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The 41" Driver Experiment

Nippon Shafts
Achilles515

Achilles515

Active member
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
305
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122
Location
Wetumpka, AL
Handicap
12
So here's how this started. I'm a 10 handicap, 95 mph driver swing speed and i'm 5'2. Have always struggled with driver accuracy and it makes or breaks my scores. I've been fit twice and neither fitting was impressive by any means. I think i'm knowledgable when it comes to clubs and what suits me but what the fitters did were just like going through the motions. The past year and a half i've been swing a TM Sim 10.5 and have bounced back and forth between Stiff/Reg flex and played shafts at 45", 44", 43" with mixed results and nothing consistent. I was able to score a deal on a Speedzone Xtreme and went with it. First tried a 45" shaft then a 44" shaft and again, just no consistency. Also attempted a 2 iron with not good results.

Fast forward to this past week. Saw a couple videos with 20+ handicappers on Youtube who've cut their driver down to 40" with great success at finding the fairway. So it got me thinking. I had an extra shaft laying around so I went and had it cut down to 41" (stock Motore reg flex shaft for the Xtreme). Now the swing weight comes into question. That's one thing I don't know that much about, like the ratios and formula etc so I decided to wing. The Xtreme comes stock with either a 4g or 6g weight. I ordered a 19g weight and stuck it in there. Went to the range, hit about 30 balls had excellent success but couldn't get a good idea on yardage because the range is slightly uphill. Went and played 18 today. Result 10/14 fairways and only 2 of those misses put me in danger, other 2 were still playable. All 4 misses were hook shots and I would chalk that up to not playing in a month and the first time using this set up. Yardage wise I think i lost 15 yards at the most compared to good strikes with the longer shafts so my total distance was about 235. It was also wet so I got almost no roll. Once I play with this a few more times and dial it in, this will 100% be a fairway finder and carry+roll should put me around 245-250 which i'm perfectly fine with. (i live in the south so roll is your friend).

Now, I'm fully prepared to catch a lot of flack for whatever I didn't do and what i should've done. However, this was an experiment and nothing was intended to be done by the book. I know my swing better than anyone else and I took a gamble and it has shown immediate results.
 
You have piqued my interested. At the end of the day, use what works for you. hitting 10 of 14 fairways ( 12 usable shots ) on a regular basis has to lead to lower scores. Who cares how you got it in the fairway and why the scores are lower. If 41" works for you, then play it every round!
 
Tevenor said:
You have piqued my interested. At the end of the day, use what works for you. hitting 10 of 14 fairways ( 12 usable shots ) on a regular basis has to lead to lower scores. Who cares how you got it in the fairway and why the scores are lower. If 41" works for you, then play it every round!
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100%. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. I truly believe this has a much bigger advantage to me because of my height and may actually be a detriment to someone who's close to 6ft. Nonetheless, I can see this easily taking 3-5 strokes off my game (when i'm playing regularly). I typically shoot high 70's low 80's on average (driver accuracy dependent lol). I also typically play from 6500 yard tee boxes on average. I can see myself shooting consistently mid 70s again once this dialed in.

I would encourage anyone who struggles with a driver to think outside the box a little more.
 
How far do you hit fairway woods? 41" is the length of today's 5- or 7-woods. 3-woods are typically 43".
 
Achilles515 said:
So here's how this started. I'm a 10 handicap, 95 mph driver swing speed and i'm 5'2. Have always struggled with driver accuracy and it makes or breaks my scores. I've been fit twice and neither fitting was impressive by any means. I think i'm knowledgable when it comes to clubs and what suits me but what the fitters did were just like going through the motions. The past year and a half i've been swing a TM Sim 10.5 and have bounced back and forth between Stiff/Reg flex and played shafts at 45", 44", 43" with mixed results and nothing consistent. I was able to score a deal on a Speedzone Xtreme and went with it. First tried a 45" shaft then a 44" shaft and again, just no consistency. Also attempted a 2 iron with not good results.

