NUNCHUK Shaft Review

[Golfingbanker]

Very good review Jake. I worked and worked to like this shaft in my Razr Tour and just couldn't get the hang of it. From time to time I would get it right, but there just was not enough consistency. I watched a guy at my club being fit on a flightscope and he was killing it with the Nunchuk. He is very strong and was swinging minimum 110 consistently.

I have now put mine in a TEE CB4 15* and it works.

 

[BoostLE]

I just picked up my R11 with 43.6" Nunchuck (before the tip was installed, bought used) and the swingweight came out to D3.5 to my surprise. I'm heading straight to the course after work so I hope I have better luck than some of the reviews here. I'll bring my HD6 along for testing if the course is empty and hope Nunchuck keeps me in the fairway!

 

[ddec]

I just picked up my R11 with 43.6" Nunchuck (before the tip was installed, bought used) and the swingweight came out to D3.5 to my surprise. I'm heading straight to the course after work so I hope I have better luck than some of the reviews here. I'll bring my HD6 along for testing if the course is empty and hope Nunchuck keeps me in the fairway!

make sure you come back and let us know your thoughts

 

[BoostLE]

Wow, it works

Wow, it works

Here goes my attempt at a review after playing with the Nunchuck for the first time yesterday. I left work and went straight to the tee box. Hole 1 is a short par 4 and i hit a low hook. Not a confidence inspiring move. Swingweight may be D3.5 but my left wrist tells me im not swinging my HD6. More on the wrist later.

3rd hole is par 5 and I pulled a little left but it stayed on line and settled in the fairway to my relief. The launch angle was just a tad lower than normal and the lack of sidespin was evident. Distance wise it was at most 10yds shorter than my normal drive, but there was a headwind so I'd call it a wash. After this drive I realized what you all meant by this shaft being harsh. I played with a 20XI-X and the sound and feel was very firm. Its almost like this shaft doesnt absorb any shock whatsoever, sensicores anyone?

Hole 5 is a par 4: I hit a beauty on this hole. Nice high launch and it just kept carryng. Definitely no distance loss on this drive. My uncle killed his and I was right behind him. As my yardstick, anytime i'm within 10yds of his drive im happy. Once again the lack of sidespin was obvious and there was about 10 yds of bounce and roll. I noticed that with the weight of this shaft it demands a smooth move. Getting quick or handsy is death. My left wrist reminds me again with a little pain that im swingng something heavier.

6th hole I got a little quick at the top and hit a high hard draw. Ive hit this type of shot plenty of times on this hole and was expecting the ball to end up along the left fence. To my surprise it was in the first cut. Its almost like my hooks turn into hard draws and draws go straight.

The round contnued on this way with my uncle commenting on how my drives are a lot straighter. I was happy to be in the fairway on my drives and this was turning out to be a decent round. I ended up +3 on the front and we were running out of sunlight.

Clif notes version:
Swingweights can be deceiving. This setup checks out to be normal but its definitely heavier. I feel added stress on my wrist and it ached going to bed last night. On hole 10 i noticed some light tinglingin my left hand which is gone by now. I think theres a lot of vibration transmitted so achy joints beware. im not sure i can play this shaft 3 times a week due to the weight, but ill try for now.
I noticed no loss of distance at all. This setup is maybe 1" shorter than my HD6 so perhaps im making better contact. On average the launch angle is a little lower but not a huge difference. I play my R11 at 8' and usually hit up 3' on the ball.

Ball flight is significantly straighter, no doubt about it. Bad swings are still bad but youd have to try hard to hit one two fairways over with this shaft. I think the way it bends along with the extra weight is the key. The feel is very harsh, the harshest ive ever hit, but it keeps me in the fairway.

I hope this review makes sense as typing in an iPad is scattering my thoughts since i keep having to fix typos. Thats all for now.

Ps: White VDR grip looks sweet on the Nunchuck!

 

[Oregon Golfer]

Here goes my attempt at a review after playing with the Nunchuck for the first time yesterday. I left work and went straight to the tee box. Hole 1 is a short par 4 and i hit a low hook. Not a confidence inspiring move. Swingweight may be D3.5 but my left wrist tells me im not swinging my HD6. More on the wrist later.

3rd hole is par 5 and I pulled a little left but it stayed on line and settled in the fairway to my relief. The launch angle was just a tad lower than normal and the lack of sidespin was evident. Distance wise it was at most 10yds shorter than my normal drive, but there was a headwind so I'd call it a wash. After this drive I realized what you all meant by this shaft being harsh. I played with a 20XI-X and the sound and feel was very firm. Its almost like this shaft doesnt absorb any shock whatsoever, sensicores anyone?

