Drivers

Nothing in golf looks or feels better than standing up on the tee, teeing it high, and letting it fly with the driver. Because of this, most people point to the driver as the source for all of their problems on the course, and this may well be true. Finding a driver that keeps you in the fairway and gives you shorter clubs into the greens is definitely going to help improve any golfer's game.

What Should You Look For in Your Driver?

With the driver, there are a few things you may want to consider. Whether you are a low, mid, or high handicapper, considering the best combination of loft, shaft flex, and driver bias will create the best experience out on the course.

Driver Loft

The loft on a driver can vary anywhere from eight to twelve degrees. On top of that, most drivers now come with a shaft sleeve that allows the driver head to be turned up or down a degree or so, creating an array of options that the golfer can utilize to find the most optimal setup for their club. The easiest way to figure this out is to look at the height and spin rates of your drives on a monitor to get the most out of it. Hitting too high? Lower your loft, and vice versa.

Shaft Flex

The flex of your driver shaft can wreak havoc on both distance and accuracy. Being able to swing aggressively and knowing that you can produce a ball that finds its target line is very important. There is a variety of different shaft flexes to help make all golfers the best ball drivers they can be.

• X-Stiff: The X-stiff shaft is the shaft for those with the fastest swing speeds. Anything over 105 mph clubhead speed should start to move the golfer to an X-stiff shaft. This will cause the club to load the correct way and not release too late or early due to whippiness.
• Stiff: Stiff flex is for fast swing speeds and most low and mid-handicap players with a touch of athleticism. Having a stiffer shaft will allow the clubhead to be delivered properly on the ball at impact. The swing speed range applicable here is roughly 97-104 mph.
• Regular: Welcome to the land of the majority! Most golfers find themselves in this swing speed range. Anything from 84-96 mph would benefit from a regular shaft and start seeing drives that were more accurate.
• Senior or A-Flex: Swing speeds between 72 and 84 mph will benefit from these shafts as they are generally whippier which allows the clubhead to follow the path necessary to hit drives straight. This will also help those whose swings have slowed down see the distance they once had because the shaft can load the proper amount of torque again.
• Ladies: Ladies flex is best for players with swing speeds under 72 mph and who need whippy shafts in order to achieve accuracy.

As always, it is important to remember that your shaft flex is just one way in which a driver can be matched to you. If you have a lighter weight shaft, you may be able to switch up a stiffness level due to an increase in your swing speed.

Driver Clubhead Bias and Technology

Two things fall under this category: moveable weights and the overall head offset created by the manufacturer.

• Moveable Weights: One way that club manufacturers are trying to help correct the wide dispersion of shots is by using either a moveable track weight or by providing several different weight options for an interchangeable weight location. Adding weight to the heel promotes a draw bias and adding weight to the toe promotes fade bias.
• Clubhead Bias: Many manufacturers make a draw-biased driver now, even for better players. These clubs are intended to help correct a slice and keep the ball in play. On the flip side, some of the heads of more advanced players are offset to encourage a fade because good players know how to release the club. Knowing the bias of the clubhead will help the golfer know whether they are going to be fighting their club from the start, or if it is going to help them control their ball more often.

Talk with an Expert

When you are ready to begin thinking about which club is best for you, head to Curated and speak with one of our fine Golf Experts. They are always a message away and are able to help narrow down the choices for you as well as be a sounding board for your questions and ideas! Head on over to Curated and take the golf quiz to get matched with one of these Experts today!