Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro White Shaft - PGAPappas Giveaway Winner Guest Review

When you're a gear junkie like Kyle, the winner of a new Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro White shaft in my 12 Days of Christmas Jingle Bam Giveaway, there's nothing quite like testing out all kinds of new equipment.

New equipment doesn't always translate to better play on the course.  But since Kyle has put the TENSEI 1K in his driver he's seen "more consistent total distance."  And that's compared to a variety of heads and shafts he's played over the last few years.

In his own words, here's what Kyle (@Just_Peebs on twitter) thinks about his new Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro White shaft.

I want to thank Pete and the companies he partners with for all his amazing giveaways. It truly is an amazing experience to win these contests and have a chance to play tour quality equipment. Pete is one of the best reviewers out there and I have valued his opinions on the products he tests. 

I am a bit of a gear junkie, so I am constantly changing driver settings and trying different driver head/shaft combinations. Before winning the Tensei 1K I was gaming an Accra Tour Z Xtreme 455 M4 playing at 45.75 inches. The Accra has been an extremely consistent shaft for me, and I had been hitting it well. I am a high ball hitter and the Accra flattened out my trajectory and tightened my dispersion better than any other shaft I have ever used. The only negative thing I can say is that at times the trajectory can start to get a little too low depending on strike, and I lose some distance, but the accuracy does not fall off much.  I was switching between the original TaylorMade M2 and M5. I had the M5 head set up to hit a fade and I typically have a nice tight draw with the M2 head. 

I went with the 60-gram stiff version Tensei and had my club fitter install an All-Fit adapter so that I can use it with multiple club manufacturers. If anyone has ever had a favorite shaft or likes to test different equipment, I would check out All-Fit. The transition from one club head to the next is seamless. I had been thinking about trying a shorter driver shaft length, so I had the Tensei cut to play at 45.5 inches. 

I started off using the M2 head because it always seems to have a neutral to slight draw flight regardless of the shaft I use with it. From the instant I picked it up and gave it the “waggle test” I knew that I was going to like the overall profile. It initially felt very stable and slightly heavier than my gamer shaft. I got my first swings with it at a local simulator bar as it was still too cold in the Midwest to golf. I was with some friends and not really looking at any numbers, but the shaft felt very solid throughout the swing and seemed to have a little more life than my gamer. 

Once I finally got to test it outside, I was blown away by how easy it was to just point and shoot. As I understand it, I believe that the tip section of the Tensei is slightly weaker than my gamer but has a slightly lower torque rating. I seemed to be flighting the ball in a higher window, but it was still very controllable. Through testing the M5 9-degree head produced my preferred ball flight. It didn’t matter if I slammed the trunk and went to the first tee or had a grooved swing, the Tensei proved very accurate with an explosive feel. On center strikes, I initially did not find much difference between the Tensei and my gamer, but the Tensei shined on off-center strikes.

    

I almost put it straight in the bag for a member-guest tournament I had in March but ultimately stuck with my gamer. Since that tournament, I have had more time to test and tinker and purchased an original SIM 10.5-degree head. I have reduced the loft on the adapter by 1.5 degrees and this combination is going to be my main setup this season. With 2 young children, I don’t have time to play or practice much and it has been a lot of fun stepping up to the first tee cold and just ripping one right down the middle. I use ARCCOS sensors on my clubs and while I have not seen a ton of distance gains, I have had more consistent total distance numbers which is extremely valuable.

I have added some of my ARCCOS data for some comparison. As you can see my average total distance is 256 yards. Now, this is over the last two years of using ARCCOS with several different shaft and head combinations. Looking at my last two rounds using this set up I do see a trend of having more drives end up farther than the 256 average, which is encouraging. Larger sample size is needed but it seems this combination has the potential to push my average total distance closer to 260 yards.

Overall, I think this shaft is extremely consistent and incredibly easy to swing. I think a wide range of golfers could fit into this shaft under the right conditions. The Tensei 1K is another ultra-premium offering from Mitsubishi Chemical and I encourage everyone to test it for themselves. 

Thanks for your review Kyle.  Sounds like you're on your way to hitting longer drives more consistently with your new Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Pro White shaft.  And that's really what we all want when we step into the tee box.

Really enjoyed reading Kyle's review and know you guys will to.  Guest reviews have really taken off and it's been a blast seeing so many of you giving your own perspectives and sharing your opinions and personalities with gear and equipment you've won.

We have more guest reviews coming soon.  And anytime any of you who wins something from me wants to write a review just shoot me an email or DM and consider it done.

Cheers to better golf and having more fun for everyone!