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Lets talk about Long Drivers....


JohnnyCallaway

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I get it. It’s a trend on TOUR, Phil wins the PGA at 50 with a 48-inch thunder stick and some kid in your Saturday game is hitting it 20 by you. I’m with you.

I’d compare this undertaking to wearing skinny jeans in your early 40’s…it CAN be done but like any brave and ambitious undertaking, we must take a deep breath and think this through. 

Let’s first establish what a long driver is. In my opinion, anything north of 46 inches is long. Versus industry standard that would put you anywhere from an inch to a quarter of an inch over the industry standard. We at Callaway have a standard length of 45.75 which is flirting with “long” but not quite there. Truth be told for the average golfer a longer driver will help dispersion before distance. Why? Just by sheer human reaction the longer the club, the shallower the plain. Have you ever taken a broom handle or a long stick and swung it for fun? Do you notice how shallow the plane is? The same rule applies here. That shallow-er plane will help face control (a little) and aid in hitting it a bit straighter, and higher! Two for One!!

On TOUR the Driver length standard is slowly rising. On the Callaway staff we have Phil at just south of 48, Dylan Frittelli 46, Xander 45.5, Rahm 45.25, and Jim Furyk was at 46.5 for a good spell. In Furyk’s case, it wasn’t just the distance he was looking for, it was dispersion and the fact that he could swing easier and still smack it out there. As you can see Rahmbo is closer to TOUR Standard (which is 45) but the others add a bit extra. For that group of names, it’s the combination of not only distance and accuracy but also each player has the desired flight window they require. The X factor in this whole thing is when they all got properly fit. I know it’s mind-numbing to hear that over and over but it’s the truth. Take Phil for example, when he decided to go into a long driver it was a plan that entailed what he needed to do physically to make it work and a ridiculous amount of trial and error with Master Tech Gerritt Pon. He not only had a plan but changed his body and swing to take actually take advantage of the extra 3 inches.

There are some interesting things to look at when going into the long drivers. With the players we have worked with there seems to be a point (length) of diminishing returns that takes place. At a certain point, players will plateau in speed and that’s when you need to stop. 

Not all players respond exactly the same way, some players will actually LOSE speed with a long driver, the length can be awkward for some which inhibit speed. For example, a lot of players we fit won’t swing their 4-iron any faster than a 5-iron, it’s that point of diminishing speed that we need to pay attention to. 

If you don’t have access to a fitter and want to give it a test, try choking down on a longer driver and start working your way up the shaft as you go. It’s not apples to apples but it’ll give you an idea. 

-Gerritt Pon Callaway Golf Master Tech

Read the full Story on Phil’s Driver:

5F632A53-9B2F-4A59-A5D5-68BABDD88EC0-102 Phils Driver: Epic Speed PM Proto (6@5.5 3GF, 2GB) AAF3BF50-DC60-4BAE-97E0-3E265EF851AA-102 Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6TX (47.85 inches, Tipped 0, D9)

Without going into a long exhaustive study on club fitting and physics I’ll do us the favor of keeping this REALLY simple. 

Here are 5 tips to help create your Hellacious Seed Machine

  1. Talk to a trusted fitter first: Make the call, send the DM in Instagram whatever it takes. DO YOUR RESEARCH!! There is enough honest info on the Golf web via myself, WRX, MGS, or THP that you should be able to have a small grasp on the good the bad, and the absolute ugly. Trust me from personal experience, when it goes bad it can go very bad. Once the decision is made, find a fitter and leave it to the experts. The long driver is a completely different animal. The length goes up, launch goes up, loft needs to come down, the swing weight will potentially go up and a low head weight helps to offset overall length. I don’t have enough bandwidth to get into shafts, that’s a rabbit hole. I’ll leave that to the fitter. All of that adds up to a ton of things to pay attention to. 
  2. Throw your expectations out the door: There is no telling what benefits will be gained by going into a long stick. YES, you may hit it a mile, but at what cost? Get honest.
  3. Start Slow: Don’t go from your 45-inch gamer into a 47-inch hammer. Try 45.5 to start and work up only as you see success. Remember this has to actually help your scores to make sense. 
  4. Swing at your normal speed: “Let the club do the work” Have you heard that one? In this case, it’s quite true, the longer length will naturally add MPH’s to your swing speed so don’t go all Sadlowski right out of the gate. As you start hitting the center of the face on a consistent basis you can then slowly try to ramp up the speed.
  5. Learn how to hit UP on it: Upward angle of attack is essential to REALLY make this work. Phil has an angle of attack north of 5-degrees. He needed to work that number up (from 1 to 2) to hit those high bombs he so affectionately talks about. This is where the lower loft setting comes into play. Hitting up with the longer length increases your dynamic loft at impact. This is why Phil had to go all the way down to 5.5 loft. Yes, it sounds like a VERY low setting but at impact, it doesn’t play at that loft, probably closer to 7.5 or 8. If his AOA was to be lower (1 or 2) he would hit knee-high fastballs at 180MPH. Sounds fun for Instagram but not at Torrey Pines!!

