The best golf drivers are now more affordable than before. Cobra, TailorMade and Cleveland Golf are just a few of the brands offering affordable drivers made with high-quality materials for the ultimate performance on the green. One driver is never going to be enough for most players. However, purchasing one at a time might create a nice golf driver\’s collection even for the most dedicated golfers.
You might also be interested in:
Best Golf GPS Watches
Best Golf Shoes
Best Golf Wedges
Best Putters
Best Hybrid Golf Clubs
|
Best for Distance
|
Best for Affordability
|
Best for Beginners
|
|
3.5
|
3.5
|
3.5
|
|
N/A
|
$259.99
|
N/A
|
Made with high precision, the driver comes in attractive black and grey options. As a 2018 release, it comes with new materials and new technologies. Among them, carbon insertions seem to balance it out the best. 2 shaft options are available here and the drivers are known for their balanced weight in both options.
A CNC milled face design is one of the main attractions of the driver. It represents a solid material made by hand to high precision. The thinner face material gets plenty of praise from all users, especially those who’ve tried previous year’s drivers.
Dual roll technology implements 2 curvatures across the face. These areas are separated in top and bottom curvatures for the ultimate golfing results. Optimized launch and spin is the result of these design variations.
Thin carbon fiber crowns have been added to the Cobra King drivers. Most golfers ensure they get this driver for the lower center of gravity and the improved spin which comes with it. They also say the driver comes with an improved and improved forgiving driver profile. Ball flight is a bit better with a lower center of gravity for those just starting out.
- Sharp edges around the clubface
TailorMade’s M4 is made to reach the distance. With added flexibility and thinner materials, the driver represents a stepping stone from entry-level products toward professional-grade gold drivers.
A new face angle has been designed to correct side spin and for straighter shots. The redesigned face offers to improve reliability on long shots. TwistFace is the technology implemented by TaylorMade here.
This technology represents the corrective design on off-center mishits. Players with improving skills show the most appreciative feedback on the new face design result.
Geocustic explosive sound has also been created to make the driver sound better. Advanced sole shaping has made the driver considerably more maneuverable. The redesigned sole also frees up more space on the driver’s face. Its sweet spot is 67% larger than the previous year’s design result.
- Made with a larger driver face
- Redesigned sole
- Improved acoustics
- Similar M2 performance
The M2 is TaylorMade’s alternative to those who want to make the carbon jump. While its performance is good, its sound may be a turn-off considering just how loud it is. Some golfers place their loudness over on the multi-layer carbon construction and the sole design which now continues further towards the back.
A 6-layer carbon crown is what makes the driver a solid performer. Undoubtedly, it accelerates the shot considerably, improving both distance and trajectory. The sole has been pulled to the back, and the center of gravity designed lower so that the driver head would be capable of delivering higher trajectories.
Added forgiveness due to sole expansion is another reason why many golf players still consider it today. Without the need to invest in expensive drivers to see forgiveness on imprecise shots, the driver is among the leaders of affordability to performance ratios such as with the Ping 410 Plus, Ping G400 driver or the Titleist TS3.
Shipped with a Fujikura XL48 shaft, the driver also includes premium accessories. It might be the first contact with a Fujikura shaft for many players, but the right short stock shafts are a good match to the larger driver head.
- Made with improved forgiveness
- Ships with a premium shaft
- Designed with aerodynamic 6-layer carbon head
- A bit too loud compared to the M3
The TaylorMade SIM MAX Driver has a revolutionary new shape with an aerodynamic sole and inertia generator is designed for the most critical stage of the swings, and positions weight to provide faster clubhead speed for more ball speed and distance while the rear weight creates high MOI for improved forgiveness. It is also strategically angled to reduce drag on the downswing.
It also has intelligently optimized C.O.R. due to its Speed Injected technology that improves ball speed across the face by calibrating each head to the threshold of the legal speed limit.
TaylorMade’s revolutionary face curvature reduces sidespin and delivers straighter shots on off-center strikes. This revolutionary driver reeks of technology, as it also features the Twist Face technology that uses a corrective face angle designed to overcome inherent golfer tendencies on mis-hits. It also provides straighter shots while providing a larger face for more confidence.
The TaylorMade SIM Max Driver is made of carbon, titanium, and steel that comprises the multi-material construction that creates a head design where weight is positioned precisely in the head for ultra-low CG and high MOI. On the other hand, its two-degree loft sleeve provides adjustability and personalization to optimize the club for each trajectory and face angle preferences.
Those who have used this driver have the best experience, saying it is very forgiving and could add at least 10 yards on their drives! It is also easier to use because it is lightweight, very comfortable, and a great choice for mid to higher handicap players. Though it is a bit pricey compared to other drivers, it is worth every penny.
- Multi-material construction with carbon, titanium and steel
- Improves ball speed across the face
- Reduces sidespin and delivers straighter shots on off-center strikes
- A little bit expensive
The M6 is another top performer from TaylorMade. Representing one of the main attractions of the manufacturer, it features characteristics such as a new face design based on speed injected construction and a new carbon sole design.
Made with a larger 460cc head, the driver is now easier to handle for those new to the sport. But the extra size didn’t include the extra weight. The driver is now lighter, and some of the weight reduction is based on the newly redesigned carbon materials.
TwistFace revolutionary face curvature design for off-center shots is what attracts most players to the driver. The technology is used on other TaylorMade releases, and it proves to add the curvature and ball responsiveness with a higher trajectory and top swing speed performance.
Injected construction for enhanced clubhead speed is what makes the driver a top design when pushing the limits and personal records. This construction allows TaylorMade to make the driver with a bit higher precision than with its CNC alternatives such as those from Rogue.
