Most of us will have seen golf trick shot shows where skilled exponents demonstrate hooks and slices, purposeful tops, one handed power strikes, shots played off beer bottles and shots with whacky clubs. Often, they’ll hit shots off their knees with miniature clubs, then stand six feet or more from the ball wielding a driver with a shaft the length of a fishing rod, as per the image above. It’s impressive that they’re even able to make contact. It's impressive the kid in the shot is even able to lift the thing!
Nobody would benefit from using such an elongated club in competitive golf, but a slightly longer than standard shaft could potentially add extra club head speed and so increase distance.
For that reason, The Rules of Golf determine a maximum length for golf clubs to be used in competition.
In The Equipment Rules, 2.1c covers length of clubs. It says that the overall length of the club must be at least 18 inches and, except for putters, must not exceed 48 inches.
For woods and irons, the measurement of length is taken when the club is lying on a horizontal plane and the sole is set against a 60-degree plane. The length is defined as the distance from the point of the intersection between the two planes and the top of the grip.
Standard driver length today is around 45.5 inches. Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau both toyed with the idea of a driver shaft length closer to 48 inches a few years back. Before a maximum length was introduced in the Rules, Swedish pro Jarmo Sandelin had a driver in the bag measuring around 51 inches in length.
But, as of January 2022, a Model Local Rule was made available – MLRG-10 – to provide those running professional or elite amateur golf competitions the option of limiting the maximum length of a golf club (excluding putters) to 46 inches. The main professional Tours put that rule into effect.
There is no maximum length for putters. If you really feel it would benefit you to wield a six-foot-long putter, then there’s nothing under the Rules to stop you, so long as you don’t anchor the club under Rule 10.1b.
What you must remember though is that when you’re measuring club length while out on the course. If you’re taking a free drop, or a drop under penalty, you must measure using the longest club in your bag other than your putter. If you drop outside the correct club length it would be the general penalty – two shots in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
So the answer to the question – What is the longest club length allowed by the rules? If you include the putter, there is no maximum. But for any other club, the maximum is 48 inches unless you’re playing in an elite event where MLR G-10 is being used, in which case it’s 46 inches. And, if you're taking a drop - don't use your putter to measure!
