What makes the game improvement driver an essential weapon for the average golfer

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A long time ago the driver was a hard club to hit in the wallet.

These days they are full of technology that helps medium to high handicappers get more out of the game.

They will help you get more distance, accuracy and, most importantly, forgiveness.

While tour pros swing a driver anywhere from 110-125mph, the average swing speed of a club golfer is somewhere around 93mph which is fast enough to produce a lot of mishits.

Today’s driver may be 460cc but we still find many ways to not find the middle ground where these clubs are most beneficial.

So what are the common features of a game development driver?

Maximum moment of inertia (MOI)

If you read up on any game development driver it won’t be long before the buzz word MOI comes up. This refers to the clubhead’s resistance to twisting when the ball misses the center of the clubface. The higher the MOI, the more forgiving the driver is.

This stability reduces the chances of hard hooks or pieces and directs the flight of the ball and helps us not to lose too much distance. Manufacturers increase MOI by redistributing weight around the clubhead, increasing clubhead size or using lightweight materials like carbon to lower the center of gravity and increase forgiveness.

Large clubhead size

The clubhead will be 460cc which is the maximum driver size. This was developed to balance performance and playability and allows manufacturers to design clubs that offer both distance and forgiveness.

The 460cc clubhead allows for a larger sweet spot giving mid handicappers more opportunity to hit straight and consistent shots.

center of gravity (CG)

The center of gravity refers to the area inside the clubhead where the weight is balanced and this helps determine how the driver performs, affecting the launch angle, the rate of spin and forgiveness.

CG position affects how easily you can get the ball in the air. A low and back CG (higher from the face) helps produce a higher launch, which benefits players with slower swing speeds. The forward CG promotes a lower launch with less spin, better suited for players with more clubhead speed.

Moving the CG away from the face increases forgiveness by stabilizing the clubhead on off-center strikes and reducing spin. A ‘better player’ may be more suitable for a CG forward that is less forgiving but allows the player to create shots.

Additional loft

In general, game-improving drivers – or Max drivers as manufacturers often label such clubs – are available at heights such as 10.5 and 12°. Better players may have lower lofts to encourage lower ball flight.

A high loft opens the ball easily when combined with a low swing speed or a good swing and reduces lateral spin which will reduce the impact of a connected or cut drive.

Draw a bias

Most club golfers struggle with the slice and, with a leaning driver, the weight rests on the heel of the clubhead. This moves the center of gravity closer to the shaft making it easier to square the clubface at impact.

Many draw-bias drivers come with a slightly closed clubface angle at address which also promotes a more closed area at impact. Some draw-bias drivers also have an offset design, where the clubface is set slightly behind the shaft – this gives the golfer more time to close the face before impact.

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