Mercury Tour Pro-Kevlar Shaft

[LobWedge]

Before I get started here, I just want to say that I am in no way being compensated by Mercury for this testimonial (except for additional yardage ). So here goes...

THIS SHAFT ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!!

Of all the driver shafts that I have tried over the years, and I have tried more than I can count, this one is by far the best feeling, most responsive shaft I have ever used. There are shafts out there that sell for 5x as much that don't feel this good. This shaft responds to everything I can give it, and I swear that you can feel the ball squeeze against the clubface at impact.

I've had it in my driver for 2 range sessions at Kevin Haime's, the first balls I've hit since last fall, and in my last session I was hitting straight/fades with those Pinnacle range rocks in to a stiff right to left breeze and they were rolling out about half way up the small rise at the back fence. (I checked with the range folks. The fence at the back is 335 yards from the mats with the last 5 yards being the up hill rise.)

BTW - I paid less than $30 for this shaft. It's filament wound with a 6" section wrapped in kevlar near the bottom called the "kevlar kick section". Mercury certifies their raw CPM to +/- 1 for every shaft, and the shafts are delivered with the cpm marked and NBP marked.

If you're looking for what IMHO is the best shaft for the money, by far, then contact Kona Golf on this forum (his real name is Jim from Kona Golf Sales in Mississauga), or just ask Andre Cantin. You'll be glad you did.

[alien270]

im intrigued by this shaft as well
this will probably be my nxt shaft of choice

[Chieflongtee]

MERCURY shafts are spineless. Clamp them and twang them anyway you want and they will flo. I have tested many much more expensive shafts and some of them are real wobblers with at least a 10 cpm differential between the spine and NBP. Mercury shafts are a steal.

[CBrown]

Does anyone have any experience with this shaft on a Callaway GBBII driver?

I'm quite fond of my GBBII but I don't like the Callaway stock shaft. I eventually reshafted my original GBB woods with Grafalloy Prolite 45 stiff shafts and saw real improvement but I'm getting cheap in my old age and wouldn't mind a lower cost alternative (that works).

[Jeany]

tried today awesome shaft...call MR Cantin he cang et a good price on those

[mjf]

I'm in the market for a couple of shafts for a new 3 & 5 wood that I'll be building soon. The Mercury shafts have me interested due to their relatively low price and the good comments I've been hearing about them here and on the GEA board.

However, I'm wondering which Mercury shaft would be best for me in the 3/5 wood. I'm about an 8 handicap, have a 100mph Driver swing speed (approx.) and generally hit the ball low (trying to fix that with some swing improvements). I'm thinking maybe the Savage. Any thoughts?

Thanks.
MJF

[el tigre]

However, I'm wondering which Mercury shaft would be best for me in the 3/5 wood. I'm about an 8 handicap, have a 100mph Driver swing speed (approx.) and generally hit the ball low (trying to fix that with some swing improvements). I'm thinking maybe the Savage. Any thoughts?

Thanks.
MJF

The Savage is tip-stiff and tends to keep the ball down. I would think the Performance might be a better fit.

[Stephen]

I have put a Savage - regular in my driver. Although it is a regular it is firmer than any OEM regular I have seen. The shaft seems to flex in the middle more. That being said, I have a 9 degree driver and have no problems getting the ball in the air. That's not my problem my problem is keeping the ball straight.

I usually go to the Nineteenth tee on Fridays, if you want to see the shaft.

Yesterday I purchased a hybrid with the Performance shaft. It is soft tipped. The shaft has more flex than the savage but that could be because of the heavier hybrid head. Even with the heavier head I think the Performance is definetly more fexiable.

Stephen

[Kona Golf]

The Savage was designed as a light weight (65g) low(er) torque shaft for the big Driver heads today!

I has a Mid Flex as opposed the Low Flex point of the Performance. The performance is a "Standard" weight Shaft (76 grams @ 46").

Although the Savage shaft may Feel Stiffer, it is CPM certified so if it says Regular you can Count on it. I personally find them a little "Harsh" or "Boardy" But the performance of the Savage Makes up for it. I have played with them all.

