Graphite Designs AD DI Shaft - Review

[Matt Saternus]

Graphite Designs AD-DI Shaft Review

 

Introduction

 

This is the shaft that Tiger Woods uses in his driver. What more introduction is necessary…it must be awesome, right? There's no question that the Graphite Designs AD-DI shaft has been among the most-hyped, most-loved shafts on the golf forums and blogs for the last year or so. But does it live up to the hype...and the sticker price? Read on to find out.

 

 

Notes, Feel, and Miscellaneous

 

The AD-DI is billed as a mid-kick, high-launch, low-spin shaft. The feel is definitely stout. If you don't bring ample club head speed, or an aggressive transition, you probably won't feel a lot of kick. That stout feel is likely why it's such a hit among the faster swingers.

 

One thing I did really like about the AD-DI was the balance. The weight of the AD-DI is very evenly distributed so that it doesn't feel heavy in the hands or at the tip.

 

As usual, the test shaft here was a 70gram model in stiff flex. The AD-DI is offered in weights of 50, 60, 70, and 80 grams, with flexes anywhere from senior to X-Stiff.

 

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't say something about the looks. While there really aren't any kind of graphics on the shaft, the orange color is an eye-catcher. If you play this shaft because you want people to know what it is, you will definitely get your money's worth.

 

 

Performance

 

Since it's freezing here in Chicago, the Performance section only includes launch monitor testing for this review. For the launch monitor testing, I put the AD-DI up against my Matrix RUL, both in an R9 460 9.5 head. I hit 10 “good” shots with each shaft, changing frequently so that fatigue was not an issue, nor did I get grooved with one shaft to the detriment of fairness. I went through this process three times and averaged the sets of data. I did the testing of the AD-DI at the same time as the testing of the AD-DJ and G Series, so all three sets of data can be compared.

 

For anyone interested in the swing that produces these numbers: my clubhead speed is usually between 100MPH and 110MPH, my biggest problem is getting quick from the top.

 

 

One other note of importance: I have recently gained access to a much more accurate launch monitor. As a result, the “baseline” numbers of the RUL may be different than what you have seen before. Finally, while I believe that the new launch monitor is one of the best in the industry for accuracy, I do think that it gets a little crazy with the roll. As such, my low spinning shots result in really long total distances that I don't typically get here in the Midwest.

 

 

DATA

 

*Each metric shows low, average, and high.

 

 

RUL: Ball speed: 152 Distance: 267-291-327 Launch Angle: 10.3-12.5-15

 

Backspin: 1851-2651-3026 Sidespin: 100 Dispersion: 10L-5L-10R

 

AD-DI: Ball speed: 149 Distance: 268-295-318 Launch Angle: 12.3-15.5-16.7

 

Backspin: 1500-2152-2900 Sidespin: 300 Dispersion: 5L-10R-30R

 

 

ANALYSIS

 

Right off the bat I'll say that this shaft is probably a bit too stout for me. I don't consider myself a smooth swinger, but my transition isn't aggressive enough, nor my swing speed high enough, to consistently get a good load out of this shaft. That fact goes a long way towards explaining some of the numbers such as lower ball speed, higher side spin, and worse dispersion (the latter two being a result of over-swinging in an attempt to load the shaft). Frankly, the fact that the dispersion wasn't worse is a credit to the AD-DI.

 

Most importantly, the shaft does deliver on its promise of high-launch/low-spin: the average launch angle was higher than the RUL and the average backspin was significantly lower. The result was a longer average shot even though the ball speed was down.

 

Finally, it should always be considered that (until further notice) the RUL is going to make a lot of shafts look bad by comparison. The fact that the AD-DI did not perform as well for me does not mean it couldn't be a better shaft for someone else.

 

 

Value

 

At $380, the Graphite Designs AD-DI is at the very high end of shafts. While on one hand, I'm a bit aghast that shafts are now breaking through the $300 price barrier, there's a part of me that says, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” AS ALWAYS: go get fit. There's no value in a shaft that doesn't perform for you…even if Tiger plays it.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Regardless of the sticker price, the Graphite Designs AD-DI does do what it claims to do: high launch with low spin. Furthermore, the dispersion was pretty darned impressive given that I was swinging from my heels trying to make it work for me. For those of you with super aggressive transitions or tons of swing speed, the AD-DI might be the cure for your high-spin blues.

 

 

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