The HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX had a $300 reference price, and closeouts have been showing up for around $99.99. That’s a good deal, but only if you buy the right color. Red, Black, Green and Blue launch and feel completely different, and there are older HZRDUS models with almost the same names.
Is the Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Shaft worth buying?
When I got fitted for the PXG Gen 6 driver, the fitter started me in a Project X HZRDUS in stiff, one of PXG’s stock shafts. I left the face open a bit, and he swapped in another shaft with a little lower torque so it would be easier for me to turn it over. By the end, he had me in a Graphite Design TP 6S.
That’s the whole lesson with HZRDUS. It’s a good shaft family, but the name doesn’t tell you anything about whether it fits you. And Project X made a lot of HZRDUS shafts.
So I’m going to walk you through the four Smoke RDX colors first, then the older Smoke Green, Smoke Yellow, Yellow and Black, and tell you which one I’d actually look for.
Quick Overview
- The Smoke RDX family came out in 2020 and 2021 in four colors: Red, Black, Green and Blue.
- Red is the mid-launch, mid-spin option. Black and Green are low launch and low spin. Blue is counterbalanced with a softer middle.
- Smoke Red RDX had a $300 reference price. New old stock was $225 in August 2026, and some closeouts were under $100.
- The wood shafts use a .335-inch tip. The hybrid shafts with the same colors are different products.
- If you want a current low-launch, low-spin HZRDUS instead of leftover stock, the G5 Black is about $225 raw.
Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Specs
Every model below is a driver and fairway wood shaft with a .335-inch tip. Where Project X publishes a raw length, it’s 46 inches. The launch and spin labels are Project X’s own, and the prices are what I could verify, with the date.
| Model | Year | Launch / spin | Profile | Weight classes | Status | Price seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke Red RDX | 2021 | Mid / mid | Stiff butt and middle, active tip | 50, 60, 70 | Legacy, old stock | $225 new old stock; closeouts around $99.99 |
| Smoke Black RDX | 2021 | Low / low | Ultra-stiff middle, firm tip | 60, 70, 80 | Legacy, still on the Project X page | $52.90 to $149 new; $60.99 used |
| Smoke Green RDX | 2021 | Low / low (lowest in RDX) | Stiff butt and middle, stiffest RDX tip, counterbalanced | 60, 70 | Still listed, hard to find | $399.99 to $415 listed, mostly unavailable |
| Smoke Blue RDX | 2020 | Low / low on most 6.0 and 6.5 builds | Stiff butt and tip, soft middle, counterbalanced | 60, 70, 80 | Legacy, limited stock | $60.99 to $179.99 used or closeout |
| Smoke Green “Hulk” | 2019 | Low / low | Stiffest HZRDUS when it launched | 60, 70 | Legacy | $55.99 to $149.99 |
| Smoke Yellow | 2019 | Low / low target | Counterbalanced, firmer than the original Yellow | 60, 70, 80 | Retired | $99.88 new (60g 6.5); $76.99 to $103.99 used |
| HZRDUS Yellow | About 2016 | Mid / mid-low | Counterbalanced, firm handle, stable tip | 65, 75, 85 | Discontinued | $89.99 used; $350 at launch |
| HZRDUS G5 Black | 2024 | Low / low | Middle section built to resist twisting | 60, 70, 80 | Current | $225 raw |
These prices were checked in August through October 2026. Old stock moves fast, so check the exact weight and flex before you count on any of these.
The Smoke Red RDX Is the One I’d Look at First
If you don’t know which Smoke RDX to try, start with the Red.
Here’s why. It’s the mid-launch, mid-spin model in the family. Black and Green are built to bring your flight down, and most golfers don’t need that. They need help getting the ball up without it ballooning.
Project X built the Red with a stiff butt section and a stiff middle, then a more active tip. So the handle stays stable, and the tip helps the head release and launch.
There are three weights, 50, 60 and 70 grams, and the 60 gram Red runs from a 5.5 all the way up to TX. So there’s a good chance the exact build you got fitted into exists.
The price is the reason I’d look at it now. Fairway Golf was still asking $225 for new old stock in August 2026, and assembled closeouts showed up around $99.99. Find one of those in your exact build and that’s the deal.
But here’s the thing. True Temper dropped the Red from its current direct lineup. So if you’re going to need a matching backup shaft in two years, that gets harder. And there’s a Smoke Red RDX hybrid shaft, .370-inch tip, that shows up in the same searches. That’s not a driver shaft. Check the tip size on the listing before you pay.
