I'm 6'1... always used a standard set. Found a set of used Big Bertha irons that were +1. Figured I'd give them a try. Made a HUGE difference for me. Hmmm... will have to give my driver some thought now too. Thanks Mr SG!
I have a 44' shaft, I'm 5'4, I use to have a 45.3' shaft and it took me a few rounds to get use to the shorter one and where I have ball set up but now I drive it further and straighter than my old long shaft.
I've always wondered how I'll drive the ball if it was closer to me at address. I cut my Tayormade R7 10.5° down to 42" kinda by accident. I cut an inch off using the pipe cutter and because it was a graphite shaft I messed it up. So I had to cut another inch off just to make the end square with the use of my bandsaw. At 42" it definitely went straighter without loss of distance. I compared my distance with the guys that I play with every week and it kept up. The biggest difference was how comfortable I felt using my driver. It felt like I had my pitching wedge in my hands and me and my pitching wedge are BFF's. I've only played 18 holes on a pretty narrow golf course from the white tees but the confidence off the tee was amazing. I can't wait to get out and play again. Ou ou ou that's tomorrow!
I was very irratic with my Callaway driver and felt it was the shaft length (45.5") Had it shortened by 1.5"and instantly I was hitting balls straighter and no more duck hooks. Good video.
I switched to a 43,5 inch driver two years ago!! I think I hit it straighter since my other driver was 15 years old I think hit it almost the same distance accept now I have a more forgiving club!! Nice review Matt!!
Don't think I saw a mention of swing weight during the video, but that would be an extremely important spec that you should probably be mentioning with this sort of test. You are basically shifting 10 swing weight points when changing a driver shaft 1 1/2 inches. That is going to have a major influence on the feel and consistency of the strikes unless you do something to readjust the weight after the shaft change.
If you have a cut down 60g shaft but wanted to go 1 1/2 " longer would you use a 50g shaft for the same swing weight ? Look forward to your insight, Matt.
@@matthewsteadman1593 That much length would equate to about 8-9 swing weight points. A 10 gram shaft weight change will lower the swing weight by 1 point. You will need to pull around 12g out of the head if you want to get back to original SW.
Hi, just to let you know how I got on with new shaft. I couldn't remove any weight from head so tried it as it was. I gained 7mph swing speed from 90mph upto 97mph with longer lighter shaft, but my smash factor dropped from 1.44 down to 1.31, so I managed to lose 1 yard 🤣 If I could match those up I'd be extremely happy, all ideas welcome. Matt.
@@matthewsteadman1593 Get some foot spray powder or masking tape on the face and see exactly where you are hitting it. Might just be a matter of some set up changes in order to get more centered on the face. If it's all over the place then that usually means the shaft is too long and you are having difficulty with consistency because of that.
I'm 5'8 and swing about 110-112. I was fitted for a 45.25" XS shaft at 7.5*. The distance and dispersion compared to my old driver with a stiff and slightly shortened shaft is night and day. the spin dropped about 2K RPM. Put the first 4 shots within 10 yards of each other, and gained 30 yards (all based on trackman data).
I only had 13 clubs in my bag (can't hit a 3-wood consistently enough off the deck or a tee so I use a 5-wood instead). So, I actually carry 2 drivers. My fairway finder is a Ping G410 at 44 inches with 10.5 degrees of loft (I call it my "Thriver" since it has, basically, a 3-wood shaft) and my driver is and Epic Flash at 46.5 inches with 9.5 degrees of loft. I hit my driver 15 yards longer than my Thriver, on average but my dispersion is a bit larger. So, when I really need to go after one (par 5, long par 4, or on a wider fairway), I hit the Driver - otherwise I hit the Thriver (my dispersion with that club is so much smaller). On my course, I use each club 6-8 times. I have simply never found a 14th club that I would use even remotely as often as I hit that "Thriver", so I will not be changing anytime soon.
Started laughing and couldn’t stop till you started hitting….😂😂 I’m 45 and still waiting to gain some level of maturity when it comes to talking about shafts and balls……..😂
I cut an inch off my driver and 5 wood (don’t carry a 3). Increased the weight on each and now hit both longer and more accurate. I even hit a slight draw with the driver instead of the slight fade.
Tough talk Matt. I noticed that you didn’t add if the shaft should be stiff😂. I use the short shaft to control accuracy not distance. It doesn’t matter if you bottom out😂 love you brother!
