Equipment
Aldila X-Torsion Black and Green Mamba shafts
Is the next new driver shaft craze on the way from Aldila?
Aldila’s new X-Torsion Black Mamba and X-Torsion Green Mamba shafts have a new design and use a “MAMBA” (Multi-Axial Material Bias Angle) material that’s designed for extremely low torque and spin — lower than any other shaft in the company’s stable, according to John Oldenburg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Aldila. And PGA Tour players are already taking notice.
At the 2016 RSM Classic, George McNeil and Charles Howell III used the Black Mamba shafts (designed for very low spin and launch), while Anirbahn Lahiri, Lucas Glover and Tad Ridings used Green Mambas (designed with a slightly softer tip, but still low spin and torque).
For many golfers with fast swing speeds, it’s beneficial to have a golf shaft that reduces twisting through impact, according to Oldenburg, because it allows the shaft to “recover” faster. Less torque and more torsional stability allows stronger golfers to “go at the ball” without worrying about the ball ballooning or spinning too much. Therefore, the goal, especially for Tour players with high swing speeds, is to design a shaft that has very high torsional stability. And Aldila’s new Mamba shafts have the highest torsional stability currently available from the company.
Both the X-Torsion Black Mamba and X-Torsion Green Mamba shafts use what Aldila calls a “flat-weave” construction in its tip section (the bottom part of the shaft), which is where the majority of shaft twisting occurs during a golf swing. The construction method weaves together individual fibers that are positioned in opposing 45-degree angles in an over-under structure that creates a thin, strong and highly consistent woven graphite fabric.
Aldila says its woven technology is superior because it’s used on both the interior and exterior of the shaft, which enhances stability. Most weaves are placed on the interior of the shaft to protect the weaves from abrasion, but Aldila’s unique “lay-up and sanding process” protect the integrity of its flat weave, allowing it to be used on the outside of the shaft as well.
The flat-weave construction is also novel because of it spreads and flattens the graphite fibers used to create the shaft, allowing them to be thinner and thus improving the precision of the weave. Those graphite fibers are also are stronger than typical graphite weave materials. They use intermediate modulus materials that measure 44 MSI, according to Aldila, 33 percent stiffer than 33 MSI fibers typically used. That further enhances stability.
So how does Aldila show off all that technology in a shaft named Mamba? A snake-skin-esque exterior, of course. See what GolfWRX members are saying about the shafts in our forums.
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)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
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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Matt K
Dec 15, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Is this the Rogue M-ax rebranded? A lot of the commenters hated the graphics and name for the M-AX. This is undoubtedly better, wonder if the profile/material is the same though.
Mat
Dec 13, 2016 at 5:18 am
X-torsion. Most accurately named shaft in the history of golf equipment. 🙂
Dave R
Dec 12, 2016 at 1:53 pm
One guy peed, someone’s noodle is to soft and so is his butt and he hopeing for a stiff shaft. What type of forem are we on here? The Anti guy is right get some rebar and go play.
Rd
Dec 13, 2016 at 3:16 am
And you’re so excited, you can’t type nor spell
KK
Dec 11, 2016 at 8:23 pm
I peed a little just looking at the pics
Snope
Dec 11, 2016 at 3:11 pm
Just make them feel as solid as the RIP Alpha and Beta, I’ll take 10 each
Teaj
Dec 11, 2016 at 2:12 pm
I wonder if this is going to transition into an iron and hybrid/driving iron shaft line? Has anyone seen the specs for these bad boys? or even just weights?
Matt
Dec 11, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Again I hope that the shaft isn’t soft in the mid section or the butt. There are a lot of low spin shafts that feel like noodles
LaBraeGolfer
Dec 11, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Unfortunately, a shaft has to have a soft point in the bend profile.
The Anti-Smiz
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:33 pm
you guys should just go swing some literal re-bar with your super-fast-in-an-internet-forum swing speeds.
Port
Dec 11, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Love it!
Matt
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Soft is a relative term. I find the Tour AD to be soft, the non-TS Fuji Motore, the 70g version of the White/Blue felt soft to me. I prefer the V2, Protopype, F7M2 Ltd, etc.