Fujikura Speeder Evolution III 661 Shaft Review

on

More in Shafts:

fujikura-speeder-661-evolution-3-6

50 Words or Less

The Fujikura Speeder Evolution III 661 shaft has the same superior feel of the rest of the Evolution lineup but with a mid-launch and spin profile.

fujikura-speeder-661-evolution-3-11

Introduction

Fujikura’s Evolution shaft lineup has already been wildly successful, but never one to be complacent, Fujikura has released the Speeder Evolution III shaft line.  This give players looking for mid-launch and mid-spin a shaft with the same exceptional feel and premium performance that has become synonymous with Fujikura Evolution shafts.  I loved the Fujikura Speeder Evolution II 661 last season, so needless to say I was more than excited to see how the new Fujikura Speeder Evolution III 661 shaft would stack up.

fujikura-speeder-661-evolution-3-12

Looks

For the Speeder Evolution 3, Fujikura chose a paint scheme that’s similar to the Evolution 2, but with darker shades.  Where the Evo 2 was red/orange/yellow, the Speeder Evolution 3 is colored with dark red and maroon.

The graphics are consistent with the past two Speeder Evolution models – busy near the grip, but all business near the club head.

fujikura-speeder-661-evolution-3-8

Feel

Matt described the feel of the of the Fujikura Speeder Evolution III in his 757 review as follows:

While all three [Speeder Evolution shafts] have commonalities in terms of feel, each has their own flavor.  The original feels the softest, the Evolution II clearly has a firmer tip, and the Evolution 3 is in the middle.  There’s a lot of “action” in this shaft, but it’s miles from loose.

This is really a dead on description of the feel for the Evolution 3 661.  The shaft is extremely smooth and responsive, is full of action, but is a little softer in the hands than the Evolution II.  The Evolution II fits better for the swings with more aggressive transitions, but the new Speeder Evolution III is absolutely perfect for a smooth, flowing swing, and gets even better with a bit of speed.  I would be willing to bet that smoother swings will experience more life in this shaft than most other shafts they’ve tried before.

fuji-661-evo3-lm

Performance

Just when I thought I’d found the perfect shaft in the Evo IIs, Fujikura had to go and release this monster.  The Fujikura Speeder Evolution III 661 shaft performed even better for me than the Evolution II.  My average spin number is only a couple hundred rpm’s more than the Evolution II, but I hit more shots in the 2000-2200 range than I did with the Evo II.  The higher launch angle, a bit more speed, and medium spin kept the ball in the air a bit more, so I was getting better carry, but I wasn’t losing too much roll.

The key to this shaft line for both Matt and myself is that the Evolution III allows you to swing naturally with little effort.  Yes, you still have to put a good swing on the ball, but the Evolution III seems to adapt to a range of swings better than most shafts I’ve tried.

I was taken aback by my numbers the first time I hit this shaft, so I hit it on a monitor a second time a week later only to find similar results.  What this tells me is that I have a shaft I can count on hitting consistently with high performance each time I approach the tee.

fujikura-speeder-661-evolution-3-3

Conclusion

This is normally where I tell you, “This is going straight in the bag!”  Realistically, I’m going to have to spend more time with Fujikura Speeder Evolution III 661 shaft, but it’s certainly a contender with my current 569 Evolution II, and I still have to hit the 569 Evolution III.  The moral of the story is that the entire Fujikura Speeder Evolution lineup is one of the best feeling and performing shaft lines out there, and the Evolution, Evolution II, and Evolution III do a great job fulfilling the needs of a wide range of golfers.  Take my advice, schedule time with your local Fujikura dealer to see which Evolution series shaft will be your new gamer.

Bill Bush
Latest posts by Bill Bush (see all)

9 Comments

  1. Frank Maiorana
    October 28, 2016 at 1:48 pm  ·  Reply

    Matt, are you still using your Ping G30 LS on that Speeder? Those are Rory/DJ numbers. NICE!! Which would be a better fit for a 100SS with an aggressive move on the ball. Also a G30 LS head. THANKS

    • Bill Bush
      October 28, 2016 at 1:56 pm  ·  Reply

      Matt didn’t test this shaft, I did with a Cobra driver.

      Matt plays the G LS Tec with the 757 Evo 3.

      Not sure which two shafts you’re asking for suggestions between the two, but as mentioned above, I felt the Evo 2 fits aggressive transitions better and the Evo 3 is better with smoother swings. Both are great, ultimately comes down to the data and preferences.

      Best,

      Bill

  2. mp-4
    December 10, 2016 at 10:26 pm  ·  Reply

    Do you know how this compares to the Fujikura Speeder Platinum?
    Thanks.

    • Bill Bush
      December 11, 2016 at 1:55 am  ·  Reply

      I don’t have experience with the Speeder Platinum, but googling around seems to indicate the Platinum has the same principles of the Speeder shaft but with lighter weights and stiffer profiles. That’s about all I know and can find at this point. I see you asked the same on one of Matt’s posts and maybe he knows more.

  3. philippe
    June 12, 2018 at 7:15 am  ·  Reply

    Hi Bill,
    I already play the Speeder Evo II 569 in regular and really like it
    interested in the Evo III (Higher launch)
    Do you think i should try& buy the III in 569 . or 661? ( smooth tempo)

    Thanks
    Phil

  4. Neil
    December 11, 2018 at 7:06 pm  ·  Reply

    What shaft flex did you test the speeder eco 3 in?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *