SHAFT REVIEW! – Matrix X3

Introduction

(Written By: GolfSpy Matt) It seems that every time you turn around, a shaft company is releasing a new product that is supposed to be the hottest thing since Miranda Kerr.  To make things worse, damn near every one of them is labeled as “Mid launch/Low spin,” so you don’t even know how it’s different from the last hot-new-thing they launched.

Finally, Matrix is bringing some common sense simplicity to the world of picking a shaft.  For 2013, they will be offering the Matrix Flighted System which consists of three models: the M3 (Black Tie), the Q3 (Red Tie), and the X3 (White Tie).  These three models will offer golfers low, medium, and high launching options, respectively.

We’ve already taken a close look at the M3 shaft (check out that review HERE), so today we’re examining the X3.  Billed as the high launch-low spin shaft, it is the replacement for the popular X-Con shafts.  Does the White Tie deserve to sit at the same table as the Black Tie?  Read on to see what we found.

Notes, Feel, Price, and Miscellaneous

Any guesses about what the WHITE TIE looks like?  The finish is a matte white (duh) with grey and black logos.  The trademark “rain” graphics near the butt of the shaft are silver-grey and very understated.  To be honest, the looks are pretty boring, particularly compared to some of the cool stuff Matrix has done in the past (insert obligatory petitioning for a return to candy red paint here).

While the looks are not vintage Matrix, the feel absolutely is: smooth all day long.  Even in the 70+ gram X flex, there’s a pronounced load and kick through the swing.  As you would expect with a high launching shaft, the kick point is found much closer to the head and there’s a little more torque.  Matrix is going to offer the X3 in everything from a 4X3 (~48 grams) to an 8X3 (~85 grams).  Flexes will range from a Lady’s flex to a XX-Stiff.  For now, the X3 line is only available for woods.

The Matrix X3 line will carry an MSRP of $375.

Performance

For the Performance testing, I hit each of the shafts in a Callaway RAZR Fit 10.5 head on a FlightScope X2 launch monitor.  I hit 20 “good” shots with each shaft, changing frequently so that fatigue was not an issue, nor did I get grooved with one shaft to the detriment of fairness.

Testing was done at Golf Nation in Palatine, IL, one of the best indoor golf facilities in the country.

*NOTE: Testing has moved back inside for the winter, and our FlightScope seems to be producing somewhat different numbers indoors compared to outdoors.  To greater or lesser extents, ball speed, club head speed, and spin are all coming in lower than they did outdoors, hence the carry number is smaller.  That said, it’s still an apples-to-apples comparison, so no attempt has been made to “normalize” the numbers: we’re publishing the numbers straight off the FlightScope, as always.

DATA

ANALYSIS

A couple of interesting things stood out to me when evaluating the shots I hit with the Matrix X3.  First was the large drop in spin rates when moving from S to X flex.  Some people might say that they would expect that, but, generally speaking, I don’t see that much difference between flexes in the same shaft.  The counterpoint is that the launch angle was extremely consistent – all four shafts were within 1* of each other.

Dispersion was fairly similar across all four shafts with a slight edge going to the 7X3 Stiff for putting a lot of balls right on the centerline.  I was actually a bit surprised to see the dispersion end up as tight as it is simply because the feel of the shaft (lower kick point and a bit more torque) is not my preference.  For people that want a lot of “feel” in their shaft without losing control of the ball, it seems that the X3 would be a good choice.

Conclusion

While it’s not my favorite Matrix shaft to date, those who want a lot of kick and feel in their shaft will definitely want to try the X3.  More than anything, I applaud Matrix for making it easier to pick the right shaft with their Matrix Flighted System for 2013.  Stay tuned to MyGolfSpy in the coming months as we review the soon-to-be-released Q3 Red Tie which will fill out the middle of the Matrix fitting system.

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