Shaft Hack - The Otto Phlex Journey

[Will_Mac]

shoot, I would've sold you mine. The Grafalloy PLB feels much better to me.

Ha, yeah.... I already saw the MSG and MCM Autoflex comparison video a little while back. Then only read the OP when I was moved to buy. Had I continued to read further, LOL... I'd likely have gone PLB too.

But hey, we're all different. Here's to seeing what's what.

[BadgerRick]

18 minutes ago, Will_Mac said:

Ha, yeah.... I already saw the MSG and MCM Autoflex comparison video a little while back. Then only read the OP when I was moved to buy. Had I continued to read further, LOL... I'd likely have gone PLB too.

But hey, we're all different. Here's to seeing what's what.

good idea, interested to see what you think. I'm thinking I might commit soon to a TPT 21 hi and Callaway Epic LD  head and start speed training to try and win the super senior long drive next year.

[Will_Mac]

good idea, interested to see what you think. I'm thinking I might commit soon to a TPT 21 hi and Callaway Epic LD  head and start speed training to try and win the super senior long drive next year.

Do it! I"m "only" soon to be 55 but my ever brittle back would break.

[Bobbers]

8 hours ago, PACK7483 said:

Any thoughts on how the PLB might work in the PXG head?  I can't decide if I want to order one for my 0211 or my Cobra LTDX.  Played 18 today with the PXG 0211 A flex Riptide.  Plays fine, but not getting that whippy autoflex feel, nor that extra "kick" everyone talks about.  

PLB works great in a PXG head.

[GolfSpy TCB]

So @Bobbers, @azstu324and others... when you decided to move into the fairways... how did you approach the length adjustments on the shaft...?

To clarify... if I were to get a couple of raw fairway/hybrid shafts, and I wanted to install in my 3w, 5w and hybrid... when I have them cut to length, should I approach the length adjustment from the butt end, the tip end or both (fairly new to the club building environment... so thanks for the education and not laughing if it is a stupid question... ) .  

[Bobbers]

10 minutes ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

So @Bobbers, @azstu324and others... when you decided to move into the fairways... how did you approach the length adjustments on the shaft...?

To clarify... if I were to get a couple of raw fairway/hybrid shafts, and I wanted to install in my 3w, 5w and hybrid... when I have them cut to length, should I approach the length adjustment from the butt end, the tip end or both (fairly new to the club building environment... so thanks for the education and not laughing if it is a stupid question... ) .  

To issue the disclaimers up front: I have no relationship other than as a customer to any business I mention in this post.

I'll suggest you consider a place like Global Golf as a source for the fairway shafts.  I'll go further and suggest you consider the Mitsubishi Bassara "made for Titleist" shafts in the flex of your choice.  They ship fast and don't cost a ton plus the tipping is already done for you.

If you go the raw shaft route I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendation for the most part or go a wee bit "softer".  By that I mean if they say "trim 1/2" for a 3 wood" I'd only tip 1/4".  Keep it softer, more flexible than what they suggest for a typical build if that makes sense. 

This is what you'll see when members talk about "hard stepping" or "soft stepping" a shaft.  I'm recommending soft stepping given the O-PH concept we're focused on.

Tell me what club head  you're thinking about and we can continue to "part 2", ok?

[GolfSpy TCB]

3 minutes ago, Bobbers said:

To issue the disclaimers up front: I have no relationship other than as a customer to any business I mention in this post.

I'll suggest you consider a place like Global Golf as a source for the fairway shafts.  I'll go further and suggest you consider the Mitsubishi Bassara "made for Titleist" shafts in the flex of your choice.  They ship fast and don't cost a ton plus the tipping is already done for you.

If you go the raw shaft route I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendation for the most part or go a wee bit "softer".  By that I mean if they say "trim 1/2" for a 3 wood" I'd only tip 1/4".  Keep it softer, more flexible than what they suggest for a typical build if that makes sense. 

This is what you'll see when members talk about "hard stepping" or "soft stepping" a shaft.  I'm recommending soft stepping given the O-PH concept we're focused on.

Tell me what club head  you're thinking about and we can continue to "part 2", ok?

Thanks Bobbers, I really appreciate the help and attention to my questions.  

