Peter Finch Golf Hi Pete. Ive done same with my Ping Anser driver shorter plus lighter. More accurate with faster ball Speed. Need to get out on course to try.
Peter Finch Golf great comparison. I have the LST Head, although I haven’t hit it yet. Correction: The playing length of driver with the Ping Tour shaft should be 45.25 inches. Know this because I cut down that same shaft 0.75 inches to get to a playing length of 44.5 in.
Here 6 years later. Made the swap last week coincidently. Feel like I broke the game. Went from struggling to breaking 100 to shooting an 89 my first day out with it. Amazing what keeping the ball in play can do...
After watching this vid, i took off for the driving range. For the first time in my golfing life, i tried a 3 wood xtra stiff shaft in my driver. Result = Incredible accuracy and excellent length. plus More Centered Hits... Should of done this years ago. Massive difference in confidence off the Tee now in all weather conditions. Shot shaping with my driver is also now a lot easier. My Handicap 6.. age 53..also Less Lower Back Problems as i am Not Over Twisting as i did with a 46 INCH xtra stiff Driver Shaft. So pleased i tried this out... Great Vid and Massive Thankyou..!!!
I’ve been using a 43.5” driver for 25 years. I actually LOSE distance with a “standard” 45+ inch monster. Worst trend ever in the Golf industry is to stick everyone in super long drivers just because an Iron Byron swing machine hits them farther. Regular humans usually don’t. Not to metntion the issues with accuracy and confidence.
I have been using a 3 wood shaft in my driver now, more comfortable, way way more confident, more accurate and overall more consistent, also use a 5 wood length shaft in my 3 wood. Sounds daft but it's working for me and I'm enjoying not losing a load of balls in trees so vicious slices.
I have a Kuro Kage shaft I never use and always wanted to try a short shaft with the driver. I had it shortened and re-gripped last night as an experiment, it's now at 43" and I just tried it for the first time. WOW! I should have done this sooner! A much better feeling, me swinging the club and not the club swinging me. I didn't loose anything on distance or speed. I will absolutely be shortening my main Ventus shaft now! I watched your video to see if distance stayed consistent for anyone else who tried this. I'm glad it did for you too! If anything I got more distance and I got it consistently. There was no need to choke down, it all felt lighter ;and with more leverage, and I didn't feel jammed. My arms are slightly longer than average so the shorter club made me feel like I had more space for my hands without having to swing out and away so much, I could keep them under me better. That kept the weight on my heels better vs the toes. What a great session.
I'm sold! I have been rolling around the thought of trying a shorter shaft in my driver all winter, but its a done deal now. Thanks for all the great content!!!
I tried out a 3w shaft in my driver for a couple rounds before I went ahead and trimmed my driver down to 43.5". Its definitely a confidence boost. I'm not saying I stripe every fairway every time but I never step up on a tee with that feeling of not knowing where the ball's going. I highly recommend everyone try a shortend driver at some point.
Preach Brother Pete. I’m a short fellow, 5’6” and always had trouble swinging a standard length driver. Gave it up. Hit 3W off every tee, because I could hit it 235 to 255 depending on course conditions, and was in the short grass. Scores stayed consistent. This year I got an Epic Subzero with a 44.5 inch shaft, and oh boy!!! Never have I been this comfortable on the tee box. Still in the fairway, but total length has increased by 25 to 30 yards. All my playing buddies laughed when they took it out of my bag, but cry when they go digging in their wallets after 18 holes!! Pay up suckers. Shorter shafts are the way of the future!!!
Ping G400 Max shortened by 1 inch and my 3 W G400 std shortened by 1/2 inch / about the same length as my 5W. Gained distance, more straight, kept the 10.5 * on my driver. Still not always straight with my 3W but a lot better.
Pete you have read my mind !!! I've really been struggling with my driver and I do have lessons lined up .. but I recently added a 5w 19° ping g400 and I am hitting it incredibly. . It was a mate that suggested shortening my driver length .. it's like the callaway fusion with the shorten shaft ... if it gives more confidence and control and helps finds fairways ... I'm up for bitta that ... looking forward to your course data ... keep up the great work
Good video. I've been playing a 43.5" driver (Nike SQ Dymo or M2 with cut-down shaft and hot melt to D2 swingweight) for the last two years. For me, the longer shaft made the swing one long lever (from my shoulders) and took wrist release out of the swing. The shorter driver shaft let's me have an articulated swing with wrist release - like my other clubs. That generates more clubhead speed and also allows me to better release the club/head and square up at impact.
I did the exact same switch with my Ping G425 LST Driver and G425 MAX 3 wood. With the driver I actually gained a few yards, I assume because of more pure strikes. My dispersion also improved with the shorter shaft. What I found interesting also was the 3 wood with the Driver shaft. When hitting off of the tee, I gained considerably more distance, and the dispersion remained very similar. Idk why, but for me, switching shafts had me hitting both clubs further.
Hi Pete, great video Ive always struggled with driver. Last year I switched to a shorter shaft as an experiment, I went from a 22hcp down to 16hcp. I didn't notice much loss of distance but definitely found more consistency
I had a TM JetSpeed driver and cut the grip-end down by 1.5 inches. Control improved, and distance was marginally shorter. I still have that driver in the bag I keep at my in-law's. Every time I play with my father in law, I am reminded how much I liked the shorter driver shaft.
Great stuff, I just did this with my R15 driver. I had 2 inches taken off reducing it to 43.5 inches. Certainly get the middle of the club more often and haven't lost any noticeable distance. But i now hit more fairways than before. Really interesting that swing speed hasnt all that much. I had heard this before in research before I had mine shortened. All evidence was showing minimal to no reduction. Nice to see a golf pro I've come to trust, back that up. I feel I've made a good decision for my driver.
When I got fitted for my Epic driver last year I got fitted with a 3 wood shaft in it. Better dispersion, better smash factor, felt more comfortable with it and probably because I was able to hit nearer the center of the club more often, no loss in distance.
Play with a 44 in driver and 41.5 in 3 wood. Love the extra control I get from both. Feel much more confident standing over each shot with those. Great test Pete. And a late congrats on your trip to Augusta!
I've been playing 3w shafts in my driver for a decade, typically 43"-43.5" playing length. I find the center of the clubface more often than with a longer shaft. I currently play the M1 440 with a Rogue 125 60g tx. I constantly hit 300+ and my local pro doesn't understand how it's possible.
I too play a 3wood shaft in my driver but I use the same make of shaft same flex 20grams heavier which is what helps with dispersion as well as the shorter shaft length 43 inches and I am so glad that I changed to this set up works fantastic and a true fairway finder .Great video thanks
I personally play with a half inch shorter shaft in my driver. It has absolutely improved my consistency and I have noticed more distance with the shorter shaft simply because I hit the center more frequently. I would recommend a shorter driver shaft to anyone willing to give it a shot, great video Pete!
My Jr. player did this with his driver with great results. I have the same G400’s in my bag and might try the swap in the future but today I added 1” of lead tape to where the “Draw” setting would be in the newer Pings and seem to straighten out my ball flight taking the hard fade out. Golf is an experimental sport!
I run a stock length shaft on my M2 but i choke down an inch and a half. I dont loose distance but i stay in the fairway more. I know this is not the same but I have thought about trying to use a stock 3 wood shaft in a driver, and now i think I might. Thanks pete. cant wait for the course vlog on this.
