Good advise Mike. I cut my Ping G30 9* driver to a playing length of 44 inches. Driver came stock with a 10 gram weight in the head, so I changed it to 12 gram. Never hit a driver as straight as I do now. The only thing I lost was a trip into the woods.
the original driver length is 43.5" of course longer drivers do hit the ball longer! i used a 42" driver and hit the ball 330 when i was 40, jack nnicklas used a shorter driver shaft also the reason i tried the shorter shaft. find the speed of your 3 wood and then the driver! then try a shorter shaft in driver and see the speeds of short compared to long.
My driver is 43 1/2 which is 2 inches shorter than the norm and I'm more consistent in hitting fairways and maybe have lost only 2-3 yards. In my opinion, get your club to 44 inches and I bet you will hit more fairways.
On a hunch and with no data to back it up I went to a 44" driver last year and it was a great decision. I'm more accurate and the feeling of control has increased. I probably lost a few yards but the consistency of strike has improved so the yardage is more consistent from drive to drive. Important to get the club swingweighted back to whatever you're comfortable with. Between the shorter shaft and a midsize grip it required quite a bit of tweaking.
The last two drivers that I’ve had, the shafts were 44-44.25 inches in length. I feel that I get better, more consistent hits with that length. With ‘standard’ length drivers, the strikes were all over the face with some hitting of the ground behind the ball, as well. I’ve got a lot more confidence and find the fairway most of the time. I feel that length of shaft should be a part of the fitting process. Why should a person that’s 5’8” hit the same length as someone over 6’ tall?
Was fitted 2 months ago specifically looking at shaft length, settled at 44" shaft length, clubhead speed stayed the same with no loss of distance due to better strike location, the biggest difference was a much better dispersion, miss less fairways and have gone from 4.2 handicap to 3.1 in my last 3 comps. The game is easier from the fairway
@@lm2487im 5´5 and use to play an old 43.5inch driver from canadian tire, i got fitted for a stealth and the only thing i get now is less money in my bank account and more walk into the wood, il’ definitively cut it down to 44
I'm a senior golfer with a nine handicap, I use a Nike " Covert " driver cut down to forty three and a half inches. I'd much rather hit my drive 230 yards and be on the " short stuff " than hit it 250 and be behind trees !!
I am a senior golfer as well and still using my covert driver as I really like it ... was wondering if shortening it down would help as well.... what lead you to that length ... thanks in advance for sharing
I am 6' 2" and switched to a 44 1/2 in shaft this year with good results. At first, I lost a few yards, but the more I got used to it and built more confidence the more I was able to swing it faster. My distance is now up 10 yards from last year and I am hitting a lot more fairways.
I'm glad someone's finally done a video on this. Proof is in the results. Said this for a long time. Woods are to long for the average golfer. Even tour pros are cutting them down but for some reason manufacturers keep making them longer. Brilliant Mike just hope people take note with this.
Went from a standard length driver to 44", haven't looked back. Went from truly spraying balls around the 230 mark to hitting fairways consistently carrying at 250 yards. Unfortunately, the added distance brings in parts of the course I've never played before, specifically bunkers at 260 haha. Make sure to have adjustable weight clubs, unless you don't mind the look of 15g of lead tape on your driver head.
slashracer111 cannot agree more .. encounter same experiences like u after shorten my driver shaft n able to hit my longest drive more times compare to previously so so so so rare
Better to special order one at the 44 inch length . Swing weights and kick points enter into the equation when you trim the shaft. I am 5 foot 7 also. I have to admit though I have done it your way a couple of times with not bad results though. This last time I special ordered the driver from Ping and they cut the shaft from full lengths. It really has worked out better for me this way. Your actually getting a 44 inch shaft with perfect swing weight and kick point from the get go. Spider Dubiel
Great review. I bet the difference would be even better with a shorter golfer too as you are quite tall. I am only 5 ft 7 inches myself. :) I have my Ping Driver at 44 inches. I have been using 44 inch shafts for a while now. I love em. Much more control and I hit further too. Easier to hit the sweet spot! Thanks for this review. It was what I suspected. Spider Dubiel
drivers in Japan are 44.5 inches normally, yet most Japanese are quite short. I tried a 42 inch shaft and loved it, I am 6'4" and I think most people play drivers too long
I'm a big believer in shorter clubs. My driver shaft is a Tour AD DI and we have cut it down to 43.5 inches. Interestingly my club head speed has increased with a shorter shaft as I am more in control so can swing harder. Strike location and therefore accuracy has also improved. I now have all my woods (same Tour AD DI shafts) playing shorter and also had my Mizuno irons cut down 1 inch...best thing I have done to improve my game.The manufacturers know that 80% of people will buy a driver based on the single longest shot they hit while in the shop on trackman, which has resulted in these ridiculously long Drivers.
This was a great video! I have seen this true In my own game. Taking off 1-1,5 inch makes it so relaxing to drive the ball And that also helps my game mentally. But the shock of being longer with a shorter shaft made me Laugh out loud.
I just got fitted for a driver and the guy told me not to cut down my shaft and to learn how to hit a 45 in length shaft. I been playing a 44 inch shaft and 9 degree driver for 18 years.... he fitted me for 45 inch and 10.5 degree head. Trackman said yes, golf course says no. I'm cutting down my callaway mavrik to 44 and cranking down to 9.5 tomorrow on lunch break
That does not matter. If it did, than all clubs would all be one length. Its all up to the person swinging the club and their hand eye coordination and muscle memory. Now, back when I was learning to golf at age 17,. the standard driver length was 42.5". That is shorter than todays 3 woods. Companies wanted to be able to advertise greater distance, so they lengthened the clubs, and now the irons are to upright, that todays 5 iron is like a normal 7 iron. This is the only way they can guarantee greater distance.
