Used Drivers

The driver (also called 1 wood) is the club that we pay most attention because it is the longest, biggest and most expensive golf clubs in the golf bag. Due to the technology advancement in golf, driver design has reached a very high standard. With newer, bigger and oversized drivers, it has made driving much easier by helping to hit the ball longer, and straighter.

Since the driver is one of the toughest clubs to master, it is important to choose a used golf driver that fits you. There are few areas of consideration when choosing a used golf driver that suits you:

Golf Driver Club Head Size

Club head comes in three different sizes: standard, midsize and oversized.

Standard size - Standard size drivers usually have a measurement of approximately 175 cubic centimeters. As the club head size is the smallest, it has the smallest sweet spot. As a result, standard size club head golf driver requires more accurate hits. However, it is easier to handle and it is best suited to advanced players.

Midsize - Midsize club head falls between standard and oversized with approximately 225 cubic centimeters. Hence, it offers a medium size sweet spot.

Oversized - Oversized club head is the biggest club head with up to 450 cubic centimeters in size. Oversized club heads are more forgiving. It is very much like the oversized tennis racquet. The enlarged 'sweet spot' produces maximum distance even with off-center contacts. Beginner or novice golfers are recommended to use oversized drivers.

Driver Club Head Material

There are two types of common materials used in driver club heads: Titanium and Stainless Steel.

Titanium - Titanium is the most expensive material due to its lightweight and excellent strength. Titanium is therefore only used in the highest quality golf driver. A larger driver club head design is possible due to its lighter weight, hence creating a larger sweet spot that is more forgiving. In the market today, you can also find other club head material such as Titanium-Alloy (Ti-Alloy). Ti-Alloys drivers are actually very cheap Aluminum product with only some trace elements of Titanium and they are commonly used in beginner or junior driver. So don't mix up between Titanium-Alloy with Titanium.

Stainless Steel - Stainless steel (17-4ph stainless steel or 431 stainless steel) is cheaper but slightly heavier than titanium club head. Due to its heavier club heads, the club head size is usually smaller which translate into smaller sweet spot. Keep in mind that distance is a product of mass and speed. Ideally, you want the heaviest mass that you can swing and control at the fastest speed. That is the reason why advanced players prefer to use stainless steel driver.

Driver Shaft

There are two common shafts available in the market: Graphite and Steel

Graphite - Graphite shafts are more expensive and lighter than steel. As graphite shaft is lighter, it allows a heavier club heads while making the overall golf club weight lighter to be possible. As a result, graphite shafts allow an average golfer to swing the club faster, which translates into more distance. Moreover, graphite shafts also have the benefits of better vibration absorption, ease of swing and create a better 'feel' to your shots.

Steel - Steel shafts are cheaper and heavier than graphite shafts. It is commonly used by most of the Tour pro as it offers more control.

Golf driver loft

Loft is the angle of the golf club face that determines the ball trajectory and distance. The driver has the lowest loft among all the golf clubs. In general, a driver has a loft between 7 to 12 degrees.

Low loft (less than 10 degrees) - lower lofted drivers are more suitable for low handicap and experienced players with faster swing speed.

High loft (more than 10 degrees) - the fact that lower loft tend to amplify any inaccurate hit, so regular player (especially novice golfers) should play with higher lofted drivers with loft angle of 10 degrees or higher.

Driver length

Drivers come in three different club lengths:

Standard - The standard length of driver is 43 - 44 inches. The standard length has increased over the years and it is longer than in the past. The standard length for women is 43 inches now. A few years ago, that was the standard length for a men's driver.

Mid-length - Mid length driver range from 45 - 46 inches.

Long - More than 46 inches. The extra driver length could help to hit the ball farther but at the expense of control.

What driver length do you need? Golfers come in different heights and arms length. In addition, different golfers have different addressing posture. All these factors need be considered to determine your golf driver length. You can get the help from your pro to find the right driver length. Alternatively, club fitting is the ideal way to find the perfect length that fits you.