“The way clubs are being built now is different than the way clubs were being built two or three years ago,” says Tom DeShiell, Head of R&D for Matrix Shafts. The changes are especially apparent with drivers, which are now designed with heavier heads to help golfers add more distance to their drives — both through their added mass and adjustability features. So it makes sense that to get the best performance from the latest driver heads, they should be paired with shafts designed with the new heads in mind.

That’s the spirit of Matrix’s new MF5 shaft series, which includes updated versions of the company’s most popular shafts: Black Tie, Red Tie and White Tie. The third-generation models use a higher center of gravity (CG), or balance point, which allows golfers to take advantage of new the latest club head technologies.

The changes to the new shafts start at the beginning; Matrix is using new tooling in this generation of shafts. The Black and White Tie use round mandrels, which DeShiell says offered flexibility to fine tune the geometries, flex profiles, CG locations and tip stiffnesses to optimize their performance. The new Red Tie will continue to use Matrix’s 16-sided hexadecagonal internal platform, or “HD Technology.”

In recent years, Matrix’s Black Tie shaft has enjoyed a cult-like following with high-swing-speed golfers, and it’s known as one of the lowest-launching, lowest-spinning shafts golfers currently available. The M5 Black Tie will stay true to its reputation as one of golf’s stoutest shafts, but with its higher CG it’s a better fit for today’s heavier driver heads than previous models. According to DeShiell, its new design can counterbalance as much as 0.5 inches of added shaft length or 3-4 additional grams of head weight to help golfers boost distance.

The design of the M5 Black Tie also includes a tweak based on PGA Tour player feedback. It’s a lower-torque shaft than previous models, particularly in X-flex, which offers increased stability and more feedback to golfers on off-center hits.

Matrix’s best-selling shaft model occupies the opposite realm of the aftermarket shaft space. Its new X5 White Tie is designed to help golfers launch the ball higher, which often leads to big distance gains for golfers in fitting bays. Maybe golfers don’t go looking for a higher-launching shaft, DeShiell says, but “when they go hit them all the White Tie often gives them the best performance.”

Matrix Launch/Spin Comparison Chart

As seen in the chart above, the Q5 Red Tie fits between the Black Tie and White Tie shafts in terms of launch conditions; it’s a mid-launching, mid-spinning shaft.

The beauty of the MFS5 shaft platform is the three distinct options it provides. Since all three shafts provide tour-level stability, golfers can objectively choose the model that gives them the best performance in a fitting. DeShiell described the ideal fitting process this way; once golfers select their favorite adjustable settings on a driver, they can go about searching for even better launch conditions with a Black Tie, Red Tie or White Tie shaft.

“One of these shafts is going to get them closer to their optimal numbers,” he says.

The M5 Black Tie and X5 White Tie are currently available through the company’s network of certified custom club fitters, and the Q5 Red Tie shaft will be available April 12. All three will sell for $375.

Visit Matrix’s website to see full shaft specifications.