Proxima Shaft- AutoFlex and Ventus TR competitor

[My2Dogs]

2 hours ago, Mob said:

I will add my experience to this thread.  Alittle about me. I am 53 years old.  My current winter swing speed is around 102-103 mph, but in the middle of the summer season I am around 105 mph.  I currently play both a Ventus Red 6S and a Metaflex 5H.  The Metaflex is an "Autoflex" type shaft.  Lightweight, whippy, senior type flex.  It obviously feels totally different that the Ventus shafts, and yet it produces about 2 mph faster ball speed than the Ventus with similar dispersion (I typically hit 50-60% of fairways).  I was sent a Proxima 5X to review.  I typically do not play a X flex shaft, but I was willing to try.  I first started indoors on the launch monitor and it felt too stiff for me, which made me try and swing harder which never works.  It felt like I couldn't load it at all.  This is likely exaggerated, as I was coming from the Metaflex which loads with almost no effort.  When I struck the Proxima well, it was obviously great like most shafts are.  I then got a break in the weather here in Indy and took it on the course to play 9 holes.  I missed almost every fairway due to my attempt to swing harder so I could load the shaft.  I went back to my Metaflex, which I had in the bag, and had immediate improvement.  These results are not a shaft issue, just matching the right shaft to the right swing.  I am not sure by what criteria this would be lumped with an Autoflex, FreeFlex, or Metaflex, other than they are all coming out of Korea with "new technology".  There is nothing whippy about this shaft.  I do understand the comparison to the Ventus series.  All of this confirmed what I already knew, I have no business trying to hit an X flex shaft.  I am very interested in testing it in a stiff flex.

 

My son swings around 106-108 mph, so I had him come over and compare it to his Ventus Blue 6S and I will show you his numbers/data and get him to give his thoughts on the shaft.  Here is some data comparing his Ventus 6S and the Proxima.  We had a few different sessions, tweaking swing weight and loft.  The best combination for him was 9.75 degrees with D3 swing weight, playing 45".  This was also the best settings with his Ventus shaft as well, but just wanted to be sure.  He hit about 8 shots with each of the combinations below and went back and forth between shafts.  Testing done with a Uneekor Eye XO 2.

 

 

 

 

The really tight dispersion green circle is the TSR2 + Proxima at 9.75 degrees with D3 swing weight.  The other best dispersions, the orange and yellow circles, are also with the Proxima shaft, but different swing weights and loft. 

 

I have asked him to give his thoughts, and will past them here:

 

Background: 

24 year old male, 5’10” 155lbs 

6 handicap, driver swing speed around 106mph.

 

I typically play a 60 gram S-stiff shaft.  I have recently been playing the Ventus 6-S velocore with the TSR2 head and overall felt like I have played it well with solid dispersion and distance, especially in comparison to the Ventus 6-S TR velocore.

 

Initial Impressions:

I have never played or hit a 5-X shaft before, so I did not have any expectations in the Proxima performance. At first glance the Proxima has a clean matte black finish with no abnormal design details. Shape and taper looks and feels normal, while the weight was of course noticeable lighter. 

 

Feel: To no surprise, it does feel light with some flex (in comparison to the 6-S ventus), however, not too whippy or overly flexy. During the swing the Proxima did feel smooth, although not as “sturdy” as the Ventus. The Proxima had a natural feel during the takeaway and through the swing, that really took no adjustment from swinging the Ventus. While there is a slight difference in weight, overall no thought to the change as the Proxima plays pretty fluid, favoring a smooth, balanced swing with the ability to handle a more aggressive swing with little change in numbers.

 

Results:

My initial belief was that my dispersion and consistency with the Ventus 6-S was solid, and this was proven to be incorrect when going head to head with the Proxima. My club head speed went up 2-3mph on some swings, carry distance slightly increased, total yardage slightly  increased, but most importantly and impressively for me was a significant narrowing in my dispersion. As a player who doesn’t like to change up equipment all that often, especially when something isn’t broken, this test shows the Proxima clearly has some good things going, with it already earning a spot in the bag after just one session, with no thoughts on going back.

