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how to tell if golf clubs are too long

by Aryanna O'Connell II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How Do You Know If Your Golf Clubs Are Too Long? The most common way to tell if your clubs are too long is that your back will be too upright, the toe of your club will be off the ground at address, and you will often make contact towards the toe of the club.

How to tell if your golf clubs are too short?

Below you’ll find common signs that indicate the clubs you’re using are too long: You have to stand up almost completely straight. You’re unable to move your lower body using proper swinging mechanics The ball often flies off to the left …

What clubs should a beginning golfer carry?

 · Notice that tour players look “big” compared to their clubs. Even with a longer iron, say a 4-iron, they seem to be standing “on top” of the ball, meaning the ball is not too far from their feet. Their spines are generally bent forward a fair amount, and the shaft of the club points at the belt-line, and often higher.

What length golf clubs do you need?

12 rows · If your club is too short, you’re going to build momentum while having resistance, meaning you ...

Are my golf clubs too short?

 · Use face tape and see which length you hit the most solidly - that's the best way to figure it out. I was fitted for irons one time - the fitter put face tape on my #7 iron and had me hit 5 balls. All 5 ball-markings were touching the center line on the face.

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What happens if your clubs are too long?

5 Signs Your Golf Clubs are Too Long You can't move your lower body while swinging the golf club. You keep hitting the ball with the golf club's toe. The ball tends to veer off to the left or too high when hit by the club. The golf club's shaft feels very weak when held, gripped, or swung.

How long should my golf clubs be for my height?

1. Measure Your Overall Height (i.e. “static” fitting)OVERALL HEIGHTGOLF CLUB LENGTH ADJUSTMENTS5'7″ to 6'1″standard length in inches6'1″ to 6'2″plus 1/4″6'2″ to 6'4″plus 1/2″6'4″ to 6'6″plus 1″7 more rows

How do you know if your golf clubs are the right size?

In irons, more so than in the driver, optimal club length is usually determined by a set of measurements that take into account the player's height, arm length, and swing posture. Clearly, a player who is extremely tall would not benefit by using golf clubs designed for a player who is much shorter, and vice versa.

How long should your clubs be if your 6 foot?

The Tall and Short of It For example, if you are 6-feet tall and your wrist-to-floor measurement is 35 inches, a standard length driver -- 44 inches for a steel shaft driver and 45 inches for a graphite shaft driver -- would be appropriate.

How long should golf clubs be if you are 5 8?

If your height and wrist to floor measurement fall into the "Standard" category that means you fall into standard golf club length. For example, someone who is 5-foot-8 with a 35-inch wrist-to-floor measurement.

Does golf club length matter?

When it comes to golf clubs, size does matter. While correct golf club size can help you become a better golfer and make the game more enjoyable, inaccurate club length will have the exact opposite effect.

How long should golf clubs be for 6 2?

Understanding Golf Club Length – How It Works and What Works for You?HeightWrist-To-Floor MeasurementLength of Golf Club5'4″ – 5'7″32 inches – 34 inchesSubtract 1/4 inch5'7″ – 6'1″34 inches – 37 inchesStandard size6'1″ – 6'2″37 inches – 38.5 inchesAdd 1/4 inch6'2″ – 6'4″38.5 inches – 40 inchesAdd 1/2 inch1 more row

What is standard club length?

All clubs, including putters, must at least 18 inches long. Putters with straight shafts are measured from the top of the grip to the sole, directly down the shaft.

What happens when you shorten a golf club?

The more shaft you cut off, the lighter, more stiff, and effectively flatter the club becomes. For every 1/2 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points. You can readjust the swingweight by adding lead tape to the head of the club. Any amount of cutting will slightly stiffen the club.

What height is Tiger Woods?

6′ 1″Tiger Woods / Height

What club is 37.5 inches long?

Fitting ChartsMen's Standard Shaft LengthsClubLength5 iron38″6 iron37.5″7 iron37″13 more rows

How to tell if a golf club is too long?

Below you’ll find common signs that indicate the clubs you’re using are too long: 1 You have to stand up almost completely straight. 2 You’re unable to move your lower body using proper swinging mechanics 3 The ball often flies off to the left and too high. 4 The club’s shaft feels very weak 5 You’re constantly hitting the ball with the toe of the golf club.

How to tell the length of a golf shaft?

The straight edge should be pressed as close as possible to the shaft. Now, read the measurement at the bottom of the grip cap. This should tell you the length of the shaft.

How many inches to a standard length golf club?

