For years now, the basic marketing pitch by club manufacturers about driver shaft length has been one of “longer shafts hit the ball farther.”
This is 110 percent, absolutely, positively true.
It is based on the physics of centrifugal force: When you swing a rock on the end of the string, as you let out more string, the rock goes faster.
Viola, build clubs longer, the rock (clubhead) will be swung faster and the ball will go farther.
Just about everyone wants, desires, and salivates for more distance. Thus, the distance sales pitch — plus throwing in, “ours goes straighter and has the biggest sweetspot” — has been one of the marketing marvels that has created driver delirium and boosted prices sky high. It seems golfers are willing to pay anything to find that “Big Stick” that goes forever.
The big question: Is a longer shaft really longer distance?
Twenty years ago, the standard spec for a driver shaft was 43 inches for most, if not all, of the club manufactures. Once they started stressing more distance — they knew centrifugal force of longer string swings the rock faster — they changed the length spec to 44 inches.
Then as we golfers bought their marketing message, proved by buying more drivers that cost even more, they upped the standard spec to 45 inches.
We kept buying, so they upped it to 46 inches in some models. The long drive competitors started using 48 inches then some, I believe, even got over 50 inches.
There was a Champions Tour player that used a driver that long for a few years. To swing it, he looked like he was in slow motion.
Longer shaft length became like car engine horsepower: More is longer and faster. But I want you to remember one important point here about MORE shaft length and horsepower:
They are also MORE DEADLY, when you lose control of them.
A longer shaft in a driver will hit the ball longer, guaranteed! Provided…you can:
1. Swing a longer club faster to produce more clubhead speed than a shorter one.
2. Hit the ball as solid as the shorter one.
3. Hit the ball as straight as the shorter one.
Just 3 little things (that the marketing folks forgot to tell you) have to happen to experience the euphoria of adding 20 to 30 yards to your drives.
Just 3 little things that are really quite difficult to do, and in many cases likely impossible, for many players to do.
Let's take a look at why it is difficult to achieve these three requirements with a longer driver.
To swing a longer club faster, more energy and strength has to be added to the swing. If you can't provide these two elements, you get NO added distance.
And as a negative bonus…you will hit it SHORTER.
The second requirement is hitting the ball more solid.
A longer driver has more margin for error by virtue of its longer total length. Add to that you have to swing harder, which likely means you will (consciously or unconsciously) begin tensing muscles in your hands, arms, shoulders, back and legs. Tense and tighter muscles move slower. More body movement is adding margin for error. All of these will reduce the percentage of solid contacts. Solid is important because two impacts (one solid, one not) with the same clubhead speed, will travel different distances. The solid one will be longer every time, guaranteed.
The third requirement of straight becomes a factor as a result of the inability to perform the first two requirements of increasing clubhead speed and solid contact. And, let's say a player does increase his speed, and has solid contact, and hits it longer, but has bad direction, and hits it into trouble.
Is that any good?
Heck no!
Adding penalty shots, losing balls or having to chip out back into play does not help LOWER YOUR SCORE!
Or your attitude!
While playing with students or friends who bought into the longer drive hits longer shots ploy, I have seen them become totally oblivious to common sense and FACT. They drive the ball everywhere. One tee shot is a block slice, the next a pull hook, then next a chunk or pop up – sky ball off the top of the club.
The player has not even come close to solid and straight or even sniffed a fairway, if he hit it more than 100 yards, yet he trudges forward anticipating that super duper once-in-a-round-smoking-hot long ball.
And when it happens, they are like a junkie, they just got their fix.
They outdrove their playing partners. They have bragging rights and they use and abuse them. And, worst of all, like the drug addict after the fix, they dismiss, overlook, forget and refuse to recognize all the agony they experience between the fix.
All for longer drives.
I believe emphatically, preach and live the Surge Rule that if the driver in your bag is there because it is absolutely the one you hit the longest… it is also the one you hit the “crookedest.” (I know crookedest is not a word, but it sounds good here.)
The driver in my bag is not the longest… It is the one I hit the” STRAIGHTEST!”
