Who is afraid of the driver ... and why actually?

If you want to achieve the greatest distance in golf, you usually go for the driver. For example, on the tee, when a par 4 or par 5 hole needs to be mastered, the longest of the clubs in the bag is the best choice. The driver has the largest head and the longest shaft of all clubs. Unfortunately, this also makes it the club that is the most difficult to play. This is why beginners in particular avoid this type of wood at the beginning of their golfing career. Often at the beginning there is the statement: First you have to master the irons, then you can play the wood. For many, this leads to a fear of the driver. In the back of their minds, they believe: "I'm not going to hit it right anyway. And not infrequently, this results in what is called a "selffulfilling prophecy." It doesn't work. Because - and this quickly becomes clear even to the absolute greenhorn on the course: A good game of golf requires a fair amount of self-awareness.

Basically, the woods (which until the 1980s were actually made of wood and only since then have been made of metal and which, in addition to the driver, also include the fairway woods and, more recently, the hybrid) are clearly distinguished from the irons by their design. Woods have voluminous heads, irons are flat. Due to their design, drivers have the largest hitting surface, but the shaft length makes up for this advantage. It really takes practice to hit well with the driver, not to hit slices or hooks, i.e. not to see the ball drift off the ideal line in a curve to the right or left. A big difference from playing with irons is also that the ball must be hit with the driver in an upward motion. That is why it is placed on a tee at the tee and why the driver is not normally used in further play to the hole.

But there is hardly a more satisfying feeling in golf than seeing the ball fly high, far and also straight after the tee shot with the driver. That's not the only reason why practicing with the driver is an indispensable part of preparing for the next round. Moreover, on long holes it is almost impossible to achieve a low number of strokes even without a driver.

Reason enough, then, to take a closer look at this king of golf clubs. Not every driver is suitable for every player. Some are more forgiving than others. Here it is worthwhile to inform yourself in detail. Drivers are available from all major manufacturers, with different head sizes, adjustable or not, and with different lofts, depending on the player's skill level and ability. Before buying, you should inform yourself well, perhaps ask other golfers if you can hit a few balls with their driver and, last but not least, ask your golf trainer for advice. Then the only thing standing in the way of a successful tee shot is the inner pig dog that doesn't like the golf range. But unfortunately there is no way around constant practice if you want to play down your handicap. And that applies especially to the use of the driver.

Next article in the series: The putter - a question of feeling