50 Words or Less
With great feel and incredible looks, Mitsubishi Rayon didn’t compromise on anything when it created the ultra-lightweight Grand Bassara shafts.
Check out the new Mitsubishi Vanquish HERE
Introduction
Clearly the folks at Mitsubishi Rayon have an obsession with weight. They already have one of the best lightweight shafts in the industry with the Bassara GG series, yet they wanted lighter – ultra lightweight. So the engineers at Mitsubishi Rayon developed a whole new carbon fiber material called MR70, and the Grand Bassara was born. MR70 is 20% stronger and 10% stiffer than comparable products, allowing the designers to make the wall thinner, thus lowering the weight while maintaining characteristics of a high performance shaft.
Feel
The Mitsubishi Rayon Grand Bassara comes in two models: 29 and 39. Both feel light, but the Grand Bassara 29 makes you question what’s connecting the driver head to the grip. I was shocked at how good the very first swing with the Grand Bassara 39 felt. The tip was soft but very responsive and felt stable at impact. The Grand Bassara 29 had similar feel in the butt and mid-section but the tip was super soft and made me feel like I needed to swing easy to gain control.
Fitting tip: Don’t adjust your swing during shaft comparisons. Swing your swing (thanks Mr. Palmer) and let the feel and performance numbers speak for themselves.
Looks
Simply beautiful – that’s how I describe the Mitsubishi Rayon Grand Bassara shaft. The ion plating creates an elegant sheen and the holographic decals are mesmerizing, changing color with every twist in the sun. With the black fading to silver, this is a shaft that will look good with every driver head I can think of.
Performance
I tested both shafts in my Ping G driver and gathered data at Club Champion in Orlando. Master fitter Rob Stumpf was impressed with the numbers, reminding me that with lightweight shafts, spin numbers typically tend to go up, but the folks at Mitsubishi Rayon were true to their word with mid spin. I’d characterize my results as mid launch versus the advertised high launch. Rob and I were both impressed with the consistency I achieved with the Grand Bassara 39. With my swing speed and smooth tempo, I could really load and unload the Grand Bassara 39 and achieve a powerful kick. As expected, I picked up a bit of club head speed with the lighter Grand Bassara 29, but it came at the expense of knowing which way it might go. It didn’t take long to realize the Grand Bassara 39 is worthy of staying in the gamer.
Since Bill loves his Bassara GG, I had him try the Grand Bassara 39 in stiff flex for comparison. With his 100+ MPH swing, he didn’t feel like he could put a full swing on it. Even so, Bill commented: “If you’re the right fit, this [shaft] is going to be killer.”
Conclusion
If you have good tempo and a swing speed under 100 mph, the Mitsubishi Rayon Grand Bassara is certainly worth consideration. The more I swing the Grand Bassara 39, the more appreciation I gain for its feel and the more impressed I am with the performance. Mitsubishi Rayon scores again, adding another great shaft series to its stellar lineup. Heck, just a look at the beautiful shaft is worth a visit to a fitting studio.
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Matt Meeker
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While my swing speed is more in line with Bill/Matt, I appreciate that you guys do reviews for a spectrum of golfers. Thanks!
Was wondering how the 39 compares for seniors swinging at 88-93 mph and at what flex…
That’s a question I just can’t answer Desmond. Speed is one aspect, but type of swing is just as important. The 39 does have three flex options. Visit a qualified club fitter and give these shafts a swing.
Matt M.
Just bought Calloway xr16 withBassara e42x5ct. Shaft.litq. Love shaft! I NEED SHAFT FOR MY 4 wood
My swing speed is 90. What do you
Looks like your question got cut off Richard. Regardless, the answer is to test similar shafts with a qualified fitter. Glad you like your new driver.
Matt M
Try the Bassara 39 in your 4 wood. I played golf with my fitter and he had a Tour Exotics E9 4 wd/Bassara 39 R flex combo. I hit it several times – it was only about 8 yards shorter than a driver I had just teed up, and the 4 wood was off the tee box deck. That is a smooth shaft that kicks a fairway up.
I also tried the Bassara 29 R flex in a Fusion driver but it was no bueno. With my 87-90 speed, the 29 was far too soft. It lagged far behind – low and right. I use a Bassara P Series 43 in R flex at 44.25 in in my XR16 and it launches high with a slight draw and I get 230-260 with it. The Grand Bassara has a similar profile (the GB is slightly softer at butt, mid and tip) and the P Series has a Titanium Wire in the tip which stiffens it slightly and releases energy. I am trying the GB 39 in driver thinking I may get a bit more. I know it will be smoother – very silky smooth shaft.
Purchased a BB Fusion with the Grand Bassara 39 at 44.5 inches @ D2. The Bassara is silky smooth, and you can feel the shaft working for you. Took it right to the course, and by the end of the round, lit into one out about 260 at 60F (cold for me). This shaft is impressive (ought to be) and my favorite – so smooth. Put same shaft in an XR16 4 wd at 42 in. Woke me up – it wants to launch the 17 deg fairway – first time on the course with it and hit some of the best fwy shots in a long time. If you can handle the price and it fits … this is THE shaft.
Wow,tried out my new 39 shaft in my ping g,felt a bit whippy when waggling but very stable through the swing,i have played with premium shafts for years mostly aldila which have been well worth the money,but this is for my swing very obviously better,im 57 and played off higher single fugures for 0ver 20years up too a few years ago,on swings that i thought were not my best i still got a better result than i was used to,very much more consistant for me,i have 88mph swing speed,this shaft took it up to 90 which is the maximum rating from the makers for a regular flex but did not feel remotely like i was pushing the shaft,best shaft easily ive ever played,i do have quite a smooth transition though so maybe someone with a quicker one may not think the same,i dont know maybe will,
I have recently played three competative rounds with the shaft,i personally hit it about 10y further than my previous shaft,i can also feel like im trying to hit it a bit harder without losing controll which im not used too,also its marketed as high ball flight,for me its more medium to high and certainly doesnt balloon or fly too high.
Just bought and fitted the 39R GB shaft into my Callaway XR
My club head speed with driver is around 92, and have to say BITTERLY disappointed with this shaft
certainly in my view very over rated
my handicap is 5
Can the grand bassara 29 or 39 be fitted on a new TaylorMade driver and 3-wood? Does it have to be 46″ in length or can they adjust it to 44 or 45?
Also, could this shaft be fitted to basically any driver or 3-wood head?
I am 80 yrs. have a swing speed of about 85-90 and about a 15 hdcap trying to decide between the Grand bassara and the P ser. which I have, can you suggest !
I don’t have any experience with the P Series Fred. Both have a variety of weights/flexes that overlap, so the absolute best thing to do is try them out. You deserve what ever shaft suits your swing Fred. MCA uses premium materials to make great shafts, so you can’t go wrong with the brand.
Good Luck,
Matt
What is the best shaft club head combination for a 76 yr old with ss of 77 to 82 mph?
Paul,
There’s no universal answer to that. Every individual needs to work with a good fitter to find what works for their swing.
Best,
Matt
The GB 39 should also be good for more advanced juniors. The thing is the length. Would the shaft profile change entirely if we cut, say, three inches from the butt end?
Thanks, happy holidays!
That is something we have never pondered here at PIG. Your instincts are correct. Removing 3″ would significantly stiffen the butt section and alter the shaft profile. Reputable fitters like Club Champion carry a matrix of shorter shafts for fitting juniors.
Happy New Year,
– Meeks