Can drivers affect golfer’s performance? Over the year’s drivers are innovating. Manufactures also understand that there are beginners and high handicappers that are struggling in the game.
Thus, they aim to produce drivers not only for professionals but also for high-handicap players. Beginners and high handicappers want to improve their game over time.
So, what are the best driver for a high handicapper? There's a lot of drivers in the market. But if you are a beginner golfer, there are some features that you may want to have an extra look at before buying. You should look for a golf driver that matches your swing speed.
Everyone wanted to shoot and have a better score. You must choose a driver that will help you with the impact and your mishit. A driver that helps your ball send to the air as soon as possible with a longer distance.
If you are ready to go to the next level of golf, but still struggle with a high handicap, then this list is for you. In this list, we will cover golf drives for players with a high handicap to send the ball off the tee.
Best Golf Drivers for High Handicappers in
- Callaway Epic Flash Driver (Best Overall)
"Callaway Epic Flash Driver is our top pick among the drivers for high handicappers. It has an impressive design as a result of AI. Moreover, it has all the features that a beginner golfer of high handicappers is looking for. It has exceptional forgiveness, adjustable loft, and large clubhead. This driver is worth the value of money too." - Mazel Titanium Golf Driver (Best on a Budget)
"A lightweight driver that is packed with feature any golfer needs, yet very affordable." - TaylorMade M6 Driver (Most Forgiving)
- Cobra King F8 Driver (Lot of Loft Adjustment)
- TaylorMade SIM Max-D (Best for Distance)
Best Golf Drivers for High Handicappers
Callaway Epic Flash Driver
Best Overall
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KEY FEATURES
The Callaway Epic Flash Driver is the famous driver that used Artificial Intelligence on the flash face. Can you imagine that they created about 15,000 prototypes before they created the final design? This is how patient the engineers behind this driver. They aim to create a driver that promotes a faster ball speed.
This driver has everything that you need as a beginner. It may be a little expensive compared to other drivers, but with the superb features and specifications, it is worth the money.
One good feature of this driver is its loft adjustment that it can be adjusted to -1 degree to +2 degree. This Callaway Epic Flash Driver is available in 9, 10.5, and 12 degrees loft. It allows you to change the loft angle while the grip is the same. Beginners and handicappers are advised to use 10 degrees above loft. It comes with different shaft flex options for better alignment.
When it comes to the swing and impact, it has a good impact on the face for a better strike and more ball speed. Thanks to AI technology, this driver makes solid hits and has a faster ball speed for longer distances.
The driver for handicap golfers must also be very forgiving. The Callaway Epic Flash is very forgiving because of the triaxial carbon crown that also helps lower the center of gravity. The large sweet spot also helps it to be more forgiving for off-center hits. It also uses jailbreak technology that helps on narrowing misses. The Callaway Epic Flash gives more impact on the face and gives longer flight. This driver has everything that a new golfer needs.
Mazel Titanium Golf Driver
Best on a Budget
KEY FEATURES
Mazel Titanium Golf driver is the best driver for beginners who are on a budget. Cheaper than the other driver, this does not mean that can’t perform well. It is also packed with the features that the beginner and high handicapper need.
What makes this driver more appealing is that it was available in different colors with a shaft. You will look more stylish and confident when you're on the course. You can choose a color that matches your style. Aside from looking fashionably cool, the color helps you for better alignment.
For a beginner golfer, a lighter driver can help you with a faster swing. This driver has a 460cc clubhead size. The face was expanded for an easy most hit anywhere in the club. It has a great feel on launch. You will also notice a change in sound impact when you were not able to hit it. This driver aims for distance and forgiveness.
When it comes to flex, this golf driver is available in regular and stiff flex. For beginners and high handicappers, the recommended regular shaft is better. Taking the shaft flex into consideration, you can maximize the distance of your golf flight and better control for your drive.
Available in 9.5 a 10.5 loft it has no adjustable feature in the head hosel, so you get what you see. The Mazel driver has a decent spin rate and promotes more distance and accuracy. This is the best driver for beginners and high handicappers who are on a budget.
TaylorMade M6 Driver
Most Forgiving
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KEY FEATURES
For a beginner with high handicapped faster swing speed is equal to longer distance. Yet beginners usually have a slower swing speed. To maximize speed and distance TaylorMade M6 driver was injected with resin. Each face was individually tested to make sure that every driver was within the legal limit.
TaylorMade incorporates the twist face technology on its driver. It has a larger sweet spot compared to other drivers. This will help the ball reduce side spin and off-center hits. A beginner often deals with mishits and consistency. However, this is so forgiving even if you don’t strike it perfectly.
Another good feature of the M6 driver is the loft sleeve. This helps you have straighter shots. This driver has an aerodynamic carbon designed with an inertia generator to help the trajectory of the ball as it speeds up for more distance.
