Our selection of the most forgiving drivers to help you find more fairways without sacrificing distance
Most Forgiving Drivers
Getting a new driver that gives you five extra yards sounds great, and you may have already checked out our best golf drivers post, 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.
All of today’s drivers 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
TaylorMade SIM2 Max Driver
Lofts: 9°, 10.5° and 12°
+ Easy to align
+ Larger face increases margin for error
– No moveable sole weight
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.
TaylorMade SIM2 Drivers Review
Ping G425 Max Driver
Image credit: Ping
Lofts: 9°, 10.5° and 12°
+ Increased forgiveness and accuracy over G410
+ Better fitting options across three models
– No obvious gains in distance over G410 on centred hits.
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.
Titleist TSi2 Driver
(Image credit: Titleist)
Lofts: 9°, 10° and 11°
+ Big improvement in looks and feel
+ High launching but can still be tuned to offer low spin
– One of very few models to breach the £500 barrier
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.
Callaway Epic Max Driver
Lofts: 9°, 10.5° and 12°
+ Draw bias will assist slicers
+ Moveable weights plus adjustable loft and lie angle
– High launch and spin won’t suit all players
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.
Cobra Radspeed XB Driver
Lofts: 9°, 10.5° and 12°
+ Cobra Connect can track performance
+ Excellent value for money
– Limited gains over previous model
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 arguably Cobra’s most forgiving driver to date.
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.
Mizuno ST-Z Driver
Lofts: 9.5° and 10.5°
+ Loft adjustable +/- 4 degrees
+ Large profile boosts confidence
– Limited gains over ST200 model
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.
Srixon ZX5 Driver
(Image credit: Srixon)
Lofts: 9.5° and 10.5°
+ Powerful sound and feel
+ Traditional address looks
– Complicated hosel adjustability system
The Srixon ZX5 driver 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.
Honma TR20 460 Driver
(Image credit: Honma)
Lofts: 9.5° and 10.5°
+ Wide scope to adjust settings and maximise performance
+ Powerful, explosive feel off the face
– One of the most expensive models you’ll find
On Honma’s latest driver, the sole features three strategically positioned weight ports with a possible of five weight options (3, 6, 9, 12, 15g) to slot in, ensuring ball speed, launch, spin and swing weight can be optimised for greater distance and accuracy. There’s also a 440cc version for those who like to shape the ball, but it’s this 460cc version that offers more forgiveness.
We also really like the hosel’s non-rotating system, which allows for eight possible loft and lie adjustments while keeping the spine of the shaft in the 6 o’clock position for greater impact consistency. It’s expensive, but if you get fitted we’re confident it will perform as well as any other driver on the market.