OBAN Shafts
OBAN is a relatively new shaft company with several lines of premium shafts characterized by high quality materials, consistency, and distinctive graphics. Their exceptional performance and smart marketing brought them quick acceptance on tour and by discerning amateur golfers. Their bold color schemes were designed to cut through the clutter in videos and broadcast media making them easy to spot in a player's hands.
The initial 3 models included the Devotion, Revenge, and Tour Prototype shaft lines with the moderately priced Devotion series having the the widest range of weights and flexes. The strong blue paint color with a wide gold band looks stunning. But even more striking is the consistency of stiffness distribution in different flexes through the length of the shaft. Shown here are the EI profiles of three R flex, one S flex, and one X flex shaft (In OBAN nomenclature R=03, S=04, X=05).
A smooth change in flex from the butt end leads to a stable shaft mid section characterized by an extended region of relatively constant stiffness before dropping to a softer tip region. The action of this midsection design can help limit ball spin for some players depending on their swing mechanics. The responsive tip balanced by a stable midsection provides stable performance that finds wide appeal among golfers at all levels.
Notable is the consistency of the shaft stiffness profiles. The R flex shafts have nearly identical data requiring a close look to see that there are three different shaft profiles on the graph. The S flex and X flex reflect the same overall stiffness properties in the mid and butt sections while retaining the signature responsive tip. A strong player who powers the stiffer shafts through the downswing will feel in control of the shaft. The benefit is typically a penetrating ball trajectory with a tight shot cluster.
MORE DATA COMING. We will be adding information on torque and a few more specifications of significance as well as EI profile data on softer flexes and different weights. We think of the OBAN Devotion as a family of closely related shafts. With this shaft family in particular, you will get the best match to your swing by working with a professional fitter who understands how to use these data.