My Experience:

My journey with the long driver took place over the last month. It was a blast! My swing speed crept up to 115 MPH for the first time in 3 or 4 years and I hit a few scud missiles. It was awesome. HOWEVER, my dispersion was hit or miss, and compared to my gamer the distance wasn’t enough to commit. I’ll keep messing around with it but thus far it’s just a fun test:) 

The Driver in question is a 46.5-inch Epic Speed 💎💎💎 LS (8.5@7.5, Strong Cog) with a Mitsubishi Tensei 1k 50TX (Tipped .5, D5). Of every combo, this one was the most balanced. Center strikes were consistent, the good shots were unbelievable and the bad ones were mildly manageable. 

77D261D5-BD66-4955-A164-FA3472C3F171-768 309DA343-3668-4066-8E85-F00187B0FDDE-768

Here is a list of the shafts I tried:

Fujikura Ventus Black 6X (Really good but didn’t spin quite enough)
Graphite Design AD HD 6X (Solid but launched a little low in this set-up)
Project X Hzurdus Smoke RDX Black 60G 6.5 (Very stout, numbers were good but the feel was a bit harsh for me)

Happy Bazooka Hunting 😏

JDub

Gear junky degenerate.

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2 hours ago, JohnnyCallaway said:

There are some interesting things to look at when going into the long drivers. With the players we have worked with there seems to be a point (length) of diminishing returns that takes place. At a certain point, players will plateau in speed and that’s when you need to stop. 

Not all players respond exactly the same way, some players will actually LOSE speed with a long driver, the length can be awkward for some which inhibit speed. For example, a lot of players we fit won’t swing their 4-iron any faster than a 5-iron, it’s that point of diminishing speed that we need to pay attention to. 

If you don’t have access to a fitter and want to give it a test, try choking down on a longer driver and start working your way up the shaft as you go. It’s not apples to apples but it’ll give you an idea. 

 

Here are 5 tips to help create your Hellacious Seed Machine

  1. Talk to a trusted fitter first: Make the call, send the DM in Instagram whatever it takes. DO YOUR RESEARCH!! There is enough honest info on the Golf web via myself, WRX, MGS, or THP that you should be able to have a small grasp on the good the bad, and the absolute ugly. Trust me from personal experience, when it goes bad it can go very bad. Once the decision is made, find a fitter and leave it to the experts. The long driver is a completely different animal. The length goes up, launch goes up, loft needs to come down, the swing weight will potentially go up and a low head weight helps to offset overall length. I don’t have enough bandwidth to get into shafts, that’s a rabbit hole. I’ll leave that to the fitter. All of that adds up to a ton of things to pay attention to. 
  2.  

 

Interesting read.   You seem to kind of contradict yourself here.   In the middle of the article you say if you can't find a fitter you can experiment yourself.   Then you say is it pretty important to find a fitter.    Is this something people should experiment with themselves?  Any tips on figuring out what works best for you?   Launch Monitor a necessity?

 

 

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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When the Fusion Heavy was introduced, I put it in the bag and was amazed how much farther and straighter I hit the ball. The shorter shaft with increased head weight was a win win for me. When I fit drivers, I'll always suggest trying a shorter shaft and comparing the differences. However, in order to do this correctly, the head-weight needs to be adjusted. Many fitters don't do this. Taking a stock head on a -.5" or -1" shaft can decrease the swing weight dramatically. If you try a shorter or longer shaft be sure your fitter adjusts the head weight.

Certified Club Fitter.

