Best Drivers for Beginners 2024 (Our Top 13 List)

Your golf experts: Jordan Fuller & John Marshall.
Updated March 26, 2024. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.

Golf drivers are a tricky club to master for beginners.

There are several shortcuts and features to look for in a golf driver that will certainly help shorten the beginner’s learning curve.

From drivers with tons of adjustable features to those with fixed hosels and strong construction, we’ve got clubs that will enhance your game and drop your scores.

Here’s our list of the best drivers for beginners.

Sources researched
20
Sources researched
Customer reviews
17,000
Customer reviews
Hours spent testing
35
Hours spent testing
Products tested
13
Products tested
Product Name
Best Driver for Beginners
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D
Best Budget Driver for Beginners
Cobra DarkSpeed Max
Best Distance Driver for Beginners
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
Ranked
Ranked #1
Ranked #2
Ranked #3
Thumbnail
Callaway Golf Paradym AI Smoke Max D Driver (Left Hand, 12 Degree, Ladies)
Cobra Golf DarkSpeed MAX Driver
TaylorMade Golf Qi10 MAX Driver10.5 Degree Speeder Stiff Left Handed
s1
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
s2
Lie: 56°-60°
Lie: 58.2°, 59.2°
Lie: 58°-62°
s3
Shaft Length: 45.75”
Shaft Length: 45.75”
Shaft Length: 45.75”
s4
Swing Weight: D4
Swing Weight: D4
Swing Weight: D4
Best Driver for Beginners
Product Name
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D
Ranked
Ranked #1
Thumbnail
Callaway Golf Paradym AI Smoke Max D Driver (Left Hand, 12 Degree, Ladies)
s1
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
s2
Lie: 56°-60°
s3
Shaft Length: 45.75”
s4
Swing Weight: D4
Best Budget Driver for Beginners
Product Name
Cobra DarkSpeed Max
Ranked
Ranked #2
Thumbnail
Cobra Golf DarkSpeed MAX Driver
s1
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
s2
Lie: 58.2°, 59.2°
s3
Shaft Length: 45.75”
s4
Swing Weight: D4
Best Distance Driver for Beginners
Product Name
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
Ranked
Ranked #3
Thumbnail
TaylorMade Golf Qi10 MAX Driver10.5 Degree Speeder Stiff Left Handed
s1
Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
s2
Lie: 58°-62°
s3
Shaft Length: 45.75”
s4
Swing Weight: D4

Last updated on 2024-04-04. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.

Best Drivers for Beginners 2024

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D Driver

Best Driver for Beginners

Callaway Golf Paradym AI Smoke Max D Driver (Left Hand, 12 Degree, Ladies)
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
  • Lie: 56°-60°
  • Shaft Length: 45.75”
  • Swing Weight: D4
  • Head Size: 460cc

Pros

  • Lightweight and agile, delivers high launch
  • Outstanding distance with healthy slice correction
  • Adjustable loft sleeve offers customization

Cons

  • Only for golfers struggling with a slice
  • Bigger clubhead could deter beginning golfers

Callaway’s impressive Paradym Ai Smoke driver series gets a draw-bias version with the Max D.

Offering the same staggering distance and muscular power, the Max D provides several yards of slice correction to help you hit more fairways.

We love the profile of the Max D Driver. It offers a longer hitting area to improve forgiveness, helping you maintain your ball speed on off-center strikes.

We found the club responded very well to shots off the toe, reducing side spin and keeping the ball in the fairway. 

For beginners, the Max D also delivers high launch, extended carry, and plenty of rollout to maximize distance.

Feel and responsiveness also ranked extremely high during our evaluation, as we have struggled to find a new driver that provides the sturdiness and muscle of the Paradym Ai Smoke series.

Another worthwhile feature is the multi-position loft sleeve. This sleeve helps you increase or decrease loft to improve your ball flight or, at the very least, customize it to your ideal specs.

While the Max D Driver will certainly cost a bit of money, its overwhelmingly great performance and long-lasting durability make it well worth the investment.

