Golf tips in sports magazine often say that your first shot is the most important on every hole. So do some PGA pros. While this idea is debatable, one thing is certain. Finding the fairway more often cuts your golf handicap down to size. In other words you’re better off being 10 yards short in the fairway, than 20 yards longer in the woods. That’s just smart golf.
But even if you play smart, you still need the right driver. Without it, you’re in trouble. Too long a driver is just as bad as too short a driver. But the right size driver helps you hit more fairways, lower your scores, and score well. But choosing the right driver isn’t easy, as I tell students in my golf instruction sessions. You need a good plan to do it right. Below are five elements to include in our plan.
Check Out The Loft
You’d be hard-pressed to find a PGA pro using a driver with less than 10 degrees loft. Why—because the key to distance is high launch and low spin. The longer the ball is airborne, the longer the drive. Since balls are designed to stay airborne longer, you want a driver that maximizes this technology. Higher loft also increases your chances of hitting straighter shots. If you’re using a driver with 12 degrees of loft, try one with 13 or even 14 degrees of loft.
Get The Right Shaft
Shaft technology lets you choose shafts that hit the ball higher, straighter, and/or longer, and that provide better responsiveness. Key considerations when choosing a shaft are torque, stiffness, and length. Shafts that are too stiff cause distance and control problems, as I see with students in golf lessons. Stiff shafts also hamper responsiveness. Longer shifts have the potential for longer shots, but are harder to hit straight. Choose the shaft torque, stiffness, and length that let you to make a consistent, repeatable swing.
Size Matters
Size matters when it comes to clubheads. PGA pros are switching to larger and larger clubheads these days. These larger clubheads, as you’ve probably read in magazine golf tips, have more “miss area.” This is called Moment of Inertia (MOI). The bigger the clubhead, the higher the MOI. In other words the bigger the clubhead, the more forgiving the clubhead. So think big when selecting a clubhead.
Offset Offers Advantages
If you slice or hook—and more than 75 percent of us do—consider a driver with an offset clubhead. Many offset drivers also have closed face angles to further help a slicer hit the ball. Some even add weights in the heel to help the club rotate closed toward impact. Offset drivers are great for the average player.
Don’t Forget Grip
Last but not least is the grip. Since it’s the only point of contact with the club, you need the right size grip. Most clubs come with standard size grips. But not every player’s hands are standard. In fact, I see all sizes of hands in my golf instructions sessions. Hundreds of grips exist in the market. Almost all can be fitted to your hand size. Take advantage of this flexibility and get the right grip.
Loft. Shaft. Clubhead. Offset. Grip. All are key elements in a driver. Develop a plan that includes these elements before buying a new one. And don’t get side tracked by all the hype surrounding drivers. On the tee it’s better to be in the fairway 10 yards short than in the woods 20 yards longer. That’s just smart golf. You’ll be surprised what smart golf does for your golf handicap.