Equipment
Roberto Diaz using Mitsubishi Rayon OT graphite iron shafts in Mexico
At the WGC-Mexico event this week, we’ll see something never seen before: Mitsubishi Rayon graphite iron shafts in play at a Tour event.
Roberto Diaz, a native Mexican who’s currently ranked No. 5 on the Web.com Tour money list, is using the company’s OT iron shafts at the Club de Golf Chapultepec. He was fit for the shafts at True Spec Golf in Miami, an international club fitter with U.S. locations in Florida, New York and Ohio. True Spec Golf also built his irons.
The shafts originated in Japan from the Mitsubishi Rayon “idea lab,” also known as FRANKI (the Japanese word for incubator is “Fooranki”), and they are produced with a process that’s similar to how steel cables are made.
Each OT shaft is created from graphite fibers that are arranged in super-strong bundles and impregnated with resin to create the company’s special “Tow Prepreg.” The bundles are then woven together like a braid. According to MRC, the manufacturing process makes the shafts more resistant to twisting and ovaling.
Diaz is using a 105-gram model of the parallel-tip shafts in X-Flex. He’s also using an MRC Kuro Kage XT 60 (TX-Flex) shaft in his driver.
Related
- Learn more about the irons shafts on MRC’s website.
- See what GolfWRX members are saying about the shafts in our forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Scottie Scheffler’s winning WITB: 2024 Masters
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: Srixon ZU85 (3, 4) Buy here, TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW) Buy here.
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Hybrid Prototype 10 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12F, 56-14F) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X Buy here.
Grip: Golf Pride Pro Only Cord
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Buy here.
Check out more in-hand photos of Scottie Scheffler’s clubs here.
The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Danny Willett’s winning WITB, 2016 Masters
Driver: Callaway XR 16 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 60 X
Length: 45.5 inches
3-wood: Callaway XR 16 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 70X
5-wood: Callaway XR 16 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 80X
Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2, 4), Callaway Apex Pro (5-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47-11 S-Grind) Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind (54-11, 58-9)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite
Putter: Odyssey Versa #1 Wide (WBW)
Lie angle: 71 degrees
Ball: Callaway Speed Regime SR-3
Check out more photos of Willett’s equipment from 2016 here.
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Equipment
Project X Denali Blue, Black shaft Review – Club Junkie Review
Originally, Project X was known for low-spin steel iron shafts. However, the company might now be known for wood shafts. Denali is the newest line of graphite shafts from Project X. With the Denali line, the company focuses on feel as well as performance.
There are two profiles in the Denali line, Blue and Black, to fit different launch windows. Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin profile for players who are looking for a little added launch and Denali Black is designed for low-launch and low-spin. Both models are going to offer you a smooth feel and accuracy.
For a full in-depth review check out the Club Junkie podcast on all podcast streaming platforms and on YouTube.
Project X Denali Blue
I typically fit better into mid-launch shafts, as I don’t hit a very high ball so the Denali Blue was the model I was more excited to try. Out of the box, the shaft looks great and from a distance, it is almost hard to tell the dark blue from the Denali Black. With a logo down install of the shaft, you don’t have anything to distract your eyes, just a clean look with the transition from the white and silver handle section to the dark navy mid and tip.
Out on the course, the Blue offers a very smooth feel that gives you a good kick at impact. The shaft loads easily and you can feel the slightly softer handle section compared to the HZRDUS lineup. This gives the shaft a really good feel of it loading on the transition to the downswing, and as your hands get to impact, the Denali Blue keeps going for a nice, strong kick.
Denali Blue is easy to square up at impact and even turn over to hit it straight or just little draws and most of the flex of the shaft feels like it happens right around where the paint changes from silver to blue. The Blue launches easily and produces what I consider a true mid-flight with the driver. While it is listed as mid-spin, I never noticed any type of rise in my drives. Drives that I didn’t hit perfectly were met with good stability and a ball that stayed online well.
Project X Denali Black
When you hold the Denali Black in your hands you can tell it is a more stout shaft compared to its Blue sibling by just trying to bend it. While the handle feels close to the Blue in terms of stiffness, you can tell the tip is much stiffer when you swing it.
Denali Black definitely takes a little more power to load it but the shaft is still smooth and doesn’t give you any harsh vibrations. Where the Blue kicks hard at impact, the Black holds on a little and feels like keeps you in control even on swings that you try and put a little extra effort into. The stiff tip section also makes it a little harder to square up at impact and for some players could take away a little of the draw from their shot.
Launch is lower and more penetrating compared to the Blue and produces a boring, flat trajectory. Shots into the wind don’t rise or spin up, proving that the spin stays down. Like its mid-launch sibling, the Black is very stable and mishits and keeps the ball on a straighter line. Shots low off the face don’t get very high up in the air, but the low spin properties get the ball out there farther than you would expect. For being such a stout shaft, the feel is very good, and the Denali Black does keep harsh vibrations from your hands.
Overall the Project X Denali Blue and Black are great additions to the line of popular wood shafts. If you are looking for good feel and solid performance the Denali line is worth trying out with your swing. Choose Blue for mid-launch and mid-spin or Black for lower launch and low spin.
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KCCO
Mar 13, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Seems as if OEMS are getting (hard to call graphite) as it seems there are so many other materials in the actual materials being used to get these shafts to a point of finally satisfying what a player wants from an iron shaft. I had weight issues with a few in past, meaning didn’t follow weight as standard steel shaft irons did going from long iron throughout shafts weighted differently didn’t correlate. That being said there are a few manufactures who have nailed it, at least IMO. I play Fuji MCI-100 limited blacks stiff tipped to stiff plus-ish. I played x100’s previous for longest period of time after trying most iron OEM’s offerings. i.e. KBS C-Taper, Tours, assorted DG’s (still love x100, in black onyx are even better) , Nippon; actually really nice etc. I believe some will be very satisfied the difference a few years has made. I’m not crazy swing speed player either. (105-108) 43.5 driver. I was assured by a great player/player these would be last iron shafts, at least for a while…he was right. Later releases and development may surprise you, give a try.
Adam
Mar 4, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Why is a guy from the Web.com tour playing in a WGC event?
James
Mar 2, 2017 at 11:34 pm
WHAT IRONS IS HE PLAYING THOUGH?!?!
Dylan
Mar 2, 2017 at 8:24 pm
Great. I’ll take a 105-X, 46in with a .335 tip please. Because ‘merica.