Shorter drivers, alternatives to driver, etc

DonM

Tons of stuff lately on big forums and YouTube about mini drivers, thrivers, big 3 woods, etc. I know the YT stuff is just driven by views. "Here I have this great new mini driver, blah blah blah." Then there are the ones where the person tries a 7 iron length driver, or a 5 wood shaft in the driver.

The thing is, no matter their motivation for the video, a lot of them hit the alternatives almost as far as their driver. Kind of makes me wonder why we guys here, who are smarter than the OEMs 😀, aren't playing 43 or 44 inch drivers. Not being sarcastic at all. Just actually wondering.

How much do you personally lose with a shorter driver? Is it more accurate for you? I know a couple of you play 47". I tried that but the bad shots were real bad. Right now I'm at 45.

potbunker

DonM

Playing a 44.5" has been my standard for 20 yrs +. I have never felt I was losing distance... but probably gained due to better ball striking. My currant driver is the first I played at "standard" since before 2000, and believe it is contributing in part to very poor driving the last few years.

Tried to re-shaft this weekend with a shorter shaft and adjust the swing weight via removable head weights, but I have the wrong adjustable sleeves. Not happy.

Eguller

Shorter = shorter. It might be better for some on a very tight course with loads of trouble to give
up some yardage. I've gone back to 46 - 46.5 and not lost much dispersion, but I did LD years back and
like the longer length. You'll not know unless you try it for yourself. 🏌

Par4QC

Eguller same here, 46-46.5.
At 45 I'll lose maybe 100 yds.
Due to the fact I'll slice the snot out of it. I can swing and hit a 3 wd well off the deck, but give me a shorter driver off the tee and it's crazy time...... in the next 2-3 fws!! To the right.

KCee

I've worked my way to 45" the last couple of years. My theory is I can go longer as I get older and weaker and swing easier. I was a lot longer with a 43" driver many years ago 😞

backinit

45" forever. Tried longer..didn't work. Tried shorter..pass.

sdandrea1

Every teeing club I've tried that is shorter than my driver goes "almost" as far as my driver and is no more accurate. I love my driver at 45".

azgreg

I'm 6'4" with a 39" WTF and I play my driver at 44.5".

sdandrea1

azgreg I'm 6'4" with a 39" WTF and I play my driver at 44.5".

I think the OP was asking about normal-sized players. You're in another league........and drivers with steel shafts don't count. 😘🤣

raggmann54

Tried longer and was longer off the tee but usually came down in another County to the right of where I was. Went back to 44.5", choke down about .5" and somewhat shorter but usually in the fairway. Decided it was better for my game to give up distance for accuracy and works for me - scores are lower since I'm not in the trees, high rough or lake.

azgreg

sdandrea1 and drivers with steel shafts don't count.

Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black baby!

sdandrea1

Back to OP. I guess it depends on how well you swing a full length driver and how much you value hitting fairways. I played 100% of my golf with a 2 wood in the late 90's because I couldn't find a fairway with a driver. I didn't start loving full length until I entered geezer-ville and my swing got shorter.

ode

Most of my thriver, mini experimenting has yielded little success. Find a formula for driver that works.and IMO there is no need for the thriver/mini. Also if the driver is a good fit, it should open up the ability to hit less than full and fwy finder of sorts type shot. Same goes for the next club up whether that's 3,4, 5w or for some 2h. Find the right formula for it and the need for the thriver/mini is much less as that club is suitable for a 2nd tee off option! These clubs seem like good options in theory but I don't see the need for them and their isn't much versatility in them either.

scotts33

ode For you and the kind of courses you play Chad at your age and skill level. Put you on where the LPGA KPMG tourney was this last week Sahalee Country Club tighter than tight. Then what do you say? LOL ☺

braveheart

I have settled on 45" or 45.25" works best for me. Went shorter and was shorter. The longer stock lengths on most of today's drivers are tough to control for me. Tried a few mini drivers and I found them tougher to hit than regular 3 woods.

