Golf Driver Shaft Length

Golf Club Length 101: Chart to Determine Your Ideal Length Your golf club length is vastly important to having a good game. 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.

In our experience over the last twenty years, we have seen off-the-shelf driver lengths go from 43 inches to 48 inches, the maximum allowable by the USGA, and back to somewhere around 45 inches. The holy grail for most golfers is increased distance off the tee. With the USGA governing the rebound effect off the face of the driver (CT), it seems logical that adding length to the driver creates a longer swing arc and therefore more club head speed. But, if you do not hit the sweet spot on the face of the driver, you will actually LOSE distancebecause the efficiency (smash factor) will drop and you will generate less ball speed. In fact, the winner of the 2018 Masters used a driver that is 44.5 inches long and the 2nd place finishers driver length was 44.5 inches as well. Check out our list of 2018 stock drivers at the end of this blog.

For putters, length can be measured a number of ways because of the position of the hosel and/or golf shaft in relationship to the heel.As mentioned before, the length on heel-shafted putters can be measured the same way as an iron or wood. Let’s look at two other options. How Long Are Driver Shafts? Over the years, drivers have increased from 43 inches in length to close to 46 inches. The majority of the clubs on the market today will range between 45 and 46 inches. However, on the PGA Tour, since the mid 2000’s the length of the driver shafts have held steady at 44.5”. Golf Club Shaft Chart Guide When it comes to picking a graphite shaft for your driver or fairway woods, the number of choices that are available can be overwhelming, especially as golf companies continue to offer more and more in the way of custom options.

So, how do you determine YOUR optimum driver length? There are several factors that you should consider:

Arm length and Posture.

In both our BGF Fitting System and the TrueFitClubs Fitting Wizard, we use wrist-crease-to-floor measurement to determine a good length. Our system is designed to give the “average” length for a driver of 44.5 inches. We have found in thousands of fittings that a driver that is too long will result in more hits off the heel of the club causing higher spin and loss of distance. Another factor is posture at address. If you stand very tall and have a steep swing plane, you could use a slightly longer driver.

Impact of Length on Shaft Weight

If you are playing a shorter driver, say 44 inches instead of the “standard” 45 inches, you should consider a slightly heavier shaft, say 10 grams heavier. This will help create a more balanced feel and gain back some of the swing weight lost when cutting down the length of the club. Also, we add head weight to bring the swing weight back up to a more comfortable feel for more consistency.

Impact of Length on Shaft Flex

As you go shorter in length, you should consider a slightly softer flex. Also, if you go longer in length you should consider a slightly stiffer flex. Our BGF Fitting System and TrueFitClubs Fitting Wizard take this into account when making our initial recommendations.

So What is the Right Driver Length?

To determine your optimum driver length, look at where you hit the ball on the face of your driver. If your hits are mostly towards the heel, your driver is too long. Another possibility is that the shaft is too light. Try choking down on the shaft and see if your contact improves. If you have difficulty seeing where your ball makes contact on the face, you can use Dr. Scholl’s Foot Powder or some face tape. If your hits are mostly on the toe, your driver could actually be too short.

The Short Answer is Shorter is Better

For most golfers we fit, a shorter driver creates more consistent contact on the face and actually helps not only gain distance but accuracy and consistency. In our opinion, driving for show is fine if you can hit great shots out of the rough or from behind a tree. If your fairways hit are less than 50% and you have an OB or two off the tee during a round, it is time to get your driver fixed!

Dan Sueltz and Eric Touchet

Driver Lengths for Popular Stock Clubs

What is the Best Driver Shaft Length?

What is the Best Driver Shaft Length? The best length of driver for amateur golfers is 45.5 inches, whereas most professional players will instead use a 44.4 inch driver.

It’s essential that your driver shaft is of the right length. As the length of the shaft increases, you tend to lose control over the golf club, and will find it difficult to hit the golf ball squarely.

Having the incorrect length of golf driver can also result in chopping of the ball from fairway bunkers and the rough.

While tour players use drivers of 44.5 inches length, those available in shops for amateur golfers often have shafts that are 45.5 inches long. Generally, golfers with above-average swing speeds are better off using drivers with short shafts.

Shorter golf drivers don’t require the distance rendered by the extra length of the shaft as they’re able to generate enough distance by using drivers with shafts of usual length. On the other hand, players with high handicaps and slow swing speeds would find the extra distance offered by long shafts beneficial.

While being difficult to control, a long driver may also lead to frequent off-center hits that will put your accuracy and distance at stake.

Remember that for every half-inch mishit that you experience on the clubface, the distance that you will lose is five percent. The right combination of shaft flex and shaft length for your driver helps you gain both accuracy and distance with your shots.

