We've launched the new forums! Read more here

X Flex iron shafts - How many of you play them?

Nippon Shafts
tahoebum

tahoebum

Well-known member
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
19,429
Reaction score
13,364
Location
MN and FL
Handicap
1.8
I ask this because I did play them for 19 years until 1999 when a fitting for a new set of irons put me in a S300 shaft. I also went through a fitting in 2005 and 2013 that put me in a stiff steel shaft. I recently discovered, on my own at the range, that my dispersion is much tighter with an X100 than the S300 and KBS stiff shafts I've been playing the last 17 years. I feel pretty stupid for not figuring this out sooner, especially since 85% of the driver/fairway shafts I play have always been in an X flex. I guess I assumed I was getting older and trusted the fitter that moving to a stiff flex from the X100's I played in my younger years made sense.

The lesson here for me is don't necessarilly trust a fitting, however professional and knowledgable the fitter seems. A fitting can get you close but you still have to hit real balls outside to dial things in perfectly. I will say the X100's have a slightly harsher feel, but they are clearly more accurate for me that the S300's or the KBS Tour V110's I've been playing. Have any of you had this same experience?

Anyway, the good news is I'm having several birdie putts each round that are about 30-40% shorter than what I'm used to. It also gave me an excuse to order a set of Srixon Z765/565 irons.
 
Last edited:
I always thought stiff was it. Just figured if you needed x or something you were a pro and getting fit at a factory or tour van.

About 3 years ago, I was at a local driving range with a pro shop.

It was slow and I was talking to the owner about my high ball flight.
My miss was a severe hook

He had some Mizuno 800 pros, that were slightly used.

I hit the 5 & 7 iron, and it was a different thing all together.
These had X-100 shafts in them.

From time to time, when my shoulder acts up, I'll switch to Ping Zing 2 with stiff shafts.

Mostly, those Mizunos are in the bag.

I have good distance, lower flight, and dispersion is tighter.

If I took lessons, and fixed everything in my swing, there is probably a stiff shaft that fits me better.

For now, I'll stick with this.
 
S
Jackal said:
I always thought stiff was it. Just figured if you needed x or something you were a pro and getting fit at a factory or tour van.

About 3 years ago, I was at a local driving range with a pro shop.

It was slow and I was talking to the owner about my high ball flight.
My miss was a severe hook

He had some Mizuno 800 pros, that were slightly used.

I hit the 5 & 7 iron, and it was a different thing all together.
These had X-100 shafts in them.

From time to time, when my shoulder acts up, I'll switch to Ping Zing 2 with stiff shafts.

Mostly, those Mizunos are in the bag.

I have good distance, lower flight, and dispersion is tighter.

If I took lessons, and fixed everything in my swing, there is probably a stiff shaft that fits me better.

For now, I'll stick with this.
Click to expand...

I think the perception that only pros or really long hitters should play an extra stiff iron shaft but even the shorter hitting guys like Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk play an extra stiff in their irons. My swing speed is not extreme - maybe 107 with a driver. I assumed that I'd give up some distance with an X100 over an S300 but it doesn't seem to be the case.
 
I have Dynamic Gold TI X100 shafts is my irons. I love them.
 
tahoebum said:
S

I think the perception that only pros or really long hitters should play an extra stiff iron shaft but even the shorter hitting guys like Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk play an extra stiff in their irons. My swing speed is not extreme - maybe 107 with a driver. I assumed that I'd give up some distance with an X100 over an S300 but it doesn't seem to be the case.
Click to expand...

My driver speed is 104-106.

People have told me because of my strength, I needed stiff.

I do physical labor. I own a machine shop/ welding business.
I work with heavy metal parts all the time, use sledge hammers for half a day, etc.

It's not gym workouts, but it builds my core.
 
I went through a fitting yesterday, I have been playing x1's for a while but was fit into s300 hs my dispersion was about the same but they felt much smoother and i gained a few yards but we will see after the irons have been in the bag for a while
 
I've been fit several times and each time I have been recommended heavy, X-flex shafts - recommendations have been KBS Tour X/130, X100, Project X 7.0, C-taper X.

I'm currently in X7 shafts after my most recent fitting resulting in the suggestion of the 7.0's as best for me. I am happy with the shafts, especially in a higher spinning iron head.

Ball flight makes the biggest difference for me across shafts as I've found that the higher the ball goes the less wind it takes to effect the flight. 50+ yards in height can be very difficult to control. I've seen big differences in spin numbers too and the heavier, stiffer shafts keep my golf shots flying straighter. I've never had a massive hook with the X7 shafts like I could see with just about any other shaft, and for me the distance is still there.
 
