Testers Announced: Graphite Design Tour AD Shafts

GolfSpy_APH · Tuesday at 06:27 AM

This season there have been a lot of different driver shafts tested through MyGolfSpy Forum member testing and it wouldn’t be a complete season without including Graphite Design.

About Graphite Design

Established in 1989 in Japan and 1997 in the USA, Graphite Design Inc. has been at the forefront of golf shaft innovation for over three decades. Their founder, Mr. Megumi Yamada, worked to revolutionize the industry with his cutting-edge lamination technology. This works to ensure their shafts are both lightweight and incredibly strong. This advanced technology, coupled with state-of-the-art design and the finest materials, makes Graphite Design shafts the premier choice for both professional and amateur golfers.

Graphite Design's "Tour AD" logo stands for "Accuracy and Distance," a promise that their shafts aim to deliver consistently. These key competitive advantages have helped countless golfers optimize their performance. Their shafts have been the most dominant on the JGTO (Japan Golf Tour Organization) Tour for the past ten years, and they continue to support professional golfers worldwide.

With some of the most iconic shafts in golf we are excited to bring them to our member testing platform this season.

Testing Opportunity Details

We are seeking eight golfers to test the Graphite Design Tour AD premium shafts. As a tester you will get to test, review and keep a Graphite Design Tour AD shaft of your choice.

We want to know how the Tour AD line of shafts compares to your current gamer. Where does it excel and where do you think it could get a little better? Real feedback for real golfers with a wide variety of handicaps and abilities.

Testers will be asked to provide on course feedback, launch monitor data and comparisons to their current driver shaft over a four week testing period.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@WaffleHouseTour

@Nick_D

@pete1276

@kam89

@Alan Stewart

@DukeStKing

@GolfSpy_BNG

@GolfSpy AFG

WaffleHouseTour · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at the close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” - Dylan Thomas

The Problem
I finished 2023 a solid 8 handicap, and have climbed back up to a 10 in 2024. This spring has been my slowest, most troublesome start to any golf season. I went into the winter dedicated to the Stack system, yoga twice a week, the elliptical five days a week, a golf specific kettle bell routine three times a week. I was going to start the spring with faster swing speed and reclaim the lost distance of my youth. Uh-huh. This is not a crack on the Stack - but I ingrained some nasty habits. If I don’t see the impact in ball flight it’s too easy for me to throw the club in a way that may generate speed on the radar but not on a ball.

I have an over the top swing, where I take it across the line and then tend to throw the club out and around. If the timing is right, it works out. If it’s not… I’ve been consistently trying to address my Left Path with Right Face to Path or Face to Target with a Skillest instructor. I’m a work in progress.

As you can see in the video I tend to have an “aggressive” tempo or move at the top. As a result the last two fittings I’ve had the fitter has put me into a “stiff, low spin, low launch” shaft as a way to optimize for that transition. I put those in “quotes” because those words can be so subjective. My hope with this review is to bring some objectivity.

Current Set Up

I’m currently gaming a Sub70 849D driver head fitted with the Hzrdous Smoke Black RDX in a “stiff”. Low launch, low spin. Previously I had a Callaway Maverick Sub Zero with an LAGolf Blue Tour AXS also “stiff”, also low launch, low spin.

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I fear the high wipey fade. At my home course, not the PClub in the video, danger lurks just right of the fairway. I’ve been willing to trade distance for accuracy with my last two drivers by opting for a shorter shaft. But the distance has shrunk more and I haven’t gained the accuracy advantage.

So I’m excited to try something new. But self fitting? Now I’m nervous.

I use a Mevo+ launch monitor and the FS Golf app - and that will be my go to tool for this test. The Optimizer option in the app has consistently said I need to lower my spin and increase my launch angle. Again, my last two driver shafts have been “low spin” but FlightScope says I need to go lower. And while the shafts have been low launch, FlightScope says I need to go higher.

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I’m all in on lowering my spin. But I fear increasing my launch angle. My attempts to do so through my swing motion lead to either leaving the face more open to the right than it already is, or catching the ball way to high on the club face and shooting rockets to the moon.

To try and increase launch while also keeping the club face closed I’ve adjusted my Sub70 849D to “Plus 2” which theoretically adds 2* of loft but closes the club face 4.5*.