I think with driver shaft length the taller you are the shorter the shaft you need. That sounds almost counter intuitive but frommy experience I find longer shafts create too big an arc and I tend to lose control. I'm 6'1 with long levers and get more distance with a shorter shaft vause I don't lose my posture and hit the centre more often. Having said that I started golf in the 80s when drivers had 43 inch steel shafts so it might just come down to what I'm used to. It might also be worth mentioning I grip the club at the end so a 43.5 inch shaft gripped at the end might be like a standard shaft gripped down the shaft. There are so many variables to consider, I agree with MSG that there is no answer for everyone, when it comes to shaft length it's different strokes for different folks. And that was an intended pun.
My Sim driver Hzrdus smoke shaft was 45 3/4” stock. I cut it down an inch and missed 1 fairway today and 1 last week. No lost balls off the tee. The RIGHT SIZE does make a difference. Distance might even be slightly better at 280-305.
I’ve found the same. Cut mine down an inch. Strike is more solid and consistent so distance is up just out of being more efficient. Dispersion is much tighter.
@@carllicari3067 all Taylor made drivers have the back weight or adjustable weights. I went to eBay and found those weights in a heavier option to adjust swing weight.
Approx. how much length does your club head add to the shaft? I’ve been trying to get my driver to play at 44.5 but I can’t figure out how much to remove from the shaft? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Matt, I like your channel, but just for the record, what is your educational background or experiences for teaching golf? Are you a PGA member? What is your current handicap? Cheers! 🙂
About the same results for me. I have two 65g reg flex shafts. The standard gets me more distance but with a wider dispersion. The other shaft is an inch shorter. I can almost depend on it being in the center of the fairway. But I am definitely shorter on distance. Funny how an inch makes that much difference.
Good video, can the same thing be accomplished with choking down a bit? Getting better control and better accuracy; fairways, losing a ton of distance isn't really a factor. Distance is related to club head speed.
You should do a video on iron shaft lengths. I am tall and have short arms so my iron shafts are one inch over standard. Sometimes I feel they should be 3 inches over standard. How do you measure for iron shaft length?
😂😂😂😂 Ohhhhhh s*^* now that was funny but I get your point……I believe but I received my Mr Short game hat TODAY YEAH. I been wanting 1 of your hats since I been watching you coach for 4 years now thank you for everything you do and I LOVE MY HAT 🙏🏽😃😃😅
I'm a new golfer and I'm finding my short irons are much easier to hit accurately. Long irons tend to be really inconsistent. Woods and driver are nearly hopeless. Thinking about getting one-length irons for now, to practice consistent swings and strikes.
I live in Thailand and last year I bought a new Japanese driver, a Katana Voltio. The shaft is 46 inches. I am fairly straight with it. I just wondered why most of the JDM drivers do seem to have a longer shaft?
Interesting, I switched to a 43.5 for my driver. I have found I have more control and have more consistent strikes while maintaining my desired carry distance
I got fitted and have a 44” Im 5-6 and have always choked down. The guy fitting me just said to keep doing that and if I ever wanted to use 44” it there. I actually have some tape at the spot I place left hand
Love your vids! What about short iron shaft lengths? I find SW and P too short so I swapped out with 9 and 8 iron length shafts. I am taller with short arms. Any thoughts?
44.5" is no longer the "standard" length of a driver shaft. Most of the main driver manufacturers "standard" length is somewhere between 45.25" & 45.75". So technically a 44.5" shaft is already a short shaft. The one thing to consider is the effect that shortening the shaft has on swing weight. If you shorten the shaft you will probably have to end some hot melt to the club head to get the swing weight
The short shaft works for me, I have a 3/4 swing its in the short grass. Im 67 years old It works for me. love your videos, Now I have to go back to the sand videos
I think it’s confusing for people when you are measuring the “shaft “ only. Driver length , when purchasing one or building one is measured with the head on. The 44.5 “ shaft you measured actually makes the driver closer to 46” total , which is crazy too long for amateurs.
Great vid as usual. Can you go to the other extreme and compare a standard stiff shaft with a 48 inch stiff shaft. I tried a 48 inch shaft this year with varying results....Longer drives but also bigger misses. Would be interesting to see your findings. Thanks and keep the videos coming!
You are mistake: two shaft have the same weight are NOT the same unless they are from the same manufacture and type. Every shaft has it own unique tension in addition to build characteristics. Hence, one could be more tip stiffer, while the other go be more middle or grip. There are far more complicated things but that would be far an entire topic.
“We’re going to need a level of maturity…”
Aaaaanndd….I’m out! 😂 😂
Not even a minute into this video and I can't stop laughing 🤣😂
I'm 6'1... always used a standard set. Found a set of used Big Bertha irons that were +1. Figured I'd give them a try. Made a HUGE difference for me. Hmmm... will have to give my driver some thought now too.
