Best Golf Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers To Hit Straight, Long
Acing your round of golf using the best hybrids and irons is more than just a possibility. In fact, there are so many technologically advanced irons specifically designed for beginners, women, seniors, etc. that they’re bound to boost distance and speed quite effortlessly. But remember that your short game also gives you the upper hand on the golf course.
It’s the short game that gets you into more advantageous positions around the green. So to get there, needless to say, drivers, with their advanced technologies, help in generating long and straight shots off the tee for the most part.
You just have to choose the best golf drivers for beginners and high handicappers for your wide-open holes if your goal is to break it out with minimal effort and frustration. Also, these drivers are the easiest to hit, which compensates for your high handicap and average or beginner golfing skills.
Table of Contents
- Best Golf Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers
- 1. TaylorMade M6 Driver (Best For Beginners)
- 2. TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Black Driver
- 3. TaylorMade M4 Driver
- 4. Callaway Golf 2020 Rogue Driver (Best for Budget)
- 5. Callaway Golf 2020 Mavrik Max Driver
- 6. Cobra 2018 Golf Men’s King F8 Driver
- 7. Cobra Golf Men’s 2019 F-Max Superlite Offset Driver
- 8. Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo Driver
- 9. Wilson Staff Golf Men’s D7 Driver
- 10. Mazel 460cc Titanium Golf Driver
- What Makes the Best Driver for Beginners and High Handicappers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Wrap-Up!
Best Golf Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers
1. TaylorMade M6 Driver (Best For Beginners)
The TaylorMade M6 Driver has been one of the best-looking golf clubs ever since it step foot in the golfing industry. Even the driver’s Speed Injection technology makes it quite popular as it maximizes distance and ball speed.
The phenomenal clubface curvature is perfect for off-center strikes that beginners and high handicappers are often guilty of generating. It’s well-engineered for minimizing spin as well as delivering straighter shots.
All thanks also to the more flexible Hammerhead slot that combines with the Speed Injected Twist Face for creating a larger sweet spot. No doubt, it’s the most forgiving for mis-hits.
Key Features
2. TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Black Driver
You may be a high handicapper with a swing speed below 100 mph, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to get your hands on a forgiving driver just to make up for your weaknesses. And the proof of that is this comparatively more affordable TaylorMade creation from the hoard of the most widely recognized TaylorMade drivers out there.
The clubface is extremely forgiving. Even the shaft feels great since it doesn’t offer much lag on your swing. On top of that, it allows the large 460cc titanium clubhead to whip through the zone. You can also adjust the loft of the driver to achieve the trajectory of your choice.
The brand’s Speed Pocket technology is infused into this one to give you a combination of low spin and high launch, which delivers more distance. Plus, there’s the satin black finish and elegant detailing for improving alignment. No wonder the RBZ driver is so highly recommended!
Key Features
3. TaylorMade M4 Driver
Yet another revolutionary driver with Twist Face perfect for high handicappers and beginners to take your drives straighter and farther. This phenomenal face curvature corrects off-center shots while also reducing side spin. The increased high-toe loft and decreased low-heel loft give you a more consistent side spin in the case of mis-hits.
The sweet spot seems massive. That’s because the recessed sole contour i.e. advanced sole shaping unhooks volume for paving the way for a larger clubface equipped with a 67-percent larger sweet spot. But it’s the advanced Twist Face that saves those shots you tend to hit way out of the toe.
Key Features
4. Callaway Golf 2020 Rogue Driver (Best for Budget)
Hungry for forgiveness and ball speed? You can turn to Callaway as well for that, especially the Callaway Rogue Driver that’s designed with the special Jailbreak Effect. This consists of lightweight Jailbreak bars placed behind the clubface to elevate distance and ball speed.
And let me also bring to your attention that Jailbreak combines with the brand’s cutting-edge X-Face VFT technology for creating extraordinary energy transfer into your golf ball. Pair all this with the proprietary Triaxial Carbon Crown and Boeing Aero Package, and you can produce a swing with streamlined clubhead aerodynamics and optimized weight placement.
The driver is as advertised; large sweet spot and more accuracy.
Key Features
5. Callaway Golf 2020 Mavrik Max Driver
It’s the easiest to hit driver so far with two interchangeable weights that maximize forgiveness or draw configuration. As a high handicapper or beginner, you might also appreciate the fact that the lie and loft of the clubhead are adjustable.
The lighter yet extremely strong clubface composition promotes the much-needed speed and forgiveness. And just like the previous Callaway driver, even this one features Jailbreak bars that connect the crown and sole for boosting ball speed.
