Since moving to GOLF’s gear team in 2024, I have been on a quest to find the right driver — and I think I might finally have an answer. And it came from somewhere I never could have expected.
One of the great things about my job is I get the opportunity to test new equipment. Usually, it’s just to get a sense of how the product performs so I can inform you to help your game. That’s what I expected when I first tested Fujikura’s new Ventus TR Black shaft with VeloCore+. But now it might be a part of the driver I’ve spent two years looking for.
When I took this job, I was playing the OG Fujikura Ventus Black, the same one Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have used to win four of the last five majors (and J.J. Spaun uses the updated VeloCore+ version). But I’m not those guys and it was not the right shaft for me. When I went through fittings, I often got put into Ventus Black because I’m a fast player who struggles with high launch. But when I played Ventus Black, I spun it more because the profile was so stiff it kicked early and added tons of dynamic loft. Not only that, but I was playing battle golf, particularly guarding against a left miss.
The next two shafts I played were the Ventus TR Red and Mitsubishi Diamana WB. Both shafts had a stout handle section and a softer tip that let me feel the release of the club. The softer profile shafts were better when I swung well. The launch and spin were lower, and I hit them straight. But when I struggled, the high-toe left miss reared its head. (I hate that shot.)
These drivers were good, but they weren’t raising my floor. Then came last weekend — snap hooks everywhere. And just because I had it with me, I decided to screw in the new TR Black with VeloCore+ into my driver.
Boy, am I glad I did.
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The new TR Black is the stiffest and stoutest profile Fujikura has ever made. If I didn’t like the original Ventus Black, there was no reason to believe I would like the new TR Black. But now I couldn’t miss the face or my target line. I could work it both ways and, most importantly, my misses weren’t going left.
So how did this suddenly work for me? I’m not sure. A super stout profile might cause me to hit it more left, but in this case the opposite was true. There’s a lesson in here somewhere. It’s that you, the consumer, should never be afraid to try anything and everything. Whether you’re an equipment nerd like me, or someone who just wants to find something that works, never count anything out.
Golf shafts are very weird and don’t always perform how you think because no two golf swings are the same. If you ignore something just because of how it’s marketed or advertised, you might be leaving a game-changer on the table.
The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
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