Our driver video ' special thanks to everyone who received one ' got many good reviews and, of course, prompted more questions. Length still seems to be a 'burning' one. So let's revisit it.
For years now, the basic marketing pitch by club manufacturers about driver shaft length has been one of “longer shafts hit the ball farther.” This is 110 percent, absolutely, positively true. It is based on the physics of centrifugal force: When you swing a rock on the end of the string, as you let out more string, the rock goes faster.
Viola, build clubs longer, the rock (clubhead) will be swung faster and the ball will go farther.
Just about everyone wants, desires, and salivates for more distance. Thus, the distance sales pitch — plus throwing in, “ours goes straighter and has the biggest sweetspot” — has been one of the marketing marvels that has created driver delirium and boosted prices sky high. It seems golfers are willing to pay anything to find that “Big Stick” that goes forever. The big question: Is a longer shaft really longer distance?
Twenty years ago, the standard spec for a driver shaft was 43 inches for most of the club manufactures. Once they started stressing more distance — they knew centrifugal force of longer string swings the rock faster — they changed the length spec to 44 inches.
Then, as we golfers bought their marketing message and proved, by buying more drivers that cost even more, we'd pay anything for distance, they upped the standard spec to 45 inches.
We kept buying, so they upped it to 46 inches in some models. The long drive competitors started using 48 inches then some, I believe, even got over 50 inches. There was a Champions Tour player that used a driver that long for a few years. To swing it, he looked like he was in slow motion.
Longer shaft length became like car engine horsepower: More is longer and faster. But I want you to remember one important point here about MORE shaft length and horsepower: They are also MORE DEADLY, when you lose control of them.
A longer shaft in a driver will hit the ball longer, guaranteed! Provided…you can:
1. Swing a longer club faster to produce more clubhead speed than a shorter one.
2. Hit the ball as solid as the shorter one.
3. Hit the ball as straight as the shorter one.
Just 3 little things (that the marketing folks forgot to tell you) have to happen to experience the euphoria of adding 20 to 30 yards to your drives. Just 3 little things that are really quite difficult to do, and in many cases likely impossible, for many players to do. Let's take a look at why it is difficult to achieve these three requirements with a longer driver.
To swing a longer club faster, more energy and strength has to be added to the swing. If you can't provide these two elements, you get NO added distance. And as a negative bonus…you will hit it SHORTER.
The second requirement is hitting the ball more solid. A longer driver has more margin for error by virtue of its longer total length. Add to that you have to swing harder, which likely means you will (consciously or unconsciously) begin tensing muscles in your hands, arms, shoulders, back and legs. Tense and tighter muscles move slower. More body movement is adding margin for error. All of these will reduce the percentage of solid contacts. Solid is important because two impacts (one solid, one not) with the same clubhead speed, will travel different distances. The solid one will be longer every time, guaranteed.
The third requirement of straight becomes a factor as a result of the inability to perform the first two requirements of increasing clubhead speed and solid contact. And, let's say a player does increase his speed, and has solid contact, and hits it longer, but has bad direction, and hits it into trouble. Is that any good?
I don't think so!
Adding penalty shots, losing balls or having to chip out back into play does not help LOWER YOUR SCORE. Or your attitude.
While playing with students or friends who bought into the longer drive hits longer shots ploy, I have seen them become totally oblivious to common sense and fact. They drive the ball everywhere. One tee shot is a block slice, the next a pull hook, then next is a chunk or pop up.
The player has not even come close to solid and straight, sniffed a fairway, or it more than 100 yards. Yet he trudges forward anticipating that super-duper once-in-a-round-smoking-hot-long-ball. And when it happens, he is like a junkie who just got his fix.
He out drove his playing partners. He has bragging rights and he uses and abuses them. And, worst of all, like the drug addict after the fix, he dismisses, overlooks, forgets and refuses to recognize all the agony he experiences between fixes. All for longer drives. (Note: I keep using 'he,' and for good reason. The ladies seem to value accuracy over distance. Smart.)
I believe emphatically, preach and live the Surge Rule that the driver in my bag is not the longest. It is the one I hit the 'STRAIGHTEST!”
Anyone who knows me and has played with me, knows that I hit it straight. My game is built around hitting drives in the fairway. My mantra is “Fairways and Greens.”
I am a 'new' senior, 5'9″ and I play with a 44 inch driver, and average around 250 yards carry. I also have a 43 ½ inch for extra tight courses. I have played with a driver as short as 42 inches, the same as my 3 wood. I could hit it straight as a frozen clothes line, but I gave up too much distance and had to go back to a longer shaft for max distance and, more importantly, for max accuracy.
The PGA Tour today, in my opinion, has what I call a “BOMB IT” mentality. The belief is that the farther they hit, the closer they get to the green, the shorter shot is easier, and they will hit more greens and hit it closer to the hole. Sounds great!
Until you hit it in deep rough ,or behind trees, or whatever makes hitting the green more difficult even if you only have a wedge to the green. My Surgism for this type of playing mentality stressing distance first over accuracy is “Bomb it…rhymes with VOMIT.”
We have to have adequate driving distance, especially when playing long courses. But, we cannot give up accuracy. You have to find the maximum shaft length that still gives you maximum accuracy.
For PGA Tour players that is no problem. They can have as many drivers built or re-shafted, as needed to find their optimum accuracy & distance shaft length, out on tour with the company fitting trailers or at the club companies test facilities. And they get this done for free.
For amateurs, to do this would be quite expensive. The best and least expensive way is to go to a course, driving range or club fitter that has a big inventory of drivers in different shaft length and flexes. With the expertise of a good fitter, you will find your optimum shaft length and flex (or frequency) for distance and accuracy.
If you do not know a good club fitter, ask players where you play, who the local pros and good players go to for their club needs. Or call local golf shops and ask the pros who they recommend. The key is to find a competent and experienced club fitter. I will emphasize here that if your priority, like mine, is hitting more “fairways and greens,” you MUST place the emphasis on ACCURACY, not distance.
I promise you, accuracy will still have good length off the tee when you find your optimum shaft length. I also am certain that a shaft length of 44 inches or less will be the range of length for most amateurs, especially seniors, ladies, and juniors.
Say it with me now: 'Fairways and Greens!'
The Surge!
Comments
Very good article, you are
Very good article, you are right, it should be accuracy over distance. Good
golfers
should master their accuracy and the force that they will give in a
certain distance.