Comment on "Influence of shaft length on golf driving performance"

Kenny et al. (2008) reported that low-handicap golfers were able to produce longer carry distances with longer drivers with no concomitant decrease in accuracy. However, it was not clear whether these increments in performance were an artefact of shaft length or some other unaccounted for characteristic of the experimental drivers used. Furthermore, it was difficult to determine whether these performance gains were experienced by all or only a few of the golfers studied. Additional research is required to substantiate these findings and also to establish how shaft length is related to performance and technique in less accomplished golfers. Regardless of skill level, the realization of the potential performance benefits associated with longer drivers is, to some degree, likely to be individual-specific. Accordingly, suitable research designs emphasizing the individual--with appropriate sample and trial sizes to achieve the requisite level of statistical significance, effect size, and power--are required.