Driver length vs distance

The idea then is to find a driver shaft length thats long enough to retain proper distance while at the same time not being so long that it creates difficulty making a connection with the sweet spot. Many golf monthly forum members are increasingly inquisitive over the distance gains we see on readerfitting days, questioning where exactly the distance. While this is true for all clubs, the discussion properly centers around the driver. There is very little difference between a 45 inch long driver standard and a 47 inch driver in terms of club head speed. It was close, but the added weight increased my distance by about 1020 yards. What youll find is that higher club head speeds require lower loft drivers for maximum distance. Though there isnt a standard length for a driver, most are sold between 45 and 46 inches. But if longer shafts compromise your accuracy, youre driving for show instead of for score. The reason is because unlike drivers and woods, the current standard lengths in irons are within 0. There were two players who had one length substantially outperform the others for distance consistency players 1 and 4. However, a golfer should be fitted for the proper shaft length. What length driver should you use buying guide youtube. The stock driver length of most manufacturers taylormade, callaway ping, cobra these days is 45. Best driver shafts for distance in 2020 our top 7 picks.

Drivers have gone through a 3 plus increase in length over the past three decades simply as a way for golf companies to sell more drivers via the marketing promise of longer distance. The trouble is that as club length goes up, accuracy tends to go down see the video above for an extreme example. Adding yardage to your tee shots can be done through a number of outlets, be it a lengthening of your backswing, a speeding up of your followthrough, or, in some cases, a changing of equipment. Most male golfers are wielding drivers that measure 45 to 48 inches, the maximum allowed under the united states golf associations rules of golf. Instructor andrew rice presented a new study at coach camp measuring how much hot weather affects golf ball distance. Dec 15, 2017 average driving distance by age and handicap. Bill iseri, who fit me at pings phoenix headquarters, added a little loft to the shorter driver since physics dictated it would produce a slightly lower launch angle, spin rate, and clubhead speed.

Adding length to a driver can boost clubhead speed and distance, but the extra length makes it harder to control the clubhead, and a center face hit has the most affect on distance. The standard length of a driver for men used to be 43. Every golfer wants to hit the ball farther off the tee. Short shaft, more distance september 09, 20 michael breed, host of the golf fix, teaches how to find the proper length of your driver shaft and gives a drill to maximize distance. How to increase your driver distance free online golf tips. Your height and wristtofloor measurement can be used by golf retailers to determine if you are suited for standard length drivers. In 2011, the average driver length of the brands that we stock is 45. Average driving distance by age and handicap golfmagic. Sep 26, 2018 what length driver should you use with mark crossfield filmed at titleist tpi in the usa with their top fitting team. The effect of club length on swing speed and distance on january 11, 2016 by menno zacharias in clubs my last post identified a number of disadvantages of single length irons, primarily, hitting the wedges to 8 iron to long because the shafts are longer than conventional and hitting the 63 irons to short as the shafts are shorter than. You had better believe that it is exponentially more difficult to hit a 46 inch driver dead center than it is to hit a 42 inch driver flush.

What length driver should you use with mark crossfield filmed at. A 44 driver helps golfers to achieve a distance of about 275 yards. Everyone is currently focused on how far the pros are hitting the ball, and whether or not the golf ball should be rolled back. Dec 01, 2019 what is the optimum driver shaft length. Wishon also told me that the average driver length on the pga tour is shorter than the standard lengths equipment companies sell us. When i tested my old college driver a few weeks ago my interest was piqued by how close my swing speed with the 43.

Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard length. When it comes to golf club heads, each head is numbered differently according to its degree of loft. We all want to increase our distance with the driver. In fact, testing shows an inch of extra shaft length equals roughly 10 yards in distance. The driver is not sacrosanct, and if we decide not to use it because the risk of not being accurate with. So, used that driver for about 3 rounds and was just slicing out in the rough out of play waaaaay too much. To test distance and accuracy, each of 6 testers was asked to hit a. Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard. February 10, 2012 2 comments golf shafts by shawn zawodni. Effect of driver length on distance one of the most informative charts in wishons search for the perfect golf club shows what a swing robot which hit the ball dead center at a swing speed of 90 mph did with different driver lengths. Michael breed give tips for driver length and distance.