I think by next spring, my bag will be filled with TSRs (Driver, 3W and another fairway to be named later - trying to determine if the 4w, 5w or 7w will be the best fit for my game... but won't have that answer until I put the TSR2+ 3w into play... )  I currently also have a Titleist TSi2 Hybrid... so all those would be Titleist Tipped.  My current gamers are the Srixon Zx fairways (3w, 5w, 7w).  and I also have couple Tour Edge Exotics hybrids that i may dedicate to the O-PH cause.  So that is my potential arsenal... In just a few short days, I am amazed at what the Driver with the PLB-"L" is feeling like, and the results.  I bit mind boggling to be honest.  So of course... as golfers who can never be satisfied I'm saying... ok - what else can I do??  haha.    I mean... I can't remember the last time I walked to my ball over 300 yards down the fairway... I'm talking YEARS .... if EVER?  It happened yesterday... 

I'm not opposed to trying other shaft styles... especially if they have been vetted by this thread... I have just had such immediate results with the PLB... seems like a logical next step to me.  

What I don't want to do is remove some of the "magic" of the O-PH by a bad decision on the club building process... i.e. tipping it the wrong way.  

Thanks again for your help on this!

[Bobbers]

2 minutes ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

Thanks Bobbers, I really appreciate the help and attention to my questions.  

I think by next spring, my bag will be filled with TSRs (Driver, 3W and another fairway to be named later - trying to determine if the 4w, 5w or 7w will be the best fit for my game... but won't have that answer until I put the TSR2+ 3w into play... )  I currently also have a Titleist TSi2 Hybrid... so all those would be Titleist Tipped.  My current gamers are the Srixon Zx fairways (3w, 5w, 7w).  and I also have couple Tour Edge Exotics hybrids that i may dedicate to the O-PH cause.  So that is my potential arsenal... In just a few short days, I am amazed at what the Driver with the PLB-"L" is feeling like, and the results.  I bit mind boggling to be honest.  So of course... as golfers who can never be satisfied I'm saying... ok - what else can I do??  haha.    I mean... I can't remember the last time I walked to my ball over 300 yards down the fairway... I'm talking YEARS .... if EVER?  It happened yesterday... 

I'm not opposed to trying other shaft styles... especially if they have been vetted by this thread... I have just had such immediate results with the PLB... seems like a logical next step to me.  

What I don't want to do is remove some of the "magic" of the O-PH by a bad decision on the club building process... i.e. tipping it the wrong way.  

Thanks again for your help on this!

Then for the fairways I'd go with the PLB in L flex, it's a proven performer.  It's a butt trim only shaft which makes your life easier.

So for the fairway shafts you'd simply install the tip adapter to suit the head you intend to use, butt trim to length to get the swing weight you want, grip it and go.

Do you have a swing weight scale?  If you do then, if it were me, I'd install the head, measure to expected playing length and cut it 1/2" longer.  Insert the shaft/club head into the scale, place the uninstalled grip on the scale in the right position and check swing weight.  If you need to shorten it you've still got that 1/2 inch to play with.

Take a measure of the outside length of the grip, let's say it's 10 inches.  Now take a thin dowel or similar and insert it into the inside of the grip, mark where it exits the grip, remove and measure.  Let's say the "internal length" of the grip is 9 5/8 inches.  You'd want to scoot the shaft/club head assembly 3/8 inches out of the scale to get an accurate estimate of the swing weight.  If you don't and grip the club you'll find it's 3/8" longer than you measured and it'll be 2-3 swing weight points heavier than you expected.

Make sense?  And if it doesn't that's on me, not you.  It can be tough to communicate some of this stuff in writing; especially when you've been doing it for 40 years and it becomes second nature.  I'll do my best to clear up anything that's still muddled.

[erock9174]

11 hours ago, BadgerRick said:

I tried with both the 10 gram weight in and out, the Riptide has a mid flex point, whereas the PLB has a low flex point. I think that's key. There's just no real feel of a kick with the Riptide, just smooth. I'm going to get a PLB to put in there and see how that feels. It's crazy how nice the PLB feels, even when swinging around 117 or so. 

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.  

[Bobbers]

21 minutes ago, erock9174 said:

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.  

That seems to have been the consensus thus far, the PLB outperforms the Riptide for most folks.

[GolfSpy TCB]

44 minutes ago, Bobbers said:

Then for the fairways I'd go with the PLB in L flex, it's a proven performer.  It's a butt trim only shaft which makes your life easier.

So for the fairway shafts you'd simply install the tip adapter to suit the head you intend to use, butt trim to length to get the swing weight you want, grip it and go.

Do you have a swing weight scale?  If you do then, if it were me, I'd install the head, measure to expected playing length and cut it 1/2" longer.  Insert the shaft/club head into the scale, place the uninstalled grip on the scale in the right position and check swing weight.  If you need to shorten it you've still got that 1/2 inch to play with.

