Rickie to a shorter driver

[Sean2]

It was impressive to say the least. Could not help but wonder how much his height played a role in the swing coach's recommendation to cut his driver down a bit.

 

Regardless it is amazing how well he is hitting the ball. Really hopes he keeps things under control and dialed in tomorrow.

 

McIlroy's height should come into question as much or more than Fowler with regard to "fitting" proper driver length. Pretty sure he's using 45+. I know you never brought up that fact, but I just believe the shorter driver is easier to hit well, and therefore much easier to attack the ball with, confidently(regardless of stature).

 

No one should play anything over 45", unless you're competing for the Long Drive.... Just too wild and unpredictable at times, even for the best strikers.

 

There are always exceptions.

[A.Princey]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

[9ccat9]

This can only be good news. The more pros that go shorter, the more the talking heads on the coverage tell us about it, the more awareness there is from consumers about the benefits. Which at the end, should hopefully result in more options for us as consumers.

 

I think it's silly that I can't demo a driver in store at 44.5". I know it can be ordered that way from some OEMs, but you should be able to demo different lengths like you demo different shafts and lofts. Fitting carts should carry 3 different head weights that can be played at ~45,~44 and ~43".

 

Dead on reply!!!!

 

Techs for most companies already carry an unbelievable amount of equipment to a demo day. Adding 2 more heads to every loft and adding 2 more lengths to shaft options is not reasonable or economical. For fit carts that would make the cost prohibitive when you consider the amount of fit carts across the country.

 

Yes. It's a shame. And then we end up with everyone playing 45.5 inch drivers which only really suit about 10% of the people out there. Sad.

 

If your fitter is doing his job he can observe many factors and adjust the length accordingly. Most people change length in 1/2 in increments, even a 1/4 inch change if correct can have a huge impact on strike location. I rarely fit people to 45.5.

[hillbilly614]

Can this be achieved by chocking down on the club (Anthony Kim)? and would cutting a couple inches off the but end does that do anything to the shaft flex or is it ok to do it that way.

[PJ72]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

 

Excellent post! I think the anti-slice element is a major overlooked factor.

 

The longer length seems to prevent us from neutralising the path (I think it promotes a more in to out path) and the toe up orientation of the face promotes a closed bias at impact. Both conditions promote a draw; in your average golfer. In an accomplished player, that is a recipe for disaster.

 

We want a slightly out to in path (2 degrees approx.) and we want the face a fraction open to the path (1 degree?), or path/face relationship in that order of ratio.

[PJ72]

Can this be achieved by chocking down on the club (Anthony Kim)? and would cutting a couple inches off the but end does that do anything to the shaft flex or is it ok to do it that way.

 

I would imagine that choking down would have the same effect as shortening from the butt, other than a slight difference in overall weight (<5g).

 

Cutting 2" off the butt could be disasterous and would most likely ruin the club for you. I think you can get away with 1" off the butt without too much change in flex and SW BUT it could make all the difference to you, good or bad. You should ideally be cutting, say, 1" off the butt AND 1/2" from the tip and then adding a significant amount of weight to the head (>10g).

 

Cutting length from the butt is dead easy, takes a few minutes with a grip kit and a hacksaw. Cutting length off the tip is for the experts with professional kit. Each shaft is different and each player has different weights, SW's etc that suit them better than others. Trial and error might work for you but it likely won't.

 

I think the best suggestion for trying out a shorter driver is to swap your driver shaft for your 3 wood shaft. It's not an ideal practice, for several reasons, but it will give you an idea if this will help you. If you don't lose significant club head speed then this could be great for you.

[rybo]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

 

 

I find it hilarious when one of the shortest players on tour, RF, cut's his driver down to one of the shortest driver lengths played on tour that this is somehow revolutionary and should be the fix for everyone. Well for someone who is 6' 4" like myself, I believed the shorter is better crap for years and it did not work, now playing 46 1/4" and have never driven the ball better. When you start to understand body proportions and ergonomics you'll quickly understand shorter is not better for everyone. An appropriate length that fits the individuals proportions will produce the best shots. It's not surprising that RF is using a short driver, it fits his body proportions better; he's short.

 

Look at my profile pic, Charlie Rymer is 6' 4" and Gary Williams, who I think stated he was 5' 9" from the clip I got the pic, is standing on a box and still not as tall. Do you really think they should be playing the same length driver or any other club for that matter? RF is no where near as tall as Gary; RF wasn't as tall as Sergio in yesterdays coverage. Charlie Rymer mentions the trouble finding properly fit clubs due to his height all the time. Personally I can not find any of "these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky" that you speak of. I have the opposite issue of they are all pointed down.

