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

[Hoyoymac]

I tried a UB 6S in a 13 degree 3 wood as an alternate tee club.  It was a short lived experiment.  Too light and the feel was harsh.

[HillbillyHoma]

10 hours ago, third-times-a-charm said:

Does anyone have a UB in a fairway wood? Thoughts?

 

I have a UB 8 on the way for a 5/7 wood build and test but not sure what I want to do with it. I've put the TP 8 and HD 8 into play before and liked the HD 8 the best of those two.

 

My GP 7 is working so well in my 5w right now that I'm scared to disassemble it. Maybe wait for the new adjustable Paradym Smoke TD 7w next year? Or pop it into a Mavrik tour issue 7w head I have in the garage...

 

I have tried the UB in my BRNR mini, not sure if that passes as a fairway though. It was really good. Had a few rounds with it where I had the lefts pretty bad and put in my BB and its been in ever since. I also have a UB 8s laying around, might have to put it in my 5 wood (41.5") if you have success with yours. 

[third-times-a-charm]

25 minutes ago, HillbillyHoma said:

 

I have tried the UB in my BRNR mini, not sure if that passes as a fairway though. It was really good. Had a few rounds with it where I had the lefts pretty bad and put in my BB and its been in ever since. I also have a UB 8s laying around, might have to put it in my 5 wood (41.5") if you have success with yours. 

I’ll probably put it into the 7w but under tip it since it’s bonded hosel - see how spin looks when I hit it - and play it a little longer maybe 41.75. That way when the callaway 7w comes out with the damn tiny Optifit adapter I can tip trim and still look fine.

[third-times-a-charm]

2 hours ago, bvanlieu said:

Don't disassemble that GP you have really had a good time with it from all your reports. Its like my IZ 7 in Mav 5W I have, I won't pull that shaft out as the club just feels 'right'. 

haha yeah I know better, not gonna touch the 5w. I’ve done that before and it’s never the same.

[Kwheat]

@third-times-a-charm I was just listening to an interview with Russ from shaftreviews and the GD rep regarding the CQ, sounds like that profile fits you well, almost reminds me of a KBS type profile as it gets softer to the tip, possibly giving you a good whip feeling...?  Pretty interesting design that achieves loft without a super soft tip.

[Keith T]

On 8/15/2023 at 8:11 AM, ob1soccer said:

i understand about the callaway credit, but u should try the Titleist TSr2. I have a 21 and 24 degree and they are so much better then anything I have had before. The shafts certainly play a part but the Head is that good. I compared it directly to the Paradym, Apex, BB, Mizuno stx-230 and Steath 2, and Ping G430. I have the HY in the 21 degree because it flies a little higher and the DI in the 24, love both

 

 I agree on the Titleist hybrids. I’ve played Ping for 30 years. Had a fitting late summer and wanted to get the new Ping 430’s. I hit the TSr2 hybrid’s much better. Distance was average 22 yards further than my G30’s, along with dispersion which was at least as good. TBH though, the TSr’s were 1/2” longer and 1* stronger loft, but that should account for no more than half that distance variable. Felt better, sounded better, and they look great!

[HillbillyHoma]

4 hours ago, third-times-a-charm said:

I’ll probably put it into the 7w but under tip it since it’s bonded hosel - see how spin looks when I hit it - and play it a little longer maybe 41.75. That way when the callaway 7w comes out with the damn tiny Optifit adapter I can tip trim and still look fine.

 

Do you find GD recommendations on shaft flex to be accurate? My driver SS ranges from 104-108. I'm a smooth swinger in kind of in that weird spot between X and S according to GD. What have you found?

[third-times-a-charm]

1 hour ago, HillbillyHoma said:

 

Do you find GD recommendations on shaft flex to be accurate? My driver SS ranges from 104-108. I'm a smooth swinger in kind of in that weird spot between X and S according to GD. What have you found?

I think the stiffer models play true to flex and the softer profiles 'feel' about 1/3 to 1/2 a flex weaker. Seems to track with what others have said.