Ping G425 Max Driver 10.5° w/Fujikura Ventus TR

Ping G425 Max 5-7-9 Fairway Woods w/Ping Alta CB

Ping G425 Irons 5-U w/Ping Alta CB (Power-Spec Lofts)

Ping 4.0 Eye2 Glide Wedges 54°-58° w/Recoil SmacWrap

Ping Redwood ZB Putter w/PP58

PING Pioneer Cart Bag

Lamkin Sonar+ Wrap Mid-Size Grips

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I actually consider any driver with a playing length north of 45" to be a "long" driver, and something that the vast majority (say about 99.8% of all amateur golfers) should avoid like the plague.  The longer the playing length, the tougher it is to hit the ball in or very near the sweet spot on the face of one's driver, and the results are loss of both distance and accuracy.  I know that I am much better-off -- and I score considerably better -- when I am playing a driver that is 44.25" to 44.75" long.

DR - Callaway Paradym X, Newton Motion 4-Dot

4W - T.E. Exotics C722, Diamana D+ 82-S

HYB - Paradym X 18*, HZRDUS Smoke Red 80S; Sub 70 949X 21*, same shaft

7W (if played) - Callaway Epic Flash, ACCRA Tour X 80S

Irons - Cobra Forged Tec X (5-GW), KBS TGI 75-R

Wedges - Edison 2.0, 53* and 57* (bent to 58*), KBS TGI 100

Putter - Makefield VS custom, 34", 67* lie, 1.75* loft

Ball - Maxfli Tour-X CG (2023) or Vice Pro Plus (OnCore ELIXR or Maxfli Tour S in winter)

Bags - Vessel

Cart - MotoCaddy M7 Remote (without the remote)

Spoiler

driver / off the tee is no longer a weakness for me!

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On 6/6/2021 at 12:13 PM, HDTVMAN said:

When the Fusion Heavy was introduced, I put it in the bag and was amazed how much farther and straighter I hit the ball. The shorter shaft with increased head weight was a win win for me. When I fit drivers, I'll always suggest trying a shorter shaft and comparing the differences. However, in order to do this correctly, the head-weight needs to be adjusted. Many fitters don't do this. Taking a stock head on a -.5" or -1" shaft can decrease the swing weight dramatically. If you try a shorter or longer shaft be sure your fitter adjusts the head weight.

Amen. I’ve yet to be in a fitting where the fitter can go shorter and raise the head weight appropriately 

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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@JohnnyCallaway so by the premise  of accuracy comes just by having a flatter plane, is this always the case? If so, if one wants to be more accurate all they need to do is shallow their plane across the board?

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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Very good read and interesting concept. 
 

I’m wondering if the key to playing the maximum length driver is learning to swing it easy allowing the centrifugal force to take effect. Ive been fit to 45.5 the last 3 driver fittings that I’ve been to.  

I would respectfully disagree with the poster who started that 98 percent of amateurs should game a drive under 45”.    That was true 10 years ago.  Technology changes.  Every driver on the market is built for at least a 45” shaft if not longer.  It’s what the OEMs R and D group believes provides the best balance of distance and dispersion.

 

For that reason I’d suggest that the poster who tried it 10 years ago consider trying it again today.

 

Things change 

 

 

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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****** STUPID QUESTIONS WARNING ******

1) Let's say I install a shaft, regular and do not trim it or anything and it plays at say, 48", would that shaft STILL play as a regular shaft"

2) If I have a driver which plays at 45.5" regular and I chocked down one inch, would it still play as a regular or a bitt stiffer? 

 

 DRIVER: default_cobra-small.jpg.125f3712aad21ad9f7ca2c672e34a299.jpg  Cobra F-8 set at 10.5,  Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60 (R) 44 1/2 "

3 & 5 WOOD: default_callaway-small.jpg.a58e7c6760b71a9eb95d385ecc5d2200.jpg Callaway XR-16, Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 Red (R) 

IRONS 5-SW: default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-700, 2 upright, std loft  Alta CB (R) + 1/2"

HYBRID 3-4:  default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-410, 1 upright,  Alta CB 70 Red (R) + 1/2"

PUTTER: Byron Experimental GSS

 

 

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26 minutes ago, MadMex said:

****** STUPID QUESTIONS WARNING ******

1) Let's say I install a shaft, regular and do not trim it or anything and it plays at say, 48", would that shaft STILL play as a regular shaft"

2) If I have a driver which plays at 45.5" regular and I chocked down one inch, would it still play as a regular or a bitt stiffer? 

