I Put a $1000 AUTOFLEX shaft in the TAYLORMADE STEALTH DRIVER - WOW 

FINALLY! A video with a control test and then the auto flex. Love the effort and work that went into this. Thanks Jimbo!

Talking to the Guys at TXG the Autoflex shaft needs to be fitted correctly to unleash the "Magic Sauce". A number of friends who just bought the shaft and banged it into their existing driver (without adjusting the swing weight) had some pretty disappointing outcomes. As with anything in life, if you have the money and feel the benefits justify the outlay, do it!

When TXG did this testing they made mention that swingweight and length sensitivity came into play. It’s important to note that the gains are marginal, but as noted “it’s something” if fitted correctly.

i actually played with someone with a 1.8 handi with the autoflex recently, and what he was saying the auto flex works when you swing with tempo. and said if you can manage a nice smooth swing with nice tempo the shaft will always square the face up meaning you hit it better and find more fairways, it was pretty amazing to see in person

I tried the autoflex in multiple set ups. Had a few eye openers! Overall I always struggled from the autoflex to normal shafts in my other clubs. I went fitted shaft

James that camera placement is so good it’s on point keeps the viewer engaged and it is awesome thank you for the extra work you put in to getting the audio to line up and the camera positioning it’s so much work but the end result is👌

I games the AutoFlex during the entire 2021 season and absolutely loved it!! Obviously it’s not for everyone and it was a gamble to spend $800 on a shaft but I am extremely happy with the results I’ve seen. I know it sounds cliche but seriously I got more distance, higher launch and straighter/more fairways…for me it’s seriously just easier to hit, idk if it’s a confidence thing knowing how it’s performed for me but like James mentioned, I can swing nice and smooth and still see drives that are personally ‘bombs’ for me.. Also note, prior to gaming the AutoFlex I did get professional fit for a driver in Feb 2021 and did see gains on top of my old driver before the auto flex, after adding the AF I did see a tighter dispersion and better results as mentioned above. I also have a swing weight scale to make sure I was within AF recommended headweight which is very important!

I can tell you I am 67 years old. I hit the ball between 185 to 200. I got the autoflex and after I got used to the shaft, (about 50 balls on the range) my drives now are average about 218, with several going over 240. My golf buddies all 15 to 20 years younger are absolutely surprised at my distance. I then combined the shaft with the new pxg head and I have hit a few drives now right at 250. It is a dream come true. Oh yes my ball speed is averaging about 88 mph.

Really enjoyed this video James. Mark Crossfield plays a 46g shaft and compared against heavier shafts with very interesting results 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I just subscribed after watching your videos for a while. Why? because I’m so impressed with your hard work on these dailies. Oh, and the self confession about being a "Golf Perv”. Me too. My game isn’t good enough for fitted clubs so I play off the rack Callaways. Keep up the work load. Thanks.

This is your best video in quite awhile. Great content and tech info.

That looks like a wonderful way to start a morning. I think I would give it to the Autoflex... just for showing up. Cheers mate.

i'm an avid player and have a Tour AD BB shaft in my driver.. i've never even heard of that shaft! great content

Oh a shaft that much. That’s 4 times what’s in my bag .. great video. Impressed how you’ve showed this … thanks James. 👍🏻⛳️

the autoflex doesn't work as a "plug n play" shaft. you need to get the swing weight dialed in to D0-D1 for it to work to its potential.

I got one last year with my eBay transactions .. wife couldn’t moan as it was a space thing! I had it installed in a rogue 9 degree head. I worked it out and got an improvement but my swing was poor. What this shaft gave me was consistency. In my heart I knew I was playing the wrong driver head so I got an Epic and that was adjusted to me .. it had the hzd smoke shaft in and was a regular. This overcame all of my issues, I swung it confidently and I have not put the autoflex in it .. I may have a go at it during this summer, but the current set up is really working and I am getting what I want from my driver, plus improving my technique. So I will give it a go again but it will have to deliver a few more mph in ball speed and tighter dispersion - otherwise it goes on eBay for someone else to have a go with.