[third-times-a-charm]

Looks like the CQ is going to stay in the bag in driver right now. Just got back from another range session and even with a lower SS day-over-day it was still so easy to swing and the numbers stayed in great shape.

 

The UB 6 will be demoted and be trimmed for the 3 wood here shortly to pit up against the DI 7. I've been hitting the DI 7 a little lower than I want to.

 

How my driver shaft journey is going:

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by third-times-a-charm

[Sea-Hawks]

Sorry I haven't read the entire thread...in a while 😎, anybody playing a GD Shaft in a G430 head?

 

Currently playing a Kaili White 60x with pretty good results after reducing head weight. GC Quad is 15* launch, 2400 spin, 122ft peak height, miss is a slight pull or draw. I did drop the loft for giggles from 9* to big minus. Launch dropped to 13-13.5, spin to 1800, peak height to 98ft, distance up by 15yds.

 

Shaft feels, ok, consistent...but I could use some 'effortless/smooth' GD feel with some kick.

 

PS...gotta love the WRX enablers! 😂😎

[hagimihale]

14 hours ago, bvanlieu said:

Don't disassemble that GP you have really had a good time with it from all your reports. Its like my IZ 7 in Mav 5W I have, I won't pull that shaft out as the club just feels 'right'. 

 

Some club/shaft combinations are just magic.  But in true WRX fashion, we tinker with what works and screw up the whole thing.   

[Rpete33]

Tour ad fans help me please. True wrx fashion I picked up a triple diamond 10.5 to go against my hzdrus blue 70tx in a stealth. I want to rock something tour ad in the new Callaway head. I have a pxg 5 wood with a ub 9tx tipped an inch, love it. I’m thinking heavier weight for the driver, better for my tempo. Nothing wrong with the stealth I just want to try tour ad in the driver. I have a TP 7tx, didn’t hate it didn’t love it. What should I try?! 

[hagimihale]

11 hours ago, Rpete33 said:

Tour ad fans help me please. True wrx fashion I picked up a triple diamond 10.5 to go against my hzdrus blue 70tx in a stealth. I want to rock something tour ad in the new Callaway head. I have a pxg 5 wood with a ub 9tx tipped an inch, love it. I’m thinking heavier weight for the driver, better for my tempo. Nothing wrong with the stealth I just want to try tour ad in the driver. I have a TP 7tx, didn’t hate it didn’t love it. What should I try?! 

 

UB is a pretty linear shaft profile (among Graphite Design's models).  In theory the only GD shafts with less kick and lower launch are the XC and VF (most linear current shaft in their lineup). If you really like the UB, try that in your driver first. 

 

If you were looking for a bit more hinge and/or launch than UB, TP would be next on the list to try, but you've already done that.  HD would kick a bit more than TP, and VR/DI would be after that.

 

So the real question is what about UB you love?  That will narrow down the list.

Edited December 11, 2023 by hagimihale

[Rpete33]

10 minutes ago, hagimihale said:

 

UB is a pretty linear shaft profile (among Graphite Design's models).  In theory the only GD shafts with less kick and lower launch are the XC and VF (most linear current shaft in their lineup). If you really like the UB, try that in your driver first. 

 

If you were looking for a bit more hinge and/or launch than UB, TP would be next on the list to try, but you've already done that.  HD would kick a bit more than TP, and VR/DI would be after that.

 

So the real question is what about UB you love?  That will narrow down the list.

I have a ub 8tx sitting untipped in my garage, honeslty might pull a hydeki and throw it in driving to give it a try! 

[lefty1978]

On 12/9/2023 at 11:03 PM, third-times-a-charm said:

Does anyone have a UB in a fairway wood? Thoughts?

 

I have a UB 8 on the way for a 5/7 wood build and test but not sure what I want to do with it. I've put the TP 8 and HD 8 into play before and liked the HD 8 the best of those two.

 

My GP 7 is working so well in my 5w right now that I'm scared to disassemble it. Maybe wait for the new adjustable Paradym Smoke TD 7w next year? Or pop it into a Mavrik tour issue 7w head I have in the garage...