 

You no the deal about no stupid questions.

 

 Can’t answer one but 2 is that it will play a bit stiffer but I don’t think as stiff as if you actually cut it down. 

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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19 minutes ago, revkev said:

You no the deal about no stupid questions.

 

 Can’t answer one but 2 is that it will play a bit stiffer but I don’t think as stiff as if you actually cut it down. 

I happen to be a retired USAF Air Traffic Control Supervisor,,,, let me dispel the "there is no stupid questions",,,, 

 

I wondered about that, because I taped about 1/2 inch on my driver and it did not feel too bad, more shots stayed staright and in the fairway, after I cut it down1/2 inch, it felt a bit stiffer, not a lot but slightly different, no effect of ball flight

 DRIVER: default_cobra-small.jpg.125f3712aad21ad9f7ca2c672e34a299.jpg  Cobra F-8 set at 10.5,  Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60 (R) 44 1/2 "

3 & 5 WOOD: default_callaway-small.jpg.a58e7c6760b71a9eb95d385ecc5d2200.jpg Callaway XR-16, Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 Red (R) 

IRONS 5-SW: default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-700, 2 upright, std loft  Alta CB (R) + 1/2"

HYBRID 3-4:  default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-410, 1 upright,  Alta CB 70 Red (R) + 1/2"

PUTTER: Byron Experimental GSS

 

 

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8 hours ago, MadMex said:

I happen to be a retired USAF Air Traffic Control Supervisor,,,, let me dispel the "there is no stupid questions",,,, 

 

I wondered about that, because I taped about 1/2 inch on my driver and it did not feel too bad, more shots stayed staright and in the fairway, after I cut it down1/2 inch, it felt a bit stiffer, not a lot but slightly different, no effect of ball flight

Too funny and thanks for keeping me safe while I was drugged up so that they could get me on a plane. 🙂

 

I like the tape or mark on the longer shaft because it gives you control but also the option to “let out the shaft” when appropriate. 
 

This is a case where a player could have the best of all worlds. 

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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10 hours ago, MadMex said:

I happen to be a retired USAF Air Traffic Control Supervisor,,,, let me dispel the "there is no stupid questions",,,, 

 

I wondered about that, because I taped about 1/2 inch on my driver and it did not feel too bad, more shots stayed staright and in the fairway, after I cut it down1/2 inch, it felt a bit stiffer, not a lot but slightly different, no effect of ball flight

I guess I've never heard of "taping" or "marking" a longer shaft, but a few years back I did choke down about an inch on the R-flex 45.5" driver I had, and that seemed to help dispersion...then I went out and bought a S-flex 44.5" driver and fixed it altogether.  I wish I could say I was "properly" fit into either of those drivers, but I wasn't. 

Oh, and thank you for your service...I always admired your job and thought it would be a cool job to have...stressful, sure, but cool none the less.  Instead I was the guy making sure you, and your equipment stayed cool in that hot box.

  • In my :mizuno-small: BR-D4 6-way
  • :cobra-small: King F9 set to 9*, Tour length Hzrdus Smoke Black 6.0 S-flex, with GolfPride MCC +4 mid-size
  • image.png.27e1496834233542c5d124bf8b9e3352.png3W - 13*, UST Mamiya 65 Gold S-flex, with GolfPride Tour Wrap 2G
  • :taylormade-small: SIM UDI 2-iron - 18*, Mitsubishi Diamana Thump 100 X-flex, with GolfPride MCC Align
  • :srixon-small: ZX5 4-5 & ZX7 6-PW, :Nippon: Modus3 120 Tour S-flex, +1/2", with GolfPride Tour Wrap 2G
  • :titelist-small: :vokey-small: - SM8 Tour Chrome, 50.08F - 54.10S - 58.12D, DG Wedge Flex, with GolfPride Tour Wrap 2G
  • :EVNROLL: Custom Fit 35" ER6 Red at 68 degree lie angle and 4 degrees of loft
  • :Snell: MTB-X            :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro Slope             Tracked by :Arccos:         #WPS 🐗
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15 hours ago, PMookie said:

@JohnnyCallaway so by the premise  of accuracy comes just by having a flatter plane, is this always the case? If so, if one wants to be more accurate all they need to do is shallow their plane across the board?

