Shopping for the best drivers for beginners is one of the most fun things about golf. This is where technology advances fast, and if you’re still using your Grandfather’s hand-me-down, then it’s time to get your own.
With so many to choose from, you want to make sure you’re investing in the correct one. This is also the most expensive club in your bag, so gathering the information and making a smart decision is crucial.
With the right driver, you will take the pressure off the rest of your game so you can improve swiftly and, hopefully, with minimal frustration. But it wouldn’t be golf without a little frustration, now would it?
What To Consider Before?
You may not know exactly what to look for yet because you don’t have the experience. This is completely natural; we’ve all been there. Use this guide to help you start building a wealth of knowledge that will hopefully lead to straight drives and low scores.
Forgiveness
Your number one priority is to hit fairways. Yes, you would like your tee shots to be as far as possible but not at the expense of accuracy. Having a driver that gives you forgiveness on mishits—whether it be off the toe, heel, low or high—will give you the edge you need as a beginner to progress quickly.
The best drivers for beginners create forgiveness is many different ways; the most common of which is by using it deep club face. This provides more flexibility to straighten any errant shots you may produce.
Having weight in the back of the club head is also important for getting height on your tee shots. This lowers the center of gravity, so even if you make contact low on the face, the club will compensate and launch the ball as high as it can.
Draw Bias
Slicing is the most common problem new golfers struggle with. In fact, you don’t have to be a new golfer to struggle with it, as many carry this crux for their entire careers. Nip this problem in the bud by getting a driver that is draw bias weighted.
Draw bias means the club is engineered to square the face or have it be slightly closed at impact. This prevents slicing and helps to encourage those piercing draws that you see on TV.
To get a draw bias driver, just look for the ones that have a tungsten weight in the heel of the head. This weight is what slows the heel down so the toe can catch up and be square at the point of impact. The weights come in different sizes depending on how vicious your slice is.
Shaft
This is often overlooked by beginners but should be addressed. All drivers are available in different stock shafts that have different flexibility frequencies. As a beginner, you’ll be best served with the most flexible shaft that you’re comfortable with.
This means that unless you’re 6’2″ and workout every day, you should probably use a regular flex or even an A-flex. Don’t get caught up with thinking that a stiff shaft is better for distance etc. The best drivers for beginners will have a forgiving shaft that will produce distance with a variety of different swings, which is what you’ll be producing at first.
In-Depth Reviews of the best drivers For Beginners
Cleveland Launcher XL Lite Draw Driver
- Slender and ultra-light hosel
- Massive surface area on the club face
- Affordable price
This latest model of the Launcher is the best looking of all Cleveland drivers and arguable of the best drivers for beginners as well. It has a black matte finish that dampens the glare with style. It also gives it a futuristic and rugged look, especially in contrast to the white ball.
It’s perfect for slow swing speeds to really capitalize on centered hits. Part of that can be attributed to the unique hosel. Other golf drivers provide adjustability through the hosel, but those mechanisms add weight. Cleveland has gone the opposite direction here and eliminated all extra weight with a clean and simple look.
The face is just what beginners need; a large target to strike the ball. This CUP face technology stretches the face over the edges of the club head to reduce vibration and provide great power on off-center hits.
PING G425 Max Driver
- Various settings to adjust as your swing evolves
- Deep face makes for a large sweet spot
- Powerful, loud sound on every strike
This is one of the most forgiving drivers out of all the best drivers for beginners. If you struggle to hit the sweet spot, then this driver could be the answer for you. Off-center contact still gets you a lot of distance, so only you and the club will know where exactly you made contact.
Beginners love this new PING driver for its 3-setting feature. This is just like the ones you will see on tour-inspired drivers. Choosing between neutral, draw, or fade, gives you the ability to customize the angle of the face to your swing. Or, as you improve, you may want to change it based on the course your playing or various weather conditions.
PING drivers are the most popular drivers for beginners and high handicappers and have been for many years. The club head design has changed a lot over the years, but one thing that hasn’t is the signature sound all PING drivers make, and this one has it.
Wilson Launch Pad Driver
- Added speed from club head design
- Ultra-light shaft for added kick
- Affordable price
Wilson is another familiar name amongst beginners and high-handicappers alike. They focus their efforts on trying to make the game more enjoyable through simplistic and affordable technology.
