Definition: The driver is one of the standard golf clubs carried by most golfers. Among all standard clubs made for golfers, the driver is designed to hit the ball the farthest. It is the club with the largest clubhead, the longest shaft (with the exception of certain types of putters), and the least amount of loft (again, excepting putters).
The driver (designated as a 1-wood) is most commonly used for tee shots on par-4s and par-5s, with the ball teed up. Some highly skilled golfers may rarely attempt to play a driver from the fairway, but most golfers should stick to using driver only off a tee.
Because the driver is the longest-shafted club and has a low amount of loft, it is often the club most difficult to use for amateurs and recreational golfers.
"Driver" can also be used to refer to a golfer, as in, "Jack Nicklaus was a great driver of the golf ball." In this usage, "driver" is referring to a golfer's proficiency in using the club.
See also:
Also Known As: 1-wood