I would like to see data on this. The flatter the plane, it reduces the amount of arc length parallel (or close) to the target line. Pretty much the whole reason there is limits on maximum lie angles, especially on putters. 

The accuracy performance of the Cobra One Length hybrid in MGS Most Wanted testing 1-2 years ago would seem to demonstrate the opposite that shorter and more upright made a noticeable improvement to accuracy. (Because more of your swing is along or closer to the target line) 

:ping-small: G425 MAX Driver & 5W

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:Sub70: 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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17 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

I would like to see data on this. The flatter the plane, it reduces the amount of arc length parallel (or close) to the target line. Pretty much the whole reason there is limits on maximum lie angles, especially on putters. 

The accuracy performance of the Cobra One Length hybrid in MGS Most Wanted testing 1-2 years ago would seem to demonstrate the opposite that shorter and more upright made a noticeable improvement to accuracy. (Because more of your swing is along or closer to the target line) 

Agreed. It’s an awful big stretch to make the claim that longer brings more accuracy even with saying it’s due to a flatter arc….

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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1 minute ago, PMookie said:

Agreed. It’s an awful big stretch to make the claim that longer brings more accuracy even with saying it’s due to a flatter arc….

Yup - I have never heard, be it from an instructor or a top fitter, say that a flatter swing plane leads to better accuracy.  

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14 hours ago, MadMex said:

****** STUPID QUESTIONS WARNING ******

1) Let's say I install a shaft, regular and do not trim it or anything and it plays at say, 48", would that shaft STILL play as a regular shaft"

2) If I have a driver which plays at 45.5" regular and I chocked down one inch, would it still play as a regular or a bitt stiffer? 

 

Many shafts are actually built at 47-48” so that they can then be trimmed to playing lengths. Typically one would tip trim the shaft if needed  and some OEMs like TM do this by default at 1” because of their adapter. Then once the shaft it tipped its cut to playing length by butt trimming.

2) shortening the shaft from the butt will reduce weight but generally has no impact on changing the flex. If you tip a shaft then you start impacting the flex of the shaft. 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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18 hours ago, MadMex said:

****** STUPID QUESTIONS WARNING ******

1) Let's say I install a shaft, regular and do not trim it or anything and it plays at say, 48", would that shaft STILL play as a regular shaft"

2) If I have a driver which plays at 45.5" regular and I chocked down one inch, would it still play as a regular or a bitt stiffer? 

 

The answer to Q #1 is that, at 48” long, that shaft will almost certainly play softer than it would play at 45” long.  Because of the additional length, the club will have a swingweight that is approaching (or at) E0 or higher, unless you are using a super-lightweight driver head and/or you have an extremely counter-balanced shaft.  Even if the shaft is massively counter-balanced, you are still likely to see a swingweight well above D5 at 48” playing length.  These factors will make the shaft flex more and play softer than it would play at a more “conventional” length.

DR - Callaway Paradym X, Newton Motion 4-Dot

4W - T.E. Exotics C722, Diamana D+ 82-S

HYB - Paradym X 18*, HZRDUS Smoke Red 80S; Sub 70 949X 21*, same shaft

7W (if played) - Callaway Epic Flash, ACCRA Tour X 80S

Irons - Cobra Forged Tec X (5-GW), KBS TGI 75-R

Wedges - Edison 2.0, 53* and 57* (bent to 58*), KBS TGI 100

Putter - Makefield VS custom, 34", 67* lie, 1.75* loft

Ball - Maxfli Tour-X CG (2023) or Vice Pro Plus (OnCore ELIXR or Maxfli Tour S in winter)

Bags - Vessel

Cart - MotoCaddy M7 Remote (without the remote)

Spoiler

driver / off the tee is no longer a weakness for me!

