Blog Post: https://golfstead.com/best-golf-drivers-for-high-handicappers
Narrowing down a driver that would suit you as a high handicapper isn’t necessarily easy. Do you prioritize forgiveness, distance, or something else?
In this video, we’ll highlight our top 2025 recommendations for golf drivers ideal for high handicappers and provide a brief buying guide on what to look for when choosing a model.
Note: Golfstead is viewer-supported and this video description may contain affiliate links. When you buy through such links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Our affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon Associates.
🛒 *Drivers Featured in This Video:*
TaylorMade Qi35 Max Driver: https://imp.i366014.net/OemmNK
Callaway Elyte X Driver: https://prf.hn/l/OqyNO4N/
PING G440 MAX Driver: https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/9LQ1GE
PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver: https://pbgnrl.cc/0311bops
Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-D Driver: https://pbgnrl.cc/dadmaxd
Srixon ZXi Driver: https://globalgolf.pxf.io/kObnoN
Titleist GT2 Driver: https://globalgolf.pxf.io/rabvX3
Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Draw Driver: https://amzn.to/3ws35lE
Timestamps
0:00 Opening
1:04 TaylorMade Qi35 Max Driver
1:42 Callaway Elyte X Driver
2:23 PING G440 MAX Driver
3:03 PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver
3:45 Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-D Driver
4:27 Srixon ZXi Driver
5:08 Titleist GT2 Driver
5:56 Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Draw Driver
6:40 Buying Guide
7:36 Closing
Disclosure: the voiceover in this video was created with AI. All products listed have been tested and/or researched. The availability of listed products may change, and we suggest checking out our blog post for a more detailed, up-to-date version of this guide.
Disclaimer: this video is for informational purposes only, and while we strive to ensure its contents are accurate at the time the video is created, we make no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the video or the information or visuals contained in it.
if you’re a golfer with a handicap of 20 or higher and are looking for a new driver to put in the bag there are a few attributes that tend to be very desirable for most players in this category the key ones are an easy launch distance and forgiveness across the face still there are countless options on the market which can make the process of choosing the best driver for you feel difficult and overwhelming fortunately you’ve come to the right place in this guide we will simplify the selection process for you we’ll highlight our recommendations for the best drivers on the market for high handicappers share essential buying tips and provide insights to make your decision easier full disclosure GFED has tested and/or conducted in-depth research into the products featured in this video our editorial process for these rankings takes into account a mix of many factors and our recommendations may change over time links to the products featured in this video can be found in the description below now let’s dive into our top picks for drivers suited for high handicappers one the Tailor-Made Qi35 Max driver tailor Made is a top golf equipment brand that has developed high-erforming drivers for decades their Qi35 Max model checks all the boxes a typical high handicapper would look for including exceptional forgiveness a great launch and a confidence inspiring look this driver boasts a 10k inertia with a low CG projection multimaterial construction and symmetric inertia generator among other things for high handicappers looking for an extremely forgiving driver that is easy to launch and keep in the fairway you can’t do much better than the Qi35 Max two the Callaway Elite X driver the Elite X is a game improvement driver from Callaway that benefits from technologies like a new AI 10X face and thermoforged carbon crown it has a stretched back profile discrete perimeter waiting and draw bias geared towards golfers who are seeking more forgiveness enjoying a superb average rating of 4.8 out of five on the Callaway store it has a new aerodynamic shape and discrete perimeter weighting system with a 13 g movable weight the Elite X may just be Callaway’s most forgiving driver yet with some apparent gains over the Paradigm AI Smoke Max from the previous season three the Ping G440 Max driver the G440 Max is designed to be Ping’s most forgiving driver ever with more speed and distance than the previous generation this thing has incredible forgiveness and our tests indicate that it has a slight performance edge over the G430 Max at the same time the lighter configuration with a longer 46-in shaft helps foster more club head speed a higher launch and more carry with a carbonfly wrap crown free hoszle tungsten back weight and low face height the driver maximizes distance off the tea and gets the ball airborne while providing some of the best feel and sound of any Ping driver four the