There are very few products that dominate golf equipment categories in professional golf.
You could argue that the Titleist Pro V golf ball series is still the dominant golf ball, and manufacturers such as TaylorMade and Callaway strive to surpass it.
There is arguably one other dominant product outside the Pro V golf ball, the Fujikura Ventus shaft series.
Since Fujikura launched the Ventus range in 2018, its success has been massive and eclipsed all other high-performance golf shafts in terms of use and victories.
What makes Fujikura Ventus shafts special, and what can we expect from the new Fujikura Ventus 2024 VeloCore + golf shafts launched this year?
To answer those questions, we’ll guide you through:
- The Immediate Success of Ventus
- The Innovation Driving VeloCore +
- The Ventus VeloCore + Family
- Fitted For Success
The Immediate Success of Ventus
Professionals and amateurs have trusted Fujikura carbon composite shafts for decades.
Fabled ranges in the Fujikura stable, such as the Speeder, Vista Pro, and Motore, have been engineered to deliver the highest levels of performance and innovation. These shafts are available today incorporating the latest technology Fujikura has to offer, but in creating the Ventus range, Fujikura was putting in every ounce of effort to create something truly special.
Fujikura launched the first line of Ventus shafts in 2018 on professional tours and made them available to the public in 2019. The idea behind the original Ventus shaft, which sets the foundations for the 2024 variants, was to create a shaft that was highly stable and resistant to twisting.
The original Fujikura Ventus golf shaft quickly became a massive hit on tour as players could see its benefits. By the end of 2023, seventeen of the top fifty players in the world rankings employed a Ventus shaft variant in their drivers. At The Players Championship this year, just over 40% of the field had a Ventus driver in play.
Not only professionals are gaining the most from using a Ventus shaft. Fujikura created the Ventus golf shaft family, allowing amateurs to hit longer, straighter drives.
To understand how this is possible, it’s time to delve into the technology that lies at the heart of each Ventus shaft.
The Innovation Driving VeloCore +
At the heart of Ventus shafts from their launch in 2018 is VeloCore technology developed exclusively by Fujikura.
The term VeloCore comes from the idea that Ventus shafts offer speed (velocity) at its core. But VeloCore isn’t just purely about helping golfers generate more clubhead speed.
VeloCore is designed to create a highly stable shaft that helps return the clubface square at impact, resulting in more centered strikes.
So, how does VeloCore achieve this? The secret lies in using Pitch 70 carbon composite, which is 150% stiffer than standard T1100 composite materials used in producing carbon-composite graphite shafts.
The Pitch 70 carbon material is fitted through the length of the shaft with additional material, 40-ton carbon fibre added to provide an enhanced feel and to help the shaft load properly.
VeloCore + improves these fundamental elements Fujikura introduced six years ago in the original Ventus range and adds an additional material into the mix to enhance stability and improve speed further.
Fujikura has found in testing that VeloCore + does increase ball speed while keeping shot dispersion tight compared to the original golf shafts, with an additional level of liveliness to the 2024 version.
VeloCore + made its debut when Fujikura launched the updated 2024 Ventus Blue golf wood shaft in January of this year.
While Fujikura initially focused on the Ventus Blue, there was never any doubt that updated versions of the Ventus Red and Ventus Black golf shafts would be released, featuring the updated VeloCore + technology.
The Ventus VeloCore + Family
The Ventus VeloCore + golf wood shafts have three distinctive lines offering different playing characteristics; these are:
- Ventus Blue
- Ventus Black
- Ventus Red
Ventus Blue
The Ventus Blue has the widest profile and is designed to work for golfers ranging from tour professionals to mid-handicap amateurs. The bend profile of the Ventus Blue is ultra-stiff in the tip and firm in the handle section, with a little more give in the middle of the shaft. This all adds up to a shaft that offers mid-launch and mid-spin characteristics.
When Fujikura launched VeloCore + technology to the Ventus Blue range earlier this year, they did so knowing that the Ventus Blue was the widest fitted golf shaft for golfers out of the range down to its depth of variety.
