We've launched the new forums! Read more here

CONTEST Chat with Danny Le from UST Mamiya

Watching this now. Was aboe to throw two questions out there. See if Danny picked either one up.
Fun toggling the volume: from JB screaming at me to not being able to hear Danny. 😆. Just messin JB!!
 
JB said:
Were you able to watch the video?
Click to expand...

Not yet. 😢

I will as soon as possible. I know that Graphite is the future and 100 times better than steel.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for answering my CPM question Danny, greatly appreciated.
 
JB said:
Were you able to watch the video?
Click to expand...

listening right now. Just passed where he talked about the proto 125's. Good info. I just need to find some to try.. I am curious on feel. One problem I have experienced in my limited tests with graphite in stiffer profiles is that they feel like you have to swing all out every time. Touch shots are lacking.

Again, limited experience with graphite iron shafts. Will have to try and listen in next time to ask a question.
 
NVGOLFER80 said:
listening right now. Just passed where he talked about the proto 125's. Good info. I just need to find some to try.. I am curious on feel. One problem I have experienced in my limited tests with graphite in stiffer profiles is that they feel like you have to swing all out every time. Touch shots are lacking.

Again, limited experience with graphite iron shafts. Will have to try and listen in next time to ask a question.
Click to expand...
That's been my biggest hurdle so far. Just being able to find a place to try them. I think the only recoils I've seen locally are like 95 gram regular flex.

I know that there is so much more potential with graphite over steel. I may just bite the bullet and pickup one shaft to put in a 7 iron or something just to see how they play.
 
Great video! Danny is so chill! Would love to play a round with him!
 
X.Man said:
Great video! Danny is so chill! Would love to play a round with him!
Click to expand...
Yes you would! I thoroughly enjoyed my round with Danny (even despite the bitter cold and wind)!!
 
NVGOLFER80 said:
listening right now. Just passed where he talked about the proto 125's. Good info. I just need to find some to try.. I am curious on feel. One problem I have experienced in my limited tests with graphite in stiffer profiles is that they feel like you have to swing all out every time. Touch shots are lacking.

Again, limited experience with graphite iron shafts. Will have to try and listen in next time to ask a question.
Click to expand...
radiman said:
That's been my biggest hurdle so far. Just being able to find a place to try them. I think the only recoils I've seen locally are like 95 gram regular flex.

I know that there is so much more potential with graphite over steel. I may just bite the bullet and pickup one shaft to put in a 7 iron or something just to see how they play.
Click to expand...
Just getting back to this thread after some work obligations.

I shared the concerns that each of you had before arriving at the Graphite Challenge last November. The premise of that THP experience was whether a Recoil graphite shaft could equal or exceed the performance of the current steel shafts the participant was playing. By chance, all of us 6 participants were playing similarly weighted shafts from different manufacturers at the time. I was playing DG 105s, coming from DG 120s before that. As a result, we were all given Recoil 110 Prototypes. Mine are F4 flex. After playing them for about 40 rounds since the event, I am a huge believer in the performance of the Recoil shafts. If I had to replace my clubs tomorrow on my own dime, I would but the Recoil 110 Prototypes again.

I think that, as a general rule, the weight comparison of the shaft from steel to graphite is a bit overstated. With graphite, stiffness can be manipulated in a greater degree in comparison to weight than a steel shaft. In graphite, things like graphite fiber weight, resin, even paint and plating can be used to modify weight of a graphite shaft. With steel, you are limited to alloy and thickness, generally speaking. If you take a look though the Saturday night dinner Q&A portion from that event, you will see a lot of discussion on this topic.

In my personal experience, I do not feel like I have to over swing the graphite shafts to get them to load and launch. In fact, I would say the opposite. I have found that the Recoil 110 Protos, for me, performed much better when I make a controlled, smooth and easy swing. I would ask you to consider whether you feel like you have to overpower your swing when using a hybrid. No one questions whether a graphite shaft is appropriate for a hybrid, so why should the irons be different? I have seen @GraniteRoost and @X.Man absolutely crush golf balls with the 110 protos. Each of them have excellent, high speed swings. Both of them loved the feel of the 110s. @BHGtylerb hits the golf ball just about as violently as I have seen, and he has a set of Recoil Protos in his bag. These are people who would normally be fit for 125 x-stiff steel shafts, but have played the Recoil Protos with success. I think a lot has to do with a solution to something that most people hate in older graphite shafts....too much tip flex. The Recoil Prototype shafts do a great job in promoting a stable feeling throughout the shaft. I would not be at all concerned as to whether the Recoil Protos can stand up to any swing. I have seen them do it.

