About 5 years ago, I took my driver out of the bag because I could not find a fairway. I would tee off with my 3 wood. Then one day, I decided to flip out my 3 wood shaft and try it on the driver. I am over 70% on fairways now. The shorter shaft made me a lot more accurate. My swing has improved over the years and I have gotten my distance up over 40 yards since I made the switch.
I am wondering if you adjusted the Swingweight of each option to be close to the same? I think 1” varies the Swingweight by 6 points which could have a significant effect on your swing if you are sensitive to that factor. Additionally the shorter the shaft the flatter the lie angle which might also effect your ability to find the middle of the club…would be good to repeat this test with those factors adjusted to close to the same to make it a good comparison….
Answer without even watching the video, yes!!! I’m 6’5 almost 6’6 and I lengthened my titleist t3 almost 2” with a xx-stiff flex and I will outdrive my sim, callaway epic gbb, or titleist tsi3 in their standard lengths. I carry easily on average a distance of 28 yards further by doing so without sacrificing accuracy.
For this to be an objective test, you’d need to match swing weights and even adjust lofts since lie angle/launch conditions etc will be different. You’d really need to be fitted for all 3 lengths to really be testing shaft length alone.
I’m a 13 HC with swing speed around 90mph. The longer shaft works for me. I’m consistently 10 to 15 yards longer and I hit more fairways. If I had a 100mph + swing speed it might be different. I switched all my irons to a 1/4” longer graphite shaft and I’m hitting all my irons longer and more consistent as well. If you’re a senior golfer with low club head speed, it’s worth a try.
I'm 5'11'' and I took the dive and shortened my driver to 42.5in. I hit the ball long enough that I didn't care to lose some distance. I had to experiment a little and I wanted to point our a few things for people thinking about doing this. First, when you cut a driver like this you may need to add some lead tape to the bottom to get a better feel of the club head. I would also recommend increasing the loft of the driver if that's available to you. I have an old R15 with the 430cc head that I can't get away from. It's a 9.5 degree that I bumped up to 11 degrees. This made a big difference in ball flight and it also helped me from fading the ball. If you didn't know, if you increase the degree on the driver it will help close the face and for me, helped with the fade. Cutting the club like this also increase the stiffness. I have a Matrix Blacktie x stiff shaft that became much stiffer. Its been about 7 years ago when I did this and now I'm thinking I need to get a regular or stiff flex to equal out me getting older and having a slower swing. Outcome, I actually have better overall distance with the cut driver. I just find the center much better with a shorter driver shaft. If you are the person that can hit your 3 wood well but can't hit a driver, this might be something for you to experiment with. This is what gave me the idea of cutting it so much. Visually, I like the smaller driver head and therefore, I'm very interested in the new TM burner.
I put my G400 driver head in my g400 3w shaft and I've never hit it better. My potential longest is probably a few yards short but my average definitely longer due to +confidence in swing + more roll because hitting fairway with better trajectory.
Changing the shaft length changes the swing weight of the club. Longer shaft typically needs lighter head, shorter shaft typically needs heavier. Plus the lofts should be adjusted as well. I play a 44 inch driver and it works well for me but it took quite a bit of tweaking to figure it out.
@@LeoGjok - Pull the shaft off and add powdered lead and then cork. I don’t do this though. The weight needs to be in the club head, not the shaft. - Use glue inside the club head. I don’t want to buy more equipment and it would be prohibitively expensive. (Translate to ‘My wife will freak out on me,’) - Use a tip weight. I do this but it isn’t enough. So… - Use lead tape. Find the spot where it won’t contact the ground and tape your time shaping the tape into something reasonably visually pleasing. I invested in a swing weight scale bc I’m always changing shafts and adjusting swing weights.
45.5 X Hazard Smoke is working great for me this high index 71 yr ole 5'6" with 70's mph swing speed tops. A smooth swing puts the ball right down the middle. A harder swing adds a slight fade if needed. My tee height and swing angle higher forward shoulder add elevation when needed.
I actually carry both. I have the TM 300 mini-driver at 43.5 inches (but, before that, I had a 43.5 inch driver) and a 47 inch Epic Flash. The mini-driver is an absolute fairway finder (as was my 43.5 inch driver) and the Epic Flash, while a bit more erratic, is 20 yards longer. So, on long par 4's or reachable par 5's, I go with the Epic and I use the mini-driver or short-shafted driver for all other shots. I suck with a 3-wood anyway, so replacing it with a mini-driver or "thriver" was a no-brainer - I have been doing this for 10+ years.
I have had a shorter shaft in the past. What was fundamental to accuracy was being used to using it. When I changed back to standard length I achieved the same accuracy after a short time. The success of the longer shaft was about familiarity.
I bought a Sim last year with a 47” shaft. But I’m 5’5” and had issues squaring it up with consistency. I got it chopped to 45.75” and it’s been great since. I think with taller players it’s probably a little easier to hit, provided they have a good handicap.
I’ve played a 52 49 I’m playing a 48 now and I love it I couldn’t go back to a 45 at all the length isn’t much but for me it’s control I think a lot has 2 do with your height as well, but I was competing in long drive so I’m use 2 a longer shaft
i just ordered my new driver... STEALTH 2 HD 9 degree....UST PROFORCE V2 HL 5 regular at 44.5 inches....midsize grip...omg i can't wait till it gets here....sold my other two drivers PXG GEN 5 XF and my SIM 2 MAX.....I think i made the right choice ( I hope LOL )....cheers be well
35 handicap. I bought a titleist 913d2 with a 44.5 In shaft and switched to 43”. Didn’t dramatically increase my fairways hit but most of my miss hits were slices and now they are mostly pulls and pushes and I’m losing a lot fewer balls off the tee. Distance is on average similar but my long hits went from 230 max to low 220’s.
I actually cut my driver and other woods shaft to about 38” and hit it more like in iron. It has really helped with my consistency off the tee and off the deck.
@@Max-jz7fd honestly that is hard to judge. My drives were so inconsistent, I didn’t have a solid number. I would duff so many shots and a lot of the ones I didn’t I would be hitting my second shot from the adjoining green. I haven’t stuffed one shot since I did this and most of my shots are in the fairway or just off… my distance is about 220 carry right now.
