How to Build the Perfect Driver

Golf is a sport unlike any other because there is always room for improvement and there’s always time to grow as a player. One of the best ways to improve your game is by improving your clubs. If you want to improve your club there are various things to consider. You can select a brand that you’ve always liked or just get the new model based on a club you’ve already grown acquainted with. However, if you manage to get stuck in your ways it will become that much harder to improve your golf skills.

The best thing you can do is find out what your strengths are and build your own driver accordingly. By recognizing your assets, you’ll be able to design a custom club that has each feature specifically chosen for your skills. This is the greatest way to maximize your potential. To build the best possible golf club you’ll need to start looking into the best clubheads, the best grips, and the best golf shafts.

Know Your Club

If you want custom-built clubs, the first thing you need to acknowledge is what head you want. You may already have a favorite club that just needs a new shaft or grip and if that’s the case then you already have your answer. If you are in the market for an entirely new and different club than what you’re used to then there are a few things you will want to consider.

Each type of club has its own advantages and disadvantages and your driver is no exception. Depending on your strength, skillset, and preference you should be able to pick out a club that best suits your needs. Every golfer usually has a particular brand that they trust. It’s all a matter of preference, so go with your favorite.

●Shaft Material

When picking out a custom shaft, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is which shaft material you are interested in. You have a choice between graphite and steel. Truth be told, when it comes to a driver, steel shafts have become obsolete. There’s only really one shaft material you want to go with and that’s graphite. You’ll likely see only graphite drivers on the course nowadays.

Graphite shafts generally provide more comfort compared to their steel counterparts. Graphite shafts are usually lighter in weight. A lightweight shaft allows for a faster and more powerful swing. The smooth performance of these shafts also stems from their lack of vibration. When swung, other clubs may vibrate upon impact with the ball, but due to flexibility, it isn’t as responsive. A graphite shaft will almost always have a greater shaft flex than a steel shaft. This is another positive attribute that factors into this shaft’s power and a major reason that steel shafts are a thing of the past.

●Shaft Flex

Graphite generally has more flex than other clubs. However, this doesn’t mean there are only two options when it comes to shaft flex. The flex of the shaft can vary dramatically depending on the club. Flex options include regular, stiff, extra stiff, and everything in between. There are even specially designed ladies’ shafts and seniors’ shafts as well. The possibilities are endless.

Shafts are not as singular as they once were and many manufacturers provide options with varying flexibilities for a more customizable fit. Many experts believe that your choice of flex should depend on your swing speed. If your swing speed is in the low 90s then it might be best to choose a shaft with a regular flex. This is where many recreational golfers lie. Extra stiff shafts are really only used by people who have mastered the game of golf. Professionals with a swing speed of over 105 mph will likely be using a club with this shaft flex. For those that are in between, it is recommended they choose a shaft with a stiff flex.

●Golf Club Accessories

Another important accessory on a club is a grip. The grip is the area of the club that you’ll hold to swing. It is all about achieving a feel that is comfortable for you. If you already have a certain feel that you are comfortable with then it may be smart to go with that brand. However, there are certain performance grips available that are firm and may improve your game slightly if you haven’t already tested them out. At dallasgolf.com, all of our golf shafts are tipped and gripped before shipping.

Know Your Game

When you are in the market for a new golf club, the most important thing you need to be aware of is what type of golfer you are. Everyone plays the game differently and everyone excels at different areas of the sport. Depending on your strengths and weaknesses, parts of your custom golf club should differ accordingly. A golfer who has mastered accuracy, but has little power behind his or her shot is not going to have the same type of club as someone with the opposite skillset.

Certain things need to be taken into account before putting together the perfect club. It’s a fine line between what you are already able to accomplish and what you wish to accomplish. It’s important to play to your skills, but then again you probably want to grow as a golfer as well. So you will need to put together a club that extenuates what you already can do while allowing you to reach the realistic goals that you set for yourself. Finding this in-between area can be tough especially for newer golfers, but there are a few tricks that can help. Some things to consider when making your choices include your distance off the tee, your swing speed, your preferred club weight, and your desired launch height.

●Preferred Club Weight

The desired weight of your club is a big part of your decision when it comes to customizing your clubs. There are always extra light, light, and average options available depending on what you are used to working with. A major factor when it comes to the club’s weight is the material it is made out of.

In general, experts usually recommend using the lightest shaft that you are able to control. That being said, controlling an extra light shaft is not exactly an easy feat to accomplish, especially if you are newer to the sport or have not practiced very often. A lighter shaft could lead to more power, a higher ball speed, and more distance, but it is not guaranteed unless you can manage control and produce a smooth swing.

Just because you have seen someone succeed with an extremely lightweight shaft does not mean you will be able to duplicate that success - at least not right away. Play to your strengths and if you are someone who is more comfortable with a heavy shaft then don’t hesitate to utilize that comfortability.

●Distance Off the Tee

Obviously, in golf, every shot is important. However, with a bad first shot off of the tee, you can put yourself in a spot that may be hard to come back from. You want to start off strong so that you can keep the momentum going. No one wants to be catching up from the very beginning of the round. If you can get off a solid initial shot, you’re that much closer to the hole as well as the win. It’s important to stay cool, calm and collected throughout the game and that is much easier to accomplish if you’re not stressing about catching up due to previous mistakes. Getting a solid distance off the tee can really set the pace for the course.

Do you know your average carry distance? Think about how far you normally hit the ball and then think about how much farther you’d like it to go. That’s the goal that can be achieved with the right custom club. Whether you’re below 175 yards, above 280 yards, or somewhere in between, there’s a shaft out there that can complement your playstyle and improve it accordingly.

●Swing Speed

To achieve a greater distance off the tee you need to first improve your swing speed. The faster the swing, the more powerful the impact and the farther the ball will travel. It’s that simple. If your swing speed is not as fast as you might like, there are a few tactics that can help improve it. Clubhead speed can be improved by improving your swing technique or training flexibility and strength. Swing speed can also be improved with a golf club that has a shaft flex catered to you.

If it isn’t clear by now, there is more that comes into play than just one component if you’re looking for the best golf shafts, but there are is a general consensus about which shaft you should choose based on your swing speed:

<72mph - Ladies

72-83 - Senior

84-96 - Regular

97-104 - Stiff

>105 - Extra Stiff

There are various ways to calculate your swing speed. You can always invest in a swing-speed radar device, but it can be estimated without one. To estimate swing speed without a device you just have to complete a few simple steps. First, you’ll need to hit the ball enough times to get a steady average. Take every ball you hit and find the average distance. In general, golf balls usually travel about 2.3 yards for each mile per hour of club speed. So if you divide your average distance by 2.3 you should have a pretty close estimate as to how fast your swing speed is.

●Desired Launch Height

Launch height is different for each shaft and determines the trajectory of the ball. Most shafts are classified as low, mid, or high when it comes to launching height. As you can imagine, a club with a low launch height will have a lower angle of the trajectory than a club in the high launch height range. The flex also comes into play here. Generally, a more flexible shaft will lead to a higher ball flight.

If you know your preferred club weight, distance off the tee, swing speed and desired launch height then you can use our Shaft Fitting Tool to find the best golf shafts for your desired style of play. Even if you are unsure of one or more of these traits you can still browse our vast selection of high-quality golf shafts and find one that’s right for you. Reach out if you have any questions and we’ll be sure to help you find the perfect shaft.