Is a Shorter Length Driver Better for Your Game? // Driver Length Distance & Accuracy Test

Testing two identical drivers at 45" and 43.5" playing lengths. Find out what differences occur in distance and accuracy!
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Filmed at: Tour Experience Golf
Custom Golf Club Fitting Studio - Toronto, Canada

[@meicalpovey26]

These tests always seem to be done with decent quality players. I'd love to see this with a mid-handicapper. I anticipate these results would be stronger in favour of shorter drivers.

[@countach711]

The guy they almost always use is way beyond decent, otherwise I agree with you 100%!

[@Zerpersande]

I cut a shaft down to the same length as a 7 iron. Actually played decently.

[@nickpritchard7130]

It all makes sense. Shorter driver more accuracy, but weight must be added to the head. Is there a formula for how much is taken off the shaft to how much weight has to be added to the head??

[@Zerpersande]

@@nickpritchard7130 A swing weight scale isn’t expensive and lets you adjust your swing weights not just for shaft length changes bit also when changing grips.

[@Zerpersande]

Yeah, I read a comment about Matt recently saying that he could hit a can of cream corn tied to a broomstick 300 yds.

[@mh_golfer]

I am 6' 2" and switched to a 44" driver about a month ago and couldn't be happier. At first, I lost about 5 yards of distance on average but my number of fairways went up by 25% right away. As I have built more and more confidence with the club, my distance has also increased to the point where I am hitting it about 10 yards further.

[@BigDawgCAM]

I’m 6’3” and going to do that for the upcoming season! Making all my woods shorter for consistency: Driver: 44” 3 Wood: 43” 5 Wood: 42”

10:56 10:56

[@nickpritchard7130]

Tried a shorter driver, 44.75 no weight added. Hit my handicap of 7. Straighter drives off the tee. No loss of distance..Happy days. Great vid, thanks guys.

[@robertharper874]

I LOVE THIS because everyone that has a high handicap are not bad iron players often it's the driver. I went to a shorter driver and my handicap dropped, so THANK YOU for this video

[@TC-ps9sd]

Love it when TXG demonstrates a concept. It's one thing to talk about it, but to show it helps me learn it.

[@leejordan7252]

this has to be one of the best golf channels for explaining tech and how it works.

[@ricktwist1935]

Last comment in of all the guys that I watch Rick Shiels Michael Newton you are the one that I would come to for a driver fitting I probably could get a few extra yards but I still need an extra stiff and 9 1/2 is good and I cannot afford to go to Canada right now but you you two are the best at testing equipment equipment on KZbin

[@davidgordon4386]

I love the way Matt says he would "consider it"...What's to consider? Longer and more consistent. The ego is a strange thing. I would imagine 44" and no more would be the deal.

[@clubchampionmedia]

It was a 20 minute session with a shaft I don’t even use, I wouldn’t decide anything based on that for my own game

[@derekcavensmusic]

@@GT-1902 you clearly dont follow the channel, matty can hit a putter 300 yards, he has much more effecient setups.

[@TheOgieone]

Fantastic info!....I dropped to a 44.25" shaft after watching your video a couple years ago, game changer in terms of accuracy & distance.👍

[@oliveroshea2913]

Hi Lads, video perfectly backs me up on the 'nonsense' i have been saying to my playing partners. Got a Taylormade M5 at 8.5* that i changed the shaft to a 43.25" Tensei Red S (50g) instead of 45.75" Tensei Orange S (60g). Jump in Efficiency from 1.25 to 1.44 average and very similar swing speed (within 109 instead of 110) End result is 12.9* launch angle, 2300rpm spin, about 160mph ball speed and hitting nearly every fairway i try for. Thanks for the backup :)

[@lonjas8055]

Just ordered a PXG gen 2 driver with similar specs hoping to find more fairways because I often find myself trouble with the driver

[@canyonaro]

This is a great idea! The lighter shaft helps mitigate the swing speed loss and keeps the swingweight up without having to add a bunch of head weight.

[@paulp2055]

When I got fitted for my PingG400 the Ping fitter put me in a 1” shorter shaft (44 3/4) it made a huge difference in my strike and dispersion...I’m hitting more fairways and no lose of distance!

