News

The Big Review – Project X Graphite Shafts

Published

16 years ago

Jul 28, 2009

Project X iron shafts have been one of the biggest success stories of recent years. True Temper, owners of the Project X brand, are now looking to take this success into the graphite shaft arena with the new Project X graphite shaft.

True Temper are no stranger to graphite shafts as they also own Grafalloy, makers of the fantastically successful Prolaunch and Blue range of shafts. While the premium range of the market is more associated with the likes of Diamana and Matrix, True Temper/Grafalloy is seen more often as a blue-collar line but are no stranger to the exotic end of the market with their Axis and Epic shafts.

Tour acceptance is the benchmark for any equipment release. These shafts have been in the bags of over 70 players, with up to 40 in play at recent events and victory on the PGA Tour at U.S. Bank Championship and on the European Tour at the Italian Open. Very positive to say the least, so how did Bag Chatter find them?

Appearance

An understated dark blue, it’s actually the same blue as you find on the Project X steel shaft labels, with a silvered Project X logo. Closer inspection shows that the shaft is has a nice sheen of metallic flecks.

There are some nice subtle calligraphic markings along the butt section which are reminiscent of the Epic but at address there is nothing to disturb you and they look like they mean business.

Technical Specs

	Shaft	Weight	Frequency	Tip
Wood	6A3	69	7.0	Mid
	6A4	69	7.0	Stiff
	6B6	69	6.5	Mid
	6B7	69	6.5	Stiff
	7A3	76	7.0	Stiff
	7A4	78	7.0	Mid
	7B2	76	6.5	Mid
	7B3	76	6.5	Stiff
	8A1	82	7.0	Mid
	8A2	82	7.0	Stiff
	8A3	83	7.0	X-Stiff
Hybrid	HA1	100	7.5	Stiff
	HB6	97	7.0	Stiff
	HC1	95	6.5	Stiff
	HD2	92	6.0	Stiff

The Project X graphite shaft is all about the technology. It’s based around a Zonal Design Theory where the shaft is divided into 3 sections, Butt/Mid/Tip, and different technologies are used in each section to produce optimal performance. Here’s what they have to say about the relevant sections:

Butt section: Hex-Axial Reinforcement Technology provides unmatched cross sectional stability minimizing energy lost to ovalization.
Mid section: Constant Taper Design eliminates localized bending and creates even loading and unloading for maximum energy transfer.
Tip section: Elongated Double Wrapped 55 MSI Reinforcement for a firmer tip section which minimizes droop and lag and reduces back spin.

Feel

Both the driver shafts and the hybrids are seriously tight shafts and probably among the most stable shaft I’ve ever hit. You can feel this from just holding a club fitted with this shaft. The real achievement is that they have achieved this without the shaft being overly boardy given the obviously low torque.The graphite version of Project X has an obvious similarity to the steel versions in the bend profile – it’s exceptionally stable throughout the swing and you can practically feel the technology at work. Like the steel version, this shaft is unlikely to win smoothest shaft of the year award but it’s far from the harsh beast that some might fear. Now I know that not everyone is a fan but I happen to love the way that Project X feels, especially the way that it unloads at impact and the graphite version is just the same in that regard – there’s no sense of hinging or looseness, just the sensation that the shaft can take anything you can throw at it.

Performance

For those with a higher swingspeed or just an aggressive transition, the driver shaft is superb and it performs beautifully. The launch is mid-low and the spin is low, low, low. Put this in a decent driver head and you can unleash some thunderbolts down the middle of the fairway as the distance and dispersion is a good as the spin control.

The spin control means that you won’t see ballooning even with the lighter weights and flexes and you had better be bringing some heat if you are thinking of trying the heavier and stiffer versions. This low spin sees the ball land hot and roll out. The anti-ovalling technology means that this shaft is at the sharp end of minimizing energy loss to maximize distance and the stability means that dispersion is as good as you will find.

The hybrid shaft is another spin control monster. This has clearly been designed to smooth the transition from PX shafts in their irons to the hybrids. Launching on a similar trajectory to the PX steel versions, it is equally adapt in hybrids whether or not you take a divot. One point to note is that as the shaft weighs in at over 90g you will end up with a fairly hefty swingweight in lower lofted hybrids (2H and below).

Summary

Project X are obivously going after the higher-end golfer that enjoys the performance of PX in their irons and could benefit from the sort of spin control offered by these shafts. I do wonder if a certain young Spaniard was involved in their development. Given the early sucess that they have enjoyed on Tour, there will be a lot of interested people when they cross into the more general arena later this year as plans are to release versions going down to 5.0 by the end of 2009 . Given the popularity of both steel Project X and low spin driver shafts like the Diamana Whiteboard, Aldila Voodoo or the Fujikura Rombax, this looks like a very competitive entry into this arena.

With the shaft being so stable, you need to think about which to choose. The majority of golfers play with driver shafts that are stiffer than the shafts in the rest of the bag. The temptation is to go straight to the stiffest one available. Given that these are the Tour Spec versions, which start at 69 grams/6.5 flex/mid tip and top out at 83 grams/7.0 flex/extra-stiff flex you might want to reconsider. And don’t be misled by the tip definition either, the reinforcement of the tip means that even the mid version is serious business.

All in all these give the better player another top quality option in the very top end of the shaft market.

For more information, see www.pxshaft.com and www.tttourconcept.com

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.

We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)