I went from a 44 inch ping driver to a new PXG driver whose standard is 45. I feel like 45 may be just a tad too long. If I choose to cut off 1 inch or half an inch, is that ok to do from a weight balance standpoint?
Is the measuremnt ur giving as the length of the shafts 45.5 & 44 for the shafts themselves or does the 45.5 & 44 measure from the top of the shaft to the bottom of the clubhead?
Great video! You should add that shortening the shaft affects swing weight, though. For most golfers a shaft of 44.5 with 12g of weight added back is going to yield the best results. Amazing how few fitters actually know this, though. OEMs are setting ‘standard’ length way too long just so they can say their driver is the longest. It’s marketing, not fitting.
Yea like I cut my 3 wood 2 1/2 inches by breaking the top but we won’t talk about that and I gained like 10 yards carry and an automatic straight shot as long as I line up
All but for the last 20 years, the standard length driver was 43 inches. It's only the golf industry quest for increased distance and sales that the length of drivers has increased so much. 90 % of golfers should not be using 45.5-inch drivers. I believe 44 inch at most for those people. 11:34
A few of the pros have cut it down to 43”. Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Jimmy Walker. They say.., better control and if only a few yards shorter.., rather be in fairway more. I would hv to believe other lesser known pros have also cut it down a bit. Drivers years ago were certainly not 45.5”. I cut my driver to 43.5” and yes.., more fairways. Good informative video. Thx
Just came across this video and had to comment as I have just taken a inch from my driver after a fitting. Spin numbers are down and my dispersion is so much tighter. Carrying 266 with a shorter driver as opposed to 245 with old length. Nothing in golf is standard!
HI MN, very interesting test You made! For You a shorter shaft is best. Myself a guy of 80+, former PGA teacher up here in Stockholm it is like this. My clubhead speed is very low, 75-80m/h, but I have a swing with, splendid ballhits on clubhead, made many tests with tape on clubhead on that issue. Have lengthen shaft on my two favor. drivers to 46 and 47", with those clubs I still can have a OK launch compare to other younger players. Thing is, if Y have good hits close to sweetspot You are in buisness with long shafts like me! // Thanks for good tests// Johnny
I've been saying for a long time now that these drivers are too long for the average golfer. Back in the day, the old Persimmon drivers were usually 43". Another thing to keep in mind is that these manufacturers are now producing irons that hit it farther, and they do but why is the reasoning. It's because they are strengthening the lofts. A quick check of the specs of these irons indicates that most are now offering 3-irons with 18* of loft, which is exactly the same loft as my one iron from just 15 years ago. In other words, most amateurs have no business carrying anything more than a 6-iron (yesterday's 4-iron).
Roger Toye Same, I started choking a good 1-2 inches down on my driver about 6-7 years ago. Guess this proves that it might be worth just cutting an inch or two off of the driver itself. Considering how micro-technical this sport is, I could see vast improvements
Hi Johnny, Johnny here, ha ha! It is alwys better to have a longer shaft and grip down if needed, cutting butt end in garage with hacksaw is no good deal! Myself I have almost perfect ball strikes on sweetspot 8 out of 10 shots with driver, My 47" shaft give me more speed and longer distance, One inch on more lenght on shaft is 7 yards closer to target! // Keep on playing // Johnny D Bergh
Unless you are entering long drive competitions, there is nearly zero benefit, only negatives, to using a driver longer than 43.75 - 44". The old saying, 'Drive for Show - Putt for Dough', has been proven to be statistically wrong when analyzing how best to lower your score (the most important shot being chipping for scoring and the 2nd most important shot being the drive off the tee box - putting is 3rd). If a 6'5" very low handicap player can hit a 44" driver better (lower spin, tighter above center face contact, further) then there is basically no one on earth who should be using a 45.5" driver if lower golf scores is your goal. I do have one slight exception to these comments and that is if you take the approach that you are going to set up your driver to only 'fade' the ball and you also use a strongly lofted 3 wood (12.5 to 13 degrees) possibly in addition to a 4 wood (17 degrees) in your bag to compliment the fading driver (Phil Mickelson does this occasionally at The Masters, Bubba does this, and there are others). If you setup and play your driver to only fade, eliminating the left side of the fairway, then I feel that a 45.5" driver (or longer) is usable because presenting a repeated face open to path is something that is very controllable if you completely rule out a square or closed face to path.
Excellent video, I am going shorter to 44.5 or 44. Will be working this out with my club fitte, look forward to better ball striking. Very informative.
Would you recommend the same for a 3 wood and hybrids? Being a male all of 5' tall (with a good stretch), I took an inch and a half off the driver and found much more consistency.
Would like to see you use the long shaft and choke up to match the length of the shorter shaft and see wow that works so maybe you'll have the best of both worlds. Cheers.
You are just too tall to be using a 44 inch driver. :) However it was interesting to see. I am 5 ft 7 inches. A 44 inch driver is my world. :) I am trying a new Ping G 410 Plus with a Distanza 44 inch shaft this weekend. :)
Wow. I love your testing of the shaft lengths. I’m 5’9, and really the only club that I struggle with is any of my newer drivers. When I do, I “regress” to my old 905R Titleist, and it rarely fails me. It’s a 44” playing length. I feel like I’m always fighting the standard length, and the 905 just feels so natural. It truly is a fairway finder. After going on a Trackman last weekend it was proven for me. My old 905 was constantly straighter, and considerably longer that my new TSi2 driver.
I cut my driver down to the same length as my 3 wood and its been a huge difference. If you shorten your other drivers just make sure you are careful. If you cut it from the butt it will stiffen the shaft but not as much as cutting the tip. Also be careful on weight of the club. You may need to add some lead tape to the head of the driver to get the feel of the club to your liking.
