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Driver length

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  • 19-10-2014 7:37pm
    #1
    gcurran97
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭


    i was just wondering is there a specific shaft length for a driver , i'm 5 foot 11 and is use a driver that has a shaft length of 44 inches , is that too big ?


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    #2
    A New earth
    Registered Users Posts: 551 ✭✭✭A New earth


    gcurran97 wrote: »
    i was just wondering is there a specific shaft length for a driver , i'm 5 foot 11 and is use a driver that has a shaft length of 44 inches , is that too big ?

    Might be, I'm 5.10.5 and driver shaft is 43 inches (I think, 44 takes goes just past the face?). At a Taylor Made Demo day during the summer using Trackman they recommended putting an inch of black tape on the top of the shaft and gripping below that (that is if I wasn't going to be buying a new Taylor Made Driver :-) ). They maintain most drivers are too long unless you are quite tall.

    Seems to have helped me anyway, give it a try or just grip down an extra inch (tape makes you remember)


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    #3
    elgenerale
    Closed Accounts Posts: 59 ✭✭elgenerale


    44 is shorter than all off the shelf models. Most are 45 and above.
    Its the old debate, increased shaft length can affect accuracy but might give you more distance.


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    #4
    PARlance
    Registered Users Posts: 21,093 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    elgenerale wrote: »
    44 is shorter than all off the shelf models. Most are 45 and above.
    Its the old debate, increased shaft length can affect accuracy but might give you more distance.

    And the manufacturers prefer to sell distance as opposed to accuracy so we have 44-45 inch stock shafts. Probably a few inches too much for most of us.

    Sergio plays a 42.5 iirc.


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    #5
    dan_ep82
    Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭dan_ep82


    44 should be grand, I'm the same height roughly.

    The likes of the X2hot and G30 are nearer 46"

    I play 45 and find it a happy medium


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    #6
    BigChap1759
    Registered Users Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭BigChap1759


    gcurran97 wrote: »
    i was just wondering is there a specific shaft length for a driver , i'm 5 foot 11 and is use a driver that has a shaft length of 44 inches , is that too big ?

    Depends how you are measuring the shaft - are you measuring to where the shaft enters the head or all the way to the bottom of the head?


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    #7
    Montgolfier
    Closed Accounts Posts: 879 ✭✭✭Montgolfier


    Length doesn't matter if you can hit the center of the club face. Play the longest shaft you can control.


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    #8
    BigChap1759
    Registered Users Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭BigChap1759


    Montgolfier wrote: »
    Length doesn't matter if you can hit the center of the club face. Play the longest shaft you can control.

    Yes but the shorter the club the easier it is to hit out of the centre :rolleyes:


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    #9
    gcurran97
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭gcurran97


    Would hitting the ball off centre cause the ball to slice or hook massively ?


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    #10
    dan_ep82
    Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭dan_ep82


    gcurran97 wrote: »
    Would hitting the ball off centre cause the ball to slice or hook massively ?


    If you hit it off the heel it will, same as off the toe. If its only half a ball either way it won't massively slice/hook


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    #11
    ShivasIrons
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭ShivasIrons


    dan_ep82 wrote: »
    If you hit it off the heel it will, same as off the toe. If its only half a ball either way it won't massively slice/hook

    Gear effect is underrated, any off center hit will not go where the swing directs it to go.

    Most have drivers that are too long, 44 inches would be best for most.


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    #12
    woodoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭woodoo


    Most off the shelf drivers are over 45 inches these days. E.g a standard Ping G25 driver is 45.75 inches. The average driver on tour is around 44.5 inches. So that says a lot. The reason these companies have made them longer and longer down the years is that it allows them claim that you can get an extra 10 yards of this new product etc etc. I don't think amateurs should be using longer clubs than the pros. If the pros could control a 45.75 driver then they would use it. Tiger in his best days was using a 43 inch driver.

    Keep in mind though that just cutting a couple of inches of your driver will reduce the swing weight. This may or may not be a problem for you.

    I use 44.25 and am very happy with it.


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    #13
    woodoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭woodoo


    BigChap1759 wrote: »
    Depends how you are measuring the shaft - are you measuring to where the shaft enters the head or all the way to the bottom of the head?

    http://www.golf-components.com/usupprreleof.html


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    #14
    The Aul Switcharoo
    Registered Users Posts: 91 ✭✭The Aul Switcharoo


    Shorter club = more control and tbh it doesn't affect the distance too much. It's all about finding your happy medium.

    I have a 45" Taylormade r11 with a stock stiff shaft that I was struggling both length and accuracy wise with. I just thought that it was because I was playing infrequently over the past couple of years.

    I then went with my old driver - a cobra s9 with a 43" inch aldila shaft with a bit more weight for my last 3 or 4 games and I hit the centre of the club more which naturally increased yardage and accuracy


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    #15
    BigChap1759
    Registered Users Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭BigChap1759


    woodoo wrote: »
    http://www.golf-components.com/usupprreleof.html

    I know how to measure it - was asking the OP if he knew or how long his current driver shaft was :)


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    #16
    alxmorgan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    gcurran97 wrote: »
    Would hitting the ball off centre cause the ball to slice or hook massively ?

    Interesting article that is relevant to this...

    http://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/2014/10/swing-pattern-vs-strike-point


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    #17
    Tones69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭Tones69


    PARlance wrote: »
    And the manufacturers prefer to sell distance as opposed to accuracy so we have 44-45 inch stock shafts. Probably a few inches too much for most of us.

