Golf Driver Buying Guide: What Should You Look For?

We have spent countless hours on driver testing, both on launch monitors and on the golf course. Now, we want to share what we have learned in this golf driver buying guide, so that you know what to look for when buying a new driver. 

Our goal is to give you all the pertinent information to sift through the salesman-like noise of the advertisers and find a driver that will have you hitting the ball longer and straighter. 

How To Choose The Right Driver

Twist Face. Speed Slot. Adjustable Hosel. These are just a few of the hit words you might read when you start to research drivers. But what does it all mean, and does it matter? Below, we have laid out the things that actually make a difference in the performance of a driver. 

Materials

The type of material used to build a driver has an impact on sound, feel, and ball speed. These are all highly important factors to finding a driver you will love. Each has different advantages and disadvantages, so understanding them is the perfect starting point. 

Titanium

When you see a titanium driver, think lightweight and fast. Titanium was first incorporated into the golf industry with inspiration from the aerospace industry. It’s incredibly durable, flexible enough to produce an immense trampoline effect, and super lightweight. Some of the “best” drivers on the market today are made from titanium.

Carbon

Carbon drivers are the new frontier, so to speak. While titanium is fast, when you think carbon, think durable and forgivable. Carbon produces a more muted sound and redistributes force more consistently on the misses, meaning a mishit will go straighter and farther than with other materials. The Taylormade Stealth line are known for their higher carbon content.

Tungsten

Tungsten is a great material in golf club construction for bringing the center of gravity down (which helps you hit the ball higher). We don’t see a whole lot of new drivers using tungsten as the main material due to the density of the metal. It’s heavy and simply can’t be used in high quantities without throwing off the swing weight of the golf club. 

Composite

Composite, in its definition, is a combination of materials. Composite drivers will often combine some of the other materials we have already discussed in order to gain some of the benefits from each. You may see a driver with a carbon face, titanium crown, and tungsten weights for example. These combinations can create great drivers for seniors, due to their light weight and forgiveness.

Loft

The loft you choose for your driver depends on a couple of factors. Players with slower swing speeds need more loft in order to maximize distance, while players with faster swing speeds and hit more up on the golf ball can get away with lower lofts. 

Drivers with adjustable loft can help you to fine tune your launch and maximize the performance of your driver. Drivers with adjustable loft are able to be modified up to 1.5 degrees both higher and lower, depending on which driver you have. That’s a lot of versatility, being able to take a 9 degree to both 7.5 and 10.5.

It is important to know how a change in loft will impact face angle. The easiest way to remember is “add loft, add left”. This means that, for a right-handed golfer, if you adjust your driver up in loft, you are also adding a draw bias, while if you bring the loft down you will add a fade bias. 

Below, we have given you a table detailing guidelines for what loft you should use based on your club head speed. These numbers are not a hard and fast rule. Our player-expert Michael swings the driver around 118 miles per hour and uses a 9.5 degree driver. There is room for adjustment based on personal preference. 

These numbers aren’t very usable if you don’t know what your club head speed, and ball speed is. To give you another way to measure your needs, we have also included carry distance as a general guideline for understanding what loft would be best for you.

What Head Size Is Right For Me?

Head size of a driver is something that has been standardized over the years. In the modern game, almost all drivers have a 460cc head. 

There are a few that are closer to 445cc and even some “mini drivers” that look like a cross between a driver and fairway wood. We don’t recommend these unless you are confident in your ability to consistently hit the sweet spot. The bigger the head, the easier it is to hit!

So the short answer is, get the 460cc head. It has the biggest sweet spot, it’s the most forgiving, and it is the most common size for a driver head, making it easier to find as well.

What Length Is Best For Me?

Just like with irons, the length of a driver that is best for you is the longest you can use and still control. As a general rule of thumb, start at the standard of 45 inches. If you are under 5’6”, go an inch shorter to 44, and if you are over 6’3”, go an inch longer to 46. 

There are some people who will change the length of their driver for different reasons. A longer shaft will increase ball speed for maximum distance. A shorter driver will be a bit slower but also easier to hit straight. With this said, if you hit it short and straight, you can try out a longer driver. If you already have speed and struggle to hit fairways, give a shorter driver a go.

What Shaft Flex Should I Choose?

Similarly to loft, the shaft flex you choose for your driver should be based on your swing speed. Choosing the correct shaft flex will produce maximum ball speed and the ball flight that you are looking for.

