FST Launches New KBS Series Steel Shafts
BOULDER, Colo. — Golf’s steel shaft specialists, FEMCO Steel Technology (FST) announces the introduction of its all-new KBS Series steel shafts, a premium line of steel golf shafts which features advanced Moment of Inertia technology. The new KBS line includes three models — KBS Tour, KBS V-Launch and KBS Hybrid steel shafts — engineered by industry-acclaimed steel shaft designer, Kim Braly.
“Golfers have been waiting for years to see a tangible difference in steel shaft design, so we’re very excited to introduce the new KBS Series steel shafts because they incorporate an entirely new design approach and innovative engineering for amazing performance and feel,” says Larry Bodle, director of marketing for FST Shafts. “FST remains exclusively dedicated to the design, development and distribution of high-quality steel golf shafts, and I’m confident that the KBS Series will re-introduce the true performance benefits of playing steel to golfers around the world.”
KBS Tour
Shafts play an essential role in placing the clubhead in the correct position at impact, yet steel shaft designs have made little progress in the past few decades to address this important dynamic. Until now — KBS Tour steel shafts respond effectively to players’ hands, especially just prior to impact.
Designed for better players, the KBS Tour shaft was engineered with ‘moment of inertia analysis’ to increase stability from ‘grip to tip’ to enhance the results of well-executed swings. By reducing the mass and radius of each step in equal proportions along the shaft’s center line, the KBS Tour shaft achieves optimum stability resulting in efficient energy transfer from the hands to the clubhead.
KBS V-Launch
Perfect for players wanting more spin and a higher launch angle, the new KBS V-Launch steel shaft incorporates the same design and manufacturing attributes as the KBS Tour. However, separating itself from the Tour model, the KBS V-Launch features a parallel tip design and includes one starting ‘blank’ shaft that allows for a flatter frequency curve in a set of irons.
KBS-Hybrid
Today, hybrid clubs are a favorite option for trouble lies and for distances where fairway woods and long irons are problematic, but hybrid clubs come in many shapes, lofts and lengths — any variable of which can affect how a clubhead reacts as the shaft loads and unloads during the swing.
Lighter weight and with more tip action, the new KBS Hybrid shaft features a gradual stepless taper starting at the anchor location (between the hands) and continuing to the tip just above the hosel). The wall thickness proportionately increases as the outside diameter decreases, which enhances stability and keeps the hybrid head tracking toward the target.
“The new KBS steel shafts are unlike anything on the market today,” says Kim Braly, whose steel shafts designs are currently being played by many of the Top 10 players in the world. “We’ve stepped outside the normal parameters of club design by researching a variety of tubular structures that endure different stresses or loads and by applying a new approach with our MOI analysis. The results have provided great feedback during player testing, and our prototypes have already landed a second-place finish on the European Tour.”
In addition, Braly explains that KBS steel shafts incorporate FST’s high-quality precision manufacturing processes, such as: Exclusive “Oil-Quench’ tempering method which produces shafts that are arrow-straight from butt to tip; and matching shaft weight and frequency to the strictest tolerances to ensure peak playing performance and guaranteed repeatability.
FST is committed to continual improvement and development of high-quality and high-performance golf shafts. FST’s innovative steel shafts are growing in popularity with golfers and clubmakers all over the globe. For more information about FST and FST products, visit www.fstshafts.com.
Headquartered in Boulder, Colo., FEMCO Steel Technology (FST) is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-quality steel golf shafts, including the premium KBS Series of shafts which features Moment of Inertia technology. Since 1949, FEMCO has remained committed to creating and providing high-quality and cost-effective steel products and services worldwide. For more information, visit www.fstshafts.com