Diamana ZF

[evoviiiyou]

35 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

I have a very aggressive transition and the ZF just didn't hold up to my hardest swings even with the head cranked all the way open.  With a normal swing it was good though.  I don't get how it works so well for JT who swings outta his shoe with driver. 

I hear you...maybe he has that TX tipped to aid, but he really isn't in the tops for accuracy anyway at 154th on tour. 

[GooseHook]

Shafts are very personal equipment preferences for sure. I actually felt like my best drives were the most "violent" swings but I managed to not get stuck on the way down. Something I've been working on as someone who hits chronic blocks and used to hit violent hooks when my hands were super fast ~10 years ago. I came into the ZF after using the Atmos Black and Ventus Black for the past couple of seasons with pretty much the same miss pattern. 

 

For me, short/heavy with shaft tipping and a low loft head make a big difference. If the left miss becomes a bigger problem I'll likely go with a Stealth Plus in a higher loft and open the face up. The 8 degree SIM2 was great yesterday though. 

[third-times-a-charm]

Has anyone hit the AD XC vs the ZF?

[hagimihale]

XC has a softer handle and stiffer mid. 

 

If you like blueboard profiles (mid-shaft hinge, bit of snap through impact) but wanted just a bit more stability, ZF is for you.

 

If (like me) all blueboard profiles feel too soft and give you the lefts, and instead of "snap through impact" you want "stability through impact with no lefts", then XC is for you.

 

2 very different profiles. 

[third-times-a-charm]

3 hours ago, hagimihale said:

XC has a softer handle and stiffer mid. 

 

If you like blueboard profiles (mid-shaft hinge, bit of snap through impact) but wanted just a bit more stability, ZF is for you.

 

If (like me) all blueboard profiles feel too soft and give you the lefts, and instead of "snap through impact" you want "stability through impact with no lefts", then XC is for you.

 

2 very different profiles. 

 

Arent they fairly similar? Pretty much all Tour AD profiles are blueboard profile but with tweaks. It seems theyre similar shafts but with different butt sections according to the profiles?

 

Both are tip and mid stiff (ZF shares tip and mid from the DF) but the XC has a 'soft' butt and the ZF is stiff.

[hagimihale]

I get along with whiteboard profiles, but not blueboard profiles.  The XC works for me.  So does the GP, but no other Graphite Design shaft is a good fit (and I've tried many of them)

 

The ZF is a slightly stiffer blueboard profile.  Its close, and I could make it work if I had to, but would have to alter my swing to be much smoother to prevent the lefts.  Thus its not the right fit for me.

 

I'm not saying to NOT try the XC.  But if you're not hooking the ZF and wishing for something more stable, I wonder if other Graphite Design shafts (TP, HD?) are a better fit.

 

 

[third-times-a-charm]

2 hours ago, hagimihale said:

I get along with whiteboard profiles, but not blueboard profiles.  The XC works for me.  So does the GP, but no other Graphite Design shaft is a good fit (and I've tried many of them)

 

The ZF is a slightly stiffer blueboard profile.  Its close, and I could make it work if I had to, but would have to alter my swing to be much smoother to prevent the lefts.  Thus its not the right fit for me.

 

I'm not saying to NOT try the XC.  But if you're not hooking the ZF and wishing for something more stable, I wonder if other Graphite Design shafts (TP, HD?) are a better fit.

 

 

I’m just looking for a few hundred RPM less in spin is all. I don’t like whiteboard profiles.

[OspreyCI]

21 minutes ago, third-times-a-charm said:

I’m just looking for a few hundred RPM less in spin is all. I don’t like whiteboard profiles.

I switched from the ZF to the AD HD and have been VERY happy. Very stable and no lefts for me. I have to trackman numbers, but visually looks lower spin on the course. I have gained some distance with the HD. 

[phizzy30]

XC will launch just a hair lower than the ZF and spin will be about the same.  XC had less feel for me when I tested it a couple years back when I went in for a driver fitting.  I don't think you'll like the XC since it's a true white board profile. 

Just now, third-times-a-charm said:

I’m just looking for a few hundred RPM less in spin is all. I don’t like whiteboard profiles.

 

[phizzy30]

7 hours ago, hagimihale said:

XC has a softer handle and stiffer mid. 

