“90% of driver shafts are too long”

Is your golf driver shaft too long for you?

What length is your driver shaft? For most golfers, the answer is “no idea”, “a bit longer than my 3-wood” or “not quite long enough to get me out of that bush when I’m using it to measure where I’m allowed to drop”. And why would you know or care? They’re all pretty much the same, right?

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But what if we told you that the driver in your bag now is probably two, three or even four inches longer than the one you had 15 years ago?

And what if we told you that extra length could be making it harder for you to hit the ball solidly, causing you to miss more fairways, and possibly even costing you distance off the tee?

And, finally, have you ever wondered why the best players on the planet are using shafts that are shorter than the ones being used by most amateurs?

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“I’d say 90 per cent of the drivers sold in the shops today are too long for most players,” says esteemed clubmaker Tom Wishon, of Wishon Golf. “The standard driver length of 45.5-46.5 inches offered by the majority of companies is too long for most golfers and will prevent them from achieving their maximum potential for distance and accuracy.”

Growing pains

Most driver shafts were around 43 inches until the early 1990s. The stock standard now is anywhere from 45.5 to 46.75 inches. There are two reasons for that growth. First, driver head size has increased significantly. Put a bigger head on the same length shaft you’re used to and it looks huge because your eye isn’t used to it, so shafts have increased to look more aesthetically pleasing.

And second – the biggest factor – the way we buy drivers has changed.

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Twenty years ago, you tried a few and bought the one you liked the best or the one that seemed to put you in the best positions. Nowadays, with the advent and proliferation of launch monitors, you can see exactly how far you’re hitting any driver you’re contemplating buying.

You can get instant feedback on launch angle, carry distance, total spin, sideways curvature and umpteen other metrics.

But there’s only one that the majority of golfers want to know: “How far did that go?”

Golfers are more obsessed than ever with hitting the ball as far as they can off the tee. And when a new driver can cost upwards of £450, you want as much yardage as possible for your money.

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Go and hit 50 balls using several different drivers with different shaft options and you’ll have a soft spot for the one that hit the longest drive of the day.

Manufacturers know a longer shaft gives them the best chance of achieving the “wow, that’s gone a mile” shot that stays in your mind and tempts you to part with your cash. That’s why shaft lengths keep getting longer – and we can’t blame manufacturers if that’s what we buy.

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Putting it to the test

“There’s no golden length that is right for everyone, it’s totally individual,” says Derek Murray. “A lot will depend on timing, hand-eye co-ordination, individual ability and how you like a driver to feel. It’s not about your handicap, your swing speed or your height. The bottom line is that no one will know how a human golfer will react to something until they physically hit it.”

2. Test them out

“If you want to find out whether your driver is the optimum length to suit your swing, we highly recommend visiting an independent club fitter who uses a premium launch monitor, such as Trackman, GC2 or Flightscope,” says Gavin Hay. “Find someone who carries a wide selection of shafts at different lengths.”