So I’m interested to see what a lower spin with mid trajectory launch would do for me. I looked at the high launch shafts but just couldn’t pull the trigger. I’m clearly launching too low with a low launch shaft - let’s see what a little higher will do. Mid launch seemed like the place to start.

The Solution ?

So I chose the Graphite Design Tour AD- UB (Upward Bound) Low/Mid Spin, Mid Launch.

I thought long and hard about the Tour AD- DI (Deep impact) Low/Mid Spin, High Launch. But I decided to take raising my launch one step at a time. If I can’t get my my launch angle up from a 13/14* to 17/18* then we learned something. The spin either comes down or it won’t. Both are described the same though the graphic/chart shows the DI as low, but the description says Low/Mid. So we’ll learn something.

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Right now my swing speed as measured by my Mevo+ has me averaging 91 mph, 92, 93. Occasionally I’ll get a 96. Late last summer/early fall I was finishing practice sessions with a 95 mph average - getting a few up to 98 (stiff category), but just as many around 93…

Despite a winter of Stack training I didn’t reach my goal of getting to 100mph. I regressed, and I believe that’s more because of swing mechanics than actual strength or speed.

Looking at this fitting chart I’d thought about the Regular shaft. But as I’m still aspirational (rage, rage, against the dying of the light) and know I have it in me somewhere I thought the SR Flex (92-98) was the right place for me. A mix between where I am and where I’m going… I’ll keep an eye on the speed and compare results. I’m hopeful this is the right shaft for me today and watch what happens if I’m able to find a few more mph.

Control Factors
Of course it’s what happens on the fairway and the scorecard that matters most. But for purposes of this review and trying to keep accurate data I’ll be doing all my testing here on the “practice pad” in my backyard with the Mevo+ and FS Golf App on an iPad. Titleist ProV1 RCT ball in the backyard and a ProV1 Yellow ball on the course.

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I know folks here are not shy. Fireaway with those questions. Provide suggestions. What is it that you need to hear or see for this to be a good test.

Edited 17 hours ago by WaffleHouseTour

Nick_D · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

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pete1276 · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

Graphite Design Tour AD - Official MGS Forum Review [in progress] by pete1276

Hello Spies!

I’m very excited to be chosen to review a Graphite Design driver shaft. I am looking forward to the testing and reporting on my findings. I hope to provide valuable feedback that helps contribute high quality content to the Forum.

Introduction

About Me

My name is Brock and I live just outside of Minneapolis, MN. I work in Cybersecurity which has been both rewarding and challenging. I have more of an analytical mind, which drew me towards my occupation, and has carried over into other aspects of my life, such as golf. I like to deep dive into numbers and technical details, but as you know, golf is so much more than that.

I was born and raised in Minnesota, and the summers here are great. They give us plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the weather. The winters can be harsh, but they also give us the chance to recuperate, train, and start gearing up for the spring. My wife, Dawn, and I will be celebrating our 12th anniversary this year. We both have our own hobbies - me with golf, and her with biking.

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We like to travel, and Dawn even lets me squeeze in a few rounds here and there (when time permits). Over the years, we’ve visited several different spots within the states like Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego, and most recently, Palm Springs. We’ve also been over to Europe a few times to places like Scotland, England, France, and Ireland. I was almost blown off a cliff at Old Head, near Kinsale, Ireland last fall.

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We have two adorable dogs named Penny and Bisou (kisses in French). We adopted them about 3 years ago, they are a bonded mother/daughter pair. They are the sweetest girls, and they’re always excited to see us when we come home.

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My game

I have been golfing for about 20 years now, but I’ve only been taking it seriously for the past 10 years or so. That’s when I really started to buckle down, take lessons, and spend some time and effort on getting better. It’s been an interesting journey, but I’ve managed to get my handicap down into the mid-single digits. Over the past couple of years, my handicap index has been relatively stable around the 4-6 range. I’ve also managed to increase my swing speed over time with training and technique. My driver swing speed is typically around 105-110 mph.

I’ve also discovered that I enjoy the game more when I am able to draw or fade the ball on command. It unlocks my creative side, which is a side I didn’t really know I had, until I started playing around with it and getting good at moving the ball around. As a result, I’ve gravitated to being more of a feel player. Even with the driver, I like to be able to move the ball in either direction and play around with different flights depending on course and weather conditions, direction of the hole, or whatever other variables are thrown my way.

