Who's using a shorter driver shaft length?

[perseveringgolfer]

I tried a 44" shaft today, Diamana Blue and was quite surprised how much shorter just half an inch feels and looks (no jokes please  )

 

It definitely felt like I was more in control, even though the shots were a bit wayward but that's my swing just now.

 

I'm going to try again with it. 

 

I wonder if I'll lose distance and how much, or will it stay the same if the strikes are better combined with decent launch and spin.

 

 

Anyone done this already?

[GC70]

I'm a big believer in 44” in a Driver. More control and more center hits = better dispersion and longer drives.

 

 

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[revkev]

We've had this discussion ad naseum so the answer is yes. The urban myth is shorter is much better.

 

While I agree that many people could do with a shorter driver I'm still a huge advocate of getting fit. Of course we hear about the random tour guys who use much shorter drivers because it's news. However if you look at the average driver length on the LPGA you will find its above 45” and their swings are more efficient with driver than the guys. Something to think about.

 

Additionally drivers are built around stock length so weighting, cg, lie angle, all of that is determined by what stock shaft length is for that model.

 

I think I have a little Bryson in me in that I hate variables - just randomly putting a different length shaft or worse whacking off a bit of a shaft and sticking it into your driver introduces variables.

 

BTW my fitter strongly recommended that I not use a shaft that was shorter than stock even though I wanted to because he fit me for 45'1/4”. We tried shorter and found my smash factor was better with the longer length

 

Good luck

 

 

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[GB13]

Getting fit is the key here.

For most, MOST people a shorter shaft is good. You will make more consistent contact and have more control. That is the main reason you can hit a 8 iron better than a driver.

Most of the time, the distance lost (maybe 2 yards) is waaaayyy outweighed in the accuracy gained.

If it feels good, and works better, then you should stick with it.

 

Out of curiosity, were you playing a Diamana Blue before?

[NiftyNiblick]

Additionally drivers are built around stock so weighting, cg, lie angle, all of that is determined by what stock shaft length is for that model.

 

I question this a little bit, Rev.

 

43" wooden drivers had a standard lie angle of 55º

 

45½" titanium drivers have a standard lie angle not of 53º to compensate for the extra length but rather 57º.

 

They attribute this to graphite shaft "droop,"

My personal experience contradicts this.

This is a polite version, in fact, of my response to the degree of "shaft droop" adjustment deployed.

[perseveringgolfer]

Getting fit is the key here.

For most, MOST people a shorter shaft is good. You will make more consistent contact and have more control. That is the main reason you can hit a 8 iron better than a driver.

Most of the time, the distance lost (maybe 2 yards) is waaaayyy outweighed in the accuracy gained.

If it feels good, and works better, then you should stick with it.

 

Out of curiosity, were you playing a Diamana Blue before?

no, Diamana 70g Whiteboard

[GB13]

no, Diamana 70g Whiteboard

Could that account for the feel and accuracy difference?

Were you fit for the Whiteboard?

The whiteboard should have a stouter feel than a diamana blue.

[knightsofnii]

I cut 2.5" off my driver.   Mishits are still as bad as anything else, but I'm finding center more often. 

And I didn't lose anything, if anything I've gained yardage by having more confidence to swing hard and find center. 

[MattF]

I do. I experimented with my JPX-EZ by cutting 1" off the butt and found I was more consistent on the face and not so wild. When I put my order in for the Tour B JGR I got it cut to 44.5" and have gained distance and consistency.

[perseveringgolfer]

Could that account for the feel and accuracy difference?

Were you fit for the Whiteboard?

The whiteboard should have a stouter feel than a diamana blue.

No, fitted myself as everytime I tried that shaft in a club it gave decent figures, and felt good. That was 2 years ago and I'm older so maybe a lighter shaft will keep my SS up.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

I play every driver for the last 5 years or so at 43.5”-44” depending on the head. Some of the bigger heads make me feel like I'm too close to it. I am weird that way. Current driver is a Callaway Legacy Black 440 Japan Version shafted with an elements chrome + 5f4. It's playing 44” right now but I am toying with the thought of tipping it a 1/2”. I have never had issues with distance but the additional accuracy at the shorter length is worth a few yards if any. All that said, I am only 5'7” tall so take it for what it is worth. (The opinion of a short, fat weekend hacker!)

