In terms of golf, the length of the shaft of your golf club plays a huge role on your game as a whole. I know I got you hooked with the title but the rest will probably be boring because you either love golf or hate it. I myself like it so much that i made it my major in college. Now I can learn about the importance of long and short shafts! Ya shafts woo.
But seriously, when it comes down to actually trying to improve your game in golf, shaft lengths are extremely important if you want to gain control and distance of your golf shots. For example, long shafts are for giving your golf shot more distance and sending the ball further, where as short shafts result in a shot with less length. With long shafts, the control of the shot is lowered, but as you shorten the shaft, the control increases. Why is this? As stated here, the shaft is often looked at as, “the engine of the golf club”. This is because the shaft connects the golfers hands to the club head and drives momentum into the club and transferring energy forward.
Along with length comes flex and weight. These go hand in hand when it comes down to shaft importance. For stronger players with faster swing speeds, a stronger and longer shaft is needed in order to keep the ball in the fairway. If you are too strong and swinging a club that is too flexible, you are guaranteed to never hit the ball where you want it to go. On the other hand, people with slower speeds need a a shaft with more flexibility or whip, in order to get around on the ball and go straight.
If your having a hard time picturing the ideal shaft and how it works with the golf swing, look here. Trust me the link will help. Anyway, the science of the ideal shaft is highly dependent on the length, flexibility, and weight and I hope you picked up some knowledge on golf club shafts.
Sources:
http://wishongolf.com/how-important-is-the-shaft-in-the-performance-of-golf-clubs/
I am curious to if the shaft stiffness plays a role in your shot. I have a quicker and stronger swing then most of my friends. Would it be beneficial to look at stiffness as a variable or should you just focus on the length of the club?
Thanks for your post! As a casual golfer, I had no idea that the length of a club shaft increases or decreases driving accuracy and performance. I always thought that the taller players needed longer shafts. Golf is truly an amazing sport that I think gets a bad reputation for being boring. Even though I love basketball, football, and hockey, I believe that golf is just as fun and definitely does not deserve to take a backseat. It can also be the most frustrating sport out of the four. Nothing gets me more upset than hooking a drive or three-putting from 15 feet. I was wondering if shaft length also plays a role in other clubs like irons? I know you’ve probably seen Happy Gilmore probably a hundred times, but these scenes are classic.
I am really glad you made this post, because I am thinking of buying a new set of golf clubs, because the set I currently have is a pair of hand-me-downs that my father gave to my older brother when he stopped playing, and then I eventually took over the clubs when my brother moved away after he graduated college. Needless to say I need a new set and I have no idea where to start looking as far as club specs go. I want clubs that are made of better material because the ones I have are carbon fiber and I hate the feel of them., but I had no idea that club length made such an impact on the effects of my shot. I will definitely consult your links before I buy a new set.