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As a high handicapper, finding the right golf driver can be a challenging task. Fortunately, there are several top brands offering specialised drivers in 2024 to help golfers improve their game.

In this article, we will be taking a closer look at some of the best golf drivers for high handicappers from trusted brands in the industry. These include the Ping G430 Max 10K driver, Titleist TSR1 driver, Callaway Big Bertha driver, Wilson Dynapwr driver, Cobra DarkSpeed X driver, Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D driver, PXG 0211 driver and Cleveland Launcher XL driver.

Each driver is designed with unique features to help high handicappers achieve greater distance, accuracy, and overall performance on the course. 

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Best Drivers For High Handicappers 2024

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Reviewed by Hannah Holden

Visually, this is Ping’s largest profile driver ever. That doesn’t mean the volume of the driver has increased, but rather, the shaping has been stretched for more forgiveness.

The 10k name in this driver is all about the forgiveness story. It refers to something called the MOI of the driver, which has come in at over 10,000g-cm². Basically, this is a measurement of how forgiving the club head is. MOI stands for moment of inertia, and it is all about how much the club head twists when you hit the ball out of the toe or the heel.

Ping has added a heavier back weight (28 grams) and a lighter Carbonfly Wrap Crown, which allows more weight on the back and perimeter of the club to drive up that MOI and give you more forgiveness.

The real difference, though between the G430 Max and the 10k is with the off-centre strikes. I actually felt I struck the ball worse with the 10k model, but still managed to get better data, which is definitely a win.

Importantly, this driver doesn’t just deliver forgiveness. I also got great club head and ball speed data, giving this a real all-around package. Definitely a club for amateur golfers to give a try this season!

PROS

• Extremely Forgiving
• Good Ball Speeds
• Flys high

CONS

• The slightly bigger club head may not suit everyone’s eye.

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• Read the full Ping G430 Max 10k Driver Review

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RRP: £599

Right-handed lofts: 9°, 10.5° & 12°

Left-handed lofts: 9°, 10.5° & 12°

Stock shafts: PING Alta CB (counter-balanced) Black 55 (SR, R, S), PING Alta Quick 35/45 (HL build only)

More information: Ping Website

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

 I hit a few more shots with it and was really impressed with how easy it was to hit and how effortlessly I was able to get the ball in the air higher than I ever have. The first shaft I tried was the TSR1 specific shaft which is only 40g, and I loved it. The ball was spinning way too much to be optimal, but I didn’t want to stop using it as it was just so much fun.

The TSR1 is 40g lighter than any of the other TSR drivers, with weight savings in the head shaft and grip. This will allow players to move the club quicker and hit it further. It also has the lowest and furthest back centre of gravity, which provides a high launch and maximum forgiveness.

Overall this is a great addition to the TSR line-up; it will help slower players hit it higher and further whilst also helping low-spin players enjoy hitting driver more often. It won’t be for everyone, but it will help many golfers enjoy their games more.

PROS

• High launching
• Super light
• Really forgiving

CONS

• Not the best option for high-spin players

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• Read the full Titleist TSR1 driver review

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RRP: £529

Right-handed lofts: 9°, 10°, 12°

Left-handed lofts: 10° (9° and 12° custom only)

Titleist featured shafts: Mitsubishi MMT SpeedMesh 40 (Men’s) and 35 (Ladies)

More information: Titleist website

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

The 2023 Big Bertha edition is big. The elongated crown has a generous profile and is a completely different shape from the Paradym models, which have been a huge success already this year. Putting it behind the ball gives you confidence.

I absolutely loved hitting this driver. I love the lightweight design, the draw bias, and just how easy the club felt to hit. I personally find some of the low-spin ‘good players’ drivers don’t have the same feel from the face as the more forgiving drivers do. I don’t like that harsh, fast feeling as It just makes me feel like I am going to toe the ball straight left, which is not a good thought when you are standing over the ball!

The Big Bertha has a big weight on the sole that’s close to the heel, which makes the driver draw biased. This may mean the driver might not suit hookers of the ball, but it’s really going to help those golfers who suffer with a slice.

I genuinely feel like I could put this in the bag, and it would help my game. It may not be the driver that fitters want me to play, but at the end of the day, golfers need help from the club. Yes, long distances on the driving range are nice, but I need fairways out on the golf course, and I believe the Callaway Big Bertha 2023 driver will deliver that for me.

PROS

• High launching
• Super light
• Really forgiving

CONS

• Not sure there are any!

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• Read the full Callaway Big Bertha 2023 driver review

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RRP: £239

Right-handed lofts: 9°, 10.5°, 12°

Left-handed lofts: 10°, 9° 

Featured shafts: There are too many shaft options to count!

More information: Callaway Website

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

Straight away, the shaping is very different; it’s now much more pear-shaped than before and looks solid behind the ball. The red detailing is subtle but frames the head nicely. The head feels quite light in the swing, which encourages you to swing hard, which I really like.

On average, I carried this 262.4 yards, with my longest at 271. This is exceedingly long as I tested this club on a frosty morning at -2 degrees, so I wasn’t expecting much in terms of distance and speed.

The 156.4 mph average ball speed is pretty good, with my fastest at 162.6 mph probably one of the fasted ball speeds I’ve seen on test this year, so huge props to Wilson for that.

We can thank artificial intelligence for this impressive speed. Wilson, like many other brands this year, have enlisted the help of computers and A.I. to run thousands of calculations to produce a club face with variable thickness to maximise ball speeds.

