Great initial thoughts guys. I like the sound of "stable" and "fluid". Looking forward to your thoughts as you become more familiar with the shafts.
Grandura Shafts Review Thread
BamBooBender
See-Moe
Going to hold off on the alterations, just recorded 3 of the highest ball speeds I have ever produced in the config it was sent in!
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Oh snap! I'm looking forward to get getting mine on the course this weekend.
- Moderator
- #130
While I think the 510-590 numerations will help golfers to achieve the ideal flight and spin, I don't think it's a dead-on science when it comes to the overall flighting. What I mean is, just because you want to hit drives that scare the worms, don't think the only shaft you can accomplish that with is the 510.
On the range tonight with the 530 65x set in the 816 DBD (neutral 9* of loft) I was getting what I would deem to be exactly what is advertised. Low to low/mid flight (unless I bailed on a swing) and what seems like a really spin limited flighting as it was not ballooning but rather peaking and then continuing to drive forward as it descended. It'll be very interesting to get some numbers for spin, descent angle, and launch angle. I'll do what I can to have those numbers along with reports from rounds this weekend as the golf should be plentiful.
I find it very difficult to accommodate conversation around 'feeling' the shaft as I believe a lot of it is good timing (doesn't matter what shaft you cast, it's going to load like garbage) and driver head sound (and where the contact is made on the face). With those pieces in place, I can confidently say that the Grandura performed to expectations in each facet. It was well connected with the driver head in the swing and my timing was really strong tonight.
Yes, I know what the 530 is SUPPOSED to do (I was really kind of digging the idea of not knowing). For the record, I foolishly ASSUMED I'd see higher flight and shrugged at the number after anticipating a 510. I absolutely LOVE it when my stupidity gets the best of me and a shaft/club surprises. With that in mind, the 530 in X is advertised as low/mid - low and I think they are accomplishing that well is a very reasonably weighted package.
I don't feel Nano, but I feel surprised by Grandura.
On the range tonight with the 530 65x set in the 816 DBD (neutral 9* of loft) I was getting what I would deem to be exactly what is advertised. Low to low/mid flight (unless I bailed on a swing) and what seems like a really spin limited flighting as it was not ballooning but rather peaking and then continuing to drive forward as it descended. It'll be very interesting to get some numbers for spin, descent angle, and launch angle. I'll do what I can to have those numbers along with reports from rounds this weekend as the golf should be plentiful.
I find it very difficult to accommodate conversation around 'feeling' the shaft as I believe a lot of it is good timing (doesn't matter what shaft you cast, it's going to load like garbage) and driver head sound (and where the contact is made on the face). With those pieces in place, I can confidently say that the Grandura performed to expectations in each facet. It was well connected with the driver head in the swing and my timing was really strong tonight.
Yes, I know what the 530 is SUPPOSED to do (I was really kind of digging the idea of not knowing). For the record, I foolishly ASSUMED I'd see higher flight and shrugged at the number after anticipating a 510. I absolutely LOVE it when my stupidity gets the best of me and a shaft/club surprises. With that in mind, the 530 in X is advertised as low/mid - low and I think they are accomplishing that well is a very reasonably weighted package.
I don't feel Nano, but I feel surprised by Grandura.
golfinFF
Active member
Dan I want to hit your set up!
Great thoughts as well and it sounds like you might have found a setup that gives you a flight that's not moon balls.
Great thoughts as well and it sounds like you might have found a setup that gives you a flight that's not moon balls.
BamBooBender
See-Moe
Sorry for the teaser, but I had to drive an hour to get back home. I really was not expecting to be so pleasantly surprised as I was this evening. I mean, I figured the Grandura shaft would be great, but I had no idea. I went in today expecting to leave the shaft to have it lengthened and the grip built up, but the way I was hitting it made me pause. The guy was busy so I hit some on the sim while I was waiting. It's just a sim mind you, but I find the ball speed numbers to be pretty accurate. The first shot really surprised me, and then the next three blew me away. The ball speeds were 158, 162, and 159 with my home run swing. I have never even really sniffed ball speeds in the 160's before, 157 was my highest to date and that was a rarity. I'm pretty blown away at the moment, to say the least. My mind is reeling thinking what this might be like with a better head. the dispersion I was seeing today was pretty great as well. I have to do some more reading about the 550 shaft, but I swear it must have a high balance point like the shaft in the G30 ls tec I liked so much earlier this year. Feels like I'm just crushing it! I'm babbling now, but I can't help it, I'm more stoked than ever about this now! I just was not expecting to be so blown away!
jlukes- my 590 is actually in a fly-z right now, and my ball flight once I made this change was better classified as mid. thanks for putting together that table!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Another 18 in the books.