Hole 5 is a par 4: I hit a beauty on this hole. Nice high launch and it just kept carryng. Definitely no distance loss on this drive. My uncle killed his and I was right behind him. As my yardstick, anytime i'm within 10yds of his drive im happy. Once again the lack of sidespin was obvious and there was about 10 yds of bounce and roll. I noticed that with the weight of this shaft it demands a smooth move. Getting quick or handsy is death. My left wrist reminds me again with a little pain that im swingng something heavier.

6th hole I got a little quick at the top and hit a high hard draw. Ive hit this type of shot plenty of times on this hole and was expecting the ball to end up along the left fence. To my surprise it was in the first cut. Its almost like my hooks turn into hard draws and draws go straight.

The round contnued on this way with my uncle commenting on how my drives are a lot straighter. I was happy to be in the fairway on my drives and this was turning out to be a decent round. I ended up +3 on the front and we were running out of sunlight.

Clif notes version:
Swingweights can be deceiving. This setup checks out to be normal but its definitely heavier. I feel added stress on my wrist and it ached going to bed last night. On hole 10 i noticed some light tinglingin my left hand which is gone by now. I think theres a lot of vibration transmitted so achy joints beware. im not sure i can play this shaft 3 times a week due to the weight, but ill try for now.
I noticed no loss of distance at all. This setup is maybe 1" shorter than my HD6 so perhaps im making better contact. On average the launch angle is a little lower but not a huge difference. I play my R11 at 8' and usually hit up 3' on the ball.

Ball flight is significantly straighter, no doubt about it. Bad swings are still bad but youd have to try hard to hit one two fairways over with this shaft. I think the way it bends along with the extra weight is the key. The feel is very harsh, the harshest ive ever hit, but it keeps me in the fairway.

I hope this review makes sense as typing in an iPad is scattering my thoughts since i keep having to fix typos. Thats all for now.

Ps: White VDR grip looks sweet on the Nunchuck!

Great review! I had almost given up hope on this shaft but this has resparked my interest. I can;t wait to get my 910D head back and give this a go. Keep us updated with your continued thoughts please.

 

[Super Tuna]

Sorry it took awhile to read this review Jake. I'd say that's an excellent run down though and mirror's what I've heard from others and the trackman data a friend has. I really do like the concept of the shaft but it seems that everyone I've heard of having great success is a strong, not fast but strong, swinger who can put too much side spin on the ball from overcooking the swing and cutting across the ball as they hit it.

Cheers for the honest review!

 

[Dr. Teeth]

A few weeks ago I purchased a Nunchuk shaft. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided that I had to see what this shaft was all about. I especially wanted to see how the Nunchuk shaft would compare with the shaft I had been playing that I had put a Harrison Shotmaker in. So equipped with the Nunchuk and my F and G flex Shotmakers I headed to get some data using some Trackmans that are available at a local golf center.

I will start with my. Sharing some of my first impressions of the Nunchuk shaft and then I will progress to the data. First off, it is heavy! For me the weigh t was apparent, which I was surprised by considering I am used to playing a back weighted driver. Next, it feels very controllable. I had my brother-in-law and best friend hit it and they both remarked that it felt easier to stay in control with the Nunchuk compared to their usual driver and shafts. Next, it seems to be very straight, but I couldnt get a good feel of how far I was hitting this compared to my usual shaft. This is part of the reason I was excited to get some time with this shaft on a launch monitor. One thing to note is that the first couple of range sessions with this shaft I pulled a couple of the shots pretty bad. It hasn't seemed to be much if an issue recently though. Finally, for some reason I can actually feel this load more than my current shaft. It maybe that the shaft I am playing with is too stiff for me and I don't load it properly. I have changed my swing since I got fitted for the shaft and my SS is down about 5 mphs. But either way the loading in this shaft feels very unique and you can tell that it all taking place in the middle. Nunchuk is a great name for this product because that is exactly what it feels like. Now to the data.

During this session with the LM I was testing my current driver (TaylorMade R11 with a Diamana ahina X flex shaft), the Harrison Shotmaker in F and G flex, one series where I back weighted my driver with the G flex Shotmaker and, then the R11 with the Nunchuk in it (I tested it at 8.5*, which was the same loft that I tested all the other options, but then I tested the Nunchuk at 8* later just for fun). I posted my results that I got with the Shotmaker, but I will post a few of the comparisons here as it was this comparison that made me ultimately decide to purchase the Nunchuk.

