If you’re like most golfers, you’re looking for the most forgiving driver on the market. Everyone who plays golf wants to hit long and accurate drives off the tee. It’s fun and rewarding to see the ball sailing through the air after a well struck tee shot. With any luck that drive will find the fairway setting you up for a good approach shot.
Hitting those types of drives can take many hours of practice, however. Getting off the tee can be intimidating for some golfers. Swinging with the right combination of power and control can be difficult.
Fortunately, there are many forgiving drivers on the market. Find the best one for your swing to start hitting longer, straighter drives and enjoying the game more than ever!
Top 14 most forgiving drivers on the market (2020 update )
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most forgiving drivers on the market, so that you can get ready to start making real progress in golf with ease.
1. TaylorMade Sim Max
The golf industry has long tried to make drivers that are aerodynamic and forgiving. Those two elements don’t always work hand in hand. It seems that TaylorMade has made breakthrough with its Sim Max driver.
TaylorMade is using an asymmetric sole design highlighted by what they call the “Inertia Generator” to achieve optimal results when it comes to aerodynamics and clubhead speed.
The Inertia Generator positions weight on the bottom and far rear of the clubhead, increasing forgiveness. It’s position and shape are designed to reduce drag on the downswing.
TaylorMade continues with its patented “Speed Injected Twist Face” technology, pushing ball speeds right up to the USGA-allowed limits. The curvature of the face reduces ball spin, making drives more accurate.
Tee it up with the TaylorMade Sim Max and find you ball in the fairway more often. This might just be the most forgiving driver on the market in 2020!
2. Cobra King SpeedZone/Xtreme
Cobra has two offerings in the line, the standard SpeedZone with movable weights, and the Xtreme which offers maximum forgiveness.
The face is computer milled and designed to flex from heal to toe and sole to crown creating high ball speeds, maximum launch angles, and straighter shots on hits that are off-center. The crown is made of carbon-fiber, and wraps around the top of the head, keeping total weight and center of gravity low.
Cobra has introduced its new T-Bar Chassis, reducing the amount of Titanium used, and creating a stronger frame that is built to withstand high speed impacts and still maintaining great feel and stability.
Cobra recommends the SpeedZone for players with single-digit handicaps and the SpeedZone Xtreme for those with handicaps of 10 and above. The Xtreme offers a larger clubhead profile for maximum forgiveness.
The Cobra SpeedZone and SpeedZone Xtreme are good options for golfers who want to hit longer, straighter drives!
3. Callaway Mavrik
Callaway continues its foray into design built on artificial intelligence with the new Mavrik line of drivers. The AI technology results in a face of variable thickness, resulting in faster ball speeds across a larger area of the clubface.
The standard Mavrik features a new cyclone aero shape for reduced drag.
The Mavrik Max has two interchangeable weights for maximum forgiveness or maximum draw configuration.
The Mavrik Sub Zero offers a combination of low spin and high MOI with its system of two interchangeable weights.
The Mavrik Max if the easiest to hit and most forgiving of the three and the recommendation for the average or beginning golfer.
If you’re looking for a driver that is easy to hit long distances and, in the fairway, giving one of the Callaway Mavrik drivers a try!
4. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo
Once again, Cleveland had aimed its focus at the average golfer with glowing results. The Launcher HB Turbo does not have adjustability features. Why? Cleveland offers two reasons. 1- Many golfers don’t actually use them. 2- They can use the weight that is saved and move it to places that make the clubhead more stable on off-center hits.
The clubface itself is a thin, lightweight, cupface design, resulting in faster ball speeds across the face.
The standard version features a slightly closed clubface. There is also a Draw version with a clubface that is more closed. Most players struggle with a slice, and Cleveland is trying to help them with the Launcher HB Turbo.
If you need more clubhead speed, forgiveness, and you tend to slice the ball, the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo or Turbo Draw could be the answer.
5. Mizuno ST200
Mizuno’s ST200 line of drivers features a head mad of a beta-titanium alloy and a lightweight composite crown. The face is thin and flexible, creating excellent ball speed and increased distance. The composite crown results in a low center of gravity which allows the player to easily get the ball airborne. There are three models available: ST200 with a wide body design. It is the most forgiving. The ST200G with adjustable weights in the sole, and the ST200X, which is the lightest and is designed for player who slice the ball. Choose the best one for your game and start hitting better drives!
