I hit my driver longer and better when gripping down

[Zeph]

My irons are fairly consistent, distance is good, but the driver has never been a success. It doesn't match the longer irons, hybrids and woods.
I was playing one day and on a narrow par 4 I decided to grip down on my driver instead of using the 3 wood to get better control. The result? I hit it as straight as ever, and further than normally. Tried this the rest of the day with great results.

The thing I dislike the most about a driver is the weight and long shaft. I never feel like I've got control of the club. A long iron or wood is much more firm and easier to control. All my shafts are stiff.

I know Kim grip down on his clubs, still hits Tour distance. Anyone in here experimented with this? The club feel a lot easier to control and I can relax more, so I don't lose distance. I know of course that I don't get maximum distance with the driver yet. My longest drives have been around 260, but my average is more around 230. I hit one yesterday to 255 with a grip further down. How much difference in distance can grabbing down on the driver grip cause? I can definately live with 250+ at this point. The driver is the biggest cause for blowing up my rounds. Never gotten hang of it, still hit it sky high.

My club can be one cause. I was never fitted. Bought it just when I got my handicap. A driver fitted with shaft, weight etc. might help. I know you can't fix a swing flaw with a new club, but using the wrong equipment can cause more trouble than necessary. I've changed my entire bag this season, with the exception of my driver, so I probably won't change it for at least another season. I like the driver, but I'm too inconsistent with it.

[dragonflyin]

Yep, I choke down on days I'm not feeling my best with the long stick. There's no noticeable difference in distance. In fact, I probably hit it further just because I'm making more solid contact. One inch or so of shorter shaft will have no real distance effect. Especially if there's a lot of variability from swing to swing at our handicap levels.

[amcquay]

I've read that most tour players have their drivers at 44.5" to 45" in length. Compare that to many drivers hanging in your local shops that are nearing 46" length stock. I'm actually planning on cutting 1/2" or 3/4" off of my driver when I re-grip it this offseason.