The performance Shaft is a "GREAT" all round Shaft. Driver, Fairways and even .335 Hybrids. Low reliable kick point gets the ball up and "Feels" good too. Solid dependable performance in any Flex.

The performance is an unbeleivable "L" Flex. I have built a lot of Ladies clubs and have yet to have a complaint on the Performance in both Woods and Irons.

Hope this helps!

You Know what is really unbelievable?? The Price. Where else can you get this Quality for $20 or less?

Jim

[Chieflongtee]

I Recently reshafted a Taylormade driver with a Mercury Kevlar. Great shaft and it feels like butter.

[Big Johnny69]

Just picked up my driver (Golfworks CER 851TG) from The Saint who installed a Pro-Kevlar stiff shaft. Hope all these reviews are true. Getting real excited to try it out Mon. I'll report back next week after a few sessions with it.

[Big Johnny69]

After only half a round (too hot to continue) I can see what people are raving about in the feel department. You can almost feel the ball compress. As for distance, tought to tell. Played into a head and cross wind most of the day. Did bomb one out 285ish into the wind. Waiting for a calm day to compare distances. Not sure about the head though. Club feels much lighter than my old driver. Guess it will take some getting used to.

[Chieflongtee]

There is only a 3 gram difference between your old driver(203g) and your new one(200g)+- 3 grams. Not enough for any golfer to feel the difference I am afraid. I would say the shaft behaves differently than your previous one(which I know nothing about).

[Chieflongtee]

Or the weight is distributed differently since the old one was draw bias.

[Big Johnny69]

Andre, this driver is draw biased weighted. The CT was just .5* closed face. The internal weighting was neutral. I think this head feels so different is because with the head being composite there is more weight low which will just take some getting used to.

[Chieflongtee]

Is ball flight any higher or pretty much the same?

[Big Johnny69]

It's pretty much the same. Can't tell if higher or lower.

[The Saint]

How did you find the dispersion. Was it tighter than your last shaft?

I installed the Mercury Nicco-lite S flex in KZG 10.5*. The launch was optimum. I never found it too low or too high. Andre would agree.

If I hit 285 yrds into today's wind I would be smiling from ear to ear. What am I taliking about, if I hit 285 yrds with the wind I'd be smiling ear to ear.

[Big Johnny69]

Dispersion was about the same. Didn't hit all too straight today, probably the wind knocked a few off line. But all in all the same. When I get a few more swings under my belt with this driver I'll know more. But thanks again Saint for putting it together.

[The Saint]

If you want to hit the KZG give me a shout...

[Big Johnny69]

After getting two more rounds under my belt with this shaft I still have mixed feelings about it. It is more my swing than the shaft but all in all I am more happy than dissapointed with it. Wednesday's round was great. Hit a bunch of fairways and those I didn't my misses were no where near as off as with previous shafts. Yesterday's round was worse but had more to do with just not having a quality swing going. Hit one wicked slice but most had tighter dispersion but a little more off line than Wed. round. I had the Saint spine the shaft, which I have never had done before, and I think that could be contributing to the tighter dispersion. Anyone else notice this once they spined a shaft?

[Chieflongtee]

Mercury shafts do not have to be spined as they have a constant cpm 360 around the shaft.

[Big Johnny69]

Well the Saint offered it to me and the shaft is installed with graphics just off to the side instead of on top of the shaft looking down. Either way I am liking the tighter dispersion.

[Big Johnny69]

What does Mercury classify as stiff (cpm) Chief? I found this shaft a little whippy when trying to step on a drive. They would tend to pull or hook. But a smooth swing delivered my best results. Hole 15 at Mountain Creek is a 365 yarder and with a light breeze at my back put one to about 20-25ft from the green. And it didn't even feel like I crushed it. Now if I can only repeat that swing on every tee....but wouldn't we all like to repeat our best swing LOL.

[Chieflongtee]

Align it which ever way you want the shot dispersion will be the same. Been there done that. Most filament shafts are pretty stable therefore spining is useless. If the spining was done with a bearing type spine finder then it's a lost cause. Not trying to prove anybody wrong. Just stating the facts.