They say that the driver head is the car and the shaft is the engine. The right shaft will give you the launch and spin control that you need for more ball speed.

To help you choose the ideal flex for your game, we provided you with the chart below. 

While this is again a great starting point, there is an element of personal preference as well as difference in need based on other swing characteristics, so we recommend testing different shafts before you make a purchase. 

How Does Adjustability Work?

As you will see when you explore the different types of drivers, some are adjustable. There are screws in the hosel, as well as on weights that can be found in various different places around the sole of the club. Most of the adjustment is made via the hosel, which controls both loft and face angle. 

Any adjustable driver will come with instructions so that you understand both how to adjust it and how the adjustments work. An example of this is the Titleist Adjustment Chart that is included with every one of their clubs from driver down through the hybrids. Let’s take a little deeper look into what each aspect of adjustability means.

Note: Not all drivers are adjustable. If you want an adjustable driver, make sure to check before you make a purchase.

Weights

Some drivers have different weights that you can move around on the sole of the club. These weights change the way the club head rotates during the golf swing. The most common weight you will see is a sliding weight that moves somewhat parallel to the face. The more you move the weight towards to toe, the slower the club face rotates. Basically, if the weight is in the toe, you’re adding fade bias, while if the weight is in the heel, you’re adding draw bias. 

Do I Need Offset?

Offset in a driver is intended to add weight in the heel and help you combat a fade. However, drivers today are designed to be forgiving and to help you hit it straight. 

If you are beginner and struggle with a slice, then a driver with offset may be the right choice for you.

Budget

Drivers are expensive, there’s no question about it. There are a few ways to save on a driver if you don’t have $700 or more to spend. 

First, you can wait for a company to release a new model, and then buy the previous year’s model. Similar to the automotive industry, when a club manufacturer releases a new model, they more or less liquidate the older one to increase demand for the newest one. 

Stores like PGA Tour Superstore and Golf Galaxy also have trade in programs. They will take your older clubs and give you a credit towards a new purchase based on the model, age, and condition of the club you are trading in. 

It is important to understand that, while there is some truth that you pay for a logo with the top brands, they also became the top brands for a reason. With very few exceptions, the drivers that are trusted by tour pros, and which have the best reputations, truly are the best options out there. 

What Is MOI?

MOI stands for Moment of Inertia. 

And you’re thinking, “I’m sorry, what?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

First off, what is inertia? You know when you’re in a car that slows down or accelerates suddenly, and you get that whiplash-like effect? That’s inertia. Essentially, it’s an object’s tendency to maintain a status quo when at rest or in motion. 

Moment of inertia, in golf terms, relates to the way the golf club reacts to impact with the golf ball. Specifically, the way the face twists when you strike the ball on  off center hits. It is a measure of how resistant the club is to twisting as a result of a strike not on the sweet spot. The higher the moment of inertia, the less the club face twists, and the straighter the ball will fly. 

In essence, the higher the moment of inertia, the more forgiving the driver is on off center strikes. 

What Is COR?

COR stands for Coefficient of Restitution.

Bet you didn’t think you were going to get a physics lesson today!

Coefficient of restitution is a measure of energy transfer from one object to another upon contact. In golf terms, how much energy does the driver impart onto the golf ball?

COR is measured on a scale of 0-1, with a perfect 1 being impossible to achieve in a real world situation. In the case of drivers, it is measured by launching a golf ball at the sweet spot of the driver and measuring the speed at which it bounces off. 

For example, if you launch the golf ball at 100 miles per hour, and it bounces back at 80 miles per hour, the COR is 0.8. 

Drivers are manufactured with maximum COR in mind, with the legal limit being 0.83. If you are looking to get a driver that gives you the best chance to hit it a long way, look for the highest COR.

Final Thoughts

A good drive sets up a good score, and the more you can string those together, the better you will play. There are a lot of things to consider when you are shopping for your next driver, from forgiveness to speed to looks.

We know from experience that a good driver and build your confidence, and create the foundation for a solid golf game, even if you are a beginner. A driver that doesn't fit your needs can be one of the greatest detriments to your handicap and your enjoyment of the game. We hope that this golf driver buying guide has helped you on the road to finding your next gamer driver. 

Having a driver that incorporates the newest technology and design is a great way to get better at golf without taking lessons. While we know that some of you have an old faithful driver that you may love and think you can't improve on, we can assure you that all of new research and design that goes into these modern drivers is more than just hype. Take one out to the driving range and watch the ball fly farther and straighter!