I continue to see a mid launch with the ability to get a higher launch when I catch the top part of the face.
Hit some nice drives into a stiff breeze and the ball cuts through the wind - no spin issues whatsoever.
I have been holding off on making any distance claims, but after two rounds on my "home course", I can safely say that I am seeing more distance. This morning the course was moist and there was virtually no roll, but I was typically 5-8 yards closer than I have been in the past. No launch numbers here, but based on what I am seeing visually, I would bet those extra yards are coming from closer to ideal launch/spin numbers rather than any increase in ball speeds - but again, it's purely visual at this point.
What I am really impressed with thus far is the distance I am seeing when I leave the face open and hit a fade. I don't know what characteristics of the shaft are helping (lower torque? overall profile?), but clearly it is resulting in less spin when I miss with my fade.
I continue to see a mid launch with the ability to get a higher launch when I catch the top part of the face.
Hit some nice drives into a stiff breeze and the ball cuts through the wind - no spin issues whatsoever.
I have been holding off on making any distance claims, but after two rounds on my "home course", I can safely say that I am seeing more distance. This morning the course was moist and there was virtually no roll, but I was typically 5-8 yards closer than I have been in the past. No launch numbers here, but based on what I am seeing visually, I would bet those extra yards are coming from closer to ideal launch/spin numbers rather than any increase in ball speeds - but again, it's purely visual at this point.
What I am really impressed with thus far is the distance I am seeing when I leave the face open and hit a fade. I don't know what characteristics of the shaft are helping (lower torque? overall profile?), but clearly it is resulting in less spin when I miss with my fade.
- Staff
- #135
More time with the 590 yesterday, frankly I'm surprised by just how much of a launcher it is, this is something that is definitely good to see since so many shafts that are classified as being higher launch never truly test out that way. The other part of that puzzle is obviously spin and I've not even considered testing those numbers just yet because that enters the "fit" realm and not the shaft performance realm we are supposed to concentrate on. I will say I'm not seeing any crazy jumps right now, though I did end up turning my driver head down a degree.
The big thing for me that is most visible is the dispersion, its been really solid given the weight of the profile I'm gaming (57g). Additionally the flex is holding up well to the different moves I put on it, no strange or unexpected things thus far. Most enjoyable is how "together" the shaft feels through the swing, thats that stable word creeping in again.
More soon for sure.
The big thing for me that is most visible is the dispersion, its been really solid given the weight of the profile I'm gaming (57g). Additionally the flex is holding up well to the different moves I put on it, no strange or unexpected things thus far. Most enjoyable is how "together" the shaft feels through the swing, thats that stable word creeping in again.
More soon for sure.
There's been a few comments about the texture of the shaft itself, is it similar to the Proforce V2 or the blackbird cobra had in the long Tom?
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
Got to get out for a round today even though it's the wife's birthday. Played from the tips to give the shaft a better workout and put together my best front 9 of the year. My swing was not quite as on as the other day but the results were still fairly impressive.
Cold hard facts: I am hitting more fairways. My scores have dropped with the shaft in the bag.
Ball Flight: It was a windy day which was at my back for some holes and in my face on others. I had no issues trying to control the flight and keep it lower when needed to and letting it fly higher when the time was right. I have been fit to a low launch and spin shaft for a reason and the flight I am getting is certainly in line with other shafts in the category. With that said, the 510's profile shouldn't scare those away who think they won't be able to elevate the ball with this shaft.
Graphics: I am not sure if this was done on purpose by Grandura (I am guessing it was), but the shaft graphics are really helping my alignment and helping me keep the face angle square to the target. It is something that I really have struggled with for whatever reason, but way the graphics set-up for me at address have helped this issue. Almost like the RST on SeeMore putters.
I am guessing that has also helped the improved dispersion I am seeing and more fairways being hit.
Distance: I am seeing similar numbers here to what I had been seeing before the shaft.
I am really enjoying the shaft so far and feel pretty confident with the driver in my hand. It seems like when I do miss, I end up in a better spot closer to the fairway than I expected.
Cold hard facts: I am hitting more fairways. My scores have dropped with the shaft in the bag.
Ball Flight: It was a windy day which was at my back for some holes and in my face on others. I had no issues trying to control the flight and keep it lower when needed to and letting it fly higher when the time was right. I have been fit to a low launch and spin shaft for a reason and the flight I am getting is certainly in line with other shafts in the category. With that said, the 510's profile shouldn't scare those away who think they won't be able to elevate the ball with this shaft.