 

 

He’s got some gains with the Proxima!  Also some really good dispersion.  Can he send me some of that?  😂

[My2Dogs]

6 hours ago, GQ0208 said:

Where is everyone buying these from?

You can check for authorized dealers on their website.  They have a few across the US and UK.

 

https://www.proximashaft.com/about-us

[Mob]

18 hours ago, My2Dogs said:

He’s got some gains with the Proxima!  Also some really good dispersion.  Can he send me some of that?  😂

Oh to be 24 years old again.  It is annoying to watch him effortlessly carry the ball 280 yards.  He was surprised with the dispersion results.  He thought the Ventus was going to be the winner, until I showed him the data.

 

Playing length 45"

Edited February 18 by Mob

[SwingBlues]

3 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

Are you guys playing this at the stock length??

Same here. Same length as my gamer shafts

[SwingBlues]

Reporting back from on course at Woodley

 

DAMN THIS THING IS STRAIGHT👍👍👍

 

Very impressive🍻

[SwingBlues]

So I had some time to reflect on my round with the Proxima and the AI Smoke head

 

Lets just say, at the start I was hesitant but at the end I was very impressed with the Proxima 5X, here are my thoughts

 

1. Straightest shaft I've ever had in my hands. For my swing it had such good feel. Easy to load and there is a pronounce kick. Here's the part that I learnt and love about it - you can lean on it and it would be straight. Literally no worries

2. "Straight" - what the hell does that mean? It produces like to no side spin on most shots. As I posted with the Riley (see above), very little curvature. Push it and pull it, it will go where you point it. I didn't get the joy of HOOKING or SLICING any driver shots during the round. My buddy was still able to slice one about 50 yards right on #11 but he still had a clean shot. So its not a "miracle" shaft but it will help more than most other shafts or devices I have tried. It was straighter than my TR Red Velocore and my GD-XC 5S and 6S

 

Sadly, this round I didn't see any distance gains. Infact, based on my GPS watch post analysis, I lost some yardages -but- I will pen it down to the cold weather and the soggy fairways. Every ball had mud on it, some plugged and hidden pools of mud ponds on the fairways. I hit a fantastic drive on the #14 (dog leg right Par 4), took on the 2 palms that mark the doglegs and only to be rewarded with a plugged ball. Ugh. I still had only 112 to the pin but any other drier day, it would have been a closer chip shot.

 

Add to the fact, the AI Smoke was untuned. The 10.5 head is too high a flight with my XVs and I just need some time to tune it in the next few weeks - assuming weather permitting

 

But back to the shaft... I am going to GAME this shaft and once summer is here with a fully tuned Smoke head, it should blitz

 

There's a lot more playing and testing still to do but that is my initial impression

 

Proxima has something special here 

[My2Dogs]

Well here is an update after my NCGA qualifier.  
 

the Proxima shaft was a winner, me not so much.  I drove the ball fantastic today.  We had 20-25mph constant wind and gusts up to 35-40mph.  Got so bad the balls started moving on the green.  Also had to start to play for the wind when you putted.

 

so what happened today.  I could not chip or putt to save my life.  I was putting defensively and trying not to miss, instead of trying to make.  The wind got into my head so bad that I was overthinking my lines, speed and just about everything.  I was so frustrated today.  Also I let the 2 guys we were paired with get in my head.

 

on hole 9, we are tied for the lead.  I absolutely nuke a drive and I clear a fairway bunker that’s about 80 yards short of the green.  Both guys say they have never seen someone clear that bunker on the fly (we had the wind at our backs so no I was not Kyle Berkshire).  What we didn’t know was past the bunker was a swamp.  We could not find it as it plugged completely and the entire area was standing water.  We all know it was in bounds but they claim they didn’t see it and say I’ve got to take a drop and a penalty.  I told them I would hit 2 shots and we will take it up with the rules folks at the end of the round.  Well that really got me upset and I can say they got to me and played some mind games.  I was out of it for a couple holes and let it get to me. 
 

Proxima held its own as I hit 10 out of 14 fairways.  Not bad with the wind and wet conditions we had.  I was very surprised how well the shaft held its lines with the wind.  Did it  move, of course with that much wind but compared to the other 3 guys, my drives were much straighter and def longer today.  Just wish the rest of my game would have done as well as I played off the tee.