I have an UB 7s, tipped 1/2", in my SIM2 TI 5 wood. Goes straight, don't plan on changing.

[phizzy30]

On 12/10/2023 at 12:08 PM, HillbillyHoma said:

 

Do you find GD recommendations on shaft flex to be accurate? My driver SS ranges from 104-108. I'm a smooth swinger in kind of in that weird spot between X and S according to GD. What have you found?

GD shafts tend to play 1/2 flex softer compared to other OEMs, IMO.  You can either go with S and tip it an inch or X straight in. 

[phizzy30]

19 hours ago, Sea-Hawks said:

Sorry I haven't read the entire thread...in a while 😎, anybody playing a GD Shaft in a G430 head?

 

Currently playing a Kaili White 60x with pretty good results after reducing head weight. GC Quad is 15* launch, 2400 spin, 122ft peak height, miss is a slight pull or draw. I did drop the loft for giggles from 9* to big minus. Launch dropped to 13-13.5, spin to 1800, peak height to 98ft, distance up by 15yds.

 

Shaft feels, ok, consistent...but I could use some 'effortless/smooth' GD feel with some kick.

 

PS...gotta love the WRX enablers! 😂😎

Kai'li White and VF have similar EI profiles with the VF feeling way smoother.  UB is smooth as well but has a softer mid compared to the other two.  All three were similar launch/spin wise for me with the Kai'li White launching about a degree lower. 

[HillbillyHoma]

If anyone is interested is swapping some shafts, I posted a WTT in the BST. 

[cw1209]

Anyone try CQ in a fairway yet? Happy with a black profile in driver, but CQ seems like a great fairway shaft. 

[R_Swanson]

Currently gaming:

XC - 6S (Driver)

DI - 7X (3 wood)

DI - 7X (5 wood)

DI - 105x Hybrid (Hybrid)

 

That XC in 6S isn't really stiff enough for me, but I like how it feels better than the Ventus Blue in X I picked up to replace it.  I bought a UB in 6X to try out, it gets here today.  Also have been looking for a XC in 6X but they never seem to pop up used in the FS forum.

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, cw1209 said:

Anyone try CQ in a fairway yet? Happy with a black profile in driver, but CQ seems like a great fairway shaft. 

CQ has a pronounced kick to it and launch is mid-high with mid spin so GD does a good job on the description.  Signature smooth GD feel.  I tested the 8X in a S2+, 15* and it launched too high for my liking.  I'd say it's very similar to the Kai'li Red.  It probably would've been better in a 13* head tbh.  

Edited December 12, 2023 by phizzy30

[cw1209]

15 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

CQ has a pronounced kick to it and launch is mid-high with mid spin so GD does a good job on the description.  Signature smooth GD feel.  I tested the 8X in a S2+, 15* and it launched too high for my liking.  I'd say it's very similar to the Kai'li Red.  It probably would've been better in a 13* head tbh.  

 

My thought was to try it in a Brnr mini driver. Mostly because the colors are a pretty good match. I really like TP and wanted to try something with a similar feel, but slightly higher launch and spin. Was thinking VR, CQ, or Ventus Red (TR). 

Edited December 12, 2023 by cw1209

[phizzy30]

Just now, cw1209 said:

 

My thought was to try it in a Brnr mini driver. Mostly because the colors are a pretty good match. I really like TP and wanted to try something with a similar feel, but higher launch and spin. Was thinking VR, CQ, or Ventus Red. 

I like your choices for a mini driver.  VR, CQ and Ventus Red are simliar in terms of launch/spin.  VR does have some kick to it but it wasn't pronounced like the CQ but feel is subjective.  CQ has a softer tip so you may see a little more spin based off that.  Ventus Red doesn't feel as smooth as the GD shafts and I found it to be the least stable outta the bunch as well. 

