erock9174

anyone know what Mac Boucher is doing these days?

For me the Otto test results haven't worked out so far. Maybe its the shaft I chose for the experiment (Riptide CB L flex 45g). I use a hole on a local course whenever I test drivers and hit a bunch of shots then measure them off. I tried my gamer: G425 max 10.5 (set to 11.5* normal setup) with Tensei Orange 55R and at 45" against a PXG 0211 10.5 with Riptide CB Ladies flex 45g shaft and the same PXG head with a Graphite Design Tour AD MT-6 Stiff/Reg flex. Bought this shaft thinking it was a senior flex (forgot GD SR = Stiff Reg and aimed for 93-98 mph swings, which is definitely higher than my normal mph of 87-92 usually). Avg distance of each: G425 @ 11.5* - 217.5 avg - 83% Fairways hit 0211 @ 10.5 with Otto Phlex (Riptide CB) - 225 yds - 33% Fairways hit G425 @ 9.5* - 230 avg - 71% Fairways hit 0211 @ 12* with GD MT-6 Stiff/Reg flex - 234 yds - 69% Fairways hit So for me, the results were actually flip flopped, I actually gained going to a heavier and firmer shaft than I normally play. For reference I swing around 90 mph with a very deliberate back swing and smooth tempo. Of the top 10 drives that day, 7 of them were with the heavier stiff/reg shaft, 2 of them were with my gamer and only 1 of the top 10 drives were with the Otto shaft. My issue with the Otto was that I kept losing it high and right. The other combos were straight to baby draw or baby pull cut which is more my norms. I am not saying I am giving up on the Otto experiment as I would like to try the proLaunch Blue shaft first before dismissing it, given the others were finding success there.

For sure and honestly it could be that, that particular shaft just did me no favors. I started playing when I was 18 (now 46) and for the first probably 15 years of golf I used a ladies Founders Club 7w as my everything club. Tee off club, par 5 2nd shot, long par 3 shot, long par 4 approach you name it that club just worked and it was a whip. So I really thought this Otto experiement would work and maybe it will. Might just need a different shaft than the Riptide CB for me. I have had other drivers where the shaft really made a difference for me. Right now with my G425 I hit the Tensei Orange AV Raw very well. But tried a Proforce V2 5F3 and and a HZRDUS Yellow 6R and neither of those worked at all for me. I just hate to go down the shaft rabbit hole with this as usually if they do not work, Ladies flex shafts have little value on ebay.

I mentioned above in the thread that the Otto experiment with the Riptide CB L flex didn't pan out for me. I had purchased an 0211 driver on the recent sale so before returning it figured I'd play around with it. Found a GD Tour AD MT-6 Stiff/Reg flex shaft for a song at my local store with a PXG tip. It won against my G425 with Tensei Orange AV Raw 50g Reg flex during some head to head testing. So I got it out Friday on the course. On a cooler 50* day in OH with damp fairways I managed to drive the ball to averages I might only see on hit firm days with my normal gamer. I swing around 90 mph with a very deliberate backswing and smooth tempo swing. Season average with my G425 50g Tensei Orange Reg - 225 avg, 240 performance avg. Friday's rd with the 0211 Tour AD MD-6 Stiff Reg - 234 avg, 247 performance avg I don't get it. Everyone else is going lighter and flexier and seeing gains. I go heavier and firmer than I normally play and seeing gains

This is interesting given a few of the youtubers said the Riptide CB was close to the AutoFlex in bend profile... no? I tried the Riptide CB in Ladies flex 40g and honestly didn't feel much kick in it at all. To me it felt more like the R flexes I typically play. Or maybe a stouter A flex.

