Fujikura FUEL Shaft Profile

Profile – The Fujikura FUEL shaft is the birth child of a new Fujikura technology for measuring shaft performance using the Enso fitting system. This is the same technology that was used to film Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and the apes from the Planet of the Apes remake. Fujikura applies sensors at strategic points on a shaft and club, and uses high-speed motion photography to be able to fine-tune and optimize shaft performance in real swing situations. The FUEL employs this technology to build a shaft that is finely tuned for optimal results. The FUEL has already made some noise on Tour, being Branden Grace’s driver as he won the Dunhill Cup earlier on October, and being the stock shaft (albeit a made-for version) in the new Cobra AMP Cell driver. The FUEL is the first of a brand new line of Fujikura shafts. We’ve seen a couple different color versions out there, including Orange and Yellow. There will also be versions of the FUEL for hybrids and fairway woods.

What Makes It Work – The new Fuel ROD technology combines a ‘combustion chamber’ and the ‘load injector tip’ to provide an incredibly efficient transfer of energy down the shaft, resulting in increased distance and power. The ‘combustion chamber’ features strong high-modulor carbon piles oriented at 45 and 90 degrees to reduce ovaling and power drain during the loading and unloading process of the swing – helping maximize power into impact. The ‘load injector tip’ takes this energy and injects it into the clubhead for an explosive impact. In layman’s terms, Fujikura has designed a high-end shaft using their Enso fitting system with an extremely stable tip through impact, specifically designed not to fan open, which helps big time in keeping the ball in play consistently. They accomplished this by adding only the best carbon fiber threads available (and more of them than previous models) to the shaft tip. The combustion chamber, and Fuel R.O.D. Technology are shaft elements designed to produce more consistent loading and transfer of swing energy down the shaft to produce maximum power and reliability off the tee. This shaft, when stacked up against the Motore Speeder VC 6.3 Tour Spec X on the Enso fitting system proved to be more stable at impact.

Who’s It For – The FUEL shaft is designed for better players and low handicaps, however there is likely a version available to fit most players. While this shaft is designed to hit a lower ball flight with low spin, their 50 gram models do produce mid-low trajectories. There are also a large variety of weights available – from 50 grams up to 97 grams. So, likely anyone looking to hit a lower ball flight should give this shaft a serious look. It is going to MSRP at $225 a piece and should be available on February 1st, 2013. It is the stock shaft in the new Cobra AMP Cell driver, however this is a made-for version… so you can get a taste, but its not the real deal. This shaft is designed to produce a low trajectory with low spin, which will make it difficult for some players to get the height they want to see if their swing speeds aren’t quite there.

What People Are Saying – There is not too much word on the street yet with this shaft, as it only hit the Tours a couple months ago. We’ll update this section as we hear rumors, or when we can get our hands on it.

Fujikura FUEL Shaft Profile & Specs