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No two golfers have identical swings. Why, then, would we assume (or be led to assume) that any two golfers would require exactly the same thing from their equipment?
It’s our mission to understand what equipment best serves each unique golfer. The desire to capture more data is why our 2020 Most Wanted Driver Test consisted of 35 real humans and captured more than 15,540 shots. The more we know about the performance of each of the 37 drivers in our test, the better we can help narrow your choices.
It’s tempting to watch the PGA TOUR and assume the same drivers that work for the pros will also serve you. The data say otherwise. Once again, we’re segmenting our data for 2020 to provide more meaningful information to the individual golfer. We’ve broken down our driver test results into three different swing speed categories. For this breakdown, we’re focusing on mid swing speeds (95 to 105 miles per hour).
While overall results for the Most Wanted Driver test yielded small differences, the mid swing speed group showed a significant difference between the longest and shortest drivers. The mid swing speed group is the middle of the bell curve and encompasses the greatest number of golfers so likely you’ll find information here that applies to you.
Most Wanted For Mid Swing Speeds: Cobra SpeedZone Xtreme
Expert Consultant - Lou Stagner
Lou serves as the Director, Analytics at a multi-billion dollar privately held company. He has over 20 years of experience in analytics, data architecture, and machine learning across a variety of industries, including finance, manufacturing, and energy. Lou recently partnered with Scott Fawcett, creator of the DECADE system, where together, they use stats & analytics to help improve the games of professional and amateur golfers.
Follow @LouStagner on Twitter | PlayingLesson.com
Driver Buying Considerations
Performance should be your primary concern when buying a new driver but there are some additional considerations you may want to think about before you make your purchase.
ADJUSTABILITY
By leveraging the adjustability provided by club manufacturers, you can often turn a good driver into a great driver. Most everything on the market has an adjustable hosel which allows the golfer to tweak loft and face angle. Many golfers benefit from the draw and fade options available on drivers like the PING G410 Plus, Titleist TS3 and Mizuno ST200G, to name a few. Others benefit from the launch, spin and MOI changes offered by front-to-back weight systems like those on the Cobra King SpeedZone, Honma TR20 460 and Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero. For those looking for the best of both worlds, movable weight systems like those in the Mizuno ST200G and PXG 0811 X GEN2 series offer front-to-back as well as draw and fade positions.
SHAFT SELECTION
The shaft absolutely matters. For those who buy off the rack or take a DIY approach to club fitting, having a selection of stock offerings that span a variety of weight classes and include – at a minimum – low-, mid- and high-launch shaft options can make the difference between a driver that doesn’t perform and one that goes into your bag.
Distance vs. Forgiveness vs. Shot Shape Correction
While most every manufacturer has its version of the fast AND forgiving story, most are trying to strike the right balance that fits within their brand’s identity. The reality is that pushing ball speed limits often comes at the expense of MOI while maximizing forgiveness often means giving up a bit of speed and adding a bit of spin. It’s up to you to weigh how much speed you want against how much forgiveness you need.
It should also be noted that to create a draw bias (anti-slice correction), weight must be moved to the heel. That means pulling weight from the back of the club which often results in draw-biased models being less forgiving (lower MOI) than standard models from the same family.
Cost
The drivers in this test range in price from $199 to $650, excluding any exotic shaft upgrades. The top performers tend to fall towards the higher end of that price range but you can snag the Wilson D7 for $299.99. While $500 is rapidly becoming the new entry-level, those leveraging a cost-per-yard formula will have a hard time justifying paying that much.
Ping G410 SFT - The Slice Killer
The PING G410 SFT is ranked 6th in forgiveness and produced among the tighest dispersion of the drivers we tested. It's Strokes Gained performance is perhaps misleading. While it's not designed for every golfer, the SFT effectively takes the right-side of the course out of play. It had the most left-side favoring dispersion of any driver tested. It also produced the most left-tilted spin axis (draw spin) in the test.
What that means to you is that the G410 SFT does exactly what it's designed to do - help golfers who slice keep the ball in play.