Six feet, five inches-add one and a half inches to the standard length of the club. Six feet, three inches to six feet, five inches-add one inch to the standard length of the club. Six feet to six feet, three inches-add half an inch to the standard length of the club.

How tall should a golf iron be?

Height Recommendations for Irons. Here you’ll find the standard recommended measurements for golf clubs based on height: Six feet, six inches and taller-add two inches to the standard length of the club. Six feet, five inches-add one and a half inches to the standard length of the club.

What is the most important spec to pay attention to when you’re shopping for a new set of golf clubs

According to the pros, the length of golf clubs is the most crucial spec to pay attention to when you’re shopping for a new set of clubs or an extra driver or hybrid.

Why is dynamic fit measuring more reliable?

The dynamic fit measuring technique is more reliable because the measurement is taken as a player swings a club with the help of a launch monitor. A launch monitor is used to determine the correct head and shaft that will best suit the golfer’s playing style.

What should be taken into account when buying a new golf club?

When you’re getting fit for a new set of clubs, launch angle, dispersion, spin rate, and ball speed should also be taken into account in order to ensure you purchase the correct length.

Why is the length of a golf club shorter than the number below it?

Some more evidence that club length is overrated as a source of distance: In most sets of clubs, each iron is one-half inch shorter than the number below it. That is what creates the change in distance, right? Not really. Usually the clubs stop getting shorter above the 9-iron, meaning the various wedges are the same length as the 9-iron. And yet each wedge above the 9 hits the ball less far. Why? Because of the loft; the angle of the clubface has more to do with the change in distance from club to club than the length of the shaft.

Why do you need a shorter golf club?

It takes a shorter club for most people to create the desired spine and shaft angles, swing planes, and contact with the ball. As would be expected, the shorter club and improved planes create better accuracy with the golf shots.

Why are long shafts attached to melon sized clubheads?

Thank goodness the long shafts are attached to melon-sized clubheads with tons of forgiveness, because the swing planes that result from these long clubs make it nearly impossible for most golfers to hit the sweet spot.

Why is a shorter club better than a longer club?

A shorter club technically should improve control and accuracy. A longer club technically should increase distance . A club that is properly fitted in terms of the length of the shaft will maximize accuracy and distance. What I am saying is that the clubs most golfers are playing with, and even fitted for, are too long to maximize either; even when we call them “standard” in length.

How to compare tour players to average players?

Comparing tour players to average players gives some anecdotal evidence. Notice that tour players look “big” compared to their clubs. Even with a longer iron, say a 4-iron, they seem to be standing “on top” of the ball, meaning the ball is not too far from their feet. Their spines are generally bent forward a fair amount, and the shaft of the club points at the belt-line, and often higher.

What is the standard length of a golf club?

Tom Wishon, one of the top club designers in the world, said in his book The Search for the Perfect Golf Club, “Ninety-eight percent of men’s drivers these days are built to a “standard” length of 45 or 45.5 inches, and I am here to tell you that a 45-inch driver will not fit 90 percent of all golfers and will never allow them to achieve their best combination of distance AND accuracy.” This agrees completely with what I have seen on the driving range.

How long are golf drivers?

Tour players, who play golf courses that are hundreds of yards longer than the courses we play, and play for millions of dollars, have drivers that average about 44 inches in length. If longer drivers helped them maximize their distance and accuracy, they would definitely use them. But they do not use them, and yet duffers with less ability insist on playing with the longer, more challenging clubs.

What happens if you use too long golf clubs?

If you’re using clubs that are too long for you, you’re going to have a rough time closing the gap between your tee and the hole. If it’s too short, you’re going to hit it too fast without proper form.

How does a lengthened golf club work?

A longer distance can be achieved with a lengthened club if you have the ability to swing it with the same force and speed that you did with a shorter club . This increases the ball’s velocity upon impact, and you can hit it farther. Flex: The flex of the shaft will be altered. This happens for a few reasons.

What does weight on a golf club mean?

Swing Weight: The club is actually having more weight added to it. If you’re increasing the shaft by 1.25”, that’s more grams of weight (which many golf clubs are measured by), and it adds up. This makes the club a little bit harder to swing, unless you’ve been working with clubs that were too small this whole time and your radius has increased. The swing weight will determine your swing speed, if that’s something you keep track of, and be directly related to your distance.

Why use irons on flat ground?

Irons are used on flat ground and are supposed to give you a way to get the ball closer. If the club shaft was longer, you’d hit the bottom hemisphere of the ball on your downward swing and send it flying through the air. That’s not what we want.

