Could my swing be affected by the wrong length clubs?

“My irons are becoming a problem. Duffing and thinning, could the shafts be too small for me? I’m 6ft 3 ”.

Well firstly your height has nothing to do with length of the clubs you should use. You could be 7ft tall but have very long arms, in which case you would need shorter length shafts.

It’s all about how your body shape is in proportion from your top half to your bottom half. If you have a long leg length and your waist is high then there is a very good chance you will need longer length irons and wedges. The length of the club has to allow you to stand tall enough to shift your weight and not feel like your balance is forward and on on your toes. The length of the club has a huge effect on balance and posture when it is too short and therefore if incorrect will have a massive negative effect on the swings progression.

So back to the question, the duffing part first. The duffing is caused by the body trying to stay down through impact and when the body cannot turn it generates a steep hit which is a sort of up and down “V” shape. The shoulders will feel rounded and tight and will essentially create a chopping motion and a resulting duff or heavy hit.

The thinning then comes as partly not wanting to duff it but the top half of the body will sense it is too low at the top of the backswing and during takeaway and will want to straighten. This will also feel better as the body will be in a more comfortable position to transfer weight. There will be a resistance to drop back down low through the downswing and the club will thin or top the ball.

With longer shafts the hips will be higher at address and the shoulders will feel wider and more natural. The swing will feel more “rounded” and will turn with more of a “U” shape. With better weight distribution the swing will be more consistent and distance more efficient., your short game will come on leaps and bounds as it’s normally the worst part of your game if the shafts are too short.

Here are a few points to note about longer clubs:

• The shaft flex has to get stiffer if the length gets longer to help stabilize it during the swing. If you take a standard stiff shaft and extend it by 1 inch it will effectively become regular flex

• The weight of the shaft will need to be lighter to allow for the longer length.

• The head weight will have to be managed and where possible use a lighter weighted head to allow for club balance.

• Wider or larger grips can help to restore balance in the clubs if the head is too heavy

• If irons are 1 inch longer that does not necessarily mean the woods and driver need to be

• Make sure if the irons are lengthened the wedges are also

• Lie angles will need to be adjusted if the club gets longer – for every ½ inch longer in length is the equivalent to 1 degree more upright.

• Where possible have the proposed lengths checked to make sure the new length is correct and to help decide if new shafts are required or extensions will suffice.

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