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Aretera Golf: A visionary shaftmaker strikes out on his own (with a little help from his friends)

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Plugged-in gearheads have heard the whispers: Alex Dee, of Fujikura fame, the Ventusmaker, has left the company and hung a shingle of his own. Some may have seen our photos of the new company’s wares from the PGA Show’s Demo Day and wondered “What’s going on here?” Beyond this, however, we haven’t had much to report on the newly formed Aretera Golf.

That is, until now. Dee and company gave us a quick peek behind the curtain as they gear up for their first release.

Highlights from our conversation below, presented in a sort of F.A.Q. format, answering the most common questions we’re hearing from GolfWRXers.

What is Aretera Golf?

A graphite shaft company. But let’s start with the name: Aretera (ah-reh-tay-ra). The root is derived from the Greek word for excellence and an individual’s fulfillment of purpose. It’s no stretch to say that for the “dream team” at Aretera (Alex Dee’s words), all accomplished industry veterans, this effort represents a point of career culmination. All were at a point in their careers where they wanted to take the plunge, try something new, build something from the ground up, and produce a product that sacrifices nothing in the pursuit of quality and performance.

Who are the key players at Aretera?

Alex Dee: 25-year Fujikura engineering veteran, his credits include the Vista Pro, Axiom, Pro, Speeder Pro, Motore, Blur, Ventus, and Ventus TR lines of shafts and developing the company’s Enso motion capture system, as well as revolutionizing the company’s in-house testing systems.

Bill Stiles: From initial product concepts to production across a global supply chain, Stiles has done it all in his 25-plus years in the industry, working with every major OEM and aftermarket shaft maker.

Michel de Fontaine: The “operations guy,” de Fontaine has worked as an executive in the consumer products and sports sectors over the past 20 years with experience in both startup and high-growth companies.

How is Aretera making golf shafts differently?

Technology: Dee told us that extending the concept of a full-length pitch material further, literally, Aretera is utilizing a high-end multi-ply material throughout the shaft to a degree that would never be cost-effective for a major shaft company selling to OEMs. “We’re hungry and we can pull this off,” Dee said.

While we don’t have full details of the technology Aretera is leveraging, we do know it is a high-end carbon fiber that’s thin, light, and super stiff, and it is used throughout the entirety of the shaft. Additionally, it is configured “off-axis” throughout the shaft, that is, at 45 degrees, to reduce twisting, and as it is a woven material, it’s capable of absorbing load in four directions for greater stability.

“I like to think that you’re using more of the shaft’s length to store power and release it and to store different loading on the shaft and distribute it,” Dee said. “There’s stability in that. There’s integration in that. You’ll feel it. There’s connectiveness in that.”

He added, “A lot of shafts have had to sacrifice feel to get stability. We’ve found ways to get it back. And it’s not a compromise.”

Graphics: In keeping with Aretera’s strategy of allowing “the fitter to be the hero,” the company has taken an interesting approach to its shaft graphics. In addition to doing away with flex designations, each shaft features three rectangles that are shaded to indicate the relative firmness or flex of the butt, middle, and tip of the shaft. This serves as a handy reference for both fitter and player in communicating how the shaft functions throughout the golf swing. Additionally, graphics for an “active” tip shaft are blue and charcoal for a firmer tip.

Flex: …is a four-letter word, for the company. Acknowledging that fitter education will be a key component of the company’s early strategy, and while not the first in the industry to do it, Aretera is fully committed to banishing “flex” from the discourse around shafts, calling it a “relative” and “nonstandard” term that harms more than it helps fitters (and players). In place of standard R, S, and X flexes, the company is using numbers 3, 4, and 5, with an indicator of weight coming first. For example: a 65-gram “S” flex shaft is indicated by 65-4.

Distribution: Aretera shafts will be available via fitters (appearing in a major national club fitter soon), on tour, and at select pro shops. The company does not plan to sell via OEMs.

What’s next for Aretera?

After a soft launch of its first shaft at the PGA Show, the company is ramping up production for distribution via top fitters and courses.

Expect to see an Aretera shaft in play on the PGA Tour soon as the company has a rep who will be active throughout the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing.

Stay tuned to GolfWRX for official launch details around the initial product offering.

 

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Spotted: New Aretera woods shafts at the Genesis Invitational - Fly Pin High

  2. Pingback: Spotted: New Aretera Woods Shafts At The 2024 Genesis Invitational – GolfWRX

  3. G

    Feb 6, 2024 at 8:23 pm

    Why not stay at Fujikura???? I don’t get it, other than ego got in the way and greed set in and needed to do his own thing instead of supporting the company that gave him his career.