I atill use a ss (super stiff shaft. Witha ce Cleveland hi bor. 460cc. When everybody buying. Every berta and that r7. Use what wotks plain and simple the late 90s early 2000s made very good golf stuff. Id jack and arnold plad with that stuff they would have every. Record. FACT. Sorry about the spelling. But I'm going blind I'm not going back
Shortened my driver by 1" before I even took off the wrapper. It's a bomber. But I got too quick with my swing over just a few rounds. Now I'm hitting 3/4 swings with my -1" driver and striking fear and envy into the hearts of my buddies. 😎
Very nice. Shorter shaft, smaller arc. It takes less strength to swing a shorter driver so you should swing faster gaining (not losing) distance and accuracy. Newton, maybe you should stick with the shorter shaft and slightly adjust yourself to strike more centered. Stats don't lie. It's down the fairways we must be.
hi mike, i gotta ask, did you try to match the swing weight (eg. d2 etc.)? and the lie angle? I think this is a great review but cannot stop thinking about swing weight and lie angle.
Lose an inch, down to 44.5", and you'll hit it better. Remember, -1" lightens the driver by 6 swing weights, so you may have to add lead tape to increase it 3-4 swing weights, or where you find it to your liking.
Better still. Order your driver at what length you want it at and you will not need to worry about swing weight. Ping will make it to order with perfect swing weight . I wanted 44 inches and thats exactly what they made for me.
I am 5’10”, I had my Taylormade shortened to 44. Night and day in accuracy. I had a bad slice with standard length, dead straight afterwards, only thing I changed was shaft length.
Just you just cut the shaft down and leave it all as it was? I’m getting mine shortened, I’m 5’8, been using a standard TM 45” 😱, getting it down to 43.5, I’ve been told it will mess with the weight, did this happen to you at all?
Rather than shorten the club, simply choke down on it. A friend recommended I try this and I have never looked back. Distance is the same but drives are much more controlled and straighter.
Cut 1” off my Titleist 915d2 as I was struggling with strikes all over the face .. I changed the weight to 19g the heaviest I could find.. result much better strikes therefore average distance up but also feel more confident that I’m going to hit a good shot and I’m sure that helps too !
hawkey100 on the bottom of the driver head is a screw in weight comes as 8gram standard I believe ... just unscrewed it and put in the heavier weight... they custom fit the drivers using this method 👍🏻
Thanks, but that only works if you have a driver with weights in the sole, how can you change it for say a Ping G400 where there are no movable weights ? Or other drivers that do not have weights ?
hawkey100 it’s not a movable weight it’s a static screw in weight ... I’m sure you can change the back weight in the g400 too to customise swing weight
You'd need to find a decent Clubfitter who will hotmelt the head back up to your ideal Swingweight. There are other options like having a heavier shaft to offset the shortened shaft to get the swingweight back up to where you need it, but you would need a professional clubfitter to access this for you. Most PGA Pros don't offer this level of service, but I'd urge anyone who is thinking about chopping off an inch from their Driver, to stop and make sure you get seen by a Fitter who can really dial your ideal swing weight in properly, rather than immediately resorting to the hacksaw this weekend!
The majority of amateur golfers have convenient memories. They remember their longest drives but very few have any idea what their average drive length is. Manufacturers know this and feed our egos to the benefit of their bottom lines. I thought maybe common sense might be making a breakthrough last year with the high MOI Ping G400 max driver. But I can see with this years offerings that those who understood the greater benefit of directional control over distance were not financially sufficient to direct continued efforts in that direction. Very good and informative video despite a few slips of the tongue. Reconfirmation that strike is still king.
I don't see how a shaft could be shortened and tested as simply shorter, while the action also reduced swing weight, changed shaft flex, and changed lie angle. Seems like all affected parameters need to be normalized back to proper fitting standards. Then run the test.
Great video, really interesting stuff, especially that you actually gained yards through a better strike location. Just proves again why a good professional fitting is so important
here isnt what makes sense to me.... everyone talking shaft length this and that..... but what about adjusting the lie when you adjust the length,... how does that not throw off the gravity and feel of the club therefore making the swing tougher to achieve?
I am a pga golf pro and have been playing 44 icch shaft for 6 years now. Best thing I have ever done. Easier to hit , less spin, and lighter. Win win win.
I love 44 inch shafts. Definitely the way to go. Control and better ball striking equal accuracy and further distance. At least it did for me! Spider Dubiel
Tried gripping down on my driver and 3-wood yesterday to find out if it was an option to help my accuracy. Have standard length M2's, which have midsize Golf Pride MCC plus 4 grips and the lack of taper as my hands adjusted down the grip really helped to keep the feeling of the grips thickness the same versus a more standard grip that gets smaller the further down the grip your hands go. Hit a dozen or so balls with each club and immediately noticed this helped improve the left-right dispersion closer with no significant loss of distance. Need to take it to the course next.
Michael... Best golf videos in my opinion!!! Definitely going to cut mine down. Could I suggest doing a video on a game improvement, players, and blade iron where you hit them off the toe, heel, thin, and fat and see how much distance you actually lose with each type of club? I think a bad shot will cost you with either club. Thanks!!!
Had my Taylormade M1 Driver shorted by 1 inch today and played with it for the first time. Instant feedback was that the driver was amazingly easier to hit. Before shortening the club I struggled with a fade and now I may have to move the directional weight towards the toe to fight off a slight tendency to pull. Most drivers were slightly right of my target (left handed) but very manageable. Overall I am pleased with the adjustment.
Changed to a 44.5" shaft on my Aeroburner. Consistently better distance and accuracy. 260-300 yds total distance after the change. Was closer to 250 avg with less accuracy before.
