I shortened my pxg driver to 43.5” and added extra weight to the head. No difference in distance and I gained accuracy. My confidence on the tee is higher as well.
I did the same to my qi10 max. Switched it from stiff to regular thinking the shorter shaft would feel stiffer. Much more control, more confidence and arguably a longer average distance.
Thanks Norm. We’ve got a list as long as my arms of questions we often ask ourselves about club changes that we’re going to present in the future. It’s great to be able to share the answers and also learn more myself 😃
I can believe it. It’s crazy length isn’t talked about in wood fittings so much, one length doesn’t suit all. I’m sure I wouldn’t create as much speed with 48” than 45.5”, and I don’t know if I could create more speed with 44.5” because it’s something that gets overlooked.
I cut down my driver shaft by 1.5 inches. Its lowrred my swing weight by 9 points. So i added 9 grams of lead tape to the head. It brought it up 4.5 swing weights. I hit it 10 yrds further. And i find the fairways 25% more. So for me it worked. I only did this because i couldnt afford a new shaft. If you have the money , just get fitted. I am an 18 HCP.
Lots of people can learn from this video mate, I got fitted for a shorter length driver a shaft a few years ago by my fitter and I didn’t lose any distance
Wow! Thank you so much, Gary, for making this video. You may have saved me from making a huge mistake. I found out last year that if I gripped down on the shaft of my PXG driver (which I ordered online, and just told them a few of my measurements), I started to hit my driver much better, and more consistently. I currently have my driver by my tool bench, and I was going to cut an inch off of the top and install a new grip. Thank goodness, I am a procrastinator or it would already be done. I think I will just keep gripping down in three months when our season starts up again. I don't have the weights to mess around with that part. You seemed to be hitting that shorter shaft just fine after the head was re-weighted. Thanks again.
The amateur golfer will never notice a 10 point swing weight difference, and the accuracy will be significantly better. I lost an inch on my driver and 1-1/2" on my fairway woods and am still choking down (6’ tall male, average build and weight). I’ve gained club head speed, distance and accuracy. So much easier to swing now.
This could be a good test. I agree they might not notice it, in feel, but I would put my house on it performing different to how it did, and not necessarily in a better way. I’ve made note! This will make a great video 😮💨
Really enjoying all this content around fitting and swing weight , I can see the Blackops knocking the Stealth2 out of your bag the way you were hitting it right out of the gate!
I've shortened my driver shaft to 44.5 inches and lost no swing speed. I have another cut down to 43.75 and I did lose 2-3 mph but dispersion is wicked tight and its super easy to turn over. That's the same length as the taylormade mini driver. I feel like 44.5 is the sweet spot or maybe 44.25 (although I have yet to try that, but it's halfway between my shortest and longest setup). I really like the 44.5 anyway, it cuts out my propensity to leave the face open for a slice. I have PXG driver heads so I can re-weight in 2.5 increments in any of the 3 spots on the head, which is absolutely baller if you are going to do this experiment. You won't get "shafted" with an incorrect swing weight if you have the optional weight kit. I don't think I will play 45.5 anymore, it's not really worth the trade off for a mid handicapper. I get way more joy when I find more fairways, and more fist bumps from my mates! Great video guys, this sort of analysis is so needed for us recreational players. I'm a huge believer in 44.5 inches or less for the average golfer! I was shocked that I lost my no swing speed, but I boil that down to the fact that I felt more confident with the club in my hands and I could go after it harder as I wasn't held back mentally as much. That says a bit more about my own hangups with the driver, but I bet lots of golfers are in the same boat. Driver was worst club in my bag and now I enjoy smashing it at the shorter length. Also I would add that I can much more easily hit at least 3 degrees up on the ball with the shorter shaft, whereas with a full length shaft I find that to be much, much harder to accomplish consistently
Well done on being able to self fit so well. I can understand why you have more control now and you haven’t lost club head speed! We did an experiment, not posted the video yet, but I tested the maximum length shaft vs stock 45.5, and the performance diminished but most noticeable, the club speed reduced! We have to stop this perception that longer shafts will go further, as it’s all dependent on the person swinging the club, and what length they’re most comfortable swinging.
@@garymartingolf Thank you for the props! I use trackman to validate the head-weight changes in terms of all the numbers, especially spin, launch and clubhead speed, so that helps a tonne. I love nerding out with it. I 100% agree with you and I'm looking forward to that video! I was thinking during this video that going down to a 3w length shaft is perhaps more extreme than necessary, and there is a happier middle ground to be achieved here (maybe 44.5, or 43.75 depending on one's goals on the intersection of dispersion and distance outcomes). You're right that the person swinging the club is the big X factor. Sure, if you put a max length shaft on a driver and robot test it, it will go further, but we're not machines, nor are we Rory (and even he shortened his driver shaft recently).
Based on the numbers, you could easily play the 3 wood length shaft. You're efficiency was the same as your standard length but gives you a lower penetrating ball flight which could be less susceptible to crosswinds.
I have a 2014 Ping Rapture 13 degree 3 wood Regular with heavy tungsten sole weight, which I bought 2nd hand (but £395 in 2014 so clubs not just expensive now) when my driver was out of control, the shaft length is 43.5 inches, I now have a Ping G425 Max 10.5 degree Regular shaft length 45.75 inches weighted similarly to Gary’s. It’s difficult to say what the dispersion differences are but total average distances are very similar & carry is 10 yards or so less due to lower height probably. Definitely a good back up club for links or windy conditions.