Take a measure of the outside length of the grip, let's say it's 10 inches.  Now take a thin dowel or similar and insert it into the inside of the grip, mark where it exits the grip, remove and measure.  Let's say the "internal length" of the grip is 9 5/8 inches.  You'd want to scoot the shaft/club head assembly 3/8 inches out of the scale to get an accurate estimate of the swing weight.  If you don't and grip the club you'll find it's 3/8" longer than you measured and it'll be 2-3 swing weight points heavier than you expected.

Make sense?  And if it doesn't that's on me, not you.  It can be tough to communicate some of this stuff in writing; especially when you've been doing it for 40 years and it becomes second nature.  I'll do my best to clear up anything that's still muddled.

This is GREAT Bobbers.  I'm following your comments very well   I should say, that I won't be the one doing the work... but I have found that if I give EXPLICIT instructions and expectations to my builder... things go much more smoothly.  For example... this last trip, I "thought" I had communicated clearly that I wanted a NEW Titleist tip installed on the PLB, so I could have an easily interchangeable shaft back to my original.  What I found when I went to pick it up was the existing tip pulled off the old shaft and installed on the new shaft.  Easily rectified... but I guess I wasn't clear enough of my expectations.  Then I started worrying that the new PLB shaft was cut to length from the wrong end... but as you said, it is a butt end mod... so all good there.  So, I'm just getting my ducks in a row, so I can show my builder which order all those ducks belong in when I get there   

I don't have a swing weight scale, but I have used the calculation method listed above in the thread, and it is pretty dead on in my various tests.  My builder has a scale, so between the two of us, we get to the right end.  

One of the things I'm toying with is using a 5w or 3w length shaft in the 7w head... combined with the O-PH protocol, I may have the perfect club between my 3w and the hybrid I carry ... plus a nice high flying soft landing flight from the added club loft.  I really do want to see what the PLB shaft will do in the Srixon 3w head... but I may wait to receive my TSR 3w and have the shaft options between the GD shaft I ordered in it, and the O-PH shaft.  

Man, this is fun!

[erock9174]

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 

[Bobbers]

4 minutes ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

This is GREAT Bobbers.  I'm following your comments very well   I should say, that I won't be the one doing the work... but I have found that if I give EXPLICIT instructions and expectations to my builder... things go much more smoothly.  For example... this last trip, I "thought" I had communicated clearly that I wanted a NEW Titleist tip installed on the PLB, so I could have an easily interchangeable shaft back to my original.  What I found when I went to pick it up was the existing tip pulled off the old shaft and installed on the new shaft.  Easily rectified... but I guess I wasn't clear enough of my expectations.  Then I started worrying that the new PLB shaft was cut to length from the wrong end... but as you said, it is a butt end mod... so all good there.  So, I'm just getting my ducks in a row, so I can show my builder which order all those ducks belong in when I get there   

I don't have a swing weight scale, but I have used the calculation method listed above in the thread, and it is pretty dead on in my various tests.  My builder has a scale, so between the two of us, we get to the right end.  

One of the things I'm toying with is using a 5w or 3w length shaft in the 7w head... combined with the O-PH protocol, I may have the perfect club between my 3w and the hybrid I carry ... plus a nice high flying soft landing flight from the added club loft.  I really do want to see what the PLB shaft will do in the Srixon 3w head... but I may wait to receive my TSR 3w and have the shaft options between the GD shaft I ordered in it, and the O-PH shaft.  

Man, this is fun!

Ask your builder if he's familiar with/comfortable with the idea of doing a bit of counter weighting on the fairway shaft.  You'll need to do that if you want to use the longer shaft on your 7 wood (great idea by the way).  The club will feel heavier, obviously, when you pull it from the bag but once it's in your hands at address you won't really notice it that much. 

If it were me?  I'd focus on using the 5 wood length shaft in the 7 wood.  You can always have him extend that shaft with an extension later on if you want to push the concept.  I'm hesitant to suggest going right to a 43+ inch shaft in a 7 wood head; might be "too much of a good thing" right off the bat.

Keep in mind if the head you're using has removable weights you can use some lighter weights in the head to give you the right swing weight and cut down on the need to counterbalance at the same time.  I've done that with PXG  heads without any problems in how the finished club feels or how it performs.

Make sure your builder recognizes that any swing weight over D1 is no bueno and works with that principle in mind and all should be well.

