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KBS Tour 90 Shafts Review - Forum Testing

Nippon Shafts
SW said:
Lol I've been meaning to ask about a comparison but through reading your post I figured it was a moot point.

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Tapatalk2
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We can talk about it later this week, and I can fill you in on my thoughts on the comparison between the two. A lot of the MCers have the 5.5s, so you can see the results side by side.


Kmac said:
Great write up War. That was a very nice looking scorecard dude, real nice.
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Thanks Kmac, appreciate it. Putter was hot on the front 9 and saved me a bit.
 
War Eagle said:
Remember that time you asked me about the PX Flighted 5.5 shafts? Remember when I said, "Let's see how the Tour 90s treat me." Well, you can have the 5.5s.
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That was a great round and write up WE, but the above speaks volumes too. Sounds like you found the right stuff in the KBS 90's.
 
Great info and write up WE. The KBS seem to be treating you right. Sweet looking card too.

TapAhoy!
 
BamBooBender said:
That was a great round and write up WE, but the above speaks volumes too. Sounds like you found the right stuff in the KBS 90's.
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Thanks, 3B. I said it earlier in this thread, but at times I feel like I am a walking advertisement for light weight shafts. Prior to this testing, I played a good bit of rounds with the Cleveland Black Irons that had a light weight graphite shaft in them (quite stout by the way) and from the first swing with those i saw great success. Ive since switched to a driver that when it was released was the lightest on the market (still is, I believe). Now with the KBS Tour 90 shafts in my irons I am seeing similar success as I have seen with other lighter weight shafts. I just really seem to be able to groove my swing and be able to make a solid move in my swing on the ball to get the results I need.
 
Wonderful write-up WE. This makes me more and more anxious to get the Tour90's I have into play..


Just tap it in, just tap it in.
 
War Eagle said:
Thanks, 3B. I said it earlier in this thread, but at times I feel like I am a walking advertisement for light weight shafts. Prior to this testing, I played a good bit of rounds with the Cleveland Black Irons that had a light weight graphite shaft in them (quite stout by the way) and from the first swing with those i saw great success. Ive since switched to a driver that when it was released was the lightest on the market (still is, I believe). Now with the KBS Tour 90 shafts in my irons I am seeing similar success as I have seen with other lighter weight shafts. I just really seem to be able to groove my swing and be able to make a solid move in my swing on the ball to get the results I need.
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Nothing wrong with that man, 76 is a great score, it's hard to argue with results like that.
 
Fantastic write up WE. I love seeing people's games change for the better and these shafts seem to be doing that for you. The fact that you've gained confidence with your 5&6 irons says a lot too.

Keep up the good work fellas.
 
War Eagle said:
Thanks, 3B. I said it earlier in this thread, but at times I feel like I am a walking advertisement for light weight shafts. Prior to this testing, I played a good bit of rounds with the Cleveland Black Irons that had a light weight graphite shaft in them (quite stout by the way) and from the first swing with those i saw great success. Ive since switched to a driver that when it was released was the lightest on the market (still is, I believe). Now with the KBS Tour 90 shafts in my irons I am seeing similar success as I have seen with other lighter weight shafts. I just really seem to be able to groove my swing and be able to make a solid move in my swing on the ball to get the results I need.
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That just about seals the deal for me. My next clubs very likely will have these in them.
 
Hit these today in a set of CB3s. I really liked the feel of them and they were really awesome in the long irons. Gave me a much higher ball flight and even a little more distance. I'm shaky with my long irons now so that would be a major plus. Short irons is where they hurt. They launched way high with a ton of spin. Some were spinning back at me on the range. 7-PW all had like 4 yard gaps in between them, then a 20 yard jump to the beautiful 6-iron. I think the 90s in 4-6 and the Tours in 7-W would suit me perfect. The Tours in the Pro a12 irons were absolute beasts, just like the 90s in the long irons.
 
KBS Tour 90 Testing - 7/24/12 Frog Rock Golf, Hammonton NJ

Today was a bit of a struggle with the irons today. I just wasn't getting into a good rhythm with my swing and my ball flight was all over the place. I did manage a couple good shots today but I needed the added forgiveness that these shafts have given me in the past. Rather than expound on the negatives, I'll get to some objective views of the shaft performance.