[@diogeneslantern18]

How tall are you? I'm 5'8 with a wrist to floor of 33"

[@josephdubiel7129]

I am playing with a Ping G 410 SFT driver at 43.5 inches long. Seems to be perfect for me. My control and quality of strike are by far better than anything longer. Good review. Joe

[@patrickdennis5986]

I got fitted for a Titleist TS3 at the Titleist Performance Institue in California... We tested all sorts of combinations. I am 6'4" with long arms and generate pretty good clubhead/ball speed. The final two tweaks he tried were the first of the day where he didn't tell me what changes he was making. He gave me a 44.5 and a 45 and compared the results to the (standard) 45.5 ... He swapped back and forth a few times and it turned out the 45" absolutely gave me not only the tightest dispersion but actually slightly longer distance than the shaft 0.5" longer. Was not surprised by more control but was surprised not to lose distance. The differences weren't enormous, but they were consistent. Ordered it, and am *so* happy with it a year later. Didn't imagine a shorter shaft would be part of my solution.

[@bradkring2635]

You guys.... keep doing what you're doing, so much good information!!

[@rlake349]

Strike is still king! Long driver shafts are still stupid for most golfers. Also under the stress of competition every factor magnifies. Been playing at 43.75 D2 for years but my golfing buddies are unwilling to change their point of view from the rough.

[@ChampBuggy]

This is so spot on. I just made a switch in length in my driver. I switched from a 68g 45" shaft to a 77g 44-1/4" length to maintain my D3 swingweight. The heavier shaft allowed me to not have to add so much weight to the head and balance the club better. Otherwise it felt like I was swinging a 25lb sledge hammer. Anyway, I have seen on the average a 40% increase in fwy's hit and have not lost any distance. Maybe increased it because of efficiency. This has changed my game. I recommend everybody trying this for themselves. I believe they will be surprised and probably would game it. Thanks for the great videos.!

[@BW-ze3mg]

That shirt... I thought he just walked in from a 90 degree day on the course 😂

[@Laxrocks571]

More like ran a marathon 😂

[@Arkslippy]

It has a camo splash built in. My shirts have a more natural pattern that varies !!

[@robertmayer1497]

Ian needs a bibb before his Grape juice!

[@stevengriffin5349]

Yeah they are not scoring tour pro money ; giving lessons , mowing greens , washing carts .

[@lawrencebogar6136]

@@Arkslippy Galvin Green shirts are not inexpensive.

[@DanielRodrigues-hn8cx]

Great content as usual! Guilty as charged as someone who has cut down a shaft without taking the proper steps afterward to adjust the swingweight.

[@marco_gallone]

I am glad I found this. I lopped off 1 inch and changed the grip (removed the arccoss sensor) from my Cobra King F9 (D3) totalling nearly 2 full inches and substantial weight off of the grip end of the shaft. Per Ians assessment that's nearly 12 swing weight points, my driver has been pretty terrible since - makes sense because its about C1. I thought it was me, some lead tape seemed to fix it!

[@kourt2469]

I played a 43.5 inch driver for several years now. I noticed the first few months my speed was slightly slower with the shorter length, but what I noticed was as the years went on and I kept hitting the middle time after time with the shorter length, my confidence grew and I was able to swing even faster without worrying about missing the center.

[@samrad1745]

did u have to add weight and where?

[@kourt2469]

@@samrad1745 yes the driver I used was a Wishon 919 THi driver and it has weight ports in the hosel and sole so I added the weight when I built it.

[@nateklaphake]

Went down to 44" on my driver and I found it more controlable for me. SS went down from 115 mph to about 113 mph but ball speed and length actually went up as my smash factor went up to 1.44 from 1.39. So far its working well for me. Maybe when I get a little better I will try to go back up to the 45" range but for the foreseeable future I am liking the fairway to much!

[@christopherrogge7016]

Great test....I got fitted into a 44.5, from 45.75, I've had similar results, more center of face contact = better efficiency. Also, I think side spin control is vastly improved, even on slight heel/toe strikes, due to the stiffer shaft result of shortening. It would have been nice to see, a 46.5 inch setup in this test to help the "off the shelf" buyers realize the importance of a quality fitting. Thanks for all the great work Ian and Matt!! Chris Rogge - Minneapolis

[@rufussthoo4083]

My old driver was 45 3/4" and I always struggled to get comfortable swinging it. It was mainly a visual thing. Every time I pulled it out of the bag I'd think "there's no way I can swing this VW Beetle-on-a-stick." And invariably, I couldn't. My new driver is 45" and the difference was immediate. The new one no longer 'looks' too big to swing; it doesn't 'feel' cumbersome in my hands. Every time I pull it out of the bag I think "I can really swing this thing." And invariably, I do. :-)

[@terrydudley6860]

I feel the exact same way..to me the shorter just feels better

[@ablazer1241]

I'm gaming a PG400 LST driver, With a rouge silver 60 at 43 3⁄4 playing length, head weight is 212 grams That brought it up to D3 swing weight, Its the best thing I've ever done, hitting more fairways Any distance loss is negligible. Best KZbin channel out there !!!!!!

