Launch it High with the UST ATTAS 11 “JACK” Shaft

Finding the perfect shaft for your driver is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but you’re searching for gold instead. Indeed, the shaft is commonly recognized as the “engine” of your golf club, and nothing can be more frustrating then “stalling out” off the tee with a two-way miss or inefficient ball flight.

UST Mamiya—the shaft manufacturer who developed the “engine” for my driving iron and has also helped power Cameron Smith (Sony Open) and Webb Simpson (Waste Management Phoenix Open) to early 2020 victories—recently released the ATTAS 11 “JACK”, a graphite wood shaft designed to be a mid-spin, higher launching with better energy transfer.

Before I get into the details, I think we can all agree that this thing looks awesome:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UST Mamiya Golf Shafts (@ustmamiyagolf) on Dec 3, 2019 at 12:45pm PST

By combining aerospace grade M40X Carbon Fiber with a new constant taper design, UST was able to develop a higher launching shaft that feels stable (instead of like a wet noodle) and has plenty of performance to back it up.

Ironically, UST’s Elements Platinum is already powering my Callaway Rogue (9°, Standard Head). However, the Elements is a mid/low launch and low spin shaft, which puts it, to some degree, on the other end of the spectrum from the ATTAS 11. Be that as it may, I was still very impressed with the ATTAS on the course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UST Mamiya Golf Shafts (@ustmamiyagolf) on Nov 20, 2019 at 11:40am PST

The testing facility for the ATTAS was Bethpage’s Blue Course, which provided plenty of long Par-4s and 5s that allowed me to see how the ATTAS/Callaway combo would perform. Fortunately, the ATTAS 11 was confidence inspiring and incredibly consistent with its performance, as I was able to simply line up with my target and fire away. Indeed, the ATTAS 11 was well suited for Bethpage’s elevation changes, as the increased ball height routinely helped carry me up and over the ledge on the Blue’s opening Par-5 (second hole), put me in line with the pin on the Par-4 Fourth, and navigate the tees on the narrow Par-5s (Eight and Sixteen).

Although the ATTAS is marketed as “higher” launching, don’t immediately write this off and think that you’ll start launching rainbows. Indeed, TrackMa data comparing the Elements and ATTAS showed that the ATTAS was only flighting the ball (on average) 20 feet higher and with an additional 500-600 RPMs of spin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Club Champion (@clubchampion) on Jul 3, 2018 at 2:01pm PDT

Now this chart is particularly important because it provides some insight into why Elements gamer edged out the ATTAS.

TrackMan averaged my driver swing speed at just over 107 MPH. As a result, optimal driver numbers for me are somewhere around 12° launch with spin in the 2,500 RPM neighborhood.

Due to the ATTAS’ higher launching and spin, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that it didn’t edge out my current UST setup that’s helping reduce launch angle and spin.

However, that doesn’t even mean the ATTAS isn’t for me. Indeed, I loved the feel and performance and dispersion were both there (Smash Factor was averaging just over 1.4), so I’m sure with a lower launching, lower spin head, such as Titleist’s TS3, the ATTAS could possibly be optimal. So make sure to work with your local UST authorized fitter and retailer and check out the ATTAS.

And in support of how confident I am in the UST Mamiya ATTAS 11, I have teamed up with UST to give one ATTAS 11 away for FREE! Simply check out my Instagram page (@hozel_rocket) for more details on how to enter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UST Mamiya Golf Shafts (@ustmamiyagolf) on Sep 27, 2019 at 8:15am PDT

All testing was performed with the help and support of Club Champion’s Long Island facility and fitters. Club Champion is an independent, brand-agnostic premium club fitter with more than 70 locations across the US. With the help of its extensive fitting matrix, Club Champion provides golfers with a Tour-level fitting by comparing their current clubs against more than 35,000 club head and shaft combinations to identify the custom set-up that will help each golfer play their best.