Check our full review of the Paradym Ai Smoke Driver series


Cobra DarkSpeed Max Driver

Best Driver for Beginners on a Budget

Cobra Golf DarkSpeed MAX Driver
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
  • Lie: 58.2°, 59.2°
  • Shaft Length: 45.75”
  • Swing Weight: D4
  • Head Size: 460cc

Pros

  • Lower price than most top-tier drivers
  • Adjustable stationary weighting 
  • Impressive slice correction performance

Cons

  • Not much contrast on the crown 
  • Can feel thin at times, especially lower on the face

If you want a slice-correction driver that looks incredible and has the performance to back it up, the Cobra DarkSpeed Driver absolutely cooks on the course.

Its matte black finish offers lighting-fast ball speed with exceptional accuracy and hearty slice correction.

Another feature worth mentioning is the adjustable stationary weights, which help you fine-tune ball flight. This feature makes this driver great if you are looking for a club that will grow with your game over time.

On the range, we hit plenty of high drives with that right-to-left ball flight you need to keep the ball in the fairway.

The stationary weighting does offer a subtlety that makes the DarkSpeed Max more accessible to experienced high handicap golfers who are close to taking that leap to mid handicapper status but just need a bit more help with their slice.

Also, the DarkSpeed Max’s price point makes it a tremendous value if you are looking for a new driver that costs less than the big ones from TaylorMade and Callaway.

An outstanding driver, the DarkSpeed Max earns high marks for its impressive appearance and superb slice correction performance.

Check our full Cobra DarkSpeed Max Driver Review


TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver

Best Distance Driver for Beginners

TaylorMade Golf Qi10 MAX Driver10.5 Degree Speeder Stiff Left Handed
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5° & 12°
  • Lie: 58°-62°
  • Shaft Length: 45.75”
  • Swing Weight: D4
  • Head Size: 460cc

Pros

  • 4-degree loft sleeve offers solid flight customization
  • Exceptional forgiveness on off-center strikes
  • Quick, easy launch with impressive carry and rollout

Cons

  • Lacks adjustable weighting

TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max Driver offers impressive features, including a 4-degree loft sleeve to customize launch and a generous sweet spot that produces solid ball speed and high, accurate drives.

While the driver carries a similar design to last year’s Stealth 2, it has a few differences that make it more stable through the impact zone. The 10K MOI rating helps beginners by being more square at impact with minimal twisting.

We hit high, soaring drives on the range with nice right-to-left ball flight. We could tell right away from the driver’s feel that this club would work great for golfers just learning the game.

The driver lacks adjustable weighting, so if you grow out of your slice and want a more neutral setup with your driver, you’ll need to upgrade.

Also, the higher price does offer a bit of hesitation if you are on a budget, but make no mistake—this driver delivers a performance worthy of its elevated cost.

We’ve been wholly satisfied with the performance of the TaylorMade Qi10 series. If you struggle with a slice, few drivers are better equipped to minimize side spin than the Max edition of this impressive series.

Check our honest review of the TaylorMade Qi10 Driver series


Cobra Aerojet Max Driver

Most Accurate Driver for Beginners

Cobra Golf Aerojet MAX Driver
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°-12.5°
  • Length: 45.5”
  • Lie: 56°-57°
  • Head Size: 460cc
  • Swing Weight: D4/D5

Pros

  • Two adjustable weights create a neutral or draw-bias setting
  • Aerodynamic head maximizes swing speed
  • Looks great in the bag or at address

Cons

  • Would prefer a sliding weight to create specific customization


Cobra’s sleek Aerojet Max driver offers a subtle and sophisticated way to correct your slice.

Featuring an aerodynamic head, the driver delivers stunning power to the golf ball, helping you maximize your ball speed for more distance off the tee box.

The driver features a large, well-rounded sweet spot and redirects off-center strikes to improve dispersion. By hitting more balls in a tighter pattern, the Cobra driver offers more consistency to help find more fairways.

When it comes to minimizing side spin, the Aerojet Max utilizes two stationary weights that can swap positions to create a draw bias or neutral positioning.

