Moreover, a short shaft helps you gain better control. The truth about golf shafts that every golfer should know. After a comprehensive overview of my stats last year i came to the conclusion that if i want to get to the next level as a golfer, i am going to have to hit more greens, and that all starts with how i position myself off the tee. Im 61 and the number of flush strikes are better and my. If youre a new or average player, you might benefit from golf shafts that assist you in launching the ball higher. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, answers a viewers email question on driver shaft length. If you stand very tall and have a steep swing plane, you could use a slightly longer driver. Trying a longer shaft is a popular suggestion these days, but most players should, if anything, try a shaft half an inch shorter than whats in their driver. Check out breeds tip on how to determine whether your driver shaft length is too long or too. Dec 01, 2019 so would the average 18handicap golfer benefit from having a shorter driver shaft fitted. This will help create a more balanced feel and gain back some of the swing weight lost when cutting down the length of the club. Remove the grip from the driver using a hook blade or a utility knife, as well as the grip tape on the shaft.
Find the shaft that helps you generate the fastest clubhead speed while allowing you to hit the sweet spot most often. Theres no consistent pattern, and that has a lot do with the shaft being a little too long for that particular. Any amount of cutting will slightly stiffen the club. But it is not the only factor to look atmany golfers tend to relate torque to feel and performance. The lighter weight allows for a longer shaft, but the 3wood shaft is normally cut an inch shorter than the driver to offer more control. Golf by joey golf instructor custom club builder editor of. Theres no doubt that the majority of golfers would experience an. Using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. Or, to give you another alternative, if you find that you can hit your driver better at a shorter than standard length such as 44 or 44 14 inches you may ultimately hit it even better by reshafting. The average driver shaft length on tour is roughly 44. So i went to my friends at petes golf shop to find out if using a driver with a shorter shaft could actually make a difference can i squeeze a little bit more with my equipment.
The stock driver length of most manufacturers taylormade, callaway ping, cobra these days is 45. I was curious about this, as i know a lot of manufacturers make stock driver shafts in the 45 to 46 range, but most touring professionals use a 44. Ive written a few articles about the benefits of getting fit for the right golf clubs, and i believe its an extremely. I know there are some that successfully play their shafts over 45 but they are certainly the minority.
Typically most players do pick up speed around 1 mph per inch with a longer driver shaft, and since every 1 mph of additional driver speed generally yields about two yards. When fitting a driver, its important to get loft, lie, shaft, and grip sorted, but better driving may be hiding in a shorter shaft. I bought a driver and had it cut down to 44 thinking since i am short i need a shorter club. The purpose of golf myths unplugged is to challenge the accepted wisdom of golf, but even we have blind spots. If youre a new or average player, you might benefit from golf shafts. All things being equal, why would a longer shaft be longer than a short shafted driver if both have equal specs. One of the biggest eye openers for me is how much distance can be gained or lost by the combination of shaft and driver head a golfer chooses. Wed jan 15, 2014 by dave phillips drivers generally come standard at 4546 inches in length, the longer the driver shaft the potential exists for more distance, theoretically your swing arc would be wider and therefore you could create more speed. Sounds counterintuitive, and probably is, as i expect most people will experience some increase in accuracy by going down 12 to 1 inch. Graphite clubs are slightly longer, with a standard driver at 45 inches, 5iron at 38. Length of shafts according to height in golf sportsrec. Check out breeds tip on how to determine whether your driver shaft length is too long or too short. The more often a golfer hits the center of the drivers face, the more consistency they will see in their driving accuracy and distance. Well i hit it good, and straight, but i wanted more distancei was averaging about 250.
So i decided to not only experiment with a shorter driver, but also heavier and stiffer. Contrary to what some might think, there isnt a run on. Theres no doubt that the majority of golfers would experience an increase in club. That is the main reason you can hit a 8 iron better than a driver. So there has to be a reason why these shorter drivers go farther, right. For every 12 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points.
Many japanese magazines recommend lighter weights for average golfers and slower swingers to. The complete guide to maximizing driver distance everyone is currently focused on how far the pros are hitting the ball, and whether or not the golf ball should be rolled back. What do half inch long shafts do to your golf shot. A shorter driver shaft increases the likelihood of a golfer making better contact off the center of the drivers face. Typical shaft weights in 65 grams but some players with fast transitions may like a heavier shaft. Apr 15, 2020 conventional knowledge would tell us that a longer shaft would result in more distance, but theres a growing trend, especially on tour, of players opting for a shorter shaft in order to gain more control. May 08, 2008 i bought a driver and had it cut down to 44 thinking since i am short i need a shorter club. Golf channel did a feature on rickie fowles this morning and how like jimmy walker, has also gone to a shorter shaft and had a discussion with the tour rep responsible for building his clubs. Swing speed, launch angle, spin, smash factor, etc.