Read this note from John Kaufman:

http://www.csfa.com/techframe.htm

Wobble



NOTE 3: If you get into the hairiest of mathematics you'll find any shaft has two natural frequencies and they are always located 90 degrees apart on the shaft. At one point you will get one of these frequencies and by rotating the shaft 90 degrees you'll get the other. If the shaft is flexed anywhere in between both frequencies will be excited and the two will beat against one another causing the shaft to wobble. The two frequencies in a steel shaft or a filament wound graphite shaft are generally very close such that very little wobble will occur. In wrapped graphite shafts this is not always the case due to the seam and wobbling can be pretty wild. I've seen as much as 12-cpm difference between these two frequencies in some shafts. If a shaft is regular along one axis and stiff along the other how do you install it in the club? It's best to buy good shafts. Again the frequency analyzer is a great quality control device. By the way, that vibratory gyro I mentioned in an earlier Tech Note had its two natural frequencies matched to a small fraction of a part per billion. Like I said it wasn't a cheap device.

[The Saint]

Read this note from Bill Day, Golf Equipment Professional, PCS "Class A" Clubmaker, GCA Advanced Professional Clubmaker

http://www.clubmaker-online.com/spines.html

"Spines exist in all golf shafts regardless of material (steel, titanium, graphite, etc.) and regardless of manufacturing process (extruded, welded, sheet wrapped, filament wound, etc.)"....
"When a "strong point" or "spine" is approached, the shaft becomes unstable and wants to rotate "away" from the spine. Where does it go? It rotates to the nearest "valley" which is a position of stability (also called the "Neutral Bending Position" or NBP). "

I found this "strong point" on the Kevlar and orientated this "spine" in the 9 o'clock position. Would it have made a difference if I had not aligned as Bill Day explains?
Perhaps/perhaps not. However, Geoff if it matters I will reshaft with graphics aligned and you can be the judge.

Andre, as we discussed at the golf course we don't really want this debate started 'cause I know it will never end as there are countless clubmakers out there who will agrue that ALL shafts have spines... and some say they don't. .... let's leave it at that.

But enough said here.

[Big Johnny69]

The graphics don't bother me. Actually like looking down and seeing just the color of the shaft. And with the dispersion I am getting right now I don't want to mess with anything. Great job Saint, keep up the good work.

[Chieflongtee]

Read this note from Bill Day, Golf Equipment Professional, PCS "Class A" Clubmaker, GCA Advanced Professional Clubmaker

http://www.clubmaker-online.com/spines.html

"Spines exist in all golf shafts regardless of material (steel, titanium, graphite, etc.) and regardless of manufacturing process (extruded, welded, sheet wrapped, filament wound, etc.)"....
"When a "strong point" or "spine" is approached, the shaft becomes unstable and wants to rotate "away" from the spine. Where does it go? It rotates to the nearest "valley" which is a position of stability (also called the "Neutral Bending Position" or NBP). "

I found this "strong point" on the Kevlar and orientated this "spine" in the 9 o'clock position. Would it have made a difference if I had not aligned as Bill Day explains?
Perhaps/perhaps not. However, Geoff if it matters I will reshaft with graphics aligned and you can be the judge.

Andre, as we discussed at the golf course we don't really want this debate started 'cause I know it will never end as there are countless clubmakers out there who will agrue that ALL shafts have spines... and some say they don't. .... let's leave it at that.

But enough said here.

We can take it elsewhere if you'd like. Just keep in mind the article you are refering to was written when spining was in its infancy stage. I would rather believe Dave T and John K.(enginneers) Next time you come to my place i'll show you a few things with the frequency meter. Curious to know how you went about finding the spine?

[Big Johnny69]

After a few more rounds with the Pro-Kevlar I am sold on it. Am a little shorter (10-15 yards) than my Fuji Vista Tour but dispersion is so tight. The only way I am losing the ball left or right is if I put one stupid swing on the ball. Would recomend this shaft to anyone having a hard time keeping the ball in play. I am not hitting a ton more of fairways but my misses are not traveling far enough off line to get into real trouble. To paraphrase LobWedge :

This shaft absolutely rocks!

[Chieflongtee]

Am a little shorter (10-15 yards) than my Fuji Vista Tour but dispersion is so tight. ]

It's the new head you put in You'll never for sure know if you're longer or shorter unless Iron Byron was used in ideal conditions.