Joost Luiten about the driver in his bag

Is the driver the most important club in golf? It’s a difficult question to answer. Because, as Joost Luiten says, so many factors come into play during a round that you can really only determine on each individual hole whether the driver is the most important club in your bag at that moment.

“But generally speaking, you could say that on tour, the driver is the most important club. On many holes, it all starts with the driver. Especially compared to a number of years ago. Courses have become much longer. You need to create distance off the tee to avoid being left with a much more difficult second shot to the green.”

Choice
Many of the newer courses on the DP World Tour are defined by their length and wide fairways. “You can’t avoid using the driver there. But fortunately, we also still play on older, more traditional courses where you more often face the choice of whether it’s better to take an iron for safety.”

That’s what makes golf a bit like chess—you have to think ahead and consider your next moves. “When you miss fairways on tour, it becomes harder to hit greens and get closer to the pin. So it all starts with your drive. If that’s off, you’re constantly playing catch-up.”

Best equipment
Luiten wants the freedom to choose the driver that suits him best, which is why he ended his last contract with Titleist. “I want to play with the best equipment for me. A contract ties you to one brand. But if Srixon comes out tomorrow with the perfect driver for me, I want to be able to use it immediately.”

Right now, the Callaway Smoke AI—a model that’s already a few years old—is still his top choice. “I try different ones occasionally, because with modern Trackmans you can see after ten shots if a product performs better for you.”

Cotton wool
Being tied to one brand might prevent a constant search for a slightly better driver, Luiten admits, but he still prefers the freedom. “It’s not like I try everything out. I’m happy with this driver. Besides, we tour players can get way more customized adjustments than the average golfer can at a shop fitting. It goes really far—down to using cotton inside the head to dampen sound or hot glue to fine-tune the sweet spot based on your data. We can also choose from more driver heads than amateur golfers. The setup is very precise. Manufacturers are allowed some margin, so even if a driver says 8.5 degrees loft, it might actually be 8.3 or 8.7. As for shafts, all brands have access to the same options, so the key is in the head adjustments.”

The International
The KLM Open is being held at The International for the second time this year. When asked whether this is a course for drivers, Luiten doesn’t hesitate: “It definitely is. I expect a layout similar to 2019: narrow fairways and high rough. You can’t get away with a mishit. Of course, that doesn’t apply to every hole, but on many of them, you really need distance. Sure, on a narrow course with high rough, you could argue that you should take a club you hit straighter, like an iron or a 3-wood, but that’ll leave you three or four clubs longer on your approach to the green. And you definitely don’t want that.”

Factors
That’s the general theory, the six-time DP World Tour winner emphasizes. Things change when the wind comes into play. “It’s not just the shape and length of the hole that determine your choice. Weather conditions are a big factor too, as well as pin positions on the green. If you’re playing into the wind, you often have no choice but to use a driver. But if it’s downwind, a 4-iron might be enough to get the same distance. And even then, you’re thinking ahead to your next shot. You’d rather be left with a full wedge to the pin than a three-quarter swing.”

And with a smile he concludes:
“See? Golf isn’t really a fun game. You have to think way too much.”