I am 6'2" and my swing speed is around 110 mph, I cut my driver shaft to 44 1/2 inches to get more conssistency. Just like you now that I am hitting above the equator of the club I am getting better spin numbers and more distance. my average drive is around 265 carry now. So happy that I gut my driver and did not let me ego get in the way
Hi Guys, it can be wrong with those changeble shafts, messure all the way down to floor with shaft on clubhead, also keep head in play situation at same time.
Just wonderful, I've been looking for "is my iron shot the same as my driver" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Reyuhaffad Underlying Recognition - (just google it ) ? It is a smashing one off product for discovering how to revealing an effortless golf swing technique minus the normal expense. Ive heard some super things about it and my colleague got cool success with it.
Shorter shaft also seemed to help your Lie angle get your club head at a much better angle in relationship to the equator line...by a few degrees closer to 0*....long shaft if I recall, toe was up like 7*, shorter was only like 3* or 4* I am definitely going to get my driver shaft cut down...as yes, I hit my 3 wood straighter & usually as far as the driver! Driver never seems to be consistent as well!
Nice to see the gains from the shorter shaft- anyone thinking of cutting their shaft, please be careful! That said, you can use a power miter saw with a fine toothed blade. Go slow- works great.
I moved from a 45.5" down to a 43.75" this year. Best move ever. Definitely straighter and more fairways already. Noticed a bit of a distance fall off but not more than 5 yards or so.
@@Dirtdick24 just cut it. I have actually moved back since though. Didn't suit me in the long run. I honestly felt like the distance loss was too much, probably near 10+ yards.
I got so tired of mis hits I took my driver out of the bag and used my 3H or 3W averaging around 230yds off the tee. I just had my Callaway Mavrik shortened from 45" to 43.5" and it feels way more controllable.
The strikes being a tad toward the toe with the better length shaft does not mean its too short, it just means you are standing a tad too far away from the ball. Easy fix, but you have to change your set up. There are more pros using a 44" shaft than those using a standard shaft. They know also, that todays standard length is too long.
This is kind of off the mark. Different players have different swings and are likely to use different lengths. Your 45" driver might not work for me since I use 46" drivers. Shorter or longer is not the issue, getting the right length for the player should be the focus. If someone finds a shorter length works better, great and vise-versa. Getting custom length shafts from the OEM is the problem!!
I'm 5'4" tall, I sometimes toe edge. Found the only 45" shafts that works for me are ones with a higher loft, currently using a 13° loft in -1° position. I'm wondering if cutting the shaft down will help me with my driving with a lesser degree driver? Such a headache sport.
I think this video is on point. I’m also 6’5 and I just purchased the new Taylormade Stealth 2 stiff driver. This driver is 46” long and I had to put it away at my last outing. I started using my GX-7 and I hit every drive right down the middle. The length is much shorter. 46” drivers should be shortened.
Great video with surprising results. When you say the shaft is 44" long, are you removing the head to measure the shaft length from tip to tip? Thanks. Dan
i'm 5'4 and my fitter put a 43.25 shaft on my driver R flex tensi blue - the shots were more consistent, but I did end up losing 10-20 yards. I've been working on increasing my clubhead speed in the off season and now have it to about 102mph . I've been considering getting a new hzrdus yellow small batch 60g and shortening to 44.5. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations?
Good advise Mike. I cut my Ping G30 9* driver to a playing length of 44 inches. Driver came stock with a 10 gram weight in the head, so I changed it to 12 gram. Never hit a driver as straight as I do now. The only thing I lost was a trip into the woods.
the original driver length is 43.5" of course longer drivers do hit the ball longer! i used a 42" driver and hit the ball 330 when i was 40, jack nnicklas used a shorter driver shaft also the reason i tried the shorter shaft. find the speed of your 3 wood and then the driver! then try a shorter shaft in driver and see the speeds of short compared to long.
i am 70 now still hitting the ball 275 learn to use more wrists and complete the swing over your back.
My driver is 43 1/2 which is 2 inches shorter than the norm and I'm more consistent in hitting fairways and maybe have lost only 2-3 yards. In my opinion, get your club to 44 inches and I bet you will hit more fairways.
Was there a massive difference in your original length of 45?
You've got a simple, smooth and easy swing. Wish I could do the same.
On a hunch and with no data to back it up I went to a 44" driver last year and it was a great decision. I'm more accurate and the feeling of control has increased. I probably lost a few yards but the consistency of strike has improved so the yardage is more consistent from drive to drive. Important to get the club swingweighted back to whatever you're comfortable with. Between the shorter shaft and a midsize grip it required quite a bit of tweaking.
This is the most useful golf video I’ve ever watched, thanks
The last two drivers that I’ve had, the shafts were 44-44.25 inches in length. I feel that I get better, more consistent hits with that length. With ‘standard’ length drivers, the strikes were all over the face with some hitting of the ground behind the ball, as well. I’ve got a lot more confidence and find the fairway most of the time. I feel that length of shaft should be a part of the fitting process. Why should a person that’s 5’8” hit the same length as someone over 6’ tall?
Was fitted 2 months ago specifically looking at shaft length, settled at 44" shaft length, clubhead speed stayed the same with no loss of distance due to better strike location, the biggest difference was a much better dispersion, miss less fairways and have gone from 4.2 handicap to 3.1 in my last 3 comps. The game is easier from the fairway
How tall are you ?
@@downsouth1678 5'3"
@@lm2487im 5´5 and use to play an old 43.5inch driver from canadian tire, i got fitted for a stealth and the only thing i get now is less money in my bank account and more walk into the wood, il’ definitively cut it down to 44
I'm a senior golfer with a nine handicap, I use a Nike " Covert " driver cut down to forty three and a half inches. I'd much rather hit my drive 230 yards and be on the " short stuff " than hit it 250 and be behind trees !!
