Fujikura Motore Speeder Hybrid Shaft Review

FUJIKURA MOTORE SPEEDER TOUR SPEC HYBRID SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

The Fujikura Motore Speeder Tour Spec hybrid shaft is an extension of the Tour Spec line of shafts from Fujikura. As with the Tour Spec driver and fairway shafts, these hybrid shafts are state of the art shafts designed for elite amateurs and tour players looking for the best performance available.

The Tour Spec hybrid shafts are designed with a very stiff butt profile, a moderate mid section and a very stiff tip. Using very high modulus materials, the shaft design team at Fujikura is able to create a shaft with torque numbers approaching those of steel shafts. These low torque values combined with a stiff tip result in outstanding dispersion control and a lower controlled ball flight even for the strongest players.Our personal experience is that there is no greater pleasure than knowing you can count on your hybrid shafts to deliver greens in regulation consistently. And that comes from steel like control. The Fujikura Motore Speeder Hybrid is designed to deliver steel like control in a graphite hybrid shaft.

These Tour Spec hybrid shafts are highly recommended for the elite player or other stronger amateur players with high swing speeds and heavy shaft loads looking for control in vertical launch, ball flight and dispersion that can only come from the state of the art in graphite hybrid shafts.

Fujikura Fuel Hybrid Shaft Review

FUJIKURA FUEL HYBRID SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

The Fujikura Fuel hybrid shaft utilizes the same Fuel technology found in the other driver and fairway shafts in the Fuel line of shafts. This technology results in an extremely stable feeling shaft at a fairly moderate price point. These shafts have the same tight, low launching characteristics of the other Fuel shafts that will generate greater distance and accuracy on a more consistent basis.

The Fuel’s torque numbers shown above are very impressive for a moderately priced hybrid shaft. These torque numbers are very similar to steel, which in our fitting experience means lateral dispersion control. The design of this shaft creates a low boring trajectory with excellent lateral dispersion. It may feel slightly harsh for the slow to average swinger, but is an excellent choice for the stronger player that can load the shaft on the downswing. The Fuel hybrid shaft is highly recommended for the stronger player looking for a boring trajectory, good dispersion and a moderate price point.

Fujikura Fuel Golf Shaft Review

FUJIKURA FUEL DRIVER SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

The Fujikura Fuel shaft was introduced just prior to the 2013 PGA Merchandise Show and was named “the most talked about shaft at the Show”. The Fuel continues to create a lot of buzz in the print media and on the internet. Let’s take a closer look and see what all the buzz is about.

According to Fujikura, the Fuel is a low launch/low spin shaft designed for drivers, fairways and hybrids. The shafts are constructed with a series of high modulus carbon plies oriented at 45 and 90 degree angles in the butt and mid sections which their engineers claim reduce ovaling during the loading and unloading of the shaft. We have found through our testing and fitting process that the Fuel shafts are extremely stable with low launch and low spin characteristics as claimed by Fujikura.

Like many shafts, the Fujikura Fuel profiles vary with weight. As you will notice in the EI bend profiles below, the 50 gram shafts have a fairly soft overall profile with a relatively stiff tip. This stiff tip feature makes this shaft feel extremely tight and stable for a mid 50 gram shaft. We have found through our fittings that it will feel and play slightly stiffer than its flex rating. It is an excellent light weight option for a player that can load a shaft or that has a quicker tempo, or both.

The 60 gram, Tour Spec 60 gram and the 70 gram models have a slightly different bend profile than the 50 gram models. These heavier models are stiffer in the butt and mid sections, with a smoother profile in the tip section. The stiffer butt and mid sections make these models feel extremely stable (ie stiff) in the hands and give these shafts an overall stiff feel. The low torque of these shafts adds to their overall tight/stiff feel at impact. Our testing and fittings confirm that these are definitely low launch shafts.