Fast forward to this past week. Saw a couple videos with 20+ handicappers on Youtube who've cut their driver down to 40" with great success at finding the fairway. So it got me thinking. I had an extra shaft laying around so I went and had it cut down to 41" (stock Motore reg flex shaft for the Xtreme). Now the swing weight comes into question. That's one thing I don't know that much about, like the ratios and formula etc so I decided to wing. The Xtreme comes stock with either a 4g or 6g weight. I ordered a 19g weight and stuck it in there. Went to the range, hit about 30 balls had excellent success but couldn't get a good idea on yardage because the range is slightly uphill. Went and played 18 today. Result 10/14 fairways and only 2 of those misses put me in danger, other 2 were still playable. All 4 misses were hook shots and I would chalk that up to not playing in a month and the first time using this set up. Yardage wise I think i lost 15 yards at the most compared to good strikes with the longer shafts so my total distance was about 235. It was also wet so I got almost no roll. Once I play with this a few more times and dial it in, this will 100% be a fairway finder and carry+roll should put me around 245-250 which i'm perfectly fine with. (i live in the south so roll is your friend).

Now, I'm fully prepared to catch a lot of flack for whatever I didn't do and what i should've done. However, this was an experiment and nothing was intended to be done by the book. I know my swing better than anyone else and I took a gamble and it has shown immediate results.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with something that works. Play on, and enjoy.
 
gbtrsc said:
How far do you hit fairway woods? 41" is the length of today's 5- or 7-woods. 3-woods are typically 43".
Click to expand...

Off the tee, i'd typically hit a stock 15* 3 wood about 230. I have also dabble with that as well, had an Exotics EX9 Long and a few others. And yes, i knew 5 wood lengh (depending on brand) was roughly 41" so that's what I went with. And another factor in this decision is where I live. I live in central AL so it's normally dry and fairways are usually fast and get tons of roll. The carry vs roll debate favors the roll side with my ball flight.
 
Achilles515 said:
Off the tee, i'd typically hit a stock 15* 3 wood about 230. I have also dabble with that as well, had an Exotics EX9 Long and a few others. And yes, i knew 5 wood lengh (depending on brand) was roughly 41" so that's what I went with. And another factor in this decision is where I live. I live in central AL so it's normally dry and fairways are usually fast and get tons of roll. The carry vs roll debate favors the roll side with my ball flight.
Click to expand...
Fun, to experiment in golf equipment, glad you shared your experience with all of us.
I had never had a driver shorter than 42 1/2" even with the persimmon drivers. My father might have had some driver at 42" back then.

You must have to add lots of weight to the head to make the driver "feel" right ? Especially the metal shafts for the drivers are difficult to come by these days.
also remember that golf courses are much shorter back then, when the 42"-43" persimmon drivers were in use. I guess you'll be fine if you play from the forward tees.
A stock OEM 3 wood is 43" these days, so your 3 wood would be longer than your driver. There is no short cut in golf, and one could not buy a game. In my earlier years with the game, I spent most the time on the driving range with Driver, 6 iron and the PW.
Quote my first instructor when I asked him how to hit a 2 iron . " how often do you hit it on the golf course" - maybe a handful. " how often do you practice with the 2 iron " ? - not at all.
There is your answer.

There is no denial, fiddling with golf clubs is fun. I still do that, a lot, even when my current set plays almost perfect for my game now. But, nothing trumps practice , to make sure you own the swing and have the confidence to bring your practice game onto the golf course. Learn to love your driver. It is, one of the easiest stick in your bag to hit well.
 
Release said:
Fun, to experiment in golf equipment, glad you shared your experience with all of us.
I had never had a driver shorter than 42 1/2" even with the persimmon drivers. My father might have had some driver at 42" back then.

You must have to add lots of weight to the head to make the driver "feel" right ? Especially the metal shafts for the drivers are difficult to come by these days.
also remember that golf courses are much shorter back then, when the 42"-43" persimmon drivers were in use. I guess you'll be fine if you play from the forward tees.
A stock OEM 3 wood is 43" these days, so your 3 wood would be longer than your driver. There is no short cut in golf, and one could not buy a game. In my earlier years with the game, I spent most the time on the driving range with Driver, 6 iron and the PW.
Quote my first instructor when I asked him how to hit a 2 iron . " how often do you hit it on the golf course" - maybe a handful. " how often do you practice with the 2 iron " ? - not at all.
There is your answer.

