By: Matt Saternus
If you’ve been following our recent series of MyGolfSpy Labs, you’ve seen us test shaft flex, weight, and torque independently. How were we able to isolate each characteristic? By using UST Mamiya’s line of Proforce VTS shafts. The VTS line is unique in that it allows the golfer to pick the weight, flex, and torque that they want. Heavy, stiff, and high torque? No problem. Light, soft, and low torque? Just as easy.
Now all of those choices are great, but if the shafts don’t perform it doesn’t mean squat. So now it’s time to take off the lab coats and see how the Proforce VTS stacks up in our Ultimate Shaft Review.
Notes, Feel, Price, and Miscellaneous
The Proforce VTS line uses color codes to indicate torque values: red for high, silver for medium, and black for low. You can get the VTS in weights of 55, 65, 75, 85, and 95 grams. The flexes available are A-flex (senior), regular, stiff, SX (strong), X-flex, and Tour X. For this review, we tested the Proforce VTS in red, silver, and black in stiff and X-flex at 65 grams.
I will admit that I came into this test with a bit of a bias against the Proforce name: I never liked the feel of the old Proforce V2, and it was ugly. The UST addressed both my concerns with the VTS.
The feel of the VTS is very dependent on the color/torque that you pick. The red feels smoother and torque-y, even in the X-flex. The black feels very tight and controlled in stiff or X, and the silver is somewhere in between. Overall, the VTS is a middle-of-the-road, mid-kick type of shaft when it comes to feel.
As far as looks, I think the VTS is a legitimate head turner. Candy red on the butt end transitions to a bright, glossy white in the middle and tip of the shaft. The VTS logo is colored according to the torque value; I think the black is far and away the sharpest looking, which is a bonus since it’s the best fit for my swing.
UST Proforce VTS shafts can be purchased for $150.
Performance
For the Performance testing, I hit each of the shafts in a Callaway RAZR Fit 10.5 head on a FlightScope X2 launch monitor. I hit 20 “good” shots with each shaft, changing frequently so that fatigue was not an issue, nor did I get grooved with one shaft to the detriment of fairness.
Testing was done at Golf Nation in Palatine, IL, one of the best indoor golf facilities in the country.
DATA
ANALYSIS
As expected, my best results were achieved with the low torque, VTS Black. I have an extreme hatred of hooks, so shafts with higher torque tend to lead me to steer the ball rather than swing. The results of that are bigger misses right and left, which you see with the VTS Red. For other players, that higher torque feel is great. As always: it’s all about the fit.
The spin numbers are also a bit higher than normal. That can be “blamed” on some changes in my swing more than the shafts. The one thing that is worth noting is that, for me, the VTS Black allowed me to aggressively release the club which led to a square/closed-to-path clubface and lower spin.
Conclusion
With more combinations of weight, flex, and torque than any other shaft line on the planet, it would be virtually impossible not to find a Proforce VTS shaft that fits your swing. There is not another shaft line that will allow you and your fitter to find each individual characteristic that you like in a shaft. Huge kudos to UST Mamiya for creating a line of shafts around the idea of how to best fit the golfer rather than how to best serve the company’s bottom line.
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Tony
9 years agoWhy on earth are you testing X flex with your numbers? You should be in stiff at most unless you didn’t have a choice. 144 ball speed? That’s not even a 100 mph swing with an optimal smash factor. This review is bogus.
JJ
9 years agoI agree that x does not sound right here at all. Ive seen other shaft reviews here and thought the same thing. To each his own, but if you are trying to obtain results that are useful for others, use the right flex shaft for your swing speed to obtain accurate results that we can use, and drop the I-must-hit-X-to-feed-my-ego stuff. Too many 15 index players on the blue tees. Lets check egos and be honest. If you only receive x flexs and have no choice, thats understandable, but you should note that in the reviews.
Desmond
8 years agoIf a golfer has an aggressive transition and loads the shaft, and or has a late release, then one can go up in flex although his swing speed may not call for an X.
Bob Pegram
10 years agoI tried this shaft and had problems. The shots were straight, but the carry distances on FlightScope varied tremendously. I then tried the UST Elements Fire shaft 7X. What a difference! All of the carry distances were within 10 yards of each other. It is great and is the one I use.
This has to do with how the flex profile with the VTS was a mismatch for my swing. I swing pretty fast and hard. As noted in the article, the VTS shafts have a relatively typical flex profile. The Elements shafts are completely atypical. They are stiffest in the middle of the shaft. That worked much better. The fles profile of the VTSshafts didn’t fit my swing timing. The Elements Fire did.
UST has great shafts. VTS shafts are great for many people including a number of touring pros. However, if they don’t work for you, try the Elements or other UST models. The right one will bomb the ball like the Elements does for me.
Lid
10 years agoGot the black in my covert and that thing is redonkulous.
Great price too
Daniel rivera
10 years agoI have the silver for my driver and I have never hit my driver this before long and in the middle of the fairway all the time. I also have the blk on my 3 wood the same result in the middle and long best shaft I have ever used Thanks UST MAMIYA
Golfspy Frank
10 years agoI love the VTS Black. I put the 7X into my Cobra AMP when I got that last year. To be completely honest, I’ve never been happier with a driver-shaft combination.
GolfSpy Frank
10 years agoActually (and I might be wrong) I think you were the one who recommended it haha