Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Orange Shaft
I’ve had a chance to bag the low launch and spin Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Orange since it’s release and find it to be a strong performing and interesting feeling golf shaft. Mitsubishi Chemical has introduced new materials like its namesake 1K Carbon Fiber to this shaft to create a lower torque premium counter-balanced option to an already loaded and popular premium Tensei lineup.
The Looks
The Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Orange is pretty subdued in the looks department. I think that’s kind of the purpose. Tons of shaft companies choose to go with with flashy paint jobs to catch people’s eyes. The Tensei line doesn’t sparkle that much, but the 1K Pro Orange is definitely distinctive with its narrow orange band. You can easily tell who’s playing a Tensei out there…
Ok, I’m lying a bit. The 1K line does have some bling to it, with the “Tensei” wording being an iridescent, hologram foil. It’s pretty cool. Another difference – this will have a very gradual grey to black shift about halfway, where the AV White will be straight black. Subtle, but worth pointing out.
How Does it Feel?
My experience with a counterbalanced driver shaft is pretty limited, though I’ve used the Mitsubishi Tensei Pro Orange in a hybrid and liked it a lot. This one’s super low in torque, which I generally like, and you can definitely tell there’s not a lot of twisting going on. The typical descriptors of Boardy! Smooth! Snappy! don’t generally describe the Tensei 1K Pro Orange.
What I do get is a strong sense of where the clubhead is. You take it back, you feel it load at the top, then you let it go. Is that the counterbalance introducing itself to me? Potentially. But I found this awareness to be really pleasant and powerful, and has led to some good confidence on the course.
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106.4 | 158 | 10.7º | 2141 | 262 | 278 |
It took me awhile to dial in the MCA Tensei 1K Pro Organge. I’ve been working out some “swing things” on the course, of course. On the range I’m a true Hero. Most drives were kind of weak slices that didn’t really go anywhere. I made some setup changes, changed driver heads, and then it was off to the races. Like we say here often, get fit. Try stuff out. Look at the numbers, then try it again. As soon as I took the Tensei 1K Pro Orange out of my Rogue ST LS Max and into my Mavrik…bombs. I’m also finding that I get a much better result when I go with a smoother swing rather than an aggressive rip.
What’s kind of strange for this one is that I cannot hit it too high. Generally I like to keep it to a mid trajectory, slight fade ball flight, and I’m thinking this is a good match for me. So, no real sky balls with this one. Things come off the club face hot, and by my eyes (and the monitor) pretty low spin. They call it a low launch, low spin profile. Believe them! We’ve had a rainy spring here in Chicago, and I can’t wait to get this on some firm and fast grass.
Final Thoughts – Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Orange Shaft
Mitsubishi Chemical packed a whole ton of new tech into the Tensei 1K Pro Orange. They added a higher quality material in the 1K fiber (not featured in the standard AV line). There’s the XLink Tech Resin System that allows for more strength. And then there’s the MR70, another high-strength material. Add them all together, and you have another fantastic golf shaft. You can get the Tensei 1K Pro Orange in many weights and stiffness, so there’s plenty of room to get dialed in.
I’m very excited about this one. I’ve had a great couple years with the original Tensei Pro Orange in my hybrid, and now have an equally great option at the top of the bag. Get me on a firmer golf course and I know I’ll be sending it down the fairway, all day.
Did the fact that this shaft is counterbalanced affect feel at all? Would you play this the same length as your gamer, or longer to account for the counterbalance?
Same length as my usual, playing a touch under 45″.
It’s super subjective on how the counterbalance feels compared to other shafts (I’d been mainly using Graphite Design AD VR and AD TP) but it’s not drastic.
I’m still loving the TPO 1K. It’s been almost three months. The window I’m hitting it is constant. Never too high or low, and very little as far as side spin. My misses are straight pulls or push, which are very manageable
To chime in, this shaft is great for extremely heavy-compared to peers heads like the Ping G425 Max (which I have). I am fairly consistent with a new-to-me 1K Orange 60X, that is playing ~45.5″, where I was having difficulties with other non-counterbalanced shafts like the Hzrdus Black in 45″ and shorter. Love mine. More more predictable and solid than the Ping Alta CB 55X I was fitted into. Which isn’t a bad shaft (especially since it’s a stock shaft for that head), but for me? The 1K Orange is that much better.
Your mileage may vary, get fitted, etc..
For sure. It’s a nice one. We’ve had a few of our buddies give it a try and they’ve liked it too. I feel like this one would fit a broader range of players than I first thought.