I am a senior golfer as well and still using my covert driver as I really like it ... was wondering if shortening it down would help as well.... what lead you to that length ... thanks in advance for sharing
I am 6' 2" and switched to a 44 1/2 in shaft this year with good results. At first, I lost a few yards, but the more I got used to it and built more confidence the more I was able to swing it faster. My distance is now up 10 yards from last year and I am hitting a lot more fairways.
So good to read just got my x-stiff cut to 44.5 and was kinda freaking out since I’m 6’2. Will tee the ball up a touch higher and see what happens
Is that 44.5” including the grip cap?
@@BuffaloBarber24 - No, just the shaft itself.
@@mh_golfer just the shaft with no driver head attached as well I assume? So with the head it would be close to 45.5 I would say?
Can you do a video on a 60g vs a 70g shaft?
I'm glad someone's finally done a video on this.
Proof is in the results.
Said this for a long time. Woods are to long for the average golfer. Even tour pros are cutting them down but for some reason manufacturers keep making them longer.
Brilliant Mike just hope people take note with this.
Went from a standard length driver to 44", haven't looked back. Went from truly spraying balls around the 230 mark to hitting fairways consistently carrying at 250 yards. Unfortunately, the added distance brings in parts of the course I've never played before, specifically bunkers at 260 haha. Make sure to have adjustable weight clubs, unless you don't mind the look of 15g of lead tape on your driver head.
slashracer111 cannot agree more .. encounter same experiences like u after shorten my driver shaft n able to hit my longest drive more times compare to previously so so so so rare
Really great test!. Most players hit 3:woods much better than driver. Same goes for long irons.
I'm 5' 7". First thing I do when I buy a new driver is have the shaft trimmed so that the club has a playing length of 44". Strike is more consistent.
Better to special order one at the 44 inch length . Swing weights and kick points enter into the equation when you trim the shaft. I am 5 foot 7 also. I have to admit though I have done it your way a couple of times with not bad results though. This last time I special ordered the driver from Ping and they cut the shaft from full lengths. It really has worked out better for me this way. Your actually getting a 44 inch shaft with perfect swing weight and kick point from the get go. Spider Dubiel
I have seen many videos talking about this subject and all of them have the same conclusion.
Got the Callaway Fusion driver 44.5 inches very accurate will never a driver longer now, much easier to hit.
Seve Sellors Is it 44.5 “ total length? including head?
Great review. I bet the difference would be even better with a shorter golfer too as you are quite tall. I am only 5 ft 7 inches myself. :) I have my Ping Driver at 44 inches. I have been using 44 inch shafts for a while now. I love em. Much more control and I hit further too. Easier to hit the sweet spot! Thanks for this review. It was what I suspected. Spider Dubiel
drivers in Japan are 44.5 inches normally, yet most Japanese are quite short. I tried a 42 inch shaft and loved it, I am 6'4" and I think most people play drivers too long
thats what i did also
I'm a big believer in shorter clubs. My driver shaft is a Tour AD DI and we have cut it down to 43.5 inches. Interestingly my club head speed has increased with a shorter shaft as I am more in control so can swing harder. Strike location and therefore accuracy has also improved. I now have all my woods (same Tour AD DI shafts) playing shorter and also had my Mizuno irons cut down 1 inch...best thing I have done to improve my game.The manufacturers know that 80% of people will buy a driver based on the single longest shot they hit while in the shop on trackman, which has resulted in these ridiculously long Drivers.
This was a great video!
I have seen this true
In my own game. Taking off 1-1,5 inch makes it so relaxing to drive the ball
And that also helps my game mentally. But the shock of being longer with a shorter shaft made me Laugh out loud.
Did you just use the shorter shaft or did you add weight to get that 44” back to swing weight
I think the craziest number is 6'5
its all about shot direction and hitting fair ways
Hi, I have bought a few 2nd hand drivers. How do I measure playing length/shaft length.?
Thank you :)
I just got fitted for a driver and the guy told me not to cut down my shaft and to learn how to hit a 45 in length shaft. I been playing a 44 inch shaft and 9 degree driver for 18 years.... he fitted me for 45 inch and 10.5 degree head. Trackman said yes, golf course says no. I'm cutting down my callaway mavrik to 44 and cranking down to 9.5 tomorrow on lunch break
with a shorter shaft would you not stand closer to the ball to bring that strike pattern into the middle ?
That does not matter. If it did, than all clubs would all be one length. Its all up to the person swinging the club and their hand eye coordination and muscle memory. Now, back when I was learning to golf at age 17,. the standard driver length was 42.5". That is shorter than todays 3 woods. Companies wanted to be able to advertise greater distance, so they lengthened the clubs, and now the irons are to upright, that todays 5 iron is like a normal 7 iron. This is the only way they can guarantee greater distance.
You’re six-five
I’m five-eleven and a half
Guess I better chop five point five inches off my shaft.
You gained 7 yards , you mistakenly said 7 mph. Great review 👍👍👏👏
I like the tee hitting the camera! =)
44 inches is where it's at. That's the magic number.
I went from a 44 inch ping driver to a new PXG driver whose standard is 45. I feel like 45 may be just a tad too long. If I choose to cut off 1 inch or half an inch, is that ok to do from a weight balance standpoint?
It will affect the swing weight of the club. Your best to take to your nearest PGA Pro or someone who has a swing weight machine
Is the measuremnt ur giving as the length of the shafts 45.5 & 44 for the shafts themselves or does the 45.5 & 44 measure from the top of the shaft to the bottom of the clubhead?
