2025 major champion puts 30-gram driver shaft into play

TL;DR

Miyu Yamashita, last year's Women's Open champion, has introduced a lightweight 30-gram driver shaft at the JM Eagle Championship. This change has led to notable performance improvements, including increased ball speed and distance.

Key points

Miyu Yamashita is the 2025 Women's Open champion.
She used a 30-gram Mitsubishi Vanquish VV driver shaft.
The new shaft improved her performance metrics significantly.

Mitsubishi Vanquish VVMiyu YamashitaJM Eagle Championship

Miyu Yamashita opts for an extremely lightweight shaft profile.Harry How / Getty

Last year’s Women’s Open champion, Miyu Yamashita, put a Mitsubishi Vanquish VV (green) 30-S into play this week at the JM Eagle Championship, the final event before the first women’s major of the year. Raw weight for the shaft? Just 42 grams. After it’s installed in the club, it’s final weight is in the mid-30s. Something that seems crazy for a tour professional of any kind.

According to Mitsubishi’s LPGA Tour rep, Yamashita was looking for a lighter-weight part to help her swing faster and get a little bit more distance out of her driver. Over her previous combination, she’s seen increases in performance across the board. A 2 mph increase in ball speed, a 1.5 degree increase in launch angle, and a consistent spin window that stayed stable all resulted in about 10 extra yards of carry, and close to a club-and-a-half worth of total distance after you factor in roll.

A female golfer in a black shirt and white pants swings a golf club on a lush, green course, her eyes focused on the ball as it leaves the tee.

Miyu Yamashita tees off at the JM Eagle Championship Harry How / Getty

The Mitsubishi Vanquish VV (green) is a slightly lower-launching, lower-spinning shaft compared to the more popular and known Vanquish Blue profile. The VV is listed by Mitsubishi as a Med+ launching shaft with medium spin, which is great for players looking for a shaft to help them develop some speed and increase launch without losing any stability. The shaft has a medium-soft handle with a soft mid-section and soft tip section to help promote speed.

Q&A

What driver shaft did Miyu Yamashita use at the JM Eagle Championship?

Miyu Yamashita used a Mitsubishi Vanquish VV (green) 30-S driver shaft at the JM Eagle Championship.

How much distance did Miyu Yamashita gain with her new driver shaft?

Yamashita gained about 10 extra yards of carry and close to a club-and-a-half in total distance after switching to the new shaft.

What are the performance benefits of the 30-gram driver shaft for Miyu Yamashita?

The lightweight shaft helped Yamashita achieve a 2 mph increase in ball speed, a 1.5 degree increase in launch angle, and maintained a stable spin window.