- Hand Orientation: Right
- Shaft Material: Graphite
- Flex: Stiff
- Hand Orientation: Right
- Material: MRC Tensei Blue 50
- Flex: Lite
- Hand Orientation: Right
- Shaft Material: Graphite
- Flex: Regular
- Hand Orientation: Right
- Shaft Material: Graphite
- Flex: Stiff
- Hand Orientation: Right
- Shaft Material: Graphite
- Flex: Regular
Choose the Best Golf Driver For Mid Handicappers
Customer’s Choice: the Best Rated Golf Drivers For Mid Handicappers
37 users answered this survey. Please help us improve this review!
If you are a mid handicapper who’s looking to improve your game stats, you’ve come to the right place. According to the USGA, golf handicaps are used to level the playing field between players of different skill levels. Nearly 50% of golfers fall in the medium handicap range. Most medium handicap players have large sweet spots. As a result, balls travel faster, further, and more accurately. After testing out several consumer favorites, we’ve narrowed down our list to just five of the most rewarding golf drivers for mid handicappers.
Table of Contents
Callaway Men’s X2 Hot Driver – Best Mid Handicap Driver
The Callaway X2 Hot Driver features an Aldila Tour Blue 55 graphite shaft with your choice of stiff or regular flex. The X2’s hosel can be adjusted in 1-degree increments.
Its new and improved Hyper Speed Face offers users enhanced ball speed and a larger sweet spot. The driver is designed to redirect off-center shots. The X2 will add several yards to your long-distance shots. Not to mention, it will improve your hitting accuracy. The Callaway shaft feels fabulous and looks astounding!
Cobra 2018 Golf Men’s King F8 Driver – Best Upgrade Option
The King F8 Driver is one of Cobra’s top drivers. The shaft is made from semi-rigid graphite. The driver’s face is composed of ultra-responsive precision-milled titanium with E9 technology and a multi-directional CNC pattern.
Players gain lots of ball speed and even more hitting precision. The club’s oversized head is especially forgiving. It translates to less missed hits and extra yardage.
Cobra recommends this driver for golfers with moderate to high swing speeds. The oversized clubhead automatically redirects off-center strikes. Still, the head’s circular milling serves as an indicator of its exact sweet spot. Balls gain speed regardless of where they come in contact with the Cobra. The driver’s carbon crown even features moveable weights. This technology allows players to alter the angle of the lie. In doing so, players gain even more precision.
TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Black Driver – Best Stainless Steel Driver
TaylorMade’s RBZ Black Driver has a precision-milled titanium head with an adjustable loft leave and a titanium core. The club launches balls high, offering them a spin-free trajectory and lots of distance.
The RBZ features a White Tie 55 Shaft. The White Tie Shaft has a black satin finish and a textured TM grip. The club is available with 9.5-, 10.5-, and 12-degree loft configurations.
The RBZ’s proprietary Speed Pocket limits side spins while enhancing launch distances. Players can expect to see 20 to 50 yards of gains when switching to this TaylorMade driver. Golfers can move the loft weights up and down to customize the head’s trajectory.
Cobra 2017 Golf Men’s King F7 Driver Connect – Best Smart Driver for mid handicappers
The grip of Cobra’s F7 Driver features a customized electronic tracking device. The device enables players to track their swing stats on any paired smartphone. The driver also has a forged titanium hitting surface.
As such, it sends balls rocketing down fairways. The club’s Smartpad-8 loft features adjustable weights, enabling players to fine-tune the angle of the club to better suit their personal playing style. Players can also adjust the settings in the front, back, and heel of the club’s face. Overall, the Cobra’s lightweight crown and large sweet spot provide unmatched forgiveness.
TaylorMade M4 Driver – Best Budget Option
TaylorMade’s M4 Driver is designed to provide handicapped golf players with lots of velocity, and accuracy. This driver boasts a one-of-a-kind Twist Face Technology. The head is made up of a complex network of angles.
The slight tilts are engineered to redirect hapless hits. The driver also has an adjustable hosel. This element enables players to increase and decrease the angle of their loft.
The driver comes with a graphite Atmos Red by Fujikura shaft. The M4 has a 10.5-degree loft angle and regular flexibility. It is available in left- and right-hand orientations. The oversized hammerhead slot eliminates unwanted side spin while encourages far-reaching distance shots. The M4’s Geocuestic sole generates a superb hit sound. You can adjust the club’s aluminum slot in 4-degree increments. The adjustable loft enables players to fine-tune the amount of vibration s felt upon impact.
Buyer’s Guide – How to Pick the Best Driver for a Mid Handicappers
Face Design
Opt for a golf driver with a face that will improve your handicap rating. Big, corrective faces will give you more control over your hits. Players with high handicaps should use drivers with big, lightweight titanium clubheads. Some manufacturers play around with the angle and design of their club heads.
Foregiveness
There are a lot of little elements that go into a club’s forgiveness rating. A forgiving golf club is going to salvage shots regardless of poor contact points and bad swing techniques. Clubs with high forgiveness ratings enable players to move past their biggest faults and enjoy the game.
Adjustability
You may be able to adjust the angle of your golf club’s hitting face. Most modern golfers prefer drivers with high launch angles. Most drivers feature lofts between 8.5 and 12 degrees.
Many clubs also feature moveable weights. These adjustable elements enable players to correct their playing flaws and dramatically improve their on-the-green performances. Adjustable clubs may enable you to alter the angle of your driver’s loft in 1- to 5-degree increments.
Shaft
Most golf drivers boast graphite shafts. Standard men’s shafts are 44 inches long. Meanwhile, the standard length for women’s shafts is 43 inches. The maximum legal length of driver shafts is 48 inches. Players can choose any shaft that fits within their flex range.
For the most part, players with faster swing speeds should be using more rigid shafts. A specialized shaft will help you maximize the speed of your golf swings. Don’t forget to test out a club’s grip before sealing a deal.
Add-Ons
We are seeing more and more computer technologies used in today’s golf drivers. These devices help players track the distance of their shots. They also help players analyze their golfing stats and make more accurate adjustments. Technological advancements help players to hone in on the trajectory, distance, and spin of their hits. These high-tech tools make old school clubs look like they are from the dark ages.
Golf Drivers for Mid-Handicappers FAQ:
What does a mid-handicap mean in golf?
Despite the fact there is a strict definition of a handicap in golf, it is quite easy to explain what it means. Handicap means the total of the player’s strokes that he or she is capable of hitting under or over par on a golf course.
For example, if you play on a par 72 course and hit over 82 strokes, your handicap level is 10. You may check how to calculate your handicap here. Or use one of the automatic handicap calculators available on many specific websites.
What is the average golf handicap? The USGA calculated the value of the average golf handicap. But most players agree that this system of calculation is false. That is why professional golfers do not follow this USGA system. The average score of golf players is 90 points – this is what the system claims. But in reality, most of the U.S. players can easily shoot over 100 points. This number is closer to the average handicap level.
For male golf players, the real handicap is calculated on an average of 40 rounds. Female players need to play just 25 rounds to calculate their handicap level.
What is the best driver for a 20-level handicapper?
Many beginners dream about achieving the handicap skill of 20 or even higher. If you are already a 20-level handicapper. According to the USGA statistics, only 43% can achieve this level. Even fewer can boast the handicap value of 20 on a regular basis.
Mid and high-handicappers with such value should look for the drivers with such features:
- The extra stiff shaft;
- Small and thin clubface;
- Adjustable length of the shaft;
- Low loft angle;
Other features depend on your average swing speed and the distance you want to achieve. A few popular brands offer great drivers for mid-handicappers:
- TaylorMade M4 offers the top-notch experience with a decent level of forgiveness for mid-handicappers;
- Callaway Men’s Rogue drivers offer a bunch of adjustable features for a better flight plan;
- Lightweight Cobra King F8 drivers are capable of delivering off-the-chart performance at a reasonable price;
What is the easiest golf driver to hit?
