Table of Contents
Overview
A driver is normally the longest among other clubs in the golfer’s bag. They designed with the longest shafts, the biggest club heads. Specifically, a driver is meant for propelling the golf ball to far distances. An essential part of a golf club is the shaft. No matter how great your clubheads a, you will struggle to find fairways or shooting far with an inappropriate shaft.
Over the years, the standard driver length has increased from 43 inches to about 45.5 inches, especially men’s drivers. Meanwhile, women are normally an inch shorter than the men’s, about 44 inches (ready-made). To get the best out of your clubs, you must know more about your driver shaft length, its effect on your driver, and how it can impact your game.
Drivers Performance – Accuracy and Distance
It’s wrong to think that the best club heads and golf balls contribute more to distance. The shafts are behind those far-away shots. The longer shaft is what generates distance and not the best shafts.
An added length and advancements in technology have increased the driver’s capacity to shoot far over the years. Unlike the new drivers today, the older ones were more accurate because of their shorter length, about 43 inches. The old drivers were poor in technical built compared to the current drivers, but they still gained more fairways.
However, a longer shaft provides much swing speed for more ball speed able to reach much distance. This signifies that the longer your driver is, the further it will launch your golf ball into space. Studies have shown that an additional inch of the shaft will yield about 10 yards.
A shorter length is favorable for hitting more fairways. Many golf players have shafts that are shorter than 45.5 inches. The longer shafts are flexible enough to produce much swing speed, making the game easier for most players. The farther you shoot, the fewer approach shots you’ll get. This capacity can also send balls going out-of-bounds very often. This will lead to higher scores, which makes a longer driver less accurate.
So for more accuracy, stick with the shorter drivers. As an intermediate player, 2 to 3 fairways shots will positively affect your score rather than risking much while chasing longer distances. This is the simplest tip and certainly, one of the best golf [text]tips[link](https://bullerockgolf.com/best-golf-tips/) you could get.
Trimming your driver shaft
Reducing the length of your driver shaft may seem easy to do. However, the outcome is something to consider before you decide to shorten your shaft. The performance of a driver is determined by the length of the shaft as an inch off could change the feel of your driver. Below are some changes you may experience with your newly trimmed driver.
Address
As you adjust your club and position before hitting, the trimmed clubs may feel odd and bring you much nearer to the ball than usual. At first, you will feel uncomfortable with this change at address. However, with time, you will get accustomed to it. Now, if you go beyond an inch, it’s advisable not to head straight to compete in a tour with your newly trimmed driver.
Swing Weight
When you shorten the shaft length, the weight of your swing won’t remain the same. The balance of your club is its swing weight. If it is changed, it will. When this happens, it will have an impact on the ability to hit a ball effectively. This is why the swing weight is the balance of your club. However, use a heavier shaft to improve the swing weight. There are other methods like adding a lead weight, etc.
Shaft Flex
A trimmed driver will become stiff and have a less flex shaft with a lesser swing speed. This change is bound to happen as long as you reduce your shaft length. In this case, it’s advisable to get a new shaft with the proper length from the factory rather than leaving it in the hands of your local fitter. Your local fitter may be able to shorten it but can’t take care of the stiffness.
The Ideal Driver Shaft Length – Longer or Shorter
Legally, the length of a driver is 48 inches(max), as stated by the golf rules. But most players don’t go anywhere close to that length. It will be hard to control and unfavorable except if you are a much taller player. This is why most professionals don’t use anything longer than 45-inches. As a beginner, it’s better not to choose these shafts based on the standard length of the shaft.
Each golfer in the world is different, including their choices. The idea of shortening a club may not be okay for everyone. The stiffness and change in swing weight of your club all come with a trimmed shaft. Trimming your shafts also reduces the length of your club. Additionally, the further an inch goes off from your shaft, the stiffer your club becomes.
However, a shorter shaft has its advantages. As a beginner, you will probably find more fairways using a shorter driver shaft, terminating the rough misses produce by a longer shaft. Also, with more steady center face contact, you’re likely to produce higher ball speed for distance. Here’s how to [text]control[link](https://bullerockgolf.com/control-the-clubface-at-impact/)your clubface at impact. So, don’t just assume that you’ll obtain shorter drives with a shorter driver.
Conclusion
The length of your driver shaft has a significant effect on your driver’s performance. So as you shoot with the best club heads, remember to examine your shafts, too. When the distance is not your concern but accuracy, the shorter shaft is better to pick. Also, if you’re a player and need to send the ball to a far distance, consider drivers with a longer shaft. They work well at this. So your choice could be based on more fairways or farther shots. There are also other factors like age, height, swing speed, etc. It’s also important that you always test to see the one that works best and fits your game.