After watching this video and one other TH-camr touting a 40" driver, I played a round of 9 holes today and choked down on my driver 4" and probably 3" on my longer irons and hybrids. Could not believe the consistency (straight) and distance (better than normal). I feel like it just frees me up to just swing the damn club and quit worrying about too much technique detail. Thanks for this video and believe me shorter is better. I'm 71 and pretty athletic and I hit my best driver shot today down the gut 220 yards. I'm usually good for only 200-210 yards. It makes me feel like I'm in total control. I love it. No real need to cut clubs down, just choke way down and make a mark on your grip. So, re-sale will not be an issue when I want new clubs.
Absolutely agree with you I have been playing 44 inch and quarter made so much difference to my performance compared to when I played 45 half I was all over the place.
i ditched my 15 year old Callaway driver and went out for christmas and got myself the new TaylorMade 300 mini drive which comes with a 43 inch shaft. i am so much more in control of my drives. with them being straighter, and not in the trees, i have better shots into the greens and am having way more enjoyable rounds. now only if i could get that putting straighter and hole more putts i'd drop more strokes per round.
Great video! I cut my driver down to 42,5 inches yesterday! I put it in the draw setting and increased the loft to make the lie more upright. It’s SO much straighter now!!! Maybe I’ve lost 5-10 yards but it’s definitely worth it for me.
It is a misconception that these drivers with movable weights are for draw or fade settings. The principal is to place the weight directly behind the point on the club face where you strike the ball, if you tend to hit off the toe, move the weight behind that point, and obviously if you hit off the heel or a centre strike put the weight in the middle accordingly. If like many you come across the ball, hitting left to right, you can stick a 10kg weight on the heel but you will not draw the ball.
@@jiml9062that’s just incorrect. The movable weight is to affect the way the club face closes through the impact zone. More weight in heel = faster closing face = higher chance for a draw More weight in toe = slower closing face = higher chance for fade That is what the clubs are marketed for, and what the physics behind the manufacturing/design backs. It’s not so the ball has more mass “directly behind where you it”
@@emann715 Absolute shite, someone that swings seriously out-to-in, across the ball, you could hang a 10kg weight and he will never draw the ball, you obviously suck up the nonsense these sponsored promoters sell you
@@jiml9062 higher chance does not mean it will happen, if they swing straight out to in they will almost never be able to close the face fast enough to produce a draw. However, the club face will close faster promoting a squarer face in relation to the path. These clubs won’t fix a giant slice, but they can certainly help. Also, I’m not buying into the “marketing of it”. I’m in the PGA and this is just very basic club physics. On a neutral club path a weight in heel will produce a draw. A weight in toe will produce a fade. A weight further from face will produce a higher shot with more forgiveness and spin. A weight close to face will produce a low flight, low spin ball. This is basic stuff, you aren’t arguing with club manufacturers, you’re arguing with the basic physics of a swing.
@@emann715 your basic argument is correct for a club that is on the correct path and free to revolve but, a golf club is held by a golfers hands which will make the results variable from individual to individual depending on how fluid their wrist/ forearm rotation is. We all know people who can slice a driver in draw setting and vice versa.
Im 6foot 4 inches tall and have been cutting my drivers down by 1 inch. So much more control and accuracy. Its a game changer for sure. Really glad to watch your video to confirm its brilliant indeed. Cheers
I use a 42 or maybe 42.5 inch driver, with some added lead tape to the bottom of the head. I don’t hit it very long but I hit better that any other driver have tried.
A few thoughts - a 7W head is going to be 20+ grams heavier than a driver head and therefore, the shaft will most likely have been tipped. So you would end up with a tip stiff shaft and a swing weight that is different. I think a better test would be to compare the same shaft in the same head but butt trim the second shaft and increase the head weight so that the swing weight was the same. I think your results would be similar but you probably would have a better shot shape, and maybe more distance. Great video Andy!
Concept I’ve wanted to try for a long while. Wish the manufacturers would come out with a proper swing weighted, 43” driver. Not a mini driver, a short shafted proper one! I’d deff buy it, and prob carry 2 drivers then 👍🏻
Modifying or building one like that these days is easier than ever. The shaft adapters that allow for upright lie angles and availability of heavier head weights for most modern drivers make this easier than ever.
Just put either a 5 or 3 wood shaft and try it, or stick with the normal length and practice, I'm 5.5" and use a regular shaft as the shorter the shaft definitely less yardage, yes the shorter shaft can be more consistent but so can the normal length shaft. To be honest if you listen to all these TH-cam videos you will find that they copy each other but in a different way, I watch a few especially when they say what's in my bag and say they are using such and such but are using a completely different driver 😂 don't always believe everything you listen to. Practice and believe in yourself and your game.
Same, cut a spare ping shaft down 2 inches, put a jumbo grip on it and confidence is higher than ever.. maybe losing 5-10 yards, but in the fairway much more consistently 👍
Similarly, I got a good deal on a 12 degree driver and shortened it to 43”, same as 3w, and it is great for using a relaxed swing and hitting it about 220 with minimal rollout. I also have a 9 degree driver at 45” when I have more room. I like the concept of a controlled, relaxed swing with a shorter driver, but not if it’s your only driver.
I love this video. I think that you are dead on! People don't realize that shaft length and control but also swing speed are related. Many people struggle with long irons because they don't have the swing speed and hybrids are better. So, for "non-tour" golfers, a shorter driver shaft length will have likely more benefits. Even also with flex. A lot of people would benefit from tipping a driver shaft one inch like pro players for control, etc. rather than just playing with weights and multiple shafts.
Years ago, I built clubs, and the Driver length was 43.5. I just cut my 45.75 Driver to 44 inches and purchased swing weights to get the Driver back up to a D4 swing weight. After speaking with the manufacture and that's what they recommended. By cutting the shaft down the Driver was in the C range for swing weight.
Interesting video. I just picked up a used Ping Anser driver that is 1inch short. I agree with your argument of control over distance. That's what i am hoping for with my new driver.
