What do you look for in a driver?

[300drive]

Many people have different opinions about what the ideal driver is, but what is yours?  Do you have a certain metal make or shaft?  How about loft?

[Pretzel]

My ideal driver is the one that performs the best for me. It doesn't matter what the specs are to me if it works better than what I have now.

That said, I only go looking when I know I can afford to make a purchase if I find one that works better for me. My current driver is a G30 with a x-flex Bi-Matrix in it, which works surprisingly well for me. It's the heaviest driver shaft I've ever used, and I cut it to be 44" rather than 45", but it also creates very low spin for me which is what I wanted. So long as my swing is correct it launches plenty high, and the G30 is the best performing clubhead I've tested yet, so I'm very happy with it.

[Traveller]

1 hour ago, 300drive said:

Many people have different opinions about what the ideal driver is, but what is yours?  Do you have a certain metal make or shaft?  How about loft?

two things mainly, the letter "r" and the number "7"

but then I'm more biased than the closed face on my driver!

I prefer a smaller head than 460cc, I have one but play a 425cc and I like a higher loft ie 11 or more to get that ball up high. There are plenty of shaft choices on offer - my advice? get fitted. Sheer distance doesn't appeal to me but accuracy down the fairway does. If you can find a club that will give you both then you're on a winner.

[freshmanUTA]

Sound and distance. Don't care about dispersion as long as I'm not spraying the ball uncontrollably, and I don't care how it feels as I'm only hitting it at most 14 times.

[SavvySwede]

Soft sound, hammer like feel, sits just how I like it at address, (I generally prefer Callaway's style of head shape for the woods.) heavier high bend point shaft, and of course it need to produce the distance.

 

10 minutes ago, freshmanUTA said:

Sound and distance. Don't care about dispersion as long as I'm not spraying the ball uncontrollably, and I don't care how it feels as I'm only hitting it at most 14 times.

I've always felt sound and feel were very closely tied. A haven't come across a driver with great sound that didn't also have good feel (or the reverse).

 

[freshmanUTA]

4 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

Soft sound, hammer like feel, sits just how I like it at address, (I generally prefer Callaway's style of head shape for the woods.) heavier high bend point shaft, and of course it need to produce the distance.

 

I've always felt sound and feel were very closely tied. A haven't come across a driver with great sound that didn't also have good feel (or the reverse).

 

The new ping G driver feels great but sounds disgusting.

[Patch]

I like a 10 degree low profile driver head. Like those square ones. That,  and a R flex shaft will usually do what I need done with it. I'm not real picky as long as I am properly fitted for it. 

I also like components due to the cost saving factor. Why spend $500 when you can get the same results for under $200. 

[9wood]

I like a driver that looks good, feels good, sounds good, is forgiving and one which I able able to get good distance and accuracy with.

[Wally Fairway]

Distance & the ability to shape a drive if needed, in either direction.

From an aesthetic point of view I'm pretty traditional, not square, or elongated - I liked my 907 D2, and same with the XR 15 pro (I liked the look more than the XR)

[Golfingdad]

18 hours ago, Pretzel said:

My ideal driver is the one that performs the best for me.

This, and this alone.

[saevel25]

18 hours ago, 300drive said:

Many people have different opinions about what the ideal driver is, but what is yours?  Do you have a certain metal make or shaft?  How about loft?

Look: More traditional shape. I don't like clubs that are stretched too much from front to back. No weirs shapes like the Nike SQ Sumo. I prefer traditional black drivers. I am not a fan of crazy designs. I am very partial to the Ping matte black finish. 

Feel: Not a loud ping sound, but not dull wood feel. 

Length: 45" Long

Loft: What ever loft gets me close to my optimal launch conditions

Performance: I like a driver to be highly forgiving and produces optimal launch conditions. 

Luckily there are so many good drivers out there that you can typically find one that comes close in the Look and Feel category that you are not sacrificing performance for it. 

 

17 hours ago, freshmanUTA said:

The new ping G driver feels great but sounds disgusting.

It's strange you say that. 

That is actually counter to what golf manufactures have found. Majority of feel is the sound you hear. Especially with the driver since everyone is trying to find the hardest, strongest material they can find that allows them to push the COR further out from the center increasing that sweet spot. It's not like irons where you can use a softer carbon. Even Titleist has said that sound is the predominant component to feel.

 

[MrDC]

Little or no adjustable contraptions, and a clean black crown to look at, no fancy lines or wings or airflow channels or whatever, just a clean top.

I'm currently using a TM JetSpeed.

[freshmanUTA]

53 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

 

It's strange you say that. 

That is actually counter to what golf manufactures have found. Majority of feel is the sound you hear. Especially with the driver since everyone is trying to find the hardest, strongest material they can find that allows them to push the COR further out from the center increasing that sweet spot. It's not like irons where you can use a softer carbon. Even Titleist has said that sound is the predominant component to feel.

 

I must be an anomaly. I think of feel as the vibrations through the shaft. Thinning the ball gives a bad feel, but striking it pure feels very soft, for the most part. I sacrificed feel for distance and accuracy with my Nike Vapor speed, I don't like the feel but it works and sounds okay.