*Graphite Design Lovers Anonymous* Tour AD UB vs IZ vs XC and NOW vs TP! ...and HD....and VR

[third-times-a-charm]

1 hour ago, phizzy30 said:

I've tested the CQ and it's mid/mid.  It feels softer than the TR Red with a touch more kick though but very similar launch and spin numbers for me.  It's really good for fairway metals but too spinny and loose for driver.  You should give it a go since your a GD fiend, lol. 

Oh I will - gotta wait for those eBay auctions to come down 🤣

[urjc22]

I personally am not finding it too spinny for a driver at all.  I think it has really tight dispersion and in fact performs the best when I really go after it.  I do agree that the TR red is a little more stout but the kick i get from the CQ provides some increased ball speed.  I am not your average WRX'er and only swing about 101-104 with the driver...As an FYI, Brooke Henderson is playing this shaft in her driver now (I often time think the LPGA players are a better comparison set to us mortals). 

[JamesG12]

Long time follower of the thread here… I stopped reading a month or so ago when I found the TR red and thought my driver shaft search was over. Well I recently borrowed a 17° Apex UW from my fitter that has a DI 7s in it and played a few rounds. I can’t believe how straight and far I hit it with a very slight fade. It brought me back to this thread to read through again. 
 

Has anyone backed their way into a driver fit by finding something that worked well in a fairway metal? 
 

The TR red is fine for me. Best shaft I’ve had in a while for my inconsistent swing. Before that I had the UB which I was fit into by titleist and was great on the LM but couldn’t control it at all on the course. 
 

I had tried ventus blue before that and I think the tip might have just been too stiff for me. 
 

I guess that’s a long way of asking if anyone fell in love with the DI in a fairway and it also worked for them in a driver. If not, what might be the next logical step… HD or IZ? 

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, JamesG12 said:

Long time follower of the thread here… I stopped reading a month or so ago when I found the TR red and thought my driver shaft search was over. Well I recently borrowed a 17° Apex UW from my fitter that has a DI 7s in it and played a few rounds. I can’t believe how straight and far I hit it with a very slight fade. It brought me back to this thread to read through again. 
 

Has anyone backed their way into a driver fit by finding something that worked well in a fairway metal? 
 

The TR red is fine for me. Best shaft I’ve had in a while for my inconsistent swing. Before that I had the UB which I was fit into by titleist and was great on the LM but couldn’t control it at all on the course. 
 

I had tried ventus blue before that and I think the tip might have just been too stiff for me. 
 

I guess that’s a long way of asking if anyone fell in love with the DI in a fairway and it also worked for them in a driver. If not, what might be the next logical step… HD or IZ? 

I've put in the same shaft that I've had in my 3 metal into driver before and it's never worked out for me.  First ZF then GT.  I found out I need to stay true to myself and stick with low/low shafts.  As far as the DI is concerned I had one in driver for many years long time ago when they first came out.  I've hit some of my longest drives with it but I sprayed it all over the place.  There weren't many really solid graphite options for drivers back.  It never worked in 3 metal for me.  As for your last question, I've had the HD and tested the IZ.  Both were more stable than the DI and felt more linear.  Difference between the two is that HD launches lower than the IZ and may or may not spin less for you.  I also prefer the way the HD feels over the IZ as it feels smoother. 

Edited July 3, 2023 by phizzy30

[JamesG12]

33 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

I've put in the same shaft that I've had in my 3 metal into driver before and it's never worked out for me.  First ZF then GT.  I found out I need to stay true to myself and stick with low/low shafts.  As far as the DI is concerned I had one in driver for many years long time ago when they first came out.  I've hit some of my longest drives with it but I sprayed it all over the place.  There weren't many really solid graphite options for drivers back.  It never worked in 3 metal for me.  As for your last question, I've had the HD and tested the IZ.  Both were more stable than the DI and felt more linear.  Difference between the two is that HD launches lower than the IZ and may or may not spin less for you.  I also prefer the way the HD feels over the IZ as it feels smoother. 

Thank you. That’s helpful. Maybe a follow on question is can anyone compare DI/HD/IZ to ventus TR red?

