Shortening driver

scubapro · 16-12-2011 12:14pm #1

Guys

I know there has been a few threads on this subject going back the last few years in relation to shortening driver and was wondering if some of the guys who posted then and are still posting now can give an update on whether they cut down the shaft, the length the shaft was cut, swing weight being added etc and I suppose what impact shortening the driver had on control, accuracy and distance.

Thanks in advance

SCU

ArielAtom · 16-12-2011 12:27pm

Dont't shorten the shaft, just grip down it was the advice given to me by a Pro. He said it would affect the balance of it. I have since gone for a fitting and have been custom fitted for a 45" shaft. A bit shorter than the norm.

ShriekingSheet · 16-12-2011 12:54pm

I played with a 43" for about a year. On the tech/spec side, I ordered it as such, so it was only ever built to be that length - not a cut-down job. As you've suggested, tampering with an existing club can lead to all sorts of anomolies.

In general, I found it a bad decision. It was my pro's advice. I hit it pretty far, so no issue losing the few yards, but the idea was that I'd gain accuracy, and be able to hit driver on tighter holes, rather than going with 3 wood.

I hit it only marginally straighter, but found that I'd lost a weapon when it came to par 5s and short par 4s. It was a fact of course, but even mentally, the idea of using a restricted club versus others was tough to get your head around.

In the end, I went back to standard and have never looked back. I don't have an issue with accuracy really anyway, and have an edge on most in terms of length.

If I got free clubs, I'd have a 43" 10 degree as a "B" driver for certain courses, and even then only use it rarely. My advice, find a standard head and shaft combo you like and stick with it.

Hacker111 · 16-12-2011 1:23pm

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

I played with a 43" for about a year. On the tech/spec side, I ordered it as such, so it was only ever built to be that length - not a cut-down job. As you've suggested, tampering with an existing club can lead to all sorts of anomolies.

In general, I found it a bad decision. It was my pro's advice. I hit it pretty far, so no issue losing the few yards, but the idea was that I'd gain accuracy, and be able to hit driver on tighter holes, rather than going with 3 wood.

I hit it only marginally straighter, but found that I'd lost a weapon when it came to par 5s and short par 4s. It was a fact of course, but even mentally, the idea of using a restricted club versus others was tough to get your head around.

In the end, I went back to standard and have never looked back. I don't have an issue with accuracy really anyway, and have an edge on most in terms of length.

If I got free clubs, I'd have a 43" 10 degree as a "B" driver for certain courses, and even then only use it rarely. My advice, find a standard head and shaft combo you like and stick with it.

Interesting, what do you play off and what distance did you give up with shorter shaft? my average drive is 225yrds (yours?)

I cut mine down 2 full inches in August as I had researched the option.... I have to say I have never drove better... hit most fairways now with a lot more confidence... my course is not long so not end of the world for me (6k yards)... I was shortish anyway but I don't think I have given up any yards off tee, when I hit it out of the middle it still goes the required distance....

I am toying with being custom fit by TM (or somone) in Spring and trying all options including shaft length to see what the actual difference is....

ThunderCat · 16-12-2011 1:27pm

I got my Ping G10 driver cut down about an inch around 18 months ago as I was a bit wayward with the driver and I was under the impression it was due to the drivers length being too long for me as im only 5'6 in height and was pretty much ok accuracy wise with my 3 and 5 wood. But it turns out my wayward drives were down to a swing fault (not swinging around my body properly) rather than the length of my driver. So now that ive fixed that, im pretty much the same accuracy wise with the cut down G10 as I am with my regular sized spare driver but im prob 5-10 yards longer with my spare driver. That said I still prefer to use my G10 as I find the reduced length sits better and looks better at address for me. One last thing, the pro who cut down the driver for me said that any more than an inch off and the swingweight is affected so bear that in mind OP.

GreeBo · 16-12-2011 5:09pm

On very tight holes I grip down an inch or so if I know that I just have to hit the fairway. I lose maybe 10-20 metres but do find that I hit the sweet spot more often (and so straighter) this way.

But to be honest lately I just set up hitting away from the trouble and fade/draw it back so I have effectively doubled the size of the fairway.

I certainly wouldnt attempt to chop an inch off a club anyway.

k.p.h · 16-12-2011 6:09pm

I would tend towards not shortening the club unless it was a stock shaft of say 45" plus and you were not hitting it cleanly.

Standard shaft lengths have been increasing over the last few years as OM's are trying to squeeze some extra distance out of clubs.

I reckon 44.5" should probably be the standard, and going below 44 would negate the benefit of hitting a driver.

I have heard numerous story's of people shortening drivers and it not working out great. The best advice is probably as greebo said grip down on it TBH.