[@jdavis6650]

Gents--you both have great swings. As an older player, I admire your swings and lengths. I've lost distance but can still put it out there. I would love to see more vids that show players with slower club head speeds than Matt. Maybe someone in the 100-105 mph. Thanks for considering.

[@MrJoshB11]

Great stuff fellas! I put my 3 wood shaft into my F9 driver last week and added the 18 gram weight and 10 gram weight. I didn't really lose any distance and hit some straighter drives. Cobra's sleeve can be switched between fairways and drivers unlike some other manufacturers. Awesome stuff!

[@saulgoodeguitars]

Thinking of doing the same with my 5 wood shaft but I’d have to buy weights

[@MrJoshB11]

@@saulgoodeguitars if you like to tinker, I think it's worth it to buy extra weights. Also Cobragolf.com usually gives you a buy 3 get 1 free plus you can often times find discount codes for cobra on coupon sites

[@persndergaard1108]

Hi guys, one more great video. I got the F9 tour version last year, with more weight put in the head. Whent from 102-104 ss to 100-102 but in average gained 8 mtr. And im finding way more fairway/first cut. So works great for me. Big thx from Denmark, keep up the exillent work. Hope you are getting out in the open and play some, now CA is open again. Be safe both of you. Best regards from Per S - DK

[@jakegidley7812]

So I’m a 12 handicapper. Been using a TM R11 driver until this July. Switched to the TM SIM. I’ve went from consistently straight, 250 yards to going right, 225 yards. The SIM is 1/2” longer. Really glad to see this video. Confirms what I was thinking

[@simonsouthby-ryland7431]

Hi, great vid. Went for a fitting for a driver at Golf Principles in the UK about 5 years ago, shortened my driver by an inch to 44.5" and added another 10 grams in head to compensate...absolute game changer. Recently changed to the Mavrik head and was 'lockdown bored' so tried with the standard 5g weight, was all over the place, amazing what difference 10g makes...so important you get a fitter who knows what he's doing to help. Cheers guys keep the great content coming

[@kylejeffery89]

I've got a Cobra F8 playing at 44" right now. Has improved my strike massively.

[@Mizman76]

F8 is a VERY underrated driver and the sound is PHENOMENAL.

[@kylejeffery89]

@@Mizman76 I all too often think of replacing it. Then I go out to play a round, like today, and just hit bombs. It's a great driver!

[@zzcurve1141]

@@kylejeffery89 If its working don't change a thing!

[@andrewkorponic2561]

Would have liked to see the build of changing the swing weight in the shorter shaft. Great video.

[@stephenmoxley3004]

Great video, guys. I've been a proponent of the shorter shaft length for a long time. I think I first learned about it from Tom Wishon. It really does work. And thanks for mentioning the corrections with weight and flex that happen when the length is shortened. Keep up the good work.

[@Boss302ATC]

Would've been interesting to see him struggling with the club with a cut down shaft in it without the work to make it balanced, and then balance it. Show off how much the build really matters!

[@davidpoore5480]

TXG filmed a video either early this year, or late last year, where they changed swing weights dramatically with the same club. Matty Boy did not swing the light (C8?) or heavy (D8?) very well. Worth the watch to see how Ian changed the swing weight as much as he did. It was educational.

[@concretewalzz]

Interesting, yet I was thinking the same thing. Don't do all the head weight adjustments to see those results ;)

[@nicholasballard2836]

I would have liked to see that in this video to highlight the need in order to stop someone getting over excited and chopping their driver down before moaning about how TXG ruined his club

[@termides]

That's fair and I would like to see the same thing. How do you add head weight? You can't just use lead tape to add 18 g

[@geoffc15]

I got fitted by Club Champion into a 45” Ventus Blue 7x for my TS2. Maintained swing speed at ~115 but gained strike and delivery improved.

[@Jonse87]

Would love to see a similar video on iron shaft length! Keep up the great work guys - TXG is easily on the most interesting and educational golf channels on KZbin 👍🏻

[@morgancross5481]

Love the results, just what you'd expect. Even though the longer driver seemed to have the ability to get out there a little further, variability in strike point brings down the overall average. Seems like Matt could maybe be a 44"-44.5" guy. I've always loved the ability to add head weight as well, not only to compensate for the shorter length but to move CG around even more.

