Updated October 19, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
From persimmon woods to modern marvels of aerospace engineering, golf club technology has come a long way.
Today’s drivers represent the pinnacle of innovation, promising golfers maximum distance and forgiveness. But which golf drivers throughout the years truly stand above the rest?
This article pays tribute to a few of the greatest big sticks ever produced by diving deep into the top manufacturer’s recent entries that establish new norms for what a driver can do on the links.
I’ll spotlight the golf drivers that currently are changing the game and highlight today’s advanced drivers launching the ball into new frontiers.
From old favorites to tomorrow’s game changers, these are the best golf drivers ever to grace tee boxes.
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Last updated on 2023-11-22. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Best Golf Drivers of All Time
Here are the top 5 best golf drivers that made it to our 2023 list:
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Specifications
- Loft: 9°-12°
- Length: 45.75”
- Lie: 56°-60°
- Head Size: 460cc
- Swing Weight: D3/D4
Pros
- 60x Carbon Twist Face offers forgiveness
- Built for speed and distance
- Inviting sweet spot offers high launch
Cons
- No sliding weight for total shot shape control
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver earns its place as the greatest driver of all time. Everything about this club is optimized for pure distance to help all golfers achieve maximum driving capability.
The combo of breakthrough technologies makes this TaylorMade’s most complete driver.
The inverted cone face design expands the sweet spot drastically for high ball speeds and distance, even on miss-hits across the face. The flexible 60x Carbon Twist Face increases loft on off-center strikes to maintain distance.
I found that the carbon-reinforced head design enabled strategic weighting for ideal launch and forgiveness, while the aerodynamic shaping reduces drag for faster clubhead speed.
Beyond sheer power, I really loved how the Stealth 2 provides a premium feel thanks to its carbon fiber crown. The adjustable hosel enables shot shape and trajectory customization, while the look inspires confidence at address.
For golfers demanding the ultimate in speed and forgiveness, the Stealth 2 delivers. The combination of cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship makes this driver an unparalleled distance weapon.
Any player wanting to push their driving distances to new heights needs to get fit for TaylorMade’s latest flagship driver. The Stealth 2 cements its status as the best driver ever crafted.
Check our full TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver Review
Callaway Paradym Driver
Best Driver for Mid Handicappers
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Specifications
- Loft: 9°-12°
- Length: 45.75”
- Lie: 57°
- Head Size: 460cc
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Powerful, muscular feel and feedback
- Low, deep CG provides high launch
- Adjustable perimeter weight offers total customization
Cons
- Not as forgiving as comparable modern drivers
For mid-handicap players looking for maximum forgiveness and playability to improve their consistency off the tee, the new Callaway Paradym driver delivers the goods.
The Paradym’s distance and accuracy combination helps lower scores for amateurs who need it the most.
The Paradym sets itself apart with solid forgiveness thanks to the Tungsten Energy Core that optimizes weighting for high MOI and launch.
The Jailbreak AI provides excellent ball speed even on off-center strikes. The aerodynamic head, designed with help from Boeing, reduces drag for faster clubhead speed to maximize distance.
While geared for forgiveness, the Paradym doesn’t compromise on feel and control. The forged carbon crown contributes to a precise, confidence-inspiring feel at impact.
I really loved how the adjustable hosel and perimeter weight allow total control over ball flight and shape bias.
For mid-handicappers needing an easy-launching, forgiving driver, the Paradym is top-notch. It provides effortless distance along with the adjustability to customize performance.
The combination of speed, forgiveness, and playability in Callaway’s meticulously engineered package makes this an ideal driver to lower scores for improving players.
Check our in-depth Callaway Paradym Driver Review
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Specifications
- Loft: 9°-12°
- Length: 45.5”
- Lie: 56.2°-57.2°
- Head Size: 460cc
- Swing Weight: D2, D4.5, D5
Pros
- Aerodynamic head reduces drag for higher swing speed
- Lightweight carbon crown for a better feel
- Adjustable loft sleeve offers customization
Cons
- No adjustable weighting for further customization
The new Cobra Aerojet driver lives up to its billing as a low spin distance machine ready to attack the course. As a low-handicapper seeking maximum forgiveness and workability, I found this driver ideal for hitting more fairways with additional distance.
