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AutoFLex Shaft

Nippon Shafts
Sox_Fan said:
After taking 4 months off to let my torn left rotator cuff heal, every shaft I was swung in my driver felt too stiff and slow so I decided to give the Autoflex SF505 another try a couple of weeks ago. Other than the occasional pull hook when I got way too quick (which I have always battled regardless of the shaft), I was quite impressed with the dispersion with this shaft during my initial impressions with it about 7 months ago and that has not changed. Lack of distance with the shaft was the issue for me previously. That has not been an issue during this latest go around. I am getting what I was used to with more conventional shaft profiles previously with dispersion as good or better. I am going to stick with it this time and expect I will eventually see a little distance gain as I get more comfortable timing it up properly.

Since I started playing it again, I have had it in the Hogan GS53 Max head. Going to try it in the original GS53 head, which I am more comfortable with due primarily to sound and feel, over my next few rounds.
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Are you still gaming the autoflex?

I don't know how I had never heard of it before running into a friend at the range yesterday. He had a pink and black one in a TM head and I was pounding it. Seemed effortless. How did I miss this?
 
dhartmann34 said:
Are you still gaming the autoflex?

I don't know how I had never heard of it before running into a friend at the range yesterday. He had a pink and black one in a TM head and I was pounding it. Seemed effortless. How did I miss this?
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Because it costs like a million dollars :p
 
Not curre
dhartmann34 said:
Are you still gaming the autoflex?

I don't know how I had never heard of it before running into a friend at the range yesterday. He had a pink and black one in a TM head and I was pounding it. Seemed effortless. How did I miss this?
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Not currently. I have been lazy about pulling the Callaway adapter off it and putting a Taylor Made adapter on. Going to try to get motivated to do it next week. It took me a while to get used to it. I hit it straight from the beginning but it took me several rounds to get the timing down to see the distance.
 
dhartmann34 said:
Are you still gaming the autoflex?

I don't know how I had never heard of it before running into a friend at the range yesterday. He had a pink and black one in a TM head and I was pounding it. Seemed effortless. How did I miss this?
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it’s very unique. i’ve heard from some people i trust that it’s not dissimilar than a run-of-the mill tip soft senior flex shaft built over length. i tried it and was all over the place. was not for me.
 
So I bought the shaft without it being fit and did not find any particular gains with it on either a dispersion or distance POV.

I then went to a driver fitting and as a last selection grabbed it and paired it with a couple different heads. With the right pairing (for me TSR2), all of a sudden it was a little longer than gamer, but the straightest driver I hit.

Have now played it in 7 rounds this year. My cap has dropped two full strokes in seven rounds, which is not all driver, but I still have not had to hit a second ball lying 3 this season.

Leads me strongly to the belief that you shouldn't self-fit this one.
 
McLovin said:
it’s very unique. i’ve heard from some people i trust that it’s not dissimilar than a run-of-the mill tip soft senior flex shaft built over length. i tried it and was all over the place. was not for me.
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There is a way to make it work, but it would cut into their margins, which is use a stronger material.
 
McLovin said:
it’s very unique. i’ve heard from some people i trust that it’s not dissimilar than a run-of-the mill tip soft senior flex shaft built over length. i tried it and was all over the place. was not for me.
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I mean, I was just fitted into a R shaft.... so maybe I'm hitting my senior years a few years early. :LOL:
 
McLovin said:
it’s very unique. i’ve heard from some people i trust that it’s not dissimilar than a run-of-the mill tip soft senior flex shaft built over length. i tried it and was all over the place. was not for me.
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I have watched a couple videos now, one is pretty reputable, the other, mmm maybe not so much, but the general theory when trying to get something similar to the AutoFlex is to go 10-20g lighter than you normally play and 2 flexes softer than you normally play. The one person said when CPM'd the AutoFlex is a similar profile to the older Fuji Motore shaft or the EvenFlow CB shaft. Also the swing weight has to be right. I believe their magic number is around D0-D1 for the Autoflex. Around 46" built length.

I tried an Ottophlex experiment going with a ladies flex Even Flow CB 40g 4.0 flex (usually play 50-55g R flex) and it was not for me. Launch for days but I couldn't turn the ball over. Just high pushes or push fades.

My guess is some that end up liking the AutoFlex are probably playing a shaft that is too stiff and low launching for them or they have a very quick transition and the Autoflex helps them slow things down a bit. Could be wrong there.
 
erock9174 said:
My guess is some that end up liking the AutoFlex are probably playing a shaft that is too stiff and low launching for them or they have a very quick transition and the Autoflex helps them slow things down a bit. Could be wrong there.
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maybe, but i think the trend on the long drive tour to go super soft is kind of telling.

i tried auto flex and had some ball speed gains, but control was laughably awful.
 
