Readers of THP are likely familiar with Robin Arthur and his Xcaliber brand of shafts. A key figure in the golf shaft industry for years, this latest venture has been a journey, but within that the Rapid Taper has stood out. We have reviewed the RTI 105 irons shafts (here: Xcaliber Rapid Taper 105 Iron Shaft Review – The Hackers Paradise) as well as the lighter weights in utilities (here: XCaliber Rapid Taper Iron Shaft Review – The Hackers Paradise), but now Robin and company believe they can work well in hybrids as well.
Quick Take – XCaliber Rapid Taper Hybrid
The performance of the Rapid Taper design has once again done nothing but impress. With remarkable energy transfer for efficient speed along a plethora of weight options to find the proper fit, the already high-performance iron shaft now shows they can play well in hybrids. The issue here will be access, can Xcaliber finally make them more widely available? That is the real hurdle.
Rapid Taper Technology
If you want a super detailed rundown of the tech, I urge you to take the time to look into the previous reviews which are linked up above. However, a quick breakdown of the technology is still worthwhile here as well.
The idea behind Rapid Taper came from Robin Arthur, founder of Xcaliber, thinking about how a bullwhip is designed and functions. There is a distinct transfer of energy from the buildup, the flow, and then release, much of which comes from the tapered shape of the whip. That is where the unique shape of the Rapid Taper comes from, to mimic that look and thus obtain similar benefits. It took them seven years to perfect the design, and since then, Xcaliber have turned it into four different weight classes.
We have well documented their performance with irons and utilities, but Xcaliber believes there is also usefulness in hybrid. Is there? Read on to find out.
XCaliber Rapid Taper Hybrid Performance
We received five different Rapid Taper iron shafts for this review, which overall is both very cool in terms of seeing just how they all acclimate to a hybrid, and at the same time a bit overwhelming when it comes to figuring out the best setup to test them. Xcaliber sent us the 75S, 85S, 95S, 105R+, and 105S+ to work with, and for the sake of keeping things the same, I elected to test them in a Callaway Paradym Super Hybrid lofted at 21 degrees.
All five shafts were cut to the same length with the same grip for this, but I also wanted to take a closer look at the stiffness. The reason for that is in my previous Rapid Taper reviews, I always found them to be a bit more stout than stated flex, even in the lightest weights. So, using the frequency analyzer, all CPM’s were measured and all five shafts came back within the realm of their stated flex. How did that correlate to feel in the swing? With all five of the shafts being surprisingly stable, even the RTI75.
When I say stable, I do not mean boardy. No, in my testing it turned out that the bullwhip like design of the Rapid Taper shafts provided a clear ease in their transfer of energy through the swing. There was no wild kick or hard loading sensation through any of the different weights, but the ball speeds for every single one of the RTI’s were higher than the setup I previously had in the Super Hybrid, 2-3 MPH across the board.
| Callaway Super Hybrid 21 | BALL SPEED | LAUNCH | SPIN | CARRY | TOTAL | HEIGHT | OFFLINE |
| RTI 75S | 144 | 15 | 4665 | 222 | 239 | 35Y | 13Y R |
| RTI 85S | 144 | 15 | 4601 | 223 | 240 | 35Y | 9Y R |
| RTI 95S | 143 | 16 | 4442 | 224 | 241 | 37Y | 8Y R |
| RTI 105R+ | 144 | 16 | 4608 | 223 | 240 | 37Y | 3Y R |
| RTI 105S+ | 144 | 17 | 4776 | 220 | 237 | 39Y | 2Y L |
The data set above is the average for each of the five Rapid Taper shafts, each set consisted of ten swings with the worst two thrown out in order to bring a well-rounded outlook. Initially, the thing which might surprise is the ball speeds being almost identical despite the 30g of weight differences across them. However, that to me is where the stoutness and stability of the design was showing its efficiency in the various weights.
Naturally, from there, the data looks eerily similar apart from the directional tendency overall, as well as the peak heights. I was openly surprised that the lighter shafts launched lower for me than the heavier ones, until I took personal fit into the equation. As you can see, as the weight went up, my direction shifted more left, that is because for me there was a comfort and fit level in the heavier shafts which I didn’t have in the lighter ones. That had me hanging on to the face a bit with the lighter options.
What does it all mean though? In my opinion, it means that there is a massive versatility to the Rapid Taper shafts from Xcaliber, and with so many weight options (and flexes) now, there really is a fitting option for everyone.
The Details – XCaliber Rapid Taper Hybrid
The performance that I saw out of a $49.99 shaft in the hybrid head was just as impressive as when I reviewed them in irons, these are true performers. However, the issue that Xcaliber faces remains the same, access. At this time the shafts are available directly from xcalibershafts.com and many fitters across the country, and while that is fantastic, they have to find a way to be seen more. That, is the journey I am most curious about for Xcaliber.
