Tour New Graphite Design VF shafts - 2023 3M Open

[Grover21]

On 7/26/2023 at 10:52 AM, ForTourUseOnly said:

has to stand for Very Far right?

 

I wish they would release the 90g versions to dealers

Will Peoples will normally have the full range of options.  He gets a lot of "tour only" weights and flexes. 

[Valtiel]

On 8/4/2023 at 9:48 AM, Fairways_and_Greens said:

Love it when a shaft is released and WRXrs comments on how they want to hit it based on the paint job. 
 

reminds me of my dad saying “lures don’t need to look good to the fish, they need to look good to the fisherman”

Hey there are two kinds of golf hoes in this world; the ones that want fun head/shaft color matches and f****** liars. 😆

[nova6868]

On 8/4/2023 at 9:31 AM, mattman said:

Yep, finally the GP replacement

 

I agree, I think this is going to be  the AD-GP replacement. It's still a "soft" mid just not overly soft and then the tip is really stiff. Below is the GP profile and I'm guessing VF will be very similar, just a slight tweak and with new materials. 

 

 

[mattman]

15 minutes ago, nova6868 said:

 

I agree, I think this is going to be  the AD-GP replacement. It's still a "soft" mid just not overly soft and then the tip is really stiff. Below is the GP profile and I'm guessing VF will be very similar, just a slight tweak and with new materials. 

 

 

Isn’t this very similar to ventus black profile as well?

[goje22]

1 hour ago, nova6868 said:

 

I agree, I think this is going to be  the AD-GP replacement. It's still a "soft" mid just not overly soft and then the tip is really stiff. Below is the GP profile and I'm guessing VF will be very similar, just a slight tweak and with new materials. 

 

 

I chatted directly with Graphite Design sales on this shaft specifically when discussing product recommendations for a 5 wood.
 

I play GP8TX in a 4 wood (16.5) and UB8TX in a 3 wood (15). I wanted to know if there was a GP 9 “tour only” SKU similar to how I was able to get a UB 9TX for my gamer 5 wood. They mentioned that (while there maybe was a GP 9 tour Proto part) GP as a whole has been discontinued from manufacturing since the new VF will directly replace it. The only GP parts left in circulation are “new old stock” essentially. 
 

Edit: I should note, my original hunch about this being a 9003 line shaft was wrong. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by goje22
New comment

[goje22]

1 hour ago, mattman said:

Isn’t this very similar to ventus black profile as well?

This is a great example where low spin profiles can differ quite a bit. 
 

I wouldn’t say AD GP is ‘very similar’ to Ventus black, but they do share a very stiff tip-section & some mid-section softness. 

 

The overarching difference is that Ventus black has a significantly more stiff lower mid-section then AD GP does. While they both have some mid-section softness, that “soft-mid” portion is much larger in GP, making it feel different to the user. To me, GP has a ‘kick’ still that I expect to get from a blueboard / AD DI style profile; where a Ventus black feels incredibly stable w/o kicking. 
 

Since AD GP has a softer-mid that extends closer to the (incredibly stiff) tip area, tipping these shafts will also have way different influence on profile. Tipping a Ventus black will expose the (extremely) stiff midsection & make it feel more stable. Where a GP - once tipped - actually becomes a softer overall profile. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by goje22
Spelling

[bkirkley09]

Have they replaced the Tour Ad MT line yet? Or what shafts would be similar? My favorite GD shaft and it’s hard to find. 

[Morry]

5 hours ago, bkirkley09 said:

Have they replaced the Tour Ad MT line yet? Or what shafts would be similar? My favorite GD shaft and it’s hard to find. 

Complete agreement - MT replacement I am eager for as well

this definitely isn't it 

look forward 

[mattman]

They don’t have an MT replacement, and it got discontinued a few years ago. I regret selling mine, such a good shaft. 

[kwonye]

Loving the color scheme. I'm hoping they have a matching set all the way down to irons/wedges.

[speeder757]

16 hours ago, goje22 said:

This is a great example where low spin profiles can differ quite a bit. 
 

I wouldn’t say AD GP is ‘very similar’ to Ventus black, but they do share a very stiff tip-section & some mid-section softness. 

 

The overarching difference is that Ventus black has a significantly more stiff lower mid-section then AD GP does. While they both have some mid-section softness, that “soft-mid” portion is much larger in GP, making it feel different to the user. To me, GP has a ‘kick’ still that I expect to get from a blueboard / AD DI style profile; where a Ventus black feels incredibly stable w/o kicking. 
 

Since AD GP has a softer-mid that extends closer to the (incredibly stiff) tip area, tipping these shafts will also have way different influence on profile. Tipping a Ventus black will expose the (extremely) stiff midsection & make it feel more stable. Where a GP - once tipped - actually becomes a softer overall profile. 

Do you have the EI profile for the original Ventus Black? Thx 

[goje22]

7 hours ago, speeder757 said:

Do you have the EI profile for the original Ventus Black? Thx 

Pretty similar overall to the TR Black. Not any closer to GP and the same general trends apply (GP EI below for ease of comparison) 

 

[Morry]

12 hours ago, mattman said:

They don’t have an MT replacement, and it got discontinued a few years ago. I regret selling mine, such a good shaft. 

 They Need one Badly in my view 

Exactly the kind of shaft that is unique 

 

everyone is trying to aspire to one profile (ventus) right now and the fringes of it 

losing variety 

 

 

[goje22]

16 minutes ago, Morry said:

 They Need one Badly in my view 

Exactly the kind of shaft that is unique 

 

everyone is trying to aspire to one profile (ventus) right now and the fringes of it 

losing variety 

 

 

MT is fairly similar to the Mitsubishi KuroKage XD where at about 16” down the shaft there is a rapid loss of stiffness before increasing again at the tip. Both shafts have that very low weak point then drastic increase in tip stiffness. MT has a little more handle rigidity however. 