The first set of data points is the direct comparison between my unaltered R11 and the R11 with the Nunchuk.

Here are the data points with the Nunchuk and the Shotmakers.

For fun I turned the loft down to 8* (from 8.5*) and compared the results against my previous Nunchuk results.

It really appears that the Nunchuk is a really good shaft for me. I don't know if this data is telling me that with my current swing, the shaft I was fit for doesn't fit me anymore or that the Nunchuck just seems to be what I need. Either way I loved getting the data that showed me that I am not losing distance (my carry yards are almost identical) and that I have gain accuracy over my current shaft and even over my shaft fitted with the Shotmaker, although the G Flex Shotmaker gave me really good numbers as well. I really love the numbers the Nunchuk is giving me. A launch angle of 14.8 and spin at 2360 is nearly perfect for what I am looking for. So all and all I am very pleased with the results of the Nunchuk.

 

[ddxu]

Great post man, one of the best I've ever seen. Very well done, I'm going to submit it as an example of what to strive for in reviews.

 

[ddelise]

Excellent write-up, thanks for taking the time to put this together.

Have you had the chance to take this to the course yet?

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Excellent write-up, thanks for taking the time to put this together.

Have you had the chance to take this to the course yet?

I have not played a full 18 with it. I have played 9 and then switched to the shaft I was testing that had the Shotmaker in it. I am hoping to get out this weekend and I will be playing this shaft exclusively.

 

[Puttin4Bird]

Excellent write up Dr. Teeth, thanks for taking the time to post that. I think you're one of those stronger swingers I referred to in my review, having played with you a couple of times I think you have a really strong and powerful driver swing so that allows you to tap into the Nunchuck a little more. Is your Nunchuck shaft shorter than your ahina?

 

[ddec]

Excellent write up Dr. Teeth, thanks for taking the time to post that. I think you're one of those stronger swingers I referred to in my review, having played with you a couple of times I think you have a really strong and powerful driver swing so that allows you to tap into the Nunchuck a little more.

That's what I was thinking too.
Nice review Dr. Teeth, love all of the data you posted.

 

[MWard]

I need to play where you do. 25 yards of rollout would be wonderful instead of the 5-6 I get.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Excellent write up Dr. Teeth, thanks for taking the time to post that. I think you're one of those stronger swingers I referred to in my review, having played with you a couple of times I think you have a really strong and powerful driver swing so that allows you to tap into the Nunchuck a little more. Is your Nunchuck shaft shorter than your ahina?

When I read about the strong swingers I thought that this could really be the thing for me. I think you are totally right. I don't have a terribly fast swing, but it is a strong one. The Nunchuk is exactly the same length as my ahina.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

I need to play where you do. 25 yards of rollout would be wonderful instead of the 5-6 I get.

This is going to be changing once winter sets in. Then I will be unplugging my ball after every drive

 

[MWard]

This is going to be changing once winter sets in. Then I will be unplugging my ball after every drive

I pretty much do that now! It's a rare privilege to be able to fix a ball mark you've made in a fairway.

 

[ddelise]

I pretty much do that now! It's a rare privilege to be able to fix a ball mark you've made in a fairway.

I'm in Tampa too. Where do you play? Depending on where I play, I can get 20 yards or more of rollout. I'd say I carry the drive about 240 or so and my drive can finish anywhere from 250 to 275. The past month with all the rain this was definitely difficult, but this past weekend (MacDill Golf Course) it happened a few times.

 

[MWard]

I'm in Tampa too. Where do you play? Depending on where I play, I can get 20 yards or more of rollout. I'd say I carry the drive about 240 or so and my drive can finish anywhere from 250 to 275. The past month with all the rain this was definitely difficult, but this past weekend (MacDill Golf Course) it happened a few times.

I play really anywhere. Northdale and Heritage Harbor are my two go to's because they're almost always cheap. From May-October, whereever the Paradise card is taken. I'll have one carry anywhere from 245-255 and then usually sputter a few yards max away from its ball mark. It's incredibly frustrating since I don't see myself magically gaining 45-55 yards of carry anytime soon.

 

[ddelise]

I play really anywhere. Northdale and Heritage Harbor are my two go to's because they're almost always cheap. From May-October, whereever the Paradise card is taken. I'll have one carry anywhere from 245-255 and then usually sputter a few yards max away from its ball mark. It's incredibly frustrating since I don't see myself magically gaining 45-55 yards of carry anytime soon.