 

 

I am all for a shorter driver if it fits the golfer properly. Shorter can sometimes be more difficult to hit for the exceptionally tall to average height player; Rory at 45 1/2" comes to mind. There is a point of diminishing returns for both shorter and longer club lengths. Find what works best and play it.

[A.Princey]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

 

 

I find it hilarious when one of the shortest players on tour, RF, cut's his driver down to one of the shortest driver lengths played on tour that this is somehow revolutionary and should be the fix for everyone. Well for someone who is 6' 4" like myself, I believed the shorter is better crap for years and it did not work, now playing 46 1/4" and have never driven the ball better. When you start to understand body proportions and ergonomics you'll quickly understand shorter is not better for everyone. An appropriate length that fits the individuals proportions will produce the best shots. It's not surprising that RF is using a short driver, it fits his body proportions better; he's short.

 

Look at my profile pic, Charlie Rymer is 6' 4" and Gary Williams, who I think stated he was 5' 9" from the clip I got the pic, is standing on a box and still not as tall. Do you really think they should be playing the same length driver or any other club for that matter? RF is no where near as tall as Gary; RF wasn't as tall as Sergio in yesterdays coverage. Charlie Rymer mentions the trouble finding properly fit clubs due to his height all the time. Personally I can not find any of "these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky" that you speak of. I have the opposite issue of they are all pointed down.

 

 

I am all for a shorter driver if it fits the golfer properly. Shorter can sometimes be more difficult to hit for the exceptionally tall to average height player; Rory at 45 1/2" comes to mind. There is a point of diminishing returns for both shorter and longer club lengths. Find what works best and play it.

 

You must struggle with your very short wedges then??? It's all relative, and if the lie angle fits then it's all about addressing the ball closer to you. Do you reach for the ball or rest your arms comfortably down at address? By that logic you should be playing like +2-3" on your irons, like a standard 5 iron shaft in your wedge.

 

FWIW Rory is an oompaloompa like Rickie, compared to you or DJ, but can still hit a longer club despite his height. Shorter stature can hit longer shafts AND vice versa.

[Jagpilotohio]

Oompaloompa?!? Hahaha.. ouch. So harsh.

 

But yes. Rors is only 5'8". Bio says 5'9" but I'm not buying it.

 

I guess I'm an oompaloompa as well. Slightly "Vertically challenged" at 5' 7".

[rybo]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

 

 

I find it hilarious when one of the shortest players on tour, RF, cut's his driver down to one of the shortest driver lengths played on tour that this is somehow revolutionary and should be the fix for everyone. Well for someone who is 6' 4" like myself, I believed the shorter is better crap for years and it did not work, now playing 46 1/4" and have never driven the ball better. When you start to understand body proportions and ergonomics you'll quickly understand shorter is not better for everyone. An appropriate length that fits the individuals proportions will produce the best shots. It's not surprising that RF is using a short driver, it fits his body proportions better; he's short.

 

Look at my profile pic, Charlie Rymer is 6' 4" and Gary Williams, who I think stated he was 5' 9" from the clip I got the pic, is standing on a box and still not as tall. Do you really think they should be playing the same length driver or any other club for that matter? RF is no where near as tall as Gary; RF wasn't as tall as Sergio in yesterdays coverage. Charlie Rymer mentions the trouble finding properly fit clubs due to his height all the time. Personally I can not find any of "these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky" that you speak of. I have the opposite issue of they are all pointed down.

 

 

I am all for a shorter driver if it fits the golfer properly. Shorter can sometimes be more difficult to hit for the exceptionally tall to average height player; Rory at 45 1/2" comes to mind. There is a point of diminishing returns for both shorter and longer club lengths. Find what works best and play it.

 

You must struggle with your very short wedges then??? It's all relative, and if the lie angle fits then it's all about addressing the ball closer to you. Do you reach for the ball or rest your arms comfortably down at address? By that logic you should be playing like +2-3" on your irons, like a standard 5 iron shaft in your wedge.

 

FWIW Rory is an oompaloompa like Rickie, compared to you or DJ, but can still hit a longer club despite his height. Shorter stature can hit longer shafts AND vice versa.

 

My Gap and PW are at 38", 4 iron is 40 1/4" for reference. Game became so much easier in November when I finally got clubs that are the correct length after 35 years of being incorrectly fit. I'm a former pro who is currently a +2 and just won my club championship this past Sunday. My wedges used to be the worst part of my game, not anymore! Much easier to play with clubs that truly FIT body proportions.

 

IMO it's much easier to play a club that is too long then one that is too short. There's a reason why short people can play really long drivers but really tall people have a very difficult time playing drivers (or clubs) that are too short.

