Shorter driver shaft length of pros

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. 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 average driver used by pga tour pros usually has a 43. The problem for recreational golfers and even the pros, is that it makes it more challenging to find the center of the clubface with a longer shaft.

And when we look at their drivers, we typically see one commonality, their driver shaft length. Things like lighter shaft weights can sometime assist with the consistency, but rarely do our fittings result in anyone consistently performing better with anything. So while you might be swinging it faster, your ball speed and distance could decrease because you are striking it all over the face of the club. Find the right driver shaft length for your game golficity. The perfect club driver 370 vft perfect driver golf club. 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. It may seem surprising but the average driver length on the pga tour is slightly less, at 44.

Longer and lighter works fine for a hitting machine that can be calibrated but not so well with ordinary humans. Driver shaft length too long for most players clubs. Any suggestions as the what my driver length and 5iron length should be. The only other theory is perhaps the distribution of the weight in the shaft may have made a difference as well. Virtually no women golfers should try to use a driver length longer than 43 inches, most women should use a driver length shorter than 43 inches. Can a shorter driver shafts say from 44 to 42 help or aid in driving the. With the new trend of shortened driver shafts on tour right now, a question came to my mind. Michael breed give tips for driver length and distance. Using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. Have you ever wondered what the average driver shaft length is on the. Cutting driver shaft the 19th hole mygolfspy forum.

Driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve. Its probably a good idea for the vast majority of amateurs, but cutting the driver shaft down is not the final word. 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. Its tough to objectively say youre doing yourself a disservice by playing with standard length over a shorter. Any amount of cutting will slightly stiffen the club. Bill iseri, who fit me at pings phoenix headquarters, added a little loft to the shorter driver since physics dictated it would produce a slightly lower launch angle, spin rate, and clubhead speed. From the beginning of the 20th century all the way through to the middle 1980s, the standard mens driver length stood at 43. This raises the immediate question, why is a relatively tall, obviously highly skilled player using a shorter than standard driver. You can readjust the swingweight by adding lead tape to the head of the club. Longer shafts dont automatically equate to longer drives. If i shorten my driver shaft will it help with accuracy of. Schedule an appointment with a clubfitting expert for a driver fitting and have them check driver length for you.

If you choked down so it plays like a 44 inch shaft, would it go further, the same, or shorter than if you had a shaft cut down to 44 inches and didnt choke down at all. For every 12 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points. This may have you tempted to grab the nearest hacksaw and start going after your driver but before cutting down your club, try using a shorter shaft club or just choke. The hightensile, betatitanium crown, titanium soleplate and variable face technology produce plenty of distance and forgiveness with a high trajectory.

In fact, testing shows an inch of extra shaft length equals roughly 10 yards in distance. If you are going to shorten a golf club, there are a few things to keep in mind. I am a pga golf pro and have been playing 44 icch shaft for 6 years now. You might be surprised that most pros have an average driver shaft length of 44.

They can send the ball over a distance of 275 yards using this golf club. Check out breeds tip on how to determine whether your driver shaft length is too long or too short. The more shaft you cut off, the lighter, more stiff, and effectively flatter the club becomes. Taking a look at the driver shaft length used by the tour leaders in strokes gained. Most average male golfers should consider a driver length of 43 inches to 43. Typically the rule of thumb is that a golfer with a slower swing speed will benefit from using a lighter shaft, and you would add weight as swing speed increases. The average driver shaft length on tour is roughly 44. This is also one of the reasons why i opted for a ds instead of the lower lofted 11. If its a modern driver, it is most likely 45 or more in length. They do this because a stiff shaft gives them more control over the clubhead throughout the swing.

They hit fairways, off the tee and straighter shots more consistently with a 44. These threads come out in every forum on a cyclical basis and its true. However, in 21st century, 45 inches drivers are considered as standard. When in doubt, err on the side of shorter length for the driver. Most three wood shafts are the old driver standard 43. Im 61 and the number of flush strikes are better and my distance has not suffered whatsoever. Whats the average driver shaft length on the pga tour.

The fw, typically with its heavier weight and with its shorter length and shorter cg will create a more penetrating or stable trajectory. We compare a lot of things to the pros, from their swings to what they have in their. With the shorter 44 shaft you have greater confidence and can cut loose with your swing. Each player hit seven drives with each of three driver shaft lengths. Struggling with accuracy off the tee, rickie fowler shaved an inch off his driver length at the honda classic, using a 43. The average driver you buy at the golf shop usually has a 44. The truth about golf shafts that every golfer should know. However, in the 21st century a standard driver is considered to be 45 inches. Ive gone through a long series of cobra drivers, and cut them all down to 44. The folks at ping built me two identical g30 driversone at their standard length of 4534 inches, the other two inches shorter.

In fact, a shorter shaft should help you find the sweet spot more often and may even add distance. Standard length drivers are longer than what the pros use because the pros dont need that extra length to get distance, and prefer the accuracy of a shorter shaft. Those with already fast swingspeeds are more likely to enjoy the control benefits of shorter shafts while higher. Wishon also told me that the average driver length on the pga tour is shorter than the standard lengths equipment companies sell us. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, teaches how to find the proper length of your driver shaft and gives a drill to maximize distance.

Rickie fowler finds shorterlength driver to his liking. And some of the best drivers on tour use a driver with a 43 inch or even shorter shaft. The longer the shaft the harder to control the club and hit the ball squarely. In our player performance studio, our testing with trackman proves out time and time again that the 45 and in some cases 44. I took my current driver, which is the titleist d3 8. Getting the correct weight of your shaft is an important factor to consider as well. Youll hear about how the 2 will effect swing weight, etc. Driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve your strike pattern and. While its entirely possible that a shorter driver will help you hit it straighter, our data shows that a longer driver could also be the solution. Whether youre searching for distance, accuracy, or a little of both, make an appointment with a trusted club fitter to find the optimal length for your driver. A shorter length shaft is easier to control, you increase the probability of better contact and therefore, more distance. This may seem short to you but with their amazing club head speed and sweet spot accuracy the pros are still able to crush the ball a country mile, even with the shorter shaft. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, answers a viewers email question on driver shaft length. Contrary to what some might think, there isnt a run on.

Driver shaft length are you shorting yourself using a 46. The average driver length on the pga tour is around 44. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44. The stock driver length of most manufacturers taylormade, callaway ping, cobra these days is 45. The folks at ping built me two identical g30 drivers one at their standard length of 4534 inches, the other two inches shorter. The answer is simple it is shorter and therefore easier to control. Easier to control a shorter shaft and its possible to even gain distance. The different length of stock shafts in drivers across manufacturers only reenforces the importance of a custom fitting. Any loss in distance has been minimal, as im making contact with the center of the club face more consistently and i get better roll out in the short grass. The standard length of a driver for men used to be 43. Shorter driver shaft i went from 45 to 43 12 a few years back and have gained more control over my driver. For men, the standard length of a driver with a steel shaft used to be 43. Driver length creep may be why you cant hit your driver.