Do you really need your driver/3 wood to have a long shaft?

Question

I've been considering getting shorter shafts for my driver and 3 wood. I'm about 5"10 and although the shaft "fits" my size i have found great success using the perfect club and attribute this to the shortened length of the shaft. I feel I could get much better contact and control if I were to use a shorter shaft for my driver. My main question really is how much distance would I really lose if i shortened my club by 2"? Many people argue it is crucial but personally i feel the longer clubs are unneccessarily long, especially considering most drivers fit many body types so essentially my club could be good for someone who is 6"2 but would the height difference between someone of that stature and myself not warrant getting a shorter shaft. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

There's a calculation out there, that one inch shorter shaft produces like 5 - 10 yards shorter distance (or something like that).  The point is the difference is not huge.  However this difference is lessened because with shorter shaft, you swing with more confidence, has a better release through the ball, and thus gain swing speed.

So in the end people end up with better swing, better accuracy with little if any distance loss.

But two inches is a lot.  It will stiffen up the shaft (if you cut your existing one), and it will alter the lie of the club head at address and at impact, producing draw bias.

Answer 2

I remember when I first started to play golf - I struggled for years to dominate the driver and 3-wood, I suppose because of the longer shaft compared to the irons.

Your shaft length for your height would be considered as standard length. You could try a minus 2 inch shaft; see if you can't borrow one from a friend to see how you play with it.

You will lose some distance because distance is related to club swing speed. Obviously, the longer the club, the faster you can swing it. Maybe you will lose 10 yards or so but if you can improve your accuracy and consistency then it might be worth it.

Answer 3

The shorter shaft will probably give you more control, and hitting fairways consistently may be more beneficial to you than distance.  I am not a physics major so I can't calculate how much distance you will loose - it has to do with the shorter arc of the club and resultant reduction in clubhead speed at impact.  But above all remember this - golf is not about how far you can hit the ball, it is about how many TIMES you hit it.  One other thing - height has nothing to do with how long your clubs should be - all that matters is the distance between your hands and the ground.  A person with short arms needs longer clubs and vice versa regardless of if they are 5' 4" or 6' 8" tall.