I was fitted for the G400 driver by Ping last year & they recommended I shorten the shaft to 44 3/4". I found the same results as you, no lose of distance and much better accuracy. I think you are on to something Peter!!
Hi Peter, I stopped using my driver completely for several years as I could not control the Beast. My driver was inconsistent, I can hit longish (Good shot 250yds & I'm 60yr old) but that's no good when you are losing balls left and right. Lost confidence rapidly then decided to hit 3 woods and hybrids instead off the tee. This was okay when I creamed it, but I needed to cream it all the time to keep up with the drivers. Recently I figured out it was Driver Length, 45" was tooooo loooonnng to control for a mere mortal. I am now experimenting with chocking down 2-3", so 3 wood length. I get the same results as you, tighter dispersion and same distance but at my age I'm happy as long as I hit fairway and carry 200-220 consistently and have second shot in. At least my bad shots are still in play. The problem is 100% driver shaft length is impossible to control when it's 45" for most people. In fact average driver length on tour is 43", that tells me everything I need to know !
Have you tried speed training and trying to increase your swing speed and ball speed. I found with modern drivers accuracy comes when the swing speed increases as discovered with my TM Sim 2 max
Glad you finally caught up Pete ;-) As I have said to you before in a previous comment, I am a custom fitter and the majority of people I have fit for Drivers all come in much shorter than standard with no distance lost but a massive variance in dispersion. The only thing I should add is the Swing Weight/Balance Point and MOI of the club the way you tested it will be "Massively" different but in your case with such a repetitive swing, you did not seem to be greatly effected but does explain your tendencies for the heel strikes you were getting. The PGA Tours worldwide have been at 44.5 inches or less for most players in the modern era and this is why buying off the rack is not a good idea if you want your game to advance......keep up the good work!!
@@acgolfwrx9852If I’m just experimenting myself would the alternative to hot melt be to add, for example, 5 or 10 grams to the rear weight port? And then I suppose experimenting with changing weight configuration on fade and draw bias ports to straighten out ball flight? Thx
Great video Pete 👏👏 Last year I purchased the Cobra f7 driver and had a shorter shaft put in it. Feel much more confident with it that my old TaylorMade driver.....
swapped in a shortened driver shaft by about 3/4" from a club pro as a trail to see if i liked it or not (was actually only seeing if i liked x-stiff shaft over stiff but they only had a shortened shaft for a trail). i noticed straight away that i was finding more fairways and a lot less dispersion on my drives at no loss of distance. i am average height (5'10") and weight, don't know my club head speeds or anything but did feel more comfortable with the shorter shaft. and for the first time in many years that i could produce more of a straight/small draw instead of slice/cut. keep up the vids
Hi Pete, I also experimented. Got a TM R15 shaft shortened by an inch. Thought it would stiffen up the shaft.... it did. It became unplayable. Swapped it for a shorter standard stiff shaft in the driver. Much better. It was a custom shaft and I have to say with its different characteristics and shorter length I feel much happier with it. Accuracy over distance was my goal
Did something similar with a rR15 3 wood vs 5 wood shaft and the trajectory and flight improoved and flattened, overall better performance and control with a 13.5 head, so i am not surprised at yous findings. Good video log finch !!!!!
I like where your going with this. I like shorter shafts big time. I am only 5 f 7 inches. I use a 44 inch shaft on my Ping Driver. Works great. It came with a long shaft. Companies today put out drivers with shafts that are way too long for many people. Better control and dispersion with the shorter , more reasonable ones. The great Jack Nicholas used a driver with a length under 43 inches. Great review Peter! Spider Dubiel
evening pete ,was struggling with my g driver ( slice )so changed the shaft from my g 3 wood , no drop in distance but straight , put a small line ( tipex ) on the back of my driver shaft so playing it as a 3 wood shaft , now hitting hit arrow straight , but not showed any of my playing mates!!!! keep up the good work .
I did this about 4 to 5 years ago. Put my 3 wood shaft into my Cobra Amp Cell Driver and to date it's the best driver I ever had. I have a 44" driver shaft now but it's not the same. Great video. Love the music 👍
1:34 "Driver to Shaft Ratio Switch" weird face This is why we love Peter's videos. This experiment is very interesting. I went with a driver shaft in a three wood head, chasing the same "Accuracy to Distance Ratio Results. Either way, we're seeing benefits of higher lofted clubs off the tee.
Commented on FB before watching your video. When I got fitted for my Epic driver I ended up with a 3 wood shaft in it. For me it meant giving up a few (not many) yards off the tee but meant hitting a lot more fairways. As long as distance is not a huge problem off the tee it is a great swap. Yet another of the advantages to getting custom fit. It is not something I would even have thought of if I had been buying a driver off the shelf
Have my driver at 44" and like you my misses are far less dramatic as far as dispersion and my contact on the face is more consistent. I've hit the ball to some spots at my local course where I haven't been before when I switched to the shorter length. I'd advise you to give it a real shot and maybe tip an x flex an extra inch or so to stiffen the tip and let it get the launch and spin down a bit. Thanks for the vlog. Keep it up Pete!
I like that you are testing things like this! I personally have a shorter driver shaft (44.5) and do find the dispersion better than with the longer shaft.
Love this!! I actually had my Titleist 915 D2 driver shortened 1" last year and it helped with dispersion big time without seeing a noticeable distance change...I look forward to some on-course testing...Well done Pete!!
Came across this issue 4 years ago. Cut down my driver length to 44 inches and my FIR numbers improved dramatically! However am tempted to cut it down another half inch, after seeing this! Cheers Pete, thanks for sharing. PS Now you know what you have to do to get 5 points on that last shot in the FSX skills challenge 😋
I got fitted for a Ping G driver. We tried the standard shaft and the 3wood shaft on trackman. The consistency and almost no change in distance was too good to pass up with the shorter shaft. I ended going with a 44 inch driver shaft. I only have one arm and the control with this club made it easy to swing. I even started hitting a draw. But definitely worth trying. Mark
I got fitted in Dec 2016 for a Callaway Fusion with the shorter shaft. I've never driven it better. I'm only 5'6 so it made sense. But more than that I feel confident to be able to hit it pretty hard. I don't feel I will really moshing it if I do. My SLDR was just the opposite.
Very interesting. I used to carry a mini driver for tight tee shots, and often found it was as long as my regular driver. Looking forward to the on course test, as I play the g400 lst now and it’s been the most accurate driver I’ve played. Intrigued to see if it could be even more accurate. Thanks for the quality insights you give.
YES! I was about to do this with my 917d3 and 917 f2! I was wondering if anyone had done it and had a video. I was going to shorten my driver and 3w to get some better control. I Am certainly going to try this on thu. Awesome video Pete....now a video on driver MOI and what that really means to me!
I think that really is a great point Pete! If you feel more comfortable behind the ball your swing speed with a shorter shaft then the swing speed will be the same or might even rise. Great video AS ALWAYS!
I recently did this with my taylormade m1 driver and 3 wood and I was absolutely shocked at the difference for me. I also felt way more in control with the shorter shaft and I felt like I was making better ball contact. My dispersion was also significantly better with the shorter shaft. My numbers shocked myself and my golf buddy. I went from hitting drives total 280 to now a carry of 280 and 305 total distance with the shorter shaft. I feel like most golfers, especially average golfers would benefit more from shorter driver shafts and I think it's a numbers ploy for the manufacturers in order to sell more clubs. This type of data shows that you should never overlook getting properly fitted for your clubs.
