The hottest development in the golf club industry is the adjustable driver. In addition to understanding MOI, COI, spin rate, launch angle and ball speed, golfers can tinker with the loft and face angle of their driver. A simple turn of the wrench or spin of the dial on the shaft and every golfer can change his driver specifications.
Closing the face 2 degrees may help alleviate your pesky slice. A severe case of the hooks may be cured by opening the face with the twist of the head. Do you want to hit the ball higher or lower? Simply make a manual adjustment to the proper dial and your loft problems are solved.
Is all of this necessary for the average golfer?
Most amateur golfers have enough problems just trying to hit the ball and have too many swing thoughts constantly running through their heads. Correctly adjusting a driver will add one more variable to an already complicated game.
Professional golfers may need to change the loft of their driver due to course conditions that particular week and the type of course that they are playing.
If an amateur has a correctly fitted driver it could take strokes off of his score.
Cobra, TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, Titleist, Adams and Ping are all offering adjustable drivers to the golfing public.
Cobra Amp Cell drivers offer six settings in four color choices. Get a flat-billed hat and an orange wardrobe and you can be just like Rickie Fowler.
TaylorMade’s R1 adjustable driver offers seven standard and five upright loft angles plus seven face angle options. Who knows maybe you can hit it just like Dustin Johnson.
Callaway’s RAZR Fit offers heel and toe weight adjustments that provide three possible face positions; square, 2.5 degrees open and 1.5 degrees closed. The new Callaway driver seemed to work well for Phil Mickelson in Phoenix.
Nike’s new Covert and Covert Tour Series can be adjusted all the way from an 8.5 degree loft to 12.5 degrees. Face angle can also be altered to permit 15 variations of loft and face angle settings. Rory’s didn’t work too well in Abu Dhabi earlier this year but odds are that he will be winning soon with the new club.
The new 913 D2 and D3 Series drivers from Titleist offer launch and face angle settings that can help the average golfer find the optimum adjustment to fit his swing.
Adams Speedline S drivers can be adjusted to 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 degree launch angles. Speedline Fast 12 offers three standard loft angles and three draw loft angles.
Ping’s Anser driver comes in four standard lofts, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees. Each driver can be adjusted .5 degrees in either direction for a lower or higher ball flight.
The prices for these new clubs are not for the faint of heart, but golfers of all abilities are always seeking the club that will take strokes off their scorecard.
Is an adjustable driver right for you?
With all of the options available today, it even more important that you visit a qualified club fitter and get the correct shaft, loft, and face angle, as well as, style that fits your unique swing.