Gary/Sam great video as usual!, This also shows the benefit PXG have over pretty much every other brand at the minute with their design! Its no wonder Sam is partnered with them they are a fitters dream with the weight system. This also shows how a PXG driver could be great for you, especially as you could use the PXG fitting on the adaptor to be 3* flat in whatever loft you prefer, with your thicker grip you will then be able to add the weight around the head like you did here for the 3 wood and gain ball speed while still keeping the same swing weight. I think thats where the weighted 3 wood gained its ball speed from the much lower swing speed. The 3 weight system really allows for a much more custom fit I cant believe clubs like the TD ai smoke only has the 1 front weight for eg, no option for heel/toe weighting......
Same here, including height. After a great couple of months with driver I started hitting poorly so made the switch using my 3W shaft to regain control. Still want to test different lift settings and weights to optimize if possible.
Love these videos as they really give a great insight into club fitting and weighting. It’s something now i could go to a fitter with this added knowledge.
With the availability of mini drivers these days, marketing at being for people wanting more control, this is an important video. I'd think that the bigger head of a driver on a shorter shaft would be a better set up than a mini driver, which is like a 3W shaft with a slightly bigger head than a 3W. I'm not sure it's a good test to have Gaz test it though because he was crushing it with the full-length shaft. The test would be best if done by someone with a huge slice. That's the reason I have considered a shorter shaft, because I slice the driver, seeing Gaz hook them looks positive to me, as I'd love my ball-flight to go further left than it currently does (OB right). It seems like fitting to get weighting right is more important than shaft length!
Gary, being an excellent golfer, you are going to feel or know when a club is right or wrong for you more than the average duffer. Your friend detailing the info ref the swing weighting? Priceless. Every golfer can do their best when the swing weight works in their favor. I prefer a shorter driver because I am not long and lanky. I'm short. Shorter clubs fit me better. I also prefer 2 degrees flatter irons at the hosel. Getting fit to optimize equipment is very important.
You do right playing a shorter length driver, how can everybody be the same length driver, there’s noway that on tour this isn’t considered, and so it should be for everyone else.
I shortened my Titleist driver from 46 to 45in and increased the weight from the stock 9 gram to a 23g. I hit my drivers higher and a bit farther. Huge increase in accuracy and I’m hitting a slight draw instead of a fade.
I am 5.10 but have long arms just had a fitting on the ping 430 at club champion i have a shorter shaft fitted for me more consistent straight shots compared to longer shaft 👍
I did this with PXG 0211 driver, 1 inch shorter hoping to get accuracy. While some improvement not as much as I had hoped. Went to a ping 425 max everything set as draw bias, reg length shaft. Tip from the pro and currently you will have to prize the ping from my dead hands. Hitting 60% or more fairways currently, and no major slices OOB etc Not looked at swing weight for either club so would be interesting to have that measured for comparison
Another great fitting video Gaz. My mate bought a second hand driver and has been snap hooking the life out off it, we noticed the shaft is about two inches shorter than my driver, (Mavrik an Epic) so should have been the same. Definitely gonna make him watch this video. Unreal difference in how you hit them.
Wow simple amazing video ..I would have never know swing would make that much difference .. over to the pro shop to double check check my swing weight for sure
I saw a video where Chris Trott mentioned that Rory's driver, with the Qi10 LS model, was shorter by an inch and needed to add weight to the head to keep swing weight. So, yea, swing weight is really important. Also, I just did a fitting and found that I'm a D8, while my current is D6. I will be giving that a shot with my current setup.
What I did was bought the same shaft one flex softer and took a half inch off the grip end. Then I used a heat gun to loosen the epoxy on the Taylormade tip to cut a 3/4 of an inch off that end. Then I used some golf club epoxy to reattach the tip. Lastly, I used a slightly heavier grip to bring the weight back up a few grams on that end because the Qi10 has a poor center of gravity with the stock setup because they added so much weight to the club head itself from previous years to achieve their B.S. MOI numbers.
I've done it a couple of years back. Took a saw to the butt end and took off 1,5”. Couldn't hit it after that, didn't adjust the swing weight. Tried to with lead tape, but didn't have the right equipment. Very good video showing what I did wrong. :)
I reduced 2" off my driver and added 12 grams on top of the standard 9 grams. 21Grams total. that extra weight will help you feel the head and I think you will like it. (1.5" reduces 9.5 swing weights!) which is a LOT!! :) Good luck.
I think it’s a 2 fold reason. 1st the majority of golfers have ZERO clue about swing weight, and 2 most of todays fitters aren’t as educated in swing weight vs years past. You really have to search hard now to find someone that understands swing weight. Here in the US you need to go to specialty fitting centers or a high end golf school for that much detail in your fitting, and those fitting are pretty expensive!
Shortened my sim2 first from 45 3/4 inches to 44 3/4, felt much more in control of my swing (5’8” 32 inch wrist to floor) but I couldn’t really feel the club head through impact. Very weird feeling, so I then looked up my wrist to floor measurements regarding driver length and discovered that I should be playing a 43 inch driver😂 so I have just shortened it to 44, and I am adding 12 grams of weight to the head (for every 1/2 inch cut, 3 grams added so technically I should’ve added 10.5g) but I am a fan of a heavier club head. Am hoping for better accuracy off the tee, as I have no issues with distance. Weights on the way!
I’ve got a ladies callaway erc with a ladies shaft - being only 5.5ft and a senior it suits me. If I use my callaway bb I grip down on the shaft! I am considering an ai10 but want it with a senior and a shorter shaft!
Content just getting better and better Gaz, top class…. This may sound like a stupid question, but is a good way to try out a shorter driver just to grip down an inch or 2 on a full length driver??? Does that keep swing weight the same yet would give an indication without any alterations as to whether it may work for a player or not??