The key word there is "properly fitted", Your average club fitter in a golf super store does not have the comprehensive understanding required to help an average player with the subtleties of this art. In my opinion. My son is a scratch player, and has recently been introduced to the somewhat hidden, exclusive and usually sponsored elite fitters' world. And it is entirely different in terms of availability to equipment and expertise. Just sayin'
i did this with my 2014 Big Bertha and haven't gone back. feel so much more confident with my driver. My accuracy has improved hugely and have GAINED avarage distance because my sweet spot hits have increased. I can't recommend doing this enough.
I was going to do this with my R15 as I couldn't get consistent flights or strikes like i can my R11 3 wood but read loads of negative press about it. Now I'm hunting out a 3 wood shaft to try in my G400 Max. Great vid Pete, this really interests me 🤘🏻 look forward to seeing more testing matey
Peter, I had never seen this video before. I'm no golf coach or pro but you had much greater command of the driver with the shorter shaft. Your swing looked more compact and stable AND the swing looked confident. David 🚀
Over the years I have played with driver shaft length a bunch - and also did a bit of launch monitor driver fitting testing to see if what I found on the course was real. My summary is this: If you want to build a power fade low spin driver, where you will really only use it to hit power fades, then you can build and harness a 45-45.5 inch shaft to maximize the length / accuracy trade-off (ruling out the left side miss with max length). If however, you want your driver to be neutral / couple yard draw to match your other clubs in the bag, then from a maximize your length / accuracy tradeoff, then at least for me (5'9", 8 handicap, 105mph driver speed), a 43.5-44" driver will absolutely be a better scoring club because of the gains in accuracy and the little to any loss in distance because of consistent slight draw spin, and gain in confidence over the ball. Big issue is swing weight because topping 1.5" off the top of a driver can send the swing weight into the crazy light zone so this has to be addressed otherwise feel becomes an issue. After all my tinkering, I've ended up with a few drivers, but my usual goto combo is a power fade low spin driver and then a strong lofted 3+ wood (12.5 degrees) that I will use when I want to draw the ball off the tee. I then carry a long and short hybrid (18/22 degrees) for gapping purposes. With the long and short hybrids, I also do the same but opposite - the long hybrid set up for neural to draw and the short scoring hybrid set to fade so it won't go left. It has taken me a long time to arrive at this setup, but mentally I have concluded that for my longer clubs, since things can go wrong, I want to dial in the shape of the club from a fitting perspective so I know the goto shape when I pick up the club (Fade Driver, Draw Strong 3wood, Draw Long Hybrid, Fade Short Hybrid). I love this setup as it rules out thinking.
Always been something I've thought about since using the one length irons. I'd like to know though if you changed your ball position with the shorted shaft to a 3 wood position?
steven ... first of all , shortening the shaft allows you to add some weight to the head ( some 7gramms/ 1/2 inch - if it's the same shaft , if it's a heavier shaft then 2 g less per 10g extra shaft weight ) ... therefore you'll have more mass in the head and so better ''smash factor'' ... so even with a lil' less club head speed you'll get tiny bit more ball speed ... in theory , you'll drop 1.5 mph for 1/2 inch ... ( clubhead speed , ball speed multiply by 1.4 or so ) but in reality there is barely 0.5 mph difference ( club head ) ... just because one doesn't have the same confidence with a longer shaft ... and part of that difference you'll make up anyway with the better smash factor ... if you cut more than 2 inches you may see a difference on ''best strike'' against ''best strike '' but on 10-20 shot average the shorter shaft will be longer ... how much depends on how consistent a driver you are . but once you go too short , say less than 41 '' than the benefits become out weighted a bit ... no more real gains in consistency ... hope that helps and remember you can only find the best combination for you through experimentation ... which also mean some expenses , lost shafts , grips , counter weights and lead tape ... not to mention quite a few hours ... I used ping , which i had already , using easily 3,5,7 woods shafts on the driver head to gain feed back ... however , for me was worth it ... driver used to put me in a lot of doo-doo , playing some tough courses i used to blow a lot of rounds because of some bad drives ... cheers
I was NOT at all surprised to see your test results as I've seen the same thing when I did this test years ago. What was NICE to see was that YOU could hit the ball so much straighter than what most of the other guys doing club test videos can do Most other guys hit a fade than a draw and who knows what the next swing. With you hitting the drivers, you got pretty much the same ball flight just about every time. Really nice to see what you did compared to the other guys out there. Nicely done Perer.
I was curious too; searched it and found you were trying it out. I tried it and found I got the same lousy dispersion I normally get with driver. I do like the feel and look over the ball though. Once again, equipment has not resolved my flaws. 😂
I have been playing with an X stiff flex 3 wood shaft in my driver since learning about tour pros playing with a shorter shaft. My ball flight is lower but bullet straight. I can not be happier and this is from a player with a natural iron fade, with a more open to slice driver. Never looked into why, just loved the result 😂
fredatemypie just curious about this, I had read on blogs about swapping a shaft from a 3 wood to a driver that the stiffness changes. Don't know if that's true or not or if they're referring to modifying the existing driver shaft down to a 3 wood shaft length. But my question is did you notice any change in the characteristics of the shaft going from the 3 wood to driver? What about the weight?
hi there, as far as im aware the only difference between a driver shaft and a fairway shaft is the way it is tipped. Naturally dont cut your driver shaft down to a fairway wood length ( counter productive ). I changed from a 55g to a 65g shaft. My swing speed has not changed still around 101mph. As the shaft is shorter I am hitting on average further ( this because it is easier to hit middle, surprising what a few inches does ) If you are looking at changing, i would test the fairway shaft in driver and see how you get on and then order a driver shaft of the length you require. you will naturally get fitters and people talking about different swing weights. I read an article somewhere talking about most amatures are playing with drivers to long for their capacity to successfully hit effectively, so why do we struggle with a length of driver not suited.... Something for them fitters to answer
I have found the same experience in that combining a lighter shaft but stiffer profile all along the shaft provides the compensation and stability for more accuracy and consistency.
Excellent work Peter, thanks. This is probably whacked but I'd like to see a couple of really experimental videos. Stuff like a 38-40" driver or a 3 wood that's 2-3" shorter than normal.
Hi Pete. Did you ever do any on course testing? this is something i have tried before with a cut down driver and had some success but was wondering if a proper 3 wood shaft would be a better option that the cut down shaft.
i use a 42.5 x stiff aldila rouge shaft in my epic but we had to add more weight to the head to keep swing speed up. my fairways found whent up 37% last year.
Pete.. what was the difference in strike location between the 2? I’m interested to see as I think it’s easier with shorter shaft to get more centred strikes more often.. your thoughts?
Finding it hard to concentrate on what you are trying to tell us.....I am still gobsmacked / jealous / excited....that you are going to the Masters....enjoy it mate! Cheers...
I have tried my g410 head with 3 wood shaft but not great results wise but I was more confident in teeing it up ready to take a shot, thinking it should be as good as I am with a 3 wood
Recently shortened my driver before watching this and found that hitting balls in the sim (Canadian, so much too cold to be outside) my control was much better and no real change in distance. Felt more confident at address with the now shorter 43.5” club length instead of 45”. Cool video interested in seeing more testing on this topic.
