Project X Catalyst Graphite Iron Shaft
Project X has long been known for their highly-acclaimed steel iron shaft offerings that are widely played all over the world. There’s no question that they are one of the best in the business. In more recent years, Project X has also made a major splash in the graphite wood shaft market by being relied on by some of the top golfers in the game. Now Project X is making a name for themselves in the graphite iron shaft game and the new Project X Catalyst is their latest offering. The Project X Catalyst is designed to replicate a similar response and performance to steel alloys while maintaining benefits of a graphite shaft.
The Looks
As much as us “gear guys” on the internet try to pretend “we’re all about the data and performance,” we’re still suckers for sweet looking stuff. My first reaction when opening the box containing these Project X Catalyst shafts was that “whoa this is slick” whistle sound. You know, the one that sounds like a slide whistle when your old man sees a cool muscle car from his childhood? That’s the one. The silver finish, while similar to a chrome steel look, is almost liquid-esque. While it pains me to say this, the pictures don’t do it justice. The graphics are minimal, but well balanced and add a nice touch to the aesthetics.
How Does it Feel?
I would say there are two “types of feel” in the Project X Catalyst. Let’s start with the positive. If you make a really smooth and easy swing, the Catalyst is great. Dare I say, perfect. (Subject to personal preference of course.) The overall feel is very smooth with a gradual release. You won’t experience a significant kick at release, but a smooth flex through the ball. Well-struck shots are very easy on the hands and it feels like you’re golfing in the clouds!
The “negative.” I call this the negative, but truth be told, it’s not the shaft’s fault. I’m a fairly aggressive swinger (for better or worse), and I had to make an adjustment. My usual hard hack was not a good mix for the Catalyst. I would have trouble tracking the club through the swing (remember, it’s a lighter shaft as well), and the release would feel out of sequence. But you know what? I’m fine with that! The Catalyst was holding me accountable to making a better swing. All I had to do was ease up and make a nice easy swing.
One characteristic Project X pushes with the Catalyst is that it replicates some characteristics of steel shafts. I think this is hard to really tell, but I didn’t think the Catalyst had a “steel-like” feel to it even though there is added stability. In my opinion, that’s fine. I’m not putting graphite shafts in my irons to feel like steel.
On-Course Performance
The “Feel” section of this review is a fairly good indicator of the Project X Catalyst’s performance. This shaft 100% encourages a smooth and easy swing. If you don’t want to swing the club this way, your experience with the Catalyst may be challenging. Throughout the set, I found if I could make an easy swing, launch was easy. The longer irons had a lower launch with a more piercing flight while the shorter irons got up quick and landed soft. Don’t get this confused for balloons. The flight is appropriate and completely manageable for a short iron. However, I could see players with more aggressive swings looking for a bit more tip stiffness in the Catalyst.
Performance with the Catalyst is where I felt the “steel-like” characteristics came into play. Project X used a new material technology called “Iso-6.” Iso-6 makes the shaft more stable by preventing the traditional shaft deformity found in many graphite shafts. I found this to be true, albeit without using machines to really test it scientifically. The added stability made me feel more comfortable in manipulating shots low or high, left or right. Basically, the Catalyst is a bit firmer and had more control as a result of the Iso-6 material.
Final Thoughts
The Project X Catalyst is a great new addition to the world of graphite iron shafts. If you were to ask me the perfect target audience for the Catalyst, I think there are two answers. I think a player that has always played steel, but is hitting a phase in their game where they’ve lost speed and need something a little smoother and easier to launch is a good candidate. This player is willing to change their feel, but they don’t want to lose the response and control of steel. The second player is one that has a moderate swing speed as is, and is just looking to make smooth swings that easily get the ball in the air. That’s the stock shot in the Catalyst! Either way, the only way to tell is to properly test and see if the Project X Catalyst is the right shaft for you.
I am a 77 year old male with a swing speed of 63 mph with a 6 iron. I was fitted with a Project X Catalyst 5.5 shaft. My swing speed slowed to 59-60 mph. The shaft feels a little stiff to me. Would a 5.0 shaft been a better fit for my Cobra SpeedZone irons? The lighter 5.0 may have difficulty getting back to the D0 SW without butt weights.
Honestly, that’s a tough one to answer. There could be a variety of reasons your swing speed is decreasing or has decreased. Was your swing speed consistently up at 63 with your old 6 iron the day you tested and fitted?
Changing from 5.5 to 5.0 wouldn’t just be a swing speed adjustment, but could impact dispersion, flight, trajectory, and many other things.
Hi Bill,
I’m now 78 with an 8HCP up some in last few years and trying to stay in that range
Hit the new Mizuno MP HMB irons today with the 5.0 and liked the trajectory and feel.Might want to blend a set of. HMB 5, 6 and 7 and the Mizuno MMC,8, 9 and wedge or all HMB? Will the 5.0 create enough spin rate to stop the ball on the greens? Kinda stuck on what to do.
Thanks in advance for your remarks.
