Graphite Design Tour AD FI Shaft Review

50 Words or Less

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI shaft has a stable tip section with plenty of kick in the upper portion.  Produced consistent draws on a medium trajectory.  New graphics and an eye-catching color.

Introduction

Graphite Design is a brand that clearly believes in the adage, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”  Their premium Tour AD line has always sported the same graphics, and every year we get one new model.  However, the latest Tour AD – FI, standing for Flight Intelligence – is looking to shake things up with a new look and new design technology.  I tested the Graphite Design Tour AD FI to see if Tornado Tip Technology will keep them at the cutting edge of the shaft market.

Looks

For the first time in the ten plus years that I’ve been reviewing Graphite Design Tour AD shafts, they’ve switched up the graphics.  It’s not a wholesale departure from the past, but it’s definitely something the equipment nerds will notice right away.

The rings are still present near the butt of the shaft.  With the Graphite Design Tour AD FI, that also includes a “see through” look at the carbon fiber weave in the handle.  What’s changed is that there’s a new “Tour AD” logo, and the “Graphite Design” branding has been shrunk and moved toward the middle of the shaft.

Additionally, the Graphite Design Tour AD FI features one of the more unusual colors I’ve ever seen on a shaft.  It’s near a teal or aqua blue, though neither of those terms quite captures it.  A very light sparkle makes this shaft an even bigger eye-catcher in the sun.  The color fades to black near the ball for a more focused look at address.

Feel

After getting the Graphite Design Tour AD FI built, I gave it the wiggle test.  I noted a bend about an inch below the stripes and that everything else seemed very stable.  This aligned with Graphite Design’s description of the shaft as being “Firm+” in the butt and mid sections and “Stiff” in the tip.

When I started hitting balls, I got a very similar feel.  There’s a substantial kick that starts near the grip and stabilizes in the mid and tip sections.  What makes the Tour AD FI unique is the way that it gets into this feel.  Typically, a shaft with this much kick this near the grip has a slow, smooth wind up.  I didn’t feel that here.  I’d compare it to a professional boxer’s uppercut: there is some loading up, but it’s very tight, compact, and disproportionately small compared to the power on the other side.

Performance

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI claims “mid launch” with “low to mid/low spin” performance and a host of tried and true Graphite Design materials and technologies.  What separates it from previous models is Tornado Tip Technology.  Per Graphite Design, this consists of “special tip plies of carbon fiber laid up at unique angles to the shaft’s centerline” with the goal of decreasing torque and improving dispersion.  As I noted above, the tip of the Tour AD FI definitely feels strong, and I was eager to see how it performed.

My first few swings were of my standard 100% aggression variety, and the Tour AD FI held up well.  The ball had a pronounced draw, but it didn’t hook.  It launched on a medium to medium-high trajectory with fairly low spin.  The results were consistent even though I didn’t feel particularly in sync with the shaft.

Dialing back the transition speed slightly, the ball flight shifted toward a tighter draw.  The spin ticked up slightly but the Graphite Design Tour AD FI was still producing a strong flight with optimal distance.  I continued experimenting with tempo and found the shaft to be very accommodating to different swings.  It produced good shots when I was too aggressive or too gentle, and it launched bombs when I hit that perfect rhythm.

The one thing I could not get the Graphite Design Tour AD FI to do was cut consistently, but that’s surely a personal swing issue as much as anything inherent to the shaft.  That said, trying to hit a small cut was the best recipe I found in all my testing: the ball found the center of the face every time, mid launch, mid-low spin, started on line, and drew a few yards.

In looking back through my previous Graphite Design reviews for a comp, I think the most similar shaft is the Tour AD DI [review HERE].  For me, the AD DI has a bigger, smoother kick, but they’re similar in that they can handle aggression but don’t prefer it.  Both also predominantly produced draws for me despite having fairly stiff tip sections.

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI is available in weights ranging from 40 to 80 grams.  At 40 and 50 grams, Graphite Design offers a Lite/Senior flex, Regular, Stiff, and X-Stiff.  At 60 grams, the available flexes include Stiff-Regular, Stiff, X-Stiff, and Tour X-Stiff.  The heaviest models have fewer options with the 70 gram model coming in Stiff, X-Stiff, and Tour X-Stiff, and the 80 gram version offered only in X-Stiff.

Conclusion

Getting comped to the most successful product in the company’s history is a pretty good way to start for the new Graphite Design Tour AD FI.  For players that love the AD DI but want a little tighter handle, I think this will be a winner.  As always, make sure to visit your Graphite Design fitter to dial it in before making your purchase.

Visit Graphite Design HERE

• Author
• Recent Posts

Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all)

• PXG Lightning Tour Fairway Wood Review - December 29, 2025
• The Mishit Checklist - December 26, 2025
• Takomo Skyforger 002 Wedge Review - December 25, 2025