Shaft Hack - The Otto Phlex Journey

[cksurfdude]

On 9/29/2022 at 9:47 PM, azstu324 said:

I'm really itching to try 1 more shaft and that's the UST V2 HL.

Just catching up with this thread, so prob late on this one...

So for years I've had trouble hitting a driver so defaulted to a 3W to get off the tee .. which for me is an old Bertha Mini 1.5 (larger head, deeper face, kind of a mini driver), which came with a Kuro Kage Silver TiNi which I didn't really like .. felt heavy and stiff to me.

I'd read about the Pro Force, and looked at the Maltby shaft selector to get my 4 character code then picked a 5R in the HL version (I def need help with launch), and .. love it.

I'm not an especially strong nor fast swinger but I feel like this shaft helps me load and release it decently

Heck now I might try it in a lighter + softer version for the driver!

[TheFonzzz]

Tour Edge is exclusively using the UST V2  HL in there new 523 woods. It does say something about those sticks!

[Kondo]

I just received the GPL 40 - L this evening. I have a Foresight Quad and will get numbers for the Ventus / Velocore 60 S and the Otto Plex. Very anxious to see the results. It is going into a Titleist TSI4 9 degree. 

[azstu324]

Um.. yeah the OttoPhlex 3 wood shaft is going in the bag! The GWX IMO is a great candidate for 3 wood because of the extra weight. 

These are my LM results. The fairway metals and irons are usually more accurate on these monitors than driver so I'll take these #'s all day. What I'm loving about this setup in both clubs is that the right or left spin is very minimal. Blocks and pulls are still fairway balls and are nearly laser straight with distance. 

This is my 10 shot average. No pulled shots just 10 in a row. 

[Bobbers]

6 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Um.. yeah the OttoPhlex 3 wood shaft is going in the bag! The GWX IMO is a great candidate for 3 wood because of the extra weight. 

These are my LM results. The fairway metals and irons are usually more accurate on these monitors than driver so I'll take these #'s all day. What I'm loving about this setup in both clubs is that the right or left spin is very minimal. Blocks and pulls are still fairway balls and are nearly laser straight with distance. 

This is my 10 shot average. No pulled shots just 10 in a row. 

Those are some impressive numbers!

[TheFonzzz]

43 D1.5, did you tip the shaft? W3 trimming calls for 1/2 inch?

[azstu324]

46 minutes ago, TheFonzzz said:

43 D1.5, did you tip the shaft? W3 trimming calls for 1/2 inch?

Technically no tipping this time. I had already cut a half an inch off for the driver project but decided to just go with the standard trimming and it worked out great! 

 

[PACK7483]

Got my 0211 9degree with the Riptide CB Aflex in yesterday.  Took it too the range.  That shaft is nice, but I see now what others are talking about the feel not being anything like the AF.  It is extremely stable and honestly doesn't feel any "less" stiff than the Smoke Blue RDX X in my Cobra LTDX.  Now. Do I get the PLB to try for the Cobra LTDX? Or the PXG 0211??  My suspicion is the Cobra will be longer, BUT the price is so cheap on the PXG that the resale value of the cobra will probably be close to 3 times what I paid for the PXG new lol. 

[PACK7483]

On 10/17/2022 at 8:11 PM, TheFonzzz said:

Ok, back with a cobra ltdx 9’ , plb and adapter ordered  today. I think the standard set up is 45.5 With a D2  SW. I thing 45 will be spot on D0.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the PLB LTDX combo. Gonna order a PLB for either my Cobra or PXG 0211 soon.  

[funkyjudge]

7 minutes ago, PACK7483 said:

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the PLB LTDX combo. Gonna order a PLB for either my Cobra or PXG 0211 soon.  

My wife has a PLB 45-L in the 14* Krank driver that I built for her. I took a few easy swings with that driver when I built it a couple of years ago, but I think I will have to give it another go to see what kind of results I get.  The only thing that concerns me is that it is the non-USGA conforming head and if I hit a few balls with my normal 98-102 MPH swing with it, I might crack the face. Also, it is only 43.5" long and C6 swingweight as-built.

[David Leighton Reid]

Update on my Otto Phlex journey.  As I mentioned previously, I didn't have great results trying a Fuji Air Speeder 45 regular flex in my Ping G425.  Following the crowd, I found an immaculate PXG Gen 5 0311XF 9° driver with a Project X Evenflow Riptide 40 in senior flex for $235 and dove further down the rabbit hole.  I took the new stick to the golf course on Sunday and once again had mixed results.  So far, the Otto Phlex test is not out-performing my Ventus Velocore Blue 5S in my Ping G425 Max head.  However, since I am this deep in the rabbit hole, I am not done tinkering yet.  This will be a work in progress.  

