50 Words or Less
The VA Composites VYLYN shaft combines eye-catching graphics with silky smooth feel.
Introduction
In all sectors of the golf market, companies are afraid to take risks. Putter makers tend toward the same head shapes. Shaft companies keep graphics and branding minimal to avoid turning people off.
With the arrival of the VYLYN, no one will be able to accuse VA Composites of being scared. From the bold name to the flashy graphics, this shaft makes an impression.
Looks
VA states that the VYLYN has “the most eye-catching cosmetics in golf,” and it’s hard to disagree. The company traces the inspiration for the graphics to Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. To me, they call to mind the golden age of comics.
While VA could have just wrapped the exploding logo around the entire shaft, they went a step further by adding an ominous, shadowy face to the underside.
Most importantly, VA followed the #1 rule of shaft graphics: they need to stop in the mid-section. Near the ball, the shaft is solid silver to prevent distractions at address.
Feel
One swing of the VA VYLYN will have you humming “Smooth Criminal.”
To me, the VYLYN is the smoothest feeling shaft that VA has released yet. There’s not a big kick but rather a pronounced energy transfer that slides down the shaft. It starts just below your hands and stops just above the club head.
Interestingly, the VYLYN has significantly higher torque than the Slay – 3.9 to 3.3 – but feels tighter, more stable. This speaks to the fact that torque is just one number and not the whole picture of how a shaft feels or performs.
Performance
Is anyone else sick of reading product descriptions that say, essentially, “This product will be great for all golfers”? I am, so I was really pleased to see VA state “a player with an average load and smooth swing could benefit from playing the VYLYN.” Huge kudos for honesty and giving golfers a useful starting point for their fitting.
If you’ve ever seen me swing, you know that “smooth” is not in my vocabulary, and the way I load the shaft can be described as “violent.” This did not give me great expectations for the VYLYN. I started with the Four (softer flex) and found it difficult to hit consistently.
When I plugged the Five (stiffer flex) into my driver, the story completely changed. As I’ve found before, VA makes the differences between flexes very noticeable. One flex change and the VYLYN went from being unpredictable to rock solid. I was seeing the exact results that VA describes: mid/high launch with low spin. This boost in trajectory is exactly what I’ve been looking for, as I’ve been hitting sub-optimal line drives lately. To boot, the dispersion was excellent, and shot shapes were predictable.
The VA VYLYN is available in four weight classes: 45, 55, 65, and 75 grams. They continue to use number designations instead of flexes to combat ego-fitting. The 45 gram versions is available in One, Two, and Three. Two, Three, and Four flexes are offered at 55 grams. In 65 grams, you can get Three, Four, and Five, with only Four and Five available in 75 grams.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to boost your drives’ trajectory or just make your big stick more eye-catching, you can’t go wrong with the VA Composites VYLYN. This is a super smooth shaft with stellar graphics. Make sure you get the right weight and flex, and you’ll be walking off the course with your pockets bulging like a bank robber.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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So will this be played in your driver going forward? How do the launch and spin numbers compare to your current setup?
Brandon,
No, I’m too happy with my current set up to change. The spin with the Ventus is lower, but otherwise the numbers are similar.
Best,
Matt
What is your SS?
Great review! How would you compare the VYLYN to the Raijin?
John,
I haven’t had a chance to hit the Raijin, so I can’t offer a comparison.
Best,
Matt
How would you compare this to the KuroKage Silver tini DC? Seems like they should be similar
Laban,
To me, they don’t feel similar. I have a full review of the KK Silver here: https://pluggedingolf.com/kuro-kage-silver-tini-shaft-review-2/
-Matt
do you normally use a stiff shaft?
Justin,
I typically play X.
Best,
Matt
were you able to test a stiff flex but tipped version of this shaft? if you did how was that compared to the xstiff version?
No, I never tip shafts for testing.
-Matt
WITB
If you’re asking what’s in my bag, you can always find that here: https://pluggedingolf.com/about/matt-saternus/matts-whats-in-the-bag/
How would you compare this to the Drago?
I have a full review of the Drago here: https://pluggedingolf.com/va-composites-drago-shaft-review/
-Matt
Thank you. I read both reviews, but am curious as to how you think they compare with each other. They seem somewhat similar.
These reviews are several years old. I don’t have anything to add beyond what’s in the reviews.
-Matt
Got a feeling you’d get on really well with the raijin black Matt