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3.41K viewsNovember 29, 2021

azstu324 86 November 29, 2021 0 Comments

Sending out the bat signal on this one and hoping to find an answer. I recently bought a set of minty Mizuno T-Zoid Pro II’s to have a nostalgia set to play from time to time. I currently play the TS-1’s with TT DG 105 S300’s. I was expecting the Mizunos to really beat me up with the more “blade-like” profile and a noticeably heavier shaft but actually experienced the contrary. I shot one of my better rounds over the weekend and just noticed that everything was flying laser straight with a nice high-ish but very manageable flight. I also noticed a difference in the feel of the club and shaft that I really liked. It was smooth but very solid feeling and I could definitely feel the whole club though the swing which I think added an extra level of control. All that I’m able to gather is that the shafts on the Mizunos are an older pre-PX brand called FCM and they’re the 6.0 rifles which I believe is closer to a S+ profile that what a PX 6.0 would be. I really can’t find much info on them but they feel to me like a heavier shaft than my TT DG 105 S300’s. I would venture to say in the 120-130g range?

I’m now considering removing my DG 105’s and replacing them with a heavier option to pair with my TS-1’s but need to do it on a budget. I’m curious to try out one of the 125g options from FST. Looking at maybe the 125 Pro Stepless. I guess the question here is, am I barking up the wrong tree with FST and thinking I can find a similar profile to the FCM shafts? I’m really just curious about how a heavier shaft will play and the reviews and profile don’t seem far off from what I’m after.

Are there any other sub-$10 options that anyone might suggest to be closer match to the FCM’s?

Thanks!

Stu

Britt Lindsey Answered question November 29, 2021

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Answer 1 · 2021-11-29T17:34:05+00:00

Hi Stu,

The original FCM Rifle shafts were awesome. I played them competitively for quite a while and still have some of them in my old sets. The unique thing about them is that they were truly Rifled on the inside. When True Temper bought or took over Precision Shaft, they did not continue to manufacture the Rifle product with the Rifling on the inside. That is why the later Rifles, although still very good products, have a different feel. I have found nothing that feels the same as the original FCM Rifles. The $-Taper by KBS offers me similar playability and a good feel, but it’s a different feel. Kim Braley, who developed the original Rifle shafts and the $-Tapers told me the $-Tapers are the closest thing to the original Rifles he has developed. It is not a value priced shaft, for sure. My guess is the weight is mostly what your experiencing and it would be interesting if, over time, you would have the same success as you have had initially. As far as a budget option, the FST would be my choice for you to try. However, it is not the same as the original FCM Rifle, which was a premium steel shaft. Also, FST will not be offered in 2022 due to capacity issues and the companies focus on the KBS brand and the demand on that product. We do not have any stock remaining and are told we will not be getting anymore. They tell us it will return possibly later in the year, but definitely in 2023. We will see. So, there are no real “value” steel that might resemble the FCM Rifle. Score LT, Multi-step Lite and Command are the only “value” steel we will have for most of 2022. The Score is a really good product, but is only 117 grams, so it might not be heavy enough. it is the same build as was available in a major OEM’s product for many years, under a different name. We now sell it exclusively.

Not sure if this helps, but let me know what you end up trying and how it works out.

Britt Lindsey

Hey Britt thanks as always for your feedback on FCM and FST. The one concern that I do have is long-term moving from a 105g shaft that I’m playing now and have for the past 4 years, to a heavier profile. I’ve still got enough strength and swing speed to manage the heavier shaft without issue but the reason I moved to a lighter weight was due to shoulder injuries in the past that don’t seem to be as much of an issue any more… so who knows?

I’m also reading that there can indeed be profile differences between stepped and stepless or rifle shafts so this also has me intrigued in the stepless option based on the tremendous success that I had over the weekend. As far as not being enough weight, I still think that moving to a 115g+ profile might still be enough of a change from what I’m used to to find that difference that I’m looking for. Another option that I’ve just had open up to me is a set of PX PXi 6.5’s. Although a more stout profile than my S++ (1″ tipped) DG 105’s, they’re .5″ over standard length which is what I normally play. With the slightly lighter weight of 117g, they offer a mid/low trajectory and are longer in the butt end so may play a hair softer than the #’s suggest. I’ve read a lot off great things about this shaft and its profile and consistency. If FST’s are out of stock, this might not be a bad option. Worst-case I swap them back for my DG 105’s and sell them.

Thanks again for the help!