You could go the TM Burner route and max out the club length to 46" and only take a half swing at it

Jaysus them clubs are long, my girlfriend plays a 09 Burner 12* with a senior mens shaft. She was thinking maybe the shaft was too long and maybe should have gotten the ladies version of the club, in Halpennys recently and picked up the ladies version. It was the same length .! I think the idea is slower more controlled swing with a longer shaft is more effective. Probably is TBH.

FixdePitchmark · 16-12-2011 8:13pm

k.p.h wrote: »

I would tend towards not shortening the club unless it was a stock shaft of say 45" plus and you were not hitting it cleanly.

Standard shaft lengths have been increasing over the last few years as OM's are trying to squeeze some extra distance out of clubs.

I reckon 44.5" should probably be the standard, and going below 44 would negate the benefit of hitting a driver.

I have heard numerous story's of people shortening drivers and it not working out great. The best advice is probably as greebo said grip down on it TBH.

You could go the TM Burner route and max out the club length to 46" and only take a half swing at it Jaysus them clubs are long, my girlfriend plays a 09 Burner 12* with a senior mens shaft. She was thinking maybe the shaft was too long and maybe should have gotten the ladies version of the club, in Halpennys recently and picked up the ladies version. It was the same length .! I think the idea is slower more controlled swing with a longer shaft is more effective. Probably is TBH.

All well and good shortening the grip, but.......................

How did you pull off a golf playing girlfriend, not too handy to get one of them , was it in the Evening Herald or even in Argos.

Tin_Cup · 16-12-2011 9:02pm

Just on a side note the new Cobra Long Tom ships with a 48inch shaft as standard!

alxmorgan · 16-12-2011 9:46pm

Tin_Cup wrote: »

Just on a side note the new Cobra Long Tom ships with a 48inch shaft as standard!

That's just ridiculous.

Anyone guess Sergio's driver length ?

Tones69 · 16-12-2011 10:23pm

alxmorgan wrote: »

That's just ridiculous.

Anyone guess Sergio's driver length ?

43.5 inch?

alxmorgan · 16-12-2011 10:50pm

Tones69 wrote: »

43.5 inch?

43.75 was last I read but of course that could change.
Interesting though when you think of off the shelf length these days
Theory is the longer club allows them to have stats that say its longer by x yards - which it is when hit by a robot but for your average Joe just makes it harder to hit

scubapro · 17-12-2011 12:42am

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

I played with a 43" for about a year. On the tech/spec side, I ordered it as such, so it was only ever built to be that length - not a cut-down job. As you've suggested, tampering with an existing club can lead to all sorts of anomolies.

In general, I found it a bad decision. It was my pro's advice. I hit it pretty far, so no issue losing the few yards, but the idea was that I'd gain accuracy, and be able to hit driver on tighter holes, rather than going with 3 wood.

I hit it only marginally straighter, but found that I'd lost a weapon when it came to par 5s and short par 4s. It was a fact of course, but even mentally, the idea of using a restricted club versus others was tough to get your head around.

In the end, I went back to standard and have never looked back. I don't have an issue with accuracy really anyway, and have an edge on most in terms of length.

If I got free clubs, I'd have a 43" 10 degree as a "B" driver for certain courses, and even then only use it rarely. My advice, find a standard head and shaft combo you like and stick with it.

Great feed back guys, SS must be great to have that confidence to address the ball on the tee box and know that you are gonna be that accurate using driver, I'm sure it must do wonders for your game.
I was playing a Callaway Diablo edge driver 1 degree closed it was a very forgiving club when I wasn't hooking the ball, that was my predominant bad shot a hook but only with driver.
Decided to change and went with a Ping G20, now when I addressed the ball this club looked open the complete opposite from the Callaway and now my predominant shot has turned into a slice,arghhhh, in saying that my average FIR for 12 rounds with the G20 is 51.5%. I know there has been alot of debate about the short game etc, which incidentally I totally agree with but to get your scores down you have got to be consistent from the tee box. For instance last Saturday I played Millicent, nice course,long, on the front nine I hit 71% FIR and on the back nine it went down to 29% FIR arghhhh so f...ing frustrating.
Anyway was googling and came across some articles about how the average length of the tour pro drivers blah blah blah was 44.5 inches and tiger played with 43 inch driver the year he won the masters blah blah blah, anyway as alot of debate already on the net states why amateurs are playing longer shafts than the pros eg commercial reasons, longer, better, straighter etc etc etc why are we not playing shorter drivers if its gonna give us more accuracy and ok maybe a small decrease in distance.

Incidently the G20 specs come in at 45.75 inches long, a little behing TM.

SCU

Whyner · 17-12-2011 10:22am

What size driver do those who got custom fitted play with?

Hacker111 · 17-12-2011 12:54pm

Sergio, Tiger et al have 44 inches .... amateurs sold 45.5/46 inches... much harder to use.... best players in world use shorter....pretty clear to me!

Shortening driver

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