Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV Blue Driver Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

The Tensei AV is the successor to the Tensei CK. There were two versions of the Mitsubishi Tensei golf shaft, now there are three. My understanding is that the AV series will replace the CK series. The Tensei CK, like the Tensei Pro CK has a Carbon Fiber/DuPont™ Kevlar® (CK) weave just below the grip. This material dramatically reduces hoop deformation in the critical section of the what were wall thickness is thin. The Pro CK version has three times the length of this woven material as the OEM, CK version. Measurements and hitting experience shot a dramatic shot dispersion from stabilizing this section of the shaft with the long woven section of the Pro version. The shot dispersion effect from the 4″ section in the OEM version is not as dramatic.

The Tensei AV changes this. The woven section is the same length as we see in the Tensei Pro. The woven material is different. This video was cut out of a longer interview. The second camera was out of focus, but the explanation of the AV technology was to good to ignore.

Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Red Golf Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas

The last profile added to the Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei Pro family of driver shafts is the Tensei Pro Red. Like the other Tensei Pro driver shafts it has a carbon Fiber Kevlar woven material place just below the hands. As you can see in the chart, this material substantially  increases hoop strength in this area of the shaft. Hoop deformation in carbon fiber golf shafts is a function of wall thickness. The wall thickness in the butt end of a golf shaft is thin. Therefore the shaft deforms more. This has classical be called ovaling. Ovaling is thought to create dispersion. I have seen various materials use in this area to stabilize driver shafts. I have never seen as dramatic an effect on hoop deformation as I see in the Tensei Pros. Take note, the OEM shafts have only 4″ of this material which is little more than cosmetics. The Tensei Pro models have 11+” and the hoop deformation profiles are dramatically lower in this area.

Mitsubishi Diamana X Golf Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

The Mitsubishi Diamana X is another of a small number of super shafts in the $750 plus price point. It is a white board profile, restricting it to those that are looking for a low launch, low spin shaft design. To quote Mitsubishi Chemical, “The Diamana™ X-Series continues to push the limits of golf shaft performance by taking a spare no expense approach to materials, design and innovation. The new Diamana™ X-Series utilizes our patented Multi-Dimensional Interlay (M.D.I.) construction technique, and features 90-Ton and 78-Ton DIALEAD™ Pitch Fiber angle plies combined with a full-length application of our MR70 fiber – the strongest carbon fiber in today’s market, to deliver one of the most stable, lowest torque, high-performance golf shafts Mitsubishi Chemical has ever developed.” I could not have said it any better than that, now, let’s look at the measurements to see what makes the Diamana X worth $750 to a golfer. 

Mitsubishi KuroKage XD Driver Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

The KuroKage XD joins the aftermarket family of KuroKage X driver shafts. This started with the KuroKage Proto TiNi several years ago. The KuroKage Proto morphed into the KuroKage XM which was simply updated graphics on a very successful shaft. Now, the KuroKage XT has been updated to the KuroKage XD.

The KuroKage XD has a dual wrap of Titanium Nickel prepreg in the tip as you can see in this image. Titanium Mickel (TiNi) is an elastic wire that immediately springs back to its original shape when stretched. It is used to increase the tip stability of the shaft. If a single wrap is good, as illustrated by multiple PGA Tour wins, Then a double wrap should be better. This is one of an array of that tip reinforcements used by Mitsubishi Chemical. The Tensei Pro White and Tensei Pro Blue have boron reinforced tips.  The Tensei Pro Orange has high density MR70 in the tip.