Fujikura Member Trip and VeloCore Fitting Experience Live at Fujikura HQ! Follow Along Here!

[hammergolf]

13 hours ago, ob1soccer said:

where do i get an axiom 105s to demo?

If you go on Fujikura’s site it will list dealers near you. That would be a good start.

[PedronNiall]

I've yet to see any national retailer other than CC have them available and that's been exactly why I'm yet to hit them in anything. 

[ob1soccer]

I live in long island and we have golf galaxy and PGA superstore and they have no axiom. Now what?

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, ob1soccer said:

I live in long island and we have golf galaxy and PGA superstore and they have no axiom. Now what?

https://fujikuragolf.com/dealer-locator?location=Long Island, NY&radius=25

[PedronNiall]

14 hours ago, hammergolf said:

https://fujikuragolf.com/dealer-locator?location=Long Island, NY&radius=25

 

That listing doesn't seem to connect to actually carrying their offerings. I've tried a few different locations and none of them show any Fujikuras as an option.

 

 

CC seems to be their only authorized retailer that stocks them. 

[ob1soccer]

19 hours ago, hammergolf said:

https://fujikuragolf.com/dealer-locator?location=Long Island, NY&radius=25

thanks but i went there and they have nothing

[Eric05]

I have a question for you guys that switched to the Axiom shaft, what did you do with your wedges? @eric61 @hammergolf @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf did you notice any difference swinging the irons to the wedges?

[eric61]

Just now, Eric05 said:

I have a question for you guys that switched to the Axiom shaft, what did you do with your wedges? @eric61 @hammergolf @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf did you notice any difference swinging the irons to the wedges?

I haven't changed to Axioms in my wedges yet, but am planning to order some with S159s. Just going to stick with Axiom 105X all the way through my wedges and get the S159s built to D5-D6.

 

In the past I've always played DG S400 or Modus 125. Hasn't really been an issue. 

 

I will say, I have an Axiom 105X in my Ping i230 U-wedge, which is 50 degrees, and I use it a lot for shots around the green where I want some run-out. It's great. It's at D5 and that's why I think I could just follow that spec through my SW and LW too. 

[hammergolf]

1 minute ago, Eric05 said:

I have a question for you guys that switched to the Axiom shaft, what did you do with your wedges? @eric61 @hammergolf @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf did you notice any difference swinging the irons to the wedges?

I didn’t switch my wedges because I like everything about them. However, I have built a set of wedges with some Fujikura Pro95 shafts because I wanted to see if I would like graphite in wedges. So far, so good but nothing earth shattering. 

[CactusGolf]

20 hours ago, Eric05 said:

I have a question for you guys that switched to the Axiom shaft, what did you do with your wedges? @eric61 @hammergolf @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf did you notice any difference swinging the irons to the wedges?

I have graphite shafts in all my wedges now, but a mix of both Axiom and Pro 115s.

 

With the PW & AW that came with my set, I have the Axioms and with the 52/56/60 I have the 115s.  Decided to go with 115s since they were a little heavier.

 

Other than the slight difference in weight, I haven't noticed a substantial difference between the two other than a little higher flight with the Axioms.

 

I've mentioned before, but putting any kind of graphite in my irons has done wonders for my short game.  With the steel, I felt a "droop" when I chipped causing a lot of fat/dumped pitches and chips.  Whether the feel was real, I'm not sure.  The first round after I put graphite in, that happens very infrequently.  Previously it was a minimum of 4 times per round.

 

 

[Eric05]

Thank you gentlemen for the information!

[eric61]

Coming close to a year since our @Fujikura Golf trip, and I'm still absolutely loving my AXIOMs and my Ventus TR Blue. Also loving the Speeder NX Blue that I put in my 3W a few weeks after our trip. 

 

I've been working through some swing changes since our trip -- finally feel like I'm finding some consistency and improvement, and my speed is ticking back up. As a result of those changes, I'm flighting the ball a bit lower (definitely a good thing), and pondering some changes on the long end between my G430 LST 9 degree driver with a TR Blue 6X and my i230 irons with Axiom 105X. 

 

I have a Ping G430 5 hybrid, set to flat-minus one, that I've really been loving, and have used some as a 4 iron replacement. It gaps well -- the 5H carries 195-200, then my i230 5 iron at 26 degrees carries 185. However, I'm also finding it's not really a problem to hit what feels like an 80% swing with it, get that 185ish distance, and still get plenty of height, so I've been considering actually just dropping my 5 iron and then adding a G430 4 hybrid as well. I've demoed one and it gaps well, 210ish carry using the same Tour 2.0 Chrome 85S shaft.