The Aerojet’s forged carbon crown works to deliver an extremely lightweight but durable and stable feel. This allowed me to swing aggressively while maintaining control.
The aerodynamic head design reduces drag for added clubhead speed. I was impressed by the ball speeds and low spin rates generated, even on miss-hits across the face.
While distance is the emphasis, Cobra didn’t ignore feel and playability. The CNC-milled Infinity Face provides soft yet responsive feedback.
The adjustable hosel perfectly enabled dialing in launch conditions for my swing. The sound is powerful but muted for a satisfying strike.
It doesn’t get better than Cobra’s Aerojet for low-handicap players wanting to hit low-spin rockets off the tee. This driver absolutely bombs it off the tee while offering exceptional versatility.
The distance gains, piercing ball flight, and improved accuracy make it a must-have for the serious golfer ready to attack with aggressive driving.
Check our in-depth Cobra Aerojet Driver Review
Callaway Mavrik Driver
Best Driver for Beginning Golfers
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Specifications
- Loft: 9°-12°
- Lie: 58°
- Length: 45.75″
- Head Size: 460cc
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Steady, solid performance
- Minimizes side spin for tighter dispersion
- Optifit Hosel provides adjustable lie and loft
Cons
- Isn’t as aerodynamic as other modern drivers
The Callaway Mavrik Driver is one of the best golf drivers of all time in recent memory, boasting a low center of gravity with an inviting sweet spot that boosts speed for extended length.
This club features an advanced titanium head that delivers muscle directly to the golf ball.
The best feature of the Mavrik driver is the Jailbreak Technology. Although the feature isn’t new to just the Mavrik, the two stiff bars behind the hitting area stiffen the driver heads for maximum strength.
On drives that contact the center of the face, the Jailbreak works hard to deliver one of the best golf clubs for distance on the market today.
The Mavrik’s club head is an aerodynamic crown that streamlines the path to the golf ball. A great design that works wonders for golfers who need more golf club speed by reducing drag, the Mavrik’s head works in sync with the high-quality stock shaft for increased length.
The driver also tightens your shot dispersion for better-quality second shots from the fairway. With the increased distance and added accuracy, golfers looking to lower their scores will find the Mavrik works wonders.
An adjustable loft sleeve offers the ability to raise or lower the face’s elevation and add offset for the golf driver.
A great driver with a high-quality head cover, the Callaway Mavrik is a first-rate golf club that dramatically improves forgiveness and increases your yardage off the tee.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver
Best Golf Driver for High Handicappers
Specifications
- Loft: 9°-12.5°
- Lie: 60°
- Length: 45.75″
- Head Size: 460cc
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Slight draw bias reduces side spin
- Lighting fast ball speed
- Easy high launch with extended carry
Cons
- No adjustable weighting for more shot shape control
We are happy to report that the Callaway Big Bertha B21 driver is the most capable Big Bertha driver ever created.
This #1 wood is one of the elite golf clubs for mid handicappers needing more muscle on the golf course.
Featuring the company’s patented Jailbreak bars behind the face, the Callaway Big Bertha 21 is a powerhouse, delivering jaw-dropping length and finely-tuned forgiveness.
Other features worth noting with the B21 include the rear stationary weight that increases shot height. The adjustable loft sleeve can add or subtract loft on the face while also offering a slight offset for a better sightline to the golf ball.
For a Big Bertha driver, the distance golfers want is here, along with deep, low CG that effortlessly lifts the golf ball for long carry with extended length.
The Big Bertha driver does come with a subtle draw-bias, and while it might not deliver the dramatic anti-slice technology like other golf drivers, it does create a pleasing right-to-left shot shape.
The next time you are shopping for a well-built powerful driver, check out the new iteration of the Big Bertha series because it is an absolute delight.