Hi, you all singing love for shorter shafts on driver,great! Myself start play 43" inch driver in 1980! Since 20years now I play drivers on 47"inch, have short swing ,3/4 and find fairways all the time,clubspeed 85mph a slow swinger always been and now age 87! Will try shorter shaft this week and see what ut would bee!? Thanks for sharing Johnny d Bergh PGA retired😮
If you have access to a launch monitor, I think it would be worth doing a comparison. If a shafts too long, it might hinder your ability to create maximum club speed. These long drivers, are all built and very strong. Whenever I’ve tried 47” shafts, they’ve hindered me. With a standard length, you might be able to increase your speed.
Wondering if gripping down on driver also changes swing weight? It does change lever arm. What does Sam think? And maybe a good vid on this. Having fun with this series.
I put a 3 wood length shaft in my driver, and went against my pro who said i needed a senior flex because of my swing speed, put the 3 wood shaft which was x stiff, nice and straight average 200+ happy days, so my results were listen to myself and try it out you will surprise yourself, not going to change it now very consistent and a fairway finder, i also switched from a cobra king SZ to a TaylorMade M2 and the m2 was the most consistent, so sold the cobra 😂
Callaway offer 1" inch shorter driver shafts...use with my rogue st, just as long but far more accurate...I presume Callaway have adjusted for swing weight
Yes, 100%. When changing shafts, the swing weight will change and it’s not always that noticeable in your hands. The only way I’ve ever noticed it, is if you compare the club using different swing weights side by side. It wasn’t until I need this test in a previous video that I realised how much that alone effects the release of the club.
I did something similar. Also I've watched a bunch of videos on this topic, but no one addressed rebalancing the club... (swingweight, shaft weight, head weight, shaft stiffness) I had a spare stiff shaft (i use Reg), so I got it cut 1.5" at the tip as well as at the butt. In theory Driver went from.a D4 SW to B4. Not sure where i want to be so I'm starting at a SW of D0, which means 32 grams of the shaft head. With that much weight the shaft is more like and extra soft senior, hence why I also cut off the tip of the shaft. Now I should have a 42" driver, with a D0 SW and a Reg shaft. In theory lol... Can't wait to try it out. Also did something similar to my 5 Wood :)
Here's a question, if you buy a driver from a retailer (either online or in person) with the option of shorter length shaft, would that be swing weighted???
You’re not the first person to ask this, we are going to do a comparison video, but from my understand, it wouldn’t play the same due to counter balancing. The further you grip down a club, you get less leverage and more club and body connection.
Hi Gary thinking of clean up my clubs for the new season went online and saw roll of carbon sticky back and thinking of putting that on then not sure if this will affect the club can you please help thank you
Dispersion with 45inch+ driver length can be expected due to mechanical properties of a shaft with tip diameter 0.335.(mechanical engineering) With tip diameter constant and total length increasing, there comes a point (@ 45 inch length) when no shaft of that length and tip diameter can react as consistently as it can below 45 inch length.
Fitted an 1inch shorter shaft in my rouge max driver same spec. Instantly didn't like it. Strange but the head felt far to close at address and just couldn't make a good swing. Visually it just didn't suite my eye at all.
Notice my biggest difference was launch angle….maybe needed to add more loft…noticed increase in control and accuracy…distance not much change…maybe better since Better contact in center of face….i did buy weights for TSR to cover that issue
I play with a 3 wood length shaft in my driver. I gained distance and dispersion was alot better. Distance isn't that big of deal to me as long as it's not in the woods
So Gary, if someone has a ping g430 max driver with the movable weight at the back, is this not necessarily the correct weight for the user, and could someone like Sam alter it so you could get a better performance from it.
Randomly just put my 3 wood shaft at 43 into my standard shaft and added some lead tape. Actually gained 2 mph swing speed and consistently have ball speeds between 165 and 170. Main issue is that I can't quite get the launch up. I'm down at 10 to 11 vs 13 with my 45" driver. All together the 3 wood is better but the rockets from the 45 are still further even with less ball speed
I do this sometimes, it gives you the sensation that there’s less leverage in the club, and you have more control. I think this is because you take the feeling away from the head, effectively lighten the swing weight, so i guess, it depends how you want the club to feel. If you add swing weight, it would almost counter what you’re trying to achieve be gripping down it.
Definitely did thi not re weighing it and boy was I hitting snap hooks like crazy. I couldn’t figure it out wow my mind is blown clearly I was on the right path I just know next time to add weight.
I want to take my PING G400 SFT head and put it on the PING G400 3 wood shaft. How much weight would I need to put on the back of the head to get it up to specs ? I don’t have a machine. Any help ?
I would really like you both to do a video, 110 gram shaft at i.e. d4 then test another shaft at 130 gram but also at d4??? AI want to know overall weight vs swing weight please…. So you could even do (as hes pxg) a 120g shaft then test at d0, d4 & d8, just idea pal, and I’d love them
Shortened my driver shaft by 3/4 inch vs standard when I got fitted for the PXG Gen 5 driver and not only is it more accurate, but my club head speed went up 5 mph vs the standard length! Definitely worth the try!!
We need to do this test! It’s on my list! I don’t think it will, but we’ll provide the data. One because of leverage / counter balance and two because of swing weight .
Great video and timely advice Gary 👌 I cut my Driver shaft and last week that was before I saw this video. I did it as I was hitting my 3 wood as far as my Driver - so I cut my Driver shaft to 43.5 and added a mid size grip and 10 grams to the head weight. Maybe self fitting luck but it’s working as I feel I can go harder at it. I have not measured the swing weight yet but its going straighter and longer .. its a good result ❤ Wonder if I shortened my putter it would work better too 😂
I recently cut my driver down to the same 43.5 and tested with and Extra 8, 10 and 12 grams. (Extra 12 plus standard 9 in my Titleist TSR2 feels solid) I'm thinking about cutting 1 inch off the 3 wood and 3 and 4 Hybrid. Have you done that yet?