I’ve got the autoflex in my sim driver and it’s a game changer for me it’s given me so much confidence with the driver now and it’s added distance

I would give that last hole to the auto flex. You do take an aggressive line when you feel you will benefit from it and the ball was not that far in. Plus it gives what appears to be, one club less. The one big negative I see is the price. One would get better with that shaft with practice and I suppose you would constantly gain the extra length but, I cannot see past the price tag. If one were to spend some iron's time on the range with an instructor in tow....Well I feel that would be a few hundred dollars better spent to help round out one's golf game.

Love the "slow motion" takeaway. You can certainly see a huge difference between the two shafts.

Should be playing but wife not well so stuck in looking after her and watching vlogs earlier than normal!😂

I play with a guy every week who spent about $800 on the shaft and there is not any discernible difference in his distance but the placebo effect is real for Sam! He now hits his driver on most holes where before he would only hit 3W or hybrid before. Definitely a huge amount for a shaft!

I’ve been using the SF405 in a Sim Max head for the last year and love it . I changed the weight at the back of the club head by 8 grams to lower Swing weight down to the recommended D0 swing weight.

I have an SF505x in my Ping G425 Max. You have to get the head weight down a bit to see anything significant (I replaced the 26g stock weight for an 11g weight... eBay's finest... which got it into the right range for me). With the head weight adjusted it stops feeling quite so crazy and just starts to feel quick. I added about 10mph ball speed, I think that weight adjustment (as per TXG) matters a lot.

The autoflex shaft is really interesting to me. A friend of mine (a +3 golfer) has one in his Titleist TSi3 driver and smashes it miles. I took about 10 swings with his driver (me being a 3 handicap) and the weight threw me off. I was able to hit it far but not as consistent as my SIM2 with the smoke shaft.

It would be great to see if you could get the shaft dialed in with respect to SW etc. I have mine dialed in and it's been longer, straighter and higher. But i you don't get it in the D1 , give or take, you'll have a tough time hitting it

Myself using the SF505. And I got more fairways than ever. Distance wise also smashing.

Your swinging it great lately James , fair play to you man 👍👍👍👍

I remember a $1000 shaft black Matrix Ozik coming out some 7/8 years ago and saw it in the hands of a guy called Simon from Precision golf - great in his hands rubbish in mine🙂 drive and gap wedge on par 5 14th on Sunningdale Old - guess this will be the same! Good vid James👍

I replaced my Evenflow riptide CB 50g shaft in my PXG 0811X+ driver with an Autoflex 405, set to swing weight of D0 as recommended, I have found that my drives are much more consistent than with the originally fitted shaft more fairways hit, I do find that on average they are a little longer but it is the consistency that I like.

I think the fitted will do you better in the long run bc its what youre used to & "bought in" to 100%. The autoflex would probably grow on you but you mentioned several times that youd have to "unlock it" first. That tells me you're not bought in therefore stick with what you know and like.....oh and of course send the autoflex driver (with Taylormade Stealth) my way. #Bamabound #sendit Looking forward to that video with your scratch golfer friend but the banter CD does make things interesting on your channel. Cheers!

James - choose the one that hits the fairway, regardless of distance :-) Good stuff as always, keep it up.

The fitted shaft wins because the only discernible difference between the two shafts is the outrageous price of the autoflex.

Awesome review! I think it would be cool to see a high handicapper try the auto flex shaft and also would like to see you tinker with your lie and loft with that shaft.

Interesting video james from what I've picked up less loft Is required to get the benefits

Mad, Helicopter blade technology has obviously been around a very long time, this tech was also used in fiberglass Ski's and snowboards 15 years ago (the slower the more flexible, the faster it stiff'ens up. Now it's finally reached golf.. very pricey but I guess the first company to do it sets the price tag

Really interesting to see you hit the auto flex. Would be good to know what swing weight you were playing it at with the stealth as may have been too light in the head. What would the difference be at recommended swing weight.