I’ve only put a driver back in the bag recently having spent the last 3 years playing irons only. I play a 45.5” 9 degree and I’m striking it quite well but I haven’t tried any other length options. Am tempted to now. If you want a mid handicap person to test, just shout!
My PXG came with a 45 1/2 inch shaft and I couldnt hit it right at all. Got refitted and put on the Evenflow Riptide CB at 50 grams R flex and I rarely miss my fairways now. Im 5'8'' and a fair player. Shorter shaft gave me much better control. I think because it was too difficult bring that clubface back to square. I was slicing it a lot.
I cut down my hzrdus smoke shaft to 43.5" and regripped with a super stroke oversized grip. Helped my shots be more consistent and straight. I'm using a pxg gen 4 0811xf driver. The oversized grips help you get back on center, in my opinion. I highly recommend you try oversized grips if you haven't already. I loved it so much, I regripped my gen 3 pxg 0811xf irons as well. Just my 2 cents
As mentioned you probably have swing weight fluctuations especially at 2” increments. However, IMO shaft lengths at .5” to 1.0” either way from standard should be sufficient.
Can’t draw any meaningful conclusions from that. Four range balls with each shaft hit by a pro is irrelevant, I’d love to see two or three ‘average’ golfers hit 20 shots with each. Then maybe you can draw some conclusions.
It's definitely all about the length of the shaft, but if the head is to large it can complicate things for some people! Just remember to never neglect the balls! Am I right Dick?
I recently came to the realization that my best days with Driver, were years ago with the shorter shaft. X-Stiff Steel Shafts by the way. I found I didn’t have to change much with the shorter shaft, than with the longer shaft. It feels like I have to slow my swing down for the club head to catch up with the longer Driver. It’s just easier for me to whip the shorter shaft. So on days I’m driving well with the 45” shaft, every other club else feels off. Hard to gauge how far away to stand. Hooking all my other clubs left. Kind of like what you were doing with the shorter shaft. I’m about to either cut my M2 down or replace the 45” shaft. It’s to inconsistent.
@@Mattfryergolf Absolutely worth an experiment. It was basically Tiger’s Titleist 975D, before he went with Nike. I eventually went to a 42.5” UST X-Still Graphite shaft. My club Pro probably made it 43” unbeknownst to me, but he’s a good guy so it’s fine. But with that shorter shaft, I could make a move on the ball. The longer one always felt restricted. Cheers.
That’s the problem, there are some adjustments to make for longer drivers, like a strong grip, more aggressive release, which then throws off the other clubs. I spent years trying to hit an off the rack 46” driver going with the old adage it’s not the arrow it’s the Indian, not even realizing most pros don’t hit a 46” driver. Once I found this out I started by gripping down about 2” and started hitting it straiter than ever. It’s off to get a fitting now.
Matt, I’m considering this at the moment but where it’s different compared to you is that I’m 5ft 5ins. What you said in the video is an average golfer might find that a shorter shaft might help them find the middle but if you’re an average golfer and only 5ft 5ins …… surely I should be using a shorter driver shaft if I’ve been fitted and got shorter irons 🤷🏻♂️
Change my 44.5 shaft in a G425 to 45.75, recently. I finding more fairways and have lost the pull and duck hook. Hitting longer but one always does in warm/hot weather. Happy with results.
You'll definitely probably be more likely to not come over thentop with a longer shaft, i had the same issue with a pull from coming in steep, but when I made it longer it vanished...I think the longer it gets the closer it gets to a baseball swing and just makes more sense in my mind...plus I'm short so I cam really swing it on a much flatter plane
I have been a slicer of the golf ball all my life until I switched to a 48 inch driver about two years ago and now i am pretty much in the fairway with all my drives. I didn't notice any distance gained with the longer club except being in the middle is a hell of a lot better than being in the woods so there's that. Now I can even hit a draw shot where before I didn't know what a draw was. Now if I could only hit my irons !!!
I just tried a very similar test. A 43", a 44", and a 46" shaft. I did way better with the 44" one. My smash factor was so much higher with the middle one. Maybe because I have always used a 44" to 44.5" driver shaft since I started golfing 22 years ago. I also just did another test with 4 different shaft flexes, senior flex to extra stiff. My club head speed with the driver is around 100-102 mph. I found out I prefer the senior flex shaft the most. I felt I had more feel for what the club head was doing. So I had more confidence with that shaft. I hit more fairways with the senior flex shaft. The total distances were within 4 yards. A little less with the 43 " shaft. Also with the 43" shafted driver my club head speed was down 2-3 mph. With the 46" shaft club head speed was 2-3 mph higher, but smash factor was way lower.
Did you take into account the swingweight beeing different with the shafts ? I assume the swingweight will be different with each shaft ? That might be why you where striking the longer shaft better aswell
I tried this on my own. When I lost my swing, I used a Taylormade Miscela to get it back. This is a ladies club. Along with that I shortened my swing from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock. This was a “Fairway Finder” for sure. It helped me get my swing zeroed in. I wound up changing it from a flatter swing to a more vertical swing. Very quickly I moved back to my regular driver, a Taylormade R7 draw. And eventually got the Jetspeed, with a longer shaft. These 3 have different graphite shafts. While I did find I hit the longer club farther, I didn’t see I lost the fairway with any of them. Yesterday I go to the range with yet 2 more drivers, a 47” Callaway X-hot and a Slazenger raw distance. At 45.25” both of these I hit consistently at the same distance and found the fairway. When I try my old flatter swing, the shorter club finds the fairway the best. My vertical swing just finds fairways way more often. When I tried other drivers, even new modes like the Callaway Paradigm, the 0211, & 0811 by PXG, and a new Taylormade, I found I hit mine better. My assumption form this the longer shafts may mean more distance, and may mean less or even more dispersion, it just depends. While I realize my experiments are less controlled, my one big improvement came from the move from a flatter swing to a vertical one. I no longer lose golf balls, except for the occasional water hole, when I am long or short,and for me apparently the head makes some difference, but not a ton. The swing change gained me 50 yards on my drives. I went from 220-225 to 265-275 on my best drives. My 7 iron went from the low 140’s to 165ish. I also found being a senior and a smaller man, I switched to a full hybrid set , that has improved on the yardages even more and gave me more forgiveness.
Great experiment!!! Are the 43" and 45" shafts tip trimmed more than 47" shaft? If so, that's the reason why you get low launch on 43" shaft. Shorter length also makes the club stiffer. Thanks.
