Which Ventus shaft would be the closest to Graphite Design DI?

[hammergolf]

Looking for a new shaft in my 4wd. Gave a TR Blue now but would like a bit more peak height. Would Ventus Red be the most similar to the DI?

[phizzy30]

Most similar in terms of apex height only?  OG or Velo+ red would be the closest, IMO from the testing I've done.  

[hammergolf]

17 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Most similar in terms of apex height only?  OG or Velo+ red would be the closest, IMO from the testing I've done.  

Thanks! TR Blue works great in the driver for me, but in my 4wd it’s a bit too low a flight.

[zenman4711]

18 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Looking for a new shaft in my 4wd. Gave a TR Blue now but would like a bit more peak height. Would Ventus Red be the most similar to the DI?

Why not just try a DI if you’re looking for those characteristics? Unless you want to stay all Ventus?

[hammergolf]

56 minutes ago, zenman4711 said:

Why not just try a DI if you’re looking for those characteristics? Unless you want to stay all Ventus?

I REALLY like the Velocore tech in the Ventus line. DI was good for me, but Ventus is better. 

[B.Easy]

Don't be surprised if you have trouble timing the Ventus Red.  It has virtually the same handle as the black.  Very stiff.  There is no Ventus equivalent to the DI, other than marketing it as a high launch/low spin.  The standard OG Ventus Blue has a softer handle than the TR and you may want to try that without the standard fairway wood tipping.  That could help launch a little.  I see you play regular shafts in the flat setting.  Tells me you come from the inside with average speed.  Very shallow, which are the trademark conditions that prevent launch off the deck with low lofted clubs and likely are trying to prevent over draws.  Red is designed to help someone turn it over.  ie- Tommy Fleetwood only wants to see right to left ball flight on stock shots and plays V reds for that reason.  Shallow swingers can occasionally do well with FW wood shafts that have some extra droop/lead shaft deflection.  Can help with launch. 

 

If I were fitting you I would have you try the new Ventus + White or the Mitsubishi Vanquish FW. Possibly the Tour AD CQ or Speeder NX Blue or Violet

[Pepperturbo]

20 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Looking for a new shaft in my 4wd. Gave a TR Blue now but would like a bit more peak height. Would Ventus Red be the most similar to the DI?

We're all different in how we experience shafts. I have NOT had DI for Driver but had two for 2 iron. I played the original Ventus Red 5, 6, and 7 series and Blue TR for several years before changing to GT. IME GD-DI is comparable to Red.  

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, B.Easy said:

Don't be surprised if you have trouble timing the Ventus Red.  It has virtually the same handle as the black.  Very stiff.  There is no Ventus equivalent to the DI, other than marketing it as a high launch/low spin.  The standard OG Ventus Blue has a softer handle than the TR and you may want to try that without the standard fairway wood tipping.  That could help launch a little.  I see you play regular shafts in the flat setting.  Tells me you come from the inside with average speed.  Very shallow, which are the trademark conditions that prevent launch off the deck with low lofted clubs and likely are trying to prevent over draws.  Red is designed to help someone turn it over.  ie- Tommy Fleetwood only wants to see right to left ball flight on stock shots and plays V reds for that reason.  Shallow swingers can occasionally do well with FW wood shafts that have some extra droop/lead shaft deflection.  Can help with launch. 

 

If I were fitting you I would have you try the new Ventus + White or the Mitsubishi Vanquish FW. Possibly the Tour AD CQ or Speeder NX Blue or Violet

Thanks so much, great info! I have a fitting next month at The Kingdom so hopefully they can get me dialed in with TM 3/4 wood but want to find a good combo for my Ping g440 4wd. 

[B.Easy]

13 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

Thanks so much, great info! I have a fitting next month at The Kingdom so hopefully they can get me dialed in with TM 3/4 wood but want to find a good combo for my Ping g440 4wd. 

 

The Kingdom will definitely get you dialed.  Those guys are good.  My advice would be to really spend time thinking about exactly what you want to see with regards to ball flight before you go.  Talk to them about the feels you really like.  Think about what gives you confidence on the course and figure out how to communicate that.  A big expensive mistake I see too often is going with clubs that produce the best "numbers" in a fitting, but don't have great feels.  Feels are what you look for under pressure.  They give confidence via familiarity and comfort. 

[hammergolf]

34 minutes ago, B.Easy said:

 

The Kingdom will definitely get you dialed.  Those guys are good.  My advice would be to really spend time thinking about exactly what you want to see with regards to ball flight before you go.  Talk to them about the feels you really like.  Think about what gives you confidence on the course and figure out how to communicate that.  A big expensive mistake I see too often is going with clubs that produce the best "numbers" in a fitting, but don't have great feels.  Feels are what you look for under pressure.  They give confidence via familiarity and comfort. 

Yeah, generally the longest club isn’t the best one. 

[Valtiel]

The AD-DI is a pretty classic soft mid design, which the Ventus Blue and Reds are to varying degrees, but there is no real 1:1 comp as they're all doing slightly different things. Most notably the "hinge" in the middle is in a slightly different place with all these shafts. The AD-DI's hinge is closer to the tip making it "kick" quite a bit for those sensitive to such things, and most of the similar Ventus designs have that hinge a bit higher up the shaft, making them "kick" a little different. 

