Typically most players do pick up speed (around 1 mph per inch) with a longer driver shaft, and since every 1 mph of additional driver speed generally yields about two yards of extra carry distance, technically the advice you’ve been given is true.
Does increasing shaft length increase swing speed?
Increasing length will increase swing speed to a certain extent in most cases, but, again, control is more important. You may be able to generate more clubhead speed but not translate the speed into the extra distance or end up in the rough or the trees. Longer shaft = increased swing speed = higher ball speed = increased distance.
How important is swing speed in golf?
It’s very important. Simply put, the more swing speed you have, the farther you’ll hit the ball. Take a look at this 2017 chart of the average swing speeds for various categories of golfers.
How many yards does your swing speed affect your driver carry?
A couple of issues come into play. With the driver each MPH of club head speed generates approximately 2.4 yards of carry if the swing speed is in the 110 MPH range. Just as a point of reference the average swing speed on the PGA Tour is 112 MPH, which translates into an average carry of 269 yards.
Do longer driver shafts increase clubhead speed?
All things being equal, a longer driver shaft should generate more clubhead speed and offer more distance off the tee. As I’ve discussed before, adding distance is an important part of increasing your odds of lowering your score. That is the main reason any golfer would pursue a longer shaft.
Does a longer golf shaft increase swing speed?
“Shaft length is personal, very much swing-type related.” Stachura explains, “Look at the number of LPGA players whose more languid, flowing swing tempos can take advantage of longer shafts and produce more clubhead speed.” However, most golfers are quick from the top, so using a longer shaft would actually make it ...
Will a longer shaft in my driver give me more distance?
All things being equal, a longer driver shaft should generate more clubhead speed and offer more distance off the tee. As I've discussed before, adding distance is an important part of increasing your odds of lowering your score. That is the main reason any golfer would pursue a longer shaft.
How much does driver length affect distance?
Here's a general rule to use – the longer the driver, the more distance you will get. Testing from different companies has found that each inch longer can help you hit it 5-10+ yards longer! But the answer isn't as simple as just buying a longer driver shaft to hit bombs.
How does shaft length affect swing?
The length of the club because it will alter your swing path and swing plane will also alter your face angle at impact and face angle at impact is at least 85% of the direction the ball will go. So, the length of the club has a lot to do not only with distance but also direction.
How much does driver length affect swing speed?
The maximum USGA driver length is 48 inches, the same as the limit on the Long Drivers of America tour. Each added inch can add 1-2 mph to your swing speed. So, potentially, you could add 6 mph which can translate to 15 - 20 yards going from a 45 inch driver to a 48 inch driver.
How much does shaft length affect distance?
Benefits Of Longer Driver Shafts Testing shows that an inch of extra shaft length adds approximately 10 yards in distance to your drive. Therefore, everything else being equal, a 45.75” could add 20-25 yards extra over a 43” driver.
What happens if your driver is too long?
“If a driver shaft is too long for the player, they can struggle to find the middle consistently. Off-centre hits not only drastically reduce ball speed and distance, but have a big impact on accuracy.”
Should I extend my driver shaft?
As a general rule, lengthening any club's shaft will reduce your accuracy with that club. The longer the club, the more difficult it becomes to hit the ball solidly. This is especially true when the ball is on the ground rather than on a tee, since hitting the ball fat is more likely.
How long should your driver be based on height?
Tony Finau is one of the tallest golfers on the PGA Tour at 6'4″, and his driver's length is usually around 45 inches. Both Finau and Fowler are two of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour....Driver Shaft Length Based Solely on Height.Height (feet/inches)Driver Shaft Length5'0″-5'2″44.5″4'10”-5'0″44″< 4'10”43″7 more rows•May 9, 2021
What happens if your golf shafts are too long?
What Happens When Golf Clubs Are Too Long? For most golfers, having clubs that are too long will result in the most inconsistent shots. Clubs that are too long will make you stand too upright, which can cause both heel and toe shots as well as a tendency to pull the ball.
How long is Bryson DeChambeau's driver?
46 inchesBryson DeChambeau can only use a 48-inch driver when he's competing in Long Drive Association events. Golf's governing bodies announced a new “model local rule” available Jan. 1 that would limit the maximum length of all clubs except the putter to 46 inches.
What length driver shaft do pros use?
44.5" to 45.75"PGA Tour Professionals tend to play drivers between 44-46" in length. The vast majority of pros are in the 44.5" to 45.75" range from what we've been able to gather.
How much does a golf shaft weigh?
If a golfer used a longer shaft and did nothing to remove weight, all potential benefits would disappear. He told me that most shafts weigh around 65 grams at 46 inches. But with a 47″ or 48″ shaft, he believed that going down to 50-55 grams was necessary.
How many yards does a golfer have to drive to get a handicap?
Most golfers still average 220-230 yards with their drivers. As such, adding distance is even more important for “normal” golfers. If you gave an extra 10 or 20 yards to a 15 handicap, it would have more influence on their scores than a professional golfer. We need all the help we can get!