One of the reasons we like this driver so much is because as your game grows, the Aerojet Max can deliver a neutral setting to improve your workability.

The Aerojet Max provides beginners with a dynamic premium driver, ready to improve all aspects of your game off the tee, from distance to accuracy.

Check our full Cobra Aerojet Driver Review


Callaway Paradym X Driver

Best Draw- Bias Distance Driver for Beginners

Callaway Golf 2023 Paradym X Driver (Left Hand, Ascent 40G Shaft, Ladies Flex, 12 Degrees Loft)
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°-12°
  • Length: 45.75”
  • Lie: 60°
  • Head Size: 460cc
  • Swing Weight: D3

Pros

  • Built for high launch and low spin
  • Slight draw bias provides slice correction
  • Fast ball speed off the face with extended carry

Cons

  • Doesn’t have exceptional feel or responsiveness, feels stiff at times

Callaway’s Paradym X delivers excellent features, including significant slice correction, high launch, and a powerful, penetrating ball flight that gets the most out of each drive.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of the appearance of the Paradym series of drivers, the performance makes up for any hesitation with how these golf clubs look.

Regarding forgiveness, the X remains one of the best for beginners looking to tighten their dispersion on the fairway.

Another reason why we like the Paradym X driver so much is how wonderfully strong the club feels at impact. I’m hard-pressed to recall such a sturdy, muscular driver that helps curb the effects of a slice like this Callaway model.

If you are in the market for a top-tier, elite driver, the Paradym X checks all the boxes. It is a wonderfully made driver well worth its price.

Check our full Callaway Paradym Driver Review


TaylorMade Stealth HD Driver

Best Overall Draw-Bias Driver for Beginners

TaylorMade Stealth Draw Driver 10.5 Right Handed, Red
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5°, 12°
  • Length: 45.75″
  • Lie: 56° – 60°
  • Swing Weight: D4/D5

Pros

  • 60x Carbon Twist Face delivers premium forgiveness
  • High launch with easy distance and extended carry
  • Maximizes ball speed across the entire face

Cons

  • Expensive driver for beginners
  • Draw-biased reduces slice but may penalize overall swing growth

The TaylorMade Stealth HD driver is an excellent option for beginning golfers looking to improve their game. Its futuristic design with a red and black color scheme turns heads on the golf course.

The clubhead, built from an innovative carbon composite material, makes it incredibly lightweight and easy to swing, which is perfect for beginning golfers.

In fact, our testers registered their highest swing speed with the Stealth HD model, making it an easy choice for the best overall driver for golfers just starting their golfing career.

The Stealth HD offers premium adjustability to help reduce slicing and boost shot height. It has a loft sleeve that allows you to adjust the loft angle of the clubhead, which is great for fine-tuning your shots and finding the perfect launch angle for your swing.

To help beginning golfers, the club also features a large sweet spot to dramatically increase forgiveness and consistency. The clubface features a 60x Carbon Twist Face that redirects shots off the toe while maintaining ball speed.

The TaylorMade Stealth HD is a great driver for beginning golfers, offering many features including its adjustability and a highly forgiving sweet spot.

The driver’s lightweight carbon composite material also enables high swing speed to elevate drives and increase the overall distance of each drive, making it a premium option for beginners ready to get serious about their game.

Check our full TaylorMade Stealth Driver Review


PING G430 Max Driver

Most Accurate Driver for Beginners

Ping-G430-Max-Driver

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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°-12°
  • Length: 45.75”
  • Lie: 57°
  • Head Size: 460cc
  • Swing Weight: D4

Pros

  • Offers multiple loft, lie, and shot shape settings
  • 25-gram moveable back weight provides up to 10 yards of correction
  • Low spin with high-grade forgiveness on off-center strikes

Cons

  • Does have a funky Ping-specific style that doesn’t appeal to all golfers

Ping’s G430 Max driver offers a unique design that helps you get the most out of every swing from the tee box.

Delivering solid slice correction, the G430 Max utilizes the ribbed clubhead to reduce drag on the downswing, resulting in maximum swing speed to the golf ball.

