Equipment
True Temper re-releases the Grafalloy Blue shaft
Don Brown, product developed for True Temper, knows that the Grafalloy Blue shaft isn’t for all golfers. In fact, he even estimated about 80 percent of the golfers were not upset when it was discontinued in 2011.
But the 20 percent of golfers who fit into the Blue were a vocal minority.
“We discontinued it a few years ago and we got inundated with phone calls, ‘I want a Blue. Where can I get a Blue?” Brown said.
Recently, True Temper decided to re-release its “cult favorite” shaft with some minor alterations. One obvious alteration is the color. It has been painted white instead of blue because of the color’s popularity, Brown said.
There are also some adjustments made to the manufacturing of the shaft, which is now made with higher-grade materials to make it more stable. It also features True Temper’s Speed Coat technology to improve aerodynamics, which True Temper says can bring faster club head speeds.
[youtube id=”KubjEE0s6xA” width=”620″ height=”360″]
The shaft comes in both a 60-gram and 75-gram versions, and is available in R Flex, S Flex or X Flex. It retails for about $80.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Roy
Dec 13, 2015 at 12:55 pm
I am an old custom club maker who dynamically fitted shafts. The Blue in an R flex was perfect for my 105 mph swing speed. I should have bought a few of these before they quite making them. The blue R flex was very close to a conventional stiff and with the lower torque produces a very repeatable, long distance and accurate driver. The new blues (see Hireko Golf Dynacraft shaft fitting addendum) to confirm that it indeed has the same weight, torque and frequency of the old blue. I have just order several of them and will retrofit a drive I made that doesn’t work that well–looking forward to having a real “monster” in my hands. I discovered this when a Nike rep told me this past summer that the Blue had been resurrected.
TK3
Jul 7, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Hi TT,
My SS hovers right @ 100mph, with an aggressive attack (ex hockey player). Would the Blue in a Regular be too soft or should I go with a Stiff? Looking @ the 60g version.
Avg drive @ 270 (with roll)
Current driver – Titleist 910 D2 playing @ 46″
Cheers,
TK3
jaime
Mar 4, 2014 at 7:27 pm
hi I just order cobra bio cell with a blue 65 x stiff its a lower ball flight and more accurate shaft then stock shaft and price was good too
dekker
Jan 14, 2014 at 10:29 pm
the new blue is the same as the old blue, except for the paint job and the speed coat. It’s a beast even in S so tighten your laces. The most accurate shaft I used but I still prefer my Prolite 35x in a driver
Tested the original Blue(S) in my driver, and pulled it to put in my 980f 13* 3wood. Smartest move I made with it. Point and shoot.
Carlos Lopez
Dec 13, 2013 at 12:23 am
Does anyone have the Blue 75 X with a Nike VRS Covert Driver head combo? I would love to get your feedback on it. Thanks.
Liam.B
Oct 15, 2013 at 10:23 am
ive been looking for a shaft that helps me control the ball better. being tall with a fast swing speed i find most wood shafts whippy. will this shaft help me with a more consitant ball flight, considering im not after a high ball flight but more medium.
Kent Marlin
Aug 21, 2013 at 7:13 am
It’s about time! The best shaft I ever owned! Thanks, Kent
Maurice
Aug 14, 2013 at 11:29 pm
Is this a high launching shaft?
Maurice
Aug 10, 2013 at 10:50 am
Hi there, where can I purchase this shaft?
Joe Golfer
Mar 1, 2013 at 1:35 am
All I recall about the original Blue was that it played stiffer than the designated flex on the shaft. That is surprising considering that most graphite shafts play a lot softer than the designated flex listed, just so that golfers can assuage their egos and play a stiff flex that would have been an R flex fifteen years ago.
A buddy of mine had a club with an R flex Blue, and it played more like a very slightly soft S flex, closer to S than R.
I wonder if the new Grafalloy Blue follows that same flex profile.
That original Blue certainly played stiffer than both the ProLaunch Blue and also the ProLaunch Red and also the old ProLite.
One can say all they want about the specs, such as a listed torque and the # of grams, but does the new Blue play to a stiffer than normal profile just like the original did?
True Temper
Mar 1, 2013 at 10:40 am
Joe Golfer,
The new Blue has the same profile as the original Blue so I guess the answer is yes. The Grafalloy Blue is a unique design those with a stiffer butt section through a slower taper rate, thus the appearance of playing stiff. It’s all relative though, we design shafts for specific player profiles and Blue was designed for quicker tempo players. Why should every shaft play the same?
TTS
John
Mar 1, 2013 at 10:49 am
Are there any OEM’s offering this new Blue? The Original was the the best shaft i ever played
RC
Mar 13, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Ping has it in their works catalog. I’m getting a G25 with at blue in it. Not gonna be able to get it above my shoelaces, but it’ll look amazing!
Edawg
Feb 28, 2013 at 4:31 pm
So freaking excited that you guys relaunched the Blue!!! I have gone years looking for old Blues on Ebay, but to no avail. Can’t wait to throw ’em in my Cobra ZL and Mactec 3wood.
Guy Crawford
Feb 27, 2013 at 12:35 pm
The old Blue flight profile is completely different from the new Blue. I was excited until I saw the specs. I’ll go Tour AD or Adilia instead.
True Temper
Feb 28, 2013 at 2:02 pm
Guy,
Completely wrong. The profile is the same. Look at the specs of the Blue 60- same as the original with a couple grams of weight removed.
True Temper
RC
Mar 13, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Good luck with that AD, not sure if there is a $300 difference in the performance though. Aldila is crap.