Why do you need to lengthen a golf ball?

The length is to compensate for the lighter head. You can’t lightly tap the ball in if the head is heavy and the shaft is short.

What is distance in golf?

Distance: Quite simply, the maximum distance that you can drive the ball. Since clubs are designed within half an inch of each other, the adjustments are small, but the overall force changes dramatically. This is relevant to your arm length and size when swinging. A longer distance can be achieved with a lengthened club if you have the ability to swing it with the same force and speed that you did with a shorter club. This increases the ball’s velocity upon impact, and you can hit it farther.

Why do you have to swoop on your golf club?

Because the club is longer, you have to swoop on your downward swing, causing the force of your wood – if you’ve hit it correctly – to be applied to the bottom of the ball and send it upwards. A wood without enough length just doesn’t cut it. You’d be sending the ball higher but with almost no distance.

What is the best length for a golf iron?

I usually recommend the longest length that a player can hit solidly. For me, optimum length was -1/2" from standard.

Why are greenshit irons not the same length?

"GreensHit", irons are not all the same length because you would be longer/less accurate with the short irons and shorter/more accurate with the long irons. Same with woods.

How long is a standard 5 iron?

A lot of companies are using 37.75" as std. 5-iron now. So if you wanted to go a little short of standard, you could 37 or 37.25" (which would be 1/2" short of std) and go down from there. That was my point above, why not just see how long of an iron you can comfortably hit solidly (with proper lie angle for that length) and make that your longest iron and adjust lie angle down to PW.

Why should length be established first?

Length should always be established first because length determines spine angle and posture. Also, changing the length alters the dynamic lie angle while changing the lie angle does not alter the dynamic length. Hence, you should measure for length first. Lie angle is a fine tuning device.

Does length matter on wedges?

Length only matters on the wedges where if your wedges are short and you can't properly reach the ground and maintain your posture swinging. And it matters on your longest iron, it needs to be short enough to be able to swing it with a descending strike. Doing a length fitting with a 7-iron makes no sense IMO.

Can you hit a 6 iron with a 7 iron?

Otherwise, by your judgment, you won't be able to hit the next longest club. So if this was also a 7-iron, you won't be able to hit your 6-iron solidly according to this. But you will because the lie angle is different, appropriate for you and the length of the club.

Does changing the length of a lie angle change the dynamic length?

Also, changing the length alters the dynamic lie angle while changing the lie angle does not alter the dynamic length. Hence, you should measure for length first. Lie angle is a fine tuning device. Important but not as important as length.

What happens if you play with a wrong length golf club?

With the wrong length club in your hand, you will start to run into issues, and some swing flaws will be created . These flaws will lead to long term issues.

What happens when a golf club is too short?

When a golf club is too short, it can create a lot of room between the player and the club. This room allows a person to take the club back on a very inside path. This inside path can cause you to get off track and will potentially cause a few different types of mis-hits.

Why is my golf club bent over?

If your golf club is too short for you, then your stance will be too bent over. Your stance will be this way because you are reaching down for the golf ball. The problem with a poor posture like this is that it will ruin your spine angle. Once your spine angle is off, you may have trouble rotating correctly.

What happens when your tempo is off?

When your tempo is off, it is hard to be consistent and repeat the same swing over and over. 5. Losing Distance. Technically speaking, a longer golf club should be able to go further than a shorter golf club. You will want to play with a golf club that is as long as you can handle.

Why do you need to get fitted for golf clubs?

Getting fitted for a set of golf clubs will ensure that you have the proper equipment in your hands this time around.

How old was Britt Olizarowicz when she started playing golf?

Britt Olizarowicz started playing golf at the age of 7. She played Division 1 College golf at St.Johns University, where she won two tournaments at the collegiate level. After college Britt went on to become a Class A PGA Professional. Her love for the game spans almost her entire life. Today Britt loves sharing her knowledge of golf through her writing. After all, to teach the game of golf, you must first have a love for it.

What happens when you go for a custom fitting?

When you go for a custom fitting, you will be put on a launch monitor, and they will determine all of your specifications.

How do you know if your golf clubs are too long?

To start with, if your club is too long then you are going to find yourself forcing your body to be pretty much completely straight when you are taking a shot.

What happens if your golf club is too long?

If your club is too long, then you will also find it difficult to move the lower half of your body when you are using the correct swinging mechanics. You will also find that when you are taking a shot that the ball is going to move too far to the left and much too high than what you need.

Why is it so hard to make contact with the golf ball?