Drives were pretty consistent across both shafts. Hard to justify a $1,000 shaft when you’re getting the same results with a stock fitted shaft. The Hzrdous RDX Smoke Red is a stock shaft for the Stealth.

Very interesting about the auto flex shaft I think if golfers could afford it they would have it. I am 68 and like you love golf never better than 11 handicap. Just bought rogue with a 1 shorter shaft like the driver. Also I suffer from athiritis in fingers on both hands thinking of looking at the thicker grips that are getting reviewed on other channels have you tried these please have I missed this one.??

TXG determined that the auto flex reacted significantly different with different weighted head. It was an interesting video.

Well done James 👏

I’ve got one in my LST driver. Given me more yardage & good dispersion. Brilliant shaft. Gave me more club head speed. It weighs like 45g 😂

I have tried all 3 flex. The secret to this shaft is the smoother you swing, the farther it goes. Your mph might drop 2-4, but it goes the same distance. Just more chance of sweet spot and still go the same distance.

I've never heard anyone say anything negative about the Autoflex shafts, and my inner golf nerd REALLY wants to try one, but with the way I'm swinging my driver of late, I'm better off spending the $800.00 CAD for it on more lessons than a shaft.

Serendipitous. I just built this combo yesterday for myself! Although mine is the standard stealth. Picked up almost 20 yds of carry. I struggle with low launch/low spin so even though Im up near 150 ball speed I was only getting 220-230 carry. Instantly went into the 250 carry range.

I would say if you want to hit a golf ball further, it's certainly worth pursuing. If you want to score better....no value at all. It's the next shot that matters.. Like a few comments show, hard to get past the cost! Love the content of your videos!

I've got one on my Pxg proto driver 0811x I gained 25 yards love it

It seems more like it helps on dispersion than distance. Also, like you mentioned James, it makes a difference on how well you’re swinging the club that particular time possibly. … hmmm

The AutoFlex is an amazing shaft..for those that see a good level of performance gain over their fitted shaft; in addition, to their ability to afford it, I say "more power to you." Having said that, one also has to consider their other woods, i.e. 3-wood and/or also other woods they use off the tee...should they seek to maintain a consistent feel with the club. Such a change is without question VERY Costly...thus, does the additional 10-12 yards justify the $2000 price tag. Personally, I rather hit an extra club and put the funds toward other key equipment...or a nice golf vacation. As fat as which club won on the 18th hole...any club that splits the fairway and is the short-stuff...I give that the win.

Keep using the auto flex maybe swing tempo and firmer conditions will show more gains

Very interesting video James. Surely the next step is to get the Autoflex "fitted" - head weight / swing weight likely needs to be reviewed with such a light shaft, and given the launch window you're getting you can likely knock the loft down slightly to further tweak those spin and ball speed numbers. From what I've seen the Autoflex is a bit of a Marmite shaft - some love it, some hate it, and most of that is to do with the feel and having to adapt to the shaft a little. Given you've got a smooth swing and clearly can adapt, and that I think there's some left in the tank for that combo, it may be worth persisting with the Autoflex for a bit - especially given the fitted driver seems a damn good option to "fall back on". Keep up the good work pal. Cheers

My guess is spin goes up too high with that Stealth, should try it with the Cobra LTD-X - LS. Be dropping bombs ! I put one in play middle of last season. Loving it, and just got it fitted into the new Cobra LTD-x. I got it as I'm early 50's, and no doubt my swing speed will be headed south as I get older, so wanted to get something I could "grow old with". Its light weight will allow this old fella to keep up with the kids for a few more years I hope ! :-)

Is Woolley your local ? I live 15 minutes away from there 🤣🤣 Nice to find a golf channel closer to me if it is 🤣

I have a Autoflexs on 4 driving iron really like it a lot. You just need to be smooth an the ball takes off.

