By Tim Corlett, Contributor. Professional and Amateur Golf Break80.
Newton is set to launch their Fast Motion shaft into the metal woods and hybrid market giving golfers an option of a lighter shaft and a progressive bend profile.
Newton Shafts has expanded into professional golf and long drive with the addition of specialized shaft technology for woods and hybrids.
Newton divides its lines into the Motion and Fast Motion models and offers a one-to-seven dot–based fitting system that specifies shaft stiffness and kick point. The higher the dot number, the stiffer the shaft.
“I’ll start off with my playing driver on the golf course, the new Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max paired with a Newton Fast Motion 5-dot. It is on the heavier end of the shafts I use, but it gives me a lot of confidence with that driver,” Amateur Long Drive World Champion Tanner Pipes said of his driver setup. “When I go step on the grid, I have a Callaway Elite 4.5-degree paired with a Newton Fast Motion 2-dot. It’s the shaft I won with in Colorado, and it’s around 40 grams, so it is a very light shaft.”
Source: Break80 Golf
The Fast Motion line of shafts is 10 grams lighter than its Motion counterparts, with Newton claiming the shaft’s lighter weight and kick characteristics can add 10–15 yards to drives. The reduction in weight of 10 grams is expected to produce an additional 3–5 mph of swing speed.
“We use some of the best carbon fiber, and the shaft itself is entirely American-made,” Newton Director and Chief Technology Officer Akinobu Yorihiro said.
In addition to long drive, Newton has seen widespread adoption of its shafts on the PGA Tour Champions, with more than 60 players across the PGA TOUR Champions, LPGA, and Korn Ferry Tours are playing with their shafts. The reason behind the success could lie in Newton’s “Progressive Loading” technology. The dot system mentioned above corresponds to a specific way the shaft flexes—where it flexes and how it matches swing tempo and swing speed.
“We simplify everything by going from one dot to seven dots. As we progress in stiffness, we change some of the characteristics of the shaft. The bend point on the one-dot would be closer to the clubhead, while the seven-dot will be further up the shaft,” Yorihiro said.
Pipes swings his two-dot Fast Motion shaft—recommended for 75 to 85 mph swing speeds—at over 143 mph. His use of a shaft that has significant flex can lead to longer drives but may result in inconsistencies in accuracy. It does, however, demonstrate the durability of the product.
“As you go from one to seven, it gets stiffer, it gets slightly heavier, the torque will go down a little bit, and the bend profile will move from lower to higher,” Yorihiro said.
The Newton Fast Motion shaft is 10 grams lighter than their already lightweight Motion shaft possibly translating to extra ball speed and distance.
The Elongated Bend Profile technology and the dot system used in the driver shafts have now been adapted to the woods and hybrid lines. It represents a change in the industry, where most shafts for woods, driving irons, and hybrids are shortened, scaled-down versions of driver shafts. Newton has altered the bend profile characteristics in its non-driver lines to better adapt to each club.
“We are launching a Fast Motion fairway wood and hybrid, same in the Motion,” Yorihiro said.
The Motion model is currently available in three-, five-, and seven-wood versions, with the lighter Fast Motion models scheduled for release later this year. The shafts also feature a unique paint color with color-changing properties that darkens to a nearly matte black finish at address. This color-changing property is designed to reduce glare and distraction.
Both the Motion and Fast Motion shaft lines are available online with multiple tip options for most major brands, making them compatible with most drivers.