KBS C-Taper v Project X

Alex1975

Tour Winner
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
4,462
Visit site
Just an interest thing really. I am not changing shafts.

Is the KBS C-Taper S at 120g, low, low just a Project X 5.5 at 120g low, low.

They were made by the same buy where they not? Much feel difference? is that the only difference?

I thought I read somewhere that the C-Taper was just a PX with a little more feel?
 

the_coach

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
2,470
Location
Monterey, California
Visit site
kim braly designed both the rifle shaft, then project x for precision, then went on with fst to form kbs (after true temper bought precision) & designed all their shafts to date
for a long time except for true temper most of the iron shafts used on the pga tour were designed by him
he & his Dad invented 'frequency matching'
generally most 'better players' prefer to use taper-tip shafts not parallel tipped

would say the c-taper is stiff without being boardy definitely a 'different kind of feel' one you really got to test to see if they suit the ways an individual 'loads' a shaft

although the profile numbers project x to c-taper look pretty similar would say the c-taper is lower spinning so pretty low launch

c-tapers play a little ways 'stiffer' than flex so they really do have to be auditioned on a launch monitor for sure - and with real balls - often times range balls with little ways restricted distances will launch higher

know a few folks (good elite golfers) that have been caught out by that with c-tapers having got good numbers on test at range
but then out in play were hitting them way to low so they couldn't hold the greens well as the peak height flight was too low so had a descent angle way under 45º

suit the swing motion with enough csh & they will be a little ways longer, but you got to be able to launch them to get peak height to hold the green given the lower spin

used them for a while now real good, stable, smooth, great flight having tended to hit project x a tad too high
 

Alex1975

Tour Winner
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
4,462
Visit site
Interesting thanks.

My PX spins just about right but as I go down to shorter irons maybe spin too little. I like to see 3k on a 3 iron, 4k on a 4 iron and so on. I get that all the way down until 7 iron then they start not to spin enough, sorta stuck at 7k.

Also with PX being very tip stiff it feels it and if a shaft is tip stiff I want to feel that. Done really like smooth.

Anyhow, interesting stiff, just expanding my understanding. I tried the C-Taper Light and its a really lovely feel but way to high for me.
 

Ethan

Money List Winner
Joined
Jun 30, 2009
Messages
11,793
Location
Bearwood Lakes, Berks
Visit site
I use C taper S in my irons. It feels lightish and rather dull, rather than harsh, but the ball comes off very nicely with a good medium trajectory. Not everyone likes them, though. I like them a lot. Marmite shaft, though, for sure.

PX to me feels different, more feel but quite solid. It actually isn't as tip stiff as TT DG, say, and the harsh feel arises from butt stiffness instead.

In terms of comparability of flex, CT X is going to be closer to PX 6.5. Justin Rose uses the CT and uses the S+ flex.
 

the_coach

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
2,470
Location
Monterey, California
Visit site
Interesting thanks.

My PX spins just about right but as I go down to shorter irons maybe spin too little. I like to see 3k on a 3 iron, 4k on a 4 iron and so on. I get that all the way down until 7 iron then they start not to spin enough, sorta stuck at 7k.

Also with PX being very tip stiff it feels it and if a shaft is tip stiff I want to feel that. Done really like smooth.

Anyhow, interesting stiff, just expanding my understanding. I tried the C-Taper Light and its a really lovely feel but way to high for me.

c-taper lite is not really that close at all to c-taper in either spin or launch, because of the way non-lite c-taper s, s+ 'release' they play stiffer to flex than project x.
 

SugarPenguin

Challenge Tour Pro
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
738
Location
Doncaster
Visit site
I have tried them both very recently.

The peak heights were similar but PX had the stopping power and I preferred the solid feel from them. C tapers were longer for sure though and they had a lot less spin. they also felt really light.
 

Jacko_G

Blackballed
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
7,028
Visit site
I use C taper S in my irons. It feels lightish and rather dull, rather than harsh, but the ball comes off very nicely with a good medium trajectory. Not everyone likes them, though. I like them a lot. Marmite shaft, though, for sure.

PX to me feels different, more feel but quite solid. It actually isn't as tip stiff as TT DG, say, and the harsh feel arises from butt stiffness instead.

In terms of comparability of flex, CT X is going to be closer to PX 6.5. Justin Rose uses the CT and uses the S+ flex.


Not according to this.


http://www.golfwrx.com/334386/justin-rose-witb-2016/
 

Jacko_G

Blackballed
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
7,028
Visit site
Rose used S+ in 2014, and in most of 2015 used X soft stepped, which takes them down about 1/3 of a flex, so pretty much the same.

Anything useful to contribute?


So your a wrong condescending idiot. Quality guy.
 

Jacko_G

Blackballed
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
7,028
Visit site
Well, not really very wrong, unlike your (or is it you're?) spelling.

Now, that is condescending.



My previous comment wasn't condescending, though, just annoyed at a useless and uninformative intervention.


Don't like getting proved wrong do you. Think your a smart guy, Mr big attitude on a small forum. Guys like you are ten a penny. Hardly useless information when he clearly plays X flex not S+.
 

