Becoming a great driver could be the single most important thing that you do to lower your scores significantly in the next year. As a matter of fact, I have played many great rounds of golf putting poorly, but I rarely play great rounds of golf driving it poorly. In my opinion, the driver is the most important club in your golf bag.

Great drivers of the golf ball have a number of things in common. They have a sound and efficient golf swings (good mechanics), they favor the driver over any club in their bags, and they practice a lot with their drivers.

Since the driver has a lot less loft than a 9-iron, your errors will be dramatically magnified. Just one degree of clubface error (at impact) with a driver can cause up to 20 yards of dispersion (hitting the ball right or left) in relation to your target. The same "bad" swing with a 9-iron will yield far different results.

When it comes to selecting the best driver for you, my only good answer is the "trial and error" approach.

Basically, your swing speed will determine which shaft and loft angle will give you the best results. Traditionally, players with swing speeds over 100 mph will use a 9.5-degree lofted driver or less. Players with under 100mph swing speeds will use 10-degree drivers or higher. Many players with swing speeds below 100 mph will get better results with their three wood off the tee.

To get you started on a search for your right driver, you should first have your swing speed measured by your Natural Golf Certified Instructor. If your swing speed is greater than 100 mph, experiment with a stiff shaft and a 9.5-degree driver or less. If your swing is less than 100 mph, try using a 10-degree driver or higher with a regular shaft. This will get you started on your "trial and error" approach to finding a driver for you.

Besides selecting the right driver, the mechanics of ball position and tee height are also critical factors in getting the most out of your driver. Of course, everyone is different, but there is a relationship to how you stand to the ball, where you place the ball in your stance and how high you tee it. Once again, you will need to use a "trial and error" approach. Once your swing is sound, try different tee heights and ball positions to see if you get different results.

Having said all of this, I would suggest that you try teeing the ball at leas 1.5 to 2 inches high, and that you play the ball position at least as for forward as the left shoulder (if you are right handed).

Experimenting with these two elements in your swing will give you an idea of what the optimum tee height, swing speed and driver are best for your swing.

The last key is to practice with your driver a lot, on and off the golf course. Learn to hit high shots, low shots, fades, draws and most importantly, long and straight shots. All of this practice will help you become longer, straighter and manage the golf course better.