[SEP1006]

Okay so a little about my Driver game first. Driver has always been the worst part of my game by far. The ONLY reason I could score well was my short game. I had tried several shafts and heads, did several fittings over time and never found the right combo. Probably more mental (go figure) than anything but I just learned to accept it.

 

Then a few years back the Autoflex came along. I read all the hype on here and all the reviews. Figured WTH and bought an SF505 based on reading what others here were hitting. At the time @My2Dogs.was hitting it as well and if I remember had hit several of the different flexes. So pretty much went off of that information.

 

As it turned out that was the single best thing I EVER did for my golf game. Turned the worst part of my game around and as a result I gained confidence. In these last few years no shaft / head combo has beat out my G4/AF. And I've done every demo day at my club as well as had a few fittings just looking for another Unicorn.

 

And so now here comes another Big Dog on the street, the PROXIMA. Took it to my club builders house yesterday and had the PXG tip put on it. Picked it up today on the way to the course. My club has 27 holes and on weekends after 1pm usually one of the nines is pretty empty.

 

So played by myself so I could hit 2 - 3 drives per hole. Used my gamer for the first 3 just to see how I was swinging, okay but not great. Anyway put the Proxima 5SR in, first thing I noticed was it was quite a bit longer than my gamer, which I play at 44.5". For whatever reason I never measured it. Also while it was still a little "whippy" it's definitely not as bad as the AF.

 

So I ended up just chocking down a little over 2.5". Like others have said it just wants to go straight. My SS averages right at 88 - 90 mph, I'm 67 years old and aside from shoulder issues in great physical shape, workout 6 days a week. Even when I attempted to swing out of my shoes it still went relatively straight. After about 3 holes with it (hitting 2-3 drives a hole) I was hitting it in places that I normally hit my gamer. The feel was a little stiffer than the A/F but definitely not boardy at all.

 

BUT THEN I hit one about 10 - 12 yards further than I normally do. An eye opener for sure, so I thought WOW I got it now. Then for whatever reason I started trying to consistently swing harder. Also having to choke down that much was bothering me as well. So I ended up putting the AF back in and finishing out my play.

 

Going to cut it down tonight to play at 44.5" and take it back out tomorrow afternoon. Really looking forward to seeing the results. For sure now it will be an "apples to apples" comparison.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19 by SEP1006

[My2Dogs]

1 hour ago, SEP1006 said:

Okay so a little about my Driver game first. Driver has always been the worst part of my game by far. The ONLY reason I could score well was my short game. I had tried several shafts and heads, did several fittings over time and never found the right combo. Probably more mental (go figure) than anything but I just learned to accept it.

 

Then a few years back the Autoflex came along. I read all the hype on here and all the reviews. Figured WTH and bought an SF505 based on reading what others here were hitting. At the time @My2Dogs.was hitting it as well and if I remember had hit several of the different flexes. So pretty much went off of that information.

 

As it turned out that was the single best thing I EVER did for my golf game. Turned the worst part of my game around and as a result I gained confidence. In these last few years no shaft / head combo has beat out my G4/AF. And I've done every demo day at my club as well as had a few fittings just looking for another Unicorn.

 

And so now here comes another Big Dog on the street, the PROXIMA. Took it to my club builders house yesterday and had the PXG tip put on it. Picked it up today on the way to the course. My club has 27 holes and on weekends after 1pm usually one of the nines is pretty empty.

 

So played by myself so I could hit 2 - 3 drives per hole. Used my gamer for the first 3 just to see how I was swinging, okay but not great. Anyway put the Proxima 5SR in, first thing I noticed was it was quite a bit longer than my gamer, which I play at 44.5". For whatever reason I never measured it. Also while it was still a little "whippy" it's definitely not as bad as the AF.

 

So I ended up just chocking down a little over 2.5". Like others have said it just wants to go straight. My SS averages right at 88 - 90 mph, I'm 67 years old and aside from shoulder issues in great physical shape, workout 6 days a week. Even when I attempted to swing out of my shoes it still went relatively straight. After about 3 holes with it (hitting 2-3 drives a hole) I was hitting it in places that I normally hit my gamer. The feel was a little stiffer than the A/F but definitely not boardy at all.

