Should I Cut Down My Driver?

[Thedb3]

Hello. This is my first serious season of golf even though have played for a few. I am playing multiple times a week and have improved dramatically. Break 100 most times I play which while not good is good progress. I recently got new irons and got fit for. Plus .5 and 2 degrees up. I absolutely love them and made a world of difference. Best purchase ever. My game is improving everywhere except....

 

I am trash with the driver. I plan on getting lessons this winter but until then am afraid to hit it. I have been using 5 iron off the tee 200+ to good results. I haven’t found a hybrid or wood I hit well so that’s my go to. My driver is super inconsistent. The few times I hit it well I can get 250-275 but not often. I usually hit a slice or just a terrible swing. I know it’s mostly me but did not get fitted and I think that hurts.

 

it is a f9 with 2g in front and 14g in back. I could buy higher back weight or front. It is standard 45.5 inches and stiff flex. 10.5 degrees but I have it at 11.5 as flight is a bit better. I am considering having it cut down to 44.5 or 45 but I’m not sure if that’s the answer. Also would probably need to change the head weight right? I am 6”4 with a 35 wrist to floor if that helps. I use stiff irons and hit them well. Thanks for opinions. 

2 minutes ago, Thedb3 said:

Hello. This is my first serious season of golf even though have played for a few. I am playing multiple times a week and have improved dramatically. Break 100 most times I play which while not good is good progress. I recently got new irons and got fit for. Plus .5 and 2 degrees up. I absolutely love them and made a world of difference. Best purchase ever. My game is improving everywhere except....

 

I am trash with the driver. I plan on getting lessons this winter but until then am afraid to hit it. I have been using 5 iron off the tee 200+ to good results. I haven’t found a hybrid or wood I hit well so that’s my go to. My driver is super inconsistent. The few times I hit it well I can get 250-275 but not often. I usually hit a slice or just a terrible swing. I know it’s mostly me but did not get fitted and I think that hurts.

 

it is a f9 with 2g in front and 14g in back. I could buy higher back weight or front. It is standard 45.5 inches and stiff flex. 10.5 degrees but I have it at 11.5 as flight is a bit better. I am considering having it cut down to 44.5 or 45 but I’m not sure if that’s the answer. Also would probably need to change the head weight right? I am 6”4 with a 35 wrist to floor if that helps. I use stiff irons and hit them well. I could choke up also see if that helps?Thanks for opinions. 

 

[Grizvok]

Wrong forum. You'll want to post it here.

https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/18-clubs-grips-shafts-fitting/

[boogielicious]

29 minutes ago, Thedb3 said:

Hello. This is my first serious season of golf even though have played for a few. I am playing multiple times a week and have improved dramatically. Break 100 most times I play which while not good is good progress. I recently got new irons and got fit for. Plus .5 and 2 degrees up. I absolutely love them and made a world of difference. Best purchase ever. My game is improving everywhere except....

 

I am trash with the driver. I plan on getting lessons this winter but until then am afraid to hit it. I have been using 5 iron off the tee 200+ to good results. I haven’t found a hybrid or wood I hit well so that’s my go to. My driver is super inconsistent. The few times I hit it well I can get 250-275 but not often. I usually hit a slice or just a terrible swing. I know it’s mostly me but did not get fitted and I think that hurts.

 

it is a f9 with 2g in front and 14g in back. I could buy higher back weight or front. It is standard 45.5 inches and stiff flex. 10.5 degrees but I have it at 11.5 as flight is a bit better. I am considering having it cut down to 44.5 or 45 but I’m not sure if that’s the answer. Also would probably need to change the head weight right? I am 6”4 with a 35 wrist to floor if that helps. I use stiff irons and hit them well. Thanks for opinions. 

 

I moved this to the Clubs section.

Before cutting it down, try checking to see if you are making center face contact. Get a dry erase marker or hitting tape and hit a bunch of drives at the range. It could be a simple as just adjusting your set up to make better contact.

If you are making center contact, it might be a swing issue. In that case, start a My Swing thread in the member swings section.

[TourSpoon]

Before you cut anything down, try gripping down an inch or 2 to see if that helps with control. Going from a 5 iron to a driver is a huge jump so try this first. 

For the F9, you can swap out the grip for a standard grip which gets you a 1/4" and you can trim another 1/4" to get it to 45". The weighting should be really close as a standard non-arcos grip will be lighter on the end. But is 1/2" really worth all that before you get it sorted out? 

[Missouri Swede]

1 hour ago, Thedb3 said:

I am trash with the driver. I plan on getting lessons this winter but until then am afraid to hit it.

Why postpone until winter? It could be that a few swing changes make a big difference. There’s a lot of golf left to play before winter, and driver is fun to hit.

