50 Words or Less
The Aldila Rogue, the winningest shaft on the PGA Tour this past year, finally hits retail. Super premium performance at a super premium price. A true low spin bomber.
Introduction
The PGA Tour stats for the Aldila Rogue are borderline unbelievable: 34 straight events as the #1 driver shaft, 10 wins, and it won 3 out of the 4 FedEx Cup Playoff events. With those kind of credentials, the Rogue has been the envy of club junkies everywhere. It is now available to the golfing public, though at a price – around $800 – that will turn away all but the most committed.
*Please note that this is the “real deal” Tour version of the Rogue. The giveaway is the “125 MSI” graphic. Their will be many other versions of the Rogue available in the coming months, many as stock options on 2015 drivers, but they are not the same as this.
Feel
The Aldila Rogue is either the smoothest “board” that I’ve ever hit or the most stable smooth shaft. Regardless of how you choose to say it, the feel of the Rogue is unique.
I’m guilty of frequently saying that good shafts blend stability and smooth feel. Where the Rogue is different is that it has both of those things to the nines. Even on weak swings, the Rogue never feels harsh, yet it doesn’t get loose on all-out swings either.
Looks
The Rogue has a white and silver version of the Tour Blue/Tour Green graphics. The fairly minimal branding is set against a circuit board-type design that extends a little more than halfway down the shaft. It’s not a huge eye-catcher, but it’s a cool look nonetheless.
Performance
Lots of shafts claim to be “spin killers,” but the Aldila Rogue actually delivers on the promise. In my testing, my driver spin actually dropped well below optimal. I hit multiple shots with spin of less than 1000 RPMs! If you are already a low spin player like myself, prepare to loft up a lot if you put the Rogue into play.
What was more impressive to me was seeing Bill’s numbers (in the graphic above) with the Rogue. For a couple reasons, Bill tends to be a much higher spin player than me, but the Rogue brought his spin down as low as I’ve ever seen it. This led to a significantly stronger ball flight with tons of roll.
Conclusion
If you’re prepared to pay the price, the Aldila Rogue can deliver low spin like few, if any, other shafts on the market. Based on the distance, accuracy, and feel, it’s easy to see why the Rogue has been such a consistent winner on the PGA Tour.
Aldila Rogue LM Data
Aldila Rogue Shaft (1)
Aldila Rogue Shaft (2)
Aldila Rogue Shaft (3)
Aldila Rogue Shaft (4)
Aldila Rogue Shaft (6)
Matt Saternus
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Hi Matt, I know this was a while ago, but do you remember what flex you used in this review.
Stiff flex.
Best,
Matt
What was your attack angle on those 1000rpm swings? Thanks
Eric,
I don’t know exactly, but my AoA is generally around +3.
-Matt
Hi Matt,
Good write up. Did you hit the 125 msi silver 70 at all? I currently have an 10.5 M1 set to 9.75 with a tour ad di 6x tipped 1″. I spin that about 2100-2400 with about 12.5-13.0 launch. SS is about 110-112 but I have a quicker tempo and was thinking of going heavier. How different is the 60 vs the 70 in terms of stiffness, feel, etc. Would the 125 msi silver 70 x-stiff feel like a 2×4?
Chris,
The 125 MSI, 70 gram is what I tested for this review. I haven’t hit the 60, so I can’t compare the two.
Best,
Matt
I demoed a Great Big Bertha today with the stock white and black Rogue stiff shaft. My swing speed is approximately 95 mph. It felt very good I’m Usually between stiff and regular and can play either. Any recommendations, is this a good shaft (made for)? Thanks
Mike,
Did it produce good results? If so, it’s a good shaft.
-Matt
Hy should the 125 msi come with a certificate of authenticity?
Simon,
I’m not 100% sure, but I do believe that you’re correct, the 125 MSI did come with a certificate when purchased from an authorized dealer.
Best,
Matt
can you tell me a couple of things I cant seem to get the answers for.
1) what does MSI 110 mean on the rouge shaft
2) what does I/O mean
3) my big question is , I have a rogue 110 MSI 70 X 3.1 I/O shaft, is this the cheaper OEM version, I cant find this
shaft any where online, I can find the Rogue 110, 70X , 2.8 for sale which one is the more expensive / better made shaft??
I would be very happy if you could explain this to me, lastly is there a big difference in feel between a 2.8 and a 3.1 in torque ?
thank you.
Todd,
1) To my knowledge, the Rogue is available in 110 MSI and 125 MSI. The 125 MSI is much more expensive.
2) I’m not sure.
3) If you can’t find that model on the Aldila site, then it’s a “Made For” shaft. There’s nothing wrong with a stock or “Made For” and the aftermarket ones are not necessarily higher quality.
4) There can be a big difference between 2.8 and 3.1 torque, but there are many other factors to consider as well.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
I think I/O means “Inside Out” the Aldila RIP VS Proto had that I/O going on in the tip section