04 GOLF GUIDE 2023 M A N I T O B A
How to Find the Driver That Suits You Best
By Todd Lewys O ver the past three to five years, huge advances have been made in driver technology. Tune into any golf event – PGA Tour, LPGA tour, even elite-level amateur events – and you can’t help but notice that players are hitting their drives a country mile. Then, there are the commercials, with elite stars like Rory McIlroy (Taylor Made) and Jon Rahm (Callaway) promoting the drivers that have allowed them to hit drives 350 yards or more. Naturally, amateur golfers of all ability levels see how far Tour players are hitting their drives, and want to acquire one of the new, hi-tech Thunder Sticks ASAP. That can be easier said than done. For
starters, a brand-new, state- of-the art driver (Taylor Made Stealth 2, Callaway Paradym, Titleist TSR, Cobra Aerojet) costs $700 to $800. Not only that, but a brand-new driver may not be much better than a five or even 10-year-old driver, says Darrin Keats of the Caddy Shed. “It all depends on where you’re coming from,” he says. “If you’re using a five-year-old driver and it’s still working well, stick with it. Chances are you won’t hit a new one that much farther.” However, if your driver is 20 years old, it’s a whole different matter. “We have people who come in here all the time who are playing some pretty old drivers,” Keats notes. “So, for them, going to a 10-year-old driver will give them tenfold in performance over what they’ve been playing.” Why exactly is that the case? “Well, the heads are much bigger at 460cc’s. That makes for a more stable clubhead with a larger face. That makes it way easier to hit. If you hit a drive off the heel or toe on a 10-year driver, the extra forgiveness will give you more distance on mishits. Hit it square, and you’ll hit it way past your old one.” He adds that there’s an extra bonus associated with going to a driver that’s been produced in the last decade or so. “Many drivers 10-years-old or newer have adjustable hosels that allow us to change the loft, lie angle and face angle. That makes it easy for us as fitters to customize the driver to better suit your swing. Newer drivers also come with better shafts, too. With loft, we can take it up or down by two points either way. In most cases we add loft, as loft is the average golfer’s best friend.” Additionally, cutting-edge technology can also be utilized to really dial in a driver’s settings to tailor it to a player’s game. “When you’re looking for a driver – we sell both new and pre-owned drivers – we’ll suggest up to four models for you and have you hit each one in our hitting bay in back. A launch monitor will analyze the performance of each drive. We can then adjust the driver to the best
Darrin Keats of The Caddy Shed. ( Photo by Todd Lewys/The Free Press)
settings for you.” Once that’s done, other areas, such as grip size, will be addressed. “We’re here to help you find the driver that works best for you,” Keats says. “If you have the budget for a brand-new driver and absolutely crush it, great – we’ll customize it to fit you. But we can also fit you with a five or 10-year-old driver that can work great for you.” What’s the bottom line when it comes to finding a good driver? “You don’t necessarily have to pay $800,” he says. “We have lots of newer pre-owned drivers in stock, so we can probably find you an excellent driver for around $250 or somewhere in that price range.”
Only 30 mins from Winnipeg - our 18-hole golf course is fun for all skill levels! Teulon Golf & Country Club 204-886-4653 www.teulongc.com
“There’s a driver out there for you, whether it be new or pre- owned.” — Darrin Keats The Caddy Shed
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