What is the longest hitting driver in golf? All the major golf manufacturers claim they make the longest hitting driver. The Internet is filled with all sorts of ads about finding the driver with the wholesale golf clubs most distance off the tee. Even your local paper golfing magazine has features about special products that guarantee you can drive like a champion. So, what's the great secret?The answer may already be in your bag or as close as your golf professional or online Internet golfing store.

But, before dashing off to purchase that Left Handed TaylorMade R11 Driver magical driver, lets look at what really makes drives go long and straight.A longer club shaftConventional wisdom suggests that a driver with a loner shaft will hit a golf ball farther than a shorter shafted golf driver. The pun is intended. The bad news is that not everyone can hit a long shaft driver and the results can often be disappointing. 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. Unless you are a low handicap golfer, by itself, a longer shaft could, in fact, hurt your distance off the tee.Lighter clubIt certainly helps, but it depends where the weight is removed. The theory is that the lighter the club, the faster the swing.

The faster you swing your driver, the farther the golf ball flies down the fairway. Since the shaft has the most weight, that is the best place to remove club weight in order to speed up the swing. Here is where shaft flexibility enters the picture. If the driver's shaft is too stiff, a lighter shaft weight may cause your shot to be short and a bit to the right. If you want to lighten the shaft, make sure shaft flexibility is part of your calculations.