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Choking up on the driver vs. shortening it

SuperStroke
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JMN57

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There was a long thread on shorter drivers and one idea that was mentioned more than once was just choke up (or is it down) on the driver to get a shorter club.

Today, I had a couple of drivers at the range:

1) Nike SQ Dymo cut to 44" (swingweight C7)
2) Mizuno JPX-EZ with a regular shaft cut to 44" (swingweight C7)
3) Same Mizuno but a stiff shaft at 45.5" (swingweight D2)

4) I also have a Nike SQ Dymo Str8fit in Little Rock that has been cut to 44" and swingweight set to D2 with hot melt and was hitting that last week in Little Rock.

Of the 4, the 44" Nike @ D2 was both consistently straight and longest.
The 44" C7 Nike and the 44" Mizuno are consistent but trail the D2 Nike by about 10-20 yards. Between the two, the Mizuno felt better.
The 45.5" shaft is not as consistent - while it can be as long as the 44" D2 Nike (without choking up), it averages less than the C7 shafts in terms of distance when choked up, isn't as directionally accurate and feels heavy.

This is an intermediate point in the experiment. What will happen next is hot melt for the SQ Dymo and Mizuno to get them to D2 and cut the Mizuno stiff shaft to 44". The lack of weight in the head is causing the distance difference between the C7 clubs and the D2 Nike/44"

My personal conclusions:

1) I am longer at 44"
2) Too low a swingweight costs distance - if the shaft is shortened, need to get the swingweight set right
3) 44" is easier to work the ball than 45.5"
4) Choking up is not the same as cutting the driver.
 
Your right that choking down is not the same as cutting the shaft. Choking down allows you too keep the swing weight the same but does create counterweight. If you simply cut the shaft and don't bring the swing weight back up then it might cause problems for some. I have done both and prefer cutting the shaft and bringing the swingweght back up.
 
I like your methodical approach to this. I myself have shortened my driver and 2 wood and couldn't be happier, I do however think I ought to figure out my proper swing weight.
 
Plin said:
I like your methodical approach to this. I myself have shortened my driver and 2 wood and couldn't be happier, I do however think I ought to figure out my proper swing weight.
Click to expand...

Thanks - I am trying to be methodical and control for different variables so I understand better what works for me. My intent in sharing this is not that the conclusions are universal but rather some info from a sample of 1.

That said, I was on the course today which was quite windy and drove the ball reasonably well given the wind. I went out as a single and was paired with a husband and wife. He was an 11 hcp and hit the ball reasonably well (250ish) with a very long shafted driver (it looked almost 47" long). I watched him swing that club and marveled that he could get it square on impact - I certainly couldn't use that club.

I played the JPX-EZ with the 44" shaft and even with the swingweight at C7, I outdrove him by 30/40 yards. Just shows different strokes for different folks. I think once I get the swingweight adjusted, I should pick up another 15 yards or so if my comparisons of the Nike's holds true.
 
I find that when I choke down I do not slice as much and seem to have better control, or more down the middle drives ... I do not know why, but it works for me.
 
Maybe the shorter length combined with a little bit of counter weight helps with the control. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd do well with shorter shaft and secret grip with the weight in it.
 
I tried chocking down on the driver today and it didn't do anything for me. I hit some shots but my 13* is still way more consistent and farther. I also can hit that one off the deck. I'll try it again in a couple of days but I am not hopeful.
 
Choking down is not the same. I figured out many years ago that 44.25 - 44.5" is longer for me than any other length. I have lead tape on nearly all of my driver heads to bring the swing weight back to a D-2 to D-4. For most golfers a few minutes a day of stretching exercises coupled with a inch shorter driver would result in an extra 10-20 yards off the tee.

Another factor that many don't think of is arm length plays a big factor on how long/wide your swing arc is. I have unusually long arms(75.5") span at 5'11" so I already have an extra inch or two of length built in over others of similar height and a longer, wider arc because of it.
 
tahoebum said:
Choking down is not the same. I figured out many years ago that 44.25 - 44.5" is longer for me than any other length. I have lead tape on nearly all of my driver heads to bring the swing weight back to a D-2 to D-4. For most golfers a few minutes a day of stretching exercises coupled with a inch shorter driver would result in an extra 10-20 yards off the tee.