As the length of the shaft increases, a lot of golfers can have a difficult time making their delivery consistent with the club, and this means that it can be more challenging to make contact with the ball. In this case,

How long is a standard golf club?

5 foot 9 inches to 5 foot - A standard club length will suffice.

What to do if you aren't sure what fit is best for you with a putter?

If you aren’t sure what fit will be best for you with a putter then you should try to have a proper fitting with somebody who knows what they are doing. Again, length can have a big impact on this particular golf club.

What happens if you have a shorter shaft?

If you have a shorter shaft then it is going to feel stiffer, so you are probably going to need to change your power and swing to work with a stiffer club.

How to tell if a golf club is too short?

First of all, the path of your swing goes from in to out. You will find that when you are trying to take your shot that you are needing to excessively bend at the waist area.

What do college coaches look for in a high schooler?

Top college coaches look for two things: the ability to shoot under par in tournaments and room to improve. To attract attention, high-school girls generally need to be shooting in the mid-70s and boys in the low 70s. It also helps to have good grades, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.

What is the angle of an iron?

Irons are built with different lie angles -- the angle between the sole of the club and the shaft -- that can be customized to your setup or body structure. If you're tall with short arms, for example, you might need a club that's more upright. But if your clubs are too upright, the toe would be off the ground, and you'd have a tendency to pull the ball ( inset, top ). Too flat, and the heel would be up, and you'd tend to hit pushes ( inset, bottom ). Starting with the face slightly off can produce exponential misses, so make sure your clubs fit.

Should a putter be flat on the ground?

All clubs -- from putter to driver -- should sole flat on the ground when you address the ball ( main photo ). If a club is too short or long, you'll have to change your posture to get it to sit flush. That causes inconsistency.

What does playing with the right length golf clubs do?

Playing with the right length golf clubs can definitely help you to hit longer and more consistent golf shots!

How to test if a golf club is good for face contact?

As an example start by gripping your driver at the end of the club and see where your contact is. Then grip it down 1 inch, and again check contact. Finally you might go a bit more radical, and grip your driver down 2 inches and again check for face contact and how solidly you hit the golf ball. This is not a definitive test, but in some cases will show that shorter clubs can help your game.

How to check if you hit a center contact golf club?

There is a very simple way for you to do your own tests to see if you are making center-face contact on your clubs. Buy some foot powder spray, and spray this on the face of the some of your clubs. When you hit shots, you can see where your actual contact is. You might get center contact results, OR results that surprise you!

What happens if you hit the center of the clubface?

Compensations can lead to poor shot consistency. 2. Second, you will get the most distance from all of your golf shots if you hit the center of the clubface. If you play clubs that are too long for you, the likelihood of hitting the center of the face - and getting the most distance is reduced.

How to determine the correct size golf club for beginners?

The correct golf club size starts with the golfer’s height and wrist-to-floor measurement.

What factors affect the size of a golf club?

Here’s another factor that affects the appropriate golf club size. The angle and the grip size of the club are as important as the height and wrist-to-floor measurements . However, this means more to serious professional golfers than to someone just starting out.

What is custom fitting golf?

Custom golf fittings will tell you the exact sizes that you need for each of your golf clubs. Knowing the proper golf club sizes will ensure that you can get the clubface to match up to the ball each and every time you swing. The more accurate your club sizes are, the better the chance you have of scoring and performing. Even though custom golf fittings can be expensive, most golfers find them to be very well worth the pricing.

How to adjust golf clubs?

If you find that your golf clubs are not the exact length you need, you can adjust them by cutting or extending the clubs and then regripping them . If you don’t have the tools to do this yourself, there are typically local golf club repair shops that offer these services.

Why do manufacturers make golf tables?

Manufacturers create such tables to help everyone from beginner golfers to pro golfers choose the right club size for their play. Here’s how your size affects the dimensions of your needed golf club size and why it matters. Last but not least, the grip size should also be determined for the club to fit perfectly in your hands.

What is the difference between men's and women's golf clubs?

The difference between men’s and women’s clubs is generally noticeable on the grip. Men’s golf clubs have larger grips and are also about 2.5 cm longer than women’s golf clubs. Kids’ clubs are even smaller than women’s for the most part. Knowing what type of golf club you need is the first step in determining the appropriate size.

How tall is a golf club?

Manufacturers usually make clubs to account for golfers anywhere between 4’8” to 6’7” inches tall. The second measurement is wrist-to-floor distance. This is done by standing on a flat surface with your arms relaxed and pointing down. You then measure the distance between the ground and the line where your wrist meets your hand.

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