Xcaliber Rapid Taper Wedge Shafts

The Rapid Taper shaft from Robin Arthur and his Xcaliber brand has been an interesting one to keep up with. Their performance potential is well documented on THP with our reviews of both the RTI 105 shafts (here: Xcaliber Rapid Taper 105 Iron Shaft Review – The Hackers Paradise) as well as some of the lighter weight options (here: XCaliber Rapid Taper Iron Shaft Review – The Hackers Paradise). Today though, it is the wedge which we are here to talk about, specifically the Xcaliber RTI 100S and 115S+ wedge shafts. 

Quick Take

While THP has well documented the energy efficiency of the Rapid Taper design from Xcaliber for years now, the dedicated RTI Wedge designs eschew that for more stability and spin potential. While we didn’t see the thousands of RPM’s which the company claims possible, there was a worthwhile increase accompanied by extreme stability. 

Rapid Taper Technology 

If you want a super detailed rundown of the tech, I urge you to take the time to look at the previous reviews which are linked up above. However, a quick breakdown of the technology is still worthwhile here as well. 

The idea behind Rapid Taper came from Robin Arthur, founder of Xcaliber, thinking about how a bullwhip is designed and functions. There is a distinct transfer of energy from the buildup, the flow, and then release, much of which comes from the tapered shape of the whip. That is where the unique shape of the Rapid Taper comes from, to mimic that look and thus obtain similar benefits. 

This design in wedges is perhaps the most intriguing application, particularly when it comes to stiffness, but more on that soon.

Rapid Taper Wedge Shaft Performance

I have been able to review the Rapid Taper design many times now, and I will be honest, the performance has always shocked me in irons and utilities. There is an efficiency with the RTI shafts that shows out time and again when put on a launch monitor. It is for that reason when I found out we would be getting the RTI Wedge 100S and 115S+shafts in, I got curious, especially with some of the claims from Xcaliber. 

I elected to install each in a different brand and design of wedge for this review. The lighter 100S went into a Mizuno T24 54 while the 115S was installed into a more specialty design in the Cleveland Full Face 2 58. However, before installation I took both shafts to the frequency analyzer and tested their CPM ratings to see how the actual flex rating compared to the stated one. Interestingly, for me the Rapid Taper shafts have always played a bit firm to stated flex, so I thought the wedge shafts might be even more so. According to the CPM ratings, they were, and then some with both situating within X rather than S. 

As it turns out, the frequency analyzer wasn’t lying, when I got these onto the course as well as the monitor, they were all there. The best way that I can describe it in anything other than a full swing is connected. On partial swings all the way down to chips, both RTI wedge shafts were stout enough that it feels practically like the hands are connected directly to the head. More interesting though, was in full swings, they still felt very stable but some of the energy of the Rapid Taper iron variations peaked through. 

On the course, the RTI Wedge shafts allowed each of the two wedge heads to do the same things which I demand of their specific designs for my game, there was no drop off in versatility, but there was a change in bite into greens. The only way to test that of course was on a launch monitor where I hit each wedge with its stock steel shaft and the RTI Wedge shafts from 50 and 80 yards as well as full swings. One of the talking points for Xcaliber on these includes the potential gain of “up to” 2,000 RPM more. 

As you can see in both sets of data, 2,000 RPM wasn’t seen by me, but there was an increase in every single head-to-head done between the stock shaft and RTI Wedge’s. How much will a few hundred RPM’s difference make? Clearly that depends on the golfer, but there is also the increased overall launch and peak height to take into consideration. What surprised me was the standout of the two designs for my swing was the 115S+, that was by far the most stout of the two. 

The Details – XCaliber Rapid Taper Wedge Shafts

While they may not be as flashy in their performance jumps as their Rapid Taper iron siblings, there is enough here to at least bring some intrigue. That said, if you are someone who likes a bit more flow in their wedge shafts, it might be worth considering the RTI Wedge 85 version. 

The Xcaliber RTI Wedge shafts are priced at $49.99 and are available at fitters across the United States as well as direct from xcalibershafts.com. 

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