 

My third-longest club is a G430 7 wood, but -- probably thanks to an extremely windy early spring we've been having -- I've had some trouble controlling it lately. Start line is fine, but distance control is a different story. I'll take my share of the blame for that, for sure, but I think the wind is a factor as well. If I go with a 4 hybrid at 21 degrees, I'm wondering if I could drop down to a 5 wood in flat-minus at 17 degrees next. 

 

Here's a final twist: I watched the @PING YouTube WITB video with Shane Bacon and Marty Jertson earlier today, and saw Marty with the 12 degree G430 Max built to 42.75" as his 3 wood replacement, since he found he was hitting that club almost exclusively off the tee. I also watched the TXG Ian Fraser WITB that posted this morning as well, where Ian replaced his 3W with the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver in 11.5. If I have a 5W at 17 degrees, the 3W would largely be a tee club for me. Maybe looking at something like that, a secondary shorter driver or a Mini Driver, is my next area to experiment? 

 

Here's my big question: What Fujikura shaft do I put in these hybrids? 

 

My first choice would be a Ventus Blue 8S in the 4H and 9S in the 5H ... however, 9S doesn't exist. I've hit the 8S before in a 3H and it seemed to suit my timing and delivery well. On paper, I don't really have the swing speed for 9X. But Andrew fitted me into extra-stiff in the driver and irons when we were in Carlsbad, so maybe it would work. 

 

Or, do I go Axiom 105X in the hybrids, as well? The stock swing weight plays fine for me, so given the 20ish gram difference between the stock Tour 2.0 Chrome 85S and the Axiom 105X, I could probably go like 3/8" shorter than standard, which might shorten the distances a touch and help with gapping. 

[hammergolf]

It’s been almost a year since @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf and @eric61 all met at Fujikura. I thought it would be cool idea to check in with the guys and see how they have progressed with their set ups. For me, the Axiom shafts have been exactly what I needed. They have given me the increased peak height and spin that was needed. I would have just taken that and been happy, but the big added bonus is how much tighter my dispersion is and how much straighter the ball flight is. It was an adjustment for me at first as with my previous shafts (MMT) I had a bit more curve. In addition, the Axiom shafts just feel so stable. I actually went down a flex and these feel even more stable. I can’t say enough good things about these Axiom shafts.

The Ventus Blue TR shaft change for my driver has been very good as well. Once again the story is dispersion. I have always been a pretty good driver of the ball. But no doubt, just like in the irons the amount of curve for me is reduced. It took a few weeks to adjust to the ball curving less, but it’s uncanny how straight the ball flies with the driver. Once again, that would have been enough to be happy with, but I have increased my carry distance over my last shaft (Aldila Quaranta) by 10-15 yds. Could not be more pleased with my set up. Thank you again @Fujikura Golf for a great experience and such great products. 

[CanFred]

On 4/17/2024 at 3:50 PM, eric61 said:

Coming close to a year since our @Fujikura Golf trip, and I'm still absolutely loving my AXIOMs and my Ventus TR Blue. Also loving the Speeder NX Blue that I put in my 3W a few weeks after our trip. 

 

I've been working through some swing changes since our trip -- finally feel like I'm finding some consistency and improvement, and my speed is ticking back up. As a result of those changes, I'm flighting the ball a bit lower (definitely a good thing), and pondering some changes on the long end between my G430 LST 9 degree driver with a TR Blue 6X and my i230 irons with Axiom 105X. 

 

I have a Ping G430 5 hybrid, set to flat-minus one, that I've really been loving, and have used some as a 4 iron replacement. It gaps well -- the 5H carries 195-200, then my i230 5 iron at 26 degrees carries 185. However, I'm also finding it's not really a problem to hit what feels like an 80% swing with it, get that 185ish distance, and still get plenty of height, so I've been considering actually just dropping my 5 iron and then adding a G430 4 hybrid as well. I've demoed one and it gaps well, 210ish carry using the same Tour 2.0 Chrome 85S shaft.

 

My third-longest club is a G430 7 wood, but -- probably thanks to an extremely windy early spring we've been having -- I've had some trouble controlling it lately. Start line is fine, but distance control is a different story. I'll take my share of the blame for that, for sure, but I think the wind is a factor as well. If I go with a 4 hybrid at 21 degrees, I'm wondering if I could drop down to a 5 wood in flat-minus at 17 degrees next. 

 

Here's a final twist: I watched the @PING YouTube WITB video with Shane Bacon and Marty Jertson earlier today, and saw Marty with the 12 degree G430 Max built to 42.75" as his 3 wood replacement, since he found he was hitting that club almost exclusively off the tee. I also watched the TXG Ian Fraser WITB that posted this morning as well, where Ian replaced his 3W with the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver in 11.5. If I have a 5W at 17 degrees, the 3W would largely be a tee club for me. Maybe looking at something like that, a secondary shorter driver or a Mini Driver, is my next area to experiment? 

 

Here's my big question: What Fujikura shaft do I put in these hybrids? 