Long irons:

Today was a windy day and I was forced to alter the ball placement today in order to prevent a ball flight that was too high. I decided to use my 5i off of the tee on a couple short par 4s, and with the ball placement, I was getting a mid flighted ball that faded about 10 yards from right to left, with some good rollout as well. I see the 5i as a definite fairway finder when my swing is getting inconsistent (like today) with my driver and woods. I could predict and control my ball flight with the 5i well. I didn't hit the 5i off of the deck today, nor my 6i.

Mid irons:

I hit a few 7 and 8is today with mixed results. I was getting WAY too steep with my swing and I had a couple chunks and tops today. I tried to right the ship and remind myself to keep an even tempo, and again I had mixed results. I did however hit a shot that is telling of how these KBS 90s have helped my misses. I had an 8i into the par 5 2nd hole that I got slightly thin and off of the toe. Rather than a screaming slice that I usually saw with my stock shafts, I saw less of a slice than before, hitting the green on a shallow angle of descent and spinning left about 15 feet and leaving me with a putt for birdie rather than a chip from off of the back of the green. Man, I love that added spin these have given my iron shots.

Short irons:

My 9i and PW were inconsistent as well, but I had the best shot of the day today with my PW on the par 3 13th. Over water, into the wind, I hit a mid flighted knockdown PW that seemed to never leave the pin, hitting about 6 feet left of the pin and stopping dead, almost rolling back into its own pitch mark. I'm so glad that I can get a bit aggressive with my scoring irons and rely on the spin to stop my shot quickly.

Todays round was clearly a problem with the archer and not the arrow as far as consistency, however these shafts performed admirably with a less than admirable swing. These shafts will not leave these irons...they've helped me in so many ways and out of some potentially hairy situations.
 
KBS Tour 90 - League Night Thoughts and Results

Previous KBS Tour 90 Thoughts:
Range Session: Click Here
Should you replace your shafts:Click Here
Course Testing w/ pics: Click Here
Wedge Range Session: Click Here
Stats Post: Click Here


I think it goes without saying that the fellow KBS shaft testers have been seeing some amazing results. It is hard to explain how/why we are seeing such vast improvement. Tadashi, put it best, CONFIDENCE. It has been the ultimate result from putting these shafts in clubs we love. As you can see by the results. Tonight's result:

scoretr.png

There were several shots on the bogey holes where I barely missed the green.

Hole 3 - I put the ball in the fairway on the right side where the ball ended up on an uphill lie with the ball above my feet. The shot was about 155 to the middle and pulled a 7 iron, I would have used a 6 iron in the past. I put a good swing on it. It carried nice and high and landed soft just to the left of the green. The ball flight was a right to left due to the ball above my feet. It was poor aiming on my part.

Hole 4 - Put my 3 wood in a fiarway bunker on the left side. I pulled a 7 iron from 152 uphill. I picked it clean and hit a high ball right onto the front part of the green. The KBS Tour 90 allowed me to hit a great ball out of the bunker and placed it nicely on the green. Several "good shot perry" rang out from the fairway...THAT PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE

These were some highlights from my night during league play. Hard to argue my results. Once again the stat that really sticks out is my GIR putting. It was 2.2 tonight. Where my average is 2.8 putts per GIR. This has been a wake up call to my new GolfTec teacher. He says keep at it and he said he will work with me more on my overswing to get me more consistency. Correctly fitting shafts just makes me go out there and attack pins where my old clubs always had me thinking which way the ball was going to miss. Poor swing thoughts are now a thing of the past since these shafts have been in and highly recommend getting yourself fit online via KBS' website. It will do wonders for your game. Let me reiterate what War Eagle has said. Hitting long irons no longer scare me. I can expect a more positive result without having to swing out of my shoes and "trusting the club" to do the work. This has never been more evident.

To be continued...
 