Both are questions I really can’t answer for you. You have to hit the iron set make up that’s best for you and I can’t tell you what that is really without seeing you hit shots with all of the clubs or analyzing data related to both irons. As for the shafts, what someone might be able to spin a ton, you might not be able to (or vice versa of course). In theory, the shaft can spin just fine, but I have no idea if it will respond that way to how you hit the ball.
I know it’s probably not the greatest answer or what you wanted to hear, but this how the fitting industry has exploded over the past decade plus. Good luck on your hunt!
Bill
Is a project x catalyst 55 a senior shaft
I don’t think you can necessarily classify it that way, but it is a lighter flex (Project X’s regular flex is 5.5, the 50/55 options are a 5.0 flex) with a mid launch profile.
Thanks for the quick reply. I have hit the set/ combinations and talked to the fitter. I think we have the set up figured out. This is probably my last set so wanted as much input as possible.
Thanks and take care during these strange times.
Marc
Perfect. Good luck, the Catalyst is great shaft.
How do you think this shaft would perform in a 3 hybrid?
Hmm, good question. I didn’t really consider that will reviewing them, but I suppose all things considered equal, it would be ok.
I don’t typically look to play a hybrid with a feel of an iron in it, but I suppose it could fit the bill for someone. If that makes sense…
I have the 100 6.0 stiff and love them. I am a 4 handicap with what I consider to be a smooth swing. I was fit by a Callaway rep into these shafts with an Apex 19 head. I love the clubs but have begun to worry that I need a steel shaft of some kind for shot dispersion. In your assessment, do these shafts perform consistently in the area of accuracy? Thats what I am looking for more so than distance. I hit the 7 bro 170-180 and the 6 iron flys 180-200…
Probably not much help in this answer, but that’s going to be extremely dependent on how you physically respond to the equipment. I didn’t experience any issues with it, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to what will happen for you.
If you were fit into them, were you not hitting them well at that time? Dispersion would typically be considered when fitting.
Bill- any recos for similar graphite shafts but with stiffer tips?
Hmmm, I can’t say I know the current graphite iron shaft market well enough. That said, I don’t recall these being all that tip soft…or stiff I guess. Been awhile!
I recently received as a gift a Callaway Jaws 60 wedge and to my surprise, it came with a Catalyst 80 6:0 shaft. Having a graphite shaft on a 60 degree wedge caught me off guard. I am 55 with a swing speed just below 90 and an 8 handicap. I have been looking for a good review or comparable shaft and outside of your comments have found much.
I never hit these in a wedge, but what can I answer for you? I wouldn’t really count your age, swing speed, or handicap as having much to do with how this shaft would impact your 60º wedge game.
I’ve known plenty of people to play graphite wedges in their wedges to great success. Have you tried it out yet?
The Mavrik family test irons hit the local golf shop just before the Covid shutdown. Catalyst shafts in 55, 65 and 75-gram were among the test shafts, and I seemed to get good flight with the 65- and 75-gram. These appear to be a proprietary version for Callaway.
I went to the PX site and found Catalysts in 40, 50, 60, 80, 80CW and 100 CW. This appears to be the branch of Catalysts that you tested. Do you know if there is any significant design or performance differences in the standard 40-50-60 shafts, and the 55-65-75 shafts which appear to be proprietary for Callaway?
I may get the Mav MAX irons, which have parallel tip hosels. I’m worried about the short-iron shafts feeling too light if I get the proprietary version. Any advice on this?
Have you reached out to TRUE Sports (Project X parent company) to see what they say? It doesn’t sound like the stock Callaway irons may be “made for”. There shouldn’t be any significant differences aside from the weights I would assume.
Your concern about the shafts feeling or playing too light for would be pretty hard for me to answer for you without you actually swinging any of them. At the end of the day, if you were getting good flights with the two weights you tested, why not just proceed with one of those?
Sorry, what does the 5.5 indicate?
Flex. 5.5 is roughly regular flex.
Hello Bill, I was talked into a set of callaway mavrik max irons that came with the catalyst 5.0 senior shafts. Im 68 years old My swing speed is approximately 70 MPH with a 7 iron, The head seems very heavy during my swing and uncontrollable, does this seem plausible to you?
It seems very possible. You now have a roughly 60 gram shaft in a fairly large club head. I’m not sure what that iron head actually weighs, but there’s a good chance that your swingweight is somewhat out of balance for what works for you. Think of your setup as this metaphor: if you put a big sledge hammer head at the end of a broom handle, it’s going to feel extremely heavy and hard to control.
Getting swingweight right is a major component of professional club fitting.
Hi Bill
What does flex 5.0 represent.
Thanks
Manolo
Somewhere around a Senior flex.
Does Project X Catalyst come in a 55 5.0 senior flex with HIGH launch? I’m not a picker or a sweeper. I hit down on the ball. I’m having trouble getting my Callaway Mavriks in the air. I don’t get the carry distance that I’m used to. The ball has a lot of backspin and will check up quickly but the low flight is a problem.
In theory, the catalyst should launch a little higher in the air. But how your specific swing and the shaft interact with each other will only show once you actually hit the gear combination. Otherwise it’s just a blind guess based on paper.
I was fit into PX LZ 6.0. Would Catalyst 100 match well in a 4 iron build?
You’re comparing apples to oranges there. They’re both very different shafts.
worst shafts I’ve ever played, will be looking for an aftermarket shaft.
They are an aftermarket shaft. Did you get them as a stock Callaway offering? Did you get fitted for them?
Hello Bill,
I was looking at a new (to me) driver & hybrids (Epic Flash Sub Zero). Does the type of shaft I get matter all that much? It seems as the heads are so adjustable they could compensate for the shaft characteristics?
The short answer is that it matters a ton. Head adjustments would necessarily translate into the changes you need from the shaft. You also have to be aware of what happens to the face angle of the club as you add or remove loft via the adjustable sleeve. Then there’s the whole element of your swing and whatever shaft just not getting along well for any reasons. It could feel terrible, it could be that your swing just doesn’t get along with it, etc.
Bill, so a 6.0 75 catalyst shaft, you would consider a still flex? But softer than a metal shaft?
Yes, it’s still a stiff flex, but the biggest difference is the steel shaft you’re comparing it to. 75 represent the shaft weight and is going to be play lighter than most steel shafts, which is likely to be more noticeable to you than flex. In terms of flex, you will likely notice a smoother profile, not necessarily softer.
Ultimately, it’s pretty apples to oranges and you’ll only really know the effect it has on you by testing with your own two hands and swing, because everyone responds to equipment components and builds differently.
I am 71 with a 12 handicap and 90-95 mph swing speed. Thinking about either the Project X Catalyst 5.5 or 55 or the UST Mamiya Recoil Graphite F2 or F3 in my irons and hybrid. Your thoughts?
I wouldn’t say I really have any thoughts. It ultimately comes down to how you physically respond to the shafts and if you and your swing get along with it. No reason you couldn’t go with either of them, but I’d suggest testing them first if possible.
Bill, thank you for helping golfers with club and equipment issues.
I am a 72 year old lifetime golfer with a 12 handicap for 18 holes. I have decided to switch from steel to graphite shafts in my irons and currently, I am using the Cobra T Rail hybrid/irons with 98 gram steel shafts. I am noticing some lost loft in these clubs as my swing is slowing down (about 75-80mph in driver, probably slower in irons). I have not been a fan of the Recoil shafts (have felt a bit stiff and low launching to me) but your review of this Project X Catalyst shaft got me thinking about putting them in these irons (Cobra only has Recoil and Aerotech in their custom choices).
2 questions: To ease the transition from a 98 gram steel, is the drop to 60 going to be too dramatic? Secondly, I am also looking at the KBS TGI 60 and Fujikura Pro 60. Any experience with them and thoughts? I know that fitting is a step that I probably need to take but your thoughts would be helpful. Thanks again.
Haven’t ever hit the Fuji Pro iron shafts. I’d say the Catalyst and TGI are pretty different. If you haven’t check out our KBS review too. But the TGI is supposed to come across as similar to the KBS Tour steel shaft, but with graphite benefits. It’s been awhile, so I’m not totally sure how I’d compare it to the Catalyst other than they’re pretty apples to oranges.
As far as the weight change, also hard to say as it all depends on how you’ll respond to it. A lot of the things you’re describing are usually helped by the weight reduction and smoother profiles of graphite.
Looking fo get my son who is 13 a maverik 5 iron and they ones with 5.0 and 5.5 flex which one would be good for him ?
Really depends on his swing speed/tempo. If it’s slower and easier, go with the lighter flex. If it’s faster and more aggressive, might need the stronger of the two flexes.
I am 52 years old man. I feel very good about using Mavrik Lite women clubs which my wife is using. I used 5.5 steel shaft Titleist which I feel very heavy now. Should I use this 5.0 Graphite shaft to replace those steel shaft? Honesty, I hit the same distance by using the 7 iron whit Lite graphite and 5.5 steel shaft, 155 yards. Can you advice? Thanks.
That’s really your call and what you feel more comfortable swinging. Based on what you’re describing, you’re seeing similar performance results, so if it’s a feel thing, go with whatever feels best to you.
I’m 45 and I game the 100 6.0 stiff flex in my Callaway Rogue ST Pro irons. My distances are very consistent. I would highly recommend these shaft. I’m hitting my irons better than ever.
Looking to buy Callaway Women’s Mavrik Max 22 Set Irons. The shaft is Project X Catalyst Graphite. I am 73 years is that the right shaft for me? Not much information about shaft. Please help me out.
Hi Leticia,
Unfortunately there’s not much real help I can give off that alone, but I’d say there’s no reason it couldn’t work for you.
Good luck!
Bill
I think there is another category of player and that is one with shoulder injuries where even the lightest steel shaft causes significant shoulder pain. I am in that category, hence me moving to graphite shafts even though I am a young 60 year old. After several surgeries, my choices were stop playing golf or move to graphite I chose the latter and am happy and better for it.
Interesting. I’d be interested to learn more about what the biggest differences are. Is it just the difference in vibration frequency?