The Graphite Design Tour AD GP was introduced in 2016. New carbon fiber materials are being continuously developed. In the Tour AD GP, Graphite Design is using TORAYCA ® T1100G carbon-fiber pre-preg with NANOALLOY ® technology according their release information. This gives the shaft a stiffer tip without a change of weight that would typically be associated with tip stiffening by simply adding material.
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
The Graphite Design Tour AD M9003 released in mid 2015. It is an unusual addition in that it is only available in 4 models, 60 and 70 S and X. With a $550 MSRP, this is not a shaft for any but the strongest fastest golfers. Graphite design is not recommending it for anyone south of a 105 mph driver swing. That excludes me. It is made with high modulus 55 ton, Nanoalloy prepreg from Toray. Translation, the material in this shaft is as good as it gets.
Radial consistency is 98.9% with a 0.2% standard deviation. Like all Graphite Design Tour AD shafts, it is round and will play exactly the same in any orientation.
The closest match to this shaft from Graphite Design is the Tour AD BB, a shaft that was released around 2011. The Tour AD BB is one of Graphite Design’s popular shafts on the professional tours and gets a lot of play on the LPGA. The profiles are similar until we get to the tip.
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
The Graphite Design Tour AD Hybrid is the second hybrid shaft released in 2015. It follows the YS Reloaded, the YS has long been one of my favorites. The Tour AD HY is the fourth version of the Tour AD hybrids, but it is the first I have reviewed. Like most, my primary focus is driver shafts, then iron shafts. The hybrid in recent years is seen as an extension of the iron set. The early hybrids, were too long and did not gap properly into most golfers bags. Over the last few years the trend has moved toward shorter shafts lengths and a view toward integrating the gapping of the set from the longest irons you can hit well into hybrids. Most sets I build recently contain 2 or more hybrid style heads, both traditional hybrids as well as driving irons.
When do you take that step, breaking away from your iron set and blending in a hot faced driving iron or launch enhancing hybrid head? Its a simple answer actually. When you see your gaps collapse its time to get the next longest club built in a way to maintain consistent gapping between clubs. And there are many ways to do that which extend beyond the scope of this reviews. One aspect of getting more club head speed and higher launch is changing to a lighter, higher launching shaft. This is where we enter to world of hybrid shafts.
Higher launch is easy, make the tip softer. All to often, especially in stock shafts, this comes with higher tip torque. I have been playing exotic carbon fiber, low tip torque shafts for a very, very long time. The problem in this realm is the gag reflex I get from most golfers when they learn that a great hybrid shaft can be more than what they typically see hybrid clubs sold for. The Graphite Design Tour AD HY is one of those exotics, retailing at $175 uninstalled. Is it worth it? Time after time, when I finish the fitting objective I am working on with a client I hand them my hybrid and ask them to try it. And time after time, the reaction is the same, the OMG moment. Then sticker shock.
A properly fit, high quality hybrid shaft is a long term investment. You might change heads as head technology evolves, but that properly fit hybrid shaft stays with you and moves into the next head. In my bag, that pair of hybrid shafts have been with me for going on 8 years.
What is special about a great hybrid shaft? Three aspects, high launch propensity, tip stability and weight. I will discuss each of these as it relates to the Graphite Design Tour AD HY measurements shown here.
The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers
This discussion about Graphite Design Tour AD shafts occurred at the PGA Merchandise show, January, 2015. To see more video like this visit the DevotedGolfer Youtube Channel.
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The YS Reloaded is a updated version of the Graphite Design YS+ featuring better materials, 50 gram versions and new graphics. The profile, a classic, soft mid in relation to tip and butt is largely unchanged. This profile is available from every major shaft brand at many price levels. A bundle of YS+ shafts were in the shop that had never been reviewed. That presented the opportunity to compare the origional YS+ to the 2015 YS Reloaded.
Graphite Design YS+ Golf Shafts
In the YS Reloaded, the point of maximum bend in the shaft is moved up slightly toward the butt to accommodate the heavier heads that dominate the current market. Newer materials deliver slightly improved hoop strength as well as more consistent hoop strength down the length of the shaft. In the 60 gram models the 2015 YS Reloaded has slightly lower torque. The 70 gram versions are much the same as the earlier YS+
The technical discussion and measurements are available only to registered readers
The sixth version of the Graphite Design Tour AD driver shaft line releases shortly. We got an early look at the 10 shafts in the MJ series. They range from 53 grams to 87 grams uncut. The profile is consistent through out the weigh range, each weight/stiffness increment has exactly the same bend profile. They simply get heavier, stiffer and have lower torque.
Since the original Tour AD DI, the Graphite Design AD DI series has had a mid shaft stiffness ‘bump’. Each model has varied the degree and position of this mid shaft stiffness design.
The technical discussion, range tests 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
The Graphite Design Tour AD GP was introduced in 2016. New carbon fiber materials are being continuously developed. In the Tour AD GP, Graphite Design is using TORAYCA ® T1100G carbon-fiber pre-preg with NANOALLOY ® technology according their release information. This gives the shaft a stiffer tip without a change of weight that would typically be associated with tip stiffening by simply adding material.