Apologies for the skim, but has anyone compared these to Dynalite R300 shafts? I have the KBS Tour 90 regular in my R11's and love the feel of them, it's just I've been offered a set of JPX 800's for a pretty good price that I'm now full on pondering and was wondering how the shafts compare in trajectory etc.
 
Shiloh said:
Apologies for the skim, but has anyone compared these to Dynalite R300 shafts? I have the KBS Tour 90 regular in my R11's and love the feel of them, it's just I've been offered a set of JPX 800's for a pretty good price that I'm now full on pondering and was wondering how the shafts compare in trajectory etc.
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Cant say that I have, Shiloh, perhaps JB can give you his thoughts post Morgan cup if he's hit the Dynalites...

And some more great stuff from Perry. Nice update, and very nice playing!
 
Shiloh said:
Apologies for the skim, but has anyone compared these to Dynalite R300 shafts? I have the KBS Tour 90 regular in my R11's and love the feel of them, it's just I've been offered a set of JPX 800's for a pretty good price that I'm now full on pondering and was wondering how the shafts compare in trajectory etc.
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Is it the Dynalite XPs? I'd expect those to launch a bit higher than the KBS shafts. My dispersion was a bit off with the Dynalites, I felt they played a little weaker flex-wise when compared with the KBS. Obviously just my opinion and totally dependent on my swing.
 
Paulo it is the XP's. From what you say it may be worth my while having them reshafted with either stiff Dynalite's or go for the KBS 90's.
 
I'll be doing a big writeup tonight after a round today that should REALLY test these shafts at a course that people may or may not recognize. I'm nervous but very excited.
 
Ive been on the road since this time last week, and have barely touched a golf club. I am playing 18 this afternoon (9 holes being in league play) and will have a writeup this evening or tomorrow.

I did put these in play for one round while in Myrtle Beach last week, and the gentlemen that I played with can attest to the fact that when I keep a nice even tempo with my swing with the Tour 90s, the results are phenomenal. On the flip side, if I try to step on it a bit and overswing, the results to work out too well for me.

The nice, smooth tempo gives me the yardage I want combined with the perfect ball flight.
 
KBS Tour 90 Forum Testing - 7/30/2012 - Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, PA
Weather: Calm, 88 degrees, Sunny

Initial Thoughts:
This was going to be an incredible, tiring, and testing round on me both mentally and physically, walking 18+ holes in a Donald Ross designed beauty. Putting on the practice green, I realized how fast these greens were going to play and how difficult it was going to play for my irons and approach shots into the green. I also wondered how fatigue would affect my iron shots late into the round, and if these lightweight shafts would be able to keep performing for me then.

General Ball Flight:
Monday’s round was a weird one in that I saw a COMPLETELY different ball flight than what I’ve been consistently seeing in the past...gone was the high, looping, spinning shots and in came a low-mid bullet that traveled the requisite distance, but could not stop on these greens. I left myself with some incredibly difficult up and downs because the ball would hit the green on a shallow arc and roll right through. I started the round off with a few chunks in a row (undoubtedly first hole nerves from playing this caliber of a course) so perhaps I attempted to counter these chunks with a subconscious swing change...but I was so surprised to see these usually high launching shafts perform this way. So for people out there who think that these are only capable of hitting a high arcing shot...these can be flighted down quite a bit. Looking back at the round, I think I was getting too steep in my swing, as I was throwing some toupee sized divots downrange, larger than normal. The bottom line, however, was that I had an off day with these.

Highlights of the Round:
While my ball flight troubles during this round have been already documented, I did end up hitting the best shot of the round with my 5i that again demonstrated the forgiveness that these shafts have added to my irons. It is in this following video at the 1:19 mark:

[video=youtube_share;0ytwWWXMx-E]http://youtu.be/0ytwWWXMx-E[/video]

As you can see by my swing and my divot, I went over the top and hit that 5i WAY towards the toe. I was exhausted at that point, so I had clubbed up and tried a 75% swing. The ball did not start out left and slice further left as I was expecting...it was one of a handful of mid-high flighted shots that did not leave its target line, hit the front of the green, and rolled to about 12 feet for birdie.