+Mezziah Black the lengths I mentioned is playing length
Great video! You should add that shortening the shaft affects swing weight, though. For most golfers a shaft of 44.5 with 12g of weight added back is going to yield the best results. Amazing how few fitters actually know this, though. OEMs are setting ‘standard’ length way too long just so they can say their driver is the longest. It’s marketing, not fitting.
My r15 is 3 wood length. Much more consistent! No dropoff in distance!
Yea like I cut my 3 wood 2 1/2 inches by breaking the top but we won’t talk about that and I gained like 10 yards carry and an automatic straight shot as long as I line up
All but for the last 20 years, the standard length driver was 43 inches. It's only the golf industry quest for increased distance and sales that the length of drivers has increased so much. 90 % of golfers should not be using 45.5-inch drivers. I believe 44 inch at most for those people. 11:34
A few of the pros have cut it down to 43”. Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Jimmy Walker. They say.., better control and if only a few yards shorter.., rather be in fairway more. I would hv to believe other lesser known pros have also cut it down a bit. Drivers years ago were certainly not 45.5”. I cut my driver to 43.5” and yes.., more fairways. Good informative video. Thx
Your videos are quickly becoming some of the best presentations on the internet..........thanks for you contributions!
I strictly play 44
Just came across this video and had to comment as I have just taken a inch from my driver after a fitting. Spin numbers are down and my dispersion is so much tighter. Carrying 266 with a shorter driver as opposed to 245 with old length. Nothing in golf is standard!
Did the weight feel different?
HI MN, very interesting test You made! For You a shorter shaft is best.
Myself a guy of 80+, former PGA teacher up here in Stockholm it is like this.
My clubhead speed is very low, 75-80m/h, but I have a swing with, splendid ballhits on clubhead, made many tests with tape on clubhead on that issue.
Have lengthen shaft on my two favor. drivers to 46 and 47", with those clubs I still can have a OK launch compare to other younger players.
Thing is, if Y have good hits close to sweetspot You are in buisness with long shafts like me! // Thanks for good tests// Johnny
I've been saying for a long time now that these drivers are too long for the average golfer. Back in the day, the old Persimmon drivers were usually 43". Another thing to keep in mind is that these manufacturers are now producing irons that hit it farther, and they do but why is the reasoning. It's because they are strengthening the lofts. A quick check of the specs of these irons indicates that most are now offering 3-irons with 18* of loft, which is exactly the same loft as my one iron from just 15 years ago. In other words, most amateurs have no business carrying anything more than a 6-iron (yesterday's 4-iron).
Well the four iron suits many holes for my course.
The five wood eats up almost as many yards as the driver.
Michael Newton has silkiest swing on TH-cam. Change my mind!
Canadian Golfer silky smooze...
It did look great.
When choking down on the driver to 43/44 tend to be more in control of my driver and no noticeable drop off in distance thks for this post
Roger Toye Same, I started choking a good 1-2 inches down on my driver about 6-7 years ago. Guess this proves that it might be worth just cutting an inch or two off of the driver itself. Considering how micro-technical this sport is, I could see vast improvements
Gripping down 2 inches on my m2 driver hitting straighter and longer and much more consistent.
Hi Johnny, Johnny here, ha ha! It is alwys better to have a longer shaft and grip down if needed, cutting butt end in garage with hacksaw is no good deal!
Myself I have almost perfect ball strikes on sweetspot 8 out of 10 shots with driver, My 47" shaft give me more speed and longer distance, One inch on more lenght on shaft is 7 yards closer to target! // Keep on playing // Johnny D Bergh
Unless you are entering long drive competitions, there is nearly zero benefit, only negatives, to using a driver longer than 43.75 - 44". The old saying, 'Drive for Show - Putt for Dough', has been proven to be statistically wrong when analyzing how best to lower your score (the most important shot being chipping for scoring and the 2nd most important shot being the drive off the tee box - putting is 3rd). If a 6'5" very low handicap player can hit a 44" driver better (lower spin, tighter above center face contact, further) then there is basically no one on earth who should be using a 45.5" driver if lower golf scores is your goal. I do have one slight exception to these comments and that is if you take the approach that you are going to set up your driver to only 'fade' the ball and you also use a strongly lofted 3 wood (12.5 to 13 degrees) possibly in addition to a 4 wood (17 degrees) in your bag to compliment the fading driver (Phil Mickelson does this occasionally at The Masters, Bubba does this, and there are others). If you setup and play your driver to only fade, eliminating the left side of the fairway, then I feel that a 45.5" driver (or longer) is usable because presenting a repeated face open to path is something that is very controllable if you completely rule out a square or closed face to path.
Excellent video, I am going shorter to 44.5 or 44. Will be working this out with my club fitte, look forward to better ball striking. Very informative.
Would you recommend the same for a 3 wood and hybrids? Being a male all of 5' tall (with a good stretch), I took an inch and a half off the driver and found much more consistency.
I would go the same 1.5” off your fairway & hybrid, id say 0.5” and see how you get on
Would like to see you use the long shaft and choke up to match the length of the shorter shaft and see wow that works so maybe you'll have the best of both worlds. Cheers.
A standard length driver off the shelf is 45.5 inches not 44.5 inches which is too long for 99% of golfers.
You said 44.5 twice, I think you meant 45.5
You are just too tall to be using a 44 inch driver. :) However it was interesting to see. I am 5 ft 7 inches. A 44 inch driver is my world. :) I am trying a new Ping G 410 Plus with a Distanza 44 inch shaft this weekend. :)
Wow. I love your testing of the shaft lengths.
I’m 5’9, and really the only club that I struggle with is any of my newer drivers. When I do, I “regress” to my old 905R Titleist, and it rarely fails me. It’s a 44” playing length. I feel like I’m always fighting the standard length, and the 905 just feels so natural. It truly is a fairway finder. After going on a Trackman last weekend it was proven for me. My old 905 was constantly straighter, and considerably longer that my new TSi2 driver.
