What Is a “Bonded Driver”?

One thing every golfer knows about the sport we all hold so dear is that there are limitless adjustments one can make when it comes to bettering a golf swing. You can bend your knees more. You can bend your elbow less. You can widen your stance or bring it in. You can play in the morning instead of at night. You can move to a part of the country with less humidity. See? Limitless.

One of the biggest adjustments you can make is to your equipment. You can upgrade your clubs, switch the brand of ball you hit, or switch from wood to plastic tees. Some golfers are superstitious and would rather die than swap out any of their gear, and some golfers tinker endlessly until they find the perfect combination.

Given the vast customization possible in the game, it might sound strange that some golfers are opting for something that seems like a step backward. Or a small step, anyway. But it’s true – there are many golfers out there who are opting for a bonded driver.

What is a Bonded Driver?

Well the best way to define it is by what it isn’t – it’s non-adjustable. It’s a driver with a club head that’s glued (or “bonded,” hence the name) to the shaft so you can’t make any adjustments to it. Does that sound counter-intuitive? Perhaps. But consider this: Most golfers make one adjustment to their driver’s head and then never touch it again. And some forget they even can adjust the head so they never do. So maybe the adjustable head isn’t the secret weapon some think it is.

Take, for instance, the TaylorMade RocketBallz Driver. The version with the adjustable head came out first and was a very popular seller, and then bonded version followed. Both models continue to sell through very well, which only proves that a good, solid driver like the RocketBallz appeals to adjustable fans and bonded fans alike.

So a bonded driver can give you the same speed, power, and distance as its adjustable counterpart. Will you miss the adjustability? Probably not, and you might even come to find that you enjoy having one less thing to tweak. That should free up some time to figure out whether or not you’ve got the right golf towel for your needs.