THERE ARE MANY EXCELLENT DRIVERS

We are all looking for the newest magical driver. Sadly, it is more important which ball you buy and which shaft you have. I can get 10-15 extra yards out of the driver with the right ball. I can gain or lose 10-15 yards by using the right or wrong shaft.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?

1. There is a magic launch angle. it is 41*. What does that mean? The correct launch angle would hit the ball over a full grown tree at 200 yards. Many golfers I see think a line drive is the right angle. They like it about 1/2 as high as the computer thinks is the corect angle.

    How do I get it that high?

a. the shaft for 80% of the golfers should be regular or softer.

b. the head should be 10.5* or higher. Most golfers who shoot 90 should have a 10-12 degrees head with a regular flex shaft and a draw bias.

2. Finding the fairway. If you hit the fairway with your drive, your chances of par more than DOUBLE. The driver swing is MUCH LONGER and MUCH LOWER than many golfers know. they use the same swing that they use for their 9 iron. it is much steeper up and down than they realize. once you have found the driver that allows you to launch the ball properly, you MUST find the driver that gives you the best chance of finding the fairway.

CALLAWAY, NIKE, KING COBRA and PING are primarily designed to accomplish this.

3. Resale value. Taylormade, Callaway and Ping will hold their value longer and have a higher end value.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Titleist (including King Cobra), Callaway, Taylormade, Nike and Ping are the models I generally prefer because they have been built to exacting specs with name brand shafts. Knock Offs can have excellent heads that are almost identical to the name brands, but their shafts can be suspect. The resale valueof a knock off is $0

If I reviewed these name brand models and tested similar models across price lines, I would find that I could hit the drivers within 5-10 yards of each other. One driver will hit the ball a little higher. Another will have a little more roll. The engineers in the factories have done this ON PURPOSE!

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS?

1. Most golfers who shoot 90 should have a 10-12 degrees head with a regular flex shaft and a draw bias.

a. These drivers will hit the ball 250 yards if all you do is swing the driver ON PLANE at REGULAR SPEED without any other help from the golfer.

b. The correct launch angle would hit the ball over a full grown tree at 200 yards. Many golfers I see think a line drive is the right angle.

c. Which driver are YOU MOST CONFIDENT you can hit IN THE FAIRWAY 250 yards?

d. DOES IT SOUND RIGHT? Ping and Cobra have spent MILLIONS getting the sound so that all your friends know when you tag it.

e. The object of golf is to hit the center of the ball with the center of the driver. Sweeping the tee with the center of the driver makes a lot of good things happen.

ARE THERE BARGAIN DRIVERS? YOU BET

King Cobras have large sweet spots. This means that when you miss the center of the clubface it still has a chance to carry the 200 yard pond in front of you and reach the fairway. Any King Cobra bigger than 350 cc can hit the ball more than 250 yards consistently.

Pings have large sweet spots. They sound right when you hit them right.

Taylormades have a smaller sweet spot, but tend to get a little more roll for A COUPLE extra yards. I find them pleasing to the eye.

Titleist are beautiful and classic clubs. They also have a smaller sweet spot so your handicap better be less than 6. This is why older Titleist drivers lose their value.

Nike has spent millions catching up. The new Sumos, SQ, etc are the equals of any other manufacturer. Originally, these clubs were not as desirable to much of the market, but now they are sought by the entire buying spectrum. Older Nike drivers (> 425 cc) are not as desirable.

Callaway is designed to help you clear the tree at 200 yards. They will not roll as far, but their lauch angle LOOKS BETTER of the tee. The older market has been playing these for almost 30 years and they have confidence in them, conforming or non conforming. Callaway has never feared walking their own road when it came to club development. They have made many innovations like the new square drivers. This also means that they have a few evolutionary dead ends (VFT, C4). Anything newer than the Big Bertha II are good clubs.

COLLECTING ANTIQUE DRIVERS

1. If you never heard of it, don't buy it.

2. This market depends on Asia. When they are buying, prices go up.

3. Look for the beauty of the club such as the faces (see MacGregor Eye O Matic) and greta golfer endoresements, like Byron Nelson MacGregors. I am buying these for my grandchildren to sell. There are many beautiful excellent persimmon drivers from the 60-70s that are almost worthless. This will change only when people look back on Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer as we look at Bobby Jones.

4. CONDITION IS EVERYTHING. There are many cheap Spalding Bobby Jones, Wilson Sam Snead, MacGregor Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer versions of clubs. Many are in POOR condition. Use them for tomato plant stakes.

5. Know why you bought the club and set a maximum price you are willing to spend. If you don't like the look of it, DO NOT BUY IT.