A Guide To The Best Golf Drivers

A Golf driver is the most challenging equipment to utilize during a game. It is because of its optimum shaft length, the swing’s rate of motion and the even swing plane.

With drivers, the object of the of golfers is distance and accuracy. They crave distance. My suggestion is that every golfer first gets custom-fitted. Maybe a 3-wood will work better than a driver for distance and overall performance.

Generally, the drivers below are the ones geared for the mass market. As with automobiles, there are variations and options available for the low handicapper, mid handicapper, and high handicapper.

Recently a number of brands have revealed ground-breaking innovations, making it an exciting time to purchase a driver. The most significant advancements have been achieved in face technology and testing the COR limits, ultimately maximizing ball speed. The perfect drive is the most exciting shot to hit and witness. It provides the player with a feeling of achievement.

It is for this reason that equipment manufacturers spend billions of dollars in R&D and release new equipment every year.

Most players will stick to tried and tested drivers for many years; with the average number of rounds that a driver is used set at around 200 – 300. This excludes visits to the driving range.

There are many categories for comparing equipment, a few of which are mentioned below. This review will focus on the category where there are the most active players; namely the most forgiving drivers for mid to high handicappers.

Although most drivers were released as pairs, for e.g. TaylorMade M5/M6, we will highlight the major differences between the clubs, but only review the one that is most applicable to the mid to high handicappers.

It is advisable to have a club fitting with your local club professional to ensure that you gain maximum benefit and consistency from your driver. The player’s skill level should impact greatly the final decision of equipment purchased. Although the advertisers would want you to believe that the newest driver would add a major distance advantage to your game, this is not always the case.

The loft of your driver should be in line with your assessed club-head speed. It is advisable to purchase a driver with the maximum size as very few players benefit from smaller sized heads.

To help, we rounded up the best-rated yoga mats we could find. Take your pick below, so you’ll never have to deal with distractions. If you want our opinion on the best Golf Driver, we say it is the Callaway Golf 2020 Mavrik Max Driver.

Callaway Golf 2020 Mavrik Max Driver

Callaway is a brand that has been breaking down boundaries with the use of AI in its drivers. They are providing that artificial intelligence works, in design, to make sure that it will last.

Callaway’s Jailbreak Technology, (two internal JailBreak bars connecting the sole and crown to promote fast ball speed) which, in and of itself, enhances ball speed, is helping Callaway stay as the front runner in club development including fairway woods, hybrids, and irons. This is a great driver and we are impressed with the extra yards produced and just as importantly, my dispersion rate – nice and tight.

This club features Callaway’s all-new shape to reduce drag, the Cyclone Aero Shape, creating excellent distance. The fact that the driver doesn’t lean towards any extremes also contributes to its neutral flight.

Our easiest to hit Mavrik driver features two interchangeable weights for a MAX forgiveness or MAX draw configuration. Premium lightweight materials create an ultra-light shaft design making it easier to generate power without compromising stability. A high trajectory shaft offering players ultimate forgiveness through maximum distance and tightened shot dispersion.

“Innovations come to those who defy conventions. New distance is out there. It takes a Mavrik to find it.”  Check out this video and fall in love with this beauty.

Cobra Golf 2020 Men’s Speedzone Driver Black-Yellow 

The Cobra Speedzone Driver is a traditionally shaped model featuring CG adjustability from back to front. This is Cobra’s version of the Sub Zero Driver’s from Callaway. Think workability and low spin, not max forgiveness.

Cobra’s Speedzone is known for its Arches grip sensors. This is best paired with your mobile device on the Arccos Caddi app to help you improve technique and strategy.  Truly, a unique benefit.

Cobra’s Speedzone drivers feature a new Titanium T-Bar Speed Chassis. COBRA engineers removed unnecessary titanium to create more discretionary weight while maintaining a strong structure designed to withstand high-speed collisions. The new SPEED ZONE chassis allows for more carbon fiber than ever before. A 360 Carbon Wrap Crown design makes up to 50% of the driver’s body, providing ample stiffness and support to the chassis while saving 25 grams of discretionary weight.

High-speed stability is both important in racing and in driver performance. Speedzone’s High MOI Design positions weight away from the center of the head to maximize stability on off-center hits for longer, straighter drives.

Check out Cobra Speedzone Driver’s Six Zones of Optimized Speed here.

Mizuno 2020 ST200 Driver, Fairway Wood, and CLK Hybrid (Graphite Shaft) 

The ST200 Driver by has received a lot of positive attention. The Shaft includes Diamana Blue S+ 60 Stiff.

