Graphite Design Tour AD CQ Shaft
Graphite Design has released their Tour AD CQ “ConQuest” with a new carbon-fiber material that offers players a great mid/high-launching and mid-spin option. The new Graphite Design Tour AD CQ features a classy and classic shaft graphic with a dark paint scheme. It’ll be a fabulous color match to some of the most popular driver heads out there, too!
The Looks
My first impression – this is a perfect match if you’re on the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Graphite Design Tour AD CQ comes in with a mostly glossy black finish that will sparkle in the sunlight. It transitions to a deep gold near the handle and Graphite Design’s distinctive bands have a subtle red accent. I’m always a big fan of that. Think of the legendary Tour AD DI with the little sprinkle of teal that provides a cool contrast to the orange and white paint. For the AD CQ, you’ve got a shaft that looks really clean from address, now you can focus on the ball.
How Does it Feel?
Graphite Design has been known for a generally smooth, pleasing feel with their golf shafts. The AD CQ will offer no change to that streak. I’ve been able to try pretty much every shaft they’ve released in the last ten years or so. The AD TP (which became available in 2016) has been my favorite and in my bag for the longest period of time, but I’m going to put the CQ near the top. I always liked the sensation of kind of a “tennis ball” feel. It’s kind of a deeper, rubbery feel. Not a lot of snap, and not really a “one-piece” feel either.
With Graphite Design’s description stating FIRM in the hands, FIRM in the middle, and MEDIUM+ in the tip, it seems to me like they’re spot on again. It actually matches much of the design intent here as the AD TP, but has a bit of a softer tip section. I think you can really feel the similarities, however the addition of the Nitta 2G-Namd carbon-fiber gives the AD CQ a slight more stout feel. As we’ve come to expect from Graphite Design, they try to create a full matrix of options. They can for sure offer a feel and a fit for everyone.
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 148 | 15º | 2695 | 240 | 260 |
Like I mentioned above, this one’s my favorite Graphite Design since the AD TP. In my testing, it’s has been pretty much zero transition from other shafts I’d been using. Plug and play. I do typically like a mid-to-low flight and something that will not spin too much, so on paper, the AD CQ should fit well. In action, I’m seeing a really solid flight and pretty good distance. The biggest thing we all want is to have a piece of golf gear that keeps you in play and lets you hit the shots you want.
Personally, I really dislike side spin. The Tour AD CQ has shown to be useful to me in knocking some of that off. I’ve had a really good time with it hitting reasonable fades, and it’s taken away much of the damage from my big miss (which is a big dumb pull). That…I like.
I also want to highlight how important having a good fitter is. I’ve been working with mine for a long time know and he knows me and Graphite Design’s products well. When I was on the monitor, he suggested to me to try to lower my launch a bit. That really unlocked the AD CQ. It didn’t change my speeds much, but I was now carrying a bit farther and even more importantly, got my landing angle under control. That added 8 yards over my previous gamer. Sign me up for the AD CQ for 2023!
Final Thoughts – Graphite Design Tour AD CQ
Another great release from Graphite Design! The AD CQ looks great in its black and gold finish, and should appeal to many players looking for a mid-to-high flight/mid-spin shaft. It’s stable and strong feeling, but responsive and never boardy. New materials lead to better energy transfer, and as always, you’ll be able to dial in the right fit with this premium brand.
