Advantages of Adjustable Drivers

Dear Frank,

I recently got into a friendly argument about adjustable drivers. My stance was that fit is just as important for a driver as it is for irons and putters, and as such, the adjustability of modern drivers gives us the ability to “tweak” our drivers until they fit our swing.

My friend’s opinion is that all the adjustments are just hype, or a crutch, and that you should just learn to hit it better.

Where do you stand on adjustable drivers? Do you think they make a difference? If so, how much?

There is no doubt in my mind that the settings affect what my ball does. But I do wonder…is it all in my mind?
–Tim, TX

Tim,
It is not all in your mind and I think that an adjustable driver is a good thing. The only problem is that one should first know what you need, and then these adjustments can help fine tune the performance of your club reasonably well – if standard is not right for you.

One of the problems is that the average golfer is sometimes unsure of what he/she needs or how to get there – in spite of the instructions provided.

Most golfers are affected by the bells and whistles, believing the ability to make multiple adjustments – in some cases 20 or more options — will result in improving a bad swing. In many cases, without professional help most golfers are only guessing what to do and will probably do more harm than good with the adjustable tool in their hands.

One of the best things about adjustability is the ability to change shafts, allowing the golfer to get the right flex and length using the same head, which will probably help more than the other adjustments available.

With regard to irons, these should be fitted for lie angle and shaft flex. These adjustments should be done with the help of a professional fitter and are relatively simple.

As far as a putter is concerned, the two most important things to consider are:
a) the putter type – a mallet style is generally preferred and
b) the correct length – most golfers have putters which are too long.
The loft of a well-designed putter is 4-degrees so no adjustment is needed and if the putter is fitted correctly for length the lie angle will be very close to 72 degrees.

Click here to review our Frankly Frog Putter Fitting video to make sure your putter is properly fitted. 

I hope this helps, and now you can sleep a little better and play with more confidence knowing that you have the correctly fitted equipment. 

Tim, when you make good friends with your clubs, you don’t have to change them for quite a while as advances in technology are not moving very rapidly. The next move you will need to make, when your game gets rusty is to get a lesson from a qualified – qualified is very important – teacher.

Frank

Have adjustable clubs helped your game? Let us know what you think about the latest forms of adjustability in equipment now available to the golfer.