50 Words or Less
The OBAN Kiyoshi White is the middle ground between the stout Black and lively Purple. Smooth, balanced feel that will be the best Kiyoshi for the majority of players.
Introduction
The shafts at the extreme ends of the fitting spectrum are fun, and they tend to get lots of hype. Ultra-stout, low-spin shafts like the Kiyoshi Black prove that your a man’s man with a powerful swing, and shafts with tons of kick, like the Kiyoshi Purple, feel so good. When it comes to picking a gamer, however, most of us need something in the middle. That’s where the OBAN Kiyoshi White comes in: it has a balance of kick and stability that will work really well for most golfers.
Feel
The Kiyoshi White is neither a board nor a noodle – it’s a happy medium. It has a moderate kick that you’ll feel right in the middle of the shaft and enough torque to make it feel smooth.
Looks
Though not as eye-catching as the Purple, the Kiyoshi White is still a good looking shaft. As with all the Kiyoshi shafts, the graphics are kept away from the club head so that there are no distractions at address. The samurai faces look cool on any background.
Performance
Just as the feel is somewhere between the Purple and the Black, the performance of the Kiyoshi White is in the middle as well. It is billed as mid-launch and low spin on the OBAN web site. Interestingly, both myself and another tester found it to be the highest launching of the 3 Kiyoshi shafts. The reason that the White launched higher than the “high launching” Purple is that it did not promote as much draw as the Purple did. The spin from the Kiyoshi White was between the Black and Purple, though much closer to the Purple.
Most notable is the fact that the Kiyoshi White was the most accurate Kiyoshi for our testers. I attribute this to the feel. With the Black, its easy to feel like you have to swing all-out which is rarely good for accuracy. With the Purple, though it’s consistent, some players felt that it just kicked too much for their taste. The in-between feel of the White allowed players to make smooth, aggressive swings at the ball which resulted in shots that ended up near the center line.
Conclusion
The OBAN Kiyoshi White rounds out the Kiyoshi family and offers something to the player who wants some “action” in the shaft, but not too much. For a balance of low spin, consistency, and feel, head to your local OBAN fitter like Club Champion and try it out.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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On the Oban website the torque reads 2.7 upwards but on the Taylormade website it reads 2.2 is that’s because of the loft sleeve on the r15 ‘ my club head speed is 110+ and hit a slight fade would you recommend it
Peter,
I think what that tells you is that they’re not the same shaft.
The Kiyoshi White is certainly a high quality shaft, but whether or not it’s a fit for you is not something I can tell without working with you in person. I would recommend visiting an OBAN fitter to try it for yourself.
Best,
Matt
Hey Matt- how would you say this shaft compares with the ne speeder evo tour spec? Looking at an r15 tp, considering an upgrade to bring my spin down just a bit. I know you are a fujikura fan, so I’d love your thoughts on whether the oban is worth the upgrade over the stock tp speeder evo ts. Thanks!
Stuart,
The first question is how “real” the stock shaft in the TP is. I know what TMAG would say (and maybe Fuji, too), and it might be exactly the same, I just don’t know.
As far as a comparison, the Kiyoshi White is much softer than the Speeder Evo Tour Spec. If you want lower spin, go with the Fuji.
-Matt
Hi Matt, just curious what flex did you use in this testing? I heard conflicting reports that the oban kiyoshi white is stiffer to flex than the other shafts. Hope you can chime in? Thanks for your time!
Topher,
This was a while back, so I can’t answer either of your questions confidently. Sorry.
Best,
Matt
Hi Mat, thanks for the review.
Based on your experience, if you are to choose between Oban Kiyoshi White 60-3 or Diamana DF in 2019, which one will you choose?
Techie,
I would opt for the Diamana.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt . I’ve got a ts2 with a hazardous smoke stiff 60g 3.5 . Can you compare the white . Would it feel softer thx daren
Daren,
Yes, to me the OBAN Kiyoshi White feels less rigid than the HZRDUS Smoke Black.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt, I currently have an Oban Devotion 55 03 Regular Flex for my driver. Got it last year from Club Champion fitting. That line doesn’t seem to be offered anymore. Do you know which Oban shaft has replaced my gamer shaft? Thanks. J
Jonathan,
I don’t. I’m a little hazy on OBAN’s lines and am not in regular communication with them.
-Matt
Hi Matt:
I’m looking to change my shaft. I currently have an Alta CB 55 stiff in my G400 9,5 loft.
I’ve tried a Kiyoshi 65 stiff and liked it a lot, much better misses and felt I could swing hard. But I’ve always had in mind the Ventus Blue 5 S.
How do you compare them?
Keep up the excellent work!
Roland,
I have a full review of the Ventus Blue here: https://pluggedingolf.com/fujikura-ventus-shaft-review/
-Matt
Hi, Matt:
I’ve already read it. I was asking for your personal preference giving my current shaft.
Regards!
Hi Matt
I’m looking for a new head for my driver that will give me more ball speed and forgiveness too.
Current gamer is OBAN Kiyoshi White 05 75gms with Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 9 degree head
Any suggestions please ?
Jack,
My advice is always to get fit. You’re looking at several years of advances, I suspect you’ll be able to find improvements.
Best,
Matt