I have been choking up lately and have seen improvement, but hate the way it feels to choke up on the club. Im 61 and the number of flush strikes are better and my distance has not suffered whatsoever. Shorter drivers may be easier to hit, more consistent golf. The quest for a more accurate driver practical golf. You will make more consistent contact and have more control. Aug 20, 2015 using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. Shaft torque tested and explained mygolfspy the golf. I have thought about butt cutting the tour 65 but it is an upgraded shaft and dont like the idea of altering it for an experiment, so im looking at buying a. Jan 15, 2014 will a shorter driver give you more distance. However, in the 21st century a standard driver is considered to be 45 inches. Dec 11, 2018 clubs other than drivers gradually get shorter if a 44inch steel shaft driver is indicated by the chart, your 5iron will measure 38 inches and sand wedge 35. Most male golfers are wielding drivers that measure 45 to 48 inches, the maximum allowed under the united states golf associations rules of golf. The standard length of a driver for men used to be 43. Golf channel did a feature on rickie fowles this morning and how like jimmy walker, has also gone to a shorter shaft and had a discussion with the tour rep responsible for building his.
A shorter driver, he said, encourages center contact on the clubface, which leads to longer, straighter drives. In the march hotlinks, club expert tom wishon wrote that one key to real improvement with the driver comes from a shorter length. On monday they also talked about it in a simulator segment and how you should try choking down on your driver first to see if you like the feel of a. The best 2019 driver and shaft combinations true fit clubs.
For this video, weve used the gc quad launch monitor to gather real world data comparing two identical clubs that only differ in shaft length. For the driver test, they hit seven drives each with a 50, 60, and 70 gram shaft, all using the same. We immediately set out to fix that and discover whether golfers are helped or harmed by longer driver shafts. Or, to give you another alternative, if you find that you can hit your driver better at a shorter than standard length such as 44 or 44 14 inches you may ultimately hit it even better by reshafting it with a heavier weight shaft like an 85 gram or 95 gram shaft. Yes i find that shaft torque is an important factor when fitting a golf shaft. May 10, 2019 typically most players do pick up speed around 1 mph per inch with a longer driver shaft, and since every 1 mph of additional driver speed generally yields about two yards of extra carry. In the march hotlinks, club expert tom wishon wrote that one key to.
That being said, i want to do everything i can to give myself the best chance for success. Each player went through two different testing sessions one with a driver, one with an iron. I took my current driver, which is the titleist d3 8. Graphite irons for women would be one inch shorter than your current set. A short driver shaft may help you hit a straight shot better and also hit the center of the face more than you usually do. Shorter drivers may be easier to hit and more consistent. Graphite irons for women would be one inch shorter. Shortening the shaft can make the golf club less flexible. Getting the correct weight of your shaft is an important factor to consider as well. The more shaft you cut off, the lighter, more stiff, and effectively flatter the club becomes. I am looking to try a shorter driver shaft to add some consistency off the box.
Start shorter for control and go to a longer shaft as your swing develops. Can a shorter driver shafts say from 44 to 42 help or aid in driving the ball more consistent as opposed to longer shafts. May 28, 2018 getting the correct weight of your shaft is an important factor to consider as well. This raises the immediate question, why is a relatively tall, obviously highly skilled player using a shorter than standard driver. Marriott golf academy grande vista master club fitter randall doucette explains the importance of shaft length with your driver. Looking at the two pictures to the right, the top image is from a driver with a 45. Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard length.
Jan 31, 2017 the stock driver length of most manufacturers taylormade, callaway ping, cobra these days is 45. If you are going to shorten a golf club, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are playing a shorter driver, say 44 inches instead of the standard 45 inches, you should consider a slightly heavier shaft, say 10 grams heavier. Struggling with accuracy off the tee, rickie fowler shaved an inch off his driver length at the honda classic, using a 43. Whats the average driver shaft length on the pga tour. One of those was revealed recently when we realized that we had never tested the concept of shorter driver shafts being more accurate. Use our fitting wizard to find the right driver shaft for you. You can readjust the swingweight by adding lead tape to the head of the club.
One of those was revealed recently when we realized that we had never. Well i hit it good, and straight, but i wanted more distancei was averaging about. I have been choking up lately and have seen improvement, but hate the way it feels to choke up. Feb 09, 2018 for this video, weve used the gc quad launch monitor to gather real world data comparing two identical clubs that only differ in shaft length. Wed jan 15, 2014 by dave phillips drivers generally come standard at 4546 inches in length, the longer the driver shaft the. Cutting driver shaft the 19th hole mygolfspy forum. The complete guide to maximizing driver distance practical golf. Also does a shorter shafts allow more consistent control. Conventional knowledge would tell us that a longer shaft would result in more distance, but theres a growing trend, especially on tour, of players opting for a shorter shaft in. I switched to a winn dri tac lite grip to restore the swingweight and i use an oversize grip you lose 6 swingweight points by.