Average driving distance lpga ladies professional golf. The difference between a 3 wood and a 3 hybrid is that the hybrid club is an easier club to use. Pga professional eric hogge explains why adding even the tiniest amount of weight to your driver golf club can have a big impact on the distance you get off the tee. In general, the longer the shaft on a driver, the more distance you will get on a tee shot. Jan 15, 2014 will a shorter driver give you more distance. See what results we got when we tried different length shafts on the golf club. Its also vital to match your swing speed and driver length with the correct shaft. Which driver length should you be playing to maximize distance. Drivers generally come standard at 4546 inches in length, the longer the driver shaft the potential exists for more distance, theoretically your swing arc would be wider and therefore you could create more speed. Using our shot area calculation as the metric, the 45. The calculator of the right length is available on the next page. With most other clubs, were concerned about distance control, while with the driver we usually just want to get as much distance as we can.

A shorter driver, he said, encourages center contact on the clubface, which leads to longer, straighter drives. For some that is 44, for others it can be as long as 46. In other words how does the length of a driver relate to how well you can hit the ball. When a golf ball is launched from a club, it follows a trajectory dictated by its speed, launch angle and spin rate.

Michael breed give tips for driver length and distance golf. In this video we compare the same driver built first with a 45 shaft and then with a 47 shaft to see the differences in speed, distance. How heat and altitude affect the distance your golf ball. Once the length becomes too long, the golfer starts to hit around the clubface. The folks at ping built me two identical g30 driversone at their standard length of 4534 inches, the other two inches shorter. Noncommercial to either one of our two years for lost updates and. Our guide to maximizing driver distance goes over every single way you can add distance to your drives. In much the same way, the golf club shaft in your driver could be considered the engine that drives you down the fairway. They hit fairways, off the tee and straighter shots more consistently with a 44. The most important fitting elements for distance golfwrx. Jan 07, 2020 best golf drivers for distance and accuracy in 2020. Driver shaft length are you shorting yourself using a 46. Somewhat surprising considering the distance race the big oems are engaged in. A longer driver allows more distance, but it is harder to control.

While the longer shaft can offer ball speed and distance advantages, the shorter shaft provides a significant reduction in short area, and by extension, accuracy. Effect of driver length on distance ottawagolf forum. Dec 11, 2018 for example, if you are 6feet tall and your wristtofloor measurement is 35 inches, a standard length driver 44 inches for a steel shaft driver and 45 inches for a graphite shaft driver would be appropriate. The length of a driver and fairway woods is a different story. Driver length and impact efficiency tourspecgolf golf blog. The golf club shaft length and driving distance relationship. What is the ideal driver shaft length according to height. Effect of driver shaft length on distance i have a 2006 ti460 cleveland launcher, with the standard cleveland sliver aflex shaft, and the clubs length is 45. Find the right driver shaft length for your game golficity. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, teaches how to find the proper length of your driver shaft and gives a drill to maximize distance. Some players get good control and distance when they use this club.

The longer shaft promises more speed but possibly less control while the. Drivers operating at 400kbps without preemphasis generally acquire 10% jitter over 4000ft. The more forceful the transition, the shorter the wood driver length may need to be. New and cheap drivers from top brands like callaway, taylormade, and wilson, to name a few. Many manufacturers boast nowadays how their longer length driver models increase swing speed and increase distance. If youd like to see a more detailed chart on distance vs golf clubs, read my complete guide on golf club distances here. The chart below helps you determine if you should have your. For the past few months, ive knowingly been flouting the 14club rule by carrying two drivers. In this article and video, well examine how you can increase your driver distance in a very real and measurable way on the golf course. Those who lost distance experienced a decrease of 6 percent on average. The shaft length is based on the golfers height, arm length. The usga maximum is 48 inches, but there are some important reasons to stay under that limit. Missing the center typically results in loss of distance as well as accuracy.

