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KBS Tour Iron Shaft Review

on September 21, 2013

50 Words or Less

The smoothest shaft in the heavy weight iron shaft category. Promotes a higher ball flight than its closest competitors.

Introduction

Most people would look at the stranglehold that Dynamic Gold and Project X have on the heavy weight iron shaft market and choose another battle to fight. Kim Braly isn’t most people. He jumped into the fight with the KBS Tour, and has converted thousands of golfers, including major champions, to his brand. In this review, we examine why.

Where most heavy weight iron shafts are focused on stability, the trademark of the KBS Tour is its smooth feel. There’s a distinct feeling of the shaft loading and kicking during the swing. This is not to say that the shaft isn’t stable. Most of the action is in the middle of the shaft, so you don’t sacrifice a stable tip to get this smooth feel.

Performance

Though it’s not a night and day difference, the KBS Tour does tend to promote a higher ball flight than its competitors Dynamic Gold and Project X. This makes it an excellent choice for golfers who tend to be low ball hitters or those who simply prefer to see the ball in a higher trajectory window.

If you prefer a heavy weight iron shaft, but want a smoother feel, KBS Tour is for you. It’s also a great choice for players who are seeking a slightly higher ball flight from their iron play.

61 Comments

What does the KBS Tour 120 shafts compare to vs S300 shaft? Driver swing speed of 95-98 mph 3/4 handicap

“Though it’s not a night and day difference, the KBS Tour does tend to promote a higher ball flight than its competitors Dynamic Gold and Project X.”

Can i use this shaft for my wedges? Or this shaft is for iron only (3-9,P)?

KBS makes a wedge version.

I just purchased Titleist AP2 Irons with KBS regular shafts, they are very balanced irons and mid-high ball flight. With this iron shaft there is no whipping and very smooth, I am 62 Years old but still can swing a club and I am very impressed with the combo, spending a little extra money for your irons is well worth it.

My elbows struggle with vibration of steel shafts. I am 65 years old and still play competitive Senior Amateur Golf events. I like your c tapered 110 feel. Will adding an after market dampening rod help the vibration issues of your shafts. Any suggestions appreciated.

I’ve used vibration dampening products, and they do change the feel, but I don’t know if they will help with your pain.

71 Young man, if you still have pain. Your left hand grip for righty is way to weak . Go stronger and don’t pull so much . Happy Birthday .

What is an alternative choice for the KBS Tour S shaft? Best Nippon or True Temper Product Models as an alternative choice??? Please respond to my email address submitted, already get your newsletter.

Stock advice: work with a fitter to find a good solution. Blind guess: I would take a look at the Nippon Modus for smooth feel.

I am currently playing Mizuno Pro 900 irons with the KBS tour x shaft. I am going to get a set of Mizuno mp-18 blade irons. If I go to the Nippon modus 120 x shaft am I going to have a similar feel but lighter. Mizuno does offer a KBS shaft in lighter shaft X flex. Thank you, J.Baker

I think you will find the Modus 120 to be a bit different than the KBS Tour. I would suggest working with a fitter to find something that fits your swing.

I am purchasing Titleist 716 AP1 irons and are considering the Dynamic Gold or KBS shaft. I play of 10 but are wayward with my irons. Which shaft is better for a straighter ball flight and more consistency? Thanks Ben

That depends on which one fits you better. I would suggest working with a fitter before you lay down your money.

I read your review on the Taylormade M2 TOUR irons and disagreed, then read the KBS review which is what I have on my M2 TOURS and I love them. Comment? Thanks, Jeff

Comment on what?

Hi, I cannot find the perfect balance and feel I had on my old Pings i15 with the first version of the kbs tour S. What was the weight of those shafts?

I’m not aware of any substantial changes to the KBS Tour since it was released. KBS would have more information on that.

Is the KBS TOUR stiff to heavy a shaft for a 13 handicapper swinging 90’s? I usually hit R300 really high but feedback and distance is hortible.

If you’re currently playing Dynamic Gold, the weight difference is negligible.

What is the difference between the kbs tour 130x and the tour v with tour spec 130x ?

