There is much debate over what the longest hitting driver on the market is...and many have their own opinion on this matter.  The fact is, what may be the holy grail for one golfer could be a piece of sh*t to another golfer.  The bottom line is that almost all the major golf manufacturers claim they make the longest hitting driver, and on any given day they all could be right.

You really have to find your own groove, and the bottom line is if you can swing the club well you can hit almost any driver a long way. Lets look at what really makes drives go long.

The Sweet Spot - Tests have shown that if a golf ball is mis-hit by as little as ½ inch, driving distance can be reduced by as much as 20 yards. The more you miss the sweet spot, the shorter the drives. And we're talking about distance, not accuracy.

Lighter club - It certainly helps, but it depends where the weight is located. Essentially, the faster you swing your driver, the farther the golf ball flies down the fairway. If you swing hard you should have a stiff flex shaft.

More loft -  Basically, the slower your swing speed, the higher the required trajectory necessary to keep the ball in the air.

Club head Design - A strong club head design can really help the average golfer and is the place where technology has really helped peoples golf game. If you always strike the ball on the sweet spot it doesn't really matter, unfortunately only Pro's do that almost every time. Perimeter weighted clubs such as the Callaway Big Bertha and drivers from Ping , King Cobra and TaylorMade are some of the longest hitting drivers in the game today.

The Grip - The grip is often overlooked but one of the most important factors in how far your drive goes.  A light grip increases the relative weight of the club head which is good for players with a strong swing. A heavier grip decreases the relative weight of the club head and makes it feel lighter helping the golfer with a slower swing.