Wishon Shafts

[Richie3Jack]

Wishon has designed a series of graphite and steel shafts based on different shaft bend profiles to fit just about any golfer. He also has a shaft fitting program that is free and online at:

shaftfit.wishongolf.com/shaftfit.asp

The only issue I have with the s2s program is that it doesn’t account for 5 or 6-iron speeds greater than 90 mph. However, if you do fit into a swing speed higher than that, one could e-mail Wishon for a fitting recommendation.

The shaft bend profile for Wishon measures the frequency of 6 different locations along the shaft for the wood shafts and 5 different locations for the irons shafts. Wishon has his Shaft Bend Profile software that has thousands of non-Wishon shafts measured.

Here’s a sample reading of the shaft bend profile for his black s2s wood shafts.



At 41”, that is the location furthest along the BUTT section. At 11” that is the location furthest along the tip section.

BUTT SECTION FIRMNESS = feel of the club. Does it feel ‘boardy’ or ‘too soft’ or like ‘you can’t get around it.’

TIP SECTION STIFFNESS = launch conditions. Stiffer tip section equates to lower launch and lower spin

What separates Wishon shafts from the OEM shafts is that they are generally much more affordable and that there is enough different profiles to fit just about every golfer. Many companies generally increase their butt section of the shaft more and more, but do not change the stiffness enough in their tip section profile. Thus, they are missing out on a large section of golfers with swings that may require a certain tip section firmness to optimize their launch and spin conditions.

I have found that the s2s fitting program for drivers is generally geared to fit a driver shaft that is of the recommended length based on wrist-to-floor measurements in Wishon’s booklet ’12 Myths That Could Wreck Your Game.’

wishongolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Black6585-info1.jpg

However, it’s also based on a head weight of 202 grams.

For example, it recommends their s2s Black 85-gram shaft for my driver.

I have been on other fitting programs by other shaft companies, usually recommending me a 60-75 gram driver shaft. However, I believe that’s because they are basing that in part of a 45+ inch driver instead of Wishon’s recommended 44-3/8” length driver.

Another good thing about the shafts is that the wood shafts work for a seamless transition from driver to 3-wood and to hybrid. So if you are ‘fitted’ for a s2s White wood shaft, you can use that in your 3-wood and the White hybrid shaft and be very happy. With the irons it’s different although I think the s2s fitting software gives a good recommendation.

Wishon’s ‘players’ shaft was the s2s Gold model. However, he discontinued that model in favor of the s2s model as he started to notice that the popular shafts made by OEM’s typically had stiffer tip and butt sections. I know that the s2s black is comparable to the Mitsubishi Diamana ‘ahina shaft in terms of bend profile.

Personally I carry the Wishon Gold Tour hybrid shaft and the Wishon Stepless steel shafts. I really love the Stepless steel shafts. I would be interested in the s2s Black shaft, but would like to see what the bend profile software says about the UST VTS shafts when they make their next update.




3JACK

[MattF]

Hi Richie,

I am 3 - 3 - 3 at downswing tempo / transition / release, and my average Driver Clubhead Speed is 98 mph.

The S2SShaftFittingSystem recommandation is S2S Black 85 S.

I have tested the Wishon Black 85 S on a 919THI 11° driver head, and I've found it really too soft.

I see that at 105 mph, the recommandation is tip trimming 0.5", so I think I'm going to test 1 inch and I hope it will feel more stiff.

Otherwise I will have to test S2S Black 85 X, but it is recommanded for swing speed over 110 mph, so maybe a bit too much for my swing speed, will see ...

[Richie3Jack]

Wishon says that when you tip the shaft, it increases the stiffness in the rest of the shaft, except for at the 11-inch mark. He doesn't know why that is. He did say that 1/2-inch tipping does virtually nothing. So 1-inch may be good for you. Although I would not be too concerned with the swing speed stuff, that's just a basic guideline for golfers.





3JACK

[MattF]

Thank you.

Do you think that I could tip more if it feels always too soft after tipping 1-inch?

How many inches could I tip without modifying too much the bending profile? 2? 3?

[Richie3Jack]

I think once you get over 1.5 inches, you probably need to look at a different shaft.






3JACK

[anthony]

Richie

its a very odd thing with shaft and your article had brought more light to fittings

for example . most of the time for people who require stiffer but comfortable with the shaft . its better in my experience to take the same flex and tip them heavily rather looking for a different flex or weight. but i mean most of the time case.

alot of it is due to torque . we are more comforrtable over a range of torque.

some of the high speed player are playing a stiff flex tipped 2 plus inches in the older days.

[Richie3Jack]

I don't really worry about torque anymore as I think torque really plays more into butt stiffness. Plus, I've been told that there are two different methods of measuring torque that provide very different results and you never know what company uses what method. So for me, I just use the shaft bend profile software.

I think the problem that many golfers face is similar to mine. With graphite shafts a golfer like myself needs a 'stiff' butt section but an X-stiff or even stiffer tip section. But graphite shaft companies tend to design the clubs in one of two ways:

1. X to XX-stiff butt section with X to XX tip section

2. X to XX-stiff butt section with Stiff tip section

So what happens for me is that #1 tends to feel too stiff and boardy and I 'can't get around on it.' And I can hit #2 pretty well, but it will launch too high and spin too much.




3JACK

[anthony]

I like your explanation. Thanks.

Well. There is only one shaft come in mind

Bimatrx ...