Miyazaki is back with a new shaft, the JDL series, stemming from the success of the Dromos. The JDL features similar characteristics to the Dromos, but is available in a greater variety of flexes, weights, and also features a mid-trajectory. The JDL is a shaft built specifically for interchangeable driver heads. It uses the same Quad Orthogonal Bias Technology as the Dromos. This technology strategically orients the spine of each shaft layer (an area of weakness) in a different position per layer, around the shaft to strengthen the carbon fibers as a whole – and eliminate the “spine effect”. The result is a consistent feel and predictable results regardless of the orientation of the adjustable shaft. So no matter how you put this shaft into your driver head, you can expect similar results across the board.
The 7 and 8 Series shafts are designed specifically for the low handicap tour quality player who desires a shaft that provides a consistent performance and feel regardless of orientation in an adjustable driver. The 7 and 8 Series shafts are each available in S and X flex.
Our Thoughts
Overall these new shafts have quite solid specs wise. Some things to keep an eye on if you’re in the market and seriously buying these shafts.: Players with faster swing speeds should really keep an eye on the torque of the lighter shafts in this line. An X flex in the JDL5 still carriers torque of 5.3, which could lead to more spraying and inconsistency off the tee. Depending on your swing tempo, you may want to go up a weight class for more stability. The JDL7 look like great shafts for lower handicapped players, and remind me of the Aldila Alpha RIP 70 line, with the exception of the slightly high trajectory, and slight difference in torque. I imagine these shafts would perform similarly, with perhaps a little more feel. Same goes for the JDL8 compared to the Aldila Alpha RIP 80 line. I also find it interesting how little the torque changes when you move from A flex to X flex in JDL5 line, and R to X in the JDL6 line. It appears the only major difference in these shafts is the weight, which is unusual, but we have confirmed with Miyazaki and the specs are accurate. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to test these shafts out soon.
Price
No word yet on price, but like most Miyazaki shafts, expect to fork out about $300 USD.
Design Philosophy
Miyazaki Shafts is driven by the science and artistry of the golf swing. The shaft is the delivery vehicle of the modern golf club and Miyazaki Shafts places the highest premiums on performance, consistency, and effective fitting. Without optimized and consistent delivery of the clubhead to the ball, significant performance potential is lost with every impact. Miyazaki Shafts designs and specifies shafts using a superior approach to quantifying the actual bending and torsional flex profile of each shaft. Miyazaki Shafts has designed a proprietary International Flex Code™ fitting system which replaces the archaic specifications of frequency, kick point, and torque to give professional fitters and golfers alike a more detailed insight into the specifics of their current shaft and each Miyazaki Shafts design. Miyazaki Shafts utilize the highest grade carbon-fiber materials available to produce innovative bending and torsional profiles geared toward specific player types. Each shaft is precisely constructed to some of the industry’s tightest tolerances to ensure consistent delivery characteristics on each and every shot.
Specifications
Model | Flex | Tip Diameter | Trajectory | Raw Weight | Tapered Butt Dia | Frequency (cpm) | Traditional Torque |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JDL 8 | X | 0.335″ | Mid | 87g | 0.620″ | 281 | 2.7° |
JDL 8 | S | 0.335″ | Mid | 82g | 0.620″ | 262 | 2.8° |
JDL 7 | X | 0.335″ | Mid | 72g | 0.620″ | 281 | 3.3° |
JDL 7 | S | 0.335″ | Mid | 70g | 0.620″ | 262 | 3.3° |
JDL 6 | X | 0.335″ | Mid | 64g | 0.615″ | 275 | 4.1° |
JDL 6 | S | 0.335″ | Mid | 62g | 0.610″ | 262 | 4.1° |
JDL 6 | R | 0.335″ | Mid | 61g | 0.610″ | 249 | 4.3° |
JDL 5 | X | 0.335″ | Mid | 56g | 0.615″ | 271 | 5.3° |
JDL 5 | S | 0.335″ | Mid | 53g | 0.615″ | 255 | 5.4° |
JDL 5 | R | 0.335″ | Mid | 51g | 0.610″ | 244 | 5.4° |
JDL 5 | A | 0.335″ | Mid | 49g | 0.610″ | 234 | 5.4° |