 

BUT THEN I hit one about 10 - 12 yards further than I normally do. An eye opener for sure, so I thought WOW I got it now. Then for whatever reason I started trying to consistently swing harder. Also having to choke down that much was bothering me as well. So I ended up putting the AF back in and finishing out my play.

 

Going to cut it down tonight to play at 44.5" and take it back out tomorrow afternoon. Really looking forward to seeing the results. For sure now it will be an "apples to apples" comparison.

 

 

 

 

What I found is it’s similar to the AutoFlex in that you have to let it load and then you can go after it.  However it’s not the slow tempo I found with the AutoFlex.  You can use your normal tempo but just get to the top and it loads and away you go.  Don’t try and over swing, use your normal swing and you’ll see results.  It’s when you get outside of what you normally do is when you see issues pop up.  That’s with any new product.  

[Mob]

Interesting that you are comparing this to an Autoflex.  I didn't really see any similarities between the 2 shafts.  I think the comparison to a Ventus shaft makes more sense to me. 

[SEP1006]

56 minutes ago, Mob said:

Interesting that you are comparing this to an Autoflex.  I didn't really see any similarities between the 2 shafts.  I think the comparison to a Ventus shaft makes more sense to me. 

 

I will say this, I have the Proxima 5SR and it is AF like whippy. Not quite as whippy but still whippy. I have played the Ventus R and it's a whole different feel from both the AF and Proxima. 

 

When you get to the top and start your downswing. You can definitely feel quite a bit of lag. The Ventus doesn't even come close to having that feel for me.

 

 

[SwingBlues]

On 2/17/2024 at 4:40 AM, phizzy30 said:

Now, I'm thinking about picking one up after reading your post, lol.  Btw, I grew up in Tarzana and would frequent Balboa/Encino quite often back in the day.  We would have quite a few matches there when I was playing on my high school team but our home course was Porter Valley CC.  I'm in West Co atm but still make trips out to that area for two of my clients and have family that lives out there.  The range is much greener than I remember it.  Oh wait, Encino/Balboa range was always a huge dirt patch, LOL.  I personally like Woodley between the bunch.  Barely any trees, 50+ yard fairways and one of the easier courses in general where it's a blast to play if you love hitting driver as much as possible off the tee like I do.  Memories.........

 

Everyone I talk to says Woodley is easy but none of them ever can shoot under Par there with the wide fairways. I think they underestimate the length even off the Blues and the unless you can cut some doglegs, the length can be long FAST, 10th, 16th and 14th are good examples. For sure it's a driving course and I love that. They fixed Woodley range with the artificial grass but the Encino/Balboa need some work. They just recently replacing the fencing there. Hopefully more improvements to come this year...

 

 

This is the view yesterday from the 5th hole at Woodley approaching the green we noticed the mud slides that wasn't there before.. that's about the vicinity area where Encino got hit bad with the mud.

 

 

FYI - don't know if you heard but the last storm really damaged the #5 and #6 fairways at Encino. They had bulldozers and trucks carting away the mud all week. The elevated greens seem to look fine. Haven't played it but I see it as I drive west on Burbank. This new storm will not help...

[phizzy30]

Just now, SwingBlues said:

 

Everyone I talk to says Woodley is easy but none of them ever can shoot under Par there with the wide fairways. I think they underestimate the length even off the Blues and the unless you can cut some doglegs, the length can be long FAST, 10th, 16th and 14th are good examples. For sure it's a driving course and I love that. They fixed Woodley range with the artificial grass but the Encino/Balboa need some work. They just recently replacing the fencing there. Hopefully more improvements to come this year...

 

 

This is the view yesterday from the 5th hole at Woodley approaching the green we noticed the mud slides that wasn't there before.. that's about the vicinity area where Encino got hit bad with the mud.

 

 

FYI - don't know if you heard but the last storm really damaged the #5 and #6 fairways at Encino. They had bulldozers and trucks carting away the mud all week. The elevated greens seem to look fine. Haven't played it but I see it as I drive west on Burbank. This new storm will not help...