You need to take 6 to 8 swings with each club before you start taking data. You went from 47 to 43 inch and expected to be perfectly adjusted to a 4 inch shorter shaft on your first swing.
Very interesting Matt , I think you should continue in researching this . Surly the lie angle would be more upright in the shorter shaft , would this not affect direction? Maybe some average 90 mph players with 10 shots on each length would give better dispersion stats .
I got my latest club shorter / stiffer because everyone was saying that's best... but I've been pulling them left just like you did in this video. I'm going to try a longer shaft next.
Great test. Question: I just bought the new Epic Max LS. I didn’t try length of shaft (unfortunately). If I want to buy (just if) a new longer shaft, can I then just buy the same shaft but longer or doesn’t that work that way? I am a 7.4 handicapper.
I could give you a long driver and you wouldn't be able to hit it 175 yards, if that. All it needs is a club perhaps 60 inches long. I would suggest NO one could hit it decently. The same would apply to a driver 10 inches long. A compromise is always necessary and anything from around 42" to 47" would be fine, but it would depend on the skill of the individual how well each performed. In other words, it is a personal matter and most amateur golfers would be best with around 44".
Cut my driver down to 44 inches, gained a ton of control. I’m 6ft, standing closer to the ball helps a lot. I actually gained distance now that the ball doesn’t hook nearly as much. What you lose in flight you gain in forward roll and top spin
Shorter club all went left because the shorter club, having a shorter arc, is quicker to the ball. Play the ball back in your stance an inch or two to compensate. The longer shaft all were centered or right because the longer arc lags the club head a bit. I used to play my driver at 48” and found that it actual helped slow ME down without slowing the club head.
In addition to adjusting swing weight for the variations in shaft length, I'd also suggest having two other people...one used to the mid-length shaft, one used to the short shaft. That removes the variable of how much of the measured performance may simply be due to muscle memory and gives a better indication of what inherent performance comes with each shaft, if there's any significant differences (I'd expect differences in club head speed, for instance, but how much does that translate to actual measurable distance gained or shot dispersion?)
Tested at the Scottish golf show and was advised that 1” off the standard shaft was better for me. I’m only 5’9” so how much does height have to do with this?
If you're an average height golfer and want to gain distance with a long shaft driver, try wearing the new platform soled golf shoes. They add 3-4" to your height so you can use the same swing path/plane and won't have any trouble with accuracy.
I took a lesson and owned two different drivers and the coach told me to use the shorter one. After this video I may try going back and testing the longer one and see the difference!! Thanks love your series
Interesting test. I have been away from golf for about 15 years (no jail time involved, honest guv). As a golf pro, you know how to manage club variations of all sorts. I would be interested to see the results from a high and medium handicapper trying the same test
I think of someone fades the ball they may have trouble getting around on a longer shaft but for you your miss is left and longer seems to help you a lot. Just a thought I haven’t heard brought up
Commenting before I watch. See if your results are similar to mine. Recently shortened my Mavrick Sub Zero to 44.5" down from the original 45.75" I also added 16g of head weight to keep the swing weight correct. I hit noticeably more fairways now and actually gained a few yards (top tracer data) as I am more confident and comfortable swinging it at this length.
That was an extremely interesting watch. I found similar to you that the shorter shaft launched lower but with a little loft adjustment that was sorted. You can't argue with the facts, clearly the longer shaft is the best option for you. But I have to ask, we're you altering the head weight to suit the shorter shafts and keep the swing weight correct?
Ha! I play the same shaft and head, you feature in this video. this video was made for me I guess. thanks for the post mate. I am considering shortening the length or looking at a mini-driver.
I've watched a few vids on driver shaft lengths, there are so many people saying the average length on tour is 44" an average length number which they are not matching to the height of each golfer smh it purely depends on the height and wrist height of each individual golfer i.e. if you're 6ft1" with long arms you're going to use a 44" driver shaft. If you're 6ft1" with short arms you're going to need a 45+" driver shaft
Interesting test, thanks, particularly in that you seemed to have a draw/pull bias with short/mid length shafts. My takeaway is that with some practice, a person can rope the long shaft down the fairway consistently. As an aside, Jon Sherman at Practical Golf has gone to long shaft and has picked up distance with no loss in accuracy. Maybe you guys are on to something 😉
Matt, I had a fitting for Mizuno irons today and even though the swing analyser said standard loft and lie, Jacko thought a half inch short was better and I was striping it. I have an under 100 mph swing speed off 21 and would love to make myself available as a guinea pig for you.🥰🥰
You definitely need to add weight for the shorter one. I switched to 44 1/2 and he added weight to the shaft tip to keep my swing weight. I have found my swing speed is very close to the longer shaft but my dispersion is a whole lot less and my distance is about the same as a longer shaft, in fact from my on course numbers I’m about 2 yards longer and dispersion improved in that I’m hitting 90 percent of the fairways.
If you set up to the ball and use the club head position relative to the distance of your stance away from the ball wouldn't you be the same distance away with all the lengths? Asking for a friend that hits off the toe mostly??
I just swapped my Driver shaft 45" Project X 6.0 onto my Callaway 3 wood at 13 degrees. It goes straighter with a slight fade and I was hitting over 240 yds. I also carry a 16 degree 3 wood that I hit really straight at around 215 to 220 yds. I did not try the Driver on the 3 wood shaft as it seems too short. The real question is...Why do the maufacturers choose that shaft length for the standard over the counter Driver? Going for a fitting that is not the first thing a fitter looks at unless the person is 6 foot 5 or 5 foot 2.
Hi, interesting test, same as I have done many times. It is same as you for me, more fairw hits with longest shafts, haha! I think you chould use regular shaft and low kick shafts? Shortend backswing like me also give strait shots! Johnny D Bergh 😅
a fitter put a shorter driver shaft, i found the middle more and it went the same distance as the 44.5 shaft. looking at making the change for a shorter shaft
In the end, the question is about accuracy and club head speed. If you can get fast club head speed and deliver the club right in the middle then use whichever length that works for you. Don’t go by what everyone else is doing.