[BadgerRick]

41 minutes ago, PACK7483 said:

Got my 0211 9degree with the Riptide CB Aflex in yesterday.  Took it too the range.  That shaft is nice, but I see now what others are talking about the feel not being anything like the AF.  It is extremely stable and honestly doesn't feel any "less" stiff than the Smoke Blue RDX X in my Cobra LTDX.  Now. Do I get the PLB to try for the Cobra LTDX? Or the PXG 0211??  My suspicion is the Cobra will be longer, BUT the price is so cheap on the PXG that the resale value of the cobra will probably be close to 3 times what I paid for the PXG new lol. 

my gen 4 PXG 0311 X with the Riptide 40 CB A flex is coming tomorrow. I put a Grafalloy PLB in a Callaway Epic speed, and the thing has been a bomber, so I'll compare the Riptide with Grafalloy. Once I get everything figured out, I may buy the TPT 21 hi to build a long drive competition club with a Callaway Epic Speed LD

[Nolan220]

I have an old Project X senior shaft I will try out with my Cobra rad speed .. I need to add the adaptor so wont be hitting it for a couple of days but one of my favorite clubs I own is a my Taylormade 3H rescue and I got this when I first started getting back into golf in 2007 I loved this club it was stocked and I could put it anywhere I wanted .. I noticed couple years back that it was a senior flex .. and I always said I liked it bc it was whippy .. so hopefully this will work out well too

[Rickp]

I ordered last night a PXG 0211 Driver with a Cypher A 40 shaft.  This is the lightest shaft I have ever purchased.  Going to be an experiment that’s for sure.

[BMart519]

PXG getting a ton of business from this thread  with that pricing. 

Hoping to get another outdoor testing session in tonight without a quartering slice/headwind. I'm implementing some weight shift concepts from the TXG/Drew Cooper vidoes to play at 160-165mph ball speed next season and my face contact has been surprisingly good with my 60S Atmos Blue. It will take serious performance to beat that shaft since it has been validated in a fitting. Interesting seeming feedback on the stability of the Riptide CB, maybe I do need to go softer for an honest comparison to increase club head speed and launch enough over my normal setup. 

There's a reason Adam Scott used the AF for 1 pro tournament and it was lack of control, which is critical for scoring. The long drive comparison where 1/6 balls count is a bit flawed unless that is what you are competing in. Strokes gained from 10-20 yards off the tee is erased if you hit 1 additional drive into a penalty area per round or every 2 rounds if it is OB. 

[GolfSpy TCB]

17 hours ago, Gripit said:

I have really enjoyed reading this thread...You guys got me interested.  That's exactly what I'm going to try.  Been playing R flex for years and have decided to get a PLB in L flex.  This should be a fun experiment!

I'm right with you Gripit... my PLB in "L" should arrive today.

[GolfSpy TCB]

14 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Um.. yeah the OttoPhlex 3 wood shaft is going in the bag! The GWX IMO is a great candidate for 3 wood because of the extra weight. 

These are my LM results. The fairway metals and irons are usually more accurate on these monitors than driver so I'll take these #'s all day. What I'm loving about this setup in both clubs is that the right or left spin is very minimal. Blocks and pulls are still fairway balls and are nearly laser straight with distance. 

This is my 10 shot average. No pulled shots just 10 in a row. 

what was your "standard shaft" LM data compared AZ?

[GolfSpy TCB]

30 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

PXG getting a ton of business from this thread  with that pricing. 

I bet they are trying to figure out why all of a sudden the A flex shafts are flying out the door!  haha.

[azstu324]

57 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

PXG getting a ton of business from this thread  with that pricing. 

Hoping to get another outdoor testing session in tonight without a quartering slice/headwind. I'm implementing some weight shift concepts from the TXG/Drew Cooper vidoes to play at 160-165mph ball speed next season and my face contact has been surprisingly good with my 60S Atmos Blue. It will take serious performance to beat that shaft since it has been validated in a fitting. Interesting seeming feedback on the stability of the Riptide CB, maybe I do need to go softer for an honest comparison to increase club head speed and launch enough over my normal setup. 

There's a reason Adam Scott used the AF for 1 pro tournament and it was lack of control, which is critical for scoring. The long drive comparison where 1/6 balls count is a bit flawed unless that is what you are competing in. Strokes gained from 10-20 yards off the tee is erased if you hit 1 additional drive into a penalty area per round or every 2 rounds if it is OB. 

I think that what you've mentioned here is going to be the general divide between those who love it and those who don't. Club/ball speed will probably be mostly agreed on by both sides. 

Either you're going to find disbursement tighten right up and find those strokes to gain.. or you're going to find yourself losing the ball all over the place. That's what's so intriguing about this profile. 

Obviously I'm on the side A. My experience only seems to be getting better and better with each practice session and am really finding a repeatable swing that I can easily take to the course.. yet some others have reported issues keeping the ball in play. 