I didn't hear about that.  Last time I played all three courses was last year.  Sepulveda Basin gets flooded when it rains excessively as you already know.  The city can only do so much especially when El Nino years roll around unfortunately.   

[chocolate_rehab]

5 hours ago, SwingBlues said:

 

Everyone I talk to says Woodley is easy but none of them ever can shoot under Par there with the wide fairways. I think they underestimate the length even off the Blues and the unless you can cut some doglegs, the length can be long FAST, 10th, 16th and 14th are good examples. For sure it's a driving course and I love that. They fixed Woodley range with the artificial grass but the Encino/Balboa need some work. They just recently replacing the fencing there. Hopefully more improvements to come this year...

 

 

This is the view yesterday from the 5th hole at Woodley approaching the green we noticed the mud slides that wasn't there before.. that's about the vicinity area where Encino got hit bad with the mud.

 

 

FYI - don't know if you heard but the last storm really damaged the #5 and #6 fairways at Encino. They had bulldozers and trucks carting away the mud all week. The elevated greens seem to look fine. Haven't played it but I see it as I drive west on Burbank. This new storm will not help...

 

Preach - Woodley is harder than it looks! My quest to break 80 there has gotten pretty close (80/81 multiple times), but it's still tough.

 

Just got back from a weekend trip to Las Vegas and the rain is back in LA, so my testing of the Proxima is on hold again. I have a round booked tomorrow, but there's a good chance it's too nasty to get out, supposed to get heavier rain through the evening. Stay tuned.

[SEP1006]

So I did cut the Proxima down last night to play at 44.5", same as my gamer. Felt a lot more comfortable not chocking down on the grip some 2.5".

 

Weather today was nice but still a little cool and windy. Once again asked my Pro if I could use the "closed 9" so I could hit multiple tee shots per hole. 

 

I started the 9 with the Proxima right away. As far as feel it is definitely stiffer than the A/F at the same length. Keep in mind the A/F is almost like fishing pole whippy. 

 

I was swinging much better today and the Proxima just wants to go straight. It definitely doesn't have as much side spin as the A/F. The few I didn't flush today and got quick on were only about a 10 yard draw. Compared to 15 - 20 yards with the A/F and same quick tempo. I didn't hit any today that were noticeably longer than where I typically am with the A/F. 

 

Very impressed with the dispersion and consistency the Proxima produces. Even though I hit one yesterday that was a little over 10 yards from where I normally am. I'm not hitting it consistently longer.

 

I have Grandpa duty for the next 2 days so won't be able to get out again until Thursday. Will update again then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20 by SEP1006

[Strugglingpro]

On 11/22/2023 at 1:52 AM, My2Dogs said:

So I received a message from one of the folks that used to work at AutoFlex in S. Korea.  He has moved to a new company called Proxima Golf.  They are coming out with a new shaft that’s supposed to be a direct competitor to AutoFlex and to my surprise Ventus TR.  Here is some marketing they have:

 

“Precision crafted in Korea for Peak performance.

It features SSC (Straight Support Core) Technology for exceptional control and consistency.

MA ( Multi Angle ) Technology from the tip to 13 inches up to butt provides longer distance and straighter with less dispersion.

It is the most important technology in the golf shaft to produce the shafts lighter but low in Torque and high CPM.

Proxima's technology made it happen.“

 

Here is their website:  

 

https://www.proxima.co.kr/

 

Matt Blois is testing it currently and he uploaded this video on Instagram and he had his personal best ball speed numbers with this new shaft.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy_pDGluGqG/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==
 

I’ve got one coming in an 6X and I should have it sometimes early next week.  However I will have to get it cut, adapter added and grip put on.  I’m going to add a Callaway adapter so I can test it vs the AutoFlex SF505XX, Ventus TR Blue 6X, Ventus TR Black 6X and FreeFlex shaft.  Hoping to be able to test it the weekend of Dec 2nd/3rd.  Don’t know much about it except what they have on their page and the Matt Blois video.  

 

looks promising and the price point is lower than the AutoFlex.  

