Graphite Design Tour AD TP Review

Right out of the packaging, the Tour AD TP looks... well, like a Tour AD shaft. That's not a bad thing. Graphite Design has never been about flashy graphics or wild color schemes. The matte black finish with subtle silver and blue accents screams "serious golf equipment" rather than "look at me." But here's what caught my attention: this shaft felt different in my hand. Not heavier or lighter, just different. There's a certain density to it that premium shafts have, and the TP has it in spades.

The opening swing told me everything I needed to know about build quality. You know that dead, muted feeling you get with cheap shafts? Yeah, this is the opposite. Every swing felt crisp, responsive, like the shaft was actually communicating with me. (I know that sounds a bit woo-woo, but if you've hit enough shafts, you know exactly what I mean.)

Let's talk about what makes this shaft tick, the Fast Taper Technology, or FTT, as the engineers call it. Basically, Graphite Design redesigned how the shaft tapers from the grip down through the tip section. Instead of a gradual, consistent taper like most shafts, the TP gets aggressive in the mid-to-tip shift. Think of it like a sports car that's cruising in fourth gear, then suddenly drops to second – that's the kind of energy transfer we're talking about here.

In practice, this design completely changed my timing. For the initial week, I was actually hitting the ball worse. My normal smooth shift felt off, like the shaft was fighting me. But once I trusted it and let the shaft do its thing, magic happened. The club head felt more stable through impact than any shaft I've tested in recent memory. It's like having power steering for your driver; you're still in control, but the shaft is doing more of the heavy lifting.

The real genius is in the execution. Most aggressive taper designs feel boardy or harsh. The TP manages to be both stable and smooth, which shouldn't be possible but somehow is. During my testing at my local range (shoutout to Eagle Ridge), I hit probably 200 balls, comparing it directly to my gamer shaft, and the consistency was extraordinary. My dispersion tightened by about 15 yards left-to-right, and that's with my occasionally questionable swing.

What really sold me was the testing in the wind. We had a particularly nasty day with 20+ mph crosswinds, and while my buddies were spraying balls all over the property, the TP kept producing these boring, penetrating flights that just refused to balloon. That's when I knew this wasn't just marketing fluff.

Here's where things get expensive, and honestly, worth it. The TORAYCA T1100G carbon fiber with NANOALLOY technology isn't just premium materials for the sake of it. This is aerospace-grade stuff that Graphite Design has incorporated specifically in the tip section where it matters most. If you've ever hit a shaft that felt great for 15 holes, then started feeling whippy when you got tired, you'll appreciate what this material brings to the table.

The 50-ton carbon construction throughout the shaft provides a level of consistency that cheaper materials simply can't match. I'm talking about shot 1 feeling exactly like shot 100. During a recent 36-hole day at Bethpage (yes, I'm a masochist), the shaft performed similarly in the morning and afternoon rounds. No degradation in feel, no loss of stability, no weird vibrations creeping in as fatigue set in.

But here's the kicker, the NANOALLOY technology in the tip isn't just about durability. It fundamentally changes how the shaft loads and unloads. You get this incredibly stable platform at impact without sacrificing feel. Most tip-stiff shafts feel like you're hitting with rebar. The TP manages to be both incredibly stable and surprisingly responsive. It's like they figured out how to make the tip stiff for control, but still alive enough to provide feedback.

The weight distribution is another story entirely. Despite using these premium materials, the shaft doesn't feel heavy or cumbersome. My 60-gram model (I'm not as young as I used to be) felt perfectly balanced throughout the swing. The weight feels concentrated right where you want it, not too much in the handle, making it feel whippy, not too much in the tip, making it feel dead.

Alright, let's get into the numbers because that's what really matters. Graphite Design claims mid to mid-high launch with low spin, and for once, the marketing matches reality. On my launch monitor (a buddy's GC Quad that I definitely didn't buy myself because my wife would kill me), I was seeing launch angles consistently between 12-14 degrees with spin rates dropping from my usual 2,800 rpm to about 2,400 rpm.

That might not sound like much, but that 400 rpm reduction is huge. We're talking about 8-10 yards of extra carry just from spin reduction alone. Add in the slightly higher launch, and suddenly those claimed 3.5 yards of extra carry seem conservative. I was seeing 5-7 yards consistently, with some absolute bombs when I really caught one.

The path is what really impressed me, though. You know how some low-spin shafts produce these knuckleball flights that die as soon as they start descending? The TP doesn't do that. The ball flight stays strong through its entire arc. It's this penetrating mid-height path that just keeps going. Playing into the wind, I was hitting drivers that my playing partners couldn't reach with 3-woods.

Here's something interesting I found during testing: the shaft seems to know when you need help. Mis-hits that would normally balloon or plunge actually held their line better than expected. It's like the shaft has built-in forgiveness, especially on toe strikes. Heel strikes still went left (physics is physics), but they didn't drop out of the sky like with some other tour-oriented shafts.

One thing I really appreciate about the Tour AD TP line is that Graphite Design didn't just make a tour shaft for tour players. With options from 40 grams all the way up to 80 grams, there's genuinely something for everyone. The 40-gram R2 flex would work for seniors or slower swingers, while the 80-gram TX is for those absolute animals who swing out of their shoes.

I tested both the 60-gram stiff and 70-gram X-flex versions. (My ego wanted the X-flex, but my swing speed said otherwise.) The 60-gram stiff was perfect for my 95-98 mph driver swing speed. The 70-gram felt great on the range but got heavy during actual rounds. That's a lesson learned: always test the weight you think you need, then try one lighter.

The flex profiles are interesting, too. The stiff isn't as stiff as some other manufacturers' stiff flexes, which I actually prefer. It's more like a firm regular plus, if that makes sense. The X-flex is properly stiff, though you need to be swinging 105+ to really load it properly. The torque rating of 3.2 degrees across all models provides just enough rotation to feel the club head without feeling loose.

What's clever is how each weight maintains similar performance characteristics. Whether you're swinging the 50-gram or 70-gram version, you're getting that same stable tip, firm mid-section profile. Too many manufacturers completely change the feel between weights, but Graphite Design kept the DNA consistent across the line.

Absolutely, while the Graphite Design Tour AD TP Shaft is a great product, there are a few pros and cons that you need to be aware of:

Pros:

• Legitimate distance gains (3-7 yards wasn't unusual in my testing.

• Exceptional stability and control, especially in wind

• Premium materials that actually make a performance difference

Cons: 

• Price point is definitely premium tier ($400+, depending on where you shop)

• Requires an adjustment period if you're used to softer tip shafts

• Not ideal for players who prefer high-launching, high-spinning setups