50 Words or Less
At 57-59 grams, the Fujikura Speeder Evolution 569 shaft helps golfers to add to their club head speed through both lighter weight and enhanced energy transfer.
Introduction
For players that live in fear of hitting a hook, light weight shafts typically aren’t an option – they simply don’t have the stability and stronger tips necessary to fight the lefts. With the new Speeder Evolution series, Fujikura is causing players to reconsider what they think about light weight shafts by offering more stability than ever before in a sub-60 gram shaft.
Feel
The feel of the Fujikura Speeder Evolution series is entirely different from that of last year’s Speeders. Last year, the shafts had a clear kick point, and that point moved closer to the tip as the shafts got lighter. This year, the feel is much more consistent from one weight to the next, and there’s no longer a feeling of load and kick but rather a smooth transfer of energy from butt to tip. I’d compare the feel to cracking a whip. As you move from the heavier weight versions towards the lighter weights, the whip becomes easier to crack.
The feel of the 569 is one of the big upgrades over last year’s Speeder line. Last year’s 569 was fairly stable, but it wasn’t a shaft you’d want to really rip into if you’re a stronger player. This new 569 is much closer to the 661 in that you can give it all you have without much fear of “losing” the shaft. As you would expect, the the 569 requires a little less speed and aggression to make it “work” compared to the 757 and 661.
Looks
The look of the new Fujikura Speeder Evolution is done no justice by pictures. When I saw the first pictures, I thought, “Same graphics, new color, it looks Ok.” In person, the new color makes all the difference and it looks great. There are lots of blue shafts, but this one absolutely pops.
Performance
As I noted earlier, this year’s 569 is much more stable than last year’s, and it’s much closer to the 661. It’s lighter than the 661 by a few grams, and it is slightly easier to make the shaft “work,” but there isn’t a loss of stability or control. If you look at the launch monitor numbers from my review of the Speeder Evolution 661, you can see that they’re nearly identical to the ones here. The launch and spin are slightly higher and the dispersion is fractionally larger, but it’s all well within the margin of error. Choosing between these two shafts is really a question of what weight you feel more comfortable with.
Another thing that I saw with the 569 that I saw with the other Speeder Evolution shafts is high smash factors. While I didn’t do it as regularly with the 569 (I’m more comfortable with more weight), I did record a number of shots with smash factors above 1.5. For those not familiar with smash factor, that means that I was getting more ball speed from the same club head speed, and that’s a very good thing.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the new Fujikura Speeder Evolution line, and the lighter weight versions are a big part of the reason why. Rather than make a shaft that feels smooth but can’t stand up to stronger swings, Fujikura has designed the 569 to deliver stability along with the lighter weight. Whether you choose the lighter weight out of necessity or in an effort to pick up speed and distance, the Speeder Evolution 569 is a great choice.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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Hi Matt,
Thank you for your great review. Big fan here. One question, have you had the opportunity of swinging the callaway big Bertha 815 driver that comes stock with a Fujicura 565 shaft? If so, how would you compare that shaft to this one?
Trevor,
Thank you. I have tried both shafts and they feel quite different. Both produce good, consistent results, but the 569 feels much better, in my opinion.
Best,
Matt
i have got fitted for the RED 569 evolution is this the same shaft ????
David,
No, it’s not. The red Speeder Evolution is a “made for” version.
Matt
How you compare the made version compaee with the one you tried
Henry,
I haven’t tested the “made for” version enough to make a comparison. As a general rule, made for shafts are softer with more torque.
Best,
Matt
I Tryed a 565 (the red one) in a Xr driver and my swing speed went up to 107 from 103-104. I could feel it load and unload with moderate tempo. Average distance about 300. What other shaft do you think I should try?
David,
I would recommend getting a fitting.
Best,
Matt
Got 569 (Japan shaft) put In a Taylor R7 425 head. This shaft I understand has lots of tourque the weight of club head heavy.
Would this cause leaving ball out to right?
Jason,
All else equal, it would produce more hooks. The problem with humans is that all else is never equal, hence the need for fitting.
-Matt
Hi Matt
What shaft would you recommend as my swing speed is around 94 I’m looking at the 569 EVO possibly R shaft on Titleist D2 913 head.
Mac
Mac,
We never make shaft recommendations online, we are strong advocates of getting fit.
Best,
Matt