I cut my driver down to the same length as my 3 wood and its been a huge difference. If you shorten your other drivers just make sure you are careful. If you cut it from the butt it will stiffen the shaft but not as much as cutting the tip. Also be careful on weight of the club. You may need to add some lead tape to the head of the driver to get the feel of the club to your liking.
my driver is a flyz plus,i cut 2 inches off i get much better strikes and better accuracy and gained 10 yards.
I atill use a ss (super stiff shaft. Witha ce
Cleveland hi bor. 460cc. When everybody buying. Every berta and that r7. Use what wotks plain and simple the late 90s early 2000s made very good golf stuff. Id jack and arnold plad with that stuff they would have every. Record. FACT. Sorry about the spelling. But I'm going blind I'm not going back
Shortened my driver by 1" before I even took off the wrapper. It's a bomber. But I got too quick with my swing over just a few rounds. Now I'm hitting 3/4 swings with my -1" driver and striking fear and envy into the hearts of my buddies. 😎
Very nice. Shorter shaft, smaller arc. It takes less strength to swing a shorter driver so you should swing faster gaining (not losing) distance and accuracy. Newton, maybe you should stick with the shorter shaft and slightly adjust yourself to strike more centered. Stats don't lie. It's down the fairways we must be.
I hit my Taylor made mini driver better than my Ping G driver
hi mike, i gotta ask, did you try to match the swing weight (eg. d2 etc.)? and the lie angle? I think this is a great review but cannot stop thinking about swing weight and lie angle.
Lose an inch, down to 44.5", and you'll hit it better. Remember, -1" lightens the driver by 6 swing weights, so you may have to add lead tape to increase it 3-4 swing weights, or where you find it to your liking.
Better still. Order your driver at what length you want it at and you will not need to worry about swing weight. Ping will make it to order with perfect swing weight . I wanted 44 inches and thats exactly what they made for me.
I am 5’10”, I had my Taylormade shortened to 44. Night and day in accuracy. I had a bad slice with standard length, dead straight afterwards, only thing I changed was shaft length.
Awesome!
Wicked im looking to go same 44'' and 5ft 10!! thanks for information help fingers crossed works
Just you just cut the shaft down and leave it all as it was?
I’m getting mine shortened, I’m 5’8, been using a standard TM 45” 😱, getting it down to 43.5, I’ve been told it will mess with the weight, did this happen to you at all?
Rather than shorten the club, simply choke down on it. A friend recommended I try this and I have never looked back. Distance is the same but drives are much more controlled and straighter.
Cut 1” off my Titleist 915d2 as I was struggling with strikes all over the face .. I changed the weight to 19g the heaviest I could find.. result much better strikes therefore average distance up but also feel more confident that I’m going to hit a good shot and I’m sure that helps too !
How did you change the weight ?
hawkey100 on the bottom of the driver head is a screw in weight comes as 8gram standard I believe ... just unscrewed it and put in the heavier weight... they custom fit the drivers using this method 👍🏻
Thanks, but that only works if you have a driver with weights in the sole, how can you change it for say a Ping G400 where there are no movable weights ? Or other drivers that do not have weights ?
hawkey100 it’s not a movable weight it’s a static screw in weight ... I’m sure you can change the back weight in the g400 too to customise swing weight
You'd need to find a decent Clubfitter who will hotmelt the head back up to your ideal Swingweight. There are other options like having a heavier shaft to offset the shortened shaft to get the swingweight back up to where you need it, but you would need a professional clubfitter to access this for you. Most PGA Pros don't offer this level of service, but I'd urge anyone who is thinking about chopping off an inch from their Driver, to stop and make sure you get seen by a Fitter who can really dial your ideal swing weight in properly, rather than immediately resorting to the hacksaw this weekend!
The majority of amateur golfers have convenient memories. They remember their longest drives but very few have any idea what their average drive length is. Manufacturers know this and feed our egos to the benefit of their bottom lines. I thought maybe common sense might be making a breakthrough last year with the high MOI Ping G400 max driver. But I can see with this years offerings that those who understood the greater benefit of directional control over distance were not financially sufficient to direct continued efforts in that direction. Very good and informative video despite a few slips of the tongue. Reconfirmation that strike is still king.
I don't see how a shaft could be shortened and tested as simply shorter, while the action also reduced swing weight, changed shaft flex, and changed lie angle.
Seems like all affected parameters need to be normalized back to proper fitting standards. Then run the test.
You can pwn a 43.5 inch shaft
a 45+ inch pwns you !
I'm short fat and bald "if that helps"
Really makes you think doesn't it. Club head speed is not everything. Great video👍🏻
Great video, really interesting stuff, especially that you actually gained yards through a better strike location. Just proves again why a good professional fitting is so important
Cut my driver down to 44 - best thing I ever did equipment wise.
Was any swing weight added to the club head after cutting it down? In order to keep the original swing weight? I've been thinking of doing the same.
here isnt what makes sense to me.... everyone talking shaft length this and that..... but what about adjusting the lie when you adjust the length,... how does that not throw off the gravity and feel of the club therefore making the swing tougher to achieve?
I am a pga golf pro and have been playing 44 icch shaft for 6 years now. Best thing I have ever done. Easier to hit , less spin, and lighter. Win win win.
I love 44 inch shafts. Definitely the way to go. Control and better ball striking equal accuracy and further distance. At least it did for me! Spider Dubiel
@@joedubiel6702 would in the middle say 44.25 be similar
Been playing with driver cut one inch shorter for years. Got that tip from from Don Trahan .. It works!!
