Measuring Club Length

[Mesa4234]

I recently bought a set of Apex cf16 off callaway preowned. I bought them at the suggestion of my instructor and he told me to get them +1/2 inch. When I was playing this week and at the range today, the AW seemed really short so I measured the clubs and they seem to be either standard length or in some cases a half inch shorter than spec. I measured the club basically in the position it would be in at address from the floor to the end of the grip. Is that the correct way to measure?

I have a lesson next week and my instructor is also a club fitter so I will ask him, but I was just wondering in the meantime. 

Thanks!

[pganapathy]

The catch here is what is standard length.  Ideally, you need club length that fits your body and swing.  If you are hitting the clubs with good gapping and accuracy, don't worry about the clubs being too long or too short

[Adam C]

48 minutes ago, Mesa4234 said:

I recently bought a set of Apex cf16 off callaway preowned. I bought them at the suggestion of my instructor and he told me to get them +1/2 inch. When I was playing this week and at the range today, the AW seemed really short so I measured the clubs and they seem to be either standard length or in some cases a half inch shorter than spec. I measured the club basically in the position it would be in at address from the floor to the end of the grip. Is that the correct way to measure?

I have a lesson next week and my instructor is also a club fitter so I will ask him, but I was just wondering in the meantime. 

Thanks!

Here, I go over how to properly measure a golf club. It's at the 3:50 mark.

 

[billchao]

29 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

The catch here is what is standard length.

When people say standard length, it means the stock length from the manufacturer's specifications.

[leftybutnotPM]

49 minutes ago, billchao said:

When people say standard length, it means the stock length from the manufacturer's specifications.

Yes, which is not always the same. A 5 iron is typically 38" but Mizuno, for example, can be 37.75". 

[billchao]

Just now, leftybutnotPM said:

Yes, which is not always the same. A 5 iron is typically 38" but Mizuno, for example, can be 37.75". 

Right, there's no industry standard. Hell, there's no manufacturer's standard. Different models made by the same company can have different stock lengths.

I always assume, perhaps incorrectly, when someone mentions standard length, they're checking back to the spec sheet of the particular set of clubs to which they are referring.

[Mesa4234]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

Right, there's no industry standard. Hell, there's no manufacturer's standard. Different models made by the same company can have different stock lengths.

I always assume, perhaps incorrectly, when someone mentions standard length, they're checking back to the spec sheet of the particular set of clubs to which they are referring.

I was a bike mechanic during college and still build bikes now, there is no standard length there either, they all do what they want. 

I looked at the standard length of the cf16s and the AW for example measures 35.5" but I measured around 35" to the end of the grip. The clubs were supposed to be +1/2 so even with measurement error, the club is short. The 5 iron is supposed to be 38" at standard length and I measured it to b 37.5 or so. The only club that doesn't fit the pattern is the 4 iron. Standard is 38.5" and it measured 38".

Its not really noticeable on the longer clubs, but the shorter irons feel short. 

[billchao]

3 minutes ago, Mesa4234 said:

The only club that doesn't fit the pattern is the 4 iron. Standard is 38.5" and it measured 38".

I'm not quite understanding. It's 1/2" shorter than standard like the other clubs you mentioned. That fits the pattern.

Maybe they listed the set in error as +1/2" instead of -1/2", or accidentally sent you the wrong set or something.

[Mesa4234]

I meant to say it measured between 38 and 38.5, but still short. I have a feeling you are right, they were a -1/2 instead of +1/2. I am away on vacation for the next couple of days but I will give them a call next week. Thanks for the insight!

[boogielicious]

14 hours ago, billchao said:

Right, there's no industry standard. Hell, there's no manufacturer's standard. Different models made by the same company can have different stock lengths.

I always assume, perhaps incorrectly, when someone mentions standard length, they're checking back to the spec sheet of the particular set of clubs to which they are referring.

Even grip butt ends can be different thicknesses. So there is a lot of variation.