Finally can give my initial update. I received my PXG 0211 10.5 today with Riptide CB 40 4.0 flex. Took it out of the box and gave it a waggle. Surprisingly it never felt whippy at all. I took it to the range and tried to dial it in, but unfortunately I kept losing it right (I am a right handed golfer) and normally try and play a baby draw. No matter the adapter setting (even setting it to higher which closes the face) I was still losing it right which was a bummer. Just felt like the head was lagging and not shutting for me. I actually had my two best drives with it set to the -1.5* setting which I found odd. Yesterday I happened to stop by my local shop and they had a Graphite Design Tour AD MT-6 in SR with PXG tip (I bought it thinking it was Senior flex (as they had it marked) but in doing some research it actually is a Stiff/Reg flex. There is a local course nearby with a decent sized fairway on their 3rd 9 holes. The set of 9 holes was closed for aeration but they know me well and let me go on to test out the drivers. I was still nice and warm from the range session 20 min prior. I used the my gamer ball (Pro V1x) and hit 3 ball with each driver, measured them, rinse and repeat 3 more times making sure to rotate the order I used the drivers in. Drivers Tested: PXG 0211 10.5 Riptide CB 40 4.0 - 46" (Otto Phlex build) PXG 0211 10.5 (lofted up 1.5*) with GD MT-6 Stiff/Reg - 45" Ping G425 Max 10.5 Tensei Orange AV Raw 55 R (my gamer) - 45" Set to 11.5* All balls were measured with my Garmin GPS. Otto Phlex build - 225 yd avg | 3/9 fairways (all misses were right, with 1 Out of bounds) Ping G425 set to 11.5 - 217.5 avg | 5/6 fairways (1 miss left) Ping G425 set to 9.5 - 230 avg | 5/7 fairways (2 misses left) PXG 0211 set to 12* with GD MT-6 Stiff Reg - 234 avg | 9/13 Fairways (3 misses right, 1 miss left) No matter what I tried on the range or course I couldn't get the Riptide 4.0 dialed in. Kept trying different adapter settings, even tried choking down and inch to 45" and it never really seemed to help. Maybe this build is just not for me. The testing was not all for naught though given I did seem to figure out that I may be using too much loft on my gamer driver. Lowering it from 11.5 to 9.5 yielded me 13 more total yards on avg. I do have a tendency when its set to 11.5 to sometimes hit the 200 yd sky ball off the top of the head (I like to tee my ball really high). And then there is the Graphite Design shaft in the PXG.. I never thought with my measly swing speed of around 90 mph that I could do anything with an exotic shaft in Stiff/Reg flex and being a weight heavier than I normally play. The shaft defintely seemed to tame the side spin without lowering my launch any. I did have to loft up to 12* with this shaft but it never seemed to hurt my distance at all. Ended up averaging 234 overall and was today's distance winner. Definitely a fun test and was nice to enjoy a nice sunny 55* in Ohio in Oct.

I am still waiting on my experiment to show up. But after reading these testimonials...do you think part of the success is due to: 1. people are playing too low of a spin setups for them? I think with my +4-6* angle of attack, I could probably play a 9* driver. but I don't...I play a 10.5* and it keeps me in play more vs the low diving one I am sure would happen on a bad swing with a 9*. /also keeps the spin in a healthier range. 2. people have too fast of a tempo/Transition... and this combo helps slow them down? I have a very deliberate back swing. one guy said when his swing is off, he thinks of me, lol I said huh, never thought I'd ever be a swing aid, lol given I have this type of tempo already I wonder if I will see any of the gains. As mentioned above I am going from a 45" 50g shaft R flex (90ish mph swing speed) to a ladies flex 45g (uncut) shaft (going to try 46" at first). Same loft 10.5. Just not sure what kind of gains I should even expect if any.

Nice looking shaft. Do they have a 40g variant?

At $119 now for the 0211, I couldn't pass it up. Had some credit on Amazon to use up, but unfortunately they didn't have any L flex options in the 10.5 head, so I ordered it directly from PXG.

Good stuff. yeah I will probably need to tinker a bit with the SW. I had researched just replacing the shaft in my G425 max but by the time you source the shaft and put a Ping tip on it the cost was getting up there. So I just ended up ordering a PXG 0211 last night 10.5 with the Riptide CB 4.0 at 46". I have tried 46" drivers in the past and being shorter (5' 4") I feel like I have to swing really flat with that long a shaft so I may end up going shorter (my norm is around 45"). Which would also bring the SW back down. I read through the post but can't remember, when doing the Otto Phlex test, did you guys need to loft down at all?

Currently play a G425 Max 10.5 with Tensei Orange AV Raw Regular Flex (Ping lists it as 50g) and MRC lists it at 57g. Play it at 45 1/8" to end of grip D2-3 ish. I was thinking about this project and going with either the Riptide CB 4.0 40g (45g, 5.3 torque) or Cypher Shaft in 4.0 flex (47g, 6.0 Torque). Given the PXG 0211 driver is now $119, I thought about going with the Riptide CB shaft to help bring the swing weight down a little. I know the Riptide shaft is 45g, but I plan to try this at 46" which will raise the Swing weight (0211 was meant to be 45" with a 206g head). Seems reasonable?