Frankly, I am not a great golfer. But I do flush a ball now and again, and have a fairly good swing speed. Never once have I felt that I am missing something from my steel shafts. To the contrary, I think they have helped me play more golf. With steel shafts, I developed tennis elbow and had to limit myself to one round and one range session a week. With the Recoils, that pain has gone away completely, and now its common for me to go to the range twice a week, have a lesson in between, and play once or twice a weekend without any issue. For that reason alone, I think most people should give the Recoils some meaningful consideration. I hope this a little bit helpful.
 
Last edited:
BigDill said:
Just getting back to this thread after some work obligations.

I shared the concerns that each of you had before arriving at the Graphite Challenge last November. The premises of that THP experience was whether a Recoil graphite shaft could equal or exceed the performance of the current steel shafts the participant was playing. By chance, all of us 6 participants were playing similarly weighted shafts from different manufacturers at the time. I was playing DG 105s, coming from DG 120s before that. As a result, we were all given Recoil 110 Prototypes. Mine are F4 flex. After playing them for about 40 rounds since the event, I am a huge believer in the performance of the Recoil shafts. If I had to replace my clubs tomorrow on my own dime, I would but the Recoil 110 Prototypes again.

I think that, as a general rule, the weight comparison of the shaft from steel to graphite is a bit overstated. With graphite, stiffness can be manipulated in a greater degree in comparison to weight than a steel shaft. In graphite, things like graphite fiber weight, resin, even paint and plating can be used to modify weight of a graphite shaft. With steel, you are limited to alloy and thickness, generally speaking. If you take a look though the Saturday night dinner Q&A portion from that event, you will see a lot of discussion on this topic.

In my personal experience, I do not feel like I have to over swing the graphite shafts to get them to load and launch. In fact, I would say the opposite. I have found that the Recoil 110 Protos, for me, performed much better when I make a controlled, smooth and easy swing. I would ask you to consider whether you feel like you have to overpower your swing when using a hybrid. No one questions whether a graphite shaft is appropriate for a hybrid, so why should the irons be different? I have seen @GraniteRoost and @X.Man absolutely crush golf balls with the 110 protos. Each of them have excellent, high speed swings. Both of them loved the feel of the 110s. @BHGtylerb hits the golf ball just about as violently as I have seen, and he has a set of Recoil Protos in his bag. These are people who would normally be fit for 125 x-stiff steel shafts, but have played the Recoil Protos with success. I think a lot has to do with a solution to something that most people hate in older graphite shafts....too much tip flex. The Recoil Prototype shafts do a great job in promoting a stable feeling throughout the shaft. I would not be at all concerned as to whether the Recoil Protos can stand up to any swing. I have seen them do it.

Frankly, I am not a great golfer. But I do flush a ball now and again, and have a fairly good swing speed. Never once have I felt that I am missing something from my steel shafts. To the contrary, I think they have helped me play more golf. With steel shafts, I developed tennis elbow and had to limit myself to one round and one range session a week. With the Recoils, that pain has gone away completely, and now its common for me to go to the range twice a week, have a lesson in between, and play once or twice a weekend without any issue. For that reason alone, I think most people should give the Recoils some meaningful consideration. I hope this a little bit helpful.
Click to expand...



I'll add to what @BigDill is saying a bit as well. I have always been a steel iron shaft guy. Not @Jman speed but pretty decent swing speed. Hit CT125 stiff shafts and hit them really well. Love these things.

That being said, my next set of iron shafts will probably be the recoils. I hit the driving iron that @BigDill built a ton and loved the feel which I was not expecting. Then I got a Cobra Hybrid based on that experience with the Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap F5 and hit it a ton. Swapping that shaft out for another recoil eventually: a Recoil Proto Utility 95 F5 setup. So far, I haven't had a single concern of using the Recoils. Assuming I like the Proto Utility as much as I think I will, Recoils are definitely on the table for next set of irons.
 
Tevenor said:
I'll add to what @BigDill is saying a bit as well. I have always been a steel iron shaft guy. Not @Jman speed but pretty decent swing speed. Hit CT125 stiff shafts and hit them really well. Love these things.

