Project X Cypher Shaft

Historically, it has been difficult to create an ultra-lightweight shaft that could hold up to faster swings. While there have been some, there haven’t been many. Well, with advancements in carbon fiber materials, shaft brands have been able to make reliable lightweight golf shafts to really expand their offerings and open a new world for many players. Take for instance the Project X Cypher shaft we’re going to cover in this review. Project X made this shaft to be an ultralight option that promotes high launch and greater distance while still being able to control the club. The idea is that the Cypher will be a seamless transition from your irons to your woods for more consistency.

One quick note before we dive in, the Cypher is available in irons and woods shafts if you’re really looking to keep it consistent through your entire bag. The wood shafts are available in 40 or 50 gram ranges up to stiff (6.0) flex. Check out the Project X website to see weights and flexes for the iron shafts.

The Looks

There are three distinct looks in the Project X Cypher shaft. The upper area has a green 3-D cube pattern which gives way to a visible black weave in the mid section. While this graphite pattern is visually appealing, it’s also functional. Project X made the mid section of the Cypher shaft to be “thinner, lighter and more efficient than traditional graphite weaves”. This allowed Project X to keep the shaft super light, but also stable. Back to aesthetics. Once you get to the lower/tip section of the shaft, it’s a simple matte black look. Shout-out Project X for the custom “Driving Range Heroes” etching in the tip section!

How Does it Feel?

Given my history of not mixing well with ultralight shafts, I went with the stiffest and heaviest Cypher option available. The Project X Cyper’s “most robust” option is the Fifty 6.0 which clocks in at 56 grams (raw uncut) and stiff flex. Typically, this would be a touch too light/soft for my swing and I’d struggle with control due to lack of club awareness as I tend to play ~60 grams and X-flex in a driver. However, there was just something about this Cypher. The lighter weight was noticeable, but there was enough stability to feel like I could keep that lighter weight and flex under control. I had great club head awareness and genuinely felt like I could take my normal rip at the ball without worrying about control.

In terms of the basics, the general profile of the Cypher is very smooth and clean. The kick point is in the middle of the shaft and falls somewhere in between a gradual and distinct kick point. It’s definitely noticeable that the shaft is loading and kicking in the middle, but the release is really smooth. The feedback from impact is clean with a pleasant lack of negative vibrations in your hands on misses. There is still plenty of definitive response so you know how well you struck your ball and where on the face you caught it.

On-Course Performance

Before we dive into the performance section, keep in mind that Project X Cypher shafts are designed to seamlessly transition from your irons into your woods. Though I can’t personally comment on my own experience in that area, it’s certainly something to be aware of. I tested the Cypher in my driver and had some pretty good results.

The Cypher is intended to launch higher and with higher spin. That’s a common trait of ultralight shafts with the goal of making it easier for golfers looking for more distance. In theory, the lighter shaft will allow them to get more swing speed and the higher launch and spin will keep the ball in the air for more carry. In my case, I found my usual speed with a very comfortable swing, but notice my launch and spin weren’t all that high. What I found was that I could control the trajectory (at speed) fairly easily and my spin stayed at a nice medium level. It was enough to get me easy carry, but low enough I could control the ball and manage wind. (Which we’ve had plenty of around here this time of year.)

Overall, I was hitting a nice easy draw with plenty of control without losing any yardage. At 2500 rpm and about 12º of launch, I got good carry and plenty of roll still. The big win for me was the automatic draw as a result of that comfortable stock swing. I was able to hit different shots as necessary without having to fight the shaft for my desired results.

Final Thoughts – Project X Cypher

I think the big point I want to make in this Project X Cypher review is how easy this shaft was to hit. Obviously there are a lot of subjective factors based on a player’s unique swing characteristics, but that’s the case with any golf shaft. What I experienced was a really easy shaft to hit right out of the box, and straight into my driver. My control and dispersion were tight, and it felt like I barely had to try. Though the Cypher may not carry all the accolades of the HZRDUS and EvenFlow families (yet), I think players that put the Cypher in theirs bags are really going to like what they see. It’s easy to hit, and it’s easy to hit longer and accurately. What more can you ask for?

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