Our Best Performing Driver and Shaft Combinations
Well, this is always a tricky topic as literally everyone has a different take on the look, sound and feel of a particular driver and shaft combination, but here is what we have found so far in 2017. What is not shown here is what exact shaft was put in each head. In general, we look for shaft and head combinations that deliver the straightest, longest shots, most consistently.
Drivers:
Callaway EPIC SubZero performed a little better than the EPIC purely because of slightly lower spin. Forgiveness (accuracy, shot dispersion) was very similar.
Ping G LST and G400 LST have been consistently strong performers for us for over two years. The new G400 LST, and the other G400 heads have a better sound for most players. Always high smash factors and consistent launch angles for the given loft specs on the head. And, Pings pricing is a big advantage.
TaylorMade 2017 M1 and M2 have both performed well but were not our top sellers. The M2 had a slight advantage over the M1 in terms of distance and consistency.
PXG 0811X and LX have been a big improvement over the original 0811. The spin and smash factor numbers are consistently matching other leaders like EPIC SZ and G400. And, the feel and sound are pretty incredible.
Honorable mention goes to Titleist 917D2 and D3 , Cobra F7, Tour Edge Exotics E10, and the new Mizuno ST180. Again, look sound and feel play a big factor as literally there are no BAD drivers on the market these days.
Shafts:
Upper End Shafts: Really strong performance from:
- Graphite Design Tour AD DI, TP and GP models (See our Review here…)
- ACCRA Golf FX and TZx series
- OBAN Kiyoshi Tour LTD, Purple, Black and White,
- Fujikura ATMOS TS Blue and Red,
- Mitsubishi Diamana B and W, Fubuki J and V,
- Veylix Arcane,
- Project X HZRDUS Black and Yellow (See our Black Review and Yellow Review)
The new Project X Even Flow Black and for some the Blue has really started to take on due to its higher torque-better feel.
Upper Mid-Range Shafts:
- OBAN Devotion and Isawa
- Fujikura Pro series
- Mitsubishi TENSEI, Kuro Kage DC TI
- ACCRA FX 140, 150, 160
- Graphite Design YS Reloaded
- UST Elements Chrome
- Veylix Alpina 573, 673
Mid Range Shafts:
- ACCRA iSeries
- Aldila NV 2KXV Green and Orange
- Fujikura Vista Pro series
Some manufacturers, like Graphite Design, OBAN, Project X and Mitsubishi Chemical focus on higher end shafts while comanies like ACCRA Golf and Fujikura feature a wide range of price points. We test all of these shafts in our profiling system (more here…) and help our users understand how to navigate the launch(trajectory) and spin characteristics of each shaft (more here as well).
What we look for in driver heads is consistently low spin, accurate loft readings, and the most forgiveness (highest MOI, usually) on off center hits.
What we look for in shafts are consistent weights, flexes and profiles so building to our customer’s specifications is easy and provides superior performance.
So use our TrueFitClubs Fitting Wizard or visit our Performance Fitting Centers and see what driver head and shaft combination works best for your swing.
Dan Sueltz