Long Drivers and the Indifferent Zone

It is apparent that the popularity of long drivers among professionals and long drive competitors has significantly influenced players who are seeking to drive the ball longer. Although the promise of increased distance with long drivers sounds good, the question arises as to how much a driver can be extended to increase distance without hurting accuracy. To determine this uncertainty, the designers and engineers of Harrison Sports have developed and pioneered the concept of the "indifferent zone."

The "indifferent zone" is where the optimal physical motion of a golf swing is unaffected by the weight and feel of the driver. Nonetheless for clubmakers and golfers, it is evident that there is an obvious difference in feel and performance between a 43" and 45" club. Among other things, accuracy can be greatly affected by the strain caused by swinging the longer club.

If you have customers who are considering changing to a longer driver, we recommend building two drivers of 45" and 47" for testing driver lengths between 43" and 47". Test the 45" driver first. If your customer is having trouble controlling this length, cut the butt a 1/2" until the person finds their optimum length. The optimal length being where maximum distance is reached without hurting accuracy.

However, if your customer is having success with the 45" driver, have him or her test the 47" club. If the person has trouble with this length, the butt of the driver can be cut a 1/2" until the optimal length is found. As a result, multiple lengths can be tested using only two demonstrator clubs. As your customers practice with the 45" and 47" drivers, they will able to find a long driver length that produces optimum performance.

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