Club Shaft Length

[noobgolfer]

well guys im new to this forum, it seemed nice so i signed up. I have a bit of a problem....im 5'3 and 17 years old. I've been golfing for about 2 months, and I normally drive a golf ball about 240-260 with good control with my 10 year old callaway big bertha that has a shaft length if 43.75 i believe. The problem is the standard shaft lengths now-a-days! They are all 44"-45", and i dont want to cut them or anything because i dont know if it will lower my yardage When i hit with most of these newer drivers(45" shafts) I have to swing out sooo much and I only hit the ball about 220 yards. Im not sure what to do with these different results and am therefore....confused.I have a feeling though, that if i could cut the shaft on my driver about 2 inches or so, I could drive the ball further with better control, but at the same time, i see that as impossible simply because the shaft would be too short! Any suggestions or facts for a 5'3 male golfer like myself? Would cutting the shaft increase/decrease yardage, and/but improve conrtol? How much should i cut the shaft for my height without sacrificing distance? Any comments are much appreciated.

 

[IrishGolfer]

Hi Noob

Welcome aboard. I'm not sure cutting a shaft will increase yardage, but it should keep 'em straight. A shorter shaft will decrease your arc and theoretically shorten your distance. But hey, on the fairway is better than 20 yards ahead in the rough. How do your irons and fairway woods work out?

I'm not sure about cutting shafts. Some of the guys here will have good advice, but I would recommend that you try out a few demo drivers first before going to that extreme. You should also be able to find some good 2nd hand already cut down drivers.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you may still grow a bit over the next few years. Anyway good luck!

 

[ualtim]

The latest theory I have heard was to use the longest shaft that you can control. If you are keeping your current driver in the fairway, I would not suggest cutting it any shorter as you will likely lose some distance. Ultimately, whatever shaft length will allow you to hit the sweetspot more frequently will provide the greatest distance/accuracy. If you know your wrist to floor measurement, you can get a rough idea what shaft length is recommended for your driver and go from there with your experimentation.

As far as cutting a shaft goes, it is fairly easy. Most shafts are butt trimmed to length so it is just a matter of removing the grip and cutting off the desired length. Check with the shaft manufacturer's website to see what they reccomend for triming instuctions so that you do not adjust the properties of the shaft. Graphite shafts need a little bit more care when cutting as you may damage the shaft if you cut it improperly. A grit edge hacksaw or a dremel tool with cutting wheel has worked well for me as long as you masking tape the area to be cut first. Steel shafts can be cut with a pipe cutting tool, hacksaw, or dremel tool cutting wheel as well. If you have some more sophisticated power tools around the house, a chop saw with a cutting wheel or bench grinder with a cutting wheel will do the trick as well. Just remember to masking tape the graphite shafts where you are going to cut them and you should avoid damaging the shaft.

 

[Loop]

If the shaft is longer, you don't need to hit it harder....
And 44" seems like a good length for you, though you will gain an inch or two by the time you reach 20.
If you really want to cut the shaft, cut it by the butt, as you'll keep the same flex property, unless you want the shaft more stiff...

One other thing: the longer the shaft, the heavier the swingweight, the harder to swing it faster.
The shorter (and lighter) shaft will be easier to swing more quickly and get more clubhead speed.
So if you like to swing it hard and fast, get the shorter one.
If you like to keep it smooth, get the longer 45".

 

[noobgolfer]

thank you for your comments.So, ultimately if i were to buy a taylormade r540 XD and cut the shaft to 43 3/4-44" instead of leaving it at 45" i should hit the ball longer than i do with my current driver(considering the new technology and my performace even with the longer shaft on the r540[230 yards])? FYI i do like to put a lil power in whenever i can

 

[SonicBoomGolf]

Best tip I ever got for improving distance and accuracy off the tee....get on a launch monitor and figure out what works for you. I suggest the same for you.

I use some longer clubs and while you can swing faster it becomes much harder to hit the ball well because your target is farther away and the club is moving faster.

This is a quick drill I was taught to show me that the long a club gets the harder it gets to make regular, solid contact. Get a club and hold the part where the grip ends and the steel starts so that the club head is behind you and the butt of the club is facing away from you.

Now pick a point and move your hand so you tap that point with the butt of the club over and over. Gradually increase the speed until you are moving the club back and forth as fast as possible while tapping the point.

Now grab the club head and have your arm extended so that the butt of the club is again away from your body. Pick a point and more faster and faster like you did before.

You will see that the farther the club gets from you the harder it is to control the tip of the club

Even though long clubs make it harder to make regular solid contact it sure is fun when you catch one on the screws cause it goes!