AutoFlex Dream7 Driver Shafts - 2024 Forum Member Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

The world of premium golf shafts is extensive and complicated. As the emphasis on proper fittings in golf has grown, so has the arrival of more competitors. One such company is Autoflex.

Who Is Autoflex?

Established in 2009 in Korea, Autoflex now is available in more than 40 countries. They promote their Korea Hidden Technology made by Dumina Designs which includes their patented combination of high-quality carbon fiber and additional proprietary materials to create a lightweight shaft with less distortion. 

Autoflex bucks the concept of traditional flexes and goes with a system that is more based on driver clubhead speed with six different shafts to match a golfer's swing. 

Please welcome and congratulate our testers! 

@chisag 

@KC Golf 

@BallsLeon 

@Kenny B 

@ZMendle10 

@Jean D 

@nvizble1 

@Golfspy_CG2

[chisag]

Introduction

Since I have written several of these over the years I will keep it relatively brief.

I started playing sports as far back as I can remember and played QB in the 2nd grade. Played College football, high school baseball and basketball receiving an invitation to try out for the Carolina Cougars after going 10-13 with three pointers in a Robert McAdoo Summer League play off game. Started playing travel tennis and then discovered golf in my mid 30's. Nobody played golf in the 60's unless their Dad was a member at a Country Club. 

My professional career started as a freshman at East Carolina University when a hall mate talked me into doing a radio station shift at the college campus radio station WECU. I was instantly smitten and in several months I was working at the local radio station. WOOW (BIG WOW13) and started my journey up the ladder to bigger cities at prestigious stepping stone radio stations and finally ending up in Chicago, the #1 radio market in the US when WLS and WCFL were in their heyday. It was a loooooong way from Greenville NC. I was lucky to have had a career for the entire 1970's when rock n' roll was at its peak. 

 

At WEFM in Chicago, Interviewing a new theater company called Steppenwolf after watching John Malkovich and Gary Sinese in Mice And Men, I was blown away by their performance. I had seen dinner theater and High School musicals but the waaaaay over the top "acting" held no interest for me, but up close and personal dramatic theater was a first for me and in the interview they talked me into changing careers. So I did, starting over and working my way up to TV shows, Films and Commercials where the real money is for a working actor. My very first play, I received the Best Performance Award for Chicago Theater, was immediately signed by the Top Talent Agency and quit radio and embarked on my new career. You can see me in The Dark Knight as well as many TV shows filmed in Chicago and I have been the spokesperson for Humana the last 22 years. 




Which brings me to golf. I started in my mid 30's and took up the game with the same passion as everything else in my life. It didn't take long to learn not only was the game the most difficult athletic endeavor I had attempted, it was a game I could play for the rest of my life and unlike other sports it could be enjoyed by a scratch player and an 18 index playing together and enjoying each others company. The possibilities were endless. 

Like most forum members I have a fascination with equipment and started going to the PGA Show when Ari Techner the CEO of Scratch Golf gave me a pass and said I should review the best equipment I saw at the show. Having nothing but a sparking personality and a gift of jab, I talked my way into receiving equipment for review and soon had a reputation with OEM's. Meeting and talking with Marketing and Engineering was always a privilege and honor and I learned soooooo much. 

I love sharing what I know and hope my experience with the AutoFlex Dream 7 helps you decide if it should be on your demo list:
 

 

 

Edited April 27 by chisag

[KC Golf]

Introduction:

Thank you to the MGS Forum Mods for picking me for this awesome driver shaft test.  It’s an honour to provide my third official review.  Needless to say, I am really excited about this opportunity.

Ever since the pandemic, I have spent a lot of time practicing and getting lessons to improve my game, but like many golfers my game suffers from a lack of consistency.  My index is currently 7.8, but it have ranged from 6.8 to 9.5 over the last 2 years.  I play mostly in Western Canada, so our season is pretty short.  My course has not opened up yet this year.  But I expect it to be open by next week.  Our range recently opened, but I have spent this Winter playing mostly sim golf on a GC Quad.  

I have played golf for a long time, but I started taking it more seriously in the last 7-8 years.  My Dad took me to the range a lot when I was 6 or 7 and we played a lot of publics and muni’s growing up. We were both very average at best and my Dad read a lot of golf books and magazines all the time, but we loved going out together and having fun.  We did a lot of father / son golf vacations over the years, but he hung it up about 20 years ago, after getting frustrated by forced carries.  We also did a lot of fishing and skiing growing up too.  We like watching golf, so my Dad took me to a few tournaments when I was younger, and I have been fortunate to go to a few majors and Ryder Cups / President’s Cups over the years as well.

i get to travel a lot for work, so I have been lucky to have played some golf in some interesting places in the world.  Lately, I have been playing golf in Asia.  I am looking forward to a trip to Scotland in August.

I am trying to get my 12 year old son to love golf as well, so we play alternating shot a lot for 9 holes and he has been getting group lessons for the last 5 years: however, he still likes swimming, rugby and milkshakes more than playing golf. He says watching golf is really boring.  He likes driving the ball and putting, so he has one of my old Titleist drivers and a nice TaylorMade Mallet putter. We manage to have a ton of fun while we play 9 holes. 