Just bought a second hand cobra ltdx, came with a 55g regular helium shaft, swapped out my cobra fairway tour tensai blue 65g shaft, I couldn’t stop it going left…. Hmmmm. I cut down a shaft a few years back in my taylormade xr03 driver by an inch, massive difference in consistency and hitting fairways and only lost say 5 yards in distance, I feel technology in heads these days where shafts are built differently for different heads and weights of shaft doesn’t work as well as “back in the day”
Great video yet Every time you shorten the shaft You’re losing loft and weight. It would be interesting to see if you added loft and weight to the shorter shaft would that help with distance and accuracy by helping to hit the Sweet Spot
It does seem like getting a longer shaft would help if you tend to over draw the ball? delays the whip/turn over of the head so you can present the club more square? Overdrawing is my experience and I am very curious to see if this would be a ideal improvement option to hit more fairways..? Maybe swing weight would be a better way? I can't say I know much about that. Neglecting the on the range grinding swing work which effects the most.. Tho its so frustrating to find that equilibrium of what your body is most aptly/consistently in tune with, tempo wise, or body/arm synchronization wise, or club path tendencies and such, for you to do the least amount of focused controlling of your swing mid round. or pre round even.
Tried this last year, I am not tall at all at 67”. Tried 44.5 , 45 and 45.5. To my shock The longer club was more accurate and I would smash it. I simply felt the club head where it was . All sane shafts and yes I had the club swing weight adjusted by adding a tip weight to the shorter shaft. 46 was a disaster.
I built a 46 inch driver, Mainly because I wanted to try and build a golf club and have a bit of fun and I've found it really easy to hit. It also sends everyone deaf as it's a Nike SQ2 square head on the end of said shaft
I am using a shorter driver and finding the fairway more often. Lowering the overall score by 5 at least. No penalties less scrambling. I am 5’7” W2F 33. My driver is ping 425 43”
Cutting a driver to 43 requires loads of weight to be added to the head. Well beyond what's available in screw in head weights. Just taking an inch off requires adding an extra 12g above whatever is already fitted to get back to the original swing weight.
are you measuring the grip to adapter tip or with the head on? I believe proper is to measure with the head on but without a 48inch ruler its hard to get an exact measurement. I am using a grip to adapter 45.5 shaft with a head and measuring with a tape measurer, its in the 47-48 range. I'm a taller guy and steep swing so the extra length has given me about 2-3 more SS and roughly the same ball speed (rapsodo). I'm a 14 so accuracy isn't my strength but from a pure distance standpoint I've picked up at least 5 yards with the longer shaft.
I also wondered if the measurements are of the overall club length (e.g., top of grip to bottom of club head when lying flat on a bench) or if it just the length of the shaft before attaching the head. And then, if it's just the shaft before attaching the head, is it measuring simply the overall length of the shaft (end to end) or just down to where the adapter attaches to the head? Finally, what does "SS" mean in the phrase is "given me about 2-3 more SS"?
I experimented with long, medium, short drivers when I was younger, maybe 30 years ago. Swing weights must match up to get this right. I found I could move it further with a 48in driver. I got consistency and accuracy with shorter driver, and a loss of distance. I now play a 42" 12 degree driver, senior flex shaft. I'm 65 and not as capable as I was 30 years ago. My game is centered on accuracy since distance is not my strong suit now. Really, the individual has to find what works for them. From observations (not scientific data) higher handicap players on average, would probably benefit from a shorter driver. I have seen many guys in the 70s who use a hybrid or fairway wood from the tee to guarantee hitting the middle of the fairway, knowing 20 or 30 more yards in the trees or rough kills the score. Everyone is an individual. See what works better for you personally.
I played yesterday with a cobra Jr's club...I'm guessing 2 inches shorter than my pxg 0211 or my ping g30. I hit 6 of 7 fairways and only missed the 7th because of roll out. I am DEFINITELY looking for a newer Jr driver to keep in my bag. Oh, and gave up scant yards on center face strikes and maybe 10 or 12ish on average. Sure felt good not losing any balls and playing from the short grass 95 percent of the time.
This is a dumb question but something I can't find a straight answer for. When the limit is 48", is that 48" for just the shaft, or is the total club length limit 48"?
About 5 years ago, I took my driver out of the bag because I could not find a fairway. I would tee off with my 3 wood. Then one day, I decided to flip out my 3 wood shaft and try it on the driver. I am over 70% on fairways now. The shorter shaft made me a lot more accurate. My swing has improved over the years and I have gotten my distance up over 40 yards since I made the switch.
I am wondering if you adjusted the Swingweight of each option to be close to the same? I think 1” varies the Swingweight by 6 points which could have a significant effect on your swing if you are sensitive to that factor. Additionally the shorter the shaft the flatter the lie angle which might also effect your ability to find the middle of the club…would be good to repeat this test with those factors adjusted to close to the same to make it a good comparison….
Yeah you gotta do the swing weight for sure, I added weight to my head because I got .75 of an inch cut off
100% true! It's no wonder he hit the shortest shaft well left because it would be too light.
@@saulgoodeguitars I'm thinking of cutting mine, how did you add weight? Just lead tape? And where did you put it?
@@MarkSmithhhh the driver head, in the middle if you dont want any shape bias
@MarkSmithhhh 6 years ago I cut 3" off the driver and still love it.
Added some lead tape
Answer without even watching the video, yes!!! I’m 6’5 almost 6’6 and I lengthened my titleist t3 almost 2” with a xx-stiff flex and I will outdrive my sim, callaway epic gbb, or titleist tsi3 in their standard lengths. I carry easily on average a distance of 28 yards further by doing so without sacrificing accuracy.
For this to be an objective test, you’d need to match swing weights and even adjust lofts since lie angle/launch conditions etc will be different.
You’d really need to be fitted for all 3 lengths to really be testing shaft length alone.
The lie angle on a tee shot shouldn’t make a noticeable difference from 43-45”
I’m a 13 HC with swing speed around 90mph. The longer shaft works for me. I’m consistently 10 to 15 yards longer and I hit more fairways. If I had a 100mph + swing speed it might be different. I switched all my irons to a 1/4” longer graphite shaft and I’m hitting all my irons longer and more consistent as well. If you’re a senior golfer with low club head speed, it’s worth a try.
