Let’s play a fast recreation of phrase affiliation. 

I say “Mitsubishi.” You say “________________.”

Electronics. Vehicles. HVAC methods. These are responses I’d count on if this wasn’t an article posted on a golf web site.

The reply we have been searching for was “golf shafts.” I’d additionally settle for Diamana, Kuro Kage, Tensei or Kai’li.

With that, lots of you already know Mitsubishi manufactures a variety of golf shafts for clubfitters, Tour gamers and gear producers. However what’s doubtless new info is that Mitsubishi Chemical America exerts a considerable affect over all the shaft trade.

How so? Nice query.

WHO or WHAT is Mitsubishi Chemical America?

Mitsubishi Chemical America is a chunk of the bigger Mitsubishi Chemical Group. The latter employs greater than 50,000 and is answerable for roughly a $50-billion e book of enterprise.

Conversely, the workplace of the Sporting Items Division of Mitsubishi Chemical America in Carlsbad, Calif., has a group of about eight. Eight. Its cost is to “develop the highest-performing composite golf shafts for discerning golfers in every single place.” Sometimes, if you happen to attain out, Jon or Preston will reply the cellphone. But when two persons are out of the workplace, it looks like an organization retreat. The juxtaposition of a small group and entry to a worldwide entity that operates throughout nearly each main trade is a perfect scenario that enables the California-based bunch to stay approachable and accessible in a approach many don’t count on from such a big model.

Essentially, Mitsubishi is a supplies firm. And Mitsubishi Chemical America reaches throughout quite a few industries together with aerospace, protection, IT, automotive and others. As such, golf shafts don’t carry the identical excessive stakes as a undertaking like manufacturing parts for Mars rover autos. That mentioned, this doesn’t imply the pursuit is any much less passionate or that the tip product isn’t held to the identical requirements.

A world-class chef nonetheless makes a damned good roast beef sandwich, proper?

Let’s Speak Supplies

Supplies firms are inherently revolutionary. The corporate’s mission is to discover, develop, apply, succeed, fail …. after which discover some extra.  Threat is at all times a component of innovation. However MCA doesn’t want each undertaking to hit a house run.

The mathematics isn’t exact however, given 10 initiatives, if 9 fail and one reaches the end line, that’s a working mannequin. It’s a luxurious different producers merely don’t take pleasure in.

Particular to carbon composites and golf shaft manufacturing, the variety of world uncooked materials producers is small, significantly these that may produce persistently prime quality on a big scale. What which means is loads of shaft producers (lots of which have acknowledged names and vital market share) depend on Mitsubishi for supplies. I can’t provide you with an actual quantity however let’s say it’s someplace between Steph Curry’s and Shaq’s free-throw taking pictures proportion.

That apart, if you happen to’re considering that Mitsubishi at all times will get the primary chunk of the apple, you’re getting the image.

Advantages of Vertical Integration

Mitsubishi isn’t 100-percent vertically built-in however the dynamics stay largely the identical. Put in another way, completely each bit that goes right into a completed Mitsubishi golf shaft isn’t developed and manufactured in-house. However, virtually talking, all the true essential stuff is.

Because of this—and I can’t emphasize this sufficient—Mitsubishi doesn’t function like different shaft producers nor does it need to.

Sure, with vertical integration, an organization makes use of supplies it additionally manufactures. However when you determine to permit rivals to buy it, any benefit is actually null and void. Apart, that’s, from producing a reasonably wholesome income stream.

But that suggestions the scales in Mitsubishi’s favor concerning entry and innovation. Give it some thought this fashion: Mitsubishi doesn’t need to promote every part it makes. And my sense is that it holds again loads of proprietary info and supplies that 1) different firms can’t produce and a couple of) they may solely entry by means of Mitsubishi.

It’s an intriguing dynamic as a result of there’s a finite quantity of carbon fiber (and pre-preg) materials suppliers. Because of this, shaft firms have a restricted variety of shops from which to supply high-quality supplies.

To make clear, this isn’t a case of site-based company hoarding or exclusionary enterprise practices. It’s not as if one small workplace in Carlsbad is sending messages throughout the car parking zone to a different small workplace discussing a supplies buying order. In actuality, these selections are made on the thirty fifth ground of a a lot bigger constructing by folks with little, if any, connection to the golf trade.

That apart, does this imply Mitsubishi might strategically pump the brakes on provide ought to that be one of the best enterprise determination? Certain, why not? If you wish to argue that, to a level, Mitsubishi impacts the pace of innovation of rivals, I believe you’d discover loads of proof to help such an assertion.

In spite of everything, the composite supplies enterprise is aggressive and everyone seems to be trying to take a pound of flesh from another person.

Talking of which …

Golf Particular Improvements

Mitsubishi would inform us that they’ve been on the forefront of quite a few composite supplies improvements together with the event of pitch fiber and low resin/excessive modulus pre-preg.

As a result of MCA has direct contact with R&D (and supplies) groups throughout Mitsubishi’s huge community, it might probably leverage developments from different initiatives and incorporate these into golf shafts.

Hybrid pre-preg, for instance.

Fast sidebar: There are exceptions however most golf shafts are constructed utilizing sheets of composite materials wrapped round a metal mandrel. These sheets comprise carbon fiber and resin (glue to carry the carbon fibers collectively).

