How Long Should My Driver Be for My Height?
Let’s start with a famous Hunter Thompson quote that you’ve probably heard before.
“Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.”
If you’re new to golf or playing with random golf clubs that you’ve picked up along the way, you’re not doing it right.
Golf club length will influence your form, which then influences key metrics like clubhead speed, ball speed, smash factor and launch angle.
You’re not going to find your way to the PGA Tour or the LPGA Tour playing with a club that doesn’t match your height.
If you’re frustrated by your ball flight and distance, it might be time to investigate your club length.
Let’s start with your driver.
How long should my driver be for my height?
I’d love to answer this question right out of the gate, but finding a driver shaft length that fits your height is determined by a number of key factors that I’ll cover below. Some players will benefit from a longer shaft, while others will maximize their talents with a shorter shaft.
If you refuse to read stuff, then here is a driver shaft length chart, but trust me, you should keep reading for the best outcome.
Driver Length Based Solely on Height
To start, here is some data that may be useful.
What is the standard driver length?
Off the shelf, with no customizations, the standard driver length is 45.75″ for men and 43.75″ or 44.75″ for women.
There are slight variations between manufacturers, but those numbers are a good baseline.
So how long should my driver shaft be?
To answer this question, you need to take two careful measurements. Your height (easy enough) and your wrist to floor distance (a bit more complicated).
Here are my instructions for doing this.
How to Measure Wrist to Floor for Golf Clubs
Though I’m all for a professional club fitting, I also acknowledge that determining the proper club shaft length is a process you can tackle on your own.
You’re going to need the following equipment for these life-changing measurements:
- (1) Golfer with a decision to make.
- (1) Competent friend or family member.
- (1) Convenient means of recording data (could be a smartphone, notepad or clay tablet…you do you).
- (1) Wall, that is at least a few inches taller than the aforementioned clubless golfer.
- (1) Reliable tape measure, that is at least a few inches taller than the increasingly perplexed golfer.
- (2) Hands, belonging to the person being measured.
Step 1: Get an accurate height measurement.
Stand the up against the wall, ideally in ordinary or golf shoes. Skip the high heels for now.
Have your friend or family member use the tape measure to accurately identify your height (not the height you tell people). Write down this measurement.
Step 2: Get the wrist to floor measurement.
This is the part that most people don’t get. You arrived here wanting to know: how long should my driver be for my height? Well, that depends on how long your arms are. Some people are tall but have shorter arms, some people are short, but have longer arms…see the problem?
This is why you need a wrist to floor measurement.
Stand against the wall again. Relax your shoulders and let your arms hang down. The person measuring should find the point at which the hands join the wrist (or find the crease of the wrist). Measure the distance from that point to the floor and write down this distance.
You now have your height and the wrist to floor measurement. With these two crucial pieces of data, you have all you need to calculate the correct shaft length for the golfer.
Please note: A professional club fitter can get even more specific than this, but if you want a baseline estimate, this is a good DIY place to start.
Driver Length Based on Height and Wrist-to-Floor Measurement
Do you need a longer driver shaft or a shorter driver shaft? Use the measurements you took above and plug them into our handy chart below to find the best driver shaft length for your game.
Having a driver with the right shaft length won’t turn you into Bryson DeChambeau or Rory McIlroy, but it will help you eliminate one factor that can limit your distance on the course.
Another simple adjustment you can make is pairing your properly fitted driver with a golf ball that goes the distance.
What about my other golf club shaft lengths?
Once you know the standard length of each club, you can then use your height and wrist-to-floor measurement to determine your ideal shaft length. You’ll have to do a bit of math, but I believe in you!
| Height of Golfer | Wrist-to-Floor | Club Length Adjustment from Standard Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6’8” and over | More than 42” | Add 2" |
| 6’6”-6’8” | 41-42” | Add 1.5" |
| 6’4”-6’6” | 40-41” | Add 1" |
| 6’2”-6’4” | 38.5-40” | Add 0.5" |
| 6’1”-6’2” | 37-38.5” | Add 0.25" |
| 5’7-6’1” | 34-37” | Standard |
| 5’4”-5’7” | 32-34” | Subtract 0.25" |
| 5’2”-5’4” | 29-34” | Subtract 0.5" |
| 5.0’-5’2” | 27-29” | Subtract 1" |
| 4’10”-5.0’ | 25-27” | Subtract 1.5" |
| Under 4’10” | Under 25” | Subtract 2" |
Posture and Other Factors Matter
The height and wrist-to-floor measurements, in conjunction with our club shaft length chart, are useful tools for getting you where you need to be.
However, these metrics don’t take into account other factors which could be keeping you from setting a driving record. Properly addressing the ball, the way you grip the club and other swing details can influence your club head speed and loft.
Once you’ve got the right length for your club shafts, see whether or not your shots improve noticeably. If they do, great – we’ve figured out that the main problem was your club situation.
If not, be prepared to do further work on addressing your posture. After all, if you’ve had the wrong club shaft length up until now, you’ve probably been compensating for that with a bad posture, and a relatively dubious backswing. That in turn will have had an impact on your swing speed, elbow position, and follow-through.
A golf lesson or two may help you identify other areas where you can strengthen your game and improve your swing.
A Few Final Thoughts
Golf is a game of inches, and if you want to be a good golfer, start by using clubs that fit your height. A shaft that is one inch longer (or shorter) can make a big difference.
If you don’t feel confident that you can take measurements and find the right clubs, go see a club fitter. They can help you with important details like:
- Steel shaft vs graphite shaft (what shaft flex you need)
- Swing issues and swing speed
Worth noting: If you’ve been using clubs of the wrong length, you’ve probably made some bad physical adjustments in order to find some level of success.
Once you’ve bought yourself some clubs that fit right (which paradoxically will feel immediately wrong and take some getting used to), you’re going to need to re-train your swing. This time, however, you’ll have a clear path to correct position, and ultimately better, better golf all around.