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So I literaly hopped on the Boom Sticks thread to start a my own new thread detailing my experiement with a long driver.  But looks like I was late to the party.  I am an improving golfer who has struggled with a slice due to a steep swing and an over the top move, this last year I've learned to keep the ball in the yard, albiet with a very tempered swing, but I can hit it straight and far enough, as my coach would say.  But we all want just a bit more... so I decieded to try a longer driver after hearing Jon Sherman's experience... and because I don't have all the funds and time to go get fit and buy a shiny new Callaway (as much as I would love too and was really trying to manifest a selection into the Epic Speed test) I decieded to go with this experiment myself and through my own trial and error.  I bought an uncut Evelflow black shaft and some lighter weights for my Cobra SZ (sorry @JohnnyCallaway feel free to hook me up if you're offended😉) and with my Rapsodo and PRPG monitors was going to figure this out myself. 

I went the range at lunch today for my initial session and after some adjusting I think there is something to this whole long driver thing. Essensially my swing speed when up immediately from 100-104 to 108-112, with the exact same effort in my swing. If anything I felt like I was swinging easier.  My accuracy wasn't horrible and I was hittting the ball really straight and much farther.  I was really encouraged by the preliminary results and the initial feel.  I haven't had time to look at the data, but I'm going to venture a guess and say this thing is going to stay.  I'm going try a more forgiving head too and will keep you all updated if you want, let my know!  I can go into my detail regarding the adjustments if anyone is interested. 

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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I'm playing a 46 inch driver and like it... if I go shorter, I don't feel as comfortable over the ball, so I don't gain much in terms of dispersion (as I'm not comfortable) and lose swing speed... Pretty much lose, lose...

I also have a 48 inch Adams driver with a House of Forged shaft in it...it's pretty fun, but hard to hit! I need to get it back on the range, as I haven't swung it in a while... 

Going over 46 inches requires playing with head weights and getting specialty shafts in my experience... You CAN do it, it's just not easy. 

I believe ACCRA has gotten into longer shafts... it will be interesting to see if OEMs start offering 46-47 options in the fitting cart to give people a chance to try them.

Mavrik 9 degree - Ventus Black 7X

Mavrik 13.5 Degree - Hazardus Smoke

Sub70 19 degree - Proforce V2 8F5

Sub70 4u - Proforce V2 8F5

Sub70 5i - DG S400

Adams CMB 6-GW - Project X 6.0

Sub70 54 (286) and 58 (JB Low Bounce) - S300

SeeMore Trimetal Mallet (Custom fit and built... Kudos to Cody)

And as always, Kudos to Craigers.

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14 hours ago, M. Parsons said:

I guess I've never heard of "taping" or "marking" a longer shaft, but a few years back I did choke down about an inch on the R-flex 45.5" driver I had, and that seemed to help dispersion...then I went out and bought a S-flex 44.5" driver and fixed it altogether.  I wish I could say I was "properly" fit into either of those drivers, but I wasn't. 

Oh, and thank you for your service...I always admired your job and thought it would be a cool job to have...stressful, sure, but cool none the less.  Instead I was the guy making sure you, and your equipment stayed cool in that hot box.

It was actually less stressful than my 9 years prior working on fighter jets, wearing chemical warfare gear in the sun,,,, 

THANK YOU for keeping us cool! specially in New Mexico which was my last duty station

 DRIVER: default_cobra-small.jpg.125f3712aad21ad9f7ca2c672e34a299.jpg  Cobra F-8 set at 10.5,  Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 60 (R) 44 1/2 "

3 & 5 WOOD: default_callaway-small.jpg.a58e7c6760b71a9eb95d385ecc5d2200.jpg Callaway XR-16, Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 Red (R) 

IRONS 5-SW: default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-700, 2 upright, std loft  Alta CB (R) + 1/2"

HYBRID 3-4:  default_ping-small.jpg.b7606a25498d65282474c96f18d2debd.jpg PING G-410, 1 upright,  Alta CB 70 Red (R) + 1/2"

PUTTER: Byron Experimental GSS

 

 

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14 hours ago, twyatt700 said:

So I literaly hopped on the Boom Sticks thread to start a my own new thread detailing my experiement with a long driver.  But looks like I was late to the party.  I am an improving golfer who has struggled with a slice due to a steep swing and an over the top move, this last year I've learned to keep the ball in the yard, albiet with a very tempered swing, but I can hit it straight and far enough, as my coach would say.  But we all want just a bit more... so I decieded to try a longer driver after hearing Jon Sherman's experience... and because I don't have all the funds and time to go get fit and buy a shiny new Callaway (as much as I would love too and was really trying to manifest a selection into the Epic Speed test) I decieded to go with this experiment myself and through my own trial and error.  I bought an uncut Evelflow black shaft and some lighter weights for my Cobra SZ (sorry @JohnnyCallaway feel free to hook me up if you're offended😉) and with my Rapsodo and PRPG monitors was going to figure this out myself. 

