Project X Hybrid Shafts Review

True Temper Project X Black Hybrid Shaft
True Temper Project X Blue Hybrid Shaft

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

ProjectX_Hybrid_imageAt the time of this review the Project X Black and Blue Hybrid shafts have been on the market for several years. They represent classic hybrid shaft designs seen over and over from different brands. The Project X Black has a quick loss of stiffness tightening around 18″ from the tip and running from there into a long stable tip. This design is easy to tip trim into different loft hybrids, increasing the stiffness for the increased head weight as the lofts get larger. From my experience with similar profiles you will see a mid high flight with enough spin to create a nice drop and stop ball flight.

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Russ

If you have experience with these shafts, you can take that experience to other designs.  Look at the bend profiles and reflect on the feel and flight of other shafts reviewed here. I have done countless fittings with hybrid shafts with these designs. If it is working for you, stay with it.

 

Mitsubishi KuroKage Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

Mitsubishi KuroKage Hybrid Golf Shafts

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

Hybrid MRC KuroKage image

The Mitsubishi KuroKage is a 2012 mid season design targeted at a mid price range. The specs on the shaft are in keeping with Mitsubishi Rayon’s tradition of maintaining high quality on any shaft that bears their name. The torque ranges from 3.2 on the 80R to 2.3 on the Proto 100 X. Radial quality is excellent.

The long stiff tip with torques ranging from 2.3 to 1.9 indicate a shaft capable of delivering tight dispersion and distance control. The KuroKage family of Mitsubishi Rayon Golf Shafts is available to club builders. The street price of the Hybrids is $80. The KuroKage Black profile, shown below, resembles the Diamana Blue design.  

Hybrid MRCKuroKage EiGj

Mitsubishi Fubuki Ax Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

Mitsubishi Fubuki Ax Hybrid Golf Shafts

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

Hybrid FubukiAX imageThe Fubuki Hybrid Ax was redesigned in 2011 to be slightly softer than the previous model. It fits in to the stiffness and weight gap between the Bassara UltraLight and the Diamana Thump. The stiffness of the shaft is a perfect match to the other Fubuki Alpha driver and the Fubuki AX fairway shafts. Weights range from 70 to 80 grams, putting it in a unique range for a low torque hybrid. The tip torque is 2.1 and the butt torque, 2.9. Radial consistency is excellent, with several of the shafts measuring at 100%.

Hybrid FubukiAX EiGjAround 13″ from the tip, the stiffness of this shaft turns up. This has become a popular design, it adds a degree or two of launch without sacrificing dispersion control. This shaft was stock in the Adams Golf Super XTD Hybrid in 2012. That club gives the golfer the experience of a truly great aftermarket shaft in a hybrid golf club costing not much more than the shaft itself.

Mitsubishi Diamana D+ & S+ Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

Mitsubishi Diamana D+ & S+ Hybrid Golf Shafts

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

Hybrid DiamanaPlus image

The Mitsubishi Diamana plus series introduced in late 2012. We will no longer be seeing the designation ‘made for …’ on stock golf shafts. The + series is the new ‘made for’ design. The profiles shown are bumpy because a single shaft of each model was measured. In the S+ blue shaft we are seeing a higher launch than the D+ gray shaft.

The familiar Diamana logo is there, but we are looking at they typical high torque, lower quality shaft we have seen in the ‘made for… ‘ shafts in the past. That said, the torque of these hybrids was respectable, tips at 2.4 and 1.9, butts at 3.2 and 2.6 on the blue and white respectively.

Hybrid DiamanaPlus EiGj

Mitsubishi Diamana Thump Hybrid Golf Shaft Review

Mitsubishi Diamana Thump Hybrid Golf Shafts

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

Hybrid Thump imageThe Diamana Thump hybrid golf shaft is the most exotic hybrid golf shaft I have experienced. The price is more than most stock hybrid golf clubs. It is appropriately named, thump, for the feel in your hands as you watch your ball scream towards a distant green. If this review sounds biased, it is, I play this shaft in Miura hybrids. The control is worth every bit of the $200 hybrid shaft.

The butt torque is 2.3 in the 93 gram S and 2.2 in the 103 gram X, making it close to steel. Tip torque is 1.7 in both models, akin to light weight steel. Dispersion control is excellent. If you get tired of hooking your hybrids when you go after a shot, and don’t want to play steel, this shaft is the cure. Radial quality is as good as it gets, making shaft orientation a non issue. It is a low-mid launch design.

In 2012 Mitsubishi announced this shaft would be custom order only and not stocked in the US. It is still available through Mitsubishi dealers, however it is no longer shown in the current brochures. Caveat Emptor, the feel is addicting, Thump, interesting choice of words for a hybrid golf shaft model.
Hybrid Thump EiGj