I am currently debating between a driver and possibly instead a 3 wood hl(hl). My previous drivers and 5 woods were d0 swingweight, and cut in length to 44” and 41.5” respectively but adding weight to head to partly compensate and taking weight off the grip too. The reason for thinking about a 3hl is the versatility to use off the tee and off the fairway more easily. The new titleist ts range offers this possibility as an option. I am thinking of combining this with two hybrids (3,4) and then onto the irons
currently playing a tipped and pured regular shaft! It's a quite light stiff shaft now and i gained about 4 mph headspeed due to confidence and the fact that a shorter shaft is easier to handle! Would recommand this to everyone struggling with accuracy and also lack of swing speed
Hi Pete, appreciate this video is a couple of years old now however I only stumbled across it a couple of days ago. Did you ever do a follow up to this? I’m currently playing my G400 3wood shaft in the driver (G400 LST) and have way more confidence and accuracy with it and don’t believe I’m giving much away distance wise!!
Did the same to my 2016 M1 Taylor Made. Actually had the shaft shortened by 1 1/2 inches from standard length. I have now played 10 rounds and I'm now a happy camper. As you found out for yourself, I lost NO yardage with the shorter shaft, but a lot more consistently hitting fairways. And in the center of the fairways at that. Anxious to see what happens when you take this test out to the course, although I'm already fairly sure what the results will be. happen.
Did this test with my cobra F7+ driver from my cobra F7 baffler 3wood. Had the same results. (Not any computer data, but range data) needless to say I now have a 33.5" driver and a 200% confidence increase. Also i may add I have my woods/driver set up in half inch increments. 5w 32.5",3w 33" , dr. 33.5 , great consistency. Highly recommend for people in search of fairways as I once was.
I play the rogue with the shaft an inch shorter and love it. When I hit it on track man the distance was the same and the dispersion difference was very small but it gives me more confidence to swing the shorter stick
Just watched this as it popped up. I am having the exact same thoughts with my G400 LST Driver and G400 3 wood... interesting to see how things didn’t really change other than your confidence!
I know I'm 2 years too late but did you end up doing on course testing with the shorter shaft. I can't seem to find the video but would be interested in watching it.
I've gone this route before by cutting a driver shaft down. Currently playing an Epic with a Speeder 665 cut to 44 1/4 inches (from 45 3/8). Changed grip from a Dritac mid-size wrap to a Drictac Lite mid-size wrap to get the same swing weight (within 1 anyway). Not sold on it, as I switch to a 45 1/2 shaft off and on ... and next round the 45 1/2 is back in the bag, unless it's windy.
Going to try this on weekend with ping G lst driver and ping g 3wood. With same shaft. Will report back how it goes. Intriguing. Have thought about it for a year or so. But always been advised against by pro
Question: 3w shaft is designed to be x flex with a 3w head which is heavier than a driver head. So when you put the driver head in does that change the frequency of the shaft? (stiffer maybe)
It definitely impacts that. That is why in the video, the 3 wood shaft Peter was trying was much heavier to account for the loss of weight with shorter shaft which meant loss of swing weight. If you cut down a shaft, I would measure the swing weight of your driver currently first, then after you cut it, measure it again and add weight to create the same swing weight because if you don't it will be very light and hard to strike consistently, but if you get it to the same swing weight, it will certainly help!
I tried this using the trackman system. I hit the driver pretty straight so dispersion is not a prob for me. The results: I lost a bit of club head speed with the 3 wood shaft and so about 15 yards of overall distance - around 250 with the driver shaft and 235 with the 3 wood shaft. So I’m keeping the driver shaft.
Im trying this tomorrow with my G410's, all with same ping tour shafts. Personaly i like shorter shafts for my woods, good video man, let us know how it goes with the LST, i'll give you some feedback myself after playing around. I wonder what happens if i use my hibrid shaft on my 3 wood 🤔, we'll see 😝.
I've been wanting to tip the shaft a bit on an older driver I have that I spin up too much. This only encourages me to try it (if it doesn't work, it's time for a newer, fitted driver in any event).
Just watched this excellent 6 yr old video, this idea of shortening your driver shaft seems to be gaining consideration and there are several videos on TH-cam suggesting this to help with tee shot accuracy. I have had a really inconsistent season and I’m going to try a Kuro Kage 42’5” shaft in my Mavrik driver. Thanks.
Hi, I have tried a Ping Tour 80 three wood shaft in my G ls tec and what a difference. In the middle of fairway and no scattered balls. Thanks for the tip
Pete have tinkered with my clubs a lot over the past year and currently have a g400 driver with an x flex shaft that has been cut to fairway shaft length and couldn’t possibly change it out again. Just praying that I don’t have any accidents with it. Also do the same with my fairway wood, shaft has been cut down considerably also and I am yet to notice any differences in distance. Experimenting like this has really transformed a weakness in my game into something a lot more reliable.
I tried swapping a 3 wood shaft with a driver shaft in my M1 last week and the results were instantly better. Dispersion was tighter, strike consistently more out of the middle and I felt my swing in general felt a lot more free so I could really give it some welly. I got a lot out of the toe with the full length shaft, but 3 wood shaft, centre to slightly high heel was where I was hitting it. Maybe half an inch longer 3 wood shaft would have been perfect for it.
You hit it off the heel bc of your takeaway is outside in. Great feedback , I could see if the swing weight were dialed in , this would work . I play only a .5 difference between 3w and D
Very interesting Pete. I'd be extremely happy if I could keep my carry numbers the same but improve dispersion so much. Need to find a mate with a 2016 TM M1 fairway now and give it a go.
Forgot to mention in the video I cranked down the loft to 8.5 from 9 degrees 👍 just in case anyone wanted to know
Peter Finch Golf Hi Pete. Ive done same with my Ping Anser driver shorter plus lighter. More accurate with faster ball Speed. Need to get out on course to try.
Has the weigth difference an influence?
Peter Finch Golf great comparison. I have the LST Head, although I haven’t hit it yet. Correction: The playing length of driver with the Ping Tour shaft should be 45.25 inches. Know this because I cut down that same shaft 0.75 inches to get to a playing length of 44.5 in.
Nice Job Pete !!
So you're saying the head was set to 8.5* for both shafts in the tests ??? Correct ??
Did you happen to check the Swing weight change ????
Here 6 years later. Made the swap last week coincidently. Feel like I broke the game. Went from struggling to breaking 100 to shooting an 89 my first day out with it. Amazing what keeping the ball in play can do...
After watching this vid, i took off for the driving range. For the first time in my golfing life, i tried a 3 wood xtra stiff shaft in my driver. Result = Incredible accuracy and excellent length. plus More Centered Hits... Should of done this years ago. Massive difference in confidence off the Tee now in all weather conditions. Shot shaping with my driver is also now a lot easier. My Handicap 6.. age 53..also Less Lower Back Problems as i am Not Over Twisting as i did with a 46 INCH xtra stiff Driver Shaft. So pleased i tried this out... Great Vid and Massive Thankyou..!!!
I’ve been using a 43.5” driver for 25 years. I actually LOSE distance with a “standard” 45+ inch monster. Worst trend ever in the Golf industry is to stick everyone in super long drivers just because an Iron Byron swing machine hits them farther. Regular humans usually don’t. Not to metntion the issues with accuracy and confidence.
