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

[phizzy30]

3 hours ago, Honman said:

Longtime listener, first time caller (to this thread). 

 

Looking for some fairway wood advice. Currently gaming a PXG Gen6 15 degrees with a Ventus Blue 7S. It's a bit leaky and hard work off the deck, but when swinging well goes really well. Did a little bit of testing today, and we adjusted the face to 15.75 degrees which definitely helped. But essentially I would like a shaft that is just a bit softer in the tip, feels like hard work.

 

Got to hit some Di7 S in a Callaway head and that felt good and numbers were good, but maybe a touch too loose. 

 

What would be your recommendation in the GD Range, or is it the Di7 maybe tipped an extra half inch?

 

Also hit a g430 Max and LST three wood. The Max was consistently the fastest fairway wood I hit out of all of them. 

 

 

HD/TP/IZ would all be good fairway shafts that feel smoother and launch higher than the Ventus Blue, IMO.  My cousin went from the Ventus blue 6S to TP-6S for driver and immediately saw his launch increase 1-2* without increasing spin for example. 

Edited March 22, 2024 by phizzy30

[JourdanM]

2 hours ago, Honman said:

Longtime listener, first time caller (to this thread). 

 

Looking for some fairway wood advice. Currently gaming a PXG Gen6 15 degrees with a Ventus Blue 7S. It's a bit leaky and hard work off the deck, but when swinging well goes really well. Did a little bit of testing today, and we adjusted the face to 15.75 degrees which definitely helped. But essentially I would like a shaft that is just a bit softer in the tip, feels like hard work.

 

Got to hit some Di7 S in a Callaway head and that felt good and numbers were good, but maybe a touch too loose. 

 

What would be your recommendation in the GD Range, or is it the Di7 maybe tipped an extra half inch?

 

Also hit a g430 Max and LST three wood. The Max was consistently the fastest fairway wood I hit out of all of them. 

 

 

AD IZ has become my go to Fairway / utility / hybrid shaft, think you'd love it coming from ventus blue 

[jeffrey r]

55 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

HD/TP/IZ would all be good fairway shafts that that feel smoother and launch higher than the Ventus Blue, IMO.  My cousin went from the Ventus blue 6S to TP-6S for driver and immediately saw his launch increase 1-2* without increasing spin for example. 

 

I would just add the VR to that trio. Awesome shaft as well, and terrific in my 3 wood that I play at 16* (also sweet in driver).

[Honman]

53 minutes ago, JourdanM said:

AD IZ has become my go to Fairway / utility / hybrid shaft, think you'd love it coming from ventus blue 

I really liked the IZ hybrid. I found that super close to Ventus hybrid, it was a toss up between the two. 

[absoludicrous]

I don’t think the IZ hybrid shafts are the same as the driver/fairway shafts. I am playing a DI hybrid shaft and prefer it over the Ventus Blue Velocore Hybrid shafts. I can imagine the IZ hybrid shaft being a little stiffer in some areas than the DI. I haven’t played the IZ hybrid yet, but that’s what it seems like from the specs on the website.

 

I’m playing the IZ 6S driver shaft and I really like it compared to the Ventus Blue TR 6S. I got similar numbers on the good swings, but the bad swings on the IZ were very good compared to the Ventus and my old shaft. I like that I can take a more aggressive swing with the IZ and it is just as stable as my normal swing. It’s the only shaft during my fitting that I was able to get a constant 1.49-1.5 smash factor no matter which head I was switching between. Something about it fits my swing and I can get the right launch angle that no other shafts could consistently get me.  

[scottleo]

My trial with the TP 5 R1 is over, put it on the BST.  Sticking with the IZ 5S  in my driver.  Better dispersion and consistency, guess I'm not ready for a reg shaft at 50 years old!

[imkirby34]

I tried an HD 7X in my Ai Smoke TD for a couple rounds that didn't work well at all, so I removed the adapter, trimmed it, put it in my Paradym 5W, and it worked very well last week.  I've gone back to the Ventus TR Blue 6S in the TD, but I'm tempted to change the adapter on the IZ 7S that's still in my G425 LST driver. 

[9thGreenAt9]

On 3/21/2024 at 11:59 PM, absoludicrous said:

I don’t think the IZ hybrid shafts are the same as the driver/fairway shafts. I am playing a DI hybrid shaft and prefer it over the Ventus Blue Velocore Hybrid shafts. I can imagine the IZ hybrid shaft being a little stiffer in some areas than the DI. I haven’t played the IZ hybrid yet, but that’s what it seems like from the specs on the website.

 

I’m playing the IZ 6S driver shaft and I really like it compared to the Ventus Blue TR 6S. I got similar numbers on the good swings, but the bad swings on the IZ were very good compared to the Ventus and my old shaft. I like that I can take a more aggressive swing with the IZ and it is just as stable as my normal swing. It’s the only shaft during my fitting that I was able to get a constant 1.49-1.5 smash factor no matter which head I was switching between. Something about it fits my swing and I can get the right launch angle that no other shafts could consistently get me.  