Anyone who knows me, and has played with me, knows that I hit it straight. My game is built around hitting drives in the fairway. My mantra is “Fairways and Greens.”
I am a rising senior, 5'9″ and I play with a 44 inch driver, and average around 250 yards carry. I also have a 43 ½ inch for extra tight courses. I have played with a driver as short as 42 inches, the same as my 3 wood. I could hit it straight as a frozen clothes line, but I gave up too much distance and had to go back to a longer shaft for max distance and more importantly for max accuracy.
D.J is 6'3″ and presently plays with a 45″ driver. I say presently, because I am lobbying real hard to get him back to 44″ which is what he used in college and was exceptionally long and accurate. I just keep saying, at 44 inches, you'll be a little more vertical, hit it more solid and straight and those add up to longer drives and more fairways and greens. Before he tees off, or if I am not at the tournament, I call or text, “Fairway and Greens… Patience.”
Right now, this year D.J.'s driving distance is 292.1 yds. and ranks 33rd. His driving accuracy rank is 20th at 70.03% fairways hit. He is 1st in total driving (accuracy and distance) and 6th in Greens in regulation at 70.07%. I am convinced these stats as good as they are, will improve using a 44″ driver. So I'll keep lobbying, pleading and praying.
The PGA Tour today, in my opinion, has what I call a “BOMB IT” mentality.
The belief is that the farther they hit, the closer they get to the green, the shorter shot is easier, and they will hit more greens and hit it closer to the hole.
Sounds great!
Until you hit it in deep rough ,or behind trees, or whatever makes hitting the green more difficult even if you only have a wedge to the green. My Surgism for this type of playing mentality stressing distance first over accuracy is “Bomb it…rhymes with VOMIT.”
Last year, we were on the first tee to play a practice round at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. D.J. was joined by a really good player who is a major champion. Waking to their drives after teeing off, D.J. noticed the player had a new type of driver he had not seen. The player handed it to D.J., and upon gripping it to look at and feel it, his first comment was a question, “How long is this thing?”
“46 inches” was the answer.
“But, the one I used at the Masters was 47 inches. I hit some realllllly long drives with it. But it was feast or famine. Fairway or the boondocks. So I cut it down to 46 inches.”
In my opinion, 45 inches is still too long, and if I were his teacher I would be recommending 44 inches.
So, what is the issue here?
We have to have adequate driving distance, especially when playing long courses. But, we cannot give up accuracy.
You have to find the maximum shaft length that still gives you maximum accuracy.
For PGA Tour players that is no problem.
They can have as many drivers built or re-shafted, as needed to find their optimum accuracy & distance shaft length, out on tour with the company fitting trailers or at the club companies test facilities. And they get this done for free.
For you amateurs, to do this would be quite expensive.
The best and least expensive way is to go to a course, driving range or club fitter that has a big inventory of drivers in different shaft length and flexes. With the expertise of a good fitter, you will find your optimum shaft length and flex (or frequency) for distance and accuracy.
If you do not know a good club fitter, ask players where you play, who the local pros and good players go to for their club needs. Or call local golf shops and ask the pros who they recommend. The key is to find a competent and experienced club fitter.
I will emphasize here that if your priority, like mine, is hitting more “fairways and Greens” you MUST place the emphasis on ACCURACY…not Distance.
And, I promise you, accuracy will still have good length off the tee when you find your optimum shaft length. I also am certain that a shaft length of 44 inches or less will be the range of length for most amateurs, especially seniors, ladies, and juniors.
Wishing you good weather…great golf…and…more Fairways and Greens!
The Surge!
P.S. Another way to get maximum length (consistently) is to use the swing D.J. and I both use that is based on the laws of gravity, physics and body mechanics.
A swing your body LIKES, and WANTS you to use — and will handsomely reward you for using (with longer & straighter shots, and ZERO pain).
Plus, to make it even more painless, I'll even pay your shipping and give you a full year to use it without any risk. Your DVD's are waiting for you right here in my office, just give me the green light and I'll send them to you today: