head size on driver make much difference?

[stu3y]

I recently started going to the local driving range (never done golf before) anyway i ended up buying a cheap driver, a Wilson Tour Vel Driver, used it a few times, then decided to look out for a 2nd hand set of clubs, today i bought a full set of powerbilt clubs, however the driver seems to be alot smaller than the one I previously bought, so was wondering is there much difference and what the difference is?

 

[delc]

I recently started going to the local driving range (never done golf before) anyway i ended up buying a cheap driver, a Wilson Tour Vel Driver, used it a few times, then decided to look out for a 2nd hand set of clubs, today i bought a full set of powerbilt clubs, however the driver seems to be alot smaller than the one I previously bought, so was wondering is there much difference and what the difference is?

A bigger head gives you more margin for error if you don't always hit the ball off the middle of the clubface, and possibly also gives a greater moment of inertia for resisting twisting on off-centre hits.

 

[Doh]

There is generally two sizes of modern drivers 460cc and 430cc you can also get Mini drivers somewhere near the 300cc mark i think. The bigger the head the more forgiving the drivers is or thats the theory anyway. The smaller headed 430cc is usually put out as a pro or tour version, with the mini which has a shorter shaft too, being for players who have issues hitting the other size drivers.

 

[Ethan]

Some of us who once played persimmon heads of about 150cc think 460 is rather big, so prefer the 430/440 size such as the 915 D3 or the smaller TM heads. These sometimes have deeper (taller) faces as well.

The Mini is an entirely different concept, in my view, more like a 2 wood with a shadow face.

 

[stu3y]

The driver I got in the set is calloway warbird big Bertha 10

Looks exactly the same as this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/331099390104

No good for beginners?

 

[Hacker Khan]

A bigger head behind the ball can make you feel more confident in a way. In reality it may not make that much difference, but 90% of golf is played in your head.

 

[Hacker Khan]

The driver I got in the set is calloway warbird big Bertha 10

Looks exactly the same as this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/331099390104

No good for beginners?

I think with most golf clubs, the more recent it is the more likely it is to be more forgiving, as that is where most of the so called technological improvements have made the most difference. So usually the more recent the driver, the more help you will get on off centre hits which most beginners do all the time. And some of us more experienced players as well.

Don't get caught up in the quest for added yards, concentrate on the help a club will give you to begin with. So I'd get as recent a one as you can afford. Ping have a good reputation for making really good forgiving clubs if you are looking for a specific manufacturer.

As for the Callaway then never used one of them so can't comment on that. But with all clubs, they do go a long way if you hit them in the sweet spot so investing in lessons is a good idea.

 

[delc]

The driver I got in the set is calloway warbird big Bertha 10

Looks exactly the same as this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/331099390104

No good for beginners?

It's alright. Just a bit more demanding than the modern drivers, and probably also a bit less long! If you can learn to hit it well it will stand you in good stead for the future.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A bigger head and sweet spot will be easier to hit. However, stock answer for me would be to suggest a driving lesson and learn how to use what you have properly. Once you have the basics for hitting a driver reasonably consistently, it opens a lot of drivers on the market (old and new) to you

 

[duncan mackie]

A bigger head and sweet spot will be easier to hit.

A bigger head does not inherently deliver a larger sweet spot - that comes down to the manufacturers design.

As delc and others have highlighted the larger head can deliver more confidence that you are actually going to make contact with the ball, and in practice it increases te actual probability too, but a smaller head may have a larger area that performs at its optimum level.