Does Adding Length To A Golf Shaft Always Add Distance To The Shot ?

BC John used the Ask Terry button to submit this question:

Q: I have never been able to hit driver well.  Therefore, I use my 3-wood off the tee.  I can usually hit the 3 wood 210-220 off the tee.  What are your thoughts about making my 3 wood the same lenght as my driver (44 1/2 inches) and only using that off the tee ?  Would that add 10-20 yards to my “drive.” I would probably not be able to use the longer 3 wood off the deck, but I rarely hit the 3 wood well off the deck anyway.  Thanks.

A: I commend your creativity, but think you will defeat the purpose by making your 3-wood driver length. 

There are two reasons for difficulty hitting driver, and one of them is the length, probably more than the loft.  The longer a club gets, the more unwieldy it becomes – that’s simple geometry. 

That’s why most tour players are still favoring drivers in the 44-45” range, while most amateurs are trying to figure out how to control that length and longer. 

Regarding making a 3-wood that much longer, you will also have trouble with the balance changing, as the swingweight will get quite heavy.  But if you hit it well, you might experiment with adding ½” or so to see if it gives you more distance.

I had a rather eye-opening demonstration last week when I was in Virginia with one of our Certified WedgeFitters.  He’s been prescribing stiffer shafts for his golfers than most would think they could handle, and then managing trajectory with the loft. 

I watched my partner, who’s a 14 handicap player and doesn’t hit it too far, have tremendous success with an X-shafted driver with 15 degrees of loft !!!  Who would have thought that ?  His accuracy was way better than he normally experiences, and the loft gave him the launch angle he needed.  Distance was as good or better than ever. 

To confirm that theory a bit, I just picked up a Sonartec NP-99 4-wood, which happened to have an X shaft in it (I play my woods at about 5.8 frequency).  My intention was to have it re-shafted, but I’m killing this thing, and hitting it laser straight, so I’m not touching it. 

My whole point here is that there are so many variables to distance and accuracy, one needs to proceed cautiously.  But in general, you ability to hit the ball consistently is very much a function of shaft length.