Our most important family member is Cooper who likes retrieving golf shoes more than golf balls. It’s too bad we can't take him onto the course.  He loves running around and getting pets from strangers.

My game is probably typical for mid handicappers on MGS.  I am natural fader of the ball.  My misses with driver are usually slices (caused by coming over the top) and sometimes heal strikes (usually standing to close to the ball and swinging fast) which go low left.  My swing tempo has always been pretty good. I have been getting more orthodox with my grip and swing, but I still have swing issues.  My major recurring problem is coming over the top which leads to an open face and a slice.  I also release my hands too early (prior to impact0, so I add loft at impact instead of having my hands more forward at impact.  I am working on it and its getting better.  

I am currently focused on trying to make my misses more playable with my driver vs out of bounds or in jail.  Will see if that happens this year.  Like every Spring, I am optimistic.  Who knows may be this year will be the year when I can get to a 5 index.  I got to play a round with a pro recently, and it was a bit eye opening day for me on what I am doing or not doing under pressure trying to make a specific shot.   

As a former Arccos tester for MGS, I am still using it to get all of my stats.  Arccos is great.  Linked with an Apple Watch, I think it’s hard to beat.  For this test, I believe Arccos will be important.  I will be able to provide some independent data on how far the new Dream 7 and how much better / worse the dispersion will be compared to my current gamer.  I also have access to a GC Quad.

Here is some of the data on my driver.

Arccos Data:  Please note that I play at altitude, so I have 10-15 yards of more carry distance than if I were playing at sea level. 

The driver I currently game is a TSR3 9 deg with a Graphite Design Tour AD - DI 6S.  It is set to C1.  Which is what my fitter suggested after we worked on various settings during the fitting session.  Its been in my bag since early last Summer.  I upgraded from a stock TSi3 with a Tensei AV White 60 Stiff.  I tried the TM Stealth 2, Callaway Paradym and the Ping G430 Max and found the TSR worked best for me.  Not the longest but still very far and very playable.  I really like the feel and sound of the TSR3, its a great driver and I find its pretty forgiving on mis-hits too.

Here is the current what’s in my bag.  Woods: Titleist TSR3 9 deg. – Graphite Design Tour AD - DI 6S set to C1,  Titleist TSi3 FW 15 deg. Graphite Design Tour AD - DI 6S set to A1, Driving Iron: Ping 2 Crossover Driving Iron (G425) - NS Pro 950 GH Neo S, Titleist TS Hybrid 21 deg - Tensei Blue Reg.  Irons: Takoma 101T - KBR Tour Lite  Wedges: Vokey SM9s 46F - 10, 52F - 12, SM Forged 56M - 10, TM MG3 60 - 12.  Putter: Scotty Cameron – Special Select Squareback 2.0.  I was an Takomo 101T tester and these irons are still my gamers in the bag.  These things are awesome!  It’s in my view hard to beat for the price players distance iron.

Needless to say, but this test is going to be a ton of fun.  My current driver swing speed is around 98-101, so I picked the 405x in the black with green accents.  It looks really sweet.  I will be working with a fitter to get the length and SW adjusted to my swing / preferences.  

Edited April 30 by KC Golf
Edits

[BallsLeon]

autoFlex Dream 7 Driver Shaft (SF405x) - Official MGS Forum Review by BallsLeon (TJ)

Intro
Hey everyone! I’m thrilled to be one of the lucky testers chosen for the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft review. My name’s TJ, hailing from Overland Park, Kansas. As of last year golf has taken over my life, I grew up playing as a child but over the past year have been practicing and playing more than ever trying to improve my game.



As a casual/competitive golfer, with a GHIN handicap of 20.4 (and a Trackman handicap of 15.2), I haven't played any formal tournaments, but I’m obsessed with all things golf and working on improving my game. My biggest struggle? Driving the ball. Those OB shots and lost balls add up fast, and what I've found after being fit for irons this winter is that finding the right equipment could be a game-changer.

So when the opportunity to test the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft came up, I jumped at it. Full disclosure: I didn’t know much about autoFlex before this. The price tag always turned me off, but the chance to put it to the test is too good to pass up. From what I’ve read, the shafts are known for being lightweight and a more active flex profile, but a lot of that is shrouded in mystery due to the Korea Hidden Technology (KHT).

I’ve selected the 405x model based on my swing speed, which falls between 90-105mph. I’ll be working with my local fitter at GolfMD to ensure the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft is dialed in for my swing (included a video below of a young Garrett Clark being fit there). With access to Trackman technology at an indoor practice facility (GolfTRK), I’ll be conducting thorough comparisons between shafts and drivers. Additionally, I’ll be hitting the links weekly to assess real-game performance.

What am I hoping to achieve with this test? Simple: improvement. Currently, my fairway percentage sits at 38% according to Trackman, while my GHIN records show a similar trend at 32%. Per Trackman, my average drive length is approximately 209.3 yards (with my longest recorded at 265.6 yards). I want to see my fairway percentage increase to 39% or higher, with a noticeable boost in average drive distance. It’s a tall order, but if the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft can deliver, it’ll earn a permanent spot in my bag.

