KBS GOLF HAS A SHAFT FOR E V E R Y O N E

Who are KBS shafts?

KBS was established in 2008 by our founder Kim Braly. The brand was credible on tour from the outset because Kim had an exceptional reputation for golf shaft design. He has the ability to understand what players need, whether they are elite tour players or club golfers. We o er shafts for all levels of golfer in di erent weights, exes and shaft pro les. Now we also have steel and graphite options for every club in the bag. KBS is going from strength to strength, as no other brand o ers such a comprehensive range of shafts, especially not in two materials.

What does a typical week look like for you on tour?

I generally attend 24-25 tournaments a year. It normally starts with a 2:00 AM alarm clock on a Monday morning. I then a drive to the airport, jump on an airplane, hire a car, and then get to the tournament around 10:30am.

KBS supplies shafts to every golf club manufacturer, so I check with all the trucks that they have what they need. If I see the winner of last week’s tournament, I’ll say congrats. I’m not allowed to approach the players about the shafts. They have to approach you. However, I’ve worked out here for years, so a lot of the players know me. I’ll take a walk down the range and have a chat with some of the players, coaches and caddies. If they mention something is o with their shaft, I’ll take a look and see if there is something I can help them with. Some players tell you what shafts they want, while others want your advice on what they should play depending on conditions that week or for tournaments coming up.

Some tournaments are non-stop, especially if I haven’t been on tour for a while. And sometimes I can be chasing around the tour trucks trying to nd a particular set of shafts for a player. When a golfer needs tting, I spend several hours on the range with the player hitting shots using a launch monitor to check through all the numbers. When

Equipment editor Dan Owen caught up with Paul Steels , the DP World Tour Rep for KBS Sha s, to nd out what his job entails and why there is a KBS sha for everyone

I rst joined KBS, we had three sets in play in Europe. On any given week, we now have 35-45 players with our products in the bag.

When I leave the event on a Wednesday before the tournament starts, I produce a status report. I know the exact specs for any DP World Tour Player using KBS shafts. With golf clubs going missing in transit more often than you’d imagine at aiports, it’s essential we know exactly what we have to get to the manufacturer to build an identical replacement set.

What are the most successful shaft models on tour?

On the DP World Tour there is a good split of di erent iron shafts in play. However, our C-Taper is popular because it’s sti and helps strong players control launch and spin. But we have many models in play, such as $-Taper, C-Taper Lite, Tour V and the original KBS Tour. These shafts aren’t being picked just because the player is familiar with them, they’re being chosen because they perform for the player.

Are tour players more open to graphite shafts in their irons?

We do really well with graphite shafts on the LPGA and LET. But, there are some well-known players on the Legends Tour who have started using our TGI Tour Graphite 90, 100 and 110 grams in their irons. Back in the day they would never have thought about trying Graphite iron shafts when they were on the European Tour as it was then, but it o ers them the same levels of control, a bit more distance and it helps absorbs aches and pains, so yes, the stigma of using a Graphite is dwindling. We’ve seen in the last few years on the PGA Tour some highpro le players having Graphite wedge

shafts for added control and of course every player uses Graphite in there woods and hybrids.

What can you tell us about the new KBS GPS putter shaft?

It’s the rst Graphite putter shaft we’ve o ered and in recent testing, because the shaft is so rm, miss-hit putts on the toe or heel won’t twist the face as much at impact. The shaft also has a soft feel and increases the MOI of the putter and makes it more forgiving. It makes 3ft putts a virtual certainty! Plus, we’ve got two tip sizes in eight di erent colour options and we o er each colour in Matte and Gloss nishes to provide an option to really customize the look of the putter.

How does the shaft being used on tour a ect amateur golfers?

It’s all to do with brand exposure. Golfers see the red and black label being played by the best golfers in the world and they know they can trust the performance of KBS shafts. I’ve been out on tour for over 20 years, I know if we can get half a dozen of the GPS putter shafts in play on tour, we will get a lot of enquiries because they look so cool and golfers will notice them!

You may not need the same spec shafts as the tour players, but you can trust they’ve been designed to perform by one of the golf industry’s greatest talents. There isn’t a golfer in the world I can’t t with the KBS range.

For further information visit: kbsgolfshafts.com

£254, SEEMOREPUTTERS.CO.UK

If alignment is an issue for you, SeeMore’s Rifle Scope technology might be the answer. By hiding the red dot behind the shaft at address, it ensures the clubface and loft of the putter are in exactly the same position every time. The PVD series feature a milled aluminium insert for a soft feel, while the Model T features an extreme heeland-toe design for maximum forgiveness.

£349, PXG.COM

PXG Battle Ready putters feature a unique Pyramid face design, the graduated groove depth ensures consistency in rollout wherever the putter is struck across the face. Tungsten weighting adds forgiveness, while the adjustable weight allows head weight to be fine-tuned. Offered in with a choice four different hosels to suit your stroke, Battle Ready putters are also available with a graphite shaft for extra stability.

£429, TITLEIST.CO.UK

Designed to increase forgiveness while improving feel, the 303 stainless steel Super Select putters feature a new dualmilled face milling for a softer feel and more consistent roll. The I-beam neck design takes weight from the hosel, and along with saved weight from bigger milled cherry bombs in the cavity, that can be redistributed to the heel and toe of the putter. An aluminium sole plate is used to help increase MOI.

£279, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

Returning a decade after their original release, Odyssey has brought back Versa. The black-and-white extreme contrast alignment helps golfers with their aim at address and throughout the stroke, really highlighting a square face angle. Featuring the classic soft White Hot insert, it comes stock with the Stroke Lab graphite shaft for added consistency.

£299, TAYORMADEGOLF.CO.UK

The Spider GTX combines the best features of the Spider Tour and Spider X models. Featuring True Path Alignment, it allows for easy and precise alignment to the target. The PureRoll² face insert offers a consistent end-over-end roll. The Spider GTX ranks among the most forgiving Spider putters of all time with MOI above 5,300, due to the heavy 154g stability bar at the rear of the putter equating to 45% of the putter’s total weight.