[@2Eaglez]

As a senior golfer (73) who has lost distance over the years, I recently purchased a new shaft for my driver that makes the total length 47.5”. I have found that I can choke down on the driver about 1.5” and hit a lower trajectory shot that produces a straight or slight draw shot. Swinging at full length the shot pattern changes to a slight fade with a higher trajectory. I decide which grip position on each tee box depending on the shape of the fairway and the wind. There is not much difference in distance on either of the shots with the new shaft, but both go longer than my 45.5” shaft. Obviously, I don’t have the swing speed that Matt has.

[@dcm703]

I have a Sim Max that was built to their standard length (Hzrdus Smoke Green 70x). A few weeks ago I was experimenting choking up a couple inches which puts it a shade under 44”. I love it, I think I am actually hitting it farther and this video went a long way in explaining why. I also feel like I have more confidence to go after it a little more and still be hitting the center of the club face. Great video.

[@johnkraus5454]

I've noticed with the 44.5" driver I'm playing now I seem to be less over the top which has helped me straighten my slice. Purchased additional heavier weight to bring swing weight back to D2. So far so good.

[@LDReptiles]

I’m 5’0 and use a 43 1/2 inch driver. Im a 24 year old male who never grew past 5’0 lol. When I went to my local golf town to get a new driver because I could not hit mine straight they hooked me up on a launch monitor and the pro quickly picked up on how awkward I swing a standard men’s 45” driver. So he went to the store front and grabbed a women’s driver at 43 1/2 inches and told me to try that instantly I felt a difference and saw a difference. Now he said you can’t swing a women’s driver you’ll break it as I swing about 103mph club head speed. So he cut my driver down to 43 1/2” regripped it and i have never turned back since. I’m still in the market for a new driver but now I have my 5-6 fairway wood and my driver cut to 43 1/2 and I love them both!

[@kevinwiessner2951]

44.5” here and have been down to 44.25” in the past...and I’m 6’4” with over length irons. Not sure I’ll ever go back to anything over 45” and just feels like I’m swinging a fishing rod at that longer length. 😬 Matt, (my fellow lefty)...cut it down and don’t look back!

[@kevinwiessner2951]

Ping has been great about getting SW on point with my past two fittings and custom orders, btw.

[@paulshepherd27]

I had my Oban shaft shortened in order to hit more fairways but never had additional weight added to the head? I certainly found more of the right side of the course.... this was a two year experiment which ultimately led me to a new lighter shafted driver with standard head. It was the M2 + Matrix Ozix white. 50g. A massive difference to me personally. Good review of the issue chaps.👏🏻

[@schuty2799]

For me personally I've actually seen the opposite of what Matt was saying with regards to more club head speed. When I got fitted originally for my Sim2 I was swinging around 95mph but I had to slow down to 85ish to maintain accuracy. We cut 2 1/4 inches off my driver and now I have so much more control I can comfortably get to 97+ mph with better accuracy (no change in head weight however so that could be a factor)

[@wallstreetoneil]

Matt is an optimal candidate for this, as are many tour players, as they can swing heavy clubs. My guess is 99% of the internet that plays shorter shafts has cut 1"- 1 1/2" off their shaft from the butt and not added weight back - and that is what they are swinging. Jack played a 43.5" driver his entire Major winning life and we know how that turned out - he hit 300 yard high fades at will and was the best driver in history. For me, I play mine at 45.25" and I can repeatedly play a fade in control - it's the long high draw that's the problem with that length of shaft - that's why I carry a 13.5 degree 3 wood if I need to play a draw.

[@claytonjohnston25]

Playing the new SZ at 44.5”! Better overall feel. Good strikes too!

[@christopherpatterson4851]

I bought a King LTD, put it on a Black-Rie 60-gram standard length shaft, and was working it hard to reduce spin. Shots were just ballooning out no matter where I hit. I switched to a Hzrdus Black 70 gran plus 1, and am hitting longer, and straighter drives than before. Of course, practice and lessons helped tremendously!!!

[@romanofanfoni555]

Excellent video, I have been advocating this forever and no one believes me. I personally only play at 44.5" Well done , absolutely convinced now. Thank you

[@johnschwartz1536]

I have been hitting mostly Cleveland and Taylor Made drivers with regular shafts and gram weights of around 280. I have always thought that the shaft was the most important part of the club in fitting out your feel. The heads were mostly 440 cc or 460 cc and the shafts measured out at around 45 3/4 inches. However, sometimes the weight of the head did not match up with the shaft. I am now experimenting with a 460 cc head and a R 45 inch shaft. These were not fitted clubs, but off the rack or barrel. Now, in watching your video, it is best to match up head, shaft, and length. Excellent video!

