Do long golf drivers offer more distance?
Everyone wants more distance from their golf driver, right. But are long golf drivers the answer for more distance?
From a physics stand point going longer in physical length would give you more club head speed and therefore more distance. But, why is it that the majority of pros are playing golf drivers that would be considered short when compared to these off the rack golf drivers. Many of these new stock set ups that are offered in retail are 46 inches in length and some long golf drivers are as long as 48 inches in length.
So, are these long golf drivers actually longer when it comes to distance?
Well the answer is Maybe.
I am constantly testing golf driver length, flex and weight. And the results of these tests are very clear. Long golf drivers, which I categorize as 46 inches or longer will provide you with more distance, IF you hit the center of the face. And that likelihood of good contact (i.e. center of the face) diminishes the longer you go.
For example, my 48 inch test long golf driver offers roughly 5-10 yards more distance than my standard 45 inch golf driver set up. But, those extra yards were only achievable 1 out of 20 times. As the off-center hits were more offline and would have been a complete nightmare to play on the course. Likewise, similar results for 47.5, 47 and 46.5 and so forth. The distance potential you could gain is there, but it is too difficult to be consistent with these long golf drivers.
On the flip side, my testing with my standard 45 inch golf driver set up and 44.5 inch (tour length) driver set up showed consistent accuracy and distance. The well struck golf balls were within 5-10 yards my well struck golf balls with the 48 inch driver, the difference was that I had 15 out of 20 well hit drives with the 45 inch driver and only 2 out of 20 with the 48 inch long driver. There is a reason why the pros go short to go long!
Next time you are looking for a golf driver, ask yourself what length should you play? And what do you want out of your new golf driver? Distance, accuracy or both.
If you are not sure, get a free custom golf driver fitting on our website.
FYI. Since each golf driver is custom built, you can order any length you desire. Our standard length options vary from 44.5 inches up to 47 inches and the most common driver length built is 45.5 inches.
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