No club in the game of golf is as confounding as the driver. Other than the putter, it’s the stick most likely to come out of your golf bag on any given hole (par threes and doglegs aside) that dictates whether your next swing comes from the fairway or the rough. It’s the club you need to know how to hit—the instrument you need to deliver if you’re to play a good round. And yet, it’s often the most difficult club in the bag to hit well due to its length and light weight, which is why you’ll want to up your game with the most forgiving driver available to keep the ball in play.
The driver is one of the most used golf club in the bag, but it’s almost the most difficult to hit … [+] well.
Illustration: Forbes/Photo: Getty
Golf club manufacturers pour millions of dollars into research to create drivers with effortless balance. Offering large driver heads with wide, forgiving club faces, designers study where to place counterweights to aid a golfer’s swing. The intention is always to limit spin and encourage both launch and smash factor to promote long, straight drives.
For most amateur, mid- and high-handicap golfers, the bane of the driver is the slice. For the uninitiated, a slice is a right-handed golfer’s tendency to swing outside to inside—cutting across the face of the ball and sending it to the right by spinning the ball clockwise too violently (simply reverse that for left-handed players, but the problem remains). Club designers work endlessly to build “forgiveness” into their drivers, which is code for anything that can tame a slice and encourage better contact between driver and ball.
So, what are the most forgiving drivers available today? Well, we tested the latest and greatest drivers for the 2023 season before arranging them into specialities, so you can find a perfect match and lower your scores. Find the forgiving driver that meets your needs below, and peruse our buyer’s guide to learn more about what you should look for in a driver.
For many players, Ping sets the pace in the golf driver business. Combining elite materials with constantly evolving technology, the Ping G430 Max Driver delivers on the promise of peak distance with essential forgiveness. The club includes a three-position CG shifter to adjust the driver’s balance to encourage a draw (ball path to the left), neutral flight or a fade (ball path to the right).
The proof is in the swinging with any golf club, and very few drivers in the game offer the feel and dexterity of the G430 MAX. On every swing, you can feel the club whip and deliver maximum power on release and through the ball. Very few drivers offer the same immediate feedback as this excellent Ping offering.
Amazon
Callaway Paradym Driver
Callaway shook up the 2023 PGA Show this year as they debuted a new breed of clubs at the top of their line. The Paradym line is a high-tech collection golf clubs accessible enough for all golfers, but refined enough to help the most skilled players.
As for the Paradym driver, its newly revealed shape is refined for maximum speed with adjustable perimeter weighting. The club works to kick off high launch angles with lower spin and a neutral ball flight. While anyone can hit, a scratch golfer or lower handicap player can hit it with accuracy and control.
PXG golf considers itself less of a golf company and more of a research and development firm devoted to the game. When it debuted its Gen5 clubs, they included new proprietary materials and industry-challenging technology, which haven’t gone unnoticed. Their Gen5 driver is all about forgiveness—its thin face and reenforced club head construction looks to provide higher launch for high handicappers with less spin to discourage a slice or hook.
Since PXG surprisingly released its Gen6 clubs in March of 2023, its 2022 Gen5 releases dropped in price. That means the once-$500 Gen5 driver immediately came down in price as last year’s model, so you can grab it at a discount for the foreseeable future.
Amazon
Cobra Aerojet LS Driver
Big hitters need maximum club head speed, and Cobra is screaming at you about speed with the very name of their latest driver. The Cobra Aerojet LS Driver offers an updated aerodynamic design to allow the club to cut through the air easier. Carbon fiber built into the crown and sole of the club keep weight down without sacrificing stability.
Meanwhile, Cobra’s patented H.O.T Face design puts more flexibility into the business end of the driver for faster ball speed and high launch. Cobra’s own in-house documents credit extensive use of artificial intelligence for helping them design that more explosive club face.
Honma clubs are not cheap, and the Beres line ranks amongst the most expensive sticks the company makes—you can find sets of Honma Beres irons made with precious medals that run north of five figures. So, the higher price tag here is aimed at that older, financially successful golfer who won at business at the cost of the youth and vigor that makes longer drivers.
This new Honma Beres NX Driver is designed for players with slower swing speeds. Building carbon into the club’s construction, reducing weight and allowing that slower swing speed player to generate more laugh and smash factor at impact make this club a standout hit and a topic of conversation on and off the course.
