Equipment

Matrix Releases MFS5 Shafts: The New Black Tie, Red Tie and White Tie

Published

7 years ago

Feb 24, 2017

“The way clubs are being built now is different than the way clubs were being built two or three years ago,” says Tom DeShiell, Head of R&D for Matrix Shafts. The changes are especially apparent with drivers, which are now designed with heavier heads to help golfers add more distance to their drives — both through their added mass and adjustability features. So it makes sense that to get the best performance from the latest driver heads, they should be paired with shafts designed with the new heads in mind.

Matrix_MFS5_EI_Chart

That’s the spirit of Matrix’s new MF5 shaft series, which includes updated versions of the company’s most popular shafts: Black Tie, Red Tie and White Tie. The third-generation models use a higher center of gravity (CG), or balance point, which allows golfers to take advantage of new the latest club head technologies.

The changes to the new shafts start at the beginning; Matrix is using new tooling in this generation of shafts. The Black and White Tie use round mandrels, which DeShiell says offered flexibility to fine tune the geometries, flex profiles, CG locations and tip stiffnesses to optimize their performance. The new Red Tie will continue to use Matrix’s 16-sided hexadecagonal internal platform, or “HD Technology.”

In recent years, Matrix’s Black Tie shaft has enjoyed a cult-like following with high-swing-speed golfers, and it’s known as one of the lowest-launching, lowest-spinning shafts golfers currently available. The M5 Black Tie will stay true to its reputation as one of golf’s stoutest shafts, but with its higher CG it’s a better fit for today’s heavier driver heads than previous models. According to DeShiell, its new design can counterbalance as much as 0.5 inches of added shaft length or 3-4 additional grams of head weight to help golfers boost distance.

The design of the M5 Black Tie also includes a tweak based on PGA Tour player feedback. It’s a lower-torque shaft than previous models, particularly in X-flex, which offers increased stability and more feedback to golfers on off-center hits.

Matrix’s best-selling shaft model occupies the opposite realm of the aftermarket shaft space. Its new X5 White Tie is designed to help golfers launch the ball higher, which often leads to big distance gains for golfers in fitting bays. Maybe golfers don’t go looking for a higher-launching shaft, DeShiell says, but “when they go hit them all the White Tie often gives them the best performance.”

Matrix Launch/Spin Comparison Chart

As seen in the chart above, the Q5 Red Tie fits between the Black Tie and White Tie shafts in terms of launch conditions; it’s a mid-launching, mid-spinning shaft.

The beauty of the MFS5 shaft platform is the three distinct options it provides. Since all three shafts provide tour-level stability, golfers can objectively choose the model that gives them the best performance in a fitting. DeShiell described the ideal fitting process this way; once golfers select their favorite adjustable settings on a driver, they can go about searching for even better launch conditions with a Black Tie, Red Tie or White Tie shaft.

“One of these shafts is going to get them closer to their optimal numbers,” he says.

Matrix_MFS5_Feat_3

The M5 Black Tie and X5 White Tie are currently available through the company’s network of certified custom club fitters, and the Q5 Red Tie shaft will be available April 12. All three will sell for $375.

Visit Matrix’s website to see full shaft specifications.

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Whats in the Bag

Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)

Published

12 mins ago

Apr 25, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)

Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype

Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.

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Equipment

Putter Roundup: 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published

2 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Brian Knudson

We always get some great photos of some phenomenal putters at tour events and love to share them. Here are a few from the 2024 Zurich Classic that caught our eye and seemed interesting. (And as a reminder, you can check out all our photos from New Orleans here)

MJ Daffue’s Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype

MJ is going with the new Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype this week. The putter is a multi-piece mallet that puts an emphasis on stability with the wings on the back. Daffue’s putter does have a design that differs from retail with a monotone finish, which eliminates the black paint on the aluminum parts that we see at retail. He also has a half siteline milled into the top and an L-neck welded on for some additional toe hang. The face features a deeper milling that should offer a softer feel and slightly quieter sound.

Scotty Cameron T-7.5 Prototype

We spotted a few different Scotty Cameron Phantom models with modified rear flanges. It looks like the straight black flange was cut into a half circle for a little softer look at address. On this T-7.5, you can still see the raw aluminum from the back view, so this might have been a last-minute job to get them out on tour. The semi-circle also has a white line on it, maybe to frame the ball differently.

Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi SS16 DASS

Alex’s SS16 is made from Bettinardi’s famous D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel, for a softer and more responsive feel. The face has a unique diamond pattern milling and features a logo that I feel like I have seen before, but can’t put a name to. The putter is a classic mid-mallet style with a simple, single white siteline on the top. The sole is clean with just the SS16, DASS, and a green triangle logo on it.

Steve Stricker’s Odyssey White Hot No. 2

This putter has made some amazing putts in its long career! Stricker’s White Hot No. 2 might be in the top 10 of most famous putters in golf. When you see all the dents and lead tape, you know the heel will be up and it will be sinking putts! The soft White Hot insert looks to be in good shape and has less wear on it than the rest of the putter. We don’t know how much lead tape is on the sole, but it has to be multiple layers compacted down over the years.

Doug Ghim’s Scotty Cameron T-7 Prototype

This T-7 should win the award for “best color finish” in this list with its deep chromatic bronze. It looks like Scotty added a cherry bomb dot to the heel of the deep-milled face and filled it with a very dark blue paint. The rest of the putter looks pretty stock with its single site line on the topline and twin site lines down the “fangs” of the putter. Twin 5-gram weights are installed in the sole and the putter is finished off with a gloss black double bend shaft with a fill shaft offset.

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic

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Equipment

Spotted: Project X Denali hybrid shaft

Published

3 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Brian Knudson

Project X’s Denali wood shafts have been seen in more and more golf bags this year as we start off the season. As a refresher, Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin model while Denali Black is for players seeking lower launch and spin.

Denali combines great feel with stability and increased ball speed. Currently, Project X only offers Denali Blue and Black in wood shafts, but we spotted a hybrid shaft in Daniel Berger’s bag at the 2024 Zurich Classic.

Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.

The shaft looks to be a Denali Blue 105G – HY in TX flex. No word on details from Project X yet but we can assume that this is a mid-launching shaft that weighs around 105 grams in Tour X-Stiff flex.

Berger has this shaft in his TaylorMade P770 3-iron, likely for some added launch and spin to hold the green from longer distances.

Hopefully, this means we will see some more shafts coming under the Denali name in the future, as I think many of us would like to try one in a hybrid or utility iron!