Known as the "wood" from the wooden club head that it traditionally used to have, the "driver" is not quite the chauffeur of a car when it comes to golfing but rather the longest club with the largest club head in your golf bag. This is used, as its description may have already explained, to play the longest shots in golf to carry the ball the farthest. In PGA tours a driver shot may actually cover over three hundred yards.



The club head of a driver club is generally spherical in shape with a flat sole and bulging club face. These club faces were made of beech wood traditionally and required exquisite crafting skills to get the perfect shape and bulge. The club heads these days are made of titanium giving great strength to the driver club and more resistance to wear and tear.

The second most important part is the shaft of the club. The shaft is called by many as the "engine" of the club. A well-made shaft can increase the distance covered by the golf ball considerably whereas a poor shaft may result in sliced or inconsistent shots. How well the shaft flexes determines the effectiveness of the driver club. The flex of a shaft generally accumulates the kinetic energy generated from the player's golf swing and transports it to the club face when it hits the ball. Remember too flexible a shaft may actually cause the club to swing adversely during a shot.

Why do golfers drive a ball?

The main reason is to keep the ball within the fairway, avoid the water ponds or sand traps and away from the "rough". The wood gives the golfer the power to hit the ball hard enough so that it can cover the distance. The driver set of clubs generally have three types of clubs: the driver, a 3 wood for short teeing and a 5 wood that would cover considerably longer distance than the 3 Wood.

The key to a good drive shot lies in avoiding a slice shot so that your shot has the power that it requires, understanding and aiming for your target area correctly, avoiding early straightening of the arms during the downswing, and swinging along the central axis during your backswing so that you can accumulate and launch maximum power to the ball. Ensure that you have a solid contact with the ball, anything less will result in a weak shot.

Drive shot also requires discipline and control over the shot from the golfer's point of view. Loose drive shot may actually end up hurting your back. Also different golf courses have different layouts and gaps between the holes. This means the average distance that your ball will travel can never be pinpointed and estimating the distance your ball will travel for a drive shot on different courses can be challenging. On an average, if a golfer can hit a ball well enough, it can travel up to two hundred and fifty yards in a drive shot.