Graphics: I am not sure if this was done on purpose by Grandura (I am guessing it was), but the shaft graphics are really helping my alignment and helping me keep the face angle square to the target. It is something that I really have struggled with for whatever reason, but way the graphics set-up for me at address have helped this issue. Almost like the RST on SeeMore putters.
I am guessing that has also helped the improved dispersion I am seeing and more fairways being hit.
Distance: I am seeing similar numbers here to what I had been seeing before the shaft.
I am really enjoying the shaft so far and feel pretty confident with the driver in my hand. It seems like when I do miss, I end up in a better spot closer to the fairway than I expected.
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
I think it is 4g lighter than the Graphite Design AD BB 7S I was playing.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
I think It's intentional as mine lines up like that as well. It's subtle but actually pleasant to look down at I'll agree. It's early but so far I don't think anyone of us have seen just flat out negatives from these. I know it's not about how well they fit us but the fact that they just happened to be giving everyone something positive is pretty awesome I think.Got to get out for a round today even though it's the wife's birthday. Played from the tips to give the shaft a better workout and put together my best front 9 of the year. My swing was not quite as on as the other day but the results were still fairly impressive.
Cold hard facts: I am hitting more fairways. My scores have dropped with the shaft in the bag.
Ball Flight: It was a windy day which was at my back for some holes and in my face on others. I had no issues trying to control the flight and keep it lower when needed to and letting it fly higher when the time was right. I have been fit to a low launch and spin shaft for a reason and the flight I am getting is certainly in line with other shafts in the category. With that said, the 510's profile shouldn't scare those away who think they won't be able to elevate the ball with this shaft.
Graphics: I am not sure if this was done on purpose by Grandura (I am guessing it was), but the shaft graphics are really helping my alignment and helping me keep the face angle square to the target. It is something that I really have struggled with for whatever reason, but way the graphics set-up for me at address have helped this issue. Almost like the RST on SeeMore putters.
I am guessing that has also helped the improved dispersion I am seeing and more fairways being hit.
Distance: I am seeing similar numbers here to what I had been seeing before the shaft.
I am really enjoying the shaft so far and feel pretty confident with the driver in my hand. It seems like when I do miss, I end up in a better spot closer to the fairway than I expected.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
On the course now, first official drive was ABSOLUTELY NUTTED!! Easily 10yrs past where I normally am but missed the fw right by about 15yrds. I'm report back and edit this post with the rest. Just excited lol
- Staff
- #144
Mine was delivered today as I was pulling out to head to the campsite for the holiday weekend. Obviously I needed to pause and tear it open. Pics will have to wait until Monday( I know party foul), but here is what arrived. 530 TS with a FlexLoft tip installed. Outside of the thinking how great these shafts look, but initial reaction was what the heck am I going to do with a TS flex shaft. But I trust TG that I can't wait to see what comes of it. It's also very long, a solid 1.5 inches longer than the shaft I was playing in that driver, so I will attend to that Monday as well. The red label with the red driver head make for one great looking pairing.
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
It will be fun to see how the tour stiff works for you. Have a great weekend.
fantastic write up. I had an actual 18 holes with this today, and will write up some feedback later.
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Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Just got back from my first round with the 550. All I can say it's wow! I had some absolute bombs with this. I turned my driver down to 11* just to see what height I get out of this and it's fantastic. Their site said the 550 meshes well with someone using a low lofted driver so I figured I'd turn mine down a notch just to see. Not only am I seeing some great height still but I'm seeing quite a bit of roll, honestly I'm very surprised. I'll admit I've been working on my aoa but still compared to my Speeder 757 I'm seeing much more height and the same roll which lead to some very very nice drives. I even had one of my longest at 290 on the 3rd hole which my partner said "wow that was killed". I definitely don't usually sniff 290 with my other setup. They advertise this
I used driver 4 times I can honestly say that I'm seeing exactly the flight being described. It climbs high and stays up but the nicest thing is it doesn't just fall out of the sky. The height surprised me the other day at the range but the descent and roll I saw on the course was equally impressive. I initially thought spin would be an issue especially with my aoa flaws i've been working on but they seemed to have it dialed in nicely with the height. My dispersion was a bit off and I missed the fw 3 of the 4 times but not by much at all and I can't blame the shaft, pretty sure that's me. The one I bombed dead center and hit 290, one was a towering shot but went further left than I wanted, one rolled through the fw and the other hit this tree that sits in the middle and shot hard left. That tree I've never ever ever hit before! I am usually comfortably short of it and I roll underneath or fall short of it but tonight I hit the damn thing half way up! It smacked hard and shot left but I couldn't be too mad about that lol that distance is awesome for me. If we ended right now and I had to choose between the 550 and my 757 id honestly go with 550. It flat out impressed me tonight I'm looking forward to getting it in play again this weekend.
