When Xcaliber is brought up in conversation, the brand can elicit responses all over the map, some good, some not so good, but the constant is the man behind the brand knows his stuff. Robin Arthur has been in shaft design from the beginning and has his name on some of the most successful creations of all time. He founded Xcaliber around the basis of doing something different and outside the box, but still high performing and accessible. Have there been ups and downs? Sure. But it would appear that a solid direction is finally on the horizon, which is welcome news.
There is no better example of that than the company’s Rapid Taper iron shafts. We have reviewed the initial version, the 75, here on THP, and since that time the company has created 85g and 95g iterations as well. Constantly, the feedback has been nothing but impressive, so when Xcaliber announced they were releasing a 105g version of the Rapid Taper, we just had to get our hands on them.

Quick Take
This is the weight range which could open all the doors for Xcaliber if they can get the product into the hands of golfers. The Rapid Taper 105’s are everything their 75, 85, and 95 gram siblings are, and then some. Outright performance through efficient energy transfer which brings impressive potential of not just ball speed, but launch, playable spin, and accuracy.
The Rapid Taper Concept
While I have touched on the design principles behind Rapid Taper in past articles, this deserves going over once again for those new to the fray, and with a 105g option, I believe there will be a lot of new interests in Rapid Taper.

The premise behind the Xcaliber Rapid Taper is built around how a bullwhip works through the build-up, flow, and release of energy. Much of that is due to the shape and taper of the bullwhip, from being thicker at the handle and rapidly tapering to the end. More important to emphasize is the Rapid Taper is a design that Arthur and company worked on and tweaked for over 7 years. First culminating in a wedge design, the concept proved its worth in testing which led to the Rapid Taper implementation into 75, 85, and 95 gram iron offerings.
Most important? In all significant testing, including ours here at THP, the design has been validated time and again. So, do the new Rapid Taper 105 iron shafts perform like their counterparts? Read on to find out.

Xcaliber RTI105
As has been the case with all other Rapid Taper iron shafts from Xcaliber, their testing has shown ball speed gains from 2 to 5 MPH pretty much across the board. Previously, in the RTI75 and RTI95 that I worked with, I saw results within, and in some cases exceeding, that. One thing that always stuck on my mind with those previous tests was that they were much lighter than I played at the time, and while stability wasn’t an issue, lighter can mean faster.
So, enter the RTI105, and a weight I am much more familiar with. In fact, over the past year I have made it an effort to get into that 105-115g range as much as possible and away from the 120g+ designs I continually fit into. Add to that, the desire to be in graphite with as much golf as I play with my review and coaching jobs, and there was a lot to be curious about here.

While the 105g weight is well established via the name, these are .370 parallel tip graphite iron shafts with a 5.5” tip section and the set I have been working with are “stiff” flex, which according to Xcaliber covers the gamut of 100-125 MPH driver swing speeds. While that is an impressive range of speeds, testing has backed that up for the company, and it is also worth remembering as a parallel design which requires tipping through the set, you can alter that to dial that fitting range in even more.
For this review I installed the shafts into Titleist T100S irons in 5-GW, and yes, with them being .370 there was some additional prep done to make the install possible. Beyond that, they were tip trimmed to standard recommendations and butt cut to my fit playing length. As for testing, I put the RTI105’s through their paces both on the course as well as on a Foresight launch monitor for data collection that you will see through the rest of the article. Rather than focus on a single club, however, I thought the most thorough way to dive into performance would be to look at 5, 7, 9, and GW specifically.

Visually, the Rapid Taper design remains one of the most unique looks out there. While it isn’t anything new for graphite iron shafts to look a bit different, the taper here, and how quickly it takes place, is something new compared to any other option out there. But rest easy, at setup the look is not off putting where the shape goes, and thankfully there are new graphics coming (pictured earlier) which are considerably toned down from the previous version and on a matte black body it should be much more accepted.

To the meat and potatoes though, these are good, quite good. As you can see through the data, there was a lot to like for me. The T100S are very familiar irons and coming from slightly heavier steel in them, I anticipated a speed jump, but what I saw was right around 3 MPH of additional ball speed comparatively for each club I recorded data.

All in all, I saw better launch, more playable spin numbers, excellent peak height and decent angles as well. Mix all that up, and I saw a notable jump in carry numbers too. However, both on course and monitor it was the efficiency of the RTI105’s and how they achieved all these things that stood out to me. While both the 75 and 95 held up fine for me in the past, the 105g weight proved to be a better weight fit and/or comfort.

