Fujikura Ventus TR Blue Driver Shaft Review

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Fujikura Ventus TR Blue Driver Shaft

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

I received a limited number of review samples of the 2026 Ventus TP Blue Driver Shaft.

The label states 2VNTTRBLxxWS-H which is likely to cause some confusion. In earlier years the graphics on the shaft on the shaft indicated it was the 2VNT model. This is not how it is described in the 2026 catalog.

One of the things that have changed in the 2026 catalog is charts showing the EI profiles of the driver shafts. The charts match the EI charts I have been publishing for many years. It is a good thing that two more shaft manufacturers are embracing publishing EI profile understandings of their products. I won’t bore you with my history of this in the club fitting and building organizations.

Over thousands of shaft measurements I now understand shaft profiles and fitting into archetypical designs. The Velocore Ventus TP Blue breaks that mold. It is unlike any driver shaft I have ever seen. If you have tested this shaft please leave your comments for this community to understand this profile. I have seen some iron shafts that are similar. But to date, never a driver shaft that is close to this profile.

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Russ

Aretrea A02 Golf Shafts Review

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Aretera A02 Driver Shafts – Blue and Gray

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

The A02 is the second generation of driver shafts from Aretera. The management team at Aretera has deep roots in the golf shaft business. Alex Dee has a unique shaft research background that I see manifested on this generation of driver shafts. Like the first generation Aretera EC1 I see that knowledge in the EI profiles.

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Russ

LA Golf Blue Series Drive Shaft Review

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LA Golf Blue Series Driver Shaft

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

The LA Golf Blue Series is a late 2025 model. Its $149 price is a change for LA Golf and will be appealing to the recreational golfer not comfortable with the $300+ prices of high end graphite shafts.

And yet, at that price, the profile the quality of the shaft is first class. It is mid soft profile, the design of choice for the recreational golfer. My experience with the LA Golf Gold Series has been outstanding. The Gold Series has a full length layer of boron delivering uncommon stability. The profiles of the Gold and Blue were so similar it prompted a phone call to my friend at LA Golf. The Blue series is made on the same mandrel with less expensive materials. It could easily become available in more weights. If your looking to upgrade your OEM driver shaft with a more consistent shaft but are not willing to get into the $350 cost of premium aftermarket shafts you should try the LA Golf Blue Series.

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Russ

KBS Players Graphite Driver Shaft Review

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KBS Players Graphite Wood Shaft

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

The Players Graphite Wood is a 2025 model released in late 2024. This review is late due. I did an interview with Kim in early 2025 where he described the shaft and designed for the recreational golfer. Certainly its $175 will be appealing to the recreational golfer not comfortable with the $300+ prices of high end graphite shafts.

And yet, at that price, the profile in not to far off from some of the Graphite Design Tour AD’s and Fuji Ventus models.

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Russ

Graphite Designs Tour AD FI Driver Shaft Review

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Graphite Designs Tour AD FI Driver Shaft

By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI (Flight Intelligence) Driver Shaft released in September 2025. It incorporates some new technologies as well and the latest Torayca fabrics. As my understanding of these fabrics grows, I can see how they influence the properties. Looking at Graphite Design’s Bend Profile ratings, the FI is one of the higher rated shafts in the Mid section with a 3+. The GC is rated 3 and the VF is rated 4. A see high mid stiffness as an Archetype design. The FI is firmly a member of the midfirm archetype. The GC and VF less so. Over the last two years, when I recognized the midfirm archetype, I have fit numerous great ball strikers into the design. While I have come to recognize midsoft as forgiving, a midfirm shaft is unforgiving. Like an iron blade, it is workable for those that can shape shots at will.

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI is without a doubt a member of the midfirm archetype that is my go to design for low single digit and plus handicap players.

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Russ