Oban Kiyoshi White Shaft Review - Specs, Flex, Weight

Oban Kiyoshi White Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

If Oban shafts have not been on your radar as viable aftermarket shafts then you owe it to yourself to read the following review and then go out and get fitted for one.

That’s because we personally know Oban to offer some of the smoothest and consistent graphite shafts on the market.

Today, we will be telling you about our test session with the Oban Kiyoshi White: a shaft we think has mass appeal. We will also be telling you our honest opinion of the Oban Kiyoshi White in the following review.

Oban Kiyoshi White Shaft Overview

Oban has never pulled any punches in terms of shaft aesthetics.

They are a Japanese company and they lean into their heritage full throttle. T

he Oban Kiyoshi White has a , you guessed it, white base coat with a couple of gold bands that house the “Oban” branding and a couple of Japanese characters.

But then, near the grip, you have red kabuki mask faces scowling at various angles. It’s a very Japanese-themed shaft that honestly, makes me chuckle at times.

But the good thing is that the graphics are confined to the butt section so I never caught myself giggling when lining up a shot.

The kick point of this shaft is right in the middle. I really loved the feel/stability combination of this shaft. Even the lightest weight class (Oban Kiyoshi White 55) has a torque rating of 3.4°.

So you would think that they feel more on the boardy side. That’s not the case. The Oban Kiyoshi White has a smooth, gentle transition. Perhaps the best adjective for the feel of this shaft is “buttery.”

It’s not boardy at all; but it’s not loose either. The torque keeps everything in check without making it feel like it’s guarding flex so diligently.

There’s just enough torque to avoid feeling overly stout and to keep the club head on-line.

Why is the Oban Kiyoshi White So Popular?

Every golfer is different and is drawn to shafts for various reasons.

So I can only tell you why I think the Oban Kiyoshi White is a popular shaft.

For me, the feel was incredibly alluring after just a couple of swings.It felt incredibly comfortable and easy to swing.

And I can see how this shaft would appeal to a wide variety of mostly mid handicappers: it’s stable enough for slightly stronger swingers and comfortable enough for slightly slower swingers.

How Does the Oban Kiyoshi White Perform?

One gripe that we have had about Oban shafts is that their launch/spin profiles are often inaccurately described by the company.

While this isn’t the case 100% of the time, it is the case with the Oban Kiyoshi White.

The Oban Kiyoshi White is billed as a mid launch/low spin wood shaft but we would say that it veers more towards high launch/high spin. You can get a mid trajectory out of it; but it takes some work.

And that’s really the only bad thing we have to say about the performance of this shaft.

Our spin numbers stayed in the 2600-2700 RPM neighborhood which, for our testing party, was a perfect middle ground.

It allowed for good stopping power but didn’t spin so much that mis-hits were pushing or pulling. Our average carry distance after three swings each was 248.8 yards which is pretty much spot-on.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: most Oban shafts aren’t distance machines. They are usually fairway finders, incredibly accurate and satisfyingly consistent.

The Oban Kiyoshi White is all these things. For instance, our off-line divergence never exceeded 12 yards.

Oban Kiyoshi White Shaft Specs

Specs	Oban Kiyoshi White
Available flexes	Regular, stiff, extra stiff
Weight	57g-81g
Butt	.600”
Tip	.335”
Length	46”

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

Regular stiff would be a good choice for 75-80 MPH swingers.

Anyone swinging their driver between 81 and 90 MPH should try stiff flex. Extra stiff may work for 91-100 MPH swingers.

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

There are three weight classes.

The Oban Kiyoshi White 55 may be good for 75-80 MPH swingers. The Oban Kiyoshi White 65 may work for players in the 81-90 MPH range.

The Oban Kiyoshi White 75 may be useful for players in the 91-105 MPH swing speed range.

Why is it So Good?

The Oban Kiyoshi White is a good shaft because it affords solid stopping power for better players and a bit of forgiveness for less experienced players.

It sort of offers the best of both worlds.

Oban Kiyoshi White First Impressions

My first impression of the Oban Kiyoshi White was that it was an eye-catcher.

The fonts and graphics are almost a conversation piece. Then, I fell in love with the buttery feel of this shaft after just a few swings.

Key Features & Performance

The Oban Kiyoshi White is able to resist ovalling very well thanks to multi-directional high modulus carbon fibers that run the length of the shaft.

Oban Kiyoshi White Driver Review

Distance was good; but not great. What was more impressive off the tee was the tight shot dispersion and the easy baby draws.

Oban Kiyoshi White Fairway Wood Review

We were able to work spin a bit more acutely with a fairway wood. The baby draws stretched out more which was cool to see even if it did mean less distance.

Oban Kiyoshi White Pros & Cons

Pros:

Buttery feel
Smooth transition
Tight dispersion
Consistent flight
Good ball speed

Cons:

Not very long

Oban Kiyoshi White Shaft

Overall Score: 96/100

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Who Should Buy it?

A lot of golfers could benefit from this shaft.

For example, if you are looking for moderate forgiveness, the Oban Kiyoshi White would suffice.

If you want to stay in the heart of the fairway, this shaft is an excellent choice. We would say that most players in the 12-20 handicap spectrum could benefit from the Oban Kiyoshi White.