Aldila RIP Trinity Shaft Profile

Profile – This latest offering from Aldila for the 2013 season does away with the skull and cross-bones look and for the first time combines all three Aldila patented design technologies – the RIP, S-Core Technology & Micro Laminate.  These three technologies are found in varying degrees in some of the hottest shafts on Tour – …

trinity-golf-shaft-aldila-review Profile – This latest offering from Aldila for the 2013 season does away with the skull and cross-bones look and for the first time combines all three Aldila patented design technologies – the RIP, S-Core Technology & Micro Laminate.  These three technologies are found in varying degrees in some of the hottest shafts on Tour – like the Aldila Rip & Phenom.   This new shaft is also available stock and unmodified in the 2013 Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme Driver if you’re anxious to give it a try.  Don’t by fooled by the specs of this shaft if you’re in the market for a new driver shaft.  Even with higher-than-average torque numbers and a mid launch, this driver is not a softy, and should definitely be on the radar of faster swingers and better players. Definitely a candidate for one of the better shafts of 2013. If there was any complaint it would be for it’s shiny green paint job, but who cares if the shaft performs right?

What Makes It Work – As a re-cap, the RIP Technology stands for Reverse Interlaminary Positioning and in a nutshell means Aldila was able to reverse the layering of carbon fibers on the shaft so the outer layers were the strongest – doing this drastically increased the tip strength. S-Core Technology, which the infamous RIP line took a step away from uses a coiled carbon fiber rib system that runs the length of the shaft to prevent shaft deformation during the swing. Finally, the Micro Laminate consist of premium aerospace grade carbon fibers (up to twice as many as competitors) along the length of the shaft that helps reduce dead spots and ensures shaft consistency.

Who’s It For – This shaft is for mid to low handicapped players, or anyone who has a consistent enough swing to benefit from a premium golf shaft.  Stand alone these shafts will run you about $200, or $400-$450 in the Callaway Razr Fit Driver. With a mid-launch, for players who already hit a high ball they may want to consider something with a higher kick point like the RIP line, but definitely give this shaft a shot before moving on.  Even players with higher launches are making the switch.  Also, don’t let the higher torque numbers fool you, this shaft isn’t just for smoother swings, the shaft keeps up and responds well for a variety of swing types and speeds.

What People Are Saying – Many people are a little skeptical about this shaft at first, especially when you take a look at the specs… but performance-wise the Trinity has been anything but unimpressive.  Players are remarking on how incredibly consistent and tight the dispersion is with this shaft, despite its higher torque. In terms of feel, there are some mixed reviews, some faster swinging players don’t like the initial feel, while others who expected the shaft to be too soft and whippy were ‘pleasantly surprised’ at the stability of the shaft throughout the swing.  Distance wise – many players noticed an increase of 5-10 yards off the tee – mostly due to additional roll. In terms of trajectory and spin, this is where across the board this shaft was receiving (mostly) good praise.  Despite a mid-launch, it was incredibly consistent and didn’t balloon even for players who have a higher launch.  Launch angles hovered around 11-15 degrees, and spin numbers while varied, averaged around 2200-2600 rpm.  The players who were not the biggest fans of the shaft stated much higher spin numbers of 3500+ rpm.  Like most shafts nowadays there’s been mixed feedback from a variety of players and swing types – and this shaft is no exception. The shaft performs differently depending on swing types and how you load the shaft into impact.  More or less however, the positive comments outweighed the negative ones.  This shaft has a firm tip, but it is softer than most firm tipped shafts out there.  Coupled with the Callaway RAZR Fit Xtreme driver – this driver had a great sound at impact, and felt well weighted throughout the swing.

Shaft Specs – Aldila.com

Shaft Flex Butt Diamater Tip Diamater Weight Length Torque Trajectory
Aldila Trinity A 0.58 0.335 63g 46″ 5.8 Mid
Aldila Trinity R 0.6 0.335 63g 46″ 5.2 Mid
Aldila Trinity S 0.6 0.335 64g 46″ 4.3 Mid
Aldila Trinity X 0.608 0.335 69g 46″ 3.9 Mid
Aldila Trinity TX 0.61 0.335 69g 46″ 3.0 Mid

Shaft Specs – Callaway Razr Fit XTreme

Shaft Flex Butt Diamater Tip Diamater Weight Length Torque Trajectory
Aldila Trinity A 0.58 0.335 63g 46″  6.3 Mid
Aldila Trinity R 0.6 0.335 64g 46″  5.4 Mid
Aldila Trinity S 0.6 0.335 67g 46″  4.5 Mid
Aldila Trinity X 0.608 0.335 68g 46″  3.9 Mid