The Smoke Black RDX and Green RDX Are for Golfers Who Hit It Too High
These two are the low-launch, low-spin end of the family. If you already hit a high, spinny driver and you swing it hard, this is where you look. If you don’t, skip both.
Smoke Black RDX
The Black RDX has an ultra-stiff middle section and a firm tip, built from HM54 high-modulus carbon fiber with IM2C carbon fiber, and Project X rates it low for both launch and spin.
It comes in 60, 70 and 80 grams. The 80 gram version only comes in 6.0 and 6.5, so if you want the heaviest Black RDX, you’re in a firm flex.
It’s also the cheapest of the four right now. New listings ran from $52.90 to $149.00 in September 2026, and a used pull was going for $60.99.
Project X still has a product page for it, but they also put it in their legacy products collection. They haven’t named a replacement. The closest current shaft in the same spirit is the HZRDUS G5 Black, and I’ll get to that one at the end.
Smoke Green RDX
The Green RDX is the stiffest and lowest-launching, lowest-spinning shaft in the RDX family. It’s got a stiff butt, a stiff middle and the stiffest tip of the four, made with four different modulus carbon fibers. And unlike the Black, it’s counterbalanced.
It only comes in 60 and 70 grams, in 6.0, 6.5 and TX, so there’s no softer option if it feels like too much shaft.
This one is a different story on price. Callaway’s US site listed it at $415 and another seller at $399.99, but the $399.99 one showed as unavailable in September 2026. So the Green RDX is the one Smoke RDX that hasn’t gotten cheap. It’s just hard to find.
Now the warning for both of these. Low launch and low spin cost you carry if you don’t have the speed to keep the ball in the air. If your driver already flies low, either of these makes it worse.
The Smoke Blue RDX Gives You a Firm Handle With a Softer Middle
The Blue is the odd one in the family. It’s counterbalanced, the butt and tip are stiff, and the middle section is softer.
What does that mean for you? You still get a stable handle and a stable tip, but you feel the shaft load and kick through the middle. If the Black feels like a board to you, the Blue is the Smoke RDX that still has some feel.
There are 60, 70 and 80 gram families. You can get a 5.5 in the 60, the 70 starts at 6.0, and the 80 is TX only.
Pay attention to the flex. On the common 60 and 70 gram 6.0 and 6.5 builds, the Blue is a low launch, low spin shaft. The 60 gram 5.5 is listed as mid launch and mid spin. So a Blue RDX in one flex can fly a lot differently than a Blue RDX in another.
Buying one is the problem. One specialist had it at $350 but sold out in September 2026, and the used and closeout listings ran from $60.99 to $179.99. Some of those are already built for a specific driver, with an adapter and grip on them. That only helps you if the adapter matches your head.
The 2019 Smoke Green and Smoke Yellow Are Leftover Stock Now
Before the RDX colors there was a 2019 Smoke generation, and two of those shafts still show up for sale. They’re easy to confuse with the RDX shafts.
HZRDUS Smoke Green, the Hulk
The original Smoke Green, nicknamed the Hulk, came out in 2019 as a Small Batch shaft. When it launched, nothing in the HZRDUS line was stiffer, and it used Hexcel HexTow HM63 carbon fiber. The flight and spin are both low, and it comes in 60 and 70 gram classes with the same flexes as the Green RDX: 6.0 and 6.5, plus TX.
This is not the Smoke Green RDX. The RDX is the later shaft. If you want the Hulk, look for the Small Batch Smoke Green label, not RDX.
True Temper has it in its legacy products collection, and listings ran from $55.99 to $149.99 in September 2026. It had a $250 custom upcharge reference at launch.
HZRDUS Smoke Yellow
The Smoke Yellow is also from 2019, and it’s counterbalanced, with a tapered grip section and a firmer butt and middle than the original Yellow. The design target is low launch and low spin.
You’ll find it in 60, 70 and 80 gram versions, in a 6.0 stiff or a 6.5 X. A new 60 gram 6.5 was $99.88 in October 2026, and used ones were going for about the same money.
True Temper’s Japanese catalog lists it as a retired shaft. Don’t confuse it with the current G5 Yellow. That’s a different shaft.
The Original HZRDUS Yellow and Black Have Been Replaced
These are the shafts that started the whole HZRDUS name. The originals are old now, and Project X has moved both colors on to G5.
HZRDUS Yellow
The original Yellow launched at $350 around the 2016 season. It’s back-weighted, so it lowers your swing weight about three points compared with the HZRDUS Black. That gives a club builder room to add head weight or build a longer driver without it feeling head-heavy.
Project X lists it as mid launch and mid-low spin, with a firmer handle, a responsive middle and a stable tip. It came in 65, 75 and 85 gram classes.