[GoTime]

Think i'm gonna be putting my UB 8X on the BST soon. Just cant seem to hit it high enough.

[robp11]

I'm wondering about the CQ 8X to put in my Apex UW 19...I've got the stock Hzrdus Smoke Black RDX 80 6.5 in there right now and it feels great but it goes a little lower than I'd like...

[70sinsight]

34 minutes ago, GoTime said:

Think i'm gonna be putting my UB 8X on the BST soon. Just cant seem to hit it high enough.

What length/adapter? 

[phizzy30]

8 minutes ago, robp11 said:

I'm wondering about the CQ 8X to put in my Apex UW 19...I've got the stock Hzrdus Smoke Black RDX 80 6.5 in there right now and it feels great but it goes a little lower than I'd like...

It definitely launches higher than the RDX black.  Also way smoother.  CQ is gonna have some kick to it so be aware of that

Edited July 3, 2023 by phizzy30

[urjc22]

Adding to what I said before now that I have 10 rounds in with my Stealth 2 driver with GD CQ 6s, while this shaft may not scream driver profile, this combo has been an absolute rocket for me.  My SS is around 100-104 and my AoA is +3 to 4 degrees…I am finding spin to be perfect in the 2200-2500 range.  The shaft performs best when you go after it.  

[cmrn89]

hey guys, new GD addict here. Was recently fitted for a VR-6X in driver and loving it. I'm now looking into what to put in my TSi2 3 wood and 3 hybrid. Any initial recommendations on what to try in both? 3 wood I hit mostly off the tee and around 235 yards, but I'll use it occasionally going into the green. 3hybrid I haven't been using much recently, mainly on specific tee shots but most rounds I haven't had many opportunities/needs to pull it out. Happy to give a little more if that would be helpful. 

[phizzy30]

delete

Edited July 14, 2023 by phizzy30

[phizzy30]

25 minutes ago, cmrn89 said:

hey guys, new GD addict here. Was recently fitted for a VR-6X in driver and loving it. I'm now looking into what to put in my TSi2 3 wood and 3 hybrid. Any initial recommendations on what to try in both? 3 wood I hit mostly off the tee and around 235 yards, but I'll use it occasionally going into the green. 3hybrid I haven't been using much recently, mainly on specific tee shots but most rounds I haven't had many opportunities/needs to pull it out. Happy to give a little more if that would be helpful. 

IZ or DI for hybrid.  I prefer the IZ because it was more stable for me.  VR was mid-high launch and a bit draw bias for me.  You could go with the same in your 3 metal or something like the DI which was draw bias for me as well.  If you want something more stable/anti-left, I would recommend the UB or HD. 

[Hoyoymac]

Have been playing the VR 6S in my Cobra LTDx LS driver and the DI 7S in the Cobra LTDx 15 degree 3 wood set at 16.5.  Best 3 wood I’ve ever had.  I find the DI to be more fade biased than the VR.  I have the TP 8S in a Cobra LTDx 7 wood set at 21 degrees.

 

My driver swing speed was at 102 MPH when I got fitted.  It is higher now that I’ve been using The Stack System.  Last time I checked was a few weeks ago and driver swing speed was 106.

[goje22]

2 hours ago, cmrn89 said:

hey guys, new GD addict here. Was recently fitted for a VR-6X in driver and loving it. I'm now looking into what to put in my TSi2 3 wood and 3 hybrid. Any initial recommendations on what to try in both? 3 wood I hit mostly off the tee and around 235 yards, but I'll use it occasionally going into the green. 3hybrid I haven't been using much recently, mainly on specific tee shots but most rounds I haven't had many opportunities/needs to pull it out. Happy to give a little more if that would be helpful. 

id love to help! But more info provided is important in doing your diligence before spending premium shaft $$$ based on WRX input. I probably don’t even need to mention this but no input here trumps actually hitting them. 

Baseline info: What are your swing speed and transition speed details? Do you prefer seeing a draw vs fade? What part is in those clubs now? 

Optimal info: what do you launch and spin those two clubs currently? What is your goal for launch + spin (ie go up or go down from current)? Do you prefer a shaft that “kicks” more or less feel wise? How long do you intend to build them (ie longer might mean lighter weight or higher balance point)?
 