 

My first choice would be a Ventus Blue 8S in the 4H and 9S in the 5H ... however, 9S doesn't exist. I've hit the 8S before in a 3H and it seemed to suit my timing and delivery well. On paper, I don't really have the swing speed for 9X. But Andrew fitted me into extra-stiff in the driver and irons when we were in Carlsbad, so maybe it would work. 

 

Or, do I go Axiom 105X in the hybrids, as well? The stock swing weight plays fine for me, so given the 20ish gram difference between the stock Tour 2.0 Chrome 85S and the Axiom 105X, I could probably go like 3/8" shorter than standard, which might shorten the distances a touch and help with gapping. 

Great summary @eric61- my advice on hybrid is the Axiom, as it sounds like it would fit your stock swing a bit better at this point. Also, on your mini driver experiment, it’s something I’m considering as well - the new TM is a very nice option. 

[CactusGolf]

On 5/18/2024 at 5:51 PM, hammergolf said:

It’s been almost a year since @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf and @eric61 all met at Fujikura. I thought it would be cool idea to check in with the guys and see how they have progressed with their set ups. For me, the Axiom shafts have been exactly what I needed. They have given me the increased peak height and spin that was needed. I would have just taken that and been happy, but the big added bonus is how much tighter my dispersion is and how much straighter the ball flight is. It was an adjustment for me at first as with my previous shafts (MMT) I had a bit more curve. In addition, the Axiom shafts just feel so stable. I actually went down a flex and these feel even more stable. I can’t say enough good things about these Axiom shafts.

The Ventus Blue TR shaft change for my driver has been very good as well. Once again the story is dispersion. I have always been a pretty good driver of the ball. But no doubt, just like in the irons the amount of curve for me is reduced. It took a few weeks to adjust to the ball curving less, but it’s uncanny how straight the ball flies with the driver. Once again, that would have been enough to be happy with, but I have increased my carry distance over my last shaft (Aldila Quaranta) by 10-15 yds. Could not be more pleased with my set up. Thank you again @Fujikura Golf for a great experience and such great products. 

I like that idea!  Downloading data now!  Will post an update shortly.  I'll get another round in this weekend and take a some pictures.

 

I've made several club purchases since last June, but the shafts haven't changed.  I swap between the BRNR Mini and the Triple Diamond Paradym 3W depending on the course.  I swapped the Paradym for the AI Smoke Max earlier this season, but the shaft stays the exact same!  I did add the Callaway DCG in the 4-6 iron because I needed a little more help with the long irons.  

 

Currently playing:

Callaway AI Smoke Max 10.5* (+1 N)  Ventus TR Red 6S at 45"

Taylormade BRNR Mini 13.5* (STD) Ventus Red 7S at 43.5"

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond 15* Ventus TR Red 7S at 43"

Callaway DCG 4-6 Fujikura Axiom 105S

Callaway Rogue ST Pro 7-AW Fujikura Axiom 105S

Taylormade Hi-Toe Raw 52*/56*/60* Fujikura Pro 115S

Taylormade GTx

Callaway Chrome Tour X

 

 

 

The interesting thing that 

[hammergolf]

On 5/20/2024 at 7:16 PM, CactusGolf said:

I like that idea!  Downloading data now!  Will post an update shortly.  I'll get another round in this weekend and take a some pictures.

 

I've made several club purchases since last June, but the shafts haven't changed.  I swap between the BRNR Mini and the Triple Diamond Paradym 3W depending on the course.  I swapped the Paradym for the AI Smoke Max earlier this season, but the shaft stays the exact same!  I did add the Callaway DCG in the 4-6 iron because I needed a little more help with the long irons.  

 

Currently playing:

Callaway AI Smoke Max 10.5* (+1 N)  Ventus TR Red 6S at 45"

Taylormade BRNR Mini 13.5* (STD) Ventus Red 7S at 43.5"

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond 15* Ventus TR Red 7S at 43"

Callaway DCG 4-6 Fujikura Axiom 105S

Callaway Rogue ST Pro 7-AW Fujikura Axiom 105S

Taylormade Hi-Toe Raw 52*/56*/60* Fujikura Pro 115S

Taylormade GTx

Callaway Chrome Tour X

 

 

 

The interesting thing that 

Interested to hear your update.

[eric61]

On 5/18/2024 at 4:51 PM, hammergolf said:

It’s been almost a year since @Puppetmaster @CactusGolf and @eric61 all met at Fujikura. I thought it would be cool idea to check in with the guys and see how they have progressed with their set ups. For me, the Axiom shafts have been exactly what I needed. They have given me the increased peak height and spin that was needed. I would have just taken that and been happy, but the big added bonus is how much tighter my dispersion is and how much straighter the ball flight is. It was an adjustment for me at first as with my previous shafts (MMT) I had a bit more curve. In addition, the Axiom shafts just feel so stable. I actually went down a flex and these feel even more stable. I can’t say enough good things about these Axiom shafts.

