Golf Glossary
Driver
In short
The driver is the club for the long tee shot. It is the longest club in the bag, with the biggest head and the least loft, usually between 8 and 12 degrees. Golfers use the driver for the first stroke on par-4 and par-5 holes. It is played from a tee and is also called the 1-wood.
Driver in golf: meaning and purpose
The driver is the club for the longest shots. Its purpose is simple: to send the ball as far as possible from the tee onto the fairway. That is why golfers also call it the 1-wood. In the past the heads really were made of wood. Today they are usually titanium, hollow and very light. The name wood has stayed.
Most golfers use the driver for the first stroke on par-4 and par-5 holes. On par 3s it is rarely used, because an iron or hybrid is enough. On very tight holes some players choose another wood even on a par 4, when accuracy matters more than distance.
The driver is the club that is hardest to control. It is long, has little loft, and small errors in the clubface lead to big deviations. At the same time it is the club with which most distance can be gained.
Loft, length and head size: the key data
Three values determine how a driver flies.
Loft: loft is the angle of the clubface. On drivers it is usually between 8 and 12 degrees. A low loft gives flatter and longer trajectories, but only at high swing speed. A higher loft helps the ball into the air and reduces sidespin. Many club golfers do better with 10.5 or 12 degrees than with 9. Many models let you adjust the loft by one or two degrees.
Length: the Rules of Golf allow a maximum of 48 inches, about 122 centimetres, for clubs other than putters. Committees may limit the length to 46 inches by Local Rule. Common drivers are usually a little shorter, often around 45 to 46 inches. A longer shaft can bring more speed but makes the strike point harder to keep.
Head size: the volume of the clubhead may not exceed 460 cubic centimetres. Almost all modern drivers use up this limit. A large head forgives mishits better because weight can be moved to the perimeter.
Rules: what applies to the driver?
The Rules of Golf treat the driver like any other club. Three points matter.
The 14-club rule: you may carry a maximum of 14 clubs in your bag (Rule 4.1b). The driver is one of them. Whether you carry it is up to you.
The tee shot: you play the first stroke of a hole from the teeing area. There you may put the ball on a tee. The ball may sit anywhere within the area that is two club-lengths deep and as wide as the tee-markers.
Conformity: under the Rules of Golf every club must meet the Equipment Rules of the R&A and USGA. For the driver these include head volume, length and a limit on the springlike effect of the clubface. Common models keep to these limits. There are, however, drivers that are expressly non-conforming. That is why the R&A and USGA publish a list of conforming driver heads.
If you deliberately damage the driver, for example in anger, you may not use it for the rest of the round and you may not replace it.
Distance with the driver: guide values from measured data
How far a driver flies depends above all on club head speed. That is the speed of the head at the moment of impact.
The following figures are guide values from published TrackMan averages. PGA Tour players reach about 115 miles per hour, roughly 185 kilometres per hour. Their ball carries about 250 to 260 metres through the air on average. For club golfers the speed is clearly lower. For male amateurs TrackMan cites an average of about 93 miles per hour, around 150 kilometres per hour. Good players with a low handicap reach more.
That shows: a driver with 10 degrees of loft and a swing speed of 150 kilometres per hour will not produce tour distances. Anyone who expects long distance does better to compare themselves with players of their own level.
Besides speed, strike point, launch angle and spin play a role. A launch monitor such as TrackMan shows these values after every shot. That way you can see whether you can gain distance through more speed or through better contact.
Practical example: driver or fairway wood on a tight hole?
Imagine a par 4 of 380 metres. The fairway is narrow and there is a water hazard at 230 metres. Your driver flies 200 metres on average, with the occasional outlier up to 230 metres.
With the driver you take a risk. A good shot stays short of the water, a shot that is too long lands in the hazard. A 3-wood flies about 180 metres for you and stays safely short of the water. From there 200 metres remain to the flag, which you can reach with two more strokes.
You choose the fairway wood. The tee shot sits in the middle of the fairway, and a 5-iron second brings you to 60 metres from the green. A pitch and two putts make five strokes, a bogey.
The example shows that the driver is not always the best choice. Distance only gives an advantage if the ball stays in play. Good golfers choose the club according to where the hazards are.
Typical mistakes with the driver
The same mistakes appear again and again with the driver.
- Slice: the ball starts straight or left and curves strongly to the right (for right-handers). Causes are often an open clubface at impact and an outside-to-in swing path.
- Swinging too hard: trying to hit with all your strength costs rhythm and strike point. More speed usually comes from clean timing.
- Wrong ball position: the ball should be well forward in the stance, for right-handers roughly opposite the left heel. If it is too far back, it is struck too low and too steeply.
- Tee too low or too high: a tee that is too low often leads to low shots and strikes on the lower part of the face. A very high tee encourages sky balls, where the ball shoots steeply upwards off the top edge of the clubhead.
- Loft too low: someone without enough speed for 8 or 9 degrees often hits low, short balls.
Many of these errors can be clarified in a lesson, because they usually come from the moment of impact.
Tips: how to play the driver more reliably
A few adjustments improve your tee shots.
- Tee height: as a rule of thumb, set the tee so that half the ball sits above the top edge of the clubhead. That makes it easier to hit slightly upwards.
- Ball position: place the ball forward in the stance, roughly opposite the left heel.
- Wide stance: a stance slightly wider than the shoulders gives stability.
- Rhythm: as a rule of thumb, swing at about 80 per cent of your power. A calm rhythm usually brings more than a hard hit.
- Check the loft: if you slice often, more loft frequently helps because the ball then curves less to the side.
- Use measured data: a launch monitor shows club head speed, launch angle and spin.
- Fitting: shaft, loft and length should suit your speed.
Practise the driver in short sessions as well. Ten good shots with full concentration bring more than 50 hurried ones.
Try it at Golf Lounge
On the Golf Lounge TrackMan range you can measure your tee shots: 32 covered hitting bays on two levels, and at every bay TrackMan shows carry and total metres, launch angle, ball speed and height, among other values. The TrackMan Range App also shows the numbers on your smartphone. Games include Longest Drive. Up to four people can share a mat. The range can be heated and is usable all year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a driver in golf?
The driver is the club for the long tee shot. It is the longest club in the bag, with the biggest head and the least loft, usually 8 to 12 degrees. Golfers use it for the first stroke on par-4 and par-5 holes. It is played from a tee and is also called the 1-wood.
What loft should a driver have?
That depends on your speed. Players with high swing speed often use 8 to 10 degrees. Many club golfers do better with 10.5 to 12 degrees, because the ball gets airborne more easily and picks up less sidespin. Many models have adjustable loft. A fitting with measured data gives the surest answer.
How long may a driver be?
Under the Rules of Golf a club other than a putter may be no longer than 48 inches, about 122 centimetres. Common drivers are usually shorter, often 45 to 46 inches. A longer shaft can bring more speed but makes the strike point harder to keep.
How big may a driver head be?
The volume of the clubhead may not exceed 460 cubic centimetres. Almost all modern drivers use up this limit. A large head forgives mishits better because weight can be moved to the perimeter. In competitions the driver must meet the Equipment Rules of the R&A and USGA.
How far does a club golfer hit the driver?
That depends on swing speed. As a guide value for male amateurs, TrackMan cites an average of about 93 miles per hour of club head speed, around 150 kilometres per hour. PGA Tour players reach about 115 miles per hour. Actual distance also depends on strike point, launch angle and spin.
As of: October 2026