[@aaron_b.]

Great video. I always get my drivers cut down, ranging from 43"-44.5". I think I've settled on 44", works most optimally balancing between not losing too much distance while finding more fairways. Getting the swingweight back up is always the biggest challenge, but fortunately in Arizona there are a lot of good fitters around.

[@gatorsrock57]

Super late reply, but can I ask how tall are you?

[@aaron_b.]

@@gatorsrock57 5'11" but I think my wingspan is shorter than that.

[@lanmurgatroyd9503]

Excellent info Loads of people have shortened shafts without replacing weight and junked it after 1 round...

[@danielgronskog]

I understand you need to add weight to compensate for the swing weight BUT what does it affect regarding the performance? What will you see if you cut the shaft 1" but don't change the weight in the head? :)

[@charlesbartholomew2910]

I built myself a set of irons with graphite shafts. Initially built them to the "standard graphite shaft" lengths to achieve the proper swing weights. I found that I did not like them at the longer lengths as they were not quite as consistent as my steel shafted irons of the same head. I shortened them to match the length of my steel shafted irons, 1/2" under standard length. After doing this I weighted the heads with lead tape to bring the swing weights up. They are now at D 2 for 3 iron through 9 iron and D 2.5 for pitching wedge, gap wedge and sand wedge. My consistency has returned and I am beginning to really like them.

[@benjamingonzales9580]

I’d love to see this with a mid to high handicap. You could probably give Matty a 42 inch driver and wouldn’t see much difference if it was weighted properly. Need to see this test with someone like us mere mortals. 🤣🤣🤣 cheers boys. Great content. Always.

[@kourt2469]

I've done a ton of testing like this. What I've learned is people with faster swing speeds tend to lose more speed going shorter than people with slow speeds. People like matt with a lot of lag and load on the shaft can generate more speed with the extra 2". 90% of players I test lose almost no clubhead speed but their effeciency sky rockets. Obviously it's player dependant but I'd definitely recommend going shorter if someone is struggling with strike

[@davidwinstone2085]

Can you do a follow up video on the build of the shorter club. And show how all the weight got put in it.

[@Zerpersande]

I cut an inch off my new Epic Max and it too about 10g of lead tape to bring the swing weight up to where I like it, a D3.

[@downsouth1678]

@@Zerpersande but lead tape looks terrible on a new driver

[@jamesjackson4264]

@@downsouth1678 so do missed FWs.

[@devanmacdonald8924]

I play the f9 at 44.25 and haven't lost distance because of the change in technology (my last driver was the original m1). It is so easy to hit the centre of the face!

[@dannykosifou175]

I play my F9 at 43.5" - and the biggest thing for me is how much more upright at address it makes me, and also the plane of my swing. Sooo much better than with the stock shaft in there. Distance is about the same, but I'm definitely more consistent shorter.

[@blackcedar]

I have played shorter drivers for a few years now, went to a slightly heavier shafts to offset the swing weight loss. Hitting fairways and still getting some major bombs, will probably go to 44.5 at the longest. Fit a customer into a 44.5 driver and he instantly started hitting fairways and his dispersion improved dramatically, settled on the srtixon zx7 with a tensei white x flex. "I ain't ever going back to 45 or longer" was his comment after two tournaments and a Monday qualifier. Couldn't putt was his issue.

[@TTT-Turbo]

I play 44½ I'm 5'8½ and I find it way better. It's amazing how many titleist drivers you see for sale 2nd hand because they generally come 45½ and people find they cant hit them straight off the shelf. Mental. Shorter definitely works for most amateur players.

[@RadioJack]

I have a Callaway Rogue Sub-Zero with an 18g in the front and 12g in the back with a 6.5 HZRDUS Yellow. Adding the extra weight definitely helped making this a more consistent and predictable club compared to the 2 and 5 I bought it used with

[@EdwardBailey]

I'm 6' 1" and play a 43.5" driver. I do hit way more fairways and have not lost distance. I did add (6) grams to the head as the one I use has changeable weights. I played with the setup at the range between weight and loft and found a good fit and feel for me.

[@tommywestfall432]

I noticed it a couple videos ago and now I can't stop seeing Dyanmic Loft spelled wrong lol Great video as always gents!

[@alanwaterworth6464]

Great video again, this confirms what happened when I tried out a slightly shorter driver and for the first time in my life, hit every single fairway. I´ve since bought the same club, just waiting for it to arrive :)

[@grewk2518]

Playing 44.25 its absolutely incredible. So much more ballspeed and so much better contact. Fairway finder. Will never hit a 45 again

[@UntelligentMatt]

for the last few years I've ordered my drivers with a heavier, stiffer, and 1" shorter shaft. I believe it's helped a ton.