That being said, my next set of iron shafts will probably be the recoils. I hit the driving iron that @BigDill built a ton and loved the feel which I was not expecting. Then I got a Cobra Hybrid based on that experience with the Recoil 780 ES SmacWrap F5 and hit it a ton. Swapping that shaft out for another recoil eventually: a Recoil Proto Utility 95 F5 setup. So far, I haven't had a single concern of using the Recoils. Assuming I like the Proto Utility as much as I think I will, Recoils are definitely on the table for next set of irons.
Click to expand...
I'm not against going lower in weight. Anything to help my joints really. As long as I can maintain my feel is all. I've tried a couple lighter steel shafts in demo bays and such. 105grams or so. They've always felt really light in my hands. Not in a good way. But, I've never really spent the time trying to develop a feel for them. I don't know what the seeing weight of them were. Probably in the light side. Just couldn't feel where the club was in the swing. Maybe if they were built out to heavier swing weights, it wouldn't have felt so drastic.

It's just hard to make that jump to lighter weight graphite without being able to spend some time really getting to know them. I'd probably be more willing to make the jump if it were something I'm the heavier range that would have similar balance to what I'm used to.

I have no doubt that there is way more control to weight and overall playing characteristics in graphite. I have a feeling that the trend will see more and more graphite options. Hell, they're not even that far off on price as some of your more popular steel shafts. Only issue is those steel shafts are often times no upcharge options or low upcharge options in most sets.

I still think I'll end up with a random 7 iron and a recoil proto 125 shaft to just try. I just want to see if it's a significant difference in my joints without sacrificing ball flight characteristics.
 
Hate that I missed this one. Watched the replay. A Shaft-Up Experience with @DannyLe is high on my list.
Would love to get his input on some UST shafts for me.
 
Last edited:
Oof. Kids have been high maintenance this afternoon. But, finally got to watch the video. Great job guys. Good listen. Love shaft talk.
 
radiman said:
I'm not against going lower in weight. Anything to help my joints really. As long as I can maintain my feel is all. I've tried a couple lighter steel shafts in demo bays and such. 105grams or so. They've always felt really light in my hands. Not in a good way. But, I've never really spent the time trying to develop a feel for them. I don't know what the seeing weight of them were. Probably in the light side. Just couldn't feel where the club was in the swing. Maybe if they were built out to heavier swing weights, it wouldn't have felt so drastic.

It's just hard to make that jump to lighter weight graphite without being able to spend some time really getting to know them. I'd probably be more willing to make the jump if it were something I'm the heavier range that would have similar balance to what I'm used to.

I have no doubt that there is way more control to weight and overall playing characteristics in graphite. I have a feeling that the trend will see more and more graphite options. Hell, they're not even that far off on price as some of your more popular steel shafts. Only issue is those steel shafts are often times no upcharge options or low upcharge options in most sets.

I still think I'll end up with a random 7 iron and a recoil proto 125 shaft to just try. I just want to see if it's a significant difference in my joints without sacrificing ball flight characteristics.
Click to expand...

Man, I am so busy I hardly have been able to be on THP. But I will chime in here.

I went from Modus 120S, to Recoil 110 Proto F4. I had virtually seamless transition. I thought the 110 Protos were very balanced and still held up really well to what I was looking for. The choice between 110F5 and 125 F5 I can see being a tough one, and my impression is this. One of the main takeaways with steel vs. graphite, is there is so much more ability to tune flex and weight independently. Where a lighter steel shaft will have less material and less stiffness somewhere to achieve that weight, a graphite shaft can be made the same profile, at several different weights. The a lighter steel shaft is both lighter AND less stiff overall. A graphite shaft can be lighter and the same stiffness, and perhaps that plays a role in helping a player sync up with lighter shaft, still having the same stiffness and loading feels to work with.

The Proto 110's were plenty stout for me, weight is not so different that timing or feels were poorly affected. In fact, after the first four holes or so, I was pretty dialed in for the rest of the weekend. (I have yet to play them again since the event in November... winter and C19 be gone!)
 
GraniteRoost said:
Man, I am so busy I hardly have been able to be on THP. But I will chime in here.

I went from Modus 120S, to Recoil 110 Proto F4. I had virtually seamless transition. I thought the 110 Protos were very balanced and still held up really well to what I was looking for. The choice between 110F5 and 125 F5 I can see being a tough one, and my impression is this. One of the main takeaways with steel vs. graphite, is there is so much more ability to tune flex and weight independently. Where a lighter steel shaft will have less material and less stiffness somewhere to achieve that weight, a graphite shaft can be made the same profile, at several different weights. The a lighter steel shaft is both lighter AND less stiff overall. A graphite shaft can be lighter and the same stiffness, and perhaps that plays a role in helping a player sync up with lighter shaft, still having the same stiffness and loading feels to work with.