 

If you like blueboard profiles (mid-shaft hinge, bit of snap through impact) but wanted just a bit more stability, ZF is for you.

 

If (like me) all blueboard profiles feel too soft and give you the lefts, and instead of "snap through impact" you want "stability through impact with no lefts", then XC is for you.

 

2 very different profiles. 

It's funny because I like white board profile in driver and blue board for 3 metal like Tiger back in the day hence my setup.  I've tried blue board profile in driver and it just doesn't work when I step on one.  The ZF is unique in that it's way more stable than your typical blue board but spins less as well which works really well for me.  It's def a tweener.  I had the TB in my 3 metal and I would always lose it left to some degree depending on how hard I swung.  Had it in the bag for about 2 months last year and made the switch to the ZF.  Haven't looked back since.  Now, I am interested in testing the Kai'li Blue when it's release because it's supposed to have a flatter trajectory than the ZF according to @MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL.  I'll have to tip the s*** out of it though, lol.  

[hagimihale]

@phizzy30 I hear you on the whiteboard/driver + blueboard/fairway logic.  I have an 'ahina 80x in a TS2 18*; I like it but don't get enough launch off the deck.  But most blueboards are too loose for me.  Have been toying with the idea of a ZF in 80X (like you are gaming) as an option...

[hagimihale]

50 minutes ago, OspreyCI said:

I switched from the ZF to the AD HD and have been VERY happy. Very stable and no lefts for me. 

 

@third-times-a-charm, I agree with @OspreyCI's comments on the HD.  I think its a viable option if you want a "more stable blueboard" (which the ZF is) but want to lower spin.

 

The XC is the closest thing to a whiteboard profile that Graphite Design has. Which is why I like it, and why I don't think you will...

[third-times-a-charm]

2 minutes ago, hagimihale said:

 

@third-times-a-charm, I agree with @OspreyCI's comments on the HD.  I think its a viable option if you want a "more stable blueboard" (which the ZF is) but want to lower spin.

 

The XC is the closest thing to a whiteboard profile that Graphite Design has. Which is why I like it, and why I don't think you will...

I have the HD in my fairway and find that it spins more than the ZF or at least on par with it.

 

it’s weird the XC is compared to the whiteboard when it has none of the stiffness bumps in the EI profile as the whiteboard does 

[hagimihale]

Its probably the softer handle, and I think it has the stiffest mid of any Graphite Design shaft.  I've hit a lot of GD shafts, and this is the closest to a whiteboard that they have.  This and the GP are the only GD shafts that work for me.

 

Meanwhile, I have all of the following in my garage (or my gamer bag) at the moment: Diamana 'ahina, Diamana W-series, Diamana DF, Tensei Pro White and Tensei Pro White 1K. All work for me.  

 

 

[third-times-a-charm]

Not to turn this into a whiteboard thread instead of a ZF thread, but every time I have ever heard someone talk about a GDI shaft they say 'theyre all the same blueboard profile with minor tweaks'. If you ask about blueboard vs whiteboard people say 'theyre different'. 

 

So which is it lol

 

Here's what another website says the profile is like within the GDI line:

 

 

Here's something that @Valtiel posted when Rory was testing the XC shaft:

 

 

Quote

The XC is the same profile as the BB, and here that is (in blue) compared to the KK XT that Rory was playing before. They certainly aren't worlds apart, but the XT is noticeably stiffer in the mid and softer in the handle.

 

And here's Mitsubishi's internal overlay vs 4th gen shafts showing the ZF follows a liner layup like the DF but with a firmer butt and slightly softer tip and mid, but still a firmer tip and mid than the blue, aka an AD XC having a firmer tip and mid than THEIR normal blues:

 

 

And just for good measure here's 'whiteboard profiles' showing their squiggly-ness stiffness bumps aka nowhere near a blueboard:

 

[third-times-a-charm]

Okay since no one commented on my investigative report above I'll give my opinion since I just got back from the range.

 

The AD XC is not low spin nor is it anything like a whiteboard. More like a blueboard with a soft handle and a small stiffness bump in the mid with the same tip stiffness.

 

I am by no means a fast swinger and the ADXC is more than playable and has lots of feel.

 

Unfortunately for the ZF it just beat it out during this range session. I'm going to take it out on the course and see how it feels on the back 9 but so far the XC is the only thing I've found that has beat out the ZF this year.

