As a golf coach, I am well-qualified to define what “cc” stands for.

Read the next section to find out what the abbreviation stands for in relation to a golf driver.

 

What The Abbreviation “Cc” Stands For

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“CC” stands for cubic centimeters. It is the standard of measure for the head size of a driver.

Most golfers are playing a 460cc driver because that is currently the largest allowed in play by the USGA.

A 460cc clubhead looks normal these days but it was not that long ago that anything near 400cc’s looked very large. 😂

 

1000cc Golf Driver

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Although the USGA limit on a golf driver is 460 cubic centimeters, you can still find some golf enthusiasts that have built larger drivers to test. In fact, Golfsmith built a 1000cc driver. The result was a very heavy club that really had minimal use past being a novelty. A driver of this size does not serve a purpose, other than providing a higher moment of inertia (MOI) which could make it easier to hit.

1000 cubic centimeters is more than twice the size of a driver allowed under USGA rules. This means that you are going to swing this club significantly slower. In our research, we found data that shows a club of this size is going to slow down your swing speed by about 10%, meaning your tee shots are going to be shorter. Because the club is going slower and is going to have less torque, a golfer could see a straighter ball flight.

Pros and Cons of a 1000cc Golf Driver

Pros:

• Very easy to hit
• Forgiving
• Could offer more control

Cons:

• Hard to look at
• Slower clubhead speed
• Not legal in competition

 

750cc Driver

The governing rules of golf state that the driver cannot be larger than 460 cubic centimetres. Companies can still make drivers with a larger head, players just cannot use them in competition. 750cc’s is one and a half times larger than what is allowed.

Immediately clubhead speed is going to drop with this club as well, but not as much as the 1000cc head driver. The slightly smaller driver lets the golfer swing the driver a little faster but, like the 1000cc clubhead, will not give a boost to your golf game, even if the size was allowed.

Finding the best driver for your game is what could give you a boost. A new driver with the right graphite shaft will let you swing your best and produce the ideal combination of distance and consistency.

Pros and Cons of 750cc driver

Pros:

• More speed than 1000cc driver
• Forgiving
• High MOI

Cons:

• Can exacerbate a slice
• Not legal for competition
• The sweet spot is still the same size

500cc Driver

With 500 cubic centimeters, the clubhead size is getting closer to the allowable limit. There is an engineering term that is used in the golf world called the coefficient of restitution or COR. All that golfers need to understand about this term is that it is a measure of the amount of energy transferred from the driver’s head to the golf ball.

The COR is heavily monitored in drivers because club manufacturers could make a 500cc driver with a high COR and the golf ball would go very far and fairly straight.

Pros and Cons of a 500cc Driver

Pros:

• High ball speed
• Clubhead and clubface look more standard
• Increased control

Cons:

• Clubface does not have a larger sweet spot
• Cannot be used in competition
• Hard to find in larger drivers

460cc Driver

The standard driver that you will find in golf stores today is 460 cubic centimeters. This is also the largest allowed by USGA rules. When I started golfing, drivers were much smaller. The first name brand driver I had was the Callaway Big Bertha which was 290cc. If you held it next to today’s 460cc driver. In addition, most of these clubs came with a steel shaft or had limited options for graphite shafts.

Now that we have larger driver heads, club companies and club fitters can add distance and accuracy to a player’s game. They do this by matching a fitted shaft with the large 460cc clubhead. With so many options to build drivers, there has never been a better time to go out and test new golf equipment.

Pros and Cons of 460cc Driver

Pros:

• 460cc heads are legal for competition
• Available everywhere golf equipment is sold
• Thousands of clubhead and graphite shaft combinations

Cons:

• Lower COR
• Not as forgiving
• Less distance than the 500cc + drivers

What Driver Should I Buy?

To play your best golf, golfers should buy a driver with a shaft length and type that fits their unique swing. You will want to consider what is important to you.

Many golfers love adjustability in their drivers, for example. The advancements in the past decade have allowed for customization ideal for each player. So, which driver technology should you invest in?

Recommendations:

• Cleveland Launcher XL – this driver is light and has a large and forgiving face. Many players have noted that this driver is more accurate than their current club.
• Titleist TSi2 – this club has become one of the most popular clubs on the PGA Tour because of its ability to blend distance with accuracy.
• Taylormade Stealth – the new face materials give this driver explosive distance. Stock shafts provide a good option for any golfer.

Conclusion: Research by Tellmemoregolf.com

Drivers have slowly crept up in size for some time now. As golf courses are longer now than ever, golfers need to hit it further to keep enjoying the game. 

Having tried various sized heads, including a 1000 cubic centimeter driver, it is fair to say I would not recommend it. They are more of a novelty for now. Maybe someday the driver size limit will increase but for now, 460cc is plenty of clubhead.

There is one extremely important aspect that golfers need to understand – no matter how big a driver clubhead is, the sweet spot will always be exactly the same size. Every one of our team of experts at Tell Me More Golf can validate this. While huge drivers are forgiving, the sweet spot is still about the size of a #2 pencil eraser. 

Our advice is to go get the driver and graphite shaft combination that is going to help you hit the sweet spot more consistently. You will hit it further and straighter and you will have more fun while shooting lower scores.