Another highlight was a fairway bunker shot in the middle of the round. A long par 5, I had to take an 8i to layup to a reasonable yardage into the green. I thought I would just take another 75-80% swing and try to pick the ball clean. With the ball slightly below my feet, I took my swing and caught it dead solid perfect. To my surprise, it traveled the 150 yards that I expect out of my 8i even when I thought I was swinging easier. These shafts really allow the user to take a smoother swing and still get your distances.

One last shot that stood out to me was a choked down PW from about 115 yards. Again using an 80% swing, the ball popped up into the air nicely, hit the green and slowed down immediately, something I would have not seen with my stock shafts - the stock shafts would have flighted the ball on a mid flight, and on these fast Aronimink greens, I would have had a lot more rollout (most likely would have had the ball roll off of the back of the green).

Final Thoughts:
This was an off day and round for my swing, as I had a LOT of my iron shots flight too low and thusly hitting greens and not holding them well. Of the good shots that I hit, I could tell that the KBS’ were helping me do what I wanted to do, but the archer was not swinging well enough to let these shafts work properly for the most part. These shafts are not automatically high-launching.
 
Great update JN. That is a tough course you played there! It is worthy to note the forgiveness of these shafts even on the mishits. Good video too!
 
KBS Tour 90 Shaft Testing
8/1/12 - 9 Hole Round & Some random thoughts...

Alright, so I havent had an update here in a minute, but that doesnt mean my mind hasnt been churning and burning with what these shafts have helped me achieve in my golf game. For this review, I will highlight my round from this evening, as well as talk about some thoughts that I had in a round prior the MC in Myrtle Beach and some things that made me think.


My round tonight...
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I played great tonight, and a lot of that has to do with my confidence in my game right now. The greens had recently been sanded so putting was a struggle, but I dont place the blame for putting struggles 100% on the greens.

Regardless, 7/9 greens had me excited. Rightfully so, I have gotten to the point now that I expect to hit my shot on it's line and hold the green. As long as I keep myself in an even tempo and contain my swing, these shafts fit perfectly with me. I have three shots from tonight that I want to really highlight, as these three shots really showcase what I have been seeing throughout the past month;


  • Hole #12, Par 3; 168 yards: This hole can be tricky, as it is all carry over water to a slightly elevated green. I had my 7iron, and choose to go without a tee (something I find myself doing more often since switching to these shafts in my irons). I hit my 7iron quite well, taking a nice divot and seeing a very nice high ball flight. The ball landed past the pin, and pulled back a few feet. My playing partners said it was tight, and from where we were it looked like it was. Got up to the green, and I was well inside the previous groups "Closest to the Pin" marker. I had hit my shot within 5 feet for an easy birdie, and my first ever in 4 years "Closest to the Pin" win. I was ecstatic. In the past I had been praying to land the green, tonight I was firing at the pin.
    • What this shot showed me was that with my slightly higher ball flight, I am seeing a slight distance increase. Usually, 160 yards is the most I get out of my 7iron. Tonight, I felt comfortable that I had my number right, and had the club picked perfectly. The results showed me I was correct, and a tap in birdie on a Par 3 is something that I can get used to!

  • Hole #15, Par 4: After my tee shot, I am left with 186 yards in to the pin. There was a slight wind at my back, and I was really feeling that I could get my shot where I needed it. I pulled the 6iron from the bag, and knew that I would have to get a solid shot on it to get it to where I needed it to go. I put a beautiful strike on the ball, and although it didnt cut as I was expecting it to do, I wont complain about it going straight. High ball flight with the 6i, and landed the left side of the green, leaving me with a long birdie try.
    • The fact that I can even think about pulling an iron with confidence for a shot over 180 yards says it all to me. I actually landed the green, and held it with my 6iron. When I hit the long irons pure with these shafts in them, I know it instantly, and it's a great feeling.

