You're Correct!

The length of the golf swing is up for debate in terms of hitting the ball as far as possible or swinging to keep the ball in play. A player must be aware that any changes made to timing, speed or length of swing will have implications on the outcome of the shot.

Although some golfers are often looking for more distance off the tee, some golfers are more inclined to just focus on hitting fairways, keep the ball in play and do not mind potentially sacrificing distance and they do this with a controlled level of swing adjustment. To ensure the drive has more chance of hitting the fairway, the swing should not necessarily be shortened because the other aspects of the swing such as weight transfers, hip rotation and releasing the hands through impact will be badly affected in terms of their timing. Many players who shorten their swing actually end up swinging their arms faster through impact as they feel the swing has lost all its power.

Once the swing loses its control, the directional aspect of the shot and the centeredness of the strike are totally lost, causing a loss of distance and more missed fairways. The swing should remain at full length but the velocity of the shot should be taken into consideration. For example, a player swinging at 100% will hit the ball far but due to less control in the swing, the ball will miss more fairways. The swing should be hit at approximately 85% which for some players may actually help timing and increase the distance the ball may travel. More importantly, the timing will improve creating centred strikes and better direction with a more consistent shot shape.

Take these swing thoughts to your local driving range, and without sacrificing the length of your swing, test out different speeds and changes in tempo and rhythm to find the best and most consistent way to swing the club giving you improved distance and accuracy.

When a golfer shortens their swing, the club head speed can decrease causing a loss of distance. If the timing is good, however, the directional aspect of the shot could improve. A player should hit the fastest possible swing whilst maintaining control.

Shorter swings can certainly help a player improve accuracy if they can match up the shorter swing and speed with the timing through impact and not sacrifice good quality ball striking. This is a difficult change to make.

A player with a long golf swing will create more club head speed to help them hit the ball further, however, this will actually sacrifice control due to the increased speed so straighter hits should be encouraged by slightly shorter but controlled lengths of swings.