The Different Models Of Driver Explained
The best drivers of the golf ball are players that have optimised their ball flight. This can be seen when they hit a drive as the trajectory will closely resemble the shape of a rainbow. The ball will launch relatively high and then flatten out, so the peak height achieved lasts for an extended distance. What should be avoided when hitting a driver is a low launch that rises to a definite point, before falling to the ground on an almost vertical trajectory. This robs your drive of countless yards and makes the golf course much longer than it needs to be.
The key factors in achieving this are launch angle and spin rate - Since the arrival of the modern launch monitors, spin rate has been proven to be a vital part in determining how your ball flies through the air. Spin rate is created through a combination of driver loft, the angle of attack created by your swing and the specifications of the club you are using. Too much spin and your ball will balloon upwards with virtually no roll out on landing. Too little spin and the ball will drop out of the air too quickly resulting in a drive that falls well short of your potential distance. If this seems a little complex for you at your stage of golf, check out the “Optimising Your Spin Rates” article for a more detailed explanation.
So, how does this information relate to choosing your driver. Let’s have a look at how the model of driver you choose can affect spin rates and the overall distance your ball travels.
Most companies now offer three different heads (sometimes more) with each new range that they bring out and choosing the correct one can seriously improve your performance. The other side of this means that choosing a driver that doesn’t suit your play style can have a detrimental effect that can result in shorter drivers and extra time spent looking for balls in the long grass and bushes.
The first one we will look at is what we will call the standard head. These drivers are designed to suit the largest cross section of players and have good all round performance attributes. Drivers in this category will have maximum 460cc sized heads and a centre of gravity that is fairly central in the club head. As you will see as we move through this guide, the CG location is of huge importance. With a centralised CG location you can expect excellent levels of forgiveness, with shots that are struck off centre still producing satisfactory results. These drivers are designed to produce low to mid-levels of backspin although this can often be altered by settings on the driver head itself. They will often have adjustable weighting on the sole of the club that will allow for changes to the CG location so you can make the driver more draw biased or lower spinning. This level of versatility affords you the chance to alter the club to contiunally suit your game as you improve.
Standard Head Drivers
There are drivers that are aimed more towards the better player. They will normally still be 460cc (although some are slightly smaller at 440cc) and they will usually have a more compact appearance at address, with a slightly deeper face. The centre of gravity will be low and forward, which creates a driver that produces much lower levels of backspin and the forgiveness levels will be lower than on a standard style head. This style of driver is the perfect choice if you want to hit low spinning bombs, but the trade-off is that off centre strikes will be punished a little more severely. You can usually purchase drivers in this category in lower lofts with some as low as 7.5-degrees. Allowing for 1.5-degrees of loft adjustments it is then possible to get it down to 6-degrees enabling you to channel your inner Bryson DeChambeau.
Lower Spinning Drivers
Finally, here are drivers that are specifically designed to be anti-slice, which can be a game changer for golfers that really struggle with this most destructive of shots. These drivers have more weight placed in the heel part of the club head which slows this area down. This allows the face to square up more easily, thereby reducing the amount of slice spin imparted on the ball. If you are a player that finds the long grass on the right-hand side of the course (or left-hand side for lefties!) then this style of driver could revolutionise your game. The caveat to this is that if you are dead set on improving your technique to reduce your slice, there is no way of adjusting it to a less draw bias setting as the weighting is internal and fixed.
Draw Biased Drivers
In summary, if you are looking for a driver that performs well in both distance and spin and offers good levels of forgiveness then select a driver from the standard heads. If you feel like your ball balloons too much, rising to a point before dropping to the earth then choosing a lower spinning driver would be a desirable choice. If you have always struggled with a slice, and no matter what you do in your swing it just won't go away then a draw headed driver could transform your driving and set you on the path to lower scores.
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