How to choose a Driver or Fairway Wood

Drivers (also called 1 Woods) and Fairway Woods are available in a wide variety of makes, models, and sizes. Thanks to recent innovations, today's golfers are better able to choose a driver/wood that's right for them than they were just a few years back. Read the following sub-sections for a better understanding about the individual characteristics. Whatever is said about the driver below is generally also applicable to a fairway wood.

Club Head
The club head is a key component of a driver. The club head comes in 3 sizes -standard, midsize, and oversize. The standard size club head measure about 150-155 cubic centimeters (cc). A driver with a smaller size club head is harder to hit than a driver with midsize and oversize club heads. The midsize club head measures about 195 cc. A driver with a midsize club head is easier to hit than a driver with smaller size club head but is heavier than a small size club head. The oversize club head measures 250 cc and more, up to the legal limit of 460 cc. It is the heaviest and has the widest "sweet spot" of any size club head.

Club heads come in stainless steel and titanium. Clubs with stainless steel club heads are less expensive, but slightly heavier than club heads manufactured from titanium and other alloys. They provide a traditional look and feel to the club head, thanks to the slightly smaller size head. Clubs with titanium club heads are more expensive than those made from stainless steel. Titanium enables manufacturers to produce a larger but lighter club head. This club head is more forgiving on mis-hits than clubs with stainless steel club heads.

Loft
The greater the loft, the greater the angle of the club head's face. The greater the angle of the club head's face, the more control the player has when he/she hits the ball but the less distance the ball travels. The less the loft, the shallower the angle of the club heads face. The lesser the angle's face, the less control players have when hitting the ball, but the greater the distance the ball travels. Club head lofts generally range from 8-12 degrees. The slower the player's swing, the higher loft the golfer needs. The average swing speed requires between 9.5 and 10.5 degrees of loft, and beginners should consider 12 degrees of loft.

Weight
The club's weight impacts the distance a ball travels when hit. The lighter the club, the faster the swing speed and the longer the ball travels. Players with slower swing speeds benefit most from a lighter club. Golfers with a higher swing speeds benefit most from heavier clubs.

Length
Then longer the club, the harder it is to hit. A 1-wood is harder to hit than a 7-iron because the driver is much longer than the iron. A driver comes in three basic lengths-average, mid-length, and long. The average driver is about 43-44 inches long. The average mid-length driver is about 45-46 inches long. The extra length adds distance to the ball when hit. It also adds weight to the club. The long driver is 46 inches or more. These drivers provide the farthest distance but are the hardest to hit because of their length.

Continue here for our Selection of Custom Drivers.