Equipment
The 3 most popular driver shafts used by the top-50 golfers in 2023
The story below seeks to answer the question: “What are the most commonly used driver shafts by the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings?”
The story below does NOT answer the question: “What driver shaft should YOU use?”
It’s an important distinction to keep in mind before continuing.
Golfers at the top level of the game are, of course, some of the most influential tastemakers in the sport. Their equipment decisions, fashion choices, and even swing changes help to shape the golfing decisions of the general public, whether it’s for the better or worse. For some golf fans, the equipment that the top players in the world use help to determine the clubs and shafts they test or buy for themselves.
The mentality goes something like, “Hey, if it’s good enough for Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm, it’s probably good enough for me.”
The flaw in that line of thinking, at least when it comes to driver shafts, is that McIlroy currently averages 326.2 yards off the tee on the PGA Tour so far in the 2022-2023 season, and Jon Rahm averages 311.5 yards. The AVERAGE driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2022-2023 is 298.7 yards, and the AVERAGE ball speed off the tee is 172.95 mph.
The top golfers in the world do not play golf, or swing the golf club, anything like an everyday golfer who pays greens fees.
In reality, PGA Tour players don’t swing like each other, either. Even though most of them hit the ball over 300 yards on the regular, they each have different speeds, swing transitions, release patterns, angles of attack, launch angles, spin rates, and they even have different goals in mind for how to achieve maximum efficiency with their driver swings.
The point is, it’s extremely likely that your personal golf swing, and launch monitor data, looks nothing like any of the players on the list below.
I know…but you drove it 330… on that one hole… during that one round… a couple weeks back. Great drive, and I hope you made birdie, but I do hope you understand that driver fitting works to help minimize your typical misses and optimize your average drive – not to fuel a sense of pride by playing a shaft that’s too stiff and too heavy for you because you caught the speed slot on hole 14 last month and now you think you’re knocking on top-20 PGA Tour speed.
I’m not trying to be mean, either. I’m trying to say the best driver shaft for you is the one that actually helps you hit it long and straight, not the one that most closely resembles a PGA Tour player’s driver setup.
So, my suggestion is to use this story as either pure entertainment, or as a starting point of information gathering on what shafts you would like to test during your next fitting or testing session. I’ve provided a link to each shaft in the story so you can explore the shaft profile and see if it’s in your wheelhouse to test.
Every single golfer on this list is using the driver shaft they’re using because they hit a multitude of shafts with varying lengths, weights, flex profiles, torque profiles, and a myriad of other characteristics. They tested various shaft offerings with the help of a fitter, and they tracked each shot with a launch monitor, ultimately determining that a particular shaft best suits their game and preferences, and works in conjunction with their driver head and grip of choice.
Everyday golfers can most easily find their perfect driver shaft by getting with a fitter and trying out different models for themselves. It’s also important to keep in mind that each model comes in different flexes and weights, and each family of shafts typically has different design categories. For example, maybe the low-spinning “Fujikura Ventus Black” flies a bit too low for your swing and speed, but maybe the higher-spinning “Fujikura Ventus Red” is right in your window. There’s a lot of moving parts when it comes to shafts, which is why I so strongly suggest consulting a professional fitter.
OK, now, with that being said, let’s get into the results.
The scientific process for this story was simple: I looked up the top-50 golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings, and then cross-referenced each player with the extensive GolfWRX.com WITB database to see what driver shaft each player has used most recently. The full list is down at the bottom of the story, and the shafts that appeared most often in the top-50 list were awarded the “most popular” tag below.
Hopefully this list can provide a jumping off point for your next driver shaft testing session!
1) Fujikura Ventus TR Blue (6-of-50 players)
According to Fujikura, the Ventus TR Blue is a mid-launch, low-spin shaft
“A powerful combination of stability and feel, TR Blue maintains an ultra-stiff tip section for superior control at impact,” Fujikura says. “Increased torsional stiffness creates a profile with enhanced load capabilities for more aggressive swings while maintaining a smooth overall feel.”
- Rory McIlroy (No. 3): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Cameron Smith (No. 9): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Justin Rose (No. 28): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Adam Scott (No. 37): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7X
- Harris English (No. 41): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Patrick Reed (No. 47): Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
2) Fujikura Ventus Black (5-of-60 players)
According to Fujikura, the Ventus Black is a low-launch shaft.
Fujikura speaks on the Ventus technology: “The exceptionally engineered Ventus is designed to significantly tighten shot dispersion and maximize ball speed especially on off-center shots. Ventus is a Tour-inspired profile and the first to include Fujikura’s all-new VeloCore Technology in an accelerated taper, ultra-stiff tip profile. Maximum energy transfer from the tip section boosts the clubhead’s performance and a straight taper design enhances loading and feel.”
- Scottie Scheffler (No. 1): Fujikura Ventus Black 7X
- Keegan Bradley (No. 24): Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Si Woo Kim (No. 30): Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Tom Hoge (No. 36): Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Ryan Fox (No. 42): Fujikura Ventus Black 7TX
T3) Fujikura Ventus Blue (4-of-60 players)
According to Fujikura, the Ventus Blue is a mid-launch shaft, and is constructed with the same VeloCore technology as the aforementioned Ventus Black.