PXG 0311 Black Ops driver the 0311 Black Ops is a versatile driver built for high launch as well as extreme power and forgiveness which are things that practically every high handicapper wants pxg has innovated to unlock the best performance of any PXG driver yet key Tech includes an advanced material face carbon fiber crown and sole natural frequency optimization for a desirable feel and sound and interchangeable sole weights the PXG0311 Black Ops driver is a true gem that doesn’t really have any weaknesses golfers of any skill level including high handicappers can have great success with it five the Cobra DS Adapt MaxD driver cobra’s DS Adapt MaxD driver is designed primarily for two things a robust draw bias and maximum forgiveness which many high handicappers are sure to appreciate part of this is an advanced aerodynamic design new adaptive waiting system and new future fit 33 Hawle adapter which makes the DS Adapt the most fittable Cobra driver ever in our experience this is one of the best draw bias drivers of the 2025 season its ability to mitigate slices is powerful it provides an easy launch and it produces the distance and forgiveness you would expect from a modern driver six the Shrixen ZXI driver the ZXI driver is engineered for loads of ball speed high forgiveness and ballflight adjustability in a confidence inspiring footprint it’s the balanced middle model in the ZXI family of drivers featuring new Ilex technology which consists of a new variable face thickness pattern and new internal face structure other features include a rebound frame starframe crown and interchangeable sole weights the ZXI driver does a fantastic job of providing balanced game improvement performance for high handicappers with a feel that is significantly better than the previous MK2 driver seven the titleist GT2 driver the goal of the GT2 driver is to provide maximum performance at every impact point on the face meaning ball speeds stability and forgiveness this is unapologetically a game improvement driver designed to inspire confidence in every swing for golfers who don’t find the center of the face every time a new suite of technologies including a thermopform crown split mass construction and speed ring VFT face along with an interchangeable back weight give the GT2 everything that high handicappers could want off the tea with an easy launch that is not too high or too low plenty of speed and distance off the face and fantastic forgiveness this is Titalist’s best game improvement driver yet eight the Cleveland Launcher XL two draw driver do you have a moderate swing speed and want speed forgiveness a high launch and a healthy draw bias to help keep you in the fairway the Cleveland Launcher XL2 Draw should fit the bill this driver builds on the first generation of the Launcher XL by introducing a new optimized mainframe XL face and reworked head design with a low and deep CG players also benefit from distance-enhancing tech and an internal grip weight the Launcher XL2 draw delivers the modern forgiving performance that high handicappers want with a draw bias and lighter feel and it’s affordable compared to modern name brand drivers now that we’ve made our recommendations let’s touch on some important factors to consider when choosing the right driver as a high handicapper you should consider several things including the driver’s forgiveness distance looks and feel you should also factor in the shaft and your budget having both ball speed and directional forgiveness in your driver is highly beneficial because at these high swing speeds minor m hits can be amplified into very poor results distance is also hugely important and is a function of club head speed ball speed and CO all of which should be as high as possible in terms of feel the weight of the club should feel balanced and impact should ideally feel solid and responsive consider the weight and flex of the shaft the shaft should not be too heavy or too light and higher swing speeds typically call for a stiffer flex don’t forget to take into account your budget as this will dictate the options available to you to wrap this up a reliable quality driver can be a huge boon to your golfing toolkit and finding a model that does the job you want it to do as a high handicapper is certainly possible with some research high handicap golfers can play any driver successfully however they generally tend to gravitate towards game improvement drivers with large confidence inspiring heads high ball speed lots of forgiveness and optionally draw biases if you’re ready to make a move click the links in the description to explore our recommendations and check current pricing keep in mind that pricing and availability are constantly changing if you want our most up-to-date buying guide and more details on featured products we recommend visiting our blog post which is linked in the description if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them down below don’t forget to like share and subscribe so that you’re notified as soon as a new video drops until next time
