Best Driver for Mid Handicapper Reviews
Quick Links
Longer distance is one of those things that nearly every golfer strives for. Two things that can help your distance the most are hitting the ball straight and hitting with the right driver. And it just so happens that the right driver can also help you hit straighter. The driver is undoubtedly one of the most important clubs in golf, that, when hit on the fairway gives you easier shots, and when hit long gives you shorter shots. Easier and shorter shots…sounds like a recipe for success!
The majority of intermediate golfers are using outdated equipment, which means they are losing out on club head speed, ball speed, launch angle, and therefore the potential for increased distance. We tested many drivers geared towards mid handicap players, with a focus on straighter, longer shots. In this article we lay out our reviews and our top picks, including their features and how they performed in our tests.
Golf Drivers for Mid Handicappers - Top Picks
Our Pick for Top Driver for Mid Handicapper
TaylorMade M4 Driver
Review
The TaylorMade M4 is yet another top-quality driver in a long list of quality drivers produced by TaylorMade for intermediate players. It has several noteworthy features. But first, let me just say this is one of the best-looking drivers we've ever seen, and certainly the best-looking driver we tested.
This driver incorporates TaylorMade's new twist face technology, which causes the club face to correct off-center hits. It also has a new hammerhead slot behind the face. Ultimately, these features work together for amazing forgiveness. This forgiveness resulted in drives that were straight and drives that were long. In fact, we hit some of the longest drives with the M4 that we've ever hit with any TaylorMade driver, and that's saying something!
The aerodynamic design not only looks great, but it also helps to increase swing speed. The hammerhead slot mentioned earlier really helps with forgiveness and distance, but it also helps make the sound of contact amazing and extremely satisfying. We can't say enough about this club. It's sexy, forgiving, and extremely long. For these reasons, it is our top recommendation for average golfers.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Distance | 5.0 |
Feel | 5.0 |
Forgiveness | 4.9 |
Loft | 4.8 |
Adjustable Options | 4.6 |
Overall Score | 4.9 / 5.0 |
Pros
Cons
Runner-up Best Driver for Intermediate Players
Callaway Rogue Driver
Review
The Callaway Rogue Driver is another really good-looking club. The Rogue driver is loaded with technology which aids in a smoother, faster swing that produced consistently fantastic drives throughout our testing.
The Rogue boasts jailbreak technology, aided by titanium bars and a rigid club head that produce an amazing sound at impact. The jailbreak technology also helps keep the head light when swinging the club. This helps increase the speed of the ball at impact and results in smile inducing drives.
Continuing with the Rogue's crazy amount of technology, you can adjust the head to offset any draw bias. You can also adjust the loft by up to 2 degrees, for a total of 8 possible combinations you can play with in any given round. The features on this club are ridiculous, and if it weren't for the high marks of the TaylorMade M4, the Callaway Rogue would have been our top choice. As it is, it packs the most technology of any driver we've ever tested.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Design | 4.9 |
Feel | 4.7 |
Forgiveness | 4.7 |
Loft | 4.9 |
Adjustable Options | 5.0 |
Overall Score | 4.8 / 5.0 |
Pros
Cons
Best Value - Budget Pick for Best Mid Handicap Driver
Cobra LTDX Max Driver
Review
Cobra created quite a nice driver in the LTDX Max. The LTDX Max has the slimmest clubface Cobra's ever produced. It's built for speed, yet it maintains a good amount of forgiveness. It also had surprisingly good feel, considering its focus on speed. Cobra also included one of the largest sweet spots they've ever made in the LTDX Max.
The aerodynamics of the club head eliminate much of the drag during the swing which resulted in a naturally faster swing. Again, this club was built for speed, and it excels at it. You can also adjust the loft on the LTDX Max, and you can reduce slice tendencies by adjusting the head for a draw bias. This technology comes at a surprisingly low price point, making it our pick for budget friendly high end driver for mid handicap golfers.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Distance | 4.7 |
Feel | 4.7 |
Forgiveness | 4.7 |
Loft | 4.8 |
Adjustable Options | 5.0 |
Overall Score | 4.8 / 5.0 |
Pros
Cons
Best Intermediate Driver w/out Adjustable Options
Cleveland Launcher XL Driver
Review
The Cleveland Launcher XL Driver is a great driver that doesn't have any of those adjustable options that many players don't want anyway – us included. The Launcher XL is Cleveland's lightest driver they've ever made, and it delivers consistently strong force to the golf ball through impact. It was consistently straight and provided good distance as well.
While it doesn't have the fancy adjustable tech, it still packs a significant amount of technology, including what Cleveland calls a flex fin clubface and a broader center of gravity that improves length and makes your shots more accurate.
We really liked the Cleveland Launcher XL Driver. Simply put, if you have never wanted to adjust your driver's club head and will never want to, the Launcher XL is perfect for you. It is our pick for top golf driver for mid handicappers without adjustable options.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Design | 4.7 |
Feel | 4.7 |
Forgiveness | 4.8 |
Loft | 4.7 |
Adjustable Options | 3.8 |
Overall Score | 4.5 / 5.0 |
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best Driver for Intermediate Golfers
Ping G410 Driver
Review
The Ping G410 Driver is a beast of a club. It delivers super distance and incredible feel on the sweet spot. You get consistently great ball speed off of impact, and it's a really great looking club.
There is a weight on the rear of the club's head made of tungsten which allows you to adjust the loft by 1 degree. The center of gravity was lowered and centered, making the ball rocket off the sweet spot for better launch angle and distance. The sound on a sweet spot impact is one of the best you will get from any club – honestly exhilarating.
The Ping G410 packs as much technology as any club we tested, and it performed as well as or better than any club we tested. Its looks rival those of the TaylorMade M4 as well. The only thing keeping the G410 from being our top pick is the steep price tag. If you want the absolute best driver for mid handicappers, regardless of price, the Ping G410 is hands down our pick for you.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Design | 4.9 |
Feel | 4.9 |
Forgiveness | 4.8 |
Loft | 4.8 |
Adjustable Options | 5.0 |
Overall Score | 4.9 / 5.0 |
Pros
Cons
FAQ
If you scroll up a bit, you will find the answer to this question. (Hint: Checkout our TaylorMade M4 driver review)
The most forgiving driver for intermediate golfers is the TaylorMade M4. You can see our review of that club higher up on this page.
An adjustable driver is a driver that has different settings that can be adjusted on the fly. For example, if you find your drives are flying lower than you would like, some drivers allow you to adjust the loft by one or two degrees, which would create a higher ball flight. Or if you find you are slicing your drives regularly, some drivers allow adjustments that might counteract this with a draw bias. Again, these adjustments can be made any time, including in the middle of a round of golf.
This really depends on your goals and where you sit in the mid-handicap spectrum. If you have been improving as a mid-handicap golfer and are continuing to improve, it might be time to get custom fit clubs. If you have a definitive goal of becoming a low-handicap golfer, and you currently shoot in the mid-handicap range, you should definitely get a custom fit driver. If you're content hanging out in the double digit handicap, we would not suggest getting your driver (or any clubs) custom fit.