We have a review of the Tour V here: https://pluggedingolf.com/kbs-tour-v-iron-shaft-review/

Hi – is the True Temper XP 115 S300 (fitted, 88swing speed, mid launch and 6200 spin with 6i) a comparable shaft to the Tour Stiff?

The KBS Tour is heavier but otherwise there are some similarities.

hi I currently play off 6 and play titleist ap1 with xp 95 shafts , I am considering changing to tailormade tp mb with kbs reg flex can give some advice ? I fear the kbs maybe to heavy ??? kind regards Graeme

Adding nearly 30 grams will be a significant change. Have you talked with a fitter about it? Tried some irons with similar weight shafts?

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Hi Matt, I currently play TaylorMade R9 irons with a Taylormade 90 by FST Stiff shaft. I’m upgrading to Tailor-made M4 irons with a Max 85 Shaft. Any thought on which would be more comparable to my existing shafts? The Stiff or a Regular Max 85? I think there both lighter than my existing shaft. Thanks.

I would suggest trying both with the help of a fitter to find the better fit.

May I know how much weights for the S shaft ?

The stiff weighs 120 grams.

What’s the weight? I have these in my a12 pros and I can’t seem to find any specs on them. Thanks

I purchased some Mizuno irons with KBS shafts. On the label they say KBS under that is Tour by FST, by the KBS it has a small R inside a circle. I am trying to find out if these are regular or stiff, nothing on the shafts say either regular or stiff.

That sounds like a regular flex, but without seeing a picture I can’t say for certain.

No, small r inside circle is the registered trademark, not regular.

What shafts are used for the king cobra f9, beside fujikura atoms 6 one length or KBS 0.37 Tip

HI Matt, I’ve been gaming the original KBS since 2009 w/ my Mizuno MP 58’s MMC. I’m eyeing a set of MP 18 SC in the KBS tour. Would you say the shaft profile and characteristics is the same as the original KBS that I’m playing now?

To my knowledge, KBS has not changed the original KBS Tour since it was released.

I am currently playing Mizuno Hot metal withveylix Alpina 673 shaft. I am 72 and these irons are terrible for me. Handicap on way up

Been fitted for X100s and KBS X shafts in new srixon zx7s. Numbers on the trackman are neck and neck. Averaging 98mph club head speed with 7-iron. A lot of comments I read say they prefer the X100s and that they flight lower than KBS x.

Thoughts on the two shafts? How much lower would the x100s flight and would it be worth taking into account?

Did you see a lower flight from the X100 in your fitting? My experience is that DG flies a bit lower than KBS Tour, but your results may vary.

Hi , I am 47 and my handicap is 13, I ordered for Miura MC-501 iron sets but little confused whether i am gonna fit KBS Tour R 110 g or Stiff 120 g !!! Could you please suggest which one will be perfect for me ? Thanks in advance

The only way to know which shaft is best is to get fit. Online, all anyone can do is guess, unfortunately.

There’s the occasional discussion on the internet from time to time about KBS Tour being ‘counterbalanced’ and ‘building to lower swingweights’ (I presume in comparison to DG). Is this true for this shaft?

That’s a good question. I’ve never noticed the KBS Tour to feel strongly counterbalanced, so I’ve never taken the time to measure. So, short answer: I’m not sure.

Just picked up a set of KBS Tour By FST shafts but they don’t have a weight or flex sticker on them. How can I tell what flex they are?

You could have a club builder check their CPM to get an idea of that.

Does it get old telling people to work with a fitter to find the best shaft for them? lol

No, I never get tired of giving people the advice that will actually help them play better golf.

Old thread I know. Is there any whippy feeling with these in the tour flt 110 regular flex? My ball speed with 7 iron with true temper Amt red hovers around 115. Not sure swing speed. I know go get fitted, but how similar to the amt red would these fall? Of course not the descending weight, but as for whippy- I don’t want that lol.

Feel is subjective, so unfortunately I can’t tell you whether or not these will feel “whippy” to you.

