How Golf Club Length Is Measured (60 Degree Plane Rule)

A club's length is measured with the club lying on a horizontal plane and its sole against a 60 degree plane. The length runs from the point where the two planes meet to the top of the grip. Every club must be at least 18 inches long, and every club except a putter must be no longer than 48 inches. A putter is measured a different way, along the shaft to the sole.

The RuleHow each type of club is measured

The 48 inch limit is written as “except for putters,” so a putter can be longer. For a necked putter the measurement ignores the bend in the neck and follows the straight part of the shaft down to the sole.

The MethodHow to measure a club the Rules way

1. Set up the two planes. One is flat and horizontal, such as a bench top. The other is tilted at 60 degrees to it and meets it along a line.
2. Lay the club down. The club lies on the horizontal plane, and its sole sits against the 60 degree plane.
3. Find the starting point. It is where the two planes meet.
4. Measure to the top of the grip. The length is the distance from that point to the top of the grip.
5. Compare with the limits. At least 18 inches, and no more than 48 inches unless the club is a putter.
6. For a putter, measure it differently. Go from the top of the grip along the shaft axis, or its straight extension on a necked putter, to the sole.

If a club sits close to the 48 inch line, ask a club builder or shop to measure it, because a tape run up the shaft is not the Rules method.

MakersHow makers' published lengths compare

Makers list the length of a standard club in inches. These are the numbers two of them publish for irons and for the driver.

Irons, in inches

Driver, in inches

Two things stand out. The same maker can list a longer or shorter driver depending on the shaft, and a catalog length is a starting figure. The GolfWorks sheet says its standard lengths are set so swing weights land in a normal range, and that playing length should be custom fit by a qualified fitting professional.

The GolfWorks sheet also shows its own measuring setup. The club sits at its designed lie angle with the center of the face touching the ground, a ruler runs along the shaft to the end of the shaft, and a note says grip cap thickness varies between manufacturers. That is a different setup from the 60 degree plane in the Rules. For typical lengths by club, see the golf club length chart.

Using itWhen the measuring method matters

For almost every club you buy, it never comes up, because standard lengths sit well inside the limits. It matters in three places: a driver or fairway wood near 48 inches, a competition that adopts a shorter limit, and a putter, which follows its own method. Putter lengths and the way makers measure them are on the putter length chart, and the other driver limits are on Is My Driver Legal?

Some competitions use a shorter cap. Model Local Rule G-10 lets a Committee prohibit clubs longer than 46 inches, with putters excluded. The penalty for making a stroke with a club in breach is disqualification, and the R&A and USGA recommend it only for competitions limited to highly skilled players.

Watch forCommon mix-ups

Measuring a putter like an iron. A putter is measured from the top of the grip along the shaft axis to the sole. It does not use the 60 degree plane.

Thinking the 48 inch limit covers putters. The rule says “except for putters.”

Treating 46 inches as the standing rule. It applies only where the competition has adopted Model Local Rule G-10. The general limit is 48 inches.

Reading a catalog number as the Rules length. Makers publish a standard length, and the Rules measure the finished club in their own way, to the top of the grip. For a club near the limit, check with your club or committee.

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