Do you want your Driver? No, he's not my Type.

The last time I carried a driver in my golf bag: Bill Clinton was impeached, Titanic was number one at the box office and Seinfeld's famed last episode had just aired. The year was 1998. I was a young, strapping 23-year-old and my driver was a Taylor Made Bubble Burner (see stock photo to the left).

I remember spending at least $300 on the club. I walked into the local golf store, pulled it off the rack, made sure it was right handed and walked to the checkout line. Hey, everybody knew Taylor Made produced quality clubs - that was all the justification I needed.

When I hit it correctly, I could launch one about 280 straight down the fairway (perhaps 300 with the wind at my back). The problem was, hitting "correctly" calculated out to about one shot in every ten. With those odds, I was losing balls by the boat-load.

After just one season, I sold it to an acquaintance...Come to think of it, I don't even remember who it was. Anyway, for the next 11 years I teed-off with a myriad of clubs: 3-woods, 5-woods, 2-irons, 3-irons and most recently a 17-degree hybrid.

I've probably had the most success with the 5-wood and the hybrid. But both of those clubs left me with a long approach on many par 4's and getting home in two on par 5's was completely out of the question. So last season I realized I had enough...I was tired of handicapping myself. Thus, I decided that 2010 would be the year I went back to using a driver off the tee.

Spurred on in part by Stinky Golfer Chris' custom club fitting, I decided to get fitted for a new driver. Unlike Chris however, I didn't have a sweet deal to get fitted at a local pro shop gratis. Instead, I was going to take my chances on a major retail chain. But as soon I stepped in the simulator at Golf Galaxy*, the annoyance started. The 20-year-old employee doing swing analysis could care less about helping me - he just wanted me to buy his favorite club. After I hit a few balls at the screen, the kid moved me aside so he could show me HIS swing. Now, why would I care about HIS swing? Was I going to pay HIM to tee-off for me on the course? The fact that he was hitting it 330 down the middle was enticing, but more annoying than anything.

Needless to say, I left there and headed up the street to Dick's Sporting Goods. That's where I met Ralph. Ralph's a PGA Professional and works in the golf department at Dick's (now Dick's is not paying me a cent for this, but it was really refreshing to learn there's a PGA/LPGA Pro in all of their stores). Anyway, Ralph put me in the simulator and watched me hit a few balls. Soon, I was trying two or three different clubs and after about 10 minutes, Ralph prescribed a driver with a stiff-flex shaft and a 10.5 degree loft. And about 10 minutes after that, I had found my club.

Funny. The club I hit the best was a 2009 Taylor Made Tour Burner - I had come full-circle. But would it perform out on the course any better than my old Bubble Burner? Well, since it was last year's model, it only cost me $150 (50% less than my previous driver), so I've got that going for me already.

But the best news is I've played about 72 holes with it so far and I'm hitting the damn thing pretty good! I'm in the fairway about 30% of the time and just missing (short rough) about 40% of the time. That means I'm in play about 70% of the time - and that's saying allot for me! I've lost some distance over the years (knocking it out there about 265-275, depending on the wind) but I'll take accuracy over distance any day.

So after years of saying "no" to my driver, It seems I've got a renewed relationship with one. But like all romances, only time will tell if it's a keeper. Thanks to Ralph over at Dick's Sporting Goods for the advice and patience - while I still stink at this game, he's helped me stink just a tad bit less.

*It should be noted that Golf Stinks is an affiliate of Golf Galaxy (see their ad in the column to the right). This does not change the fact that we here at Golf Stinks call it like we see it. This one particular employee of this one particular Golf Galaxy store was a complete douche. However, in no way does Stinky Golfer Greg mean to imply that all Golf Galaxy employees are douches.

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