The Ventus Blue TR shaft change for my driver has been very good as well. Once again the story is dispersion. I have always been a pretty good driver of the ball. But no doubt, just like in the irons the amount of curve for me is reduced. It took a few weeks to adjust to the ball curving less, but it’s uncanny how straight the ball flies with the driver. Once again, that would have been enough to be happy with, but I have increased my carry distance over my last shaft (Aldila Quaranta) by 10-15 yds. Could not be more pleased with my set up. Thank you again @Fujikura Golf for a great experience and such great products. 

 

I can't believe it's already been almost a year! Since that trip, we've had a baby -- which means less golf for me this year, but I'm still finding opportunities to get out as much as I can, especially at the local 9-hole course. 

 

Since last year, I've been working on some swing changes (though implementing them has been fits and starts, having a newborn and all). Really just trying to keep more structure at the top/in transition with my wrist and trail elbow, and slow down my transition. That allows me to feel like I'm staying on top of the ball. My release has gotten a little later as a result. Just throwing all that out there as context for what I'm seeing. Lately on Trackman, my driver swing has maxed out at 106-107 but been more comfortably at 102-103, and my 7 iron has been about 84 mph. 

 

Here's how it's going lately: 

 

Axioms: Just phenomenal. I raved about them all fall and I'm not sure what's left to say. My irons have really been a strength of my game since getting the Axioms installed. I love how they hold up when I really go after one, but give me plenty of feel on good swings. The closest I've come to replicating their numbers with a steel shaft is Modus 115, but of course it doesn't offer the same kind of vibration dampening. Maybe the most important note, for me, is that my wrist injury that used to bug me just has not flared up once since making the switch to Axioms. 

 

I LOVE that @Fujikura Golf is making these available in taper tip now. My 105X shafts are terrific, but I still think about how great that 125X in the T100 head was in Carlsbad. I see Ping is already offering Axioms in-house -- I've been thinking about trying those, too, since I have some credit to burn with a major store. The i530s are calling my name -- I have plenty of spin on my irons, especially now swinging consistently about 2 degrees out to in and fading it, and I know the Axioms will give me height. The numbers with the stock DG 115 Mid S300s were great, and I can't imagine Axioms would be worse in any real way. 

 

Speeder NX Blue: You all know I put a Speeder NX Blue 70X in my G430 Max 3W in flat-minus after the Carlsbad trip -- it wasn't part of our Fujikura experience. But holy crap. This has been my favorite club since the first swing I took with it on the course, and it remains so. It's been a real weapon off the tee and off the deck. It seems like every time I pull it out of the bag, my shot turns out better than I'd expected. 

 

I stopped by a PXG store recently and hit their new clubs. The closest I've come to challenging that 3W was actually the Black Ops 4W with the new Ventus Blue VeloCore+ 7S in it. That was a really nice combo. I hit the Graphite Design Tour AD VR 7S well in that head too, but they don't have that shaft in stock at the moment anyway. The winner by the numbers was narrowly the new Ventus Blue, and it also would have been the winner by default.

 

My observations on the Ventus Blue VeloCore+ vs. the Speeder NX Blue is that the Speeder feels much firmer in the handle, and like the kick comes much lower -- like low-mid, rather than upper-mid in the Ventus Blue. My Speeder NX Blue is an X-flex and the Ventus Blue I hit was an S-flex, but the Speeder feels soft to flex to me, which probably is no surprise since it primarily targets the Asian market. 

 

Ventus TR Blue: This shaft probably won't survive the year in my bag. I am so sorry to say that! HOWEVER ... with the swing changes I've made ... I've actually found the Ventus TR Red works really well with my swing now. In Carlsbad, the TR Red just flat-out didn't work for me -- I couldn't time it with the stiff handle. Now, with a later release, that kick from the middle down really works for me. 

 

I tried the TR Red in a Paradym Ai Smoke Max head. I think that's what @CactusGolf is playing? It went far! However, the spin was actually too low. I had a really hard time getting it out of the 1700-1900 range, launching at 12-13 degrees. Only way I seemed to be able to get into the 2000s was like a heel strike. 

 

I'm tempted to try a TR Red in my driver this year! Or maybe the Ventus Red VeloCore+ whenever it comes out...

 

My Fujikura wish list...

 

If I could ask them to make anything specifically to suit my game and my needs, these would be my two requests: 

 

-- Axiom 115

 

-- A hybrid shaft with a lower kick point. Call it "Ventus Red HB" or whatever. 

[hammergolf]

18 hours ago, eric61 said:

 

I can't believe it's already been almost a year! Since that trip, we've had a baby -- which means less golf for me this year, but I'm still finding opportunities to get out as much as I can, especially at the local 9-hole course. 

