Which Driver Shaft Length?
October 15th, 2012 | 
Author: When I tested my old college driver a few weeks ago my interest was piqued by how close my swing speed with the 43.5 inch club was to my current 45 inch driver. I have heard that altering the shaft length of your driver by an inch can/should alter the club speed by up to 4 mph. This called for a test…..
The Test Shafts
Using TrackMan my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. I took my current driver, which is the Titleist D3 8.5 degree (B1) with a 45″ Motore F3 70 gram stiff shaft and tested it alongside the same head (B1) with a 43″ Project X 82 gram stiff shaft. Essentially a driver shaft versus a 3 wood shaft. I had recently came across a 42.5″ well kept old Wilson Staff JP persimmon driver with a steel shaft and decided to include that in the testing.
An old 42.5" Wilson Persimmon
I hit 11 shots with each club and eliminated the data for the poorest shot with each club. I was using fresh Titleist NXT Tour golf balls and it was a perfect 80 degree day with little wind. The results were astounding!
With all three clubs my tendency was to hit up on the ball with a slight in to out club path. My swing plane was very consistent from shot to shot (which surprised me a little actually) and the clubface was almost always slightly open at impact. This path and face relationship led to an average shot shape of a slight draw. Here are the numbers:
45″ Driver Shaft
- Club Speed 101.3 mph
- Ball Speed 151.6 mph
- Spin Rate 2697 rpm
- Launch Angle 11.3 degrees
- Carry 245 yards
- Total 272.2 yards
- Height 76 feet
43″ Three Wood Shaft
- Club Speed 101.1 mph
- Ball Speed 150.0 mph
- Spin Rate 2100 rpm
- Launch Angle 14.0 degrees
- Carry 249 yards
- Total 278.7 yards
- Height 84.3 feet
42.5″ Persimmon Driver with Steel Shaft
- Club Speed 93.4 mph
- Ball Speed 141.2 mph
- Spin Rate 2115 rpm
- Launch Angle 10.3 degrees
- Carry 206.4 yards
- Total 246.4 yards
- Height 48 feet
The Averages (click to enlarge)
I couldn’t believe it! I hit my driver with a 3 wood shaft further, higher, with less spin and above all else – straighter. Take a look at how much straighter: (yellow – driver shaft/purple – 3 wood shaft/ white – persimmon)
The Dispersion Chart
I also totaled the distance (after roll) the ten shots with each club finished from the center line:
- Persimmon – 182 feet (average 18″ off line)
- Three wood shaft – 234 feet (average 23″ feet off line)
- Driver shaft – 315 feet (average 31″ off line)
On my Andrew Rice Golf Facebook page I asked readers if they had any experience with shortening the shaft of their driver and here are a few of their responses:
“I just went to a 44″ and am loving it! Longer then my 45.5″ and straighter too!” GT
“Went to 44″ and more consistent with no loss in distance” AvS
“44″ Callaway…more fairways AND more distance!!!” CL
“Went to 44″ and I hit it more solid further and straighter” PW
“44″ this year. I agree it is far better. Middle of the face more often.” SF
“I found it made me less steep through attack so I have lowered my spin rate and launched it about a degree higher” AB
By the way – most of the above quotes are from full-time professional golf instructors. So what can we learn from this research?
Having tested a few golfers with shorter shafts it seems to me that each golfer has a ‘threshold’ length – an ideal length that gives them the optimal combination of speed and accuracy. For some that threshold could be 46″ while for others they perform best with a 42″ driver. The only way to find out is to get yourself with a teacher or fitter that has access to Trackman and various shafts.
Another point to note is that while the 3 wood shaft had a slightly slower club and ball speed the shots were longer…why? Notice how the launch angle was higher while the spin rate was lower. A perfect illustration of the term ‘high launch low spin‘. Launch the ball higher to get more out of your tee shots.
What can we learn from the ‘persimmon‘ data? While that shaft was even shorter than the 3 wood shaft it was substantially heavier. I believe the 3 wood graphite shaft was almost 50 grams lighter than it’s steel counterpart which would explain the almost 7 mph difference in club speed. The size, or lack there of, of the head was intimidating in the beginning, but as I went through the shots I became more comfortable. I believe that practicing with a smaller clubhead like this can only be beneficial in the long term for any serious golfer.
My feeling standing over the shorter club was better and almost every golfer I tested reported the same sense. The club feels easier to control and many golfers have reported a feel that they can ‘get through‘ the shot better. I really felt like I could smash it without it going off line – a nice feeling!
Physics says that longer shaft + lighter shaft = faster club speed = more distance. On paper that might be true, but when the human element is involved everything changes. The next time I tee it up it will be with a substantially shorter shaft in my driver…but that’s just me!
Posted in Equipment, Long Game, Swing Philosophy | 
Tags: 3 wood, club speed, draw, driver, get through, high launch low spin, hit up on the bal, launch angle, Motore F3, persimmon, practicing with a smaller clubhead, Project X, research, serious golfer, shaft length, shorter shafts, spin rate, swing plane, swing speed, threshold length, Titleist, wilson staff
Really intersting findings there, have you tried any impact tape tests with the two drivers to see how much tighter the grouping around the sweetspot of the clubface is forthe shorter shaft?
As when know the formula shown above does not cover the full story as to get maximum effiiencey faster clubs head speed is nothing if not correctly applied.
Andrew see your data and agree with your results. When thou would you see any of the long drive guys go to a shorter shaft for competitions? There must be some iron byron data that supports the longer shafts. However I’ll be cutting down my Driver shaft tonight. Cheers.
Long drivers only need one in play Wayne….