Another factor that many don't think of is arm length plays a big factor on how long/wide your swing arc is. I have unusually long arms(75.5") span at 5'11" so I already have an extra inch or two of length built in over others of similar height and a longer, wider arc because of it.
Click to expand...

I didn't hit the driver much, just tried it a handful of times choking down on it as someone suggested. Comparing mishits I am better with the smaller head of the 3 wood. I might push it a bit off the end, but it still feels right and I don't feel a real big loss of distance. When I miss with the driver I feel the head rotate so the bigger head isn't really helping me. I also don't miss much with the 3. I even took it off the deck and hit it farther than I did with the driver. I'm sure part of it is mental, I have a lot of confidence in my 3 and when I take the driver out I likely expect not to hit it well. I also think it is also physical. I'm only 5'7" and at 54 with back problems my flexibility isn't great. I didn't really go into the range today with a plan to tee many up. I really wanted to work the short irons and wedges. At some point I am going to take some time with a pro so he can go over what I am doing well and what I should try to change, but I want to find one who will work me within my limitations. I would likely ask him to take a look at me with a driver and see if there is something salvageable with it. But in my mind it would have to be a lot longer than my 3 to really justify playing it.
 
Choking up on the driver vs. shortening it

I choke up with my Ping G25 but have thought about cutting it down to my 44.5 favorite length. Anybody use lead tape to get swing weight back to standard ? I love my driver and would hate to screw it up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just can't choke up on the driver. Can't hit it for spit when I do. I just cut them down. Right now about 45 1/4 is just about right. I don't reweight the driver. I like the lighter feel. It also works for my swing to square it up on contact being lighter. I just cut it and let it be.

Mark Shuman
 
phread59 said:
I just can't choke up on the driver. Can't hit it for spit when I do. I just cut them down. Right now about 45 1/4 is just about right. I don't reweight the driver. I like the lighter feel. It also works for my swing to square it up on contact being lighter. I just cut it and let it be.

Mark Shuman
Click to expand...

You don't worry about the swing weight?
 
tahoebum said:
Choking down is not the same. I figured out many years ago that 44.25 - 44.5" is longer for me than any other length. I have lead tape on nearly all of my driver heads to bring the swing weight back to a D-2 to D-4. For most golfers a few minutes a day of stretching exercises coupled with a inch shorter driver would result in an extra 10-20 yards off the tee.

Another factor that many don't think of is arm length plays a big factor on how long/wide your swing arc is. I have unusually long arms(75.5") span at 5'11" so I already have an extra inch or two of length built in over others of similar height and a longer, wider arc because of it.
Click to expand...

+1

From my experience, shortening the driver is definitely not the same as choking down. A shorter driver, for me, swings much freer than a choked down one. The one driver I had hot melt put in to get to D2 works great. I found a pro (he's played some tournaments on the Champions Tour) who had been a tech on the Champions Tour for Adams. He's great and adjusted the one Nike to D2 with hot melt. I'm taking the other Nike and the Mizuno to him this week to also dial in. He's off this week for qualifying for the Senior Open but he said he'd get to it quickly. Looking forward to getting both of them tuned up.

I know for certain that I am substantially longer and more accurate with this setup (44" / D2) than I have ever been. Yesterday, I hit driver 280 perfectly straight carry over a bunker at 250. And that was with the Mizuno still at C7. Before I cut the driver, I never would have tried that shot. Now I know I can make it easily. IMO, if you generate clubhead speed with lag, you might seriously want to consider a shorter driver.
 
Choking the club does nothing for me, while cutting my driver down to 44.5" significantly improved my driving. It's still not at the level where it should be, but my misses tend to be a lot more playable than when it was 45.75" of when I was chocking the club.

I din't add any weight to the head, as I didn't feel a lot of difference swinging it.
 
I had posted in another thread about this, but I cut down 2 drivers to 44.5" and I also have one that's at 46". Putting a midsize grip on the 46" driver made it a LOT easier to choke down, without feeling like I didn't have a firm grip which is what happened when I had a standard grip on my drivers.
 
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