I'm fortunate enough to have gotten to know that gentleman that went from Autoflex to work with Proxima. I also got to test the Proxima 6x. It has been in my ping driver for at least 5 months now, and has been a game changer for me as far as distance and accuracy. That is actually a huge understatement. I can swing at it as fast as I can and I can feel the head more stable though impact. It's a feeling like hitting a home run and not feeling it hit the bat. I just missed getting through the farmers qualifying but it wasn't for a lack of hitting fairways. I hit every fairway and drove one green on Industry Hills Ike course. That is not the easiest track to do that. The confidence I have with the proxima is a different kind of confidence. It's the closest thing to feeling automatic that I have felt. I have hit different shafts, including the Autoflex - brutal having to change your tempo to get the shaft to perform correctly. I don't have anything bad to say about the Ventus, but I think anyone who tries the Proxima will see the dispersion is just significantly better than anything else out there. I'm playing in the Asher Tournament this week and I have a big advantage off the tee. Steve Yin is a great guy, but I would have said all that I just said, even if he wasn't. Lol The best way I can see describe the Proxima shaft is the feeling of the old yellow ust shaft with the technology of today's high performance shafts. I hope that helps.

[My2Dogs]

15 minutes ago, Strugglingpro said:

I'm fortunate enough to have gotten to know that gentleman that went from Autoflex to work with Proxima. I also got to test the Proxima 6x. It has been in my ping driver for at least 5 months now, and has been a game changer for me as far as distance and accuracy. That is actually a huge understatement. I can swing at it as fast as I can and I can feel the head more stable though impact. It's a feeling like hitting a home run and not feeling it hit the bat. I just missed getting through the farmers qualifying but it wasn't for a lack of hitting fairways. I hit every fairway and drove one green on Industry Hills Ike course. That is not the easiest track to do that. The confidence I have with the proxima is a different kind of confidence. It's the closest thing to feeling automatic that I have felt. I have hit different shafts, including the Autoflex - brutal having to change your tempo to get the shaft to perform correctly. I don't have anything bad to say about the Ventus, but I think anyone who tries the Proxima will see the dispersion is just significantly better than anything else out there. I'm playing in the Asher Tournament this week and I have a big advantage off the tee. Steve Yin is a great guy, but I would have said all that I just said, even if he wasn't. Lol The best way I can see describe the Proxima shaft is the feeling of the old yellow ust shaft with the technology of today's high performance shafts. I hope that helps.

Good luck.  Keep us updated on your progress. 

[SEP1006]

Oh man the weather here has been perfect all week. As stated above I had Grandpa duty yesterday and again today.

 

Tomorrow and Friday it's supposed to be 81 degrees. And our course is finally starting to get some roll again.

 

Can't wait to get the Proxima out again. Every time so far has been point and shoot !!!!!!!!!

 

 

[chocolate_rehab]

The courses are still extremely soggy in LA, but I managed to get in a few holes today to test. Course was empty because most people don't want a mud bath, which meant I was able to swap the shafts back and forth and hit balls with both on the 3 driving holes I played.

 

Going into it with this shaft, I was definitely curious, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I expect to prefer the Autoflex. It has such a unique feel, and I've come to really enjoy that whippy loading feeling. Would anything else feel as good?

 

Answer - yeah! Surprisingly, I really liked the feel of the Proxima. It wasn't whippy feeling, but the impact felt really nice, powerful and solid. After a few swings today, I honestly felt like I preferred the feel of the Proxima. That was pretty shocking to me. I've tested other shafts a bunch in the last 2 years but nothing has really threatened the AF, especially in feel. More testing will come, but today Proxima wins the feel battle.

 

As far as accuracy, the Proxima was also a bit straighter than the Autoflex. Ball impacts were pretty much center of the face.

 

Distance was hard to really gauge based on the soggy fairways - I will need to keep testing this. They seemed to be going about the same.

 

If I had a con against the Proxima it's the mundane/budget graphics. Hard to be impressed by the looks. I like understated and I love black, but it just seems like the graphics were a complete afterthought.

 

Either way, I'm pretty excited to keep seeing what the Proxima can do, hopefully things dry out in the next week or so.

