Choosing a driver:

If you currently own a driver that doesn’t excite you, get rid of it right now because somewhere out there is a driver you can love - one that will maximize your distance and keep your golf ball in play. Please remember: cultivate your wedge, treasure you putter, but fall in love with your driver.

Before you start your search, however, you should know the most important driver characteristics to consider.

1] Face loft

Most golfers have too little loft on their driver face. Players with slow swing speeds [less than 90mph] need more loft - 10.5+.

When choosing the correct loft here is a caveat: the true loft is not always as printed on the clubhead. Why? Because although they won't admit it, club makers realize that consumers know good players use low lofted drivers and the urge to be recognized as a good player or at least be mistaken for one [before the first drive] is a factor in the purchase. Increasingly this practice is waning but the safe way is to have your lofts checked by an expert.

Be careful not to choose too much loft - that's worse then too little.

2] Flex point

If you want a higher ball flight, test a club with a lower flex point (the point at which the club bends when it kicks through impact). If you want to decrease the ball’s launch angle, try a higher flex point. The rule is that the lower the swing speed, the lower the flex point.

3] Shaft length

In addition to creating posture and balance problems, drivers that are too long disrupt your ability to make solid contact. For every 1/4 inch you hit off the center you can lose 10% plus in total distance, so you can’t just add length to your clubs and expect to get more distance. Average is 45-46 inches. You need a special reason to go outside this range.

To find out what length is right for you, test your driver before you buy using face tape so you can track the marks at impact. If the driver is for you, after ten or fifteen balls a clear pattern should develop on the hot spot.

4] Shaft flex

For most players, more flex means more yardage with less effort. You should swing the most flexible shaft you can handle. Most golfers use too stiff a shaft with too little club face loft. The slower the swing speed, the more flexible the shaft should be.

5] MOI

The resistance to twisting of the clubhead is called the moment of inertia [MOI] - the more it twists the more energy is lost in the transfer from clubhead to ball. Energy transfer has a marked influence on the flight of your golf ball so make sure you use the highest MOI you can find. Note: The USGA has placed a limit on MOI.

6] Clubhead size

In general, the larger the club head, the greater it resists twisting and the easier it is to move weight around to increase forgiveness. There is no question that the current "big heads" are easier to hit. Note the USGA has placed a limit on clubhead size.

7] The "Hot Spot"

This is the area on the "big heads" that produces the most efficient launch angle and spin rate. It’s higher on the face than the previous generations of driver heads which is why you tee the ball higher with the new big heads.

The guy who said "drive for show, putt for dough" must have been a great driver of the ball because there is no "dough’ left on the table by the time you emerge from the bushes. Remember – a 30 footer for an eight is still an eight so find yourself a great driver then wield it like it was Excalibur.