^^^many folks will be able to chime in with the details above. The new CQ has been a favorite of many in their 3w due to its ease of launch fwiw. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by goje22

[Wonderboy]

On 7/2/2023 at 5:02 PM, JamesG12 said:

Long time follower of the thread here… I stopped reading a month or so ago when I found the TR red and thought my driver shaft search was over. Well I recently borrowed a 17° Apex UW from my fitter that has a DI 7s in it and played a few rounds. I can’t believe how straight and far I hit it with a very slight fade. It brought me back to this thread to read through again. 
 

Has anyone backed their way into a driver fit by finding something that worked well in a fairway metal? 
 

The TR red is fine for me. Best shaft I’ve had in a while for my inconsistent swing. Before that I had the UB which I was fit into by titleist and was great on the LM but couldn’t control it at all on the course. 
 

I had tried ventus blue before that and I think the tip might have just been too stiff for me. 
 

I guess that’s a long way of asking if anyone fell in love with the DI in a fairway and it also worked for them in a driver. If not, what might be the next logical step… HD or IZ? 

I play the DI 7s in my 3 wood and 8s in my 5 wood.  By far my favorite fairway wood shaft ever.  I had the DI in my TSR3 driver and liked it but started experimenting with TSR2 driver with the DI and it didn't do so well.  I plugged in the UB to the TSR2 and it was magic!!  

Edited July 15, 2023 by Wonderboy

[drscott266]

13 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

I play the DI 7s in my 3 wood and 8s in my 5 wood.  By far my favorite fairway wood shaft ever.  I had the DI in my TSR3 driver and liked it but started experimenting with TSR2 driver with the DI and it didn't do so well.  I plugged in the UB to the TSR2 and it was magic!!  

Love that setup as I went with the same, until 5 wood where I put an IZ 7S. The shafts seem to work well in that setup for me too, but I also primarily only hit my 3 wood of tee… I like the IZ feel for having to play off a fairway.  Last fitting basically said I could at IZ or DI in fairway (just came down to preferred feel), driver benefited from the UB profile. 

[cmrn89]

6 hours ago, goje22 said:

id love to help! But more info provided is important in doing your diligence before spending premium shaft $$$ based on WRX input. I probably don’t even need to mention this but no input here trumps actually hitting them. 

Baseline info: What are your swing speed and transition speed details? Do you prefer seeing a draw vs fade? What part is in those clubs now? 

Optimal info: what do you launch and spin those two clubs currently? What is your goal for launch + spin (ie go up or go down from current)? Do you prefer a shaft that “kicks” more or less feel wise? How long do you intend to build them (ie longer might mean lighter weight or higher balance point)?
 

^^^many folks will be able to chime in with the details above. The new CQ has been a favorite of many in their 3w due to its ease of launch fwiw. 

Thanks phizzy and hoyo for the input! Was already considering HD in the 3w but will have to think about the DI as well, just need to figure out where I can test them out now.

 

Goje, appreciate the detail.

 

baseline - driver swing speed is around 107-108 and I consider myself to have a quick transition, not sure if there’s a way to quantify it. And I prefer a draw. Have a project x hazardous 6.0 shaft in both, personally not a fan, they feel boardy and stiff to me but I’ve made them work for about a year now. But with my swing speed picking up, started considering xtra stiff which was confirmed during the driver fitting so now I’m looking into switching up the 3w and hybrid.

 

3w launch is 16-17 degrees and spin is around 3200-3400. Open to input on optimal numbers here but I’d think launch would need to come down, not sure about spin.

 

hybrid launch is 13-14 degrees and spin is around 3500-3600, open to input on optimal numbers here. Note, my fitter did recommend Accra i80 x-stiff for the hybrid. I just haven’t decided to pull the trigger yet.

 

I prefer that they don’t kick and the shaft be more stable, I feel less control in a shaft that seems to kick more.

 

I have my trackman numbers so let me know if any other info would be helpful. 

 

[JourdanM]

Recovering ventus addict and I'm all aboard the AD train. The feel has me hooked. 
 

