Highlights from the Fujikura member trip, VeloCore fitting experience at Fujikura headquarters

May 15, 2023

Published

on

By

Last week, four lucky GolfWRX members visited Fujikura Headquarters in Carlsbad, California, to meet Fujikura's team of product experts, learn about how VeloCore benefits the golfer throughout the bag, and get fit into Ventus woods and Axiom irons. The four WRXers — @Puppetmaster, @hammergolf, @CactusGolf, and @eric61 — enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to Fujikura.

hammergolf: "The Axiom feels different from any of the other graphite shafts I’ve played previously. They feel much more stable and maybe a touch stiffer than my current shafts, however, I ball speed, carry distance, launch, and spin with TIGHTER patterns. I’ve played them all, Steelfiber, Recoil, and now MMT. Hands down Axiom is better."

"My god are these good. We were hitting into the wind on the range so it was a really good test for the shafts. First thing I noticed is seeing a different peak height, and tighter pattern. I hit it side by side with my gamer (PXG Gen3XP MMT 70 R) I really liked my gamers before I hit Axiom. It's just on a different level. Because of the advantage of using Velocore, Fujikura can make a shaft do something that all others I’ve had can't. The Axiom is so stable yet helps me to launch the ball much higher, (my indoor testing showed almost 4* more launch) with more spin (indoor test showed me almost 900rpms more) and a much higher decent angle (indoor test showed almost 5* increase of decent). Well I saw all that with my own eyes outside yesterday. However, here's what crazy. I hit the Axiom side by side with my gamer. I was able to hit the Axiom higher, spin it more, and land it softer but it carried the same distance as my gamer. That was great, but here's what I’m still scratching my head about. It was an even tighter dispersion pattern… Side by side, the Axiom is much more stable and to me feels stiffer than the MMT. I just don't understand how something can feel more stable and stout, but deliver more launch, more spin, and not lose any distance. That's what Fujikura call Velocore. And it wasn't just me, I saw @Puppetmaster, @CactusGolf, and @eric61 all hitting great shots with Axiom. Another thing that amazed me was how four guys with 4 different swings and four different clubhead speeds can have the same great results. I think that's a testament to how Fujikura has designed 3 different weight and profiles to fit anyone.

"The one thing I haven't mentioned is feel. They have a great feel that is not mushy, but just the right amount of feedback, yet no unpleasant shock or vibration. In summary, Fujikura just flat out nailed it. If you’re thinking about switching, or have hand, wrist, shoulder pain, these are an absolute no brainer. Hands down the best performing shaft I’ve ever hit. Can't wait to get them built and in the bag!"

eric61: "The first thing I noticed is that the 75S is more stout than you’d think, and the 125X is more playable than you’d think. The way they’ve managed to separate weight and flex is really impressive.

"The next thing: Axioms for me launched pretty high with relatively high spin. (And not just the 105X that Andrew fitted me into — I found this to be true in the full range.) They didn't have an i230 fitting head, but I was hitting a P790 — Andrew measured my i230 at 34 degrees of loft and the P790 was at 31. The P790 with the Axiom 105X was going 9 yards further, as you’d expect given the loft and head design differences, but it was actually almost identical in terms of peak height and landing angle, and it was spinning only a couple hundred RPMs less than my i230s.

"I’m not really looking for more distance — my home course is 6,700 yards from the back tees, so I really just need control. And what I found in the Axiom 105X was significantly tighter dispersion.

"My swing speed would usually indicate I’m more of an S than an X. But Andrew noticed I looked like I was losing the club head a bit in transition with the 105S, and the 105X really tightened things up quite a lot for me.

"The other thing I liked about them is the profile. They are stout handle, softer mid, stout tip shafts."

"I think the Axiom shafts are going to pair really well with player's distance type irons, where they’ll allow you to get the ball speed and forgiveness those iron heads offer while gaining the height and spin to make them really playable. Lower-spin guys in players’ irons will also love them.

"The other thing I’ll say, for folks who haven't hit graphite iron shafts before, is that they really take the sting out of impact. This is the first time in a while where I’ve had absolutely no wrist pain after a round. And it doesn't come at the cost of the iron heads’ feel. The T100 I mentioned was still buttery soft."

Puppetmaster: "The Tour V, much like my driver post above, did not spin enough, even though to my eye, they still launched decently high. Andrew, who is a fantastic fitter btw, wanted me to get more spin and a steeper descent angle. The Axiom 105 did just that, with a tight dispersion, were easier to load and had the right amount of feel (yes, subjective) for my swing. I think Fujikura is pretty darn close to that holy grail of both stability and feel with the Axiom (and Ventus). The hardstep was to give me more of the firmer feel I wanted, without needing to go into the 105X, which was too much work for me given my transition characteristics.

"Also, I hit a few draws and cuts for giggles after the fitting with the 105S and was able to do that, at least, to the best of my limited ability.

