Best drivers of 2021
To give you an idea of which driver might work best for you, we tested 17 of the latest models, both on the Foresight Sports Gcquad launch monitor and on the driving range at West Hill Golf Club, using Titleist Pro V1x balls to see what golfers can expect.
Looks
Most brands have refined their drivers while maintaining the same visual concepts. The Taylormade SIM2 is arguably one of the easiest to align, with its darker carbon fibre panel contrasting with the white front section. If you want something more traditional, the Srixon ZX and Titleist TSI models offer up that classic shape and finish.
A poll we put on social media with six of our favourites visually produced a fairly even split, showing how subjective this category is, but the SIM2 and Cobra Radspeed came out on top marginally.
Purely on looks, we loved the Radspeed. It has a modern, high-tech appearance with flashes of colour that aren’t distracting. It was also easy to align.
GM pick: Cobra Radspeed
Feel
The feel and sound of a driver certainly helps with the overall chemistry and confidence you have stood over the ball. It needs to feel powerful and solid to you, but that might mean something different for someone else. At one end of the spectrum, you have the Ping G425 models offering up the loudest and highest-pitched sound at impact. At the other, there are the Taylormade SIM2 models and the rest fall somewhere in the middle.
We really liked what the Callaway Epic Speed driver brought to the table here, but our choice would be the SIM2, purely because of the duller, more dense sound, how solid and stable it is and also how it felt great no matter which part of the face the ball came off.
GM pick: Taylormade SIM2
“IF YOU’RE LOYAL TO ONE BRAND, THERE’S NO NEED TO DEVIATE FROM IT” Neil Tappin, GM digital editor
Performance
The data displayed above shows the best-performing model from each brand we tested - we tried to set them
all up as similarly as possible. Pulling out some key observations, it was interesting to see that the Honma GS and the Wilson Staff D9 were both the highest spinning and highest flying, suggesting they might be built for slightly slower-swinging golfers. The Mizuno ST-X was the lowest spinning on test, while the GS actually achieved the fastest ball-speed average, closely followed by the Titleist TSI3 and the Srixon ZX7.
You’ll notice the longest drivers for us were the low-spin models, including the Ping G425 LST, which carried the furthest on average. But one point we would make is that we felt much more in control of dispersion than we have in the past. That was especially the case with all the Ping G425 drivers. They were definitely the straightest we tested while still achieving competitive distance.
GM pick: Ping G425 LST
Versatility
Here, we’re looking at the ability to manoeuvre the flight and tune it to a course or conditions. Moveable weight remains a common theme across many models, notably the Cobra Radpseed, Callaway Epic Max LS and Titleist TSI3. The Radspeed’s adjustability is more for launch and spin, while the sliding weight on the Epic Max LS alters shot shape to promote a certain ball flight or negate one side of the golf course.
It pushed the Titleist all the way, but for us the TSI3 was the most versatile. Whether we were looking to flight it high or low, it delivered, and the new Surefit weight system on the sole was effective at helping us find fairways.
GM pick: Titleist TSI3
Value
The Wilson Staff D9 looks superb from all angles, and while it spun a little more than the others, which hindered the distance it created for us, others may find this increases carry. The Srixon ZX5 model also offers exceptional value. It sits under the mainstream premium drivers in terms of price point but with seemingly no sacrifice in either performance or appeal.
But the Cobra Radspeed edged it due to the looks, feel and performance, and because there are three models to choose from, all with adjustable hosels and in-built performance tracking.
GM pick: Cobra Radspeed