Equipment
Graphite Design’s new Tour AD F-Series fairway wood shafts
One of the most difficult shots in golf is the 3-wood “off the deck.” No matter what your level of play, it can be difficult at times to hit a fairway wood high enough and consistently enough to make it a reliable weapon on the course
With this in mind, Graphite Design has created a new line of Tour AD F-Series fairway wood shafts ($300 each) that can help golfers improve their fairway wood play. The shafts have a mid-spin design, and their construction includes a stiff butt section that’s paired with a medium-stiff mid section and a softer tip section. The soft tip will help golfers create more launch and spin at impact — meaning more forgiveness for many — while the medium-stiff mid section and stiffer butt end will help stabilize the shaft throughout the swing.
The shafts have a similar look to Graphite Design’s recently launched Tour AD-TP shafts, with the same black-gold-and-white color schemes. Like the Tour AD-TP shafts, the Tour AD F-Series fairway wood shafts are made in Japan using high-modulus, premium-aerospace carbon fiber. The Tour AD F-Series uses 40-ton carbon fiber, however, instead of the 50-ton that’s used in the Tour AD TP shafts. According to Bill McPherson, VP of Sales at Pro Choice Golf Shafts, the different material results in slightly higher torque, which is necessary to help golfers create optimal height when hitting fairway woods from the turf, and may help the golfer make better contact.
When deciding on a fairway wood shafts to your driver shaft, McPherson recommends that golfers choose a model that’s heavier than their driver shaft by roughly 10 grams. So if you’re playing a 65-gram driver shaft, a 75-gram fairway wood shaft will likely create the best results.
Graphite Design’s new Tour AD F-Series shafts will become available through authorized Graphite Design dealers on June 1, and are currently available for pre-order.
Specs
Since the F-Series shafts are intended only for use in fairway woods, the stock lengths are 44 inches, two inches shorter than its driver-specific shafts.
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- Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.2 X
3-wood: Titleist 915F (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist 816 H1 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46-10F @55), Titleist Vokey SM10 (54-10S @53), Titleist Vokey SM4 (60 @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 w/Sensicore
Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip Rite
Check out more in-hand photos of Steve Stricker’s clubs here.
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- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
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In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
- driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300. The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length. I am playing a Ventus Red 70. I play 70 grams in my fairways. I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee. When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time. So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck. The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
- JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”
Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Kenneth Boucher
May 19, 2017 at 8:11 am
$300 for a fairway wood shaft? It may be the difference between hitting the ball solidly or the big old slice. You need a good quality shaft if you wish to play well. Once you hit the Graphite design Tour AD models you will understand. Also the correct shaft for the swing you own.
Brian
May 21, 2017 at 6:17 pm
A $300 fairway wood shaft is no different from most of the stock offerings or at least a $100 upcharge. Coming from someone with a graphite design shaft(AD-TP) yes I like the feel more but I get the same numbers with a Fujikura 74 tour spec
Joey5Picks
May 18, 2017 at 3:43 pm
$300 for a fairway wood shaft? That money could be spent on a series of lessons that will go much further toward lower your scores.