Equipment
A Tour Favorite: Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage XT Shaft
When a prototype shaft becomes popular with big name players on the PGA Tour, it’s destined for retail.
Such was the case with Mitsubishi Rayon’s new Kuro Kage XT shaft, which has been used by some of the world’s best golfers including, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia.
Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage XT (below) and Kuro Kage Silver TiNi.
Mitsubishi calls the profile of the Kuro Kage XT “extreme,” because of its extremely stiff tip and butt sections that tend to perform well for golfers with faster, or more aggressive swings.
The XT is produced in the company’s facilities in Toyohashi, Japan, with several technologies that make it the stiffest and lowest-torque shaft in the company’s Kuro Kage family:
- It’s made with Low Resin Content Prepreg (LRC), which gives the shaft a higher density of carbon fiber to make it stronger and improve feel, without adding extra weight.
- Like the Mitsubishi’s Kuro Kage Silver TiNi shaft, the Kuro Kage XT has titanium-nickel (TiNi) wire prepreg in its tip section that is elastic, but also very strong. That allows the TiNi wire to stretch, and then regain its original shape for improved energy transfer and control. The XT also gets an extra-long section of TiNi — 13 inches, according to the company.
- The XT uses high-modulus 40- and 46-ton carbon fiber in its tip section, which makes the tip-stiff shaft even stiffer without adding extra weight.
The Kuro Kage XT ($400) has an ion-plated finish and is available in the following flexes and weights:
- Kuro Kage 60XT: R, S, X and TX flexes
- Kuro Kage 70XT: S, X and TX flexes
- Kuro Kage 80XT: S, X and TX flexes
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
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Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Justin
Sep 8, 2016 at 2:50 pm
I had no idea Mitsubishi was even in the golf game?!
mb
Mar 6, 2015 at 6:49 pm
the real question is how many MSI is it
Speedy
Mar 5, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Only $400? hahaha
theo
Mar 5, 2015 at 10:44 am
I don’t have experience with this shaft in particular – but it shares bloodline with the KuroKage Silver TiNi which worked well for me. It wasn’t overly stiff and I found the center of the driver face more often with it. If a shaft doesn’t fit I won’t find the middle.