Once upon a time the driver was the hardest club in the bag to hit.
These days they are packed with technology to help mid-to-high handicappers get the most out of the game.
They will help you find some extra distance, accuracy and, most importantly, forgiveness.
While the tour pros swing the driver at anywhere from 110-125mph, the average swing speed of the club golfer is somewhere around 93mph which is plenty fast enough to produce plenty of mis-hits.
The modern-day driver might be 460cc but we still find plenty of ways not to find the middle of the clubface which is where these clubs are so beneficial.
So what are the common characteristics of a game-improvement driver?
Higher moment of inertia (MOI)
If you read up on any game-improvement driver it won’t take too long before the acronym MOI pops up. This refers to the clubhead’s resistance to twisting when the ball misses the middle of the clubface. The higher the MOI, the more forgiving the driver.
This stability reduces the likelihood of severe hooks or slices and straightens up the ball flight and helps us not to lose too much distance. The manufacturers increase MOI by redistributing weight around the perimeter of the clubhead, which increases the size of the clubhead or using lightweight materials like carbon to lower the centre of gravity and increase that forgiveness.
Larger clubhead size
The clubhead will be 460cc which is the maximum size for a driver. This was established to balance performance with playability and allows manufacturers to design clubs that offer both distance and forgiveness.
A 460cc clubhead allows for a larger sweet spot which gives the mid-high handicappers more chance of hit straighter and more consistent tee shots.
Centre of gravity (CG)
The centre of gravity refers to the point within the clubhead where the weight is balanced and this helps determine how the driver performs, affects launch angle, spin rate and forgiveness.
The position of the CG influences how easily you can get the ball in the air. A low and back CG (further from the face) helps produce a higher launch, which is beneficial for players who have a slower swing speed. A forward CG promotes a lower launch with less spin, which is better suited for players with more clubhead speed.
Moving the CG farther back from the face increases forgiveness by stabilising clubhead on off-centre strikes and reducing twisting. The ‘better player’ might be suited more to a more forward CG which is less forgiving but allows the player to shape shots.
More loft
Typically, game-improvement drivers – or Max drivers as manufacturers tend to label such clubs – are available in lofts like 10.5 and 12°. Better players may have lower lofts to encourage a lower ball flight.
The higher loft launches the ball easier when coupled with a lower swing speed or a poor strike and it also reduces side spin which will minimise the effect of a hooked or sliced drive.
Draw bias
The majority of club golfers struggle with a slice and, in a draw bias driver, the weight is positioned towards the heel of the clubhead. This moves the centre of gravity closer to the shaft which makes it easier to square the clubface at impact.
Many draw-bias drivers come with a slightly closed clubface angle at address which also promotes a more closed position at impact. Some draw-bias drivers also feature an offset design, where the clubface is set slightly behind the shaft – this gives the golfer more time to close the face before impact.
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