I'm 5'11'' and I took the dive and shortened my driver to 42.5in. I hit the ball long enough that I didn't care to lose some distance. I had to experiment a little and I wanted to point our a few things for people thinking about doing this. First, when you cut a driver like this you may need to add some lead tape to the bottom to get a better feel of the club head. I would also recommend increasing the loft of the driver if that's available to you. I have an old R15 with the 430cc head that I can't get away from. It's a 9.5 degree that I bumped up to 11 degrees. This made a big difference in ball flight and it also helped me from fading the ball. If you didn't know, if you increase the degree on the driver it will help close the face and for me, helped with the fade. Cutting the club like this also increase the stiffness. I have a Matrix Blacktie x stiff shaft that became much stiffer. Its been about 7 years ago when I did this and now I'm thinking I need to get a regular or stiff flex to equal out me getting older and having a slower swing.
Outcome, I actually have better overall distance with the cut driver. I just find the center much better with a shorter driver shaft. If you are the person that can hit your 3 wood well but can't hit a driver, this might be something for you to experiment with. This is what gave me the idea of cutting it so much. Visually, I like the smaller driver head and therefore, I'm very interested in the new TM burner.
I put my G400 driver head in my g400 3w shaft and I've never hit it better. My potential longest is probably a few yards short but my average definitely longer due to +confidence in swing + more roll because hitting fairway with better trajectory.
Did you add any lead tape to the driver head ?
@@Firecondor8 did not
Changing the shaft length changes the swing weight of the club. Longer shaft typically needs lighter head, shorter shaft typically needs heavier. Plus the lofts should be adjusted as well. I play a 44 inch driver and it works well for me but it took quite a bit of tweaking to figure it out.
im looking to shorten my shaft to 44 inches. I have a G400 max with a regular 55g shaft. could you give some advice on this?
I play my driver at 43.5” and add a tip weight. But that’s not enough so I have become adept at aesthetically adding lead tape.
@@LeoGjok
- Pull the shaft off and add powdered lead and then cork. I don’t do this though. The weight needs to be in the club head, not the shaft.
- Use glue inside the club head. I don’t want to buy more equipment and it would be prohibitively expensive. (Translate to ‘My wife will freak out on me,’)
- Use a tip weight. I do this but it isn’t enough. So…
- Use lead tape. Find the spot where it won’t contact the ground and tape your time shaping the tape into something reasonably visually pleasing. I invested in a swing weight scale bc I’m always changing shafts and adjusting swing weights.
45.5 X Hazard Smoke is working great for me this high index 71 yr ole 5'6" with 70's mph swing speed tops. A smooth swing puts the ball right down the middle. A harder swing adds a slight fade if needed. My tee height and swing angle higher forward shoulder add elevation when needed.
I actually carry both. I have the TM 300 mini-driver at 43.5 inches (but, before that, I had a 43.5 inch driver) and a 47 inch Epic Flash. The mini-driver is an absolute fairway finder (as was my 43.5 inch driver) and the Epic Flash, while a bit more erratic, is 20 yards longer. So, on long par 4's or reachable par 5's, I go with the Epic and I use the mini-driver or short-shafted driver for all other shots. I suck with a 3-wood anyway, so replacing it with a mini-driver or "thriver" was a no-brainer - I have been doing this for 10+ years.
I have had a shorter shaft in the past. What was fundamental to accuracy was being used to using it. When I changed back to standard length I achieved the same accuracy after a short time. The success of the longer shaft was about familiarity.
I went 46" on my own. Same results as you. Very straight and a good distance gain.
I bought a Sim last year with a 47” shaft. But I’m 5’5” and had issues squaring it up with consistency. I got it chopped to 45.75” and it’s been great since. I think with taller players it’s probably a little easier to hit, provided they have a good handicap.
I’ve played a 52 49 I’m playing a 48 now and I love it I couldn’t go back to a 45 at all the length isn’t much but for me it’s control I think a lot has 2 do with your height as well, but I was competing in long drive so I’m use 2 a longer shaft
i just ordered my new driver... STEALTH 2 HD 9 degree....UST PROFORCE V2 HL 5 regular at 44.5 inches....midsize grip...omg i can't wait till it gets here....sold my other two drivers PXG GEN 5 XF and my SIM 2 MAX.....I think i made the right choice ( I hope LOL )....cheers be well
35 handicap. I bought a titleist 913d2 with a 44.5 In shaft and switched to 43”. Didn’t dramatically increase my fairways hit but most of my miss hits were slices and now they are mostly pulls and pushes and I’m losing a lot fewer balls off the tee. Distance is on average similar but my long hits went from 230 max to low 220’s.
I actually cut my driver and other woods shaft to about 38” and hit it more like in iron. It has really helped with my consistency off the tee and off the deck.
How much distance do you loose with driver ?
@@Max-jz7fd honestly that is hard to judge. My drives were so inconsistent, I didn’t have a solid number. I would duff so many shots and a lot of the ones I didn’t I would be hitting my second shot from the adjoining green. I haven’t stuffed one shot since I did this and most of my shots are in the fairway or just off… my distance is about 220 carry right now.
I recently bought a 43.5” shaft for my driver on line by mistake, I hit my standard 3 wood further on good strikes.
I’ve only put a driver back in the bag recently having spent the last 3 years playing irons only.
I play a 45.5” 9 degree and I’m striking it quite well but I haven’t tried any other length options. Am tempted to now. If you want a mid handicap person to test, just shout!
My PXG came with a 45 1/2 inch shaft and I couldnt hit it right at all. Got refitted and put on the Evenflow Riptide CB at 50 grams R flex and I rarely miss my fairways now. Im 5'8'' and a fair player. Shorter shaft gave me much better control. I think because it was too difficult bring that clubface back to square. I was slicing it a lot.
yep helps a lot of golfers the shorter shaft
I cut down my hzrdus smoke shaft to 43.5" and regripped with a super stroke oversized grip. Helped my shots be more consistent and straight. I'm using a pxg gen 4 0811xf driver. The oversized grips help you get back on center, in my opinion. I highly recommend you try oversized grips if you haven't already. I loved it so much, I regripped my gen 3 pxg 0811xf irons as well. Just my 2 cents
Always wondered what would Happen with a longer shaft. Good stuff
As mentioned you probably have swing weight fluctuations especially at 2” increments. However, IMO shaft lengths at .5” to 1.0” either way from standard should be sufficient.
Can’t draw any meaningful conclusions from that. Four range balls with each shaft hit by a pro is irrelevant, I’d love to see two or three ‘average’ golfers hit 20 shots with each. Then maybe you can draw some conclusions.
