C Taper play stiffer to flex and its butt is stiff and the ball flight is lower and more penetrating. With the Modus softer tip, it does give a better feel over C Taper (not that C Taper is not smooth) so I guess a lot will depends on what you want of the shaft. Playing into the wind, I will pick C Taper while normal days I will choose Modus.
Nippon Modus 105 Vs Kbs C Taper Lite Review
Both are good shafts but the Modus is a much smoother shaft during transition. I would however tell you that the Modus is a bit softer in flex so you may want to try to play a stiffer shaft then you normally do. I was in a stiff with the C-taper, and now I am in the X-stiff for Modus. Ball flight is a bit higher with the Modus as well. Through the lighter weight and softer butt section, KBS certainly made the C-Taper Lite much easier on the hands. The shot feedback is just as great in the C-Taper Lite as well. If you were a player where the C-Taper felt like it was a bit too much shaft to tame but it had something going for it, the C-Taper Lite is your answer.
KBS $-Taper Lite
The whole point of the KBS $-Taper Lite shaft was to take the workability of the original $-Taper design and make it lightweight with a higher ball flight. In theory, this makes the $-Taper design playable for moderate swing speeds that are looking for similar performance in a better fitting shaft.
Nippon Modus 105 Vs Kbs C Taper Lite 110 Shaft Reviews
How Does it Feel?
Considering the KBS $-Taper Lite is supposed to essentially be a lightweight version of the standard model, KBS was pretty dead on. The $-Taper Lite feels a lot like its big, heavier brother. The difference is the lighter weight in definitely noticeable. For instance, the stiff flex $-Taper Lite is a whole 20 grams lighter than the standard model in stiff flex. Both shafts have a lot of stability along with a higher CG which, in my mind, results in the best overall feeling shafts of the KBS lineup. Obviously that’s a very subjective claim, but that’s for you to determine. NOTE: the $-Taper Lite does not claim to have the same bend profile as the KBS Tour like the standard model does. Just keep that in mind if that’s something you think you’re looking for.
Nippon Modus 3 105 Vs Kbs C Taper Lite 110
The lighter weight of the $-Taper Lite also makes the shaft feel a little more crisp and responsive. I found the feedback in my hands to be more pronounced, and even a little harsh on mishits, with the $-Taper Lite. To be fair, a player with a “more appropriate swing speed” (I swear, I’m not humble bragging) may have a slightly different experience and find the feedback to be a touch softer and smoother. (Let us know in the comments if you can!)
On-Course Performance
Let me remind you one more time that everyone’s swing will respond to equipment differently. On paper, I should have hit the KBS $-Taper Lite higher and with more spin than the standard $-Taper. The reality was that I hit them pretty damn similar in terms of trajectory and distance. Spin was actually a little lower with the $-Taper Lite but the difference was almost indiscernible. True to its claims, the $-Taper Lite is a very workable iron shaft and its firmer profile makes it easy to control.
So if I’m reading this review so far, I’d ask “well based on what you’re saying, why would I get the $-Taper Lite instead of the standard $-Taper? It sounds like they perform awfully similar, so what’s the difference?” Fair questions. The way I see it is that a player that may like the the $-Taper’s stock shot but struggles to be consistent because it’s way too much shaft. This player will really like the $-Taper Lite and likely fit into it better. The $-Taper Lite should make it easier to get the ball airborne and maintain your swing speed (or even increase it a little bit).
Final Thoughts
Following a pretty thorough test period, I firmly believe that KBS delivered exactly what they set out to do with the $-Taper Lite. The $-Taper Lite is a spitting image of the standard $-Taper, but a good amount lighter in weight. So often shafts in this lightweight category feel like mush and a good ball striker wants something firmer for better shot making. I think that’s exactly what the $-Taper Lite brings to the table. A combination of being lightweight but still firm in its profile for better dispersion. For me, the choice between the two $-Taper version came down to overall feel as that was the only major difference between the two shafts with my testing. Both are great and a good fitting will help you figure out which one is perfect for you.
PreviousNext