I have been using a 3 wood shaft in my driver now, more comfortable, way way more confident, more accurate and overall more consistent, also use a 5 wood length shaft in my 3 wood. Sounds daft but it's working for me and I'm enjoying not losing a load of balls in trees so vicious slices.
I have a Kuro Kage shaft I never use and always wanted to try a short shaft with the driver. I had it shortened and re-gripped last night as an experiment, it's now at 43" and I just tried it for the first time. WOW! I should have done this sooner! A much better feeling, me swinging the club and not the club swinging me. I didn't loose anything on distance or speed. I will absolutely be shortening my main Ventus shaft now! I watched your video to see if distance stayed consistent for anyone else who tried this. I'm glad it did for you too! If anything I got more distance and I got it consistently. There was no need to choke down, it all felt lighter ;and with more leverage, and I didn't feel jammed. My arms are slightly longer than average so the shorter club made me feel like I had more space for my hands without having to swing out and away so much, I could keep them under me better. That kept the weight on my heels better vs the toes. What a great session.
I'm sold! I have been rolling around the thought of trying a shorter shaft in my driver all winter, but its a done deal now. Thanks for all the great content!!!
I tried out a 3w shaft in my driver for a couple rounds before I went ahead and trimmed my driver down to 43.5". Its definitely a confidence boost. I'm not saying I stripe every fairway every time but I never step up on a tee with that feeling of not knowing where the ball's going. I highly recommend everyone try a shortend driver at some point.
Why didn't you just stick with the 3w shaft? What made you decide to go ahead and cut down the driver?
just choke down, no need to trim
Still using the short shaft? Did it effect the stiffness of the shaft much or swing weight?
Preach Brother Pete. I’m a short fellow, 5’6” and always had trouble swinging a standard length driver. Gave it up. Hit 3W off every tee, because I could hit it 235 to 255 depending on course conditions, and was in the short grass. Scores stayed consistent. This year I got an Epic Subzero with a 44.5 inch shaft, and oh boy!!! Never have I been this comfortable on the tee box. Still in the fairway, but total length has increased by 25 to 30 yards. All my playing buddies laughed when they took it out of my bag, but cry when they go digging in their wallets after 18 holes!! Pay up suckers. Shorter shafts are the way of the future!!!
Ping G400 Max shortened by 1 inch and my 3 W G400 std shortened by 1/2 inch / about the same length as my 5W. Gained distance, more straight, kept the 10.5 * on my driver. Still not always straight with my 3W but a lot better.
Pete you have read my mind !!! I've really been struggling with my driver and I do have lessons lined up .. but I recently added a 5w 19° ping g400 and I am hitting it incredibly. . It was a mate that suggested shortening my driver length .. it's like the callaway fusion with the shorten shaft ... if it gives more confidence and control and helps finds fairways ... I'm up for bitta that ... looking forward to your course data ... keep up the great work
Good video. I've been playing a 43.5" driver (Nike SQ Dymo or M2 with cut-down shaft and hot melt to D2 swingweight) for the last two years. For me, the longer shaft made the swing one long lever (from my shoulders) and took wrist release out of the swing. The shorter driver shaft let's me have an articulated swing with wrist release - like my other clubs. That generates more clubhead speed and also allows me to better release the club/head and square up at impact.
I did the exact same switch with my Ping G425 LST Driver and G425 MAX 3 wood.
With the driver I actually gained a few yards, I assume because of more pure strikes.
My dispersion also improved with the shorter shaft.
What I found interesting also was the 3 wood with the Driver shaft.
When hitting off of the tee, I gained considerably more distance, and the dispersion remained very similar.
Idk why, but for me, switching shafts had me hitting both clubs further.
Hi Pete, great video
Ive always struggled with driver. Last year I switched to a shorter shaft as an experiment, I went from a 22hcp down to 16hcp. I didn't notice much loss of distance but definitely found more consistency
I had a TM JetSpeed driver and cut the grip-end down by 1.5 inches. Control improved, and distance was marginally shorter. I still have that driver in the bag I keep at my in-law's. Every time I play with my father in law, I am reminded how much I liked the shorter driver shaft.
Great stuff, I just did this with my R15 driver. I had 2 inches taken off reducing it to 43.5 inches. Certainly get the middle of the club more often and haven't lost any noticeable distance. But i now hit more fairways than before.
Really interesting that swing speed hasnt all that much. I had heard this before in research before I had mine shortened. All evidence was showing minimal to no reduction. Nice to see a golf pro I've come to trust, back that up.
I feel I've made a good decision for my driver.
When I got fitted for my Epic driver last year I got fitted with a 3 wood shaft in it. Better dispersion, better smash factor, felt more comfortable with it and probably because I was able to hit nearer the center of the club more often, no loss in distance.
Play with a 44 in driver and 41.5 in 3 wood. Love the extra control I get from both. Feel much more confident standing over each shot with those. Great test Pete. And a late congrats on your trip to Augusta!
I've been playing 3w shafts in my driver for a decade, typically 43"-43.5" playing length. I find the center of the clubface more often than with a longer shaft. I currently play the M1 440 with a Rogue 125 60g tx. I constantly hit 300+ and my local pro doesn't understand how it's possible.
I too play a 3wood shaft in my driver but I use the same make of shaft same flex 20grams heavier which is what helps with dispersion as well as the shorter shaft length 43 inches and I am so glad that I changed to this set up works fantastic and a true fairway finder .Great video thanks
I personally play with a half inch shorter shaft in my driver. It has absolutely improved my consistency and I have noticed more distance with the shorter shaft simply because I hit the center more frequently. I would recommend a shorter driver shaft to anyone willing to give it a shot, great video Pete!
I did same teste, now i cutted off 2' inchs off shaft , dw and 3w.. Realy help me , consistent center impact, flight and tight dispertion
My Jr. player did this with his driver with great results. I have the same G400’s in my bag and might try the swap in the future but today I added 1” of lead tape to where the “Draw” setting would be in the newer Pings and seem to straighten out my ball flight taking the hard fade out. Golf is an experimental sport!
I run a stock length shaft on my M2 but i choke down an inch and a half. I dont loose distance but i stay in the fairway more. I know this is not the same but I have thought about trying to use a stock 3 wood shaft in a driver, and now i think I might. Thanks pete. cant wait for the course vlog on this.
I was fitted for the G400 driver by Ping last year & they recommended I shorten the shaft to 44 3/4". I found the same results as you, no lose of distance and much better accuracy. I think you are on to something Peter!!
Hi Peter, I stopped using my driver completely for several years as I could not control the Beast. My driver was inconsistent, I can hit longish (Good shot 250yds & I'm 60yr old) but that's no good when you are losing balls left and right. Lost confidence rapidly then decided to hit 3 woods and hybrids instead off the tee. This was okay when I creamed it, but I needed to cream it all the time to keep up with the drivers.
Recently I figured out it was Driver Length, 45" was tooooo loooonnng to control for a mere mortal. I am now experimenting with chocking down 2-3", so 3 wood length. I get the same results as you, tighter dispersion and same distance but at my age I'm happy as long as I hit fairway and carry 200-220 consistently and have second shot in. At least my bad shots are still in play.
The problem is 100% driver shaft length is impossible to control when it's 45" for most people. In fact average driver length on tour is 43", that tells me everything I need to know !
