A method for transferring rod-shaped articles (11, 12), in particular for the tobacco industry, comprising the following steps: feeding an alternating succession of first and second rod-shaped articles (11, 12) along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the articles (11, 12), wherein the first articles (11) differ in length from the second articles (12); picking up individual articles (11, 12) from the alternating succession by means of respective movable working units (32) of a transfer means (30) at a pickup station (P), the working units (32) being movable along a closed feed path; causing a movement of the working units (32), which carry the respective articles (11, 12), from the pickup station (P) to a release station (R) along a stretch of the feed path; releasing the individual articles (11, 12) from the working units (32) onto a forming beam (20) by an axial movement of the articles (11, 12) at the release station (R); wherein the working units (32) are equispaced from each other by a distance (D), measured along the feed path of the working units (32), adjusted and/or selected as a function of a mean length (l_m) of the first and second articles (11, 12).