KBS will be shipping their new, lighter weight version of the KBS Tour shafts, the Tour V on November 1st. We have had a chance to test these shafts and take a look at the numbers as compared to the KBS Tour. We had three different testers using the shafts that were the closest to their specs. Launch angles were .5 to 2.0 degrees higher with the Tour V. Spin rates were 500 – 800 rpm lower with the Tour V than the Tour. Overall, there was a slight increase in distance (2 to 6 yards) while dispersion was much tighter for one tester but about the same for the other two.
Overall, our testers rated the Tour V 4.4 out of 5 based on the following:
Appearance: Typical KBS silver finish same as their Tour shaft.
Flexes Available: R, S and X in taper tip only, 3-9 iron (use 9 iron shaft for wedges). From a design perspective, the thing we like is that the flexes will be consistent versus the Tour version, which does not always happen when you go to a lighter version of the same shaft. So, if you are playing an S in the Tour, you will get very close to the same CPM in the Tour V. Same with the R and X.
MSRP: $75.00 USD
Availability: KBS, qualified fitters, and select retail golf stores.
Weight Consistency: 4.8 out of 5.0
Butt Stiffness (CPM): Consistent increase in CPM from R through X. R will play lower end of R, S will play low-mid S, and X will play mid-X. Consistency is 4.7 out of 5.
Tip Stiffness: Medium
Mid Stiffness: Medium
Balance Point: Will yield an average swing weight.
Torque: Good transition of higher torque in R flex to lowest torque in X flex. Low torque rating overall.
SQI (Shaft Quality Index): 91.1 out of 100 ( Average). The S and X flexes are the highest quality. The test samples we received were not as consistent in the R flex.
Trajectory: Launch angle is mid. Tested against the Tour, the Tour V was .5 to 2.0 degrees higher launch.
Spin: Mid spin. The spin rate was 600 – 800 rpm lower with the Tour V than the Tour, or roughly 11% lower.
Feel: Solid feel for all testers. Felt smoother than the Tour for all testers.
General: This will be a good addition to the KBS line. Some stronger players overpower the KBS 90 but like the feel of a lighter weight shaft so the Tour V should fit that bill perfectly.