 

EDIT:

Here's a link where I have detailed the entire process

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1409580-fitting-tall-golfers-with-no-chart-or-preconceived-ideas/

[HighlandLaird]

I gather that when different lengths of the same driver were tested in a driving machine, 42" to 46" were used---the difference in distance was just 1.8 yards !!

[andyk856]

shorter might not mean straighter all the time, but i can tell you that anyone is more confident standing over a shorter driver then a longer one. and to me confidence goes a long way for me esp with the driver.

[weston14]

Over the years I've shortened down to 44.25", and feel I'm at my sweet spot now. More consistent on the club face and plenty of distance. I'll trade up on the fairway hit percentage every time. Also agree with the post above, it's all about what makes you confident over the ball.

[North Butte]

After this week's performance on the greens in Mexico maybe Rickie needs to cut down his putter a couple inches.

[Frank The Shank]

I'm 6 2 1/2 play better with shorter long irons and woods but lengthened my 3 wedges the same length as my 9, improved my short game. Driving is the best part of my game with 43 7/8 long driver and driving iron at 39 1/4.

[WidespreadPanic]

Been playing 43-43.5 for years, and whenever I get a new model, I always cut it down to this length and add as much weight to feel right. Every driver head out there now has heavier aftermarket weights available. More weight in the head also increases MOI. I've also found optimal results (for me personally) by adding a degree or 2 of loft. Most 'standard' drivers are above 45", yet most pros use 44.5 or even lower. Be interesting to see how it works for Rickie in the long run if he sticks with it.

For years I played my driver at 45" and 9.5 degrees. Last summer I started playing 44" and 11.25 degrees. If I did lose distance I haven't really noticed and I'm in the fairway and hitting solid much more. I did it because hitting fairways was the main thing holding me back, and I've gone from a 5hc to a 1, and trending down. The driver change isn't the only reason, but it's a big one.

[PJ72]

I'm 6 2 1/2 play better with shorter long irons and woods but lengthened my 3 wedges the same length as my 9, improved my short game. Driving is the best part of my game with 43 7/8 long driver and driving iron at 39 1/4.

 

Have you thought of getting your irons MOI matched? I changed mine from 1/2" length gaps to 3/8" gaps recently, and it made the 3 iron 1" shorter and my wedges 1" longer. Works really well, considering my height of 6ft4.

[TheKrushh]

We also need to consider the starting point. I would say most people haven't been professionally fit for what they really should be playing. This means that cutting down the length may fix things for some people and mess them up for other people. I would generally be in the category that if your swing weight, flex, tipping, grip size, head weight, etc are good, a shorter shaft will generally perform better. I've tried all these experiments and found my game got the best when I went in and figured out what I really needed in terms of specs. We haven't even gotten in to the fact that just because a shaft says 70X on it doesn't mean that's what it will play like.

 

What I think happens all too often is that someone tries a 45.5 inch driver and it puts them into a swing weight they like (by chance) which allows them to swing the club better and hit better shots even if 45.5 isn't exactly optimal for them.

[Tigermatt31]

anyone have any idea on how fix swing weight and or try not to change it too much when cutting down a driver

[lkbos]

anyone have any idea on how fix swing weight and or try not to change it too much when cutting down a driver

 

I can think of 4 options:

 

(1) hot melt

(2) lead tape

(3) if your head contains a weighted screw/plug, switch to a heavier one

(4) switch to ultra-light grip

[Disco Dave]

Extra weights, hot melt, a dozen heads, numerous shaft combinations, months of testing......and he's 5' 7" on a good day. Simply cutting a driver shorter is likely a disaster if the all of the other necessary build issues are not addressed. It took a very long time for him to get it right but that's what it takes to get it right!

 

43 1/2" for someone his height is very doable. Going shorter for a golfer 6' 2" and taller is going to produce poor results. Everything is relative to the body proportions of the golfer.

 

With the ridiculously upright lie angles OTR today, chopping a driver down will likely only flatten the club out to the point where it "should" play. If anything, better players want a fade biased club in their hands anyway, so I say go for it to anyone doubting the switch.

 

All these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky, trying to HELP the slice-a-lots, isn't helping anyone. Just add a few more inches to the club and the issue gets so much worse.

 

I don't believe tall golfers of yesteryear(couple decades ago) were struggling too mightily around 43.5"???

 

Lastly, for anyone hitting their driver REALLY well while just choking up on the grip, just the act of choking up physically changes the perceived SW of the club cause the load is closer to your hands. Not only that, but the extra grip + shaft above your hands(near stomach) is effectively lessening swingweight too. So, by that logic, if choking up suits you, then cutting the driver down to accommodate that shouldn't really affect SW anymore than choking up did. If anything, with the grip more in your hands and not above, it will play slightly higher SW than while you choked up.