Great video ,love your Honesty, why not ,,,I love change I get bored with golf very fast just my personality, one thing I noticed is you grab the tee out of your back pocket that might not mean anything to some people but to me it makes all the difference especially when I'm in a rush , no bother rip.it right out of back pocket no fuss,, idk sounds strange but I notice certain things, do an IQ test I bet your numbers are up to par!! lol Thanks man Autoflex I'd go with for the feel no other reason. Thanks again great stuff,

Red Bull and a stupid expensive auto flex shaft review. Most excellent. Good morning, James.

I suggest you do not change your swing, only a setting on the club. If that is a 9 degree driver change it to the next lower setting which will bring your spin rate down slightly with a more penetrating ball flight. TXG did a side by side test against the new Brava shaft, the Brava won the initial test and after they adjusted the setting the autoflex won easily. The tester was Michael who has a swing speed of just over 100 mph and was getting them in the 290 yard range.

Genuinely in the hands of someone as good with the driver as you James I see no gains or benefits wither on the course or the simulator. I struggle to think that a Normo would see gains either and would actually see a big loss... in their bank balance. Better to have a good fitting and lessons to improve the swing and consistency rather than expecting a miracle at £600+

What course is this James please. Looks excellent condition for this time off the year

I would love to see you get fitted for the auto flex shaft mate to see if it gets you even more distance,accuracy and consistency like you have with your fitted shaft. If you like the shaft and can afford the shaft then why not treat yourself you work hard enough

Easy decision, auto flex. It’s a matter of upside. You pretty much said it yourself. You’ve been gaming your fitted shaft for a while and are very familiar with it. While, by your own admission, you are just starting to understand how to swing the auto flex, and the results are pretty much identical. You’re not going to get much more out of your fitted shaft, while you’ve only just begun to unlock your potential with the auto flex.

I have switched my driver and 4-PW to Autoflex shafts and haven't looked back. My drives went from 220 to 260 plus. They don't suit everyone, but for me, they are game-changers. I used to hit my 7 iron 150 carries; now I'm hitting 170 carry. No more extra swinging power is required.

Hey I have the wooden shaft version of that from back in the day it's pretty awesome. I think it was called the limbershaft back then. I hit it once I think but I'm to scared to break it

As others commented, would be good to see the Autoflex fitted. For this test (on course and in studio), hard for me to rationalize the extra money versus your existing setup based on this video. I thought the last Autoflex drive would be way farther down, but in reality the last shot was in the fairway, had as good or better an angle, and wasn't that much farther back. I'd give the nod to your current setup and save the cash.

The Autoshaft will carry 20+ yards further. It is fantastic invention.

Great comparison James. I think the question here is the money and gains. Do the Pro's who hit the ball long use these type of shafts or not??? Cause MONEY in NO ObJECT to Them....How much gain would a average golfer see.. Like building a race car...The point of diminishing returns....Nice review.....

It's designed to work between D0 and D2. You can get away with weight down to C8.

You'd have to do the analysis on whether it gives enough bang for the buck. I mean if the shaft that is fit for you with a price you can stomach, keeps you in the fairway, feels like you want it to feel, and goes as far as you want it to go then figure out if this $1000 shaft gives you, for me, it would have to show me mass amount of benefits to swallow the price tag.

HAH! Golf perve......nailed it!

What if you turned the loft down .5° with the Autoflex? Would that give you a more similar spin and launch angle to the Stealth shaft with a longer carry distance?

Imo, the autoflex seems to be a really good shaft and it won today. If I ever get near to scratch and this can help me get to scratch, then I’ll get it. Until then I’ll just get regular shafts through fittings…. Golf’s expensive enough without that much money going into a shaft.

It looks like your hitting both on average the same and even if the auto flex is possibly a bit longer it probably isn't going to make a difference in club selection for your second shot it's not like it is 30-40yards difference so for me would be a waste of money and would just stick with the fitted option as it obviously works. Long drives are nice but for me the most important part of the game is approach shots.

