[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "Everything About the Driver"

All golfers dream of their tee shots flying far and straight.

Golfers instinctively want to drive their shots "Far & Sure".

The driver is the No. 1 wood, the club with the lowest loft. It is usually taken out for long-distance shots from the tee. Amateur golfers choose various lengths ranging from 44 inches (112 cm) to 45.75 inches according to their body type. The loft is usually between 8 degrees and 13 degrees (for women). It is interesting that Phil Mickelson (USA), the "oldest major champion," uses a special order model. It has a 6-degree loft and a 47.9-inch long shaft.

This is exactly 0.1 inch shorter than the USGA (United States Golf Association) limit of 48 inches. On the other hand, "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods uses a 44.25-inch shaft, Ricky Fowler 43 inches, and Jimmy Walker (all from the USA) 42 inches to improve the direction and accuracy of tee shots. For reference, the USGA and the R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) recently announced a rule change to limit club length from 48 inches to 46 inches.

This is because players have been hitting excessively long drives due to equipment technology improvements. Naturally, the longer the club, the greater the distance. According to experiments, a 1-inch increase results in about 3.8 meters (including roll) more distance. The coefficient of restitution (COR) is also another factor that increases distance. The maximum allowed COR for drivers is 0.83, and every 0.01 increase in COR adds about 3 yards more distance.

Non-certified clubs such as ultra-high COR drivers have models with a COR of over 0.90. In this case, they can fly more than 20 yards farther than certified clubs. Golf equipment makers claim in their marketing strategies when launching new products that "distance has improved and directionality has been enhanced." They explain that "ultra-lightweight, increased repulsion power for excellent distance, and large heads to increase the sweet spot" are the features.

A: How’s your new driver?

B: It’s easier to hit because it has a larger sweet spot.

A: How far do you usually hit your drives?

B: My average drive carries about 220 yards on a windless day.

Text & Photo by Kim Maengnyeong, Golf Columnist