I have a 44" shaft and a 44.5" shaft for me G410 and Trackman shows a 2mph difference in clubhead speed, on average. That translates to about 5 yards total on the course. The difference in confidence is dramatic. You feel like you can hit the 44" shaft out of your shoes. I'd advise everyone to try this.
I've tested this theory myself and it is sound. After spraying my driver with foot spray, I gripped it normally, it's 45.75" long, and made swings. I almost never hit the center. Sprayed it again and gripped down half way on the grip... still didn't hit the middle very often. Sprayed again and gripped down to just above the Graphite and I can hit the center much better. I added lead tape to the bottom to compensate for the lighter feel and voila, a much more consistent driver. I have a driver fitting coming up and I'm going to start with at least a 44.25 in shaft, because I've gripped down approximately 1.5 to 1.75 inches. I'm willing to test at that length and even shorter until I come up with the best option.
I cut my Big Bertha 460 Driver down from 45 inches to 44.25 inches and I'm now hitting the middle of the fairway nearly every time with no loss of distance. I love my driver now.
I’ve played a driver shaft at 42-43 for years, but I stand 5’1”. I’ve customized my clubs since I started. Better for ME with dispersion but longer and straighter than most of playing partners.
My Taylormade 300 Mini at 43.75 inches has been a game changer for me , my driver is usually just average , after bagging the mini and giving it 2 or 3 weeks to figure out best ball position , tee height , its caught up to and past my driver on a regular basis , it launches flatter , its better in the wind , my roll out has increased and best of all fairways hit has increased by a lot and the misses are not as bad.
Ditto. I started to use my mini driver shaft in my original Driver and control and accuracy improved greatly. Also my distance has actually improved due to more centre club face contact. Love it.
one reason to add weight to the head is it will make it more forgiving. weight will increase the MOI, cutting 3 inches, you can add a ton of weight to the head and make it more stable at impact. it can make a huge difference. one of the reasons ping is considered forgiving is they have heavier heads (at least last I checked a few years ago)
I’ve been playing a 14.5 degree 43 inch driver for almost 5 years now. And before people say that at 14.5 degrees why not just use a 3 wood ? obvious answer is the driver size head is several hundred percent more forgiving than a tiny 3 wood and with my swing speed I couldn’t play a 3 wood off the deck to save my life anyway. Would never go back to a longer driver shaft. One thing though, I have used a heavier changeable screw in weight in the driver head to correct swing weight.
In response to a shorter shaft, I was having some difficulty controlling driver and hitting more off center strikes. So I got out the spray powder to check at the driving range. Found out that if I choked up several inches I hit the center more often. Played that way for awhile but the real issue was my swing. So I fixed that and now playing driver at the regular length. I do agree that more golfers would probably have better control etc. with a shorter shaft. Just makes sense. Good video and I enjoy your channel.
Haven't cut down my shaft but started gripping it down a few inches and was really impressed how much better everything felt, I felt I had more control and was almost swinging faster because I felt I would be more accurate. Surprising thing was just how little distance I lost, probably because I was hitting it nearer the sweet spot more often. As a slicer of the ball I felt it kept me straighter than usual. Would definitely recommend trying either of these options out.
I think you need to increase the loft of the driver to 12 degrees to get the most out of the combination and you might need to adjust your swing weight to preserve feel. It would be interesting to see what performs better off the tee vs a 3 wood. What would be the most forgiving club over 200 yards, a 5 wood, 3 hybrid ,3 wood, or shortened high lofted driver for a drive that you absolutely got to make in the fairway.
43in, 12deg, hitting a lot of fairways, When I want to hit it I can, safe in the knowledge that it is more likely to come out of the middle than before. So no loss of distance, in fact I'd say my average driving distance has increased.
Hot tip! I put medium size grips on my driver. I choke up on my driver about 1-2”. You’ve got plenty of length to work with. Same effect and no driver modification required.
Great vid. I've recently bought a Miz st190g with an Atmos stiff 6s, but my go to is a Ping G10 that is somehow 1" longer with a reg shaft, and this hit easy 20-30 yards further.
I think it was Tom Wishon who said that you need 105+ mph club speed, in to out swing path, and the ability to control the face to path if you want to use the more or less standard 46 inch shaft fitted as stock for most modern drivers. So why do manufacturers fit them? I think it's because they know that distance sells, and a longer shaft equals higher clubhead speed, and also shelf appeal - if you're looking at a display of drivers in the shop, you'll look straight past one that is noticably shorter than the others. I think tour pros generally use a 44 to 45 inch shaft, but, as has been said by others in the comments, cutting a shaft or a shorter shaft will change the swing weight and potentially damage performance. Just my thoughts.
Just gripping an inch or two lower on the shaft works the same to increase club control. It effectively reduces swing speed, which is where most of the extra control comes from (as it dos in a shorter shaft). So there's no need to mess about fitting shorter shafts.
Grips are not uniform thickness so the feel is completely different. It also changes the effective swingweight of the club which changes the feel. Doesn't work for everyone. It's not a lot of money to put a stock or even a used shaft into a driver to try this out.
@@johnnypenso9574 pros grip down all the time to increase control or take distance off the shot--1 inch down the shaft can take 5 to 10 yards off a shot--and swing weight is never a concern. It's easier than swapping shafts and the differences are marginal.
@@johnnypenso9574 Just because they are pros doesn't mean you cannot learn what they do. Sure it might take you a bit longer but you can still try. See it all the time, people think a piece of equipment is going to fix them when in reality the only fix is you getting on the range and fixing the problem yourself.
I agree with this and I do this a lot. When it's a tight fairway to hit tee the ball down a little lower grip down on the club and do the same swing you would normally do. Should come out with a flatter ball flight will come up shorter but you'll have more control. It's a decent shot to learn more so for me as I have a high ball flight so doing this into some wind is great for me.
So. I’ve done something similar but it needed a lot of range work and tweaking. During lockdown I bought a 910d3 head and a 45’ stiff flex aldila 60g shaft. I cut the shaft by an inch and found that I had to add 15g of lead tape to the head for it to feel ‘right’ in terms of weight. My drives are far far longer because I feel that I can get after it without the dispersion problems with the full length shaft.
