Most male golfers are wielding drivers that measure 45 to 48 inches, the maximum allowed under the united states golf associations rules of golf. Im also 57 so im not sure if a standard length driver shaft is right for me. As the swing speed decreases with the shorter clubs the carry distance per mph is also reduced. In our experience over the last twenty years, we have seen offtheshelf driver lengths go from 43 inches to 48 inches, the maximum allowable by the usga, and back to somewhere around 45 inches. Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard length. The titleist 910 d2 driver delivers precise and independent loft and lie adjustments to fine tune ball flight for more accuracy and control through their patented surefit tour dualangle hosel. The 910 d2 also conveys longer distances through a technologically advanced head design with a responsive, fast face insert that creates a ballspeed. Driver shaft length japanese golf clubs japanese golf. Iron shafts can be as light as 55 grams in graphite, and grams in steel. In this video we compare the same driver built first with a 45 shaft and then with a 47 shaft to see the differences in speed, distance, consistency and accuracy. It got me to thinking and i realized i havent been hitting my 45 inch driver with the control and accuracy that i once did with a pers. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44. I hit driver average about 260270 yards at 5000 feet and carry it about 250 yards.
In general, golfers with slower swing speed and tempo can and should play a lighter shaft. With single length irons, the 7 iron is the unofficial standard in terms of overall club length. Driver shafts typically weigh 5560 grams for men and 4550 grams for ladies. The folks at ping built me two identical g30 drivers one at their standard length of 4534 inches, the other two inches shorter. However, in the 21st century a standard driver is considered to be 45 inches.
Driver shaft length are you shorting yourself using a 46. The effect of driver mass and shaft length on initial golf. For the testing, everybody hit the titleist 910 driver in the head d2 or d3. Then i got to wondering how much distance i could gain if i also increased the length of this new shaft by 1. Was concerned about losing the length of the 905r on center hits, which was the best of any driver. The heavier the shaft, the shorter the overall length of the club and the stiffer the shaft is within the players flex range, the greater potential for control tighter shot dispersion. Longer length means a higher clubhead speed only for golfers who have a very late unhinging of the wristc o c k angle on the downswing.
Read this before you buy your next driver practical golf. Titleist agreed to ship each of them the 917 driver they were fit for, free of charge you can follow their progress with their new 917 drivers is this thread. Club length is always the finished length and even there many manufacturers measure differently. The effect of club length on swing speed and distance golf. Drivers have gone through a 3 plus increase in length over the past three decades simply as a way for golf companies to sell more drivers via the marketing promise of longer distance. Find the right driver shaft length for your game golficity. You should build your driver to what you are comfortable with length wise or what it was originally intended for to match the proper swing. Nov 07, 20 if the driver shaft is so long that you are not able to make consistent sweet spot contact, all of the potential distance gained from the shaft length goes out the window.
Later in the session, he started suggesting a shorter shaft. A quick and easy way to increase a clubs swing weight is to add lead tape to the club head. According to a notice sent to manufacturers in october, golfs ruling bodies are proposing shortening the maximum length of a golf. Every golfer wants to hit the ball farther off the tee. Clubs like titleists 910 have weight ports that can also be adjusted by the factory. Driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve your strike pattern and. Driver length and impact efficiency tourspecgolf golf blog. Some players get good control and distance when they use this club. Hitting the center of the club face is the key to extra distance, and a. Gone is the gloss black that was utilized with 915, 9, and 910 drivers. The ultimate goal in shaft fitting is to find the best combination of both distance and control. Golfers with very fast speeds and tempo should play heavier shafts. To eliminate the differences in shaft makes, models and flexes, lets say i am reshafting a driver with the identical shaft but 1 longer increasing club length from 45 to 46.
The holy grail for most golfers is increased distance off the tee. Does shaft flex affect driver distance callaway community. This driver is perfect for seniors looking for the best combination of distance, stability, and forgiveness. Standard lengths some competitive products come in standard lengths as long as 46 inches the titleist 9 standard is 45 inches, as is the average driver length on the pga tour. Add weight to your driver golf club for more distance pga. There are many wonderful drivers out there today, packed with technology, the best materials and designs but no matter how great a driver is, its only good for you. Somewhat surprising considering the distance race the big oems are engaged in. Bill iseri, who fit me at pings phoenix headquarters, added a little loft to the shorter driver since physics dictated it would produce a slightly lower launch angle, spin rate, and clubhead speed. As a general rule, however, to increase swing weight from d2 to d4, add four 2inchlong strips of. Length of shafts according to height in golf sportsrec. Just like the ball speed category, the person who saw the greatest distance increase with a shorter driver was ken johns. I have plenty of distance, but driver accuracy is an issue for me. Driver distance secrets what manufacturers wont tell you duration. The latest ping driver releases have been incredible popular.
