Happy holidays from GOLF.com, your one-stop shop when it comes to looking for gifts for the golfer in your life. (Or yourself. We won’t tell.) This year we’ve compiled the best of the best to make your shopping experience a breeze. Not only will we recommend our favorite products, we’ll tell you where to buy them. For more holiday gift ideas, visit our Best Of Everything hub, or browse GOLF’s Pro Shop.
A new driver remains the one club in the bag that gets the heart pumping. There’s nothing like watching the ball explode off the face while picking up 10 yards on your current gamer in the process. Every golfer aspires to have a reliable driver in the bag. Every golfer would also love to have said driver gifted to them for the holidays.
If you’re considering the idea of getting a family member or really good friend a new big stick, there are a few things you need to understand and consider. As we’ve stressed on multiple occasions, the best way to find a driver with the optimal launch and spin characteristics for your game is to go through a club fitting. If you’re looking for a place to go get fit, 8AM Golf sister company True Spec Golf is a great place to start. (You can even buy a gift card for a future fitting and include some cash for the driver of their choice.)
A certified club-fitter will be able to locate the correct driver build for your game, which will no doubt save you a bunch of headaches down the road. That’s our way of saying: Go get fit.
That being said, not everyone has a certified club-fitter nearby. If you decide to get a driver off the rack, see if you can’t take a peek inside the giftee’s bag and jot down the driver model, loft, shaft (including flex) and grip they are currently playing. It might also be worth it to strike up an organic conversation and see if they actually like their current driver, or if they struggle with a particular miss. If you play with them often, you already know the answers to some of these questions.
Luckily for you, today’s drivers are designed to launch the ball high, negate a slice and knock off spin. To say there are a bunch of worthy options out there would be a severe understatement.
If you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, consider these nine options as you commence the driver buying process.
9 reliable drivers to consider
Callaway Mavrik
Mid spin and a moderate draw bias should please a wide range of abilities. A single 5-gram screw in the rear portion of the sole bumps up launch and forgiveness. Better yet: an AI-designed Flash Face SS20 architecture and Jailbreak Technology for efficient speed.
TaylorMade SIM Max
With a face that’s 8 percent larger than the standard SIM, the Max is designed to deliver as much forgiveness and ball speed as possible. It carries all the same technology as the other SIM products, with the exception of the adjustable weight track in the sole.
Ping G410 LST
While the head is slightly smaller than the Plus version (450cc), the LST still offers the same range of adjustability and technology with a low spin profile. Depending on the player, the forward center of gravity can reduce spin by 200 to 400 rpm.
Srixon Z585
The Ti51AF cup face delivers an abundance of ball speed. A lightweight carbon composite crown positions additional discretionary weight along the perimeter, boosting forgiveness and stability.
Titleist TSi3
Driver is highlighted by an ATI 425 face design that helps boost speeds across the entire structure. A completely reimagined five-setting SureFit CG track made from a high-strength, reinforced polymer allows it to retain and clamp weight in. The track offers a new level of shot shaping for those who’d rather make incremental adjustments.
Cobra King SpeedZone
The CNC-milled face on the SpeedZone driver has a fresh look with an Infinity design that wraps into the sole and crown to enlarge the sweet spot and boost forgiveness (something players raved about during testing). Removing unwanted titanium—50 percent of the head is comprised of carbon fiber—allowed for the addition of a 69-gram internal weight that pushes the center of gravity down and away from the strike to maximize head stability.
Mizuno ST200
The Beta Rich Forged Titanium face is 17 percent stronger and maintains its performance longer than traditional materials. Weight savings from a compacted Wave Sole allowed for the addition of an 11.6-gram back weight, producing a balance of low spin and forgiveness. Also available in draw-bias ST200X and adjustable-weight ST200G. Better players will appreciate the flatter crown and lie angle.
Ben Hogan GS53
Named in honor of Ben Hogan’s 1953 season, during which he won the Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open, the 445cc driver features a traditional shape and adjustable hosel that allows for eight loft, lie, and face angle adjustments. Construction includes a titanium body and 6-4 forged titanium face for enhanced consistency from club to club and enhanced ball speed and distance.
Wilson Launch Pad
The easy-to-hit Launch Pad offers a draw-biased setup for the golfer who struggles with a slice. With weight positioned low and back in the head, generating a towering launch off the tee is no sweat.