With “TiNickel” wire, a Mitsubishi group in Japan discovered a option to incorporate steel wire into the pre-preg. This association was used efficiently in its Kuro Kage line of shafts. It’s additionally an utility customers received’t see outdoors the Mitsubishi model.

The MMT expertise (Metallic-mesh) present in Mitsubishi iron shafts began with its archery division. On the time, the preferred arrow was made out of aluminum. Finally, MMT proved to be a greater answer which led to the golf division asking a easy query: “What would MMT appear like in an iron shaft?” Once more, this isn’t one which Mitsubishi goes to share with others … no less than in the intervening time.

Extra Examples, Please

In case you take a look at the tip part of a shaft and see an “MR70” label, that signifies a shaft made (no less than partially) from a high-strength, high-modulus Mitsubishi Rayon (therefore the “MR”) materials. Pyrofil is without doubt one of the model names for pre-preg developed by Mitsubishi and Dialead is without doubt one of the model names for its pitch fibers. Additionally, the Vanquish line of shafts (launched in 2023) makes use of a number of proprietary applied sciences, essentially the most intriguing of which is amorphous wires within the butt part. The purported profit is that this enables for elevated exercise within the deal with for extra membership head acceleration with none lack of consistency.

“Resin capabilities and improvement” seems like a 400-level faculty lecture that you find yourself in by mistake. Nonetheless, it’s a focus of Mitsubishi’s R&D efforts that has yielded loads of developments in low-resin content material along with heavy resin methods that incorporate tungsten. The chief advantage of the latter is manipulating the steadiness level of the shaft with out including a lot weight. Usually, altering shaft traits is way simpler if you happen to’re prepared so as to add 10, 15 and even 20 grams of complete weight. The duty turns into much more onerous when that’s not the case.

Product Line Overview

We’ll dig into particular fashions at a special time so think about this the Reader’s Digest model.

In a retail surroundings (suppose clubfitters, e-commerce, and many others), Mitsubishi has 4 main shaft households, every with its personal traits and distinctive options.

Tensei – The Japanese phrase “Tensei” interprets as “transformation” in English. This shaft solutions the query of “simply how far can we take shaft design?” and is engineered for the golfer who doesn’t thoughts paying a premium value for a shaft with all of the bells and whistles.

Diamana – If there’s a shaft that buyers join with Mitsubishi, it’s doubtless the Diamana collection, aka “Whiteboard” and “Blueboard” for these of you who’ve been round for some time. The first goal of the modern-day Diamana household is to present golfers a high-performance shaft with distinctive really feel.

Vanquish – Launched in 2023, the Vanquish line is “a brand new approach to consider light-weight pace.” Usually, the first problem with light-weight shafts is that they battle to keep up stability at larger swing speeds. Mitsubishi believes Vanquish largely eliminates this tradeoff.

C6 – Loads of golfers aren’t inclined to pay $600 for a driver after which one other $350-plus for an upgraded shaft. The “C6” collection is a budget-friendly possibility that also features a truthful quantity of MItsubishi supplies and engineering.

On the PGA TOUR, count on to see Mitsubishi slender its focus to Tensei (with a little bit of Diamana on the aspect). The reason being that, if you do have a chance to work with an expert, it tends to be a one-shot deal. Finally, you might have a single alternative to persuade that participant to strive your product. As such, it’s advisable to have a single, clear, centered lineup that gamers can simply digest. Previously, Mitsubishi admittedly missed the mark on this regard. Reside and be taught, proper?

Mitsubishi and The PGA TOUR

Profitable the shaft depend on any skilled tour is an enormous deal. Not solely does Tour utilization assist validate efficiency however, not like different items of apparatus, golfers aren’t paid to play a sure model or mannequin. It’s additionally a battleground the place logic and customary sense don’t at all times win out.

That apart, Mitsubishi has loads of knowledge to counsel it’s trending in a constructive path. Listed here are a pair knowledge nuggets on your consumption:

• MCG has elevated driver shafts in play in 85 p.c of PGA TOUR occasions this 12 months.
• MCG has essentially the most wins on the PGA TOUR this 12 months (18). *This contains Mitsubishi and Aldila model shafts by means of The Open Championship.
• The Tensei 1K product had 49 complete driver shafts in play in the course of the 2021-22 season. For 2022-23, that quantity escalated to 451 (a greater than 700-percent improve).

My $0.05

I get that golf shafts won’t carry the identical intercourse enchantment as new driver tech or photos from a bucket listing journey. And it doesn’t essentially assist when pundits make ridiculous claims like “shafts don’t actually matter.”

If something, I’d assert that the extra we find out about golf shafts, the extra essential they grow to be to find an optimum match for any participant. As well as, firms can do much more with composite supplies (versus metal) to tweak efficiency traits.

Additionally keep in mind that not way back, metal was the fabric of selection for driver shafts. There’s loads of room for debate however the transition to graphite driver shafts (toss in fairway woods and hybrids as properly) is without doubt one of the most important gear advances within the final 50 years.

Progress stays undefeated and, fairly probably, right now’s carbon composite shafts will likely be changed by one thing higher sooner or later. What we don’t know is strictly when that can occur or what the fabric will likely be. However what appears clear is that Mitsubishi will likely be an integral a part of the method, if not main the dialogue completely. In spite of everything, that’s what supplies firms do.