You will DUMP your driver after seeing this!!!

[@TheAverageGolfer]

For those who want details on the shaft - Hazardus Yellow 60gram regular 3 wood shaft - no weight added to head 👍

[@paulc5817]

I'm sorry I was listening to this while getting ready for work. What was the loft of the driver?

[@paulc5817]

I am fascinated with the mini driver and plan to get fit for one in the spring. I have had them before, but I love your concept.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

@ 12*

[@doonaree999]

Great test Andy! I ditched the 45 inch shaft earlier this year and found far more fairways with a 43 inch shaft on a 460 head. It really does work from a fairway finding point of view, which for a 16 handicapper like me is more important than a few more yards off the tee.

[@Jamesah1975]

I changed to the TM mini driver this year and was amazed at the results. Only about 10 yards lost but I’m finding so many fairways and my GIR went up. I play off six and it helped me. Use what works, not what you think you should have in the bag. It’s not a driving competition it’s a scoring competition!

[@09Youba]

Another excellent video Andy. Like I told you before I was a certified club pro, fitter and club builder. I'm older now and I use a 13* three wood and 43.5" fiberglass fiber speed shaft and with a roll average 250 or more yards. So you are right on the money on your testing. Now fitters are testing softer shafts in irons with flatter lies 6* fir straighter shots.

[@stephenbarker6453]

I recently went to a 12 degree driver with a ladies shaft. I am hitting 20 meters longer and straighter than my 10.5 regular shaft taylormade driver. I am a vertically challenged high handicapper senior. This new driver was fitted by the local professional

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Makes sense, many of the ladies shafts are much better suited to our swing speeds and could help so many golfers if only they would open theirs minds a little bit brands also need to help promote this concept

[@richardsmith9262]

Hi very interesting, what’s your club head speed? I’m also a senior and vertically challenged!

[@Puppetwarp-i4b]

@@TheAverageGolfer Absolutely... nowadays there should be no such thing as a men or a women shaft.

[@raymondoliver9657]

I’ve just got a ladies cobra Aerojet driver and I’m getting 20 yards extra also, No explanation as to why

[@stephenbarker6453]

@richardsmith9262 slow 75 mph ish

[@martinwilliams152]

Very interesting analysis, shows what a shorter shaft gives you in the way of more confidence. Keep the ideas coming Andy.. 😊😊

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Thanks, will do!

[@DavidWilson-ih2co]

This is the video I’ve been waiting for Struggling with a standard length driver for years Not putting up with it any longer

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Give it a try

[@peterbrodd]

I played the burner minidriver 2023 season and were amazed of it. Before that i had a sim 2 max d driver but the mini was more consistent with the same yardeg. So for 2024 season i took the minidriver-shaft (proforce) and stuck it in my sim 2-head and boy thas it perform. I aint missing a fairway again💫

[@carlrulton8101]

I’ve put a 3w motore x 7s shaft into a 12° rad speed driver head, ball speed drop minimal and the dispersion is a lot tighter. Great video!

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Good to get your own experience feedback

[@shaunt2385]

Another great video Andy ,I've recently shortened my Ai Smoke driver also added a 14 gram weight to the back rather than the standard 7 gram .Boom, distance improved 20-30 yards and hitting alot more fairways and no 3 off the Tee as yet.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

@@shaunt2385 brilliant Shaun

[@Lje7]

Have you tried a 5 wood shaft? Should be easier again to hit fairways with good distance. Especially for mid-high handicaps

[@markyoung2981]

Once again thank you for the time and effort you put into making this interesting and informative content.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Thank you Mark for watching

[@VonTwinzig]

That was super interesting, Andy. I’ve been spraying the ball all over my driver face. Just can’t hit the sweet spot, so much so that this week I took a bit of Alex Etches advice and bought a pre-owned QI10 Tour 3w. Off to the range with it, no warm up, first shot straight out the centre and straight down the middle, same distance as my decently hit driver. There has to be something in the confidence feeling you get when you are closer to the ball. I don’t think we get enough out the box thinking with most driver fittings. This was an eye opener.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

I don’t understand why manufacturers are not pushing the idea of shorter shafts, all seem to be obsessed by distance

[@harrymodric]

​@TheAverageGolfer the biggest selling point, but 10 or 20 yards mean nothing if you're missing the fairway.

[@Keef1664]

I always find this kind of video really interesting so thank you. I'm using a Ping G400 standard head with a Tour AD IZ4 shaft at 44.5 inches. Don't miss many fairways and haven't noticed a drop off in distance compared to my old full length driver. I might push the loft up a touch after watching this 👍

[@richardsmith9262]

Hi, just out of curiosity did you have it swing weighted ?

