Accra iSeries 80i Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight
The Accra iSeries 80i shaft is truly unique in that Accra abandoned the traditional flex grading system in favor of a custom one.
Basically, you choose the weight class you want for your shaft and additional variable weights are added in order to achieve a custom flex.
It sounds a bit confusing but any fitter should help you make sense out of it. In the end though, you can still get the traditional regular, lite, stiff and extra stiff flexes out of this shaft during fitting. For today’s review, I tested the Accra iSeries 80i which is the heaviest weight class for this shaft.
Accra iSeries 80i Shaft Overview
The Accra iSeries 80i shaft has a pretty basic aesthetic.
The shaft is mostly matte black with the blue Accra logo emblazoned just below the grip. All of the specs are displayed in a simple white band just below the Accra logo. It looks clean at address, and I really liked the matte black finish. It gives this shaft the look of a premium graphite shaft and best of all, it doesn’t produce glare in direct sunlight.
I had the Accra iSeries 80i shaft weighted to what amounts to stiff flex. The torque ended up being around 3° which is pretty much what I’m used to as far as graphite iron shafts go. The balance point felt to be mid-high but it was hard to tell because this shaft remains incredibly stable even when you load up on it.
That’s not to say that it feels boardy. Quite the contrary in fact. At 80 grams, the Accra iSeries 80i feels nimble and alive but without any of the whip that you usually get from some lightweight graphite shafts. In fact, there were times during my test session when I forgot that I was testing a graphite shaft.
The Accra iSeries 80i does a very good job of blurring the lines between steel and graphite shafts in terms of feel. And I was further amazed when I discovered that the same was true for performance.
Why is the Accra iSeries 80i So Popular?
The Accra iSeries 80i is a great graphite iron shaft alternative if you are ready for more accuracy but aren’t quite ready to make the full leap to steel iron shafts.
The Accra iSeries 80i performs similar to a lightweight steel shaft and is definitely one of the more accurate graphite irons shafts on the market.
How Does the Accra iSeries 80i Perform?
I can’t remember the last time I got such low spin rates from an 80g graphite shaft.
I’m used to spin rates in the 6500-6600 RPM range with my 6-iron but with the Accra iSeries 80i, it was more like 6200. I was floored. I was spinning the ball like a PGA tour pro.
The Accra iSeries 80i did produce high launch though which was probably the only weakness this shaft had for me. I prefer a low spin, low launch iron shaft to go with my semi-aggressive transition but the Accra iSeries 80i launched just a bit too high for my liking. It didn’t cause me to lose a ton of carry distance; but the launch just wasn’t optimal for me.
Speaking of distance, I was averaging a carry of 174.5 yards with the 6-iron which is right on the money for me. More importantly, I was achieving this distance on a regular basis. There is almost no variability in this shaft. I didn’t feel any dead zones or spikes in action. So my repeatable distances were spot-on even when I tried to swing out of my shoes.
Overall, the Accra iSeries 80i is extremely consistent, produces low spin numbers and stable flight.
Accra iSeries 80i Shaft Specs
| Specs | Accra iSeries 80i |
| Available flexes | Variable |
| Weight | 80g |
| Butt | .600” |
| Tip | .370” |
| Length | 41” |
What Flexes Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?
The flex of this shaft is custom-fit. But if you are swinging in the 65-75 MPH range I would aim for lite flex. For 76-80 MPH swingers, regular would work. For 81-90 MPH swingers, I would recommend stiff flex and for 91-95 MPH swingers, extra stiff may work.
What Weights Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?
The Accra iSeries 80i is specifically an 80 gram shaft give or take about 4 grams (fitting dependent). This is a good weight for players in the 80-90 swing speed range.
Why is it So Good?
The Accra iSeries 80i is a good shaft because it lacks the instability, inconsistency and loose feel that commonly plague other lightweight graphite shafts.
It performs more like a steel shaft but without the heaviness.
Accra iSeries 80i First Impressions
I was very impressed with the feel of this shaft right away.
It kept up with my aggressive transition without kicking too much. Yet, it flexed just enough to let me know that it was assisting my swing.
Accra iSeries 80i Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Custom flexes
- Very accurate
- Performs like steel
Cons:
- Launch is a bit high
Key Features & Performance
The Accra iSeries 80i is made of high-modulus composite graphite to achieve a good balance of stability and flex. It is definitely more controlled than it is flexible which is what gives this shaft its accuracy.
Accra iSeries 80i Irons Review
Spin numbers were very low but the launch was higher than my ideal. Still, the iron performance was marked by accuracy and consistency more than anything else.
Accra iSeries 80i Wedge Review
The mid/high launch came in handy with the wedges but stopping power was still compromised due to the low spin figures.
Overall Score: 97/100
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Who Should Buy it?
The Accra iSeries 80i is a great choice for players who want more accuracy in a graphite shaft.
If you’re not ready to make the transition from graphite to steel, the Accra iSeries 80i would be a great stepping stone. It offers the familiar weight of graphite with the point-and-shoot accuracy of steel.
Aidan is a low-handicap golfer who came from over 110 to breaking 80 in less than 1 year.
Aidan has become obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer and plays golf on every possible occasion, even in the snow!