Have you tried speed training and trying to increase your swing speed and ball speed. I found with modern drivers accuracy comes when the swing speed increases as discovered with my TM Sim 2 max
Pete I think your videos are great. I was wondering if gripping down the shaft on the driver has the same feel as the shorter shaft
Thxs for this been thinking about swopping my f9 driver shaft with my f9 3 wood shaft to see if it makes a different ! it looks like they can fit xx
Glad you finally caught up Pete ;-) As I have said to you before in a previous comment, I am a custom fitter and the majority of people I have fit for Drivers all come in much shorter than standard with no distance lost but a massive variance in dispersion.
The only thing I should add is the Swing Weight/Balance Point and MOI of the club the way you tested it will be "Massively" different but in your case with such a repetitive swing, you did not seem to be greatly effected but does explain your tendencies for the heel strikes you were getting.
The PGA Tours worldwide have been at 44.5 inches or less for most players in the modern era and this is why buying off the rack is not a good idea if you want your game to advance......keep up the good work!!
ACGolfwrx Did you add lead tape or anything to the head to compensate?
Nick Salvador hot melt is the preferred method as I can locate CG where I want it to suit the player👍
@@acgolfwrx9852If I’m just experimenting myself would the alternative to hot melt be to add, for example, 5 or 10 grams to the rear weight port? And then I suppose experimenting with changing weight configuration on fade and draw bias ports to straighten out ball flight? Thx
Great video Pete 👏👏
Last year I purchased the Cobra f7 driver and had a shorter shaft put in it. Feel much more confident with it that my old TaylorMade driver.....
swapped in a shortened driver shaft by about 3/4" from a club pro as a trail to see if i liked it or not (was actually only seeing if i liked x-stiff shaft over stiff but they only had a shortened shaft for a trail). i noticed straight away that i was finding more fairways and a lot less dispersion on my drives at no loss of distance. i am average height (5'10") and weight, don't know my club head speeds or anything but did feel more comfortable with the shorter shaft. and for the first time in many years that i could produce more of a straight/small draw instead of slice/cut. keep up the vids
Hi Pete, I also experimented. Got a TM R15 shaft shortened by an inch. Thought it would stiffen up the shaft.... it did. It became unplayable. Swapped it for a shorter standard stiff shaft in the driver. Much better. It was a custom shaft and I have to say with its different characteristics and shorter length I feel much happier with it. Accuracy over distance was my goal
go 7 iron length. One length all the way
Hi mate, appreciate this is three years old!! How much did playing with a 7 iron length reduce distance and improve grouping?
Hogwash.....I use a 1995 46" driver as fairway wood. Any good golfer can adapt to a clubs length
Did something similar with a rR15 3 wood vs 5 wood shaft and the trajectory and flight improoved and flattened, overall better performance and control with a 13.5 head, so i am not surprised at yous findings. Good video log finch !!!!!
I like where your going with this. I like shorter shafts big time. I am only 5 f 7 inches. I use a 44 inch shaft on my Ping Driver. Works great. It came with a long shaft. Companies today put out drivers with shafts that are way too long for many people. Better control and dispersion with the shorter , more reasonable ones. The great Jack Nicholas used a driver with a length under 43 inches. Great review Peter! Spider Dubiel
evening pete ,was struggling with my g driver ( slice )so changed the shaft from my g 3 wood , no drop in distance but straight , put a small line ( tipex ) on the back of my driver shaft so playing it as a 3 wood shaft , now hitting hit arrow straight , but not showed any of my playing mates!!!! keep up the good work .
I did this about 4 to 5 years ago. Put my 3 wood shaft into my Cobra Amp Cell Driver and to date it's the best driver I ever had. I have a 44" driver shaft now but it's not the same. Great video. Love the music 👍
1:34 "Driver to Shaft Ratio Switch" weird face This is why we love Peter's videos.
This experiment is very interesting. I went with a driver shaft in a three wood head, chasing the same "Accuracy to Distance Ratio Results. Either way, we're seeing benefits of higher lofted clubs off the tee.
Commented on FB before watching your video. When I got fitted for my Epic driver I ended up with a 3 wood shaft in it. For me it meant giving up a few (not many) yards off the tee but meant hitting a lot more fairways. As long as distance is not a huge problem off the tee it is a great swap. Yet another of the advantages to getting custom fit. It is not something I would even have thought of if I had been buying a driver off the shelf
I’ve been thinking about this for the last couple of weeks. Did you ever get to test it on course?
Have my driver at 44" and like you my misses are far less dramatic as far as dispersion and my contact on the face is more consistent. I've hit the ball to some spots at my local course where I haven't been before when I switched to the shorter length. I'd advise you to give it a real shot and maybe tip an x flex an extra inch or so to stiffen the tip and let it get the launch and spin down a bit.
Thanks for the vlog. Keep it up Pete!
I like that you are testing things like this! I personally have a shorter driver shaft (44.5) and do find the dispersion better than with the longer shaft.
Love this!! I actually had my Titleist 915 D2 driver shortened 1" last year and it helped with dispersion big time without seeing a noticeable distance change...I look forward to some on-course testing...Well done Pete!!
Good to hear bud - yep keep an eye out, lots of course vlogs planned
Came across this issue 4 years ago. Cut down my driver length to 44 inches and my FIR numbers improved dramatically! However am tempted to cut it down another half inch, after seeing this! Cheers Pete, thanks for sharing. PS Now you know what you have to do to get 5 points on that last shot in the FSX skills challenge 😋
I got fitted for a Ping G driver. We tried the standard shaft and the 3wood shaft on trackman. The consistency and almost no change in distance was too good to pass up with the shorter shaft. I ended going with a 44 inch driver shaft. I only have one arm and the control with this club made it easy to swing. I even started hitting a draw. But definitely worth trying.
Mark
Yes, tried my 3 & 5 shaafts on the driver. Then I switched to shorter and stiffer shaft. Made a ton of difference. Basically deletred the slice misses
I went down to 44.5 and it helped so much in my ping g. Can’t see going back to standard length not when I can drive the ball that straight.
Was out with my pro the other day and we put the ust fusion shaft in the epic made me hit more fairways and still had good spin and distance
I got fitted in Dec 2016 for a Callaway Fusion with the shorter shaft. I've never driven it better. I'm only 5'6 so it made sense. But more than that I feel confident to be able to hit it pretty hard. I don't feel I will really moshing it if I do. My SLDR was just the opposite.
Very interesting. I used to carry a mini driver for tight tee shots, and often found it was as long as my regular driver. Looking forward to the on course test, as I play the g400 lst now and it’s been the most accurate driver I’ve played. Intrigued to see if it could be even more accurate. Thanks for the quality insights you give.
YES! I was about to do this with my 917d3 and 917 f2! I was wondering if anyone had done it and had a video. I was going to shorten my driver and 3w to get some better control. I Am certainly going to try this on thu. Awesome video Pete....now a video on driver MOI and what that really means to me!
Check that. You cannot put the FW metal shaft in the driver :-/
I think that really is a great point Pete! If you feel more comfortable behind the ball your swing speed with a shorter shaft then the swing speed will be the same or might even rise. Great video AS ALWAYS!