Matt: I love my new Mizuno JPX923 irons with KBS Tour Reg. Shafts. I have 4 Ben Hogan Wedges I really like but they have APEX 4 shafts which are too stiff for me now that I am 70 years old. In your opinion will the KBS Tour Reg. Shafts be good for my Hogan Wedges? Thanks

I can’t speak to your swing but I like having matching shafts from my irons through my wedges.

Are these like the c taper where most people play the stiff + if they are typically x flex?

The C Taper and KBS Tour are very, very different shafts.

I purchased p770s and didn’t do enough research and got kbs tour black shafts 120g.

My driver swing speed is about 97mph – are these shafts too heavy for me?

I hit the ball okay but notice my carry distances are much shorter than my old callaway rogue st max irons

I would never tell a player that a given weight is universally too heavy or too light for a given speed. What matters is A) fit and B) goals. If you want to get more distance, 120 gram shafts probably isn’t the way unless going lighter causes your ball striking to suffer.

Matt, I play off a 7 and have a very smooth swing tempo. I use to game AP2 712 irons with KBS Tour S from 2012-2023. I switched to T150 irons and was fitted with the S300 AMT Red shafts. I started playing with the new setup since the start of the year but I have to admit that I lost confidence in my irons.

I love the look and feel of the T150s and don’t think it’s necessarily the irons itself but I seem to have developed a strong draw with the irons. This is especially prevalent if I’m trying to hit a specific number to clear water or bunkers or for any specific placement reasons.

Could the difference in shaft contribute to the problem?

Yes, the shaft can have an enormous impact on your results. Given that the two heads you’re comparing are quite similar, I would be much more likely to attribute the change to the shaft than the head.

Follow on question – I’m 6ft 4” playing with XL glove size and CP2 Jumbo grips. Would switching to the BDC style Jumbo grips (Medium) help to neutralise the draw?

It’s possible, but not a guarantee by any means: https://pluggedingolf.com/does-grip-size-matter-golf-myths-unplugged/

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KBS Tour Lite Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

According to KBS, the KBS Tour Lite shaft is the lightest steel shaft in their lineup.

If you have ever tried the KBS Tour shaft but it didn’t fit your swing speed, the KBS Tour Lite is a shaft that should be on your radar.

KBS claims that the KBS Tour Lite is as much as 20% lighter than the wildly popular KBS Tour steel shaft.

But that’s not the whole story with this shaft – we should know, we actually tested it.

Just because a shaft is lightweight doesn’t mean you should automatically order it if you have a slower swing speed or a higher handicap.

There are a lot more considerations to make – especially with this particular shaft.

So if you are in the market for a new shaft for your irons, pay close attention to the following review as we will be telling you everything you need to know about the KBS Tour Lite.

KBS Tour Lite Overview

To quote the company further, KBS makes the claim that the KBS Tour Lite plays 9% longer than competing shafts in this category.

We’re not sure how they got that figure but when we tested the KBS Tour Lite, we pretty much had to concur with it.

Most of our testers found that the KBS Tour Lite played about a club longer for them – at least in terms of carry distance.

What that means is that the KBS Tour Lite will likely give you the distance of a 5-iron even if you’re using a 6-iron.

Another thing we really liked about the performance of the KBS Tour Lite shaft is that it enhances (or in some cases simply maintains) good spin rates.

Our testers were also noticing better roll distance from their long irons with the KBS Tour Lite shaft as a result of this robust spin.

And while the shaft does indeed feel pretty light in the hands, it’s not so light that you can’t load up on it.

One downfall of this shaft though is that it sometimes makes it seem that you hit a ball better than you actually did.

This is a testament to how smooth and pleasant this shaft feels overall. When you mis-hit, you aren’t punished by jarring vibration.

It gives you a good amount of damping capability; but again, this can sometimes work against you.

Why is the KBS Tour Lite So Popular?

One of the reasons the KBS Tour Lite shafts are so popular is that they are accessible to more players.

The KBS Tour Lite shafts come in regular, stiff and extra stiff flexes.

Compare that to other steel shafts in this category like the True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shaft which is only available in stiff flex and you see that the KBS Tour Lite was designed with a broader range of players in mind.

