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see I’ve had and and mad it is mad because it defies logic does you gain ball speed yeah I mean you should swing this slower yeah that’s what I’m just going to say just going to say how we getting more cled speed out the shter shaft it’s weird isn’t it I mean it is regular flex but it’ll play to about a stiff because it’s tipped an extra inch yeah so the flex shouldn’t really give you more speed this is crazy is it cuz we were at right Connor I’ve got a challenge for you okay I’ve got a dilemma at the moment by where bit like the previous video we just completed about sort of Club head speed um launch being your friend so to speak but I want to move that concept into driver I’ve traditionally always gone into most custom fits with the opinion that I kind of use a 9 or 10 and a half degree head because that’s what I’ve always used so that would be kind of the starting position but I’m also very fond of the kind of mini driver concept that being shorter shaft can you build me out a driver 460cc head more Loft maybe a shorter shaft you’re nodding we can yeah we can definitely yeah and and put my mind at rest I want to know how it performs I mean I’m not expecting to hit it as long I want to create a fairway finder yeah Titan dispersion okay we can give it a goal definitely plenty of options so good luck okay I’m not saying this is going to work but I would really like to see if it benefits me and potentially would benefit a lot of other average golfers out there you know Sunday Best am at 23235 carry that’s all I do okay probably you know realistically I don’t know maybe less again right so we started off with predominately what I’ve used in the past which was Tensai blue uh stiff shaft 60 G yeah 65 65 but we were 45 in so a little bit shorter and we did okay yeah but you’re going to switch up into something different yeah so we’re going to go into a counterbalanced um hazardous blue okay so spin was quite high in the T side and you were losing it right a lot so we want to get something that’s going to start left just to play with that gentle fade that you’ve got yeah um and I think we could do launch it a little bit higher as well okay that’s quite solid I love that nice yeah I I did that all day long I take that all day long it’s probably good to point out as well so that previous one he to which yeah it started left it’s going to be in the left R but if you’ve got say 10 and 1 12° as opposed to 12 yes that’s going to fly lower it’s going to curve more cuz it’s going to spin less so rather than being 150 yards out you’re going to be 180 yards out probably further less be yeah essentially yeah drive that’s the big that’s the big thing that’s what I’ve done that’s the big uh that’s that high te again that’s fine though isn’t it I mean even if that’s spun up a b still 222 carry we’ve just hit with a counterbalance shaft which I don’t know what was different in terms of the feel it certainly felt very different I said It felt more stable which was probably wrong um but either way I loved it yeah and we got some decent numbers and it did it do what you intended in terms of yeah really good so in the 10o we were losing some good drives but losing a lot of it right okay the ones that did kind of go on the the target line just slightly down the left we’re launching at 12° in this new counterbalanced Option everything is starting left left side and peeling back nicely and the launch on average is 14 and half degrees as well so you’re launching it higher yeah and just getting a right start line so well so the again the perception could be that at times you launch the ball higher if that has a lot of spin that can be counterproductive but in this case as long as that spin number stays down yeah the combination is good is that correct perfect yeah you High launch low spin is what you want you don’t want to spin too low obviously but no as long as you’re in the right shaft and getting the right just getting the right numbers then High launch can be your friend really more so then so for me if I come in for custom fit right now I’d be more than happy with both both in terms of dispersion so we’re carrying 225 we’ve got 26 spin um launching a 14 and a half i’ buy the driver all day long but you say there’s one more thing that you might want to try but it is very much I say you try I want to try yeah I’ve insisted I try a shorter shaft and we’re going to go into a three-wood shaft so where are we going to then this is a three-wood shaft so three-wood shaft so that’s coming out of 44 in as opposed to 45 and we’ve moved to a 5.5 so regular flex shaft okay because Fairway would chaster tipped a bit more so it would play a lot stiffer okay I mean the interesting thing for me I mean and and it might be just a personal thing and I’ve been on about it I’ve been on about it maybe for too long and I’ve bought into own sort of waffle is that it’s just the control element before I actually hit a golf ball I feel like I’m you know just more control closer to the ball yeah I feel like I’ve already got more control already got more confidence and then uh yeah good start yeah really good really really good I’m going to literally mess up all your numbers now with a 3w shot in a drive ahead because that first ball if we can maintain that at least anyway that first ball at a quick glance over is pretty much hit some decent uh data parameters there across the board everything is yeah solid it’s good nice what did that a 220 carry 2,300 spin launch 12.2 I think yeah too bad big 231 certainly uh yeah powerful isn’t it yeah and it felt out the middle which is the interesting B good ball speed 98 Club hit speed right so I mean you should swing this slower yeah that’s what I just going to say just going to say how we getting more cled speed out the sh of shaft it’s weird isn’t it I mean it is regular flex but it’ll play about a stiff because it’s tipped an extra inch yeah so the flex shouldn’t really give you more speed this is crazy a it see I’ve had and andad it is mad because it defies logic does you gain ball speed yeah B well the ball speed I get because of the center yeah perhaps finding the center more consistent probably an interesting one yeah that’s crazy is it that’s mad these are going out yeah hitting really