[@njamesthomasl]

Made this exact change last week to my M3. Easy to add the weight back into the head using the track system. Distance is the same accuracy is far tighter.

[@KyleRattay]

AK Anthony Kim One Inch Under Taught me that watch old videos of him see how much he chokes up and still bomed it over 320 all day long!

[@VivaLaGolf42]

They even cut all his shafts short so he didn’t have to choke down, and he still do lol. Made the short ones so stiff. He just stick to standard loft with the choke down

[@tms299]

When I got back into golf and did some reading about shaft lengths and shorter drivers actually helping my driver at the time was a ping anser and I cut it down to 42.5 and went from slicing to hitting slight fades. Switched from that driver to a Wilson staff c300 and again cut this one down but this time to 43.5 and after fixing my take away because I found I was opening my club face to much in my take away, I basically eliminated missing right because I was drawing everything including my driver now. This year I’ve switched drivers again to a cobra speedzone and before cutting it down I went and hit it and stock length which was 45” and was still drawing it but occasionally had the miss right. Regripped it and cut it down to 44”. With my Wilson that was at 43.5” I still had 260-270 yards of carry with it rolling out to 280-290 which is plenty deep enough for me. Once I read that most tour pros use drivers under 45” to help with dispersion I decided I was going to as well. I don’t feel like I’m losing any distance and now get the ball in the fairway more often which makes the game more fun. Keep up the great videos guys! Love the content.

[@bradholomek9493]

Always great information! Went back to my fitter, having some issues squaring up my sim max. We went 10gms lighter on the shaft and went to the sim max D. Picked up 5 mph ball speed!

[@clubchampionmedia]

Sim Max D is a great driver!!

[@damienfarrell9475]

I wish you guy were in Oz . I recently switch from a M3 to a Mini Drive to gain some accuracy and confidence off the tee. Seems to have worked so I’m now going to try a driver again and see if the strike stays similar and I get a little more distance. May be a short lived experiment

[@erikaddison6225]

I think this some what answers the question of should you shorten your club or choke down. From another video i watched, choking down effects the swing weight almost the same as just shortening the shaft. So choking down could actually put your swing weight into a C8 / Undesirable situation. Cutting and reweighting the club like they showed really seems like the proper way to shorten a club for more accurate ball striking.

[@mikesalt8248]

In my younger years I bought a Johnny Miller Laminated wood by Slazenger (1973) I was a good ball striker in those days. My golf mates in UK were amazed how far I was hitting it, so much so we checked the swing weight! Guess what C8 that was with a Dynalite stiff shaft. C8 in those days was Ladies spec. Ping was aware of this back then, swing speed etc. hence their light swing weights and stiff light shafts. These modern clubs are way too long in shaft length!!

[@pinoythomas77]

42 5/8 length driver shaft. Fairway finder no loss of distance at all.

[@brettmarcanteli5594]

I'm a 64 year old man standing at 5ft6. I cut my Titleist tsi1 driver 1 inch and hit it 230 metres. I find it to be more controllable and hit more fairways consistently. I play off 7

[@lukewanless9982]

Wacked a 44inch shaft in a couple months ago was ok when the swing was at the peak of the season but since returning after covid lossing the head, whacked 9grams of lead tape looking forward to playing tomorrow.

[@matthewbenger754]

You guys provide some great information for your viewers. I’m learning all sorts of stuff that I never knew since subscribing 👌 love your work

[@chadmoller6238]

I'm 6-foot-5 so I have to play longer shaft, I go plus 2 inches. Just picked up my new Mavrik Max today, can't wait to test it out. Of course, you know how it goes, I played in a scramble Monday and hit the crap out of my Rogue that I just traded in. Had a couple bombs including one that was right around 290.

[@timothydaniels504]

One of the things that led me to TXG was using my wife’s Ping i something or other, for 9 holes. It’s lighter and shorter than the driver I was using at the time, a Titleist 925 D, the relic, as Chris Kendall called it. The Rogue driver with a Mitsubishi shaft he fitted me with has been incredible but the one thing I wonder about occasionally is how a shaft

[@trmander]

I am 5'6". I've destroyed more than a few good drivers by cutting it down myself. Then I ordered a G400Max directly from Ping shortened to 43" and weighed back to D3. It is the best driver I have ever hit.