[PACK7483]

Just left the range for the second day with the 0211 Rip CB 50 A flex.  I still can't believe how stable of a shaft it feels to be A flex. I got the 7W with the same shaft but Regular flex. That club is perfect. Dead straight and long.  Still trying to dial in dispersion with the A flex driver.  8 degree setting and tee it high seems to be working the best.  Would like to maybe try the 5 gram weight in the head vs the stock 10.  I tried it with the weight out, and it was too light. I do think the 0211 spins more than others which could be hurting distance. 

[azstu324]

51 minutes ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

what was your "standard shaft" LM data compared AZ?

Good call out/reminder. I'll update the post with the details when I'm off of work today. 

[Ket]

BGT - 54 gram in s snd X will be available on Nov 1 $399 and some will let go for $360

Most levels of golfer getting around 10 yards over auto flex.

BGT built them selves on putter shafts,

 

[BrenkJ]

I was intrigued by this post, so I found a 50-gram Atmos Senior Flex shaft online for $75 (I normally swing a shaft that's about 65-grams and in between R and S).    After one trip to the range, I can say that I don't hate it.   There's no question I can feel the club throughout my swing better, which seems like a good thing.  My accuracy is about the same, and I think I'm driving the ball slightly further.   I don't have a launch monitor or anything, but I do hit driver toward the same set of flags on my club's range every time, and I'd guess I'm driving it 5-10 yards further.   The biggest difference is that I'm hitting it at a much higher trajectory.   For me, this is a good thing, because getting my drives up in the air has always been a problem for me.     

[azstu324]

19 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Um.. yeah the OttoPhlex 3 wood shaft is going in the bag! The GWX IMO is a great candidate for 3 wood because of the extra weight. 

These are my LM results. The fairway metals and irons are usually more accurate on these monitors than driver so I'll take these #'s all day. What I'm loving about this setup in both clubs is that the right or left spin is very minimal. Blocks and pulls are still fairway balls and are nearly laser straight with distance. 

This is my 10 shot average. No pulled shots just 10 in a row. 

Update

So my previous shaft for my 3 wood was a MotoreX F3 6S but tipped 2" to play like a soft X. It is a really great shaft that is pretty user friendly for the most part. I played the head at the lowest setting of 13° and I've always used my 3 wood as a driver replacement on tighter fairways or to steer clear of danger. Maybe on a short par 4 to give me more of a full wedge shot to get home. 

I completely forgot to take the MotoreX so my previous stats are from memory.

Previous Launch stats

When I'm really firing, I might be able to squeeze out 250+ total. TBH, I wasn't really looking to get much more out of the shaft in terms of #'s. I've been pretty happy with the F3 and Cobra F6 combo. I was just looking for the same feeling that I'm really starting to enjoy from the PLB which is a really pronounced load and quick release which is helping me control my tempo and gives me absolute control over where the face is. 

I would say that overall my disbursement is noticeably better with the GWX. Spin is probably about the same but distance is about 5-10 yds longer with the GWX. Putting all of the numbers aside, what I really like is that the 3 wood and driver almost feel like the same club. This makes transitioning from driver to 3W seamless. Being that I only use 3w a few times per round, I need those shots to be executed perfectly to make using it worth while. 

More updates to come on the progress of the 3W

 

[azstu324]

46 minutes ago, BrenkJ said:

I was intrigued by this post, so I found a 50-gram Atmos Senior Flex shaft online for $75 (I normally swing a shaft that's about 65-grams and in between R and S).    After one trip to the range, I can say that I don't hate it.   There's no question I can feel the club throughout my swing better, which seems like a good thing.  My accuracy is about the same, and I think I'm driving the ball slightly further.   I don't have a launch monitor or anything, but I do hit driver toward the same set of flags on my club's range every time, and I'd guess I'm driving it 5-10 yards further.   The biggest difference is that I'm hitting it at a much higher trajectory.   For me, this is a good thing, because getting my drives up in the air has always been a problem for me.     

This "new" profile for me is really an organic ordeal. Every range/LM session or round, I'm gradually seeing my consistency improve. I'm becoming more and more familiar and comfortable. Along with consistency comes more distance. I'd say that this should be about a month-long process to become fully acquainted and comfortable. 

[GolfSpy TCB]

1 hour ago, azstu324 said:

Update

So my previous shaft for my 3 wood was a MotoreX F3 6S but tipped 2" to play like a soft X. It is a really great shaft that is pretty user friendly for the most part. I played the head at the lowest setting of 13° and I've always used my 3 wood as a driver replacement on tighter fairways or to steer clear of danger. Maybe on a short par 4 to give me more of a full wedge shot to get home. 

I completely forgot to take the MotoreX so my previous stats are from memory.