What’s more here is the use of Artificial Intelligence for crafting an internal rib system bound to fine-tune the clubhead for generating a deeper, naturally metallic sound.
Key Features
6. Cobra 2018 Golf Men’s King F8 Driver
The King F8 Driver by Cobra is a problem-solver in that it’s the most likely to bring down a high handicap. And the lightweight, well-balanced design of the golf club just adds to that. You’re also the most likely to hit fairways around 80-percent of the time with this driver. And that, for sure, is an improvement.
The precision milled clubface is the most precise, hottest, and thinnest. And the lighter crown saves all the discretionary weight for lowering the CG, so you can generate higher trajectories with increased forgiveness.
Moreover, you get 8 easy-to-adjust loft settings to boost distance while the SmartPad keeps the clubface square. No doubt, the Cobra team has designed the perfect driver.
Key Features
7. Cobra Golf Men’s 2019 F-Max Superlite Offset Driver
You can choose between the Offset and Straight Neck design. Where one is for maximizing draw bias, the other is for golfers who prefer the traditional look during address. The Cobra F-Max Driver is lightweight, no doubt. So beginners and high handicappers alike are more likely to find the driver easier to hit.
The forged clubface insert features a larger surface area for enhancing ball speed. Even the ball flight benefits from the ultra-forgiving back and heel weighting in the form of a straighter ball flight and higher launch.
This one’s also an ideal choice for senior golfers. All thanks to its lighter construction, adjustable degrees, and different weights. So basically anyone with a slower swing speed is bound to find this Cobra innovation a blessing in disguise.
Key Features
8. Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo Driver
Marks my words, you’ll be soon praising this Cleveland Launcher Turbo Driver because the golf club helps you gain 30 yards just like that! And why wouldn’t it when it has a revolutionary Turbocharged cup face that gives you a larger impact area to boost ball speed and distance.
Deep weighting enables increased MOI, which delivers extra speed. Then comes the ultra-light hosel that creates a low, deep CG to activate explosive forgiveness. The shaft design is also counter-balanced. In this case, it means the CG is repositioned closer to the grip. So there’s extra head mass to elevate MOI.
You’re sure to love this offset driver by Cleveland as far as achieving additional yards is concerned.
Key Features
9. Wilson Staff Golf Men’s D7 Driver
If you ask me, I found two features to be the most practical for high handicappers and beginners. The first is the combination of Dynamic Launch Control and super-light design. The former places the weight right where it’s the most needed. And the latter paves the way for greater ball speed and distance off the tee.
As for the second praiseworthy feature, it’s the inclusion of Wilson’s RE•AKT technology. This one’s all about giving you distance and precision just when you demand them. And more often than not, such a situation arises during off-center strikes. The technology, no doubt, is simple and smart for both short and long game, as well as everything in the middle.
Key Features
10. Mazel 460cc Titanium Golf Driver
Expect your handicap to improve for sure, because this 460cc titanium driver is incredibly lightweight. And that means you get the opportunity to swing faster. The golf club is extremely forgiving as well, so you can hit straighter shots.
The expanded sweet spot, on top of that, maximizes distances just about from anywhere on that clubface. Back CG weighting and Speed Channel are nothing but well-engineered features that give you explosive distance with all the forgiveness you demand as a beginner or high handicapper.
Key Features
What Makes the Best Driver for Beginners and High Handicappers
Design
The most forgiving construction is a must if you want to correct your mistakes and also improve your scores. The golf clubs you choose should be able to compensate for your weaknesses, such as high handicap, slower swing speed, etc.
Ultimately, the best design is one that gets the golf ball to launch fast and high, and down that fairway. Keep in mind that longer drives pave the way for short-distance second shots.
Feel
The perfect feel stems from experience, doesn’t it? But as a beginner, you don’t have the upper hand when it comes to hitting the ball to your advantage. So, instead, you can rely on the feel produced by the driver during the moment of impact.
It’s the response your golf ball produces off the driver’s clubface. And that response is only solid when you strike the ball right in the center of that clubface. This is when the feel and feedback are remarkable.
So it’s only natural or logical to assume that beginner-friendly golf drivers are well-equipped to reward your off-center strikes in order to maximize both feel and your confidence on the turf.
Forgiveness
The majority of beginners have a high handicap, correct? In that context, forgiveness integrated into a driver goes a long way, literally. What forgiveness does is keep the golf ball long and straight off the tee.
High handicappers, whether beginners or not, generate off-center shots. So to correct this particularly common problem among beginners as well, drivers are engineered with a larger sweet spot i.e. a larger hitting surface. This also minimizes side spin to prevent hooks and slices.
