Shorten Driver Shaft
 

Anyone try trimming their driver shaft a bit on the butt end in an attempt to gain better control. I have heard that most Tour players play with shorter than standard Driver shafts...not sure if this is accurate or not. Would love to hear from the expert club fitters on this one as well as anyone who has tried it.:)

I shorten a heap of drivers for most average golfers. 45" is great if you can middle it every time but a 44" driver is often longer on average than a 45" because of the better control.

It is important to forget what you see on TV and concentrate on what gets your ball further, straighter and into the hole faster:)

hg:
I've been playing with a 44" driver for 7 or so years and found it to be the best thing I could of done. For every 1/2" you miss the sweet spot you lose 7% of the distance value of the club not to mention the lack of control you suffer too. It may sound strange, but whatever swing speed I lost in the length I made up for by hitting it solid. It worked for me!

Pat

I play at 44". Better control and no ballooning.

I have played a 441/2 for the last 2 years.Some manufacturers spec their shafts at 46!.
Just remember if you are trimming to add weight to the head to get the swingweight back up.

Retro Rules
 

Back in the day...I played a 11 degree Mizuno persimmon with a 42 inch x100 True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft. I have NEVER hit anything more consistently. I flighted the ball nice and low with a good bit of run, but of course I did not hit it as far at the oil can I am currently hitting! I was the only fella still using a persimmon headed driver in tournament play (1994 ish)...I may have kept on playing with it...but the head blew up on the 16th tee at Chenal C.C! I still have what is left of it...sentimental I guess. I remember the days of persimmon and squishy balata...at least you had some gear effect to work with. Shorter...stiffer...more loft...mmmmm....I'll be back!

Stiffness?
 

Is their any appreciable effect of shortening a driver 1/2 to 1 inch from the butt end in terms of stiffness?

CG

Tom Wishon's books speak to this very subject---that the average driver length on tour is 44 1/2 " and most amateurs should be playing drivers about 43 1/2" ----gives you more control of the club, more shots coming off the sweet spot and thus, more distance. (as you folks have noted). Guess it's time to get rid of my 45 3/4" Adams driver!

Err on the side of stiff?
 

I'm not Bob the Builder so bear with me! Based on my average swing speed with a driver 105-110 mph (I can hit 115!) I am in the stiff flex range, correct? My question is: The stiffer the flex given your ability to stress it when loaded (the shaft being loaded in this instance:laughing9 ) the greater the clubhead velocity, yes? The reason I mention this is that I have pretty good success with shafts stiffer than my range. I've got a buddy who has lead pipes in his irons? I feel like I can still stress those shafts if I am deliberate when loading, especially when hitting (sometimes I hardly feel the shaft loading when I am swinging) Thoughts?

Would like to hear some input on this also. I think it's a function of how you load the shaft. I used a V2 X-stiff (counter balanced) most of 07 but didn't hit it as far as I thought I should (my Driver SS is in that 105 - 100 range). I'm actually experimenting with an R flex now and my dispersion in the monitor and the range seems to be the same as with the X, but my distance seems to be increased (we'll see if it translates to the course). But I use a swinging motion and have pretty smooth tempo. A strong loading hitter probably has a different profile of what will work shaft-wise.

CG

Okie,
If I were to choose a shaft for you I would be looking at your swing speed, tempo and release among other items. With those items identified you would be able to determine the flex of the butt, center and tip sections of the shafts.

How many times have you heard someone say: "My new shaft has the same flex as the old one but it doesn't feel or act the same way". He was looking at the average flex of the shaft and not the individual sections that come into play as you swing. He might be looking at the manufacturers published flex which has very little to do with reality. Your clubmaker must know the actual frequency distribution of all the possible shafts and how that distribution will react to your perticular swing. Knowing that, the new shaft should be able to get the most out of your swing.

May I suggest that you go to: http://www.pcsgep.com/
Look in the "Member Locator" section and find a clubmaker close to your location. Then go to that clubmaker and ask if he has and uses Jerry Hoefling's Shaft Selector program. If he does, you will have the best chance of identifying the perfect shaft for you. Good luck on your search.

Tools!
 

Thank you, Mr. Cook!

As a younger player I had the it is the "tool wielder, not the tool" mentality. What I know about club making could fit in a container of grip solvent several times over! Thank you for the sage advice, I will be sure to throw in the Jerry Hoefling thing...to mix it up a bit! You have spurred me on to get a clue about what I am trying to wield with precision! Thanks for the link as well!