[Bobbers]

1 minute ago, erock9174 said:

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 

In my opinion, and that's all it is is an opinion, nothing I've ever seen in golf be it equipment, golf balls, etc. has ever been 100% for every golfer.  It could well be that for whatever reason the O-PH concept is simply not going to work for your game.  I see a lot of the AutoFlex shafts being sold used.  Tells me that the "secret Korean technology" and the promised yardage gains don't apply the way the advertising would have us believe.  That's certainly the case with what we're doing here, not that we're "advertising" per se, but there is a degree of enthusiasm that might make it seem that way.

The good news, as I read it, is that you've added 10 yards inexpensively.  Congrats.

[Bobbers]

Ahh, the BillyBob's order just arrived, I can proceed with a PLB L flex build!  Now all I need is some weather that's fit for man or beast in which to try 'em out.  Wish me luck.

[erock9174]

4 hours ago, Bobbers said:

In my opinion, and that's all it is is an opinion, nothing I've ever seen in golf be it equipment, golf balls, etc. has ever been 100% for every golfer.  It could well be that for whatever reason the O-PH concept is simply not going to work for your game.  I see a lot of the AutoFlex shafts being sold used.  Tells me that the "secret Korean technology" and the promised yardage gains don't apply the way the advertising would have us believe.  That's certainly the case with what we're doing here, not that we're "advertising" per se, but there is a degree of enthusiasm that might make it seem that way.

The good news, as I read it, is that you've added 10 yards inexpensively.  Congrats.

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.   

[Bobbers]

Got a PLB in L flex all set for a PXG 0811XF head.

Shaft measured 207 cpm at 46 inches, they both did actually (thank you True Temper for your quality control).

Ended up with the driver and shaft at 46 inches on the button and a D1 swing weight.  Once trimmed, head attached and before gripping it measured at 204 cpm.

Completed club: head, adapter, shaft, grip tipped the scale at 299 grams.

Now if only we get some decent weather so I can give 'er a go.

[cksurfdude]

11 hours ago, erock9174 said:

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.  

Agreed. From what I've read about Project X shafts .. and experienced with the ones I've played ... is that *in general* they're relatively slightly stiffer vs other manufacturers; for example their 5.0 can be roughly analogous to other shaft makers' "R"/F3 flex markings.

Which is all to say that the Riptide 5.0 vs the GPLB "A" is definitely different (I have both).

[BMart519]

16 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Agreed. From what I've read about Project X shafts .. and experienced with the ones I've played ... is that *in general* they're relatively slightly stiffer vs other manufacturers; for example their 5.0 can be roughly analogous to other shaft makers' "R"/F3 flex markings.

Which is all to say that the Riptide 5.0 vs the GPLB "A" is definitely different (I have both).

All of this is definitely got me tempted to try the PLB in A flex to see if there is something to this experiment or put it to bed once and for all. 

[azstu324]

39 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

All of this is definitely got me tempted to try the PLB in A flex to see if there is something to this experiment or put it to bed once and for all. 

I say..

 

[azstu324]

Hey all! Sorry for my absence the past few days. I see a lot of great questions and answers that I just haven't been able to get to. I've been hit hard with the flu and quite frankly cant even think about swinging a club without getting body aches and doubling over in pain. Looks like a good few of you are doing a great job picking up my slack and thank you all for your kick-ass participation with this project! 

@Bobbers has especially been a rockstar during this project. Thanks man! Hopefully I'll be back to normal by the end of this week and can get caught up on all of the reading here. It's amazing how this thing has caught fire! 

[Bobbers]

11 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Hey all! Sorry for my absence the past few days. I see a lot of great questions and answers that I just haven't been able to get to. I've been hit hard with the flu and quite frankly cant even think about swinging a club without getting body aches and doubling over in pain. Looks like a good few of you are doing a great job picking up my slack and thank you all for your kick-ass participation with this project! 

@Bobbers has especially been a rockstar during this project. Thanks man! Hopefully I'll be back to normal by the end of this week and can get caught up on all of the reading here. It's amazing how this thing has caught fire! 

Easy does it there, Stu.  We, and the information, will be here when you're ready.  Here's to a quick recovery, sir, and soon.

[IONEPUTT]

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing?  How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy? Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

[BadgerRick]

29 minutes ago, IONEPUTT said:

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing?  How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy? Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

I'm recovering from knee surgery, so there's a bit of a caveat. I went to the range the other day, and SS with my regular driver was around 110, it's normally around 115. When using my PLB 40 I was swinging around 117, with a carry of almost 300 yards, so I'd say it's been pretty successful thus far. I knew I wasn't swinging it very well that day, my PW usually goes around 140, and I was struggling to get to 125 yards.

