Question:
…[ Valid math deleted on angular and linear velocity ]… If we assume that the distance a ball is hit by a club is positively related to the speed of the club’s head at impact, then if the other
remember this word^^ factors (i.e. downswing arc length, time taken for the downswing, hitting the ball perfectly every time) are held constant then a longer shaft produces a longer drive.
That’s true ONLY if the club has the same "heft". If something is significantly different, then you WILL affect the angular velocity. The "something" could be (depending on the swing model): - Moment of inertia of the club. - Ratio of moment of inertia to first moment. - Swingweight. - Other possibilities exist. BUT… If you make the club "heavier" by one of these parameters, you WILL slow down the angular velocity. So whether it results in more distance or less will take more detailed analysis than a simplistic one of angular velocity times radius. Making a club longer, using THE SAME HEAD AND SHAFT, will increase the heft and slow down the angular velocity. You must use lighter weight components to keep the heft the same (and thus keep your simplistic analysis true). However, the distance the ball goes is also positively related to the clubhead weight (though a smaller effect than clubhead speed). So if you keep the heft the same by making the club longer and the head lighter, it will take some analysis to tell whether you’re increasing or decreasing distance. (Usually this will increase distance.) Hope this helps. Dave
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In my opinion ther manufacturers do not make sets of woods that the average golfer needs. The average player should have a 2-wood, 4-wood, and 7-wood, in their bags. Most players have better control, and distance with a 2 or fairway driver. thanks, Darrell 
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I totally agree a 2 wood will offer more distance to the average golfer than a driver pierre France – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In my opinion ther manufacturers do not make sets of woods that the average golfer needs. The average player should have a 2-wood, 4-wood, and 7-wood, in their bags. Most players have better control, and distance with a 2 or fairway driver. thanks, Darrell
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I believe Rocky Thompson uses a 52" killer bee on the Senior Tour
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood? — The accuracy resulting from using the 3-wood rather than the driver corresponds to the increased loft of the 3-wood. More loft = more backspin = less sidespin = less right/left curvature of the ball. Also, the 3-wood’s shorter shaft length results in better overall control of the club at the top of the backswing. Increasing the shaft length of the 3-wood would probably decrease accuracy. I’ve found that the 3-wood actually carries farther than my 8.5 degree driver. However, the 3-wood produces less roll than the driver. If playing in wet conditions, because of the increased carry, the 3-wood may actually produce longer drives than the driver. Ain’t physics grand!!
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Field) writes:
<snip BTW: What do the laws say about the maximum length of clubs? Surely if there were no restrictions then you could construct a club 15 feet long and belt the ball a mile (literally)?
I can see in the rule book that a shaft must be at least 18 inches long, but there is no mention of maximum length. I remember Jarmo Sandelin experimenting with a 50" driver a couple of years ago. I don’t know if he still uses it. 15 feet!!! Now that would be interesting! Regards, Jonty
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Tim: The 1996 Rules of Golf (as adopted by the R&A and the USGA) say: "Rule 4-1 (Form and Make of Clubs): A club is an implement designed to be used for striking the ball … The player’s clubs shall conform with the provisions of this Rule and with the specifications and interpretations set forth in Appendix II. … Rule 4-1a (General): The club shall be composed of a shaft and a head. All parts of the club shall be fixed so that the club is one unit. … The club shall not be substantially different from the traditional and customary form and make … Rule 4-1b (Shaft): [NOTHING ABOUT LENGTH.] Appendix II/4-1b (Shaft): … LENGTH: The overall length of the club shall be at least 18 inches (457mm) measured from the top of the grip along the axis of the shaft or a straight line extension of it to the sole of the club." So, the only restriction would be if the term "substantially different from the traditional and customary form and make" would apply to overall length. Traditionalist would say a 15 foot shaft WOULD be "substantially different". I wanna know how that thing would fit into your golf bag … or on the back of a golf cart … or in your car! Neil PS: I see you’re a Kiwi from Wgtn. Do you know a gal named Anne Smith, who’s sort of a head hunter (finds jobs for people)? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have put a 3 wood shaft on my driver. It gives me a little more control. I have not found a noticable distance loss either. The longer the shaft the tougher it is to control. BTW: What do the laws say about the maximum length of clubs? Surely if there were no restrictions then you could construct a club 15 feet long and belt the ball a mile (literally)? —
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I have put a 3 wood shaft on my driver. It gives me a little more control. I have not found a noticable distance loss either. The longer the shaft the tougher it is to control.
