Caddie's RoleThere are two types of representatives who deal with the players at the back of the range each week. The first type are those who are not from a technological background and have had to read the manual very carefully before they attempt to explain a new product to the technology-obsessedtour pro, writes Colin Byrne.

You can distinguish these fellows, who have learnt what to say, from the other category, who have probably been involved in designing the club.

The reps try to tell the gullible pro how the club works, while the engineer tries to explain the mechanics of the product. The difference between the two club-pushers is usually an engineering degree versus a compromised playing career downgraded to a job in the golf business.

I recently spoke to Mike Guerrette, from TaylorMade, about the driver the company launched in Europe a couple of weeks ago. Having dispensed as many new clubs as they had at their disposal in Europe over the past few weeks, they were pretty confident they would get the biggest driver count by the survey people over the coming weeks. It's not bigger, but it's seemingly better than their last offering. It is most definitely more radical than anything I have come across in all my years of club-pushing observation.

Mike took the time to explain to a very untechnologically- minded person, me, about the r7 Quad driver. Almost like a wise but respectful teacher, he described the mechanics without losing me or making me feel totally ignorant. I was sure from his explanation that this was a person who had had a hand in the design of the club and was not merely reciting the press package to me.

It all started with helicopters. Guerrette is an aeronautical engineer. He was a project engineer who worked on military helicopter modifications. His team adapted helicopters for the US army special operations that flew in conflicts such as Somalia, Panama and Desert Storm. Probably the most well-known current day chopper, the Black Hawk, was one of his projects in developing its current flexibility in combat situations.

I was a little concerned Mike was more interested in the mechanics of the club than its usability. But as a plus 1 handicap golfer, and having played on the air force academy team during his years in the service, he is acutely aware of the importance of the practicality of clubs.

With the other, very effective drivers, he admits they could tinker with the club to get it looking and feeling as close to how the pro wanted it. The compromise was that if you bent a club for feel the look would change.

With the r7 Quad there are four holes, or weight ports, on the sole plate of the club which can have weights attached according to where the individual would want the centre of gravity located. This means the feel could be changed instantly by the player without changing the look or having to wait for the club repair man to do it for him. The new club comes with its own tool kit, if you like, a little wrench and a variety of weighted screws.

So if you want to hook the ball more you can put more weight on the inside of the club, and vice versa if you want to fade it more. It you want a lower ball flight, the weight can be adjusted accordingly, and so on. It really does seem like a wonderful idea.

Or perhaps its just the latest in a litany of gimmicks aimed at part-time golfers without the talent or dedication to hit the ball well but with enough money to justify spending on a golf club what most would spend on on a second-hand car.

What makes a driver perform, of course, is its centre of gravity. So this is what is being adjusted constantly to try to get the club to perform as the user wishes. What is best for length is a high launch angle combined with the optimum spin rate. The spin keeps the ball aloft. Too much spin gets the ball rising rather than going forward.

Titanium has allowed the developers to produce clubs with better inertia, or stability. It aids a more stable flight and less side spin. The problem is that a bigger head gives less inertia and, equally, a smaller head gives less inertia. So finding the optimum sized head is the key to providing the best inertia. For the first time since this helter-skelter new driver frenzy began, we are seeing a slightly smaller driver head. The r7, with its localised weight ports, adds even more inertia or stability.

So how do the people in white coats back in Carlsbad, California, the capital of golf technology, figure out what the next generation of golfers want to have a hit with? TaylorMade have eight PhDs working on the future of their products. They have a fair idea of how their clubs will evolve over the next five years.

Mike insists the new clubs are driven by marketing. Research finds out what new product is needed, and development then try to come up with the desired club. Mike has been involved with the development of this new club since its inception 18 months ago. If he can keep those Black Hawks airborne, then the chances are you could trust him to put a decent driver in your hands.

These techies have come a long way to making the "choppers" chop less and keep their aerodynamic balls aloft for longer and in a more desirable direction. And it all originates from chopper technology, funnily enough.