Graphite Design Tour AD MJ Driver Shaft

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

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.

GRAPHITE DESIGNS TourAD MT DRIVER SHAFT

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

The Graphite Design Tour AD line continues in 2014 with another variation on the theme.  The Tour AD MT has the familiar Graphite Design look. The profile follows the same basic design, stiff butt, rapidly losing stiffness toward the tip, and then sharply gaining stiffness into the tip. The difference in the Tour AD models is the mid section. Starting with the 2011 Tour AD DJ, a mid shaft stiffness bump was added. The placement and degree of this bump sets the launch propensity of the shaft.

In the Tour AD BB, the ‘bump’ is subtle and in the low mid region of the shaft. In the Tour AD GT, it moved back and was more pronounced. The mid section ‘bump’ in the Tour AD MT falls in about the same region as the Tour AD GT, it is followed by a rapid loss of stiffness to 16″ then the shaft quickly gains stiffness toward the tip.

What does that all mean to the golfer. This is a highly successful design that is in use by a number of marquee players.  I see a mid launch, mid spin design that is a good mate for the low launch heads and balls we will see in the 2014 models.