well it felt better than that it’s it’s been a thing where the initial video was supposed to be like I said about the shorter shaft with Loft yeah cuz essentially to me we’ve created a mini driver but we’ve got a 460 head yeah because they’re all coming out between 11 and 13° the manyi drivers with a 300 CC head so why not try it in a it’s like why why why not just have more confidence in the head profile if that’s your thing yeah but I do like this idea of and you’re right you know from a confidence perspective I feel like I’m got better control of the club head it’s tidy isn’t it right first of all thanks for humoring me and uh sticking the three-wood shaft in I know it’s not necessarily the done thing but um like I said just something playing on my mind for quite some time but I think each of us are probably a little bit surprised as to some of the things that happened yeah really good it was really good the performance was excellent the control bit was really good I think for me the club head speed was maybe a bit of surprise yeah I’d have expected the club head speed to dip maybe two or three miles an hour yeah but pretty much from in did g point two you that’s a just a confidence thing maybe most likely the confidence of just being being Clos to the ball and just having more control of it what you have in your hands and then to be to be fair in terms of uh the sort of heat map on the club phase it it remained consistent the strike didn’t it with yeah struck both pretty much out of the middle yeah didn’t didn’t differ no oddly enough we gained a little bit of ball speed yeah uh with the three-wood shaft and for those who are kind of interested in that sort of 96 Club head speed uh 140 ball speed and I think it was 96 maybe 139 so it very very similar wasn’t it um but again I was it safe to say all the other parameters were similar launching launch maybe one degree low that’s the only only difference which would give you fracture more ball speed so they’re pretty even all around and then the spin again was spin was 27 yeah okay um which is where you want to be so I think we’ll leave it there the lesson I’ve learned is certainly to be very much open-minded to uh well in this case something very very different to try you can only do these kind of things really in custom fit and with the advice and guidance of uh of people like Connor so well done Bud thank you I really like what we ended up with it might be conventional but it’s certainly something that I like the idea of bit more control not giving up a great deal of distance and all them other parameters hit the spot so maybe you’ll see that with uh it’ll be out on the fairways very very soon and we’ll see how we get on thanks as ever for watching don’t forget stick some comments down below let me know what you thought this video and I will see you all very soon
49 Comments
Another excellent video Andy. Like I told you before I was a certified club pro, fitter and club builder.
I'm older now and I use a 13* three wood and 43.5" fiberglass fiber speed shaft and with a roll average
250 or more yards. So you are right on the money on your testing. Now fitters are testing softer shafts in irons with flatter lies 6* fir straighter shots.
I took and older Callaway driver, cut it down at the butt to 3 wood length, put a midsize Winn light grip on to get the swing weight back to D1. It's in my bag just a little stuff but a great fairway finder. No loss of distance either.
When u are saying 3w shaft….are you just speaking of length only, or are you also using different weight shaft?
Thank you Andy! I’m trying it out this week!
Great video idea! I already have a shorter driver and 3 wood because I always seem to have problems with the shafts too long!
check the swing weight and find the one that benefits you the most, that is what is going on here. Don't just go cutting shafts shorter as you will make them lighter sure, but the flex and cpm will go all over the place and you will spend more money not knowing why a fitting was important in the first place.
I changed to the TM mini driver this year and was amazed at the results. Only about 10 yards lost but I’m finding so many fairways and my GIR went up. I play off six and it helped me. Use what works, not what you think you should have in the bag. It’s not a driving competition it’s a scoring competition!
I recently went to a 12 degree driver with a ladies shaft. I am hitting 20 meters longer and straighter than my 10.5 regular shaft taylormade driver. I am a vertically challenged high handicapper senior. This new driver was fitted by the local professional
Its much easier to swing a short shaft I cut 4” off my driver best thing I ever did
What loft were you playing the mini driver at and how did he change the weight to keep swing weight the same?
I always find this kind of video really interesting so thank you. I'm using a Ping G400 standard head with a Tour AD IZ4 shaft at 44.5 inches. Don't miss many fairways and haven't noticed a drop off in distance compared to my old full length driver. I might push the loft up a touch after watching this 👍
Less total surface area moving through the air means less total drag.
I played the burner minidriver 2023 season and were amazed of it. Before that i had a sim 2 max d driver but the mini was more consistent with the same yardeg. So for 2024 season i took the minidriver-shaft (proforce) and stuck it in my sim 2-head and boy thas it perform. I aint missing a fairway again💫
Yes we all can't afford custom fittings standing at the tee with a regular driver and shaft feels like I am standing miles away from the ball as a 5 foot 6inch man ladies clubs makes sense cutting shafts down is not a easy do it yourself fix manufacturers are missing out we are not all the same height or have thousands to spend on made to measure clubs
Great video can I ask what shaft you used on 44 inch 3 wood shaft and did you change weights at bottom of driver to correct swing weight
This is the video I’ve been waiting for
Struggling with a standard length driver for years
Not putting up with it any longer
mini driver is just a 3 wood…just an admission you can't hit a driver!
I respect you a lot but his video was a waste of your time to film it and mine to watch it. You are so good it does not really matter what driver you use.
