NEW Graphite Design VF Hybrid Shaft: More Power Than the Tour AD DI??

Graphite Design has launched the Victory Force (VF) hybrid shaft as part of their popular Tour AD series. But does it always deliver the stability and power that it promises?

Join us as we compare the VF shaft to the DI model of the same series: with a progressively stiffer profile, the VF is designed for more aggressive tempos and keeping launch and spin down, while the DI hybrid shaft with a softer mid section aims to provide responsiveness with a higher launch and spin. We dive into feel, performance and results of both shafts, uncovering how much shaft profile can influence delivery, and even counteract design principles…

Ultimately, this test is a powerful reminder: no matter the tech, a proper fitting is key to unlocking the best combination of feel, delivery, and performance.

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00:00 New Tour AD VF Hybrid Shaft
00:23 Tour AD Victory Force vs AD DI Hybrid Shaft
02:17 Hitting the Tour AD DI Hybrid Shaft
05:02 Hitting the Tour AD VF Hybrid Shaft
09:10 Comparing the Graphite Design Shafts: Feel Over Design?

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So the video today is going to be about the new BF series hybrid launched this year in addition to the toad line of shafts. So going to look at the hybrid specific shaft, get a few shots with it, compare it to the DI, and let you know what to expect from this new series of shaft. [Music] So what is it that differentiates the VF series, the Victory Force series versus the DI? The DI is their benchmark and it’s one that we as fitters often use as the kind of the staple for the the kind of the contrast and the performance characteristics and how they how they actually differ from one another. So, a lot of this is to do with the stiffness in the tip. The VF series is designed very much around a more aggressive pattern, a more aggressive player looking to bring launch and spin down. So, how have they done this? Well, it’s the T1100G toka material. It’s a carbon fiber with nano allo alloy nano alloy technology in. Easy for me to say. Um, but it allows them to look at the regional stiffness of the shaft to utilize it in different areas to affect the profile of it and the zonal stiffnesses. So in the VF hybrid, it’s mainly in the tip section. So where we’re looking to bring spin flight down, it’s stabilizing this tip section to you reduce launch, reduce spin, and keep that flight down. So it’s a very, very stable tip. So whereas in the DI we go from a kind of the softer midsection, sort of medium in the butt section, a little bit softer in the mid, and then fairly stiff in the tip, this one we start at medium, stiff, stiffer. So it it the stiffness develops as it goes down the shaft. So don’t go too stiff in the handle, so you keep some feel, but then the midsection gets stronger and then stronger again the tip. This is all about bringing that flight down and giving a real feeling of stability. Whereas the DI a little bit softer in that midsection for a bit of kick, helps a little bit of flight, but very much around the more aggressive move and bringing spin down. Uh you from a 75, 85, 95, and 105 g. So there’s plenty of weight variations available in this model. So you haven’t got to go super heavy to get that stability. So getting that 75 for someone who flights it up but doesn’t need lots of weight, potentially a really good option. So going to do a few hits with each look at what the data is and what they actually do from a feel and performance point of view. So check that out. Now start off with the DI as a benchmark. So say it’s kind of medium in the midsection, a little bit softer in the in sorry medium in the butt, little softer in the mid, then fairly stable in the tip section, but you know, always been a responsive feel and it’s but this model does not have the T1100 material in. So the toker 1100G material started with the IZ line and anything since then has got that material in. So that’s where those sort of regional stiffnesses is a bit more versatility to how they can actually design and build the shafts because they’re able to using this new this relatively new material. So you know DI I’m going to be testing the two 85 g versions because they’re appropriate for for me and swinging but we’ll give a a relative comparison. So you can certainly you feel even just waggling a little bit of movement through that midsection. Fairly responsive feeling shaft. you know, doesn’t feel like you got to work it hard to get a response out of it or to get a bit of kick. Um, but still fairly strong in the bottom. It’s not kind of like the tip ends kicking. The movements through that middle section. So, you graphite Design do quite a nice graph with all their shafts on that anyone can go on their website and get a comparison. Um, where they give it them numerical values for stiffness. So, you one being the softest, two being next all the way up to five. So they go think soft, medium, firm, stiff, extra stiff, um, or very stiff. And that can give you a feel for zonally which shafts are stiff in what section. So that can help you kind of look at a shaft and go, “Okay, well that makes sense why it performs that way.” And so they go from a a three to a two to a four in the DI. So that midsection really is quite responsive. The handle end doesn’t isn’t overly harsh. So there’s lots of feedback and feel from it, but then a stable tip at the bottom. So, you know, gives you something back, but