[BDowning]

My ZF has been sent to the bench for the Ventus Blue TR in 6X. The shaft has really minimized my misses and can go full bore at the ball with a bit more confidence then I could with the ZF. Could be honeymoon phase, but I love the TR right now.

[aenemated]

Good heavens, this shaft. 

[phizzy30]

On 4/24/2022 at 5:14 PM, BDowning said:

My ZF has been sent to the bench for the Ventus Blue TR in 6X. The shaft has really minimized my misses and can go full bore at the ball with a bit more confidence then I could with the ZF. Could be honeymoon phase, but I love the TR right now.

Ventus TR was a bit more anti-left for me than the ZF, but I love how the ZF feels coming off the face whereas the TR had less feel to it.  It was neck and neck in terms of performance so I decided to stick with the ZF........for the time being.  I can't wait until the Kai'li Blue is released.  Will do extensive testing for my 3 metal. 

[GooseHook]

Finally played 9 over the weekend for the first time in a couple months. The ZF picked up right where I left off, it's made the driver just so much fun to hit. It seems to really jive well with the Stealth Plus head. 

[ob1soccer]

is the ZF similar to the 1k white

[Freddie]

2 hours ago, ob1soccer said:

is the ZF similar to the 1k white

Not for me. Little lower ball flight and much tighter dispersion with the 1k for me. Much more consistent than than the ZF. I really tried to like the ZF and I hit some bombs with it but just not as consistent as the 1k. For me. 

[phizzy30]

12 hours ago, ob1soccer said:

is the ZF similar to the 1k white

No.  The ZF is great for me in 3 metal as I need the higher launch with low spin.  It wasn't very stable for me in driver and I would lose it hard left if I swung more than 80%.  1K can hold up better on hard swings but can still be prone to the lefts.  The only thing they share is feel where they are both very smooth.  1K will feel very linear whereas the ZF will have a tiny bit of kick to it at the bottom. 

[ScottHutch2]

could anyone compare the ZF to the Speeder Evo VII ? sounds like they should have similar profiles with the stiffer handles and tips sandwiching a softer midsection. Any comparisons on feel, balance point, etc?

[hagimihale]

@phizzy30, testing a ZF 70TX in a TSi2 16.5*...

[John Wenger]

On 1/20/2022 at 6:34 AM, phizzy30 said:

I have the 60TX in my bag and have tested the XC in both 60 and 70 gram range when I went in for my driver fitting awhile back.  ZF seems to launch slightly higher but still retains low spin like the XC.  ZF also has some kick to it whereas the XC felt more linear to me.  As a result, the ZF had more feel to it. 

100% agree with this take. I tested both as well and had same experience. ZF is staying in the bag for a long time.

[ob1soccer]

Wonder if the ZF is going to be similar to the kaali blue which also seems to have characteristics of the blue and white?

[phizzy30]

Just now, ob1soccer said:

Wonder if the ZF is going to be similar to the kaali blue which also seems to have characteristics of the blue and white?

I was told that the KB will launch a little lower but spin more than the ZF.  The bend points are also different where the KB is high while the ZF is mid/high.  The ZF is stiff, soft/firm, stiff while the KB is supposed to be firm, stiff, stiff in terms of EI profile. 

[cardoustie]

I went back to the OG whiteboard 63x in a 5w, seem like a ZF50 tx could be the magic sauce for my driver

 

interesting to see XC talk here as well 

 

not many modern shafts seem to offer the feel / stability combo of the OG white and blues

Edited August 7, 2022 by cardoustie

[GooseHook]

Keeping this thread alive with the release of the GT- Diamana generations don't change all that much but it could be nice to see some comparisons with the ZF. 

 

My ZF/BF combo in driver and 3w is still going very well on the baby-limited season, but with the extra rest I've found that some of my old speed has returned. The ZF doesn't balloon on me but it does seem to have a wider shot spread without much change in my swing. I bought a DF 70TX to compare to see if it's any bit of an upgrade over the ZF in the driver (which I intend to keep as the new standard shaft for me). 

 

In the past I hated WB type profiles but in those days I had a super long swing with excessive wrist hinge. Now that my hands are much less involved in the swing I think I might prefer the softer handle feeling in the DF, as a long time Dynamic Gold guy.