he concept of "smash factor" is relevant todetermining how efficiently you're transferring energy from your clubhead tothe golf ball. It's a measure of how well you've hit the ball with your driver,and it influences the distance you achieve. Smash factor is calculated bydividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed. A higher smash factor generallyindicates a more efficient impact. Better impact means better ball speed which equals more distance.
If your clubhead speed remains the same with your old drivercompared to a new model, potential distance gains rest with how centred yourstrike is at impact. If your old driveris less than say, ten years old, a perfectly centred strike should give a smashfactor around the maximum of 1.50. Ifa centred strike isn’t delivering a smash factor close to 1.50, swing mechanicsor the driver itself are costing you distance.
Taking all of this into consideration, the way to moredistance is higher ball speed. Higherball speed comes from either
· More centred strikes for a smash factor close to1.50
· More clubhead speed
A combination of both is theideal result. When fitting a driver, weaim to increase average smash factor and club head speed through the following-
Driver Technology - Newer drivers may have design featuresthat can improve your smash factor, such as a larger sweet spot, better energytransfer, and optimized weight distribution.
Shaft Technology – With such an enormous range of shafts onthe market today, a player can find that a change in shaft weight and/or itsbend profile will produce more club head speed. Simply being confident that the shaft will work in tune with your swingmechanics to deliver the club head back to a square position at impact canresult in an increase in club speed.
Practice - Regular practice and proper technique are crucialfor achieving a high smash factor. A new driver won't automatically guarantee abetter smash factor if you don't continue to work on your swing.
In summary, a new driver isn’t guaranteed to go further thanyour old driver on a perfect strike but advances in technology have made thelatest drivers more forgiving – leading to improved smash factor numbers foroff centre strikes and, as a result, more ball speed and better distance whenthe strike isn’t perfect. To maximizethe benefits of a new driver, make sure you get custom fitted – with so manydifferent head and shaft combinations on the market, it makes sense to leave nostone unturned in the quest for more distance and greater consistency off thetee.