Short Driver Syndrom...

[dhayse32]

I am sure I am not alone, but the worst part of my game HANDS DOWN is off the tee.  I have no consistency/confidence with a driver at standard length (45" or so).  I started to cut my shafts down to play around 44" and saw a ton of improvement, but still would find myself trying to choke down a little to get that perfect feel. 

 

Soooo...considering going even shorter, maybe even 43".  I like to buy and try different shafts and nothing KILLS the value of a new shaft more than cutting it too short, but oh well. 

 

Anyone else rocking a short driver? 

[fozcycle]

I found that it's much cheaper to just choke up on the shaft when you take your grip.

[JohnBarry]

I am about to!

[Kenny B]

You don't say what the problem is, so it's difficult to make a meaningful recommendation.  

 

Shorter is easier to control.  But that being said, different shafts produce different results so it's sort of a game of find the right shaft for your swing.  I would look for a fitter or even a store that has different shafts in flex, weight and length to try out.  See if you can find a good combo.  

[BK in TEXAS]

I've experimented with driver lengths from 46" all the way down to 42".  By the time you're down that low you're essentially swinging a low lofted 3-wood.  Anyway (for me) I found it really didn't make all that much difference.  I ended up going with 45" but had to change my set-up and stance to hit the driver well.  Just food for thought......everyone is different.

[dhayse32]

You don't say what the problem is, so it's difficult to make a meaningful recommendation.  

 

Shorter is easier to control.  But that being said, different shafts produce different results so it's sort of a game of find the right shaft for your swing.  I would look for a fitter or even a store that has different shafts in flex, weight and length to try out.  See if you can find a good combo.  

 

I do want to get fitted at some point, that would help a bunch.  I hit my fairways great, in fact I often would leave the driver at home and just hammer my 3 wood.  It plays roughly 42.5" and I have a ton of confidence with it in my hand. 

 

I've experimented with driver lengths from 46" all the way down to 42".  By the time you're down that low you're essentially swinging a low lofted 3-wood.  Anyway (for me) I found it really didn't make all that much difference.  I ended up going with 45" but had to change my set-up and stance to hit the driver well.  Just food for thought......everyone is different.

 

I am sure that the majority of my problem is which my set-up. My swing isn't horrible, but I am just a 1-day a week (maybe) golfer.  I would also say that I get that "I want to knock the cover off" feeling every time I am on the tee....again, not the best. 

[Undershooter]

I remember seeing Tom Wishon post that your 3 wood should be 1 inch shorter than your driver. So in theory your driver should be played at 43.5 to match your 42.5 3 wood. 

 

The one thing I would worry about when cutting that much off of your driver would be your swingweight changing a good bit. I'm not sure how much it would change so maybe someone more knowledgeable could comment but I would assume that it could be very different.

[Zeasy]

I remember seeing Tom Wishon post that your 3 wood should be 1 inch shorter than your driver. So in theory your driver should be played at 43.5 to match your 42.5 3 wood.

 

The one thing I would worry about when cutting that much off of your driver would be your swingweight changing a good bit. I'm not sure how much it would change so maybe someone more knowledgeable could comment but I would assume that it could be very different.

Tom says some great things and then he says something like that...

 

I think you are much better off choking up then chopping off.

[Undershooter]

Tom says some great things and then he says something like that...

 

I think you are much better off choking up then chopping off.

Well he is right in the point that 98% of golfers would be better served playing a shaft that is shorter than the 46" shaft that is put in most non players models. Even players models range from 45-45.5 inch shafts. Most people would be better suited with a 44 or 44.5" driver shaft rather than a 46" one.

[mbrodeur86]

Isn't the PGA Tour average somewhere around 44"? 

[revkev]

All these are good comments but in the end the question always is what length shaft would work best for this player and for that matter this player with a particular driver or head type.

 

Just go get fitted. The reason you hammer your 3 wood could be that the combination of the smaller head, shorter shaft and more loft make it easier to hit. Assuming it's a somewhat normal three wood you're leaving distance on the table.

 

So please just go get fitted. We can give good advice here and it might work in 98 percent of the cases. What if you are a part of the other two percent? Also a shorter shaft is not necessarily shorter. If it delivers the club head to the ball in the right way it might be longer. Sergio doesn't use a shorter driver for more control, he uses it because it maximizes his potential, that unique combination of distance and accuracy that is right for his game. Conversely a longer shaft may not be longer. It depends on the individual player.

 

Good luck!