I've played kbs tour 130, x100, lz steel 6.5 and tour v 120 in steel and program f15 120g x in graphite. I can game them all but with the direction I'm going with my swing, the tour v 110 stiff seems best suited for me right now
 
tahoebum said:
S

I think the perception that only pros or really long hitters should play an extra stiff iron shaft but even the shorter hitting guys like Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk play an extra stiff in their irons. My swing speed is not extreme - maybe 107 with a driver. I assumed that I'd give up some distance with an X100 over an S300 but it doesn't seem to be the case.
Click to expand...
Fwiw, Furyk plays KBS Tour R+ flex in his irons, not X flex.
 
arydolphin said:
Fwiw, Furyk plays KBS Tour R+ flex in his irons, not X flex.
Click to expand...

He's definitely the exception to the rule on tour, and I think part of the reason he is able to do that is not just swing speed but also his ability to literally zero out his swing more than even most other pro's. He's touted as one of the straightest hitters with his irons.
 
X Flex iron shafts - How many of you play them?

I played X100 for a very long time, I've since moved to Ctaper S+. And will be switching the S400 AMT during the off season.
 
Last edited:
One of the guys I usually play with has X flex shafts in his Mizunos (I think they're 850s?). He's 38, a former D3 college basketball player, and swings flat and hard. I've wanted to hit them and should have done it on the back nine today.
 
I used to play the old Rifle 6.5's for years. Went through a bad fitting last year that put me in soft stepped stiff shafts and hated them. I swapped them out for x100's a few months ago and absolutely love them.
 
Also played Rifle 6.5's for years then took almost ten off and came back to it this spring. Gave the KBS TourV X's a go and although I hit them with a draw (and an occasional hook), distance was down. Went to a PX95 in 6.0 which brought back a bunch of distance with a nice controlled trajectory and now stepped "down" to a Nippon 950 in stiff. The same goes for the woods: started with a Fujikura 757 TS in X and ultimately prefer the lighter 661 TS in S. With a driver swing speed that used to be about 115 which is now hovering around 105, these shafts are all perfect and launch monitor data shows it. My back and elbows also appreciate the lighter, not-so-stiff shafts, as does the scorecard.
 
Rebar here too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've played s300's my whole life (until a recent trade).

Actually, this year is the first time I've played an X flex in anything.

After the improved dispersion I've seen across the board, it's going to be a while before I consider anything else.
 
I've played x100 in my irons for years but went with the s400 AMT in my new Titleist CB and other than the wedges have been extremely happy. That's with a 98 mph 6 iron SS.

So really it works both ways.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
What are you guys averaging on driver swing speed and playing the x100 shafts? I bought some mint mp33 this year with x100 and my dispersion was awesome but my tendinitis in my elbow killed me. My gamer CF16's have recoil 110 f4 flex but I tend to slow down my swing and hit a lot of 3/4 shots to control the flight and dispersion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I play X, but try to stay in the 110 to 120g range.
 
mshepard said:
What are you guys averaging on driver swing speed and playing the x100 shafts? I bought some mint mp33 this year with x100 and my dispersion was awesome but my tendinitis in my elbow killed me. My gamer CF16's have recoil 110 f4 flex but I tend to slow down my swing and hit a lot of 3/4 shots to control the flight and dispersion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I have 116 mph SS and play stiff iron shafts.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
C-taper X's here for me. Played S300's for a long time and always had a pretty pronounced draw that would get uncontrollable, and also ballooning. The c-taper gave me an extra club distance and way tighter dispersion and flight control ability.
 
I was fitted into ctaper x flex believe they are 130g and hit them very well
 
I've been playing x100 for a number of years now. When I switched the dispersion was much better for me. When I played the S300, if I wanted to really get after a shot, I'd have no idea where it would go (usually left). Now I can swing how I want and don't have to worry about it.

For me, it took some time to get used to them and get the swing timing down right. You really need to put some time in with them from the beginning. Can't just demo a club for a few shots and decide. Have to try it out and get the feel first to get the swing down. I don't think you need to swing them fast, just swing them well. There are many times I take a reduced swing and get the same results, so the idea that you have to have a fast swing speed is untrue to me. Granted, I think my SS is pretty fast, but it doesn't always have to be.
 
mshepard said:
What are you guys averaging on driver swing speed and playing the x100 shafts? I bought some mint mp33 this year with x100 and my dispersion was awesome but my tendinitis in my elbow killed me. My gamer CF16's have recoil 110 f4 flex but I tend to slow down my swing and hit a lot of 3/4 shots to control the flight and dispersion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Average 114-115 with a driver... mid 90's with a 7 iron. I've always just felt more confident with an x flex shaft knowing there's less of chance of overpowering it.
 
Jman said:
I play X, but try to stay in the 110 to 120g range.
Click to expand...


I went with the X100 AMT which you probably know, starts out at 130 grams for the wedge shaft and gets progressively 3 grams lighter as you move to the long irons so I'll be at 112 grams for the 4 iron.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top