Graphite Design Tour AD-EK Shaft Review: Stability With A Friendlier Feel

The new Graphite Design Tour AD-EK wood shaft makes quite a promise with its name alone. The EK stands for “Extra Kick,” and after putting it through its paces, I can confirm it is very appropriately named.

Manufactured exclusively in Japan, it is engineered to deliver a mid-to-high launch with controlled low-to-mid spin, making it an impressive blend of lively feel and structural integrity designed to maximize carry distance.

How We Test Shafts

All of our shaft testing is conducted using the same TaylorMade Qi35 core head driver set to a precise 9 degrees (measured), with each shaft cut to an exact length of 45.5 inches, fitted with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 60R grip. Furthermore, all testing shots are struck from a white castle tee to ensure consistent tee height during testing.

The data is collected and recorded using a Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5x golf balls.

Testing Results

Visually, the black and grey design is certainly sleek, but it’s remarkably understated for Graphite Design. They’ve always been the kings of bold, eye-catching graphics, so I would have loved to see a trademark splash of high-visibility color - like a flash of electric pink.

The other new(ish) offering in the range, the Tour AD-FI, with its minty green accents, is a bit more like what we generally see from Graphite Design.

When waggling the shaft pre-swing, it certainly feels relatively stable and solid under the grip, with a fair bit of play apparent further down the shaft. This translates perfectly once you put the club in motion.

Once I started actually hitting balls, it became very obvious that the "play" I could feel was coming mainly from the mid-section of the shaft, and when looking at the technical construction, this makes perfect sense.

The Tour AD-EK utilizes a specialized EI profile featuring a stiff butt section, a firm mid-section, and a stiff tip section.

What really stood out to me was how stable the tip section is relative to the mid section, and I could detect very little deflection or movement upon impact. Graphite Design achieves this impressive stability by incorporating premium aerospace-grade 50-ton carbon fiber alongside the new Torayca T1200G carbon fiber in the tip section.

This is further bolstered by their proprietary AD Shield and MSI (Material Stiffness Integration) design philosophies. The result is a very clear sense of unloading through the ball, all the while maintaining a touch more impact stability than many other shafts that offer that same lively sensation.

I very much enjoyed testing this shaft. As someone who generally games a notoriously stout Fujikura Ventus Black in my driver, I found very usable and reasonable levels of control through the ball, without any sense of needing to try to work the shaft at all.

It offered an extremely comfortable and easy ride from start to finish!

Ultimately, if you are a player who likes to feel a little "life" and "kick" to a shaft but without sacrificing torsional stability and control at impact, then this is a must-try. Conversely, if you like a 'boardy' feel, then I wouldn't even bother clicking the wrench on your driver shut.

For those seeking an effortless launch, efficient energy transfer, and maximum kick velocity, the Tour AD-EK delivers brilliantly.