 

I was experimenting with a non-tipped UB 6S and it couldn't beat out my gamer Ventus TR Blue 6S tipped 0.5"...so much more control and less spin from the ventus...not sure if because it's tipped? I've gotten along with the IZ in a FW wood and never thought about trying it in a driver...have you hit the UB in a driver and can you compare? supposedly that's the most comparable profile GD has to a ventus tr blue.

[absoludicrous]

55 minutes ago, Neo1 said:

 

I was experimenting with a non-tipped UB 6S and it couldn't beat out my gamer Ventus TR Blue 6S tipped 0.5"...so much more control and less spin from the ventus...not sure if because it's tipped? I've gotten along with the IZ in a FW wood and never thought about trying it in a driver...have you hit the UB in a driver and can you compare? supposedly that's the most comparable profile GD has to a ventus tr blue.

Sorry, I only tried the HD and IZ in my fittings and did not get along with the HD in the driver. Surprisingly, it works pretty well for me in a fairway wood though. 

 

I think something about the IZ fits my tempo well because the TR Blue put up good numbers on its own. But compared with the IZ, I was a lot more consistent on the face. I’d like to try one day, but I would not be surprised if the IZ didn’t fit me well on my fairway woods. 

 

I think you need to test and see how it works out for your swing and club needs. It could be that the TR blue is what you need for that control and spin.

[AbSWFPGA]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but can anyone speak on which is stiffer the tour ad di 6x or the xc 6x ? I think the torques are basically the same. Don’t know much but I know some of you are experts

[third-times-a-charm]

6 minutes ago, AbSWFPGA said:

Sorry if this has been mentioned but can anyone speak on which is stiffer the tour ad di 6x or the xc 6x ? I think the torques are basically the same. Don’t know much but I know some of you are experts

to me the DI feels stiffer but the XC launches lower and spins about the same. The XC will have a marginally softer handle.

[AbSWFPGA]

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

to me the DI feels stiffer but the XC launches lower and spins about the same. The XC will have a marginally softer handle.

Thanks for the feedback. Long time oban devo user. Got a new driver this year after about 5 years. Trying to find a shaft to try, ad di 6x is decent but not as long as the oban. I read a post on here that someone described the xc to feel like an x100 driver shaft. X100s are the iron shaft I have played for years and love them. So I’m very tempted to try the xc 

[phizzy30]

7 hours ago, AbSWFPGA said:

Thanks for the feedback. Long time oban devo user. Got a new driver this year after about 5 years. Trying to find a shaft to try, ad di 6x is decent but not as long as the oban. I read a post on here that someone described the xc to feel like an x100 driver shaft. X100s are the iron shaft I have played for years and love them. So I’m very tempted to try the xc 

XC does feel similar to the X100 where there is a slight bend right under the handle.  If the XC doesn't work for you, try the VF.  A little firmer handle but also feels smoother than the XC.  Launch/spin are similar. 

[AbSWFPGA]

2 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

XC does feel similar to the X100 where there is a slight bend right under the handle.  If the XC doesn't work for you, try the VF.  A little firmer handle but also feels smoother than the XC.  Launch/spin are similar. 

Thanks for your feedback. Do you think the xc or vf plays stiff to flex? I tried the ad di 6x and it was eh. 

[bogeypro]

Playing the qi10 LS 10.5 with hzrdus black rdx 6.5....  balls speeds 158-160 with 12.5-13 launch, but spinning a bit too high.  Carrying just under 260.   I bought a XC 7s on a whim.  It's ok, but seems to be a bit too low and likes to go left.  

 

Which AD would would go with?  i want the height, but need to cut some spin.

[third-times-a-charm]

Well oddly enough I am all AD UB right now. I feel like one of those guys with AD DI all over the bag.

 

I didnt like it in driver after testing the CQ but i went through another swing change this month and the AD UB has come alive for me. First it was in fairways and then back in for driver. IMO the UB works better if you are NOT a 'pull the handle' person and you lead with your lower body which is exactly what I've been working on.

 

And, in the odd category, I'm going 6-6-8 in weights in 1-3-5 woods. I'm playing my 3/5 short and I dont mind the weight gap at all. Working really well so far.

[phizzy30]

1 hour ago, AbSWFPGA said:

Thanks for your feedback. Do you think the xc or vf plays stiff to flex? I tried the ad di 6x and it was eh. 

GD shafts tend to play half a flex softer than stated flex.  Either go with the softer flex and tip it or flex up and play it straight in.  I wasn't a fan of the DI either although I had it in driver for many years.  Back then there weren't as many options for woods in general though. 

Edited April 7, 2024 by phizzy30

[Jaywh2]

11 hours ago, bogeypro said:

Playing the qi10 LS 10.5 with hzrdus black rdx 6.5....  balls speeds 158-160 with 12.5-13 launch, but spinning a bit too high.  Carrying just under 260.   I bought a XC 7s on a whim.  It's ok, but seems to be a bit too low and likes to go left.  