Previous Launch stats

When I'm really firing, I might be able to squeeze out 250+ total. TBH, I wasn't really looking to get much more out of the shaft in terms of #'s. I've been pretty happy with the F3 and Cobra F6 combo. I was just looking for the same feeling that I'm really starting to enjoy from the PLB which is a really pronounced load and quick release which is helping me control my tempo and gives me absolute control over where the face is. 

I would say that overall my disbursement is noticeably better with the GWX. Spin is probably about the same but distance is about 5-10 yds longer with the GWX. Putting all of the numbers aside, what I really like is that the 3 wood and driver almost feel like the same club. This makes transitioning from driver to 3W seamless. Being that I only use 3w a few times per round, I need those shots to be executed perfectly to make using it worth while. 

More updates to come on the progress of the 3W

 

Thanks for the update AZ.  There is a HUGE amount to be said for not feeling like you have to 'activate' the shaft during the swing.  I may be putting words in your mouth, but it sounds like you are able to let the more flexible shaft do the "heavy lifting" to get the same performance from you having to do it.  Winner as far as I can tell!

Received my PLB today, will be taking it to the shop Friday to get it spec'd out and "ready for launch" (I had to... I live in Houston  )

[BrenkJ]

Everybody on this thread is mentioning the PLB shaft.   Is there a reason for that?   Now that I'm semi-sold on the Otto-Phlex theory, are there particular high-quality shafts that fit the description of lighter and more whippy?    Would one of the Ventus Velocore shafts do the trick?

[GolfSpy TCB]

6 minutes ago, BrenkJ said:

Everybody on this thread is mentioning the PLB shaft.   Is there a reason for that?   Now that I'm semi-sold on the Otto-Phlex theory, are there particular high-quality shafts that fit the description of lighter and more whippy?    Would one of the Ventus Velocore shafts do the trick?

For me, it is a proven (at least by others on the thread) shaft at an attractive price for an experiment.  The top of the list for a higher priced version would be the Auto Flex itself I'm not quite ready for that investment on a what if

[cnosil]

47 minutes ago, BrenkJ said:

Everybody on this thread is mentioning the PLB shaft.   Is there a reason for that?   Now that I'm semi-sold on the Otto-Phlex theory, are there particular high-quality shafts that fit the description of lighter and more whippy?    Would one of the Ventus Velocore shafts do the trick?

The PLB is relatively inexpensive and people don't feel like they are spending a fortune on something that might not work.  In general most shafts could work conceptually;  but may not be the same type of bend profile as the autoflex.    If you are considering high-quality to equate to better performance you can surely spend more than the sub $100 that people are doing in this thread.  Pretty sure there was a chart posted that listed a bunch of shafts with similar profiles; some of them were in the $200-$300 range.   If you have access to the various shaft bend profiles you could do a comparison and find a close match.   Most people trying the experiment are simply dropping 2 weight classes and 2 flexes from what they typically play as is suggested in the various videos found online.  

[azstu324]

46 minutes ago, BrenkJ said:

Everybody on this thread is mentioning the PLB shaft.   Is there a reason for that?   Now that I'm semi-sold on the Otto-Phlex theory, are there particular high-quality shafts that fit the description of lighter and more whippy?    Would one of the Ventus Velocore shafts do the trick?

@BrenkJjust in case you missed it, the "PLB" is the Garafalloy Pro Launch Blue. By complete happenstance it was the 1st shaft that I had purchased outside of the Project X Evenflow Riptide 40 5.0. I had made a list of about 5 or so shafts to choose from that met the general profile, all in the sub $75 range and it happened to be that the PLB was available at my Golf Galaxy 10 min away. So I went and picked it up, threw the PXG tip on it, and the rest was history.

Also, in case you missed the Mrshortgame video, the shaft that had the best results all around was a sub-$75 older Fujikura Motore F3. The problem was that the shaft is nearly extinct and almost impossible to find... And is what influenced me to start this thread. Are there other options that would fit the profile? Heck yes! and I think a few have found some excellent alternatives. Are any of them better than the PLB? I honestly wouldn't know. IMO the PLB 45g fits every characteristic of what I perceived the OttoPhlex to be and I won the lottery the first go around.. well maybe second.. first if you count the Evenflow. 

As far as quality goes, be careful not to associate "cost" with quality. I'm sure you could find a $300 option that would work just as well.. but I would hesitate to say it would be better than what I believe the PLB to be. In my intro I compared the $60 PLB with a $275 Fujikura MotoreX F1 6x. I'm sure by now, others who have found success in the "OttoPhlex" probably have even pricier options that they're comparing with. The Garafalloy PLB is a very high quality shaft that has just been in production for many years and is why the cost is so low. I wouldn't discount it as a "low quality" option just because of the price. Same goes for the UST V2, Aldila NVS, etc. All very high quality, proven shafts. 

Hopefully that was somewhat helpful