All mid-handicappers who want to improve their level ask this question. Typically an average golfer can shoot in the distance from 7 to 20. This means their average score range is 80-90. To upgrade to stable 90, or 100 the players need to practice a lot. That is why they should invest in the most forgiving but at the same time good for practicing drivers.
Mid-handicappers usually consider such factors when buying forgiving drivers:
- The club shaft flex. You may choose among a regular flex, senior flex or stiff flex shafts, according to your personal swing speed;
- Larger clubfaces with enormous sweet spots are the most forgiving ones;
- The loft is important. Most drivers have the lofts with the angle ranging from 9 to 12. The lower the loft’s angle, the lower the ball may fly. If you seek accuracy, the loft angle should be 11 or 12 degrees. Otherwise, stick to 9-degree loft drivers;
- The drivers for average golfers should have adjustable weights. This feature may help to practice a fade, neutral, or draw ball flight;
The previously mentioned TaylorMade M4 can easily fit all these criteria, as well as Cleveland Men’s Launcher HB drivers. These two drivers are worth checking if you are looking for affordable and easy to hit clubs to improve your handicap.
What is the most forgiving TaylorMade driver?
Typically forgiving drivers have a higher loft angle and bigger club heads. All recognizable manufacturers offer a lineup of different golf drivers for the players with different handicap values. It is a bit of a challenging task to choose the most forgiving driver in the U.S. market. It is much easier to focus on a specific brand. One of the most popular brands among golfers all around the world is TaylorMade. And the manufacturer offers a bunch of forgiving drivers.
For example, you may test these TaylorMade (TM) drivers:
- TM M1 is the most classic driver appreciated by a few generations of golfers. Considered as one of the best and longest drivers ever created this driver can deliver the performance improvement you seek. The highlights of this model are the Multi-Material construction and a 6-layer thin and light crown made of composite metals and carbon;
- TM M5 offers the upgraded hammerhead (2.0) and ultra-thin clubface made of titanium. One of the unique features is Inverted Cone tech. This model is almost 66% larger than TM M3 and 100% larger than the classic TM M1. Golfers appreciate this driver for the Inverted T-Track tech to experience high MOI and the massive level of forgiveness;
What is the handicap of the average golfer?
The USGA system defines average handicap as 90. However, this value is a bit outdated. So, in fact your average score defines the handicap value. Here is how you may calculate it:
- If you shoot over 100 points when playing an 18-hole course, with the par about 72, then your handicap value is about 28;
- If you shoot about 95 with the same conditions, your handicap is about 20;
- If you shoot about 90 or 90 precisely, then the handicap value is 18;
- If you shoot 85, then your handicap is about 11-12;
Most mid-handicappers (average golf players) have a handicap value between 11 and 20 roughly.
How many golfers can break 90?
Despite the discussion about the USGA system of handicap values, many golfers have to follow it, especially on the semi-professional and professional tournaments. According to the recent handicap statistics, about 74% of U.S. golf players have a handicap value of 18 (under 90). So at least 74% of golfers are capable of breaking 90 and achieve the average handicap value. However, not all of them are capable of breaking 90 regularly.
Of course, this is subjective. 90 is a fine score called as +18 bogey golf. If you consistently break 90, you belong only to 10-15% of all U.S. golfers and you can be proud of yourself.
Interesting Video: Top 5 Forgiving Drivers For Mid to High Handicaps of 2019
In Conclusion
Your driver is one of the most vital clubs you can carry in your bag. Don’t screw up your fairway stats by relying on borrowed or rented golf clubs. When you opt for high-tech equipment, you increase your chance of success. With handicap-specific clubs, you can gain confidence and lower your score. We hope you enjoyed our reviews of the top golf drivers for mid handicaps! Are you ready to update your golf bag? Have you been eyeing one of our top drivers? Let us know in the comment section!