Hi Andrew ,
Very interestinfg stuff as usual. I remember when I was younger the driver I hit the best was a Ben Hogan speed slotted model and was shorter than standard which seemed unusual as I’m 6´2″ but i loved that driver and hit it great. I totally agree on your optimum length idea. Having seen the respective distances I was not surprised that the smash factor increased with the shorter shaft and I think therein lie some clues. Once a shaft is too long (let’s say longer than optimum length for arguments sake ) it becomes more difficult to hit the centre of the club and as we know more centred shots with less speed go further than off centre shots with more speed. The increased speed with more length has to be combined with precision of strike. I believe these findings also add weight to my belief that kids who play with too long clubs( a lot of them)are being hampered unnecessarily.
I went thru a fitting a couple of years ago and found the same data with my swing, e.g. ..the 44′ generated same club head speed with better contact/dispersion vs. 45′ driver. Been using 44′ every since and FIR went way up. Now I know what shaft weight and freq. specs work for me and I can fit to launch angle and lower spin.
Good stuff on this site Andrew.
Thanks Jim!
Thanks for reading Paul!
It’s interesting how in the last 10 years or so golf has gone distance crazy but nobody’s
handicap has gone down because of it. Hit the ball in the fairway and your scores will
go down. Mine have. Andrew thanks for another great analysis. BTW my cleveland classic is 43.5 inches and i hit 12 of 14 fairways last week.
I really enjoyed reading your driver length test. Why did you use different shafts? How much do you think that the results were affected by the different shafts? It would be interesting to see the results from using the same shafts, albeit with different lengths.
Hi Kevin – I simply did not have the same shaft in 43″ and 45″….
Andrew – thanks for your reply; with shafts costing what they do, I completely understand your response. However, do you think that your results were impacted by the different shafts? Being only 5’7″, I use a PING G-20 driver with the shaft cut down a half inch, but am now considering something shorter.
Andrew,
What effect, if any, does cutting 1″ inch off a driver have on feel or swingweight? Thanks.
Johnny – it would lighten and stiffen the shaft….
Kevin – both shafts are of a similar genre (lower spin) and I did not feel that the change in the shaft made the difference. In fact the Project X shaft is less likely to fit me than the Motore F3….
Hi Andrew,
Interesting piece! It got me thinking about shortening my own driver. Do you think I should cut down my driver or reshaft it with a 3 wood shaft? How does the 3 wood shaft affect swingweight?
Either option would work Bill, but cutting the shaft down would stiffen it a little. If you wanted to maintain the swingweight of your longer club you would need to add weight to the shorter club as the swingweight would be quite a bit lighter.
Andrew,
Very interesting results!! It has now been over 2 months since your comparison test. I am curious if you have settled on a length of shaft for your “gamer” and what shaft have you have settled on? Also, during your test did you add any weight to the head of your driver at the 43″ length so it was the same swing weight as your 45″ driver? If not, what was the swing weight on the 43″ & 45″ club? Swing weight is another factor for all of us to consider. Thanks, for all of your informative insight; I am in the process of testing a 43.5″ driver and so far I am enjoying the results I am seeing.
Bryan – swing weight is a big factor and is what I struggled with with the shorter club. Shorter shaft = straighter, but the weight must be adjusted or a golfer can get fast in a hurry. My gamer is now a 44.5″ Motore VC 6.0 Speeder to help me maintain some spin on the shot….
Andrew I have recently bought the 2013 Callaway Razr fit Xtreme driver. I found it soft and whippy. It has a 9.5 loft and stiff Trinity graphite shaft. My swing speed is right at 97 to 100. The clubs lenght is 45 and half inches. My wrist to floor measurement is 34 inches. I am a 60yr old male and just recently took up the game after walking away from it for over 30 years. When I quit the game I was a scratch golfer and was used to playing with a 43 inch steel shaft persimmon head driver.
I found when I chocked down on the club an 1″ to an 1 and half I could place my drive in the fairway where I intended it, otherwise I was all over the place. I have the head set in the square position. I’m considering cutting my driver down in lenght to 44 inches. My question is– in your opinion what will that do to the stiffness of the driver??? My goal is to get out of my swing the accuracy I give it and if that means sacrificing some distance I’m fine with that. I just don’t want to destroy a $400 club. What would you recommend??? Thanking you in advance for your time. Please advise
Hi Andrew,
Interesting results you have there! Just one question, I have a 46′ driver, would choking it down 2″ work and maintain the same swing weight?
Thanks.
Joe
Hi Joe,
Choking up would work, but that would effectively make the club lighter. Try it and see how it goes – if you like it get it trimmed and add some weight to maintain the swing weight.
Sincerely,
AR
Hi Steve,
I would trim the club down. Keep in mind this will lighten the club/swingweight and as a result you may need to add some weight to the head. Shortening the shaft will stiffen it, but I suspect the shaft might be a little soft for you to start with.
I have shortened my driver and love it! Actually chatted with Luke Donald’s coach and LD uses a 43.75″ driver with no loss of distance.
Hope this helps,
AR
Hi Andrew, thanks for your input and advice. You were spot on. I got impatient to try a shorter driver so I took an older Ping S i 3 with a graphite shaft and had the butt end cut to on overall length of 44 inches. Lucky for me that did the trick. It produces a nice straight high ball flight and an occasional nice high draw. Only way to go for me was to shorten the driver. Ironically there was an increase in distance, I was peppering the sweet spot very consistently. Thanks again for you time and best wishes to you and your family. Steve
Great to hear Steve – thanks so much for reporting back!
Andrew- I found it interesting that you ended up with a 44.5 inch shaft after hitting the 43.5 one so well. Can you speak to your process of getting to 44.5 inches? Many thanks!