I have a standard 60S shaft on my Paradym driver and was wondering if I cut the shaft down to 43 inches (-2.5") will change the kick point or Swingweight please? Will it be much stiffer to hit and lower the peak height?
I love my 5 wood in rogue ls. I play rogue td ls with standard length. I’m thinking of buying same shaft I have in 5 wood for driver but 10g lighter/ Do u suggest raising loft and adding weight to driver head with shorter shaft? Thnx
I play my driver @ 12* on a 45 inch shaft and choke down about 2 inches. Only 3 rounds in so far this season, (long winter leading to poor conditions), but hitting about 70% of fairways thus far. Not a long hitter, so accuracy is big for me.
Love your channel and I dont post much and this is 2 years old. I have always hit my 3 wood the same distance as my driver for what ever reason. I and 54 years old and hit my 3 wood about 230 off the tee. I am 5'8'" and play a standard stealth driver. Swing speed is about 93, but would it be worth to get fitted for a shorter shaft??
I play an M6 with a 43" shaft. I originally didnt realise when i bought it but its been so much better. Any distance lost is forgotten by the control you gain
I agree with Mark R, just grip down on the shaft, and if your hitting them right with the shorter shaft you might need to make an adjustment where you set up to hit the ball, maybe a little closer to the ball, something to try at the range.
Thanks Andy. This concept is so tried and true. I've been an advocate of it for many years now. I have an Old Taylor Made 200 steel 12* driver on a rifle steel shaft plays at little over 43" and D3. I call it my safety driver. It is a high flying fairway finder. I've been looking to modernize it a little... hopefully this isn't a rabbit hole. Thinking something like Mizuno STZ220 at 10.5* or more with an 80+ gram graphite shaft at 43.5" to 44". What would you think of that combination for this concept?
I took the shaft out of my original one mini driver and put it in my taylormade m6 driver, not sure what length it is but it's shorter and a fairway finder
Gone from 45 stiff to 42 X-S which really is XX stiff 75 gram shaft(feels like a steel shaft!!) and the confidence is impressive now as I was averaging 280yards prior going to 270yards hardly end of the world if I'm making many less OB shots and getting behind trees etc ... can't wait till I get on the course
In the video you do not mention the massive change in swing weight. With a two inch shorter shaft you loose around 12 swing weight points. Did you feel the difference and recommend to increase the head weight or do you find it unnecessary.
You’ve maybe lost a little extra control/distance at that length due to swing weight if all you’ve done is change the shaft? The head will feel very light and the shaft ultimately feel stiffer than normal without adding weight to the head? Baring swing speed, you may find gains if this is done to manufactures recommended tolerances? Maybe worth a compare based on this suggestion to see if it really does help find fairways and keep spin rates down?
I recently got baited into trading up my Callaway maverick driver for the Rogue Max ST because of their 50% bonus trade in credit. I wanted to try a shorter shafted driver due to my proportions (not very tall but longer reach) and figured I could go ahead and try it on a new club if I was going to pay the $30-50 to have it done and regripped anyway. Honestly I feel much more comfortable over the ball with my driver now and the added forgiveness of the Rogue Max have made the driver one of my better struck clubs in my bag. 🙌🏼
I'm guessing no weight was added back to head w/ shorter shaft? Very light swingweight was probably causing control issue. I slice anything less than D.
Funny, last two videos are like Made For Me!😼...ive got a Cobra driver witch i recently cut off one inch! The diffrence is so big that it takes some time to get used to. Yet i cant say if its better...for me. I guess it will be more accurate.
ive always been one of the longest hitters around.......play driver around 44. im 6'3" short arms....51 now. still long, but ive tried longer shafts to retain my length but everytime i try my cap goes up.
Once you start reducing driver shaft then the reduced distance will be in a very similar range to a decent 3 wood in my opinion. I find it easier to hit a 3 wood (v driver) and 3 wood can be used from the tee and off the deck.....so for me, I think maybe sticking with 3 wood and ditching a driver is most sensible - although it is sometimes hard to always be playing behind players who are booming it down the fairways with there Drivers!
Not at all. I grip my driver down an inch and hit it further than full length. If you’re hitting your 3 wood 270 you shouldn’t struggle with a driver being an inch shorter.
Fantastic video Andy. What I think this video is really about, in the bigger picture, is bag construction. Everyone should remove the concept of 'normal' bag construction from their mind and completely change their mindset to setting a bag up for themselves and their game. I have built myself a fairway finder driving club - it is a Callaway Super Hybrid 3 with a TX-Flex crazy stiff 41-inch shaft. The Super Hybrid has a tall/deep face and 'feels' like a mini-mini-driver - and the shaft is short, heavy, and controllable. I still have a normal driver, a 3-wood, a 5-wood, and a 4-hybrid. I space out the lofts of PW to 5-iron to cover the traditional PW to 4-iron lofts and then carry 52 and 59-degree wedges.
I changed to a 48" total club length driver. My distance and face control is the best it has ever been. I tried a shorter shaft first. Good control but poor distance.
Love the idea of manufacturer delivering this option, for now I’ll resort to trying it out at the range and buying a second hand driver to try this out. Hope you have a good Andy (I cannot bring myself to explain why on this champions league final night) - but I’m not a bitter United fan 😉
also remember that adding 10+ grams can make the shaft play a little lighter in flex. That is why so many people recommend tipping 1/2 to 1" depending on the shaft. You have to shorten the shaft anyway, may as well take some from the tip.
Shorter means swing weight is decreased...Weight(mass) can be added to the clubhead which will increase the force (f=ma) Too low Swing weight, can result in less control. A one inch shorter shaft will decrease SW by ca 6 Swing weight points. Now add 12 grams to the head to retain the original swing weight.
I’m back in the game after about a 5 year layoff. I’m searching for new irons ( Rogue ST Max ) and I’ve looked high and low for a shorter shafted fairway wood. It was harder than I thought to get a good quality one so I I custom made one. I think this idea is brilliant and I’m excited to try my new club.