A low carbon sole weight with a lower center of gravity has been added to the driver. The new material follows the trend of modern drivers and combines hard material's responsiveness with the lightweight nature of carbon fibers.
- Made with a carbon sole
- Designed to enhance launch height
- Performs faster based on the new sole
- Only suitable for low spin rates
The M3, with all of its variations, such as the adjustable loft and choice of shaft flex, is another top performer from the brand. It’s probably hard to replace for golfers who play a bit more often. Its balance and durability are above average. But the face’s design and the trajectory are what make it popular.
Found in all golf stores based on its popularity, it is the type of driver to choose if there would only be one low center of gravity design to play with for years.
Corrective face technology with curvature makes it considerably better than traditional old-school drivers. The new face curvature is made to correct a human error which often leads to misses, especially with shots closer to the heel of the toe.
A toe strike may take a Titleist golf ball too much inwards, while a heel strike might take it too outside. Both of these trajectories are corrected by the redesigned face with its improved responsiveness.
Made for low spin shots, the driver is made to reach the distance. On short shots, it might not be the best performer. But it certainly goes the distance when compared to other top long-trajectory releases.
Straight shots going further away also mean many players can now take their skills further. There’s no point in hitting the same old drivers hoping for those extra few yards with lower spin. TaylorMade shows it can be done, and the driver can adjust some human errors on off-center shots.
- Made with a redesigned face
- New sole slot
- Made for higher ball speed
- 15 grams heavier than the M4
If you’re looking for exceptional ball speed, the rogue Driver from Callaway delivers this from a combination of its Jailbreak Technology and X-Face VFT. In addition to this is the MOI for a breakthrough in driver performance.
Using this driver will make every golfer want more ball speed and forgiveness due to its Triaxial Carbon crown, which is the largest ever carbon composite crown surface area in any Callaway driver. It also has the new high-MOI shape combined with a larger address footprint to help increase stability and forgiveness.
The Callaway Rogue Driver has the premium shaft selection at multiple weights; you may choose from 40g, 50g, 60g, 70g, and 80g weights by Aldila, Synergy, Even Flow, HZRDS Yellow, Project X, and UST.
Users of the Rogue Driver advise that you have to be sure to get fitted first in an accurate system before purchasing, as new drivers have a low spin rate if you don’t get a higher loft than you may be used to. Besides that, this driver does everything it has to do and will surely give you longer and straighter drives.
- Very forgiving
- Faster ball speeds
- Great feel and distance
- Needs to be fitted first before making a purchase
If you’re looking for a high launch driver with a total weight of 300 grams and a D4 swing weight, look no further! Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo has all that in store for you. It has a redesigned HI Bore Crown that lowers the center of gravity (CG) by 2.2mm, enabling a lower CG position for an optimal launch condition.
This driver also delivers more speed by its deep weighting, where the discretionary mass savings are positioned for significant increases to MOI. It also has an ultra-light hostel for internal and external weight reduction, redistributed low and deep for higher launch and more forgiveness.
The driver is also revolutionized with the MIYAZAKI C. Kuma, the CG is relocated higher toward the grip that enabling additional head mass and increased MOI.
- Provides higher COR over a larger impact area
- Redesigned HI Bore Crown lowers the CG by 2. 2mm
- High launch driver
- Could help improve golf game by 75%
- Could be a bit noisy when used
The fairway wood is a top performer in a category of products which is atypical. Those who haven’t tried such a wood before will certainly be surprised to see the straight trajectory and the distance it delivers.
Fairway wood with anti-slice technology impresses those on a budget who need straight shots in certain scenarios. If your rangefinder shows the perfect straight direction to the flag with decent elevation, this is the wood to choose for the shot.
Straight shots, even with a sliced design, mean a driver is a valuable option in the golf bag of any serious player. Yes, its design is not perfect. For example, the grip hasn’t been received with too much enthusiasm. But players overlook its design based on its performance.
The fairway woods come with a long USGA shaft. It takes some time to get used to it and many said it’s a design flop. However, none of the players returned the wood, and this speaks volumes about its performance.
Related read: Best Fairway Woods – 2021 Reviews
- Made for pure straight shots
- Delivers extra yardage
- Includes a headcover
- Long shaft
The affordable alternative to the 2017 King F7 golf club, the Fly-Z is made for speed. Those who don’t want to spend too much on a driver may consider it for all types of shots.
However, it’s with speed shots that it performs the best among Amazon releases. Part of its performance is based on its design and materials’ interpretation. For example, it has a thin perimeter around the face that changes its physics. It allows the driver to perform at higher speeds and players to break personal records.
There’s also weight removed from the face which means the center of gravity is already shifted more towards the back to add a bit of power to the shots. Together with the new face design, it delivers distance results with balls such as those from Mizuno.
- It delivers extra speed
- Forged E9 face design
- Made with a graphite shaft
- Not as subtle as the Cobra 2017 King F7
This driver is the main option from TaylorMade in an increased face surface category. It allows those with improving skills to constantly work on their skills with its unmatched forgiveness.
There might not be much else to the driver. However, those who need to improve their skills in straight trajectory and distance shots might not need anything extra. However, it doesn’t guarantee straight results with every shot. It also suffers in terms of durability compared to other TaylorMade releases, such as the TaylorMade M5 or the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero.
- Made for top forgiveness
- Impressive face surface
- Adjustable loft
- Not the most versatile driver
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best drivers in golf?
TaylorMade, Cobra and Cleveland Golf make some of the best drivers in golf. However, its design might mask some of the lacking skills of modern players. All golfers should master their shots as well as possible before investing in a top driver.
What are drivers in golf?
Drivers are also called number 1 woods. They have the longest shaft and the largest head in the game. It’s specifically made to hit the ball the furthest from the tee.
You may also like: Best Golf Rangefinder 2021
