OBAN Shafts are making a difference on tour. With a strong lineup of premium graphite shafts, OBAN literally has a shaft for every type of swing and player. The most popular on the PGA Tour are the Tour Limited, Kiyoshi (Black, Purple, White and Gold) and the tried and true Devotion, Isawa Red and Revenge. There is quite a difference among all of these shafts so make sure you see a fitter that has a wide selection of these shafts to test. As an example, the Kiyoshi Black in a 55 gram gram shaft is a nice mid-high, mid-spin shaft for golfers that need a little more loft off the tee while the Kiyoshi Black 65 (which actually weighs 70+ grams) will be a low launch, low spin shaft. The torque ratings for these shafts also get progressively lower from the 55 to the 85 gram shaft which will give the heavier shafts a firmer feel at impact. The Kiyoshi White as a similar transition from the 55 to the 75 gram but not near as pronounced of change in launch and spin as the Black.
The greatest value shafts in the OBAN line-up are the Devotion and Isawa Red. Again, designed with a descending launch and spin from lighter to heavier shafts, the Devotion and Isawa Red are great value shafts for a variety of players. The Isawa Red is especially suited for todays heavier driver heads like the TaylorMade M1, Ping G, Callaway GBB Alpha, Tour Edge Exotics E9 as it is a counterbalanced shaft. This allows the club builder to reduce swing weight and give a better feeling club for the golfer that has a smooth swing.
And their hybrid and iron shaft offerings continue to impress me with their versatility. Perhaps the most hidden secret in the lineup is the Oi series irons. Going from a very light, soft flex Oi43 to a heavy, firm flex Oi103, these shafts offer a slightly higher launch which is perfect for a lot of our golfers. Traditionally, heavier weighted graphite shafts are more of a mid to low launch shaft which is only suited to stronger players.
Again, we are pretty well sold on the quality and broad range of graphite shafts offered by OBAN. I can hardly wait for their announcement later this summer on their new steel shaft. THAT shaft could be a game changer!
Dan Sueltz
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