The wide, inviting sweet spot provides that pure sensation that Ping drivers are known for. The G430 Max gives you more forgiveness and a higher launch that generates extended carry to maximize the distance from each drive.

When it comes to dispersion, we found the G430 Max rated as one of the best drivers for slice correction, offering well over 10 yards routinely during our testing.

We often found our ball sitting in the fairway or light rough rather than in the trees or deeper, thicker grass.

For beginners looking for more accuracy without losing a yard of distance, the Ping G430 Max delivers exceptional results.

Check our full PING G430 Max Driver Review


Cobra AIR-X Straight Neck Driver

Best Value for Money

Cobra Golf 2022 Air X Driver (Men's, Left Hand, Cobra Ultralite 50, 10.5),Grey-Red
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5°
  • Length: 46″
  • Lie: 60°
  • Swing Weight: D1.5

Pros

  • Incredibly lightweight for maximum swing speed
  • Offset design helps reduce side spin
  • Heel weighted stabilizes face through the impact zone

Cons

  • No adjustable features
  • Plain appearance when compared to other top-flight drivers

The Cobra AIR-X Straight Neck driver delivers smooth performance for beginners, helping them build their fundamentals without worrying about their equipment.

One of the top features of the AIR-X driver is its straight neck design, which helps to promote a straighter and more accurate ball flight. The club’s lightweight construction makes generating higher swing speed easy.

During our testing, our golfers noted that the Cobra AIR-X Straight Neck driver features a large sweet spot helping increase its forgiveness on off-center strikes.

The size of the generous sweet spot is great for beginners who may not have the most consistent swing yet.

Additionally, its head holds a low profile, which reduces drag and boosts the club’s MOI, helping the face stay square through impact.

Coupled with the draw-bias weighting, the high MOI minimizes side spin to help beginners find the fairway more frequently.

We also really liked the price point of the AIR-X, making it a driver that amateurs can grow with but won’t restrict them from upgrading when the time comes.

The Cobra AIR-X Straight Neck driver earns high marks when it comes to creating the consistency and distance that beginner golfers need.


Cobra LTDX Max Driver

Best Premium Driver for Beginners

Cobra Golf 2022 LTDX Max Driver Matte Black-Gold Fusion (Men's, Left Hand, Project X Hzrdrus Smoke im10 60, Reg Flex, 9)
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5°, 12°
  • Length: 45.5″
  • Lie: 57.5°, 58.5°, 59.5°
  • Swing Weight: D2

Pros

  • Adjustable weighting allows the driver to grow with your game
  • Milled face reduces side spin and improves contact quality
  • Hot face produces staggering ball speed, even for beginners

Cons

  • Colorful appearance may turn away golfers that want a traditional look
  • Needs time to master all of the adjustability options

The LTDx Max driver from Cobra offers beginning golfers an exciting combination of power and speed to produce exceptional drives that reduce the length of second shots into the green.

Most importantly, this forgiving driver utilizes a dual-weight to produce a draw bias that fights against hitting slices, an outstanding feature for beginning golfers.

The weights are adjustable, allowing golfers to swap out the weights to create a more subtle draw bias as they improve their golf game.

The driver also features a big body that brings the muscle to the golf ball. The oversized head carries a wide forgiving face that redirects off-center strikes toward the initial target.

Our testers adored the milled face of the LTDx Max driver. Not only does it look extremely cool, but the feature helps keep the golf ball along the target line even if the impact point leaks toward the toe and away from the center of the face.

Our blue-ribbon winner for the best premium option on this list, the Cobra LTDx Max offers a terrific combination of innovative features that helps reduce the swing flaws of beginners so they can produce the best drives of their golfing career.