 

Which AD would would go with?  i want the height, but need to cut some spin.

AD TP 

[bogeypro]

6 hours ago, Jaywh2 said:

AD TP 

That's what I thought.. I almost went that way, but changed up at the last minute.  Thanks!

[jeffrey r]

I decided to try a stiff/regular (the SR flex) in the VR 6. I have been loving the VR 6 in stiff in my G430 Max (and particularly loving the VR 7 S in my 3 wood), but had a bit of curiosity about the SR flex.

 

No big shock, but it kind of does what you would expect it to do.  It is softer, higher launching and spinnier. I actually played just fine with the SR, but in the ideal world there would have been a bit less of a gap between the S and SR. It is pretty pronounced, so not really what I was looking for in my G430 Max, and I don’t think the SR will kick out the S. That said, the SR would probably work great in my 430 LST head (and perhaps the new 10K), so I will give it a try in the LST for fun when I get the chance. YMMV.

[infinii]

8 hours ago, jeffrey r said:

I decided to try a stiff/regular (the SR flex) in the VR 6. I have been loving the VR 6 in stiff in my G430 Max (and particularly loving the VR 7 S in my 3 wood), but had a bit of curiosity about the SR flex.

 

No big shock, but it kind of does what you would expect it to do.  It is softer, higher launching and spinnier. I actually played just fine with the SR, but in the ideal world there would have been a bit less of a gap between the S and SR. It is pretty pronounced, so not really what I was looking for in my G430 Max, and I don’t think the SR will kick out the S. That said, the SR would probably work great in my 430 LST head (and perhaps the new 10K), so I will give it a try in the LST for fun when I get the chance. YMMV.

Have you considered tipping the SR?

[jeffrey r]

7 hours ago, infinii said:

Have you considered tipping the SR?

 

Sure, I could do that. But I am fine with the different profiles. Being that the stiff is not an overly stout stiff, it really works for me just fine. And there are certain heads, like the Ping LST, that respond well for me with slightly spinnier and softer shafts, so this SR flex has a place in the stable as is. Thanks for the thought. 

[petep5280]

I just got the AD IZ in 6s. I love the feel and height. 

[robxpark]

anyone use the cq on the driver or is it better suited for a fairway wood?

i picked one up for cheap on cpo and looking to try it out. thanks

[phizzy30]

Just now, robxpark said:

anyone use the cq on the driver or is it better suited for a fairway wood?

i picked one up for cheap on cpo and looking to try it out. thanks

I think it's better suited for fairways as it launches quite high with mid spin.  It could work in driver if you need the higher launch.  I myself found it good for fairway metal but it was prone to the lefts and spun a bit much for driver.  However, I have an aggressive transition tend have a late release so take it for what it's worth. 

[third-times-a-charm]

3 hours ago, robxpark said:

anyone use the cq on the driver or is it better suited for a fairway wood?

i picked one up for cheap on cpo and looking to try it out. thanks

I had one on driver and raved about it for a while. I just last week moved back to the UB but still have the CQ. If you like the feel of it I would tip it and put it in driver. I tipped mine .5-.75" and it was an awesome shaft that didnt launch or spin too much.

[jeffrey r]

I've been able to give the HD-6S a trial run in my G430 Max, as a complement to my existing VR-6S and IZ-6S. These are all similar shafts with similar characteristics, with some subtle differences as you can see if you take a look at their specs. I can play any of these, but I do still think I prefer the VR for the time being. I find the HD a bit tougher to turn over, and that could be attributed to a bit stiffer mid and tip relative to the VR.

 

All outstanding shafts, and YMMV.

[semarlor]

GD Lovers, I have a question and I don't know a better group to ask... I play the XC 7X in the driver so I am looking for something for a 5 wood (loft turned down to play like an open face 4 wood.)

 

I have almost decided on the TP 8X...does anyone have any experience with the Quattrotech MD 8X in a fairway? I found some info on the original QT but can't find the differences with the MD, it does seem to be a stiffer tip Looking for a mid to high launch. I have played the DI 8X before and would give it another shot but I don't remember being blown away. 

[Honeybadger]

Anyone having success using the UB in a Ping 430? I just got the 10k and changed the adapter in my UB (it worked great in the Paradym) and find that it is launching really high in the 10k. 

[mvvraz]

On 2/27/2024 at 5:26 AM, mattman said:

I have like five different 3 wood shafts and nothing can beat the DI 8… I’ve had it in there for over a year and of course I’m trying to neurotically find a reason to kick it. it’s crazy this is from 2010 and is still arguably the best fairway shaft on the market. Like you can’t name one other relevant graphite shaft from that era.

I can't name how many shafts I've gone through only to end up right back with the AD DI in my "green finder" wood

 

It's genuinely incredible how smooth the impact feels

 

I love it in my driver too, but I would say that I like the HD just a little bit better