TSR2 driver with AD DI. It is a bomber but the miss is definitely a push. I have an IZ coming to try. Should I try something in between the two also? Like TP or HD? Open to suggestions. 
 

have a CQ coming for 4 wood and IZ for 7w. 
 

this is going to be fun 

[phizzy30]

8 hours ago, JourdanM said:

Recovering ventus addict and I'm all aboard the AD train. The feel has me hooked. 
 

TSR2 driver with AD DI. It is a bomber but the miss is definitely a push. I have an IZ coming to try. Should I try something in between the two also? Like TP or HD? Open to suggestions. 
 

have a CQ coming for 4 wood and IZ for 7w. 
 

this is going to be fun 

I found the HD and TP more stable than the DI.  They both feel really smooth as well and have less kick.  You may also wanna look at the UB as well because on paper, it's a more stout version of the DI on paper but launches lower and is more anti-left as well with less kick. 

[phizzy30]

On 7/14/2023 at 7:46 PM, cmrn89 said:

Thanks phizzy and hoyo for the input! Was already considering HD in the 3w but will have to think about the DI as well, just need to figure out where I can test them out now.

 

Goje, appreciate the detail.

 

baseline - driver swing speed is around 107-108 and I consider myself to have a quick transition, not sure if there’s a way to quantify it. And I prefer a draw. Have a project x hazardous 6.0 shaft in both, personally not a fan, they feel boardy and stiff to me but I’ve made them work for about a year now. But with my swing speed picking up, started considering xtra stiff which was confirmed during the driver fitting so now I’m looking into switching up the 3w and hybrid.

 

3w launch is 16-17 degrees and spin is around 3200-3400. Open to input on optimal numbers here but I’d think launch would need to come down, not sure about spin.

 

hybrid launch is 13-14 degrees and spin is around 3500-3600, open to input on optimal numbers here. Note, my fitter did recommend Accra i80 x-stiff for the hybrid. I just haven’t decided to pull the trigger yet.

 

I prefer that they don’t kick and the shaft be more stable, I feel less control in a shaft that seems to kick more.

 

I have my trackman numbers so let me know if any other info would be helpful. 

 

If those numbers work for you, then stick with the setup.  They're not too far off from optimal numbers.  3 metal and hybrid are for accuracy and distance control, not so much max distance.  Shafts such as the HD, TP, UB and IZ will kick less than the DI and I found them to be more stable as well. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by phizzy30

[JourdanM]

1 hour ago, phizzy30 said:

I found the HD and TP more stable than the DI.  They both feel really smooth as well and have less kick.  You may also wanna look at the UB as well because on paper, it's a more stout version of the DI on paper but launches lower and is more anti-left as well with less kick. 

I am actually looking for something maybe a little more neutral than DI. Not necessarily something easy to turn over. 

[phizzy30]

Just now, JourdanM said:

I am actually looking for something maybe a little more neutral than DI. Not necessarily something easy to turn over. 

UB or GP then.  I found both to be more fade biased than the DI. 

[JourdanM]

What is this guy ? 

[70sinsight]

Hey fellas. Currently have UB 7X tipped an inch in my driver and I love it. I have CK PO 90TX 2HY and am looking at a shaft for the 4 HY and possibly 3 icrossover. Currently have tried the 9X Ventus Blue both tipped and not tipped and still gives me the lefts. Phizzy said to try a Ventus Black HB, which I'm waiting on, but wondering if you all have recommendations on a GD hybrid shaft for the 4Hy/3 crossover that might appeal to me based on my like of the UB. Thanks! 

[phizzy30]

22 minutes ago, 70sinsight said:

Hey fellas. Currently have UB 7X tipped an inch in my driver and I love it. I have CK PO 90TX 2HY and am looking at a shaft for the 4 HY and possibly 3 icrossover. Currently have tried the 9X Ventus Blue both tipped and not tipped and still gives me the lefts. Phizzy said to try a Ventus Black HB, which I'm waiting on, but wondering if you all have recommendations on a GD hybrid shaft for the 4Hy/3 crossover that might appeal to me based on my like of the UB. Thanks! 