The best way to determine the right length for your driver shaft is to hit shots with several drivers of varying shaft lengths on a launch monitor. This will help you to understand your ball speed, club speed, dispersion, and distance.

Based on these values, you can decide on an optimum shaft length. You must also check where the driver’s face hits the ball. If most of your hits are close to the heel or toe, then your driver is either very long or very short.

You can opt for the assistance of a professional or an experienced club maker to make the changes to the length of your driver.

Golfers opting for short driver lengths must consider having a slightly heavy shaft and soft flex. They’re better than long drivers as they help in gaining distance, consistency, and accuracy.

Drivers with graphite shafts are an inch longer than those using steel shafts because they’re lighter. Similarly, women’s drivers are an inch shorter than the corresponding men’s drivers.

Short Driver Vs Long Driver

The following are some differences between a short driver and a long driver that are worth noting.

A short driver often helps in rendering accurate shots than a long driver because of the ease of control.
The off-line drives produced by a short driver are not as far off as those produced by a long driver.
A short driver does not put much stress on the player’s body especially at the time of a swing, unlike a long driver.
A short driver is a better choice than a long driver for women and golfers who use out-to-in and over-the-top swing styles.
A driver with a short shaft helps players in hitting off-the-tee shots better than a driver with a long shaft.
A short shaft driver tends to offer better dispersion, smash factor, and quality of contact in comparison to a long shaft driver.
A short driver shaft covers a lesser distance and lesser raw swing speed for some golfers when compared to a long driver shaft, although not all players cover a longer distance with a long shaft.
A short driver has a lesser static weight and makes it necessary to stand closer to the ball than a long driver.
A short driver shaft produces more consistent and centered shot patterns than a long driver shaft.
A short driver promotes the center of contact on its clubface unlike a long driver resulting in straight and long drives.

42.5 Inch Driver Shaft Length

The following are some observations worth noting on a driver with a shaft that is 42.5 inches long.

Some golfers hit a longer distance using the 42.5 inches driver than a 44 inches club because of good swing speed.
Few players choke up by a couple of inches making them contemplate cutting a couple of inches off the existing length.
There are golfers who hit the ball in the center of the face with drivers of this shaft length that sends the ball on a low trajectory with less spin and covering a lesser distance, than a 46 inches driver.
Many players experience the longest average drive when playing with this driver.
Short male golfers with a height of 5’2” and 29 inches wrist-to-floor measurement find that they’re able to use this driver with a steel shaft comfortably without any modification.
This measurement is considered to be the standard length of drivers with steel shafts for women players.

43 Inch Driver Shaft Length

Given below are some points that can be kept in mind on a driver that has a 43 inch shaft.

Players who use this driver on the screws sometimes have seen their golf ball traveling a decent distance of 250 yards.
Mid-handicap golfers who use stiff and heavy drivers of this length have rendered more consistent ball flights and contact on the face as well as better spin rate and launch conditions than a 46 inch driver.
A few players with close to a 15 handicap are able to deliver the same clubhead speed as a 45.5 inches driver.
The clubhead is lighter than that of a 45 inch driver shaft that makes the swinging action easy for golfers who find it difficult to accomplish this with their 45 inch driver.
There are players who have hit their golf balls straight off the tee better with a 43 inch driver than a 46 inch driver.
Some golfers have hit good distances with accuracy with a driver shaft of this size than when they use bigger drivers.

44 Inch Driver Shaft Length

The following points are worth noting regarding drivers with a shaft length of 44 inches.

A few players use a 44” driver to drive their golf balls in the fairway.
Some golfers have a good swing and cover little more distance than usual with a 44” driver because they hit the center face consistently.
44” is the standard length for drivers with steel shaft, for male players.
A 44” driver helps golfers to achieve a distance of about 275 yards.
Some players get good control and distance when they use this club.

44.5 Inch Driver Shaft Length

A driver with a shaft length of 44.5 inches usually helps golfers with the following.

They can send the ball over a distance of 275 yards using this golf club.
They hit fairways, off the tee and straighter shots more consistently with a 44.5 inch driver. The misses are less than when they use a 45 inch driver and they have more control over the club throughout the swing.
They’re able to achieve better center-faced contact and less dispersion than with a larger driver.
Some golfers can hit a slightly longer distance and more accurately with this club because of more square hits and hits with the clubface at the center.
Swing speed or distance is not lost when playing with a 44.5 inch driver.
They can hit the sweet spots with solid contact and precision on a golf course using a 44.5 inch driver.

45 Inch Driver Shaft Length

Golf Driver Shaft Length For Seniors

The standard length of a driver with a stainless steel shaft for a male player is 45 inches. The following list highlights some experiences of players using drivers with a 45 inch shaft length.