[@Keef1664]

@richardsmith9262 I haven't a clue what the swing weight is and I don't fully understand the effect of dropping the shaft weight by 20 grams. Don't want to add weight to the head as I want it to feel lighter but not whippy! Could fit a lighter grip maybe. Looking for a swing weight nearer to C than D if I can achieve it.

[@randallpennington5976]

Great video idea! I already have a shorter driver and 3 wood because I always seem to have problems with the shafts too long!

[@stephenparish9853]

Thank you Andy! I’m trying it out this week!

[@markhilton4920]

It all about how you feel and what gives you the most confidence as you say , think he got a bit of a shock 😁

[@manuelpolitis7123]

Really excellent piece I am using the Taylor Made Burner Bubble 11/2 degree on your recommendation and it has changed my game I have a 12 degree sr flex Ping 425 I may put in a regular flex 3 wood shaft after watching this Thanks!

[@JimmyHamAnp]

I added a regular driver length shaft to my 13.5 degree TM BRNR mini and hit it longer and straighter than ever. I am about to have my 80th birthday and stay close to 200 yards and around100+ club head speed.

[@texmex697]

Watched the previous video, then cut an inch of my driver shaft. Much better, no loss in distance and better control. Need a 12* head now though 🤔

[@jamessayers5903]

I played with this during the summer. Found an old TM M3 12 degree head and a mini driver shaft. The combo seems to work for me, the distance the ball goes is a bit less but I'm definitely straighter off the tee

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Yep it’s a great pairing

[@dennisd4027]

great video. The delay on the sim is awful though.

[@markscott4059]

Did you get a heavier shaft in a 3 wood length?

[@markpoppe8681]

great video! What loft gave you the best results on the 3 wood shaft? I have 2 different cobra heads of same model. one will go up to 13° the other to 10.5°.

[@neilmackison1329]

What loft were you playing the mini driver at and how did he change the weight to keep swing weight the same?

[@skeltongez]

Andy, can you please Share where the fitting centre was featured in this vídeo?

[@TheAverageGolfer]

PXG UK Esher, London

[@rufussthoo4083]

And, did you adjust the head weight (make it heavier) to counteract the lighter swing-weight caused by the shorter shaft? What was the 3-wood shaft weight (compared to the 65g 45" shaft), and did you use the same grip on both shafts? Just curious, as total (dead) weight and swing weight can influence your delivery quite a bit. Cheers.

[@barryconquest4528]

Great video can I ask what shaft you used on 44 inch 3 wood shaft and did you change weights at bottom of driver to correct swing weight

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Hazardous yellow 60 gms reg, no change to head weight

[@bobsanders8030]

Pretty cool. I want to try a 47 or 48 inch shaft and see what happens. I tried your forward motion practice swing. Definitely a good feel for my bag of tricks.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Glad the tip worked out

[@markmay184]

I tried it also - it’s not easy to perform and I definitely will not be doing it on the practice range. It makes you look like a goose - one to practice in the privacy of your back garden

[@tonyjburns05]

Did he add any extra head weight with the 3 wood shaft? Would be good to know. I've played about with all this in past and play my driver at 44.5". Even at that length I still need 12g extra head weight, it really makes a difference to smash factor and feel if you can add extra weight to offset the shorter shaft and overall loss of swing weight

[@timjervis8481]

Been playing a graphite design 3 wood shaft length in my TS driver for years - steadily converting the rest of the guys to the shorter shaft........😂

[@seanbaines]

One of my old clubfitting mentors used to find that 44" was a rather important data point. Beyond that, he often noticed swing mechanics starting to break down somewhat, and clubhead speed wouldn't necessarily keep increasing. In some players it'd drop. Swings would become a bit less inside, a bit more outside and over the top. Fades would appear, or increase. he felt it was down to that greater than 44" lever being too long to manage. Up to that point, players coped, albeit with increasing difficulty. Beyond that, the negative effects on club length on consistency and swing mechanics got worse. He felt the lever was just too long for the average golfer to cope with. So he rarely went beyond 44" in driver length in his builds for his clients unless they were very good golfers indeed, with very good mechanics. For average middle to higher handicappers, he usually stuck to 44" or less.

[@src5tt]

Is 44 the total length with the head or is it the shaft plus tip length?

[@seanbaines]

@@src5tt Total length of club.