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

So, I have my driver and three wood, but never paid attention to how long the shafts were.  Does anyone know, installed, how the distance from the top of the hosel (or ferrule) to the tip of the grip relates to the relevant shaft lengths that we're talking about here?

[revkev]

So, I have my driver and three wood, but never paid attention to how long the shafts were.  Does anyone know, installed, how the distance from the top of the hosel (or ferrule) to the tip of the grip relates to the relevant shaft lengths that we're talking about here?

I think its the actual length of the shaft itself. When I've watched guys install shafts for me they measured the shaft. I would love to have one of our fitters or experienced club builders jump in on this one.

[MattF]

The length is measured with the club on the ground and at the right lie angle for the head. The tip of the ruler is generally laid against a mark on the wall or wherever that is at the right lie angle for the head and the club laid against that and the measurement taken.

 

 

Or, you can get one of these and measure it on a bench:

 

[Blade]

So, I have my driver and three wood, but never paid attention to how long the shafts were. Does anyone know, installed, how the distance from the top of the hosel (or ferrule) to the tip of the grip relates to the relevant shaft lengths that we're talking about here?

Matt's illustration is perfect. To get a 43 inch club, the actual shaft length will vary depending on what head it's going in. Hosel lengths vary as well the depth the shaft is inserted. Ferrule lengths are very different. So you can't use either as a reference point to measure from. Where that shaft line intersects the ground as shown in Matt's picture is what matters.

[Zeasy]

Well he is right in the point that 98% of golfers would be better served playing a shaft that is shorter than the 46" shaft that is put in most non players models. Even players models range from 45-45.5 inch shafts. Most people would be better suited with a 44 or 44.5" driver shaft rather than a 46" one.

Absolutely.

 

But, I play my 3 wood at 42.5 when I play it. With Tom Wishon's logic, that equals a 43.5 in driver. Anything under 44 in and I feel like Gorilla Grodd playing with toddler clubs.

[fozcycle]

Absolutely.

 

But, I play my 3 wood at 42.5 when I play it. With Tom Wishon's logic, that equals a 43.5 in driver. Anything under 44 in and I feel like Gorilla Grodd playing with toddler clubs.

 

 

I agree.......can't really go with Wishon's 1" rule.

 

dhase32, have you tried choking up on your driver?

 

A 1" choke will shorten your backswing and keep you from overswinging....

[BK in TEXAS]

Just go get fitted. The reason you hammer your 3 wood could be that the combination of the smaller head, shorter shaft and more loft make it easier to hit. Assuming it's a somewhat normal three wood you're leaving distance on the table.

 

 

Absolutely!

 

Barring a fitting (still the best option), you can grab a spray can of foot powder and head to the range.  It won't tell you if you're playing the right head/shaft combo, but will show you how well you hit the center of the clubface full length vs choking up a couple inches.

[BK in TEXAS]

Absolutely.

 

But, I play my 3 wood at 42.5 when I play it. With Tom Wishon's logic, that equals a 43.5 in driver. Anything under 44 in and I feel like Gorilla Grodd playing with toddler clubs.

 

I agree with that.  It makes more sense to play a 3-wood 1" longer than my 5-wood (or hybrid, or whatever the next club in your bag is).  I play driver as an "I want all I can get with this shot", while the 3-wood is more like irons and hybrids in that I want a specific distance.  I want that distance to be 10-15 yards more than my 5-wood, regardless of driver distance.

[Undershooter]

Absolutely.

But, I play my 3 wood at 42.5 when I play it. With Tom Wishon's logic, that equals a 43.5 in driver. Anything under 44 in and I feel like Gorilla Grodd playing with toddler clubs.

I'm not saying you are incorrect for doing that, to each his own of course. I believe Mr Wishon meant it as a general idea of where to start more than a golden rule. As you know, he is always for a good fitting. I think his overall blind suggestions were driver=x 3wood=x-1 5wood=x-2 7wood=x-3 1iron=x-4 2iron=x-4.5 and so on in 1/2 inch increments. I think this changed depending on the shafts as well. Anyway this would set up as standard length if you played the driver at 44 inches.

 

Honestly I could be misquoting him haha

[dhayse32]

I agree.......can't really go with Wishon's 1" rule.

 

dhase32, have you tried choking up on your driver?

 

A 1" choke will shorten your backswing and keep you from overswinging....

 

I do that with my current setup (AD BB), which plays 45".  I have a few "shorter" shafts lying around, a Devotion and another Bi-Matrix.  Both will play about 43.5".  Got a few adaptors on the way so will do some range time testing and see what happens.