You can fix dispersion fastest by getting the right loft. Then choosing the best shaft. Try it that way and you will gind more fairways with getting the max yardage. If you want nothing but driver distance that's pretty easy to do
3 wood is still a long shaft. If you look at the Cobra one length 3 hybrid it's 19° loft and 7i shaft (so 37.5"). Most people are still going to get that over 200 yards and it's a completely different swing. It isn't an "up and down" swing but it feels it and in general you're just not going to slice it.
To keep the actual ratio as close as possible we would need 22.5 big weight and 5 gram smaller weights. The original 2.5/12.5 is 0.2 ratio. The 5/22.5 is 0.222. If I'm understanding properly you ended up with 17.5 and two 7.5s for a ratio of 0.43. I don't think it mattered for this test as the results speak for themselves here honestly but with proper ratio I'm wondering if he would have had a higher ball flight resulting in more or less yardage? I have last year's BRNR mini and was wondering if I could chop a proper driver head down and do the same magic you've done here then play the 13.5 BRNR instead of 11.5 as a 3 wood replacement. Got me really thinking. EDIT: heavy weight in back would increase launch, duh, so maybe wpuld have gotten back to original launch conditions and maybe even longer if the ball speed stays the same?!?!
Gaz, I'm an orangutan, 5'11" tall with a 6'6" wingspan. I play all my clubs a touch shorter than standard to help me keep them on plane. Maybe it's psychological, I don't know, but it works for me.
Probably won't see as much difference in someone with a good swing that hits the sweet spot more often than one whose swing is not as good and is hitting the ball all over the face. Shorter club for a person with a so so swing is probably good for them. Hit the sweet spot more often = more distance, even with a shorter club. This is why many I have seen hit a 3 or 5 wood instead of driver because they hit them better and the main reason is being shorter.
im 5-5 i cut my driver to 41 inches, sim2, i can hit the ball well, i can hit it 240 on a fly, i have zero control with a full size driver, my swing feels all over the place, i put on medium grips and never been better, i chopped my 5 wood and it goes further than ever, its all about swing speed, not length
I have been cutting down my drivers for years and i gained accuracy but did not loose distance, i can control the driver better and my spin rate came down.
I shortened my pxg driver to 43.5” and added extra weight to the head. No difference in distance and I gained accuracy. My confidence on the tee is higher as well.
100 %
I did the same to my qi10 max. Switched it from stiff to regular thinking the shorter shaft would feel stiffer. Much more control, more confidence and arguably a longer average distance.
How much weight have you added?
@@mackwrx the standard weight in the back was 10g and I replaced it with a 20g weight.
@@davidb8586 Awesome. Thanks David! 🍻
Gary...these fitting vids are some of my favorite RUclips golf vids. Just awesome findings that I can apply to my game/gear!
Thanks Norm. We’ve got a list as long as my arms of questions we often ask ourselves about club changes that we’re going to present in the future. It’s great to be able to share the answers and also learn more myself 😃
I play a 43.75” driver shaft and actually gained club head speed, ball speed and yardage and accuracy. Game changing!
I can believe it. It’s crazy length isn’t talked about in wood fittings so much, one length doesn’t suit all.
I’m sure I wouldn’t create as much speed with 48” than 45.5”, and I don’t know if I could create more speed with 44.5” because it’s something that gets overlooked.
Love the standard comment. It’s the NEW Standard. I have build clubs since the 1980s and the Standard back then was 43.5.
I cut down my driver shaft by 1.5 inches. Its lowrred my swing weight by 9 points. So i added 9 grams of lead tape to the head. It brought it up 4.5 swing weights. I hit it 10 yrds further. And i find the fairways 25% more. So for me it worked. I only did this because i couldnt afford a new shaft. If you have the money , just get fitted. I am an 18 HCP.
I use a three wood shaft for my driver and it completely changed my game for the better. I lost a little bit of distance but gained a ton of accuracy.
These videos with Sam are the best. Need videos of Sam fitting a mid handicapper.
Lots of people can learn from this video mate, I got fitted for a shorter length driver a shaft a few years ago by my fitter and I didn’t lose any distance
He must of re swing weighted it for you 👌🏼 Are you still playing it ?
@@garymartingolf no I’m not mate but I do still have it just in case I go back to a callaway driver in the future
Wow! Thank you so much, Gary, for making this video. You may have saved me from making a huge mistake. I found out last year that if I gripped down on the shaft of my PXG driver (which I ordered online, and just told them a few of my measurements), I started to hit my driver much better, and more consistently. I currently have my driver by my tool bench, and I was going to cut an inch off of the top and install a new grip. Thank goodness, I am a procrastinator or it would already be done. I think I will just keep gripping down in three months when our season starts up again. I don't have the weights to mess around with that part. You seemed to be hitting that shorter shaft just fine after the head was re-weighted. Thanks again.
The amateur golfer will never notice a 10 point swing weight difference, and the accuracy will be significantly better. I lost an inch on my driver and 1-1/2" on my fairway woods and am still choking down (6’ tall male, average build and weight). I’ve gained club head speed, distance and accuracy. So much easier to swing now.
This could be a good test. I agree they might not notice it, in feel, but I would put my house on it performing different to how it did, and not necessarily in a better way. I’ve made note! This will make a great video 😮💨
Really enjoying all this content around fitting and swing weight , I can see the Blackops knocking the Stealth2 out of your bag the way you were hitting it right out of the gate!
Don’t say that lol I don’t need any influencing to buy clubs 😅😂 thanks for watching 👌🏼
🤣😂@@garymartingolf
Best stuff on RUclips for the serious golfer at the minute Gaz, fantastic stuff mate!