[Grizvok]

This video helped me a bunch with finding some ideal characteristics for my driver / shaft, particularly the bit about using the dry erase marker for marking balls and then noting where you are making contact.

 

 

[ChetlovesMer]

15 minutes ago, Grizvok said:

This video helped me a bunch with finding some ideal characteristics for my driver / shaft, particularly the bit about using the dry erase marker for marking balls and then noting where you are making contact.

 

 

Okay, this video is fine. But the giant machete in the background makes me wonder if this guy prowls the streets late at night in teen slasher movies. 

The other thing I'd suggest for this guy is if you have a black driver face get a colored dry erase marker. I have a purple one with which to to this. Works great on black works great with irons. 

[Typhoon92]

Spray foot powder on the face.

[ChetlovesMer]

28 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Spray foot powder on the face.

I agree that works, but I hate that method. I know, I'm a weirdo. I like the dry erase marker method better. You can draw a line on your ball with the dry erase marker and get lie angle for free. Plus, for some reason I don't mine wiping a dry erase marker off the face of my club, but I hate spraying goop all over it. I know, probably irrational. 

Again, I know its irrational but I just quickly wipe off the dry erase marker with my thumb. And I'm fine with it, but I hate leaving a range session with foot spray all over my golf towel. .... I know, I know, totally irrational.

Did I mention I don't like the white belt for male golfers???? ......... I guess I have a lot of hang ups.......

[Double Mocha Man]

30 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I agree that works, but I hate that method. I know, I'm a weirdo. I like the dry erase marker method better. You can draw a line on your ball with the dry erase marker and get lie angle for free. Plus, for some reason I don't mine wiping a dry erase marker off the face of my club, but I hate spraying goop all over it. I know, probably irrational. 

Again, I know its irrational but I just quickly wipe off the dry erase marker with my thumb. And I'm fine with it, but I hate leaving a range session with foot spray all over my golf towel. .... I know, I know, totally irrational.

Did I mention I don't like the white belt for male golfers???? ......... I guess I have a lot of hang ups.......

Everyone, just step slowly away from ChetlovesMer.  Make yourself look big, but no sudden moves.  😁

1 hour ago, Typhoon92 said:

Spray foot powder on the face.

I tried spraying foot powder on my face but it practically blinded me.  Though it did cut down on my face odor.  And no resultant athlete's face.

[ChetlovesMer]

10 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Everyone, just step slowly away from ChetlovesMer.  Make yourself look big, but no sudden moves.  😁

I tried spraying foot powder on my face but it practically blinded me.  Though it did cut down on my face odor.  And no resultant athlete's face.

I've spent the last 2 minutes looking for a spit-take emoji. 

[knott]

I am also tempted to try a shorter shaft. I guess it will be tricky though have to use leadtape  to make the new balance feel right. Will be more in the heel area to make it more neutral. I am also cheap so dont like paying for the adventure. Thinking of one inch shorter from 45,75 to 45,25 and then some relatively safe mid launch shaft perhaps. I wonder though maybe angle of attack would tend to be higher with a shorter shaft so I would maybe tend to get a higher ball trajectory if I tee it forward and hit up on it? If everything else is the same? 

[ChetlovesMer]

14 minutes ago, knott said:

Thinking of one inch shorter from 45,75 to 45,25 ....

Did you go to Chicago Public Schools as well?

[Typhoon92]

25 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Did you go to Chicago Public Schools as well?

U beat me to it!!!!  Hahahaha

I’ve never been a fan of cutting my driver down but To each his own.  I’m trying to find my optimal length starting with 45” and comparing it to my 48”.

[knott]

Yeah 44.75 sorry 🙂

Tried gripping down again but it soon feels weird but yes promising results. I also may have found a new technique that let me be more comfortable with it that fits my natural swinging motion. 

 

 

 

 

[Grizvok]

4 minutes ago, knott said:

Yeah 44.75 sorry 🙂

Tried gripping down again but it soon feels weird but yes promising results. I also may have found a new technique that let me be more comfortable with it that fits my natural swinging motion. 

Yeah, this is the tour average driver length. It also happened to be what I settled on after quite a bit of testing following the video I just posted. I haven't lost any length off the tee and have gained a good bit of accuracy. Definitely worth messing around with especially if you can follow the dry erase marker advice (or the foot spray) and get some data points as to where you are typically making contact.

[Warren Zevon]

  I picked up my current driver from a preowned site and it was an inch shorter than normal.  I have hit some of my best drives with this thing, although I'm not consistent enough with my swing to always take advantage of it.

 

[TourSpoon]

I have had the last 2 drivers cut 1/2" to 45" and just used a lighter grip and everything worked out fine.  I still grip down for a wind cheater or a bunt but normally just grip it like any other club.