Within the Fujikura Ventus Blue lineup, fitters have fourteen different shaft combinations available, making the Blue the most versatile of the range.
The Ventus Blue comes in five different profiles with weights ranging from 58 to 94 grams and shaft flexes from R2 to Tour Extra Stiff (TX).
Ventus Black
The Ventus Black is best suited for players with the fastest swing speeds. It’s also a good match for golfers who are highly aggressive in their transition or have a fast swing tempo.
The Ventus Black is extra stiff in the tip section and, coupled with the improvements made in VeloCore +, allows more aggressive golfers to go hard at the ball with complete confidence, knowing the shaft will perform consistently for them.
Fujikura Ventus Black is the lowest-spinning of the three and has five profiles, with weights between 59 and 93 grams. There are no R2 or regular shaft options, underlining the fact that the Black series is aimed at more powerful players.
Ventus Red
Sitting at the opposite end of the spectrum to the Ventus Black, Ventus Red helps golfers looking to maximise their carry distances by providing more spin to produce a mid to high trajectory.
The Ventus Red features a softer tip compared to the Ventus Blue and Black. Still, it matches the Ventus Black in being ultra-stiff in the handle section to maintain stability and balance throughout the shaft.
Fujikura Ventus Red golf shafts have five profiles and are available in weights from 59 grams to 92.5 grams and flexes from R2 to extra-stiff.
While we have focused on the Ventus VeloCore + family, Fujikura is still producing the Ventus TR range of golf wood shafts.
The Fujikura Ventus TR golf shafts utilise VeloCore technology with added torsional rigidity and are available in Blue, Black, and Red profiles. The difference in playing characteristics is that the TR is designed to be an overall lower spinning, lower launching variant to the new 2024 Ventus VeloCore + range.
Fitted For Success
The Fujikura Ventus range’s vast array of options within the three profiles is a key component to its overall success, which is why we like it at Nine By Nine Golf.
We’ve outlined the variety of weight and flex options across the Fujikura Ventus VeloCore + golf shaft family. Coupled with the ongoing Ventus TR shaft range, there is a Ventus shaft profile available for any golfer who comes for a fitting.
Our starting point is the data we collect in a custom-fitting session that points us toward the following:
- How you deliver the clubface into the ball
- The clubhead speed you generate
- The spin applied to the ball
- Efficiency of your ball striking
The data can also help us determine your dispersion, which can give us clues as to how to improve your performance.
Through the fitting process and the change in data, we see as we explore different Fujikura Ventus shaft options, we will be able to find the perfect match for your swing, which will demonstrate a clear improvement in distance and accuracy.
The Ventus range options extend beyond the golf driver, so we can fit Ventus shafts into your fairway woods to create a consistent feel and improve shot dispersion and distance.
The success of the Ventus shafts boils down to players trusting the stability and performance each Ventus shafts offer.
For 2024, VeloCore + ups the ante by providing additional performance through improved ball speeds but remains incredibly stable regardless of your swing speed and clubface delivery.
Fujikura has created a platform of golf shafts in the Ventus line that makes them perfect for custom-fitting purposes. Fitters can hone in and fit the perfect Ventus shaft for any player, from a high-handicap golfer to a tour professional.
At Nine By Nine Golf, we offer tailored fitting services with one of our experienced fitters for driver or fairway wood fittings, where you can experience firsthand the Fujikura Ventus VeloCore + range.
You can visit the Nine by Nine Golf and view the full range of Ventus VeloCore + shafts, as well as other Fujikura products.
If you know exactly what Ventus shaft you need for your game, you can order directly from the Nine by Nine website. Tell us if you need an adaptor fitted, the length you need the shaft cut to, and whether or not you want a grip fitted.
If you have any further questions about Fujikura’s Ventus VeloCore + Wood Shafts and how being custom-fitted for the proper golf shaft can benefit your game, please feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to assist.