GOLFMEDIC

I have to say the opposite worked for me I cut off 2 inches off my driver; which gave me more control and increased my distance by 25+ yds...

I agree with Mike's comment above: I was puzzled by hitting my 3 wood as far as my driver - but far less accurately. It turned out that my swing speed was precisely the same for both clubs! By reducing the length of my driver by 2.5" I added at least 20 yards to my drive and the accuracy was more comparable to that of my 3 wood. I understand that Pro circuit golfers have shorter drivers than average with the sole exception of Phil Mickelson, who has a 46" driver. Also, it is worth noting that the Long Drivers' Association has come into line with USGA and R&A rules on driver length - the old 50" drivers are now several inches shorter - but it has not affected length of drives. Conclusion: 1) a long driver shaft does not produce greater swing speed/length off the tee and seriously affects accuracy; 2)standard drivers are far too long for people!

Mark's comments defy the laws of nature. A longer shaft, swung with the same arm speed, will generate more clubhead speed than a shorter shaft. That's not an opinion. Maybe Mark's problem is that he has been swinging too hard and once he slowed his swing down, he discovered better control. That does make sense.

I HAVE A 48'' E360 X-STIFF WITH A 10.5 ALPHA 830 AND I SAIL STRAIGHT DRIVES. THEY AVERAGE 250 IN 39 DEGREE WEATHER... SO I THINK IF YOU SWING SMOOTH WITH GOOD RYTHYM, AND I AM 5'11'' 260 SOLID

Good contact - hitting the sweet spot of the clubface - is the best way to gain distance. A shorter shaft makes it easier to make good contact by providing more control. A swing may be faster with a longer shaft but ball speed could suffer due to inferior contact and produce a shorter ball flight.

For a swing speed of 90-100, a stiff shaft and low torque, what should be the ideal length of the driver shaft?

Add another vote to Mike and Mark. I was given a nice Taylormade driver with the 45g stiff shaft and could only hit it straight once in a blue moon. I went to see if maybe I needed a regular flex shaft because I wasn't sure of my swing speed. Turned out that the driver was a half inch longer than normal and when I choked down an inch, everything pulled in straight. I had them cut an inch off and regrip it. It added a good 15 yards to my drives also.

I am sooo confused. I have a Krank 10.5 with a Fujikura Diesel LT stiff shaft length 46". I hit it far and straight (I find 12/14 fairways). My swing speed is relatively slow - dont know exactly what it is but hit a 5 iron 150m. All the research says I should be using a regular shaft. What do you guys think ? Mark

I have been playing golf for 41 years. All I cared about was distance. With the standard Persimmon Head driver an 43 inches I bombed it 265.Then came graphite! BANG another 10 -15 yards! Then came the First TaylorMade metal drivers with graphite shafts and I averaged 290+. Of course I was young then and that helped alot!. Now 50+ I still search for distance but accuracy is the main goal. I'm a decent player (3 hdcp) so my swing is very consistent. 10 years ago I started playing around with shaft lengths. I maxed out at 48 inches from the 45 I started with. I gained 7 - 10 mph and was hitting the ball consistently 280 to 320 depending on conditions. I usually hit 9 to 10 fairways a round so I figured I needed to hit more fairs than distance. I slowly backed off to 47 then 46, which I have now on a G10 with a Diamana blue 65 custom shaft. Older now, I still can occasionally hit that 300 yarder but am more likely to be at (245 -255 in the air) 265 -270 with my drives now and I hit 10 -12 fairways a round on avg. with several days hitting all 14!. Long story short, If you want more distance go longer with mid to high flex and low torque no more than 3.0 if you can find it. Play around with it and you'll find the best solution for your body and swing! Experiment! Have Fun, I DID and IT WORKED!