I went the range at lunch today for my initial session and after some adjusting I think there is something to this whole long driver thing. Essensially my swing speed when up immediately from 100-104 to 108-112, with the exact same effort in my swing. If anything I felt like I was swinging easier.  My accuracy wasn't horrible and I was hittting the ball really straight and much farther.  I was really encouraged by the preliminary results and the initial feel.  I haven't had time to look at the data, but I'm going to venture a guess and say this thing is going to stay.  I'm going try a more forgiving head too and will keep you all updated if you want, let my know!  I can go into my detail regarding the adjustments if anyone is interested. 

My experience so far mirrors yours. I went to a 44.5" driver for most of last season after testing the Epic Flash at 45.5" in 2019. With the AutoFlex I went to 45.75" (46" to end of grip) and my misses are no worse than they were with the shorter shaft.

Like you, I feel like I am getting more distance with the same/less effort than before. That's important to me because my swing is usually the best when I'm just keeping good tempo and swinging smoothly through the ball.

I will admit, 44.5" feels more comfortable standing over the ball sometimes. But the results with the 46" driver are too much to give up.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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1 hour ago, edingc said:

My experience so far mirrors yours. I went to a 44.5" driver for most of last season after testing the Epic Flash at 45.5" in 2019. With the AutoFlex I went to 45.75" (46" to end of grip) and my misses are no worse than they were with the shorter shaft.

Like you, I feel like I am getting more distance with the same/less effort than before. That's important to me because my swing is usually the best when I'm just keeping good tempo and swinging smoothly through the ball.

I will admit, 44.5" feels more comfortable standing over the ball sometimes. But the results with the 46" driver are too much to give up.

I totally agree! The 46" felt miles away from the ball and when I went back to my standard shaft, I felt more comfortable with the club as well.  If anything this may be a good training tool to get me more comfortable with a standard length driver.  Either way it's cool to see the immediate results.  My biggest thing was making sure my efficiency was still over 1.40 which for the most part it was.  I'd be curious to see how big a difference using the autoflex shaft vs my evenflow black would be... coming from a industry that uses carbon fiber products and has to sift through everyones marketing schemes, I've come to the conclusion that carbon is carbon and there isn't much of a difference at the end of the day 😂

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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I'm personally more of a fan of shorter driver shafts. However, I do think longer shafts can work but there needs to be an alignment of the stars for it to work well. First off, outside of gambling and putting together a long driver and getting very lucky, you need to spend a lot of time with a fitter and on the course fine tuning the club. Getting the right shaft and swing weight in a long driver is absolutely crucial and difficult to do well. For most golfers getting a truly good fitting with multiple fitting sessions and built test clubs is exceedingly rare and/or very expensive. I also think that long drivers are typically for the better or more avid golfers out there. Someone with a 25 handicap standing an extra three or four inches from the ball is generally not going to help distance or dispersion. I get the idea that a shallower plane can help dispersion but this is an area where real world performance likely varies from the theoretical side for the average golfer. I could easily see pros going to longer drivers as they can see a fitter every day of the year and they are pros. The best performance I've ever seen out of average golfers (and myself) is when I've handed them a 44.5" Callaway FT-9 Tour driver that I used to have. It was short and had a heavy swing weight. Everyone that used it naturally would swing harder because they could really feel the shaft loading with the heavier head and since it was shorter, they naturally felt they had more control. This resulted in longer and more accurate drives. Why didn't they all go out and by a heavier and shorter model driver? They simply weren't widely available. OEMs are in the business of winning on the launch monitor which means shorter "tour" drivers from OEMs are likely gone for the foreseeable future.

I think if OEMs and fitters put as much time into fitting for a shorter shaft vs. a longer shaft, the shorter shaft would likely provide more real world improvement to scores than the longer shafts over a broad swath of golfers. 