There is no denial, fiddling with golf clubs is fun. I still do that, a lot, even when my current set plays almost perfect for my game now. But, nothing trumps practice , to make sure you own the swing and have the confidence to bring your practice game onto the golf course. Learn to love your driver. It is, one of the easiest stick in your bag to hit well.
Click to expand...

Stock weights with this club head come in 4g and 6g. I added a 19g weight to make it feel right. Most courses I still play the back tees up to 7000. Anything over is just too much for me. On average I play tees that are 6500.
 
Play what suits your game best. And in my opinion, it's better to consistently hit the centre of your drivers face when gaming a shorter shaft than being sporadic with something you're not as comfortable using. I've tested driver shafts as short as 43" and I can understand where you're coming from.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
 
been reading more and more articles about driver length since the restriction. read Ricky Fowler uses a driver 43 3/4" and heard Finau uses a shorter than normal driver as well.
 
Achilles515 said:
Stock weights with this club head come in 4g and 6g. I added a 19g weight to make it feel right. Most courses I still play the back tees up to 7000. Anything over is just too much for me. On average I play tees that are 6500.
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You are long off the tee , or you have a game between 170-200 yards. I can't dial in if it's more than 170 for the approach shot. Even would miss the green often from that distance. It shows when I have not been on the links for awhile.
29 gm. of total added weight to the head is a lot. Hopefully the driver head will hold up for you. They can't make the multi material light weight heads as sturdy as it used to be. Just not possible with the currently affordable material.
Let us know if you're still gaming it after one season. My own experiment had always come back to 44"-45 1/2" from either the longer or the shorter length. These days I won't be tempted to tee it up anywhere over 6500 yards, unless it's Summer season with firm fairway. Used to tee it up from all the way back, even from the forbidden tournament tee, which was closed to the public, sneaked on the tournament tee with friends after the club house was out of sight, we'd done that all the time. A few times we got caught but the Marshalls did not say anything after witness our play . Sadly, some of the group had quit the game and a few had gassed on.
 
I would be curios to see the scores before the cut down and scores after. I know you said your fairways hit was 10/14 in the last round played. Keep up the search!
 
I have your extreme head with a 19g weight in a tour lenght shaft. total driver lenght is about 44.25 inches. I'm almost 1ft taller then you and this is plenty of driver length for me. if you send me a PM with actual shaft lenght (Not in head) I will give you an idea of how to get your swing weight back what what actual swing weight you have right now.

I'd let your results be your truth and not social media. Mechanically we have flaws in our swing and different bodies. We need to play what we got, not what we don't.

that does not imply we can't try different things at the range and take lessons if we have that energy.
 
I’m a little surprised you didn’t try 42” before dropping to 41”. If it works, it works. How’s the combo feel?
 
gbtrsc said:
How far do you hit fairway woods? 41" is the length of today's 5- or 7-woods. 3-woods are typically 43".
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4, 5 and 7 woods are now respectively 42.5, 42.5 and 42 inches. :oops:

Give or take a 1/4 inch.

Some 3 woods are 43.25

I know ... kinda' long.
 
i think my 3h is about 41. still, bryson plays some one lenght irons that suggests the lenght of shaft is not the only factor
 
I heavier shaft might help with the swing weight and the feel of the club.
 
I was thinking a heavier shaft also, And I would like to say, WELL DONE for trying everything you can to enjoy this game more
 
After trying to dial in my Sim 2 for about 2 months,, and about ready to sell it,, one last shaft purchase dialed it in.
Maltby MPF Pro Series UL Graphite Wood Shafts.
at golfworks.com
 
I just got fitted and the best driver fit was a bit shorter shaft. Only about an inch over my current club but I hit the shorter just as far as my current driver.
 