angular_velocity = angle_covered / time_taken Therefore, if the downswing arc (angle_covered) and the tempo of the swing (time_taken) are held constant from club to club, then the angular_velocity is constant. linear_velocity = angular_velocity * radius If the angular_velocity is constant, then the speed of the club head (linear_velocity) is solely dependent on the length of the shaft (radius). If we assume that the distance a ball is hit by a club is positively related to the speed of the club’s head at impact, then if the other factors (i.e. downswing arc length, time taken for the downswing, hitting the ball perfectly every time) are held constant then a longer shaft produces a longer drive. So it seems to me that in choosing the length of the shaft you can either have greater control (shorter shaft) or greater distance (longer shaft). Doesn’t *directly* apply to putters, of course. BTW: What do the laws say about the maximum length of clubs? Surely if there were no restrictions then you could construct a club 15 feet long and belt the ball a mile (literally)? —
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Aw, just paint a big "3" on your driver’s clubhead, grip it and rip it!
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It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood?
You can do this by gripping down the shaft slightly. It’s more to do with having less loft on a driver than the shaft length. The straighter the face the more accentuated any hook or slice spin becomes. Bye, Jonty
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Jack Nicklaus won many tournaments in his prime with a 43" driver, the same length as a modern 3-wood, the shorter length will give more control and accuracy with maybe a 5-10 yd sacrifice in distance, which is negligible considering the alternative of consistently beating the driver into trouble. When actually reshfting your driver to 3 wd length make sure that you match the frequency of your 3 wd to your new reshafted driver, that way you will make sure you have consistency from club to club. If you have questions about frequency matching you can check out my website at www.precisionfit.com good luck, Scott
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood? — The shoter shaft would certainly help yor accuracy, but the main difficulty most people experience with the accuracy of the driver is the low loft of the club. It will put less back spin and more side spin (on a less than perfect hit) on teh ball, contributing to a hook or slice. The 3 wood’s loft imparts more backspin and less sidespin than the driver, resulting in less slicing & hooking. Try the opposite, put a 3 wood head on a longer (ie: driver) shaft. — Norman Unsworh, Owner Clark Systems Custom Golf Visit our Web Site at http://home.earthlink.net/~clarksystems/
I have put a 3 wood shaft on my driver. It gives me a little more control. I have not found a noticable distance loss either. The longer the shaft the tougher it is to control.
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It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood?
The club would feel funny because there is not enough mass in the club head of a driver. You would need to weight the head by something like 6 or so grams. I have better results taking a 3 wood head and making the shaft closer to a driver length. The swing weight is a little on the high side but I like it that way; keeps me from pulling the ball. Best wishes – Tom
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It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood? —
The shoter shaft would certainly help yor accuracy, but the main difficulty most people experience with the accuracy of the driver is the low loft of the club. It will put less back spin and more side spin (on a less than perfect hit) on teh ball, contributing to a hook or slice. The 3 wood’s loft imparts more backspin and less sidespin than the driver, resulting in less slicing & hooking. Try the opposite, put a 3 wood head on a longer (ie: driver) shaft. — Norman Unsworh, Owner Clark Systems Custom Golf Visit our Web Site at http://home.earthlink.net/~clarksystems/
Response:
It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood? —
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It seema that a 3 wood off the tee is much easier to control than the driver. I know there are many people who don’t even use a driver. What would happen if… a driver head was fitted with a shaft the length of a 3 wood? —
The accuracy resulting from using the 3-wood rather than the driver corresponds to the increased loft of the 3-wood. More loft = more backspin = less sidespin = less right/left curvature of the ball. Also, the 3-wood’s shorter shaft length results in better overall control of the club at the top of the backswing. Increasing the shaft length of the 3-wood would probably decrease accuracy. I’ve found that the 3-wood actually carries farther than my 8.5 degree driver. However, the 3-wood produces less roll than the driver. If playing in wet conditions, because of the increased carry, the 3-wood may actually produce longer drives than the driver. Ain’t physics grand!!