Gaz these videos with Sam are all amazing content - a real eye opener -👍🏼 thanks
Thanks buddy. Appreciate you watching 👌🏼
Love these types of videos gary...you and sam i think help the average golfer RATHER than watching a new club review.
The viewers keep asking questions and we don’t know the real results, so we’re as interested to do the experiments as anyone else lol 😂
I've shortened my driver shaft to 44.5 inches and lost no swing speed. I have another cut down to 43.75 and I did lose 2-3 mph but dispersion is wicked tight and its super easy to turn over. That's the same length as the taylormade mini driver. I feel like 44.5 is the sweet spot or maybe 44.25 (although I have yet to try that, but it's halfway between my shortest and longest setup). I really like the 44.5 anyway, it cuts out my propensity to leave the face open for a slice. I have PXG driver heads so I can re-weight in 2.5 increments in any of the 3 spots on the head, which is absolutely baller if you are going to do this experiment. You won't get "shafted" with an incorrect swing weight if you have the optional weight kit. I don't think I will play 45.5 anymore, it's not really worth the trade off for a mid handicapper. I get way more joy when I find more fairways, and more fist bumps from my mates! Great video guys, this sort of analysis is so needed for us recreational players. I'm a huge believer in 44.5 inches or less for the average golfer! I was shocked that I lost my no swing speed, but I boil that down to the fact that I felt more confident with the club in my hands and I could go after it harder as I wasn't held back mentally as much. That says a bit more about my own hangups with the driver, but I bet lots of golfers are in the same boat. Driver was worst club in my bag and now I enjoy smashing it at the shorter length. Also I would add that I can much more easily hit at least 3 degrees up on the ball with the shorter shaft, whereas with a full length shaft I find that to be much, much harder to accomplish consistently
Well done on being able to self fit so well. I can understand why you have more control now and you haven’t lost club head speed! We did an experiment, not posted the video yet, but I tested the maximum length shaft vs stock 45.5, and the performance diminished but most noticeable, the club speed reduced! We have to stop this perception that longer shafts will go further, as it’s all dependent on the person swinging the club, and what length they’re most comfortable swinging.
@@garymartingolf Thank you for the props! I use trackman to validate the head-weight changes in terms of all the numbers, especially spin, launch and clubhead speed, so that helps a tonne. I love nerding out with it. I 100% agree with you and I'm looking forward to that video! I was thinking during this video that going down to a 3w length shaft is perhaps more extreme than necessary, and there is a happier middle ground to be achieved here (maybe 44.5, or 43.75 depending on one's goals on the intersection of dispersion and distance outcomes). You're right that the person swinging the club is the big X factor. Sure, if you put a max length shaft on a driver and robot test it, it will go further, but we're not machines, nor are we Rory (and even he shortened his driver shaft recently).
Based on the numbers, you could easily play the 3 wood length shaft. You're efficiency was the same as your standard length but gives you a lower penetrating ball flight which could be less susceptible to crosswinds.
I have a 2014 Ping Rapture 13 degree 3 wood Regular with heavy tungsten sole weight, which I bought 2nd hand (but £395 in 2014 so clubs not just expensive now) when my driver was out of control, the shaft length is 43.5 inches, I now have a Ping G425 Max 10.5 degree Regular shaft length 45.75 inches weighted similarly to Gary’s. It’s difficult to say what the dispersion differences are but total average distances are very similar & carry is 10 yards or so less due to lower height probably. Definitely a good back up club for links or windy conditions.
I used to love those rapture takeaways! Perfect size for the tee! They make them too small and shallow these days.
That is insane. What an education for us!
Gary/Sam great video as usual!, This also shows the benefit PXG have over pretty much every other brand at the minute with their design! Its no wonder Sam is partnered with them they are a fitters dream with the weight system.
This also shows how a PXG driver could be great for you, especially as you could use the PXG fitting on the adaptor to be 3* flat in whatever loft you prefer, with your thicker grip you will then be able to add the weight around the head like you did here for the 3 wood and gain ball speed while still keeping the same swing weight. I think thats where the weighted 3 wood gained its ball speed from the much lower swing speed. The 3 weight system really allows for a much more custom fit I cant believe clubs like the TD ai smoke only has the 1 front weight for eg, no option for heel/toe weighting......
I'm 5'6" and went from a 45 3/4 to a 43 and it was a world of difference. I cut the shaft down and it's been amazing.
Same here, including height. After a great couple of months with driver I started hitting poorly so made the switch using my 3W shaft to regain control. Still want to test different lift settings and weights to optimize if possible.
Love these videos as they really give a great insight into club fitting and weighting. It’s something now i could go to a fitter with this added knowledge.
With the availability of mini drivers these days, marketing at being for people wanting more control, this is an important video. I'd think that the bigger head of a driver on a shorter shaft would be a better set up than a mini driver, which is like a 3W shaft with a slightly bigger head than a 3W. I'm not sure it's a good test to have Gaz test it though because he was crushing it with the full-length shaft. The test would be best if done by someone with a huge slice. That's the reason I have considered a shorter shaft, because I slice the driver, seeing Gaz hook them looks positive to me, as I'd love my ball-flight to go further left than it currently does (OB right). It seems like fitting to get weighting right is more important than shaft length!
Hi Gary, just received my new PXG half an Inch shorter, and have never hit my driver better. Definitely works for me
Gary, being an excellent golfer, you are going to feel or know when a club is right or wrong for you more than the average duffer. Your friend detailing the info ref the swing weighting? Priceless. Every golfer can do their best when the swing weight works in their favor. I prefer a shorter driver because I am not long and lanky. I'm short. Shorter clubs fit me better. I also prefer 2 degrees flatter irons at the hosel. Getting fit to optimize equipment is very important.
