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
Specs | KBS Tour Lite |
Weight | 95, 100 and 105 grams |
Available flexes | Stiff, regular and extra stiff |
Length | 37.5” – 40.5” |
Tip | .355 |
Butt | .600” |
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.