I’ll be spending considerable time both on the range and on the course, tracking performance metrics with Trackman. Launch monitor data will be compared between different shafts and drivers, while on-course rounds will provide real-world insights into how the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft holds up in the real world under pressure.

In conclusion, I’m honored to have the opportunity to test the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft and provide valuable feedback to fellow golfers. I want to offer insights from the perspective of a high-handicap golfer who struggles off the tee, helping others make informed decisions about their equipment choices. Stay tuned as I share my experiences testing the autoFlex Dream 7 driver shaft!

Edited May 2 by BallsLeon

[Kenny B]

 

Kenny B’s Review of the Autoflex Dream 7 Driver Shaft

Introduction

I would like to thank AutoflexUSA for providing MyGolfSpy Forum with the Dream 7 driver shaft for review, and I am honored to be selected by the Forum moderators to conduct this review.  I am looking forward to testing this shaft and hope to provide information valuable to the slower swingers reading the Forum.  I will be testing the SF 305X shaft which has a recommended swing speed range of 70-85mph.

 

So, who am I?

Kenny B has been a member of the MyGolfSpy Forum for over 10 years.  

I am a soon-to-be 77-year old lover of golf that started playing late in life.  I was always average in all sports that I tried, and golf was no exception.  Golf was not a sport that I tried when I was young, since there was only one golf course in town and it was private.  I moved from the wet Willamette Valley of Oregon to the dry desert of SE Washington in 1970 as a nuclear chemist working at the Hanford Nuclear Site.  I eventually became an inspector for the US Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  I developed nuclear safeguards policy and trained U.S. personnel, as well as Russian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Israeli nuclear experts.

For some reason I got into racing sports cars; Datsun 240Z, but that got expensive very quickly!  During that time I also got into two softball leagues; slo-pitch and fast pitch, as well as a volleyball league.  Our volleyball team traveled for matches in western Washington and Victoria BC.  I also became a State-rated volleyball official for local high schools and colleges.  Oh yeah, I bought this…

While on a business trip in 1990 to Livermore CA, our inspection team decided to play golf on the Sunday of our two-week trip.  Never played golf before, but it seemed like something that would take the place of softball and volleyball for this aging body.  It wasn’t until 1992 at age 45 that I started playing seriously.  Joined our company 9-hole league and couldn’t break 62 until I played in a 3-club tournament and shot 47.  That started a journey to “not suck” at this game.  I joined a club and played in their gangsome and club events as much as I could with some very good players.  Thinking back on it, I wish that I had taken lessons early instead of trying to pick up the game on my own.  Lessons eventually came, and they made a huge difference… still need more!

I eventually met the love of my life on the 1st tee one day, and she played with us guys for several years before we got married on the same 1st tee.  Meet Martha...

Since then, we have traveled extensively playing golf at some rather nice courses here in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah, Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii.  Golf is what we do, to the exclusion of just about everything else.  Some of the places we have played golf…

Jug Mountain Ranch - McCall, Idaho

Maui

Bandon Dunes

TPC Scottsdale

World Golf Hall of Fame - St. Augustine, Florida

Wine Valley - Walla Walla, Washington

Black Butte Ranch - Sisters, Oregon

Palm Springs, California

St. George, Utah

She will always be Tweety and of course… that makes me Sylvester...

At the end of May, we will be traveling to Williamsburg, Virginia to play golf at the 2024 MyGolfSpy Outing at the Kingsmill Resort.  Testing of the Autoflex Dream 7 golf shaft will continue there.

Current Drivers

I am currently using the Callaway Epic Max and Epic Max LS driver heads with Project X Cypher Fifty 5.0 and HZRDUS Smoke iM10 5.5 shafts… off the shelf stuff.  My wife is using the Callaway Epic Speed driver head with Project X Cypher Forty 4.0 shaft.  Sorry, no current drivers available to test, but I’ve been happy with the performance of the Callaway Epic line.

I am about a 10 index, and my swing speed is near the higher end of the Autoflex Dream 7 SF 305X shaft.  My wife has been playing golf since she was 8 years old and is about a 20 index.   Her swing speed is near the low end of the SF 305X shaft, and she will be providing her input on the shaft which I will add to mine.

Expectations

I am probably the shortest hitter of the golf ball for this test (well, actually my wife is), and we are both not sure what to expect from the Autoflex Dream 7 shaft.  Both of us hit the ball fairly straight (she’s consistently straighter than I am), but I typically hit 75-90% of the fairways and misses are not bad.  Course conditions are firm and fast fairways, and it’s usually windy when we play.  Any driver I play will have to be solid into the wind and produce shots that run out for max distance.  Most off-the-shelf drivers I’ve tested are similar in distance, but the differences are in how they feel to me.  Of course, I would love to have a few extra yards off the tee.  My weakness is approach shots, and if I get closer to the green off the tee, then my scores go down.  The course I play seems to have fairways with upslopes where my ball typically lands, so extra yards might get me to the downslope!