Seniors looking for the most forgiveness in a driver shouldnt look past the ping g400 max driver, the brands most forgiving driver of all time. Very impressed with the distance of the 910 d2 on normal swings. If you are 5 feet 4 inches tall with a 35inch wristtofloor measurement, the club should be onequarter inch longer. Measured using stock shafts and grip at standard length. A shorter driver may increase distance for a player who has difficulty making solid contact. Putter length is based on a golfers posture and hand position at address. When i pull the trigger on a new driver, that is something im going to factor in. A 44 driver helps golfers to achieve a distance of about 275 yards. What you need to know about the titleist 917 drivers the golf. Shot accuracy a simple way to think about accuracy as it relates to shaft length is to compare the way you hit your wedge to the way you hit your driver. Im down the middle 12 time and down right side 12 time. Aug 26, 2012 i was reading the latest golf magazine and saw that luke donald had shortened his driver this year to 43. The precise amount of increase or decrease will depend on the clubs overall characteristics. So far we have two testers who saw a significant difference in total distance between the 44.
Golf monthly technical editor joel tadman explores the impact different shaft lengths have on the distance and accuracy golf drivers provide for. Interchangeable shaft connection and rear weight screw provide enhanced fitting options. Titleist 910d3 golf driver performance golf clubs titleist. We kept the shaft length and flex almost exactly the same. Adding yardage to your tee shots can be done through a number of outlets, be it a lengthening of your backswing, a speeding up of your followthrough, or, in some cases, a changing of equipment. There is also a choice of 3 new shafts with the titleist 917 driver and the idea is that you get the best shaft, loft and lie for you and then fine tune it with the surefit cg weight. There is no such thing as a standard length for a driver, they come 44. Mar 02, 2012 so far we have two testers who saw a significant difference in total distance between the 44. Titleist 9d3 is a high performance 445cc classic pear shaped driver that delivers tour inspired workability with distance and forgiveness. The wrong length can equal lost distance, dispersion and poor impact, especially for many recreational and average golfers who have a hard enough time maintaining a consistent swing. Adding tape to the grip will decrease the swing weight. Jun 21, 2018 driver shaft length is longer or shorter better. Hopefully by seeing my results you will think twice about just assuming an offtheshelf driver is the right one for you. Since the mid 2000s, the average driver length on the pga tour has held.
Jan 12, 2012 somewhat surprising considering the distance race the big oems are engaged in. I was on a monitor and the fitter said i hit the ball high with a lot of spin and tended to pull it. I took my current driver, which is the titleist d3 8. I was reading the latest golf magazine and saw that luke donald had shortened his driver this year to 43. The main variable in our testing was the loft and type of driver head. Trying a longer shaft is a popular suggestion these days, but most players should, if anything, try a shaft half an inch shorter than whats in their driver.
In much the same way, the golf club shaft in your driver could be considered the engine that drives you down the fairway. Info choosing the best shaft for your game golfworks. Aside from that the other features from the titleist 915 driver continue with an improved arc 2. The matter of additional length vs distance is very interesting. Using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. What difference would i expect from a heavier shaft. Titleist ts2 ts3 917 915 910 9 driver shaft grafalloy. Sergio is an interesting player to bring up though, because while he does use a heavy shaft 90g, considered heavy for a driver by todays standards, he plays his drivers at 43 now a standard 3 wood length, so hes effectively using the heavier shaft to maintain the swingweight as a 5565g shaft would be unusable at the length he prefers. Length of the shaft will affect the distance, but dont lose your accuracy for some extra yards, its a whole bunch easier to hit a standard legth shaft versus an extra length one. Since then ive improved my mechanics some so its probably hovering about 100 now.
Sep 21, 2011 there is no such thing as a standard length for a driver, they come 44. A typical 7 iron swung at 78 mph the average on the lpga results in a carry of 141 yards, a distance of 1. If the driver shaft is so long that you are not able to make consistent sweet spot contact, all of the potential distance gained from the shaft length goes out the window. Pair that with a increased adjustability with the surefit cg weight, the best and most stock shaft options to date, and a more user friendly headcover, and the 917 is born. Driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve your strike pattern and accuracy. But the 910 d2 equals the length of the 905r best hits on its normal good hits and is several yards longer on its best hits. We immediately set out to fix that and discover whether golfers are helped or harmed by longer driver shafts. As always, remember to get properly fit for you new 917 driver, which truly is the standard for complete performance.
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