It’s not in True Temper’s active US collection anymore. Used ones are around $89.99. That’s cheap, but you’re buying a used shaft from a design that’s about 10 years old, so check the label and the condition before you pay.
HZRDUS Black and the G5 Black
The original HZRDUS Black came out in 2015. Since then there’s been a Smoke Black, the Smoke Black RDX, a Black Gen 4 and now the HZRDUS G5 Black. Those are all different shafts.
If you want a current low-launch HZRDUS, the G5 Black is the one. It’s the fifth-generation Black, built for a fast tempo, low launch and low spin, and the carbon in the middle section is laid out to resist twisting. It’s $225 raw, in three weight classes.
That’s more than double what a closeout Red RDX goes for. But you’re buying a current shaft with current stock and manufacturer support. If a fresh fitting says you need low launch and low spin, that’s where I’d spend the money.
For the full breakdown of how flex ties to your swing, here’s my guide on how to determine golf shaft flex.
What I Don’t Love
There’s a catch. There’s always a catch. With HZRDUS, it’s that the names are a mess.
Red RDX, Smoke Red RDX hybrid, Smoke Green, Smoke Green RDX, Smoke Yellow, Yellow, G5 Yellow. Some of those are the same color with completely different bend profiles. Some are hybrid shafts with a .370-inch tip that won’t go in your driver. You can buy the right color and get the wrong shaft.
And the cheap price comes with a cost. These are mostly old stock and used shafts. When the exact weight and flex you fit into is gone, it’s gone. On warranty, True Temper covers one year for the original buyer on TrueTemper.com, and anything bought through a retailer goes through that retailer. On a used closeout shaft, plan on not having one.
The raw price also isn’t what the club costs you. You still need an adapter, a grip, and the tip trimmed right for the club (no tipping for a driver, half an inch for a 3-wood, an inch for a 5-wood). If you’re doing it yourself, here’s how to go about cutting a graphite shaft without destroying it.
Who It’s For
Buy it if:
- You already play a Smoke RDX and want a matching backup at a closeout price.
- You need a little help with launch but want a stable handle. Start with the Smoke Red RDX.
- You hit a high, spinny driver and swing it hard. Look at the Black or Green RDX.
- You want a counterbalanced shaft with some feel in the middle. That’s the Blue RDX.
Skip it if:
- You already hit a low driver. The Black RDX, the Green RDX and the 2019 Smoke Green will make it lower.
- You want to be able to buy the same shaft again in a few years. Buy a current G5 instead.
- You’re picking from a color or a swing speed chart without testing the exact weight and flex.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the colors mean on HZRDUS shafts?
In the Smoke RDX family, Red is mid launch and mid spin, Black and Green bring launch and spin down, and Blue is counterbalanced with a softer middle. But the colors were reused across generations, so a Smoke Green from 2019 and a Smoke Green RDX from 2021 are different shafts. Read the full name on the label.
Which HZRDUS shaft is the stiffest?
In the Smoke RDX family, the Smoke Green RDX is the stiffest. Its tip is the firmest of the four, and it launches and spins the lowest. Back in 2019, the original Smoke Green, the Hulk, was the stiffest HZRDUS Project X had made at that point.
Is the HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX a driver or hybrid shaft?
Both exist, and they’re separate products. The driver and fairway wood shaft has a .335-inch tip. The hybrid version has a .370-inch tip and is built for hybrid heads. If a listing doesn’t say which one it is, ask before you buy.
Is the HZRDUS Smoke RDX discontinued?
Mostly, yes. True Temper no longer sells the Smoke Red RDX direct, and the Black RDX sits in its legacy products collection. The Green RDX is still listed but hard to find in stock. What you’re buying now is old stock or used shafts, so check that your exact weight and flex is there.
What’s the difference between the HZRDUS Black and Yellow?
The original Yellow is counterbalanced. Build the same driver on a Yellow and a Black, and the Yellow version comes out about three swing weight points lighter. Project X rates the original Yellow higher for launch and spin than the Black line, which is built to keep both low. Today the current versions are the G5 shafts.
Final Thoughts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Shaft Review
Here’s where I land. If you’ve played a Smoke RDX before, or you got fitted into one, a Red RDX for around $100 is a good deal, so grab your exact weight and flex while it’s there. If you’re getting fitted from scratch, skip the old stock and buy the current G5 your fitter matches you to. The $225 G5 Black is only the one if you’re the golfer spinning it too much.
About the author
Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore is the founder of Golfers Authority and a former three-year golf gear contributor to Sports Illustrated. He tests golf equipment hands-on to help golfers make better buying decisions.