Junior Golf Drivers

Driving the golf ball is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game of golf. Standing on the tee and ripping a 275 to 300 yard drive creates quite the feeling when you walk off the tee box. There are about a million different drivers to choose from if you are an adult. These drivers are not intended for use by juniors. In order for your child to enjoy ripping a big drive, you need to focus on finding a driver intended specifically for children.

Children's drivers look just like adult drivers but they have some subtle differences. The most notable is the degree of loft on the club face. Adult drivers can range from 8.5 degrees to 10.5 degrees of loft. Giving a young child a ten degree driver would be considered cruel and unusual punishment. The loft of junior drivers will vary for each age group and skill level. Younger children and those who are just learning the game would benefit from a 16 degree driver. Older children or those with higher skill levels could get by with an 11 or 13 degree driver.

Size and Design of Junior Drivers

Adult drivers typically come with very large heads at the end of the club. A Callaway Big Bertha driver can have a 415 cubic centimeter head. Giving a six year old a 415 cubic centimeter driver wouldn't be the best thing in the world, though it would look funny. Instead, junior drivers are built with smaller heads to ensure that the child can hit the ball properly. Most kid's drivers are built with 280 cubic centimeters of head space. The size of the head will change for each age group. When the child approaches ten years old, the size of the driver will become closer to that of an adult driver.

Children's drivers are now made with many of the same metals and alloys that adult drivers have. Titanium woods are becoming popular with adults as they can launch the ball farther off the tee. Titanium is starting to show up for use with junior drivers as well. The length of the shaft will vary for each age group but there are some guidelines. Children four to seven should use a club around 34", ages eight to eleven can use 38", and 12-15 can use 42". These specifications are a guideline and your child should be fitted for proper club length.