The Autoflex Dream 7 golf shaft arrives tomorrow… UPS willing.  Then the fun begins… stay tuned!

 

Unboxing

UPS arrived at 6pm Thursday May 2...

Eagerly, I opened the box to find a shaft in it's own colorful sleeve...

Wait a minute!!  I didn't order PINK; I might have though, if it was an option. #bubbawatson

This Autoflex Dream 7 SF 305X shaft is absolutely gorgeous!

It came uncut with the Callaway adapter attached and the standard Golf Pride Tour Velvet black grip unattached as requested.  Too late to do anything with it, but in the morning I butt-trimmed the shaft to the same 46" playing length as my Project X Cypher and HZRDUS Smoke iM10 shafts.  The swingweight with my Pure Pro Midsize grip is C9; my two other Callaway driver head/shaft combos are D1.  My MacGregor irons are D0, so we are in the same ballpark.  Dang!  This driver shaft is whippy!  My swing has a fairly smooth tempo, so it shouldn't take long to get used to the feel.

Thank you Mike @Autoflexusa for this great opportunity

 

 

Edited May 4 by Kenny B

[ZMendle10]

AutoFlex Dream 7 505X Shaft Review: A Dream Turned Reality or Too Good to be True?

Introduction:

Before I go on and on about myself and my game, we need to acknowledge this opportunity provided by both AutoFlex and My Golf Spy. Thank you to both for providing eight everyday golfers this incredible opportunity as well as a platform where we can all connect and share our experiences. AutoFlex has been as big of a mystery as it has been viral and for them to provide their newest driver shaft the Dream 7 for eight forum members to test and review is insanely exciting. This is the first time I am fortunate enough to test a driver shaft and what a driver shaft this is to test.

About Me:

Quick info on me is I live in Somerset County, New Jersey with my fiancé and our two dogs.

 

I’m a 29-year-old engineer who is slowly getting into club building. My fiancé completely understands my obsession with this game and fully supports it on the conditions that my tee times go on our shared google calendar and I get housework done prior. So those tik-toks of guys cleaning frantically in order to go play 18 is me.  Our two dogs are Tucker and Hudson where Tucker is a chihuahua mix that’s 10 years old  and Hudson is our 3.5 year old black lab mix. 

Aside from golf I love to cook, travel, snowboard, and play poker with some friends every now and then.

  

Prior AutoFlex Knowledge:

The first time I heard about AutoFlex was when it made its first appearance on the former TXG YouTube channel (now Club Champion) with Ian Fraser and Matt Blois 3 years ago. Back then all they knew about it was that it utilized Korean Hidden Technology and that’s still pretty much all I know about it to this day. Unlike a lot of other shaft companies boast about their materials and technology such as Ventus and Velocore, Mitsubishi and 1K carbon fiber, or HZRDUS and Hex Tow AutoFlex shrouds itself in mystery. To me that is the biggest allure of this shaft especially considering I have never personally seen this shaft used or know of anyone who has used it.

Me and My Golf:

Being in Somerset County I tend to stick to the county courses in my area with my favorite being Quail Brook with the occasional round at Neshanic Valley when I want to treat myself. My handicap hovers around a 12 with my best career round being an 80 at spooky brook earlier this year. For those of you looking for a review on the 505X model I am your guy with a Swing Speed of about 115+ on trackman 505X is my best option for this shaft. While I do swing hard at the ball I know I'm not swinging as hard as I can because I have found that doesn't give me any extra output other than being more exhausted. 

   

My current gamer is a TSR3 with an RDX Blue PVD shaft in TX Flex which I really do love and has been a great addition to the bag. I go into the why and how this shaft got into the bag in my  Unofficial TSR3 Review and yes Titleist did replace my cracked driver face with no issues. As a fun farewell for now to the RDX Blue I did a longest drive test on Trackman and man oh man did this combo know it was on its way out the bag. 

 

I took a video of the session and didn't even get to the 5th shot since time ran out but all four of those shots were basically on top of one another. I will try to upload the video but so far it doesn't seem to be cooperating.

 

. 

The specs of my driver are as follows. Length: 45 5/8”, Swing Weight: D3.5ish, and Club Head Weight 199g. To get the most out of AutoFlex some of these might change so it will be interesting to see what and by how much.

 

  

What’s being Tested

During testing I usually like to focus on direct comparisons between club A and Club B. For example when testing my TAIII wedges from Sub 70 I was able to compare to my SM8’s but with this one and the builds themselves being so different I am not too sure if that is the best route until I have the shaft in hand. I was able to do a nice session on Trackman to get a really solid baseline for my current setup of good to great to ugly. The full report for anyone to view is here but below are some snapshots of that session. 

The big questions that I will be looking to answer are the following:

Do I gain speed with it in the driver? If so can I break 180mph for a new personal best

How does it hold up for quicker club head speeds over the recommended 115mph.

What happens if there is an incorrect swing weight that’s too high or to low?

Can this improve my on course driving for me  from a strokes gained perspective?

If it does go in the bag is the price worth justifying if properly fit?

Using Arccos can I improve upon my driving from a strokes gained perspective?