2020 Most Wanted DRIVER DATA
To filter and compare by club, use the drop-down list and checkboxes to select only the drivers you wish to compare. Mobile users should flip their phones to landscape mode.
EXPERT TIP- Flat Settings
If you hook the ball look for a driver with a flat setting to help turn your hook into a mini draw. EX. Ping has created a tip that allows you to drop it into a flat setting, claiming it adjusts nearly three degrees flatter than standard.
MID SWING SPEEDS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 2020, SIMPLIFIED.
Congratulations, you’ve read further than most of your peers. So if you’re here, you get bonus in-depth information. Tell your friends. If you swing in the 95 to 105 mph range, take these notes into consideration.
- PING’s G410 performed above average in all metrics. The G410’s high MOI head makes it an extremely forgiving driver. The club head can also be manipulated to suit players that need either a draw or fade bias.
- If you tend to produce a lower spin rate, you probably also struggle to get the ball in the air, Wilson’s Launch Pad has placed the CG further back and down, situating it near the heel of the club head to promote higher launch and more spin. Additionally, the Launch Pad is a draw-bias.
- Exotic’s EXS 220 has proven itself on the Champions Tour and is a well-rounded top performer in this year’s driver test. The multi-adjustable hosel maximizes launch conditions for the mid swing speed group.
- During testing, the Tour Edge HL4 had a penetrating ball flight and low-spin combination that gave it just under a three-yard longer carry compared to the group average.
- We call the PING G410 SFT “the slice killer” and for the mid swing speed group it did exactly that. It’s a heel-weighted head so you won’t be visiting the right side of the course.
Taylormade Sim Max D - Slice Corrector
The Taylormade Sim Max D is a great option for golfers who need just a little bit of help with a slice. The draw-biased option favored the left side of the fairway, but not excessively. It's a crowd pleaser and performs well for a large number of golfers.
MORE BUYING TIPS
- Always be aware of shaft length. Clubs that are physically longer may produce a bit more distance on your best shots but they’re also generally less accurate and less consistent. There is no industry standard for how to measure so it’s not unusual for a company’s 45.5 inches to measure closer to 46. When demo-ing, be sure to consider the actual length of the clubs you’re testing. One may generate more distance simply because the shaft is longer. In the absence of a ruler, a side-by-side examination can help you understand if a club is really longer (distance) or the shaft is just longer.
- When you use your wrench to add or reduce loft, you’re also changing the face angle. Adding loft closes the face while reducing loft opens it. While we do leverage hosel adjustments to make small changes to launch and spin, very often we use those same adjustments to alter starting direction and improve accuracy. The same approach can work for you.
- Much like age, the loft stamped on your driver is just a number – an often meaningless one at that. Every driver has three lofts: what’s stamped on the club, the actual loft a given manufacturer is trying to hit, and the actual measured loft. When all is said and done, there isn’t as much overlap between the three as we’d hope – and that’s before we talk about center of gravity placement and dynamic loft. It’s not usual for one brand’s 9.5 to have the same loft as another’s 10.5 so if you’re a 9.5 guy in one manufacturer’s lineup, don’t assume you’re a 9.5 in everyone else’s.