It's definitely all about the length of the shaft, but if the head is to large it can complicate things for some people! Just remember to never neglect the balls! Am I right Dick?
@@FuzzyButtCheese I think you need a girlfriend lol.
@@Max-jz7fd what do you mean Les, were clealy just unironicaly talking about drivers here right? 🤣
I recently came to the realization that my best days with Driver, were years ago with the shorter shaft. X-Stiff Steel Shafts by the way. I found I didn’t have to change much with the shorter shaft, than with the longer shaft. It feels like I have to slow my swing down for the club head to catch up with the longer Driver. It’s just easier for me to whip the shorter shaft. So on days I’m driving well with the 45” shaft, every other club else feels off. Hard to gauge how far away to stand. Hooking all my other clubs left. Kind of like what you were doing with the shorter shaft. I’m about to either cut my M2 down or replace the 45” shaft. It’s to inconsistent.
Interesting I might try a steel one.
@@Mattfryergolf Absolutely worth an experiment. It was basically Tiger’s Titleist 975D, before he went with Nike. I eventually went to a 42.5” UST X-Still Graphite shaft. My club Pro probably made it 43” unbeknownst to me, but he’s a good guy so it’s fine. But with that shorter shaft, I could make a move on the ball. The longer one always felt restricted. Cheers.
That’s the problem, there are some adjustments to make for longer drivers, like a strong grip, more aggressive release, which then throws off the other clubs. I spent years trying to hit an off the rack 46” driver going with the old adage it’s not the arrow it’s the Indian, not even realizing most pros don’t hit a 46” driver. Once I found this out I started by gripping down about 2” and started hitting it straiter than ever. It’s off to get a fitting now.
@@maeu59 You are correct My Friend. And I corrected it. I bought a Titleist TSi-3 with Surefit hosel. Hitting’em straight now. 🤣🥂
Matt, I’m considering this at the moment but where it’s different compared to you is that I’m 5ft 5ins. What you said in the video is an average golfer might find that a shorter shaft might help them find the middle but if you’re an average golfer and only 5ft 5ins …… surely I should be using a shorter driver shaft if I’ve been fitted and got shorter irons 🤷🏻♂️
Nice vlog Matt; pretty sure I could never control a longer shafted driver.
I'll see what my local pro says when I go to get fitted.
Cheers
Change my 44.5 shaft in a G425 to 45.75, recently. I finding more fairways and have lost the pull and duck hook. Hitting longer but one always does in warm/hot weather. Happy with results.
You'll definitely probably be more likely to not come over thentop with a longer shaft, i had the same issue with a pull from coming in steep, but when I made it longer it vanished...I think the longer it gets the closer it gets to a baseball swing and just makes more sense in my mind...plus I'm short so I cam really swing it on a much flatter plane
I have been a slicer of the golf ball all my life until I switched to a 48 inch driver about two years ago and now i am pretty much in the fairway with all my drives. I didn't notice any distance gained with the longer club except being in the middle is a hell of a lot better than being in the woods so there's that. Now I can even hit a draw shot where before I didn't know what a draw was. Now if I could only hit my irons !!!
On my driver I have shortened the shaft and find if far more accurate. Great video covering an interesting subject.
Shorter is not the the to go. It’s just shorter drives make it 46 + and guarantee longer drives. It works Period.
I just tried a very similar test. A 43", a 44", and a 46" shaft. I did way better with the 44" one. My smash factor was so much higher with the middle one. Maybe because I have always used a 44" to 44.5" driver shaft since I started golfing 22 years ago. I also just did another test with 4 different shaft flexes, senior flex to extra stiff. My club head speed with the driver is around 100-102 mph. I found out I prefer the senior flex shaft the most. I felt I had more feel for what the club head was doing. So I had more confidence with that shaft. I hit more fairways with the senior flex shaft. The total distances were within 4 yards. A little less with the 43 " shaft. Also with the 43" shafted driver my club head speed was down 2-3 mph. With the 46" shaft club head speed was 2-3 mph higher, but smash factor was way lower.
I added two inches to my three wood shaft. I love it both off ground and off tee. Picked up ten yards but more importantly gained accuracy.
Did you take into account the swingweight beeing different with the shafts ? I assume the swingweight will be different with each shaft ? That might be why you where striking the longer shaft better aswell
I tried this on my own. When I lost my swing, I used a Taylormade Miscela to get it back. This is a ladies club. Along with that I shortened my swing from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock.
This was a “Fairway Finder” for sure. It helped me get my swing zeroed in. I wound up changing it from a flatter swing to a more vertical swing. Very quickly I moved back to my regular driver, a Taylormade R7 draw. And eventually got the Jetspeed, with a longer shaft. These 3 have different graphite shafts.
While I did find I hit the longer club farther, I didn’t see I lost the fairway with any of them.
Yesterday I go to the range with yet 2 more drivers, a 47” Callaway X-hot and a Slazenger raw distance. At 45.25” both of these I hit consistently at the same distance and found the fairway.
When I try my old flatter swing, the shorter club finds the fairway the best. My vertical swing just finds fairways way more often.
When I tried other drivers, even new modes like the Callaway Paradigm, the 0211, & 0811 by PXG, and a new Taylormade, I found I hit mine better.
My assumption form this the longer shafts may mean more distance, and may mean less or even more dispersion, it just depends. While I realize my experiments are less controlled, my one big improvement came from the move from a flatter swing to a vertical one.
I no longer lose golf balls, except for the occasional water hole, when I am long or short,and for me apparently the head makes some difference, but not a ton. The swing change gained me 50 yards on my drives. I went from 220-225 to 265-275 on my best drives. My 7 iron went from the low 140’s to 165ish. I also found being a senior and a smaller man, I switched to a full hybrid set , that has improved on the yardages even more and gave me more forgiveness.
Very interesting and I think further demonstrating the importance of being professionally fitted when buying a driver.
I've used a 44 inch driver for many years. I believe I hit more fairways over time because of it. YMMV
Great experiment!!!
Are the 43" and 45" shafts tip trimmed more than 47" shaft?
If so, that's the reason why you get low launch on 43" shaft. Shorter length also makes the club stiffer.
Thanks.
You need to take 6 to 8 swings with each club before you start taking data. You went from 47 to 43 inch and expected to be perfectly adjusted to a 4 inch shorter shaft on your first swing.