 

Since last year, I've been working on some swing changes (though implementing them has been fits and starts, having a newborn and all). Really just trying to keep more structure at the top/in transition with my wrist and trail elbow, and slow down my transition. That allows me to feel like I'm staying on top of the ball. My release has gotten a little later as a result. Just throwing all that out there as context for what I'm seeing. Lately on Trackman, my driver swing has maxed out at 106-107 but been more comfortably at 102-103, and my 7 iron has been about 84 mph. 

 

Here's how it's going lately: 

 

Axioms: Just phenomenal. I raved about them all fall and I'm not sure what's left to say. My irons have really been a strength of my game since getting the Axioms installed. I love how they hold up when I really go after one, but give me plenty of feel on good swings. The closest I've come to replicating their numbers with a steel shaft is Modus 115, but of course it doesn't offer the same kind of vibration dampening. Maybe the most important note, for me, is that my wrist injury that used to bug me just has not flared up once since making the switch to Axioms. 

 

I LOVE that @Fujikura Golf is making these available in taper tip now. My 105X shafts are terrific, but I still think about how great that 125X in the T100 head was in Carlsbad. I see Ping is already offering Axioms in-house -- I've been thinking about trying those, too, since I have some credit to burn with a major store. The i530s are calling my name -- I have plenty of spin on my irons, especially now swinging consistently about 2 degrees out to in and fading it, and I know the Axioms will give me height. The numbers with the stock DG 115 Mid S300s were great, and I can't imagine Axioms would be worse in any real way. 

 

Speeder NX Blue: You all know I put a Speeder NX Blue 70X in my G430 Max 3W in flat-minus after the Carlsbad trip -- it wasn't part of our Fujikura experience. But holy crap. This has been my favorite club since the first swing I took with it on the course, and it remains so. It's been a real weapon off the tee and off the deck. It seems like every time I pull it out of the bag, my shot turns out better than I'd expected. 

 

I stopped by a PXG store recently and hit their new clubs. The closest I've come to challenging that 3W was actually the Black Ops 4W with the new Ventus Blue VeloCore+ 7S in it. That was a really nice combo. I hit the Graphite Design Tour AD VR 7S well in that head too, but they don't have that shaft in stock at the moment anyway. The winner by the numbers was narrowly the new Ventus Blue, and it also would have been the winner by default.

 

My observations on the Ventus Blue VeloCore+ vs. the Speeder NX Blue is that the Speeder feels much firmer in the handle, and like the kick comes much lower -- like low-mid, rather than upper-mid in the Ventus Blue. My Speeder NX Blue is an X-flex and the Ventus Blue I hit was an S-flex, but the Speeder feels soft to flex to me, which probably is no surprise since it primarily targets the Asian market. 

 

Ventus TR Blue: This shaft probably won't survive the year in my bag. I am so sorry to say that! HOWEVER ... with the swing changes I've made ... I've actually found the Ventus TR Red works really well with my swing now. In Carlsbad, the TR Red just flat-out didn't work for me -- I couldn't time it with the stiff handle. Now, with a later release, that kick from the middle down really works for me. 

 

I tried the TR Red in a Paradym Ai Smoke Max head. I think that's what @CactusGolf is playing? It went far! However, the spin was actually too low. I had a really hard time getting it out of the 1700-1900 range, launching at 12-13 degrees. Only way I seemed to be able to get into the 2000s was like a heel strike. 

 

I'm tempted to try a TR Red in my driver this year! Or maybe the Ventus Red VeloCore+ whenever it comes out...

 

My Fujikura wish list...

 

If I could ask them to make anything specifically to suit my game and my needs, these would be my two requests: 

 

-- Axiom 115

 

-- A hybrid shaft with a lower kick point. Call it "Ventus Red HB" or whatever. 

Awesome update Eric! 

[vandyfan]

19 hours ago, eric61 said:

Axioms: Just phenomenal. I raved about them all fall and I'm not sure what's left to say. My irons have really been a strength of my game since getting the Axioms installed. I love how they hold up when I really go after one, but give me plenty of feel on good swings. The closest I've come to replicating their numbers with a steel shaft is Modus 115, but of course it doesn't offer the same kind of vibration dampening. Maybe the most important note, for me, is that my wrist injury that used to bug me just has not flared up once since making the switch to Axioms. 

 

I LOVE that @Fujikura Golf is making these available in taper tip now. My 105X shafts are terrific, but I still think about how great that 125X in the T100 head was in Carlsbad. I see Ping is already offering Axioms in-house -- I've been thinking about trying those, too, since I have some credit to burn with a major store. The i530s are calling my name -- I have plenty of spin on my irons, especially now swinging consistently about 2 degrees out to in and fading it, and I know the Axioms will give me height. The numbers with the stock DG 115 Mid S300s were great, and I can't imagine Axioms would be worse in any real way. 

