Golf clubs are available with shafts in various lengths. The rules of golf allow the maximum length of any golf shaft to be 48 inches long. Few golfers use a club of this length. A driver with a 48-inch shaft may be difficult for even top-level golfers to control and keep the ball from slicing.
Basic Issues
Golfers tend to hit their shorter irons with more control than their longer woods. Golfers tend to hit their longer shafted clubs for greater distance than their short irons. When you take out a club that has the maximum allowable shaft length, it is fairly obvious that you are trying to get the most distance possible from your club. If you are a golfer who lacks distance on his drives, this club makes sense. However, using a 48-inch shaft tends to lead to control and accuracy problems.
Length of Swing
It takes a longer time to swing a club with a longer shaft. If you swing a club with a 48-inch shaft at the same speed you swing a shorter-shafted club, your hands will come through the hitting zone much faster than the head of the club. This will cause the club head to be slightly behind the ball and force it to slice off to the right if you are a right-handed golfer. If you don't slow down your swing, this will happen on a consistent basis.
Slow Pacing
The faster you swing the shaft, the greater the control problems will be. As a result, it is essential to slow down significantly so your hands and the shaft of the club work together as you make contract with the ball.
Senior Golfers
The need to slow your swing seems to make the idea of using the longer club to gain distance a rather dubious one for most golfers. However, longer shafted clubs can be ideal for senior golfers who have lost distance over the years. Senior golfers, who tend to lose velocity on their swing over the years, can make up for lost distance by using a longer shafted club and adjusting their stance. A senior golfer's swing is "grooved" after many years of playing and the slice is usually not as big an issue for experienced players.
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