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, IONEPUTT said:

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing?  How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy? Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

In reading the 20 pages you will find some people that had positive results and 10-25 yards of gain and tighter dispersion and others that had worse performance.   For some it seems to be worth the roughly $90 in cost. 

Basically no different that trying any other shaft/head combo.

 

[azstu324]

2 hours ago, IONEPUTT said:

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing?  How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy? Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

Eventually I plan to post a testimonial part of the thread after everyone who's participated has had a chance to sort through the various options and have made a final decision. 

Here are my hard fast #'s off the cuff: 

Avg distance gain: 10++ yds

Avg ball/club head speed gain: 4 mph

Disbursement: 10 yd improvement right or left. Mainly eliminating my punishing left pull hook. 

Miscellaneous Gain: feeling in both driver and 3 wood is something that I absolutely love. Enough so that I've taken a pass on 2 higher end shafts in the Fujikura MotoreX. 

Total investment: $60 for the Garafalloy PLB 45g and $65 for the Garafalloy GWX. $125 total. 

Both shafts permanently replaced Fujikura Motore X F1 and F3 that can be sold for $75-$100. In the end, I end up making money on the whole deal. 

Winner winner BBQ brisket, potato salad, corn bread, baked beans, and coleslaw dinner son! 

But like @cnosil stated, this isn't a one-size-fits-all experiment. Like the claw machine at the arcade, you can't win if you don't play, and you can't play If you don't pay. IMO, the experiment in itself is worth the relatively inexpensive $60 price of admission. Even if the shaft itself doesn't make it's way into your bag for regular play, you've got a speed tempo trainer that you can cary in your bag. Plug it into your gamer for a quick 10 warmup swings, then switch back. Cheaper than an Orange Whip or Lag Shot 

[Kondo]

Well said Stu!!

I now have almost a week under my belt with the Otto Phlex.  My Ventus / Velocore is back in the Titleist head. I paid $92 for the best training aid that I have ever used. The Pro Launch will make it's way into the club possibly once a week simply as a training aid now. I have not missed a fairway with the Ventus in 3 days. The Pro Launch ladies, 45 gram enabled me to feel where the club head was in the swing and found I was not completing my swing. Every club in the bag is feeling so much better. I think this shaft would feel like the "Lagshot" training club.  The Pro Launch was just hitting the ball too high. Even at 8 degrees, I was launching it at 20 degrees. Some might consider this a failed experiment, but I am thrilled. I have several heads sitting around, I might just change the tip to fit one of the odd heads so I don't have to keep changing shafts.  Good luck to everyone.

[erock9174]

15 hours ago, IONEPUTT said:

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing?  How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy? Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

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.  

[GolfSpy TCB]

18 hours ago, IONEPUTT said:

With 20 pages of posts on this, Would someone please tell me IF you have found any real gains with these OTTO Flex shaft testing? 

 - Initial results - equal or better

How much have you gained in terms of distance with the same or better accuracy?

 - up to 30 yards head to head on some drives, different flight pattern equally accurate when dialed in.

Was it worth the time and money in the end? 

 - Yes.

[GolfSpy TCB]

I had an interesting outing last night.  I received my replacement TSR3 with Tensei AV Blue regular flex, so I went out to play 9 - hitting 2 (sometimes 4) balls off each tee with the TSR and the TSi3 loaded with the PLB "L" flex.  

I tried to reset my swing as much as possible between the two swings on each tee. and I found I was leaving the "R" Flex right, and pulling theh "L" flex left on most swings.  However, a few holes were timed very well with each.  On one hole, I could have thrown a blanket over the 4 balls in the middle of the fairway, with just a few yards difference in distance and dispersion - but really all equal in terms of results.  On 2 separate holes, I hit the R first, and then the L - and found the "L" 30 yards past the "R".  But I was always at least of equal distance off the tee with the "L" other than those few cases where I caught it well.  

The one thing I didn't try (and only because I thought I had my wrench in the bag - but didn't) is to put the "L" shaft on the TSR.  I was a bit hesitant to do it because I haven't yet measured the SW with that combo... so it would have been a bit of an unknown and not a controlled test anyway. I will swap the shaft tonight and measure the SW.  If it comes in at D0 or D1, I will take it out for a spin.  

If it is heavier than D1... I'll have to figure out a way to lower the SW without taking off the grip - as I don't want to make a change that would change the TSi3 specs - as that is quickly becoming tried and true.  

Much more testing to come - thinking about Fairways and Irons.  Or if the gains material enough to become my bag set.