 

I tested some graphite shafts and fell in love with the Axiom 125X. I have been a career "stiff" shaft guy (knowing the one company's stiff is another company's regular and so on) but the fitter just handed me this and was like "trust me." I loved it. Also loved the Nippon Modus 130X but I have to step away from steel for my joints as I hit off a mat quite often. I cruise around 88-92 mph with a 7 iron so it makes sense that I would benefit from the stability. Really excited to get these into my irons. Never would have considered them outside of a fitting but glad it was forced upon me. Makes me curious about Ventus driver shafts.....😝

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, vandyfan said:

 

I tested some graphite shafts and fell in love with the Axiom 125X. I have been a career "stiff" shaft guy (knowing the one company's stiff is another company's regular and so on) but the fitter just handed me this and was like "trust me." I loved it. Also loved the Nippon Modus 130X but I have to step away from steel for my joints as I hit off a mat quite often. I cruise around 88-92 mph with a 7 iron so it makes sense that I would benefit from the stability. Really excited to get these into my irons. Never would have considered them outside of a fitting but glad it was forced upon me. Makes me curious about Ventus driver shafts.....😝

Velocore is for real. If you get fitted into the correct profile of Ventus the dispersion, and ball speed gains are crazy good.

[MiloMalt]

On 6/4/2023 at 11:00 AM, Puppetmaster said:

Recap Part 2

 

After the facility tour came the iron fitting, working with Andrew. As I was to find out the next day, he’s a scratch player and absolutely bombs it. He’s great fitter – inquiring into our tendencies, flight preferences, playing conditions, and feel of the club during the swing. He has good eye for how people swing and worked that in with the data analysis. 

 

After hitting a few shots with my current 7-iron, a 2014 TM MB with KBS Tour V 110 in S flex (SW was D0, even though it was ordered/built from TM, too bad I only found out 8 years later), Andrew handed me a P7MC with Axiom 105-S (D3 SW).

 

We found that I was hitting my own set up with too little spin, around 5k rpms with a 30+ deg descent angle vs a more ideal 6k to 7k spin and 40+ degs descent. I think I remembered that right. Anyway, visually, I always thought my irons launched decently high but obviously there's no way I can observe the spin or descent. Don’t really remember the 7-iron speeds but that was less of a priority in this case. I do remember that by raising launch, spin, and descent, there was an increase in carry distance. The Axiom 105-S loaded more easily for me than the Tour V, which is very stiff in the butt almost feels like it doesn’t load at all. I have a smooth transition and am not an aggressive loader, and was fit into the KBS Tour V S and Tour S+ or Tour S hardstepped once years ago, but that was based more heavily on the numbers vs the fitter observing how I loaded. I’ve played the Tour V since 2015ish, and actually have always liked how tight it plays, even if it lacked feel. Felt smooth enough and stable at impact, shot dispersion was good, that’s all I need. Or so I thought.

 

Related to that, I tried the Cobra King Tour next to the P7MC, both with Axiom 105-S, and the Cobra was massively better almost every aspect, but for turf interaction, since we were inside. Thank goodness, because I was just about to look at some P series irons, but not anymore.

 

I know we keep saying this, but the Axiom has stability and enough feel that you know where the head is without it feeling loose. I tried the 105-X and it felt great too but it was tough to load consistently. I’m in my mid-40s now and need to make things easier for myself. Final decision was the 105-S, hardstepped. The S-flex straight in was fine, but I preferred a touch firmer feel.

 

Do not sleep on the 105-X, they don’t have to feel like a pipe or be 130 grams for high speed players to have control. Andrew is playing the 105-X in his irons, and like I said, he’s WRX-long. Or longer.

 

 

 

@Puppetmaster I have a question for you (hoping you can answer but I know it's been over a year since the fitting experience). What was the feel and performance difference between the Axiom 105s straight in vs when you got them built hardstepped? Was it all for feel? Was there any performance difference you found? I'm most curious in launch and spin and how subtle or different the feel was.

[eric61]

Heads up, folks: I see Callaway now has Axioms available as an upcharge option on custom iron builds. They join Ping, and hopefully more OEMs will soon have Axioms too since @Fujikura Golf now has taper tip versions.

 

I have a bunch of Callaway credit and am very tempted to try a set of Apex Pros with Axioms.

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, eric61 said:

Heads up, folks: I see Callaway now has Axioms available as an upcharge option on custom iron builds. They join Ping, and hopefully more OEMs will soon have Axioms too since @Fujikura Golf now has taper tip versions.

 

I have a bunch of Callaway credit and am very tempted to try a set of Apex Pros with Axioms.