And of course, the KBS Tour Lite shaft is, well, light.

It has appealed to a number of slower swing speed players because they don’t need the extra stiffness to combat twisting due to a high velocity club head speed.

How Does the KBS Tour Lite Perform?

On the course, the KBS Tour Lite offered all-around performance.

We were especially smitten with the consistency and tight shot dispersion. And as we mentioned, the KBS Tour Lite will likely result in a whole club of distance gain.

Our testers noted steep angles of descent around the green which made it easier to stick fast greens.

Carry distance was great and roll distance was also pretty good thanks to the consistently above average spin rates.

The KBS Tour Lite shafts have a gradual kick point that rests just under the grip. This is part of what makes these shafts launch so naturally.

Overall, the performance of these shafts were marked by effortless launch, excellent distance, surprising spin rates and consistency.

KBS Tour Lite Shaft Specs Table

What flexes are available what swing speeds do they suit.

The KBS Tour Lite comes in regular, stiff and extra stiff flex.

The Regular flex will be better for people with swing speeds under 80 MPH.

The stiff flex would suit players with swing speeds in the 90 MPH range and the extra stiff flex is for 100+ MPH swingers.

What Weights Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?

The KBS Tour Lite shafts are available in 95, 100 and 105 gram versions.

You will want a lighter shaft if you have a slow to moderate swing speed and a deliberate swing tempo.

If you load up heavy on the shaft, you would do well with the 100 gram version of the KBS Tour Lite shaft.

Why is it So Good?

In our opinion, the KBS Tour Lite is a good shaft because of the incredible strength to weight ratio.

They feel light in the hands and on the backswing; but they also have a fairly strong feel at impact.

KBS Tour Lite First Impressions

The first thing we noticed about these shafts was that they were incredibly light for steel shafts.

Key Features & Performance

The weight is the key feature here. It allows for improved club head speed without losing any accuracy.

KBS Tour Lite Wedges Review

We weren’t huge fans of the KBS Tour Lite on wedges because they covered up a lot of our mis-hits.

KBS Tour Lite Irons Review

The KBS Tour Lite is perfect for irons. It will tighten up your shot dispersion and help increase club head speed.

KBS Tour Lite Driver Review

There isn’t enough substance for the KBS Tour Lite shafts to be viable for drivers.

KBS Tour Lite Pros & Cons

Lightweight
Smooth feel
Good vibration dampening
Good for a variety of players
The smooth feel sometimes covers up his-hits

Overall Score: 95/100

Check out more reviews here:.

Who Should Buy it?

The KBS Tour Lite would be a great shaft if you make fairly consistent contact but need a shaft that will add distance to your shots.

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KBS Tour Shaft Review

Kbs tour shaft.

The shaft that started it all – the KBS Tour shaft. Kim Braly’s signature shaft, the KBS Tour, is designed for players that want to be able to play a wide range of shots with more of a mid trajectory. What most players seem to love the most though is the smooth feel and shot feedback.

How Does it Feel?

I would put the KBS Tour as the most “neutral” feeling shaft of the KBS lineup. The Tour does in fact feel incredibly smooth and easy on the hands. I would almost argue that the Tour is even forgiving on your hands on a mishit. Whereas a typical steel shaft may sting a bit, the Tour seems to absorb the blow more. Don’t get me wrong, if you hit your MP-18 MB wrong, you’re still going to pay for it in the hands. It just won’t sting as bad as normal…so I’ve found. I even commented to our own Jon, “this shaft makes an MB feel much less harsh.” Jon concurred and promptly tried to steal my clubs.

There is a definite energy transfer at impact, but it has a much more gradual feel as opposed to a precise kickpoint. I will say that you can tell it’s happening in the middle of the shaft, but it doesn’t feel like a precise snap. The feeling is much more of a smooth release. This may sound crazy, but think of it almost like a smooth toss of a baseball that firmly, but not too hard, hits your dad right in the glove while you’re having a catch in the back yard. That, to me, is the feel of the KBS Tour’s release.