you know, still feels fairly tight down the bottom end. I can certainly feel like this is giving me a little bit of kick up in the air. I say it’s a stable weight. It’s a It’s not a loose feeling shaft, but equally speaking, I’m not having to work it hard to get something back from it. And just helping me get that little bit of elevation, little bit of flight. That was a bit toy, so took a bit of spin off. I’ll give that one more there. But very much a I’ve always felt the DI as a series is very mid launch mid spin maybe slightly on the mid to lower a lower lower side of mid from a spin point of view but certainly launch wise it doesn’t keep that flight down particularly. It’s not something that feels like you’ve got to work the result out of it. Yeah. in classic graphite graphite design, you know, great materials, very smooth feel, and that’s really, I think, the the signature of the DI series, that smoothness yet with a bit of stability down the bottom end. So, let’s switch it out to the VF and compare the feel and performance. So, moving into the VF, as I said, so more stable in the tip section. So, going to that numerical scale, we’re looking at three, four, and five. So rather than 324, the DI is you 3, four, five, it ramps up in stiffness as you go down the shaft. So the feel the feedback you’re getting from the shaft is mainly from the handle end. Whereas a lot of shafts that have that kind of profile where the bottom end’s more rigid tend to swing quite bottom end heavy. And actually this one isn’t isn’t that much. The driver shaft, the wood shaft in the VF does swing a little more tip heavy whereas actually the hybrid is more neutral. So, it’s not that kind of dead heavy uh kind of almost like lifeless sort of feel where you’ve got to beat the heck out of it to get something from it. It actually doesn’t. The pickup really doesn’t feel too heavy. So, pickup’s one thing, but how does it feel to swing? So, you can definitely get less of that that little bit of wobble through the middle. The DI gives you that little you can see a bit more movement in the midsection. This one definitely that that movement points a little bit higher up. So there’s less of that kind of um I guess feeling of kick even without hitting it. And it’s where a lot of older golfers will kind of waggle a club about or lean on it. You just don’t get as much bend through that midsection. So it feels that a little bit more stout even in the pickup. Yeah. And and say almost taking it away even though I’ve just said to you it doesn’t swing head heavy or tip heavy. Still moving it away in the back of my head. I could expecting it to feel that way and it moved away really easily. So, you’re definitely feeling of stability through that lower half. Much less kick out the shaft than you get out the DI. Uh, and your launch wise seem to come out a little bit flatter. I got that little bit geared from a heel strike. So, it’s so it’s faded a bit, but it feels like that’s that that ball flight’s coming out a little bit more forwards. you know, as a shaft, there’s less of that help up into the air, but actually without it feeling harsh. You definitely have to work the kick out the shaft a little bit more, whereas the DI, you can feel the shaft almost giving you something back as it comes into the ball. This one is much more rigid in terms of feel and kind of hangs on through impact. So, you’ve got to work the response. If you want to get some something back from the shaft, you’ve got to get it out of it rather than it giving it to you. Um, so for someone who wants it to feel a bit more like an extension off, let’s say a more kind of stable iron shaft profile, if you play something like a Project X, for example, or the dollar tapers, uh, from a KBS point of view, where they’re more stout through that midsection, um, you then this is a profile is going to feel more akin to that kind of shaft. If you play a, you know, for example, a modus or you go into something a bit lighter like a kind of a a dynamic gold 105 where you get some kickback out of it, something like the DI is going to have a more similar feel to that. So you can tune in the feel based on the profile of shaft to kind of match that feedback you get from them. So you know that keeps a familiarity. you hybrids often you I I would say often kind of match for a lot of players uh more of a shaft profile to the irons and the woods uh actually suit being played more like an iron. So for certainly for a stronger swing where the VF is more more geared towards more aimed towards a heavier load with the shaft that um you going into it’s going to match more that kind of players iron shaft profile. So playing it more like iron is often a good way to to think about it. you know, so going and putting a little bit more effort into that one. Still hangs on nice and tight. I’ve kind of had a little bit more of a load. Just left the lag on a little bit more to see if I could get a bit more from it, but still keeps that flight down forwards, you know, nice and stable. Certainly doesn’t feel like it’s getting away from you. The DI for some players could feel like it pops it up a little bit too much. This definitely has that sensation of a lower flight. We’ll check out the data, see where that comes in a moment. I’m going to do one more and we’ll check out the flight numbers for you. But if you’re looking for something that lets you be a little bit more aggressive with it and rip into the back, then this is definitely a shaft for you. So, interesting bit of