Yeah, you’re reading that right. Sometimes there’s a golf thing that just steals your heart and never gives it up. It can be the scuffed Strata Tour Ace that you once made two birdies in a row with. Maybe it’s your lucky initialed ball marker. It could be the towel you bought on your bucket list trip to Pinehurst. For me…it’s a shaft. The one and only Grafalloy Blue, that is.
So why are you writing about a golf shaft? An old one at that? Well…it’s awesome, and there’s a ton of sentimental stuff behind it.
What Makes This Shaft So Special?
The Grafalloy Blue was kind of “right there” at the time I was picking up golf. That was about 2004, and I needed something else to do as I was wrapping up my illustrious hockey career. I didn’t have a lot of cash (thanks college!) so I landed my dream job as a pro shop guy at the local course, Riverview Highlands. At that point, there was near endless time to hit balls at the range and all my newly found expendable cash could now go into clubs instead of greens fees. Brilliant!
Like any good young Hero, I had a stash of gear in the Clubratory. A couple iron sets, and I think like eight drivers at a time (no big deal). This was the era where aftermarket shafts and parts became more available, and I definitely liked to experiment. My swing was getting better and better, so I changed my gear to find what worked best. Often.
Side note, as a proper adult, I’ve got way more gear than that now, but for 23 year-old me, that was a ton. However, my pride and joy was my Titleist 983k driver with the Grafalloy Blue.
A Match Made in Golf Heaven
The 983k originally belonged to my buddy Kris B., who I’m not sure has appeared on the pages of Driving Range Heroes before. He’s a long time pal and now also a valued and regular contributor to Bill’s text message threads. Kris is a frequent, multiple time/multiple club champion (could be more, depending on how many bloody marys), and of course, super deep. He’d played this driver for a year or so and loved it. Anyway, we were on the third tee at some random course, and I asked to give it a whack. First pass was a 290 yard bomb straight down the middle. Every other time I hit it was just as good that day. Thankfully, he was about to upgrade to the 905s, and I was able to convince him to let me have the “K” for a mere $135.
That driver and that shaft combo stayed in my bag for years. I not only hit consistent bombs with it (honestly, way better than any driving I do with today’s clubs) but it also felt great and was fun to hit. We saw tons of tour pros using it. The pre-historic golf message boards like FreeGolfinfo.com were raving about them. The shaft’s reputation grew that they were TOO STIFF and TOO BOARDY for the regular player, so then of course we ALL had to try them. They looked cool too!
The Graf Blue and… Arby’s???
The Grafalloy Blue even found its way into my developing professional life. Well, I was working at Arby’s, so technically that counts. Kris worked there too, it’s actually where we met. Before too long, we became golf life-partners in the midst of slinging roast beef sandwiches and making half a bag of chicken fingers disappear in two bites. There was one manager that was clearly dismayed that we would spend more time planning golf things than worrying about the never ending drive thru orders. I clearly remember the words: “Will you two assholes stop talking about your stiff blue shafts and make me those Market Fresh sandwiches?!?” 100% true quote.
We were obviously annoying teenagers back then and loved making (golf) shaft comments. We’re still annoying, no longer teenagers, and of course continue to love making shaft (any kind) comments.
I’ve kept the driver/Grafalloy Blue combo for 15+ years now and still play it a couple times a year. It definitely holds up! Even though it’s ancient by golf tech terms, the shaft remains a classic profile. It without a doubt played stiff, but like any shaft it needed to be fit to you properly. It was also frequently paired with bore-thru driver heads at the time. Often, that makes the shaft play like it was tip trimmed heavily, making it feel significantly stiffer. But I always found it very lively, with a strong and satisfying snap at the end. The Blue never spun the ball too much nor elevated too high, and I got a consistent, flat, bomb trajectory from it.
“The Blue” in Pop Culture / Golf Message Board Fame
The Grafalloy Blue’s kind of taken on a “cult” status too. They were in the first wave of premium aftermarket shafts to hit, and a couple big manufacturers used them as stock options for pro line drivers. You’d even see guys like Henrik Stenson keep the Blue in his three wood for years. Every single time he’d take a swing, you could guarantee the announcer would make a comment on how old it is and how much Stenson liked it. As a frequent golf site reader, I can read all the Blue loyalists sharing their love for it. You can even go to eBay and scrape the site for auctions. The shafts in good condition get gobbled up quickly and for way more cash than you’d expect!
It’s still so fun and so good! These days, I have the OG 983k with the Blue and have collected a few others…five or six backups maybe? I’ve got one in a near mint Mizuno MP001, one in an SMT DB455 (remember those?!?! It’s still deep!!), and a beauty of a Blue in a Titleist 905t. That one might get some actual bag time in 2022. But my pride and joy is a mint, never cut, stiff flex/.335 tip Blue – with a manufacture date of June 10, 2006. My intention was to throw a modern tip on it and play it along side my other gamer shafts, but I cannot bring myself to do it. Too pristine. Plus maybe I can sell it to Henrik for $1500 once his stash runs dry…
Why am I still hung up on this golf shaft? Who knows! There’s so many good ones out there – legendary ones – that I’ve hit. The AD DI, the Aldila NV, the Ventus… but it’s the Blue that will stir my heart forever.
I’m with you, I still use the Grafalloy Prototype NT in my fairway woods and a hybrid. Great feeling and performing shaft! Gives a good Mid and boring ball launch for good distance and even some roll at the end.
