50 Words or Less
The Mitsubishi Vanquish shaft is a new lightweight offering with solid feel. Killer graphics. An easy way to add speed and distance.
Introduction
Like most golfers, I want to hit my driver farther. This has led me to try all kinds of things including light weight shafts. But to this point, I’ve never gone below 60 grams. That may be changing with the new Mitsubishi Vanquish. This new lightweight offering, the successor to the Bassara [review HERE], is loaded with tech and has more stability than I’ve ever felt at this weight.
Looks
The Mitsubishi Vanquish was one of the rare shafts I didn’t see before getting it in hand. I’m glad I didn’t because it allowed me to have the full “Wow!” experience of seeing it in person first.
To say that the Vanquish has a black base color really misses the mark. What starts as a gloss black at the handle shifts to matte black. Additionally, there’s a hexagonal pattern on the “logo up” side.
Speaking of which, the Vanquish doesn’t have a traditional “logo up” side. One side does have more graphics, but both sides are packed with visual interest. On one side, you get a smaller Vanquish logo in an iridescent grey/blue color that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. That’s where you also get the shaft’s specs and the Mitsubishi Chemical logo. On the other side, the Vanquish logo is larger, but it’s just outlined in that aforementioned iridescent shade. It’s much more subtle this way for players who don’t want much distraction at address.
Feel
Like most golfers, when I think of lightweight shafts, I think of more active feel. The Mitsubishi Vanquish takes those preconceived notions and shoves them in the trash. More than anything else, the feel of the Vanquish is solid and true-to-flex. The tip does not have a soft, high torque feel, even when you really stand on it.
If forced, I would say that the Vanquish has a mid-kick, but it’s subtle. The Vanquish is smooth more than active, similar to Mitsubishi’s Diamana shafts. That smooth, consistent feel is there swing after swing, which is helpful for keeping my effort below 110%.
Performance
When I first loaded the Mitsubishi Vanquish into my PING G425 Max, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Not only is it January – my game is in hibernation – but I haven’t even experimented below 60 grams in a while. What immediately grabbed my attention was the speed. From the start, I was at the top end of my recent range. As I got in sync with the Vanquish and put in just a bit of effort, I was 2-3 MPH above my recent best. The combination of high speed and the nearly effortless feel was extremely exciting.
Mitsubishi bills the Vanquish as mid/high launch and mid spin, but, for me, the change in weight somewhat overruled the shaft’s design. This is another example of why we always emphasize the importance of fitting. I actually launched the Vanquish a bit lower than other shafts, particularly at the start. My initial sessions with the Vanquish saw a trend towards pulls, with the associated lower launch. As I got more comfortable with the lighter weight, the ball flight straightened out and came up a bit.
It should also be discussed just how much technology Mitsubishi has packed into this lightweight beast. One of the most impressive things is the incredibly tight tolerance, referenced in the tip graphic (above). Every shaft is within 1 CPM and 1 gram of spec, which means you won’t order a shaft and have it feel different than the one you tried in the fitting. On a related note, the Vanquish also uses the Consistent Feel Design, first seen in the Diamana TB [review HERE].
For the real shaft nerds, Mitsubish also utilized a new Amorphous Wire Technology in the butt section. They state that this increases activity for more club head acceleration. There is also the Super Low Resin Content Prepreg which makes the shaft more carbon-dense for better feel and proprietary 46 and 40 ton prepregs used in full length applications. If all that sounds like gibberish, it’s fine – you don’t need to understand it to know this shaft is fast and long.
The Mitsubishi Vanquish shaft is offered in 40 and 50 gram variants. At both weights, MCG offers the entire spectrum of shaft flexes. That ranges from R2 (senior/light) through regular, S/R, stiff, X, and TX. It’s rare – and very cool – to see a company giving players at ever swing speed the chance to go ultra light.
Conclusion
I’ve been very happy gaming my Mitsubishi TENSEI Pro White 1K [review HERE] for a long time. It’s survived numerous challenges, but they’ve come from the expected places. Is it possible that the lightweight Mitsubishi Vanquish shaft will come out of nowhere to claim the throne? I’ll have to wait for the season to start to know for sure, but the early returns of increased speed and distance give it a real chance.
Visit Mitsubishi Chemical Group HERE
Matt Saternus
Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all)
- GOAT Grips Putter Grip Review - September 20, 2023
- Podcast Episode 198 – Dan Ridgway, GOAT Grips - September 20, 2023
- Srixon ZX7 Mk II Driver Review - September 19, 2023
Thanks for the review, Matt! Did you test the 40 or 50 gram variant? In your experience as a fitter, if a better player with 100 mph driver swing speed drops 10 grams of weight ( either via head, shaft, grip) can they expect similar gains in swing speed, or is it a case by case basis depending on player tempo, other swing characteristics, etc.? I’m a 100mph player looking to pick up speed going from a 57g shaft to one of these. Also I play a ping 425 LST, which is a heavier head. Thanks for the awesome work!
Odie,
I tested the 50-X.
I think that anyone can gain speed from swinging a lighter club. I know I’m significantly faster with the green SuperSpeed stick than anything else. That said, there’s always going to be a personal element. If a shaft change alters the swing weight dramatically, that might bother a player and require some “break in” period before they see any speed gains. Similarly, there’s the shaft profile to consider – a bad fit can throw off timing.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
Hey Matt,
Good info. I’m curious, though – what happened to your swingweight when you dropped 15-20 grams in the shaft? Did you adjust something, to keep it close? Or did you just go with the lighter feel?
The change in shaft weight was closer to 10 grams than 15-20. I didn’t otherwise modify the club as the change was only about 1 swing weight point.
Best,
Matt
Recently went from 6s to 5s in the Ventus Blue. Producing some good results.. especially as my years are getting on.
