What's New: From the Lab

The Best Fairway Wood Shafts – 2023 Edition continues to see performance improvements in both distance (ball speed, spin) and accuracy. New shaft technology from Fujikura, Project X, Mitsubishi Chemical Golf, and Graphite Design are leading the way. Performance improvements in fairway woods from every manufacturer over the last couple of years are big. They rival what we have seen in driver technology! Read about the best fairway woods for 2023. Why is getting the RIGHT shaft so important? Technology advancements in fairway wood heads continue to lower CG (center of gravity), increase MOI (moment of inertia) and increase forgiveness. Depending on the age of your existing fairway woods, your old shaft is likely not right for new heads. And mass-produced stock shafts are not designed to fit your swing. The proper fit shaft in your fairway woods ensures that new tech delivers on consistency, accuracy and distance. The short answer in fitting fairway wood shafts is to choose a shaft that has a little more weight than your driver. And we typically start with a slightly softer tip section to help get the ball in the air. Learn what happens when your shaft is not right for your swing. Schedule... Read More

The best Fairway Woods for 2023 are becoming harder and harder to identify. Performance improvements are impressive from almost every manufacturer. Each produces more distance, optimized spin and more accuracy. Plus, new materials and new designs are giving golfers more choices in lofts and head size. Whether you use your fairway woods mostly off the tee or from any lie, here’s our recommendations for best fairway woods for 2023. Get the right shaft for fairway woods The proper shaft in fairway woods makes ALL the difference in achieving optimal distance, consistency and accuracy. Especially with the advancements in technology, your old shaft may not be optimal for new heads. When fitting fairway woods, the key is to choose a shaft that has a little more weight that the driver shaft. And, the tip section should be slightly softer to help get the ball in the air. More more information, read: What Happens When Golf Shafts are Not Right for YOUR Swing. Schedule Lifetime Woods Fitting Methodology for selecting the best fairway woods for 2023 We categorize fairway woods based on the distance that a golfer hits their 3-wood. However, preference on head size is unique to the golfer. Even if... Read More

We just completed our first UST Mamiya Recoil DART Shaft Review. We must say, the Recoil Dart shaft lives up to its promise. Increased consistency, optimal feel and precise ball flight – all from a graphite iron shaft. Many golfers still play heavier weight steel shafts for their higher swing speeds.  But, they desire better feel, less impact and still plenty of feedback. You must consider Recoil DART from UST Mamiya. DART (Dual Action Recoil Technology) eliminates inconsistent areas in the golf shaft. Recoil Technology provides optimal spring effect in the walls of the shaft and more efficient energy transfer to the ball. Both, the new Recoil DART and DART V series, deliver all the performance of a heavier steel shaft with better feel and less impact. Experience Recoil DART and DART V in an Expert Iron Fitting   Full Swing Recoil DART Shaft Review *NOTE: Coming soon, results on the 90-gram Recoil DART and DART V as well as the DART V 120 gram shafts.* Tester 1: 6-iron swing speeds between 80-90 mph, typical plays a 120-gram shaft, 8-handicap golfer with -3 degree outside-in club path. In this test, we wanted to see how the slightly lighter 105 gram... Read More

Tour the best iron shafts for 2023 – featuring multiple new steel and graphite iron shafts and removing discontinued shafts. While you do, remember that selecting the best iron shaft or iron-shaft combination starts with knowing your game. For simplicity, we’ve grouped iron shafts by swing speed. However, so much more goes into fitting the right shaft – tempo, transition, release, launch angles, spin, swing path and more. Without a custom club fitting and knowing your numbers, trusting off the shelf or manufacturer suggested shafts often lead to frustration and disappointment. New Enhancements for Iron Shafts The newest irons and shafts in 2023 are producing greater distance, forgiveness and accuracy for our customers because we properly tune the iron and shaft combination to your handicap and swing dynamics. We’ve put the newest iron shafts from Aerotech, ACCRA, Fujikura, Project X, True Temper, Graphite Design, KBS, OBAN, Mitsubishi, Nippon and others through rigorous testing. Choose your handicap range or swing speed to see how each iron shaft stacks up. 2023 Guide to Best Iron Shafts Recommendations are based on distances, trajectory and spin generated within 4 categories of swing speeds. As a starting point, our testing and proprietary BGF Fitting System... Read More

We just completed our Fujikura Axiom iron shafts review. Wow, we are impressed and here’s why – consistency, feel, technology and trends. The trend away from heavy steel shafts (over 90-grams) to heavy graphite shafts continues. Fujikura AXIOM joins UST Mamiya Dart and Recoil, Mitsubishi Chemical Group MMT and Aerotech SteelFiber, OBAN and KBS TGI graphite or multi-material shafts. Fujikura incorporates the breakthrough VeloCore Technology used in Ventus shafts into the new Axiom iron shafts. They also took a unique approach to optimize for three shaft profiles – long-irons, mid-irons and short-irons. For example, Axiom’s LP (long parallel) is optimal for 2- through 4-irons. MP (mid parallel) is optimal for 5- through 7-iron. And SP (short parallel) is optimal for 8-iron through PW or AW. This level of customization is a club fitters dream, further tightening dispersion across the entire set of irons. Read: AXIOM Shaft Specs | View Full AXIOM Details The intent of these graphite or multi-material shafts is to reduce the vibration in the shaft without sacrificing feel. Vibration is often tied to pain in joints, soreness and even fatigue in the hands. The latest generation of graphite iron shafts deliver the feel of steel without the... Read More