Thanks Mr SG!
I have a 44' shaft, I'm 5'4, I use to have a 45.3' shaft and it took me a few rounds to get use to the shorter one and where I have ball set up but now I drive it further and straighter than my old long shaft.
Seriously, how many takes did it take you to keep straight face!? LOVE THE VID!!!!!!
I've always wondered how I'll drive the ball if it was closer to me at address. I cut my Tayormade R7 10.5° down to 42" kinda by accident. I cut an inch off using the pipe cutter and because it was a graphite shaft I messed it up. So I had to cut another inch off just to make the end square with the use of my bandsaw. At 42" it definitely went straighter without loss of distance. I compared my distance with the guys that I play with every week and it kept up. The biggest difference was how comfortable I felt using my driver. It felt like I had my pitching wedge in my hands and me and my pitching wedge are BFF's. I've only played 18 holes on a pretty narrow golf course from the white tees but the confidence off the tee was amazing. I can't wait to get out and play again. Ou ou ou that's tomorrow!
I was very irratic with my Callaway driver and felt it was the shaft length (45.5") Had it shortened by 1.5"and instantly I was hitting balls straighter and no more duck hooks. Good video.
I switched to a 43,5 inch driver two years ago!! I think I hit it straighter since my other driver was 15 years old I think hit it almost the same distance accept now I have a more forgiving club!! Nice review Matt!!
Don't think I saw a mention of swing weight during the video, but that would be an extremely important spec that you should probably be mentioning with this sort of test. You are basically shifting 10 swing weight points when changing a driver shaft 1 1/2 inches. That is going to have a major influence on the feel and consistency of the strikes unless you do something to readjust the weight after the shaft change.
If you have a cut down 60g shaft but wanted to go 1 1/2 " longer would you use a 50g shaft for the same swing weight ? Look forward to your insight, Matt.
@@matthewsteadman1593 That much length would equate to about 8-9 swing weight points. A 10 gram shaft weight change will lower the swing weight by 1 point. You will need to pull around 12g out of the head if you want to get back to original SW.
Many thanks for your speedy response 👍
Hi, just to let you know how I got on with new shaft. I couldn't remove any weight from head so tried it as it was. I gained 7mph swing speed from 90mph upto 97mph with longer lighter shaft, but my smash factor dropped from 1.44 down to 1.31, so I managed to lose 1 yard 🤣
If I could match those up I'd be extremely happy, all ideas welcome. Matt.
@@matthewsteadman1593 Get some foot spray powder or masking tape on the face and see exactly where you are hitting it. Might just be a matter of some set up changes in order to get more centered on the face.
If it's all over the place then that usually means the shaft is too long and you are having difficulty with consistency because of that.
Longer shaft doesn't matter if you can't find center of the club face or "G" spot.
cable guy- THATS YOUR SWEET SPOT RIGHT THERE!
True
Great video and good information. I play my driver at 44.5". I like to stay in the fairways.
Is the length 43 & 441\2 installed on the driver head, if not that would put them at around 44 & 45 1\2 . JUST A THOUGHT !!!
How about having the long shaft and gripping down when needed then letting it out when risks are small?
I was think the same thing. Does this affect swingweight or increase effective stiffness? Or is it the same as using a 43”? Matt??
I'm 5'8 and swing about 110-112. I was fitted for a 45.25" XS shaft at 7.5*. The distance and dispersion compared to my old driver with a stiff and slightly shortened shaft is night and day. the spin dropped about 2K RPM. Put the first 4 shots within 10 yards of each other, and gained 30 yards (all based on trackman data).
I only had 13 clubs in my bag (can't hit a 3-wood consistently enough off the deck or a tee so I use a 5-wood instead). So, I actually carry 2 drivers. My fairway finder is a Ping G410 at 44 inches with 10.5 degrees of loft (I call it my "Thriver" since it has, basically, a 3-wood shaft) and my driver is and Epic Flash at 46.5 inches with 9.5 degrees of loft. I hit my driver 15 yards longer than my Thriver, on average but my dispersion is a bit larger. So, when I really need to go after one (par 5, long par 4, or on a wider fairway), I hit the Driver - otherwise I hit the Thriver (my dispersion with that club is so much smaller). On my course, I use each club 6-8 times. I have simply never found a 14th club that I would use even remotely as often as I hit that "Thriver", so I will not be changing anytime soon.
I just cut down my Ping G410 to 44 1/8" and I'm smoking it.