"One more note – I tried the 75S and 125X too, I think all of us did. The 75 did not feel like a 75 gram, felt much more stable than the weight would suggest. The 125X was stout but didn't feel like a pipe. Definitely felt all of the 125 grams, but again, they’ve done a nice job of leaving enough feel in it even though it's stiff, heavy shaft."

eric61: "Just wanted to start by thanking all 24 employees at Fujikura's U.S. operation here in Carlsbad. Spencer, Eric, Marshall and Kelsi were super generous with their time and knowledge. Andrew Hoang was just terrific in our fittings for Axiom iron shafts and Ventus driver shafts.

"One particular highlight for me was the tour Spencer gave us of the behind-the-scenes stuff — showing us how a shaft is made in-house, from raw materials (thanks Kevin, who showed us how shafts are rolled and admitted the Axiom 125s are the toughest to make) to the paint job to shipping the shafts out."

CactusGolf: "This has been one of the best, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I’ve ever had for a multitude of reasons! I want to make sure I think everyone at WRX and Fujikura for the opportunity. I was shocked to have been selected and unbelievably excited to dive in head-first into the fitting and product process."

Puppetmaster: "I just wanted to say again how awesome this was in terms of the experience, education, and the chance to sit around and dialog about shaft design, fittings, and everything else golf related. So much learning – from the design/prototyping process to the actual production to the fitting and everything else in between and beyond."

hammergolf: "First and foremost, thank you again to everyone at Fujikura for making us all feel at home. Spencer, Eric, Marshall, Kelsi, and Andrew were all incredible! The phrase is used too much, but these people and this company just get it. They are all dedicated to make the best product possible to help all golfers play their best golf. Fujikura are first class in every thing they do."

Head over to the thread for more comments, reviews, and future updates. Don't forget to become a member today for future opportunities like this, plus product member testing and giveaways!

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (6/6/23): Callaway 2021 combo set

WOTW: Viktor Hovland's Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Indigo"

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Published

on

By

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees)Shaft: Aldila Rogue M-AX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees)Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 75 TX

Irons: Titleist T-MB 718 (2 iron), Titleist T-100 (4-9 iron)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50, 54, 60 degrees)Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X

Putter: Odyssey Works Versa #1

Ball: Titleist 2023 Pro V1x

Published

on

By

Following the Pal and Pal 2, Ping today announced the release of the third of four "Ping Slam" putters, which commemorate the 1988 season in which the brand won all four men's major championships.

The precision-milled PLD Limited Zing 2 putter commemorates Curtis Strange's 1988 U.S. Open win — the first of his two consecutive U.S. Open wins using the putter.

"We’re really enjoying celebrating the ‘Ping Slam’ and reliving some wonderful memories from 1988," said John A. Solheim, Ping's Executive Chairman. "Curtis’ thrilling win at the U.S. Open was soon followed by the U.S. Women's Open champion using a Zing 2, giving us wins at both national championships that summer. The next year Curtis won the U.S. Open again with his Zing 2. That was a remarkable run for the Zing 2 and secured its place in Ping's putter history."

Arriving on tour in 1984, the original Zing 2 was inspired by the Zing was cast from stainless steel. Ping cites the heel-shafted design and heel-toe weighting as key elements of the putter's popularity.

The putters are custom-built by Ping WRX master craftsmen at the company's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Each putter is serialized for authenticity and includes a custom headcover. Ping's engineers and company historian scoured the archives to retain the integrity of the four classic designs during the milling process, spending time in the legendary Ping Gold Putter Vault to ensure the integrity of the designs.

Only 88 of the 100-percent milled, 303 stainless steel, natural finish putters are available via pingpld.com at 2 pm ET, Tuesday, June 13 at a price of $990.

Later this year (December 5), 35 complete sets of the PLD Limited ‘Ping Slam’ putters will go on sale for $4,990 (limit one per customer), which will include a custom-designed display unit.

Published

on

By

Driver: TaylorMade SIM2 (9 degrees @7.5 degrees)Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black

4-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (16.5 degrees @17.25)Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (2), Mizuno Pro 221 (4-9)Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Black 105 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)

Wedges: Mizuno T22 (45-05S), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (52-08F, 56-08M, 60-04L, 60-08M)Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: TaylorMade Spider XGrip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol 2.0

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord

More photos of Chris Gotterup's WITB in the forums.

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees) Shaft: Aldila Rogue M-AX 3-wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 75...

Chris Gotterup what's in the bag accurate as of the Memorial Tournament. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade SIM2...

Dustin Johnson emerged as the champion of the 2018 RBC Canadian Open. He secured a three-stroke victory to claim his...

Lanto Griffin what's in the bag as of the Memorial Tournament. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist TSR2...

Is the future of golf balls finally here? PGA Tour players spotted testing OnCore "Genius" golf balls at Colonial

College golfer suffers gruesome on-course injury during NCAA Championship

Phil Mickelson says he ‘overpaid’ ex-caddie Bones ‘$1m more than any other player’ as he breaks silence on split

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (6/1/23): 1 of 12 Bettinardi Los Angeles Country Club putter

Report: 5-time PGA Tour winner blasted and called a cheat after taking part in scramble listed as 8.8 handicap

Michael Block gets a HUGE money offer for his "hole-in-one" 7-iron

Report: Adult website offers PGA hero Michael Block 6-figure sum for services

Brooks Koepka's winning WITB: 2023 PGA Championship