When golfers think of iron shafts played on the PGA Tour, two models generally come to mind. The first is the most-used shaft on the PGA Tour, True Temper’s Dynamic Gold. It’s been the leading choice of serious golfers for nearly four decades. The second is another True Temper shaft. Called Project X, it has been around a little more than a decade, and is the second-most played shaft on the PGA Tour.

It’s starting to feel as though True Temper’s new Project X LZ iron shafts could be another classic in the making, with three high-profile wins in the last four months. Adam Scott used the shafts to win the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship, while James Hahn won with the shafts the first week he used them at the Wells Fargo Championship.

What’s different about the Project X LZ shafts, and what can they do for your game? We asked Don Brown, True Temper’s Director of Golf Innovation.

WRX: What’s the difference between the Dynamic Gold, Project X and Project X LZ iron shafts?

DB: Dynamic Gold and Project X share very similar performance profiles. Both are low- launch, low-spin shafts that weigh roughly 125 to 135 grams and both have reinforced tip sections. While their launch conditions are very similar, their EI profiles and feel are very different. Dynamic Gold has a tip section that changes in length (distance to the first step) as you move through the set. Project X, on the other hand, has a 2-inch tip section on every shaft in the set. These differences create a much different feel for these two similarly preforming shafts.

Project X LZ is a different design all together. The PX LZ has both a reinforced tip and butt section, which creates a mid-section that is more active. This allows the shaft to load more and provides exceptional feel. This three-wall design is very unique to the steel golf shaft industry. The PX LZ also has a series of very small micro steps in the midsection to enhance the loading zone even further. It will provide a mid-launch angle with a flat apex.

WRX: How long was the Project X LZ shaft in development? What challenges were there in its design?

DB: As we were seeing the great results with our early prototypes of graphite Project X LZ in late 2013, we immediately began to think if we could see the same benefits in a steel shaft. The challenge was how to create that same affect in a steel shaft. There is a lot more freedom of design with a graphite shaft, where we can easily change the different layers of graphite, as well as use different grades of graphite. In steel, you need to be able to make changes to the internal reinforcement of the shaft and are working with a singular material.

Our steel engineers spent over a year manipulating the steel trying to create the Loading Zone signature EI profile. When they still hadn’t perfected it, they realized they were going to have to do something unconventional. All of our tour shafts have reinforced tip sections for added stability and trajectory control, but for the LZ signature, we were going to have to reinforce the tip and butt sections. That presented a lot of manufacturing challenges that took many months to get right. Finally, with the tri-walled designed dialed in, we added the series of micro steps to increase the flexibility in the loading zone even more. It took almost 2 years to get the designs dialed in, and a few more months of player testing, but with the rapid tour uptake and 3 PGA wins in a few months, it was definitely worth it.

WRX: What has been the feedback from tour players?

DB: Obviously, we have had great success on Tour already with several major champions putting the shafts in play, and over a dozen different players having added it to their bags.

A lot of the players who are adding it are looking to work and flight the ball a little more than they can with the traditional low-launch, low-spin products that dominate the Tour. I think we are seeing players being more receptive to new technologies like LZ and (True Temper’s Dynamic Gold) AMT, as opposed to sticking with traditional designs and weights.

WRX: How do PGA Tour players test new iron shafts? Are they more concerned with what their launch monitor says, what their ball flight does, or what they’re feeling during their swing?

DB: For irons we use the launch monitor, but the data doesn’t figure into decisions as much as it does with drivers. With a driver, the numbers are usually king, and a good range session with a driver shaft can be enough to switch. With irons, it’s more about feel and ball flight. Players aren’t worried as much about distance; they want to see a trajectory and ball flight that they like, and have a feel that gives them confidence.

If a player is satisfied with his current irons, it will usually take a couple rounds of testing before he will consider switching. A player who is searching might switch in the same week, but not without some on-course testing first. 

WRX: Some tour players use the same shafts in their irons as they do in their wedges. Others use the same model, but one flex less in their wedges. A smaller group of tour players use completely different shafts, or those specifically design for wedges. Is the Project X LZ a good wedge shaft?

DB: With wedges, usually we see the pitching wedge is the same shaft as the set, and the other wedges can be independent. With our LZ players, we have some who have gone to LZ through the set, some who stuck with their existing wedges shafts and one player who is still testing LZ in his irons, but has put LZ into his gap and lob wedges.

LZ certainly can work well as a wedge shaft, but for many players wedges are about confidence and feel, so we don’t see players switch their gap, sand and lob wedges shafts very often.

WRX: Anything else we need to know, Don?

DB: I encourage all GolfWRX readers to give the LZ shafts a try at a demo day or club fitter. The technology in these shafts is really unique, and provides a different performance and feel than anything else out there on the market. PX LZ are available now from our PFC dealers, and many of the OEMs have already added them to custom or will be adding them very soon.

WRX: Thanks Don.