    Sergio plays a 42.5 iirc.

    43.5 hactually. If you are under 5ft 10 i would say you would benefit from shorter driver. Friend of mine is only like 5ft6 and stock g25 driver was waaaay too long. I cut 1.5 inches off it for him and hes been hitting it a lot more consistent.


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    #18
    PARlance
    Registered Users Posts: 21,093 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    Tones69 wrote: »
    43.5 hactually. If you are under 5ft 10 i would say you would benefit from shorter driver. Friend of mine is only like 5ft6 and stock g25 driver was waaaay too long. I cut 1.5 inches off it for him and hes been hitting it a lot more consistent.

    Cheers, was sure I heard it was under 43 before. 43.5 still noticeably different from what the manufacturers are giving us Joe Soaps.

    Tiger apparently has played with a 43.5 too, you could argue that he can't control that too well.

    Think this is a few years old:

    http://www.wishongolf.com/books/search_club_excerpt.php

    "Let me put it another way. Tiger Woods has swung a 43.5 inch driver most of his career on tour. If he could hit the ball straight with a 45 inch club–he would. He can't; so he doesn't. And he knows if he did use a longer driver, he'd have even more trouble keeping it in play. The average driver length for all the other pros on the PGA Tour today is 44.5 inches. Now if Tiger and the rest of his pals know they can't control a 45 inch long stick, what are the chances that you can?"


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    #19
    Slicemeister
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,526 ✭✭✭Slicemeister


    Tones69 wrote: »
    43.5 hactually. If you are under 5ft 10 i would say you would benefit from shorter driver. Friend of mine is only like 5ft6 and stock g25 driver was waaaay too long. I cut 1.5 inches off it for him and hes been hitting it a lot more consistent.

    Just take off the grip, cut down the shaft and regrip?


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    #20
    Tones69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭Tones69


    Slicemeister wrote: »
    Just take off the grip, cut down the shaft and regrip?

    Thats it


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    #21
    shane 007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 914 ✭✭✭shane 007


    I've been following this thread with interest.
    Played today and I play left handed and fade the ball left to right. Today, fading as usual and last 4 driving holes, I decided to come down on the grip about 1" - 1 1/2".
    Every drive was bang on straight. I was amazed! I did notice some distance loss but I'm sure I could get that back with a bit of tweaking.
    A few more rounds experimenting before I go cutting the shaft.
    Cheers for the tip.


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    #22
    Tones69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭Tones69


    shane 007 wrote: »
    I've been following this thread with interest.
    Played today and I play left handed and fade the ball left to right. Today, fading as usual and last 4 driving holes, I decided to come down on the grip about 1" - 1 1/2".
    Every drive was bang on straight. I was amazed! I did notice some distance loss but I'm sure I could get that back with a bit of tweaking.
    A few more rounds experimenting before I go cutting the shaft.
    Cheers for the tip.

    Thats a draw sham :)


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    #23
    shane 007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 914 ✭✭✭shane 007


    Tones69 wrote: »
    Thats a draw sham :)

    Sorry I meant to say right to left :(


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    #24
    Montgolfier
    Closed Accounts Posts: 879 ✭✭✭Montgolfier


    shane 007 wrote: »
    I've been following this thread with interest.
    Played today and I play left handed and fade the ball left to right. Today, fading as usual and last 4 driving holes, I decided to come down on the grip about 1" - 1 1/2".
    Every drive was bang on straight. I was amazed! I did notice some distance loss but I'm sure I could get that back with a bit of tweaking.
    A few more rounds experimenting before I go cutting the shaft.
    Cheers for the tip.

    Before you cut the shaft be aware you will change the swing weight.
    To keep the same swing weight you will need to add weight to the head.
    I did it with an R11s driver as it has weight ports. I bought the weights on eBay.


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    #25
    shane 007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 914 ✭✭✭shane 007


    Montgolfier wrote: »
    Before you cut the shaft be aware you will change the swing weight.
    To keep the same swing weight you will need to add weight to the head.
    I did it with an R11s driver as it has weight ports. I bought the weights on eBay.
    Might just keep the length for those dog legs :) and hold it down on the grip for the straight ones.


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    #26
    BigChap1759
    Registered Users Posts: 1,608 ✭✭✭BigChap1759


    Montgolfier wrote: »
    Before you cut the shaft be aware you will change the swing weight.
    To keep the same swing weight you will need to add weight to the head.
    I did it with an R11s driver as it has weight ports. I bought the weights on eBay.

    Yes - a rough calculation states that you need to add 2g of weight to the head for every quarter inch you remove from the butt end - so taking an inch and a half off would equal 12g of lead tape (the equivalent of 6 swing weights) in order to keep the swing weight the same.

    (I read too much WRX :o)


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    #27
    alxmorgan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    BigChap1759 wrote: »
    Yes - a rough calculation states that you need to add 2g of weight to the head for every quarter inch you remove from the butt end - so taking an inch and a half off would equal 12g of lead tape (the equivalent of 6 swing weights) in order to keep the swing weight the same.

    (I read too much WRX :o)

    Note that changing the swing weight may not be an issue for you. I cut down my three wood about 1 and half inches and didn't add any weight. Feels lighter alright but hitting it better than before so don't feel the need to change weight.


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