6. Titleist TS1
Titleist is building on the success of last year’s TS2 and TS3 with the all-new TS1, their lightest driver ever. The shaft is just 40 grams, and the clubhead features a slight draw bias. If you’re a slow to moderate swinger of the club and fight a slice, the TS1 could be just right for you.
Golfers don’t often think of Titleist when looking for forgiving golf clubs, but the company has made big strides in that area over the last couple of years. The TS1 is another step in the right directions for Titleist in helping the average golfer hit better shots and enjoy the game more!
7. Cobra Golf 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Driver
Cobra is one of the most well-known and reliable brands on the market. If you’re buying one of their products, you can be absolutely certain you’re getting a club that’s worth your while. This is, of course, also true for their latest, 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Driver.
The design itself was inspired by supercars, which is pretty evident just by looking at the head. It’s made so that it is as aerodynamic as possible, with a low center of gravity. These are pretty good indicators that this club will be very easy to handle. While making it, the creators were prioritizing speed, accuracy, and forgiving, and you can tell that they succeeded from every detail in the design.
The term “speedback” in the name refers to the use of Speedback technology. Unique to Cobra clubs, this is a cutting-edge technology that is intended to really optimize the speed of both the clubhead and the ball. Thanks to this, players will find it particularly easy to maximize their distance.
The grip comes equipped with the Cobra Connect sensor – a tracking system that can connect to your device using Bluetooth. If you’ve ever felt the need to track your progress and quantify just how much better you’re getting, this is exactly the tool for you, as it stores all the data for further analysis.
The carbon wrap crown that this model uses increases the carbon fiber area of the club by 12%, which can save you up to 10 grams of weight when compared with titanium crown drivers. For the force that this driver offers, it still feels very lightweight, thus making it incredibly easy to handle even for beginner golfers.
This lightness comes at no cost of stability, however. Though you’ll have an easy time swinging, your mishits should still land straight, thanks to the CG being lowered and pushed back, as well as an increased MOI. You’d be hard pressed to find a more balanced driver. Regardless of your experience level, this driver will work like a charm.
8. TaylorMade M6 Driver
TaylorMade is another company that gets mentioned a whole bunch when talking about forgiving drivers. With all the subsequent iterations of M2, M3, M4, etc. they’ve been ensuring that golfers have an easier time reaching very high speeds with their swings. With the M6, they’ve really outdone themselves in terms of forgiving.
Everything about the M6 is calculated. Using modern technology, they’ve calculated the required amount of resin to inject into the face. The amount is ideal to stiffen the face while not reducing the performance too much. Normally, manufacturers have to consider a margin of error for polishing, so that they stay within the rules, but the way the resin input is calculated via the algorithm has allowed TaylorMade to push the limits and reduce any slowdown
With an aerodynamic design and a shorter rear of the head, the M6 is a very forgiving club that hits fast and far. This is achiever through the Inertia Generator, a 46g weight that hangs off the bottom of the sole. The silver titanium top functions as an alignment aid. Much like the M4 before it, the M6 has the trademark Twist Face, which helps reduce the effects of spinning and reduction in ball speed for off-center hits. The sweet spot, however, is large enough for none of this to really matter, making it a truly forgiving driver.
All in all, the M6 is a very solid, forgiving driver that will give players an edge from the get go. Its spin profile works great for players with above average swing speeds. For the quality it presents, it’s also fairly cheap, making it a very good choice for golfers that are just starting out.
9. Callaway Men’s XR 16 Driver
Yet another legend in the industry, Callaway is a fantastic choice for golfers of all levels of experience. Made from high-quality materials, most of their clubs function incredibly well whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned veteran. The XR series is here to ensure maximum forgiving.
In most cases, increasing the forgiving of a golf club comes down to making the driver larger. This, in turn, usually, results in a reduced ball speed. This is not the case with Callaway’s XR, however. WIth help from Boeing, they managed to ensure that, while still large, the head of the XR is still very much aerodynamic. The result is a clubface that is large and forgiving, but also very thin and light.
One interesting aspect of the XR is that it has no gravity core, moveable weights, or any other moving technology, so it’s hard to adjust it. This is offset by the fact that it can be easily wielded by pretty much anyone due to being an impeccably forgiving driver. With a reduced spin time and an increased sweet spot and MOI, this driver was made for giving less experienced players a better performance.
