Professional golfer Rickie Fowler did not make big changes to his swing or follow a new training system. He simply started using a shorter, 43.25-inch driver, and it helped him finish T2 at the Truist Championship.

Now, he is taking that same driver to this week's PGA Championship in Newtown Square.

The 43.25-inch Cobra Golf OPTM X is the shortest driver Fowler has ever used in a tournament. The change started after a talk with Cobra tour rep Ben Schomin. The switch prioritized feel over technical data.

For years, Fowler used longer drivers while gripping lower on the club to recreate the feel he had when he joined the tour in 2009. This time, instead of gripping down again, they opted for a shorter driver.

"It just doesn't feel like that club quite fits in with the rest of my bag right now," Fowler told Schomin before they landed on the final spec.

The feedback pushed Fowler towards experimenting with a shorter driver setup.

First, he tried a 43.75-inch driver. Then he tested a 43.25-inch driver. That was the one that felt right.

Schomin broke down what the shorter length does for Fowler's swing. "When it gets longer, and he's swinging well, it maybe feels like it's just lagging behind him," he said. "When it's shorter, it feels like he can just turn on it a lot better. It's like a good pass."

The feel and timing helped Fowler swing more freely.

A shorter shaft can sometimes reduce ball speed a little, but Fowler showed the opposite at the Truist Championship, averaging 308 yards off the tee at Quail Hollow Club, six yards more than his season average.

By hitting the center of the clubface more often and swinging on a better path, Fowler played with greater confidence and aggression.

The 2.5-Inch Gap in Rickie Fowler's Driver History That Has Schomin Surprised

The difference between the longest and shortest drivers Fowler has used professionally is 2.5 inches. Even Schomin raised an eyebrow at that.

"I don't know if a player in his career has ever had that big of a difference in driver lengths," he said.

That story goes all the way back to when Fowler first joined the tour in 2009.

At that time, he used a 45.5-inch driver and held it lower on the grip for better control. He kept doing that for years. Now, his new 43.25-inch driver gives him that same feeling of control, but in a much better and more natural way.

Fowler enters the PGA Championship with renewed confidence and proof that his equipment shift is working.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav