Is Your Driver Getting Slower? The Truth About Your “Pop” Fading Away

Recently, a question came in from reader Kirby W. about whether drivers get slower with use:

For several years, maybe decades, my course buddies and their dads talk about drivers losing their “pop.” My question is, can a driver lose its “pop” or explosiveness as years go by similar to a wedge losing its grooves? If so, what are those timelines like?

This is a fascinating question, partly because it highlights one of golf’s persistent myths. “My driver just doesn’t bomb it like it used to!” Maybe it’s you who’s lost speed (although I’m generally onboard with blaming the equipment).

Drivers get faster

Given time and use, many drivers will experience what’s called CT creep. This is basically your driver face becoming more flexible over time. That spring-like effect that the USGA constantly tries to police? It actually gets springier.

In other words, drivers typically get FASTER with use.

Need evidence? Look no further than this year’s PGA Championship where the USGA deemed the TaylorMade Qi10 drivers in the bags of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler to be non-conforming. While there’s always some variability between testing equipment and operators, it’s entirely possible (if not likely) that with all the balls Tour players hit, their drivers became more responsive than the USGA allows.

At one point, they were conforming but, eventually, there was enough CT creep that they weren’t.

So your driver probably isn’t losing pop, it’s likely gaining speed—the big dog ages like fine whiskey rather than sun-drenched mayo.

Plot twist: Why your driver might seem shorter

Before you start bragging to your playing partners, there’s a wrinkle that might explain why some golfers swear their drivers have lost distance.

Speed is just one ingredient in the distance recipe. Launch angle and spin matter, too.

Here’s where things get interesting. While many golf companies have shifted to more resilient materials in recent years (the ATI material found in Titleist GT driver faces, for example), faces can still flatten with repeated use.

Driver faces have “bulge and roll.” That’s industry-speak for the curvature that helps correct off-center hits. If the roll (the curvature from crown to sole) flattens out above center face, balls won’t launch as high.

In that scenario, even if your face got a little faster, the lower launch could mean you’re actually losing distance. It’s like having a faster car but you’re stuck driving it uphill into a headwind.

If your bulge (the curvature from heel to toe) flattens out, you may struggle a bit more than usual with accuracy.

When faces eventually give up

Another factor to consider is face failure. Faces have been known to fail but it’s rarely a single catastrophic event.

The breakdown usually starts with microfissures (tiny cracks). In the short term, these can actually lead to more speed but, with enough time, you could see speed loss and, eventually, as the metal fatigues further, total failure.

Think of it as your driver living fast and dying young. It can be a wild ride, so enjoy it.

The bottom line

So is your driver losing its pop? Probably not in the way you think. If anything, it may be gaining illegal amounts of speed while potentially losing some launch characteristics that help optimize distance.

Unlike your wedges, which definitely lose spin as grooves wear down, your driver is on a different journey – potentially getting faster but maybe less optimized overall.

If you’re convinced your driver has lost distance, the culprit is far more likely to be:

1. Your swing (it happens to all of us)
2. Shifting launch conditions from face deformation
3. Ball changes
4. A worn grip affecting your ability to deliver the club efficiently and effectively
5. That extra drink at the turn is affecting both your performance and your perception

So the next time your playing partner blames their fading distance on an aging driver head, you can enlighten them with some actual insights. Maybe wait until after they’ve bought the first round.

What do you think?

Have you noticed your driver changing performance over time? Or is that just what we tell ourselves when our swing gets a little creaky? Drop a comment below.

Got a question of your own?

Email us at [email protected] and we might just answer it in a future piece.