I play a 45" PXG Gen4-X driver at 10.5*. As an experiment, I replaced my 3W with a PXG 0211 driver at 12*(turned up to 13.5*) with a 43.5" shaft and used it as a "safe" driver. Yes, I made sure it had the same swing weight. To be honest, I didn't feel that I was any more accurate with it than my normal driver, so I sold it.
Funny I call mine my safety driver. Made it about 15 years ago, and although I don't carry it all the time, it still hanging around and never gets traded in or sold.
I have a mate that has cut down his last 4 drivers by over 2" and found benefits and he's around 6'2", he keeps them after moving on to the next as it's unlikely anyone wants a chopped down version. It's clearly worth a try if you can afford to experiment
Hi Andy, Jack Nicklaus won all his majors with a 42.75" driver. Tiger drove the ball the best with a 43.50" driver. Your ball was going right because the lie angle is set for a 45.50" shaft. This is the problem, no manufacturers make a driver head wth the lie angle that works for a 42 to 43" shaft, you need more upright. Also, a trick to gain back the lost distance, swing weight it a few points heavier. My shorter driver plays D5... It's a little sledgehammer! There was a company about 15-20 years ago that made a driver called "The Perfect Driver". It was 42.50" and 11.5* loft (370cc head) and was the correct lie and swing weighted to D3... It still is the best driver I've ever used... I should have bought a dozen of them.
Nice experiment but you may have gone too short with a 42" shaft and without adjusting the weight in the Driver head the swing weight will be way out. This probably explains the miss right that you were getting in your testing. Personally I always play with a 44" shaft in my Driver (with the correct swing weight) which helps me find the sweet spot more often. When I test drivers with longer shafts 451/2"-453/4" the driver seems way too long and my ball striking goes to rat shit.
@@wally6193 if you re-visit what I wrote I started by saying "personally", so yes your assumption is correct I was referring to the swing weight that I prefer (D2-D3). But in this experiment by reducing the shaft length to 42" they will have created a "heavy" swingweight which affects the player's timing.
@@banditbaker1675 Okay, I missed the personally. You just wrote - by reducing the length to 42" they will have created a "heavy" SW, actually it decreases the SW the shorter the shaft gets not increases it, were you just getting mixed up on that point?
Back when I built clubs, which I was still playing wood woods, the standard driver length was 42 1/2” long. The driver shaft has gotten way too long. The pros have to go through swing changes so much due to club technology changing for the worst in my opinion. The driver heads are way too large as well. When you feel better hitting a hybrid, that has a much much smaller head, that should tell you all you need to know. In golf, a longer shaft and a larger head is not best.
Could not agree more. The longer shafts hurt the average golfer more than not and the larger heads leave most amateurs thinking they can just smash the ball and the club will save them which is horrible.
Same concept as chocking up on a baseball bat. Shorter the stick quicker the head speed. I will request a 44” or 43” shaft during my PXG fitting Great idea sir - thank you Salute’
A shorter driver shaft can promote a 2 way miss if you tend to slice the ball. I had to learn the hard way that a longer shaft promotes a 1 way miss rather than a 2 way miss. So not always true that shorter is better.
Current driver has a 44.5" shaft, have a Stealth on order and the shaft is longer...by 0.25", to 44.75". Standard shaft length for Stealth is an inch longer. No question about it for me, a little less length on the shaft is good
@@ItaliaJP400 True, and often ignored in reviews. I doubt I would ever have a driver with a shaft of 45" or longer now, I am just not skilled enough to make it work.
After watching this video and one other TH-camr touting a 40" driver, I played a round of 9 holes today and choked down on my driver 4" and probably 3" on my longer irons and hybrids. Could not believe the consistency (straight) and distance (better than normal). I feel like it just frees me up to just swing the damn club and quit worrying about too much technique detail. Thanks for this video and believe me shorter is better. I'm 71 and pretty athletic and I hit my best driver shot today down the gut 220 yards. I'm usually good for only 200-210 yards. It makes me feel like I'm in total control. I love it. No real need to cut clubs down, just choke way down and make a mark on your grip. So, re-sale will not be an issue when I want new clubs.
I put my 3wood shaft into my driver head and I was amazed ,didn't miss a fairway all day and didn't lose distance either .Now I have my fairway finder
Honeymoon.
Absolutely agree with you I have been playing 44 inch and quarter made so much difference to my performance compared to when I played 45 half I was all over the place.
i ditched my 15 year old Callaway driver and went out for christmas and got myself the new TaylorMade 300 mini drive which comes with a 43 inch shaft. i am so much more in control of my drives. with them being straighter, and not in the trees, i have better shots into the greens and am having way more enjoyable rounds. now only if i could get that putting straighter and hole more putts i'd drop more strokes per round.
I took driver out of bag a few years ago and it made golfing much more enjoyable for me.
Great video! I cut my driver down to 42,5 inches yesterday! I put it in the draw setting and increased the loft to make the lie more upright. It’s SO much straighter now!!! Maybe I’ve lost 5-10 yards but it’s definitely worth it for me.
It is a misconception that these drivers with movable weights are for draw or fade settings. The principal is to place the weight directly behind the point on the club face where you strike the ball, if you tend to hit off the toe, move the weight behind that point, and obviously if you hit off the heel or a centre strike put the weight in the middle accordingly. If like many you come across the ball, hitting left to right, you can stick a 10kg weight on the heel but you will not draw the ball.
@@jiml9062that’s just incorrect.
The movable weight is to affect the way the club face closes through the impact zone.
More weight in heel = faster closing face = higher chance for a draw
More weight in toe = slower closing face = higher chance for fade
That is what the clubs are marketed for, and what the physics behind the manufacturing/design backs. It’s not so the ball has more mass “directly behind where you it”
@@emann715 Absolute shite, someone that swings seriously out-to-in, across the ball, you could hang a 10kg weight and he will never draw the ball, you obviously suck up the nonsense these sponsored promoters sell you
@@jiml9062 higher chance does not mean it will happen, if they swing straight out to in they will almost never be able to close the face fast enough to produce a draw.
