut down the ovaling quite a bit, but I didn't have either of those done.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dLcBvN5-Vw

[hckymeyer]

Thanks for the review, I'd love to see some the numbers when you get a chance to hit up the launch monitor. It would be very interesting to see the numbers compared to some of the higher priced low launch shafts out there. Especially on the spin numbers.

[JBones]

Thanks for the review, I'd love to see some the numbers when you get a chance to hit up the launch monitor. It would be very interesting to see the numbers compared to some of the higher priced low launch shafts out there. Especially on the spin numbers.

Unfortunately I don't have any high end shafts that are equivalent that I can try out. I have asked Golfspy Matt to try to include the Blue Crush in a shaft review he is going to work on.

[Matt Saternus]

JBones: Very nice review.

 

I have contacted Hireko about getting some of their shafts for review, just waiting to hear back.

[GolfSpy WD]

JBones: Very nice review.

 

I have contacted Hireko about getting some of their shafts for review, just waiting to hear back.

 

Just curious, which shafts?

[Matt Saternus]

Just curious, which shafts?

 

We're still discussing that. The Blue Crush will definitely be involved, I'm also intrigued by the Death Stick. Any others you'd like to see reviewed?

[GolfSpy WD]

I think I need a stiff version of the Death Stick, but for the most part it does feel nice. I say this mainly because I have the stiff True Ace Cadence Orange 65 on my 3W and I really like that.

 

Honestly, I'm more interested in how the True Ace shafts in general compare to others you've reviewed, especially in the sub $50 price range, since I haven't tried out many shafts from different manufacturers.

[JBones]

I took this thing out for another spin on the range today and I literally stepped back a few times and said "wow" loud enough that a guy a couple stalls down said "you must be hitting them good". He watched a few and said "I can see why you were saying wow". I again was hitting bullets, but this time it was 70* and I got to hit with about a 10mph wind at my back. I would say the 300yd sign was about 270-280yds from my stall and I was carrying the ball to or just past the sign and again, I was getting a solid 15-20 yards of roll and with old beat up range balls to boot. The trajectory is amazing, it climbs to it's max height and just seems to hang there for awhile, before rocketing back towards the ground; it seems to maximize carry and roll. This head/shaft combo is an absolute beast, I really can't wait to get this thing on the course with a good ball, and I really REALLY can't wait to get into a scramble and break out a Titleist Velocity and bomb it.

[JBones]

I'm sure you all are getting tired of hearing about this, but I can't give this shaft enough love. I had my 3rd range session with it today and I really worked on shaping the ball. Always before, when I tried to play a fade, it turned in to a slice or a very high fade. With this shaft when I hit it with a fade, draw, or straight, my carry distance is almost exactly the same and on the same trajectory. I'm in love with this shaft. I keep waiting for it to "show" that it's only a $20 shaft, but it just isn't happening.

[GolfSpy WD]

The more I read about shafts, the more I think that $20 is actually the right price. I'm willing to bet the Xcalibers are also worth it at $50, but anything higher is just throwing away money.

[btbgolf4]

How do you think this shaft would hold up on really quick tempos and a 113 mph swing? Does it balloon at all or is it really flattening out your trajectory? And also how much would it have to be tipped to play around an x flex?

[JBones]

It holds up to my 115 swing speed, but I have a medium tempo; if I really go after it, I get up around 120 and have a very quick tempo and it still holds up. This shaft will not save you on a bad swing. We I put a bad swing on it, it goes high and right, but it still carries a long way. It comes in a R/S flex, tipping it 1" for S; I cut it the 1" and it plays to a S+ (right in between a S and X).

[JBones]

Here's another shout out for this shaft. Yesterday I played 9 with my cousin(the future Tour player cousin) and I was hitting my driver like DUNG, I mean really, really bad. After a few frustrating tee shots, he says "well you are playing a $20 shaft"......I LOL'd. Now for the set up........I have the Blue Crush in an Adams 9032LD 8.5*, he has an Adams 9088LD 8.5* with a Matrix Ozik TP6HD, aka the $1000 shaft. On the next hole, he smoked a beautiful cut about 295 into the center of the fairway. I had him hit my driver and he hit it on the exact same line, with the exact same trajectory, and the balls finished about 3' apart, with my driver finishing closer to center of fairway. I sarcastically said "yep, that looks like a $980 difference to me", to which he replied "well I'm sure there would be a difference, if I ever hit one bad", JERK.

[GolfSpy WD]

Here's another shout out for this shaft. Yesterday I played 9 with my cousin(the future Tour player cousin) and I was hitting my driver like DUNG, I mean really, really bad. After a few frustrating tee shots, he says "well you are playing a $20 shaft"......I LOL'd. Now for the set up........I have the Blue Crush in an Adams 9032LD 8.5*, he has an Adams 9088LD 8.5* with a Matrix Ozik TP6HD, aka the $1000 shaft. On the next hole, he smoked a beautiful cut about 295 into the center of the fairway. I had him hit my driver and he hit it on the exact same line, with the exact same trajectory, and the balls finished about 3' apart, with my driver finishing closer to center of fairway. I sarcastically said "yep, that looks like a $980 difference to me", to which he replied "well I'm sure there would be a difference, if I ever hit one bad", JERK.