[@garethmorgan7474]

I loved this video Andy, class content thank you

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Thanks for you continued support pal

[@nealfreeman01]

check the swing weight and find the one that benefits you the most, that is what is going on here. Don't just go cutting shafts shorter as you will make them lighter sure, but the flex and cpm will go all over the place and you will spend more money not knowing why a fitting was important in the first place.

[@tourrhythmgolf-3to1]

that's it 5 wood shaft in my driver this weekend and jacked up to max loft

[@danielh4032]

Put a spare Burner mini driver shaft into a SIM 2 head, added a little weight to the head plus a jumbo max light grip; bingo!

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Sounds good

[@non617]

So when he says 44 inches when you go to the 3 wood shaft that’s the total length of the club with the driver head on or the shaft itself was 44 inches? I think it’s the former but I wanted to be sure. Love your content!

[@JamesHeit-f8w]

What was the loft of the driver? Great video series. I think this is opening a new way of thinking about the driver.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

It was a 12* head

[@alanhopkins4879]

As you at Esher Andy drop over to Sunningdale Heath on the way home - Harry Colt gem 👍

[@golfish8589]

Its about time.... I have only suggested this to you at least three times to you and dozens of times to other KZbints over the last 6 years. 8 years ago i cut 3 inches off of the butt of my G25 driver. And still love it. Mini driver makes no sense if you cant hit it off of the fairway. Maybe 1% can. Why go for the accuracy of a shorter shaft then go with a less forgiving mini head ? ? ? If the average pro only uses a 45 inch driver What makes the rest of us golfers think we can use the same length shaft. Did you add any weight to the head bring the swing weight back up?

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Not sure how often you watch this channel but we have done plenty of videos with shorter shaft in driver? Mini driver isn’t as difficult as you think to hit off fairway btw And no weight added to head which many have mentioned is necessary over the last 6 years 👍

[@seanbaines]

@@TheAverageGolfer I don't believe weight needs to be added to the head. I think swingweights on these long stock drivers are far too high, and contribute to the problems people have with them.

[@oliver69cork46]

Playing 3 years now and use no driver or even hybrids-use 15 ,18 and 21 degree utility irons plus a 2 iron off the fairway, took a while to hit them right but now wouldn't part ever with them. Not your distance but 230 average with direction is good for me. Used 2 drivers,tried and bortowed others and no theyre not for me. Interesting video this.

[@kimm8675]

Do you swing up in it like a regular driver? Or down like a 3 wood

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Hit like a driver

[@varment01]

Strike it king 👌🏼

[@alanhopkins4879]

Well I would agree on this - PXG Esther fitted me for black ops driver few months back - wanted to remove the left so went Tensei Blue 55 R 12 degree and knocked it down to around 11 - feels great 👍

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Yep spot on bud

[@paulmcgee1867]

Is Esther a fitter?

[@alanhopkins4879]

@@paulmcgee1867yep 👍

[@gerrymcintosh4477]

When I was very young around 16- 18 years old, I use to hit balata balls, 43 ‘’ steel shaft, persimmon driver incredibly far drives reaching some par 4’s and now with super long, 46’’ graphite shafted driver and ProV’s can’t come close. I don’t know where all my power has gone? 🤷‍♂️ At my best, I played to a plus 2 hdc but feel it’s not lenght of shaft or head size. Today, I was fiited to a Ping driver and hit the ball close to 240 yards carry, but that’s still a far bit closer. I know I am not as flexible or wirery as I use to be, but I can’t believe how much distance I’ve lost.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

I’m afraid a loss in club head speed is very likely the problem if you believe there is one

[@gordonmckay914]

I shortened my driver by 1 1/2 inches. The head is quite a bit heavier. Where is this thought coming from where you need to add weight to the head?

[@Jerry-rw9xn]

Hi if I wanted to buy that to use how much would it have cost from PXG and what would I ask for .

[@TheAverageGolfer]

My reaction would be don’t buy anything based on my experience, you must try for yourself bud 👍

[@davesdoorsandhomeimproveme5012]

cool i’m just a average golfer and love the game can’t afford to play any more no work from this lds state i live in a right

[@andynicholson4129]

What happens when you put the 5 wood shaft in a 3 wood head ? More playability off the fairway !

[@mingsonjang]

When u are saying 3w shaft….are you just speaking of length only, or are you also using different weight shaft?