Great to read about new technology at lighter weights that f on’t just address one age/ ability level. Thank U
I’m so intrigued by the light weight offerings. Did this feel more stable than the Bassara?
Andrew,
In my opinion, absolutely, yes.
-Matt
The test results are pretty interesting — it looks like this setup yielded +3mph CHS and +10 (Ten!l more yards today distance vs the Paradym..!!??
(#SecretGiveaway2023 😉}
At the end of last season I moved into a lighter weight & softer flex driver shaft and it’s been very helpful to me! Would encourage all your readers to look into the lighter concept 👍
Thanks Matt. Do you know also prices ??
A quick Google search tells me it’s around $400.
-Matt
How do you think the shaft would fair with a Jr? My son at 10 years old is playing the TB 50G.
Phil,
My advice would be to get him fit. There’s no reason this couldn’t work for any age, at the right flex.
Best,
Matt
How does this compare to the autoflex shaft?
Robert,
The Vanquish is much, much more stable than the Autoflex.
-Matt
Hi Matt,
I play the Mitsubishi Grand Bassara 39 – regular flex with a swing speed around 100mph in a Titleist TSI3.
Do you think the Vanquish is worth an upgrade and should I rather play stiff flex in the Vanquish ?
Why do you hit your driver 15 yards shorter with the Vanquish compared to the Mitsubishi 1K Pro White with similar club head speed and ball speed ? Is this a result of backspin only ? You’ll put the Vanquish in your bag, even if it’s shorter ?
Best,
Stefan
Stefan,
My advice is always to get a fitting. I prefer the Vanquish to the Bassara, but that doesn’t tell us anything about how it will work for you.
Regarding comparing numbers from one review to another, that’s something we do not encourage because it’s not apples to apples.
-Matt
Given your positive experience with the 50X are you considering trying the 40X or 40TX?
Keith,
I haven’t gone that far yet. If the 50X works well outdoors, I might have to think about going for even more speed.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt, just put the vanquish 4 SR in my driver and am blown away with it’s stability at such a light weight. I was playing the autoflex sf405 previously. The autoflex seems longer but is way harder to control, especially when you forget to do a smooth swing. The vanquish on the other hand is easy to control and when I swing harder, it keeps up. I’m 63 with a 90-95 mph swing speed and play to a 13 handicap. Now I’m thinking about a 5 SR for my 3HL fairway.
Harvey,
That’s great to hear! I’m glad you found your fit.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt
I just starting playing around with vanquish 4s and the auto flex 505x
The 4 s seems much more stable but I was losing 10 yards in distance. I can control both pretty well but the vanquish seems solid but auto flex seems like a better feel and more distance. Is it true the you found auto flex longer but vanquish more accurate
Steve,
The Vanquish is definitely more stable feeling and, for me, more accurate. I found no loss of distance with the Vanquish. The Autoflex helped me boost my club head speed, but that didn’t translate to ball speed gains.
-Matt
How would you compare the Vanquish to the Brava?
I have a full review of the Brava here: https://pluggedingolf.com/breakthrough-golf-brava-shaft-review/
To me, the Vanquish is much more stable, and it offers more weights and flexes.
Best,
Matt
Hey Matt,
Given your history of preferring lower torque X-flex shafts, how did the higher torque (even x-stiff is listed over 5) feel with your swing speed. I know you have written extensively about torque in shafts, and this is the one thing that has me hesitant about this giving this shaft a try.
Even going TX, the torque is significantly higher than a typical x-stiff shaft. Was that what led to your initial struggles with flight and a hook? Did you need to smooth out your swing (something I am not good at doing)? Thanks for any insights you can provide.
Sean,
To me, this shaft is a great example of how torque is just one part of a bigger picture. I had no issue with this shaft whatsoever. On paper, it’s absolutely a mismatch for me. In reality, it worked beautifully without adjustment.
Best,
Matt
Any thoughts on the tour X vs X ?
If you’re at 110 and 161 , you prefer the X ?
Jim,
I’ve only hit the X, it worked well for me.
-Matt
What length were you playing at, my apologies if I missed it in the article?
Thank you for any response.
-Perry
Perry,
I play my driver at 45″.
Best,
Matt
Interesting. What stands out to me is that whilst your club speed was up from other reviews about this time, so was your spin.
So the end result was pretty much the same.
I’ve had similar results from lighter shafts. I swing them a couple of mph faster and spin them 4-500 rpm more.
So distance is a wash.
Theoretically the higher spin should result in straighter shots, but I’m not sure it has for me.
Hey Matt,
I see that you’ve commented earlier regarding the shaft weight and flex you choose and mentioning in another about testing the lighter 40g versions later. However did you choose to review the 50x or was that what Mitsubishi gave to you test? If you chose 50x what was the reasoning behind it?
I’m gonna test one soon and decided to go to 4TX mainly cause if I’m going to go light weight might as well go the lightest possible
Glen,
I chose the 50X because I wanted something lighter than my current gamer without going too far afield. It worked well, which does have me curious about the 40 gram version.
Best,
Matt
Hey Matt,
Great review! How would you compare the Vanquish against the Diamana GT? I’m hoping to increase my distance by going sub 50 grams, which both of them offer in my preferred flex. My swing speed is 100mph. Thanks in advance.
Ken,
I have a full review of the Diamana GT here: https://pluggedingolf.com/mitsubishi-diamana-gt-shaft-review/
-Matt
Just switched to the 50 R/S after trying the Diamana GT 40R. Couldn’t get the Diamana in the fairway…the vanquish has turned my Stealth2+ into a reliable fairway finder with height, landing angle and run I have been looking for. Couldn’t be happier with it…highly recommended.