Testing and methodology

For this test, I will be reviewing the Graphite Design Tour AD IZ driver shaft. I will be testing the 75 gram, X-Stiff flex version of this shaft. It will be tested with my Mizuno ST-X 230 driver head. I am currently using a Fujikura Ventus Red TR 7-X shaft which has a very similar weight, stiffness, flight, and spin characteristics of the Tour AD IZ shaft. However, they each have very different bend profiles, which should make for some interesting results.

I have access to an indoor simulator, and I will be providing the results of key numbers such as launch, spin, height, ball speed, and dispersion. I will also be testing and reporting the workability of shaping the ball in each direction. I will report numbers on different shot shapes, as well, but workability is a feel and is generally more subjective. I am also planning on playing several rounds with this shaft on my driver on course for the next month. This is likely to be the best way to judge feel and workability.

I use Arccos to track my rounds, and I have been tracking the results of my current driver setup. I will be creating a new club in Arccos with the Tour AD IZ shaft so that I can start fresh and compare the results at the end of the test.

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Expectations

I know that Graphite Design has an excellent reputation and is well established in the golf industry as a leader in graphite shaft technology. Several professional golfers on every major circuit have won using their shafts. Coming into this test, my expectations are high. I will be testing a well-established premium driver shaft from one of the best in the industry. I’m looking forward to putting it to the test and seeing how it responds.

I currently have Graphite Design Tour AD 95 shafts in my driving irons, and I like the way they load and release through the shot. They give these clubs very different feel and flight characteristics than the previous steel shafts that I was using in these clubs. I am excited to see what the Tour AD IZ driver shaft can do for my driving game.

In order for this the Tour AD IZ shaft to earn a permanent spot in my bag, it must show equal or better numbers on the simulator and through Arccos than my current Ventus Red TR, and it must have a better feel for workability.

I'm looking forward to getting started. Much more to come!

Edited 18 hours ago by pete1276

kam89 · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

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Alan Stewart · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

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DukeStKing · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

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GolfSpy_BNG · Tuesday at 06:29 AM

Graphite Design VF Review 2024

As always an enormous debt of gratitude to MyGolfSpy and Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts for this amazing opportunity.

Also wanna give a shout out to my fellow testers as we want to keep you front and center on this review. @WaffleHouseTour @pete1276 @DukeStKing @kam89 @Alan Stewart @Nick_D

@GolfSpy AFG myself and the rest of the staff are thrilled to have you on this test and I’m sure I can speak for Hayes and myself saying we are grateful to be in this journey with you

Introduction

My name is Mark and I am a staff member here at MGS. I am just over 1 year into this position and couldn’t be happier to be a part of this great group of staff. I have been here long enough to remember the “old” days of a decent testing season, followed by a non existent one, then slowly rebuilt into what you see now. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the best golf forum on the interwebs.

I have been married to my beautiful wife Jen for almost 9 years now. I keep telling her I’m glad she settled. lol. She tolerates my obsession with golf and club goin’ to a point. I have a daughter Karley(Kat) who will be graduating later this year and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Pre-Testing thoughts

For this review I will be testing the Graphite Design Tour AD VF-5s. It’s only right I test Tiger’s shaft as he is the reason I got into golf.

For those that pay attention, Yes, I had the VF-5s for a minute and a half this winter. I moved on quickly from it to help fund the Cobra Darkspeed LS. Always kinda regretted not truly giving it a run. Luckily this opportunity came up.

I am currently gaming a PXG Black Ops 8* driver with an Aretera Alpha One Grey 65/4 shaft. I went lighter with the VF as I believe the best chance for the VF to make the bag will be to gain yards while maintaining dispersion. I also have a Callaway Smoke AI Triple Diamond Max TA 8.5 head coming next week to use as well. I use all fit adapters so I can use the same shaft in both heads quickly and easily.

I will be using my Flightscope Mevo Plus I reviewed for MGS for comparisons. My ball of choice is the new Wilson Staff Model ball.

For setup I will be tipping the VF 1-2”(still deciding) to help lower spin and playing at 45.25”.

Please ask any questions or comment anything you wish to see tested. This great group is ready and raring to go.