[@GOLFADDICT65]

what kind of shaft was it ? Brand ? series ? regular flex ? and 44 inches ? awesome video you just gave me an idea well done Andy cheers from Canada

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Hzrdus yellow reg 44” 3 wood shaft

[@adupuy]

@@TheAverageGolfer What was the shaft weight, Andy? I missed that in the video.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

@ I have to confess I can’t recall but I will find out and come back to you

[@GOLFADDICT65]

@@TheAverageGolfer thx Andy i may give it a go with the Black ops

[@Stikibits]

Less total surface area moving through the air means less total drag.

[@dexternewton]

I think you may really benefit from a very light weight shaft (in addition to your shorter shaft length and a bit more loft).

[@TheAverageGolfer]

What’s your thinking behind that thought?

[@dexternewton]

@@TheAverageGolfer I'm no expert, but generally a 3 wood shaft is heavier than a driver shaft (and a 3wood head is heavier than a full size driver head). The heavier 3 wood shaft helps balance the heavier 3 wood head (swing weight). All else being equal (length, flex, profile, etc) most folks will swing a lighter head/shaft combo faster than a heavier combo. F=MA a lower mass club will move/accelerate faster with the same amount of force/effort. Of course you will have to see what works for you in practice.

[@ederwin9189]

I took and older Callaway driver, cut it down at the butt to 3 wood length, put a midsize Winn light grip on to get the swing weight back to D1. It's in my bag just a little stuff but a great fairway finder. No loss of distance either.

[@jamesallan158]

Yes we all can't afford custom fittings standing at the tee with a regular driver and shaft feels like I am standing miles away from the ball as a 5 foot 6inch man ladies clubs makes sense cutting shafts down is not a easy do it yourself fix manufacturers are missing out we are not all the same height or have thousands to spend on made to measure clubs

[@TheAverageGolfer]

How much do you think the custom fit costs?

[@32Mrtone]

I think maybe you gained more speed with the shorter driver because you felt more confident? With more confidence, that could result in more aggressive swings.

[@johndomutz1052]

Interesting. Maybe get a shorter shaft for my driver?

[@roryheath9536]

I love your channel, but in cases like this, ya gotta show us the numbers. Thanks!

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Can you not just listen to the discussions Rory?

[@malveenprasad5883]

@@TheAverageGolfer we can’t always listen to audio depending on where and when we’re consuming your content. I personally use closed captions but sometimes just having the visuals there makes it easier to absorb what’s being presented to us 👍🏾

[@markpoppe8681]

Your discussions are not easy to pick up because of the background and the accent! Using closed captions is a pain.​@@TheAverageGolfer

[@Kaiju-Goji]

Its much easier to swing a short shaft I cut 4” off my driver best thing I ever did

[@allagreta9990]

A summary to your conclusion at the end. I wont spend the rest of my life behind the goddamm screen

[@richardsiles8206]

I respect you a lot but his video was a waste of your time to film it and mine to watch it. You are so good it does not really matter what driver you use.

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Trust me it does, the dispersion with a 45.5 shaft is way worse

[@SUPERCOACH360]

nope, still got driver, ill never dump it, mini drivers are for mini hitters

[@fraserdonald1984]

Did you change any weighting in the head or just a straight 3 wood shaft. Great content as always 👍

[@TheAverageGolfer]

No change whatsoever, and didn’t feel any change to swing weight as many will suggest

[@johntinkler6718]

Where were you Andy??

[@TheAverageGolfer]

PXG London 👍

[@MrSitemaster2]

Did you try just simply chocking down the grip on your existing driver?

[@mattknight6830]

Plenty of pros use shorter shafts, why deal with the awkwardness when you know shorter is better.

[@garryhunt4193]

Why do you think Rory went to a shorter driver....43" I think

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Not sure he went to 43” Garry but I believe many play a 44.5

[@rickhammel9541]

your wrists are locked!!!! LOOSEN THEM UP and you'll gain 40 yards instantly! Imagine throwing a frisbee with your wrist locked, it won't go anywhere and have almost no spin, that's what you're doing. Relax your wrists and whip the head at the ball, stop swinging the club as one heavy piece.

[@PATRIOT-gt5vr]

mini driver is just a 3 wood...just an admission you can't hit a driver!

[@TheAverageGolfer]

And…..? What’s your point?

[@PATRIOT-gt5vr]

@@TheAverageGolfer you wouldn't accept not being able to hit a wedge, 7 iron, putter...persevere...learn to hit a driver.

[@alanhopkins4879]

Yep 😂

[@Sueezedtight]

At 235 yd. (95-98 mph CHS) why use a stiff shaft?

[@TheAverageGolfer]

Because flex of shaft is not solely dependent on swing speed and a very misunderstood factor when fitting a shaft