Hitting a driver accurately is difficult for most golfers. If you’re having issues with your driver, then you are likely willing to try anything to fix the issue.
Aside from working on your swing mechanics, buying a new driver may seem like the first logical step for improvement. Fortunately, that is not always necessary. If you struggle with making solid contact with your driver, it may make sense to swap out your driver shaft for a 3-wood shaft.
In the article below, we are going to cover all you need to know about using a 3-wood shaft in your driver. We’ll look at why some golfers choose to use a shorter shaft as well as the negative effects of using a shorter shaft. There is a lot to review so let’s get started!
Will A 3 Wood Shaft Fit In My Driver?
Yes, you can use replace a drive shaft with a 3-wood shaft. However, there are a couple of considerations you will need to think about before doing so.
Golf shafts not only come in different lengths, but they also have different weights and shaft tip sizes. Most woods have a diameter of 0.335″ or 0.350″. Before swapping out shafts, make sure your 3-wood shaft has the same diameter as your driver’s head.
Why Put A 3 Wood Shaft In Your Driver?
There are quite a few reasons why some golfers decide to place their driver on the end of a 3-wood shaft. Here are three of the biggest benefits that you’ll get from doing this:
Increased Accuracy
There aren’t many amateur golfers out there who enjoy much consistency with a driver. The long length of a typical driver shaft means that many golfers find it difficult to make solid contact with the golf ball.
Add on the fact that most people swing harder with a driver than any other club and you’ve got a recipe for inconsistency. The result of this inconsistency is shots that fly in every direction.
If you’re regularly standing on the tee box feeling unsure as to where your ball is going to fly off to upon contact, then it’s worth combining your driver’s club head with a 3-wood shaft because it’s going to increase your accuracy.
The reason for this is that a shorter shaft means there is less distance between you and the club head. This also means you are closer to the golf ball.
This reduction in the distance leads to less variability in your swing. It also results in less power generated behind the shot. This may sound like a negative but less power also generally leads to more consistency at impact.
Better Contact On The Ball
Another benefit of using the shorter 3 wood shaft is the fact that you are increasing your chances of finding that sweet spot on the driver’s club face. Better contact on the ball means a straighter and better shot.
Reduction in speed will cause you to lose a little bit of distance in return but we will cover that in detail below.
More Comfortable
Many people find standing closer to the ball more comfortable. While this is likely because it provides them with more belief that they will hit the ball properly, anything that makes a golfer feel more comfortable on a golf course can only be a good thing for their game.
Why Shouldn’t You Put A 3 Wood Shaft In Your Driver?
Sadly, putting a 3-wood shaft on your driver isn’t a completely fool-proof way to solve your tee shot woes. There are some negative side effects of doing this, which are as follows.
Loss Of Club Head Speed And Distance
As we’ve already alluded to, the shorter shaft length means you can’t generate as much power behind the swing as you can with a normal driver shaft. One of the side effects of this lack of power is a slower club head speed.
Club head speed is how fast the club head is moving as it strikes the golf ball. As your club head speed will be quicker with a driver, you can hit the ball further (assuming you hit the sweet spot). Therefore, the drop in club head speed means that you aren’t going to be able to hit the ball as far.
Another reason why slower club head speed is a bad thing is because it means when things do go wrong and you don’t hit the center of the club face, you aren’t going to be bailed out by distance like you would with a driver shaft.
Are 3 Wood Shafts The Same As Driver Shafts?
Although 3 woods and drivers are typically the longest golf clubs in any given bag, they do vary quite significantly from one another, on average. While both clubs continue to get lighter with evolving technology, 3-woods are still typically heavier than drivers.
The average 3-wood shaft weighs around 10 grams more than the average driver shift and the reason for this goes back to the earlier point on accuracy. The heavier the club is, the easier it is to control because it means it’s harder to generate as much power or club head speed.
3-woods are meant to be a safer alternative for drivers. Their additional weight helps to ensure that they give golfers the accuracy they need.
Another key difference between 3 wood shafts and driver shafts is length. On average, a driver shaft is somewhere between 45 and 46 inches. Whereas 3 wood shafts are usually around 43 inches in length. While three inches might not seem like a lot, it’s enough to make a noticeable difference in how the two clubs play and feel.
This 3-inch difference means that golfers can reduce the distance between themselves and the ball. This, as we mentioned earlier, makes it easier to find the sweet spot on the club face and therefore hit the ball straighter.
Can I Buy A Shortened Driver Shaft?
The process of fitting a driver club head onto a 3-wood shaft can be difficult. Aligning the shaft to the club face can be time-consuming depending on its dimensions. As a result, we always recommend buying a shorter driver shaft over using a 3-wood shaft. While you may struggle to find driver shafts that are the same length as 3 wood shafts, you shouldn’t have an issue finding ones that measure up to 44 inches.
Final Thoughts
Many golfers struggle off the tee with a driver. Using a 3-wood shaft in your driver is a novel approach to fixing your tee shots. While this approach can be effective, we would recommend purchasing a shorter driver shaft. Use the tips above when replacing your driver shaft for the best results.
Hopefully, you liked this article and found it informative. Check out our other blog posts if you liked this one!
