No, we are not talking about a new TV reality series hosted by Jeff Probst pitting the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) Randy Couture against 11 other contestants on a deserted island off the coast of Peru. There is a term called "Thriver" you might see when frequenting a number of golf equipment forums. This is simply a term for a driver set up specifically for greater control by implementing additional loft and a shorter assembled length than a normal driver to find a greater number of fairways from the tee. If this sounds like your game below, then a Thriver may be just the ticket to lowering tour scores.

 
"I just bought this expensive name brand driver (45" or more) promising greater accuracy and I still find myself hitting only a couple of fairways each round"

"This game is getting expensive constantly loosing $4 balls into the woods off the tee."

"I can hit my #3-wood as far as my driver, but my playing partners make fun of me when I tee off with it."

"I just don’t have the confidence of hitting my #3-wood from the tee because it is so small compared to my driver."

The average men's driver sold today is oversized, constructed wholly or primarily with high-strength titanium, fitted with a graphite shaft weighing less than 70 grams and made to an assembled length of 45" or greater. You may want to learn an important lesson from the players on the PGA Tour. These guys, first and foremost are loooong off the tee and the best ball-strikers in the world. Yet, very few use these same specifications that the average golfer buys off the rack. The average PGA Tour player uses a driver that averages only 44.5". Why? For greater control and yet they still manage to miss on average one out of every three fairways. Imagine that the best ball strikers in the world elect to use a shorter length driver, what should someone use who doesn't have anywhere near athletic ability, hand and eye coordination or the dedication to practicing day in, day out?

You are probably asking, "Aren't the bigger heads supposed to make me hit the ball straighter?" Theoretically, a resounding yes as the increased size reduces the amount of twisting upon impact. However, that is assuming that the golfer can return the clubhead to square at impact. This is the big "if" because of the length and weight which sets this club apart. What makes your 3-wood more forgiving or easier to hit than your driver is two-fold. First it is probably 2" shorter than your current driver. Secondly, it is more lofted which results into more carry and reduced side spin on less than perfect shots, resulting in a straighter shot.

So, why not just cut my driver down to the length of my #3-wood (or #5 if you can't hit your #3-wood)? The head weight of your driver is lighter than the #3-wood to balance out the same on a swingweight scale at the longer length. By cutting down the length, the club will become less head heavy and the shaft to become stiffer.

What is the solution? You could add a gob of lead tape to your club to get the same balance as it felt when it was new. Believe me, this is a lot of lead tape that will be required depending on how much shorter you make the club. The more practical solution is to look at purchasing a higher lofted driver that is heavier or capable of increasing its weight. With the popularity of screw-weighted heads today, this should be no problem. You can leave your old driver intake to play on days when you think you are on your "A" game or to get a better resale value on eBay. Don't tell Titleist this, but you will save more money not firing $4 golf balls into the woods or water hazards, and your new purchase will pay for itself in no time.

The following heads make an excellent Thriver. These are the Dynacraft Genesis, Power Play System Q Tri-Port, 455 and 410 models.

For reference, a typical #3-wood weight is 208g and #5-wood weighs approximately 218g. All of these clubs can easily be assembled to Thriver length and obtain normal swingweight ranges with even the lightest of shafts. The maximum weight can be achieved by purchasing extra screws. Remember to use your favorite fairway wood shaft and to tip trim the shaft based on a #3-wood if you are making your Thriver the same length as a #3-wood.

In addition, if you want a good way to experiment with a high moment of inertia (MOI) driver, look no further. For example, the Dynacraft Genesis driver using 10g weights in each port has an MOI approximately 4800g-cm2. It is very easy to obtain a very forgiving head without an extremely large profile.

While a Thriver may not be for everyone, it is a viable option for many golfers seriously wanting to improve their game.

by Jeff Summitt
Hireko Technical Director
jsummitt@hirekogolf.com
03-23-07