Golf clubs have changed so much over the years that it is stunning to look at how far technology has come. It is safe to say we have arrived at the future and no golf club’s evolution underscores that quite as much as the driver.
What started as a relatively small golf club made out of wood has evolved through many different materials and ballooned in size. From metal to titanium and stainless steel, the driver has undergone a number of facelifts to get where it is today. From adjustability to space-age materials and computer engineering, there seems to be no limit to the innovation that is possible. But how do all these things help your game? That is what TGW is here to explain.
Driver Materials: What Are They Made Of?
There is a good reason woods used to be called woods. That is literally what they were made of. Now, not so much. Clubs like drivers and fairways still carry the name woods or metalwoods but they are far from their origins. In 1979, TaylorMade changed the game with the first steel driver. Then the 1990s brought in the rise of titanium. These materials are lighter and that weight savings allows for a much larger, more forgiving club head. And, it allows manufacturers to make modern drivers considerably longer while maintaining an appropriate swing weight. Traditional wood drivers were on average 43″ in length. Today’s drivers average 45″ – 46″ and the extra length helps golfers swing faster. As well all know, more speed equals more distance and distance is the goal off the tee.
These days it is popular to use carbon fiber material in the club head of a driver, particularly on the crown. Carbon fiber is even lighter than titanium or stainless steel, saving even more weight that can be moved elsewhere in the head. Why do club manufacturers want to have more weight to move around? So they can fine-tune performance. They can place more weight in the perimeter of the club head to make it more stable and forgiving. It can be placed in the heel to help correct a slice, back to increase launch, or forward to lower spin. This is all done in the name of helping you hit straighter, farther drives. That’s how the evolution of lighter materials helps all golfers.
Artificial Intelligence: Next-Level Designs for the Golf Course
More and more golf driver innovations are being created using next-level science. Callaway is an industry leader here with their signature Flash Face design. Using computer simulations, Callaway inputs hundreds of face designs into their program until they find the best combination to give golfers the performance they need. The result is a totally unique face architecture for every single club that optimizes the way it plays.
Whether it is internal technology, driver shapes, or materials, you can bet artificial intelligence is here to stay. Computer-aided design will be one of the top features to watch as golf driver technology moves forward.
Unique Structures: Hidden Performance For All Golfers
There are many innovations that exist in these golf clubs that you never see but they do serious work in taking your game farther. These features mark massive progress in the design and technology included in a driver.
One such structure is Callaway’s Jailbreak Technology. This technology uses two bars inside the driver’s head, right behind the face, that connects the sole and the crown of the club. Its purpose is to make the body of the driver stiffer. By doing this, you get a more stable club head for forgiveness and it transfers more energy into the ball for faster speed and more distance.
With the SIM2 Max drivers, TaylorMade introduced their new Forged Ring construction. This is an internal milled ring that connects every important piece of the club head. By uniting the rear weight, carbon crown and sole, and the milled-back cup face, the whole driver becomes faster, more forgiving, and more stable so you get serious results on every single shot.
Adjustability: Custom Fitting In Your Hands
Once unheard of, adjustable features on drivers are now the norm. From hosels that let you change loft and lie to the movable weights that help you create the shot shape you want, these features put custom fitting right in your hands.
Being able to adjust the standard loft of a golf club gives players more control over trajectory. Players who need help getting the ball in the air off the tee or launch it too low in the long game can add loft to get the ball airborne properly. An ideal higher launch maximizes carry distance. There are also golfers who need to lower their ball flight. Hitting the ball too high can cause the ball to balloon and cost you distance. Lowering the loft can help you bring that trajectory down.
Adjusting your lie angle can make you more accurate off the tee. If your driver is too upright, then the toe will not make contact with the ground at impact and your shots will travel left of your target. If your driver is too flat, then the heel will not make contact with the ground at impact and your shots will travel right of your target. Increasing the lie angle through an adjustable hosel creates more draw bias while decreasing it produces more fade bias.
Finally, adjustable weight is commonplace to help you correct shot shape and help with distance and spin. Putting more weight in the heel, or near the hosel, creates more draw bias. Adding weight in the heel moves the CG towards the heel. Though Horizontal Gear Effect, strikes on the face will cause the clubhead to rotate slightly to the right, creating left spin on the ball (or less right spin), promoting a draw (or reducing a fade). And, with the CG closer to the shaft it is easier to square the club face. Sliding more weight toward the toe helps create more fade bias, helping to overcome a hook. Back and front weight positions help you customize your ball flight as well. Placing more weight in the back of the head Increases the clubs MOI (resistance to twisting on off- center hits) and creates a higher trajectory with more carry distance. Placing more weight in the front creates a lower, more piercing trajectory with more roll out and helps reduce spin.
By knowing the ins and outs of modern driver technology, you can choose from a wide array of innovations that give you the most benefit for your game. If you are looking for more speed and distance, try a driver that utilizes lightweight materials. If you are looking for more forgiveness, check out the weighting and the ways you can adjust it. All of these technologies are there to help make everyone a better player and TGW has an excellent selection for you to choose from.