As for its center of gravity, it was significantly lowered and pushed to the back. What this means is that speed is increased at every impact, and that in turn adds more distance, no matter how good a player you are. This combination of features is quite simple, but the result is undeniable. There’s just no going around the fact that the XR guarantees an incredible ball speed that few other drivers can beat. Whether you hit off the heel, off the toe or dead-center, you can be sure this will be your result.
10. Tour Edge Golf – Hot Launch 3 Driver
If you’re looking for a great, forgiving driver that won’t leave you completely bankrupt, Tour Edge is here to offer a solution. Over the years, this has become Tour Edge’s entire schtick – with the market for budget golf clubs dwindling, they offer drivers that are significantly cheaper than most, while still ensuring that the quality is great.
The Hot Launch 3 Driver is no different. Right off the bat you’ll see that it definitely doesn’t look like a cheap product. The 60 gram UST Mamiya shaft in stiff flex looks great and functions even better, holding together even with very strong swings. The black crown has just a single alignment dot, making it look very clean and elegant. Overall, this driver definitely looks nice, with a pretty luxurious feel to it, despite the low cost. It fetches for less than half of the regular market price and really isn’t obvious about it, which is a definite plus.
That said, it is quite loud for a metal driver – whether or not that’s a good or bad thing is entirely up to you, however. The launch angle as the ball is hit is quite high, and the carry distance is actually very good. While the spin rate won’t be winning any awards for few RPMs, it still gets the job done and can compete with most golf clubs that are much more expensive.
It’s important to note that the Hot Launch 3 has an off-set version. Should you have a problem with slices, this is probably the option you should go for. Regardless of which one you choose, though, you will definitely get good mileage out of this driver. It offers some great distances, incredible forgiveness, and impressive looks, and that’s without even taking into account its low price. It has all the technology many more expensive drivers boast, including a titanium cup face, with variable face thickness, as well as both a low and deep CG, which is what really makes this club so forgiving. If you’re pressed for cash, it’s good to know there’s still a reliable driver available for you out there.
11. MAZEL Titanium Golf Driver
The MAZEL Titanium 460CC golf driver has a lot to offer to those looking for a truly forgiving experience. The first thing that will make a difference is the precision milled cup face. The MAZEL Titanium utilizes innovative CNC Cup Face technology, which has been created specifically for it. The main idea behind it is that the edges of the face circle around the crown and sole of the cup. This gives the face a precision not commonly seen among drivers. Because of this, the clubface is much thinner, working perfectly with a high rebound structure.
This unique structure helps in the overall performance of the driver. It is very easy to reach fast ball speeds across the face, and this is particularly true for mishits. With that in mind, the club can also very reliably carry long distances. On impact, the driver lands on the ball with a very satisfying crack, marking every hit clearly.
Thanks to the heavy back weighting zone with an additional screw which helps shift the weight from the front of the club, the MAZEL Titanium has a low center of gravity. It’s located very low and back, as far away from the crown as possible. For players, this is good news, as the ball will fly higher, with more backspin, giving golfers more control over their shots, extending their play.
The ball rolls more, which helps add distance and increase your accuracy. The loft is 9.5 degrees, which results in much more control over ball trajectory. Though a lower-lofted driver requires a bit more skill than those with higher lofts, they’re definitely worth it in terms of sheer performance.
The forgiveness of this club is further emphasized with the very large sweet spot that maximizes distance, a speed channel in the club face that helps decrease the face’s thickness and improves ball speeds, as well as the fact that the head itself is made of titanium, allowing for faster and steadier ball speeds on launch. Overall, this is an incredibly well-made, forgiving driver that can be used well by professionals and amateurs alike.
12. TaylorMade 2017 M2 Men’s Driver
An older model by TaylorMade, but no less good than the M6 we’ve already covered in our review. It’s still one of the most forgiving drivers you’ll encounter, and it has most of the technologies that make the M6 so great – it’s just a slightly older model, making it also cheaper.
This TaylorMade model is specifically made with men in mind. It is engineered in a way that will ensure maximum shot distance and better ball control. Because it allows you to have more influence on the trajectory of your ball, you are more likely to achieve low spin rates, higher launch rates, and greater distances.
When it comes to the crown, it was made using a variety of materials, which allows you to move between five and seven grams lower on the clubhead. This is a pretty notable shift in weight and, as a result, the sweet spot on this club is incredibly big. Not only does that greatly improve your accuracy, but the club offers the highest inertia moment out of all the TaylorMade drivers. What this results in is even more distance and control.
