Fujikura dominated the driver shaft count at the Players Championship with a resounding 59 being used to help navigate the tough driving test that is TPC Sawgrass, including a Ventus Black 7X in the TaylorMade Qi10 driver used by eventual winner Scottie Scheffler.
Even more impressive is that those 59 driver shafts represented 40.7 percent of the field — a usage rate that leads the way on Tour. No doubt it’s a staggering number, but Fujikura believes they’re just getting started with Ventus leading the way.
Ventus refresher
Premium driver shafts are all about maximizing stability to help golfers make better and more consistent contact. The result is longer and straighter drives. At the core of Fujikura’s Ventus line is Velocore, a multi-material bias core construction that delivers stability through transition and into impact to improve center-face contact.
Adding stability without sacrificing feel made Ventus an instant hit on Tour and with recreational golfers who found the unique combination beneficial when it was first introduced.
“The only time I have ever seen a shaft gain such instant popularity was when the very first Fujikura Speeder 757 was launched and it felt like you couldn’t look in a golf bag without seeing one,” said Marshall Thompson, Fujikura’s fitting and tour representative.
Since the launch of the original Ventus Blue, five more options have come to market with two additional profiles added to the original line (Red and Black). In 2022, Ventus TR was rolled out to the masses in the same three profiles: Blue, Red and Black — only this version featured a game-changing spread tow carbon fabric in the butt section of the shaft to create additional stability without sacrificing player feedback.
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In a world driven by technology, Fujikura’s ability to utilize ENSO in the shaft design process — a proprietary motion capture technology system that delivers an extremely detailed analysis of how a golf shaft moves and reacts to forces in the golf swing — has given them a leg up on the competition. Constant improvements eventually led to the recent introduction of the 2024 Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus.
Inside Velocore Plus
Just as the original Ventus featured Velocore to increase stability and improve contact, the 2024 Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus now has the bias core construction running the full length of the shaft to enhance feel, tighten dispersion, and increase ball speeds — while keeping the overall profile intact.
“Our goal when we were developing the new Ventus with Velocore Plus was never to change the profile and tweak what made players love the performance in the first place,” Thompson said. “The goal was to figure out a way to take what we learned with the original and use materials to make it better performing across the board.”
This core is constructed with full-length, ultra-high-modulus pitch 70-ton carbon fiber, which is 150 percent stronger and designed to be more stable than T1100g carbon fiber.
“The new Ventus with Velocore Plus is hot,” said Thompson. “When we’ve been testing with players, we have seen improvements in center-face contact along with less shaft deflection, with the results being an uptick in ball speed, leading to more distance.
“I think one of the less technical, yet just as important elements of this is how player feedback and feel can result in better results because the golfer feels more in control of their club through the entire swing with the result being a more trustworthy ball flight.”
Building momentum — and more clubs
Since Ventus Blue with Velocore Plus launched at the Genesis Invitation, Tour reps at Fujikura have been busy building clubs, testing with players and ensuring equipment trailers are stocked for specific requests.
One such player who recently made the switch to the latest Ventus is Sepp Straka, who added the shaft at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has gone on to beat his season-long strokes gained: off-the-tee statistic (+0.275) in both of his last two starts with a plus-1.35 strokes gained at Bay Hill and plus-1.389 at the Players Championship.
Lucas Glover is another player who recently changed shafts in his driver and fairway woods to locate some extra spin control and launch stability according to reps at Fujikura.
“Was looking to raise his launch without feeling like he had to try and get the ball in the air by manipulating his swing,” Thompson said. “By moving into the 2024 Ventus in his fairway woods he saw better height and flight stability without losing control of his spin rates.”
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Along with Straka and Glove, there continue to be more players testing the newest Ventus, which could add more shafts to Fujikura’s current usage total which already includes 5 of the top 10 players in the world and 22 of the top 50 as of the Players Championship.
The new 2024 Fujikura Ventus Blue comes in flexes and weights ranging from R2 (soft regular) 50 grams to extra-stiff 90 grams to help any golfer looking for a combination of stability and added speed. Want to give it a try? Head over to a True Spec Golf for a comprehensive fitting or order now through Fairway Jockey.
