Equipment
Tech Talk: Mickelson’s KBS Tour V2 shafts
Phil Mickelson was vocal in post-round interviews last week about the importance of his change to Callaway’s new Razr Fit Extreme driver, which he said allowed him to be more confident off the tee in his record-setting performance at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. But a look at Mickelson’s stats for the week shows that his iron play was more important to his 28-under total at TPC Scottsdale than his tee shots.
Mickelson ranked T11 in driving distance, averaging 298.8 yards off the tee — about 10 yards more than his 2013 season average. He was also 55th in the field driving accuracy, hitting the fairway 57.14 percent of the time — about 5 percent better than his season average.
However, Mickelson led the field by hitting 87.5 percent of greens in regulation at TPC Scottsdale, a staggering 14 percent better than his season average. He also birdied nine of the 16 par-3 holes, which led to a 9-under score on those holes that was nine shots better than the field average.
Callaway went out of its way to inform golfers that Mickelson’s 9.5-degree Razr Fit Xtreme driver head (adjusted to an open position for an actual loft of 8.1 degrees) is the same one available to consumers at retail. But what consumers will not be able to buy any time soon are Mickelson’s “KBS Tour V2” iron shafts, which he used in his Callaway Razr X Muscleback 4 iron through pitching wedge and Callaway JAWS 52-, 60- and 64-degree wedges.
The prototype shafts are stiffer in the tip section of the shaft (the part closest to the club head) than the x-flex version of the KBS Tour shafts, which is achieved by making the diameter of the shaft larger in that area. The change gave Mickelson the more penetrating, lower-spinning trajectory that he wanted. The shafts are also five grams lighter, which according to KBS Marketing Director Eric Hubble, gave Mickelson back some of the feel that is lost with a stiff-tip iron shaft.
Just how picky is Lefty with his equipment? Last March at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Mickelson put the original version of the KBS Tour V2 iron shafts in play in his 5 iron through pitching wedge. In May, KBS lead designer Kim Braly was still working with Mickelson during practice rounds at The Players Championship to tweak the construction of each individual short iron shaft. The tweaking lasted until last summer, which is when Braly and Mickelson finally ended their revision process.
Click here to see what else was in Mickelson’s bag at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
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Whats in the Bag
Cameron Young WITB 2024 (July)
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Tour Z5 65 M5
3-wood: Titleist GT2 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: MMT Utility 105 TX (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F), WedgeWorks (58, 60 @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot
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Whats in the Bag
Tony Finau WITB 2024 (July)
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @8.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 70 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (14 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3), Ping Blueprint S (4-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 Hybrid X (3), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX
Wedges: Ping Glide s159 (50-12S, 56-12S), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 Wedge S
Putter: Ping PLD Anser 2D Prototype
Grip: Garsen Golf Ultimate
Grips: Lamkin UTx Mid
Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot
See the rest of Tony Finau’s WITB in the forums.
More Tony Finau WITBs
- Tony Finau WITB 2023 (December)
- Tony Finau WITB 2022 (February)
- Tony Finau WITB 2021 (November)
- Tony Finau WITB 2021 (September)
- Tony Finau WITB 2021 (April)
- Tony Finau WITB 2021 Genesis Invitational
- Tony Finau WITB 2021 (January)
- Tony Finau WITB (2020 Tour Championship)
- Tony Finau WITB 2020
- Tony Finau WITB 2020
- Tony Finau WITB 2018
- Tony Finau WITB 2017
- Tony Finau WITB 2016
- Tony Finau WITB 2015
- Tony Finau’s winning WITB: 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic
- Tony Finau’s winning WITB: 2022 3M Open
- Tony Finau’s winning WITB: 2021 Northern Trust
- Ryder Cup WITBs: U.S. Team
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (July)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade SIM TI (14 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB Proto (4), P7CB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (5-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-SBC)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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benseattle
Feb 7, 2013 at 2:31 pm
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Sorta blows a hole in the concept from a few amateurs that “I must have a head from the tour van!” don’t it?
adrien
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:26 am
correction, heavier wedge SHAFTS are useless?
adrien
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:23 am
same shaft in all irons including the wedges? so heavier wedge irons are useless?
Patrick Smith
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:15 am
well that blows….why not release them? I’m sure they would be a good seller. Zak – what do you think of the KBS c-tapers? I think they may be the best KBS shafts out there right now.
Zak Kozuchowski
Feb 4, 2013 at 3:52 pm
KBS says there are currently no plans to release the V2 version of the KBS Tour shafts.
Brian Cass
Feb 4, 2013 at 3:44 pm
KBS Tour V2 won’t be available until mid 2013?