Can shaft length affect a shot?

Question

I am 5' 1'' and i think i should shorten my driver shaft an inch or two because i have lost accuracy since switching to a standard length shaft from a slightly shorter one..

i have gained some yardage but i am convinced that the shaft length is too long

any opinions?

Answer 1

I am the opposite of everyone here. I used to use a 50" shaft until the rule changes, now my regular driver has a 47.25"shaft in it. I use it because I have a bad lower back so cannot make a full turn. I get as much distance with a 3/4 swift as most people do with a full one. I am also a lot more accurate than most - also due to the shortened swing.

I do have a friend who cut down the shaft in his driver, but what also happens is that the club then plays a lot stiffer than normal so you need to take that into account as well as the shortened clubs don't have the same flex.

Answer 2

Absolutely. A great way to decide on driver length on your own is to put a piece of masking tape on your driver face, choke down at least 2 inches, and hit 5 or 10 drives. Then move out a half inch at a time replacing the tape after each length change and hitting 5 or 10 drives at a time, until you are playing the club at full length.

If you are consistently hitting the center of the face all the way out to the end of the shaft, you should consider yourself OK at that length. If your impact starts to scatter as you get longer on the shaft, go back to the longest distance that you hit centered on the face. That length will give you the consistency to start focusing on club head speed instead of worrying about where it's going.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

yes the shaft length can change the angle of the head of the club, you may have to have the shafts custom cut

Answer 4

YES

Answer 5

Of course the shaft length would affect the shot. The longer the shaft, the more club head speed you create. The more club head speed, the more ball speed at impact, hence more distance. Distance is a poor substitute for accuracy unless you are an excellent scrambler. Most people aren't. Because of your shorter stature you should stay with a shorter than normal driver.

Answer 6

Shaft length does affect the swing and shot.  The best thing to do is go somewhere - a store or pro - and have a swing fit / analysis which will tell you the best shaft length and type for your swing.