[mattman]

Hit the VF for the first time yesterday. Currently play a Tensei 1k Black 65 X in a TSR2 10*, which has been the best driver for me ever in terms of consistency and distance, and I can hit a hard fade when I want to which is really nice - can work it both ways which has never been the case for me in driver. I swing around 112 average chs, mid 160's ball speed if I get along well with a club. One thing I really like about this matrix is I can hit a hard draw that still spins 23-2550 RPM, and fades hover just below 3. Maybe not the most ideal set up for really deep drives, but extremely forgiving, trustworthy, and consistent. The 1k Black feel is really firm/one piece, which I actually have found really nice. Not a smooth shaft, but I know where the club is at.

 

I dropped down to a 6 S in the VF mainly out of curiosity (put it in same head - TSR2 10*). I in the past have gamed stouter profiles in stiff, tipped them some, and had good success that way. So this 6 S I tipped .5", and here's what I've found thru one range session. 

 

I often hit a big draw with this set up. At first, I wasn't getting along too well, it took me a few swings to adjust to a much more active feeling shaft than 1k black. 1k black has very little kick sensation in it, this one certainly and at first I thought I was going to hate this shaft. For 3 or 5 swings I hit balls that started straight, and swung hard left with about 2400 rpms of backspin. I moved the driver setting down to C1 (flat, lower loft) and started to get a better feel for the club. Hit some straight pushes, and still lots of significant push draws. I was unable in about 30 minutes to hit a single fade with this shaft (even at 106 MPH CHS). 

 

This shaft, at least in 6 S, does not feel very firm in the hands, but it did feel really good once I got used to it and started to see some good shots with it. It's smooth, but not loose and I could trust the shaft didn't feel like it was deflecting too much even when I really went at it.

 

Time will tell if this will be as playable as my 1k Black, but in the distance department this shaft is untouched for me. The draws I hit with this shaft still had plenty of spin on them (mid 2k), and the other ball flight (straight push) didn't spin much more. So that part was really good. My efficiency was *awesome* with this shaft. Best I've tested - Tour AD XC might be second place here. 1.48-1.51 smash factor all over the place. I thought I could get a 170 ball speed shot, but was unable to get quite that high. My 1k Black usually lives around 161-163 ball speed, this was probably 3 mph higher than that on average - 165 or 166. Even at higher speeds I hit plenty of straight balls. So it holds up well for a stiff designation, no doubt. If there's a killer for this shaft for me, it will be if I tend to draw it too much. If so, I might look for a 6 X because of how high my ball speeds are with this profile. I had a 1k White briefly, and this feels closest to that but performs much differently (1k white did not time up with me, consistently left it out to the right and smash factor was not very high). 

 

Really a big fan of this one. Also want to shout out Tour AD XC as a similar shaft (it probably launched higher than VF). VF definitely has a firmer handle than XC which is nice because that overly soft handle was what turned me off the XC. Excited to try it out more and hopefully game it next season.

 

EDIT: maybe what I really need is to get on the juice and get a 6 TX like Big Cat

Edited December 14, 2023 by mattman

[phizzy30]

4 hours ago, mattman said:

Hit the VF for the first time yesterday. Currently play a Tensei 1k Black 65 X in a TSR2 10*, which has been the best driver for me ever in terms of consistency and distance, and I can hit a hard fade when I want to which is really nice - can work it both ways which has never been the case for me in driver. I swing around 112 average chs, mid 160's ball speed if I get along well with a club. One thing I really like about this matrix is I can hit a hard draw that still spins 23-2550 RPM, and fades hover just below 3. Maybe not the most ideal set up for really deep drives, but extremely forgiving, trustworthy, and consistent. The 1k Black feel is really firm/one piece, which I actually have found really nice. Not a smooth shaft, but I know where the club is at.

 

I dropped down to a 6 S in the VF mainly out of curiosity (put it in same head - TSR2 10*). I in the past have gamed stouter profiles in stiff, tipped them some, and had good success that way. So this 6 S I tipped .5", and here's what I've found thru one range session. 

 

I often hit a big draw with this set up. At first, I wasn't getting along too well, it took me a few swings to adjust to a much more active feeling shaft than 1k black. 1k black has very little kick sensation in it, this one certainly and at first I thought I was going to hate this shaft. For 3 or 5 swings I hit balls that started straight, and swung hard left with about 2400 rpms of backspin. I moved the driver setting down to C1 (flat, lower loft) and started to get a better feel for the club. Hit some straight pushes, and still lots of significant push draws. I was unable in about 30 minutes to hit a single fade with this shaft (even at 106 MPH CHS). 

