{"id":891680,"date":"2026-09-11T11:16:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/891680\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T11:16:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:16:23","slug":"mitsubishi-transforms-newest-tensei-plugged-in-golf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/891680\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitsubishi Transforms Newest TENSEI – Plugged In Golf"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tTENSEI, Transformed<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, Mitsubishi officially unveiled their latest creation: the TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology.\u00a0 I got amazing results from it [full review HERE<\/a>], and it\u2019s in serious contention to steal a spot in the bag for my very busy fall golf schedule.<\/p>\n

As excited as I was by the results, the eternal question bounced around the back of my head, \u201cIs this really that different from the previous version?\u201d\u00a0 In this feature, I\u2019m going to dive deep on that question.<\/p>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

A Fresh Look<\/p>\n

The TENSEI family has always preferred subtle aesthetic changes.\u00a0 Relative to that history, the TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology got a full blown makeover.\u00a0 What stands out most is shown above \u2013 the new graphics at the butt end.\u00a0 The orange checkered pattern is much more vibrant and eye-catching.<\/p>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

When you set the two shafts into a playing position, the other major change becomes obvious.\u00a0 The previous TENSEI Orange (right) has visible carbon fiber at the top, solid black the rest of the way down.\u00a0 For the TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology, Mitsubishi made the carbon fiber visible in the middle of the shaft, sandwiching it between two black sections.\u00a0 This new version is bolder looking, but it\u2019s still all black near the head to prevent distraction.<\/p>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

New Tech<\/p>\n

The tech change in this new TENSEI is so important that it got incorporated right into the name.\u00a0 \u201cRIP+ Tech\u201d stands for Reverse Interlaminar Placement Plus.\u00a0 Per Mitsubishi, this \u201cincorporates ultra-thin 20FAW material and 46T high-modulus fiber to increase tip stability and reduce shaft twisting.\u201d\u00a0 The proprietary carbon fiber is touted as being five times thinner and lighter than conventional material.\u00a0 There is also boron fiber incorporated into the tip section to increase stiffness for better energy transfer and durability.<\/p>\n

Another titular feature \u2013 the 1K Cloth \u2013 has been modified.\u00a0 In the original 1K [review HERE<\/a>], this material had 90 degree plies mainly in the lower butt section.\u00a0 The new version has 1K material wrapped at 45 degrees across the entire middle with the goal of lowering torque.<\/p>\n

Finally, the TENSEI Orange\u2019s defining feature \u2013 counterbalancing \u2013 has been changed.\u00a0 The previous version used tungsten to create the counterbalancing.\u00a0 While tungsten is great for moving weight \u2013 it\u2019s very dense \u2013 it doesn\u2019t do anything for energy transfer.\u00a0 It\u2019s dead weight.\u00a0\u00a0The TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology uses \u201cstructural counterbalancing\u201d \u2013 more carbon fiber, no tungsten \u2013 to create even more counterbalancing and better energy transfer.\u00a0 In my builds the new model was one swing weight lighter than the old one.<\/p>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

Upgraded Performance<\/p>\n

It would be perfectly reasonable for your current takeaway to be, \u201cNew paint job, lots of tech jargon\u2026meh.\u201d\u00a0 So let\u2019s get to the practical stuff.<\/p>\n

I took the new Mitubishi TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology and ran it head to head with the previous version.\u00a0 While the results were good with both and broadly similar, the differences were obvious.\u00a0 In short, the tip of the new model feels more stable, and the dispersion was tighter.\u00a0 A quick swing with the old TENSEI Orange would produce a noticeable pull with some draw.\u00a0 That same swing with the new TENSEI Orange was a smaller pull without the draw.\u00a0 For me, that can be the difference between the left side of the fairway and a lost ball.\u00a0 No upgrade could be more impactful.<\/p>\n

What I saw mirrors what Mitsubishi has seen in their new MLAB Testing.\u00a0 The additional counterbalancing helped players maintain or improve their swing speed even with heavier, modern driver heads.\u00a0 The material improvements led to more consistent club head deliver, tighter start lines, and more repeatable impact.\u00a0 What\u2019s really impressive is that the new TENSEI 1K Pro Orange showed this across multiple swing types, so this isn\u2019t a shaft built for just one type of player.<\/p>\n

After I\u2019d wrapped up my testing, I started doing my reading on the Mitubishi TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology, and I found something that shocked me.\u00a0 On paper, this new model has a softer profile.\u00a0 Per Mitsubishi, the old TENSEI Orange is Medium, Firm+, and Firm, from butt to mid to tip.\u00a0 The new model is Firm+, Medium+, Medium.<\/p>\n

For me, there are two major takeaways from this divergence between the performance I saw and the specs.\u00a0 First, it tells me that the RIP+ Tech is real.\u00a0 This is a softer tip that plays more stable.\u00a0 Second, these results underscore the fact that you can\u2019t fit on paper.\u00a0 By the specs, the old TENSEI Orange is a much better fit for me.\u00a0 In reality, the new one is a substantial upgrade for my swing.<\/p>\n

\"Mitsubishi<\/p>\n

Time to Reincarnate Your Driver?<\/p>\n

Do all these changes make the Mitubishi TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology an essential upgrade for every golfer playing the TENSEI Orange?\u00a0 Not necessarily.\u00a0 While I think that every gear-obsessed golfer should give this a swing \u2013 the promise of more consistency with higher club head speed is tantalizing \u2013 no single piece of equipment is perfect for everyone.\u00a0 There are golfers for whom the previous TENSEI Orange can\u2019t be beat.\u00a0 But if you want counterbalancing and a tip that\u2019s more stable without feeling harsh, head to your Mitsubishi fitter to give this a try.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a> <\/p>\n

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf<\/p>\n

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.<\/p>\n

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.<\/p>\n

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all<\/a>) \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TENSEI, Transformed Two weeks ago, Mitsubishi officially unveiled their latest creation: the TENSEI 1K Pro Orange w\/RIP+ Technology.\u00a0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":891681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":["post-891680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=891680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/891681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=891680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=891680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=891680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}