There’s a quick and easy concern to talk to as a leisure golf enthusiast when you’re hunting for a fast golf-game solution: “Why don’t I merely acquire a brand-new vehicle driver?” Sometimes it’s pointed out tongue-in-cheek yet, as I found this period, occasionally it’s the fact.
During the final offseason, I created it my goal to include additional energy to my video game. As analytics have actually come to be much more widespread in the contemporary video game, the relevance of steering span has actually come to be crystal very clear. If you wish to fire reduced ratings, you need to strike the round a greater distance.
With that objective in thoughts, I reached operate remodeling my video game. Component of this method included reaching the health club as well as “constructing my motor” for a faster swing. (You can easily check out my workout plan here.) Yet another component included refining my strategy to sway much more successfully. As well as, lastly, there was actually some excellent ole made rate instruction.
After a winter season of devotion, the increases appeared. My maximum swing rate went up considerably greater, as well as my travelling rate possessed me reaching it additionally without also believing that I was actually stressing. Moving right into the 2026 period, my peace of mind was actually heavens higher.
But there was one problem I didn’t take into account. With more speed in the bag, my old equipment — particularly my driver — was not optimized. Even though I could swing harder than ever before, I was still leaving plenty of distance (and accuracy) on the table.
You see, when I was fitted for my old driver (a Titleist GT1), my swing speed was in the mid-90s. This lack of speed — combined with some other swing characteristics — meant I needed a driver that gave me more spin to give me more carry distance. However as I added speed and dialed in my swing, that tendency for spin started to hurt me.
During my speed training sessions, I noticed that my spin numbers were way too high. Although I was actually swinging faster, my efficiency suffered. Even when I was hitting record highs with my swing speed (topping out at 109 mph), my spin was so high that I wasn’t getting the most out of that speed.
That’s when I knew it was time for a new driver.
My new driver
I’ve long been a believer in the idiom “it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.” However, as I’ve played additional and more golf (and technology has advanced), I’ve come to realize that the saying doesn’t cover all circumstances.
While it’s true that a great golfer can make just about any equipment work for them, when you use equipment that isn’t optimized for your swing, you leave easy gains on the table. Case in point: using a driver that is too spinny for your swing. After I saw how much the excess spin from my aged vehicle driver was actually hurting my distance, I scheduled a fitting with Titleist for their new GTS line.
When I arrived for my fitting, I explained to my fitter the issues I was having with the old line and what I was hoping to get out of my new driver. Essentially, it all boiled down to getting less spin while still launching the ball out of my preferred window.
I’m certainly not much of a gear nerd, so I won’t even attempt to break down the different GTS heads and what they are best for (our gear team does a much better job of that). But what I will say is that the difference each head provided to me was noticeable. Some soared through the air with a beautiful shape, while others dived to the ground like wounded ducks. I simply kept swinging my sway and let my fitter do the work configuring a build that would satisfy my needs.
After about 45 minutes of testing different combinations, we settled on the GTS4 — which came as a bit of a shock. I figured I’d be in a GTS2 considering my previous fit of a GT1, but at the end of the day, the GTS4 produced the best numbers for me, keeping my spin down while also launching in a window that maximized my span.
Now when I hit in the sim, my spin numbers rarely get out of whack as well as cost me distance. Even my mishits stay in my window of tolerance, and I’m maximizing my distance because of it.
In my previous vehicle driver, when I swung hard at it, I knew I required to catch the ball perfectly to keep my twist numbers down and maximize. However now, I can swing hard as well as know that even if I don’t hit it perfectly, it won’t twist off the planet.
It may be a joke to suggest to your buddy that he needs a new driver to fix his game — but there are certain scenarios in which that isn’t therefore far fetched. I can attest to that.
Want to find the best vehicle driver for your video game in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, Titleist