Equipment

KBS launches ‘Tour-V’ iron shaft

Published

13 years ago

Sep 30, 2013

KBS has announced the release of its new “Tour-V” steel iron shaft, which is lower spinning than the KBS “Tour” shaft and weighs about 10 grams less.

The Tour-V (known as the “Tour V2” in its prototype phase) has been in development since early 2012. It was first used on the PGA Tour by Phil Mickelson, who worked with KBS shaft designer Kim Braly to create a shaft that had the feel of the KBS Tour, but produced a lower launch and less spin.

Click here to see the other clubs and shafts Mickelson uses.

To make the shaft, Braly lengthened the step pattern of the KBS Tour, while also increasing the outside diameter of the shaft and thinning its walls. Those changes gave the shaft a lower ball flight, and also made it 10 grams lighter.

“Dispersion with the Tour-V is some of the tightest we have ever seen and it maintains our signature smooth feel at impact,” Braly said in a KBS press release. “Lighter weight has become more popular and this allows golfers to swing a little easier.”

The Tour V is available for pre-order immediately, and will begin shipping on Nov. 1. The shafts will be offered in three flexes: R (100 grams), S (110 grams) and X (120 grams). The Tour-V will also be the stock shaft offering for Callaway’s Apex Pro irons, which will be available in early 2014.

Click here to see what GolfWRX members are saying in the forums.

Above: The KBS Tour-V shaft (left), has a larger outside diameter and thinner walls in the tip section than the KBS Tour (right).

Above: Notice how the KBS Tour-V shafts, when paired side-by-side with the KBS Tour shafts, have longer steps (in both pairings, the KBS Tour is on the left and the Tour-V is on the right). This change, combined with the change in wall thickness and outside diameter, gives the shaft a more penetrating flight.

In June, the KBS launched its C-Taper Lite iron shaft, which filled a gap between the KBS Tour 90 and KBS Tour shafts. The Tour-V fits between the company’s C-Taper and KBS Tour shafts, offering the smooth feel of the KBS Tour with a launch and spin that is closer to the C-Taper.

Related Topics:KBS shafts

Up Next

Ashworth U.S Team Apparel for the Presidents Cup

Don't Miss

Wilson Staff’s new FG Tour M3 Driver, Fairway Woods, Hybrids and Irons

GolfWRX Staff

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

16 Comments

Hamish

Aug 4, 2016 at 7:13 pm

Please make a new KBS Tour V shaft in Stiff @ 125g, and S+ @ 130g for us regular players.
Tour V X flex @ 120g are a tad lite, and too stiff, but I do like the stable mid section.

Reply Report comment
Jm

Jul 20, 2016 at 1:34 pm

V Tapers are great shafts. Sure, the availability of other shafts are at your fingertips however; know your equipment, know your game and master your skills. With that said, the V taper is lighter for a reason they’ll definitely help you slow that out of control swing down.

Reply Report comment
BET

Nov 15, 2013 at 4:54 pm

Just ordered a set of these and they are $30.00 per shaft. I play DG now & have been looking for something with a little higher launch & the same spin. I had the c-tapers and they were good but a little to low. Always loved the feel of KBS vs DG & PX I just hope these fit in where they say they will.

Reply Report comment
- JS
  
  Jan 11, 2014 at 4:33 pm
  
  Any update on performance of Tour V? Compared to DG and PX? Thanks!
  
  Reply Report comment
Alex

Oct 7, 2013 at 9:10 pm

Unbelievable, just crazy fantastic! These golf companies are beginning to sound like soap commercials. It has to be better because it’s new and improved. Sorry, but just does not blow my dress up.

Reply Report comment
Greg

Sep 30, 2013 at 11:27 pm

$44.95 lol. What makes these twice the money as the KBS Tour?

Reply Report comment
- t120
  
  Oct 1, 2013 at 5:10 pm
  
  …charging twice as much?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Oct 2, 2013 at 2:39 am
    
    Always try to charge more (in higher end lines) to capture more of the consumer surplus.
    
    Reply Report comment
Al Coholic

Sep 30, 2013 at 6:53 pm

How many shafts can you make that are “lower launch, lower spin”….here is a newsbreaker….no amateur can hit thee like a pro…get yourself a great DG shaft and call it a day and take lessons

Reply Report comment
- IRISH P1MP
  
  Sep 30, 2013 at 9:49 pm
  
  Al…..amateurs can hit these shafts. I was a 19 handicapper early this year playing super game improvement irons. I found the stock shafts to be too whippy in my backswing and my dispersion was all over the place. I was handed a set of Adam cmb irons with the kbs tour c-taper in 120 g stiff flex to hit and it was like instant magic dispersion is at an all time low and my handicap sits at a 9 right now. My club head speed for a driver is 104-107. I believe it all lies in proper fitting for correct shafts. I was typically a high ball hitter almost ballooning the ball too much with the game improvement irons. The c-tapers brought this down to where it should be.. I’m not saying it’s for everyone but darn worth trying out, you may just be surprised.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Cannon
  
