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Drivers - Should They Be
Banned to Preserve the Golfer’s Mental Health?
 It’s a typical Sunday
morning and I’m walking to the first tee. Coffee in hand, muscles
tight, expectations high, ability low and well aware that what ever
happens on this first shot sets the tone for the rest of the game.
I haven’t swung a club in at least a week.
Decisions. Decisions. Which club to hit? If I hit my 3 wood or an
iron there’s a good chance that I’ll actually find the ball
afterwards.
Probably take some serious flack from my playing buddies though.
What the heck do they know? I should play it safe.Couldn’t possibly
hit another drive like that time back in 1984 when I hit my driver
off this same tee. Or could I?
The rest of the story is pretty predictable. I select the
longest club in my bag that had the flattest face. All the
ingredients for a recipe of failure. Why do we insist on playing a
driver with a long shaft and very little loft. We know darn well
that the odds of the ball being anywhere near the fairway when it
comes to rest is next to zero.
I’ll tell you why. Because we would all give our first born for
an extra 10 yards and if we hit the driver perfect, it just might
happen. Ahhh that drive of 1984. I hit it right on the proverbial
sweet spot, it soared through the air as if gravity had taken a
vacation, landed and rolled to a yardage that even I had not
proclaimed as being my personal best.
My mind tends to block out the fact that there was a 40 mph tail
wind, the ball landed on a paved cart path not only once but twice
and the second bounce some how redirected the ball from out of
bounds back onto the fairway. The 45 degree down slope in the
terrain heading toward the green didn’t hurt. Did I mention there
had been no rain for about 2 months and the fairway was the
consistency of the Island Highway? Divine intervention or a great
shot? Probably neither.
Life and lots of lost golf balls has a way of making a person
reevaluate their driver. I’ve since switched to a length that best
suits me, not the manufacturer. Selected a loft that maximizes my
abilities, not Tiger Woods. Got the right shaft with the correct
flex for distance and accuracy. All the accuracy of a 3 wood and
all the distance of a driver. I’m amazed how much extra distance
you get when the ball lands and rolls in the right direction!
 No more soul searching
on the first tee. Just grab the big stick and flail away. Maximize
your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. This is a sure way to
lower your score and make golf more fun. Does your driver have the
right length, loft, shaft and grip to maximize your ability? Come
see me, we’ll find out.
Next issue is Irons – Are They Getting Longer or Am I
Shrinking?
Terry Stav is a member
of the Professional Clubmakers’ Society with Professional “Class A”
Clubmaker certification. He loves to talk about game improvement
clubs and can be reached at:
Golf West in Nanaimo.
4059 Norwell Drive 758-1919
email: golfwestbc@shaw.ca
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