Buying a Driver / Wood...

There are literally hundreds of different drivers out there for you to choose from, with many different brands, features and options, it can be very difficult to make a choice. Here are some tips on our favourite brands and features.

Shaft Flex
The shaft flex is one of the most important aspects of buying a driver. The idea is to buy a club that will flex naturally with your swing and convert the power from your swing off the face of the club through the ball. Generally speaking therre are 5 different levels of shaft flex:

• Extra Stiff
• Stiff
• Regular
• Ladies
• Seniors

Now, leave your ego at the door and choose the right shaft flex for YOU. It's very common for people(usually men) to assume they need a stiff shaft flex when they would be much more suited to a regular flex. If your swing is very fast, you would probably benefit from a stiff shft flex, but if you're just starting out it's very unlikely you'll need that. A regular flex will usually force you to slow down your swing resulting if further, straighter drives which is what it's all about isn't it?

Insertable Weights
This is a relatively new feature seen on some of the Taylormade drivers that allow you to insert weights to adjust the weight distribution and overall mass. They are an excellent tool to fine tune your swing but should not be considered a silver bullet. You WILL NOT drive 400 yards because you have some removable weights in your club.

Graphite or Steel Shafts
It's actually relatively rare to find steel shafted drivers these days. That's not to say they don't exist, but with golf technology pushing the edges of engineering, graphite is a much more ideal material for todays golfer.

Head Size
Club head sizes have increased dramatically over the past few years with 460cc head sizes being the norm rather than exception. So do you really need a 460cc head? The simple answer is no. However, with club prices dropping all the time, it's becoming very easy to pick up used (and new) clubs for a fraction of their original RRP. If it's a choice between a well known recognised brand with a smaller head and a 460cc no name brand, we'd choose the recognised brand every time. Callaway, Taylormade, Founders Club et al haven't got to where they are by pure luck. They have years of producing precision engineered clubs and deserve their sterling reputations.

Above all, you should ensure you choose a driver because it suits your playing style and not because it has a fancy name.