Started laughing and couldn’t stop till you started hitting….😂😂 I’m 45 and still waiting to gain some level of maturity when it comes to talking about shafts and balls……..😂
😂
ME, TOO...AND I'M A WOMAN!!!
50, still waiting
@@Sir_Godz 😂💯
Good vid that Matt. I've often got confused about pros and cons of longer v shorter shafts so this has helped.
I cut an inch off my driver and 5 wood (don’t carry a 3). Increased the weight on each and now hit both longer and more accurate. I even hit a slight draw with the driver instead of the slight fade.
Perfect timing fit me as I’ve been looking at this 😁 thanks SG
Tough talk Matt. I noticed that you didn’t add if the shaft should be stiff😂. I use the short shaft to control accuracy not distance. It doesn’t matter if you bottom out😂 love you brother!
Great discussion I’ve been very interested in this subject. Just had my Driver cut from 45 1/2 to 44 1/2.
How did it work out?
I think with driver shaft length the taller you are the shorter the shaft you need. That sounds almost counter intuitive but frommy experience I find longer shafts create too big an arc and I tend to lose control. I'm 6'1 with long levers and get more distance with a shorter shaft vause I don't lose my posture and hit the centre more often. Having said that I started golf in the 80s when drivers had 43 inch steel shafts so it might just come down to what I'm used to. It might also be worth mentioning I grip the club at the end so a 43.5 inch shaft gripped at the end might be like a standard shaft gripped down the shaft. There are so many variables to consider, I agree with MSG that there is no answer for everyone, when it comes to shaft length it's different strokes for different folks. And that was an intended pun.
My Sim driver Hzrdus smoke shaft was 45 3/4” stock. I cut it down an inch and missed 1 fairway today and 1 last week. No lost balls off the tee. The RIGHT SIZE does make a difference. Distance might even be slightly better at 280-305.
I’ve found the same. Cut mine down an inch. Strike is more solid and consistent so distance is up just out of being more efficient. Dispersion is much tighter.
Without adding any weight to the head for swing weight?
@@carllicari3067 all Taylor made drivers have the back weight or adjustable weights. I went to eBay and found those weights in a heavier option to adjust swing weight.
Thanks for the explanation Matt. Can you do a review on the different flexes
Approx. how much length does your club head add to the shaft? I’ve been trying to get my driver to play at 44.5 but I can’t figure out how much to remove from the shaft? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I love your videos.....and this one had me ROLLING!
Matt, I like your channel, but just for the record, what is your educational background or experiences for teaching golf? Are you a PGA member? What is your current handicap? Cheers! 🙂
He's entertaining but he's honestly a poser as far as his instructions go. No disrespect meant.
About the same results for me. I have two 65g reg flex shafts. The standard gets me more distance but with a wider dispersion. The other shaft is an inch shorter. I can almost depend on it being in the center of the fairway. But I am definitely shorter on distance. Funny how an inch makes that much difference.
Your the perfect teacher for this subject:)
Good video, can the same thing be accomplished with choking down a bit? Getting better control and better accuracy; fairways, losing a ton of distance isn't really a factor. Distance is related to club head speed.
You should do a video on iron shaft lengths. I am tall and have short arms so my iron shafts are one inch over standard. Sometimes I feel they should be 3 inches over standard. How do you measure for iron shaft length?
I have the longer shaft and choke up 1 to 1.5 inches for more control and use the full length shaft when I need to play a long fade!
😂😂😂😂 Ohhhhhh s*^* now that was funny but I get your point……I believe but I received my Mr Short game hat TODAY YEAH. I been wanting 1 of your hats since I been watching you coach for 4 years now thank you for everything you do and I LOVE MY HAT 🙏🏽😃😃😅
Man , that Must have been so hard for you to not laughing all the time. I couldn’t stop. Great video as always mate.
I'm a new golfer and I'm finding my short irons are much easier to hit accurately. Long irons tend to be really inconsistent. Woods and driver are nearly hopeless.
Thinking about getting one-length irons for now, to practice consistent swings and strikes.
I live in Thailand and last year I bought a new Japanese driver, a Katana Voltio. The shaft is 46 inches. I am fairly straight with it. I just wondered why most of the JDM drivers do seem to have a longer shaft?
Interesting, I switched to a 43.5 for my driver. I have found I have more control and have more consistent strikes while maintaining my desired carry distance
Did the club feel weird like the swing weight?
