How a broken 6 iron helped Pepperell win the British Masters

When a tour player is on a good run of form – it can take a strange twist of events to encourage any equipment changes.  So with Eddie Pepperell having the season of his career (his first with Mizuno), and recently switched to a new set of JPX919 Tour irons, Mizuno’s Matt McIsaac knew it wasn’t the right time to talk shafts.

“Eddie is very much a feel player – so if he likes what he’s playing and in good form, it’s poor timing to discuss a change of shaft.  Any small change can take getting used to – even if the trackman says it’s an improvement.  Eddie put the 919 Tour heads straight into play because he preferred the thinner topline – we decided that should be the last change until the off season.”

“But Eddie needed a 6 iron shaft in Scotland after the Mizuno workshop had left – and had to raid a local shop ‘Auchterlonies’ for an emergency replacement.  All that was available at short notice was the KBS C Taper which he used in his 6 iron – and hit all his best shots with.”

KBS C Taper Shaft – pic by Golf Nation

On Monday of the British Masters, Mizuno had a filming session booked with Pepperell to demonstrate it’s Shaft Optimizer – a fitting tool used through it’s retail fitting network.  With no script to follow, McIsaac took Pepperel through Mizuno’s 3 swing diagnostic process and by some coincidence – it recommended the KBS C Taper.  The same shaft Pepperell had picked up at Auchterlonies in St Andrews.  One new set of JPX919 Tour irons, with KBS C Taper shafts later and Pepperell was a wire to wire winner of the British Masters.

Eddie Pepperell’s JPX919 Tour irons. The British Masters was a 2nd win for the JPX919 Tour irons in 2 weeks.

Morale of the story according to McIsaac is not the KBS C Taper itself (Pepperell had previously been using the KBS S Taper).  “There’s a ‘best fit’ shaft for everyone – for Eddie it was the KBS C Taper – for someone else it will be the S Taper.  Wait for the moment when you’re open to improvement, throw away your preconceptions and try the Optimizer.  It doesn’t know if you’re male, female a tour winner or a 24 hcp – just measures your move and finds the best shaft for it.”

Try the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer and best matched iron shaft at your local Swing DNA centre.

Below:  Eddie Pepperell’s Swing DNA and recommended shaft options.