- Not all adjustable weighting systems are created equal. If you plan to leverage adjustability to its fullest potential, look for systems that allow you to move significant mass over a wider area of the club head while keeping the weight close to the perimeter of the club.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Product | Lie | Length | Swingweight | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ben Hogan GS53 Check Price | 58 | 45.75 | D4 | |
Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Check Price | 60 | 45.75 | D3.4 | |
Cobra King SpeedZone Check Price | 58.5 | 45.75 | D4.2 | |
Cobra King SpeedZone Xtreme Check Price | 57.5 | 45.75 | D3.8 | |
Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Check Price | 58 | 45.75 | D3.8 | |
Honma TR-20 440 Check Price | 59 | 45.25 | D3.7 | |
Honma TR-20 460 Check Price | 59 | 45.25 | D4.8 | |
Honma XP-1 Check Price | 59.5 | 45.25 | D2.0 | |
INESIS 500 REG Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D4.8 | |
Lynx Black Cat Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D3.3 | |
Callaway Mavrik Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D1.9 | |
Callaway Mavrik Max Check Price | 59 | 45.25 | D3.0 | |
Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero Check Price | 59 | 45.5 | D4.0 | |
Mizuno ST 200X Check Price | 59 | 45.5 | C7.0 | |
Mizuno ST 200 Check Price | 56.5 | 45.25 | D4.5 | |
Mizuno ST 200G Check Price | 56.5 | 45.25 | D3.1 | |
PING G410 LST Check Price | 57 | 45.5 | D4.5 | |
PING G410 Plus Check Price | 58.5 | 45.5 | D3.0 | |
PING G410 SFT Check Price | 58.5 | 45.5 | D1.1 | |
PXG 0811 X Check Price | 60 | 45.25 | D4.2 | |
PXG 0811 XF Check Price | 60 | 45.25 | D3.2 | |
Srixon Z585 Check Price | 58 | 45.25 | D3.5 | |
Srixon Z785 Check Price | 58 | 45.25 | D4.7 | |
Sub 70 839D Check Price | 58 | 45.25 | D4.8 | |
TaylorMade Sim Check Price | 58 | 45.75 | D6.5 | |
TaylorMade Sim Max D Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D4.0 | |
TaylorMade Sim Max Check Price | 58 | 45.75 | D4.9 | |
Titleist TS4 Check Price | 58.5 | 45.25 | D5.6 | |
Titleist TS1 Check Price | 58.5 | 45.25 | C8.0 | |
Titleist TS2 Check Price | 58.5 | 45.25 | D5.2 | |
Titlesit TS3 Check Price | 58.5 | 45.25 | D4.4 | |
Tommy Armour 845 Check Price | 59 | 45.25 | D3.8 | |
Tour Edge HL4 Check Price | 57.5 | 45 | D1.4 | |
Wilson D7 Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D2.0 | |
Wilson Launch Pad Check Price | 58 | 45.5 | D2.0 | |
XXIO Eleven Check Price | 59 | 45.75 | D2.9 | |
XXIO X Black Check Price | 59 | 45.75 | D2.3 |
THE BEST DRIVERS FOR MID SWING SPEEDS 2020 – FAQ
Buying a New Driver
Q: How often should I buy a new driver?
A: While on rare occasions there are quantifiable year-over-year breakthroughs, typically it takes three to five years for manufacturers to make any significant performance gains. With the USGA further tightening restrictions on manufacturers, it’s possible, even likely, that it will take longer still moving forward. Our recommendation is to buy a new driver only when it appreciably outperforms what is already in your bag. Of course, if you want a new driver because you want a new driver, that’s fine, too.
Q: With all the talk of new face technology, is there one driver that produces significantly more ball speed?
A: Across our test pool as a whole, we found no significant ball speed advantage that can be attributed to face technology. It’s true that some drivers worked significantly better for individual golfers than others but thus far, we’ve found no evidence to suggest any one brand has a significant ball speed advantage over its competitors.
Q: Does the shaft matter?
A: Absolutely. While changes to spin and launch and spin differences are rarely massive, shaft changes frequently lead to improved accuracy, tighter dispersion and greater overall consistency.
Q: What should I look for when testing drivers?
A: While golfers have been conditioned to consider distance to the exclusion of nearly everything else, we recommended looking at the little numbers and looking for small circles. When comparing metrics like distance and ball speed, be sure to look at your standard deviations (the small numbers usually found under the big ones on the data screen). Smaller numbers mean better consistency which will usually mean more than an extra yard or two on the golf course. Similarly, look for tighter dispersion ellipses (small circles). We can’t overstate the importance of consistency with the driver.
Q: Is there any downside to adjustability?
A: Yes, but… With many designs, adjustable hosels weigh significantly more than their glued alternatives so manufacturers have to find workarounds to offset the additional weight in an area where additional weight is undesirable. Furthermore, movable weight systems require complex physical structures that eat up otherwise discretionary mass and often have sound and feel consequences. That said, in most cases the fitting versatility more than offsets those negatives. This is especially true for golfers who choose not to work directly with a fitter.