Check our full Cobra LTDx Max Driver Review


Callaway Rogue ST MAX D Driver

Best Luxury Draw Bias Driver

Callaway Golf 2022 Rogue ST Max Draw Driver
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5°, 12°
  • Length: 45.75″
  • Lie: 60°
  • Swing Weight: D3

Pros

  • Offers multiple shaft and loft options to help you find the perfect mix
  • Stable and very long off the tee box
  • Provides subtle draw-bias setup to help tighten shot dispersion

Cons

  • One of the highest priced draw-biased drivers
  • May be too much club for most beginners

The draw version of the Callaway Rogue ST Max offers a delightful mixture of raw power coupled with technology that minimizes side spin to help beginners find the fairway with higher regularity.

As with all Callaway drivers, the Rogue ST Max D edition features are too numerous to mention, but there are a couple that will certainly help beginners find more consistency in their game off the tee box.

It utilizes Callaway’s Jailbreak Technology, which is a patented design that enhances the stability and power of the clubhead.

The Jailbreak Technology helps to increase ball speed and improve accuracy for longer and straighter drives, a huge weapon for beginning golfers.

Our testers also enjoyed the OptiFit hosel, which allows golfers to adjust the clubhead’s loft and lie angle to fine-tune their drives’ trajectory.

This feature is handy for golfers who want to optimize their ball flight for maximum distance and accuracy, which can benefit beginners as they mature and develop better swing habits.

A dynamic driver that produces staggering length off the tee box, the Rogue ST Max D offers a premium draw-bias option for golfers ready to improve their game with a high-end option.

Check our full Callaway Rogue ST MAX D Driver Review


Cleveland Launcher XL Lite Driver

Best Lightweight Driver for Beginners

CG LauncherXL LiteDrv10.5 R RH
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Specifications

  • Loft: 10.5°, 12°
  • Length: 46″
  • Lie: 60°
  • Swing Weight: D1

Pros

  • Outstanding lightweight driver works great for slow swing speeds
  • High-grade forgiveness keeps the ball in the fairway
  • Affordable price makes XL Lite an excellent entry driver

Cons

  • No adjustable loft sleeve
  • Plain appearance

The Cleveland Launcher XL Lite driver features an ultralight design, which helps reduce the club’s overall weight. The lightweight feel makes it easier for beginning golfers to swing the club with greater speed.

The HiBore Crown of the Cleveland Launcher XL Lite driver repositions the center of gravity low and deep in the clubhead, which helps to increase the launch angle and reduce spin.

Our testers felt the low, deep CG helped produce longer and straighter drives, an obvious by-product of the HiBore Crown.

We also liked the addition of the Flex-Fin technology on the XL Lite, which is a small, flexible fin on the sole of the clubhead that helps to stabilize the clubhead at impact.

The Flex-Fix increases ball speed, pushes away the surrounding air to increase swing speed, and improves overall accuracy after impact.

Overall, our testers loved the simplicity of the Launcher XL Lite. Alongside the features we’ve listed, the XL Lite also leans on its clean design to stabilize the hitting area for high MOI that helps return the face to square at impact.

Easily our top choice for golfers looking for a lightweight driver, the Cleveland Launcher XL Lite provides beginners with a viable, high-speed weapon for attacking the course.

Check our honest Cleveland Launcher XL Lite Driver Review


Wilson Staff Launch Pad 2 Driver

Best Driver for Slower Swing Speeds

Wilson Staff Launch Pad 2 Driver Golf Club - Men's Right Handed, Graphite, Regular Flex, 10.5 Loft,Black/Green
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Specifications

  • Loft: 9°, 10.5°, 13°
  • Length: 45″
  • Lie: 60°
  • Swing Weight: D0

Pros

  • Built like a missile, it delivers high speed shotmaking
  • Subtle draw bias minimizes side spin
  • Aerodynamic club head produces top speed to golf ball

Cons

  • No adjustable features
  • Offers a rather plain appearance

The Wilson Staff Launch Pad driver, built like a heat-seeking missile, produces jaw-dropping drives for beginning golfers.

Incredibly affordable, it is as good as advertised, producing a simple lift with extended carry that boosts driving distance with relative ease.

The club features a sleek, rounded design and cuts through the air without too much drag, helping golfers increase their swing speed to generate more distance.