Amazon
Cleveland Golf LauncherXL Lite Driver
In this case, bargain doesn’t mean “cheap” or a steal. The Cleveland Golf LauncherXL Lite Driver is a wise buy with a great price slapped on a good golf club. It’s rare that any name brand golf club maker debuts a new driver for a year’s season for less than $300, but that’s what Cleveland Golf is doing here.
To make the LauncherXL Lite a good option for the widest variety of players, Cleveland Golf built it with a lightweight design and large club head. It’s all about making this driver easy to hit for the average, recreational or casual player looking to grab a new driver at this very fair price. Pick it up, save a little coin, and you won’t be disappointed.
New for 2023, the Srixon ZX5 MkII Driver offers a technological suite offeatures in a highly adaptable golf club. The new Srixon comes in three editions: this ZX5 for forgiveness, the ZX5 LS for low spin and the ZX7 for maximum bespoke setup options.
Regardless of the level chosen, each version has a Srixon Rebound Frame with Dual Flex Zones to focus energy into the golf ball upon impact, creating purer energy transfer that instantaneously increases ball speed and distance on every strike. Also, each ZX driver offers advanced adjustability with one replaceable eight-gram sole weight placed low and in the driver’s head.
We didn’t see this one coming. Unlike other manufacturers who are all but obligated to introduce new clubs every year, PXG moves when it’s ready. The company works on design and manufacturing details until its new generation of clubs is ready for market (and receives the approval of billionaire owner, Bob Parsons). Then, PXG clears its throat and makes the big announcement that they’re ready to give birth.
The announcement of the PXG 0311 Gen6 clubs just a year after the Gen5s hit the market caught the golf world by surprise. The Gen6 driver features the most adjustable weighting system in the company’s history to adapt to your swing, blending ball speed, distance and forgiveness for optimum performance. Complete with a titanium alloy face and carbon fiber crown, it looks as good as it performs.
What To Consider When Buying A Driver
Finding a driver that meets your needs comes down to more than looks and labels. Here’s what you’ll need to consider when the time comes to invest in a new driver.
Size
The size of the driver head is typically measured in cubic centimeters (cc), and more forgiving drivers tend have slightly larger heads. The increase in size is designed to correct any imperfections if you don’t make direct contact with the ball, so even a less-than-ideal swing will offer solid results.
Shaft
The most common shaft materials are graphite and steel, the former being typically lighter and more flexible, while the latter is heavier and more rigid. While shafts are relatively similar from one driver to the next, some have been designed to help you maximize distance.
Adjustability
Many modern drivers offer adjustable features like loft, lie and weight distribution. These allow you to fine-tune your club for your specific swing, but you can also find plenty of forgiving drivers that keep things simple.
Budget
The driver is the single priciest club in your bag in most cases. It is also one of two clubs you’re most likely to use on a golf hole, along with the putter. With that in mind, you should take your time when choosing the driver you’ll take to the course, and keep in mind that a high-quality driver can be a worthwhile investment if it helps improve your game.
Skill Level
Considering the expense of a new driver, it helps to put that money to good use if you take inventory of your golf game. What’s your swing speed? What’s your average drive length? Do you slice? Do you come in steep? Do you hit the low or high? Only you know the answers to these questions.
Once you answer these questions, you can shop for the driver that answers the challenges in your golf experience. When the time comes to choose your price point, that purchase always comes down to where your passion for the game and the width of your wallet meet.
What Is MOI?
MOI stands for “moment of inertia,” and it’s a measure of an object’s resistance to rotational acceleration. In golf, moment of interia is used to measure how forgiving a club is on off-center hits. Generally speaking, clubs with a higher MOI will resist twisting more and provide more forgiveness, while clubs with a lower MOI will twist more and be less forgiving.
Should You Get Fitted For Your Driver?
The best golf drivers aren’t cheap, and the club fitting process isn’t cheap, either. We acknowledge that and don’t make this recommendation lightly or without regard to fiscal responsibility.
That said, if you can afford the additional expense, you will greatly benefit from any professional fitting process before buying a driver. Since most drivers are highly customizable, a fitting will help you associate numbers with your swing. Even the briefest fitting with a professional will provide enough data to help you choose the stiffness of the driver shaft, the loft and even the weight.
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