How far from the tip of a 46 inch shaft should you balance?
If you were to balance a standard 46″ shaft on your finger, it would be about 24 inches from the tip. However, by adding more weight to the “butt” of the shaft, you can further shift the balance in that direction.
Why is adding distance important?
As I’ve discussed before, adding distance is an important part of increasing your odds of lowering your score. That is the main reason any golfer would pursue a longer shaft. But it’s not that simple. As you’ll see, some variables need to be controlled in the shaft and driver head.
What happens when you remove weight from a driver?
When you remove weight from the driver head, which is almost always necessary with a longer driver shaft, a few things happen: The driver will transfer less energy. In other words, the amount of ball speed you generate from your swing speed will drop a little bit.
Does a longer shaft help with curvature?
Golfers who fight with a slice often see an improvement in their club path, and the longer shaft can help reduce excessive ball curvature. However, the opposite can be true for players who draw the ball. He’s seen golfers with in-to-out swing paths really struggle.
Do you need to adjust the loft of a driver?
You will need to adjust the loft of the driver properly. Most golfers need to reduce loft with a longer shaft. A longer shaft can help certain golfers deliver the clubhead more efficiently, and for others, it could make their current problems worse. No rule of thumb fits all!
What is the average speed of a golf shaft?
Regular shafts (R) are used by average golfers that swing between 90 and 100 mph, stiff shaft (S) by golfers that swing between 100 and 110 mph, and extra-stiff (X) shafts by golfers that swing faster than 110 mph, typically tour professionals.
How long is a golf driver shaft?
Shafts on the professional golfing tours are on average 44.5” while the average shaft length fitted to drivers that you buy off the shelf is approximately 45.5”. A custom fitting is the best way to best way to ensure that your driver shaft is the correct size.
What is the best shaft length for a driver?
One without the other will always make you wonder if your shaft is the one for you. Shafts on the professional golfing tours are on average 44.5” while the average shaft length fitted ...
What factors affect accuracy and speed in golf?
Factors that play a significant role in generating speed and accuracy are. Weight – light shafts will allow you to generate the most speed but may impact your accuracy. Men prefer heavier weighted shafts especially on their irons to add to control. Torque – the twisting movement of the shaft during the golf swing.
Why do you need a shorter shaft on a golf course?
While having a longer shaft is going to allow you to generate more leverage, a shorter shaft is going to allow you to have more control over the ball and reduce the number of missed fairways off the tee.
How long is a 3 wood shaft?
The shaft of a 3 wood is typically between 42 ” and 43”, a 5 wood between 41” and 42”, and a 7 wood between 40” and 41”. This may vary between manufacturers.
How to get more distance from a faster swing?
As long as you maintain control over your swing and make contact with the sweet spot you will get more distance from a faster swing. When you lose control over your club attempting to swing it faster, you are less likely to hit the sweet spot and thus lose distance no matter how fast you swing.
What is shock absorption in golf?
Shock absorption has nothing to do with choice of the weight of the shaft. Shaft weight is the #1 determinant of the total weight of a golf club. So the weight of a shaft is chosen on the basis of what total weight a golfer needs to best match to his swing tempo, timing, rhythm and strength.
What is the difference between 44" and 46" driver?
For most golfers, any actual speed they gain from a 46" driver is nullified by the ball speed and accuracy lost in return. A 44" driver swing nutted dead center will launch the ball farther, faster, and more accurately than a 45" or 46" driver swing that is 1/2" from optimum contact. Most players should probably be playing a 43" driver that is properly swing weighted. But the ego, particularly the male ego, thrives on that extra 20 yards that occasionally results from the nutted 46" shafted driver which also only occasionally lands the ball in the correct position on the fairway.#N#We are truly our own worst enemies and the male ego is the greatest obstruction in the pursuit of lower scores in golf.
Does a late release golf club give you more speed?
I think that it depends upon the release point in a person's swing. People with a late release tend to be able to get more speed with a longer shaft. but, there are diminishing returns after one gets to a certain length. There are probably other factors involved as well, such as total weight of the club.
How to improve your golf swing?
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How far can you swing a golf club at 100mph?
If you swing the club at 100mph, your theoretical limit is 260 in the air. That means, if your shots only carry 220, you have a 40 yard power leak. And this doesn’t include roll! No one hits it optimal distances every time, but the chart gives you a nice goal – and allows you to see what your potential distances are.
What happens if you swing the club 10 degrees left?
Reducing face to path separation – if you are swinging the club 10 degrees left with an open face, you are losing energy transference into the ball – as well as hitting unnecessarily large curves (slices/hooks). Reducing face-to-path will hit longer and straighter shots.
What is the optimal temperature for a golf ball?
Some other parameters to look at in order to get closer to your potential are; Launching the ball higher – the average golfer launches the ball at 8 degrees, whereas optimal for most golfers is closer to 16 degrees.
How does lengthening a shaft affect swing?
Timing and Feel. In many ways, the biggest effect of lengthening a club shaft is how it affects your ability to swing the club. The combined changes in length and swing weight make the club feel different. In turn, these changes will affect your timing and even your mechanics, perhaps without you even realizing it.
