Driver shaft length

Absolutely it does, among other factors too, but length is one of the easiest to correct for.  Most amateurs will find they have better accuracy with a driver in the 43.5" to 44.5" range.  Easy way to find out is to grip down 1/2", 1", 1-1/2", etc and see what differences that makes in your ball flight and dispersion.  You should be able to see the different even at Dick's on simulator.

 

And congrats on breaking 100! 

 

What part of the 'middle' are you?

Length will affect your impact which will directly affect distance. It's more difficult to make good contact using longer lengths, but there is a point of diminishing returns. A fitting should tell you what length you should be using. Plus, the average Driver length on tour is 44.5" last I heard, and those guys are the best ball strikers on Earth.

I believe the average driver length on the PGA Tour is around 44.5in and Tiger used a 43.5in driver for much of his career. If they could hit a long 46in driver and stay accurate I'd hazard a guess they would. They cant so they don't

I don't swing fast, so 45.5 works fine for me.

 

Pros swing fast, as do many amateurs - so  44.5 at a high speed will have them hitting towards the center more consistently.

 

It's all about balance. When you cut, you cut some swing speed with a very light shaft.

 

As to the SuperFast 2.0, the swingweight is D9 ... so taking off an inch will make the total weight lighter, the swingweight should be okay D3-4?), and the shaft slightly stiffer. SInce the standard shaft is not tight, it should not significantly affect playability ... it could help some people. Remember, you can always take off more, but once you take off length, it's gone. So proceed carefully. Until my swing is more consistent and I get fit for another shaft, I'm just gripping down.

i have the stock 46" in my cobra s2 and its easy enough to hit

I went to 45", to 44.5", to 44". I'm not a long hitter, but I'm 250 yards straight all day after cutting my driver down.

Most players on the tour use blades. Do you think that means most amateurs should be using them also? Pros not playing 46" shafts doesn't tell you what you should do. I am sure a shorter/high lofted club is easier to hit. The question is it worth the distance trade off? That is harder to say. If you are swinging 120+mph, accuracy is probably your #1 goal. If your swinging 90mph, distance is probably more important.

 

 

No they don't.

 

Makes a huge difference, IMO though if you are going to shorten your driver to 45" or less, I think you are better off to either choke down a touch on regular length driver or just hit 3 wood off the tee. 

I found that choking down doesn't feel the same. While hitting 3 wood is a good alternative, cutting your driver down to 45" (though I highly recommend cutting all the way down to 44") is very effective. Better than hitting 3 wood and many more center clubface hits.

 

I was worried that cutting my driver down to 44" would feel too short, but it's the best decision I've made regarding my clubs. I've cut down 3 different drivers (from 46", 45" and 45.25") and have never regretted it.
 

 

I am having no problem hitting a Superfast 2.0 by gripping it down a bit. I won't do it forever. And by no problem, I mean that I have the 10.5 and 13 HT -- and hit both fairly straight with the stock shaft. But I had heart surgery 4 months ago and have no strength -- so stock is straight, except for the very high flight. 

Can you back it up? My informal analysis of reading Golf Digest is about 2:1 in favor but that is from a pretty small sample size and would love to see a more definitive answer.  The overall point is that the pro considerations are not always yours. It would be like saying they hit a 9.5 stiff so that is what you should be using.  It would also be curious to break the pros down by distance. Are the short hitters using longer shafts in an attempt to catch up?  My impression is that the long guys are doing it with power and shorter equipment. Tiger 43.5 driver with a steel shaft seems like an extreme example of that.
 

 

I guess the shorter shaft would lead to greater accuracy but from my own personal experience it didn't make a big (or even noticeable) difference for me.  I had a Mizuno MP 630 that i decided to cut down an inch and I didn't get any more accurate with it.  However, it should be noted that at the time I was swinging like absolute crap so I don't think it would have really mattered what club I was using.

I think Taylormade uses a longer shaft to help make the claim that their drivers are long. The added length increases club head speed which equals more distance, but it's probably harder to hit straight.

I've been using my wife's ladies driver - it's almost 3" shorter than my K15.     Hit it so much more consistent and straight (absolutely no discernable distance difference - seem to hit it as long because I'm on the sweet spot so much more often).    FYI - my swing speed averages at 88 mph - I get 220-230 with roll (game is so much more fun playing from the fairway than the deep rough).    Agree with the previous posters that choking up doesn't feel the same - not a big fan of it.     I'll be shortening the Ping soon ...

Edited by inthehole - 10/15/11 at 8:09am