The new Fujikura AXIOM iron shafts bring proven VeloCore Technology used in the Ventus shafts to irons. The multi-material bias core construction creates a new level of stability through transition and impact. “These shafts feel solid and stable throughout the swing. Yet it still gives incredible feedback at impact. The numbers don’t lie,” stated one of our shaft testers. For AXIOM, VeloCore ensures the groundbreaking results players have experienced with VENTUS metalwood shafts are just as impressive in their irons. The VeloCore technology increases the stability of the club during swing and at impact, producing more efficient strikes and better performance with mishit shots. Thus, more consistency, accuracy, and distance help golfers of all abilities hit it closer and get more greens in regulation. 3–part Parallel Shaft Design A first of its kind, AXIOM’s 3-part parallel shaft design allows for tailored and specific performance throughout the iron set. Advanced lay-up techniques and material layouts cater to 3 club profiles. LP (long parallel) for long irons, MP (mid parallel) for mid irons, and SP (short parallel) for short irons. Plus, separate parallel sections result in minimal tip trimming, allowing the integration of premium materials further down the shaft. AXIOM Iron Shaft... Read More

The TaylorMade P-Series Irons pack an updated look, updated material composition and new tech in the 2023 models. And, with insights from multiple Tour players including Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Tiger Woods, subtle change produces performance gains. The new P-790 2021, P-770, P-7MC and P-7MB each are forged with 1025 carbon steel infused with tungsten plus packed with other golfer-loving new features. How to choose between new TaylorMade P-Series Irons: Each model is unique, but multiple models may fit a given player depending on a few attributes. Once a proper and personalized iron club fitting has been completed, you can hone decision making to look, sound and feel. And, this equips you with the right decision making should you be considering a combo set. Many Tour players will combo more forgiving models in longer irons while taking advantage of precision in shorter irons. The added benefit is pairing clubs with the optimal shaft for your swing. Take the complexity out – get a personalized Iron Club Fitting today. Schedule an Iron Fitting Today   |   Learn About Lifetime Club Fittings The P-790 2021 models: The TaylorMade P790 has been a popular iron since its introduction. Inside the forged... Read More

We just completed our Ping i230 Irons Review and we are very excited to share our results. The Ping i230 irons feature some new technology and differences to other Ping i-series irons. The new design of the Ping i230 delivers predictable and repeatable distance control. Lower CG helps create more distance without sacrificing launch and landing angles or spin. Read more about the Ping i230 Irons. Methodology: Our testing was conducted by three different style golfers. We normalized our testing to using Trackman for analysis in the temperature controlled D’Lance Indoor Facility at 5280 feet and 72 degrees. Testing is further normalized by maintaining the same shaft across multiple heads, optimal for each tester. Notably, the i230 is a bit lighter and has about 3 degrees more loft, producing higher spin rates and slightly less carry distance overall. Short answer, the Ping i230 irons can serve a wide range of golfers from high single-digit handicaps to sub 20-handicap players. And it could fit players with a wide range of swing speeds. The look, feel, sound and playability is there. Schedule an Iron Fitting Today High Swing Speed Test – over 90 mph club speed In this test, our Ping i230... Read More

Welcome to our JPX 923 Hot Metal review. Our goal was to test the promises of a more ball speed from new Nickel-Chromoly, lower CG and face thickness changes. Spin rates, ball speed, sound and feel are equally as important as shot dispersion and consistency. Short answer, experience these irons for yourself. More distance, tight shot dispersion and consistency rivals other top irons on the market. The right combination of shaft and JPX 923 model can improve your game. Read details on the JPX 923 Hot Metal Series. Schedule an Iron Fitting Today Methodology: Our tests are conducted in our Indoor Practice Facility using Trackman set to 72 degrees at 5200 feet of elevation. And, we normalize our tests by using the same optimal shaft from a current custom club build when comparing club head performance. High Swing Speed Test – 80-90 mph club speed Using a Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue X100 shaft, we tested the new JPX 923 irons against a handful of other irons. In this test, the JPX 923 Hot Metal outperformed the Pro and HL models in accuracy, consistency, feel and sound, and distance. It also stacked up very well against other leading irons. The... Read More

We’re busy testing so that we can share an our Titleist TSR Driver Review. Our goal is to test with different swing types, swing paths and golfer skill levels. Ultimately, we aim to give you a sound review. The best way is to see for yourself by scheduling your own personalized club fitting. Schedule Your Own Driver Fitting   High Swing Speed Test – 110-120 mph club speed In our Titleist TSR Driver Review for our high swing speed tester, the TSR2 and TSR3 were compared to a Callaway Rogue ST Max LS. Using an Autoflex 505XX shaft, we found some interesting results with as we tested the TSR2 and TSR3. The TSR2 (set to 8.25 degrees [D1]) definitely showed that it can achieve higher launch with lower spin rates as promised. With spin rates within 5% of each other, the TSR2 launched almost 4 degrees higher than the Rogue ST Max LS (set to 8 degrees [-1/N]). The TSR2 also produced slightly more distance even with a steeper landing angle. Notably, there was a fair amount of left-to-right inconsistency with slight variances in club path and face to path. Conclusion: Titleist has delivered as promised. But, don’t let the... Read More