This became one of the best drivers for beginners because of its speed. It’s an easy driver to pick up more mphs on your swing due to how light it is. The specially-made shaft is also light and has the ability to kick at just the right moment without you having to be too precise.
Since slicing is a problem almost all of us must overcome at some point in our careers, Wilson has outfitted this driver with a draw bias. This will help lessen your slices and straighten your ball flight, even on off-center hits.
Callaway Rogue ST MAX
- 26-gram tungsten bar for optimized launch angles
- Prevents clubface from twisting
- Jailbreak technology adds distance to any tee shot
Callaway continues to find ways to re-invent the driver so that beginners and high-handicappers can have an easier transition to mid and low-handicappers. The technology being produced by Callaway is quite astonishing and they always have an entry in any of the best drivers for beginners coversations.
Starting with the first thing that catches your eye, you’re probably wondering what that gold bar is for on the back of the club head. It’s a 26-gram tungsten speed cartridge used to increase forgiveness across the face and ensure perfect launch angles as often as possible.
It also contributes to raising the MOI, which means it hinders the clubface from twisting side to side at impact. This keeps your off-center hits more predictable and more reliable.
Cobra LTDx Max Black
- PWR-COR stabilizing bar adds power on off-center hits
- Rear weight lowers center of gravity to optimize ball flight
- Heel weight prevents slicing and squares the face at impact
While it’s easy to focus on how forgiving this club is and it’s worth noting that it’s one of the longest drivers on this list. The power comes from the PWR-COR multi-material weighting system. In simple terms, it’s a strong metal bar that sits behind the clubface to allow flexibility without giving up stability.
Forgiveness comes in the form of two tungsten weights that are strategically placed at the very back of the club head and in the heel. The one in the back helps lower the center of gravity to give you a high launch even if you hit it low on the face.
The heel weight helps slow the heel down through impact, so the toe can speed up and get square. This is a huge help to beginners who typically leave the face open and have an out-to-in swing path.
TaylorMade SIM 2 Max D
- Larger clubface than previous models
- Rear and heel weighting helps with straighter and longer ball flight
- Carbon fiber sole and crown help increase club head speed through impact
This driver is made for beginners and is TaylorMade’s attempt to help higher-handicap golfers more. Traditionally, TaylorMade focuses on more experienced golfers, but with this driver, they aim to enter a whole new niche.
It utilizes all the same technology and inspiration from its very successful line of tour drivers but with incredible forgiveness. The SIM 2 Max D has a much larger face than the original SIM. The increased surface area is going to give the clubface more bounce and, thus, longer drives.
Further contributing to forgiveness in the SIM 2 Max is the position of the back weight. This creates stability across the clubface and keeps it from twisting at impact. There is also weight in the heel to help promote more draws and fewer slices. This is what the ‘D’ stands for in SIM 2 Max D and is one of the reasons why this on the list of best drivers for beginners.
Callaway Mavrik
- Jailbreak technology behind the face for maximum distance
- Carbon fiber crown reduces weight to increase club head speed
- Variable face technology contributes to incredible forgiveness
The Mavrik line of drivers is great for a wide range of golfers, but the Mavrik Max is ideal for golfers who are just starting out. It adds a little extra cushion for where you need it and helps you keep the ball in front of you, as they say.
The source of this driver’s powers are the two internal jailbreak bars that connect the sole to the crown. They are the lightest you can get and are scientifically positioned to contribute to increasing your ball speed. The crown itself is made from carbon fiber to reduce weight while not sacrificing strength.
The face is made using variable face technology, which optimizes the thickness of the face across every square millimeter. No matter where you make contact, the face has been reinforced to correct those shots without you having to change a thing.
Conclusion
As your first driver, it may not be perfect at the start. You have to put in some time practicing and developing a swing to fully take advantage of the power and technology that the best drivers for beginners have. But as a beginner, you will have a lot of things to work on, so getting an advanced driver will mean one less thing to worry about, and you can shift your attention to the other million aspects of the game.
Having One of the best drivers for beginners Won’t Solve All Your Problems
You need a complete set that suits your game regardless of your skill level. Optimize your set so you can focus on technique and proper strategy. That’s when you’ll start seeing more pars and birdies.
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