There are many difficulties facing someone who is new to the game of golf. As well as the complexities of actually learning to play such a difficult game, a new golfer also has to navigate the minefield of choosing equipment from the bewilderingly huge array of options available. Perhaps the most confusing decision comes when trying to choose the right driver, as the choices on offer are vast, with so many brands making so many models, and even those models often have three or five different head shapes to choose between.
WATCH: Joe Ferguson tests and compares the leading drivers on the market in 2025
It's easy to choose the wrong option so there are some things the new golfer needs to be aware when buying a new driver. As a general rule, a beginner golfer needs as much help as possible when it comes to hitting the ball off the tee, so finding one of the most forgiving drivers is a good starting point. While the golf driver is arguably the most fun club in the bag to use, it is also one of the most difficult to master consistently. If you've borrowed a buddies, or rented one at the driving range, you'll know how satisfying a feeling it is when it goes right, but you will also have experienced how frustrating it can be to do that consistently.
A new golfer does not have the same requirements as a low handicap player or professional, so having the same equipment makes no sense. New golfers need a driver that is suited to their specific needs, which is usually something to help them get the ball in the air easier, further, and straighter. This leads us to the following guide, with every model tried and tested! What's more, we would also recommend taking a look at our guides on the best high handicap drivers and the best golf drivers for distance.
The Quick List
The DS-ADAPT is one of the most forgiving drivers of 2025, boasting more than 10k of most forgiving drivers of 2025. for the most help possible on those mishit efforts that miss the center of the face.
The Qi35 is an upgrade on the already impressive Qi10 thanks to more stability in the club head and a fantastic revamped, premium look.
The Elyte X driver from Callaway is packed full of technology to help players achieve consistent high launch and extra distance from the tee box.
The ST-Max 230 from Mizuno offers classy looks that will appeal to many, whilst the feel will suit purists as well. The spin may be a little high for some but overall this is an underrated model that performed well.
One of the leading contenders for draw bias driver of the year, you can wave goodbye to the dreaded slicing right miss with the G440 SFT in your hands.
The GT2 boasts a premium players looks whilst giving us a ton of forgiveness for shots that miss the sweet spot. It also has fantastic levels of feel and feels like a rocket when hit well.
Load the next model
A fantastic option for the player who doesn't need a recognizable name on the bottom of their driver head, the E725 provides amazing value for money in the driver market.
Best Golf Drivers For Beginners
Top Pick
The new Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-K is perfect for beginners thanks to it producing over 10k of MOI - you may not know what that is, but we have an explainer for you to read here.
To put it in really simplistic terms, it's the technology in the club that helps straighten out shots that miss the center of the face and would, with older clubs, continue to veer to the left of the right. It's what gives clubs their forgiveness, something we want in abundance when choosing the right driver for a beginner.
The MAX-K features a slightly oversized profile (460cc), and the highest MOI of the DS-ADAPT family models. The head is a lovely shape and size, promoting a subtle feeling of confidence at address before you pull the trigger. We also loved the FutureFit33 adjustable shaft adapter, allowing players to really dial in their driver to suit their playing characteristics by decoupling lie and angle and loft. If you don't really know what your doing in relation to fine-tuning your club, ask your pro what setting would be best to you. A couple of tweaks of the hosel can lead to a driver that launches higher and easier, a common problem beginners face off the tee.
- Read our full Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-K Driver Review
Best shelf appeal
The most stable and forgiving driver in the TaylorMade Qi35 family, the 'Max' driver boasts stunning looks and a spin profile that will suit players of all abilities.
When we tested the Qi10 last year, we found the spin levels were way too high, leading to high handicappers and beginners losing a decent amount of distance from the tee. This has now been fixed thanks to the lower CG, achieved by placed a 34g weight at the back of the head to stabilize the club through impact.
The dispersion rate of this driver during testing was incredible, with mishit shots not venturing too far off line from both back to front and side to side. This driver particularly suits those with slower swing speeds because what you will lose in spin rate, you gain in high launch. It looks great, sounds great and feels even better, making this a really great option for the beginner who wants a premium driver in the bag.
- Read our full TaylorMade Qi35 Max Driver Review
Best draw bias
The most user-friendly of the Elyte family, the 'X' should be a serious consideration for higher-handicap players looking a fresh driver option in the bag for 2025. Arguably the best driver for an easy, high launch of the 2025 range, players will also love the predominant draw bias too and will suit beginners down to the ground.
The style of the sole will divide opinion but there is no debate about how good this driver looks from above at the address position, thanks in part to the new ‘Thermoforged’ carbon crown designed to enable fast club head speeds and facilitate optimal launch and spin outputs.
There is adjustability on offer here too thanks to the 13g weight in the head that can be tweaked to customize the ball flight to your liking. The feel, like previous Callaway drivers, is solid and robust but pleasant. This will be a popular driver for golfers across a range of handicaps in 2025 but should definitely be considered by beginners.
- Read our full Callaway Elyte X Driver Review
Best high launch
Mizuno say this is its most stable driver ever, which makes it an ideal choice for the golfer that needs help with consistency of strike. The technology is designed to aid forgiveness and increase MOI. This has been achieved by lowering the profile of the ST-Max head to accommodate spreading, increasing the overall footprint of the driver head whilst remaining within the maximum permitted 460cc head size. All of this has allowed weight to be added in more extreme locations to increase MOI.
Aesthetically this is one of the nicest looking drivers on the market. The premium-looking head has an expanded CoreTech Chamber and 54 grams of back-weighting which makes for a stylish looking sole. The club looks great at address too as the face sits nice and square, while and the large footprint really does inspire confidence over the ball.