Fujikura explains more about VeloCore: “A multi-material bias core construction that delivers ultimate stability through transition and impact (maximizing clubhead MOI) – increasing velocity and smash factor. The multi-material core is crafted with full-length, ultra-high modulus Pitch 70 Ton Carbon Fiber — 150 percent stronger and more stable than T1100g — for ultimate stability, and 40 Ton bias layers ensure incredible feel.”
- Jordan Spieth (No. 10): Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X
- Sam Burns (No. 14): Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X
- Denny McCarthy (No. 35): Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X
- Chris Kirk (No. 39): Fujikura Ventus Blue 6TX
T3) Graphite Design Tour AD-DI (4-of-60 players)
According to Graphite Design, the Tour AD-DI (which stands for “Deep Impact”) uses NanoAlloy material and aerospace-quality carbon fiber t0 promote shaft stability and greater speed without the loss of feel. It has a soft mid-section to create load, but a stiff tip section to encourage high launch and low spin.
- Sungjae Im (No. 19): Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7X
- Hideki Matsuyama (No. 25): Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8TX
- Joaquin Niemann (No. 34): Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 6X
- K.H. Lee (No. 46): Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6X
5) Honorable mention
*Each of these shafts appeared more than once on the top-50 list:
- Fujikura Ventus TR Black (Will Zalatoris: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7X, Billy Horschel: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6X)
- Mitsubishi Diamana ZF (Patrick Cantlay: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX, Justin Thomas: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX)
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue (Emiliano Grillo: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX, Taylor Moore: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX)
- Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited (Tony Finau: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70TX, Brooks Koepka: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70TX)
- Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited (Shane Lowry: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX, Collin Morikawa: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX)
The Full Top-50 List of Driver Shafts
- Scottie Scheffler: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X
- Jon Rahm: Aldila Tour Green 75TX
- Rory McIlroy: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Patrick Cantlay: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX
- Viktor Hovland: Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X
- Xander Schauffele: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70TX
- Max Homa: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 65TX
- Matt Fitzpatrick: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Orange 65TX
- Cameron Smith: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Jordan Spieth: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X
- Will Zalatoris: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7X
- Tony Finau: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70TX
- Brooks Koepka: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70TX
- Sam Burns: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X
- Justin Thomas: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX
- Tyrrell Hatton: Mitsubishi Diamana TB 80TX
- Cameron Young: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 70TX
- Collin Morikawa: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60TX
- Sungjae Im: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 7X
- Kurt Kitayama: Graphite Design Tour AD UB 7TX
- Tom Kim: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6X
- Jason Day: TPT Prototype
- Tommy Fleetwood: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X
- Keegan Bradley: Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Hideki Matsuyama: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8TX
- Shane Lowry: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70TX
- Sahith Theegala: Project X HZRDUS Black 60TX
- Justin Rose: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Corey Conners: UST Mamiya Elements LIN-Q M40X 6F5
- Si Woo Kim: Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Russell Henley: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70TX
- Wyndham Clark: Accra TZ Six ST 60 M5
- Sepp Straka: Mitsubishi Kai’li White 60TX
- Joaquin Niemann: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 6X
- Denny McCarthy: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X
- Tom Hoge: Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
- Adam Scott: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7X
- Billy Horschel: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6X
- Chris Kirk: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6TX
- Brian Harman: Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 5S
- Harris English: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Ryan Fox: Fujikura Ventus Black 7TX
- Emiliano Grillo: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60TX
- Rickie Fowler: Mitsubishi Diamana Prototype 70X
- Seamus Power: Accra TZ6 Proto 65
- Kyoung-Hoon (K.H.) Lee: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 6X
- Patrick Reed: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X
- Adrian Meronik: Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution IV X-Flex
- Taylor Moore: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60TX
- Pablo Larrazabal: Fujikura Pro 63
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
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Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
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Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black...
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Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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geohogan
Jun 8, 2023 at 10:05 am
First very stiff tip and butt sections with soft mid section was
the Nunchuk, patented back ca 1990… one shaft for juniors, men, women and pro’s.
Gavin
Jun 7, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Can we have a similar list for LPGA?
MCA
Jun 7, 2023 at 12:25 pm
I feel like D-Limited and D+ are the same shaft which would put it in #3 but it is also accurate to list them as different model names.
Sincerely,
A Diamana D Limited Fan
Edward g Bardoe
Jun 7, 2023 at 11:06 am
ONE OTHER CAVEAT, EVEN IF YOU BUY THE BRAND AND MODEL LISTED, YOU MAY NOT BE GETTING THE SAME SHAFT AS THE PRO USES. ESPECIALLY IF IT CAME INSTALLED IN A DRIVER ASSEMBLED IN THE HOME OF ALL GOLF CLUBS, CHINA. EVEN IF YOU GET IT FROM A FITTER(SALESMAN) AT THAT GOLF STORE, THE SHAFTS AVAILABLE TO HIM MAY ONLY BE COSMETICALLY THE SAME AS THE PRO PLAYERS EQUIPMENT.
Boydenit
Jun 7, 2023 at 5:26 am
Great read with one glaring omission! You should have added what country each of these shafts is manufactured in, to better understand the true cost of a +$400 shaft.
P Kessler
Jun 6, 2023 at 7:35 pm
What’s Annika Playing??
That’s where I am at these days.
Kim
Jun 7, 2023 at 11:09 am
Would be more interested to see top 50 LPGA shafts. More applicable to my game