6 Tips for Finding the Best Driver for Your Golf Game

It’s an impressive sight when your ball catapults into the sky, landing square in the middle of the fairway, and, while professional golfers realize the short game probably has a greater impact on their overall score, no one can discount the satisfaction of driving a ball well.

However, choosing a golf driver from the hundreds (if not thousands) of different brands, styles, and shafts on the market today is hard. In addition to the brand name, you also must consider the technology contained within these clubs, with adjustable loft on the hosel and moveable weights as common themes.

Making your choice even more complicated is the way you play. Do you slice or are you simply interested in getting more distance with more loft? Choosing a driver is all about asking the right questions.

1.Loft and Loft Angle

If you tend to hit your drives low to the ground, you are losing valuable yardage as your ball impacts the turf sooner. A higher angle loft will help to propel the ball above obstacles that might otherwise be in your way; however, going too high will also lose yardage as your ball spends more time at the top of the arc. In addition, balls propelled too high will not roll any significant distance when they touch the ground.

Depending on your style of play and the way in which you hit the ball, you might want to consider a club that allows you to modify the angle of loft in the club face.

2.Shaft Flexibility

The speed at which you swing the club determines the strength of the impact on the ball. To compensate for slower swing speeds, you should aim for a club with a more flexible shaft as the flex gives your ball an added kick. Similarly, if your swing speed is high, you want a stiffer shafted club, as you are not looking for distance but accuracy.

Some approximate guidelines to consider when looking at the flexibility of a shaft and the swing speeds are:

• Swing speeds approaching 105 mph should aim for an extra-stiff shafted driver.

• Golfers swinging in the 90-105 mph range should aim for a stiff shafted driver.

• Regular flexed shafts are for the golfers swinging in the 80-95 mph range.

• Slower swing speed golfers, with speeds of 70-85 mph, should look for flexible shafts.

3.Material

The weight of your driver has a definite impact on the speed at which you can swing the club. If your swing speed is not that fast, you will be unable to smash the ball to the same effect.

This is where modern materials like titanium come into play. Not only is it an extremely lightweight material, but it is also very durable and sturdy, which makes it the perfect choice for not only the shafts but also the club faces.

4.Head Size

Oversize heads are all the rage and, to be honest, some of them are simply ridiculous in size! Choosing the right size for your game depends on the material it’s made from and your swing style.

Titanium club heads are lightweight and allow you to select a larger head size, but care must be taken to ensure the head does not adversely impact the overall weight of the club.

5.Weight and CG

Regardless of your swing speed, the lighter the driver, the better. Manufacturers are in a constant search for the latest and greatest blend of materials to provide the lightest drivers possible, and titanium is the current champion in this area. However, there are some hybrid clubs that have a combination of titanium and other composite materials that are also extremely light.

The CG (center of gravity) is a key component of any driver—the focus should be on ensuring your ball strikes the largest part of the club face at impact to guarantee you get the farthest distance possible.

Most of the newer drivers weigh in between 275-310 grams (with moveable weight adjustments to change the CG), so, if you can find one in the lower end of this range, you should be fine.

6.Custom Fitting and Your Pro

With golf, unlike many other sports, it is not just about picking the most expensive and newest equipment off the shelf and assuming you will have a good game.

Your swing style, speed, and stance are all relevant factors in your club selection, and the best person to evaluate that is a pro, either at the golf shop or on the course. They are trained in understanding which clubs will help address a slice, hook, or fade and which ones will give greater distance.

Speak to a professional and use a simulator to get a real feel for the club before you make that purchase.