However, the club face will close faster promoting a squarer face in relation to the path. These clubs won’t fix a giant slice, but they can certainly help.
Also, I’m not buying into the “marketing of it”. I’m in the PGA and this is just very basic club physics.
On a neutral club path a weight in heel will produce a draw. A weight in toe will produce a fade. A weight further from face will produce a higher shot with more forgiveness and spin. A weight close to face will produce a low flight, low spin ball.
This is basic stuff, you aren’t arguing with club manufacturers, you’re arguing with the basic physics of a swing.
@@emann715 your basic argument is correct for a club that is on the correct path and free to revolve but, a golf club is held by a golfers hands which will make the results variable from individual to individual depending on how fluid their wrist/ forearm rotation is. We all know people who can slice a driver in draw setting and vice versa.
Im 6foot 4 inches tall and have been cutting my drivers down by 1 inch. So much more control and accuracy. Its a game changer for sure. Really glad to watch your video to confirm its brilliant indeed. Cheers
I use a 42 or maybe 42.5 inch driver, with some added lead tape to the bottom of the head. I don’t hit it very long but I hit better that any other driver have tried.
A few thoughts - a 7W head is going to be 20+ grams heavier than a driver head and therefore, the shaft will most likely have been tipped. So you would end up with a tip stiff shaft and a swing weight that is different. I think a better test would be to compare the same shaft in the same head but butt trim the second shaft and increase the head weight so that the swing weight was the same. I think your results would be similar but you probably would have a better shot shape, and maybe more distance. Great video Andy!
Concept I’ve wanted to try for a long while. Wish the manufacturers would come out with a proper swing weighted, 43” driver. Not a mini driver, a short shafted proper one! I’d deff buy it, and prob carry 2 drivers then 👍🏻
Modifying or building one like that these days is easier than ever. The shaft adapters that allow for upright lie angles and availability of heavier head weights for most modern drivers make this easier than ever.
Just put either a 5 or 3 wood shaft and try it, or stick with the normal length and practice, I'm 5.5" and use a regular shaft as the shorter the shaft definitely less yardage, yes the shorter shaft can be more consistent but so can the normal length shaft.
To be honest if you listen to all these TH-cam videos you will find that they copy each other but in a different way, I watch a few especially when they say what's in my bag and say they are using such and such but are using a completely different driver 😂 don't always believe everything you listen to.
Practice and believe in yourself and your game.
I cut down one didn't worry about swing weight. It's great after a bit of an adjustment but you get used to it.
Same, cut a spare ping shaft down 2 inches, put a jumbo grip on it and confidence is higher than ever.. maybe losing 5-10 yards, but in the fairway much more consistently 👍
Great video, going to the range later to give this go ,wish I come across this video when it first come out
Similarly, I got a good deal on a 12 degree driver and shortened it to 43”, same as 3w, and it is great for using a relaxed swing and hitting it about 220 with minimal rollout. I also have a 9 degree driver at 45” when I have more room. I like the concept of a controlled, relaxed swing with a shorter driver, but not if it’s your only driver.
Does a shorter shaft give you a flatter lie angle? Causing the cuts?
I love this video. I think that you are dead on! People don't realize that shaft length and control but also swing speed are related. Many people struggle with long irons because they don't have the swing speed and hybrids are better. So, for "non-tour" golfers, a shorter driver shaft length will have likely more benefits. Even also with flex. A lot of people would benefit from tipping a driver shaft one inch like pro players for control, etc. rather than just playing with weights and multiple shafts.
When you discuss the length is it just the shaft or are you including the two or three inches of clubhead depth?
Years ago, I built clubs, and the Driver length was 43.5. I just cut my 45.75 Driver to 44 inches and purchased swing weights to get the Driver back up to a D4 swing weight.
After speaking with the manufacture and that's what they recommended. By cutting the shaft down the Driver was in the C range for swing weight.
Interesting video. I just picked up a used Ping Anser driver that is 1inch short. I agree with your argument of control over distance. That's what i am hoping for with my new driver.
I have a 44" shaft and a 44.5" shaft for me G410 and Trackman shows a 2mph difference in clubhead speed, on average. That translates to about 5 yards total on the course. The difference in confidence is dramatic. You feel like you can hit the 44" shaft out of your shoes. I'd advise everyone to try this.
Agreed, I shortened driver shaft changed my entire game in 1 move. Never thought it would have changed my driving that much.
I've tested this theory myself and it is sound. After spraying my driver with foot spray, I gripped it normally, it's 45.75" long, and made swings. I almost never hit the center. Sprayed it again and gripped down half way on the grip... still didn't hit the middle very often. Sprayed again and gripped down to just above the Graphite and I can hit the center much better. I added lead tape to the bottom to compensate for the lighter feel and voila, a much more consistent driver. I have a driver fitting coming up and I'm going to start with at least a 44.25 in shaft, because I've gripped down approximately 1.5 to 1.75 inches. I'm willing to test at that length and even shorter until I come up with the best option.
I cut my Big Bertha 460 Driver down from 45 inches to 44.25 inches and I'm now hitting the middle of the fairway nearly every time with no loss of distance. I love my driver now.
I’ve played a driver shaft at 42-43 for years, but I stand 5’1”. I’ve customized my clubs since I started. Better for ME with dispersion but longer and straighter than most of playing partners.
My Taylormade 300 Mini at 43.75 inches has been a game changer for me , my driver is usually just average , after bagging the mini and giving it 2 or 3 weeks to figure out best ball position , tee height , its caught up to and past my driver on a regular basis , it launches flatter , its better in the wind , my roll out has increased and best of all fairways hit has increased by a lot and the misses are not as bad.
I game the TM Original One. And my results are same as yours 👍😎
Ditto. I started to use my mini driver shaft in my original Driver and control and accuracy improved greatly. Also my distance has actually improved due to more centre club face contact. Love it.
Any lead tape added to the head to bring the swingweight back up after you cut the shaft?