Buying Guide: Choosing Golf Drivers
Material
A premium, well-built golf driver is made with quality materials that increase speed, reduce drag on the downswing, and create jaw-dropping power delivered directly to the golf ball.
A club like the Callaway Rogue or Big Bertha driver series provides a wealth of benefits to golfers of all skill levels.
The driver increases speed on shots hit with the large sweet spot, but the club also reduces resistance on the downswing with the aerodynamic club head.
A larger club head, such as one made with a carbon composite crown, offers golfers a deeper, lower center of gravity on the driver for higher flight and longer carry.
For high handicappers needing more distance, finding a driver that offers low CG with a wide, inviting sweet spot is a great combination to increase length and improve accuracy.
Another area of improvement that new golf drivers can help with is providing low spin on tee shots. Golfers want minimal spin from their drives because these shots fly straight and true.
Shots that have too much side spin, either slice or hook, and the golfers find themselves searching for their ball in the rough far too often to lower their scores consistently.
Whether it is stock or custom, a strong shaft can also boost club speed with a new golf driver.
Older drivers used to make golfers adjust their swing to overcome the technology. Still, the latest and greatest of today’s golf drivers provide an incredible amount of help to smooth the rough edges off golfer’s wayward drives.
Loft
Along with finding the correct shaft flex, a golfer must play at the right loft to get the most from their drives. A slow swinging golfer who plays with too little loft might repeatedly hit low line drives off the tee box.
In comparison, a high speed swinging golfer might launch the ball too high with too much loft, killing their chance of achieving maximum distance.
Low handicappers should play a golf driver anywhere from 8.5-to-10.5 degrees of loft on the face. What loft is ideal for their game depends on their actual club speed with the driver.
Professional golfers, such as Bryson DeChambeau, play with loft degrees that routinely go underneath the 8.5-degree threshold, but they also swing at elite level speeds that generate staggering distance.
High handicappers and beginners should consider finding a driver with no more than 12.5 degrees of loft. Most golfers at this skill level suffer from a lack of consistency. The additional loft allows them to hit more shots with carry that equates to distance.
By working their way up to golf drivers with lofts around 9.5 degrees, the inexperienced golfer can grow in their game and create the fundamental skill set to increase their confidence. Then as the swing grows, so can the equipment.
Women and senior golfers also should find a driver with no less than 12.5-15 degrees of loft to help with carry and distance and offset their slower club speeds.
Shaft
The best golf drivers of all time provide golfers with a high-quality shaft that creates distance while maintaining accuracy by allowing the face to return to square at impact.
Since golfers want their tee shots to end up in the fairway, matching their club speed with the right shaft flex is absolutely crucial to lowering scores.
A regular shaft flex is an excellent place for high handicappers looking to start their golfing journey. With a titanium head driver coupled with a regular flex shaft, a slower swing will maximize their distance without suffering from poor carry, like with lesser drivers.
Regular shaft flex is excellent for either left or right hand golfers that need more from their tee shots with a newly made driver. Drivers, like the Cleveland Launcher series, offer a fixed hosel that works extremely well with a finely-crafted regular flex shaft.
A stiff flex shaft is preferred by golfers with driver swing speeds that top 95 mph. The golfer must maintain sound fundamentals throughout the swing to generate that type of speed.
Modern golf drivers provide a massive sweet spot to golfers, and for players with ultra-fast swing speeds, a strong fundamental approach allows them to focus solely on generating distance.
New golf drivers, like the Callaway Rogue Driver, whether for low handicappers or beginners, can open the door to a whole new way of playing this great game, but only if they make sure that the shaft flex matches their club speed.
Forgiveness
One of the essential attributes of a driver for all golfers is forgiveness. The factors that create forgiveness along a driver’s face include the size of the sweet spot, the shape of the head, and possible innovations used to curve the hitting area to reduce side spin.
To hit the ball down the center of the fairway with straight flight, a golfer must strike with the center of the face in a square position. For shots that strike an area off-center, forgiving modern drivers allow golfers to keep the target line by redirecting the shot.