[@adamthier]

Ok. it would be great if you did your science showing the effect of different grip weights on the same iron . I would driver, but there are a lot more of those in the bag. If you think about it...it's the cheapest way to "upgrade" your clubs. And, when you buy clubs in a fitting -- you spend all that time and at the end it's "what grips would you like" -- without any indication or thought whatsoever of how it will impact your ball flight. From personal experience I will tell you that when I went from MCCs to Tour Wraps (cause I wanted "softer"), it was a huge change and I lost a ton of control and went from 5 yards left on a 7 iron to 15 yards left.

[@nick8339]

I went all the way down to 42. It's like magic. 5 yards shorter on average, but being able to walk up to the tee with no brain worms and swinging freely has helped me so much.

[@Rajiujitsu206]

How did you figure out 42 inches was the length for you?

[@hankcfi]

Im a 15 handicapper and use a 44.5 length in my TS3 driver. I went shorter for the accuracy. 112 club head speed and average 290 off the tee. I’ve seen a huge improvement and I wouldn’t go back! I still feel like I could tweak the type of shaft and get more out of it.

[@fezzer5315]

An unbelievable set of ball striking with the 43.5 inch wow. Got most distance 330 as well.

[@ShepMike3934]

Hi guys. I purchased a new full set of Mizunos and hate the driver. It has 10.5 deg loft which means that L create high spin causing it to go steeply up, has a really short shaft 43.5inch and sprays and has no guts when I finally manage to get a ' good ' strike. At the fitting the Mizuno rep and our club pro agreed that I needed 1 inch long and 2 degrees flat for the irons and I expected this to flow into the rest of the Driver, 5 wood and 3 rescue. Haven't been able to get back to the fitting room due to Covid restrictions here in Australia. Each of my old drivers were 45 inches or longer and I was much more consistent and longer. My impression is that the head is really light and just feels as if it flicks through. At the moment I've dialled it down to the lowest setting to try to get some penetration of flight. This video is very interesting if the head should have extra weight. I feel I need a standard Mizuno shaft at 45 or 45.5 inches as listed on their website

[@joeperez3520]

5' 8" and had been using a 44 inch shaft in my drivers for the last 10 years, but recently started getting shafts 45 inches. Just picked up a G410 SFT (45 3/4") and think I'll choke down an inch rather than actually having it cut short.

[@fezzer5315]

Go old man Pat!

[@joeperez3520]

@@fezzer5315 I'm sure Pat has his Big Stick at Standard length.

[@ScottDreyfus]

Even if you are choking down you are effectively lowering swing weight.

[@donfisher6659]

Choking down on the grip is the SMART way to go as a start. Try it and SEE if it's better or worse for YOU. Then you can cut the shaft IF shorter works best for you . Much better than cutting the shaft down and then finding out shorter was NOT best for you. Smart choice Joe.

[@dtgpsinc.4289]

Please check with mechanical engineers. The common hosel diameter and shaft tip diameter has been 0.335 inch for drivers. That tip diameter limits the mechanical strength of any shaft used. My instructor, golf shaft designer has stated that no golf shaft can be consistent at 45 inch and over. ie under 45 inch with extremely stiff tip( mid flex) is the sweet spot for maximum consistency .

[@davidminchin9469]

Yet again, fantastic content and a real insight into your vast knowledge, if only every club-fitter was as knowledgeable.

[@ileksoku]

Did you add weight back? I'm interested too

[@markthegolfaddict9051]

Did this with a 23* hybrid and it was magic. Built in yo 38.5 inches and it was the perfect 4 iron replacement

[@seancook2264]

I used to play a Cobra ZL with a circa 3w length shaft as an experiment. Did not go quite as long but it was certainly a fairway finder. Worked great for a spell before going back to 44.5” R9 Supertri

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

Shortened ALL my clubs a couple of years ago - game changer.

[@gladedennis5879]

how tall are you?

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

@@gladedennis5879 5' 11"

[@parmanduke]

Thank you for bringing Tour Van knowledge to us average Joes. Another awesome and eye opening video.

[@jarrat1305]

I have a ping g400. I saw the standard shaft is 45.75 and my driving is all over the place. Thinking of cutting it down and then read the ping tour shaft that I have is 45.25 already. Got straighter without doing anything because it was in my head. Confidence increased overnight??? Its a crazy game!

[@andybean5227]

I get extra weights for the Ping 410 on Ebay and dual weight the head. It allows me to achieve any swing weight for any shaft length. I have 3.5x2, 4.0, 4.5. 5.5, 6.5, 8 and a 12.