For me it was always the UST Pro Force 75 Gold “laker” shaft. The Blue was too stout for me and I need a little more launch, so the Pro Force 75 Gold was perfect. I had it in a couple of different old Dynacraft heads and it was so solid. I now have the updated XX version of the Pro Force Gold in my Sub 70 Pro, and it plays very much like the old one, but not quite as good – there’s something about the way those shafts from 20 years ago just stick with you and your always trying to find something new that’s the same or better – but you just can’t. Maybe it’s just nostalgia or maybe something has been lost in shaft design over the years as technology has exploded.
Always loved my Blue. I had it in 3-4 different heads. 1st it was a Dynacraft D*F*S II 400 8*, then an Integra Sooo Long 400 7.5* (carbon crown), and later a Tear Drop Ti 9*, to name a few. I could swing as hard as I wanted, and it just went straight. I can’t believe I dumped it at a used sporting goods store later.
I picked one up off eBay last winter just for fun. It was in a Ping Tisi driver, for $45 shipped. Still trying to decide what to do with it. I also bought a new “white” blue, but it just doesn’t seem the same.
What’s sad is that for $300+ today, you can buy a brand new state of the art aftermarket shaft. And it won’t be nearly as good specs wise.
Yeah, the Grafalloy Blue is my goto when starting with a new driver. Has become my test “control” shaft to compare different shaft profiles with the driver head. I just know how it handles and what I should be getting out of it to determine what kind of driver head I have. It still holds its own today with lower torque and stoutness, but its lower kickpoint and higher launch may not work with the driver combo at times. You can still get them pretty cheap as Grafalloy still seems to be selling them.
I sold my Taylormade 320 lefthanded driver with my Grafalloy blue stiff shaft in it, 15 yearsago. I am going to call the guy i sold it to tonight and see if i can buy it back, if he still has it. Question, is the prolaunch Blue the same shaft?
Yeah, buy that baby back.
Nope, the ProLaunch was an entirely different animal. Still a good and super popular shaft, but not a legend.
So true! I played that shaft for almost 20 years!
Loved it!
To stiff for me now. I am trying to convince my son to put it in his driver! Maybe this article will help!
Even the Reg flex can be stout!
Your son would LOVE IT. All the kids these days are wearing the vintage Nirvana shirts and all that – totally oblivious to how great the band was, but it’s trendy. 100% applies to the Graf Blue too.
Graffaloy Blue S in an MP-001 460cc was probably my first young love.
Are the new ProLaunch Blue 45 .335 Wood Shaft comparable? Or better? They must be as good.
I just broke my 10 year old R Blue off my M2 driver. It’s been a great setup for me. I Had used it on an SLDR before that.
I do have an older R Blue shaft that I could plunder from an ancient TM Burner driver.
Dan, I’ve never hit that one, but I’d suspect they’d play very different due to most ProLaunches being higher flying shafts. The trick with swapping out an old Blue is the tip diameter, as they made a ton at .350 back in the day. There are for sure some .335s out there, but it’s harder to find.
Dan- Right there with you on the “good old days” with that shaft. Literally just picked up a Mizuno MP 001 400cc driver with one in it, TODAY (solid 8+/10 on condition). Saw the shaft from a distance in the rack, and had to take a look. Best $5.35 (tax included) I could have spent.
Dang, that’s a steal. I paid $60 something for mine. Still worth it!
Titleist 905T with Grafalloy Blue Stiff shaft, still one of the great combinations. Even with the Ventus and Graphite Design shafts of today, don’t believe that they are as firm and lightweight. The “Blue” stays with the swing if you know what I
mean.
Oh for sure. Might take one of my Blues out for a spin this weekend.
I had my 905T/Blue on a monitor with some of the newest released stuff a couple times this winter. I get just about the same numbers. Way more fun to hit. FOR SURE less forgiving though. But still, I carried a lower handicap when the “oldies” were current. Can’t figure that out!
I have a VERY similar never-ending love for my Grafalloy Blue shaft!
Mine is paired with a Cleavland Launcher driver (9 deg) and is still carried in my bag today.
I would love to find a “younger” more modern shaft to pair with a newer driver head design / technology but haven’t been lucky enough to find a combo that can deliver better performance & confidence.
Any suggestions for me to explore???????
I still have not found a comparable shaft in terms of feel and legendary-ness. There’s many that outperform it now, but it’s still very fun to play. Not sure I have any modern comparable shafts to suggest, however you can find them on eBay pretty often. Note that if you find one on auction, you’re probably going to have to outbid me… :p
How would you compare the Fujikura Atmos Red 5 Graphite Shaft to the Grafalloy Prolaunch Blue 45 Graphite Shaft with regards to both Drivers and Fairway woods?
Hi Bill. No clue. Other than comparing the paint jobs, can’t help much. Both of those were super popular shafts, but pre-date the time when DRH was born. Neither came close to obtaining the legendary status of the original Blue.
What would you consider the worth of one of these today? I’ve actually got one myself and after stumbling upon your blog now can see its quite the shaft!
Hmm, for a fresh one? Maybe $100 considering it’s old and most are well worn. Used maybe $50?
The first club I built myself was an original Adams tight lies 3 wood with a Grafalloy Blue. That was one of my favorite clubs to hit ever. Loved hitting it into greens on long par 5’s.
What a shaft. I’ve managed to get a little stockpile in the workshop. A TX flex, a pipe of a shaft, an X flex with “HSA” which was a Japanese edition that’s pured and a 3 wood x flex. I change the tips and put them into new heads when I make changes. Will never stop using that shaft! First had it as a junior in a r580 XD