Does A 42 Inch Driver Shaft Make You Lose Distance?
Because a 42 inch driver shaft is considered shorter than the average driver shaft, you are likely going to lose some distance in your shot if you transition to this driver shaft. In other words, if you are using an average length driver shaft and you switch to a 42 inch driver shaft, then you will likely not hit the ball as far.
Studies show that shorter driver shafts follow a shorter swing arc, Which means that they travel less distance and generate less speed. Due to this, shorter driver shafts are not able to hit the ball as far. While you may not lose much distance if you trimmed the driver shaft an inch or so, you will definitely lose distance if you trim your driver shaft anything more than that.
Is It Easier To Hit The Center Of The Club Face With A 42 Inch Driver Shaft?
One of the best benefits of shortening your driver shaft is that you will likely see an increase in accuracy. A shorter driver shaft allows you to square the clubface a bit faster than if you were using a longer driver shaft. As a result of squaring the face earlier in your swing, you will be able to hit the center of the clubface more consistently, thus resulting in a straighter shot.
So, if you typically slice the ball, then shortening your driver shaft to 42 inch may help. It should be noted that 42 inch driver shafts are considered extremely short, so if you aren’t seeing any improvements, you may want to increase the length a bit more.
Will A 42 Inch Driver Shaft Help Your Slice?
As mentioned above, one of the best benefits of shortening your driver shaft is that it may help fix your slice. If you are using an average sized golf shaft, shortening it to 42 in can help negate some of the slice that you have. With a shorter golf shaft, it is a bit easier to square the face of the club during your swing. As a result, you won’t have an open face when you make contact with the ball.
Therefore, if you have trouble hitting a straight shot with your driver, it could help to shorten your shaft length.
Is A 42 Inch Driver Shaft Stiff?
This may be a bit surprising, but the more you shorten a golf shaft the stiffer it becomes. Let’s just say you have a 45 inch driver shaft that has stiff flex. If you trim 3 inches off of that shaft, it is going to be significantly stiffer because there is less length.
How much you trim will ultimately decide whether or not the level of flex changes. It’s something to consider as many players are not used to a golf shaft with higher flex. As long as you know what the final Flex of your golf shaft will be, then it should be fine. Ultimately, shortening a golf shaft to 42 inches will impact the flex of your shaft.
Is a 42 Inch Driver Shaft Too Long or Too Short?
For the most part, a 42-inch driver shaft would be considered very short. As mentioned above, the average golf shaft length is around 45 in. Most players, even professionals, don’t go beyond a 43 inch driver shaft. So, most players would consider a 42 inch driver shaft very short. Depending on your height and your wrist to floor ratio, this may not be as short for you, but for the average golfer this type of shaft would be very short.
Do Pros Use 42 Inch Driver Shafts?
For the most part, there are no pros that use a 42 inch driver shaft. Typically, pros use a driver shaft that is about 45.5 to 45 inches long. A 42 inch shaft would not suit any pros swing style. It would most likely limit them in terms of how far they could actually hit the ball.
So, due to all of the limitations that a 42 inch driver presents, it is safe to say that there are no PGA players using a 42 inch driver shaft as of right now.
Is A 42 Inch Driver Shaft Legal?
Before you decide to trim down your driver shaft to 42 inches, it is important to know whether or not it is considered legal to use. The USGA and R&A have very strict rules on what is considered legal, and driver shafts are no exception.
According to the equipment rules, a 42 inch driver shaft is totally legal to use in any casual, high-level amateur, or professional golf outings. This means that it is totally ok to use a 42 inch driver shaft. As long as the shaft does not exceed 46 inches, it is fine to use.
For reference, the USGA is considered a governing body of the golfing world. Any piece of equipment that they deem as legal should be considered legal by all other golfing entities.