Our testers unanimously agreed the highlight of the Wilson Staff Launch Pad driver is its unique sole design with heel weighting. The combination of the rounded sole and weight position creates a natural draw bias that reduces the penalty of hitting a slice.

Instead of hitting drastic slices, the Launch Pad’s draw bias tightened the shot dispersion on the fairway, helping our testers face easier entry shots into the green.

Regarding forgiveness, the Launch Pad also keeps the ball speed high without significantly losing distance. The tall club face produces clean contact on the golf ball, improving feel and response at impact.

We chose the Wilson Staff Launch Pad driver as our best slow swing speed option because for golfers struggling to generate distance, this club produces the ball speed needed to increase length off the tee box.


Titleist TSi2 Driver

Best Feel and Responsiveness Driver

Titleist TSi2 Driver 9* (Tensei AV Series Blue 55 Stiff) Golf Club
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Specifications

  • Loft: 8°, 9°, 10°, 11°
  • Length: 45.5″
  • Lie: 58.5°
  • Head Size: 460cc

Pros

  • Built for distance and increasing ball speed
  • Exceptional feel and responsiveness
  • Wonderful driver to build strong fundamentals

Cons

  • Expensive driver might be too pricey for beginners
  • No draw bias or adjustable weighting to correct side spin

The Titleist TSi2 is a top-performing driver perfect for beginning golfers looking to increase their distance.

It carries many features, including an aerodynamic design that boosts stability, improves performance, and generates some truly beautiful drives, even for golfers just starting their golfing journey.

The Titleist driver offers a lightweight design and an oversized head, which helps to increase forgiveness on off-center hits.

It has a low and deep center of gravity, which also helps to promote a higher launch angle, lower spin, and more distance on your shots.

One of the standout features of the Titleist TSi2 driver is its feel and responsiveness. At the moment of impact, you immediately know the quality of your drive, a valuable benefit for beginning golfers that are learning fundamentals.

During our testing, the Titleist TSi2 delivered outstanding consistency, improving the overall quality of drives for our testers classified as beginning golfers.

The testers also noted how much they enjoyed how pure each drive feels off the face, even on shots where the impact point drifted toward the toe.

Yes, the driver is relatively expensive compared to other value models, but if you are looking for a club to grow with your improvement, the TSi2 delivers the goods.

An easy choice for the driver with the best feel and responsiveness on our list, the Titleist TSi2 produces clean power with the gorgeous results to match.


What Should I Look for in a Beginner Driver?

Design

For beginner golfers, owning a forgiving yet well-constructed driver is incredibly important for long-term growth. In addition, beginning golfers need to have confidence that their golf clubs won’t let them down, especially for the golf driver.

Golf companies are finding new ways to reduce drag on the clubhead and maximize swing speed every year.

However, some beginners feel like the best way to build a set is by finding golf clubs that are seven to ten years old, and why that may be cheaper initially, it can harm the improvement of your game.

In the end, for high handicap golfers, finding a driver that gets the ball into the air and down the fairway is paramount. These two simple guidelines are accomplished with loft and increased swing speed. Always remember: Longer drives mean shorter second shots.

Great golf driver design is crucial when the beginner golfer considers the entire swing, from lining the ball up at address to drawing the club back and coiling the swing, all the way through the downswing and impact.

Feel

When a beginning golfer hits a drive, they might not tell where the ball is going initially. Feel comes with an increased experience of hitting the golf ball, but it also occurs at the moment of impact.

On Sundays, the best professional golfers display a sense of confidence at times after they hit drives off the tee box. So how do they know they have hit an incredible drive? It’s a combination of feel and sight.

When we talk about the “feel” a golf driver has, we are talking about the response the ball gives off the clubface.

Professional golfers have hit hundreds of thousands of shots in their careers, and they know immediately if they’ve struck the golf ball in the center of the clubface because their trusted driver provides that feedback.

A new golf driver that produces an exceptional feel throughout the swing is a club that you can gain confidence in over time.

Unlike professional golfers, beginning golfers don’t trust their swing or clubs just yet but find equipment that can shave time on that endeavor.