Chef23 said:
I just got fitted and the best driver fit was a bit shorter shaft. Only about an inch over my current club but I hit the shorter just as far as my current driver.
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Many of us are having trouble accelerating through the golf ball with longer length of golf clubs. It requires additional strength and adjusted timing for delivering the driver head to the golf ball using the longer length driver. One can adjust the swing weight and the feel , but could not deny the fact that it'll demand additional strength to swing a longer driver.
If applicable, one could practice and strengthen the body ( especially in the hands and fingers ) to motor the longer shaft, if physically impossible to do so, find your sweet spot for peak performance, on length and swing weight ..........
The fact is, longer length and lighter heads/shafts do not automatically = longer distance.
A good example is, not everyone could drive a sports car by the simple fact of purchasing it. Lessons and practice and maybe the talent you're born with.
The marketing slogan to reach the ultimate golfer's dream ( longer distance ) may not apply to all of the golfers with the cookie cutter solution. Continued method of adding length and compensating with light weight material will not benefit most of the golfers.
They ignored the major element of the person who swings the golf club.

You can dial in and maximize your personal distance off the tee ,If you could find a real knowledgeable fitter ( with the patience and the optional equipments ) for the driver. Most the "fitters" will not venture outside of the conventional driver's length by +- up to 1 " in length. There is just too many variables involved to try to fit everyone under the Sun. It may be close to impossible to stock the necessary equipment for fitting all the golfers.

Which is great news for the golf club tinkerers. This will give the opportunity for a lifelong endless pursue of perfection.
 
I have two shafts for my Maverik the stock Aldila and a AD DI. I think I am going to cut the Aldila down to a finished length of 45" and see how it performs. I asked the fitter if they increase the clubhead weight at all to bring the swingweight up and he said they don't that a 45" driver from them would swingweight around D0.
 
Chef23 said:
I have two shafts for my Maverik the stock Aldila and a AD DI. I think I am going to cut the Aldila down to a finished length of 45" and see how it performs. I asked the fitter if they increase the clubhead weight at all to bring the swingweight up and he said they don't that a 45" driver from them would swingweight around D0.
Click to expand...

Practice could overcome most of the small change over in the driver's swing weight, same as the length. It took me one season and thousands of range balls and hundreds of hours to feel comfortable taking the 47" driver to the links.
And , 4 different shafts ( a lot slower to change shaft back then ).
Some of the golf forum discussions had finally disclosed that a physically/mentally fit golfer will bring the best personal game. There is nothing wrong to bring the facts of life to the children, because they'll continue to go out and buy their toys to fill their dreams.

Have fun, but, do not give up too fast if the new driver length does not work perfectly for you at first. You have 13 different length of swing clubs in your bag, think of it that way and you'll be fine with some practice. Don't worry about adjusting for the "proper swing weight", try the new combination and give it a chance to fit into your game. There is no instant solution with the change over.
 
Achilles515 said:
Now, I'm fully prepared to catch a lot of flack for whatever I didn't do and what i should've done. However, this was an experiment and nothing was intended to be done by the book. I know my swing better than anyone else and I took a gamble and it has shown immediate results.
Click to expand...

They do that with higher loft full-sized driver heads and call them "thrivers.' Anything under 43".
It's been a thing for a while.
 
Release said:
Practice could overcome most of the small change over in the driver's swing weight, same as the length. It took me one season and thousands of range balls and hundreds of hours to feel comfortable taking the 47" driver to the links.
And , 4 different shafts ( a lot slower to change shaft back then ).
Some of the golf forum discussions had finally disclosed that a physically/mentally fit golfer will bring the best personal game. There is nothing wrong to bring the facts of life to the children, because they'll continue to go out and buy their toys to fill their dreams.

Have fun, but, do not give up too fast if the new driver length does not work perfectly for you at first. You have 13 different length of swing clubs in your bag, think of it that way and you'll be fine with some practice. Don't worry about adjusting for the "proper swing weight", try the new combination and give it a chance to fit into your game. There is no instant solution with the change over.
Click to expand...

I hit a shorter driver really well yesterday at the fitting. I am likely going to by a new driver but I just cut down one of my shafts to a finished length of 45".
 
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