  • Hole #17, Par 3: Playing to 135 yards tonight at a back pin location. I went with the PW and sent it out there, dead straight and HIGH! Ball flight was amazing, just got up in the air quickly, and came down with a sharp trajectory that had the ball land at stick. I was pin high, and looking at 25 feet or so for my bridie try.
    • I get excited now when I have a short iron shot. 8-PW, I feel like I can put my shot wherever I want it to go. Extreme confidence, and a lot of it has to do with being able to stick my shots when I land the green. I have long worked my way around courses that I play, and focus on getting to the 150 yard marker. If I can get there, I know that my short irons will serve me well and allow me to pull off the shot I want.

I really cant say enough good things about these irons. Having the opportunity to talk equipment with other THPers over this past weekend was great, and I just couldnt say enough about these shafts that I have in my irons. They have absolutely transformed my game, and my approach to shots that I have. Confidence in my short irons is at an all time high, and being able to pull of a tough shot with a long iron is priceless.

Now...for some random thoughts;


  • I played a "Pre-MC Round" in Myrtle beach this past weekend with some of the guys, and I talked about these shafts for a while. During that round, Cookie/SW/DHJKelly all saw first hand what happens when I get away from my "smooth tempo" swing thought with these irons. The results werent great. When I keep with my swing thought and contain my swing, I drop my shots where I want them.

  • During that round, we were about 145 yards out from the pin and I hit a very, very bad 9iron shot. I think Cookie looked at me and said, "What the heck was that?". I dropped another ball, then said, "I need to reread my own reviews, and remember my swing thought." I hit the second shot to prove a point, that shot landed me about 8 feet from the hole. It's all about keeping my swing in sync and getting myself in the proper position to make a solid strike on the ball.

  • During league tonight, after I hit a great 6iron shot, one of the guys asked about my irons. He was playing the Cally X Forged w/ a flighted 6.0 shaft in them. He loved the looks of my irons (loved the green setup!), and wanted to hit them. I explained what I was working with in the KBS Tour 90 shafts, and he hit the same shot from where I had just hit. All he could say was "smooth." He was blown away at the feel of the iron/shaft combo I had, and kept saying that he felt in absolute control of his swing even though the shaft was lighter than what he played.

  • My game is coming around, and I give most of the credit to my iron play. The two bogeys I had in my round tonight came when I didnt hit a green. There is a lot to be said about being accurate when you have an iron in your hand. I cant say it enough, but these have taken my confidence to a new level.

  • Hitting 7/9 greens in 9 holes for me is crazy. I never see those numbers...on 18 holes, much less 9 holes. But tonight, I felt as if I couldnt miss.

I am absolutely thrilled with my current iron setup. Having long wanted to find a way to get my ball flight higher than what it was in the past, the KBS Tour 90 shafts have given me that. I still have my misses, but what I find is that my ball striking has gotten more consistent, and that I can rely on my swing to produce the shot results that I need. I have a few rounds lined up for this weekend, and look forward to getting these irons back out there and seeing if they can continue to help me see awesome results.
 
Great stuff, WE! So happy that your iron play has been seemingly improved with these shafts.
 
Brotastic! Reading your post is one thing but seeing the results on the course Thursday was truely eye opening. There is no doubt that these shafts are dead solid perfect for you. Spot on about about hitting more greens, I don't recall you having a single instance of your ball skipping off due to trajectory.

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Tapatalk2
 
SW said:
Brotastic! Reading your post is one thing but seeing the results on the course Thursday was truely eye opening. There is no doubt that these shafts are dead solid perfect for you. Spot on about about hitting more greens, I don't recall you having a single instance of your ball skipping off due to trajectory.

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Tapatalk2
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The trajectory is what has been so solid for me so far, it has been perfect for me. It's also something that I have been trying to get out of my irons for years now.

The funny thing is, I know what I need to do to get the performance out of myself and my irons, but at times I have the testosterone flowing and I really want to get too quick with the swing or get too excited and try to step on it and the results are there. When I stay within my swing, I do what I do and am able to pull of my shots.
 
It's human nature dude. Our brains are hardwired that harder and faster equate to longer and better. Golf is a game of opposites and that proves itself everytime out. I don't think its a coincidence that your scores have plummeted since putting these in the j40's.

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Tapatalk2
 
Great updates JN and WE! Seems like these shafts really stand out if you just let them do the work for you.
 
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