For those who want details on the shaft – Hazardus Yellow 60gram regular 3 wood shaft – no weight added to head 👍
I added a regular driver length shaft to my 13.5 degree TM BRNR mini and hit it longer and straighter than ever. I am about to have my 80th birthday and stay close to 200 yards and around100+ club head speed.
It all about how you feel and what gives you the most confidence as you say , think he got a bit of a shock 😁
Playing 3 years now and use no driver or even hybrids-use 15 ,18 and 21 degree utility irons plus a 2 iron off the fairway, took a while to hit them right but now wouldn't part ever with them. Not your distance but 230 average with direction is good for me. Used 2 drivers,tried and bortowed others and no theyre not for me. Interesting video this.
Andy, can you please Share where the fitting centre was featured in this vídeo?
your wrists are locked!!!! LOOSEN THEM UP and you'll gain 40 yards instantly! Imagine throwing a frisbee with your wrist locked, it won't go anywhere and have almost no spin, that's what you're doing. Relax your wrists and whip the head at the ball, stop swinging the club as one heavy piece.
Did you get a heavier shaft in a 3 wood length?
Another great video Andy ,I've recently shortened my Ai Smoke driver also added a 14 gram weight to the back rather than the standard 7 gram .Boom, distance improved 20-30 yards and hitting alot more fairways and no 3 off the Tee as yet.
Been playing a graphite design 3 wood shaft length in my TS driver for years – steadily converting the rest of the guys to the shorter shaft……..😂
Watched the previous video, then cut an inch of my driver shaft. Much better, no loss in distance and better control. Need a 12* head now though 🤔
A summary to your conclusion at the end. I wont spend the rest of my life behind the goddamm screen
What happens when you put the 5 wood shaft in a 3 wood head ? More playability off the fairway !
cool i’m just a average golfer and love the game can’t afford to play any more no work from this lds state i live in a right
I think maybe you gained more speed with the shorter driver because you felt more confident? With more confidence, that could result in more aggressive swings.
Very interesting analysis, shows what a shorter shaft gives you in the way of more confidence. Keep the ideas coming Andy.. 😊😊
Why do you think Rory went to a shorter driver….43" I think
At 235 yd. (95-98 mph CHS) why use a stiff shaft?
Have you tried a 5 wood shaft? Should be easier again to hit fairways with good distance. Especially for mid-high handicaps
Great test Andy! I ditched the 45 inch shaft earlier this year and found far more fairways with a 43 inch shaft on a 460 head. It really does work from a fairway finding point of view, which for a 16 handicapper like me is more important than a few more yards off the tee.
Great video. Question how much weight did you add to the head when you shortened the shaft. Thanks
I was fitted years ago by Titleist on a 910D2 driver with a 3 wood shaft
I've been playing my.local course for 8 years with a 45" long driver. Cut it down this year to 43.75" and I hit the longest drive I ever have on hole 16 within 3 rounds on the short driver. Just bombing all the fairways as far as I ever had and I was far more confident. Just had to add weight to the head to maintain swingweight
I've been wondering about Ihis. I think it's time to start tinkering again 😅
Bought a 2008 Bridgestone 12 deg head, slapped in $10 Apollo steel driver shaft (Monark Golf) a grip and boom…280 fairway. Used to spray it 295.
Borrowed a set of r11 woods years ago and messing around one day swPped the 5 wood shaft into the driver head and hit straighter and longer than my reg.driver, but never continued with experimenting like this,I should have, I hit that 5 wood shafted driver 268 yards on a 261 yard par 4 yes just over the back of the green,should have learned something from that
Just like most golf videos on YT…. More confusion, questioning one’s own confidence and messing about with the contents of their bag. No one is interested in buying customised clubs second hand custom fit, non conventional is high risk and you’re just better having lessons with a decent pro.
Let’s have a look at what’s in the bag…. Again again again. Funny the most consistent players at most clubs don’t have new, shiny, clean clubs. 🙈
It does not defy logic, with your short backswing the reg. shaft is better suited for you.
@TheAverageGolfer Completely new to this but here it goes … I own a Ping G430 Max driver with a standard Alta CB 65 Regular driver shaft in it. I would like to put an Alta CB 65 Regular 3 fairway wood shaft in … en replace the 25 gram Tungsten weight by a 34 gram Tungsten. Would that correct the swing weight in a good way since the driver head is only 206 grams compared to the 218 grams of the G430 Max FW 3 ? Or am I completely wrong ?
Objectif is to be more accurate from the tee since my driver is all over the place with the standard driver shaft lenght.
This channel has just turned into a PXG advert lol
I have been saying this ever since the most recent mini-drivers cams out – why not just shorten the driver? I think the move from stiff in your driver to regular flex in your shortened driver was also helpful. Anyway, thank you for this most interesting video.
I was just thinking about this exact thing last week or so and had a stock driver shaft cut down to 43.75 like a mini driver shaft but my plan is also to use it with either my 10.5 deg Ai Smoke driver head or my 12 deg Mavrik driver head. No mini driver, just stock driver head 460cc. I do have a heavier head weight to make up for the shorter shaft too. What head do you think will work best with this shaft length?