Graphite Design Tour AD EK Shaft Review
My favorite golf gear to tinker with and favorite time of the season – Pro’s Choice launching their new Tour AD shaft for the year! For the 2027 season, we are introduced to the Tour AD EK “Extra Kick” graphite wood shaft. It features a mid/high launch and controlled low/mid spin combination, designed to deliver the ideal balance of carry distance, accuracy, and distinctive feel. As they often do, Graphite Design looks to fill a certain profile for certain swings, and the AD EK goes after the golfer who wants easy height and carry without giving up any control.
Worth noting right away that this is the first Tour AD wood shaft to introduce Toray’s T1200G carbon fiber in the tip section, a step up from the T1100G we’ve seen in models like the AD FI and AD VF. That’s a meaningful shift for a company that doesn’t make changes like this lightly, especially when you see 10+ year old shafts with 10+ year old shaft tech in the bags of pros and amateurs all the time.
The Looks
Every new Graphite Design Tour AD release gets me excited to tear into the box, and the EK didn’t disappoint. We get the second iteration of their updated fonts and graphics with its subtle slate gray paint scheme. It’s definitely a departure from the ubiquitous and in your face AD DI orange, but I like it. This would pair wonderfully with Qi4D, in the same way that the AD VF shared the aesthetic of the Stealth line, or the AD QC and the Rogue ST. Deliberate? You’ll never know. But if you see one of those drivers kitted up with a Tour AD shaft, I think you’ll identify someone who takes their game serious…
How Does it Feel?
OK, so the profile for the Graphite Design AD EK reads: stiff in the handle, firm in the middle, and stiff in the tip. When you get to know Graphite Design’s builds, you know you’re going to experience that in your hands. Here, and yet again, you do. In some ways I think back to firmer/softer/firmer shafts like the old legend AD IZ, and to some extent the more recent AD GC. For my feels, I tend to like a bit more stability in the grip, so the AD EK does well for me there.
That grip-end stability isn’t an accident either. Graphite Design is leaning on their Material Stiffness Integration (MSI) design philosophy here, along with 50-ton, high-modulus aerospace-quality carbon fiber throughout the shaft. Obviously you’re not going to think of that mid-swing, but you absolutely feel the result of that new tech in the way the shaft loads and releases.
One thing I’m learning lately is that I’m really preferring most Graphite Design models in X Flex. I’m such a tweener in swing speed. I’ll check out between 100-105 mph, and I most definitely do NOT have an extra gear anymore. But I still feel when I test new gear, both the feel and the numbers both seem like I’d rather be in X. So two points to be made here – feel is so incredibly subjective, and also that you should go try stuff out with people that know what they’re doing!
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | 148 | 16.7º | 2850 | 236 | 253 |
When I first saw the spec sheet, I had a feeling this one would gel with me. I’ve been playing the Graphite Design AD GC nearly 90% of my rounds since it came out – that one fits me so well. One thing I appreciate about this brand is that while they blend in new materials and tech, there’s always attention on fine tuning. Where the AD GC and AD EK are both generally mid/low spin, they set the AD EK for a touch higher launch. And you see it both on the course and in the data!
Graphite Design credits some of that dialed-in spin control to the new T1200G material’s NANOALLOY technology, which they say boosts stability through the mid-to-tip region without giving up feel. Zero surprise – every time this brand tweaks the recipe, the numbers seem to follow their intent almost exactly.
I’m lucky to have spent time with nearly every Graphite Design shaft over the years, and I know I can dial in my shaft based on where my flight and swing are at. Call that a blessing and a curse for a tinkerer. But it shows how well you can get things right in the hands of a trusted club fitter. While I can go to my club bucket and find the right shaft for the day, it makes sense to find the one that matches YOU for the long term.
In my first few rounds, I never felt like I was fighting the AD EK for direction, even when my tempo got a little quick. It wants to launch, carry, and get out there, without the excess spin I tend to put on the ball.
Final Thoughts – Graphite Design AD EK
I’m a long time fan of Graphite Design and always eagerly anticipate a new release. For the most part, I can get along with many of the models in their lineup, though some have had more bag time than others. I’ve been more impressed with the fit on the AD EK than I expected, especially for how effortlessly it gets the ball in the air. Is the AD EK truly “Extra Kick” as billed? I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to continue testing for a while to find out!