I enjoyed the video, thanks. Can you do a dry ball vid comparing full length driver, short driver and 3w? Thank you
He went from control to distance when he saw it went right. Of course it will go farther than 7 wood it’s a driver 😂 3:23
one reason to add weight to the head is it will make it more forgiving. weight will increase the MOI, cutting 3 inches, you can add a ton of weight to the head and make it more stable at impact. it can make a huge difference. one of the reasons ping is considered forgiving is they have heavier heads (at least last I checked a few years ago)
did you need to add any head weight?
I’ve been playing a 14.5 degree 43 inch driver for almost 5 years now. And before people say that at 14.5 degrees why not just use a 3 wood ? obvious answer is the driver size head is several hundred percent more forgiving than a tiny 3 wood and with my swing speed I couldn’t play a 3 wood off the deck to save my life anyway. Would never go back to a longer driver shaft. One thing though, I have used a heavier changeable screw in weight in the driver head to correct swing weight.
In response to a shorter shaft, I was having some difficulty controlling driver and hitting more off center strikes. So I got out the spray powder to check at the driving range. Found out that if I choked up several inches I hit the center more often. Played that way for awhile but the real issue was my swing. So I fixed that and now playing driver at the regular length. I do agree that more golfers would probably have better control etc. with a shorter shaft. Just makes sense. Good video and I enjoy your channel.
Glad you sorted your swing Ron and thxs for feedback 👍
Andy, just measured my 3 wood shaft. How do you measure the shaft length? Butt to end of adapter? Or ?
Haven't cut down my shaft but started gripping it down a few inches and was really impressed how much better everything felt, I felt I had more control and was almost swinging faster because I felt I would be more accurate. Surprising thing was just how little distance I lost, probably because I was hitting it nearer the sweet spot more often. As a slicer of the ball I felt it kept me straighter than usual. Would definitely recommend trying either of these options out.
I think you need to increase the loft of the driver to 12 degrees to get the most out of the combination and you might need to adjust your swing weight to preserve feel. It would be interesting to see what performs better off the tee vs a 3 wood. What would be the most forgiving club over 200 yards, a 5 wood, 3 hybrid ,3 wood, or shortened high lofted driver for a drive that you absolutely got to make in the fairway.
43in, 12deg, hitting a lot of fairways, When I want to hit it I can, safe in the knowledge that it is more likely to come out of the middle than before. So no loss of distance, in fact I'd say my average driving distance has increased.
Hot tip! I put medium size grips on my driver. I choke up on my driver about 1-2”. You’ve got plenty of length to work with. Same effect and no driver modification required.
Great vid. I've recently bought a Miz st190g with an Atmos stiff 6s, but my go to is a Ping G10 that is somehow 1" longer with a reg shaft, and this hit easy 20-30 yards further.
Most of my older drivers were 43" , so i trim my new ones to 44 1/2" & add some swingweight.
I think it was Tom Wishon who said that you need 105+ mph club speed, in to out swing path, and the ability to control the face to path if you want to use the more or less standard 46 inch shaft fitted as stock for most modern drivers. So why do manufacturers fit them? I think it's because they know that distance sells, and a longer shaft equals higher clubhead speed, and also shelf appeal - if you're looking at a display of drivers in the shop, you'll look straight past one that is noticably shorter than the others. I think tour pros generally use a 44 to 45 inch shaft, but, as has been said by others in the comments, cutting a shaft or a shorter shaft will change the swing weight and potentially damage performance. Just my thoughts.
Just gripping an inch or two lower on the shaft works the same to increase club control. It effectively reduces swing speed, which is where most of the extra control comes from (as it dos in a shorter shaft). So there's no need to mess about fitting shorter shafts.
Grips are not uniform thickness so the feel is completely different. It also changes the effective swingweight of the club which changes the feel. Doesn't work for everyone. It's not a lot of money to put a stock or even a used shaft into a driver to try this out.
@@johnnypenso9574 pros grip down all the time to increase control or take distance off the shot--1 inch down the shaft can take 5 to 10 yards off a shot--and swing weight is never a concern. It's easier than swapping shafts and the differences are marginal.
@@markrandall6973 Key word - "pros". We aren't pros.
@@johnnypenso9574 Just because they are pros doesn't mean you cannot learn what they do. Sure it might take you a bit longer but you can still try. See it all the time, people think a piece of equipment is going to fix them when in reality the only fix is you getting on the range and fixing the problem yourself.
I agree with this and I do this a lot. When it's a tight fairway to hit tee the ball down a little lower grip down on the club and do the same swing you would normally do. Should come out with a flatter ball flight will come up shorter but you'll have more control. It's a decent shot to learn more so for me as I have a high ball flight so doing this into some wind is great for me.
With a shorter shaft isn't the swing weight a lot lighter without adding weight to the head?
Cheers from 🇨🇦
Did you add weight to the head? Or are you just comfortable with the (significantly?) Lower swingweight...
So. I’ve done something similar but it needed a lot of range work and tweaking. During lockdown I bought a 910d3 head and a 45’ stiff flex aldila 60g shaft. I cut the shaft by an inch and found that I had to add 15g of lead tape to the head for it to feel ‘right’ in terms of weight. My drives are far far longer because I feel that I can get after it without the dispersion problems with the full length shaft.
I have a standard 60S shaft on my Paradym driver and was wondering if I cut the shaft down to 43 inches (-2.5") will change the kick point or Swingweight please? Will it be much stiffer to hit and lower the peak height?
Nice vid Andy very interesting on shaft length also just curious on the bag your gaming with green looks nice
I love my 5 wood in rogue ls.
I play rogue td ls with standard length.
I’m thinking of buying same shaft I have in 5 wood for driver but 10g lighter/
Do u suggest raising loft and adding weight to driver head with shorter shaft? Thnx
The stock driver length is a whole inch longer than a pga average
I play my driver @ 12* on a 45 inch shaft and choke down about 2 inches. Only 3 rounds in so far this season, (long winter leading to poor conditions), but hitting about 70% of fairways thus far. Not a long hitter, so accuracy is big for me.