  Sep 30, 2013 at 10:23 pm
  
  Maybe you should lay off the drinks and save some brain cells.
  They’re s actually a lot of am’s that can hit it as good or better than most pro’s. But it’s a game called golf, not ball-striking.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - t120
    
    Oct 1, 2013 at 5:09 pm
    
    ….wait for it
    
    …wait for it
    
    SNAP!!!!
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Club
      
      Oct 7, 2013 at 1:45 am
      
      +1 to Cannon’s comment. I know at least 2-3 golfers who can easily turn pro, but decided not to. They actually better than many players on Tour (Yes, I have played with them). Hey, they can play like a Pro doesn’t mean they have to be a Pro, or be on Tour.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Gary Lewis
  
  Mar 15, 2014 at 12:27 am
  
  DG shafts don’t work for everyone. Times changes things. There are more shaft options than there used to be and some golfers are going to like the Tour V a quite a bit better than the DG shaft.
  
  Reply Report comment
- g,f,g
  
  Apr 11, 2016 at 7:01 pm
  
  stiff and reg flexes are for us mortals dont be afraid. dg gold suuuuuux
  
  Reply Report comment
Ryan

Sep 30, 2013 at 5:34 pm

$44.95 !!! Come on KBS !! I know it’s a special shaft but yikes.. It’s still just a steel shaft.

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

Putters that never made it: Check out some of the best tour builds that didn’t make the cut

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Alistair Cameron

Arguably, the best perk of being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is the ability to request or even just be handed pretty much any club you could think of. It happens more often than you think, usually with putters around the practice green from one event to the next. Come Wednesday, the Tour bags lining the edge of the putting surface become resting places for fallen flatsticks that never made the cut.

So let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen out on Tour this year that never made it to the competition. (You may notice none of Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Scotty Cameron putters made this list. There are too many.)

Let’s start with this custom Damascus Milled Odyssey Rossie made for Ryo Hisatsune. Featuring a single line and the short-slant hossel, we’ve seen plenty of Number 7 and jailbird heads featuring the Damascus Milled insert, but this is the first and only one we’ve spotted in a Rossie. Hisatsune primarily putts with an Odyssey Black Series iX #9, but we have seen him recently with a TaylorMade TP Collection SOTO, so there could be potential that the Damascus Milled Rossie could end up in the bag.

Everyone wants to be Cameron Young right now. We’ve had Justin Thomas and Tom Hoge both game the Scotty Cameron 9.5R prototype. Well, for the PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka nearly joined that list after requesting the same style of putter, with the full-length alignment line. But the Scotty Cameron reps took the request a step further and made one specially for Koepka with a Teryllium insert, similar to one in his previous Newport 2 gamers. The reason why this one didn’t go into play, though? Because it was too heavy.

Harry Hall was the third-best putter on Tour last year, so when Bettinardi made him a custom proto, you know it was going to be good. The custom BB28 blade features VDF face milling, a custom-welded single-bend shaft, and the owner’s initials – HH – on the sole of the putter. Hall, who usually games an Odyssey O-Works #7 W, has dabbled with a TaylorMade Spider Tour X already this year. Maybe there’s a chance this Bettinardi might make his bag.

Honestly, this one doesn’t need a description. It’s Kieth Mitchell’s custom Scotty Cameron Napa. One Scotty Cameron face stamp, two Scotty Dogs, two Scotty Cameron 7-Point Crowns and one Circle T. That is all. Oh, except for the Cashmere Cameron headcover.

Finally, and just for fun, how about we pour one out for this TaylorMade Spider Tour X made for Scottie Scheffler in its new torched finish. It’s unlikely we’ll see a putter change anytime soon from the best golfer in the world. In fact, he hit just two putts with it on the Harbour Town practice before going back to his trusty gamer.

Whats in the Bag

Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X

7-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Irons: Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 Tour Rack (52-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-08M), SM11 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 Tour Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

See more photos of Patrick Reed’s clubs here.

Equipment

Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 weeks ago

May 18, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been discussing their favorite major winning irons used by Tiger Woods. WRXer ‘golferdude54’ kicks off the thread saying:

“Mizuno MP 14/29. Titleist 681T. Nike Forged Blades. TaylorMade P7TW.

Among these irons that helped Tiger win 15 majors, which is your favorite in terms of looks?”

And our members have been naming their favorites and why in response.

Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

SwingBlade: “I prefer the early blades he played and the more recent TM TW’s especially because after Tiger had his major behavioral setbacks, part of Nikes support payback was making Tiger play a Nike putter and cease using his beloved uniquely customized Scotty putter.”
ProjectX: “This (Nike Forged Blades) and there’s not even a close second.”

Entire Thread: “Which of Tiger’s major winning irons are your favorite? – GolfWRXers discuss”