data there in terms of I’m always trying to swing clubs the same, but what the shaft and the feel of that shaft has done is actually maybe treat the club a little bit differently. So, the bit that I’m looking at in particular is yes, the launch angle is a little bit lower at the VF um with spin slightly higher. However, the bit that’s made that happen is the angle of attack. So, say I’m trying to swing it the same, but in order to get a bit more of a reaction or to kind of I’ve clearly reacted to the feel of the shaft and got more on top of it. So, my angle of attack has gone from three down with the DI shaft to 4.7 or 3.2 two to 4.7 with the VF. Um, so say not trying to hit it differently. Um, but where I’ve had to work this shaft a little bit more to get some kick and feedback out of it, it’s got me a little bit more kind of on top and squeezed just you a slightly more potent sort of force more iron like swing. Um, whereas a little less steep on it with the DI. I’ve collected a bit more. I’ve shallowed out a little bit more because you potentially to get on top of it. I can feel the shaft giving in a little bit more. So I’ve slightly changed my action because of what that feedback’s done. So you know that stability through the VF you where you potentially a little bit sub well not potentially certainly subconsciously yeah I’m thinking right this is more of an ironike feel. I’ve reacted and got on top of it like an iron shot. So um interestingly enough that’s that’s not something that we see too often when I’m doing this because I’m obviously trying to keep the swing as similar as possible. uh my kind of human reaction to the shaft is showing out in the data there. So um what that does do is it changes a little bit the natural launch and spin parameters. So whilst you look at yes launch angles down you some of that is quite clearly angle attack or a good chunk of that is clearly angle of attack but because my angle attack has got steeper the spin proportion goes up. So, where I’m shallower with the DI, it’s a squarer hit. You get higher launch and a bit less spin. And with the VF, if you get more down onto it, there’s a little bit more kind of, I guess, sort of friction on the back of the ball. There’s a little bit more the cover grips the ball a bit more. Um, sorry, the cover of the ball grips the face a little bit more. And so, when you’re hitting down it more, you’re pulling that that launch angle down, but you’re also getting a little bit more grip on the face. Creates a little bit more spin. So actual kind of dynamically flightwise I’m going to add actually a slightly one slightly different number onto this as well just to see how uh this is affected you know height and land angle. Um so you can see here height is the same. There’s a bit more ball speed that I got out of the VF. I’ve swung slightly harder at it. Um but it’s because I put a bit more action onto it. You know the launch and the spin whilst it should be lower because it’s a lower launch it’s actually it’s only a foot lower. uh and land angles are.3 of a degree different. So it’s actually quite interesting how much it’s affected the way I’ve delivered the club. And so you know it’s as much about how the shaft and the way it feels and loads affects ball flight, but it also how much it suits the player. The VF is a more natural feel for me and what I like to feel out of the clubs. So I’ve got a little bit more comfortable with it and squeeze it a bit more. Um, so that’s something that you there’s you obviously test trying to keep things as clear from human changes as possible. However, it’s a human playing the game and so the players reaction to what they’re using can can make a significant difference to the ball flight you get. But also then you there’s that comfort blanket. There’s that confidence that allows you to put a more natural action on and get just slightly different data sets and slightly different numbers that will override what the design of that shaft does. So, it really is a combination of, you know, what the shaft does, how it feels, what it’s designed to do, but then what the player then does with it as well. You hybrids, I think, some of the most sensitive clubs to any of these changes. You certainly from a fitting point of view, you’ve got really, really small margin of error in terms of weight and balance point in order to get the timing right, more so than any other club in the bag. Um, but you know, clearly, you know, the confidence aligned to, you know, for me the more stable feel through that lower section feels more controlled. Feels like the ball flight’s a little bit more going to be a bit more stable. I like to see the ball come out a bit lower. That’s helped me put a more put a more solid action on, get a little bit more on top of it, and that’s helped bring that launch angle down, but retain spin. Uh, so you really interesting there. that change in shaft profile has really made the VF something that I bought into from a feel point of view a little bit more and deliver the club slightly differently. So, it’s not just about what the shaft does from a flight point of view. It’s how you respond to that as well. So, you’ve enjoyed the review and the comparison on the VF shaft. Uh if you’ve liked this video, check out the latest fitting video we’ve got over my shoulder here and see how we go through the process with someone in the fitting bay. So, thanks again for watching. If you like this, hit the like button, subscribe. We’ll see you again on the next content soon.