@hammergolf Your signature lists some very lightweight regular flex shafts, so if you have the swing speed that fits you into that range then IMO looking at shafts to change peak height isn't barking up the right tree. PING fairways are not low launching, and you're playing a higher loft already in going 4w, so if trajectory/height is still too low then it's likely a loft/speed problem. Most guys in the regular flex range are better off going with more of a lofted down 5w as their first fairway unless they naturally launch the ball higher. Shaft characteristics directly correlate to speed; the faster you are the more they can matter, and obviously vice versa. 

If you're doing a Kingdom fitting then it feels like getting a hot Taylormade 5w that can launch higher and carry further might be a better fit. 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Valtiel said:

The AD-DI is a pretty classic soft mid design, which the Ventus Blue and Reds are to varying degrees, but there is no real 1:1 comp as they're all doing slightly different things. Most notably the "hinge" in the middle is in a slightly different place with all these shafts. The AD-DI's hinge is closer to the tip making it "kick" quite a bit for those sensitive to such things, and most of the similar Ventus designs have that hinge a bit higher up the shaft, making them "kick" a little different. 

@hammergolf Your signature lists some very lightweight regular flex shafts, so if you have the swing speed that fits you into that range then IMO looking at shafts to change peak height isn't barking up the right tree. PING fairways are not low launching, and you're playing a higher loft already in going 4w, so if trajectory/height is still too low then it's likely a loft/speed problem. Most guys in the regular flex range are better off going with more of a lofted down 5w as their first fairway unless they naturally launch the ball higher. Shaft characteristics directly correlate to speed; the faster you are the more they can matter, and obviously vice versa. 

If you're doing a Kingdom fitting then it feels like getting a hot Taylormade 5w that can launch higher and carry further might be a better fit. 

I had a g425 14.5* set at flat -with a TR Blue 5R and the peak height was great. However, the g440 17* set at flat - with the exact same shaft has a lower peak height even though it has 2.5* more static loft. Not sure if the cg location, deeper face, or reduced spin is that different with the g440 but definitely has a lower flight for me. 

Edited July 12 by hammergolf

[bogeypro]

3 hours ago, Valtiel said:

The AD-DI is a pretty classic soft mid design, which the Ventus Blue and Reds are to varying degrees, but there is no real 1:1 comp as they're all doing slightly different things. Most notably the "hinge" in the middle is in a slightly different place with all these shafts. The AD-DI's hinge is closer to the tip making it "kick" quite a bit for those sensitive to such things, and most of the similar Ventus designs have that hinge a bit higher up the shaft, making them "kick" a little different. 

@hammergolf Your signature lists some very lightweight regular flex shafts, so if you have the swing speed that fits you into that range then IMO looking at shafts to change peak height isn't barking up the right tree. PING fairways are not low launching, and you're playing a higher loft already in going 4w, so if trajectory/height is still too low then it's likely a loft/speed problem. Most guys in the regular flex range are better off going with more of a lofted down 5w as their first fairway unless they naturally launch the ball higher. Shaft characteristics directly correlate to speed; the faster you are the more they can matter, and obviously vice versa. 

If you're doing a Kingdom fitting then it feels like getting a hot Taylormade 5w that can launch higher and carry further might be a better fit. 

This is the correct answer.  As a former TaylorMade fitter, I can tell you that GD and ventus don't really have 1:1 comparisons, EXCEPT for maybe the AD GC and the blue velo+... It's close.

[hammergolf]

17 hours ago, bogeypro said:

This is the correct answer.  As a former TaylorMade fitter, I can tell you that GD and ventus don't really have 1:1 comparisons, EXCEPT for maybe the AD GC and the blue velo+... It's close.

Thanks so much for the info. I have looked at TM’s shaft chart and have a question if you don’t mind. I had a g425 14.5* 3wd set at flat - with a Ventus TR Blue 5R that launched in a great window. However, I’ve switched to a g440 17* set at flat - with the same shaft but it’s launching lower. Based on the TM chart what shafts would you have me try to increase launch? 
 

 

[ChaosTheory]

On 7/12/2025 at 10:57 AM, B.Easy said:

I see you play regular shafts in the flat setting.  Tells me you come from the inside with average speed.  Very shallow, which are the trademark conditions that prevent launch off the deck with low lofted clubs and likely are trying to prevent over draws

You just described me.  I’m fitted to the Shogun Blue M2 in my driver.  The fitter tried Vanquish and Ventus White and a couple of others, but the Shogun was easily the best.  I play a 5 wood that really needs a better shaft fit.  Is there a shaft profile I should look at?  You mentioned droop and forward bend, which I understand.  What shafts fit that idea?  Does the Shogun blue fit it?  Thanks!

[GMR2iron]

21 hours ago, bogeypro said:

This is the correct answer.  As a former TaylorMade fitter, I can tell you that GD and ventus don't really have 1:1 comparisons, EXCEPT for maybe the AD GC and the blue velo+... It's close.

