Driver for very high handicapper?

Hello. I'm a ~35-40 handicapper, mostly due to trouble around the greens, but also partly due to trouble off the tee. I've been teeing off with a 3-wood for as long as I can remember. I mostly hit it with a more-than-slight-fade/less-than-slice flight pattern I can't get rid of which usually leaves me in the right rough even if I aim left. Often times; however, when I make solid contact it's come to rest 230-250 from where it started. I've been thinking of picking up a driver and seeing if some good shots off the tee will build my confidence and help me out as I get closer to the green.

The local sporting goods store has a club testing room where you just hit into a net and decide which club "feels" better for you, but I have no idea what to look for, or what sort of shaft and loft I'd want on a driver. Edwin Watts has a launch monitor and the guy said I could hit a bunch of drivers and they'd make a recommendation based on my swing speed, launch angle, spin, and typical ball flight. However, as I stated before, I'm a very high handicapper and I'm not sure it'd be worth it for me to go through that procedure to choose a driver. Am I wrong?

So... what sort of driver would be a good one for someone of my handicap to try out? I'm not looking to or expecting to hit the ball 300 yards with an expensive driver. I just need something that maximizes my chances of staying in the fairway, because I know my strength and a bit of solid contact will help me drive the ball a mile. Also, would it be worth it for me to hop into the Edwin Watts launch monitor to get a recommendation, or would it just be a waste of money given my skill level?

Thanks a lot for any recommendations.

I do think getting a club fit for you at this point is definitely worthwhile. You may not be the best player in the world, but that is no reason not to get the club that is right for you.

Maybe offset drivers, draw versions, higher loft and regular flex to start with? Yeah, club fitting would definitely work... However, I started off golf with Taylormade r7 425 and I used to play in the 35s as well when I first started but as time went by I started hitting better...

I'm in the same boat as you are. The other night I demoed a couple clubs at the range and fell inlove with the Cleveland HiBore XL. The driver I'm currently using is very small and 8.5* loft. I have alot of trouble getting the ball off the ground from the tee box. Even a perfect hit on this driver I have is only going about 220 yards. With the HiBore 270-280 was an average.

I also tried the new Big Bertha460 and my distance was as good as the HiBore, but I was slicing about 3/5 shots. The Cleveland sliced 1/10. Just try out a couple clubs, I think I'm going to go with the original HiBore, their only $149 with the upgraded shafts on rockbottomgolf.com. As apposed to the $300 price tag for the newer XL.

Good luck,

Flux

mabey try a different shaft.

I would start with a cheap club then progress as you get better thats what I did. Try out the "Perfect Driver", it really helped me tame my driver.

When I was that handicap I started off by playing an Adams Ovation 10.5* loft. DON'T GET THE LOW OF LOFT!

I now have 13.5* loft and it's been the best club in my bag since. Ping G5 13.5* loft could really help you out, any new driver (titleist, cleveland, taylor made, etc.) all have the same technology for the most part - just make sure you get a REGULAR flex shaft and a loft OVER 11* it'll help you have more control.

I would suggest buying a 460 cc driver for more forgiveness. Since your misses tend to go right perhaps you can try some offset drivers or ones with a closed face. My Callaway X460 has a 2 deg. closed face and this has helped me greatly. With your current handicap as you play more often and most likely take lessons you will go through several swing changes as your playing improves. But what the heck, definitely go to Edwin Watts and ask a salesman for assistance. Try out some drivers and who knows... the salesman might even give you a swing tip. At a demo day earlier this year an Adams golf rep noticed that I was standing too close to the ball. He spent a few minutes with me placing me in what he thought was an ideal setup position and what a difference it made.

Seems to be the TM Burner is the best driver for any high handicapper.. such a high MOI it doesnt meet usga standards.

I agree 100%. When you go shopping for a driver leave your ego in the car. Ignore any snickers or puzzled looks on salesman's faces when you ask to demo a 13-15 degree driver. Loft is your friend.

[sarcasm on]

What, you think TM wouldn't purposely design a driver with such a high MOI that the ball actually explodes on contact? [sarcasm off]

Thanks everybody. Hopefully I'll be able to get a decent recommendation despite my handicap and typically less than desirable ball flight.

I went over to Edwin Watts today to get a recommendation on a driver. I told them I do not and have never owned a driver, that I was looking for something that would be forgiving to my inconsistent 40 handicapper swing, and that would still work for me when I cut that handicap in half so that I don't have to go out and buy a new driver a year from now. I didn't specify how much I was willing to spend.

The salesrep started me off with a SasQuatch 460 with regular flex. I don't recall the loft. I was hitting it close to the heel and getting a 100 yards of carry before hitting the ground hard and stopping dead. I was starting to think I was wasting my time and this guy's time by going through this process. Then I hit a few more shots and loosened up. Started hitting them straighter and farther. He then grabbed a Callaway X for me, regular flex shaft and I hit a few of those. It wasn't bad, but I liked the SasQuatch better. We moved on to the Callaway Big Bertha and I was really pounding that one. I think the poor performance with the SasQuatch and X were because I was a bit nervous and not warmed up.

After a few more shots he told me he was going to grab something with a stiff shaft and have me hit a few of those. I hit 2 or 3 more drivers and then he brings out a SasQuatch SUMO, stiff flex, 10.5 degree loft and tells me to hit a few. It felt better than any of the other drivers and he said my numbers on the launch monitor reflected that. My swing speed was ranging between 95mph and 105mph, average was about 98mph. RPM 2400-3900, average about 3300. He said that I want to keep myself at or over 100mph and just under 3000 RPM for ideal flight. The number he was concerned about was my launch angle. On average I was getting a launch angle of 7-8 degrees. He said I should have 10-11+... but my drives with the SUMO were carrying, on AVERAGE, 250 yards according to the computer. Final distance was 275+ and I hit 3 of them that came to rest at 300 yards. I don't know how accurate launch monitors are at gauging distance, but for most of these drives I could FEEL that I hit them well before the screen switched to ballflight view and showed me where I ended up. The other rep said not to worry about the launch angle on the computer so much because his drives on the launch monitor usually say 9 degree launch angle and he hits them much higher in real life, but that the distances are fairly accurate and that if I could take the swing I had in the shop out on the golf course I could expect to average 260+. He also said I must be hustling them with my supposed 40 handicap.

Either by sheer folly or by sudden discovery of how to swing the golf club, I fell in love with the driver and bought it. Came out to $299 + tax. Can't wait to try it out on the range tomorrow and then play 18 with it.

If you r a high handicapper DON'T GO OUT AND BUY A $500 driver get 10 lessons for the same price and u will realize that you may not need that brand new driver anyways. It's a hard game and remember its usually the guy swinging the club not the clubs fault.

That is good advice, that I very well may take.

Swing hard and lift your head!

Just Kidding

working your way up with cheap drivers is a waste of cash. you are constantly buying a new driver insted of buying a nice one. what you should do is get fitted and then buy the one that u feel the best with. because the cheap ones will never fit u correctly it will give u a worse tee shot. i used to do the same thing but now my old ones are just sitting in my basement collecting dust.(eg. Knights, Wilsons, and other no-names) and i cant sell them back becasue the are garbage.