Very interesting Matt , I think you should continue in researching this . Surly the lie angle would be more upright in the shorter shaft , would this not affect direction? Maybe some average 90 mph players with 10 shots on each length would give better dispersion stats .
Nice to see an average golfer trying this. Just to see how they get on. Also the weighting would be good to see as well how is this done?
I got my latest club shorter / stiffer because everyone was saying that's best... but I've been pulling them left just like you did in this video. I'm going to try a longer shaft next.
same here i try shorter and stiff pull it left a lot NO GOOD going back
@@libertyfighter1 i went back; and stayed to my old clubs. best thing I've done
Great test. Question: I just bought the new Epic Max LS. I didn’t try length of shaft (unfortunately). If I want to buy (just if) a new longer shaft, can I then just buy the same shaft but longer or doesn’t that work that way? I am a 7.4 handicapper.
Just lengthen your shaft
I could give you a long driver and you wouldn't be able to hit it 175 yards, if that. All it needs is a club perhaps 60 inches long. I would suggest NO one could hit it decently. The same would apply to a driver 10 inches long. A compromise is always necessary and anything from around 42" to 47" would be fine, but it would depend on the skill of the individual how well each performed.
In other words, it is a personal matter and most amateur golfers would be best with around 44".
Havent done anything with my driver, byt I do play one length in my irons and I love them
Cut my driver down to 44 inches, gained a ton of control. I’m 6ft, standing closer to the ball helps a lot. I actually gained distance now that the ball doesn’t hook nearly as much. What you lose in flight you gain in forward roll and top spin
Shorter club all went left because the shorter club, having a shorter arc, is quicker to the ball. Play the ball back in your stance an inch or two to compensate. The longer shaft all were centered or right because the longer arc lags the club head a bit. I used to play my driver at 48” and found that it actual helped slow ME down without slowing the club head.
0:46 Are these shafts even trimmed the same? Some like like they're tip trimmed and others look butt trimmed.
In addition to adjusting swing weight for the variations in shaft length, I'd also suggest having two other people...one used to the mid-length shaft, one used to the short shaft. That removes the variable of how much of the measured performance may simply be due to muscle memory and gives a better indication of what inherent performance comes with each shaft, if there's any significant differences (I'd expect differences in club head speed, for instance, but how much does that translate to actual measurable distance gained or shot dispersion?)
Tested at the Scottish golf show and was advised that 1” off the standard shaft was better for me. I’m only 5’9” so how much does height have to do with this?
Yeah that will have a factor as well as hand eye coordination
I’m 5’ 5” and going from 44.5” to 43” definitely helped.
I cut 3 " off my driver 6 years ago and stiol love it.
Did you add any weight or check the frequency?
If you're an average height golfer and want to gain distance with a long shaft driver, try wearing the new platform soled golf shoes. They add 3-4" to your height so you can use the same swing path/plane and won't have any trouble with accuracy.
I took a lesson and owned two different drivers and the coach told me to use the shorter one. After this video I may try going back and testing the longer one and see the difference!! Thanks love your series
Interesting test. I have been away from golf for about 15 years (no jail time involved, honest guv).
As a golf pro, you know how to manage club variations of all sorts. I would be interested to see the results from a high and medium handicapper trying the same test
I've been choking up on driver shaft, and it's been a hell of a weapon.
After hitting the 47 " driver. How many practice shots did you take with the 43" driver before hitting the 4 that count?
I think of someone fades the ball they may have trouble getting around on a longer shaft but for you your miss is left and longer seems to help you a lot. Just a thought I haven’t heard brought up
Commenting before I watch. See if your results are similar to mine.
Recently shortened my Mavrick Sub Zero to 44.5" down from the original 45.75" I also added 16g of head weight to keep the swing weight correct. I hit noticeably more fairways now and actually gained a few yards (top tracer data) as I am more confident and comfortable swinging it at this length.
That was an extremely interesting watch. I found similar to you that the shorter shaft launched lower but with a little loft adjustment that was sorted. You can't argue with the facts, clearly the longer shaft is the best option for you.
But I have to ask, we're you altering the head weight to suit the shorter shafts and keep the swing weight correct?
Didn't show your Data
The first question I have, before I even watched the video, is, did you adjust each shaft so the swing weights match?
i love my 48 inch driver. my ball
go farther but now i used 45.5
it's shorter but it's manageable.
Ha! I play the same shaft and head, you feature in this video. this video was made for me I guess. thanks for the post mate. I am considering shortening the length or looking at a mini-driver.
after cut short the length, did everyone add weight to club head to maintain the same original swing weight? any suggestion?
I'd imagine ones height along with their HC and what they have been used to would be a great guide line. Thanks
That mat moving on the downswing would drive me absolutely bananas.
I've watched a few vids on driver shaft lengths, there are so many people saying the average length on tour is 44" an average length number which they are not matching to the height of each golfer smh it purely depends on the height and wrist height of each individual golfer i.e. if you're 6ft1" with long arms you're going to use a 44" driver shaft. If you're 6ft1" with short arms you're going to need a 45+" driver shaft
Tried a driver shaft long as it came, first drive hit the green on a par 4, 290 30 feet uphill.
Interesting test, thanks, particularly in that you seemed to have a draw/pull bias with short/mid length shafts. My takeaway is that with some practice, a person can rope the long shaft down the fairway consistently. As an aside, Jon Sherman at Practical Golf has gone to long shaft and has picked up distance with no loss in accuracy. Maybe you guys are on to something 😉
I seem to remember a few years ago that the average link for the tour pro driver was 43.5 inches
I was hoping for the Mizuno STx as per thumbnail 😏
Super interesting. Think it proves that what works for one may not work for the next.
Matt, I think this is a video series with 3 of your students (a low, mid, and high handicapper) over 3 months. A month with each length.
Matt, I had a fitting for Mizuno irons today and even though the swing analyser said standard loft and lie, Jacko thought a half inch short was better and I was striping it. I have an under 100 mph swing speed off 21 and would love to make myself available as a guinea pig for you.🥰🥰
You definitely need to add weight for the shorter one. I switched to 44 1/2 and he added weight to the shaft tip to keep my swing weight. I have found my swing speed is very close to the longer shaft but my dispersion is a whole lot less and my distance is about the same as a longer shaft, in fact from my on course numbers I’m about 2 yards longer and dispersion improved in that I’m hitting 90 percent of the fairways.
