As the world’s top-ranked player has apparently excelled with ACCRA shafts in his driver and 3 wood over the past year or so, I figured I’d take a chance too.
Now, while there’s little resemblance in the talent levels of Luke Donald and myself, and while my ability to distinguish between the variations and performance characteristics of a $60 and $400 shaft could use some refining, there’s no questioning the performance of this latest offerings of Kingston, Ontario’s little hotbed of golf shaft manufacturing: the new ACCRA Tour Z and Tour Z+.
Although the company will not mention any names of players using their product, ACCRA shafts can also be found in the bags of Chez Reavie and Paul Goydos, as well as Ryan Palmer, Aaron Baddeley, Rickey Barnes and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Over the past six years, more than 50 winners on the PGA and European Tours have had them in play.
The particular model fitted into my Titleist D2 driver head was the Tour Z 55-gram M3 flex. In retrospect, I think a slightly heavier shaft would have served me well, given my whippy swing action, but the medium stiffness proved perfect for my swing speed and desire to work the ball.
The tip in the Tour Z is a bit softer than the Tour Z+, the latter of which produces a slightly lower launch angle and spin. The shaft’s constant taper design produces some serious energy transfer—I was easily carrying the ball another 10 yards versus my stock shaft—while the Kevlar-reinforced tip section added feel without sacrificing this model’s exceptional stability. The Tour Z also retains the same flex regardless of weight, meaning a 55g X-Stiff has the same frequency as an 85g X-Stiff.
Spending $400 on a shaft is not for everyone, but if you are serious about your performance, there is likely a version of this new model for you, with 12 variations of Z+ (with weights ranging from 53g to 98g) and another 15 in the Tour Z (46g-82g). $400.
