Meet Jake
Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.
This is our driver shaft length guide. Read below to get to the driver shaft length chart.
Hitting a golf ball long is not the same as getting it to go straight. If you are a seasoned golfer, you already know this.
Usually, when players are on tour, they like to use a shaft with an average length of 44.5 inches. And what you find in shops are drivers with about 45.5 inches. What’s the difference? We’ll get to that in a moment.
The length that will give you your best speed depends on the player. And golf club manufacturers offer custom fittings precisely for this reason.
When it comes to shafts and drivers, golfers are perpetually looking at length because that is the thing that helps the golf ball go the distance, quite literally.
Most experienced players like their driver shafts to be about 1-3 inches longer compared to what is recommended as a standard.
But the length of the driver shaft is not the only factor. Here’s your driver shaft length guide if you are trying to hit the golf ball further than the competition.
Driver Shaft Length Chart By Height
| Height | Wrist To Floor Measurement | Driver Shaft Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5′ 0″ – 5′ 2″ | 28.50″ to 33.50″ | 41.5″ |
| 5′ 2″ – 5′ 4″ | 30.00″ to 34.00″ | 42.0″ |
| 5′ 4″ – 5′ 6″ | 30.75″ to 35.25″ | 43.0″ |
| 5′ 6″ – 5′ 8″ | 32.00″ to 37.00″ | 43.5″ |
| 5′ 8″ – 5′ 10″ | 34.00″ to 39.00″ | 44.0″ |
| 5′ 10″ – 6′ 0″ | 35.25″ to 40.25″ | 44.5″ |
| 6′ 0″ – 6′ 2″ | 36.50″ to 41.25″ | 45.0″ |
| 6′ 2″ – 5′ 4″ | 38.00″ to 42.00″ | 45.5″ |
| 6′ 4″ – 6′ 6″ | 38.25″ to 43.50″ | 46.0″ |
I recommend these driver shafts.
This driver shaft length chart is only a suggestion. It isn’t an exact science.
You can more or less get the same result by choking up on the golf club if you happen to have a driver that is too long!
The Importance of Driver Shaft Length
Players and even manufacturers focus on the length purely because it gives you a mathematical edge.
Many manufacturers are changing the length of the driver shaft so that the golfers can hit the ball at least an extra 10 yards. See our list of the best driver shafts to learn more.
But the first thing to keep in mind is that a long shaft, while enabling distance, makes it tougher for the player to keep control of the club itself.
And this, in turn, makes it tricky to achieve the perfect shot. You see, it is not just about distance but also accuracy. And you can’t afford to forsake one for the other.
By making the driver shaft long, you might occasionally get the outcome you want in terms of distance and accuracy.
But you will also be bringing along the risk of hitting the ball into the woods, water, or, worst of all, out of bounds.
The driver shaft length should be such that you can achieve both distance and accuracy together.
To not compromise on accuracy for distance, you need to be skillful about picking the right length. And there is no formula that we can hand over.
Golfers also don’t like having the shaft too short because they feel accuracy is a matter of control.
Still, distance is something the tech should enable for them.
And hitting long shots and lower scores is obviously more advantageous.
So, if the distance is your only concern, then moving the shaft length up is not a bad idea.
Here’s how you can make that an advantage without losing accuracy.
Distance
If you aim for the ball to go 250 yards, you need a driver shaft of 43 inches and must hit it on its screws.
If you increase the length by just half an inch, you can push the distance to 262 yards. And if you go for 44 inches, the ball can reach 270 yards.
If the ball starts resting near the fairway, getting an extra 20 yards is a big advantage. So, instead of a 5-iron (equal to 160 yards), you can hit a 7-iron (equal to 140 yards) to the green.
And if you want to see what happens, if you extend the length a little more and go for 44.5 inches, the ball will reach 275 yards.
It is another half an inch, and at the 45-inch mark, you will notice that it can go as far as 280-300 yards.
Accuracy
If you want the shot to have the accuracy, too, you want to make sure that the ball is in the open path or fairway as often as you can. And as tricky as it is, this can be done with longer shafts.
You just need to make sure you have practice and control beforehand. So, if you are hitting professionally, you want to do sometrial and errorwith an expert and see the right length for your style’s game.
Now to the final step. The perfect blend of accuracy and distance requires you to pair the length and flex of the club.
And there are a few things that both male and female golfers do when picking the right shaft. Let’s take a look.
Drivers for Men
The standard driver shaft length for men is 43.5 inches when the shaft is steel. If it is made of graphite, 44 inches is the norm. But in recent times, 45 inches has become the standard.
So, now you will see players carry around driver shafts anywhere from 45-48 inches long.
According to the Rules of Golf, they can’t go any higher than that because it is the maximum permitted length as dictated by theUnited States Golf Association(USGA).
Drivers for Women
If you are looking at female players, the standard length of drivers is one inch less than what is prescribed for men.
That came up to 43 inches for women’s drivers in the past. All that changed in 2012, and ever since, 44 inches has been the standard for women golfers.
But if you are watching a game with some of the smaller players, you might see them use drivers that are 48 inches.
If they can achieve that, you are probably looking at someone special. This is allowed, but as you now know, it takes a lot of skill to control those clubs.
How Long Is Too Long? Is That Legal?
Companies have been making drivers longer than 48 inches because they have been trying to cater to the needs of those who have taken up the sport for recreational purposes where there aren’t many rules.
This is why tee shots can go as far as 400 yards because they are being hit with drivers that are about 72 inches.
Drivers that are longer than 65 inches are often used to hit trick shots. But since these drivers are way above the permitted limit of 48 inches, you cannot use them in tournaments under the purview of the USGA.
Strictly in terms of legality, there was a time when you could have used drivers that were up to 60 inches long if you were participating in long-drive championships.
But these are for clubs that have wider swing bases, and even they have limited the length to 48 inches.
Now, the focus is less on the length of the shaft and more on the composition of the driver’s head.
More and more players are also trying to match the ball type to the driver to get the shot right instead of just increasing the length of the shaft.
What about Cutting It Down?
If you consider cutting the length down, that’s not a one-step decision either. Here’s what you need to consider before you do the trim.
Suppose you don’t get used to it before the competition.
When you are ready to address the golf ball, the look and feel of your club will be different since you will be a bit closer to the target. In that case, you will be uncomfortable and lack confidence while hitting the ball.
Once you make the switch, you should practice a little before competing with this club, especially if you trim it by more than one inch.
Then you must think about the weight of the golf club. When you trim your club, its weight also changes, and as you would suspect, that impacts your swing.
Once again, if you don’t have enough practice, you won’t be able to balance the weight and your strike, which means you won’t get the outcome you desire.
If you don’t want the weight to change, you can offset the lost weight with a relatively heavier shaft oradd lead tapeto the clubhead.
And finally, you must manage thestiffness of the shaft, which is the result when you trim the driver.
It is recommended to get a shaft of your desired length made in the factory instead of outsourcing it to a fitter you know.
This will reduce the flex, increasing your swing speed to get the same result as before the trim.
The Bottom Line
What we can easily assume is that typically, players who have rhythm and smoothness in their swing are better equipped to control a driver that has more length than the standard recommendation.
But some players have trouble with accuracy when using a longer shaft, especially if their focus is on presentation and not the score.
So, you must pick a shaft that works well with the speed of your swing and then match it with the length.
This only reinforces what we already know. There are no shortcuts to getting the perfect shot. Everyone needs to do their homework. Simple as that.