On course, I pressed hard to test the playability of the setup. Putting them in a more compact players cavity was done with a specific reasoning, the T100S profile is built to do it all, and the shaft must either compliment or accentuate that. I was able to flight the ball up and down along with carving out shapes that were necessary for the shot in front of me. That is the ultimate test I can throw at a setup, and more proof in my mind that Xcaliber truly does have something potentially special here with the Rapid Taper design.
Now, can they get out of their own way and get them into the hands of golfers to try? That might just be the real test for Xcaliber. What do you think of the Rapid Taper design? Are they something you would seek out to try? Let us know on the THP Community as well as the comments below!
For more information on this line or any of the Xcaliber products, check out their website here.
The Details
Availability: July 2022
Price: $44.99
Flex: R, S
Tip: .370 w/ 5.5” Parallel
Weight: 105g
980×425
[QUOTE=”Chef23, post: 11870516, member: 48542″]
Those look awesome.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks. They look awesome, but I’m sure they are more than capable of shanking 5-6 balls into the next fairway with my game.
Well, PayPal resolved the issue with a full refund.
Can’t say that I’m happy to have it result to this.
If he shows up, I’ll try to buy up the RT inventory the heck with the driver lines. The RT iron shafts need to live on.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[QUOTE=”Popeye, post: 11884459, member: 32373″]
Well, PayPal resolved the issue with a full refund.
Can’t say that I’m happy to have it result to this.
If he shows up, I’ll try to buy up the RT inventory the heck with the driver lines. The RT iron shafts need to live on.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[/QUOTE]
RT shafts are so good.
I’ve sent an email to the factory to check on a production run.
Even if for my own inventory. I asked for matte black with the gold rings. Only weight and flex printed.
I always had to pay for my own inventory. I’ve done my own production runs before. I’m technically 10% owner. 10% of nothing was always nothing. So it shouldn’t be an issue.
The flex and weight I use and have almost always built from is 105 S+, 105 R+, 95 S and 75A. The other weights have been very few and far between but quite a few of those stated weights. I may consider the 95 R.
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[QUOTE=”Popeye, post: 11915956, member: 32373″]
I’ve sent an email to the factory to check on a production run.
Even if for my own inventory. I asked for matte black with the gold rings. Only weight and flex printed.
I always had to pay for my own inventory. I’ve done my own production runs before. I’m technically 10% owner. 10% of nothing was always nothing. So it shouldn’t be an issue.
The flex and weight I use and have almost always built from is 105 S+, 105 R+, 95 S and 75A. The other weights have been very few and far between but quite a few of those stated weights. I may consider the 95 R.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[/QUOTE]
Hope you can figure out a way to keep these available. Wish you could get controlling interest of company.
Robin has resurfaced. He says he has hired some sort of management/media firm. Hopefully, this will add some stability.
I believe shipping will now get back to normal.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[QUOTE=”Popeye, post: 11933966, member: 32373″]
Robin has resurfaced. He says he has hired some sort of management/media firm. Hopefully, this will add some stability.
I believe shipping will now get back to normal.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they had an announcement on social the other day that shipping had restarted.
When I first got involved full time with Robin, it was just after the Golfworks departure. Things were quiet and in a precarious spot. He sent me a sample 75g S Rapid taper.
Built it up and went to the range. The first swing was a wow.. The second swing was just as sublime. I dropped the club and immediately called him. I asked if he realized what he had. That was almost 5 years ago. I’ve actually lost track of the time.
The journey to get the shafts to where they are was a fun, unforgettable journey. I truly believe that they are one of the top iron shafts available. Extremely versatile and have a feel unmatched by anything. Performance wise as well IMHO.
The work was purely a ‘passion for the game’ venture. And it was a lot of tireless work. I want nothing more than these shafts to continue converting players to their uniquely wonderful properties.
Hopefully, things will settle down, that these remain available, and viable options.
I’m going to buy up 50 of the 105g shafts split between the S+ and R+. Just to have on hand
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[QUOTE=”Popeye, post: 11937992, member: 32373″]
When I first got involved full time with Robin, it was just after the Golfworks departure. Things were quiet and in a precarious spot. He sent me a sample 75g S Rapid taper.
Built it up and went to the range. The first swing was a wow.. The second swing was just as sublime. I dropped the club and immediately called him. I asked if he realized what he had. That was almost 5 years ago. I’ve actually lost track of the time.