 
Commenting on Ventus (as a non-Ventus user), I don’t think Ventus is popular because of any one profile; I think it’s the overarching player / user coverage (with all 6 Ventus models) that Fuji has achieved. The PGA tour adoption is a huge sign of that, and every model has won on the biggest stage. 
 

With that being said, the Ventus line (and many others) are another ”version” of the original Diamana / Mitsubishi profiles - just with new materials and subtle adjustments to profile/torque. Most Tour AD shafts are iterations of a “Blueboard” in my eyes with a few exceptions. 

[kthomas]

How would this profile compare to say a HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX?

[pettyhrdway]

How much does weight affect a ei profile? 

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, pettyhrdway said:

How much does weight affect a ei profile? 

With modern shafts it's insignificant because they use more modern materials to make the heavier weights the same launch/spin as their lighter counterparts.  With older shafts, the heavier the shaft, the lower it would launch with less spin, especially with GD shafts. 

Edited August 21, 2023 by phizzy30

[phizzy30]

3 hours ago, kthomas said:

How would this profile compare to say a HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX?

RDX Black is closer to the Ventus Black in terms of EI profile. 

[phizzy30]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:26 PM, goje22 said:

I chatted directly with Graphite Design sales on this shaft specifically when discussing product recommendations for a 5 wood.
 

I play GP8TX in a 4 wood (16.5) and UB8TX in a 3 wood (15). I wanted to know if there was a GP 9 “tour only” SKU similar to how I was able to get a UB 9TX for my gamer 5 wood. They mentioned that (while there maybe was a GP 9 tour Proto part) GP as a whole has been discontinued from manufacturing since the new VF will directly replace it. The only GP parts left in circulation are “new old stock” essentially. 
 

Edit: I should note, my original hunch about this being a 9003 line shaft was wrong. 

I reached out to GD as well through email and never got a response.  I was really hoping that the VF would be a remake of the M9003.  I like the GP, but it doesn't quite mesh with my swing.  I was really hoping for the VF to be a true low/low shaft that's super stable with virtually no kick and that signature GD feel.  BUMMER.

Edited August 21, 2023 by phizzy30

[third-times-a-charm]

9 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

I reached out to GD as well through email and never got a response.  I was really hoping that the VF would be a remake of the M9003.  I like the GP, but it doesn't quite mesh with my swing.  I was really hoping for the VF to be a true low/low shaft that's super stable with virtually no kick and that signature GD feel.  BUMMER.

 

Not sure how you can have those two things lol

 

A board is a board at that point. IMO the M9003 was a real outlier for GD hence why they've never really tackled it again. I dont know how well it sold in the Asian markets, either. The obsession with linear-feeling low/low shafts is very North American and to some extent EU players.

 

I think the GP/VF are the closest theyre really going to get outside of stiff-handle profiles like the UB which mimic the Tensei.

[phizzy30]

1 hour ago, third-times-a-charm said:

 

Not sure how you can have those two things lol

 

A board is a board at that point. IMO the M9003 was a real outlier for GD hence why they've never really tackled it again. I dont know how well it sold in the Asian markets, either. The obsession with linear-feeling low/low shafts is very North American and to some extent EU players.

 

I think the GP/VF are the closest theyre really going to get outside of stiff-handle profiles like the UB which mimic the Tensei.

Ventus TR Black is a unicorn in that regard.  It has no kick but it's still smooth.  There's no harshness to it whatsoever to me.  Give it a go and you shall see the light, lol. 

Edited August 21, 2023 by phizzy30

[third-times-a-charm]

47 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

Ventus TR Black is a unicorn in that regard.  It has no kick but it's still smooth.  There's no harshness to it whatsoever to me.  Give it a go and you shall see the light, lol. 

I have, even tested it in the PXG battle fitting thing. I'm too inefficient to get good feel out of it I guess. Great dispersion but too boardy for me.

[djhgolf]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:32 AM, phizzy30 said:

Ventus TR Black is a unicorn in that regard.  It has no kick but it's still smooth.  There's no harshness to it whatsoever to me.  Give it a go and you shall see the light, lol. 

How did you find moving from Diamana GT to TR Black?

Hated TR Blue impossible to time! Had OG Black. OG black felt a bit dead, not boardy, like the idea of the GT. 
 

[phizzy30]

Just now, djhgolf said:

How did you find moving from Diamana GT to TR Black?

Hated TR Blue impossible to time! Had OG Black. OG black felt a bit dead, not boardy, like the idea of the GT. 
 

GT is super smooth and is still stout although it does have a hint of kick.  TR Black is a monster as in it's very linear and stout but smoother than the OG Black.  I saw slightly higher launch and spin with the GT over the TR Black.  Also, the TR Black is more stable(anti-left) than the GT for me. 

Edited August 22, 2023 by phizzy30

[snagy2000]

[third-times-a-charm]

I have a GP 6 in my 3 wood and my wife plays a GP 4R2 in driver. Might try and see if the VF can replace them if it really is the new version.

[HKS350]

$500 bones.... jeezus I hate that GD are my favorite shafts

[third-times-a-charm]

20 hours ago, HKS350 said:

$500 bones.... jeezus I hate that GD are my favorite shafts

I just noticed that. Wow. Arent all the other ones $350?

 

EDIT: Nevermind, I guess theyre all $500 MSRP but somehow show up as $250-350 upcharges from OEMs after release.

Edited August 23, 2023 by third-times-a-charm

[Diamana_Stinger]

[So_Cal]

54 minutes ago, Diamana_Stinger said:

Please translate for us dumbs