3balls Golf
For most golfers, hitting longer, straighter drives is a perpetual goal. Everyone from the PGA’s leading money winners to the game’s most novice players seems to place the majority of their attention on gaining yards off the tee. This aim is certainly warranted, as eight of the top ten leaders in the PGA’s total driving statistic, a combination of rankings in average driving distance and accuracy, finished in the top 25 in money earned for 2013. Therefore, it is evident that driving is not just “for show” anymore. However, choosing the “best” driver is not as easy as it sounds. There are many excellent brands available that are favored by both tour stars and weekend warriors.
Current Leading Brands
Modern technological advances have allowed players to drastically improve their driving distance and accuracy, as well as adjust the club to better suit their individual swing styles. So, many variations in driver designs and features are now available that choosing the best driver has become more a matter of personal preference. For example, Callaway’s RAZR Fit, winner of Golf Digest’s 2012 Gold award for its overall performance, features OptiFit Technology, allowing golfers the highest degree of hosel adjustability (read more about this golf club). This allows both professionals and beginners to take advantage of the club’s more advanced Speed Frame face technology and ultra lightweight forged composite crown. Similarly, Callaway’s RAZR Fit and X Hot fairway woods all received Silver and Gold awards in 2012 and 2013 for their playability and innovation. Callaway’s new designs have been widely lauded for their classic appearance and workability, while capitalizing on cutting edge technologies.
Taylormade and Titleist have also both been perennial leaders in clubhead design advancements and usage by the game’s top players. Taylormade is credited as being the first major club producer to incorporate adjustable hosel technology into their design, and their popular R1, R11s, and Rocketballz drivers represent the latest models to utilize this technology. Titleist, long favored by tour players who prefer smaller, more classic clubhead designs, now feature adjustable technology in their 910D2/D3 and 913D2/D3 drivers as well.
Selecting the Right Driver
Based on the high degree of precision placed in the design and materials featured in today’s leading drivers, the differences in distance and accuracy between each brand for the amateur golfer are rather negligible. Selecting the best driver is as much about personal preference as it is about the specific features of the club. A significant percentage of PGA Tour players use each of the drivers described above, and they are all widely popular with amateurs as well. The only way to know which driver is right for a particular individual is to test them out, and see what feels best for your specific swing. One should always choose the driver that instills the most confidence when are addressing the ball, as this can often be the most consistent determinant of a good shot (other than your actual swing!)
