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I am probably reshafting my driver sometime this summer. What is standard or stock shaft length for drivers? Would getting it butt trimmed 1" shorter make a noticeable difference in accuracy?

Tom Wishom, author of "The Search for the Perfect Golf Club" says that most golfers would be better off with a driver shaft length shorter than today's standard 45" length. He has a chart that shows wrist-to-floor length less than 40" would benefit by a shorter length. For ex. 36 to 37 inch wrist-to-floor measurement might be better with a 44" driver shaft and a 32 to 34 inch wrist-to-floor a 43" driver shaft. The best way to determine the best length is trial and error using contact tape on the driver face to see where you are hitting the face when striking the ball. Even though the shorter length shafts result in slower swing speed, the increase in hitting accuracy makes up for the slower swing speed with more distance.

Does he advocate for shorter fairway woods too!

I have 2 cleveland launchers, a 400 9.5 degrees and a 460 8.5 degrees. I shortened the 400 one inch this season and im not too impressed with it.
It is definitely more accurate but plays stiffer then the 460. Distance also feels lost on the 400 and needs a faster swing speed to get it up as high as the 460. But that is just me. if your looking for accuracy then shortening 1 inch will do alot interms of accuracy.

Hi, just wondering if you've done this yet LaGolf. I've been contemplating cutting off about an inch off my driver, making it 44", to help with accuracy. I've been experimenting at the range , choking down about an inch, and getting good results. I haven't noticed a lack of distance, but am a bit more accurate.

I'm wondering about swing weight if I do cut the shaft though. Stock swingweight on my R540 is D2. I'm assuming that if I really do chop off an inch on the butt end, I'd have to add the identical amount of weight at the butt end, just to keep the stock swingweight. Would the best way to do this is just add some lead tape under the grip as I regrip? Or does a one-inch removal off the butt end of a graphite shaft really make that much difference?

Then again, what effect would having the clubhead/shaft weight ratio more to the side of the head affect trajectory? Anyone have any experience doing this? What were your findings?

Cutting an inch off your driver shaft will lower your swing weight 6-8 points. You will need to use lead tape on the clubhead or a shaft tip weight to get it back into the D swing range.

I've heard this before, but I don't get it. Why would you add weight to the clubhead end to get back into the D swing range? To maintain the D2 swingweight, wouldn't you add the weight to where you removed it - at the end of the shaft?

Maybe I'm dense, but that doesn't make sense to me. Can someone give me a Reader's Digest version of what swingweight is? That would help. I thought it was the ratio of the weight of the grip end to the weight of the clubhead end. Thanks.

Swingweight is really a system of balance. It has nothing to do with the actual weight of the club. You can make a telephone pole a D-2 if you want. Having said that, cutting the shaft shortens the lever and moves the balance point. Cut yor shaft and put the original, or new identical grip on it and you will see the change when you check it on the swingweight scale. Hope this helps.

I understand that cutting one inch off the butt end shortens the lever and affects swingweight. What I was asking is how it would affect the club's swingweight.

Ok, so swingweight is a measure of balance, as I thought and tried to say. Then why do you suggest add weight on the clubhead end? That would move the balance towards the clubhead, away from its original balance point. Doing that, coupled with the missing weight from the now-gone 1" from the butt end would tip the scale even further toward the clubhead, no?

Logically, wouldn't I add weight to where I removed it - from the butt end of the shaft - instead of the clubhead end, to maintain the original, uncut-state balance point?

Or am I still mixed up?

Find the point on the shaft where the club will balance across your finger. Notice how much shaft is on the clubhead side of the balance point. When you remove an inch of the butt end, that balance point is going to move towards the clubhead, resulting in the clubhead feeling lighter, or even having less "feel" to you. Worse case it may cause you to overswing the club since one inch could lower your swingweight from D-2 to a C-4. To restore the balance weight will need to be added to the clubhead end of the shaft to get that heavier clubhead feeling back. I think I know what is confusing you, you are realizing that if you removed the grip without cutting the shaft and weighed the club, the swingweight would go up. If I am not explaing this good enough maybe one of the sponsers will take a shot at it.

I would think with the balance point further towards the clubhead, the clubhead would actually feel heavier. The way I'm thinking, is when I lop off one inch of the butt end, the only way to keep the balance point in the exact, original place, is to artificially add weight to the butt end again (by adding lead tape, whatever).

Well, you know what the club is now, I would weigh it if you haven't done so, make the cut, and put the grip back then weigh it again. You will see the drop in swingweight, 6-8 points on the scale, unless you go back with a heavier grip, the it will be more. At any rate, try the club like that and if you overswing, i.e. there will be control issues, start adding weight until you get it to where you like it and can control it. I prefer tip weights in the shaft to lead tape all over the club.

Hopefully Christian or someone will see this and do a better job of explaining it then I did.

Thanks for trying to get it through my thick head Forged. Hopefully someone can dumb it down better for me.

Any tips on cutting a graphite shaft? I was just thinking about using a hacksaw and a miter box, taping the ends to prevent splintering, then gently filing the cut end. Does that sound right?

If you have a circular saw, get the proper blade and use that. Otherwise use tape and a hacksaw. Becareful with a file though, use some 280 grit, or finer sandpaper. If you post your original question in Custom Golf Sales, or Innovex's forum you will probably get a faster answer, or just PM them.

I believe 45 inches is standard. Best to know lie angle and shaft flex changes before cutting that much. If you want to cut, do 1/2 inch off buttend for your first time. Many older golfers find it easier to hit accurately
with a modest cut on the shaft. My Driver performs very well at 44 1/2".
I also bilt a 46 and a quarter long 350cc for practice. It helps my swing a lot to hit that one