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.
- LIKE46
- LEGIT5
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK6
- Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the 3M Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (15 degrees @16)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 75 TX
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-14F @55, 60-08M)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #7SB
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X
Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from an article our Andrew Tursky filed for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over to PGATour.com to read the full piece.
It’s been well-documented that Bryan uses two 4-irons in his golf bag – including a Takomo 101U Driving Iron, and a Titleist T200 – but that’s not the only notable oddity throughout his bag.
As Bryan revealed on Wednesday, he actually played in last week’s Barracuda Championship with two drivers: a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max, which has been his gamer throughout 2024, and a new Titleist GT2 driver. According to Bryan, the dual-driver setup allowed him to work the ball both ways off the tee more easily.
“One was a little more friendly to draw, and one was a little more friendly to fade,” Bryan said.
This week at the 3M Open, however, Bryan says he’s sticking with just one driver: the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max, which he enjoys for its forgiveness, especially on shots that he misses on the toe of the face.
“The reason I like this driver so much is… a lot of guys hit the ball in the middle of the club face; and, yes, that’s probably the way you’re supposed to hit driver. I try to utilize a lot of the face,” Bryan said jokingly. “You see…my tee marks go anywhere from (the center of the face) all the way to over here (on the toe of the face). So I like to utilize about an inch and a half of the club face here. The forgiveness on the toe of this driver is second to none, and again, I hit it pretty poor, as you guys know, off the tee most of the time, although it’s getting a lot better. This driver offers a lot of forgiveness.”
In addition to the driver movement at the top end of his setup, Bryan has also introduced a new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 3-wood into his lineup to match up with his driver.
“I had a (TaylorMade) Stealth 3-wood in there for a while, but I enjoyed the Ai Smoke driver so much that I got Johnny Thompson (a Callaway Tour rep) out here to build up a 3-wood as similar as possible,” Bryan explained. “This club was used just yesterday in a round to take some money off of Tom Whitney and Zach Johnson on the final hole. I drove it in the hazard, which is obviously not uncommon. Dropped it on a side hill in the rough from 265 yards, hit it to 10 feet… and made birdie the hard way. So this club, I’ve really been enjoying it; it’s been in the bag for about three weeks now.”
Bryan also uses a TaylorMade Stealth 2 hybrid, which interestingly ended up in his bag by accident last year.
“[My hybrid] was built just as a backup while I was waiting for my clubs to arrive [at the John Deere Classic last year], and I needed stuff I could go play the pro-am with, so this was just kind of an ‘oopsie’ hybrid… it turns out I love it. It’s been in the bag ever since.”
View this post on Instagram
Head over to PGATour.com to read the full piece.
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
One of our Instagram followers requested that we take a look at the Graphite Design Tour AD VF golf shaft. Just a few weeks later, it has made its way onto the Three Swing Challenge to see where it stacks up.
Why three swings?
Many years ago, the legendary Barney Adams, founder of Adams Golf told us this:
“My formula as a fitter was three shots only. I discounted No. 1 just because it was the first one, counted 100 percent of No. 2 and discounted No. 3 because the player was starting to adjust.”
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Experts on understanding ground force and how shoes can impact your golf game
Three Swing Challenge: Testing the Edel Array F-2 putter
‘Most overrated course in the world!’ – Major champ rips ‘awful’ Pinehurst No. 2
Miura launches new forged wedge series
AimPoint under attack again as footage from U.S. Open enrages golf fans
What clubs do equipment free agents choose to use on tour? We found out
‘You’re right, we’re always wrong!’ – Sergio Garcia receives warning during Open qualifier
Rory McIlroy releases statement following crushing U.S. Open loss
Patrick Cantlay switched driver, irons ahead of the U.S. Open
Highlights from the Wilson Golf Product Testing and Fitting Experience at Pinehurst
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (July)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the 3M Open. More photos from the event here. Driver: Callaway...
Club Junkie WITB league night, week 14: Soft conditions ahead
Week 14 is upon us and it looks like we are going with some more forgiving irons and a new...
Sahith Theegala WITB 2024 (July)
Sahith Theegala what’s in the bag accurate as of the 3M Open. Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @9) Shaft:...
Billy Horschel WITB 2024 (July)
Billy Horschel what’s in the bag accurate as of the 3M Open. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
-
Product Reviews2 weeks agoThree Swing Challenge: Testing the Edel Array F-2 putter
-
Equipment2 weeks agoWhat clubs do equipment free agents choose to use on tour? We found out
-
News3 weeks agoHighlights from the Wilson Golf Product Testing and Fitting Experience at Pinehurst
-
News3 weeks agoDavis Thompson’s winning WITB: 2024 John Deere Classic
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoMajor champ ‘disappointed’ not to be chosen as U.S. Ryder Cup captain
-
Whats in the Bag5 days agoXander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2024 Open Championship
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoIan Poulter explains decision to skip Open Championship qualifying
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoLIV pro explains how he believes players are ‘cheating’ on DP World Tour
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.