 

I will also be measuring ball and clubhead speed on the course with my PRGR launch monitor that I use for speed training.

So with all the pleasantries out of the way lets get the testing started and this dream of a testing opportunity underway.

First Impressions: Score TBD

Unboxing and Building

Around 2:00 on Wednesday May 1st UPS arrived at my doorstep with the AutoFlex Dream 7 box in hand and on my doorstep gently waiting for me to retrieve it. The box itself had zero exterior damage and was aggressively taped around so I was eager to open it up and get the build process started. Upon my eagerness I didn’t take any pictures of the unboxing however I did allow for Hudson to see if it passes the sniff test. For those who have seen my other reviews this is one of the more important tests that takes place.

Inside I find the shaft sleeve, P.O., and an envelope that I briskly take into my basement workshop for further unboxing and photos. The note from @Autoflexusa was also a very nice touch however there was no $5 to be found. 

Every shaft I have purchased has come in a circular tube with some brown paper at both ends and maybe some bubble wrap on the tip section. Not AutoFlex though. While the box itself had this packaging the shaft was covered in a shaft sleeve that read autoflex on one side and netting on the other side in their iconic hot pink colorway.

 To me this was a very nice touch because of the price point of this shaft.  

The shaft itself is littered with details from the striking teal colorway to the flowers themselves this shaft is like an ispy picture book. The more you look at it the more there is to see. There are even Tigers on the graphics for those to notice if they look hard enough.

 

The Build Process:

With a fitting scheduled for 10:30 the next day it was time to get the shaft into a playable shape so I attached my TSR3 head and got it measured up coming in at 46.75in without a grip.

Cut the shaft down to play at 46in and then I threw on a Golf Pride CPX standard size as my grip of choice. This measured out to a playing length of 46 1/8in which for now is fine as we can always remove more if need be. Swing weight got dialed in by changing out the 10g TSR3 weight for a 3g weight to put us just about D2 and we were ready get fit the next morning.

Yes that is an old paint tray because I'm not fancy and I work with What I got.

First Swings:

The next morning I went to an indoor golf facility (Golfcave) where I work part time to hit some balls and get an idea of what to expect. The waggle test that I am sure the other testers are experiencing is substantial and there is a ton of movement even at the “stiffest” flex they offer. I was effortlessly seeing 119 club head speed but surprisingly nowhere near as efficient as my RDX Blue. One thing tht I also noted was that my club path shifted severely out to in and I had to really try and work towards neutralizing this. I didn’t do too much hear as I wanted to just get the first swings out of the way before the fitting and have an idea of what to expect.

The Fitting:

To get the Dream 7 dialed we went to Club Champion in Hackensack where I have been working with the same fitter for the past 3 years at this point. Once warmed up I was seeing the same things that I saw earlier in the morning. Severely out to in path and a big lack of efficiency. We were also fitting with the Pro V1x RCT ball so all the spin numbers were accurate and they were high. The misses were very weak fades with 4000+rpm’s of backspin and the best ones were hanging out at lowest 2500 but closer to 2800. We concluded that the low efficiency and high spin is most likely a path issue and while cutting the length could help it would make sense to try and fix the issue at hand and get used to the shaft first before resorting to that option.

 

On the plus side we saw effortless speed increases and once I was in a groove I was cruising at 121 mph club head speed and 174mph ball speed with peaks of about 178mph ball and 126mph club. Knowing that there is a ton of potential in this club and its up to me to find it to get the most out of it.

On the Course:

A few hours later I took the Dream 7 out to the course with two guys from the from Golfcave who are both great players. One plays golf in college at Drew University and the other plays off of about 2 or 3. Both long hitters but hit the ball low and Royce Brook was pretty baked out so the fairways were running. While they had low chasing drives that would run out to 300+ and taking advantage of the conditions the Dream 7 allowed me to take the high road. The ball flight was way up in the air and still penetrating for the most part. I was getting nowhere near the rollout they were seeing but was keeping pace with them each time I struck one well. Two times I out drove them both with my ball finishing in the rough.

  

 

The bad shots were that same weak floaty fade that I was seeing during the fitting and they were rolling out to anywhere from 260 to 285 which is nothing to complain about. There were misses that I should not have gotten away with the result that I did and the stability of this shaft was put to the test. I did have two penalty shots on the same hole but falls solely on me for user error as for some reason this tee shot always gives me trouble and I have no idea why.

 

 

Overall this shaft is delivering on the fronts of club head speed which is delivering on ball speed as well as the stability that is promised. It is not by any means a magic bullet that will always make you hit long straight drives but it doesn’t hurt the cause. It takes some time to get used to and some work needs to be put in but it can be an absolute weapon if needed.

Edited May 5 by ZMendle10
First Impressions

[Jean D]

AutoFlex Dream7 Driver Shaft (405x) - Official MGS Forum Review by JeanD

Introduction:

Hello everyone!  My name is Jean Dorais, I’m a 57-year-old golfer and father of a competitive curler from Ottawa, Canada.  I was incredibly fortunate to have been picked as one of the testers out of 2600+ entries for the Autoflex Dream 7 shaft review.  I must start with a great big thank you to MGS and Autoflex USA for the opportunity to review this shaft!