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Is it because of the more flat or up delivery of the driver into the ball that the OP is saying dispersion is better with longer club? I ask because I have a one length hybrid that I hit INFINITELY better than a standard length hybrid and, on average, the same distance. Same with my one length 4i vs a standard length 4i, dispersion and contact is not even close...the one length absolutely dominates. I even start gripping down once I get past my 7i because, guess what, a shorter club feels easier to control. But then I have a fairly flat swing to begin with (don't most people now a days?). 

I play a short driver (with heavier weights in head and some lead tape) and I am so much better with it than I was with a "standard" length of 45.5"+. I happen to think what the OEMs like Callaway, TM, etc are doing to driver length is a bit criminal and the REAL reason shafts are getting longer is so that the driver can be "LONGER THAN EVER" (aka please keep buying a new driver every year even though the COR is already maxed out). Yeah, it's longer when an Iron Byron hits it because the shaft is longer but if Billy 20 HDCP buys a 46 inch driver and is 5'9" I think he is going to struggle, mightily. For the record I am 5'11" and when I hold some other people's drivers I feel so far away from the ball it is comical. Same on these OEMs and their marketing. If you want a forgiving driver, I would urge you to at least try a shorter driver with heavier head weight to compensate for the loss of weight due to shortening. 

Edited by vandyland

:mizuno-small: STZ 230 9.5* "Std" setting ➖ :mizuno-small: STZ 230 Hybrid 18* "lower" setting➖ :mizuno-small: Pro Fli-Hi 21.5* ➖ MALTBY TS1-IM 5-GW ➖ :benhogan-small: Equalizer II 54* ➖ :ping-small: Glide 4.0 (S) 58* ➖ L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 
Maxfli Tour X Official Review -- https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63068-testers-announced-maxfli-tour-x-golf-balls-with-max-align-technology/?do=findComment&comment=1021832

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This is actually going to be funny (as in you all will laugh at me) but I learned something that I should have known from this thread.  My Sim2 has a longer shaft than the 45" one on my Ping - I believe its 45.75" although like everything else in the golf industry there is no real standard way of measuring it!  When I first got it I was gripping down and then only occasionally letting the shaft out - that's what I've always done anytime I've had a shaft longer than 45" in.  

So I went to the range on Monday after work and thought - "Hey, why don't I just move farther away from the ball and not grip down.  What will happen then?"  What a moron, right?  I did and after some experimentation found that if I just took a nice smooth thing I would hammer the ball down the middle with a nice little draw.  My driving on the course was spectacular yesterday.  Granted it is incredibly dry here (for Florida) and the extra roll out can be deceptive but I was playing a course that I've been playing for the past 15 years in all types of conditions.  Obviously the 64 year old version of the 49 year old me should not be able to hit the ball anywhere near as far.  And yet, I had two drives that approached my career best - maybe not quite but pretty close to it and this was not an exceptionally windy day so they weren't wind aided.  

 

When I checked ARCCOS post round one of the drives was over 250, another 240 and there was another one 240 along the way, too.  I hit 5/6 fairways with driver - the miss was very playable - I just started it a bit to far left and it kicked into the left rough - still had a clear shot into the green.  I'm not telling everyone to go get a longer driver shaft - I think that it works very well for someone like me, an older guy who can still swing the club and is trying to recapture distance - it's just effortless and by moving farther away from the ball a bit I've got the ball flight that I like.  

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just watched Jon Rahm hit the ball great all weekend at the US Open and then noted he is 6'2" but plays a 45.25" driver (which I think is at least .5" to 1" shorter than the stock Callaway length). Seems to hit it plenty far enough! Also, while everyone is different I would imagine that if Jon Rahm isn't comfortable (for whatever reason) hitting a standard length driver (in today's specs) there probably aren't many people on this board that are more comfortable hitting their driver. 

:mizuno-small: STZ 230 9.5* "Std" setting ➖ :mizuno-small: STZ 230 Hybrid 18* "lower" setting➖ :mizuno-small: Pro Fli-Hi 21.5* ➖ MALTBY TS1-IM 5-GW ➖ :benhogan-small: Equalizer II 54* ➖ :ping-small: Glide 4.0 (S) 58* ➖ L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 
Maxfli Tour X Official Review -- https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63068-testers-announced-maxfli-tour-x-golf-balls-with-max-align-technology/?do=findComment&comment=1021832

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