The journey to get the shafts to where they are was a fun, unforgettable journey. I truly believe that they are one of the top iron shafts available. Extremely versatile and have a feel unmatched by anything. Performance wise as well IMHO.
The work was purely a ‘passion for the game’ venture. And it was a lot of tireless work. I want nothing more than these shafts to continue converting players to their uniquely wonderful properties.
Hopefully, things will settle down, that these remain available, and viable options.
I’m going to buy up 50 of the 105g shafts split between the S+ and R+. Just to have on hand
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[/QUOTE]
I can’t imagine there are many fitters that have these (correct me if I am wrong). Would the best way to go about trying these out is to just get one and have it installed in a 6 or 7 iron to test out and see how it goes? I dont build my own clubs so that process not as quick and easy for me but I would consider.
[QUOTE=”Wonger, post: 11943887, member: 74038″]I can’t imagine there are many fitters that have these (correct me if I am wrong). Would the best way to go about trying these out is to just get one and have it installed in a 6 or 7 iron to test out and see how it goes? I dont build my own clubs so that process not as quick and easy for me but I would consider.[/QUOTE]The fitters that have these is relatively small. You would have to email Xcaliber to see if you had anyone active, local.
I have some demos with Maltby heads circulating around through another group. 105 shafts 3 different flexs. I can ad you to the list. It’s in the 105g class.
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[QUOTE=”Popeye, post: 11943934, member: 32373″]
The fitters that have these is relatively small. You would have to email Xcaliber to see if you had anyone active, local.
I have some demos with Maltby heads circulating around through another group. 105 shafts 3 different flexs. I can ad you to the list. It’s in the 105g class.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
[/QUOTE]
Sweet. Yes if I could get on this list would be more than happy to have some demos to get a few swings in with. 105 is right in the wheelhouse.
[QUOTE=”Wonger, post: 11944468, member: 74038″]Sweet. Yes if I could get on this list would be more than happy to have some demos to get a few swings in with. 105 is right in the wheelhouse.[/QUOTE]Just send me a pm.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
I’m bumping this thread up for a little love after seeing Jman’s reviews popping up for Xcaliber lately. I’ve been rocking these for close to a year now in my Mizuno Hot Metal Pros and still really have few complaints. They feel great and they give me a bit of a whippy feel that I personally like since I use one of those sticks with the round balls on it all the time. It just kind of feels like I can mimic that tempo with them. I moved from Modus 3 Nippons’ to these for hand pain and I haven’t looked back.
The price point on these is about as competitive as it gets. I honestly got these for about $37 a pop vs. $49, but still for a heavy graphite offering $49 is about as cheap as it gets with most other competitors in the $60-$75 range. I highly recommend them if your looking to try something in the graphite market and have to pay all the reshaft costs anyway.
I hope they can get a deal with one of the big OEM brands at some point so they are offered as an OEM graphite option alongside the MMT’s, Steelfiber’s etc.
[QUOTE=”V14_Heels, post: 12303674, member: 53564″]
I’m bumping this thread up for a little love after seeing Jman’s reviews popping up for Xcaliber lately. I’ve been rocking these for close to a year now in my Mizuno Hot Metal Pros and still really have few complaints. They feel great and they give me a bit of a whippy feel that I personally like since I use one of those sticks with the round balls on it all the time. It just kind of feels like I can mimic that tempo with them. I moved from Modus 3 Nippons’ to these for hand pain and I haven’t looked back.
The price point on these is about as competitive as it gets. I honestly got these for about $37 a pop vs. $49, but still for a heavy graphite offering $49 is about as cheap as it gets with most other competitors in the $60-$75 range. I highly recommend them if your looking to try something in the graphite market and have to pay all the reshaft costs anyway.
I hope they can get a deal with one of the big OEM brands at some point so they are offered as an OEM graphite option alongside the MMT’s, Steelfiber’s etc.
[/QUOTE]
Very good value in the shaft work for sure. I play the 95s and have a set of the 100s wedge shafts ready to go in next set of wedges. RT will be my go to shaft in the future.
[USER=48542]@Chef23[/USER], when you mention the SF95’s did you play them in Stiff or in Regular flex? I currently play them in regular flex, have driver SS in 100mph range and a relatively smooth tempo. I like the SF95’s but am curious about the Xcaliber Rapid tapers
Hi [USER=32373]@Popeye[/USER], I hope I can bother you with some questions about the rapid tapers. I thought I would do it here, thinking that your answers might be of help to many. Reading through this to me it is clear you seem to have the most real life experience of these shafts with a broad group of players.
