Your recent feature on, "Drivers, Get More Distance," overlooked one important point for us mid- to high-handicappers. Feel is more relevant than the club head speed promoted by lightweight clubs. We need a heavier, more forgiving club that gets the ball up quickly and goes straight. A prime example is the Adams Ovation I driver that was nothing fancy it just works. To this day I see people going into pro shops looking for one. Club companies in their "drive" to keep their line fresh sell great high-handicapper clubs for a few months then replace them with something new and better. Hitting a driver is real challenge for a lot of us. Companies should remember to give us something that works well and then give it gentle tweaks rather then replace it several times a year. If you I for one will galdly consider your clubs, until then I have my trusty Ovation I. if I break it, I can buy another on eBay for about $10.00, shipping included.
Mr. Jenkins, you make a couple of important points. Feel is important, and when it comes to tee shots, dependability often trumps distance. The great teacher Bob Toski, still teaching down near you, has a drill. If you hit your driver off the fairway, march back 15 yards, put the ball in the fairway, and play from there. What you'll find, Bob says, is that accuracy yields lower scores than greater, but inaccurate, distance. "Golf is a game of how near, not how far," he says.
Marshall Jenkins, Melbourne, FL
Your second point, that lightweight clubs can increase speed but lessen feel, is true. The featherlight-club phenomenon, back in the '80s, proved that. However, with proper fitting, which these days often is free or folded into the cost of the driver, you can get the feel you want and consistency, too. Given the number of lightly used clubs on the market, you can also get a late-model club for a reasonable price if economy is your goal.
In other words, you can find another Old Reliable, not quite so old and maybe just a bit longer.
Bob Carney