How Adjusting Loft Impacts Launch and Spin
Did you know that adjusting the loft of your driver by 1° changes launch angle by approximately .8° and alters spin by +/-300RPM?
Most Wanted
Q: How are the drivers in test fitted to each golfer?
A: We use a fitting process that we call “fit from stock.” Drivers are fitted to each tester using the stock no up-charge options from each manufacturer. We test with stamped lofts between nine and 10.5 degrees and fully utilize the fitting capability within each manufacturer’s lineup. This includes leveraging loft, lie, and face angle adjustability (hosel), movable weights and available shafts.
Q: How is the “Most Wanted Driver” determined?
A: To determine the Most Wanted Driver, we look at a variety of performance metrics based on data collected with Foresight GCQuad Launch Monitors. For each tester, we calculate strokes gained across all testers. The Most Wanted driver is the is the one that produced the highest strokes gained relative to the average across the entire test cohort.
Q: How do you break down the test by swing speed?
A: In order to determine the best-performing drivers at a given swing speed, we broke the data down into even groups based on testers’ average swing speed. For the mid swing speeds, 12 testers in our Most Wanted Driver Test produced driver swing speeds between 95 and 105 mph.
Q: How is the “Longest Driver” determined?
A: To determine the Longest Driver, we consider the average total yards across the test pool along with the statistical reliability of that data. We also look at a narrower subset of the data that includes only the longest few shots hit by each tester with each club.
Q: How is the “Most Forgiving Driver” determined?
A: To determine the Most Forgiving Driver, we focus on a narrower set of metrics that includes shot area (dispersion), accuracy and the average standard deviation for ball speed and carry yards.
Q: How much does subjective feedback like looks, sound and feel factor into your rankings?
A: ZERO. Our rankings are based purely on launch monitor data and quantifiable performance metrics.
Greg
7 months agoThe point of the story is go get fitted, or at least demo a few clubs. . I swing my driver 90mph, so I should be in the slow swing category, but my driving yardage numbers match the mid-speed category and I ha e the numbers to back this up. I tried a few of the slow swing driver recommendations and they just didn’t fit, the winner for me was the Cobra SZ with a Hzrdus shaft. It was on my radar but behind the Ping based on these reports, but the real world numbers for me at least, the Cobra destroyed the Ping in every single category.
Ken M.
9 months agoQuestion.: I have an old TM R11s that I still hit better than other drivers I’ve tried. It has a stiff shaft, all others I’ve hit have regular flex shafts. I’m 61 and don’t swing as fast anymore. Are stiff shafts only for high swing speed players? I get more control with stiff shaft too.
Funkaholic
9 months agoShaft flex tied to swing speed is a myth, while there are limits, flex is not a universal measurement. Get a proper fitting, it is the only way to find the shaft and head combination that work for you. I only swing 102-103 and I play rifle 6.5 in my irons because I need heavy shafts and I have an aggressive transition and tend to hit very high. Depending on the manufacturer, I use stiff to x-stiff in my woods for the same reason. Light shafts of any flex cause me all sorts of control issues. I may be giving up a little distance but, I would rather be able to control my shots.
chrisk
9 months agoAmen to that. I swing my driver about 95-100 mph (not so fast, but not so slow either), and i’ve found the extra stiff 6.5 60g hazardous “smoke” shaft in my Callaway Epic Flash gives me incredible control without losing any discernable distance (basically, curvature from hooks or slices is dramatically reduced). I was playing a normal stiff hazardous 6.0 55 gram shaft before the change. That shaft business truly is unique to most everyone, which is unfortunate because it can be expensive and time-consuming to find what works best.
