New Trend in Golf Drivers

In golf today's drivers can make all the difference in how well you work your way around the golf course... golf companies say, it's as easy as buying a new custom driver. If you've been to a demo day lately, you know that it's a little more complicated than just grabbing a demo driver and pounding balls. It's taking ball-flight and direction customization to a new level.

Modern technology allows golf manufactures to reinvent the design and function of today's drivers. Golfers can now purchase a driver that allows them to change the loft, lie, face angle and directional weighting. The real cachet comes from drivers that feature adjustable fitting systems, which contain specially designed shaft adapters and hosel systems.

Nike's SQ Dymo2 Str8-Fit driver offers an adjustable hosel system that allows eight different settings which can produce up to 45 yards of directional difference. It starts with the rear "Power Bow" that gets thicker as loft increases from 8.5° to a 14.5°. As the mass shifts farther back and to the heel it adds a draw bias to the club head. Higher lofts have a shallower face height, producing a more closed face angle and a more upright lie angle which helps you square the clubface at impact. The system is user-friendly, as it provides visual and audible feedback when the club head is secured to the shaft. A directional arrow on the grip points left or right to indicate a closed or open face.

TailorMade's new R9 features their "flight control technology" (FCT). The adjustable head and shaft system allows golfers to lock the club head into eight different positions. Three movable weights can be repositioned around the club head to alter ball flight (left-to-right dispersion) by as much as 35 yards. You start fitting yourself by positioning the face angle (FCT) and then moving weights to dial in trajectory. The shaft fits into an aluminum sleeve and then into the hosel at a 1-degree angle. The adjustable hosel is not intrusive and can not be seen by the naked eye. Adjustments can create the opportunity to tweak face angle (2° closed to 2° open), lie angle (1° upright to 1° flat) or loft (1° stronger or weaker than the stated loft). These options allow golfers to tweak launch angle, direction control and rate of backspin on their driver shots.

You may recall it was just over a year ago that the USGA implemented a new rule that permits the use of "adjustable" clubs. At that time, Callaway, Nickent and TaylorMade debuted drivers with locking mechanisms which allowed golfers to change shafts and club heads. Now in this age of adjustability there's a whole new ballgame. It will be interesting to see how many other manufactures follow the path of TaylorMade and Nike.

The big question still remains unanswered; will all this customization help golfers lower their scores? What do you think?