I recently did this with my taylormade m1 driver and 3 wood and I was absolutely shocked at the difference for me. I also felt way more in control with the shorter shaft and I felt like I was making better ball contact. My dispersion was also significantly better with the shorter shaft. My numbers shocked myself and my golf buddy. I went from hitting drives total 280 to now a carry of 280 and 305 total distance with the shorter shaft. I feel like most golfers, especially average golfers would benefit more from shorter driver shafts and I think it's a numbers ploy for the manufacturers in order to sell more clubs. This type of data shows that you should never overlook getting properly fitted for your clubs.
The key word there is "properly fitted", Your average club fitter in a golf
super store does not have the comprehensive understanding required
to help an average player with the subtleties of this art. In my opinion.
My son is a scratch player, and has recently been introduced to the
somewhat hidden, exclusive and usually sponsored elite fitters' world.
And it is entirely different in terms of availability to equipment and
expertise. Just sayin'
i did this with my 2014 Big Bertha and haven't gone back. feel so much more confident with my driver. My accuracy has improved hugely and have GAINED avarage distance because my sweet spot hits have increased. I can't recommend doing this enough.
I was going to do this with my R15 as I couldn't get consistent flights or strikes like i can my R11 3 wood but read loads of negative press about it. Now I'm hunting out a 3 wood shaft to try in my G400 Max. Great vid Pete, this really interests me 🤘🏻 look forward to seeing more testing matey
Peter, I had never seen this video before. I'm no golf coach or pro but you had much greater command of the driver with the shorter shaft. Your swing looked more compact and stable AND the swing looked confident. David 🚀
Over the years I have played with driver shaft length a bunch - and also did a bit of launch monitor driver fitting testing to see if what I found on the course was real. My summary is this: If you want to build a power fade low spin driver, where you will really only use it to hit power fades, then you can build and harness a 45-45.5 inch shaft to maximize the length / accuracy trade-off (ruling out the left side miss with max length). If however, you want your driver to be neutral / couple yard draw to match your other clubs in the bag, then from a maximize your length / accuracy tradeoff, then at least for me (5'9", 8 handicap, 105mph driver speed), a 43.5-44" driver will absolutely be a better scoring club because of the gains in accuracy and the little to any loss in distance because of consistent slight draw spin, and gain in confidence over the ball. Big issue is swing weight because topping 1.5" off the top of a driver can send the swing weight into the crazy light zone so this has to be addressed otherwise feel becomes an issue. After all my tinkering, I've ended up with a few drivers, but my usual goto combo is a power fade low spin driver and then a strong lofted 3+ wood (12.5 degrees) that I will use when I want to draw the ball off the tee. I then carry a long and short hybrid (18/22 degrees) for gapping purposes. With the long and short hybrids, I also do the same but opposite - the long hybrid set up for neural to draw and the short scoring hybrid set to fade so it won't go left. It has taken me a long time to arrive at this setup, but mentally I have concluded that for my longer clubs, since things can go wrong, I want to dial in the shape of the club from a fitting perspective so I know the goto shape when I pick up the club (Fade Driver, Draw Strong 3wood, Draw Long Hybrid, Fade Short Hybrid). I love this setup as it rules out thinking.
Cheers Paul, great to hear what other people go for
Always been something I've thought about since using the one length irons. I'd like to know though if you changed your ball position with the shorted shaft to a 3 wood position?
Realistically, how short do you think you can go? Before you start loosing distance or distance is offset by accuracy?
steven ... first of all , shortening the shaft allows you to add some weight to the head ( some 7gramms/ 1/2 inch - if it's the same shaft , if it's a heavier shaft then 2 g less per 10g extra shaft weight ) ... therefore you'll have more mass in the head and so better ''smash factor'' ... so even with a lil' less club head speed you'll get tiny bit more ball speed ...
in theory , you'll drop 1.5 mph for 1/2 inch ... ( clubhead speed , ball speed multiply by 1.4 or so ) but in reality there is barely 0.5 mph difference ( club head ) ... just because one doesn't have the same confidence with a longer shaft ... and part of that difference you'll make up anyway with the better smash factor ...
if you cut more than 2 inches you may see a difference on ''best strike'' against ''best strike '' but on 10-20 shot average the shorter shaft will be longer ... how much depends on how consistent a driver you are .
but once you go too short , say less than 41 '' than the benefits become out weighted a bit ... no more real gains in consistency ...
hope that helps and remember you can only find the best combination for you through experimentation ... which also mean some expenses , lost shafts , grips , counter weights and lead tape ... not to mention quite a few hours ... I used ping , which i had already , using easily 3,5,7 woods shafts on the driver head to gain feed back ...
however , for me was worth it ... driver used to put me in a lot of doo-doo , playing some tough courses i used to blow a lot of rounds because of some bad drives ...
cheers
@@klausklaus9112 good to know, thanks for sharing.
I was NOT at all surprised to see your test results as I've seen the same thing when I did this test years ago. What was NICE to see was that YOU could hit the ball so much straighter than what most of the other guys doing club test videos can do Most other guys hit a fade than a draw and who knows what the next swing. With you hitting the drivers, you got pretty much the same ball flight just about every time. Really nice to see what you did compared to the other guys out there. Nicely done Perer.
Do I recall a question like this on Finch Friday the other week when your answer was stick with longer shaft.
Nice to see you looking into this 👍🏼
I was curious too; searched it and found you were trying it out. I tried it and found I got the same lousy dispersion I normally get with driver. I do like the feel and look over the ball though. Once again, equipment has not resolved my flaws. 😂
I have been playing with an X stiff flex 3 wood shaft in my driver since learning about tour pros playing with a shorter shaft. My ball flight is lower but bullet straight. I can not be happier and this is from a player with a natural iron fade, with a more open to slice driver. Never looked into why, just loved the result 😂
fredatemypie just curious about this, I had read on blogs about swapping a shaft from a 3 wood to a driver that the stiffness changes. Don't know if that's true or not or if they're referring to modifying the existing driver shaft down to a 3 wood shaft length. But my question is did you notice any change in the characteristics of the shaft going from the 3 wood to driver? What about the weight?
hi there, as far as im aware the only difference between a driver shaft and a fairway shaft is the way it is tipped. Naturally dont cut your driver shaft down to a fairway wood length ( counter productive ). I changed from a 55g to a 65g shaft. My swing speed has not changed still around 101mph. As the shaft is shorter I am hitting on average further ( this because it is easier to hit middle, surprising what a few inches does )
If you are looking at changing, i would test the fairway shaft in driver and see how you get on and then order a driver shaft of the length you require.
you will naturally get fitters and people talking about different swing weights. I read an article somewhere talking about most amatures are playing with drivers to long for their capacity to successfully hit effectively, so why do we struggle with a length of driver not suited.... Something for them fitters to answer
I have found the same experience in that combining a lighter shaft but stiffer profile all along the shaft provides the compensation and stability for more accuracy and consistency.
Excellent work Peter, thanks. This is probably whacked but I'd like to see a couple of really experimental videos. Stuff like a 38-40" driver or a 3 wood that's 2-3" shorter than normal.
Been doing this for 3 years now. Love my shorter driver shaft. Only down side is that 3w and Driver have to keep headcovers on due to bag chatter.
Purchased a G400SFT around three weeks ago and had the shaft shortened for the first time and early results have been really impressive.
Hi Pete I also put a 3 wood shaft in my ping g Lst driver last year and I've never looked back more distance closer dispersion overall more control
What a great test. Well done, and thank you for testing this.
Hi Pete. Did you ever do any on course testing? this is something i have tried before with a cut down driver and had some success but was wondering if a proper 3 wood shaft would be a better option that the cut down shaft.
