Kuro Kage XT and XM are the new standards for excellence in the Kuro Kage line. Featuring low resin prepreg material and Titanium Nickel (TiNi) wire, the new combination gives the Kuro Kage a boost in both accuracy and distance due to its lower spin characteristics. We put the new Kuro Kage XT through its paces against the Kuro Kage Black TiNi and the Kuro Kage Silver TiNi. All tests were done with a Tour Edge E9 driver set to 10 degrees of loft and a Callaway Chrome Soft ball. All of the shafts tested were within the fitting specs for the testers in terms of flex and weight.
Launch: The Kuro Kage XT launched slightly lower than the Kuro Kage Silver TiNi but a full 1.5 degrees lower than the Kuro Kage Black TiNi. This is primarily due to the softer tip section in the Black TiNi which caused the toe to droop more than the XT causing higher ball contact on the club face.
Spin: The smash factor (1.49) was the best for the Kuro Kage XT as was the spin rate (sub 3,000 for all testers). Spin went up slightly for the Silver TiNi but the most spin increase was with the Black TiNi (+400 rpm). As with higher launch, the higher spin came from contact higher on the clubface.
Feel: The only weight tested was the Kuro Kage XT 60. This shaft has a slightly firmer mid section which could, in theory, cause it to feel firmer. Our testers did not notice this at all. This is probably due to the slightly higher torque rating. Remember, the XT and XM are variable torque shafts (see the specs here). In Kuro Kage’s case, this means that the heavier the shaft, the lower the torque. The lower torque shafts will feel “stiffer” at impact.
In our fittings, the XT (mid launch, mid spin) and the XM (mi-high launch, mid-high spin) look to be great improvements over the original Kuro Kage TiNi shafts!
Dan Sueltz
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