The movable weight of the club is easy to adjust. With the combination of forgiveness, easy adjustment on the loft, and weight placement, the TaylorMade M6 driver is one of the best drivers for beginners.
Cobra King F8 Driver
Lot of Loft Adjustment
KEY FEATURES
Cobra King F8 Driver is one of the best-looking drivers from Cobra. This driver is designed to increased swing speed, forgiveness, and distance. This is one of the best drivers for handicappers who want to improve their swing and forgiveness.
The driver is a dark 460cc titanium club head. It has a very appealing face because it was CNC milled for a thinner and precise face.
One of the features of this driver is the ultralight Carbon Fiber Crown. It has a larger sweet spot with an elliptical design. This is quite more different than most of the drivers that create circular sweet spots. Cobra has also front and back CG positions. This will help you tune your distance and trajectory for a good ball flight.
To optimize the launch and spin it uses its dual roll technology. The face was designed with different curvatures on the top and the bottom. It also got weight in the back and weight in the heel.
It also has My Fly 8 with SmartPad. This will help you adjust your loft into 8 settings for a better trajectory. This is available in regular flex shaft better for beginners and handicappers. This is a great feature to help you hone your game.
Cobra added Cobra Connect on the top of the grip. This is powered by Arcos which helps you better analyzed and tracked your driving distance.
If you’re looking for a driver that can help you more distance, you may also consider Cobra F8. Design for more speed and distance, this is also a very forgiving driver.
TaylorMade SIM Max-D
Best for Distance
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KEY FEATURES
TaylorMade SIM Max-D is the best driver for high handicappers when it comes to distance.
You will be surprised by how the ball travels over distance as you send it off from the tee. Most high handicapper loves how nice it feels as they launch the ball.
The sole design of this driver helps you to have a greater distance and straighter flight. Among the SIM drivers, the Sim Max D has the largest face. This allows the golf player to maximize forgiveness.
Like the other sim drivers, the Sim Max D has speed injection technology. It has an inertia generator to help the golfers with their swing impact. Aside from the draw-biased design, this driver also has an adjustable loft.
This driver is available in 9, 10.5, and 12-degree lofts. It includes a loft sleeve that can be adjusted for its lie angle to help you set a perfect launch angle and maximum distance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why Do Beginners Need Specific Drivers?
Beginners and professional players differ with the swing speed. It is important to look for the features that beginners need. A forgiving driver will help you lower your spin and swing speed. In this case, the slice can be avoided.
The drivers designed for beginners usually have a larger head and sweet spot. This will make it easier for you to hit the ball. You wanted to have a good drive that will send your ball to have a straighter flight. The one factor that beginners and high handicappers should look for is its forgiveness. High handicappers and beginners usually have slower swing speeds. So, therefore, the specific drivers that golfers should have must be more forgiving and matches their swing speed. Usually, the adjustable loft can also help beginners to better fine-tune their trajectory.
On the other hand, drivers for professionals are usually built on the opposite. They are built for ultra-fast swing speed.
How Do I Choose The Right Shaft?
Most of the shaft nowadays is made from graphite which is a bit lighter and helps even the beginner to swing better. This is the most important part of the golf driver. However, the shaft comes with different shaft flex.
So what are the different shaft flex? Flex is usually classified into:
R - regular flex
This flex is recommended for beginners and high-handicappers. This is the most popular flex shaft. This is good for players who have 80-90ish mph swing speed.
S - for Stiff/Firm
This is the kind of flex that is usually used by professionals and players with a higher swing speed. More often a stiff shaft is heavier than a regular shaft. This is for those with a swing speed of 90-105 mph. For those that have a swing speed of more than 105 mph, they often choose the extra-stiff shaft.
A/M - This is for senior flex
Sometimes it is label as "L" or ladies. The softest flex on the category is for those who have the lowest club speed. If your swing speed is less than 80 miles per hour you can also use this kind of flex.
You can choose the best shaft for your best on your swing distance. For a beginner with high handicappers, the right shaft can improve your game and lower your handicapped. If you're really serious about your golf game and wanted a driver that really matches you, you can consult a professional to help you measure your swing speed.
In general, the weaker shaft is ideal for those that have a slower swing speed like beginners and high handicap golfers. While the stiff shafts are for those with a faster swing like the pro and tour players.
What are the ways to get the perfect flex for me?
We would like to save your time from searching for different ways to get the perfect flex for you. Here are the top two options in which you can measure and get the perfect flex for you.
- Get the two types of flex and bring it to the course with you. Try to determine which one your more comfortable with and you find more forgiving by testing it side by side.
- If you don't mind spending more money, have a session with a professional. They will measure your swing speed with the launch monitor and let you try different shafts to see which one is a great fit for you.
How Many Drivers Should I Own?
There's no limit to how many clubs you can OWN, but there are limits as to how many you can BRING. As per professional rule, players are allowed to carry 14 clubs with them. If you are a beginner, it’s better to carry one driver first and stick with it. This will help you familiarized your drive and how you can make a better swing and launch the ball further.