I currently play PXG gen1 p-irons with Steelfiber i95 regular shafts. Swing is fairly smooth, driver at slightly over 100mph, getting older, but getting faster since I have started working on my physique. I really enjoy the steelfibers in combination with the PXG heads, but with my increasing speed I wonder if I would be better off with heavier / stiffer shafts. Typically I would go find a fitter and test it out. But since I’m in Portugal that is really no easy option. So I’m looking for the next best thing, bring it down to 2 shafts and test those out before I jump in. I’m currently thinking those would be the 95stiff or 105 Regular.
Eventually I am going to treat myself to new irons and my thought is to stay with PXG, more current model where the swingweight can quickly and easily be adjusted by adjusting the weight screw. Gather the components, heads and shafts, and have them built to probably a D3 swing weight.
Any tips in approach or shaft advice would be much appreciated.
[QUOTE=”jimithing, post: 12447486, member: 24615″]
Hi [USER=32373]@Popeye[/USER], I hope I can bother you with some questions about the rapid tapers. I thought I would do it here, thinking that your answers might be of help to many. Reading through this to me it is clear you seem to have the most real life experience of these shafts with a broad group of players.
I currently play PXG gen1 p-irons with Steelfiber i95 regular shafts. Swing is fairly smooth, driver at slightly over 100mph, getting older, but getting faster since I have started working on my physique. I really enjoy the steelfibers in combination with the PXG heads, but with my increasing speed I wonder if I would be better off with heavier / stiffer shafts. Typically I would go find a fitter and test it out. But since I’m in Portugal that is really no easy option. So I’m looking for the next best thing, bring it down to 2 shafts and test those out before I jump in. I’m currently thinking those would be the 95stiff or 105 Regular.
Eventually I am going to treat myself to new irons and my thought is to stay with PXG, more current model where the swingweight can quickly and easily be adjusted by adjusting the weight screw. Gather the components, heads and shafts, and have them built to probably a D3 swing weight.
Any tips in approach or shaft advice would be much appreciated.
[/QUOTE]
So with your driver swing speed just over 100 and possibly improving you are right in that S flex range.
I have really become a huge fan of the 105R+ shaft hard-stepped once for a player like yourself. It will give you a smooth and very response setup. It’s also a setup that is quite happy being swung quite hard.
The flex profile of the 105 and 95 are almost identical. So the 95g shafts blend in well for the longer irons. Not everyone likes a 105g shafted long iron. They can get a bit heavy.
Being overseas you should email Robin directly. He usually gives great deals to overseas customers rather than buying right from the website. Or at least he can set up the right discount for you. [email][email protected][/email]
If he can’t help you give me a pm and I’ll see what I can do.
[QUOTE=”jimithing, post: 12447444, member: 24615″]
[USER=48542]@Chef23[/USER], when you mention the SF95’s did you play them in Stiff or in Regular flex? I currently play them in regular flex, have driver SS in 100mph range and a relatively smooth tempo. I like the SF95’s but am curious about the Xcaliber Rapid tapers
[/QUOTE]
I am playing RT95s in regular flex and have a mid 90s driver swing speed. I was playing SF95s in stiff flex and hit those a bit shorter and lower than I hit the RT 95s. I find the RT95s as stable for me as the SF95. Frankly the SF95 stiff was probably a bit too much shaft for me.
[QUOTE=”Chef23, post: 12447576, member: 48542″]
I am playing RT95s in regular flex and have a mid 90s driver swing speed. I was playing SF95s in stiff flex and hit those a bit shorter and lower than I hit the RT 95s. I find the RT95s as stable for me as the SF95. Frankly the SF95 stiff was probably a bit too much shaft for me.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for this, very helpful!
Thanks Popey. I have been reading people having good results with a mixed weight set up and that is what I am interested in as well. 105r in the g-8i and 95 in the 7i,6i. Would you recommend hardstepping those 95’s as well then? I play a 5hybrid with 95x-stiff which I will probably keep that way as it succesfully avoids the lefts. I will reach out to Robin directly. Thanks again!
[QUOTE=”jimithing, post: 12447738, member: 24615″]
Thanks Popey. I have been reading people having good results with a mixed weight set up and that is what I am interested in as well. 105r in the g-8i and 95 in the 7i,6i. Would you recommend hardstepping those 95’s as well then? I play a 5hybrid with 95x-stiff which I will probably keep that way as it succesfully avoids the lefts. I will reach out to Robin directly. Thanks again!
[/QUOTE]
I would tip the 95R shafts the same way you do the 105R+. The flex profiles will be the same.
What’s the current vibe on getting orders for these shafts filled? I know there have been some issues in the past. I have a set of irons needing some shafts and the current sale on these has me interested.
[QUOTE=”willplaysgolf, post: 12547664, member: 61852″]
What’s the current vibe on getting orders for these shafts filled? I know there have been some issues in the past. I have a set of irons needing some shafts and the current sale on these has me interested.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve placed some orders recently, they usually ship out within a day order is placed