50 Words or Less
TPT Power Range shaft delivers stable and consistent performance for virtually any swing type. High launch and low spin maximize carry while their unique manufacturing technique creates a balanced shaft for optimal control.
Introduction
TPT stands for Thin Ply Technology and is a way of designing a composite material. This material was discovered by a company now known as North Thin Ply Technology or NTPT which is way larger than any of its golf counterparts. In 2003, NTPT was looking for a way to better manufacture competition sails in sailboat racing. The effectiveness of this TPT material design was not only successful on the water but led them to put it to use in other areas such as Formula 1, auto parts, and golf shafts. I got my hands on a few of their latest offerings to see how these shafts perform for the everyday golfer.
Looks
Like many of the exotic or aftermarket shaft designs, the TPT Power Range shaft makes a statement with its style and color scheme that will stand out on the course. The shaft is a matte charcoal grey with a subtle watermarking effect that is only visible at close range.
The center of the shaft is broken up by a large yellow “TPT” logo and matching criss cross design scheme. The logo is stamped three separate times so it is consistent no matter which way you have the shaft installed. The negative aspect of this is that there is no “logo down” option.
The “Pure Power” branding is labeled near the tip while just north of the TPT logo is a small QR code which, when scanned, brings you to the TPT site where you can register your product.
Feel
TPT built their shafts to deliver consistent feel, so even though the club may change, each shaft and swing will feel the same. For me, each TPT Power Range shaft felt balanced in my hands and light to swing. Not so light that it feels like a wiffle ball bat, but more so that I don’t have to swing out of my shoes to generate maximum clubhead speed.
There is an instant feeling of club head awareness that didn’t need any calibrating. I could just step up to the ball and swing my swing. At impact, it was smooth all the way to the finish. The feedback was there on poor strikes, but overall the shaft subdued some of the harsher vibrations I have felt from similar shafts in this category.
TPT Power Range Shaft Specs
TPT offers two distinct categories of shafts – Nitro Range and Power Range. Nitro Range shafts are lighter in weight with less torque but are only offered in a driver shaft. From there, each shaft comes in a LO or HI model which correlates to the associated ball flight with a range of weights represented by a 14 through 21 scale.
The TPT Power Range shaft separates itself by being slightly heavier with more torque but is offered in driver, wood, and hybrid shafts. Again, TPT categorizes these shafts into HI and LO based upon desired ball flight and then into a range of weights represented by a 14 through 21. Overall, the heaviest shaft available is the 85 gram 14 LO Power Range shaft made for the strongest of swings including two with player wins on the professional long drive competitions. The lightest is the 40 gram 21 HI Nitro Range shaft.
One last thing you may notice is that the cryptic shaft identifiers do not have a flex listed. This is on purpose. TPT engineers knew how most golfers box themselves in when they say they play a certain weight or flex, so they wanted something that would allow the golfer to “feel” the shaft and how it plays versus having a preconceived thought about what will or won’t work for them based on what they read on the shaft.
Performance
I tested the TPT Nitro Range shaft in the driver and the TPT Power Range shafts in the driver, 3 wood, and hybrid models. The shafts were installed in my Ping G425 driver, Callaway Mavrik 3 wood, and Mavrik 3 hybrid after getting baseline measurements with my gamer shafts. Thanks to James and Club Champion for installing the TPT shafts and helping with Trackman numbers in their Westport, Connecticut studio.
The most notable outcome after testing these shafts is that they deliver on the promise of consistency through the set both in feel and ball flight patterns. The primary driver of this consistency is the unique manufacturing technique that keeps dispersion tight. Since TPT rolls their shafts using one continuous layer of fibers from top to bottom, they eliminate any type of spine that we see in most other golf shafts. Eliminating the spine helps to reduce twisting at impact and ultimately increases center face contact. To me, the improvement came in the tightening of my impact zone using Trackman’s ball heat map feature. This led to an uptick in smash factor and higher average distance of about 4 yards with the TPT over my gamer shafts.
What surprised me the most about the TPT Power Range shafts was by the time we finished the fitting, the feel between my gamer shafts was almost indistinguishable. The TPT shafts separated themselves with a smaller dispersion and improved overall smash factor but the feel remained the same. Optimal shots with the HI version favored a higher launching and moderate spinning shot that was best suited for the player looking for max height and carry. This height, decent angle, and minimal rollout was exaggerated in the 3 wood and 3 hybrid which isn’t for everyone. The LO version will create the opposite effect for those looking for a lower trajectory.
My final thought is that TPT has created something extremely unique in their one piece manufacturing of shafts in how it creates consistency in the golf swing that has really never been seen before. This is flying under the radar and should be getting more attention as it can and will continue to change the shaft industry. Either way, every golfer should have TPT shafts on their fitting list for 2024 and beyond.
Conclusion
The TPT Nitro and TPT Power Range shafts are revolutionizing the way shafts are built. The manufacturing system eliminates any spine or inconsistencies and lessens the variability between swings. Evidenced by an improved smash factor and tighter heat map impact zone, the TPT shafts helped consistency in finding the center of the face and maximizing my swing. Coming in at $650 for the Nitro Range and $380 for the Power Range, TPT shafts are not cheap. However, having the ability to maximize every shot with consistency and control makes this something you need to try for the new season.
Visit TPT Golf HERE
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5 Comments
Good review Zach. There is a lot to dissect here and did a good job in explaining the shafts.
Couple of questions:
What is your driver gamer shaft? is this an instant swap for gamers?
Did you test both driver shafts of nitro and power in the same 16/hi? what was the difference of those two models?
Thanks
Hey Glen,
Driver gamer shaft is the Mitsubishi Kai’Li white 60S. Yes, I could easily swap this in without missing a step.
The main difference between the 2 shafts is that the power version is going to be heavier with more torque to retain that soft feel. Nitro is going to be lighter to maximize swing speed. On paper, nitro will lean towards a slower swing speed and/or a very smooth transition whereas power leans more towards a higher swing speed and/or more aggressive transition players.
The Nitro range is $650, the Power range is $380
Overall awesome performing shafts that dont get enough looks due to price and being harder to find than most
Yes, you are correct. The Power range shafts are $380. Only the Nitro range shafts are $650.
I’ve been playing TPT shafts for the past 18 months and I have some feedback :
1/ The Lo profile in driver and fairway provided somewhat of a higher launch for me compared to the Hi counterparts. Get fit :)
2/ Even though I play the same profile in driver and fairway, the corresponding hybrid shaft (bought without testing / trusting the TPT system) was a total misfit for me. Felt (well, was) really whippy and mostly got toe diggers out of it. Got a replacement for a small fee thanks to the French TPT rep.
3/ I also tested at the time a pre-release version of the corresponding Nitro driver shaft and it felt absolutely superb. If that makes any sense, it felt “premium” as in light, stable and effortless. Was too expensive for me however.
My setup (power range) :
Driver 16Hi tipped 1 inch, 44,75 inches length (Rogue ST Max LS 10.5)
Fairway 16Hi F, tipped 1 inch, 42.5 inches length (TSi3 16.5)
Driving iron 15Lo H, tipped 1 inch, 39,5 inches length (ZXmk2 3U)