Trimming Driver Length

We see a majority of golfers swinging drivers that are too long for them to control. Off-the-rack drivers are often an inch longer than is needed to hit a long ball. When a player comes to the realization that a shorter driver might help with lower scores, the first thought is to trim an inch from the grip end.

There are a couple of important considerations to keep in mind when thinking about trimming the length of a driver. First is swingweight. Each inch of length is equivalent to 6 swingweights -- swingweight is an arbitrary measure of balance. Everyone can feel a 2-swingweight change in length. A 6-swingweight change will have a major effect on feel.

Reducing swingweight too much usually reduces the sense of where the club head is in space during a swing. It can affect control. Reducing (or increasing) swingweight will require some adjustment period in your swing tempo to achieve the performance you seek. 

To restore feel in a shortened club, you can add lead tape to the back of the clubhead. Two grams equals one swingweight. Or you can add rat glue -- it's really sticky -- to the inside of the driver head but be careful because if you make a mistake it's difficult to correct. We don't recommend standard hot melt.

The alternative is to replace the stock shaft with a good aftermarket product that matches your swing. While some stock driver shafts might be playable, most of them are used mainly to hold down purchase costs. We've found too many bad ones that are better used for holding up tomato plants than for holding a clubhead. 

Can you control a long driver -- by long we mean 45.5 - 46 inches in length? Yes, depending on your skill level. Do you hit the ball longer with a long driver? Yes, marginally longer if the impact point is in the center of the club face, if ball spin remains low, if the ball lands in your target area on the fairway, and if you can apply greater force to swing a higher MOI club (greater length requires greater swing energy to achieve the same club head speed).

Bottom line, if your driver is longer than 45 inches, it's performance will likely improve significantly by reducing the length to 44.5 inches and optimizing the swingweight to match your swing style. Better yet, replace the shaft with a new design with the latest technology and materials -- clubs are the least costly part of the game and lower scores that come from using better equipment are worth every dollar you spend.