Every brand starts to make a name for itself somewhere. Seeing play in the hands of the world’s top professionals, golf shafts are no different than any other gear: if people see the best players utilizing the gear, that’s a big step in having that gear in consumers’ hands. I had heard of AccuFLEX Golf shafts previously, but only because I’m a complete golf equipment junky and had seen them in clubfitters’ shops locally. That was about as much thought as I had given AccuFLEX shafts; -aside from knowing many Long Drive competitors have used their shafts successfully to win long drive titles.
Recently, I began noticing more and more press releases outlining the success of AccuFLEX’s various shafts on the Nationwide Tour. Their Evolution driver shafts, the Icon HL hybrid shaft, along with the newcomer to the lineup, the AccuLaunch, have really begun to make a name for themselves on the Nationwide Tour. They’ve also been seeing more play on the PGA Tour recently. It was time to go beyond curiosity and see what the AccuFLEX “Revolution” on tour was all about. First up: the AccuFLEX Evolution.
The Evolution may be AccuFLEX’s most well known shaft after some of their successful long drive shafts. Utilizing “Nano Technology,” the Evolution is on the forefront of today’s shaft technology, and was one of the first to go the “Nano” route. Without getting too scientific, “Nano Tubes” are denser with fewer voids in material than traditional graphite pre-peg materials. That means more density and strength to the material without creating additional weight. The Evolution is a mid-weight shaft at 72 grams. It also has a very low torque, or resistance to twisting at impact, at 2.8 degrees (generally anything under 3 degrees is considered outstanding.) AccuFLEX bills the Evolution as a shaft for persons seeking to keep their launch angle down as well as minimize the backspin. I had it installed into a 10.5º head whose stock shaft I was both launching too high and getting excessive backspin from. It absolutely took care of both issues for me.
The Evolution is considered a mid-flexpoint, or “kickpoint” shaft. It delivered a very flat, penetrating, mid-high launch for me. The overall feel of the shaft is smooth, yet it does have a “stoutness” about it, and will pretty well take everything you throw at it from a swingspeed standpoint. AccuFLEX suggests those with higher swingspeeds and a later “release” are better suited to this shaft. (Read: no over-the-top casters/slicers.) I would agree. If you have a technically sound swing and need a shaft to keep up with a higher swingspeed, this is an excellent choice. The Evolution plays very true to flex, and is one shaft where people that are on the border between a regular and a stiff flex can actually drop down to the regular flex and it will keep up with their swing. The overall tightness and dispersion of the shaft are excellent. Basically, if you have the swing for this shaft, it will give you consistent performance, excellent distance, and a strong ballflight. It’s not surprising that the hard-swinging young bucks on the Nationwide Tour have taken such a liking to this shaft. Recently, AccuFLEX introduced its “Evolution Lite” shaft, which is slightly lighter in weight, and is supposed to launch slightly higher. It is also supposed to be easier to load than the Evolution, with the same consistency and stability that the Nano Technology offers. So if you’re not quite up to the Evolution, the Evolution Lite may be a great alternative to look at. One quick note: The paintjob on the Evolution is really cool. Turning from gold to red as it is turned, it really is one unique paintjob for a golf shaft. Hot-Rodders that are into golf will definitely appreciate the finish!
The other shaft getting lots of love on the Nationwide Tour is the AccuFLEX Icon HL hybrid shaft. Recently it has actually begun to win the hybrid shaft count on that tour at a number of events. I really like a hybrid shaft that helps to launch a little higher than the corresponding long iron would, yet does not impart excessive backspin that would cause “ballooning” into the wind. The ICON HL provides just that type of performance. It reminded me quite a bit of the Evolution, in that it has a smoothness to it, yet the feel is very stable and “stout,” without feeling like a telephone pole. The launch is mid-high, and again, it plays very true to flex. I followed AccuFLEX’s instructions to not tip trim this shaft, and it was more than stiff enough.
One thing to note with the Icon HL hybrid shaft is that it has a fairly large butt end to it (where the grip is installed.) This might be good or bad for some. For me, I appreciated it. A larger butt/grip diameter in a hybrid shaft helps me to not turn the club over too much. So many hybrids can have a tendency to hook. I’m not sure if this larger butt end was intentional on AccuFLEX’s part, but if it was, it works. The very stable nature of this shaft also minimized any “hook” tendencies for me. A torque rating of only 2.5 degrees undoubtedly contributes to its stable nature.
AccuFLEX seems to have done their homework again with the ICON HL. The only thing that could make it better is if they offered it in more weights. At 78 grams, it certainly does not feel overly “light,” but many people appreciate a hybrid shaft in the mid-80 or 90-gram range to differentiate their hybrid shaft weight a little more than their 3 wood for example, which might play at 75 to 85 grams. Other than that, it’s a great product.
Last, but not least, we have AccuFLEX’s new AccuLaunch series. The AccuLaunch is offered in many shaft weights, in 50, 60, 70, and 80-gram designations, along with a Hybrid shaft, there are many choices in this segment of AccuFLEX shafts. I tested the 70 as a driver shaft and the 80 as a 3 wood shaft. Both are listed as being mid/high launch and mid to low spin. The 70 was a great feeling driver shaft. It does fit the high launch, low spin description quite well. The feel was surprisingly lively, with a soft butt end that communicated feel quite well. The one word that kept coming to mind was “silk.” For a relatively inexpensive shaft, it had the feel of many much more expensive shafts. I had to go to an X flex in the AccuLaunch, as it does play a tad soft, especially when compared to the Evolution and ICON HL. It is a shaft that will reward a smooth swing and transition nicely.
The AccuLaunch 80 as a fairway wood shaft exhibited much the same performance as the 70 did as a driver shaft- very soft and silky smooth. It did have a slightly more stable feel to it in the 80-gram version for me. The butt end still felt quite soft and communicative, but the tip felt a little firmer. The launch was mid/high, and as a fairway wood shaft, seemed to spin less than other shafts that launch on a similar trajectory.
AccuFLEX Golf’s motto is: “A Golf Shaft for Every Swing.” Given my positive experience with these 3 models of their shafts, I would say this motto rings true. The excellent feel and stability of their shafts makes them one of the better values in golf shafts on the market. As more and more Tour players begin to explore the AccuFLEX lineup, I would suspect that would mean more everyday golfers will as well. AccuFLEX continues to develop prototype shafts on Tour and expand their product lineup. More high-end offerings are beginning to show up on Tour as well, truly expanding their lineup into every market segment. For now, their current offerings offer a lot of bang for the buck. One of the greatest things about AccuFLEX as a company is their people. Jody Baucom, President of AccuFLEX, can often be found answering people’s questions about their products on various golf discussion forums. This “hands-on” approach and personal style makes them a great company to do business with. There may be a “Revolution via Evolution” occurring on Tour, but this old school approach to business is retro in every way, and makes you feel good about supporting such a company. Check out the AccuFLEX line the next time you choose to re-shaft. Chances are, they have a shaft to fit your swing too!
Michael White (a.k.a. “Mr_Divots”)
Independent Equipment Consultant/Forums Moderator
Golf-Gear-Review.com
