Equipment
UST Golf Shaft’s 2008 Preview
Based in the heart of the DFW Metroplex, United Sports Technologies has quickly become a force in the golf industry. For 2008, they continue to improve and refine their line of high performance golf shafts.
UST made its first big splash with the original Proforce shaft which became very popular for its combination of control and solid feel. UST built on this legacy with the introduction of the Proforce V2 three years ago, which quickly became one golf’s most popular shafts. The flexible tip section of the V2 combined with low torque gave the shaft the high launch angle many players desired without sacrificing control or feel. It also paired very well with a wide variety of heads and has become a staple offering in woods among most OEMs. For 2008, UST is building on the legacy of the Proforce brand, introducing the new HMOI, and V2 iron shafts, along with not-yet-introduced-tour-only AXIVCore shafts which have just been spotted out on the PGA Tour.
The new trend in golf clubs today is MOI. Heads are being engineered with maximum forgiveness in mind and weight is being pushed further back and to the perimeter of the club head to accomplish this. According to Jamie Pipes UST’s Manager of Field Research and Product Testing, this has began causing unique design challenges for shaft manufacturers, "The CG of the heads are moving further from the shaft’s axis or center line. This can cause the shaft to load, lag and/or droop differently. We strive to make shafts that compliment the heads and perform at the highest levels of consistency."
The Proforce HMOI has been designed to work in concert with the new breed of high MOI heads. As MOI has increased, so has head weight with many drivers tipping the scales at 205 grams or more. The HMOI has a higher balance point helping to produce a more playable swing weight. The increased head weight also causes greater shaft droop at impact. In order to prevent this, the HMOI has been designed with a more stable tip section which prevents droop and allows players to swing aggresively through the ball.
UST has just introduced a new prototype called the Proforce AXIVCore, an extension of the HMOI. The shaft should fit the gap providing a higher launch than the V2 but still lower than the V2 High Launch series. According to Mr. Pipes, "AXIVCore line will be UST’s highest launching, low spinning shaft to date. The AXIV Technology weaves carbon fiber in four critical directions to provide what we call Rapid Shaft Recovery for consistency and feel and the counter-balanced technology provides the flex profile for high launch, low spin."
Although the Proforce AXIVCore is still a prototype, it has already been in play on the PGA Tour. Rod Pampling put it in the bag the first time he tested it at the WGC Match Play event. Although the initial reactions have been very positive, UST plans to bring a tip-stiff version for testing to Tour as well as to suit players who prefer the a tip-balanced shaft over a counter-balanced one.
Photo: Matt York AP
UST has also introduced new Proforce V2 iron shafts. The 95-gram constant weight shafts will provide consistency throughout the set for better ball flight control and feel. The middle weight is a good compromise for players who want to switch from steel but still want some heft in their iron shafts.
However UST is still actively pursuing R&D in the field of graphite iron shafts. "Possibly lighter and heavier models in the V2 irons. Even better, possibly a whole new line of iron shafts? We believe that graphite iron shafts have a huge potential," according to Mr. Pipes.
Last but not least, UST is also introducing a training aid called the Easy Flex Tempo Trainer. Available for both woods and irons, the Easy Flex is a super flexible shaft designed to help golfers maintain a smooth tempo throughout the swing and square the club face without being overly handsy.
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Whats in the Bag
Wesley Bryan WITB 2024 (May)
- Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 50 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 X
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue (19.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Takomo 101U (4), Takomo 101T (5), Takomo 301 CB (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 52-08F, 56-14F), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (58-A)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: L.A.B. Golf DF3
Grips: SuperStroke, Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
More photos of Wesley Bryan’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Why Wesley Bryan is playing two 4-irons this week
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.
…Flash forward to THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2024 at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas, and Bryan is still playing with a mixed Takomo set, except he’s added a new 101 U 4-iron, plus a Titleist T200 4-iron, and he’s dropping his 5-iron.
That bears repeating: Bryan is switching to an iron setup that consists of two 4-irons and no 5-iron.
On paper, that looks wrong, but when you look at yardage gapping instead of the number on the sole of the iron, things start to make more sense.
As Bryan explained to GolfWRX.com on Tuesday in Texas, his Takomo 301 CB 6-iron goes about 195-200 yards. Then, his new hollow-bodied Takomo 101U Driving Iron, which he recently started testing “a couple weeks ago” and bent about 2 degrees weak, goes about 220 yards, and the Titleist T200 4-iron goes about 235 yards.
Speaking on his new Takomo 101U Driving Iron, which sells for $119, Bryan had this to say:
“It’s super forgiving and launches high, and it has a bit longer of a profile to where it looks really good,” said Bryan. “If people are willing to play something that doesn’t have an expensive price tag on their club…[I started testing it] in the last couple weeks and it’s in the bag.
“I just made it like 2 degrees weaker. Basically that gap from 205 to 225 I was in a little bit of a dead space, so I’m going to try and fill that gap better.”
Check out Wesley Bryan’s full WITB here.
Read the rest of the article at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Most forgiving players irons? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been discussing players irons. WRXer ‘NorthTXGolf’ is on the hunt for some new irons but is putting a priority on forgiveness, and has reached out to fellow members who have been sharing their thoughts and advice on the subject in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Sam217: “i230 has got to be one of the most forgiving players irons available. Cobra King Tour another. Don’t sleep on the New Level 480 DB coming out soon.”
- RangeBaller: “ZX5/ZX7 and i230 should definitely be in your testing pool.”
- YAMS49: “Another I210 homie here… Very highly recommended if you want/need spin and a consistent yardage.”
- golf-RN: “I second the Cobra King Tour irons. I am not the greatest ballstriker by any stretch of the imagination and I find the King Tours very forgiving. Toe strikes might lose 5 or 6 yards with no directional loss. You definitely feel the miss though lol but mishits from the center aren’t punished too hard regarding distance.”
Entire Thread: “Most forgiving Players irons? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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UST V2 HL
Jun 11, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I play college golf and i have an english handicap of +1, i recently bought a G10 driver with the UST V2 HL shaft, and i have to say i have gained 40yards carry on this driver over my old one. The feel is unbelieveable from this shaft. Also you get a lot of roll from this shaft which increases the distance even more. Everyone should try one! Awesome!
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