Edited February 22 by chocolate_rehab

[SEP1006]

5 minutes ago, chocolate_rehab said:

As far as accuracy, the Proxima was also a bit straighter than the Autoflex. Ball impacts were pretty much center of the face.

 

Distance was hard to really gauge based on the soggy fairways - I will need to keep testing this. They seemed to be going about the same.

 

 

Exactly what I am seeing so far as well.

 

Grandpa duty is over for the week and it's going to be sunny and 80/81 tomorrow and Friday.

 

Going to be hitting a lot of Drivers the next 2 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SwingBlues]

1 hour ago, chocolate_rehab said:

 

If I had a con against the Proxima it's the mundane/budget graphics. Hard to be impressed by the looks. I like understated and I love black, but it just seems like the graphics were a complete afterthought.

 

 

 

Understated

Underwhelming

 

Compared to the fashion pink of Autoflex that you can spot 3 fairways away 😁

[chocolate_rehab]

4 minutes ago, SwingBlues said:

 

Understated

Underwhelming

 

Compared to the fashion pink of Autoflex that you can spot 3 fairways away 😁

 

To be honest, I don't love the nuclear pink either! I have considered buying the black version that just came out, but am too cheap thus far.

 

Ventus has a nice understated look without being too nuts. As flashy as I'd go is like a VA Nemesys or something like that.

[SEP1006]

14 minutes ago, chocolate_rehab said:

 

To be honest, I don't love the nuclear pink either! I have considered buying the black version that just came out, but am too cheap thus far.

 

Ventus has a nice understated look without being too nuts. As flashy as I'd go is like a VA Nemesys or something like that.

 

 

I actually like the look of the pink A/F. Now the new ones look absolutely ridiculous.

 

 

 

 

[ajlacombe]

I got the Proxima out on the course yesterday, but have still not taken the time to look at the setups to make sure everything is dialed in. I prefer playing a round with my tee, tee height and balls. You can do some comparison testing at a range, but it is kind of meaningless because those balls are garbage and the ball to ball variability will taint the test.  The compressions are all different as well as the surface scuffing

 

I was using the 5S in a TSr 9º head and it did way better than at the range. It is a bit hard to describe what is going on, except that this thing does not move much side to side. It is very consistent and feels like a bit less blue profile of the Ventus Blue shaft. That is not to say it is harsh or anything, it just does not have that bit of blue feel.

 

I only played 9, but nothing was in trouble and everything was pretty much where I aimed. I normally play a draw, which has been reduced quite a but, but the thing that has been really reduced (do not want to jinx my self by saying eliminated) is my low left miss, commonly referred to as a sh&t ball 🙂 This shaft seems to produce a very decent tee shot with a marginal strike - if you go low heel or high toe, you are not reracking or hitting a long shot into a hole.

 

I will try and get it on my simulator and see what is going on with it.  I am very intrigued by this shaft and it is in the bag for now 🙂 

[SEP1006]

Alright so as stated above no Grandpa duty for me today. It was upper 70's and very windy, easily a 3 club wind going straight into it.

 

Went ahead and started the round with the Proxima instead of the A/F. First 2 holes were into the wind, noticed right away the ball didn't balloon at all. My first tee shot wasn't hit very flush and I came out of it a little bit. Ball still went relatively straight with just a slight push. Second tee shot hit directly into the wind, held its line well and again didn't balloon at all. Third tee shot was dead downwind and I caught it pretty good. Once again dead straight and about in the same place I've hit my A/F before.

 

Played 27 holes this afternoon and only used the Proxima. Only had 2 bad shots and they were a result of an over the top pull. One thing that has stayed consistent with the Proxima is just how straight it is. I don't think it's any longer or shorter than my A/F. 

 

Going to play again tomorrow after lunch. I am going to swap out the shafts and hit multiple tee shots again. If the results with the Proxima stay the same. It will be in the bag for sure this weekend when I play with my normal group.

 

[sheezymaneezy]

What prices are you guys buying the Proxima for?
As a comparison sake (since I'm not from the US), what does Autoflex or a Ventus go for compared to Proxima?

[My2Dogs]

1 hour ago, SEP1006 said:

Alright so as stated above no Grandpa duty for me today. It was upper 70's and very windy, easily a 3 club wind going straight into it.

