How often should you change your driver?

There are two types of golfer. One changes their gear on a seemingly weekly basis. The other keeps hold of their clubs until they no longer function. So how often should you change your driver? 

With the brands bringing out the latest and greatest designs and innovations there is always going to be something that will give you the marginal gains you’re looking for. 

If you’ve had a driver for a number of years and play quite regularly the chances are the performance of the head is not necessarily going to perform as well it did when it was brand new. 

Now an extreme example is Bryson DeChambeau, who won his second US Open at Pinehurst No.2, who was seen switching his driver head on the range. A lot of people were quick to jump to social media and say he had broken the driver which isn’t too far away from the truth, but it was something else. The main reason for the change was in fact the change in numbers he saw on his GCQuad which led them to check the driver head. 

Tee time approaching, US Open on the line, Bryson is swapping driver heads pic.twitter.com/GvjXekKd8v

— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) June 16, 2024

Now for someone like Bryson, who swings it as fast as he does and with such power, the bulge and roll – that’s the curvature of the face to you and me – will start to flatten over time.

What that does is comprise the performance of a driver, affecting spin, forgiveness, dispersion, and ball speed off the face. 

And this is what Bryson was seeing on the range at Pinehurst, which is why he swapped the driver head. 

For DeChambeau, his driver face will start to flatten after around 200 shots. But his average ball speed is around 190mph, so it won’t be anywhere near that for the every-day golfer.

So for us mere mortals, whether we play on a regular basis or a handful of times a year, when is the time for an upgrade?

Depending on how much you play and practice, your driver will last anything from two to five years before you want to start thinking about a new one.

While we don’t all hit it as hard as the pros, over time the performance of your driver head will start to decrease due to simple wear and tear.

And if you’re wondering what driver to get have a look at our buying guides to see which is the one for you. 

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James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor