A shaft label gives you a flex (R, S, X or the maker's own code), a weight in grams, and sometimes a torque figure or a color. The flex is the maker's own step for that model, the weight is grams, and torque is how much the shaft twists: Mitsubishi says the higher the torque, the more a shaft twists. The number in a model name, like the 60 in Tensei 1K Pro Blue 60, is not a weight you can count on.
The ChartWhat each shaft marking means
| Marking | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| R, S, X (Regular, Stiff, X-Stiff) | The flex: the maker's name for that step in that model's lineup. KBS spells the letters out as Regular, Stiff and X-Stiff. | KBS Tour, taper tip: Regular 110 g, Stiff 120 g, X-Stiff 130 g. |
| R+, S+ | A step between two flexes. KBS shows them as R+ and S+ in its spec table and as Regular+ and Stiff+ in its flex selector. | KBS Tour, taper tip: R+ 115 g, S+ 125 g. |
| R/S | One shaft listed for two flexes together. | KBS Tour Lite, parallel tip: R/S at 105 g. |
| TX | A flex above X. Aldila says TX flexes are slightly more stable and firm than its standard X flexes, and that X and TX can differ slightly in materials or tip frequency. | Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro Blue 60: X is listed at 63 g and TX at 64 g. |
| R2, R3, SR | Extra steps in Fujikura's own scale. Its spec page has no key for them, so compare the printed figures instead of guessing a rank. | Fujikura Vista PRO 50i is listed in R3 (57.5) and R2 (58.5). Speeder NX Violet 50 is listed in SR (56). |
| 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 | Flex numbers used instead of letters. The True Temper page lists them and does not explain the scale. | Project X LZ: 5.0 is 110 g, 5.5 is 115 g, 6.0 is 120 g, 6.5 is 125 g. |
| R300, S200, S300, S400, X100 | True Temper's flex codes for Dynamic Gold. The page lists them without explaining them. | Dynamic Gold: R300 127 g, S200 127 g, S300 130 g, S400 132 g, X100 130 g. |
| Weight, Weight/GMS, 127 g | The shaft's weight in grams. Each flex has its own weight, so read the one beside your flex. | True Temper prints "127 g". Mitsubishi heads the column "Weight/GMS". KBS prints "110g". Fujikura heads it "Weight" with no unit. |
| A weight and flex pair | Some makers sell a line as a set of weight and flex pairs. | KBS says its Tour Lite series is "95/R, 100/S, and 105X in weight & flex". |
| A number in the model name (Pro Blue 60) | The maker's model name. Mitsubishi doesn't say what 50, 60, 70 or 80 stands for. It is not an exact weight: no flex of the 60 is listed at 60 g. | TENSEI 1K Pro Blue 60: R 58 g, S 61 g, X 63 g, TX 64 g. |
| Torque as a number | How much the shaft twists. Higher torque means more twist. Mitsubishi's own bands: low is low 3s or less, mid is 3.3 to 5.0, high is over 5.0. | TENSEI 1K Pro Blue 60 S: 3.9. Blue 80 TX: 2.9. Fujikura Vista PRO 50i R3: 4.6. |
| Torque as a word | Some makers print the word Low and no number. | True Temper lists "Low" for every Dynamic Gold, Elevate 95 and Project X LZ row. KBS lists no torque. |
| Color | Mitsubishi's color code for launch and spin: white is low, blue is mid, red is high. Orange marks a counterbalanced shaft. Mitsubishi calls these its best approximation for most golfers. | Mitsubishi, Shaft Basics: "White is low spin, Blue is mid spin and Red is high spin." |
| Spin, Launch (H, M, L) | Fujikura prints a letter in each column. Its spec table has no key for them. | Vista PRO 50i R3: Spin H, Launch H. Speeder NX Violet 50 SR: Spin M, Launch M/H. |
| Kick Point, Bend Point | A column of the spec sheet, printed as a word or a letter. Neither page explains it, so ask a fitter or the maker if it matters to your choice. | Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Blue: Mid. Fujikura Vista PRO 50i R3: L. Speeder NX Violet 50 SR: M. |
| .355, .370 (Tip) | Tip diameter. KBS says that is the only difference between a taper (.355) and a parallel (.370) tip shaft, with no performance difference between the two. | KBS Tour: taper tip .355, parallel tip .370. Parallel shafts are single-length and are tip and butt trimmed to length. |
Source: KBS Golf Shafts, Tour, Tour Lite and FAQs pages; True Temper, Dynamic Gold, Elevate 95 and Project X LZ pages; Mitsubishi Chemical Golf, TENSEI 1K Pro Blue specifications and Shaft Basics; Fujikura Golf, Shaft Specs; Aldila, FAQ.
The letters L (Ladies) and A (Senior) are the softer steps below Regular. None of the spec pages above uses them, so see the shaft flex chart for where they sit by swing speed.
Worked rowReading one line of a spec sheet
Here is one real row, Mitsubishi's TENSEI 1K Pro Blue 60 in Stiff, taken a column at a time.
| Column | Printed | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft | TENSEI 1K Pro Blue 60 | The model. The 60 is part of the name, not the exact weight. |
| Flex | S | Stiff, in Mitsubishi's lineup for this model (R, S, X and TX are listed). |
| Length | 46 | The length of the shaft as listed. The page prints no unit. |
| Weight/GMS | 61 | Grams. |
| Tip OD, Tip Length, Butt OD | 0.335, 3.0, 0.630 | Shaft dimensions in inches: tip outside diameter, tip length and butt outside diameter. |
| Torque | 3.9 | Inside Mitsubishi's mid band, 3.3 to 5.0. |
| Kick Point | Mid | Printed as a word; Mitsubishi gives no number for it. |
Source: Mitsubishi Chemical Golf, TENSEI 1K Pro Blue, specifications; torque bands from Mitsubishi Chemical Golf, Shaft Basics.
Using itHow to use a shaft label
Start with the weight. It is printed on every maker's spec page, so it is the easiest figure to compare. The shaft weight chart lists it flex by flex for five makers.
Read the flex inside the model. A flex letter is a step within that model's lineup. Compare Regular with Stiff in the same model, not across two makers. The senior vs regular flex guide walks through the step most golfers argue about.
Use torque only against the same maker's scale. Mitsubishi's low, mid and high bands are Mitsubishi's. True Temper prints a word and KBS prints nothing, so there is no common number to line up.
Go to the maker's page for the exact model. The label on the shaft tells you less than the spec table does, and the table is where every figure on this page came from.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Treating the model number as grams. Tensei 1K Pro Blue 60 runs from 58 to 64 g depending on flex.
Assuming a heavier shaft is stiffer. Within a model it often is by a few grams, but not always. Dynamic Gold R300 and S200 are both listed at 127 g.
Treating X and TX as the same. Aldila says TX is slightly more stable and firm than its standard X.
Comparing Regular to Regular across brands. KBS Tour Regular is 110 g and KBS Tour Lite Regular is 95 g, and that is only the weight. Put the figures side by side instead.
Assuming a trimmed parallel shaft plays the same. KBS says trimming can change how the shaft plays.
FAQQuick answers
What do the numbers on a golf shaft mean?
Usually one of three things: a flex (such as Project X LZ 6.0), a weight (such as 127 g on a Dynamic Gold), or part of the model name (such as the 60 in Tensei 1K Pro Blue 60). The model-name number is not an exact weight.
What does TX mean on a shaft?
It is a flex above X. Aldila says TX flexes are slightly more stable and firm than its standard X, and that X and TX can differ slightly in materials or tip frequency. On Mitsubishi's Tensei 1K Pro Blue 60, X is listed at 63 g and TX at 64 g.
What does shaft torque mean?
It is how much the shaft twists. Mitsubishi says the higher the torque, the more a shaft twists, and calls low torque the low 3s or less, mid torque 3.3 to 5.0, and anything over 5.0 high. Mitsubishi doesn't say which suits which golfer.
What do the colors on a Mitsubishi shaft mean?
White is low launch and low spin, blue is mid, and red is high. Orange means the shaft is counterbalanced. Mitsubishi calls its designations its best approximation of what the shaft will do for most golfers.
Is the weight on the label in grams?
On True Temper, KBS and Mitsubishi pages it is printed in grams (g or GMS). Fujikura's tables head the column "Weight" and print no unit, so check its page for the model you are looking at.
Does a lower torque number mean a better shaft?
Shaft makers don't claim that. They list torque as a description of the shaft, not a rating. For how flex fits a swing, see the shaft flex chart, and for fit questions a fitter can show you the numbers on a launch monitor.