If you set up to the ball and use the club head position relative to the distance of your stance away from the ball wouldn't you be the same distance away with all the lengths? Asking for a friend that hits off the toe mostly??
I just swapped my Driver shaft 45" Project X 6.0 onto my Callaway 3 wood at 13 degrees. It goes straighter with a slight fade and I was hitting over 240 yds. I also carry a 16 degree 3 wood that I hit really straight at around 215 to 220 yds. I did not try the Driver on the 3 wood shaft as it seems too short.
The real question is...Why do the maufacturers choose that shaft length for the standard over the counter Driver? Going for a fitting that is not the first thing a fitter looks at unless the person is 6 foot 5 or 5 foot 2.
I changed my driver and started getting amazing results
was the swing wieght the same?
Hi, interesting test, same as I have done many times.
It is same as you for me, more fairw hits with longest shafts, haha!
I think you chould use regular shaft and low kick shafts?
Shortend backswing like me also give strait shots! Johnny D Bergh 😅
a fitter put a shorter driver shaft, i found the middle more and it went the same distance as the 44.5 shaft. looking at making the change for a shorter shaft
In the end, the question is about accuracy and club head speed. If you can get fast club head speed and deliver the club right in the middle then use whichever length that works for you. Don’t go by what everyone else is doing.
Just bought a second hand cobra ltdx, came with a 55g regular helium shaft, swapped out my cobra fairway tour tensai blue 65g shaft, I couldn’t stop it going left…. Hmmmm.
I cut down a shaft a few years back in my taylormade xr03 driver by an inch, massive difference in consistency and hitting fairways and only lost say 5 yards in distance, I feel technology in heads these days where shafts are built differently for different heads and weights of shaft doesn’t work as well as “back in the day”
Great video yet Every time you shorten the shaft You’re losing loft and weight. It would be interesting to see if you added loft and weight to the shorter shaft would that help with distance and accuracy by helping to hit the Sweet Spot
It does seem like getting a longer shaft would help if you tend to over draw the ball? delays the whip/turn over of the head so you can present the club more square?
Overdrawing is my experience and I am very curious to see if this would be a ideal improvement option to hit more fairways..?
Maybe swing weight would be a better way? I can't say I know much about that.
Neglecting the on the range grinding swing work which effects the most.. Tho its so frustrating to find that equilibrium of what your body is most aptly/consistently in tune with, tempo wise, or body/arm synchronization wise, or club path tendencies and such, for you to do the least amount of focused controlling of your swing mid round. or pre round even.
Tried this last year, I am not tall at all at 67”. Tried 44.5 , 45 and 45.5. To my shock The longer club was more accurate and I would smash it. I simply felt the club head where it was .
All sane shafts and yes I had the club swing weight adjusted by adding a tip weight to the shorter shaft.
46 was a disaster.
I've played with an extended shaft for going on 15 years. I see no problem with it in my game at all.
Interesting. Love your ideas.
Thank you! 😊
This is honest question I am 23 man who is 6’7ft do I need longer shaft
I built a 46 inch driver, Mainly because I wanted to try and build a golf club and have a bit of fun and I've found it really easy to hit. It also sends everyone deaf as it's a Nike SQ2 square head on the end of said shaft
I am using a shorter driver and finding the fairway more often. Lowering the overall score by 5 at least. No penalties less scrambling.
I am 5’7” W2F 33. My driver is ping 425 43”
Cutting a driver to 43 requires loads of weight to be added to the head. Well beyond what's available in screw in head weights. Just taking an inch off requires adding an extra 12g above whatever is already fitted to get back to the original swing weight.
Been 44.25 " for ages now, no loss of distance but more accurate.
are you measuring the grip to adapter tip or with the head on? I believe proper is to measure with the head on but without a 48inch ruler its hard to get an exact measurement. I am using a grip to adapter 45.5 shaft with a head and measuring with a tape measurer, its in the 47-48 range. I'm a taller guy and steep swing so the extra length has given me about 2-3 more SS and roughly the same ball speed (rapsodo). I'm a 14 so accuracy isn't my strength but from a pure distance standpoint I've picked up at least 5 yards with the longer shaft.
I also wondered if the measurements are of the overall club length (e.g., top of grip to bottom of club head when lying flat on a bench) or if it just the length of the shaft before attaching the head. And then, if it's just the shaft before attaching the head, is it measuring simply the overall length of the shaft (end to end) or just down to where the adapter attaches to the head? Finally, what does "SS" mean in the phrase is "given me about 2-3 more SS"?
I used 44.5 shaft 11.5 degree driver at 76 I get decent distance an great ball control at my age that's good
I experimented with long, medium, short drivers when I was younger, maybe 30 years ago. Swing weights must match up to get this right. I found I could move it further with a 48in driver. I got consistency and accuracy with shorter driver, and a loss of distance. I now play a 42" 12 degree driver, senior flex shaft. I'm 65 and not as capable as I was 30 years ago. My game is centered on accuracy since distance is not my strong suit now. Really, the individual has to find what works for them. From observations (not scientific data) higher handicap players on average, would probably benefit from a shorter driver. I have seen many guys in the 70s who use a hybrid or fairway wood from the tee to guarantee hitting the middle of the fairway, knowing 20 or 30 more yards in the trees or rough kills the score. Everyone is an individual. See what works better for you personally.
I played yesterday with a cobra Jr's club...I'm guessing 2 inches shorter than my pxg 0211 or my ping g30. I hit 6 of 7 fairways and only missed the 7th because of roll out. I am DEFINITELY looking for a newer Jr driver to keep in my bag. Oh, and gave up scant yards on center face strikes and maybe 10 or 12ish on average. Sure felt good not losing any balls and playing from the short grass 95 percent of the time.
What’s the lengths in centimetres
Very good video. Isn’t it the relationship to your height and therefore the balance in the arc that is key?
Its to do more with timing as the arc is wider so the clubhead is farther away making it harder to control.
@@Mattfryergolf Ok sounds good. I appreciate your reply.
which club was better?
I’d like to see adjusted swing weights with each shaft change 👍
This is a dumb question but something I can't find a straight answer for. When the limit is 48", is that 48" for just the shaft, or is the total club length limit 48"?
Total club length
Haven't personally experimented, but I am shaft curious