What does swing weight mean?
Swing Weight. Swing weight isn't an actual weight so much as a comparison of the difference in weight between the club head and the butt end of the shaft. It's expressed as a letter-number combination, such as C9 or D2. Lengthening the shaft increases the swing weight, which makes the club head feel heavier. It may even make the club too heavy ...
Can you add extenders to your golf shaft?
You may add extenders to your existing shafts or you may replace your existing shafts with longer ones. The effects can be very different. Tom Wishon has written extensively about the effects of changing shafts in "The Golfsmith Practical Clubfitting Program" guide.
Does lengthening the shaft make the club head heavier?
Lengthening the shaft increases the swing weight, which makes the club head feel heavier. It may even make the club too heavy for you, which will slow down your swing speed and actually reduce your distance.
Does lengthening a golf club shaft affect accuracy?
Accuracy. As a general rule, lengthening any club's shaft will reduce your accuracy with that club. The longer the club, the more difficult it becomes to hit the ball solidly. This is especially true when the ball is on the ground rather than on a tee, since hitting the ball fat is more likely.
Is shaft length a factor?
Shaft length is certainly a factor in how far you hit a given club. However, some clubs benefit more than others. Installing longer shafts in wedges and short irons will almost always result in more distance, as most players have little trouble swinging the shorter clubs.
Do golf clubs have longer shafts?
Effects of Lengthening a Golf Club Shaft. Tall players like Bubba Watson have to use longer shafts in all of their clubs. Most players consider using longer shafts in their clubs at some time or another, believing that longer shafts equal more distance, although that isn't necessarily true. There are two ways to lengthen your shafts.
What is the right flex for a golf swing?
However, it’s worth noting that the right flex for YOUR swing is effected by more than just club head speed, such as your ball flight and how quickly you transition from the backswing to the downswing. If you hit shots too low most of the time, you may need a more flexible, weaker shaft.
What are the factors of a golf shaft?
To understand driver shafts, we need to touch on the five factors of a golf shaft: Flex: For the most part, slower club head speeds will perform better with flex-ier shafts (senior flex, regular flex, ladies flex). These “whippier” club shafts will allow you to generate more “WHIP” at impact to increase your club head speed and therefore ball speed.
Why do you get the red shaft on a golf swing?
This shaft aims to make the swing significantly smoother and easier to control while the lighter weight creates that extra energy to then create that added distance. However, make sure you get the red as they do have other shafts that are aimed at people with faster swing speeds.
Why does a heavier shaft cut through the air?
A heavier shaft moves through the air more slowly generating less energy. A lighter shaft cuts through the air, due to requiring less power to move it, so you up the swing speed creating more energy to then pass through the ball upon striking.
Why is my swing slow?
Having a slow swing speed when it comes to driving the ball is going to have a serious impact on the distance you are able to achieve. After all, less swing speed means less energy being produced through the swing and, ultimately, less energy being moved onto the ball. However, you do have options available while you work on improving your swing ...
Can you swing a lighter ball faster?
You can swing a lighter object faster than a heavier object. However, lighter shafts will be slightly harder to control, so your accuracy may take a tumble. Lighter shafts allow you to hit the ball longer, but heavier shafts offer more stability and control.
Does a whippy shaft help with swing speed?
Both of these result in slightly longer drives for those with slow swing speeds. Ideally, a whippy, lightweight, long shaft will allow slow swing speeds to maximize their driver distance. However, all of these things will slightly hinder your accuracy, so you’ll have to decide which is more important to YOU.
Why is a stiffer shaft better for golf?
Also, a stiffer shaft tends to help reduce dispersion as the club can move less through impact and so be more consistent.
How fast can a stiff shaft hit?
Who benefits from a stiff shaft? A good tip for working out what flex you need is the 150-yard test. If you can hit an 8- or 9-iron 150 yards, comfortably, then a stiff shaft is for you. This means that you will have a driver swing speed of around 100 mph and you will see the benefits of a stiff shaft.
Why use a stiffer shaft in wedges?
Most wedges come with a less flexible shaft as it can improve control for your shortgame.
What does it mean when you get the wrong flex of shaft?
This means that getting the wrong flex of shaft means that you will give up distance and control of the ball with your driver.
What is torque in golf?
Torque is how much a shaft resists twisting during the golf swing. This feature has a huge role to play in how easy it is to deliver the clubface square through impact and therefore how accurate it will be. This isn’t really something you need to know but your pro or fitter will be well-aware of it.
Can regular shafts be used with high swing speeds?
Be open-minded. Like almost anything in golf, there are no hard and fast rules so sometimes certain regular shafts can perform well with high swing speeds. Your tempo and how you load the shaft has an effect on what flex you need so speak to an expert about this too.
Is custom fitting available for golf clubs?
The more you learn about golf shafts the more complicated it can seem, thankfully there are people out there that are real experts on this and are here to help you. Custom fitting is now available to all golfers and you should take advantage of it when buying new gear.