The market is flooded with high quality golf drivers but which is the right one for you?
There are a number of factors to consider but when looking for a driver the first thing is to decide what you need it to do for you. For instance you may be looking to get the ball up in the air easier and to get away with bad strikes whereas the stronger players may be looking to keep the ball down and to have the ability to shape their tee shots with a fade or draw when required.
All the top brands make a range of golf drivers that are aimed for different abilities and to achieve different things.
An average player will normally require a driver with a low centre of gravity which will help get the ball in the air, increased loft options can also help this. Generally they will also be helped with a driver that has a certain amount of draw bias this will help to reduce a fade or slice and even promote a draw which will improve distance and accuracy. For an average to high handicap we would normally suggest 'loft is your friend' and this means choosing a driver with 10.5 to 13 degrees of loft. The reason for this is that it will obviously help to get the ball in the air but it will also help to keep it straighter. A low lofted driver will create more sidespin meaning that a slice or a hook will be made worse, a bit more loft will help to reduce this. One thing to consider is that a golfer who hits the ball too low off the tee will actually hit a 13 degree further than they will say a 9.5, so not only will they benefit from a better ball flight but the miss-hits will go straighter too.
Some years back many players were talked out of using golf drivers and advised to stick to 3 woods off the tee but advances in driver technology has made that a thing of the past. With larger heads and more generous lofts even novice golfers have more chance of hitting a driver well than they have a 3 wood simply because of the size of the sweetspot.
Stronger players demand a bit more from their drivers that suit their golf game, they often need a deeper face with a lower loft that will produce a low penetrating ball flight with lots of run. It does mean that the strike has to be more precise and you can't afford to have the clubface twisting at impact but the better player will not be afraid of this and will get the benefit of longer tee shots. Stronger golfers normally launch the ball higher with more spin and the more tour style of golf driver will reduce the spin and prevent the ball from climbing too high and losing distance. Harder hitters of the ball such as top amateurs and pros have to also look to choose a shaft that is also going to reduce spin and keep the ball down.
The last few years has seen the dawn of adjustable drivers for golf. Taylormade led the way and now a number of manufacturers offer drivers that can easily be adjusted to suit. With some modern drivers you can with the help of a supplied wrench change the loft, change the way the driver sits i.e open or closed and even change the ball flight to increase the height or the amount of fade or draw. Whilst it is against the rule to change your driver mid round it can be a great way of changing the club to suit your own unique swing.
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