Ventus Black HB is as anti-left you can get for a hybrid shaft however, it's low launch/spin.  The DI or IZ hybrid actually complement the UB, IMO.  IZ felt more linear and felt better to me but it seems as though everyone and their mother love the DI hybrid. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by phizzy30

[70sinsight]

1 hour ago, phizzy30 said:

Ventus Black HB is as anti-left you can get for a hybrid shaft however, it's low launch/spin.  The DI or IZ hybrid actually complement the UB, IMO.  IZ felt more linear and felt better to me but it seems as though everyone and their mother love the DI hybrid. 

Appreciate it. The Black could match up better for my 2 HY since it is primarily a tee club, but I've been intrigued with the GD shafts for a 3i and or 4HY. I demoed a 4 icrossover and loved how easy it was to launch compared to my 770 w/6.5 LS. Too many combinations for the top of the bag going right now. . .

[goje22]

On 7/14/2023 at 7:46 PM, cmrn89 said:

Thanks phizzy and hoyo for the input! Was already considering HD in the 3w but will have to think about the DI as well, just need to figure out where I can test them out now.

 

Goje, appreciate the detail.

 

baseline - driver swing speed is around 107-108 and I consider myself to have a quick transition, not sure if there’s a way to quantify it. And I prefer a draw. Have a project x hazardous 6.0 shaft in both, personally not a fan, they feel boardy and stiff to me but I’ve made them work for about a year now. But with my swing speed picking up, started considering xtra stiff which was confirmed during the driver fitting so now I’m looking into switching up the 3w and hybrid.

 

3w launch is 16-17 degrees and spin is around 3200-3400. Open to input on optimal numbers here but I’d think launch would need to come down, not sure about spin.

 

hybrid launch is 13-14 degrees and spin is around 3500-3600, open to input on optimal numbers here. Note, my fitter did recommend Accra i80 x-stiff for the hybrid. I just haven’t decided to pull the trigger yet.

 

I prefer that they don’t kick and the shaft be more stable, I feel less control in a shaft that seems to kick more.

 

I have my trackman numbers so let me know if any other info would be helpful. 

 

Sorry for the delay! Many trips of late. 
 

Based on your 3W numbers you seem to have pretty healthy launch/spin. If you were keen on a more linear / less kick feeling Tour AD I’d start with HD 6X or 7S/X. That part to me feels a bit more stable compared to some others I’ve used (DI, GP, UB, TP) but HD tends to fall pretty high up in weight by category (ie 8x is 88g). 
 

A second option could be the good ole MT/MJ line in 7x which are older but still fantastic options sometimes $100-$150 new. MJ/MT are different in that one is lower & the other is higher launching, but both have a fairly stable feel to me. You could decide on which launch profile works best based on your goals and current results.  
 

It’s hard to argue with the part your fitter pulled in your utility club, but most likely  IZ 75/85 X or DI 85X would be your short list to try. AD HY feels a bit softer.

[Hoyoymac]

Was testing some shafts this past week.

 

Got a new to me Tour AD UB 6S that I put into a Tour Edge C723 13 degree 3 wood and found it to be much stiffer feeling than I expected and without the smooth feeling of the AD DI that I love in my Cobra LTDx 3 wood.  The Diamana Thump F75 Stiff shaft turned out to be the best in the Tour Edge 3 wood.

 

My friend got a Ping G425 7 wood for a steal but with a Senior Shaft and wanted to try some of my shafts in it.  The AD TP 8S that I have in my Cobra LTDx 7 wood was the clear winner over the Ventus Blue with Velocore 7S.  The Diamana Thump F75  Stiff was a very close second.

[Gabbagool]

got this shaft in a Cobra ZL driver c 2009 from the bargain bin. Played a round on the sim with it last night and was getting great results in terms of distance and dispersion (have 102 avg swing speed but wanted to try a soft flex and light shaft a la Autoflex). spin was high (high 2k-low 3k range generally) despite a solid AoA of around 2-3 up. Not consistent enough to draw clear conclusions yet (i can hit a drive 220 or 275, just depends on the swing) on it compared to my gamer Rogue ST max LS with a VR-6 SR shaft but it felt great. Will probably put it into a Callaway adapter.