UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Black Shaft
The UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Black is designed to be a mid-launch option with a premium put on shot control. Whether you have a more aggressive or smoother swing tempo, the Proforce V2 Black could still help you find more control in your woods. This shaft “does what it’s designed to do” well so it’s important to make sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for. What does that mean? Allow me to explain in this review…
The Looks
Everyone hears the name “UST Mamiya” and thinks of the classic matte yellow and black shafts. Remember how hot that thing was back in the day?! Well, the Proforce V2 Black is a nice little homage to that OG signature colorway. The V2 Black is primarily matte black with white graphics, but there’s a small dash of yellow around the middle. I’m typically not this kind of guy, but I wanted this shaft to be a perfect fit for me in the worst way purely based on looks alone. I did my testing in my Cobra King F9 Speedback driver and they were a cosmetic match made in Heaven. The Proforce V2 Black is a slick looking shaft while maintaining a level of modesty and simplicity.
How Does it Feel?
Similar to the original UST Mamiya V2 shafts, the Proforce V2 Black has a somewhat stout and robust feel to it. That said, it doesn’t feel too difficult to load like a telephone pole. The butt section has a longer parallel to it that makes it feel a bit firmer in the hands, and the stiffer tip is certainly noticeable. Don’t mistake this for saying you can’t feel the shaft load because there’s still a kick to it. UST Mamiya uses their Recoil technology to give a spring effect to the shaft walls. As a result, you can feel the energy load and unload in the mid section of the shaft.
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110.9 | 166.4 | 11.3º | 2548 | 271.3 | 295.9 |
Following my testing of the UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Black, I found it to be perfect for players looking for more accuracy and control over maximum distance. That’s not to say certain players won’t get max distance with it, but I did not. What I DID maximize was my accuracy. I may have lost a little distance, albeit not too much, but the profile of this shaft made it super easy to control the ball and keep it in play. As you can see above, the distance was plenty serviceable. In my case, I want a little more speed and distance as I don’t struggle with control off the tee too bad. Launch and spin were both consistently in the mid to low range which also helped keep the ball in play while still getting some good roll.
Final Thoughts
Listen, I can’t express enough to you how important it is to have the right shaft to fit your game. Not every shaft is great for everyone because all of our swings are unique to us. What I will say is that I think the UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Black could help a lot of players just looking to find more fairways. The designs UST used such as the longer parallel in the butt section and the stiff tip make the V2 Black pretty straightforward regardless of swing. Of course, what you get out of it will depend on your needs and swing so I’d still strongly suggest adequate testing or fitting.
Did you use the standard shaft length of 46″?
Whose standard shaft length?
The standard length that this shaft comes from UST is 46″, according to their website. For this review, did you use the standard 46″ length or did you custom fit it to you? Thanks for your time, and response!
That’s 46″ raw. That means it would play 48″+ installed. I don’t know anyone other than long drivers that are playing 48″ shafts so I would consider 46″ raw a standard length…so to speak.
I usually cut shafts down anywhere between 45″ and 46″ but I wouldn’t consider that a relevant data point to take out of this review. Length for my swing and body would not directly correlate to you. That’s part of a fitting process typically.
I’d be interested in knowing the weight of the shaft you use, what the torque rating is and IF you had the shaft spine and FLO aligned when it was installed in the driver head. That makes a lot of difference in performance you get from any shaft.
I’ don’t know what you have to complain about with the ball speed being right at the upper limit for your clubhead speed. Smash factor is right at 1.5 which is about the max you can get with any driver. If you want more distance, you need to raise your launch angle up to around 15-16 degrees or so. That will get you more distance with your current speed. I’d be willing to bet that if you get your angle of attack upwards a few degree you would get a higher launch angle, maybe a little less spin and a good deal more carry distance with this driver setup/
No worries, we are well aware of fitting and optimization of our gear. To quickly answer questions, and not to be dismissive, I play 60 gram range shafts in my driver so that’s I typically request for samples. No, the shaft was not spined/FLOed/PUREd due to equipment access and time. I’m a big believer in benefits from PUREing, but I don’t think that was the deal breaker/deal maker here.
To address your longer comment, I don’t believe I “complained” about my performance anywhere. I agree, the data is more than serviceable, but if you look at more of my reviews, you’ll see ~110 is on the lower end of my driver speed. I had to “take a little off” to make ideal contact and stay in control, thus not realizing my ceiling with this shaft. I will have another UST shaft in the near future that is a different story, but if I was REALLY diving into extensive fitting for UST specifically, I’d likely end up messing with tipping this shaft and/or adjusting flex and weights of the shaft to be published soon.
As far as launch angle, I just don’t have a 15º-16º launch in me without a high/high shaft…and I’m ok with it. I don’t find myself suffering off the tee, but my swing just doesn’t want to get that much of an upward AoA.
I’m a flex down from you and could never get on with the 65gr versions of these. Kinda lost it somewhere in the swing while the 75gr always held up and felt solid if I got aggressive. I did once own the long gone Tour Flight version in 65 and that one fit great.
Thought it was as good a time as any to say thanks for some great info over the years.