Equipment
Mitsubishi Rayon’s new Diamana BF-Series shafts
In 2005, Mitsubishi Rayon Composites introduced a mid-launching shaft that became one of the most popular shafts in history. Officially it was known as the Diamana S-Series, but golfers around the world came to know it as the “Blue Board.”
Diamana classics kept coming from MRC — the company later popularized a D-Series, or “White Board” shaft that offered a lower trajectory, as well as an M-Series, or “Red Board” shaft that offered a higher trajectory. Eleven years and many generations later, however, the Blue Board, with its mid trajectory and smooth bend profile, continues to be the company’s most popular model.
This fall, Mitsubishi Rayon has launched the fourth generation of its most premium Diamana Blue Board profile, which it’s calling the BF-Series. The new shaft is designed to replace the company’s third-generation (B-Series) Diamana Blue Board shafts.
Like the B-Series shafts, the new BF-Series shafts use Dialead Pitch Fiber in the butt section of the shaft, which is stronger than carbon fiber. It’s said to provide stability during the loading and unloading process in the transition of the swing, improving energy transfer.
For stability and strength in its tip section, MRC has introduced a new hybrid prepreg that’s never been used before. The hybrid includes boron and a new material called MR-70, which was first introduced in Mitsubishi Chemical’s aerospace sector. Boron adds strength to the prepreg, and the MR-70 material is 20 percent stronger and 10 percent higher modulus than standard carbon fibers, according to MRC.
For a laymen’s visual of what a prepreg is, think of a Fruit Roll-Up (click here for a reminder). Except instead of candy, the flat material is made of carbon fiber, boron, MR-70 and resin. That material is then rolled in specific directions around a mandrel, and baked in a really hot oven to fuse it all together.
The combination of strategically placed materials is designed to make the shaft profile smoother throughout the swing. The result? A slightly lower launch than the B-Series, with more stability, and — if it’s a fit for your swing — a tighter dispersion and more distance.
Mitsubishi Rayon’s new BF-Series shafts are available for $400 each in the specifications listed below:
- 50 (R, S and X-flex)
- 60 (R, S, X and TX-flex)
- 70 (S, X and TX-flex)
- 80 (S, X and TX-flex)
Below are the full specs, as displayed on Mitsubishi Rayon’s website.
Related: See what GolfWRX members are saying about the BF-Series shafts in our forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
- Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.
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Equipment
Heavy Artillery: A look at drivers in play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.
At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of a wealth of players.
Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from New Orleans.
Rory McIlroy
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alex Fitzpatrick
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Daniel Berger
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Rasmus Hojgaard
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alejandro Tosti
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
Grip: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
James Nicholas
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (8 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Kevin Streelman
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Sang-moon Bae
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9+ @8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Russ Cochran
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD TP 6 X
Grip: Golf pride MCC Align
MJ Daffue
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (10.5 degrees @9.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 65 TX
Grip: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Align
Check our more photos from the Zurich Classic here.
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Whats in the Bag
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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mr b
Sep 15, 2016 at 2:14 pm
yet to find anything to knock my blueboard 73’s out of my fw woods but will give these a try.
Emo
Sep 14, 2016 at 7:20 pm
GAwddammit. Not again. What’s with the current trend of extremely high torque for mid-launch shafts at lower weights? Whatever happened to the days of very low torque at lighter weights?
Mikec
Sep 14, 2016 at 3:27 pm
No would think not, simply stiffer.
Tipping is usually never done at he OEM level, but more at the build stage to tweak launch and feel around tip stiffness.
ultimate hacker
Sep 14, 2016 at 12:24 pm
is the TX tipped?