You do right playing a shorter length driver, how can everybody be the same length driver, there’s noway that on tour this isn’t considered, and so it should be for everyone else.
I shortened my Titleist driver from 46 to 45in and increased the weight from the stock 9 gram to a 23g. I hit my drivers higher and a bit farther. Huge increase in accuracy and I’m hitting a slight draw instead of a fade.
That’s the way to do it 👌🏼
Brilliant series of videos Gary, just wish I lived closer to have a fitting from Sam think it'd be an eye opener
I am 5.10 but have long arms just had a fitting on the ping 430 at club champion i have a shorter shaft fitted for me more consistent straight shots compared to longer shaft 👍
I did this with PXG 0211 driver, 1 inch shorter hoping to get accuracy. While some improvement not as much as I had hoped.
Went to a ping 425 max everything set as draw bias, reg length shaft. Tip from the pro and currently you will have to prize the ping from my dead hands.
Hitting 60% or more fairways currently, and no major slices OOB etc
Not looked at swing weight for either club so would be interesting to have that measured for comparison
If you are hitting a bit of a high fade would a counter balance weight in the butt help lower the SW and maybe aid to releasing the head a bit more ?
Another great fitting video Gaz. My mate bought a second hand driver and has been snap hooking the life out off it, we noticed the shaft is about two inches shorter than my driver, (Mavrik an Epic) so should have been the same. Definitely gonna make him watch this video.
Unreal difference in how you hit them.
Had my cut 4 weeks ago and swing weighted and I haven’t missed a fairway since.oh and no loss of distance either.
Smart 👌🏼 so many just cut them without swing weighting ⛳️
how do you weight it?
Change the weight that is in there or if it’s an older driver you can put hot metal in there.
Wow simple amazing video ..I would have never know swing would make that much difference .. over to the pro shop to double check check my swing weight for sure
Honestly, it’s worth doing, but unfortunately, barely any pro shops measure swing weight, or consider it.
Definitely the most valuable info I’ve seen on this topic so far. Definitely has me interested to try! Thank you for the great content
My wife got shafts made up by Sam after watching your videos fantastic professional job.👍
That’s nice to here 👌🏼 He’s a top guy, someone I really trust ⛳️
Excellent yet again lads, looking forward to my trip to Sam’s in February. 👍🏻
The man’s a genius
@@garymartingolf great work old boy 🏌️👌🏻👍🏻
I saw a video where Chris Trott mentioned that Rory's driver, with the Qi10 LS model, was shorter by an inch and needed to add weight to the head to keep swing weight. So, yea, swing weight is really important.
Also, I just did a fitting and found that I'm a D8, while my current is D6. I will be giving that a shot with my current setup.
What I did was bought the same shaft one flex softer and took a half inch off the grip end. Then I used a heat gun to loosen the epoxy on the Taylormade tip to cut a 3/4 of an inch off that end. Then I used some golf club epoxy to reattach the tip. Lastly, I used a slightly heavier grip to bring the weight back up a few grams on that end because the Qi10 has a poor center of gravity with the stock setup because they added so much weight to the club head itself from previous years to achieve their B.S. MOI numbers.
Love this video,looking forward to my club MOT with sam
I've been playing a 44.75 shaft for years. At D3 swing weight.I am longer with a shorter shaft. Hit more fairways to.
I've done it a couple of years back. Took a saw to the butt end and took off 1,5”. Couldn't hit it after that, didn't adjust the swing weight. Tried to with lead tape, but didn't have the right equipment. Very good video showing what I did wrong. :)
I reduced 2" off my driver and added 12 grams on top of the standard 9 grams. 21Grams total. that extra weight will help you feel the head and I think you will like it. (1.5" reduces 9.5 swing weights!) which is a LOT!! :) Good luck.
@Sam whats the dimensions of your sim room please? Im looking to build similar.
excellent and informative video Gaz keep up the good work
Agreed that virtually no “fitter” talks swing weight at all. It is head and shaft and not even length at all.
I think it’s a 2 fold reason. 1st the majority of golfers have ZERO clue about swing weight, and 2 most of todays fitters aren’t as educated in swing weight vs years past. You really have to search hard now to find someone that understands swing weight. Here in the US you need to go to specialty fitting centers or a high end golf school for that much detail in your fitting, and those fitting are pretty expensive!
Shortened my sim2 first from 45 3/4 inches to 44 3/4, felt much more in control of my swing (5’8” 32 inch wrist to floor) but I couldn’t really feel the club head through impact. Very weird feeling, so I then looked up my wrist to floor measurements regarding driver length and discovered that I should be playing a 43 inch driver😂 so I have just shortened it to 44, and I am adding 12 grams of weight to the head (for every 1/2 inch cut, 3 grams added so technically I should’ve added 10.5g) but I am a fan of a heavier club head. Am hoping for better accuracy off the tee, as I have no issues with distance. Weights on the way!
What would be the difference of keeping a standard length and just gripping down 3 inches?
That’s a video, I need to do! Thank you sir! Thats now on my list! I also want to know the answer! 🤣
I’ve got a ladies callaway erc with a ladies shaft - being only 5.5ft and a senior it suits me. If I use my callaway bb I grip down on the shaft! I am considering an ai10 but want it with a senior and a shorter shaft!
Content just getting better and better Gaz, top class…. This may sound like a stupid question, but is a good way to try out a shorter driver just to grip down an inch or 2 on a full length driver??? Does that keep swing weight the same yet would give an indication without any alterations as to whether it may work for a player or not??
Hi, you all singing love for shorter shafts on driver,great!
Myself start play 43" inch driver in 1980!
Since 20years now I play drivers on 47"inch, have short swing ,3/4 and find fairways all the time,clubspeed 85mph a slow swinger always been and now age 87!