SugarPenguin

Challenge Tour Pro
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
738
Location
Doncaster
Visit site
popcorn.jpg
 

USER1999

Grand Slam Winner
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
25,671
Location
Watford
Visit site
I use c taper but in regular. They still play pretty stiff to me, and I'm quite happy playing S300. I hate project X, as to me they have no feel, and are too light. I have never hit px well, and I'm clueless with them. When I have tried px, the club fitter has taken them off me after a couple of hits.
I did ask the club fitter if I needed a 3 iron, but his view was that with the Apex pro being a low spin head, and the c taper being a low spin shaft, I wouldn't get it off the ground. He was probably right. The 4 and 5 irons do launch low, that is for sure.

I like the c taper, but the stiff was a bit too much for my swing speed. Better off with the regular. That said, I quite liked the 120 gram version, but it wasn't a stock shaft. Hmm. I do like a heavy shaft. No idea why, I'm built like a pipe cleaner.
 

Ethan

Money List Winner
Joined
Jun 30, 2009
Messages
11,793
Location
Bearwood Lakes, Berks
Visit site
Don't like getting proved wrong do you. Think your a smart guy, Mr big attitude on a small forum. Guys like you are ten a penny. Hardly useless information when he clearly plays X flex not S+.

I don't think I am a smart guy but I think 'your' not very good at grammar and spelling. Not 'Mr Big Attitude' but thankfully not 'Mr Pedant even though he doesn't know what he is talking about either'. X soft stepped is within 1/6 of a flex of S+, and Rose has played S+ recently, before deciding he wanted a few more grams weight.

By the way, we are only ten a penny during the sales. Otherwise five a penny.
 

Jacko_G

Blackballed
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
7,028
Visit site
Does soft stopping reduce it to S+ NO.

Is Rose currently using S+ NO

Is Rose currently using C-Taper X flex, yes!

Spelling, grammar, seriously is that how you get your kicks?

(Amazing what you can find out about people on the internet, wonder if you'll threaten to put a club over my head?)

Enjoy your day Martin.
 

Alex1975

Tour Winner
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
4,462
Visit site
I use c taper but in regular. They still play pretty stiff to me, and I'm quite happy playing S300. I hate project X, as to me they have no feel, and are too light. I have never hit px well, and I'm clueless with them. When I have tried px, the club fitter has taken them off me after a couple of hits.
I did ask the club fitter if I needed a 3 iron, but his view was that with the Apex pro being a low spin head, and the c taper being a low spin shaft, I wouldn't get it off the ground. He was probably right. The 4 and 5 irons do launch low, that is for sure.

I like the c taper, but the stiff was a bit too much for my swing speed. Better off with the regular. That said, I quite liked the 120 gram version, but it wasn't a stock shaft. Hmm. I do like a heavy shaft. No idea why, I'm built like a pipe cleaner.


Interesting stuff. I would want the 120 gram version too, thats spot on my weight but guess from what has been said that its quite stiff hence the love for PX 5.5, 120 grams but not too stiff. Unlike you though I love the feel.

Interestingly PX have put a graphic lately that shows PX 5.0 as R+, 5.5 as S, 6.0 as S+, 6.5 as x and 7.0 as x+ rather like KBS do. I guess they are sick of the questions about where the numbers sit.

http://www.pxshaft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TT-Catalog-Digital-Spreads-Small-9.pdf
 

Ethan

Money List Winner
Joined
Jun 30, 2009
Messages
11,793
Location
Bearwood Lakes, Berks
Visit site
Interesting stuff. I would want the 120 gram version too, thats spot on my weight but guess from what has been said that its quite stiff hence the love for PX 5.5, 120 grams but not too stiff. Unlike you though I love the feel.

Interestingly PX have put a graphic lately that shows PX 5.0 as R+, 5.5 as S, 6.0 as S+, 6.5 as x and 7.0 as x+ rather like KBS do. I guess they are sick of the questions about where the numbers sit.

http://www.pxshaft.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TT-Catalog-Digital-Spreads-Small-9.pdf

Confusingly, those flex rating do not apply across all the PX range. PX flighted play about a half point softer and PXi are somewhere in between. Original Rifles also play about a half flex softer, although they were frequency matched where the others were all weight matched. One way to overcome this is just to try them, get some LM info and forget about what number is on them.
 

Alex1975

Tour Winner
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
4,462
Visit site
Confusingly, those flex rating do not apply across all the PX range. PX flighted play about a half point softer and PXi are somewhere in between. Original Rifles also play about a half flex softer, although they were frequency matched where the others were all weight matched. One way to overcome this is just to try them, get some LM info and forget about what number is on them.


Absolutely, a PX flighted 6.0 is the same as a PX 5.5... Not smart of them at all considering there is no industry scale for flex... the least they could do is be consistent with there own shafts. No matter for the likes of us but must cause confusion for less geeky golfers.

I was mock fitted for some PXi one day after being fitted for something else... ie the fitter and I were playing about. I ended up with PXi 6.5 as the PXi is so user friendly, light, easy going. Even at 6.5 it did not feel at all boardy.
 
Top