Nov 20, 2017 driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve your strike pattern and accuracy. Taking a look at the driver shaft length used by the tour leaders in strokes gained. For this test, we brought together five golfers with a range of swing speeds and handicaps. Its essential that your driver shaft is of the right length. The standard length of a driver for men used to be 43. And much like with putters, when another player switches to a new driver shaft and finds success, other golfers take. According to our poll, 30% of you play a 45 inch driver, 19% play a 45. If you can handle a pro head, you could always have it shafted in regular flex shaft and get it shorter while maintaining swingweight. With the pga tour season ramping back up this week, its time to take a look at some of the most popular driver shafts. Accuracy, feel explain why some pga tour players have gone to heavier driver shafts. As with changing putters to make more putts, golfers change out driver shafts semiregularly looking for more distance or more fairways, but preferably both. However, in the 21st century a standard driver is considered to be 45 inches. If you are a golf fan you may have seen the news recently that reigning pga championship winner jimmy walker put a 42 inch titleist 917d2 driver into play at the pga tour events held recently in hawaii. You can increase clubhead speed and arc by using a longer shaft.
Use these helpful guidelines to find the right length for you. Michael breed give tips for driver length and distance golf. New driver shafts are made as long as 46 inches, requiring them to be cut down to size for most players. Finding the right driver shaft length involves the art of balancing distance and accuracy. The average driver shaft length on tour is roughly 44. The golf club shaft length and driving distance relationship. Tm p790 5p with fujikura pro 95i shaft stiff tour spec. In the last 25 years, the average driver shaft length has gradually moved from 43 inches to 45. The drivers and shafts used by the top10 drivers on the. The drivers and shafts used by the top10 drivers on the pga tour. Since our inception in 1995, fujikura composites america has been at the forefront of design and development to produce the worlds best golf shafts. Most male golfers are wielding drivers that measure 45 to 48 inches, the maximum allowed under the united states golf associations rules of golf.
Jan 31, 2017 driver length seems to be a hot topic. Dec 21, 2019 new driver shafts are made as long as 46 inches, requiring them to be cut down to size for most players. You can also search through golf digests whats in the bag online and read about driver lengths. Discover the difference a fujikura shaft will make to your golf game. This will allow you to try multiple shaft lengths before committing to anything. Many golf monthly forum members are increasingly inquisitive over the distance gains we see on readerfitting days, questioning where exactly the distance.
What it takes to be the hottest shaft on the pga tour. Taking a look at popular driver shafts on the pga tour. I also read that some players including philly mick were playing shorter length drivers at the us open hoping to improve accuracy. This is over 20 mph faster than the fastest pga tour players and over 30 mph faster than an average pga tour player. Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard. When fitting clubs and cutting clubs to length, cut the shaft 14 of an inch shorter than the desired length to allow for the butt end of the grip which is, on average, a 14 of an inch thick. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, answers a viewers email question on driver shaft length. I also believe the top end of lpga pros reaching around 105mph. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44. Drivers have gone through a 3 plus increase in length over the past three decades simply as a way for golf companies to sell more drivers via the marketing promise of longer distance. Rickie fowler finds shorterlength driver to his liking. For this video, weve used the gc quad launch monitor to gather real world data comparing two identical clubs that only differ in shaft length. The aldila rogue driver shafts have now all been reissued with msi prepreg. The longer shaft promises more speed but possibly less control while the.
Wishon also told me that the average driver length on the pga tour is shorter than the standard lengths equipment companies sell us. Average driver shaft length on the pga tour golfwrx. The average length of a driver shaft on the pga tour is 44. However, the longer the shaft the harder it is to control the club and hit the ball squarely. The average length of drivers on the pga tour appears to be slightly shorter than 45. Pro 950gh came to market in 1999, it was the first consistentlymade sub100 gram steel shaft in the world. The folks at ping built me two identical g30 driversone at their standard length of 4534 inches, the other two inches shorter. Find the right driver shaft length for your game golficity. The purpose of golf myths unplugged is to challenge the accepted wisdom of golf. Using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length.
Driver shaft length are you shorting yourself using a 46. One difference from one golf shaft to another is the flex of the steel or graphite itself. Driver shafts, especially in professional golf, are very similar to putters. I took my current driver, which is the titleist d3 8. Most seniors dont swing the club over 100mph which means most seniors would be better off using an 11 degree driver which would fly further and straighter. If i remember correctly, the average swingspeed of a lpga tour professional driver is about 96mph. What is the correct driver loft for the average senior golfer. Jul 26, 2018 driver shafts, especially in professional golf, are very similar to putters. Make offer graphite design tour issue tp4 stiff flex 48g driver shaft brand. Just wanted to find out what the average length and swing weight for each of these club category. Ive read that the current average driver shaft length on the tour is 44. A good long driver would easily drive it 50 yards past bubba. Have you ever wondered what the average driver shaft length is on the pga tour.
Aug 20, 2015 using trackman my idea was to test the same golfer, clubhead and golf ball, but change the shaft length. Miles of golf feels one of the very important parts of fitting a customer for a driver is the length of the driver. Bottom line, in every driver, there is an optimal orientation placement of the shaft assembled in the driver head that will improve performance. This may seem short to you but with their amazing club head speed and sweet spot accuracy the pros are still able to crush the ball a country mile, even with the shorter shaft. Only when the right combination of swing and golf club shaft is found can maximum distance be achieved.
