Q. WHAT IS THE IDEAL DRIVER LENGTH FOR AUTOFLEX SHAFT?The raw uncut length is 45 inches, so when fitted to a driver head comes to about 46.5~47 inches. There is no ideal length and the butt end can be trimmed to make any total driver length depending on individual golfer preference (between 44~47 inches). NOTE: Dumina Co. does not retail grips or driver adapters. Q. IS AUTOFLEX A ‘LONG DRIVER’ SHAFT?No. The Autoflex shaft was not intended to be only used as a long drive shaft. Rather, Dumina Co. intended the shaft to help make the game of golf easier by helping slow and average swing speed golfers swing faster without swinging harder. Having said that, the Autoflex shaft lineup can cover from 65mph to 140+mph swing speeds. Q. CAN AUTOFLEX SHAFT BE TIPPED?Here are the updated tipping/trimming instructions for AutoFlex shafts Driver - No tip trim. Cut from butt end only. 3 wood - No tip trim. Cut from butt end only 5 wood - Tip trim 0.5 inch. Cut butt end to desired length. 7 wood - Tip trim 1 inch. Cut butt end to desired length. 3 hybrid - No tip trim. Cut butt to length. 4 hybrid - No tip trim. Cut butt to length. 5 hybrid - 0.5 inch tip trim. Cut butt to length. 3 iron - No tip trim. Cut from butt only. 4 iron - No tip trim. Cut from butt only. 5 iron - Tip 0.5 inch. Cut butt to length. 6 iron - Tip 1 inch. Cut butt to length. 7 iron - Tip 1.5 inch. Cut butt to length. 8 iron - Tip trim 2 inches. Cut butt to length. 9 iron - Tip trim 2.5 inches. Cut butt to length. PW, GW, SW - Tip trim 3 inches. Cut butt to length. No putter shaft is manufactured. Recommended swing weight for woods C8~D2, for irons C9~D1, wedges D0~D2 (depending on shaft flex/model) CAUTION: Autoflex shafts are very light and flexible with very thin walls. Be careful not to tighten the vice too hard when gripping the shaft or trimming the butt end, so that it does not crack. Q. WHY IS THE SWING WEIGHT RECOMMENDED TO BE SET BETWEEN C8~D2?The unique characteristics of Autoflex shafts make it lighter than conventional shafts with a much lower CPM. Due to the more flexible nature, a higher swing weight may cause the club head to wobble on the downswing transition. This may result in off-center impact for loss of distance and accuracy. A swing weight of D1 is found to be good for many golfers, but some have seen excellent results at C8 (SF305x or SF405) and even up to D3~D4 (SF505x and xx shafts). Try various swing wegith configurations to see what is optimal for you and your swing type. Q. FOR HEAVIER CLUB HEADS, CAN THE SHAFT BE COUNTER-BALANCED WITH EXTRA WEIGHT TO ACHIEVE A LOWER SWING WEIGHT?Counter balancing the grip end can make help achieve the swing weight, and it may be helpful to some degree (ie. If the swing weight only needs to decrease by 1 point). However, if the swing weight is too high, adding weight to the butt end increases overall driver weight. Also, the club head will still be too heavy despite the “correct swing weight”, so it may still move too much during the swing. It is better to see if your driver head has inter-changeable weight kit with lower weights. Also, some golfers have mentioned filing down their current weight. Q. DOES THE AUTOFLEX SHAFT LAUNCH HIGHER WITH MORE BACK SPIN?Most golfers that have seen success with Autoflex have reported higher launch angles. This is due to the lower CPM (flexible) shaft kicking at impact for an uptick in dynamic loft. Thus, the higher ball flight is not due to an increase in back spin, but higher launch angle. So the higher launch angle coupled with low spin will provide more carry distance with roll distance. Q. IF BETWEEN SHAFT MODELS, WHICH DO I CHOOSE?Choose the shaft model depending on your goals. For example, if you are averaging 98mph driver swing speed, both the sf405 (85~95mph) and sf505 (95~100mph) would be suitable. Choose sf405 if: you are looking to maintain the current average speed, or swing smoothly without strain. Choose sf505 if: you are a more aggressive in your backswing and transition; or looking to swing harder to increase overall swing speed. The intent of the manufacturer was for a shaft to provide distance and accuracy with a smooth swing; and not maximum effort with every swing. CAUTION: High swing speed golfers should not attempt to swing lower spec Autoflex shafts that are more flexible. It may cause the shaft to bend and fracture if swung too hard. (i.e. SS 110+ mph golfer should not try to swing the sf305x or the sf405 hard.) Q. WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS CAN I EXPECT FROM AUTOFLEX SHAFTS?As with most tech enhancement features from golf manufacturers, Golfers with higher swing speeds tend to see bigger increase in club head/ball speed and distance. For drivers, golfers below 100mph swing speed tend to see on average 2~4mph faster and 5~10 yards longer, while 110+ mph golfers report average gains of 3~10mph and 10~25 yards, respectively. Remember that all golfers are different with varying AoA and swing mechanics. Fitting the Autoflex shaft to best suit your particular swing style is recommended for best results. Just like any product with an instruction manual, the Autoflex shaft works best at recommended swing weight with the smooth take away and transition. It is not designed to magically fit all swing types, but will help golfers to swing at a more smooth tempo. Q. DOES AUTOFLEX SHAFT WORK BETTER FOR 'SWINGERS' THAN 'HITTERS'?A common misconception for golfers that ‘hit’ the ball is that the back swing has to be quick and aggressive and often rush the shaft back down (jerky transition) to create more flex load. However, if this is not timed perfectly, it actually hurts your speed and the shaft will not load fully. This can lead to off-center impacts for shorter distance and wider dispersions. As mentioned, Autoflex shaft is designed to help golfers swing easier with less strain and still load the shaft properly. For best performance, a smooth takeaway to the top with a smooth downward transition to help keep the club head still is recommended. Once the downswing starts, one can then swing away as hard as they wish. Try avoiding the aggressive/violent transition that causes head to wobble before swinging down. You should then be able to feel the shaft loading without having to rush the swing as with a stiffer conventional shaft. Q. I DON'T SEE ANY GAINS IN DISTANCE OR ACCURACY WITH MY AUTOFLEX SHAFT. WHAT IS WRONG? First thing to check is to see if you are impacting the center of the clubface. Autoflex does not guarantee a center strike every time. If it seems that you are way off the sweet spot, be sure to check your swing weight (swing balance) to see if the head feels too heavy. As mentioned above, Dumina recommends swing weight between C8~D2 from lighter shafts to heavier ones. But if you do not see distance gains and way off-center dispersions (inconsistent impacts), then try to further lessen the swing weight. Some 110+mph hitters have reported that D0 (even C8) swing weight stabilized the head even more for speed and accuracy. Next, check your AoA (attack angle) to see if you are in the negative loft. Unless you have a faster swing speed (in excess of 110mph), a positive AoA will be more beneficial in getting the ball up in the air with less back spin. In hitting up on the ball, some found that moving the ball an inch or two toward the left foot at address helps to hit up and create a positive AoA. Lastly, check to make sure the shaft is not cracked or splintered. If damaged, the shaft may not be able to deliver the proper load and release on impact. Q. DOES THE COMPANY OFFER ANY WARRANTY OR MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE?In case where the shaft becomes damaged or unplayable through a normal course of play over 90 days, Dumina will replace the shaft (same spec and color) upon it being returned to the manufacturer for confirmation. Money-back guarantee is not provided by the manufacturer. Shipping fee may be required. Q. MY SHAFT IS DAMAGED OR BROKEN. WHAT CAN I DO?If the shaft is suspected of damage or breaks during course of normal play, please contact the the place where the shaft was first purchased. Only an authorized retailer of Autoflex shafts may contact the manufacturer for replacement considerations under its warranty. Shaft warranty does not include shipping costs, which may be extra. FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WRITE US BELOW.