Par4QC

scotts33 Can't speak for Chad, but I'll pull driver every hole at that course. And all/any others.

I laugh every time I watch the PGA, and see a player pull the fw club on the 'tight hole'. Then proceed, more often than not, to hit it exactly where they would have hit driver with full swing.
In the trees/deep rough/water.

ode

scotts33 I'd be happy with breaking 80. It's a combo of tight and fairly severe greens/surrounds. Rough although no joke was not that severe. Stay away from short siding yourself and I believe it would be doable. Bogey option par kind of course! Too hard to tell tee strategy from the TV.....as long as there weren't doglegs or big sweepers, driver would be in play on most holes or considered. OB/water did not appear to be a thing off the tee. I'll be honest I did not care for the course based on what I could see (although quite beautiful)...way too many encroaching trees leaving extremely narrow openings/corridors. 👈That being said I'd love a crack at it✅⛳

sdandrea1

azgreg Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black baby!

You've joined the new millennium! 👍👍

shokosugi

I love mini drivers. For me, easier to hit, longer and more forgiving than a standard 3 wood with similar workability. Compared to a driver, again a little easier to hit, more workable with distance that is between your normal driver and 3 wood (depending on the loft you use). I've tried heavier/shorter drivers and just prefer the smaller mini driver head. For me and my buddies, we don't care how many clubs we have in the bag so there's always room for these niche clubs. Now I carry an 8 deg driver, 10.5 deg mini and a 14 deg 3 wood - I could easily ditch 1 or 2 of these clubs and still score the same lol. For me, its nice to have an alternative for a short/tight par 4 or one where a full driver would get me into trouble. As well, i struggle mightily hitting a draw with my driver so if a draw is required, I have more luck using a mini driver or 3 wood. My normal driver is typically a 46.5-47" and on most days its easy enough to hit and not much harder than a standard 45" ,but everyday is different. I figure if I put enough clubs in the bag, at least one will work 😜

garyt1957

I think my current driver is 46". I'll choke down as much as 3" to avoid having to hit a 3 wood off the tee. I'm just much better with the driver.
I broke my driver the other day 3 holes in so I moved up to senior tees and played 3 wood in. I was less accurate with the 3 wood than I would have been choking up on the driver and even playing driver at full length. It wasn't bad and I still scored well but hit very few center cut like I will with driver. I don't get why I'd want to give up that massive head and forgiveness for the much smaller 3 wood head?
I did fool around with a really short driver like in one of those youtube videos because, why not? I believe it was around 6 iron length. I think I got around 175 yards with it.
I probably lose 15 yards choking down 3" on my driver.

DonM

garyt1957 I'll choke down as much as 3" to avoid having to hit a 3 wood off the tee. I'm just much better with the driver.

I have to learn this. I try it now and then but not very well.

We have several holes where my driver can go too far because of cross bunkers, huge tree in the middle, dogleg, etc. Some of them I could use a driver going 10-20 yards less.

johnnydoom

Have no idea how a modern driver plays at 43 or 44 inches,. All I know is that in recent years I've played a Titleist D17, Ping G400, and TaylorMade M3 at 45 inches and they are more accurate than the 43 inch drivers I played in the old days. Still have a few 360 - 400 cc drivers at shorter lengths laying around. I never use anything but driver off the tee these days unless I need to layup in front of something I can't carry. I used to tee off with a 3 wood or 2 iron to narrow landing spots and hit them much more reliably than driver, but with modern drivers set up to maximize MOI I don't feel any safer going with a shorter club. I don't know if my overall loss of distance plays into that as I now hit driver about the distance I used to hit 3 wood.

Typhoon

DonM garyt1957 I'll choke down as much as 3" to avoid having to hit a 3 wood off the tee. I'm just much better with the driver.

I have to learn this. I try it now and then but not very well.

This is the “stinger driver” shot I described earlier in the thread. It’s flawless… so much more reliable off the tee than 3 wood