When I got the shaft in the mail I opened it up to see it for the first time. I examined it and saw that there was no cracks or warping on the shaft. However, I noticed there was a tiny bump along the shaft. While not noticeable if you don't know it there, you can definitely feel as you're doing a stroke. While it plays well, I'm am a little disappointed that it has a little imperfection. All I hope is that bump won't cause any internal issues inside the shaft. Overall, other than the bump, it plays really well.