GolfWRX: Graphite Design and L.A.B. Golf Debut New Products at the Byron Nelson

Two equipment brands made their presence felt at TPC Craig Ranch during the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, revealing products that are already generating buzz on Tour.

Graphite Design Tour AD: Color-Coded Launch Profiles

Graphite Design introduced three new Tour AD shaft variants, each distinguished by color and corresponding launch characteristic: LL Silver (low launch), ML Blue (mid launch), and HL Red (high launch). Tour Promotions Manager Simon Wood confirmed that all three feature entirely new internal constructions alongside a refreshed logo and stripe design. Available in X and Tour X flexes, the shafts are expected to sit on the lower end of the spin spectrum given their Tour positioning.

Players expected to put the new Tour AD through its paces include Adam Svensson, Keita Nakajima, Neal Shipley, and Max McGreevy.

L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i: Back to Center-Shaft

L.A.B. Golf, known for its zero-torque putter technology, displayed multiple colorways of the VZN.1i at the event—a model first spotted in competition on Adrien Saddier's bag at the PGA Championship. The VZN.1i marks a return to a center-shafted design after the heel-shafted LINK.2.1 and LINK.2.2 dominated Tour appearances. A practical bonus: the VZN.1i is designed to scoop and pick up a golf ball, an ergonomic feature that could appeal to players looking to reduce back strain.

Strokeslab Perspective

Color-coded launch profiles from Graphite Design lower the barrier for shaft fitting decisions—an area directly tied to SG: Off the Tee. As L.A.B. Golf continues expanding its putter lineup, the zero-torque philosophy remains one of the more data-backed approaches to improving SG: Putting at the Tour level.