Will try shorter shaft this week and see what ut would bee!?
Thanks for sharing
Johnny d Bergh
PGA retired😮
If you have access to a launch monitor, I think it would be worth doing a comparison. If a shafts too long, it might hinder your ability to create maximum club speed. These long drivers, are all built and very strong. Whenever I’ve tried 47” shafts, they’ve hindered me.
With a standard length, you might be able to increase your speed.
Wondering if gripping down on driver also changes swing weight? It does change lever arm. What does Sam think? And maybe a good vid on this. Having fun with this series.
It has to be done! You’re the 3rd person to mention it in the comments! We’ll do it 👌🏼
Great to hear that Gaz. You both are on to something.
Great video Gaz… 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
PXG Black Ops Driver looks like a contender for you this season… 😎
I ordered my driver with a 44” shaft and didn’t lose a yard but I gained 75% for fairways hit.
That’s brilliant! They must of sent it with a normal swing weight 👌🏼
What is considered “normal swing weight” for a 44” driver? Thinking about cutting mine down @garymartingolf
Great test Gary. I was really surprised at what a difference the swing weighting makes
Great video + "that's what she said" = instant subscribe.
Haha, thanks 😃
I put a 3 wood length shaft in my driver, and went against my pro who said i needed a senior flex because of my swing speed, put the 3 wood shaft which was x stiff, nice and straight average 200+ happy days, so my results were listen to myself and try it out you will surprise yourself, not going to change it now very consistent and a fairway finder, i also switched from a cobra king SZ to a TaylorMade M2 and the m2 was the most consistent, so sold the cobra 😂
Can’t beat when a plan works out, sounds like a weapon 👌🏼
Callaway offer 1" inch shorter driver shafts...use with my rogue st, just as long but far more accurate...I presume Callaway have adjusted for swing weight
Yeah, I would think that if you order it minus 1”, they’ll send the head with lighter weight to balance it to the factory stock swing weight.
Watching the video the fitter changed head weights to get the desired effect. Could this method be used to compensate a different shaft being used?
Yes, 100%. When changing shafts, the swing weight will change and it’s not always that noticeable in your hands. The only way I’ve ever noticed it, is if you compare the club using different swing weights side by side. It wasn’t until I need this test in a previous video that I realised how much that alone effects the release of the club.
I did something similar. Also I've watched a bunch of videos on this topic, but no one addressed rebalancing the club... (swingweight, shaft weight, head weight, shaft stiffness)
I had a spare stiff shaft (i use Reg), so I got it cut 1.5" at the tip as well as at the butt. In theory Driver went from.a D4 SW to B4. Not sure where i want to be so I'm starting at a SW of D0, which means 32 grams of the shaft head. With that much weight the shaft is more like and extra soft senior, hence why I also cut off the tip of the shaft. Now I should have a 42" driver, with a D0 SW and a Reg shaft. In theory lol... Can't wait to try it out.
Also did something similar to my 5 Wood :)
Thats some shaft tampering. You’re officially a golf shaft pervert 😂
Hope the club works well 🔥
Here's a question, if you buy a driver from a retailer (either online or in person) with the option of shorter length shaft, would that be swing weighted???
So how would it work if you effectively shortened the shaft by choking down on the grip?
You’re not the first person to ask this, we are going to do a comparison video, but from my understand, it wouldn’t play the same due to counter balancing. The further you grip down a club, you get less leverage and more club and body connection.
Hi Gary thinking of clean up my clubs for the new season went online and saw roll of carbon sticky back and thinking of putting that on then not sure if this will affect the club can you please help thank you
Dispersion with 45inch+ driver length
can be expected due to mechanical properties of a shaft with tip diameter 0.335.(mechanical engineering)
With tip diameter constant and total length increasing, there comes a point (@ 45 inch length) when
no shaft of that length and tip diameter can react as consistently as it can below 45 inch length.
Fitted an 1inch shorter shaft in my rouge max driver same spec. Instantly didn't like it. Strange but the head felt far to close at address and just couldn't make a good swing. Visually it just didn't suite my eye at all.
Notice my biggest difference was launch angle….maybe needed to add more loft…noticed increase in control and accuracy…distance not much change…maybe better since Better contact in center of face….i did buy weights for TSR to cover that issue
I play with a 3 wood length shaft in my driver. I gained distance and dispersion was alot better. Distance isn't that big of deal to me as long as it's not in the woods
I noticed that the head had three weights, would this have the same effect with a one or two weight head?
Yeah 👍🏼
I was hooked with "that's what she said' lol
So Gary, if someone has a ping g430 max driver with the movable weight at the back, is this not necessarily the correct weight for the user, and could someone like Sam alter it so you could get a better performance from it.
What an amazing, informative video. These videos with Sam are dynamite 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Randomly just put my 3 wood shaft at 43 into my standard shaft and added some lead tape.
Actually gained 2 mph swing speed and consistently have ball speeds between 165 and 170. Main issue is that I can't quite get the launch up. I'm down at 10 to 11 vs 13 with my 45" driver. All together the 3 wood is better but the rockets from the 45 are still further even with less ball speed
Would just gripping down the driver grip 2 inches require it to be reswingweighted?
I do this sometimes, it gives you the sensation that there’s less leverage in the club, and you have more control. I think this is because you take the feeling away from the head, effectively lighten the swing weight, so i guess, it depends how you want the club to feel. If you add swing weight, it would almost counter what you’re trying to achieve be gripping down it.
Definitely did thi not re weighing it and boy was I hitting snap hooks like crazy. I couldn’t figure it out wow my mind is blown clearly I was on the right path I just know next time to add weight.
I am curious if a fitter could achieve a similar result by tipping the shaft to stiffen it a bit?