Switching from one driver to another can lost your consistency. Other professional players carry two drivers. But as for you carrying your one best driver during the game can be a good start.
How Often Should I Purchase A Driver?
Golf manufacturers release new drivers every almost every year. This may be a hard decision for beginners and high handicappers. With focus and constant practice, you will improve your game significantly and wanted to change your driver as well.
Depending on how often you play and take care of it, you can change your driver after 3 or 4 years. However, if you see a significant change with your playability, and you have a budget you can always upgrade your golf club. If you are ready to upgrade your drivers and you don't want to spend more, you can trade your golf club with some shop. But of course, before you can do it, your golf club should be in good condition. You must also see to it that the shop follows the PGA tour guidelines when it comes to trading the golf clubs.
What Maintenance Do I Need To Do On My Driver?
Like any other possessions, your golf driver also needs and extra care for better performance. Drivers are not scratch-free, so it is important to take good care of them as well. Keep your golf club clean after every game. You should clean it after every game. A simple way to do this wiping it with a soft towel after every game. An absorbent microfiber towel like the Callaway Golf Uptown Towel. This is great for absorbing any moisture and clean away tough dirt and stains left after play. One thing to must always bear in mind, always keep it in a dry place and also if possible use a bag that has a full-length divider to avoid your golf clubs clashing with each other.
Testing Criteria used for evaluation
Most drivers in the market claimed that it is good for all kinds of players. It is also sometimes tempting to buy the one that you often saw on tv, the one that was used by your favorite golf players. However, if you’re a beginner golfer with a high handicap those drivers may not be good for you. Before heading to the store to get one, take a look at these key factors.
Design
Beginners and high handicappers were recommended to get the largest size, which is the 460cc clubhead design. With the size of the clubhead, it gives the golf player a bigger sweet spot for an easier hit of the ball. Round clubhead also makes it easier to hit for beginners.
Drivers are now using a different kind of technology to help with the center of gravity placement. Why this is important? The proper placement of the center of gravity of the golf club will help with forgiveness with off-center hits and more distance.
The latest golf drivers use a different kind of technology to maximize the distance of the ball flight. So as a beginner and high handicapper do you need the one with the latest technology? Different technology were applied with the latest drivers is not always favorable to those that are new in this game. So it is advisable for you to know the key factors of the golf drivers for beginners and high handicappers first before getting one. When you know what to look for it will be easier to determine if it will going to fit for you or not.
Loft
When playing golf you must maximize your swing speed and get the proper lauch angle of the ball.
One of the common mistakes of the new golfers is choosing the driver. They pick up the same driver that their favorite golfer uses. For beginner golfers, you should choose a driver that has a higher loft. With too much excitement to have the same drivers as with their favorite golf players, they forget that they need enough loft.
The loft of the drivers is equal to the ball height and therefore very important if they want to maximize the height of the drive. Choose a driver that has a loft of 10.5-14 degrees. Professional players were using a driver that has a lower loft.
Always remember that you should always consider the performance of your golf swing when picking the right driver for you.
Forgiveness
When your new to this game, a high handicap is the greatest challenge for you. How can you lower your handicap during the game?
As high handicap golfers, this is a great feature that you should always consider the forgiveness of the driver. Every time you miss the sweet spot during a swing, it also affects the direction of your ball flight. Forgiving drivers promote a straighter ball flight.
Manufactures use a different kind of technology on the club head to help players struggling with their handicap to hit the golf ball to have a straight path on off-center strikes.
Adjustable features
There are two features the best driver for beginners should have.
Adjustable weight
Some of the latest drivers have adjustable weight. The weight was attached to the sole of the club head. You can adjust it by sliding around if you want to adjust the shots. This may be confusing at first to new golfers, but as they will get familiar with it, they will find this feature helpful.
Adjustable hosel
The adjustable hosel is very helpful to high handicap golfers. They can increase or decrease the loft of the driver.
Beginners and high handicappers are still trying to get familiar and comfortable with the drivers. Exploring and adjusting the drivers is a great feature to boost their game performance and fine-tune their shots.
Conclusion
| NAME | EDITOR'S CATEGORY | PRODUCT |
|---|---|---|
| Callaway Epic Flash Driver | Best Overall |  |
| Mazel Titanium Golf Driver | Best on a Budget |  |
| TaylorMade M6 Driver | Most Forgiving |  |
| Cobra King F8 Driver | Lot of Loft Adjustment |  |
| TaylorMade SIM Max-D | Best for Distance |  |
Hopefully, our list, faq's, and the buying guide have helped you narrow down your selection for choosing the right driver for you. Golf is fun, however, if you are your mis-hits become consistent and you can't seem to bring down your handicap it is also frustrating.
To start with your game, you should start by picking the right driver for you. It may be a bit tricky at first but with the right driver and constant practice, you will be confident soon every time you hit the drives off the tee box.
