Cutting driver shaft

[Keith]

Hello all.

Just curious to know if cutting an inch off of a driver would negatively effect the playability of the club?

[jvincent]

If you're talking about taking it off of the butt end, it will probably make it easier to hit.

[LobWedge]

I'm assuming that you're trimming from the butt-end. The swingweight will definitely change. The club will "feel" quite a bit lighter in your hands.

Lets say that your current driver has an assembled length of 45". Based on an average driver head weight of 198 grams and a raw shaft weight of 75 grams & 46", your swingweight should come out around D-4, close to Tour standard. Removing 1" in length should reduce the swingweight to about C-9, which is too light IMHO. You would need to add 4-5 grams of weight to the head (lead tape, lead-tungsten powder down the shaft, etc.) to get that swingweight back to around D-1, close to current OEM standards. I would suggest working in 1/4" increments instead. You may find that it only takes 1/4 - 1/2" less to get the feel/control you're looking for.

Good luck.

[BC MIST]

Hello all.

Just curious to know if cutting an inch off of a driver would negatively effect the playability of the club?

While the shortening of the shaft will lighten the feel of the club(swingweight), the 4 to 5 grams that it would take to get the SW back to what it was originally, if not added on, will not affect playability. While swingweight is a traditional way of measuring head feel, and is made to be seen as important, it is relatively meaningless.

However, by shortening the club 1" from the butt end, the frequency or stiffness of the club will go up 8-9 cpm's or almost a full flex. Your "R" shaft will be much closer to an "S" shaft. Having said that, another truism is that most OEM shafts are not labelled correctly in the first place. Every one of the dozens of clubs that I have frequencied, are labelled stiffer than they actually are. So by cutting an inch off, you are likely making the club more suitable for your swing.

[MattGrass]

Bit of a hijack. I was thinking of cutting down my old Wilson Deep Red driver to a length for my wife's set. She needs a decent club but there is no need to buy something expensive for her.

If its easy enough to shorten the shaft, would I then just regrip it and let er rip?

Aaron

[jvincent]

Yes, just put a new grip on and you'd be good to go.

Just remember that the shaft in the Deep Red will probably be too stiff for her swing so she won't get the best results out of it. That and the loft is probably too low since ladies tend to swing slower and as such need more loft.

[leftylucas]

I had my driver shaft cut and I am experincing some pull hooks when I swing too fast. I am thinking that I should add a little weight on the clubhead. Does anyone know how much weight to add on at a time. My driver is 44½, I am 5"8". I have 3 gram weights I can stick on the lower end of the shaft. I rather stay away from the clubhead. What do you knowledgeable gentlemen suggest?

[Chieflongtee]

Before you go through all this why don't you try gripping down on the club and see if you like it and if it feels different or if your shot dispersion is improved. Once you know if it does make a difference or not then you can go ahead with the changes. Gripping down will stimulate a shorter club in all aspects. Your left hand becomes the clamp.