I used driver 4 times I can honestly say that I'm seeing exactly the flight being described. It climbs high and stays up but the nicest thing is it doesn't just fall out of the sky. The height surprised me the other day at the range but the descent and roll I saw on the course was equally impressive. I initially thought spin would be an issue especially with my aoa flaws i've been working on but they seemed to have it dialed in nicely with the height. My dispersion was a bit off and I missed the fw 3 of the 4 times but not by much at all and I can't blame the shaft, pretty sure that's me. The one I bombed dead center and hit 290, one was a towering shot but went further left than I wanted, one rolled through the fw and the other hit this tree that sits in the middle and shot hard left. That tree I've never ever ever hit before! I am usually comfortably short of it and I roll underneath or fall short of it but tonight I hit the damn thing half way up! It smacked hard and shot left but I couldn't be too mad about that lol that distance is awesome for me. If we ended right now and I had to choose between the 550 and my 757 id honestly go with 550. It flat out impressed me tonight I'm looking forward to getting it in play again this weekend.
Grandura Shafts Review Thread
played 18 today, and hit the range afterwards. I wasn't able to devote as much time to the testing as I'd like because I was a guest at a club and the pace of play was blinding (3:30 for a foursome).
on the whole, it was a rough ball striking day for me. it started off promising with a hammered drive on #1. the hole is a sharp dogleg left in which you can cut the corner. I layered the top of the bunker that defines the corner at 225, and I carried it by 10-15y with a penetrating flight.
through the round, I couldn't help but notice how the stiff the TS was playing. it's stout for a 98-100mph swing. it feels good, but it needs to be loaded. again, it could have just been a poor driver swing day.
I was very impressed with forgiveness today. there were a few drives that I knew I missed, but distance was still respectable.
the most interesting aspect of today's round was that the flight was not high. a swing or two in which I was trying to launch it, the shot came off poorly. but I also knew I didn't catch it, so it's hard to draw any conclusions.
the time on the range after the round was great. I was crushing the flight-controlled range balls, straight or with a small fade. and high, but driving.
will be at the range tomorrow, then maybe playing a round Sunday afternoon, and I'll definitely be more focused.
to sum up, this is so far a better performer when it doesn't matter than when it does. but that's user error, and often what happens when something new is in the bag for a first run.
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played 18 today, and hit the range afterwards. I wasn't able to devote as much time to the testing as I'd like because I was a guest at a club and the pace of play was blinding (3:30 for a foursome).
on the whole, it was a rough ball striking day for me. it started off promising with a hammered drive on #1. the hole is a sharp dogleg left in which you can cut the corner. I layered the top of the bunker that defines the corner at 225, and I carried it by 10-15y with a penetrating flight.
through the round, I couldn't help but notice how the stiff the TS was playing. it's stout for a 98-100mph swing. it feels good, but it needs to be loaded. again, it could have just been a poor driver swing day.
I was very impressed with forgiveness today. there were a few drives that I knew I missed, but distance was still respectable.
the most interesting aspect of today's round was that the flight was not high. a swing or two in which I was trying to launch it, the shot came off poorly. but I also knew I didn't catch it, so it's hard to draw any conclusions.
the time on the range after the round was great. I was crushing the flight-controlled range balls, straight or with a small fade. and high, but driving.
will be at the range tomorrow, then maybe playing a round Sunday afternoon, and I'll definitely be more focused.
to sum up, this is so far a better performer when it doesn't matter than when it does. but that's user error, and often what happens when something new is in the bag for a first run.
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took the 590 TS to the range today. got a large bucket and started pounding away. my goal was to continue to see how responsive the shaft was to flighting and shaping, and whether I find the shaft to be high launching. I took out a recently acquired graphite design tour ad mj-6s cut to the identical length as the Grandura for just a little comparison, but I hit at least 5 balls with the Grandura to every 1 ball with the mj.
to quickly recap, I loved this shaft on an lm, found a mixed bag on the course, and this range session was the 3rd test.
in a word, this test was middling. dispersion continues to be where this shaft shines. my impression that the shaft - at least at ts flex - needs to be lagged remains. throw it a bit and the shaft launches mid; lag it and it explodes high and penetratingly forward. but both swings are in play.