Eric, be careful with Callaway. There is a thread about Axiom shaft breakage. I think it’s an issue with their installation process. However, as you stated, it’s great to see more and more OEMs adding them to their custom options. 
 

 

Edited July 2, 2024 by hammergolf

[eric61]

3 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Eric, be careful with Callaway. There is a thread about Axiom shaft breakage. I think it’s an issue with their installation process. However, as you stated, it’s great to see more and more OEMs adding them to their custom options. 
 

 

Ooh, this is good to know. Gotta be something with how they're installing them, as you said, because I don't think any of us have had any issues and I haven't heard of this happening to others, either. 

[eric61]

You all know how I posted earlier this year that I never quite got comfortable with the Ventus TR Blue 6X and was probably going to change driver shafts? 

 

Welp. LOL. 

 

I swapped my G430 LST for a G430 Max 10K, stuck my TR Blue straight in -- flat, standard loft setting -- and good Lord, this is the best combination I have ever hit in my life.

 

I played Cantigny, which is one of the nicer Chicagoland public courses, recently. It's not an especially long track but does demand accuracy off the tee. Not only did I finish with the same ball I started with (hey, keeping everything in play off the tee is an accomplishment!), I reached some places on the course that I've never been. 

 

I had a little free time while it was pouring down rain this morning, so I hit Golf Galaxy for a Trackman rental to try to make sense of what I was seeing on the course. 

 

What I found was a really nice, penetrating flight peaking in the mid-80s feet, that wanted to go absolutely dead straight, and best of all, the spin seemed to want to live right around 2100 RPMs ... and as long as I struck it in a reasonable part of the face, it didn't climb. Even super bottomy, heely strikes didn't seem to climb above 2800. 

 

Ping sent that Golf Galaxy a pretty nice fitting cart, so I tried several other shafts with this head. None were anywhere close to as good as the TR Blue. 

 

I have a 22g weight that drops the swing weight to D3, but I actually found playing the stock 28g weight at D6 gave me much better control of the club face with no real cost in club head speed.

 

Try as I might to replace it, the Ventus TR Blue keeps beating everything I've thrown at it! 

[MiloMalt]

11 hours ago, eric61 said:

Heads up, folks: I see Callaway now has Axioms available as an upcharge option on custom iron builds. They join Ping, and hopefully more OEMs will soon have Axioms too since @Fujikura Golf now has taper tip versions.

 

I have a bunch of Callaway credit and am very tempted to try a set of Apex Pros with Axioms.

 

It sucks but it will never be cost effective to order through an OEM here in Australia.

 

 

I would save money purchasing a set of Blueprints with stock shafts and then purchasing a set of Axiom shafts and having them rebuilt by a club builder.

 

It would also be much quicker than going through an OEM as at least with Ping this order would be built in the USA and then shipped rather than built in Aus.

[CactusGolf]

My apologies for the late update!  Been a very unexpected last 6 months with our Finance Director leaving and being unfilled for 6 months and having to manage his old job and a job change (on the distillery & bottling side instead of logistics), but I'm finally getting back into a regular playing schedule.  

 

My WITB has not changed drastically since June 2023.  There were only a few changes.  I ended up swapping out the Callaway Paradym 11.5*  for the AI Smoke Max (which will shortly be the AI Smoke TD) and the Paradym TD 3W for a AI Smoke Mini Driver.  However,  the Ventus TR Red has absolutely stayed.  I also dropped the 4I and added back a 5W.  The irons have remained the same since last year with the Rogue ST Pros and the Axioms.  I've also had to change balls to improve ball fight a bit and switched to the Chrome Tour instead of Chrome Tour X.  

 

Callaway AI Smoke Max 11.5* Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Callaway AI Smoke Mini Driver 14.5* Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Cobra Aerojet LS MCA Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Callaway Rogue ST Pro 5-AW Fujikura Axiom

Taylormade HiToe Bigfoot 52*/56*/60* Fujikura Pro

Taylormade Spider GTx

Callaway Chrome Tour

 

I've struggled with the driver for the last few months, especially with keeping it in play, which was causing quite a few penalty shots.  Since switching from the Paradym to the Smoke Max, I was losing a lot of balls left and out of play, so hoping the Smoke TD will fix that. Putting lesson also showed that I should have made a switch to a putter with a little more rotation so I went to a Spider GTx.

 

However, the strengths of my game have switched because of iron play, especially out of the rough.  It has become a real game saver, especially when the driver doesn't want to work.  My GIR percentage has really jumped going from 45% prior to the tip to a solid 53% and 61% over the last 10 rounds and an average SG of approach since October 2023 of 1.6.  Such a helper as my driving stats haven't been great since fall of last year.  It feels like I'm able to find the center of the face more frequently with the irons, especially out of the rough.  Elbow issues are still prevalent, but I don't have the rattling that I used to have after the round that would need a lot of icing.  