Forgiveness is a huge factor when it comes to picking the right driver, and this has to be one of the most forgiving out available at the moment. It is also incredibly adjustable, which we didn’t see in last year’s driver, but this is a huge win for golfers who can now really customise their shot shape.

PROS

• Smaller, more classic shape
• Very forgiving
• Centred hits gave very competitive ball speeds compared to more expensive drivers
• Will suit slower swing speeds

CONS

• Non-centred centre of gravity won’t suit players who hook the ball

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• Read the full Wilson Dynapwr driver review

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RRP: £370

Lofts: 9˚, 10.5˚, 13˚

Featured shafts: Fujkura Ventus Blue & Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RD

More information: Wilson Website

Reviewed by Hannah Holden

The Max driver has the largest profile in the Qi10 range, but it still looks great behind the golf ball and is likely more confidence-inspiring for the majority of golfers. I love the new infinity carbon fibre crown and how seamless the top of the club looks behind the golf ball.

I was really impressed with the high ball flight I got with this and the consistency of the flight. My ‘worst shot’ dispersion-wise finished only thirteen yards from my target, and from left to right, my dispersion was only 25 yards wide, which is absolutely insane. I’m not sure I have ever hit a driver so straight with a variety of strikes.

This driver is going to make an impact in the golf market this year. It offers serious levels of forgiveness that could improve the game of all golfers, from high handicappers to tour pros and it is going to be a serious contender for going in my bag this year.

PROS

• Confidence Inspiring Design
• Extreme Forgiveness
• High Launch

CONS

• None

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• Read the full TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver Review

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RRP: £449

Shafts: Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 50 (S, R, A) and Mitsubishi Diamana T+ 60 (X, S, R) 

Lofts: 9°, 10.5° & 12°

The Qi10 Max also comes in a women’s version at 10.5° and 12.0° lofts with Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 40 shaft. A lightweight High & Light (HL) version of the Qi10 Max both at 10.5° and 12.0° lofts, will be available in custom. 

More information: TaylorMade Website

Reviewed By Paul Miller

Simply put, the Cobra DarkSpeed X has been designed so the widest range of players will experience great ball speed off the club combined with forgiveness that will ensure even the off-centre hits still end up okay. To do this, they have weighted the club in such a way in order to create the desired outcomes – the Corba recipe being a suspended weight that is positioned lower and more forward. In addition to this, they have made the sweet spot across the face larger in order to improve ball speed.

In summary, Cobra has definitely come up with a winning recipe with the Cobra DarkSpeed X Driver. As Batman famously said – “All Men Have Limits…I Ignore Mine” – the DarkSpeed X just might help you reset your own driving limits!

This is a club to seriously consider for 2024. Irrespective of which club you go for, though, it is definitely worth getting a custom fit to get the most suitable shaft and loft.

PROS

• Pleasing to the eye at address
• Produces good performance data
• Low price when compared to other major brands

CONS

• Ball goes slightly higher than normal – which might not suit some

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• Read the full Cobra DarkSpeed X Driver Review

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RRP: £429

Lofts: 9°, 10.5°, 12°

Stock Shafts: UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X White (XS and S); Project X Hzrdus Limited Edition Matte Black Gen 4 (S), UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X Blue (R and S); MCA® KAI’LI Blue (R and S).

More information: Cobra Website

Reviewed By Paul Miller

Straight away, I loved how the club sat behind the ball. I just wanted to hit it and see how it performed.

The club face is an AI Smart Face and offers something new to golfers, whereby it uses real player data to develop and provide golfers with a number of sweet spots on the club face. I would say that if you are looking to hit a controlled draw, this club definitely helps.

Overall, I was really impressed with this driver’s performance. When you are over the ball, you just want to hit it, and so it gives you confidence before you even hit the ball. Though I tend to play mainly with a fade, I was impressed with the results when trying to hit a draw. I felt the ball was under control and would be happy to use this when finding the fairway – be it with a fade or a draw.

Developing a driver with the new AI Smart Face is definitely an exciting move by Callaway, and though it is pricy, it will definitely provide you with control and consistency off the tee.

PROS

• Consistency
• Sits great on the eye
• Great for those wishing to draw the ball

CONS

• Premium price point

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• Read the full Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D Driver Review

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RRP: £569

Shafts: Project X Cypher 2.0 | 40 G (LGT) | D2
MCA Tensei AV Blue | 50 G (REG | STF) | D3 & 60 G (STF ) | D4

Lofts: 9°, 10.5° & 12°

More information: Callaway website

Reviewed by Jack Backhouse

The Cleveland Launcher XL has a huge footprint and looks humongous behind the ball. The clever face design makes you feel like the hitting area of the club is big as well, which gives you the confidence you don’t need perfect swings all of the time.

The Launcher XL driver has a couple of features that result in high long drives. The first is 2 rebound frames that flex on impact which gives more ball speed. The other is that because the head is so big, they can move the centre of gravity lower and deeper to give a higher launch and low spin.

I also must talk about how forgiving the Cleveland Launcher XL driver is. Those recorded shots in my Flightscope were certainly not all out of the centre of the face and there really wasn’t much drop-off in distance. This forgiveness is probably down to the size of the head and the massive MOI it provides.

This is in to make the club feel more balanced and give more control to the player. It made the club feel heavier, which may be why my club head speed wasn’t as high as normal. There is also a Cleveland Launcher XL Lite driver available in the line if you do feel like you want something lighter.

PROS

• Huge sweet spot
• impressively long
• Great adjustability

CONS

• The elongated head could be off-putting if you’re used to something more traditionally shaped

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• Read the full Cleveland Launcher XL driver review

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