Equipment
VA Composites enters the premium shaft space with Raijin
There’s a new premium golf shaft company led by a familiar face in the industry: Victor Afable.
Afable has worked for several shaft companies in his career, but is best known for co-founding Oban Shafts in 2007. Early this year, however, he left the company to start a solo career as Founder and CEO of VA Composites, which is based in Pinehurst, NC.
Raijin
This fall, Afable sent 10 VA Composite shafts he designed to the European Tour, where they were tested by several players including Alejandro Cañizares. His favorite was the company’s Raijin 64X shaft, which he used for the European Tour’s final four events of 2016. He recorded a T3 finish with the shaft at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Afable has designed a full line of Raijin shafts, which are currently available at select custom fitters in four different weights and five different flexes for metal woods. Raijin hybrid and iron shafts are also available.
“The shaft profiles are unique and the composite materials used are second to none.” Afable says. “The S and X flexes will use more of a player’s shaft profile, while the softer flexes will offer a higher launch and mid spin. It’s a shaft series that will fit a wide range of players.”
Afable says another VA Composite shaft line will be revealed in February.
Raijin Specs
- LIKE105
- LEGIT32
- WOW20
- LOL5
- IDHT2
- FLOP4
- OB2
- SHANK29
Whats in the Bag
Taylor Moore WITB 2024 (March)
- Taylor Moore what’s in the bag accurate as of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @10.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees @16)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 80 TX
7-wood: Ping G430 Max (21 degrees @19.75)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 80 TX
Irons: Ping S55 (3), Ping Blueprint S (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid X100
Wedges: Ping Glide Forged Pro (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Ping PLD Oslo 4
Grip: Ping PP58
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2015 Valspar Championship
It’s hard to believe Jordan Spieth’s season of glory was nine years ago…
At the 2015 Valspar Championship, three strokes back with three holes to play, the young phenom bore down, eventually beating Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair in a playoff at 10 under par thanks to a long birdie bomb.
Spieth would go on to capture both the Masters and the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. He raised trophies at the Shell Houston Open and John Deere Classic as well, en route to grabbing Player of the Year honors and the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Here’s what Spieth had in play at the Copperhead Course in 2015.
Driver: Titleist 915D2 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black Limited Edition 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist 915F (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X
Hybrid: Titleist 915HD (20.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95 X
Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.0
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM5 (46-08F, 52-08F, 56-10S, 60-04L)
Shafts: True Temper Project X 6.0
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009 Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Flatso Ultra (Black/White)
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Jordan Spieth’s clubs from 2015 here.
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Miura launches hollow-bodied IC-602 irons
While still targeting better players, Miura’s new hollow-bodied, multi-material IC-602 irons also seek to inspire the confidence needed to play a Miura iron in a wider swath of the fitting bell curve.
“The feedback we received from our customers regarding the creation of our new hollow body iron, was that they had no expectations about Miura being the longest one around, but rather would be loyal to the brand providing we deliver a sound and feel consistent with our forged models,” said Shinei Miura. “This epiphany allowed my design process on the IC-602 to become laser focused.”
Miura IC-602 irons: Key technology
- Multi-material construction: 8620 carbon steel is joined with durable chromium molybdenum in the 3 through 9-irons. Miura uses S35C steel in the pitching and gap wedges. Tungsten weights are positioned inside the hollow-bodied designs to dial in launch. Additionally, the company injects a polymer to achieve desired sound and “Miura feel.”
- Miura Versatile Sole (MVS): Engineered for ideal turf interaction thanks to the combination of bounce angle and sole width.
- Optimum CG positioning in each club: Lower in the long irons for higher flight, higher in the short irons for a more penetrating trajectory.
Miura calls the irons its most technologically advanced ever, owing to the incorporation of fitting data insights and an understanding of Face Progression (offset) and impact loft angle.
“What impresses me most about the IC-602 is how Shinei merged the legendary, old-world craftsmanship that his family is known for with new advancements in launch technology and materials,” said Hoyt McGarity, CEO of 8AM Golf. “He made his vision a reality and the golfing world is the beneficiary.”
Pricing specs availability
- Irons: 3-GW
- Price: $350/head
- Availability: April 16
- LIKE12
- LEGIT1
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP2
- OB2
- SHANK4
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Tour pro calls Anthony Kim a ‘f*****g idiot’ following Instagram comeback post
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago
Anthony Kim WITB 2024 (February)
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks ago
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
The total sum that Sergio Garcia needs to pay in fines if he wants to return to DP World Tour revealed
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Joaquin Niemann names 3 PGA Tour events he’d love to play each year ‘in a perfect world’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
‘Seems suspect’ – PGA Tour pro hits out at decision to hand Adam Scott and Webb Simpson Bay Hill sponsor exemptions
-
Equipment2 weeks ago
Spotted: Bettinardi irons at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
russell platt
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:55 pm
that is for hybrids
Bob Pegram
Dec 31, 2016 at 1:08 am
How can the R/S/X iron shaft be only 42 inches long? If it is tip trimmed enough to be X-flex, it would be too short for long irons.
My irons are shafted with a shaft that started as as R/S/X flex depending on how much it is tip trimmed, but it started at 44 or 45 inches. (I forget which.)