McLovin said:
maybe, but i think the trend on the long drive tour to go super soft is kind of telling.

i tried auto flex and had some ball speed gains, but control was laughably awful.
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Likewise. Guess it will all boil down to the right combo in a fitting.

with long drive and only needing 1 ball that counts I could see playing a kids flex if it would work. 😀
 
wristcock said:
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Nice. I put an AutoFlex in my Rogue ST Max D driver 3 months ago and it has given me back 10-15 yards with improved dispersion. Just had adapter changed to Ping for a new G430 HL driver. Also, purchased a fairway AutoFlex for my 3 wood. At 74 years old with a swing speed in the high 70s, this is making the game fun again.
 
mancest said:
Thanks man, I am not sure how much is swing improvement, and how much is shaft, but there is some definite synergy there. Anyone who has ever played with me in a THP evenT knows I used to hit a over the top pull slice. I kept it in play, but my distance was legit about 215 on average. Yesterday my last 2 drives went 277 and 272. That is still long for me, but I hit 3 drives over 270 yesterday which is ******* bOnkers. I still had a couple in that 215 range, but those were mishits/poor swings. So to have my floor of distance on a moderate swing be what my average used to be is still hard to process.
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I have that same over the top slice that’s sapping my distance. How’d you fix it? Take lessons? Any specific drills? Hypnosis?
 
I just spent 40 mins reading through this entire thread, start to finish. Fascinating. I think the one thing that rings most true that I read: the importance of a fitting.
Now, onto my experience with an Autoflex…

I was gifted and autoflex shaft a week ago. I currently game a ventus TR black (with Callaway Rogue ST LS head) and was not in the market for anything different. Important to note that I have a big sweeping slice that saps me of a lot of distance, and I swing very hard with the driver (more on this later).

I went to the driving range and tried out the autoflex, but with my Callaway Mavrik head. No Tracman or Arccos — just basing things on feel and sight. I hit about a dozen balls with my ventus/rogue and another dozen with Autoflex/mavrik. WHAT I FOUND: my slice turned into a fade with the autoflex, which allowed me overall to hit the ball noticeably “straighter.” However, I didn’t see any increase in distance. I viewed this as a net positive.

fast forward to now and I’ve played 2 rounds with the Autoflex/mavrik set up. When I swing hard like I typically do with driver, what usually happens is a very high, spinny shot. Not a massive slice per se, but skyball with no distance. If I “swing easy” I tend to make good contact and hit the straighter ball like I saw on the range, but it’s actually about 10ish yards SHORTER than my ventus/rogue set up.

im gonna stick with it for at least a few more rounds. But so far, overall: more control and less dispersion, but less distance.
 
ccjimmy2001 said:
I have that same over the top slice that’s sapping my distance. How’d you fix it? Take lessons? Any specific drills? Hypnosis?
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Still working to fix it, but lots of lessons and lots of practice. I am not going to recommend any specific drills as what is causing it for me may not be what is causing it for you and I wouldn't want to lead anyone down the wrong path. I am definitely not someone that should be giving out swing advice so will refrain from it.
 
baylrballa said:
I need someone to gift me an autoflex. :D

sounds fun. (y)
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We all need friends like that!
I would love to try one of these but that $ isn't in my range.
 
I played the other day with a Srixon Rep that had a SF305X Rainbow AutoFlex shaft in a Srixon Driver (5 I think).
I couldn't believe the whip that shaft had.
He could put it out there but he had to swing "Smooth" Couldn't overpower it.
Current price I've seen is "Down" to $790.00
Almost like a "Blind Buy" on a set of Irons which of course no one has done here ;)
 
Iceman! said:
I played the other day with a Srixon Rep that had a SF305X Rainbow AutoFlex shaft in a Srixon Driver (5 I think).
I couldn't believe the whip that shaft had.
He could put it out there but he had to swing "Smooth" Couldn't overpower it.
Current price I've seen is "Down" to $790.00
Almost like a "Blind Buy" on a set of Irons which of course no one has done here ;)
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I recently have been trying other shafts in my longer driver as what I've found is similar. When swinging smooth I get great numbers and great results from the Autoflex. When swinging aggressive it is a crap show
 
I still don’t understand why these are so sought after, but I guess you label something “hidden technology” and you’re golden haha
 
Jman said:
I still don’t understand why these are so sought after, but I guess you label something “hidden technology” and you’re golden haha
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golden as in fools gold..
 
Jman said:
And we have still never seen one tested against an A flex shaft, have we?
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I can't say that we have. I have not seen one.. But, all the long drive guys are swinging 47 inch reg flex shafts..
 
templeton80 said:
I can't say that we have. I have not seen one.. But, all the long drive guys are swinging 47 inch reg flex shafts..
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It’s always been my biggest question of autoflex, and no one can ever answer it haha
 
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