245 - 255 is plenty long, especially if you are hitting the fairway often. With which a 5.2 handicap I am thinking is the case. Sounds like maybe you have too much spin on your tee shots, but with a X flex I am surprised to hear that. Have you had your spin rate measured?

 

[MWard]

245 - 255 is plenty long, especially if you are hitting the fairway often. With which a 5.2 handicap I am thinking is the case. Sounds like maybe you have too much spin on your tee shots, but with a X flex I am surprised to hear that. Have you had your spin rate measured?

I concur. I figure it has to be something with spin, but on monitors my spin's usually in the 2300-2600 range. I've tried the blueboard, whiteboard, RIP Alpha, and now the ehh BlurTP. The RIP was giving me a little bit of roll, but it's a pretty stout shaft. I'm also a little too lazy to go have an R11 tip put on it and then have to sell the prior head.

 

[BoostLE]

It's still good!

It's still good!

I just wanted to post a quick update that I still love the Nunchuck. My confidence with my R11 has improved greatly so I'm not even going to finish building an FT-IQ I got to help straighten things out. I think my average distance is slowly improving by having the confidence to swing harder instead of trying to ease one out there.

Also, I picked up a Project X 6A3 7.0 shaft with an R11 tip for cheap from CraigsList and tested it out against the HD6 Stiff and Nunchuck. I was curious if simply having a heavier shaft would yield me the same results as the Nunchuck but it did not. While the PX is more controlable compared to the HD6, it's still not like hitting the Nunchuck. I think there really is something unique about the bend profile on the Nunchuck compared to everything else.

 

[Oregon Golfer]

Excellent write up Dr!!! I CAN'T wait to get my Nunchuk out. Let's make plans to play together soon.

 

[Oregon Golfer]

I have not played a full 18 with it. I have played 9 and then switched to the shaft I was testing that had the Shotmaker in it. I am hoping to get out this weekend and I will be playing this shaft exclusively.

Dr., Have you had any more chances to play with this? Are you still loving it? My 9088UL w/Nunchuk should be here this week, I can't wait.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Dr., Have you had any more chances to play with this? Are you still loving it? My 9088UL w/Nunchuk should be here this week, I can't wait.

I played my first full round with the Nunchuck on Friday and it was an up and down round. I hit about 50% of the fairways and had some really great drives and some bad drives. I am excited to get out with it again as that was a day that nothing in my swing was feeling right. I shot pretty poorly, but a lot of that had to do with my 36 putts. I will keep you posted about future rounds. We definite,y need to get together! I think a trip to pumpkin ridge is in order. Maybe the first weekend in November if the weather is decent. I a, excited to hear how you like the Nunchuk OG!

 

[WMac19]

I picked up a 16.5* Exotics Trilogy 4-wood with a Nunchuk shaft on ebay. Excellent, as I can compare it with my 16.5* Exotics CB-1 4-wood with stiff Fujikura Vista-Pro 80.

I hit both at the range extensively for a couple of days and the results were very, very close. I hit the CB-1 on average, 7 yards longer (according to Trackman) for both carry and overall distance. Overall dispersion numbers are fairly close, but the Nunchuk is tighter. I love that the Nunchuk all but eliminates the right side for me. My misses were all left, none right, and none very bad at all.

Shot height was similar with the Nunchuk offering shots only 3' lower than the CB-1. I was surprised to see that the Nunchuk spun the ball a bit more (only 150 rpm's on average). Considering the sturdiness of the shaft, I expected a super-low ballflight with very low-spin.

Ball speed with the Nunchuk was 5 mph less with another surprise being that the average launch with the Nunchuk was 1.5* higher. Interesting, considering the overall ballflight was lower yet the spin and launch a bit more.

My overall impression of the Nunchuk is very positive. I thought the shaft felt very stable and explosive. At waggle or when flexing the shaft by pressing the clubhead into the ground, the Nunchuk feels VERY stiff. Yet during the swing, I actually received the opposite sensation as the shaft felt quite responsive.

I'd read that others had found a bit of a learning curve as to how the shaft wants to be swung but I was happy to have no such issues. My regular swing offered me very satisfying results. I'm intrigued enough that if I happen to come across an affordable Nunchuk shaft for driver, I'm sure to try that out too.

How much of my numbers can be attributed to shafts vs the different clubheads, I'm not sure. But I do know that the Trilogy has a shot for the starting spot. My misses tend to be worse with the CB-1 as I may overpower the shaft from time to time. Not so with the Nunchuk. It responded very well to smooth swings and handled my most aggressive swings with ease.