Choosing the right shaft is essential to your swing.
Your nature of swing is pivotal in making a hole.
Golf clubs come in standard lengths for all players; however, if you are a lanky player, you will find that sometimes your swing feels ‘short.’
Pro shops and pro golfers recommend golf club extensions to better your swing mechanics.
So, Are Golf Club Extensions Worth It?
Most golfers believe longer shafts add distance and accuracy to their shots; both are not equally true.
Golf extensions greatly sacrifice your accuracy and slightly increase your reach.
Adding attachments to your shaft will increase its dynamic weight and swing weight.
You will have a fair amount of wayward shots if you employ the usual stance with an extended club.
Golf extensions do more harm than good, and you should significantly consider all factors like physique, dynamic weight, and price before getting an add-on to your club set.
How Do You Know If Your Clubs Are Too Short?
- You bend too much towards the ball while standing behind the ball
- The hitting tempo is too quick
- Your knees bend a lot
How Do You Know If Your Clubs Are Too Long?
- The club shaft feels too long
- Your grip is loose
- Your swing mechanics are distorted when you move your lower body
Seven Benefits Of Utilizing Golf Extensions
1. Flex
Flex is considered trivial in golf.
However, it is not, and you should not assume this while partaking in your hobby. Flex is vital in optimizing your shaft’s performance.
A general rule is the swifter the swing, the stiffer the shaft. Lighter shafts produce better flex and faster swings.
Shaft extensions negate the shot’s speed as the additional weight will change its flex by an unpredictable degree. The shaft becomes more flexible and lowers the kick point.
Your hook shots may become slice shots as the iron bends further away and does not solidly contact the ball as it would with a standard length club.
The wrong flex reduces your distance and does not improve on accuracy either.
2. Swing
Golf is a repetitive sport, and your swing becomes inherent to the game.
An avid golfer will rarely change their swing as it affects the shot quality.
Golf club extensions add weight to the butt end of the driver or iron you are using.
The additional weight, however small, will make the clubhead feel heavier and eventually end in a weak shot that has far, much less distance on it than your routine shots.
In determining your shot type and power, what is essential is the distance between your wrists and the floor.
Different pitches also require altering your stance slightly.
Before adjusting your shaft, you should visit a golf lab, where they analyze:
- Every angle of your swing
- Your wrist to floor measurements
- Your weight
- Your height
All the factors rightly considered will determine the length of the extension you need.
3. Grip
This is by far the most significant effect of an extended shaft. Grip affects your swing mechanics and the timing of the shot without you knowing it.
It is frustrating when you can’t find the club head’s center, and you spend a lot of time moving around the tee trying to find it.
Your green fees are limited, and your round is elapsing; you then develop migraines from the hobby that was supposed to relieve stress.
The right extension for you solves this. It is crucial to master a perfect grip for all shots; Grip affects the height and direction of your shot.
There are three kinds of grips, and different golf clubs amplify each.
An extended shaft generally results in a weaker grip and causes erratic bursts.
The majority of golfers prefer a firmer grip as it enables you to vary the intensity and curve of the shot.
It is not wise to add extensions to Titanium golf shafts as they respond better to the Grip you want, depending on the shot type.
You should seek professional advice on extending your shaft or not avert ruining your Grip intentionally.
4. Lowered shaft kick point
A shaft kick point in golf is where the shaft bends when the tip is pulled down and affects ball flight.
However, it is not a point but a general area.
Generally, a lower kick point means the ball flight will be increased, while a higher kick point produces a lower launch angle.
You may need different kick points depending on the kind of shot you want to hit.
Adding shaft extensions vary your kick points to various clubs.
Higher kick points are heavier than lower kick points and thus favor an extended club. However, higher kick point shots are challenging to control.
Golfers with brisk swings hit the ball to generate undesirable height, which is a hassle to maintain the ball’s curvature.
A shaft enhancer fortifies your kick point, giving you a more expansive zone for generating the desired launch angle.
Extended shafts improve your kick point, but they are not a remedy to bad swing, and you will still need to improve your swing to determine the right kick point and enhance accuracy.
5. Accuracy
Lengthening your shaft lowers your accuracy.
A longer club produces a weaker shot resulting in unintended side spin, and if the ball is on the ground, it won’t make it to the hole in the fairway.
A shorter shaft allows you to control the number of off-fairway shots.
A longer helve gives you a faster swing; however, it is at the expense of hitting the sweet spot.
You are more likely to hit the ball flat on the surface of the clubhead.
An extended shaft does not suit you, especially when attempting fairway shots.
Mishits by as little as ½ inch results in loss of 5% accuracy.
It would be best if you found the right swing and speed on various shafts.
Longer shafts will require you to alter your usual stance, flex, and grip to produce the kind of shot you desire.
6. Speed
Swing speed is proportional to your shaft length.
Longer shafts generate more speed.
However, the accuracy of the ball is significantly impeded and will result in a missed fairway shot.
The rate of the ball is dependent on the type of swing rather than the swing speed.
Golfers with a slower pace use longer shafts to improve the power on the ball, flinging it further away.
Choosing the wrong shaft will make it more difficult to access the sweet spot and prevent you from contacting the ball solidly.
Stiff shafts do not need you to apply an enormous amount of force to produce a swift swing.
Golfers with a fast swing have a complex problem using stiff shafts and use limp rods to suit their quick tempo swings.
This may cost you some clubhead speed, but your accuracy will improve.
Extended quills may generate too much speed and spin on the ball, making it harder to control towards the fairway.
An adjustable shaft will allow you to change the launch angle and increase or decrease your speed.
7. Distance
Shaft length significantly impacts the distance of the shot.
Clubs vary in the size of their shafts when they are hit; some clubs’ performance is optimized with an increase in length.
An increase in shaft length by an inch equals a corresponding increase by 10 yards of the ball.
A longer shaft produces more swing speed which increases distance.
Shorter golf clubs generate equal distance but with extra force applied.
A longer driver shaft enables you to hit the ball farther away and hit fairways. An optimum driver length offers you control and speed without sacrificing your accuracy.
The need to break 100 should not make you get higher scores.
Wedges are used to chip shots in the rough when there is a bunker on the other end, and longer wedges will do you more harm than good.
Remember, golf is about making a hole with as few strokes as possible.
Standard length shafts should be used in chip and pitch shots.
A lot of golfers don’t hit fairways with long shots.
This should not discourage you, as the farther you hit the ball, the closer it will hit a fairway.
When choosing whether to extend a shaft or not to generate much distance, you should consider the type of club and the type of shots you attempt.
Amateur golfers require long shafts to hit the clubface directly on the ball to get the necessary flight.
A general rule is a longer shaft increases your distance.
Conclusion
Intricacies in golf make it harder for you to master the appropriate shaft length.
Finding an ideal shaft can be a daunting task, and you should consult professionals to assess you on the golf monitors and help you choose the suitable shaft length for your hobby.
Always swing your swing and enjoy your golfing experience.