Equipment

Matrix TPHDe shafts

Published

12 years ago

Apr 16, 2014

Matrix’s new TPHDe shafts use the latest materials in a new construction that can improve ball speed, feel and stability, according to the company.

Like its predecessor, Matrix’s TPHD shaft, the TPHEe uses exotic materials such as Zylon, Boron and Gmat to stabilize the shaft without increasing weight or making the shaft feel stiffer.

[youtube id=”_JASvOxzjU0″ width=”620″ height=”360″]

In Matrix’s TPHD, the HD section, or 16-sided hexadecagonal internal platform, was located in the upper portion of the shaft. In the TPHDe, Matrix extended the HD section down the body of the shaft. According to Chris Nolan, Matrix’s executive vice president for global operations, that allowed the company to make improvements to the shaft’s design that were not possible with the TPHD.

“In car terms, we’re trying to make sure the chassis is as stiff as possible,” Nolan said. “By extending the HD section, we’re able to increase stability without losing feel.”

The exotic materials and the construction of those materials, however, come at a cost. With a $1200 MSRP, the TPHDe is one of the priciest shafts on the market.

“We’re dealing with different raw materials that have different properties, and it’s a very technical process to get those materials to stay together,” Nolan said.

The TPHDe shafts offer a mid-launch, mid-spin trajectory and are available in weights of 50 grams, 60 grams and 70 grams in eight different flexes ranging from lady to XX-stiff.

They have a balance point that is about 0.5 inches higher (toward the butt section) than the TPHD, which allows golfers to retain traditional swing weights with today’s heavier club heads or build the driver to a longer finished length to increased club head speed.

Matrix’s TPHDe shafts will ship to retailers later this month.

Related Topics:Matrix shafts

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11 Comments

xboxkilla

Jul 22, 2014 at 2:50 am

If you really want a $1200 shaft, but for way less than these guys are charging- go with a Penley shaft. They sell them on their site and the designer can be contacted almost anytime to answer questions-
check out the ET2 on there-
http://www.penleysports.com/products/penley-et2-shaft/

Reply Report comment
TheLegend

Apr 20, 2014 at 5:28 pm

lol nice trying to save this guy zak. He should never talk again. But you did a good job trying to find out what these shaft actually do better. But he had no real answer.

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Apr 20, 2014 at 7:43 pm
  
  Guys,
  
  I think you’re being a little hard on Chris. It was an impromptu interview about a very complex shaft. He’s an extremely kind, knowledgeable guy, and the fitters I speak to on a regular basis praise Matrix’s products as some of the best at creating a little extra ball speed.
  
  Shaft companies spend a lot of time trying to explain their products to the masses, but the only real way to know how each will affect your performance is to find a custom fitter who stocks a lot of shafts and hit them for yourself. Most good club fitters will work within their customer’s budget, giving them several options at different price points. The TPHDe is certainly not for everyone, both in its cost and profile, but fitters such as Modern Golf in Toronto sell quite of few of them. To each is own.
  
  Reply Report comment
brad

Apr 17, 2014 at 7:19 am

In his defense, it is quite difficult to push the tech boundary…these things are pricey in the beginning, but as it takes hold and materials and processes become more common, we’ll see similar shafts at “reasonable” prices. Remember, none of our wives or girlfriends understands why the thousand dollar irons we play are any better than the irons she saw at Target. If it were anyone but Matrix, I would call BS, but they’ve never let me down. Now we wait…

Reply Report comment
- west
  
  Apr 17, 2014 at 2:40 pm
  
  Umm it’s not the price that I’m surprised by. Yes, the materials and processes used to make this shaft actually justify its cost. This shaft is like the Lamborghini of golf shafts, and while not everyone can afford an exotic or needs the performance of an exotic, it’s the people with excess cash who can justify the self indigence, no questions asked. What shocks the hell out of me is this “executive’s” piss-poor ability to market his company’s product. If I didn’t already know all the tech about golf shafts, and was just an average Joe golfer in the market, after seeing this interview I would not have any confidence in the TPHDe line or Matrix as a company. Just surprises me how unprepared this guy was to pitch his product…
  
  Reply Report comment
west

Apr 17, 2014 at 4:04 am

This guy is the VP of operations? Seriously??

Reply Report comment
R

Apr 17, 2014 at 12:19 am

Gotta say I wasn’t impressed with this guys interview. Zak had to come in at the end and kind of bring some positivity back to it.

Reply Report comment
Nick

Apr 16, 2014 at 7:16 pm

For $1200 Im taking another golf vacation instead.

Reply Report comment
- Petercybulski
  
  Apr 16, 2014 at 7:42 pm
  
  Well said
  
  Reply Report comment
Petercybulski

Apr 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm

Gonna put those bad boys in my woods and irons!!!

Reply Report comment
Xreb

Apr 16, 2014 at 4:39 pm

You can see the guy struggling to explain the price point of the shaft, although I give him credit for keeping the BS to a minimum !

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.

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Mitchell Meissner

Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.

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14 hours ago

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Will Schube

Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

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Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX

7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX

Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
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See more in-hand photos of Bud Cauley’s clubs here.

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Name every set of irons you’ve owned – GolfWRXers discuss

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Will Schube

In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.

@Lamosteve began:

Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine

Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
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Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
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Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
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Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
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