The Tour Spec 70 gram S and X flex models have a very different profile than the other models. The bend profile shows a very stiff upper-mid section with a smooth but rapid decline in flex to the tip. These models are again extremely stable because of the stiff mid section, and are excellent choices for heavy hitters looking to lower ball flight in both drivers and fairways.

Fujikura Fuel Tour Spec 70 gram

Our testing and fittings confirm that the Fujikura Fuel shafts definitely provide the low launch characteristics claimed by Fujikura. The 50 gram models have slightly higher launch and spin than the other models, but are still low for a mid-50 gram shaft. The design, construction and bend profiles of these shafts contribute to the overall stiff/tight feel that the player will experience when playing these shafts. The Fuel shafts are a good option to consider for a player looking to lower his or her launch conditions.

Fujikura Motore Speeder Golf Shaft Review

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FUJIKURA MOTORE SPEEDER DRIVER SHAFT

By Kirk James & Mark Vallier, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
MK Golf Technologies,San Antonio, Texas

Fujikura shafts continue to dominate the PGA Tour and Champions Tour with wins and number of shafts in play. The original Speeder earned the reputation as the “winningest shaft on tour” back in 2000, and Fujikura has not lost momentum since. The latest version of the Speeder – the Motore Speeder – continues the tradition of the original. The Motore Speeder comes in three “regular versions” (the VC .0, the VC .1, and the VC .2), and two “Tour Spec versions” (the VC .2TS and the VC .3TS). The VC .0 and VC .1 versions are offered in mid 50, 60 and 70 gram models. The VC .2, VC .2TS and VC .3TS versions are offered in mid 60 and 70 gram models. Generally speaking, as the numbers of the models increase, the launch and the spin of the shaft decrease. In other words, if all other variables are equal, the VC 5.0 will launch higher and spin more than the VC 5.1, and so on up through the line.

This EI Bend Profile chart clearly shows the differences in the three versions of the “regular” Speeder shafts. It has been our experience fitting these shafts that the VC.0 model is very stable and somewhat stiff in the hands (ie, the butt of the shaft) but has a relatively soft and active tip. The EI bend profile clearly confirms these observations to be correct. The VC.1 model has shown through experience to be somewhat softer in the hands, but slightly stiffer in lower mid/tip of the shaft than the VC.0. Likewise, the VC.2 model through experience seems closer to the feel of the VC.0 in the butt of the shaft, but significantly stiffer than than either the VC.0 or VC.1 in the lower mid and tip sections of the shaft, producing a lower launch and usually lower spin.

Fujikura Fitting Advisor

DevotedGolfer.tv editor Russ Ryden got to talk to Pat McCoy, Director of Tour Operations for Fujikura Composites about the the online fitting application developed by Fujikura to help the golfer find his fit from the many Fujikura shafts available. Pat has been fitting tour professionals for about 20 years. His perspective on golf club fitting comes from years of experience fitting the best players with some of the best shafts in the business.

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Russ

This latest iteration of the venerable Speeder line of shafts from Fujikura is a very high quality, high performance line of shafts. The differences in each shaft in the Speeder line are clearly distinct and easily detected by most players and club fitters through testing. Almost any player can find a Speeder shaft that will work with their swing. It is easy to see why the Motore Speeder continues to dominate the shaft counts on the major professional tours.

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Fujikura EXS Golf Shaft Review

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Fujikura EXS Driver Shaft

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

The EXS line from Fujikura is an Economy line of shafts available from Fujikura Charter Dealers. It features High, Mid and Low launch versions.That is unusual in an economy shaft. When budget is an issue and a golfers fit indicates a particular shaft profile, the Fujikura EXS is available in a wide range of weight and flex.. The colors match the Fujikura Motore Speeder, also available in high, mid and low launch versions.

Having recently profiled the Motore Speeders, the Fujikura EXS line have a great deal in common with the Speeders. Not all weights and flexes match exactly, but I can find close matches with a little hunting. If the Speeder is a budget buster the EXS deserves a hard look.