I want to take my PING G400 SFT head and put it on the PING G400 3 wood shaft. How much weight would I need to put on the back of the head to get it up to specs ? I don’t have a machine. Any help ?
I would really like you both to do a video, 110 gram shaft at i.e. d4 then test another shaft at 130 gram but also at d4??? AI want to know overall weight vs swing weight please…. So you could even do (as hes pxg) a 120g shaft then test at d0, d4 & d8, just idea pal, and I’d love them
Is it not this one? ruclips.net/video/8uwBETgl4Bs/видео.htmlsi=ogR_K6fWqCAJcYfh
Or is there anything different in your suggestion. Love any ideas 💡 👌🏼
Would like to have seen some swings before reweighting with the 3 wood shaft with more fade bias.
Shortened my driver shaft by 3/4 inch vs standard when I got fitted for the PXG Gen 5 driver and not only is it more accurate, but my club head speed went up 5 mph vs the standard length! Definitely worth the try!!
Really curious. Does gripping down gets the same result?
We need to do this test! It’s on my list! I don’t think it will, but we’ll provide the data.
One because of leverage / counter balance and two because of swing weight .
@@garymartingolf Yes please!🍻
Before buying a new shaft, can you just grip down and see similar results?
I think a few years ago Callaway did an inch short option on one of their drivers with the weight of it adjusted but clearly it didn’t catch on
Great video and timely advice Gary 👌 I cut my Driver shaft and last week that was before I saw this video. I did it as I was hitting my 3 wood as far as my Driver - so I cut my Driver shaft to 43.5 and added a mid size grip and 10 grams to the head weight. Maybe self fitting luck but it’s working as I feel I can go harder at it. I have not measured the swing weight yet but its going straighter and longer .. its a good result ❤ Wonder if I shortened my putter it would work better too 😂
I think the 10g you added in the head has balanced things out. Glad it’s working! Ahaha 👌🏼
I recently cut my driver down to the same 43.5 and tested with and Extra 8, 10 and 12 grams. (Extra 12 plus standard 9 in my Titleist TSR2 feels solid) I'm thinking about cutting 1 inch off the 3 wood and 3 and 4 Hybrid. Have you done that yet?
Can you go to a shorter lighter shaft to offset the drop in swing weight? Say from a 70g stock shaft to 55g shorter shaft.
Great question. I believe that would offset some of the loss of length, but I’m not sure by how much. Sam might have abit better idea.
You can fix dispersion fastest by getting the right loft.
Then choosing the best shaft.
Try it that way and you will gind more fairways with getting the max yardage.
If you want nothing but driver distance that's pretty easy to do
Loving this stuff Gaz keep it up cocker
3 wood is still a long shaft.
If you look at the Cobra one length 3 hybrid it's 19° loft and 7i shaft (so 37.5").
Most people are still going to get that over 200 yards and it's a completely different swing.
It isn't an "up and down" swing but it feels it and in general you're just not going to slice it.
Smashed it again guys. Unbelievable info taken from this video. Keep up the good work.
I’m going to try a hybrid shaft in my driver. 42 inch, stiff, 100g
Fantastic series Gaz. I just ordered a BRNR mini driver because it's shorter shaft/smaller head, in hopes of getting better feel of the clubhead.
To keep the actual ratio as close as possible we would need 22.5 big weight and 5 gram smaller weights. The original 2.5/12.5 is 0.2 ratio. The 5/22.5 is 0.222. If I'm understanding properly you ended up with 17.5 and two 7.5s for a ratio of 0.43. I don't think it mattered for this test as the results speak for themselves here honestly but with proper ratio I'm wondering if he would have had a higher ball flight resulting in more or less yardage?
I have last year's BRNR mini and was wondering if I could chop a proper driver head down and do the same magic you've done here then play the 13.5 BRNR instead of 11.5 as a 3 wood replacement. Got me really thinking.
EDIT: heavy weight in back would increase launch, duh, so maybe wpuld have gotten back to original launch conditions and maybe even longer if the ball speed stays the same?!?!
Gaz, I'm an orangutan, 5'11" tall with a 6'6" wingspan. I play all my clubs a touch shorter than standard to help me keep them on plane. Maybe it's psychological, I don't know, but it works for me.
I may have missed it in the video but how long is the shorter driver again?
About 1 & 3/4 inches shorter shaft length
Probably won't see as much difference in someone with a good swing that hits the sweet spot more often than one whose swing is not as good and is hitting the ball all over the face. Shorter club for a person with a so so swing is probably good for them. Hit the sweet spot more often = more distance, even with a shorter club. This is why many I have seen hit a 3 or 5 wood instead of driver because they hit them better and the main reason is being shorter.
So the question is for someone who slices the ball would sam do something like that to get them to turn the ball over
Isn't the 3-wood playing stiffer because of the tipping? Wouldn't you be better playing a 10 gram heavier driver shaft?
What would have happened if you up the loft on the head to 10 and just turn it down a degree?
im 5-5 i cut my driver to 41 inches, sim2, i can hit the ball well, i can hit it 240 on a fly, i have zero control with a full size driver, my swing feels all over the place, i put on medium grips and never been better, i chopped my 5 wood and it goes further than ever, its all about swing speed, not length
I have been cutting down my drivers for years and i gained accuracy but did not loose distance, i can control the driver better and my spin rate came down.
You got lucky, you must prefer a lighter swing weight.
Tiger back when he was using Nike driver played 43 inch driver !!!!
Well done gaz I have tried shorter shaft it wasn't for me 😊lol
Gaz, are you spending all your Chrimbo money in Sams shop? 😂 The more you go there, the more you want. 😂😂
Modern driver shafts are to long 44.5 " is average on tour , much more accurate & just as long.