[@jeremyrepp6544]

I really do like this review of "tour" length versus longer... During my fittings (and on course verification), I definitely have better overall results with a driver at 44.5" versus longer. The potential for more distance is there when I do hit it well with the longer club, but it is easily offset by the better "average" drive with the 44.5" driver. I did also have to add a significant amount of weight to keep the SW up. Excellent coverage of this topic, guys.

[@bobfrost2661]

If you cut down a driver you do not add weight to bring the swing weight back up to as it was before you te test the club from scratch again to suit you! A club at 45” at D4 is no way the same club as 44” at D4!

[@clubchampionmedia]

@Bob Frost noone said it was the same club? We know that

[@bobfrost2661]

TXG Tour Experience Golf But you didnt exactly say that the club would have to be re tested, you implied that the swing weight would have to be bought back to what it was before!!

[@jeremyrepp6544]

@@bobfrost2661 Apologies - didn't really consider I had to go into that level of detailed summary of the fittings I've gone through... During the original fittings, fitter added the weight to the head and then we adjusted where I gripped it as well. Yes, for those fittings, there was a return "session" to the fitter to take a look at finished driver performance with the finished length/weights to ensure what we saw during the fittings carried over.

[@justinstephenson9360]

For me, with my swing and a standard Epic, shortening from 45.25" to 44.5" made me more accurate. I have done a lot of work on my swing and when we are able to practice again to get back into the groove I had wondered what would happen if I went back to the longer shaft. Not sure there is much point from this video

[@kevincrowe1483]

I am 5’7’’ and cut down my Ping driver. Your Vido gives the feel that you don’t like a shorter driver even with good results. You never stated how tall the hitter is, and discuss any ratio between club length and player height. As a short kid playing baseball, I played a shorter bat. At 5’7’’ why would I hit the same length driver as a 6’ tall players? The geometry and timing is completely different.

[@bobbykrechuniak8875]

That strike pattern was nutty! Great video guys

[@curtisskaufman]

I was just fit for a new Taylormade Stealth driver and the fitter is shortening the Aldila Ascent Red shaft to 44.5. The shaft is standard 46 inches so we'll see if it makes a big difference. In the fitting he just had me gripping down on the shaft. I've never been to a fitting before but I was surprised they didn't have something on hand that was shorter. The shaft is stiff flex so from what these guys are saying that should make it more like and extra stiff flex I would think. Either way I'm excited for a new driver. I know technology has come a long way in these driver heads over the 8 years which is how old my current Titleist driver is. BTW, I'm 5'11 and wrist to floor is 35 inches.

[@eagleeye7068]

The way Matt is swinging right now you could put a driver head on a wedge shaft and he would hit it well...properly weighted of course. Good stuff fellas.

[@Sdemmy980]

Height makes a massive difference. I use to slice everything and I literally don’t miss choke down 2 inches. A stock shaft is closer to 46 now. I play 44 and it’s literally changed my handicap 10 lower. I’m 5’9 and I will never go back to 46

[@gregoryw9]

Fitted Ping G400 Tour AD MT-6s at 44.5” and it’s a fairway finder and decent length, mates always envious when I’m on the tee

[@jamesalexander110]

For a senior, especially, who uses a 3-W off the tee…. Instead of going to the new TM 300 mini, is a shorter shaft and driver head a better option? Love your channel

[@rapidcat6113]

Yes, noting 2 items: 1. As described in the video, you will need to add weight to the head to get it to 'feel right' (= an appropriate swing weight for you). Remember it was stated that every 1/2 inch shaft reduction is = to 3 swing weight points, and so you know, each swing weight point is = to approx. 2 grams head weight, so if you play a 1/2 inch shorter shaft, that = 6 grams you need to add to the head for the club to 'feel the same'. All just a guideline and you will need to test this for your own liking. 2. You will need to like how the club head looks on the shorter shaft - some folk don't, they think it looks too big/out of proportion and so they have a preference for the smaller mini-driver head; some people can ignore looks for better performance, others can't get past the looks - again, it is up to what you like. I've experimented with the shorter shaft/big driver head combo and it has worked for me.

[@rn716]

Such a valuable video. I enjoy your videos more than any other golf videos out there. Have to re-ask a question that's been posed several times below. Why the heck don't you change to a 44" or 43.5" driver?! Your answer that "it's only 30 swings / 20 minutes" is honestly a cop out, because 1) the first video with even more conclusive results was from 2 years ago, and 2) you didn't hesitate to say you'd only consider 44.5", not shorter. The reason is ego - no need to hide from that - but you are undermining the credibility of your own fitting process. Still valuable info, for sure, but strange that your own findings are dismissed for your own game.