 

Went ahead and started the round with the Proxima instead of the A/F. First 2 holes were into the wind, noticed right away the ball didn't balloon at all. My first tee shot wasn't hit very flush and I came out of it a little bit. Ball still went relatively straight with just a slight push. Second tee shot hit directly into the wind, held its line well and again didn't balloon at all. Third tee shot was dead downwind and I caught it pretty good. Once again dead straight and about in the same place I've hit my A/F before.

 

Played 27 holes this afternoon and only used the Proxima. Only had 2 bad shots and they were a result of an over the top pull. One thing that has stayed consistent with the Proxima is just how straight it is. I don't think it's any longer or shorter than my A/F. 

 

Going to play again tomorrow after lunch. I am going to swap out the shafts and hit multiple tee shots again. If the results with the Proxima stay the same. It will be in the bag for sure this weekend when I play with my normal group.

 

So jealous of everyone.  Horrible weather here and now that we have good weather, I’m down with a horrible flu.  Living through all of you right now.

[SEP1006]

Played 27 again today with my son. Perfect weather, 80* sunny and very little wind. Course is finally drying out enough to where we are getting a little roll now.

 

Proxima was solid AGAIN today. Played the first 18 with the Proxima and only missed 1 fairway, my usual miss and over the top pull. Ball went pretty straight for the most part with about a 5 yard draw. For reference I usually hit a consistent 10 yard draw with the A/F.

 

Then purposely played the same nine we played first but this time used the A/F to see the difference between the first time with the Proxima. Results were pretty much the same as the first time but maybe a tad shorter on a couple of holes.

 

Anyway will definitely have the Proxima in the bag tomorrow with my normal group.

 

This was probably my 4th or 5th time playing with the Proxima and I have yet to hit one really off-line. Darn thing just wants to go straight, not a bad thing at all. I will on occasion snap one off left with the A/F.

 

 

 

 

[ajlacombe]

11 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

This was probably my 4th or 5th time playing with the Proxima and I have yet to hit one really off-line. Darn thing just wants to go straight, not a bad thing at all. I will on occasion snap one off left with the A/F.

 

 

 

 

This last bit is my exact experience with the Proxima versus Ventus Blue. It is snowing right now, but hoping to play tomorrow - fingers crossed.  I will hit it on the simulator later.

 

My big wonder is how this shaft would pair with the TM Qi10, since that driver has been reviewed as having similar aspects with respect to no sidespin. I think you would have a straight machine. All you would fit for is the launch angle and spin that you needed for your swing speed, and you would have a killer driver.

 

[Mob]

So I received a 6Stiff to test and definitely better for me than the 5X.  I tested it on the simulator yesterday vs. my Metaflex, which has taken over the starting spot in my bag over the Ventus Red recently.  I will agree with some statements made above.  It has a very solid feel, you can swing hard with it, and it tends to go where the face of the club is pointing with less side spin than other shafts.  For some reason, I had a tendency to pull it with my TSR3 head, and the spin was sub 2000 rpms for a lot of my drives.  One huge benefit is low heel miss, which is one of my common misses , only jumped up to 2500 rpms, which is substantially better than other shafts I have used.  I then put it in my TSR2 head and had signficantly better results.

 

Metaflex:

SS: 103 mph

Spin: 2400 rpms

Launch: 14.5 degrees

Ballspeed: 154 mph

Carry: 263 yards

Smash: 1.50

 

Proxima:

SS: 101 mph

Spin: 2100 rpms

Launch: 14.9 degrees

Ballspeed: 151 mph

Carry: 261 yards

Smash: 1.50

 

Most notable differences:  Metaflex easier to load with a better spin number for me.  The Metaflex had more side spin and curvature.  The Proxima had some results that were too low spin, and I had more pulls with the Proxima as a result of this low spin with face angle closed.

 

I definitely need to test it more today on the simulator, then I will get it out on the course on Monday and get some on course results. I have spent the last 2 months getting used to the Metaflex which is a much whippier shaft, so it may take alittle time to get used to the Proxima, as they feel and play very differently.  More to come.