Equipment
Graphite Design adds TX flex to popular Tour AD-DI shaft line
For the select few golfers who thought the stiffest Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shafts weren’t stiff enough, the company has announced that it will sell its most popular wood shaft in an even stiffer TX flex for its 70-gram, 80-gram and 90-gram models in orange/white.
TX-flex shafts are approximately 0.5 flexes stiffer than the company’s X-flex shafts, making them a good choice for golfers looking for even lower-spinning performance from the AD-DI line.
Learn more about the Tour AD-DI shafts from Pro’s Choice, the company’s distributor for the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia.
Related
- Review: Graphite Design Tour AD MJ shafts
- Review: Graphite Design YS NanoReloaded
- Don’t call it a comeback: Graphite Design retains marquee presence on Tour
- LIKE25
- LEGIT6
- WOW3
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK3
Equipment
Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.
Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.
Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.
“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.
“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…
“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”
With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
- LIKE7
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.
After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.
Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X
3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X
5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X
Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0
Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Ball: Nike RZN Black
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.
WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Whats in the Bag
Tiger Woods WITB 2024 (May)
- Tiger Woods WITB accurate as of the PGA Championship. In-hand photos from 2024 Genesis Open. Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (10.5 degrees @9.75)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 X
5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees @18.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Irons: 2023 TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 Raw (56-12TW, 60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype
Grip: Ping PP58 Blackout
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X (2024)
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R
- Check out more in-hand photos of Tiger Woods’ WITB in the forums.
- Check out more photos of Tiger at Valhalla here.
More Tiger Woods WITBs
- Tiger Woods WITB 2024 (February)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2023 (November)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2023 (February)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2022 (December) (new in-hand photos)
- Tiger Woods WITB 2022 (July)
- Tiger Woods WITB at the 2022 PGA Championship (with a new 2-iron!)
- Tiger Woods WITB: 2022 Masters
- Tiger Woods WITB 2021 PNC Championship (new in-hand photos)
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Report: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Gary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Equipment7 days ago
Details on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Team McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Whats in the Bag1 week ago
Keegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
-
Equipment2 weeks ago
Golf fans left surprised by LIV’s choice of course for its 2024 individual championship event
-
Equipment2 weeks ago
Why Wesley Bryan is playing two 4-irons this week
Peter Daugberg
Sep 16, 2015 at 4:27 pm
I’m Reading mostly negative comments on GD AD- DI? Why? Are you all pros? I’m playing hcp 3,5 ish and on my way to 2. Something – my SSP is 102 and The AD DI 6 stiff is the most steady and low spinning shaft I’ve had – not! Going to rip it out of my Cobra Fly Z + in the nearest future!
Graphite Design Sales
Sep 15, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Hi guys. Bill here from Pro’s Choice/Graphite Design. I would like to clarify that this new retail offering of the Tour AD DI shafts in TX flex is by no means a new model with a DI paint job. The TX Flex shafts that we have been manufacturing for years has always been a “Tour Only” shaft offering. We have had numerous requests from customers over the years for the heavier Tour AD DI-7 and DI-8 shafts in a stiffer flex thus we have decided to now begin to offer to the retail market the Tour AD DI-7 and DI-8 weights in the stiffer TX Flex. We are also happy to now be able to now offer the DI9-X Flex shaft as well. The Tour AD DI model continues to be a very popular shaft profile for us and we enjoy being able to continue to add new weights and flexes in an effort to meet the requests of our customers.
Thank you all for your continued support of the Graphite Design brand.
oti
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:04 am
So you are milking the dead TW cow! There you are!
Mr K
Oct 9, 2016 at 1:54 pm
hey, late reply but want to know, i bought a di 6tx from my mate who said it was a tour issue tour only shaft. i dont know if this shaft even exists as i dont see anyone selling di 6tx so please help me clarify thanks
ETW
Sep 15, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Question is, should it even be called the AD-Di? Basically it’s a different shaft with the Di orange paint job, just so they can sell more of this paint job, making people think it’s the one that Eldrick used, and making money off that, because Graphite Design knows it’s getting beaten by the likes of Aldila, Fujkura, et al.
jdub
Sep 18, 2015 at 9:38 pm
Because they offered it in a stiffer flex? I don’t follow. So every shaft manufacturer should call their regular and stiff flex shafts of the same model something different?
Ever heard of the blind leading the blind?
Morgan
Sep 18, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Couldnt be better said. love when people complain about a product that wasnt meant for them.
jdub
Sep 15, 2015 at 12:37 pm
They do– its called the BB or the 9003 series will lower launch and spin. All they’re doing is offering the exact DI profile in a stiffer flex… I don’t know why people are whining about it.
The shaft is popular and already well known so offering it with a stiffer flex just simply allows even more people to fit into it without tipping the heck out of it for those that truly swing fast enough to need it.
john
Sep 14, 2015 at 11:15 pm
dont know about “select few” – I swing about 113 mph with the driver and I had a tour ad di6x – it felt like a total noodle, spinny, soft noodle!
I agree with the other poster here that you’d just choose a different shaft and stop drinking the “that orange shaft tiger used to use” kool-aid
TonyK
Sep 15, 2015 at 7:32 am
yeah,, the shaft Tiger used to use and now Lydia Ko is using 🙂
Other
Sep 14, 2015 at 6:15 pm
Why not just use a different shaft?