    • B

      Feb 7, 2024 at 8:35 am

      How about wanting to create something for himself? Maybe he wasn’t being treated well at Fujikura, no one knows except for him.

      No one owes their company anything, executives will drop you on a dime to help their bottomline. I say, take your bag when you can get it.

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Equipment

Tour Edge unveils all-new Exotics mini driver

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Tour Edge Golf has today introduced the all-new Exotics mini driver, engineered to deliver a powerful combination of speed, control, and versatility in the long game. 

The Exotics Mini combines a titanium face with a stainless-steel body in design to balance ball speed with stability and control, creating a versatile option at the top end of the bag. 

At the core of the design is Tour Edge’s proprietary Combo Brazing technology, a high-precision thermal bonding process that seamlessly fuses a titanium cup face to a stainless-steel body into a single, continuous structure. By eliminating energy loss found in traditional multi-piece constructions, Combo Brazing is designed to deliver faster face response, more efficient energy transfer, and a uniquely powerful yet controlled feel.

The multi-material construction also allows mass to be positioned lower and deeper in the head in a bid to increase stability, while the thin titanium face is engineered to maintain ball speed across a wider impact area.

“While the initial goal was to enhance control and versatility in the long game, Combo Brazing ultimately drove measurable gains in ball speed and distance within the mini driver category. In robot testing, we’ve documented higher ball speeds, higher launch, reduced spin, and increased carry and total distance compared to leading models.” – Vice President of R&D Matt Neeley

In addition to distance performance, the Exotics mini emphasizes forgiveness through a heavier stainless-steel body that shifts mass toward the perimeter. This configuration increases MOI relative to traditional all-titanium mini drivers, helping preserve ball speed and directional stability on off-center strikes. Paired with Pyramid Face Technology from the Exotics metalwood line, the design is intended to support consistent speed across the face.

To further enhance MOI, a lightweight carbon fiber crown frees additional mass that is strategically repositioned low and deep in the head in design to improve stability and promote optimal launch with controlled spin.

“We designed the Mini to be about five millimeters shallower than other mini drivers on the market. That change improves playability off the deck. From a clean fairway lie, it can function as a strong 3-wood alternative while still providing control off the tee.” – Tour Edge CEO David Glod

An adjustable hosel system allows for loft and lie tuning to dial in trajectory and shot shape, while a fixed 13-gram rear weight helps stabilize the head through impact to improve dispersion consistency. The Exotics Mini Driver is available in 11.5 and 13.5-degree lofts in right-handed models.

Pricing & Availability

The Exotics Mini Driver is available for pre-order beginning today for $399.99 USD at touredge.com, and will be available for purchase at retail outlets worldwide on May 22, 2026. 

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Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, our members have been pitting a Srixon ZXi combo against a TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo. WRXer ‘edutch22’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons and kicks off the thread saying:

“Looking at picking up a new set of irons and think I’ve narrowed it down to Srixon ZXi combo or Taylormade P7CB/770 combo. I am currently a 5 cap and allbeit I feel irons are my weakness. My miss is a little to the toe side. I am decently steep at 4-5 down. Always thought I am high spin but recently on trackman my 7 was spinning at 5800 roughly. 

My question or looking for thoughts on which one would benefit me more from a forgiveness standpoint? Or is there another iron is should be looking at entirely? I only get to play about once or twice a week, if I am not playing a 2-3 day event. Thanks in advance.”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts and suggestions in response.

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.

  • manima1: “You just can’t go wrong with Srixon ZXi7.”
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  • dmeeksDC: “P7CB is more forgiving for me than ZXi7 because my main miss is low middle and the P7CB still flies and spins great on that miss. These are both really nice irons but I like the P7CB more than the Zxi7 and the P770 (or P790) more than the Zxi5. The Srixons are larger so if that gives you confidence that is the way to go. I don’t feel like I get any benefit from the V-sole and the P7CBs live up to their high Maltby forgiveness rating so the TaylorMades have been great for me.”

Entire Thread: “Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: 2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade combo

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @pianoman0123 has a 2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade combo up for grabs.

From the listing: “2024 Wilson Staff CB/Blade Combo.  4-8 irons are CB’s and the 9,PW are Blades.  5-PW have Project X 6.0 Shafts and the 4 Iron has a Steelfiber CW110 Stiff Shaft.   Standard Length, Lie and Lofts.  These are in very good condition the shafts just don’t work for me.  Like new Lamkin Grips on the 5-PW and a stock Golf Pride on the 4 Iron. $525 OBO.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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