I just got sim 2 and it's a 45.75 but idk if I should go to 44.5
@@sebastiangomez4307 yes go for it
@@sebastiangomez4307 did u go for the change
I got fitted and have a 44”
Im 5-6 and have always choked down. The guy fitting me just said to keep doing that and if I ever wanted to use 44” it there.
I actually have some tape at the spot I place left hand
Love your vids! What about short iron shaft lengths? I find SW and P too short so I swapped out with 9 and 8 iron length shafts. I am taller with short arms. Any thoughts?
LMAO 😂😂😂 Great job like always getting through that and explaining. 😂😂😂
44.5" is no longer the "standard" length of a driver shaft. Most of the main driver manufacturers "standard" length is somewhere between 45.25" & 45.75". So technically a 44.5" shaft is already a short shaft.
The one thing to consider is the effect that shortening the shaft has on swing weight. If you shorten the shaft you will probably have to end some hot melt to the club head to get the swing weight
That’s incorrect.
He was measuring just the shaft. When you add the Clubhead, this 44.5” shaft becomes a 45.5” Driver, which is very common.
@@Criscross292 correct. He should have done total length and not just the shafts without the heads
Funniest F-g video of all time! ILMOA and it was clean.
Thanx, good to know.
Try a 41” that would be more interesting that’s more of an opposite end of the spectrum, than just 1.5” 👍🏻🏌🏻♂️⛳️
41" vs 48" i guess you would see some real differences...
As a 10 hcp if I’m in the rough off the tee I’m dead.
Did you have to adjust the swing weight going from long to short shaft?
The short shaft works for me, I have a 3/4 swing its in the short grass. Im 67 years old It works for me. love your videos, Now I have to go back to the sand videos
What sort of procedure is involved if you wanted to shorten your shaft?? (asking for a friend)
I like the tip if you choke up on the shaft,you have more control. No matter what the size.
Always grip down for better control.
I think it’s confusing for people when you are measuring the “shaft “ only.
Driver length , when purchasing one or building one is measured with the head on.
The 44.5 “ shaft you measured actually makes the driver closer to 46” total , which is crazy too long for amateurs.
This might be the shortest, but more accurate answer to the headline: YES!
Great vid as usual. Can you go to the other extreme and compare a standard stiff shaft with a 48 inch stiff shaft. I tried a 48 inch shaft this year with varying results....Longer drives but also bigger misses. Would be interesting to see your findings. Thanks and keep the videos coming!
Intriguing title for this video.
I’m 50 seconds in and already cant stop laughing!! Great video though especially before I switch up 75% of my bag
Well, we know shaft flex doesn’t make much difference but the length I never thought of🤷♂️
44.5 is not long. That’s your average. Retail 46 is long.
Lmfao I’m dying watching you try not to laugh hhahha
I am adamant that the shaft length in my wedge is not big enough.
Keep thinning it
I really think I need a longer shaft
Brilliant 🤣🤣👏👏
The innuendos.....LOL
Trying to type through the tears 😭, what is the difference if you grip down on the long shaft. Does that give you the same result as the short shaft?
I’m crying 😭 already
Fax .!!!
Does it matter how big around it is?
My wife said since I went to a bigger shaft, I’ve been getting it in the hole in far fewer strokes
That was one FUNNY🤣🤣 video. 🏌🏿 so LONGER is Better. That's What She Said. 😂😂😂
I am unable to be mature for this! 🤣 Next question is stiff shaft better?
Apparently length isn’t too much of an issue you can’t have one too wide
It's the little faces that are killing me!
Now do a test with a max length shaft. If longer makes you hit it farther the bigger the shaft the better?
U got me at MATURITY 🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣💪🏾💪🏾
MrNeurotic, you need to stick with the shorter shaft for more than just a trackman session.
~36 seconds you lost it and I did too. Hilarious
I think ultimately its person by person.
It’s too bad fitters typically only have one length of shaft available
I just came for the comments on the title!
I use a short shaft with a jumbo max extra light at the tip for the ladies….
i see what you did there
@@Sir_Godz that’s what she said…
Great job tackling a tough subject. I’m assuming both were stiff shafts
just snikering the whole time
hehehehe
If you don’t know how to use it…bad result every time!😎👍
You are mistake: two shaft have the same weight are NOT the same unless they are from the same manufacture and type. Every shaft has it own unique tension in addition to build characteristics. Hence, one could be more tip stiffer, while the other go be more middle or grip. There are far more complicated things but that would be far an entire topic.
Wait ... I can extend my shaft? 😃
Played the first 2 seconds then kept tapping rewind 😂
A full size shaft is always better, just ask any woman out there.
No! It's how you use it.
🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