Project X Catalyst Shaft Review - Specs, Flex, Weight

Project X Catalyst Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

You would be hard-pressed to find a Project X shaft that didn’t offer excellent performance in one department or another.

Whether you are an aggressive swinger who needs more stability or a smoother swinger who could benefit from a lighter, more responsive shaft, ProjectX has something for you.

The trick is getting matched with that perfect shaft. And while it’s always advisable to go in for a fitting, it doesn’t hurt to do some homework beforehand. To that end, we are going to be taking a look at the Project X Catalyst in three different weight classes (60, 80, 100) to help you get a better idea of which would perform best for you.

Project X Catalyst 60 Shaft Overview

Quick Specs:

Flex: Stiff, extra stiff
Weight: 68 grams
Tip: .370”
Butt: .595”
Length: 41”

The Project X Catalyst 60 has a nice silver finish and, amazingly, isn’t even the lightest entry into the Catalyst line (that would be the Project X Catalyst 50). While Project X says that the Project X Catalyst 60 has a steel-like feel, that didn’t come through in our testing. Instead, we felt that the Project X Catalyst 60 had a more lively and easily activated feel compared to most Project X steel shafts.

Project X Catalyst 80 Shaft Overview

Quick Specs:

Flex: Extra Stiff, extra stiff plus
Weight: 85g
Tip: .370”
Butt: .595”
Length: 41”

The Project X Catalyst 80 releases gradually and like the Project X Catalyst 60, rewards a swing that is slightly on the moderate side. Why? Because if you swing this shaft aggressively, it’s very possible to lose track of the club head. The kick is not very prominent. What is prominent is a smooth flex through the transition. Of course, the Project X Catalyst 80 can keep up with a slightly faster swing than the Project X Catalyst 60 can.

Project X Catalyst 100 Shaft Overview

Quick Specs:

Flex: Stiff plus
Weight: 100g
Tip: .355”
Length: 41”

This is where we finally got the sense of some of that promised “steel-like” feel. The Project X Catalyst 100 feels much stouter in the midsection than the 60 and 80 versions. This is the version you will want to try if you have a slightly aggressive tempo. It resists ovalling marvelously and only on the most powerful swings do you feel a slight whip.

Why is the Project X Catalyst So Popular?

The Project X Catalyst is a popular shaft because even in the lighter weight classes, you still get a strong sense of stability.

Plus, there is something for almost every kind of player in this shaft series.

How Does the Project X Catalyst Perform?

Even in the Project X Catalyst 60 and 80 shafts, where we were definitely getting more of a graphite feel and response, there was hardly any instability.

While there was definitely more flex in these shafts, they snapped back into place upon impact and delivered easy, high-arcing shots. Dispersion was about what you’d expect from lighter, graphite shafts – roughly 5 to 11 yards off-line. Spin was also slightly higher than normal in both the long and short irons.

The Project X Catalyst 100 delivered very tight dispersion but lacked the spin we needed to land soft in the short irons. The launch was still high though so some of our better testers were able to compensate and avoid rolling off elevated greens. The Project X Catalyst 100 provided low launch in the long irons and higher launch in the short irons which most of our faster swinging testers were able to take full advantage of. The Project X Catalyst 100 may be the only one that feels anything like a steel iron shaft; but all three weight classes delivered accuracy that was considerably better than your average graphite iron shaft.

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

Stiff and extra stiff would be good for players in the 80-85 MPH swing speed range. Stiff plus and extra stiff plus would fit players in the 86-105 MPH swing speed range.

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

The 65g version may fit players in the 80-90 MPH range. The 85g version may work for 91-100 MPH swingers. The 100g version is for 101-105 MPH swingers.

Why is it So Good?

If you are adamant about gaming graphite iron shafts, why not game some of the most accurate on the market?

The Project X Catalyst shafts are good because they elevate the dispersion and workability of your typical graphite shafts.

Project X Catalyst First Impressions

We were a bit disappointed that the lighter Project X Catalyst shafts didn’t feel much like steel shafts as Project X claimed.

However, the precision of these graphite shafts eventually won us over.

Key Features & Performance

The Project X Catalyst shafts feature reinforced tips and something called Iso-6 technology. The reinforced tip is what allows for elevated workability and accuracy. The Iso-6 stuff is apparently what makes these graphite shafts recover so quickly.

Project X Catalyst Irons Review

The long irons provided low, penetrating flight while the scoring irons launched high. Spin rates stayed in the slightly above average neighborhood.

Project X Catalyst Wedges Review

The Project X Catalyst feels excellent in the wedges. Again, they reward a lighter swing so they naturally feel great and respond just how you want on chip shots, lobs and bump-and-runs.

Project X Catalyst Pros & Cons

Pros:

Various weight choices
Reactive feel
Tight dispersion
Feels great on lighter swings
Seemingly durable

Cons:

They can feel a bit whippy

Overall Score: 96/100

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Who Should Buy it?

If you want a graphite shaft that feels and performs similar to a steel iron shaft, definitely check out the Project X Catalyst 100.

If you prefer a gradual release and have a moderate tempo, you will love the response of the Project X Catalyst 80. If you need significant help with your smash factor and ball speed, we suggest trying the Project X Catalyst 60.