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Dustin Johnson switches driver shafts for the 2018 U.S. Open (after his 6-shot victory)

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Dustin Johnson absolutely waxed the field at last week’s 2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic, winning by six strokes (after holing out on the last hole for eagle). So, naturally, he decided to change driver shafts going into the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

DJ switched from a Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution 2.0 Tour Spec X shaft that he’s played for the last several years, into a Project X HZRDUS Black driver shaft — he uses a 95-gram version of this shaft in his 3 wood.

“Keith Sbarbaro of Taylormade really helped make the switch,” said David Wilson, a Tour rep for True Temper. “From what we were told, DJ was happy with everything in his bag, but the driver. He plays HZRDUS Black 95 (grams) in the 3 wood and 105 hybrid in his driver iron. Kinda makes sense to keep everything consistent throughout the bag. He also stated that with the new driver and shaft, he was hitting it more consistently in the center of the face.”

Specs

Driver: TaylorMade M4 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft:Project X HZRDUS Black 75 (tipped 1 inch)

Related: Dustin Johnson’s Winning WITB from the 2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic

Dustin, who’s playing with Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas today in the featured group, is currently tied for the lead and sits at 1-under par through 8 holes. So I guess the driver shaft change seems to be working thus far. But let’s keep an eye on his driver performance throughout the week. Will he stick with the new shaft, or go back to old Fujikura faithful?

The overarching lesson here is this, though: GolfWRX members see all equipment changes.

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Jim

    Jun 15, 2018 at 11:22 pm

    Lotta trust & faith in a move like that – especially since it’s not the ‘Safeway open’…Rare for a cat to swap one out unless they were feeling the shaft ‘wasn’t right’…

    I swapped out a driver shaft – a few decades ago – a DG X100 in a wood driver inbetween rounds 2&3 of a major ’cause he said “it lost it’s feel”…

    He went on to win

  2. BRENT

    Jun 15, 2018 at 11:21 am

    Doesn’t DJ own part of a shaft company????

  3. NolanMBA

    Jun 14, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    Interesting. That’s not a very popular shaft in driver.

    • ~j~

      Jun 15, 2018 at 2:53 pm

      Certsinly not a bad shaft. It wont play soft like the Tensei or fujikura’s, solid through contact though.

      I’d imagine DJ’s version of the hzrdus probably plays like rebar though.,,,

  4. Travis

    Jun 14, 2018 at 5:27 pm

    Wow. DJ has played the same driver shaft since he started on Tour. Obviously he rips his 4W with that shaft in it, but still surprising he changed!

  5. ogo

    Jun 14, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    If Dustin wanted to play a state-of-the-art graphite shaft, he should try the Seven Dreamers ($1200) autoclave cured shaft which squeezes out excess epoxy plastic that makes the shaft tip floppy and soggy.

    • Dan

      Jun 14, 2018 at 6:58 pm

      Why do people keep saying this?
      Is this a meme in this community?

    • Chris Embardino

      Jun 15, 2018 at 12:28 pm

      If seven dreamers has that much epoxy and resin in their shafts that they need to “squeeze out” or it makes it floppy, then they’re using far inferior materials to that of Fujikura for sure. Not even to mention project X. MCC, maximum carbonfiber content is present in every fujikura shaft. That Speeder has been his gamer for a long time. It got him to where he is because it’s so predictable. I’m sure he changed because of a minor swing issue that it helped to fix. He’ll be going back to that Fuji as soon as the open is done for sure.

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Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. 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.

  • kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
  • jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
  • jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
  • Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

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Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. 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.

  • rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
  • bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
  • CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

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A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down. 

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

 

  • GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

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