Alta CB Slate Shaft Review - Specs, Flex, Weight

Alta CB Slate Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

The Alta CB Slate was one of the stock shafts that were paired with the wildly popular Ping G425 driver.

And since then, the Alta CB Slate has become popular on the second-hand driver shaft market.

We were able to get our hands on a Alta CB Slate shaft to put it through its paces and see if it’s still a worthwhile shaft in 2023.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the performance of the Alta CB Slate shaft.

Alta CB Slate Shaft Overview

When we got our used Alta CB Slate shaft, we were surprised that it was in such good shape.

Despite a couple of knicks in the midsection, it almost looked new. I mention this only because it could speak to the durability of this shaft.

We got an “average wear” Alta CB Slate shaft and it looked, well, above average. This is a really cool looking shaft that is mostly black but kind of shifts to a slight copper tone in the sunlight.

There are some red patterns near the grip but they are very subtle and blend into the black finish very well.

Now let’s talk about feel. You should know that “CB” stands for counterbalanced.

There is added weight in the butt of this shaft in order to balance it out for use with larger, game improvement driver heads like the Ping G425.

The extra weight in the butt also gives you a little bit more control over the face angle. But if you are not used to the feel of a counterbalanced shaft I strongly suggest going in for a fitting before you buy.

Some people simply can’t get over the feel of the extra weight in the butt.

The kick is most certainly in the midsection of this shaft but is tamed very well by the stiffer butt section. This results in a mid trajectory.

The only thing I didn’t really like about the feel of this shaft was that the feedback is muddled. On some errant strikes, you really can’t feel where you made contact on the face.

But overall, this is a smooth feeling shaft that makes you feel that you can swing faster than what’s normal for you.

Why is the Alta CB Slate So Popular?

Alta CB Slate Shaft1

Being one the stock shafts for the Ping G425 driver certainly helps.

But this may be one of the smoothest counterbalanced shafts I have ever tested so that probably has something to do with it too.

How Does the Alta CB Slate Perform?

To go along with the mid trajectory, the Alta CB Slate produced generally mid spin for our testing party.

It stayed within the 2400-2600 RPM spin rate range which was really nice for most of our swings. Another thing I liked about the controlled launch was that it was consistent.

The spin isn’t erratic enough to send your mis-hits flying off-line and the launch wasn’t untamed enough so that we had to worry about ballooning.

The flight was actually a bit boring; but with very little effort we were getting shot shapes and trajectories that fit nicely into our ideal launch windows.

Now keep in mind that the Alta CB Slate is a lightweight shaft. The heaviest version is 63g so this isn’t really a shaft intended for players with aggressive tempos.

But for my testing party, which consisted entirely of testers within the 75-90 MPH swing speed range, the Alta CB Slate worked really well.

Our average carry distance after three swings each was 261.8 yards. For the most part, we were getting really gentle draws that landed just left of the line.

Alta CB Slate Shaft Specs

Specs	Alta CB Slate
Available flexes	Soft regular, regular, stiff, extra stiff
Weight	53g, 55g, 59g, 63g
Length	46”

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

Soft regular would be a good choice for 70-75 MPH swing speed players. Regular worked well for our 76-80 MPH swing speed testers.

Stiff was good for our 81-85 MPH swingers and extra stiff worked for those of us with swing speeds in the 86-90 MPH range.

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

The 53g and 55g versions of the Alta CB Slate would be good for 70-80 MPH swingers.

The 59g and 63g versions would likely fit players swinging their drivers between 81 and 90 MPH.

Why is it So Good?

The Alta CB Slate feels really smooth and controlled and will likely give you more control over your larger club head.

Alta CB Slate First Impressions

Alta CB Slate Shaft2

The first thing I thought was that the Alta CB Slate felt really fast.

The counterbalancing is a bit to get used to; but once you dial it in it just feels like the club head moves faster without any loss of control.

Key Features & Performance

The counterbalancing is the most important feature.

For our testing party, it increased accuracy off the tee because it helped us turn the club over and achieve the ideal face angle at impact.

Alta CB Slate Driver Review

My full swings off the tee felt fluid, comfortable and after just a few practice swings, I was increasing my club head speed with no loss of accuracy.