The pros might be bombing the ball with their drivers, but recreational golfers are still lagging far behind. Today im going to take a look at driver length and how it can correspond with impact efficiency. The player can use the longest driver that he can control well. I have heard that altering the shaft length of your driver by an inch canshould alter the club speed by up to 4 mph. Clubfitters recommend players hit the longest driver that they can control. He shows you what happens when he takes a normal swing with his driver golf club as is, then demonstrates the effect of a little bit of lead tape in terms of centeredness of contact. Length of shafts according to height in golf sportsrec. So, if your driver carries about 250 yards in 70degree conditions. Wed jan 15, 2014 by dave phillips drivers generally come standard at 4546 inches in length, the longer the driver shaft the potential exists for more distance, theoretically your swing arc would be wider and therefore you could create more speed. Nov 07, 20 the trouble is that as club length goes up, accuracy tends to go down see the video above for an extreme example.

Whether youre searching for distance, accuracy, or a little of both, make an appointment with a trusted club fitter to find the optimal length for your driver. If you are 5 feet 4 inches tall with a 35inch wristtofloor measurement, the club should be onequarter inch longer. This raises the immediate question, why is a relatively tall, obviously highly skilled player using a shorter than standard driver. We have found in thousands of fittings that a driver that is too long will result in more hits off the heel of the club causing higher spin and loss of distance. The amount of distance one gains with shaft length is so minimal about 2 yards per inch at 100mph its barely worth including in the descision making process. Meijer lpga classic for simply give grand rapids, mi.

The quest for a more accurate driver practical golf. Adding preemphasis lets you transmit up to 800kbps for that distance. As the driver length got shorter most of the golfers actually gained distance, with the exception of the last group of low. The right shaft flex coupled with the right shaft length will help you achieve the best mix of distance and accuracy. On the pga tour, rory mcilroy was the longest driver in 2017 averaging 317. Since the mid 2000s, the average driver length on the pga tour has held. What do half inch long shafts do to your golf shot. Since 2005, the average driver length on the pga tour has stood at 44. I took both drivers out to the range yesterday to see which one hit longer. Less can contribute to compressing the distance gap between woods. Nov 23, 2016 performance data suggests negligible differences between the stock length 45. Add weight to your driver golf club for more distance pga. Changes in the length of the irons have far less of a direct relationship to shot distance than do length changes in the driver or the woods.

While leftright dispersion offline was tighter across almost all testers, vertical dispersion distance appears marginally more consistent with the longer length shaft. I was curious to see how the added weight effected my distance. If a shorter driver enables a golfer to achieve more consistency with striking the center of the face, the golfer will maximize distance with that length club. Aug 20, 2015 when i tested my old college driver a few weeks ago my interest was piqued by how close my swing speed with the 43. However, in the 21st century a standard driver is considered to be 45 inches. Many people would actually hit longer drives with shorter drivers as they would get better center club face contanct. I am saying a medium length par 4 is a driver and 6 iron. Shaft length should be tailored to the individual, not a universal standard. Nov 16, 2018 though there isnt a standard length for a driver, most are sold between 45 and 46 inches. While some people may replace their driver for a 3wood if they are having a bad performance with their driver.

With regard to you asking about driver loft vs control, for 99% of all golfers, a change of 1 only on the driver would have minimal to no effect whatsoever on control. Golf monthly technical editor joel tadman explores the impact different shaft lengths have on the distance and accuracy golf drivers provide for. Oct 01, 2018 while its entirely possible that a shorter driver will help you hit it straighter, our data shows that a longer driver could also be the solution. Driver length has to do with with your angle of attack, and your desired shaft weighthead weight combination. Jan 12, 2012 somewhat surprising considering the distance race the big oems are engaged in. Length of shafts according to height in golf last updated. They can send the ball over a distance of 275 yards using this golf club. You might have a great club head that is used by some of the best golfers in the world, but if you dont have the right golf club shaft length, it will all be wasted and your drives will fall short of their potential. Per a suggestion in the comment section of my last article called how far should you hit your golf clubs. Our system is designed to give the average length for a driver of 44. The heavier the shaft weight, total weight and swing weight. Find a driver that maximizes length without sacrificing control.