 

 

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[alfriday101]

This is a timely thread as relates to my game.  

 

I ordered an inexpensive 42 inch driver a couple of weeks ago.  Our range is closed, but I was able to take it to the course to play a few holes with it at night.  I would hit a couple of drives with my standard driver (Fusion Heavy) and the new driver to compare on each hole.    The biggest difference was in center contact.  Most of my shots with the 42 were in the center of the club face.  I had to play around with tee height to get the most out of the new club as it has a deeper face.  By teeing the ball about 1/4 inch higher, I got great results.   

 

Based on the above, it seemed my good drives were equal, or so close that it did not affect club selection on the second shot.   I am definitely more accurate with the shorter driver.  I didn't lose much distance on slight mishits, but was in the short rough instead of behind a tree.  Good results when goofing around.  But how would it hold up in actual play?  

 

Yesterday I played 18 with my regular group and used the 42 inch driver.  With my standard driver, I hit the ball about the same distance as one of my playing partners.  Same with the 42 inch driver.  We were side by side on a number of holes.  I did miss several fairways during the round.  I figured out the problem was my ball position.  I was setting up with the ball too far forward for the shorter length.  Once I made that adjustment, I was gold with the shorter driver.  I hit the last five fairways with the short driver.  At the end of the round, I examined the driver face and I defiantly had a better grouping of ball marks around the center of the club face than I do with my regular driver.   

 

I have only played one round with the driver, so I hesitate to draw broad conclusions.  I plan to keep playing the short driver through the fall and winter.  I will probably try the longer driver again at some point, to see if using the shorter driver will translate into more center strikes with the longer driver over time.  If not, the shorter driver will stay for next year.  

 

One big benefit I can see for the shorter driver is to play it when coming back from the winter lay off, when the golf game is a bit rusty.  

 

I'm 6' 2" tall, if that matters.  Swing speed is around 95 with standard driver.  My Fusion was fit to me at 10 1/2 degrees.  I ordered a 12 degree in the 42 inch driver.  

[silver & black]

I'm going to get fit over the Winter. I tried the shorter shaft. I cut 1/2" off down to 44.5". Didn't really notice anything.... control wise or distance wise. I went back to 45". Whatever is wrong isn't the shaft length... it's my crappy swing.

[Reesedw]

During my Cobra testing this summer, I played the F8+ and choked down to the bottom of the grip.. if you go through the product review you'll see by doing so I ended up hitting All fairways and drove the ball greater then ever. And I do believe that helped as I shot a personal best 78 during the week we needed to post our best scoee..

But that worked for ME..get fit and try clubs with shorter shafts and see what works for you..

 

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[SteddyGolf]

I think scientifically it's been proven the longer the driver the greater the smash factor thus the greater the potential to hit it further “if” you middle it on a consistent basis.

 

Interestingly, I like many of you, still possess a persimmon wood wood. Although off center hits go no where, when I middle it with the right launch angle I can hit it every bit as far as my G Driver. I believe it is 42.5 inches long.

 

 

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[3ironpunch]

I found a shorter length put me in more fairways. That's not scientific by any means but just by noting I hit the fairway on my scorecard. I tried several longer ( today's standard) shafts and I had no control. Not that I have that much now but it seemed to help me. And I did not loose distance that I could tell.

 

 

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[perseveringgolfer]

Mark Crossfield uploaded this today coincidentally from Titleist...

 

[deauxrite]

So I have a new Ping driver.  I had a couple of extra Ping shafts from previous drivers and decided to do a little experimenting.  To make a long story short, I am now using a Senior flex shaft that is shortened 1 inch.  What I notice is that the ball flight is a bit lower (changed the loft on the driver head to accommodate that) and that I hit 2 more fairways on average than when I was using a regular length driver.  Distance off the tee is nearly identical.  Patterning the driver face using clear tape shows that I am hitting the ball much more consistently..and much closer to the center of the club face.  My thought is that hitting that ball in the center of the face is key and doing that with a shorter shaft is easier for ME.  I may try some additional experiments with regular length shafts and see if I can get the ball in the center of the face with one of them.

[Headhammer]

Using a 44" and have lost some distance, as expected, but seeing less of my big miss now.

[Brian A]

This was the best thing I did to get of the tee. Put standard 3 wood length in my driver and more consistently hit it straighter and just as far