A little about me: I’m a senior IT Manager in the public sector and commercial photographer (weddings, portraits, senior portraits etc…) who started golfing some 25 years ago and then took a 17 year break to raise a family and do the ‘work thing’.  I’ve only started golfing again last year with my best friend and fellow golf fanatic (it's all his fault!) I have been absolutely hooked ever since! I am a recreational golfer with a handicap of 15-19…depending on the week. My golf swing has been described by various instructors and my current fitter as “how on earth do you hit the ball?” to “well, that’s certainly unique!” It’s different, but it works for me! I have fairly steady tempo - more Tommy Fleetwood, less John Daly... without the finesse, style or distance of either. I've slowly been working on my game, where my driver is my "best" club, but still struggle a lot in the >100yd range.  All that to say, I make "average Joe's" look good!!

I started with a set of 'previously-enjoyed' clubs that someone gave me, moved on to my first set of "real" clubs (Founder's Edge Original, with a Callaway Diablo 3 and 4 hybrids and a very whippy TM Burner) and played those before my break from the game.  On my return, I upgraded significantly to Cleveland Halo Launcher XL clubs (Driver, 3/4 hybrid, irons...) and played those all last season and loved them.  This January, I went for my first ever fitting and wound up with the TM Qi 10 Max (C6 Blue 60S shaft) & Qi irons (with Ventus TR 6R graphite shafts). The fitting was eye-opening and humbling at the same time...kind of like taking your car to the mechanic and saying "It's making a weird noise!" and the noise disappearing as soon as they look at it.  I kept telling my fitter: "honest, I can hit a ball!!!".  They were very patient with me and I now have some amazing clubs that are properly fit to my 6'4" frame for the first time ever!

I was also fortunate enough to have been able to setup a home indoor simulator in early April and have been getting the setup tweaked – just in time for this testing opportunity! It's still missing a few things, but I'm able to hit on it and get data. Yay me!

What I am getting:

The manufacturer’s design philosophy is certainly interesting.  They do not work with fixed flex types like pretty much every other manufacturer out there. Instead, they are focused on club head speeds to determine the best shaft for you.  In my case, I’ll be testing the SF405x 50g shaft for swing speeds of 90-105mph in Orange. I’ve heard the original shafts described as “whippy” and “noodle-soft”, but as I’ve never held one or even seen one out on the course before, I will reserve judgement on those characterizations. 

I want to see if this self-proclaimed "Experience the ultimate in power and stability" shaft will help me get:

* More distance.

* Higher club head speed.

* Higher ball speed

* Lower spin.

* Tighter dispersion.

*And ultimately, lower scores on the course.

Testing Methodology:

* Qi10 Max (currently playing at 46.25" ) set at 10.5 degrees 

* TM TP5x balls on course and the Titleist Pro V1 RCT balls on the simulator (R10) and Callaway RPT balls (MLM2 Pro) to get accurate readings. 

* Garmin R10 and Rapsodo MLM2 Pro launch monitors both indoor and at the range.

* Data -both baseline with current shafts and SF405X- will be posted, no editing or removing the really bad shots (as embarrassing as they may be!). 

* Will be alternating between the shafts every 10 shots to eliminate bias as much as possible on the sim and range, and every round on the course.

* I am aiming to hit 1000+  balls during the testing period.

* I will be listing my impressions on feel (back swing, down swing, impact, follow-through).

* I will be comparing the SF405x to my Tensei AV Limited Blue 65 Regular Flex and C6 Blue 60 Stiff shafts.

Based on both the manufacturer's claims to "Experience the ultimate in power and stability" and the cost, I am expecting a fairly significant increase in performance over my current shafts. To be perfectly honest, this is not a shaft that I would have even considered at my fitting- it's simply out of my price range (in CAD $, this is equivalent to my driver and hybrids). I hope my review as well as those from the other testers will help you make a decision on whether this shaft series should potentially be in your bag for the 2024 season!

 

Unboxing:

I received the Autoflex Dream 7 405x today (Thursday May 2nd) and it is absolutely gorgeous.  I do believe I am the first in Canada to receive it  (Sorry @KC Golf, I couldn't resist!) The box was well packed with kraft paper throughout to keep the shaft safe within and arrived without any mishaps or scratches.  The shaft itself comes in a unique sleeve to protect it even further with the Dumina logo at the opening flap and a very nicely embroidered "Autoflex" logo in the middle. 

 

The shaft itself is a glorious and vibrant orange and arrived with my chosen TaylorMade adaptor + a GolfPride TourVelvet 360 grip (which I will be changing to a GolfPride CP2 Wrap Jumbo to fit my big mitts ). My golf partner may not speak to me for a while after he sees the golf shaft come out of the bag: it is bold and beautiful and certainly not subtle.  Exactly what I wanted! One really nice added touch: a personal letter from Mike at Autoflex USA congratulating me on being chosen by MGS to do a test and review on their Dream 7 driver shaft. Mike, I really appreciate you taking the time to add this to our packages! As a first-time tester, this really was a "dang, this is really real" moment when I read the letter.  Thank you again!

The Tensei AV Blue Limited 65R and the C6 Blue 60S managed to play nice with their new sibling and even agreed to pose for some family photos: 

I will be heading to my fitter tomorrow to get the new shaft prepped and ready for the testing to begin.  I may be a little bold, but this is the shaft I will be using on Sunday for my first official on-course round of the year.  More updates to follow with hard data in the thread.

First Impressions and Fitting:

The shaft is very , very different in profile than either of my two other shafts (C6 Blue 60S and Tensei 65R) and flexes a LOT.  I am not saying it is whippy, but it certainly bends throughout the swing more than I am used to.  It is also much lighter by 14 grams than my other shaft (C6 Blue) and feels almost too light in my hands, but 11g heavier than my Tensei AV Limited Blue... which I find very surprising.  I can see the benefits over a round to having a lighter shaft, but it is certainly causing me some 'growing-pains' in learning how to hit.

The weights: shaft + TM adaptor + GolfPride CP2 Wrap Jumbo single tape. 

NO TM Qi10Max head

 

I went to GolfTown Gatineau and my fitter and I went through the process of getting this shaft properly setup for my swing (which isn't pretty- remember earlier when I said that I "made average Joe's look good"?  I meant it!)

We measured the shaft and it came in at 46" which we cut down to 45.75" and added a GolfPride CP2 Jumbo to fit my big hands.  When we put it on the scale, it came out right on D1 which is right in the center of the recommended swing weight range (D0- D2).  I apologize that I don't any images to share for this portion- I was simply too excited and completely forgot to take some!!!

I went into one of their Foresight GC Hawk bays and started warming up.  This shaft flexes in a completely different way than anything else I have ever hit and it has so far been a real struggle to get my transition smooth enough to take advantage of the shaft.  I am very much rushing the transition and it results in a very pronounced OUT to IN path causing me to heel a lot of my shots.  That's on me, not the shaft. I have been working on it since the fitting and it is slowly starting to make sense (right until I switch shafts for the review...). I have had 8 simulator sessions so far and data below including a short video of what happens when I manage to hit it center! This shaft has tons of potential, I just have to keep working on getting it working for me! My swing seems to like a heavier shaft combo, but with a pause at the top of my backswing, I seem to be getting the hang of hitting with the Autoflex shaft.

Club head speed has certainly increased as has ball speed but due to my poor hitting face location, it has so far not translated to longer distances. Again, that's on me and not the shaft.  Heading out to the course tomorrow and hoping I can make something happen.  

Edited May 6 by Jean D

[nvizble1]

Placeholder  7

[Golfspy_CG2]

Autoflex Dream 7  SF405 Shaft Testing- Can It Live Up to the Hype

Intro April 30, 2024

I’m guessing many of you already know as much about me as you care to.   But for the newcomer, I’ll try not to bore you too much.

My name is Rob, the CG2 name is a shortened version of CarolinaGolfer2, which was my screen name before becoming a staff member.  

I'm 64 and probably one of the shortest hitters on the forum, and definitely the shortest hitter of the MOD team.   But they still let me hang out with them, a pretty cool bunch.  A bit about my actual driving game.

Here's a screen shot from a drive on my favorite hole at my course Compass Pointe Golf Course.  It's a 584 yard par 5 from the whites, with a 160 yard carry over the ravine  between the trees on the left and the ever present big one on the right.  The screen shot taken from my MLM2 is a bit off I think it says carry of 179, but based on where it landed and knowing the carry distance of the ravine, it was about 195 to 200 yard carry.   

My normal "good" drive will be about 210 yards, my average according to what I see on my FSK is usually around 185 carry and 202 total.   But I will be tracking the Dream 7 with the Shotscope X5 watch I just got in. 

So here is the screen shot from GHIN of where my ball landed.  You will see that the Dream 7 has it's work cut out for it to beat it's predecessor, which beat my previous Graphite Design DI by about 10 to 15 yards. 

I live in the Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington DC area, kind of in the middle of all three. I live with my Fiancé Michelle we been tighter for 29 years but don’t have any kids.

 By default, I am a Washington football fan, still have a hard time calling them the Commanders, and Nationals and I’m a mild Capitals fan. It’s a great area for golf, we get to play 12 months of the year, even though we may run into a few of snow closings in January or February. 

 By day, I’m the Tournament Sales Director at a 36-hole course in Maryland.  I run over 150 outing a year and it keeps me very busy.  But somehow, I have managed to play a fair amount of golf, and demo a few clubs here and there   In the past year, I have become a certified PING Fitter and am working towards full Titleist fitter status. 

I keep telling my boss, I need a bigger office, he says less clubs....crazy talk! 

 

I may be the only person anyone knows that when I go out to play a few holes solo, I have two bags on the back of the cart! 

My current Ghost  WITB as it stands, the PING will replace the Callaway Ai Smoke, but it has the original AF in it, so it may get some head to head on course battles.