For golfers with fast swing speed, a forgiving driver offers them the ability to focus on generating the fastest swing possible without worrying too much about accuracy.
If you look at a TaylorMade driver, like the SIM, the club offers Twist Face Technology. This feature gives golfers a curved face that minimizes side spin while directing the shot back along the target line.
Instead of watching the golf ball slice to the right side of the fairway, the SIM works to keep the shot in the fairway and inside a tight shot dispersion that golfers can rely upon over time.
Like the PGX Offset golf driver, draw-bias golf drivers offer an anti-slice approach to keeping the ball along the target line. These golf drivers don’t offer forgiveness as much as a major correction in how the equipment strikes the golf ball.
While some of the forgiving features of a neutral driver carry over to a draw-bias driver, the majority are diminished through the redesigned head.
Clubhead
Modern golf drivers have a clubhead size of 460cc. The larger clubhead helps create more power directed straight to the golf ball for maximum ball speed and distance.
The overall large size of these clubheads also produces better forgiveness as the golf clubs feature a high MOI that reduces twisting.
Another feature of modern clubheads that helps boost distance is an aerodynamic shape that reduces drag for faster downswing speed.
With a large rounded crown, the clubhead helps slice through the air to generate a staggering swing speed that helps lift the golf ball at maximum launch angle for terrific carry and length.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most-played driver on the PGA Tour?
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus driver is the most played on the PGA Tour.
Introduced in 2023, the Stealth 2 Plus features an adjustable hosel and weighting along with a 60x Carbon Twist Face that redirects off-center strikes, helping golfers hit the ball further and straighter.
Many top pros like Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau have the Stealth 2 Plus in their golf bags.
Are new drivers better than ten years ago?
New golf drivers are generally better than those from 10 years ago.
Advances in clubhead design, materials, and manufacturing have allowed companies to optimize drivers for distance and forgiveness. Modern golf drivers have larger clubfaces, lower centers of gravity, and weight positioned to maximize MOI.
These innovations combine to make the ball go farther and straighter, even on miss-hits. While expensive, today’s golf drivers outperform decade-old models in robot testing and real-world usage.
Newer golf drivers are also demonstrably better tools for distance and accuracy.
How to fix a slice with a driver?
If your golf game is suffering from a chronic slice, the best way to correct the slice is to purchase a draw-bias driver.
This specific type of driver holds a draw offset that reduces the sidespin and causes slicing for straighter, more accurate drives.
Another way to tackle a slice with equipment is with a driver featuring adjustable weighting.
An adjustable weight driver may be preferable over a draw-bias driver because if the golfer is working to correct their fundamentals, the driver can grow with them as they need a more neutral setting on their club.
We also recommend you check our detailed guide on How to Fix a Slice.
When should I replace my driver?
The timeframe for replacing your driver should correspond to how often you play golf.
If you are a frequent player, say once every two weeks, then replacing your driver every 2 to 3 years allows you to take advantage of the latest innovations in the driver market.
For infrequent golfers, replacing the driver every five years should maintain driving distance while increasing accuracy with every new refresh of your golfing equipment.
One of the best ways to keep your driver relevant is replacing the grip on the club every 40-50 rounds. The new grip will help maintain tackiness for better control throughout the swing.
Conclusion
Throughout the evolution of the golf driver, certain models have stood out as the best of their era and some of the best of all time.
Older classics like the Ping Eye 2 set the standard in the 80s and 90s, while the TaylorMade R500 series defined performance in the early 2000s. More recently, Callaway’s Epic and TaylorMade’s M series captured golfers’ attention.
But today, the pinnacle of driver technology is the TaylorMade Stealth 2.
By optimizing aerodynamics, weight distribution, face design, and adjustability, the Stealth 2 delivers an unmatched combination of ball speed, distance, forgiveness, and shot-shaping ability.
For the seasoned golfer seeking the ultimate in driver performance, the Stealth 2 is the best driver of all time.