Most Forgiving Drivers

Most Forgiving Drivers

Getting a new driver that gives you five extra yards sounds great, but what good is that to you if your second shots consist of hacking out from the rough or chipping out sideways from the trees? You need a driver that’s going to keep the ball in play while still sending it out there a good distance, and to do that you need to prioritise the most forgiving drivers on the market.

The best golf drivers these days are much more user friendly than those from say five years ago, but your choice in a particular model within a brand’s latest range can make a big difference to the performance. A custom fitting will naturally provide greater insight into how each driver works for you, but we would always suggest favouring forgiveness and accuracy slightly over out-and-out yardage.

You may hit that one shot out of the middle with high launch and low spin that seemingly stays in the air forever, but let's face it - more often than not we’re not striking the sweetspot of the driver. This is why a driver that can combat the effect of mishits in terms of limiting drops in ball speed and reducing curvature through the air is worth its weight in gold.

So what are the most forgiving drivers on the market? Well, we’ve tested them all and picked out our favourites below to help you find the short grass, which should ultimately help lower your scores.

Additionally we recommend you check out some more of our guides on drivers - for example the best golf drivers for distance, best golf drivers for mid handicappers, or the best golf drivers for seniors.

Most Forgiving Drivers

The best TaylorMade drivers can compete with any model in terms of forgiveness and the new SIM2 Max is no exception.

The SIM2 Max has a 24g back weight for even more forgiveness and a five per cent larger face than the SIM Max. We found it to be noticeably straight and consistent on slight mishits, helping us find more fairways than the SIM2 driver. It also launches the ball higher with a touch more spin, which for slower swingers should increase carry distance.

• Read our full TaylorMade SIM2 Max Driver review

To achieve the new performance levels in the G425 Max, Ping has implemented a new 26-gram tungsten movable weight called a CG Shifter, which is made possible by weight savings from advancements in the driver’s dragonfly crown design.

The weight can be secured in one of three settings – neutral, draw or fade – to influence forgiveness and shot shape. The average MOI increase is 14 per cent across the three weight positions compared to the G410 Plus.

• Read our full Ping G425 Max Driver review

One of the newest, and best Titleist drivers out right now is the TSi2. A new crown shaping on both the TSi2 and TSi3 driver is said to reduce aerodynamic drag by up to 15 per cent versus the TS drivers to help increase clubhead speed.

The clubfaces are made of an exotic material called ATI 425. Made in the US, it is an aerospace grade titanium used in applications such as NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander and jet engines because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and elasticity and durability properties versus conventional titanium alloys used in golf.

The TSi2 is the more forgiving model because it has a low and deep centre of gravity for speed and accuracy across the face thanks to a fixed flat 9g weight at the rear.

• Read our full Titleist TSi2 Driver review

The new Jailbreak SpeedFrame inside the head has been designed using Artificial Intelligence and forms a completely new shape, connecting with the head at four different points top and bottom to provide extra rigidity in the horizontal direction.

The Epic Max is the most forgiving driver and highest launching of any Epic driver to date. It features an adjustable 17g weight that creates up to 16 yards of shot shape correction, which rises to 20 yards when you factor in the draw settings on the Opti-Fit hosel.

The Epic Max undoubtedly provides the most forgiveness and spin of the three new Epic models for 2021, ideal for golfers that need help to keep the ball in the air and strike lots of different areas of the face. The moveable weight will help golfers eliminate one side of the golf course.

• Read our full Callaway Epic Max Driver review

The Radspeed XB (Xtreme Back) is for players who want distance through consistency across the face in the form forgiveness and stability. It features an oversized address profile and 20g of weight positioned in the back (14g fixed and a 6g interchangeable weight) and 8g of fixed weight in the front, making it one of Cobra’s most forgiving drivers ever.

It's arguably the best of the three drivers in the range because of how forgiving it manages to be while still offering relatively low spin. Not everyone will enjoy the glossy finish on the crown, but in terms of all round playability at a reasonable price the Radspeed XB is hard to beat.

• Read our full Cobra Radspeed XB Driver review

Apart from a series of minor cosmetic changes, the biggest difference with the ST-Z is that it looks a little longer from front to back than last year’s ST200 and this year’s ST-X.

