2024 has seen quite a few driver shaft tests on the MyGolfSpy Forum, and the Graphite Design Tour AD may have been one of the most anticipated testing options of all. Eight MGS Forum spies were chosen to test, review and hold one of the many shafts available in the Graphite Design lineup and they did not disappoint. Our members tested a wide range of Tour AD models and came up with some impressive results.
Main points
· Appearance: Our testers universally praised Graphite Design’s sleek yet understated and subtle paint schemes
· Performance: Testers saw noticeable gains in distance and accuracy over their golfer shafts
· Data in the course: No surprise here: with the best steering, testers saw better results with the Graphite Design steering shafts in the bag.
· Likes: The overall feel and stability of each Graphite Design Tour AD model drew rave reviews
· Dislikes: Some testers reported a poor fit when left to their own devices in selecting a shaft. (There’s a lesson there.)
About Graphic Design
Founded in 1989 in Japan and 1997 in the United States, Graphite Design has been at the forefront of golf shaft innovation for more than three decades. Their founder, Megumi Yamada, worked to revolutionize the industry with his cutting edge lamination technology. The technology works to ensure that their shafts are light and incredibly strong. Coupled with the most advanced design and the best materials, this advanced technology makes Graphite Design shafts a top choice for professional and amateur players. Graphite Design’s Tour AD designation stands for Accuracy and Distance, and their shafts have delivered on that promise for decades.
Did our eight testers reap these claimed accuracy and distance benefits? Read on.
The exterior
The paint scheme on a golf shaft is definitely a pretty good thing to appreciate. After all, the shaft will strike equally well in hot pink, black, or racing stripes. However, golfers are a special bunch, and highly subjective language like “fits my eye” or “confidence-inspiring” gets thrown around in our circles. Still, our testers were very positive about the aesthetics of the Graphite Design shaft.
“The orange AD DI shaft might be the most amazing and beautiful shaft I’ve seen in person. The orange really pops in the sunlight and even on my sim it seems to glow. Hints of green in the AD logo of the tournament really stand out to me too.” – I have 89
“The gold, black and subtle red hits look fantastic and would go well with many different drivers in my opinion. The shaft black has just a slight sheen that looks great without detracting from the address.” – Nick_D
And from the Tour AD VF currently being played by a Tiger Woods, GolfSpy_BNG wrote, “That’s an easy slam dunk. Bright red moves to black in the lower half. Few combinations hit as hard as Red and Black. Maybe that’s just the Tiger effect on me, but outside of Black & Gold, Red/Black trumps everything else for me.”
performance
So Graphite Design shafts look good, but what if they don’t work properly? Well, they perform as advertised. Graphite Design offers an online chart that outlines expected ball flights for the Tour AD set, and our testers consistently reported getting the shot patterns they signed up for.
“The first thing I noticed is that Izzy seemed to be a bit biased about my move, as claimed by Graphite Design. With my swing and a relaxed pace, the Graphite Design Tour AD IZ makes me want to fade out. It also helps me not to turn the draw into a shot when I try to return the ball.” – pete1276
Data in the course
Once the Graphite Design shafts were introduced to the course, the positive feedback continued.
probative GolfSpy AFG noticed “…a 13 yard increase in distance and a 13% increase in free routes in regulation” in the 3 rounds he plotted compared to his player’s stock shaft. Other testers were equally impressed with their Tour AD and its impact on their games.
“My last three rounds on the course have seen my average strokes gained from driving go up each time – my last three rounds have seen my SG-D increase over my ten round average +1.2, +0, 1, +2. I’ve learned to adjust my target slightly off center, again something I’m very happy to do. I smoked a little – but for me the payoff was accuracy…” – Waffle House Tour
“When I’m in control and in my groove this shaft does pretty much everything I want it to. I have gone from shooting in the 90’s to the high 80’s and I will say the driver has been a big part of that. I was afraid of him before and hit 3w from the deck to be safe. Now I’m generally just a wedge at level 4s.” – I have 89
consents
An exceptionally smooth, stable and confidence-inspiring feeling was a common theme among our testers.
“Killer color combination, amazing feel and a right to left ball flight, ticks 3 big boxes for me… Never feels loose or out of control, spin stays in a nice window.” – GolfSpy_BNG
“If you’re like me and value keeping the ball in the fairway or close to it, then Advr it will not disappoint. One of the things it does Advr so good in terms of distribution is how smooth it feels.” – DukeStKing
And testers pete1276 shared that his AD IZ Tour “… it gives me a better chance to keep the ball in play more often and find more fairways…”
He doesn’t like it
Despite overwhelmingly positive feedback, there was some criticism. While many testers saw gains in accuracy, noticeable gains in distance were less common. probative WaffleHouse TOURNAMENTS echoed a finding shared by several testers: “Good is accuracy, bad is lack of distance gained due to insufficient launch lift.”
Additional feedback
Throughout the lineup, our testers got very consistent positive performance from their Graphite Design Tour AD shaft. However, some opted against promoting their Tour AD in the player’s place on their bag. Feel is a very subjective thing and some testers simply preferred the feel of their old steering shaft. Another tester warned that many golfers who try to order an “off the shelf” driver shaft without a device may be in over their heads.
“The Graphite Design Tour AD UB 6 S is a high quality smooth shaft that will likely outperform many of the offerings available in stores today. However, know your movement and know your limits when it comes to your technical mastery of the world of the shaft. In my case, since I’m limited in my knowledge of axle specs, I went in without getting a proper fit and got it wrong.”
CONCLUSION
The Graphite Design Tour AD family of driving shafts has an earned reputation for performance among professional golfers. Eight testers from the MyGolfSpy Forum confirmed this reputation and found that Graphite Design can provide noticeable gains in driver performance even for amateur golfers. Be sure to get into a fitting bay and give Graphite Design a long look if you’re looking to optimize your driving.
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