The Beta Rich Forged Titanium face is 17 percent stronger and maintains its performance longer than traditional materials. Weight savings from a compacted Wave Sole allowed for the addition of an 11.6-gram back weight, producing a balance of low spin and forgiveness. Also available in draw-bias ST200X and adjustable-weight ST200G. Better players will appreciate the flatter crown and lie angle.

Delivering both low spin and significant forgiveness, the ST200 is a high-stability driver for players seeking straight line distance and predictability. The ST200G has been designed for high swing speed efficiency. It’s even faster from the clubface than its predecessor, more reliable on miss-hits, and offers spin rates adjustable from mid to ultra-low.

If you’re looking for faster ball speeds and place a premium on adjustability and shot-shaping, then the ST200 is a fantastic option. The two sliding weights mean you can adjust the driver to suit your preferred shot shape and alter the amount of spin the driver will produce.

Check out Golf Legend Luke Donald test driving the Mizuno ST200 here.

TaylorMade SIM MAX Driver, Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 Shaft 

When flipped over, the sole design is certainly attention-grabbing due to the asymmetrical nature, but this is far from being the most bizarre-looking club. TaylorMade Sim Max Driver can provide a newfound aerodynamic quality to your swing. The face angles of this club lend itself to assisting in your technique. The corrective face angles strive to help you accomplish straighter shots and avoid mis-hits.

The SIM Max is designed to deliver maximum forgiveness. The all-new Inertia Generator positions additional weight at the extreme rear of the club to further increase MOI, providing more forgiveness and slightly higher launch conditions than the SIM driver.

The design of the new SIM family is simply phenomenal and as we said in the video review, it seems to grow on you more and more while you’re using it. The chalk-white top-line works beautifully in contrast with the carbon crown and it’s great to see how such a minor change can make such a big difference to the eye.

Each SIM/SIM Max/SIM Max•D driver’s head has been individually calibrated and injected to reach the threshold of the maximum legal limit of ball speed. The revolutionary face curvature reduces sidespin and delivers straighter shots on off-center strikes.

Overall, TaylorMade has once again produced two outstanding drivers that cater to a wide variety of golfers.

More details on the TaylorMade Sim Max here.

Titleist TS2 Driver 10.5° MRC

The TS2 is a great all-around club. Titleist bills the TS2 Driver as the highest launching in the series. Its wide flat profile makes it extra forgiving for off-center hits. It does offer some weight adjustability in the form of changeable cartridges, which Titleist enthusiasts may recognize from the 915. All makes for stable, consistent shots that high handicappers will adore.

The TS2 allows for a straighter higher-launching fairway finder. The TS3 is more for traditionalists that prefer to optimize performance and shape shots.

The weight chamber at the back of the sole allows for an increase or decrease of the head’s weight. This, in turn, assists in choosing the shaft as a result of the changes in MOI and swing weight.

The face is now .35 mm thinner resulting in Titleist’s thinnest ever face. This was achieved through the implementation of Titleist’s Radial VFT (variable face thickness) concept which reduces the weight of the head and with the Speed Chassis system at the heart of unlocking speed. This steeper camber from the face to the top of the crown and then a sharper drop off behind that is effectively what improves the aerodynamics. It holds the air closer to the head for longer in the same way these air tripping devices like SpeedSteps and Turbulators do and is just another way of achieving a similar result. The Speed Chassis lowered and deepened CG more than any previous Titleist drivers. New lighter and longer stock shaft add to the increase in speed gains.

TS stands for “Titleist Speed”. Get a glimpse of this innovation here.

Golf Drivers: A Buyer’s Ultimate Guide 

The right driver is important to achieve a strong tee shot. This is your tool for a successful round.

Through the years, golf drivers have technologically advanced and the available choices in the market are vast. To shortlist your options, here are some tips.

1. Size- Measured by volume (cc), drivers are between 440 and 460cc. If you like the ball to produce different launch conditions in the air, go for the 440cc because the 460cc generally offers more forgiveness.
2. Material- Driver’s head are made of either Titanium, Steel or Graphite. Titanium heads are lightweight and way more durable. It generates faster swings which could result to better distance. Steel is on the heavy side but is easy on the pocket since it costs less. Graphite is also lightweight and can help increase clubhead speed.
3. Loft- Loft refers to how high is the ball flight. Loft angle is important for trajectory and distance. Drivers come in 8-15 degrees, depending on your swing speed.

“The most important shot in golf is the next one.”- Ben Hogan, Golf Legend

There are so many drivers available and this is due to the fact that there is no “one size fits all”. We all have different priorities and needs. A good driver that works well with your swing style and speed is an essential piece of equipment. While all clubs are important, there is a good reason people invest more time, effort and money in their drivers and driving skills. Getting it right is important.

Consider your needs, your strengths, and your weaknesses and select the best one for your game.

DRIVERS SPECIFICATION