In testing we noted that the spin rate was high, so it isn't good for high spin players as it will balloon up into the air. It is something that will greatly benefit the beginner golfer, however, as it will increase height which is an area where new golfers often struggle. The most notable aspect of our testing was accuracy, as our tester hit 89% of his fairways. It certainly isn't the best golf driver for distance but it will keep you in play and get the ball up in the air.
- Read our full Mizuno ST-Max 230 Driver Review
Best tech
The most user friendly driver of the new G440 family is the SFT, promoting a strong draw bias to suit those player who struggle with a slice off the tee. It's also dead easy to launch which will mean yardage gains for lots of higher handicappers.
Much like the Callaway Elyte X, the design of the sole of the club will not suit everyone's eye, but in my humble opinion how the sole of the club looks shouldn't really matter as we don't see it during our swing. Instead, we see the top of the club head which, thanks to the new carbonfly crown, looks terrific and premium.
The draw bias on offer here is terrific. Lots of beginners struggle with the dreaded slice - the boomerang left to right shape that can haunt higher handicaps. The technology in this driver is catered to prevent this miss and after testing I'd estimate the draw bias has increased by around 15-20% from the G430 here, a significant and impressive achievement. This is without doubt one of the best drivers from slicers in 2025 and another cracking option for a beginner looking a nice new premium driver.
- Read our full Ping G440 SFT Driver Review
Best at address
As you can tell if you've read this far into the guide, we're all about looking for user-friendly golf clubs to help beginners as much as possible and in the Titleist GT range it is the GT2 that takes that title.
Not only does it offer the highest MOI, but the speed has not been sacrificed to achieve this. Certainly, picking up the clubhead, you will realise how lightweight it really is and how much technology is in the club.
Without getting too technical, the forgiveness comes partly from the new Proprietary Matrix Polymer in the crown section which also helps give this driver excellent sound and feel. The GT2 also boasts increased levels of forgiveness, particularly in shots out of the bottom of heel of the driver. You may not be getting the same levels of forgiveness as some of the other options on this list but it doesn't mean the GT2 shouldn't be a consideration for beginners.
- Read our full Titleist GT2 Driver Review
Best value
If you're a player who doesn't need a flashy name or branded club in your bag, listen up.
The combination of ball speed, adjustability, looks, and feel on offer here with the Tour Edge Exotics E725 is exceptional given the price point. Looks-wise it can compete with any other driver on this list, looking premium thanks to the carbon-fibre finish. The head shape is also appealing to the eye, sitting nice and square behind the ball at address.
There is a load of forgiveness built into the head of this driver which will suit those only beginner their golfing careers. When you consider this driver is $200 less than most on this list, this was a close contender for the top pick in this guide.
- Read our full Tour Edge Exotics E725 Driver review
How we test for the best golf drivers
Here at Golf Monthly we take product testing for both reviews and buying guides very seriously. Testing is done by a team that is packed with knowledge and experience and by testing so many products we can build up our content to help you the consumer to make a more informed decision when it comes to picking your next driver. All our testers are passionate when it comes to golf and come from a variety of backgrounds, whether they are ex pros or high handicappers, they all bring a different knowledge and understanding when it comes to golf.
Our driver testing is headed up by Staff Writer Joe Ferguson, a PGA Professional who has worked in the golf industry for nearly 20 years. Joe is ably assisted by technical editor Joel Tadman, and both Joe and Joel have been testing golf clubs for many years and are able to efficiently test the vast majority of the biggest product releases and convey the pros and cons eloquently.
With most new club releases, especially drivers, we will usually attend product launches to speak with the manufacturers in order to build an understanding of the equipment we are testing. Once we get hold of the gear and begin testing, the first step is usually indoor testing using premium balls and launch monitors to get valuable data. This allows us to compare data on the day to see how these clubs stack up against each other as well as their competitors.
We then move on to the all-important outdoor testing, this could be on the range, or the course, and often both. Which ever it is, it is important to get these drivers out into the elements and get some real-world feedback on how they react on the course and when in real conditions.
How to choose a new driver
Given the significant cost involved, when it comes to investing in a driver there are a few important things to take into consideration before purchasing, especially at the beginner level, where you want something to help your game.
Are you looking for more distance, something to correct a slice, or something that could find more fairways? Do have a specific budget you need to work to, or a brand that you prefer? One thing we would recommend is getting a fitting from a trained fitter, however, if you know what you need and you are informed enough then you should be fine, especially if you get to try the product before you buy it.
If you are reading this, you are likely a beginner or shopping for a beginner, so first and foremost we would advise you to go for something forgiving. Some drivers that tend to be long-distance drivers can be unforgiving a detrimental on off-center strikes, and beginners tend to not hit the ball especially far anyway and won't benefit from a driver that is designed for distance. Forgiveness is the way to go, while draw bias drivers are also excellent options for beginners. We have a guide on the most forgiving drivers that will help you if you are stuck for ideas, as well as one for the best drivers for slicers.
FAQs
How do I choose a golf driver?
There are a lot of factors that will influence your decision, such as looks, feel and your swing. If you swing it slow, then a more flexible shaft will work but, if you swing fast, then a stiffer shaft will suit. Also, you may need a driver with more loft or adjustability so, overall, it's crucial that you get fitted for your driver.
What is the best driver for a beginner?
Obviously this will vary but, if you are starting out fresh with the game of golf, then we would say a driver that provides forgiveness in the face is needed. Ideally, the driver will have a large head and face which will also inspire confidence at address.
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