Been thinking about doing the same. Did they add weight to your driver head after cutting down the shaft?
did it make a high draw easier . and more controllable?
Is the measurement we are going off of the playing length with the head attached or is that number specifically the shaft length itself
Tried gripping down on my driver and 3-wood yesterday to find out if it was an option to help my accuracy. Have standard length M2's, which have midsize Golf Pride MCC plus 4 grips and the lack of taper as my hands adjusted down the grip really helped to keep the feeling of the grips thickness the same versus a more standard grip that gets smaller the further down the grip your hands go. Hit a dozen or so balls with each club and immediately noticed this helped improve the left-right dispersion closer with no significant loss of distance. Need to take it to the course next.
Michael... Best golf videos in my opinion!!! Definitely going to cut mine down. Could I suggest doing a video on a game improvement, players, and blade iron where you hit them off the toe, heel, thin, and fat and see how much distance you actually lose with each type of club? I think a bad shot will
cost you with either club. Thanks!!!
Had my Taylormade M1 Driver shorted by 1 inch today and played with it for the first time. Instant feedback was that the driver was amazingly easier to hit. Before shortening the club I struggled with a fade and now I may have to move the directional weight towards the toe to fight off a slight tendency to pull. Most drivers were slightly right of my target (left handed) but very manageable. Overall I am pleased with the adjustment.
Changed to a 44.5" shaft on my Aeroburner. Consistently better distance and accuracy. 260-300 yds total distance after the change. Was closer to 250 avg with less accuracy before.
Sorrry to be naive is he referring to shaft length grip to tip of shaft or driver club length
I am 6'2" and my swing speed is around 110 mph, I cut my driver shaft to 44 1/2 inches to get more conssistency. Just like you now that I am hitting above the equator of the club I am getting better spin numbers and more distance. my average drive is around 265 carry now. So happy that I gut my driver and did not let me ego get in the way
+Simian Golf yes!!
The 44" and 45.5" measurements you are mentioning.. Is that shaft length or playing length?
Andy Stone playing length
Hi Guys, it can be wrong with those changeble shafts, messure all the way down to floor with shaft on clubhead, also keep head in play situation at same time.
Great vid, John Daily said get yor driver the same length as your fairway wood.
Just wonderful, I've been looking for "is my iron shot the same as my driver" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Reyuhaffad Underlying Recognition - (just google it ) ? It is a smashing one off product for discovering how to revealing an effortless golf swing technique minus the normal expense. Ive heard some super things about it and my colleague got cool success with it.
I hope he says “ok” more next video!
OK! 😂
Most important thing is shaft length. Simples
Took 3/4 of an inch off and added 12g of weight using lead tape.
Shorter shaft also seemed to help your Lie angle get your club head at a much better angle in relationship to the equator line...by a few degrees closer to 0*....long shaft if I recall, toe was up like 7*, shorter was only like 3* or 4*
I am definitely going to get my driver shaft cut down...as yes, I hit my 3 wood straighter & usually as far as the driver! Driver never seems to be consistent as well!
Nice to see the gains from the shorter shaft- anyone thinking of cutting their shaft, please be careful! That said, you can use a power miter saw with a fine toothed blade. Go slow- works great.
How to measure the shaft .?
I moved from a 45.5" down to a 43.75" this year. Best move ever. Definitely straighter and more fairways already. Noticed a bit of a distance fall off but not more than 5 yards or so.
Did you alter swing weight or just cut it?
@@Dirtdick24 just cut it. I have actually moved back since though. Didn't suit me in the long run. I honestly felt like the distance loss was too much, probably near 10+ yards.
@@chriskujawski13 maybe 1.75" was maybe too much was is the shorter shaft produced shorter carry?
44 1/2" would be the length for you it seems.
I got so tired of mis hits I took my driver out of the bag and used my 3H or 3W averaging around 230yds off the tee. I just had my Callaway Mavrik shortened from 45" to 43.5" and it feels way more controllable.
The strikes being a tad toward the toe with the better length shaft does not mean its too short, it just means you are standing a tad too far away from the ball. Easy fix, but you have to change your set up. There are more pros using a 44" shaft than those using a standard shaft. They know also, that todays standard length is too long.
Great video - very interesting and allowed me the actually pull the trigger on my fitting with Titleist TS3 with a -1" Evenflow White T1100 6.5.
This is kind of off the mark. Different players have different swings and are likely to use different lengths. Your 45" driver might not work for me since I use 46" drivers. Shorter or longer is not the issue, getting the right length for the player should be the focus. If someone finds a shorter length works better, great and vise-versa. Getting custom length shafts from the OEM is the problem!!
I'm 5'4" tall, I sometimes toe edge.
Found the only 45" shafts that works for me are ones with a higher loft, currently using a 13° loft in -1° position.
I'm wondering if cutting the shaft down will help me with my driving with a lesser degree driver?
Such a headache sport.
I think this video is on point. I’m also 6’5 and I just purchased the new Taylormade Stealth 2 stiff driver. This driver is 46” long and I had to put it away at my last outing. I started using my GX-7 and I hit every drive right down the middle. The length is much shorter. 46” drivers should be shortened.
Great video with surprising results. When you say the shaft is 44" long, are you removing the head to measure the shaft length from tip to tip?
Thanks.
Dan
44 1/2 for me
Hope u kept the 44
i'm 5'4 and my fitter put a 43.25 shaft on my driver R flex tensi blue - the shots were more consistent, but I did end up losing 10-20 yards. I've been working on increasing my clubhead speed in the off season and now have it to about 102mph . I've been considering getting a new hzrdus yellow small batch 60g and shortening to 44.5. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations?
Can someone help me out with this scenario, 5’1 inches tall playing a g400 driver, want to shorten length, to 43” , how much swing weight will change?