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.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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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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