Why are almost all graphite-shafted drivers longer than the standard length of steel shafted drivers?
The inherently lighter weight of graphite allows for a longer shaft without increasing the total weight of the club. The longer the club, in turn, produces a longer arc and perhaps greater head speed. This could mean extra distance as long as the golfer can still hit the ball on the center of the face. If center-face contact is sacrificed due to the longer length, then going to a longer driver is a poor choice because hitting the ball in the center of the clubface is where most of the distance and accuracy generates from…for every 1/2 inch the ball is struck off-center you lose about 7% distance. Also, the loss of swing weight because of the lighter shaft weight can only be regained by adding weight to the head or lengthening the shaft. It is much easier for the mass producers to leave the shaft longer then add head weight so you end up with a 45 inch driver (or longer) which is too long for most golfers to swing properly, usually resulting in a slice because the longer the club, the