John B
9 months agoI got fitted today at Edwin Watts. I hit the Speedzone Extreme, Maverick, SIM, SIM Max, Ping 410, and Wilson D7. At first the D7 was the most accurate and forgiving club and was giving me about 10+ yards vs my old driver. After the first round the SIM, 410, and D7 stood out. By the end of the first round I was completely warmed up. The interesting thing was I hit the D7 first and the Ping 410 and SIM LAST. So I was swinging around 94mph with the D7 and 100mph with the 410 and SIM in the first rounds. In the second round I could not control the D7 after I warmed up and was really grooving the SIM. So, when my swing got closer to 100mph, the D7 really fell off for me. I finally chose the SIM as it was super long and the adjustability really helped calm my miss (hook). Glad I got fitted and this article really is right. Swing speed matters when selecting a club and shaft. I went in thinking Cobra or Wilson based on this article, but the fitting really proved the SIM was the best driver for me.
Steve S
10 months agoI’ll ask the same question here as the slower swing speed article. OK, what am I missing? 135 mph ball speed translates to about 90-93 mph swing speed with a 1.45-1.48 smash factor. That is no where near 105 mph or 100. They would be smash factors below 1.4 which would be pretty crappy off center strikes. MGS is datacratic, right? Please show the rest of the data. And will we get to see the individual data for the 35 golfers? For me at least,the individual data was useful for comparing where I am vs. the new drivers.
JasonA
10 months agoKind of agree, but
There is a consistent difference between how Trackman and GC Quad measure club head speed. Which means with GC excellent strike is 1.45 smash, wheras same would read 1.50 on TM.
95 mph would need 1.42 smash (excellent strike) to hit 135 MPH
100 mph would need 1.35 (only 0.1 off ideal ) to hit 135 MPH
In this speed range not mostly dealing with expert golfers, so the average smash numbers don’t look particularly off to me.
BTW GC2 Quad number should be more accurate for club head speed.
Steve D
10 months agoAccording to Trackman research, the average male swings at 93, with a ball speed of 132, launch of 12.7 (too low), and spin of 3200 (too high).
So the above is bang on for mid speed players.
100-105 is way above mid-speed..
As I age my swing speed has dropped to being just below that average, although my ball speed is slightly higher and my distance notably longer because I hit up on the ball and have much lower spin.
So this segmentation makes eminent sense.
Were I to nit-pick though, I’d love to see MGS split the figures based on angle of attack (like PXG is doing with their new drivers.
In a fitting sense I think that makes way more of a difference than pure swing or ball speed to slot one into the right driver.
On the other hand, for me, drivers are even closer than the figures above would suggest.. Since my first proper fitting with a Callaway GBB in 2016, every lowish spin driver has produced virtually identical results. My current TM SIM has the same ballspeed (134), same launch (17*), same spin (2000), same carry (220) and same total (245).
Given I’m four years older and in my sixties this is either proof of driver improvement, or proof there has been no improvement.
Steve S
10 months agoSteve D, could also be proof that you don’t really NEED a new driver!
Steve D
10 months agoAbsolutely. Since snapping the shaft in the R7 Superquad I played for 10 years I’ve gone through at least a dozen drivers. Apart from the Titleist D910, I’ve hit them all the about the same.
When I go back through my proper Trackman fittings the ‘winners’ were pretty much the same on good hits as the losers. I just happened to swing better for that series.
At my last fitting the Cobra F9 produced the same numbers as above every shot in a row with smash factor 1.50. Couldn’t miss.
I hit the G410 I was gaming a bit heely, a bit toey and not quite as well overall. Cobra wins! But at the previous fitting I’d hit the Ping well with the same numbers as the F9.
So given my numbers are close to ideal, hoing drivers is kind of silly.
However, I lent a friend my backup Callaway Fusion the other day. He has an ancient Nike that launches too low, spins too much and misses both ways.
The Fusion gave him height, straightness and 25 yards.
Mick Close
10 months agoExcellent information as always but I am wondering how the ball speed and distance can be different for the D7 between its place as runner up and best value. Was this a typo or am I missing something?