Pete, excellent TY - it will be interesting to see where this goes. I'll lookout for the next instalment.
i use a 42.5 x stiff aldila rouge shaft in my epic but we had to add more weight to the head to keep swing speed up. my fairways found whent up 37% last year.
Pete.. what was the difference in strike location between the 2? I’m interested to see as I think it’s easier with shorter shaft to get more centred strikes more often.. your thoughts?
Finding it hard to concentrate on what you are trying to tell us.....I am still gobsmacked / jealous / excited....that you are going to the Masters....enjoy it mate! Cheers...
Did you alter the weight in the head, when you used the shorter shaft?
I have tried my g410 head with 3 wood shaft but not great results wise but I was more confident in teeing it up ready to take a shot, thinking it should be as good as I am with a 3 wood
Recently shortened my driver before watching this and found that hitting balls in the sim (Canadian, so much too cold to be outside) my control was much better and no real change in distance. Felt more confident at address with the now shorter 43.5” club length instead of 45”. Cool video interested in seeing more testing on this topic.
I am currently debating between a driver and possibly instead a 3 wood hl(hl). My previous drivers and 5 woods were d0 swingweight, and cut in length to 44” and 41.5” respectively but adding weight to head to partly compensate and taking weight off the grip too. The reason for thinking about a 3hl is the versatility to use off the tee and off the fairway more easily. The new titleist ts range offers this possibility as an option. I am thinking of combining this with two hybrids (3,4) and then onto the irons
currently playing a tipped and pured regular shaft! It's a quite light stiff shaft now and i gained about 4 mph headspeed due to confidence and the fact that a shorter shaft is easier to handle! Would recommand this to everyone struggling with accuracy and also lack of swing speed
Hi Pete, appreciate this video is a couple of years old now however I only stumbled across it a couple of days ago. Did you ever do a follow up to this? I’m currently playing my G400 3wood shaft in the driver (G400 LST) and have way more confidence and accuracy with it and don’t believe I’m giving much away distance wise!!
done this with my ping g30. still have the 3 wood shaft in. notice it on my bad shots kept in more in play than with regular driver shaft
Did the same to my 2016 M1 Taylor Made. Actually had the shaft shortened by 1 1/2 inches from standard length. I have now played 10 rounds and I'm now a happy camper. As you found out for yourself, I lost NO yardage with the shorter shaft, but a lot more consistently hitting fairways. And in the center of the fairways at that. Anxious to see what happens when you take this test out to the course, although I'm already fairly sure what the results will be. happen.
Did this test with my cobra F7+ driver from my cobra F7 baffler 3wood. Had the same results. (Not any computer data, but range data) needless to say I now have a 33.5" driver and a 200% confidence increase. Also i may add I have my woods/driver set up in half inch increments. 5w 32.5",3w 33" , dr. 33.5 , great consistency. Highly recommend for people in search of fairways as I once was.
I play the rogue with the shaft an inch shorter and love it. When I hit it on track man the distance was the same and the dispersion difference was very small but it gives me more confidence to swing the shorter stick
Just watched this as it popped up. I am having the exact same thoughts with my G400 LST Driver and G400 3 wood... interesting to see how things didn’t really change other than your confidence!
Did this work out for you?
I know I'm 2 years too late but did you end up doing on course testing with the shorter shaft. I can't seem to find the video but would be interested in watching it.
I've gone this route before by cutting a driver shaft down. Currently playing an Epic with a Speeder 665 cut to 44 1/4 inches (from 45 3/8). Changed grip from a Dritac mid-size wrap to a Drictac Lite mid-size wrap to get the same swing weight (within 1 anyway). Not sold on it, as I switch to a 45 1/2 shaft off and on ... and next round the 45 1/2 is back in the bag, unless it's windy.
Going to try this on weekend with ping G lst driver and ping g 3wood. With same shaft. Will report back how it goes. Intriguing. Have thought about it for a year or so. But always been advised against by pro
Being 5’1” I’ve always had to “customize “ my clubs to fit me. Shorter clubs for me meant consistency.
I’m also a shorter player. Just tried Cobra One length hybrids (Rad) , love them. You may wanna check them out?
Question: 3w shaft is designed to be x flex with a 3w head which is heavier than a driver head. So when you put the driver head in does that change the frequency of the shaft? (stiffer maybe)
Curious about impact on swing weight. Certainly just cutting shaft down impacts that. Thoughts?
It definitely impacts that. That is why in the video, the 3 wood shaft Peter was trying was much heavier to account for the loss of weight with shorter shaft which meant loss of swing weight. If you cut down a shaft, I would measure the swing weight of your driver currently first, then after you cut it, measure it again and add weight to create the same swing weight because if you don't it will be very light and hard to strike consistently, but if you get it to the same swing weight, it will certainly help!
I tried this using the trackman system. I hit the driver pretty straight so dispersion is not a prob for me. The results: I lost a bit of club head speed with the 3 wood shaft and so about 15 yards of overall distance - around 250 with the driver shaft and 235 with the 3 wood shaft. So I’m keeping the driver shaft.
Im trying this tomorrow with my G410's, all with same ping tour shafts.
Personaly i like shorter shafts for my woods, good video man, let us know how it goes with the LST, i'll give you some feedback myself after playing around.
I wonder what happens if i use my hibrid shaft on my 3 wood 🤔, we'll see 😝.
I've been wanting to tip the shaft a bit on an older driver I have that I spin up too much. This only encourages me to try it (if it doesn't work, it's time for a newer, fitted driver in any event).
love seeing this type stuff.... i've messed around w/ this before too so i'm interested to see data
Just watched this excellent 6 yr old video, this idea of shortening your driver shaft seems to be gaining consideration and there are several videos on TH-cam suggesting this to help with tee shot accuracy. I have had a really inconsistent season and I’m going to try a Kuro Kage 42’5” shaft in my Mavrik driver. Thanks.
Hi, I have tried a Ping Tour 80 three wood shaft in my G ls tec and what a difference. In the middle of fairway and no scattered balls. Thanks for the tip
Brilliant news Per!
Pete have tinkered with my clubs a lot over the past year and currently have a g400 driver with an x flex shaft that has been cut to fairway shaft length and couldn’t possibly change it out again. Just praying that I don’t have any accidents with it. Also do the same with my fairway wood, shaft has been cut down considerably also and I am yet to notice any differences in distance. Experimenting like this has really transformed a weakness in my game into something a lot more reliable.
I tried swapping a 3 wood shaft with a driver shaft in my M1 last week and the results were instantly better. Dispersion was tighter, strike consistently more out of the middle and I felt my swing in general felt a lot more free so I could really give it some welly.
I got a lot out of the toe with the full length shaft, but 3 wood shaft, centre to slightly high heel was where I was hitting it. Maybe half an inch longer 3 wood shaft would have been perfect for it.
You hit it off the heel bc of your takeaway is outside in. Great feedback , I could see if the swing weight were dialed in , this would work . I play only a .5 difference between 3w and D
Very interesting Pete. I'd be extremely happy if I could keep my carry numbers the same but improve dispersion so much. Need to find a mate with a 2016 TM M1 fairway now and give it a go.
Yep got fitted for my M2 by Taylormade and ended up with hzardous black shaft 1 inch shorter than standard. The improvement was instant.