Forgiveness

For beginner golfers struggling with a high handicap, a driver’s forgiveness can help keep the ball straight and long off the tee box.

Unfortunately, most beginning golfers who have difficulty shaving strokes off their handicaps cannot routinely strike the ball on the center of the clubface.

Since golf equipment manufacturers understand this problem, they build drivers with larger sweet spots that help reduce the sidespin that creates slices and hooks.

This wonderful advancement in golf technology has been advanced to assist the beginner in hitting the ball straighter on off-center strikes.

Beginning golfers who swing their driver slowly will also appreciate the technology because it maximizes distance while reducing the shot-killing side spin.

Forgiveness in a driver comes in two different varieties the golfer must choose from. The first feature is via the driver’s construction, this is especially true if you find a golf driver with a fixed clubhead with no adjustable features.

The other feature that can help high handicap golfers improve is a driver’s adjustable features. Moving weights, for example, spreading them farther apart behind a clubface,  can help the golf driver stay more square during the impact, therefore limiting side spin.

Loft Options

One of the most significant errors that beginning golfers make when choosing a new driver for their bag is purchasing a club that fails to have enough loft.

Too many beginners see that Tiger Woods has an 8.5-degree golf driver and sadly assume they should do the same. But they fail to understand that a professional golfer’s swing speed is one of the highest ever recorded.

Beginning golfers should never forget that the loft of a driver equals ball height, and it is crucial to maximizing the height of your drives while you are swinging at a slower speed.

Hitting the ball harder equates to boosted exit velocity. When coupled with proper shot height, you can maximize your driving ability during these initial days of your golfing journey.

Adjustable Features

As high handicap golfers, you are looking to maximize each swing, especially off the tee. When searching for this magic formula, it helps if you have a golf driver with options.

Golf manufacturers have discovered numerous ways to help the amateur tinker with their clubs to dial in the right specifications that will allow them to fine-tune their game, whether it be on the course or during practice sessions.

There are two ways that manufacturers have helped beginning golfers. The first is through adjustable weights that can alter shot shape and increase forgiveness.

The second is with an adjustable hosel that can reduce or increase the loft on the clubface for more height on the ball at impact.

For the beginning golfer who loves trying to dial in the best series of adjustments to boost the quality of their shots, adjustable features are an essential component for their new golf drivers.


Frequently Asked Questions

How far should a man hit a driver?

The average driving distance for male amateur golfers typically ranges from 200 to 240 yards. For professionals and long-drive competitors, their drives average well over 300 yards. 

Distance off the tee box depends on factors like swing speed, launch angle, and impact location. Increasing yardage can come from more consistent contact and a better fundamental approach.

How do beginners hit a driver straight?

The key for beginners is focusing on solid contact rather than distance. 

Set up square to the target line and grip the club lightly without tension. Maintain spine angle and keep your head still with your eyes on the ball. 

Make a smooth swing around 80% power, keeping the clubface square through impact. Allow the body to naturally rotate and resist manipulating the swing.

Developing consistent fundamentals will provide accuracy and add distance over time. Keep it simple early on and let your technique build gradually.

What makes a driver more forgiving?

Drivers with more forgiveness help minimize distance and accuracy loss on mishits. 

Key technologies that improve forgiveness include larger clubhead size, rear weight positioning, and a lower center of gravity. These features enlarge the sweet spot and reduce twisting on off-center contact. 

Additional factors like lighter graphite shafts, adjustable hosels, and convex clubfaces also improve forgiveness.

What type of driver should a beginner use?

For golfers that struggle with a slice, a draw-biased driver helps minimize side spin to help keep the ball on the fairway.

These drivers place a weight near the heel to help square the face as it reaches the ball to reduce side spin and tighten shot dispersion.

A beginner golfer should also seek a higher loft on their driver to help them get the ball into the air.

Since most beginners haven’t maximized swing speed, their distance suffers because they cannot maximize the length of the carry.

For most beginners, finding a loft around 12 degrees will help reduce the growing pains associated with learning how to strike the golf ball consistently.