 

LOL.

 

In fairness though, I do wonder what the difference is on bad shots, does one fly farther off line?

[JBones]

LOL.

 

In fairness though, I do wonder what the difference is on bad shots, does one fly farther off line?

When I played with him on Friday, I hit one bad, not horrible, and it finished about 10yds short and 25yds right of his "bombed" tee shot. If we both catch them, we are pretty much side by side. If I hit one bad, I still finish within 20yds, length wise. What he calls bad, I'd call decent for me.

[Kanoito]

When I played with him on Friday, I hit one bad, not horrible, and it finished about 10yds short and 25yds right of his "bombed" tee shot. If we both catch them, we are pretty much side by side. If I hit one bad, I still finish within 20yds, length wise. What he calls bad, I'd call decent for me.

 

JERK!

So when are we seeing you guys on TV?

[JBones]

So when are we seeing you guys on TV?

Hopefully this summer at the Nationwide Tours United Leasing Championship. The US Open is out this year, because qualifying conflicts with his high school state championship.

[Phana24JG]

We're still discussing that. The Blue Crush will definitely be involved, I'm also intrigued by the Death Stick. Any others you'd like to see reviewed?

 

Matt, any thought of testing ultralight shafts for irons? Aeroflex is supposed to have a good one, and by counterbalancing weight into the grip, you can supposedly mitigate the loss of feel.

[Matt Saternus]

Matt, any thought of testing ultralight shafts for irons? Aeroflex is supposed to have a good one, and by counterbalancing weight into the grip, you can supposedly mitigate the loss of feel.

 

Are you referring to the Aerotech shafts? I certainly wouldn't mind testing them, and they even make them in heavier weights now. If that's something a number of people would like to see reviewed, I will see what I can do about it.

[JMiller]

Just from a technical stand point, there is a ton of debate around spine alignment, where the spine gets installed. SST Pure puts the spine at 12 0'clock position. Traditional spine alignment puts it in the 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock position in the hosel. I play my iron shafts with just a simple spine alignment with the spine mark pointing down the target line. I have all my graphite shafts Flat Lined (FLO) which takes the spinning process to more of a exact level you end up spinning the shaft around in 360* in the machine by 1* each time till you get it right.

 

In theory this helps bring down shot dispersion by a little and gives a more consistent shaft performance on every swing. Great reviewed I liked reading the technical side of your review as this is something that is second nature to me and my sets of clubs. The builder i use has once told me 'I build your clubs like you were playing on tour, with every little detail covered', when I play bad I can't blame the equipment that is for sure only the person using the tool.

 

Here is a pretty good video of what the head looks like and process of finding FLO. Ignore the ad at the end where he gives a phone number and e-mail a lot of custom builders can do this process for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOjr-_afKME

[JBones]

I'm actually thinking about getting another one of these shafts and starting the build over again, because it is a little shorter than I want to play it after switching heads. I'll FLO it myself this time. I mean what the hell, it's only $20.

[Phana24JG]

Are you referring to the Aerotech shafts? I certainly wouldn't mind testing them, and they even make them in heavier weights now. If that's something a number of people would like to see reviewed, I will see what I can do about it.

 

Yeah, my bad, I mean Aerotech. I know we should be focusing on dispersion and distance control with irons, but if a light shaft and counterweighted iron can go further with the same dispersion, isn't that a big step forward?

[JBones]

I'm quickly falling out of love with this shaft. When you have a good swing going, this shaft is great. When you have a mediocre or bad swing going, this thing will kill you. I hit it against my 09 Burner with a Fujikura E360 XS, to see if it was the shaft or me. I was hitting them both right, but the Fuji was just a straight push and the Blue Crush was a high hard slice. They were still about the same distance, but the Blue Crush was about 40yds farther right than the Fuji, which was putting it a solid 60-65yds right of center of fairway.

[JBones]

The Blue Crush got pulled yesterday in favor of my Talamonti PD-80 Tour X. I think the Blue Crush just couldn't stand up to my SS. It was holding well for a while, but as I've started working out and doing yoga again, I've added a few mph to my swing and it seems to have pushed this shaft over it's limits. I think that this shaft is best suited to a swing between 100-110mph, with a smoother tempo. I also strongly suggest that it be FLO'd, to get it to be the best it can be. It's still a great shaft for $20.

 

The Talamonti is only staying until I can scrap enough bones together to buy a Black Ops.

[dooboo]

sorry to hear that blue crush didn't work out for you. I was looking forward to adding $20 shaft to my game...might give a try similar shaft for my woods