The seven types of people you see at the driving range

I've spent a fair amount of time at driving ranges over the years, even if my ball-striking might suggest otherwise. I'm not talking about the real grass, Titleist-pyramid ranges of private club dreams, but your typical asphalt and Astroturf public ranges where the balls have long been stripped of dimples, the clubs you can borrow are from now-defunct manufacturers, and the characters tend to fall into clearly-defined categories.

Among my favorites:

1. The middle management executive on his lunch break. He's got his tie tucked into his dress shirt, a fountain soda from Wendy's at his side, and he's got 20 minutes until he's back to the drudgery of conference calls and PowerPoints. Don't talk to him.
2. The Champions Tour hopeful. He gets four large buckets, situates himself in the furthest corner of the range, and works his way methodically through his bag. There's usually an alignment tool involved, maybe even a video camera, and he only breaks to towel off and for his own pre-packed lunch. Don't talk to him, either.

3. The guy who brings his girlfriend. This is usually first- or second-date material, in the idyllic stages of a relationship when he thinks she's actually interested in taking up the game (she's perfect!) and she's impressed by his 185-yard reverse-pivot drives. Flirty help with her alignment is almost always a given.
4. The guy who brings his kids. The wife is at a baby shower, and he's got the rugrats till 3. Why not share with them the game he loves? His plan is to spend the first 10 minutes teaching them proper grip pressure, but loses them after five. Before long, he's busy working on that new baby draw while his kids toy with death playing tag on the range infield.
5. The guys who are solely interested in hitting the range picker. They employ baseball-style grips and hit low screaming hooks at helpless minimum-wage range employees. Bonus points for hitting the truck on the fly, or even better, for forcing him to flee in surrender.
6. The beginner. He's wading slowly into the game unbeknownst to friends and family, and doesn't have the slightest clue what he's doing. He pulls an aluminum Spalding driver from the borrow rack, repeatedly hits the side guard of the stall when catching one off the toe, but gets the most bang for his buck by re-teeing balls he's dribbled seven feet out in front of him.
7. The lurker. He's been there for two hours already, and is only halfway through his first bucket. Usually retired, often wearing black socks, he takes an uncomfortable interest in your game. "Is that a Callaway?" he asks. Especially chatty at the soda machine. "Saw you hit some sweet 8-irons over there," he says creepily.

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How to Choose a Golf Driver

Instructions

Step 1

For beginning and intermediate golfers, find a driver with a big head, which means a club with a larger-than-average sweet spot. A larger sweet spot means that a perfect shot is not required to hit the ball long and deep into the fairway.

Step 2
For more experienced golfers, consider your playing needs. You may not need as large a club head to get the most out of you drive, but you can't go wrong with a bigger head.
Step 3
Look at the loft on the driver. In the past, the club was almost always flat, with a perpendicular angle to the ground when it was in the address position. Actually, there was a slight loft, under 10 degrees. Today, some drivers have a loft that is a bit more than 10 degrees, and that will help get the ball into the air faster and give the golfer a shade more distance.

Step 4
Evaluate your swing. A golfer who has a hard swing should be able to generate plenty of distance with an oversized head. A steel-shafted driver will help that golfer keep the ball straight.

Step 5
For smaller and less-experienced golfers, choose a graphite shaft. You may have a more difficult time generating distance, and a graphite shaft will be whippier and help you get more distance off the tee. However, a graphite shaft will not provide the same degree of accuracy.
Step 6
Go to a driving range to find out which club best suits your game. Tell the local pro you are about to purchase a driver and that you want to try out the different types and models. While he may not give you brand-new drivers to swing, he will let you hit with used ones to give you more of an idea about what suits your game.
Step 7
Go with the driver that feels the most comfortable when you swing it. You may like the way the oversized graphite club looks in the rack, but it may feel uncomfortable when you swing it. On the other hand, the steel-shafted club may not look impressive, but it could feel great on impact. Go with the one that feels the best.

Tips & Warning:

Look for a club that suits your game. If you are a big hitter who gets plenty of distance but may lose accuracy, a steel-shafted club with a big head suits your game. If you need more distance, look for the whippiness that a graphite club provides.

Don't buy the most expensive driver. Buy the one that feels the most comfortable.

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