What shoes make up his kit? Those look fancy

Go with Autoflex! Supposedly the Autoflex are better with the wear and tear on your wrists which is why Michelle Wie and other tour players have been on board with them.

A softer shaft can feel like it’s going further. Maybe do a test with a light senior shaft up against the auto flex.

This shaft is just a lightweight Senior flex shaft marketed as a different flex shaft for your ego lol. It’s like when you can fit into a Medium shirt that’s really a large 😉. I kind of made the discovery of the autoflex shaft concept by accident. I went to my local big box golf store to hit some of the new drivers and I grabbed what I thought was an “S” (stiff) flex shaft on a Ping g425 driver. In the bay I was hitting some really great drives (and some wild ones as well lol) but overall the driver was performing very well. When I looked at the shaft more closely it turns out it was an “SR” shaft (soft regular), my aging eyes didn’t catch that extra letter lol. It stands to reason that a lighter shaft that you can swing faster and load easier will go further than a heavier and stiffer shaft once you get the timing down. It’s just our ego that keeps us from playing a Ladies flex or A flex or Senior flex or however each manufacturer labels that profile. So what’s the solution…change the label to from Senior Flex to Stiff Flex lol. You should also know that autoflex has very strict criteria as to what the swing weight should be for each of their “flexes”. It’s usually in the D1-D2 range I believe, which is also something that helps them (and you) achieve greater swing speed. Save your money. It’s just marketing. PS - I know two players who played this shaft and ended up taking it out of the bag. The good shots were great but the bad ones were too offline and they found it difficult to time it right every time.

On that last shot the hazrdus shaft put you on the fairway & looked like a better line into green.

I don't see a reason for you to change unless you get a great amount of confidence from it. Your swing looks better than usual.

The Autoflex wins the best of 3 holes, but the fitted shaft wins the studio shots. Yes, the ball speed was increased, but that didn’t equate to more distance due to the spin increase with the Autoflex. Since you are such a skilled golfer, I wonder if you have maxed out on performance. Would we see a huge improvement if someone like Foxy was comparing the shafts? Like to see that!

A few Autoflex lessons from someone a year in. BTW I am playing a SF405 at 47" with a Ping G425 head standard weight. It benefits slower swing speeds more than fast. You need to adjust YOUR swing to IT. By that I mean if you do not have a smooth tempo and transition you need to work on it to get the most out of this shaft. Again, for slower swing speed players this is usually an easier transition. There is a benefit to the smoothness, it creeps into the rest of your game. for me that was huge. While different, it is not entirely different than a G7 training aid or an orange whip in this regard. Early on there was a push to limit the weight of the driver head to a D-0 swing weight. Now that it is more commonly used, I have found the most successful users are the ones who just put a standard head on the shaft, with the standard weights and let it rip. The D-0 swing weight is super difficult to feel and control, and I believe a lot of early adopters opted out because they were following the internet instructions and got frustrated. It is light (47g) and feels whippy when you waggle. You can feel it load at the top and it does not require much to bring it back down. It seriously feels like the shaft is doing all the work. At impact the thing is solid, and very straight. If you try to wing this thing around like an XXX Smoke shaft it will not work. You can go fast, just smoothly. I went from 220 avg to 250+ with some bombs thrown in there (for me lol). I recently played 3 rounds. I missed 3 fairways and not by much. It has changed golf for me. Knowing I can be in the fairway, and within a reachable distance to the green changed everything. My handicap has plummeted. Golf is much much more fun. Finally, I ask you as I have asked myself. How much are you willing to pay for 30 yards+ and more fairways? I have chased a lot of golf "gadgets" in the past. Looking for that magic thing to make me better. For once something actually worked. So my answer is yes, I will pay 1K (more if you include the head) for more distance. I would do it again too.....

Do you think that the 505 XX would suit your swing speed better? What length are you playing the Autoflex?

You should test the Dream 7 and get your swingweight dialled in to their recommended weight.

Love to test this shaft at 48" playing length

Sounds nice, but dont have the money to do something like that. My clubs I have and use are adequate for me to play golf. I just do it for the walking exercise anyway. Also, maybe if I was allot younger, I might of looked at things like this. Thanks for the video.

I’d like to see you put a regular flex in the low spin head and work your lag theory against that 1000 shaft

Strokes Gained would give it to the Autoflex, but I reckon it is marginal in that configuration. As others have said though, it isn't a fair comparison unless you have the AF properly fitted. Even then, the shaft/head combo might not be optimal. I'd need to see at least an extra club (12+ yards) of straighter distance and/or at least 1.0 SG per round, to even consider such an outlay.

What are the specs for the HZRDUS? Just curious as I have been in the RDX Black the past year.

I’d love to see a club built to the length an swing weight that the manufacturer actually recommended.

I have been using the Autoflex 405 with my Ping 425 Max for about 2 years now and found the shaft to provide about 20Y+ with better dispersion (carry distance ~2300Y). I use a 10cm tee with 11.5D flat loft. I am about at 10 handicap with about a 90MPH driver swing. I think it benefits the lower swing speed player (also getting along in age and losing musculature) much more than a 100+MPH player.

$1000 dollars shaft should hit every green on par 4s from the tee for that amount..should be a miracle shaft tbh lol

James, just putting an Autoflex shaft in a std clubhead is NOT the best way to really compare the shafts. Because the Autoflex shaft is so much lighter you will really mess up your swing weight and balance point without altering your weights in your clubhead. Also, the Autoflex shaft is designed to be played at 46 inches which again will radically change swingweight from a stock shaft (which are almost always shorter). Therefore you need to get the club “fitted” for an Autoflex shaft to see maximum gains. I’ve played an Autoflex shaft for about a year now and have yet to see another driver I can hit within 15 yds of my Autoflex shafted Titleist driver!

All depends. If you have played multiple rnds with fitted and only just started with autoflex, then auto wins easily. Once you get comfy with it and learn the tricks i see it outperforming fitted. Real question is does ot outperform worth $1000? I doubt it.

this guy keeps his tees in his back pocket... thats the golf version of a mouth breather!!! 🤣🤣🤣only kidding.

Great video… I think what this shows me is that custom fitting matters. I’ve been blessed to have always been fitted for every driver I’ve used. And all of my clubs in my last 2 bags. I’ve never considered autoflex simply because I did not see it as a significant gain. If competitors were using it then I’d consider it. But they aren’t, and neither am I.

Like the pink!

I have used this shaft and it works. The cost can be a bargain if you look at it logically. I got 20 yards more carry, so I think that is 4 iterations of my current driver, Titleist TS2, if each new driver cost £550 then that is £2,200, so the autoflex can be seen as a good buy. Also it is straighter as the shaft makes you feel that you can swing it easily and still get extra distance.

For the money I think one would be better to put 3 new Vokey wedges in the bag and a couple dozen Pro V1s, for the same price as a pink shaft! Just my opinion.

Amazing

If the change in swing with autoflex doesn't mess with the rest of your bag, go with it, but it seems not much of a difference, so the price doesn't seem justified. Is that shaft already yours to keep?

Key to the autoflex is getting in the right model for your swing speed and the swing weight. I have been gaming one for over a year and it's awesome. You really want the swing weight around D0 but do that through head weight, not adding weight to the butt. The only people I have seen struggle are the aggressive transition swingers. If you swing like you would with an Orange Whip, that seems to produce the best results. Adam Scott, Louis Oosthasen (Masters) and Brendan Grace are a few guys I have seen put it in play. Brendan Grace used it all last season.

For me this would have to be something you buy much later in your progression. I’m a beginner and it’s just not worth the price tag. I’ve spent that much on my whole bag and I’m driving 300 yards with a used Taylor made from second hand store. But if you have the money, spend it… that’s what it’s there for