 

I ended up putting Fujikura Pro 115s in my wedges and like I noted earlier, chipping and pitching hasn't been a strong suit, my SGs are either flat or slightly positive.  There haven't been any dumped pitched or chips since putting in the 115s.  Only downside I have seen is that the distance with the wedges dropped off a slight amount, so the next time wedges go on sale, I was thinking about going to a more traditionally-shaped wedge, and go to a 54/58 set-up instead of 56/60 with the Axioms instead of the Pro 115s.  Feels like the 56/60 get eaten alive by wind.

 

 

 

[hammergolf]

5 minutes ago, CactusGolf said:

My apologies for the late update!  Been a very unexpected last 6 months with our Finance Director leaving and being unfilled for 6 months and having to manage his old job and a job change (on the distillery & bottling side instead of logistics), but I'm finally getting back into a regular playing schedule.  

 

My WITB has not changed drastically since June 2023.  There were only a few changes.  I ended up swapping out the Callaway Paradym 11.5*  for the AI Smoke Max (which will shortly be the AI Smoke TD) and the Paradym TD 3W for a AI Smoke Mini Driver.  However,  the Ventus TR Red has absolutely stayed.  I also dropped the 4I and added back a 5W.  The irons have remained the same since last year with the Rogue ST Pros and the Axioms.  I've also had to change balls to improve ball fight a bit and switched to the Chrome Tour instead of Chrome Tour X.  

 

Callaway AI Smoke Max 11.5* Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Callaway AI Smoke Mini Driver 14.5* Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Cobra Aerojet LS MCA Fujikura Ventus TR Red

Callaway Rogue ST Pro 5-AW Fujikura Axiom

Taylormade HiToe Bigfoot 52*/56*/60* Fujikura Pro

Taylormade Spider GTx

Callaway Chrome Tour

 

I've struggled with the driver for the last few months, especially with keeping it in play, which was causing quite a few penalty shots.  Since switching from the Paradym to the Smoke Max, I was losing a lot of balls left and out of play, so hoping the Smoke TD will fix that. Putting lesson also showed that I should have made a switch to a putter with a little more rotation so I went to a Spider GTx.

 

However, the strengths of my game have switched because of iron play, especially out of the rough.  It has become a real game saver, especially when the driver doesn't want to work.  My GIR percentage has really jumped going from 45% prior to the tip to a solid 53% and 61% over the last 10 rounds and an average SG of approach since October 2023 of 1.6.  Such a helper as my driving stats haven't been great since fall of last year.  It feels like I'm able to find the center of the face more frequently with the irons, especially out of the rough.  Elbow issues are still prevalent, but I don't have the rattling that I used to have after the round that would need a lot of icing.  

 

I ended up putting Fujikura Pro 115s in my wedges and like I noted earlier, chipping and pitching hasn't been a strong suit, my SGs are either flat or slightly positive.  There haven't been any dumped pitched or chips since putting in the 115s.  Only downside I have seen is that the distance with the wedges dropped off a slight amount, so the next time wedges go on sale, I was thinking about going to a more traditionally-shaped wedge, and go to a 54/58 set-up instead of 56/60 with the Axioms instead of the Pro 115s.  Feels like the 56/60 get eaten alive by wind.

 

 

 

 

 

Good stuff!

[eric61]

Well guys, I might be the first of the group to make a permanent driver shaft change.

 

Ventus TR Blue 6X is out. Ventus Red 6X is in. (And Ventus Red 7S in the fairways, too.) 

 

I had a Titleist fitting today -- I've been working on some swing changes and felt like I was having a little trouble controlling driver lately. The fitter had my TR Blue, so we hit that in the GT3 10 degree head (that's the head we settled on) quite a bit. The dispersion wasn't great, and I had a two-way miss. We tried some other options, and when he handed me the Red 6X, it was like magic. I hit my five best drives of the day, and they all landed right on top of each other.

 

The more stable handle really helped me in transition, and the softer mid and tip felt like cracking a whip through the ball. I went from feeling like I was fighting the shaft to feeling like I couldn't miss.

 

I remember when we were in Carlsbad, the TR Red did *not* work for me. I think the TR version is beefed up just a bit too much for me. But the original Red was phenomenal. 

 

He fitted me into a GT3 3 wood and GT2 7 wood with Ventus Red 7S in both, as well. The 3 wood, in particular, was a monster.

 

So, I'm out of the shaft Fujikura fitted me into ... but staying in the Ventus family! 

[CactusGolf]

How funny.  I'm the other way around.  Original Ventus didn't work for me, but the TR Red does.  I tried the original Ventus in a TM Burner Mini Driver and experienced a much different flight/results than the TR Red.

 

TR Red is a great shaft for me.  I am trying out a Qi10 the last few weeks and just ordered a TR Red 6S to go in it.