On-Course Performance

My experience with the KBS Tour shaft is a true testament to “every swing is a snowflake.” The Tour is supposed to be a mid-launch shaft with medium spin. Admittedly, I’m not a high-spin iron player as is, but I hit the Tour just about the same average as my lowest spinning shaft of the KBS lineup. My averages for launch were the lowest of the KBS group to date as well. That said, I think there’s a decent reason for this. When reviewing my data, it was apparent that there is a lot of versatility in the KBS Tour . I was able to easily adjust trajectory while adding or taking spin off of shots. Being able to easily hit such a variety of shots is a big win for this shaft.

I’ve hit multiple clubs with the Tour in them over the years, albeit never my own set, and the natural shot shape is always the same. A neutral swing always results in a smooth draw for me. Let me tell you, my natural shot is not an easy draw. This draw from the KBS Tour is automatic and seemingly built into the shaft for me. It’s been consistent enough for me over the years that, along with my testing, it’s hard for me to ignore. Will this be the case for everyone? Can’t say, but there’s something there that has my attention and I don’t hate that shot shape. Just tying ribbons over here (that’s a shot tracer on TV reference)…

Final Thoughts

My opinion is that the KBS Tour is a solid all-around iron shaft. I think other shafts in the KBS lineup have a little more of a “wow factor” to them, but the Tour is solid for a wide range of players that want a premium shaft with versatility. A smooth profile and easy shotmaking should make the KBS Tour appealing to golfers of all skill levels. Including the best in the world .

Hi Bill. I am a young 38 with a lot of golf life left in him. I took the pandemic as an opportunity to know and own my swing. Despite my gains in accuracy and a new found draw and occasionally hook, I am looking for my next iron shaft. I have been told my swing is a bit aggressive, and my irons have always gone high – no problem getting the ball in the air. Would you say the Tour is a good shaft for a golfer with this description? I was also considering the new KBS Tour Lites. Did you see much difference between the Tour and the Tour lite in the numbers. Thanks!

Tour Lite will likely go even higher. If you have an aggressive swing, the Tour might be a bit soft and high too. I would think you need to go with something more stout/firm. Maybe Tour V?

Would you recommend this golf shaft to someone that isn’t a beginner at golf but doesn’t get out as much to play? I have steel shafts now and I want something lighter but not as light as a graphite shaft. Thanks!

Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s a measure of “skill set” but more how your swing will interact with the equipment.

Hey Bill – I’m a 34 y/o single-digit handicapper that’s always been a strong, aggressive ball striker. I recently made the switch from an old set of Titleist ZM forged musclebacks (classic Dynamic Gold stiff 120g shafts) to T100s with Project X 6.5 shafts. I know this is contrary to almost everyone, but I absolutely hate my T100s (and I’m a Titleist lover). I rarely find the sweet spot; have lost 10-ish yards per club; and chunk more shots than ever. I do hit them very straight though, but my shots are low and short. I’m going to switch back to a muscleback iron set, because I just love them! I’ve actually been recommended the direct-to-consumer Takomo 301 MBs by several people, which you might have heard of. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions on a KBS shaft. I’m thinking about going with either the KBS Tour or C Taper in stiff 120g. Maybe the move from the Dynamic Gold stiff 120g to Project X 6.5 125g could have made that much of a difference in my distance, trajectory, etc? From what I’ve seen, the lofts are very similar. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Don’t know anything about those irons, sorry. But I can tell you that the KBS Tour has pretty much nothing in common with the other three shaft options you listed. The C-Taper is a stout low launch/spin option and the PX is closer to that. The dynamic gold is somewhere in between those two and the KBS Tour. I think you need to do some testing/fitting to really get the answer you’re looking for in your game. With the game it sounds like you’re talking about, anything else would just be a blind guess with a hole and a prayer.

Thank you so much, sir! I’ve set up a fitting with a Golf Digest top 100 fitter next Saturday. I’ve always been cheap on golf (other than my CC membership) and have never had a lesson. That, coupled with me being left-handed, has always prevented me from seeking a professional club fitting. But, I’m going to finally treat myself a do so! God bless!!!

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