VA Composites Raijin Golf Shaft Review

VA Composites Raijin Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

I was surprised by the announcement of a new shaft company VA Composites. A quick look at the website and I quickly recognized the VA in VA Composites are the initials of its founder, Victor Afable. I have know Victor for many years as one of the principles at Oban. Before you could become a distributor you got a personal visit from Victor. It was generally the better part of a day where he determined your competence as a fitter and club builder. If you passed you were accepted as a distributor. I tell this story because it gives some insight into a person that has a unique passion for golf shafts and ethical golf club fitting. Victor Afable has been in the shaft business over 30 years. His designs have had a lot of Tour success.

A box of Raijin review samples arrived quickly after I reached out. I was anxious to look at the profile Victor chose to launch his new company with.

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Russ

Graphite Design Tour AD BB Golf Shaft Review

GRAPHITE DESIGNS TOUR AD BB

By Russ Ryden, A Golf Digest America’s 100 Best Clubfitter
Fit2Score, Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

The Graphite Design Tour AD BB was introduced in 2012. It is a modification of the Tour AD DJ, designed to deliver a lower launch. Range testing has validated what we can plainly see in the EI profiles. The TourAD DJ was the second in the series of the TourAD shafts from Graphite Design. Like the BB, it was a change from the original TourAD DI. Because of the long term popularity of the Graphite Design AD BB I updated the measurements to make hoop deformation correction to the EI profile.

The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers

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Russ

This video was shot in May 2013 at the Crown Plaza Invitational at the Colonial. Erik Boysen is in charge of tour promotions for Pro’s Choice, the US distributor for Graphite Designs. He shares his knowledge of the shafts and tour fitting experience.

Golf Profession & Fit2Score Affiliate Data & Comments

ACCRA TourZ Extreme Driver Shaft Review

ACCURA TourZ x Extreme Driver Shaft Review

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

The ACCRA Tour Z has been a staple in the ACCRA product line. The Tour Z Extreme is an updated version, using higher density prepreg and Kevlar in the tip.There are two models designed to compliment each other. The Tour ZX 400 series exhibits a profile known to produce a mid launch low spin. The TourZx 200 Series is typical of a higher launch higher spin design. The stiffness is very consistent across weights. The shafts do not get noticeably stiffer as they get heavier. Paring the TourZx 200 in a fairway with a TourZx 400 in a driver creates a great combination for most golfers. A more penetrating lower spinning drive and a higher launching, higher spinning flight in a fairway.

The discussion between Woody Lashen, a long time Fit2Score Affiliate and Gawain Robertson, do owner of ACCRA golf gets to the TourZ at the 10:30 mark. It was shot at the 2016 PGA merchandise show.

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Russ

The profiles are consistent with earlier designs. The TourZx 200 series resembles the earlier Tour Z LS. The TourZx 400 is much like the TourZ ST. This is quite common, remaking a design that was successful with new materials. [/restrict]

Mitsubishi Diamana M+ Diamana S+ Diamana D+ Golf Shaft Review

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Mitsubishi Diamana Limited Golf Shaft Review
Diamana M+ Diamana S+ Diamana D+

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

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Several years ago the lines between “Made For” shafts supplied in off the rack clubs and premium after market shafts blurred. Several shaft companies made the premium aftermarket shafts they promote on tour available to the golf club manufacturers. It is a marketing conundrum. The club companies are the largest customers by a HUGE number. The golf club companies, are not inclined to have their products compromised by inferior shafts. This year, 2016, we saw the price of some drivers increase as premium shafts became standard. For some shaft brands, the stock shaft product is the aftermarket shaft. For others like Mitsubishi, it is different graphics, but in the case of the Diamana Limited, a very close match with slightly different graphics.

The review samples were limited to one shaft of each model. That is not my typical sample matrix, but it was enough to compare to premium aftermarket Diamana shafts and understand the differences.

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Russ

If you are familiar with the loading, flighting and feel of the Diamana Red, Blue and White shafts you will know these shafts. You will find a complete range of designs and stiffness offered as standard in the Titleist 917 Drivers. A great shaft that will not detract in any way from the performance of a great driver head.

Graphite Design Tour AD DI Golf Shaft Review

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GRAPHITE DESIGNS TOUR AD DI

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Club Maker
The Golf Center at the Highlands, Carrollton Texas

Having made significant changes to my EI instrument and software I measured these again. It has been such a successful design for such a long time, that I have come to regard it as a comparison standard. Adam Scott won the 2013 Masters playing this shaft in his driver. Tiger Woods and Stacy Lewis have used it on Tour. On any given week, there are 10 to 12 in play on the PGA tour over a great many years. There is nothing like PGA Tour success to draw attention to a driver golf shaft.

This video was shot in 2016. It is one of the first of this style shaft tests Mark and I have done.

This review was first published in 2013. It is the first of many shafts that have earned a place in my Golf Shaft Hall of Fame that must be brought up to the current standards. Let’s look at the revised measurements that incorporate hoop deformation into the profile. .

The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers

To continue reading this section of the review, you must be registered at a higher level membership.
Russ

Golf Profession & Fit2Score Affiliate Data & Comments

VA Composites Raijin Shaft Review

GRAPHITE DESIGNS TOUR AD BB

ACCURA TourZ x Extreme Driver Shaft Review

Mitsubishi Diamana Limited Golf Shaft Review Diamana M+ Diamana S+ Diamana D+

GRAPHITE DESIGNS TOUR AD DI

Mitsubishi Diamana Limited Golf Shaft Review
Diamana M+ Diamana S+ Diamana D+