How To Choose Your Golf Driver

Many people believe that the driver is the most fun club to hit, but it can also be the most frustrating. In fact, some beginners do not even use a driver because they have difficulty controlling where the ball goes. This club is typically used on the tee box for most, if not all, par 4 and par 5 holes. Considering that the average course may only have four par 3 holes, it is clear how important the longest hitting club in your bag becomes. The most important criteria to consider when buying a driver are the head material, head size, loft, and the shaft.

For many years, steel was the clubhead material most desired by all golfers. Around the late 1990’s, titanium took over to become the main clubhead material of choice. Steel is still used today though and is cheaper, more durable and heavier than titanium. The lightweight titanium allows manufacturers to produce oversized clubheads while not exceeding the weight-limit of the head. This provides a larger sweet-spot so that the driver will be more forgiving on mis-hits. Most titanium drivers have a lightweight graphite shaft material. The shaft of the driver is considered the most important part. If you want to learn more about shafts, click on this link.

Titanium is a very durable and strong material. However, it is the most expensive metal currently available in the golf market. Many beginner woods are used with titanium alloys (instead of 100% titanium used by better players). The titanium alloy is typically Aluminum combined with a small percentage of Titanium. Therefore, it should be less expensive than pure Titanium. If it is not, then you might want to consider another club manufacturer.

Another material that is used today combines carbon in the composite part of the driver with a titanium face. Manufactures are able to shift the weight in the clubhead to lower the center of gravity. This provides more carry on drives. Both titanium and composite drivers can provide a large clubface and the benefits that go along with it. Composite drivers are not as popular as titanium drivers. This is mainly because they don’t make that nice metallic sound that titanium does at impact. So if the sound doesn't bother you, then composite might be the way to go.

I have already gone into the benefits of a larger clubhead. Many manufacturers offer drivers up to the USGA legal limit of 460 cc (cubic centimeters). This figure refers to the head volume. Some men might prefer smaller heads (under 400 cc) if they have good control. Women usually use clubheads anywhere from around 200 cc up to 400 cc. The better women golfers usually look around the low end of that range while high-handicapped women golfers might look at the upper range. The bigger clubheads provide more forgiveness when you miss the sweetspot, but the smaller clubheads will provide more control if you can consistently hit the sweetspot.

The next thing to keep in mind is the amount of loft that your driver head should have. Loft refers to the angle that the clubface makes in relation to the ground when the sole is flat on the ground. A good rule of thumb is that most men with an average swing speed (typically mid to high handicaps) should look for 10-12 degrees of loft. This is recommended because greater loft helps you get the ball in the air, which less experienced golfers have trouble doing. You will have more carry in the air but less roll. Women golfers who are just taking up the game or those that have a slow swing speed should look at drivers with 12 to 15 degrees of loft.

Women with faster swing speeds should look for drivers with around 10-12 degrees of loft. Professional golfers typically have 8 to 9 degrees of loft on their drivers because they can swing the club faster and more accurately, which allows the ball to fly higher in the air.

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