 

This shaft, at least in 6 S, does not feel very firm in the hands, but it did feel really good once I got used to it and started to see some good shots with it. It's smooth, but not loose and I could trust the shaft didn't feel like it was deflecting too much even when I really went at it.

 

Time will tell if this will be as playable as my 1k Black, but in the distance department this shaft is untouched for me. The draws I hit with this shaft still had plenty of spin on them (mid 2k), and the other ball flight (straight push) didn't spin much more. So that part was really good. My efficiency was *awesome* with this shaft. Best I've tested - Tour AD XC might be second place here. 1.48-1.51 smash factor all over the place. I thought I could get a 170 ball speed shot, but was unable to get quite that high. My 1k Black usually lives around 161-163 ball speed, this was probably 3 mph higher than that on average - 165 or 166. Even at higher speeds I hit plenty of straight balls. So it holds up well for a stiff designation, no doubt. If there's a killer for this shaft for me, it will be if I tend to draw it too much. If so, I might look for a 6 X because of how high my ball speeds are with this profile. I had a 1k White briefly, and this feels closest to that but performs much differently (1k white did not time up with me, consistently left it out to the right and smash factor was not very high). 

 

Really a big fan of this one. Also want to shout out Tour AD XC as a similar shaft (it probably launched higher than VF). VF definitely has a firmer handle than XC which is nice because that overly soft handle was what turned me off the XC. Excited to try it out more and hopefully game it next season.

 

EDIT: maybe what I really need is to get on the juice and get a 6 TX like Big Cat

You really should've gone with the 6X/TX.  S at your ss won't be stable enough, IMO. 

[mattman]

12 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

You really should've gone with the 6X/TX.  S at your ss won't be stable enough, IMO. 

Hit it some more tonight and you are correct. How does Harman get away with playing an IZ 5 S??? Lol

 

anybody in the market should keep an eye on the bst in coming days

 

PS I think I was wrong on it being much faster than 1K black anyway. 1K black was getting up to same speeds I was achieving with VF yesterday. 

Edited December 15, 2023 by mattman

[HillbillyHoma]

I think this thread needs some more pictures. Let's see your Graphite Design Tour AD collections at the moment. Here's mine. Please post some pictures so I don't have to feel so bad for my addiction. 😂 

 

[bvanlieu]

Nice spread, didn't even need to zoom out too much to show the collection (as I expect a few of you fellas will need to do , one in particular 😄

 

Despite the enablers that is GolfWRX, I have limited my collection to 3 models, 6 shaft. Oh wait, forgot about the driving iron experiment...ok 4 models, 7 shafts. SEE WHAT YOU PEOPLE DO!!!!

[third-times-a-charm]

Quick range session today.

 

AD CQ in driver is still 🤌

 

AD UB in fairway woods is GREAT. Not sure why I didnt try this earlier. After kicking the UB out of driver the newly built 3 wood setup with the UB 6 is fantastic. I am absolutely itching to put my UB 8 into a 5/7 wood after hitting it in my 3 wood.

[hitnfades]

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

Quick range session today.

 

AD CQ in driver is still 🤌

 

AD UB in fairway woods is GREAT. Not sure why I didnt try this earlier. After kicking the UB out of driver the newly built 3 wood setup with the UB 6 is fantastic. I am absolutely itching to put my UB 8 into a 5/7 wood after hitting it in my 3 wood.

I have not played the UB in a driver yet. But, the UB was great for me in my Epic Speed 3 wood as well. It was beat out by my 17* Apex UW due to the versatility for me.

 

The UB shaft is making a comeback this weekend. I was not happy with the DI in the 19* UW even though it performed well.  The DI just did not have the linear feel as the IZ and UB in my other 2 UW heads. So, I finally had the UB re-installed into the 19* head this week. This club now has feel I was looking for and blends better into this area of the bag for me.