News
CAN YOU MANAGE A LONGER SHAFT IN YOUR DRIVER? 2008-03-18
While eyes have been on the technology in Driver heads there has been an increase, by many manufacturers, in the off the shelf length of the shaft in the Driver.
The longer shaft means that the club head should be travelling faster when it makes contact with the golf ball, creating increased distance. I’ve no argument with the physics or the desire to create Drivers that allow us to hit the ball further.
Tom Wishon, one of the Foremost Golf Club makers in the world and an unrivalled authority on club fitting, argues strongly against this trend. His experiments prove that there is a point where golfers actually can’t hit the ball further with a longer shaft as their ability to connect with the sweet spot diminishes. He also, very logically, asserts that the longer shaft increases the likelihood of the club head not reaching the ball square at impact AND of the swing path losing shape creating more slices and hooks.
The shafts on Drivers have increased in length, settling on a standard length of 45" over the last 5 years.
The top Pros, including Tiger Woods, have almost always shortened the shaft on their Driver though, preferring extra control over even more distance. The emergence of high MOI Drivers has seen the start of another round of increases with 46½" being common.
The designers of the most recent Drivers, with a high MOI and faces that are ‘hotter’ across a broader space on the face, would argue that they have made it far easier to get good and more accurate distance even if you do hit the golf ball away from the centre on the face.
I would argue that every golfer is different. Some of you would benefit from the added accuracy a high MOI Driver offers and would still have enough control to get the club square at impact off a good swing path with a shaft that was 1 to 2 inches longer (giving you extra yards off the tee).
I would argue that every golfer is different. Some of you would benefit from the added accuracy a high MOI Driver offers and would still have enough control to get the club square at impact off a good swing path with a shaft that was 1 to 2 inches longer (giving you extra yards off the tee).
Some of you however would benefit from a shaft in your Driver that was actually ½ or even 1" shorter than the traditional 45" and you might be surprised that your added control didn’t only produce added accuracy but also added distance.
You are the key here. It is your swing. There is no ‘one size fits all’. Just look around your four ball or regular school and you can see the wide variety of swing speeds and abilities with the Driver. If you are looking at a new Driver make sure that it is made to fit your swing.
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