# Shortening a Driver



## Sandwedge

I am curious has anyone here ever shortened their driver? I just purchased a callaway Big Bertha - I hit it pretty good - but if feels pretty long and it's forcinbg me to have a much wider backswing then I like or can control. I am 5'10 - I was thing think about having a 1/4 inch or so taken off the length of the club - has anyone ever done this to a driver?? any serious reason why not too????


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## 65nlovenit

I have the Big Bertha 454, and yes you can and should have the club "Fitted" to your height. I'm 5'9, but overall height is not how they figure the proper length of your driver. Its the distance from the floor to the bend in your wrist, when your standing normally. My club was 45 inches when I took it in, its now 43 1/2, and it does make a definite difference. You may lose one or two yards, but you'll gain a ton of control and accuracy.


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## pat.p

You should be able to do it yourself if you google it you will find all the detail but if you are gonna do it put masking tape or something were your going to cut it then then you wont splinter the graphite!


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## Sandwedge

*forget it! it's a really bad really bad idea*

I hung out with a friend who is a pga pro and a teacher. He told me he thought it was a bad idea to do this- I already had one inch taken off my big bertha and I was hitting it worse then before. He offered to analyized my swing and said it looked perfect - he then grabbed my driver and tried hit it. He said it felt terrible - gave it to his friend who said it was the worst weighted most crappy feeling driver ever. He then handed me his Mizuno Mx 500 and said take the same swing but use my driver (shaft was the standard 45 inches)- I knocked the hell out of the ball- I hit it straight and we walkout and marked the yardage - it went 307 - needless to say I sold the Big Bertha immediately and picked my self up a Mizuno mx 500 - just like his - it has the normal 45 inch shaft - I hit the hell out of the ball now and I can create slight fades and hooks occasionally - I strongly reccomend not screwing with the length of your driver and just learning how to hit it. - at least that in the end was what I need to do! 
Sw


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## 65nlovenit

A standard off the shelf driver from ALL the major golf manufacturers is 45 inches. Where they got this arbitrary length is anybody's guess. For a man 6 foot whatever this is a perfect length club, what happens when your not 6 foot whatever. Its like trying to swing a telephone post and get it squared up at impact. If you research driver length using guys like Tom Wishon or Malby, who make custom clubs for the big boys, they both say that 45 inches in most cases is TOO long for the average height guy. They also strongly recommend getting fitted to your set of clubs, that means shortening every club in an off the shelf set. Not everybody has to have their clubs shortened, you could be that magic number that the golf companies designed their clubs for. But when guys like Tiger Woods get theirs cut down I think thats good enough for me.


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## Sandwedge

*point taken but...*

I understand your point and I think you are right. One thing to keep in mind is that with a lot of these new graphite shafts they have a specific snap point to maximize the club itself. I am 5'10 and I can hit the 45 well - but to each his own and I agree that clubs should be fitted - I only related my story cuz I think these shafts are engineered to be that length and I noticed a big difference once I found the right club - so in the end - for me it was the right club maybe more then the shaft length - that being said I think shaft length can help maximize the club and increase distance..at least it did for me. but you know like clint eastwood says...opinions are like a$$holes - everyone has one


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## Golfbum

Sandwedge said:


> I understand your point and I think you are right. One thing to keep in mind is that with a lot of these new graphite shafts they have a specific snap point to maximize the club itself. I am 5'10 and I can hit the 45 well - but to each his own and I agree that clubs should be fitted - I only related my story cuz I think these shafts are engineered to be that length and I noticed a big difference once I found the right club - so in the end - for me it was the right club maybe more then the shaft length - that being said I think shaft length can help maximize the club and increase distance..at least it did for me. but you know like clint eastwood says...opinions are like a$$holes - everyone has one


Both my drivers play at 44 inches and I have no problems with them. 
Your old Bertha compared to a new Mizzy is like comparing apples to oranges. Different shafts play a huge role in drivers.
Tom Wishon, one of the pioneers of club fitting recomends drivers be 43-44 inches. This guy is not stupid either!
One inch off your driver will not cause much lose in distance and this has been proved by swing machines that hit it perfect every time.
5 yards less and in the short grass beats 5 yards longer and being in the hay!


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## Ace

Swingweight ... You cant just cut off the end of your shaft to fit you. the swing weight will be off and the club will be worthless.. i feel bad for whoever bought that cally


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## Fourputt

Golfbum said:


> Both my drivers play at 44 inches and I have no problems with them.
> Your old Bertha compared to a new Mizzy is like comparing apples to oranges. Different shafts play a huge role in drivers.
> Tom Wishon, one of the pioneers of club fitting recomends drivers be 43-44 inches. This guy is not stupid either!
> One inch off your driver will not cause much lose in distance and this has been proved by swing machines that hit it perfect every time.
> 5 yards less and in the short grass beats 5 yards longer and being in the hay!


I cut 1" off my FTi, and it has improved my consistency. My swing still comes and goes, but at least I seem to strike the ball closer to the center now than I was with the stock 45" shaft. It really didn't change the feel of the club that much, and if it had, it's easy enough to add some lead tape to the clubhead to bring it back to the original specs.


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## Topflite_d2

Well sandwedge I know you have probably made up ur mind but I will still give my opinion, since I have done it before. I cut my 500 Intech Hornet driver way too short now it just sits in the basement until i shrink my self to like 4'3" tall. I cut it an inch at a time until I finally relized that I cut it way too short. The only way I would shorten another driver is if I bought another driver worth at least 150 dollars and take it to the guys at Nevada Bob's. Everytime i'm in there they are so helpful. Just my 2¢.


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