This weeks fully equipped mailbag takes a closer look. To answer that question right away, we dont think so. They also play the same clubs as the men, with the only distinction being the stiffness of the shaft for some. May 26, 2019 the top5 longest drivers on the pga tour and their drivershaft combos. Only 33% of our respondents play a driver that is shorter than 45 inches. A driver swing speed of just over 110mph was average on the pga tour for 20. But the key point here really is the fact that virtually no pga tour player uses a driver length that is as long as the mens standard lengths of the vast majority of the big golf companies.
Triple bend putter shaft choice of 35, 43, or 48 lengths new right hand. Driver and shaft information is based on what that player used in their most recent pga tour appearance. Thats where todays version of golf tips comes into play. Check out breeds tip on how to determine whether your driver shaft length is too long or too short. Golf monthly technical editor joel tadman explores the impact different shaft lengths have. Heading into the 2019 pga championship at bethpage state parks black course, which demands long and straight tee shots, pgatour. Driver shaft length is shorter better than standard length. No matter how good they are, tour players know that the longer the length of the driver, the more difficult it will be to hit on center and to hit with accuracy. Feb 09, 2018 for this video, weve used the gc quad launch monitor to gather real world data comparing two identical clubs that only differ in shaft length. Apr 25, 2012 recently, miles of golf driving range in michigan did a study where they had different golfers swing the same driver head with the same shaft and swingweightbut with different shaft lengths. Michael breed, host of the golf fix, teaches how to find the proper length of your driver shaft and gives a drill to maximize distance. Average swing weight and length on tour clubs, grips. This is the primary reason they, on average, use driver lengths that are much shorter than what the golf companies make to sell to regular golfers.
September 9th, 20 the average length of a driver shaft on the pga tour is 44. Our mission is to bring joy to all golfers by improving their game and maximizing their potential. Every golfer wants to hit the ball farther, and the quest for maximum length has led many 21st century golfers to opt for drivers with shafts that are 1 to 3 inches longer than the standard recommended length. In addition, all nippon shaft products are constant weighted, meaning that every iron in a players bag be it a 3iron or a pitching wedge weighs the same. You might hit the occasional drive farther with a longer shaft. Now that you know what you should be looking for in a driver shaft, lets consider some of the most popular and effective shafts on the market. I tend to believe him because when i was fitted by avery reed, a former tour van employee of taylor made, he told me that he never fitted a tour player for a driver longer than 45. The shaft you use in your driver is another key, as you need to be sure your driver shaft is matched up to. The standard length for a mens driver is in the 43inch to 45inch range.
During a past golf digest hot list summit, we conducted a test with a multipletime winner on the pga tour who hit tee shots with drivers. Tour issue cleveland 2012 588 raw tour grind wedge lob lw 60 2 dot mid bounce dynamic gold sensicore s300 steel stiff right handed 35 in. Now that you know what you should be looking for in a driver shaft, lets consider some of the. The average length of drivers on the pga tour appears to be slightly shorter than 45 inches, with many pros playing drivers in the 44. For that reason, pga tour equipment trucks are stocked with. Mccoy estimated that it takes at least 50 different driver shaft models to optimize the performance of the roughly 300 golfers who play on the pga tour each season. The tour and pro drivers often have shaft lengths a half to one inch shorter than standard.
So how did the longer driver with an average club head speed increase of. Whats the average driver shaft length on the pga tour. The length of a golf club is measured from the tip of the grip to where the clubhead meets the ground. Golf geeks how the shaft affects performance mygolfspy. We know from actual launch monitor testing that what you may gain in distance, you can sometimes lose in accuracy and consistency. Driver shaft length custom fitting for the correct length to help improve your strike pattern and accuracy. Perhaps that is why the average driver length on the pga tour is 44.
I reckon if you are a man and not on the pga tour, you should never go over 44. Driver shaft usage on tour can be a bit unpredictable, with some players. Dec 01, 2019 what is the optimum driver shaft length. Woods was one of the last to forego a steel shaft for graphite and over time the weight in. Michael breed give tips for driver length and distance. According to tom wishon pictured above, he states that since 2006 the average length of a driver on the pga tour is 44. A golf clubs length is measured from the heel of the club to the butt end of the grip. The 8 hottest driver shafts of 2018 on the pga tour golfwrx. Perhaps more than anything else, added shaft length has increased driver distances. Accuracy, feel explain why some pga tour players have gone to. Nov 07, 20 it may seem surprising but the average driver length on the pga tour is slightly less, at 44. This paper will describe why shaft length is critically important in fitting a driver. Dec 18, 2019 have you ever wondered what the average driver shaft length is on the pga tour.
The impact of the length of a driver shaft on your game golf digest. It may seem surprising but the average driver length on the pga tour is slightly less, at 44. That is why the cluboratory, our fitting center, has drivers of varying length. In 1997, more than 20 tour players averaged 75% or better in driving accuracy fairwayshit. Average driver shaft length pga tour setupcharts20s blog. Pga tour players are using drivers that are assembled shorter that. Top 10 longest hitters in the 20172018 pga tour and their.