How to choose the right driver
It’s always much more enjoyable to set up a par with a drive right down the middle of the fairway than to struggle once again from a slice in the woods. One way to achieve that is by playing with the right driver. But there’s a lot to consider when buying a new driver – Gustav Thyr, custom fitting expert in our purchasing department, gives you some smart tips along the way.
Find the right loft to benefit your ball flight
– The best loft really is individual. For example, Bryson DeChambeau plays with around 5–6 degrees of loft, while Jon Rahm uses 10.5. Both are very long hitters and excellent with the driver. Several factors determine what’s best for you – your angle of attack, how you position your hands at impact, and so on. That’s why it’s definitely worth testing a few options to see what suits your swing characteristics best.
Trust your gut feeling
– It’s actually a big advantage if you like the look of your driver. If you love it visually – at address, sitting in the bag, and when you pull off the headcover – it also inspires confidence and trust. Important ingredients when you want to send your tee shot straight down the fairway.
Let the club eliminate your most common miss
– What’s your most common miss from the tee? Slice or hook? Look for a model that helps straighten out your ball flight and hit it straighter. Many drivers feature adjustable weights that can be tuned to suit your swing and strike pattern.
Choose a forgiving driver
– You can go a long way by keeping your drive in play and not losing the ball straight from the tee. It’s often wise to prioritise a more forgiving model that helps reduce dispersion. Many drivers considered “forgiving” are also highly versatile and suit players with higher handicaps too. For example, Ludvig Åberg plays Titleist’s TSR2 – a user-friendly model that works for the wider audience as well. And we all know how good Åberg is off the tee.
THREE DRIVER TRENDS
Shaft weight and length
– A clear trend we’ve seen in recent years is that shaft weights are getting lighter across drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. The reason is simple: a lighter shaft allows you to swing faster, and higher club speed is closely linked to longer shots. Another eternal topic is shaft length. We see some tour professionals using the longest shafts possible to increase leverage and, in turn, clubhead speed to gain extra distance. But it’s worth remembering that they are professionals. For the rest of us, long shafts can be a real challenge, and often it’s a smart move to go the other way and opt for a shorter shaft for improved control. After all, who wouldn’t trade a few yards for hitting more fairways?
Adjustability
– Drivers come with adjustable hosels that allow you to fine-tune loft and lie. What we’re seeing more and more, however, is golfers truly taking advantage of this adjustability to tailor the club to their individual swing and achieve optimal ball flight. Nerdy? Yes. Can it make a big difference? YES! If you need help, just drop by one of our stores.
Advanced face technology
– As many of you know, there are strict rules governing how much trampoline effect a clubface is allowed to have – in other words, how much it may flex and create a “catapult effect” at impact. The rules are there to be followed, of course, but that doesn’t stop manufacturers from finding new ways to increase distance. A lot of development focuses on face thickness, materials, shaping and the technologies that can be built in to push performance further. The clubface naturally affects feel and sound, but today it has an even greater impact on performance than before. Every brand has its own approach – and it clearly pays off. Both distance and, above all, control are significantly better in modern drivers compared to models from a few years ago.
Gustav Thyr, Custom Fitting Expert