A driver shaft typically is between 45 and 46 inches in length. The maximum length allowable is 48 inches, but there is now a USGA local rule that allows tournament officials to cap the length at 46 inches.
In the market for a new driver, but can’t decide on the type of shaft or the length of the shaft?
Golfers have many options in club brand, shaft stiffness, shaft length, loft and many other variables that can be adjusted.
How long should a driver shaft be?
Update: The driver is the most important golf club to get fitted for. Having the right length club and the right shaft flex is vital and could mean the difference of 20-30 if you are not properly fitted. At a minimum, test out different driver options on a launch monitor or simulator and get some key numbers such as ball speed and spin rate!
If you are seeking maximum clubhead speed and distance the longer the shaft, typically the faster a golfer is able to swing. This is why drivers are 46 inches and your sand wedge is the mid 30s. The clubs are designed for different purposes.
The longer the shaft the more speed the golfer will be able to generate.
However, if you are struggling to strike the ball on the center of the club face or having difficulty keeping the ball in play, a shorter shaft might be better suited for your game. Recent studies have shown that by shortening the shaft the golfer lost only 1-2 yards on average. This is probably a result of the ball being struck more on the center of the face, maximizing the ball speed and the spin rate to cancel out any loss in swing speed.
Helpful Post: Why can’t I hit my driver straight (5 Solutions)
Who should use a longer shaft in golf?
The taller golfer and the golfer seeking maximum speed and distance. If you are able to keep the ball in play at the higher swing speed with the longer shaft, then go ahead and play the longer shaft.
Distance has become very important in the game of golf and the longer shaft might give you the extra 5-10 yards with very little extra work.
One thing to take into consideration is the type of course you are going to play most frequently. If your home course of the several courses you might play most often are pretty wide open and allow for the driver to be offline without major penalty, then the longer shaft would be recommended.
However, if you play a course with out of bounds on every hole, a shorter shaft that keeps your shot dispersion much more narrowed, then the shorter shaft would be the right club for you.
Are expensive drivers worth it?
Who should use a shorter shaft in golf?
The golfer that is struggling to hit the center of the face or struggling to keep the ball in place. Once again, the golfer should consider the course they are playing and determine what is more important: distance or accuracy.
You might be surprised to learn that some of the golfers on tour use only a 44 inch driver as they are able to produce enough club head speed and value being able to hit the center of the club face a high percentage of time and the value of keeping the ball in play.
The length of 3 woods are now the same length that drivers were 15-20 years ago. Over the past two decades, manufacturers have continued to increase the length of the shaft as the marketing of distance became important as people watch the PGA Tour Professionals hit it over 300 yards on a regular basis. It was common for a driver 20 years ago to only have been 43 inches in length.
Should I shorten my driver: One golfer’s experiment
How to test what shaft length is best for you?
I would recommend taking an old driver and having it cut down to between 43 and 44 inches. Take both clubs to the range or use a launch monitor to measure the following data:
- Carry and Total Distance
- Shot Dispersion
- Swing Speed
- Ball Speed
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
You might find that your total distance doesn’t vary much, but that you are able to hit the ball in the fairway more frequently.
With any move with equipment or swing changes that we make, I highly recommend testing it out. This is where my Skytrak Launch Monitor comes into play and is rather beneficial. While I don’t own a Trackman, at the amateur level we are able to have some excellent data to make decisions on equipment, swing changes, and improve our game 365 days a year.
How long should my driver shaft length be for my height?
I would recommend that every adult golfer start with a driver shaft length between 45-46 inches. If you are able to hit the ball a solid distance and keep the ball in play, the extra length will benefit your game.
However, if you are on the shorter side and struggling to hit the center of the club face or keep the ball in play, cut down an old driver and see if a 43 inch driver is better for your game.
The overall shaft length is not a major factor in the length of the golf shaft. As evidenced by the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. There are golfers of all heights and many are using between 44 and 46 inches in length when it comes to the golf shaft. The next time golf is on television, check out the length of the driver in Tony Finau’s hands. At 6 foot 4 inches tall, the driver looks like a wedge in his hands.
Fortunately or maybe unfortunately for some, the driver shaft length is capped at a certain length, but that doesn’t mean someone that is 5 foot 6 inches should be swinging a 40 inch driver because of their height. The loss of swing speed and overall distance would hurt their game more than it would help.
Maximizing Your Swing Speed: SuperSpeed Golf
Whether you swing a 43, 44, 45, or 46 inch shaft, you could train for additional swing speed if you desire more distance.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Final Thoughts
Two final pieces of thoughts! Make sure you test out different options in your game and if you want more speed, train for extra speed. We are no longer “stuck” at whatever our swing speed is. The right combination of equipment and training could mean another 20-30 yards for our game with the driver. Enjoy the journey, test everything out and have fun!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.