The primary reason that golfers have the most challenge controlling their driver, versus the other clubs in the bag – is simple physics – the clubhead is traveling faster, there is less loft, and more sidespin. The combination of these factors simply magnifies any curvature with the golf ball’s flight.
But I’d like to offer another possible reason for the erratic drive – the driver has no limits or boundaries. In other words think about a comfortable distance, for an approach shot to the green, that you hit an iron. Let’s say you hit a 7 iron 150 yards. It’s a comfortable distance for you with the iron and all it requires is a smooth swing to make the ball go 150 yards. But now let’s say you’re between a 7 iron and a 6 iron so you try to “jump” on the 7 and hit it as far as you can. More times than not you probably find that the shot does not come off the way you intended, which is why many times you’ll take the longer club and swing smoother.
Now let’s move to the tee shot and let’s say it’s a short hole and you don’t need a driver so you decide to play conservatively, and hit a 5 wood (metal). So you hit a smooth 5 wood because you don’t need the distance, and put it out in the middle of the fairway – your normal 190 yard shot.
Now let’s look at your driver. How far do you hit? Generally when I ask golfers this question they’ll give me the old “range”, for example “220 to 230”. But do you swing the club in that range, whatever that range is? In other words, are you trying to hit the ball, in this example, 220 – 230 yards? Or are you like most golfers trying to hit the ball as far as you can? And when you blast one right up the middle, its fun and can impress your foursome, but more often, erratic shots occur more than the killer one up the middle.
I have to confess that I also suffer from this syndrome. With normal playing conditions, and a comfortable smooth swing, my range is 260-270. That’s it unless I catch one downwind, on a down slope, or very hard fairways. So what I try to think about before I hit my driver is to make a smooth swing and focus on hitting my drive 260 yards – no more than that. When I do this I hit more 260 yard drives in the fairway. When I don’t I find the trees much more frequently or other undesirable spots on the golf course.
Another explanation for this syndrome could be I’m a man and my testosterone levels get in the way.
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