Cut down or Choke Down

[cho1982]

I just rec'd my new shaft (Rombax 7Z08) and will be putting into my Insight Tech a4. I was thinking about going 1/2 inch short to 45in instead of 45.5in. After reading some AK posts it got me thinking should I just leave it at 45.5 and choke down or just take that 1/2in off? Would it be more a matter of feel? What would be the pros and cons of those two options?

[cloudlx]

I prefer the choke down, but I am pretty tall, so there wouldn't be that much for me to choke down or chop off. I feel it gives me better control, but that like most things, could be completely mental.

[buttuh]

I did both. I cut down at first, and now I also choke down a little bit. Just enough so that the butt is past the bottom of my palm. I "feel" that it gives me a lot more control. I'm 5'4 btw.

[turnbowm]

The only downside to choking down is that the grip diameter is slightly smaller.

 

I'm not a fan of drivers >45", but decided to leave my G10 at the standard 45.75" length. On tight driving holes, I choke up for control and when I have a wide-open fairway, I grip it & rip it..... the best of both worlds! As always, YMMV.

[atlanta golfer]

The only downside to choking down is that the grip diameter is slightly smaller.

 

I'm not a fan of drivers >45", but decided to leave my G10 at the standard 45.75" length. On tight driving holes, I choke up for control and when I have a wide-open fairway, I grip it & rip it..... the best of both worlds! As always, YMMV.

 

This is exactly what I am doing with my G10. I can choke down two inches, take a 3/4 swing, and knock it at a lower trajectory about 3 wood or 4 wood length but very straight, or I can grip normally and hit a full swing 30-40 yards further and higher. When I go to the range in the past month, I have been practicing both types of shots so I can use them as needed on the course. I really like this approach.

[oks871]

well ask yourself this: is it because you are short or for more control?

if it is for more control, cut the shaft. This allows you to keep grip size.

If it is because yo are short, choke down: cutting a shaft makes it stiffer.

 

i choke down because i am only 5'3".

[Eleventeen]

cutting a shaft makes it stiffer if you trim from the tip end. You'd need to cut a decent amount off the butt end to make it stiffer.

 

I do both. If I have a driver still in it's honeymoon period I'll choke down. If I really like my driver I'll cut it. The grip feels better cut, than choked down on.

 

Right now, a 44.5" L5V.

[Bomb and Gouge]

I prefer to cut it down. But I take that into consideration when I buy the club.

[Pinehurst1999]

I am 6'4" and was choking down so much that I decided to finally cut and my new length is 43.75" for my driver and 41.5" for the 3-wood. Really no need to choke down after that and my added control is off the charts. I am currently a 13.3 index and I am hitting 74% of fairways this fall!