ACCRA TZ6 Shaft
ACCRA is an aftermarket shaft brand that has long been regarded for their smooth feel and premium performance. The ACCRA TZ6 shaft was designed to have a mid/high launch that controls spin but adds power with a strong, yet active, tip section. ACCRA is a massive proponent for fitting to your specific swing and not just depending on some chart. At DRH, we always push this same mindset and I’ll talk about why the TZ6 was great proof of that concept for me.
The Looks
The ACCRA TZ6 comes stock in a metal flake/sparkle black with sliver graphics and some holographic bands. There are also some shadow graphics on one side for those that typically go label down. Just a little extra subtle branding rather than boring empty space. I like that it says “I’m here for business…but I still have a slight fun side to me.” Of course, if you want something that stands out more, ACCRA has a customization program allowing you to get as crazy or as tame as you want. You can custom order a wide range of color combinations as well as minor laser etching to truly make your ACCRA shaft personalized to your style (see above).
How Does it Feel?
A major priority for ACCRA is to maintain their signature smooth feel regardless of their intended performance. In the case of the TZ6, ACCRA wanted to reduce torque in the shaft while still feeling smooth. The way they accomplished this was by using a new composite material that severely reduced the torque of the shaft. This means that the shaft “keeps its shape” better and/or recovers back to its shape faster under the stress of the swing. Often times when you strive to significantly reduce torque in a shaft, they feel boardy and lack any kick. Not so with the TZ6, my friends.
I immediately noticed the TZ6’s smooth bend profile and that characteristic stood out throughout all of my testing. While the shaft was smooth and easy to load/unload, you could definitely feel that it was solid and stable from ACCRA’s efforts to reduce torque. One area ACCRA wanted to provide some extra power was in the tip section. By using more new materials, they were able to create a strong tip section with “faster recovery speed”. What I noticed in the tip was that at impact it felt like there was extra energy released that you didn’t even realize you had loaded. Think of it as going “oh, wow, I hit that quite a bit harder than I thought I would.”
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116.1 | 174.2 | 9.7º | 2441 | 288.4 | 315.8 |
Straight from the ACCRA website:
The charts and graphs provided by any golf manufactures are only guidelines with respect to fitting.
The only way to properly ensure that a shaft/head combination is truly the best fit for your swing is to be analyzed by a professional club fitter.
We suggest that all golfers be properly fit for all of their golf equipment.
Couldn’t have said it any better myself. If you click the highlight just above, it will bring you to ACCRA’s general fitting chart that they advise is only a guideline. ACCRA understands that the design should perform a certain way, but we all respond to equipment differently and may very well see different results. For example, see my results with the TZ6 shaft.
While the ACCRA TZ6 is supposed to be a mid/high-launch shaft that controls spin, I just wasn’t seeing that launch characteristic. My launch angle was low with a lower medium spin that resulted in a long piercing flight with a slight rise. Though not what ACCRA had in mind on paper, there’s not a single thing wrong with the data I was producing. The flight gave me a lot of control in general keeping my dispersion tight, but also played great in the wind. Had I just picked a shaft based on a chart, I may not have even tried the TZ6. Overall, the ACCRA TZ6 was a pleasantly surprising powerful shaft for me that gave me solid control.
Final Thoughts – ACCRA TZ6 Shaft
Smooth feel in a premium shaft is right in ACCRA’s wheelhouse and has been for quite some time. When the ACCRA TZ6 had a nice clean feel with a smooth profile, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. It’s exactly what I expect from an ACCRA shaft. What caught my attention, however, was the flight I got out of this shaft. Take a look at any of my shaft or driver reviews from the last year and you won’t see many sub-10º launch angles. I went from expecting the shaft to launch too high for me, and possibly spin a bit more, to wondering if I hadn’t just stumbled on a “in the bag” contender.
The moral of my ACCRA TZ6 shaft story is to make sure you get fit for your gear. Or at the very least, make sure you properly test and don’t just expect the “as advertised” results. Your swing and the feel in your own hands is unique to you. What you do with it will ultimately depend on how you physically respond to the equipment. Remember, we’re all humans, we aren’t robots. Get fit for your gear!