Love your channel and I dont post much and this is 2 years old. I have always hit my 3 wood the same distance as my driver for what ever reason. I and 54 years old and hit my 3 wood about 230 off the tee. I am 5'8'" and play a standard stealth driver. Swing speed is about 93, but would it be worth to get fitted for a shorter shaft??
@@michaeltobin905 I would say it’s worth trying Michael, no guarantees but the only way you will get a definitive answer
I put a shaft in a driver once that made it about the length of a 7i. Good bit less distance but no OBs
I play an M6 with a 43" shaft. I originally didnt realise when i bought it but its been so much better. Any distance lost is forgotten by the control you gain
I agree with Mark R, just grip down on the shaft, and if your hitting them right with the shorter shaft you might need to make an adjustment where you set up to hit the ball, maybe a little closer to the ball, something to try at the range.
Thanks Andy. This concept is so tried and true. I've been an advocate of it for many years now. I have an Old Taylor Made 200 steel 12* driver on a rifle steel shaft plays at little over 43" and D3. I call it my safety driver. It is a high flying fairway finder. I've been looking to modernize it a little... hopefully this isn't a rabbit hole. Thinking something like Mizuno STZ220 at 10.5* or more with an 80+ gram graphite shaft at 43.5" to 44". What would you think of that combination for this concept?
Been playing a shorter shaft for ages - not missed the couple of yards distance (prefer to be on the short stuff)
I’ve tried a couple of one length cobra clubs - never worked for me. Lose the distance and not convinced by the control arguement
I took the shaft out of my original one mini driver and put it in my taylormade m6 driver, not sure what length it is but it's shorter and a fairway finder
On tight driving holes I just grip further down the shaft for more control,easy. easypeasy golf. :)
Gone from 45 stiff to 42 X-S which really is XX stiff 75 gram shaft(feels like a steel shaft!!) and the confidence is impressive now as I was averaging 280yards prior going to 270yards hardly end of the world if I'm making many less OB shots and getting behind trees etc ... can't wait till I get on the course
In the video you do not mention the massive change in swing weight. With a two inch shorter shaft you loose around 12 swing weight points. Did you feel the difference and recommend to increase the head weight or do you find it unnecessary.
Ich liebe das viel niedrigere Schwunggewicht!
You’ve maybe lost a little extra control/distance at that length due to swing weight if all you’ve done is change the shaft? The head will feel very light and the shaft ultimately feel stiffer than normal without adding weight to the head? Baring swing speed, you may find gains if this is done to manufactures recommended tolerances? Maybe worth a compare based on this suggestion to see if it really does help find fairways and keep spin rates down?
I recently got baited into trading up my Callaway maverick driver for the Rogue Max ST because of their 50% bonus trade in credit. I wanted to try a shorter shafted driver due to my proportions (not very tall but longer reach) and figured I could go ahead and try it on a new club if I was going to pay the $30-50 to have it done and regripped anyway. Honestly I feel much more comfortable over the ball with my driver now and the added forgiveness of the Rogue Max have made the driver one of my better struck clubs in my bag. 🙌🏼
I'm guessing no weight was added back to head w/ shorter shaft? Very light swingweight was probably causing control issue. I slice anything less than D.
Funny, last two videos are like Made For Me!😼...ive got a Cobra driver witch i recently cut off one inch! The diffrence is so big that it takes some time to get used to. Yet i cant say if its better...for me. I guess it will be more accurate.
ive always been one of the longest hitters around.......play driver around 44. im 6'3" short arms....51 now. still long, but ive tried longer shafts to retain my length but everytime i try my cap goes up.
Once you start reducing driver shaft then the reduced distance will be in a very similar range to a decent 3 wood in my opinion. I find it easier to hit a 3 wood (v driver) and 3 wood can be used from the tee and off the deck.....so for me, I think maybe sticking with 3 wood and ditching a driver is most sensible - although it is sometimes hard to always be playing behind players who are booming it down the fairways with there Drivers!
Not at all. I grip my driver down an inch and hit it further than full length. If you’re hitting your 3 wood 270 you shouldn’t struggle with a driver being an inch shorter.
Fantastic video Andy. What I think this video is really about, in the bigger picture, is bag construction. Everyone should remove the concept of 'normal' bag construction from their mind and completely change their mindset to setting a bag up for themselves and their game. I have built myself a fairway finder driving club - it is a Callaway Super Hybrid 3 with a TX-Flex crazy stiff 41-inch shaft. The Super Hybrid has a tall/deep face and 'feels' like a mini-mini-driver - and the shaft is short, heavy, and controllable. I still have a normal driver, a 3-wood, a 5-wood, and a 4-hybrid. I space out the lofts of PW to 5-iron to cover the traditional PW to 4-iron lofts and then carry 52 and 59-degree wedges.
I changed to a 48" total club length driver. My distance and face control is the best it has ever been. I tried a shorter shaft first. Good control but poor distance.
great video. love the concept.
I ordered my Cobra Rad XB at 44 3/4” in length and I am more accurate and consistently longer! Never going over 45” again!
What's the difference between playing a shorter driver or just say gripping your 46 inch driver a couple of inches or so down the shaft instead?
Great info. Thanks
Love the idea of manufacturer delivering this option, for now I’ll resort to trying it out at the range and buying a second hand driver to try this out. Hope you have a good Andy (I cannot bring myself to explain why on this champions league final night) - but I’m not a bitter United fan 😉
1/2 inch cut add 6 grams to the head.1 inch cut add 12 grams.That should get you back to the original swingweight
also remember that adding 10+ grams can make the shaft play a little lighter in flex. That is why so many people recommend tipping 1/2 to 1" depending on the shaft. You have to shorten the shaft anyway, may as well take some from the tip.
Ich finde das sehr niedrige Schwunggewicht von C1 sehr angenehm!
Shorter means swing weight is decreased...Weight(mass) can be added to the clubhead which will
increase the force (f=ma) Too low Swing weight, can result in less control.
A one inch shorter shaft will decrease SW by ca 6 Swing weight points.
Now add 12 grams to the head to retain the original swing weight.