 

Something else can be said about choking up in terms of grip diameter. The narrower grip portion towards the shaft may have fit your hands better too, if choking up. This is an unknown variable that will need to be worked out to see if this was of any benefit as well.

 

 

I find it hilarious when one of the shortest players on tour, RF, cut's his driver down to one of the shortest driver lengths played on tour that this is somehow revolutionary and should be the fix for everyone. Well for someone who is 6' 4" like myself, I believed the shorter is better crap for years and it did not work, now playing 46 1/4" and have never driven the ball better. When you start to understand body proportions and ergonomics you'll quickly understand shorter is not better for everyone. An appropriate length that fits the individuals proportions will produce the best shots. It's not surprising that RF is using a short driver, it fits his body proportions better; he's short.

 

Look at my profile pic, Charlie Rymer is 6' 4" and Gary Williams, who I think stated he was 5' 9" from the clip I got the pic, is standing on a box and still not as tall. Do you really think they should be playing the same length driver or any other club for that matter? RF is no where near as tall as Gary; RF wasn't as tall as Sergio in yesterdays coverage. Charlie Rymer mentions the trouble finding properly fit clubs due to his height all the time. Personally I can not find any of "these damn clubs with the toe pointed toward the sky" that you speak of. I have the opposite issue of they are all pointed down.

 

 

I am all for a shorter driver if it fits the golfer properly. Shorter can sometimes be more difficult to hit for the exceptionally tall to average height player; Rory at 45 1/2" comes to mind. There is a point of diminishing returns for both shorter and longer club lengths. Find what works best and play it.

 

You must struggle with your very short wedges then??? It's all relative, and if the lie angle fits then it's all about addressing the ball closer to you. Do you reach for the ball or rest your arms comfortably down at address? By that logic you should be playing like +2-3" on your irons, like a standard 5 iron shaft in your wedge.

 

FWIW Rory is an oompaloompa like Rickie, compared to you or DJ, but can still hit a longer club despite his height. Shorter stature can hit longer shafts AND vice versa.

 

My Gap and PW are at 38", 4 iron is 40 1/4" for reference. Game became so much easier in November when I finally got clubs that are the correct length after 35 years of being incorrectly fit. I'm a former pro who is currently a +2 and just won my club championship this past Sunday. My wedges used to be the worst part of my game, not anymore! Much easier to play with clubs that truly FIT body proportions.

 

IMO it's much easier to play a club that is too long then one that is too short. There's a reason why short people can play really long drivers but really tall people have a very difficult time playing drivers (or clubs) that are too short.

 

EDIT:

Here's a link where I have detailed the entire process

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1409580-fitting-tall-golfers-with-no-chart-or-preconceived-ideas/

 

As an ergonomics expert and avid golfer, I commend you for your work. Really glad to hear how happy and comfortable you are and sounds like awesome results.

 

 

[BCULAW]

I've been struggling with the driver recently and decided to put a tip in an old "throw away" pullout shaft I had laying around. The shaft was a MFT Kaili 65 regular - keep in mind I was hitting a 60g x-stiff in the driver at 44.75". My main issue with the driver is that I have a negative AoA and generate very low launch and high spin as a result. Well, I installed the new shaft at 43.5" and tipped an additional inch (1.5" total). My first drive was a hard snap hook, but my next was LONG and dead down the middle. Over the course of nine holes, I hit three drives that were easily the longest ever on the respective holes, and I was 30-35 yards longer on good strikes when compared against the "gamer" shaft. I don't have a problem hitting the center of the club face with either shaft installed, but I have to believe that the shorter shaft improves my lunch conditions considerably. There is a visible difference in ball flight.

 

My instinct is to go and tinker more since I'm certain swingweigt is very light and the "made for" shaft is probably not the most consistent. But I hit this so well, I may leave well enough alone.

[WidespreadPanic]

I played my driver at 45" for years, and just recently starting choking up on some shots to hit a squeeze fade to find a fairway. Well, I started to be able to hit every kind of shot when choking up, so I chopped 3/4" off the butt and 1/4" off the tip. at first it was strange because it seemed so short, but now that im used to it if I put a 45" driver in my hands it feels like im holding a freakin telephone pole.

[redandwhiteandblue]

Laughing so hard at the gif

[PJ72]

Anyone here been to a fitting where they specifically assess club length? Perhaps a wishon fitter?

[Disco Dave]

Anyone here been to a fitting where they specifically assess club length? Perhaps a wishon fitter?

 

I have not - and I assume you're specifically talking about the driver - but I would expect a good club fitter to be open to accommodating a request to test a driver w/ a shorter shaft. An even better one might be able to identify a need for it without you mentioning it, but it sounds like in the general equipment industry it's not something a fitter tends to suggest without the player inquiring about it first.