They achieve a better smash factor with a 45 inch driver than a slightly longer 46 inch driver.
They’re able to produce consistent and fairly average long-distance shots with this golf club.
These drivers are better suited for very tall golfers with a relatively upright swing plane.

Golf Driver Shaft Length For Height

46 Inch Driver Shaft Length

Drivers with graphite shafts have a standard length of 46 inches. Golfers have experienced the following when they use a 46 inch driver shaft.

Some players can hit pretty well when they use a driver with a shaft length of 46 inches.
Golfers with fairly flat swing styles can use this golf club better than those who don’t have this swing style.
A few players have been able to hit about 250 yards from the tee on an average, with a 46 inch driver.

43” Vs 44” Shaft

Golf Club Driver Shaft Length

The following are some differences golfers have experienced between43” and 44” drivers.

Some players are able to swing a 43 inch driver at a faster rate than a 44 inch driver although there are those who swing a 44 inch driver better.
Tall golfers have found that they’re able to play well with a 44 inch driver while shorter players are better off using a 43” driver.
There are golfers who have had better control, lesser misses or slices and gained extra distance by about five yards when using a 44” driver when compared to a 43 inch driver.
A few players have felt that they’re able to produce more consistent strikes with a 43 inch driver rather than a 44 inch driver because they tend to hit the ball squarely.
Players have experienced an increase in their smash factor with a 43 inch driver in comparison to a 44” driver.
Some golfers have found it easier to hit the ball straight with a 43” driver than a 44” driver.

43” Vs 45” Shaft

When players used 43” drivers and 45” drivers for the same shot, they have experienced some differences in their game, which are as follows.

A 43 inch driver is often easier to control than a 45 inch driver for many golfers, making it easier to swing and get accurate shots.
Fast swingers have found that the margin of error that they experience with a 45 inch driver is lesser than when they use a 43 inch driver because of the weight distribution on the bigger clubhead that results in a bigger hitting area.
There are players who have found that they hit the ball longer as well as with better spin and launch angle with a 43 inch driver than a 45 inch driver with the clubhead being the same for both the drivers.
A 45” driver scores over a 43” driver for players who would like to achieve as much distance as possible, thanks to the increased clubhead speed.
A 45” driver is a better choice than a 43 inch driver for golfers who would like to have a golf club that not only has a big shaft but also a bigger, yet lighter clubhead.
A 43 inch driver has helped many golfers achieve more consistency in their game when compared to a 45 inch driver.
A 45 inch driver makes it more difficult to hit sweet spots than using a 43 inch driver though there have been instances of experiencing the reverse situation as well, for some golfers.
A 45 inch driver tends to help golfers increase swing speed over a 43 inch driver if they make the same solid contact and hit with the same consistency using both drivers.

44” Vs 45” Shaft

Some noteworthy differences that players feel after playing a game using a 44 inch driver and a 45 inch driver are given below.

Some golfers have found that they’re able to hit shots with a 44 inch driver more easily than with a 45 inch driver without any loss in the distance when they have more center strikes.
A few players find that they end up with a low swing weight when using a 44 inch driver when compared to a 45 inch driver, which makes it more challenging to feel the clubhead.
Golfers have experienced more clubhead speed with a 45 inch driver over a 44 inch driver. The difference is an average of 5 to 6 mph.
Some players claim that a 45 inch driver allows them to hit the ball better with increased distance and more accuracy than a 44 inch driver.
There are golfers who have found that they’re more accurate and cover a longer distance by about 10 to 15 yards when they use a 44 inch driver instead of a 45 inch driver.
Few players have found that they miss the fairways far less and have more sweet spot hits with a 44 inch driver when compared to a 45 inch driver.
A 45 inch driver tends to offer more distance of close to 16 yards off the tee with very little loss in accuracy in comparison to a 44 inch driver.

45” Vs 46” Shaft

The following are some differences that golfers have encountered after they played with a 45 inch driver and a 46 inch driver.

A 46 inch driver has helped players gain an extra distance of around four to ten yards when compared to a 45 inch driver. This is for the same impact and same swing when they hit the club in the middle consistently.
Some golfers have found it more difficult to get the same impact with a 46 inch driver than they manage to achieve with a 45 inch driver.
Some players have been able to achieve a more consistent distance and average a longer distance with a 45 inch driver in comparison to a 46 inch driver.
Some tour players have experienced more yardage and increased accuracy with their 45 inch driver instead of a 46 inch driver.
Golfers have hit fairways and struck sweet spots better with a 45 inch driver than when they used a 46 inch driver for the same purpose.
A few players feel that they tend to block the ball more and encounter an increase in the number of dead blocks with a 46 inch driver when compared to a 45 inch driver.

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