I’m back in the game after about a 5 year layoff. I’m searching for new irons ( Rogue ST Max ) and I’ve looked high and low for a shorter shafted fairway wood. It was harder than I thought to get a good quality one so I I custom made one. I think this idea is brilliant and I’m excited to try my new club.
PRGR do a 44' which they say is they perfect length hence is called the 44' go-to tourspec golf Japanese clubs
I play a 45" PXG Gen4-X driver at 10.5*. As an experiment, I replaced my 3W with a PXG 0211 driver at 12*(turned up to 13.5*) with a 43.5" shaft and used it as a "safe" driver. Yes, I made sure it had the same swing weight. To be honest, I didn't feel that I was any more accurate with it than my normal driver, so I sold it.
Funny I call mine my safety driver. Made it about 15 years ago, and although I don't carry it all the time, it still hanging around and never gets traded in or sold.
I have a mate that has cut down his last 4 drivers by over 2" and found benefits and he's around 6'2", he keeps them after moving on to the next as it's unlikely anyone wants a chopped down version. It's clearly worth a try if you can afford to experiment
Be hitting fairways if it was swing wieghted
Hi Andy,
Jack Nicklaus won all his majors with a 42.75" driver. Tiger drove the ball the best with a 43.50" driver.
Your ball was going right because the lie angle is set for a 45.50" shaft. This is the problem, no manufacturers make a driver head wth the lie angle that works for a 42 to 43" shaft, you need more upright.
Also, a trick to gain back the lost distance, swing weight it a few points heavier. My shorter driver plays D5... It's a little sledgehammer!
There was a company about 15-20 years ago that made a driver called "The Perfect Driver". It was 42.50" and 11.5* loft (370cc head) and was the correct lie and swing weighted to D3... It still is the best driver I've ever used... I should have bought a dozen of them.
I remember the golf channel infomercials about that one! They had a solid concept there for most handicap golfers.
@@gatgolf I use 43.5" with a lot of success, basically a 3w shaft in a 460cc driver head.
You may be onto something with this. Especially for shorter, tighter courses. Having a 2nd driver (or shaft) just for that situation.
Nice experiment but you may have gone too short with a 42" shaft and without adjusting the weight in the Driver head the swing weight will be way out. This probably explains the miss right that you were getting in your testing.
Personally I always play with a 44" shaft in my Driver (with the correct swing weight) which helps me find the sweet spot more often.
When I test drivers with longer shafts 451/2"-453/4" the driver seems way too long and my ball striking goes to rat shit.
"correct swing weight"? there is no correct SW, except for the one that works for "your" swing. I'll assume that's what you meant.
@@wally6193 if you re-visit what I wrote I started by saying "personally", so yes your assumption is correct I was referring to the swing weight that I prefer (D2-D3).
But in this experiment by reducing the shaft length to 42" they will have created a "heavy" swingweight which affects the player's timing.
@@banditbaker1675 Okay, I missed the personally. You just wrote - by reducing the length to 42" they will have created a "heavy" SW, actually it decreases the SW the shorter the shaft gets not increases it, were you just getting mixed up on that point?
100% Agree Andy.
Took 2 inches off my driver last yr and added 4 grams of lead tape, lost 20-25 yards but prob hit 70% more fairways then before.
Got a used 44 inch driver and will now get my other driver shortened. Distance is the same as with 45,5 shaft - control is much better.
Wouldn’t choking down on the shaft an inch or two on a 45” shaft be similar?
My g400 max 44 inch 10.5° xtorsion shaft offers so much forgiveness on a par 5. My 5 wood or someones 3 wood on the next shot would be the big decider
Still live my AG golf towel
Wouldn't choking down a bit work just as well? It might change the shaft flex a bit but probably not much? Can anyone answer this question?
Back when I built clubs, which I was still playing wood woods, the standard driver length was 42 1/2” long. The driver shaft has gotten way too long. The pros have to go through swing changes so much due to club technology changing for the worst in my opinion. The driver heads are way too large as well. When you feel better hitting a hybrid, that has a much much smaller head, that should tell you all you need to know. In golf, a longer shaft and a larger head is not best.
Could not agree more. The longer shafts hurt the average golfer more than not and the larger heads leave most amateurs thinking they can just smash the ball and the club will save them which is horrible.
I was just thinking this the other day and can’t understand why I can smoke my hybrids but am horrible with my driver …got some modifications to do 👌
I’m 53 years young. I shorted my Driver shaft to 43 and 5 wood to 40. Irons are normal length. It feels better for me.
Thinking, you must adjust the hosel upright, because the shorter shaft make the lie angle flat...🤔
What about a 7 iron head with a wedge shaft on it?
I cut an inch off my shaft a few months ago and have been finding more fairways since
If I were to choke up 2 to 3 inches Would I get the same results
Same concept as chocking up on a baseball bat. Shorter the stick quicker the head speed.
I will request a 44” or 43” shaft during my PXG fitting
Great idea sir - thank you
Salute’
A shorter driver shaft can promote a 2 way miss if you tend to slice the ball. I had to learn the hard way that a longer shaft promotes a 1 way miss rather than a 2 way miss. So not always true that shorter is better.
Or try a 11.5 mini driver and drop the loft. Benefits of a shorter 43" shaft and a lot of fairways.
That's why I have a 3wood
Current driver has a 44.5" shaft, have a Stealth on order and the shaft is longer...by 0.25", to 44.75". Standard shaft length for Stealth is an inch longer. No question about it for me, a little less length on the shaft is good
Taylormade driver shafts are all longer than others
@@ItaliaJP400 True, and often ignored in reviews. I doubt I would ever have a driver with a shaft of 45" or longer now, I am just not skilled enough to make it work.
@@ItaliaJP400 this must be why my M4 driver feels very similar swing to my TM Titanium fitted.
I totally agree 👍⛳
Just brought a 44” driver shaft (1.5” shorter) & keep reading that my swing weight will be out … Only just got it so haven’t tested it, but thoughts?
How did it turn out?
I've tried that didn't work for me I got a 2wood from Morsh instead even works off the deck😁