Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Shaft Review: Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki Alpha

This year was the year of the shaft.  There were so many good shafts released, as well as numerous others on the market from years past.  When I went in to a shaft fitting, the number of options the fitter had was overwhelming.  With the driver, the consensus shaft choice for me was the Fubuki Alpha.

At first, I was reluctant to try it and picked up a different shaft instead.  That was a mistake.  I finally ended up finding a brand new TaylorMade Superfast 2.0 TP with a Fubuki Alpha factory installed.  The first thing I noticed was the TaylorMade graphics of the Fubuki.  I probably would prefer the OEM graphics and think the OEM graphics are really clean.  The Snowflake graphics (Fubuki means Snowstorm or Blizzard in Japanese) is awesome, and the graphics are neat throughout.

When I took the club to the course, I noticed how smooth the shaft was.  I finally could feel a shaft loading and where the clubhead was throughout the swing.  My first drive with the club was a low mishit that still traveled nicely.  With this shaft, I was 10 yards longer than the other driver shafts I have been playing this year.  I also liked how consistent the dispersion was with this club.  I really did not miss with the shaft.

Overall, the distance and accuracy I gained with the Fubuki shaft was amazing.  The feel is awesome, the spin is low and remains low even with my high-spin swing.  The launch is a nice mid-launch, and the accuracy and distance reign supreme.  I would recommend everyone to try this shaft out.  I cannot wait to try the Fubuki K Series sometime, but for now the Alpha is the best driver shaft out there for me.

Specs: Fubuki Alpha 60X

Ratings:
Looks: (OEM): 5/5
Feel: 5/5
Distance: 5/5
Accuracy: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.9/5 A-A+

2 comments:

  1. I found this site and thought that I would put in my two cents worth. First, I love the Fubuki a60x5ct shaft! Here is why. I am 65 years old. In my youth I was a teaching pro and as I got older, was always able to maintain a single digit handicap. The last time that I was on a swing speed analyzer was 10 years ago and was averaging 104 MPH. I always used a stiff shaft of one manufacturer or another. I was away from the game for a number of years creating a new business. Now that I have the business established, I have gone back to the game.

    In the last ten years I have lost strength and feel and do not know if I will get back to single digits or not. However, my swing is still pretty solid. I can no longer produce the distance that I once did and I could no longer feel the driver load so I new that a new driver was needed.

    I went to an excellent shop that I have done business with for the past 35 years. I told them not to tell me anything about the clubs (no brand, no stiffness, nothing) and that I wanted a new driver that fit. (They loved this attitude) I found out a long time ago that you cannot buy on hype. The shaft is the engine of the golf club and the shaft is the most important part of the club.

    I tried every driver in the shop with all kinds of shafts. Simply put, the Fubuki fit me the best. My swing speed averaged exactly 100MPH with the fubuki and the best I could do with anything else in the shop was 96 MPH. The launch angle was perfect with a 9.5 degree loft and I was averaging 272 yards of carry. I could only carry a maximum of 246 with anything else. I bought the club. It happened to be on an Adams head that was adjustable but I did not have to touch it.

    I then started playing with it. I am as long as I ever was but my control is as good with the driver as it was when I had a four handicap. By the way, the shaft is a regular flex. The owner of the shop described it as a relatively stiff regular shaft. I don't care what it is labeled, it works. The shaft is simply perfect for me. The trick is to find the shaft that is perfect for you. I recommend that you compare the Fubuki in your research for your best shaft. The quality is there.

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  2. Well said the right fit is for you and you alone to know but the launch monitor doesn't lie :).... Get fit but leave your ego at the door R, S, X all relative to the manufacturer there are no standards. Go with what works for you and if it bothers you cover it with tape..

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