My experience in the industry has allowed me to take some fantastic trips to most of the major OEM’s and attend the PGA Show just about every year (pre covid) and meet some incredibly smart and wonderful industry people.  Including Big Al, who I first met 6  or 7 years ago as he was just starting out.  We have stayed in touch through the years.  What an incredibly funny and most importantly truly nice guy he is.   Even if he hits his 7 iron farther than my driver

 

I found the site in a bit different way than others who found it searching reviews of clubs. in 2016, I came across a rather “spirited” twitter exchange between Adam and someone.  I found Adam’s points very strong but very accurate and seemed to make sense to me. Prior to that I had only heard of MyGolfSpy as being a rogue site that specialized in putting out leaked or unauthorized photos of new equipment.  Just goes to show, you certainly can’t believe everything you read on the internet, especially when it’s a competing website/forum.

So, I looked at the article in question, can’t recall what it was now, but it was typical MGS style, making you not take for granted what the industry has always said.  I noticed the forum tab and jumped over there.  I found it to be very friendly, but also very lacking in participation. I mean I read pretty much 4 months’ worth of posts within the first couple hours, and a couple days in, I had read pretty much everything back for several years.  You could go an entire day on the forum and see maybe 40 or 50 posts in the entire forum.  

My how things have grown and changed—large part due to the new leadership with @GolfSpy_APH and the solid group of MODS we now have, who are so invested in making this a great place to be.   But mainly the credit goes to all the great members here, both long term ones and ones that have just recently found the site.

I was lucky enough to be picked for a test after about two weeks of being a member, I was shocked.  It was for the Precision Pro Golf Band.  An early version of a GPS watch, although it was more of a Fit Bit style than watch.  About 6 months later I was one of the original EVNROLL Testers which was a great experience, and really confirmed to me what a great community this was.

I first became a staff member in 2017, I believe and a year later became Co Director of the Forum with Golfspy_Studque.   Two years ago, I stepped back from the role due to the workload at my day job and became more of a as needed on call Moderator.   I have stayed on to help with things like the Major Contests or any other special contests/projects.

I organized the first two official MGS National Outings in 2022 in Maryland and had a lot of help from @Berg Ryman and @MDGolfHacker keeping things under control in a house of 20 when I wasn't able to attend.    Then in 2023 mostly the same group with a few new faces descended upon the Pinehurst area.   This year with the help of @GolfSpy AFGand  @GolfSpy_BEN we have a group of 22 headed to Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va.  Almost doubled from the first outing of 12 two years ago. 

I have said many times over and over, the members here are the best asset we have.  They require very little moderation and allow the staff time to focus on things they want to do to try and make it the best forum in the industry. I have met many members and made several friends here, I travelled to Ohio to join a small group there for a round of golf and some incredible pizza!  

I currently play to a 17.1 handicap, but it fluctuates between a 16 and 19, and I continue to chase my ever elusive goal of a solid 12, thus the play number on my ProV's.  So I stare at the number for every shot. 

 

As I mentioned before, I have tested many clubs for MGS since that first Precision Pro review.  To say I’m excited about the AutoFlex Dream 7 is a huge understatement.  If you have followed my 2024 Driver shootout thread, you will see that I have had some really good results with the OG Autoflex shaft.  If this is better, well then look out for that goal of a 12 index! 

#dreamon Look for me to use this hashtag a lot in this testing, it just so happened to be the class song of my High School graduating class.  Damn, I just gave away my age. 

 

 

 

[Shapotomous]

Congrats to rhe testers!!  Cant wait to see if the shaft adds some yards!!

[Josh Parker]

Congrats!  Great group of testers for this one. 

[Northern Monkey]

Congratulations. Interested to see how this performs compared to the cost

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations everyone!

[RohanVster]

Congratulations testers, would be an interesting test this, watched a video about these shafts and would like to hear your takes on them.

[bens197]

Congrats fellas!  Hope you all do well with this one. Looking at you @chisag…will this be as good as that red?  It’ll be fun to watch. 

[ParFore74x]

Great group of testers! Congratulations to everyone, looking forward to your thoughts! 

[IndyBonzo]

Heck yeah. Fascinating test. Great group. Congrats!

[ejgaudette]

Congrats testers should be a fun one to watch. Everyone loves the long ball so hopefully there are plenty in this test.

[Josh Ross]

Congrats everyone!

[Rob Person]

What a great group!  Look forward to learning alot through this post!!!

[MattF]

Congratulations all.

[rkj427]

Congratulations to this great group.

Looking forward to seeing the comments and reviews of how this shaft may improve your game.

[Bad Golfer]

Congratulations Testers! Looking forward to seeing if they are worth the money. 

[jbern]

Congrats everyone! You must feel like you’re in a dream! (See what I did there)!

[ajnord]

Congrats 

[Preeway]

Congrats fellas. I’m very intrigued by this test and yes, just a tad jealous. Going to be a lot of fun to follow along with your process as well as the results. 

[Mike10487]

Congratulations guys!!!! Will be following this one closely!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Congrats testers! Great group here and excited to see how you get along with the Dream 7!

[ZJeb67]

Congrats to all on this excellent opportunity!

[TJ Hall]

Congratulations testers!