The Proto 110's were plenty stout for me, weight is not so different that timing or feels were poorly affected. In fact, after the first four holes or so, I was pretty dialed in for the rest of the weekend. (I have yet to play them again since the event in November... winter and C19 be gone!)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback! Not worried about flex as I am my ability to time my swing with the lighter weight.

Since I have nothing but time and my own thoughts to keep me occupied, I've been doing some thinking. I keep imagining how good I'd feel at the end of the round with lighter shafts.

I won't be making any major changes to the bag this season. But, I do want to get some on course time with at least the 125, maybe 110 if I want to spend the money on just experimenting.
 
Great video and thank you @JB and @DannyLe for taking the time.

question for Danny if he gets back in here, I’m playing the Elements Chrome in my driver and Chrome+ in my fairway woods, what in the current lineup would compare or play similar?
 
  • Appreciation
Reactions: JB
radiman said:
Thanks for the feedback! Not worried about flex as I am my ability to time my swing with the lighter weight.

Since I have nothing but time and my own thoughts to keep me occupied, I've been doing some thinking. I keep imagining how good I'd feel at the end of the round with lighter shafts.

I won't be making any major changes to the bag this season. But, I do want to get some on course time with at least the 125, maybe 110 if I want to spend the money on just experimenting.
Click to expand...

@BHGtylerb rocks a set of 125 Protos (F5 I think) with custom Dallas Cowboys graphics to great effect. I think you have the right idea with experimenting on course. If I can mail you a club or two sometime, let me know.
 
GraniteRoost said:
Man, I am so busy I hardly have been able to be on THP. But I will chime in here.

I went from Modus 120S, to Recoil 110 Proto F4. I had virtually seamless transition. I thought the 110 Protos were very balanced and still held up really well to what I was looking for. The choice between 110F5 and 125 F5 I can see being a tough one, and my impression is this. One of the main takeaways with steel vs. graphite, is there is so much more ability to tune flex and weight independently. Where a lighter steel shaft will have less material and less stiffness somewhere to achieve that weight, a graphite shaft can be made the same profile, at several different weights. The a lighter steel shaft is both lighter AND less stiff overall. A graphite shaft can be lighter and the same stiffness, and perhaps that plays a role in helping a player sync up with lighter shaft, still having the same stiffness and loading feels to work with.

The Proto 110's were plenty stout for me, weight is not so different that timing or feels were poorly affected. In fact, after the first four holes or so, I was pretty dialed in for the rest of the weekend. (I have yet to play them again since the event in November... winter and C19 be gone!)
Click to expand...
And wasn’t terrible going out and shooting under par at PGA National with those for you either 😀
 
JB said:
And wasn’t terrible going out and shooting under par at PGA National with those for you either 😀
Click to expand...

I might have understated how much I like them :D ! That was so much fun, best new club day ever. I cannot wait to get get on course again.
 
GraniteRoost said:
I might have understated how much I like them :D ! That was so much fun, best new club day ever. I cannot wait to get get on course again.
Click to expand...

That was a great weekend. We will have to do it again sometime :D
 
JB said:
That was a great weekend. We will have to do it again sometime :D
Click to expand...

I'm there in a heartbeat, I like how you think! THP and UST made such a memorable weekend for us, I've enjoyed the memories every day since. #TheGraphiteChallenge
 
The live stream today was fantastic. My favorite part was @DannyLe setting his girls up for success on the LPGA Tour with a practice facility during this quarantine madness. My girls have been hitting a lot of balls with me in the front yard these last few weeks too.

You guys covered a TON of great shaft info in that video. I totally enjoyed this. Thanks for the great stream and contest!
 
GraniteRoost said:
The live stream today was fantastic. My favorite part was @DannyLe setting his girls up for success on the LPGA Tour with a practice facility during this quarantine madness. My girls have been hitting a lot of balls with me in the front yard these last few weeks too.

You guys covered a TON of great shaft info in that video. I totally enjoyed this. Thanks for the great stream and contest!
Click to expand...
You are welcome. We are going to do another one I am sure
 
@DannyLe anY chance UST releases a putter shaft in the future?
 
I really enjoyed the discussion this morning!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top