I know they don’t match perfectly on paper, or el graphs, but the Ventus Black 5X and AD VF 5X gave me almost identical performance numbers, the VF just launched a smidge higher and spun a smidge more. VF feels way better.

[B.Easy]

5 hours ago, ChaosTheory said:

You just described me.  I’m fitted to the Shogun Blue M2 in my driver.  The fitter tried Vanquish and Ventus White and a couple of others, but the Shogun was easily the best.  I play a 5 wood that really needs a better shaft fit.  Is there a shaft profile I should look at?  You mentioned droop and forward bend, which I understand.  What shafts fit that idea?  Does the Shogun blue fit it?  Thanks!

 

I thought the Shogun Blue only came in 42 grams and 0-2 flex.  It's impossible to make good recommendations on here with almost no information. I really don't want people to go buy something based on a guess.  The Shogun Blue is a super soft lightweight shaft and fairly pricey.  Unique in its construction and design.  Hitting a 5 wood from the turf has unique demands and is a club you likely rely upon frequently. If I were fitting you we would be on the course hitting all sorts of shots switching between shafts and I would likely bring the same shafts I recommended above, plus a few others.

[bogeypro]

On 7/13/2025 at 11:28 AM, hammergolf said:

Thanks so much for the info. I have looked at TM’s shaft chart and have a question if you don’t mind. I had a g425 14.5* 3wd set at flat - with a Ventus TR Blue 5R that launched in a great window. However, I’ve switched to a g440 17* set at flat - with the same shaft but it’s launching lower. Based on the TM chart what shafts would you have me try to increase launch? 
 

 

The 17* is launching lower than the 14.5?  

 

Also, keep in mind that when ventus says blue is mid... They mean compared to the black and red.  Compared to industry, they are probably more low/mid. 

 

If your strike is the same with both clubs, meaning it isn't an impact issue causing the low launch, you might try the red or move to a tensei blue (an excellent shaft as well).  If that still isn't getting it, aldila ascent is another good lightweight option.. 

 

 

Edited July 14 by bogeypro

[LoopySwing13]

Although I agree the Ventus and DI don’t have a lot of overlap, I found the red to be a great alternative to the DI. I agree that the handle is stiffer but the mid/low section I still get enough “kick” out of, and a nice mid flight. Have long been a Ventus blue user but wanted something a bit stiffer handle feel and it was a great match.
 

This is what I landed on in my 3 wood - Ventus OG red 7 tipped 1”. Absolute cannon and love it. I am even debating going backwards and putting a red 6 tipped .5” and giving it a shot (in driver) cause why not! 

If you got a chance to try them with TM I am sure they won’t steer you wrong.. but I am a big fan of the red Ventus.

Edited July 15 by LoopySwing13

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, LoopySwing13 said:

Although I agree the Ventus and DI don’t have a lot of overlap, I found the red to be a great alternative to the DI. I agree that the handle is stiffer but the mid/low section I still get enough “kick” out of, and a nice mid flight. Have long been a Ventus blue user but wanted something a bit stiffer handle feel and it was a great match.
 

This is what I landed on in my 3 wood - Ventus OG red 7 tipped 1”. Absolute cannon and love it. I am even debating going backwards and putting a red 6 tipped .5” and giving it a shot (in driver) cause why not! 

If you got a chance to try them with TM I am sure they won’t steer you wrong.. but I am a big fan of the red Ventus.

I'm a big fan of the TR/Velo+ red, not so much OG red.  They just work for me in 3 metal.  Only reason why I have the Diamana GT is that it feels smoother and a touch more stable.  In fact, TR red gave me nearly identical numbers as Diamana GT.  

Edited July 15 by phizzy30

[hammergolf]

6 hours ago, bogeypro said:

The 17* is launching lower than the 14.5?  

 

Also, keep in mind that when ventus says blue is mid... They mean compared to the black and red.  Compared to industry, they are probably more low/mid. 

 

If your strike is the same with both clubs, meaning it isn't an impact issue causing the low launch, you might try the red or move to a tensei blue (an excellent shaft as well).  If that still isn't getting it, aldila ascent is another good lightweight option.. 

 

 

Thanks!

[hammergolf]

3 hours ago, LoopySwing13 said:

Although I agree the Ventus and DI don’t have a lot of overlap, I found the red to be a great alternative to the DI. I agree that the handle is stiffer but the mid/low section I still get enough “kick” out of, and a nice mid flight. Have long been a Ventus blue user but wanted something a bit stiffer handle feel and it was a great match.
 

This is what I landed on in my 3 wood - Ventus OG red 7 tipped 1”. Absolute cannon and love it. I am even debating going backwards and putting a red 6 tipped .5” and giving it a shot (in driver) cause why not! 

If you got a chance to try them with TM I am sure they won’t steer you wrong.. but I am a big fan of the red Ventus.

Thanks!

[KevCannon]

Honestly, none of them are comparable to DI. Maybe the original Ventus Blue would be in the ball park, but the DI feels and plays much looser than any Ventus.