LOnger lighter, les loft. I am 50 yrs old play of a 3 hdcap, have always played blades or semi blades, 3 years ago also went longer shaft, lighter shaft, less loft. my handicap went to 9, I was outdriving most, never on the fairway, Now I play a Titleist 909 D3. 10.5 loft, Project x 6.5 flex, 44 in shaft, drive 280+ and 70% fairways. My wife plays of a 6 handicap, increased loft to 11deg, length 43 inch, drives the ball better than ever. Any shaft longer than 44.5 will reduce your FWH by 25 to 30%> Ask Tom Wishon, on of the best club fitters and builders in the world. So go shorter to go longer and more consistant. the Human body is not a machine.

I agree, when I,ve changed my shaft on my driver recently, and when it was completed at home, I saw myself with a new driver, "48"-long, because I measured the shaft length from the ferrule, before I by research, realised that you measure from the "heel" of the clubhead to the butt of the shaft. I wonder how many people have made the same mistake, and still play with great confidence, that they found their right shaftlength according to their knowledge. After testing my driver on the DriveRange, I`m happy to be one of those.

been sruggling to hit fairways recently,tried few different drivers,then read about shaft length,decided to chop 1 inch off old hyper x tour driver i had,JACKPOT! wheter i was lucky,it s worked for me,maybe lost 5 yards but nothing better than getting ball on fairway,i m a 3 handicap that plays a links course with a lot of wind so straight is essentiaL !!!

am thinking of reducing the shaft length of my driver and all other clubs to the same as my pitching wedge which is 36 inches. the reason is simple i tend to get great accuracy and consistancy with shorter length clubs as opposed to loner ones. please let me know your thoughts.

The simple truth is we all have an optimum bio-mechanical swing plane - that's why some Drivers immediately feel too long/short. Another simple truth is that the average Driver length on the PGA tour is 44 & 1/2 inches with a maximum of 45 inches and only Phil uses a 46 inch shaft. Tom Wishon says if Tiger (43 & 1/2 inches) Jack (42 & 3/4inches) and his pals as the best players in the world could consistently effectively use a 46 inch Driver they would, but they can't, so they don't - Tom also said if you as an amateur think you can despite the fact they can't then stop reading now. My own experience after 40 years of playing competitive league golf is that it is far more important to be able to consistently hit the sweet spot with a shorter driver (44 & 1/2 - 45 inch) as I've never yet seen the flag located in the heavy rough. I am ambidextrous taking the money with either hand.

I should have said in previous comment that getting a Driver with the correct shaft flex, kickpoint, lie angle and loft is the vital first move. All of us amateurs have used (almost all still do) a Driver with too strong a loft that gives too low a launch angle and too much spin. PGA Tour Pro's take a real lot of time and effort getting these factors correct. When I'm trying out the newest Drivers (usually 7 or 8 at a time I've already narrowed down by research) I will always when necessary choke down the grip to give me my optimum '45 inch club'). If I select one off the shelf such as my most recent one at 45 & 3/4 inches I took it home, immediately shortened the shaft to my 45 inch optimum and regriped the club. For me this does 2 very important things. First, my own biomechanical swing plane gives me the vitally important correct Angle of Attack (every bit as important as swing speed) and a proper full release of the clubhead thru' impact. Secondly, as a result of all this and completely contrary to what anyone else tells you, you will consistently hit the ball much further than with the very rare 'good one' using a Driver that is too long for you.

je recherche le driver golf medic shaft velocity.

Is everyone talking just shaft length or of shaft and club head? thanks, confused

I currently play a Nike VR Tour 9.5 Degree Driver with an Aldila RIP Shaft Stiff - 44 inches long. I have been shocked at the lack of roll I get on my drives. Furthermore, I swing between 100-105 consistently and have only seen the ball travel between 240-260 yards recently. The weather has been between 5--70 degrees, so other than cool air, I don't understand why I am so short off the tee. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, Justin

don - the 'shaft' length is measured from the ground in the address position. So this will include the club head. Measure along the back of the shaft from the ground up.