Shortening a backup driver???

[cape cod beachfront golfer]

Over the winter with too much time on my hands I purchased a new Powerbilt Air Force One driver (9.5 stiff). My Tour Edge Exotics CB (10.5 Reg) is still my go to driver BUT the AF-1 does really blast the ball. My problem is with the shaft. It is at least an inch longer than my TEdge and fades to the right more than half the time. What would my results likely be if I decided to have the AF-1 driver shortened to more nearly match my TEdge? I hear of people shortening drivers all the time but my 1 time experiment with a clone I glued up myself was a bust. Zero feeling...monster hooks!  Am I wasting my time trying to cut down the AF-1 ? I doubt if the shop doing the cutting & re-gripping will have the ability to adjust the swingweight of the club, so I am talking just shortening the shaft an inch or so.  Or should I just keep the Air Force One around to "scare straight" my Tour Edge when it starts to rebel?

[mvmac]

It will make the shaft relatively more stiff and the club will feel lighter, like you said swing weight will change.  An inch will definitely change the club

[k-troop]

I had the same issues when I went to a new driver last summer; I had been playing a 43" steel shaft in my driver.  The giant head and 45" shaft seemed too long.

I played with it for about a month gripped down 1-1/2"-2".  I liked the way it played, and didn't notice any difference in the feel or swingweight.  So I cut it down 1" (I still grip down a little on most drives) and have no regrets.

Cutting it down a bit will change the characteristics of the shaft on a frequency monitor.  However, what matters isn't what a machine says--it's how you hit it.  I think as a general rule 1" or 1-1/2" butt trimmed off of the driver is going to help more golfers than it hurts.

[cape cod beachfront golfer]

thanks,

I think I will try gripping down on the club for a few days...

I've never gripped down on a driver so it will be interesting...

I'm not convinced it will be a fair comparison but is worth a try.

I know the shaft length is problem #1...

but the club already feels light to me...

so I am a bit afraid the shorter/lighter shaft might be too light.

I recently switched back to an older sand wedge because the head felt heavier.

the heavier head just gives me more confidence...

[WUTiger]

Find a clubsmith that knows how to calculate adjustments to keep the swingweight the same.

If the clubsmith could pull the shaft without damaging it, and tip weight it,  you could maintain the same swingweight after trimming off 1 inch.

Or, you could calculate what a lighter weight grip would do to the swingweight after trimming the shaft. For either tipweighting or lightening the grip, you would need a skilled clubsmith to make the calculations.

Generally, you lose three swingweights for every half-inch of shaft you trim off.