Even women golfers with a slower swing speed tend to benefit from a larger sweet spot in the form of gaining more distance while also reducing side spin. And this is true for the majority of drivers designed for women that allow them to hit straight and long.
Loft
Don’t make the common mistake of buying a golf driver with not enough loft. Just because Tiger Wood plays with 8.5 degrees lofted driver doesn’t mean you should too. Keep in mind that his swing speed is among the highest ever produced by a Tour or professional player.
Beginners and high handicappers, on the other hand, should choose higher lofted drivers because a higher loft maximizes forgiveness. More specifically, the most suitable loft for you is between 10.5 degrees and 14 degrees. Thus, making the driver the easiest club to hit, even if your swing speed is below 80-90 mph.
What the extra loft does is generate additional backspin, and that enables straighter and longer shots.
Clubhead Size and Shape
460cc sized clubheads are the most suitable for drivers for beginners and average golfers. It’s large enough for producing the greatest impact to boost the power and distance potential of your every drive.
Larger clubheads consist of an increased clubface size as well, which means a massive sweet spot, thus more forgiveness.
As for clubhead shape, the round version is the most fitting for beginners because it’s not bulky like the square shape. Also, the round structure is not as likely as the square, extended, and pear clubhead shapes to get entangled in the turf prior to hitting.
Shaft Material and Flex
Hands down, lightweight graphite shafts are more suitable for golfers with a slower swing speed i.e. beginners, high handicappers, women, and seniors. As opposed to steel shafts, which are more reliable when it comes to increasing control and precision (for low handicappers).
Moving on to shaft flex, needless to say, softer, more flexible shafts are ideal for slower swing speeds. So, as a beginner, if your swing speed is between 80 mph and 90 mph, then the best choice for you is the Regular shaft flex.
A shaft flex that’s too stiff generates low ball flight with your shot traveling more toward the right. As for a too flexible shaft, it leads to inconsistent shot shaping.
Fixed or Adjustable Weights
No doubt, adjustable technology in the form of adjustable weights increase your options on the golf course. The more advanced drivers of today feature adjustable weights that are connected to the clubhead sole. You can slide these weights around into multiple positions for changing the shape of your shot.
Now, this might sound very useful but not all beginners are able to grasp the workings of such complicated technology. So for them, there are drivers equipped with weights you can move to tight locations. And these, no doubt, are comparatively much easier to play.
Adjustable Loft
This allows you to unscrew the shaft from the clubhead and rotate it to decrease or increase the driver loft from 9 degrees to 14 degrees. And if you’re a beginner, then this invaluable feature lets you adjust the loft of your club to suit your golfing skills and preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Know If the Golf Driver Is Suitable for Beginners?
It’s the best for beginners, high handicappers, slow swingers, and even seniors if it has the following features…
- Forgiveness in the form of a massive sweet spot to correct your off-center strikes.
- Lightweight graphite shaft with a Regular shaft flex. This moderate level of flexibility is optimal for promoting longer, straighter shots more effortlessly.
- 460cc clubhead size is large enough for maximizing forgiveness.
Should Beginners Get A Professional Fitted Driver?
As a beginner, I don’t think this is necessary. Rather go for a Regular shaft flex that’s more in-tune with your swing speed and style. The same applies to high handicappers.
How to Choose the Most Suitable Shaft for Driver?
You have a slower swing speed (below 100 mph), correct? In that case, a slightly more flexible shafted driver is your safest and most effective option. This is a graphite material, Regular flex shaft. Anything stiffer in terms of shaft flex is ideal for faster swing speeds only.
What Degree Driver Should A Beginner Use?
Always remember that a higher loft makes way for greater forgiveness. So the best driver is one with a loft between 10.5 degrees and 14 degrees. This enables a higher launch, no doubt. And that’s very useful for beginners and high handicappers because they tend to strike down on drives, thus creating an unstable launch angle and extra spin.
Also, a higher loft decreases side spin and increases backspin. So it becomes nearly impossible for you to slice the drive out of play. With a more elevated loft, you can get your ball into the air more easily as well. And that’s every beginner’s and handicapper’s priority #1.
The Wrap-Up!
Choosing the most suitable driver for beginners is a very daunting task, no doubt. But, more importantly, do you know what a golf driver does, to begin with? It’s got the largest clubhead of all. And that increases the sweet spot, making it the easiest club to hit.
Golf drivers, more often than not, are the longest and biggest clubs in every set. So, as a beginner or high handicapper, you might as well make sure they’re also the most forgiving to give you the upper hand in your round of golf.
