How a Bay Area startup is challenging conventional thinking about premium golf shafts
The premium golf shaft market is one of the most difficult categories in golf equipment to break into.
Golfers are loyal. Many have spent years refining their setups, finding profiles they trust, and sticking with products that have proven themselves on launch monitors and golf courses alike. Established names dominate conversations, tour usage often drives consumer confidence, and convincing players to spend serious money on a new shaft requires more than a good marketing campaign.
That reality makes Attomax Pro an interesting company to watch.
During a recent Life At The Turn Live Q&A, Tim Kellund, Head of Sales and Tour Operations for Attomax Pro, shared the story behind the company’s rapid emergence in the premium shaft space, the technology driving its products, and why the team believes there is still room for meaningful innovation in a category many golfers assume has already been perfected.
From a prototype on the range to a growing golf company
One of the more interesting parts of the conversation was that Kellund wasn’t originally part of the company.
Before joining Attomax Pro, he was introduced to the product almost by accident during a casual round with the company’s Chief Revenue Officer. At the time, the shaft was still in its prototype stage and the company had not yet launched publicly. Curious about the unusual-looking design, Kellund took a few swings and immediately noticed something different.
As a former competitive player with experience ranging from collegiate golf to professional mini-tour events, Kellund had tested plenty of equipment over the years. What stood out wasn’t simply distance. It was the combination of feel, stability, and consistency.
After spending time with the prototype, he found himself repeatedly returning to it. Fairways seemed easier to find. Misses appeared more manageable. Most importantly, the shaft delivered a sensation that he felt was distinct from many of the products already on the market.
That experience eventually led him to join the company, helping bring the product to market and introducing it to players at every level of the game.
Building a different kind of shaft
Attomax Pro officially launched at the 2025 PGA Show, but the work behind the product began long before golfers ever saw it.
The company’s roots trace back to South Korea, where much of the original development and investment took place before manufacturing partnerships in Japan helped bring the final product to life.
From the beginning, the goal was not simply to create another premium shaft.
Instead, Attomax Pro focused heavily on material science.
The shafts incorporate ultra-high modulus carbon fiber, nickel titanium, advanced resin systems, and what the company describes as its defining technology: an amorphous metal alloy woven directly into the shaft structure. According to Kellund, this alloy serves as the company’s “secret sauce,” contributing significantly to stability and reducing unwanted head movement during the swing.
While the technical details can become complex, the objective is relatively straightforward.
Build a shaft that remains stable under load while still providing the feel and responsiveness golfers expect from premium products.
That balance between stability and feel became a recurring theme throughout the conversation.
Why dispersion became the obsession
Most golfers shopping for a new shaft begin with one question.
How much farther will I hit it?
Attomax Pro certainly talks about speed and distance gains, but during the discussion, Kellund repeatedly returned to another metric: dispersion.
For him, the value of the shaft is not simply helping golfers hit one perfect drive.
It’s reducing the damage from imperfect ones.
He described a ball flight that maintains its shape without excessive ballooning and highlighted how off-center strikes tend to stay more playable than golfers might expect. Rather than seeing large misses peel dramatically off line, he repeatedly referenced tighter shot patterns and more predictable outcomes.
That focus influenced the development of both primary shaft profiles.
The original Atom Blue was designed to provide a blend of feel, stability, and mid-launch performance, while the newer Atom Black targets players looking for a more robust profile with lower launch, lower spin, and a firmer overall feel.
Despite their differences, both products share the same underlying philosophy.
Distance matters.
Control matters more.
Fitting over assumptions
Another takeaway from the discussion was Attomax Pro’s approach to fitting.
Rather than relying heavily on swing-speed charts or predetermined player categories, Kellund repeatedly emphasized that golf shafts are deeply personal. Two golfers with nearly identical swing speeds can respond very differently to the same profile.
Because of that, the company spends considerable time working directly with players, fitters, and instructors to identify the right combination of weight, flex, launch characteristics, and feel.
The company now offers a broad range of options, including multiple weights, traditional flexes, hybrid flex profiles, and the recently introduced 4G multiflex model designed to help golfers seeking additional launch and assistance.
What stands out is a willingness to adapt.
Several product additions were direct responses to feedback from players and fitters who requested specific profiles that did not initially exist within the lineup.
For a young company, that level of responsiveness may prove to be one of its biggest advantages.
Addressing the $900 question
There is no avoiding the topic.
Attomax Pro’s shafts carry a premium price tag.
At approximately $899 retail, they sit near the very top of the shaft market and naturally invite questions about value.
Rather than sidestepping the issue, Kellund addressed it directly.
He acknowledged the sticker shock many golfers initially experience and recognized that players will inevitably compare Attomax Pro against other established premium options. At the same time, he pointed to the extensive material costs, manufacturing complexity, and proprietary technologies involved in producing the shafts.
Perhaps more importantly, he framed the discussion around performance.
If a golfer gains measurable ball speed, tighter dispersion, and improved confidence, the conversation becomes less about the price of the shaft and more about the value it delivers over years of use.
It’s a perspective many golfers already apply to premium drivers, putters, and launch monitors.
Attomax Pro is asking golfers to consider their shaft through the same lens.
Earning trust from better players
For any emerging equipment company, credibility matters.
One of the fastest ways to build that credibility is through validation from elite players.
Throughout the conversation, Kellund discussed the company’s growing presence among top amateurs, collegiate players, LPGA professionals, and PGA Tour players. While Attomax Pro is still in the early stages of establishing itself, the company has already seen products tested and played at some of the highest levels of the game.
What makes this particularly interesting is how those relationships developed.
Rather than relying solely on large endorsement deals, the company has spent significant time introducing products directly to players, coaches, caddies, and tour representatives. In many cases, first impressions happen quickly. A player may only take a handful of swings before deciding whether a product deserves further testing.
For a new brand, earning that second look is often the hardest part.
The fact that Attomax Pro continues to gain traction among competitive players suggests the product is generating genuine curiosity.
Building carefully
Many startup companies are eager to expand as quickly as possible.
New product categories, larger catalogs, and rapid growth often become priorities.
Attomax Pro appears to be taking a different approach.
When asked about future products, Kellund made it clear that innovation remains a major part of the company’s identity. However, he also emphasized the importance of proving the current product first before expanding too aggressively.
That mindset feels consistent with everything else discussed during the conversation.
The company believes it has developed something meaningful. The immediate goal is not to chase every opportunity available. It’s to establish trust, build relationships, and continue validating the technology through real-world performance.
Only then does broader expansion make sense.
Final thoughts
Entering the premium golf shaft market is difficult.
Doing so as a completely new company is even harder.
What stood out most during our conversation with Attomax Pro was not a specific material, launch profile, or fitting recommendation. It was the confidence the team has in its technology and the patience they’re showing in bringing it to market.
The company isn’t trying to convince golfers that every existing shaft is wrong.
Instead, Attomax Pro is making a simpler argument.
There is still room for innovation.
Whether through advanced materials, improved stability, tighter dispersion, or a different approach to fitting, the company believes there are gains left to be found. Based on the early response from fitters, competitive amateurs, and professional players, that belief is beginning to resonate.
For a young brand entering one of golf’s most competitive categories, that’s a promising place to start.