out of 80% of a large bucket of balls, I hit 1 perfect shot. aoa was perfect, contact was dead center, and carry was lasered at 230 with floater range balls. the rest of the shots again were a mixed bag wrt trajectory. I feel like lower-face contact shots try to climb high, but a more neutral aoa is a flat, boring mid trajectory for me. only when I hit up on the ball does the shaft really perform as advertised. but interestingly, the higher spin of the fly-z almost works to negate the benefits of the positive aoa when considering total distance. I have access to a fly-z+ and will hopefully get a round in this week to test whether a low spin head maximizes this shaft's potential.
the handful of balls I hit with the mj were far more to my liking than the 590. but that's more about this reviewer than the shaft itself.
regarding flighting and shaping, I find it relatively easy to do both. the shaft is very responsive. in my experience, responsive shafts often sacrifice stability and control, but the Grandura holds up like a champ. if you're someone who is looking to find more fairways, you'd be hard pressed to find a better shaft than Grandura.
the takeaway from today is that dispersion and stability continue to be extraordinarily impressive with this shaft. I'm not yet seeing "live" launch results that are as good as the lm, but that's a result of this hacker's inconsistent swing. more to come.
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to quickly recap, I loved this shaft on an lm, found a mixed bag on the course, and this range session was the 3rd test.
in a word, this test was middling. dispersion continues to be where this shaft shines. my impression that the shaft - at least at ts flex - needs to be lagged remains. throw it a bit and the shaft launches mid; lag it and it explodes high and penetratingly forward. but both swings are in play.
out of 80% of a large bucket of balls, I hit 1 perfect shot. aoa was perfect, contact was dead center, and carry was lasered at 230 with floater range balls. the rest of the shots again were a mixed bag wrt trajectory. I feel like lower-face contact shots try to climb high, but a more neutral aoa is a flat, boring mid trajectory for me. only when I hit up on the ball does the shaft really perform as advertised. but interestingly, the higher spin of the fly-z almost works to negate the benefits of the positive aoa when considering total distance. I have access to a fly-z+ and will hopefully get a round in this week to test whether a low spin head maximizes this shaft's potential.
the handful of balls I hit with the mj were far more to my liking than the 590. but that's more about this reviewer than the shaft itself.
regarding flighting and shaping, I find it relatively easy to do both. the shaft is very responsive. in my experience, responsive shafts often sacrifice stability and control, but the Grandura holds up like a champ. if you're someone who is looking to find more fairways, you'd be hard pressed to find a better shaft than Grandura.
the takeaway from today is that dispersion and stability continue to be extraordinarily impressive with this shaft. I'm not yet seeing "live" launch results that are as good as the lm, but that's a result of this hacker's inconsistent swing. more to come.
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Played my first 18 holes & have some thoughts:
Flex: previously from my range session I mentioned that maybe I could go down a flex from stiff and be ok. While the thought is still there, it's not as bad as I previously thought. Playing the course and taking swings that counted really opened my eyes. This flex is just fine.
Dispersion: this is where the shaft shines. I hit 8fwys, of the 6 I missed 4 rolled through the fairway into the first cut. On my good swings off the tee the balls held the intended line and were no more than a few yards offline. I'm really impressed. A shaft will not cure bad swings or lazy swings, but on those shots where you didn't hit the center of the face, I've observed less spin and balls landing in areas where the tee shot is not penalized and the player can adequately recover.
Feel: many have used "stable" when describing this shaft & that is accurate. So far the shaft has performed true to flex and with my smooth transition from the top I feel the club head throughout the downswing and I feel like the shaft wants to assist in squaring the club at impact. The "loading/unloading" aspect is so different with each player so it's hard to give an opinion other than the shaft and the properties used to build definitely aide to enable a player to hit consistent tee shots and reward great swings.
More to come & as always any questions ask away.
Flex: previously from my range session I mentioned that maybe I could go down a flex from stiff and be ok. While the thought is still there, it's not as bad as I previously thought. Playing the course and taking swings that counted really opened my eyes. This flex is just fine.
Dispersion: this is where the shaft shines. I hit 8fwys, of the 6 I missed 4 rolled through the fairway into the first cut. On my good swings off the tee the balls held the intended line and were no more than a few yards offline. I'm really impressed. A shaft will not cure bad swings or lazy swings, but on those shots where you didn't hit the center of the face, I've observed less spin and balls landing in areas where the tee shot is not penalized and the player can adequately recover.
Feel: many have used "stable" when describing this shaft & that is accurate. So far the shaft has performed true to flex and with my smooth transition from the top I feel the club head throughout the downswing and I feel like the shaft wants to assist in squaring the club at impact. The "loading/unloading" aspect is so different with each player so it's hard to give an opinion other than the shaft and the properties used to build definitely aide to enable a player to hit consistent tee shots and reward great swings.
More to come & as always any questions ask away.