It might not represent a huge year-on-year leap forward for Mizuno but it builds on what was already a very strong, and arguably underrated, offering. The overall combination of looks, feel and performance make it a worthy contender for anyone on the search for a new driver.

• Read our full Mizuno ST-Z Driver review

The Srixon ZX5 driver is another worthy inclusion on this most forgiving drivers guide. It delivers confidence due to a larger footprint at address versus the ZX7 model and also has a single weight placed low and deep in the head to promote straighter drives. It launches high and has a really solid feel and a ‘thump’ sound at impact we really enjoyed.

This driver represents a big step up from Srixon and a bit like the Mizuno ST200, is a high-performing driver that slips under the radar but should you get custom fitted for it, will certainly blend distance and accuracy together in equal measure.

This draw-biased option features a crank-shaped slot on the sole to maintain fast ball speeds across the face and reduce loss of distance on off-centre strikes.

The variable thickness of the face helps to reduce spin on strikes low and out of the toe, both of which are common amongst mid and high handicap players.

The Non-Rotating System in the hosel promotes consistency of strike and flight by ensuring the spine of the shaft remains in the six o’clock position when loft and lie are adjusted.

How we tested for the most forgiving drivers

The first thing we should mention is our overall testing ethos at Golf Monthly which is to put all products through a rigorous testing procedure to give you crucial insights into how they perform, how they compare to their predecessors and where they stack up in relation to the competition.

As such we regularly attend product launches and meet with the manufacturer’s R&D experts to understand the new technology.

Then the first port of call to test golf clubs is usually the indoor simulator at Foresight Sports, where the team can test in a controlled environment using premium balls and the GCQuad launch monitor.

We then do outdoor testing mainly at West Hill Golf Club, a course in Surrey with excellent practice facilities.

Getting more specific, our equipment specialists have hit most drivers out on the market, in testing, practice and competition play, and deduced the above models are the most forgiving models out right now.

What do I need to consider?

When it comes to making sure you get a forgiving driver, there are several factors to consider, chief among which is the size.

Size - forgiving drivers tend to be slightly larger than other models for the basic reason of giving them a larger clubface and larger footprint.

When hitting, try and take note of where you are striking the golf ball with the face of the club and see if there is any performance drops. Many forgiving drivers these days are designed to perform regardless of where you strike them off the face and you being able to see and understand that in person will help you be more confident with one model over another.

The other thing to acknowledge when looking at the size is also the looks. It is important you get a driver that suits your eye especially when it is down behind the golf ball. If it is too big, that may put you off, but if it is too small this may dampen confidence. Finding the right balance is key. You also need to make sure you like the shape too because some drivers have a more rounded look, or more pear-shaped. Some also have a draw-bias too.

Draw-biased? - Speaking of draw bias, if you are a slicer of the golf ball then a forgiving, draw-biased driver could be the way to go to eradicate the big slices.

Weight - Weight has become a big factor when it comes to forgiving drivers, with most brands making models that have a weight towards the back of the head to aid forgiveness and launch. When it comes to whether you want a forgiving driver, it is worth acknowledging whether this is important to you because if not then manufacturers usually make a model without a weight there.

Adjustability - Often this weight is moveable too and adjustability has become a huge part of modern golf. Being able to tinker and change loft, lie, and many other factors, has become all the rage and if you like to try new things then plenty of the models above, like the Titleist TSi2, will cater to that. However if that doesn't interest you one bit, there are also models which keep things more simple, like the Ping G425 Max.

Shaft - Some shafts have been designed to help players get as much distance as possible so it is worth thinking about which models will help you achieve those extra yards. Also check out our guide on the best driver shafts too.

Price - Price is obviously an important factor and thankfully there are lots of drivers coming in at different price points. This means you can go down the premium route if you want, but there is good value to be had too.

Therefore it is about working out what you want to pay, what you can afford, and to some extent, which brand you want. Some people remain loyal to the same brand for a long time because they have had performance gains in the past, and as such this could mean paying slightly more, or slightly less on a certain model.

We hope you enjoyed this guide on the most forgiving drivers.