The center of gravity is pushed both low and back, which results in much improved swing speeds – something that really makes drivers forgiving. If you’re having trouble making hits with your swing, this driver will definitely do the trick. With its massive sweet spot, adjustable loft, inverted cone technology, and a solid velvet grip that we didn’t even begin to mention, this is one of the best drivers for beginners. While it won’t win any prizes for high professional performance, it’s definitely great for hitting drives from the very start.
13. Cleveland Golf Men’s Launcher HB Driver
Cleveland is a company that is best known for manufacturing wedges and putters, so it’s not exactly the first option that comes to mind when talking about drivers. Indeed, it has been a good few years since they introduced a new driver on the market. This was less a matter of skill or experience than it was a matter of marketing choice. Still, now that they’ve come up with a new driver for golfers to enjoy, it turns out that it’s nothing to sneeze at.
It bears mentioning that the Launcher HB has no adjustable hosel or moving weights. While at first glance this might make it look very basic, it has a lot more going for it. The HB stands for HiBore Crown technology, something unique to this driver. It changes the shape of the crown, moving the weight lower and further back, so that the crown can actually flex more on impact. In essence, this ensures that ball speeds are faster, and launch is easier, making this driver the definition of forgiving. While slightly more massive than drivers usually are, this allows it to ensure a high launch, as well as a low spin trajectory.
It also comes with a Flex-Fin, which ensures that even your mishits stay in play. The Cup Face ensures that the sweet spot is incredibly big, so no matter where on the club you end up hitting the ball, you won’t lose your power. As the center of gravity is located so low and so far back, all your shots will end up higher and straighter, with the MOI increasing as well.
This incredibly forgiving driver has a great, lightweight shaft, which makes you feel as if you’re swinging nothing at all, ensuring that the balance is at its optimal level. All this actually comes at a surprisingly good price. So even though it may not look like much at first, don’t give up on it – it might just be the best golf club for you.
14. TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Black Driver
The RBZ in this club’s name starts for “Rocketballz.” The name suggests high speeds and great power, but is that really what we get here with this forgiving driver? Right off the bat you’ll notice that, despite its mid-range price, this is an elite-grade driver. With the sleek black clubhead, it has a universal appeal that should appease even the most traditional of golfers – they’ll need that, since this driver is filled to the brim with new technologies.
Its aesthetics are overall very simple and clean, with dark colors and understated logos, with just a hint of thin white lines to bring out the finer details. It’s a club that will make you feel confident just by looking at it as you hold it in your hand.
It comes in three base lofts: 9, 10.5, and 12 degrees. The sleeve is adjustable. The head is 460cc, making it the largest possible size within the current regulations. As a result, the sweet spot is incredibly large, covering almost all of the clubface’s surface. Because of this, you can perform incredibly powerful hits regardless of which part of the clubface you hit it with.
The sole of the clubhead contains a Speed Pocket, a type of thin channel cut into the back of the clubface, whose purpose it is to ensure maximum spring on impact. As the face rebounds off of the speed pocket, the ball ejects further, as if it were springing off a trampoline.
Overall, this is an incredible driver that prioritizes speed. WIth a great shaft and adjustable loft, it is an incredibly well-made, forgiving driver that is available at a very reasonable price.
Final Thoughts
So which club is the most forgiving driver? That depends. The one that works best for me might not be the one that works best for you. One of the recommended driver is sure to be a good fit for your swing. And when you do find the most forgiving driver for your swing, you’ll shoot better scores and enjoy the game more! A more forgiving driver is also usually going to increase your distance off the tee. Why? Because when you’re more confident in hitting fairways, you’ll swinging faster and hit the ball longer. It all works together!
Table of Contents
- Top 14 most forgiving drivers on the market (2020 update )
- 1. TaylorMade Sim Max
- 2. Cobra King SpeedZone/Xtreme
- 3. Callaway Mavrik
- 4. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo
- 5. Mizuno ST200
- 6. Titleist TS1
- 7. Cobra Golf 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Driver
- 8. TaylorMade M6 Driver
- 9. Callaway Men’s XR 16 Driver
- 10. Tour Edge Golf – Hot Launch 3 Driver
- 11. MAZEL Titanium Golf Driver
- 12. TaylorMade 2017 M2 Men’s Driver
- 13. Cleveland Golf Men’s Launcher HB Driver
- 14. TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Black Driver
- Final Thoughts