Trip D
10 months agoHere”s a little shout out for MGS. I took the $9 driver fitting test some time ago and it recommended a Wilson D7, 9 degree, in a stiff flex. I thought this was a rather bizarre recommendation, since I’m 73 years old, didn’t start playing until I was 55, and have been playing a Taylormade 13 degree in a regular flex. My swing speed is about 85-90, and I’ve been playing a high loft because that’s what you’re supposed to do at my age…I don’t play much anymore, but when I hit the D7 on the screws, (occasionally…) it goes farther. I’ve only played 3 times this year so far, so I’ve got some adjusting to do, but I think the D7 will be longer for me. I bought it used (like new condition) from Rock Bottom Golf for $170, so it didn’t involve much risk like a $500 driver would have.. I’ve become a MGS devotee, and I tell my golfing friends about you all the time. I enjoy the podcasts, but I could do with a few less four letter words. Otherwise, go MGS!!
Nick Aquilino
10 months agoI have not read the complete article but an obvious question, to me at least, is were all the drivers tested using the same shaft? Or were they tested with their individual stock shafts? If so, keep in mind stock shafts are often labeled the same but can and do vary significantly from one shaft to another. It follows that different copies of the same manufacturer’s model driver club is likely to produce different results. If this is true the test results seem rather arbitrary particularly when differences between clubs are a couple of yards at most.
Kansas King
10 months agoThe data is interesting and you’re testing is appreciated. However, I don’t the information and data gleaned from these tests is useful or meaningful for the individual person. At best the data just shows that the XXIO Eleven driver should probably be avoided. The other factor these tests show is that getting fitted for the driver is everything. The driver and maybe 3 wood are the two most important clubs in the bag that should be fitted regarding the shaft.
It would be interesting to see the difference between getting fit indoors on a launch monitor vs outdoors at a driving range with launch monitor data. It would be interesting to see if seeing the actual ball flight would affect the fitting. I know the GCQuads are accurate but I golf with several people who get new sticks every year and it seems they tend have too high spin on the course with ballooning shots or they are long but not accurate at all. I don’t know if the fitters are just focusing on the wrong numbers or what.
It would also be interesting to see a test where you took a small group of amateur golfers and had them go through a fitting session a few times over a season. I’m interested in seeing how much an amateur’s swing changes their fitting as many people with a handicap over 5 aren’t real consistent week over week.
Tim
10 months agoIs the 0.062 strokes gained from first to last significant? How many rounds would l have to play to notice a stroke gained?
Scotty
10 months ago16..13 holes/ drives.
Woody
10 months agoTony – How does Ping 410 LST win “Most Wanted Driver” but doesn’t win in Low, Mid, High?
mackdaddy9
10 months agoWow what is really jumping out at me is how close the numbers are for the shots gained. It made me switch to the dispersion section and then the numbers really seemed to have lots of variance. I know nothing about shots gained. I do know that when I play I want my driver to max out distance and have the tightest dispersion. So what is strokes gained looking at for a driver?
Dee
10 months agoSo the Ping LST spins higher at this swing speed than the Plus? Seems counterintuitive right?
Tony Covey
10 months agoWe’re always trying to hit optimal launch windows when we fit testers to each club. In trying to hit those windows, we often need to add a bit of launch and spin to lower spin designs and take a bit off of mid-to-high spin designs. When you do that across a pool of 35 golfers, it’s not uncommon for there to be some crossover.
Bob T
10 months agoYou should list which shafts were tested in each model to arrive at the result. It makes a huge difference. Specify H, M, L launch and stiffness. I use a stiff shaft for my driver and am around 100 mph swing speed, occasionally getting up to 103. Some drivers play better for me as stiff and others play better as regular, at least according to the launch monitor in my local Edwin Watts golf store.
shortside
10 months agoI keep telling myself NEXT YEAR is the year I go to Club Champion and really get fit for a driver.
Yes with a good finish on my swing I’ll get it out there 235+ and find more fairways than not. But I’ve yet to see a video where even a scratch player didn’t show a clear improvement with a truly fitted driver. Much less any other club in the bag.
Sans a few outliers it’s amazing how close they all are. And frankly I’d be surprised if even those didn’t perform better with the right shaft and length combo for any given player.
Just for the record I bag a Cobra F8+ stock shaft and length. I always have my shafts cut down to 44 1/4 but for some reason I just haven’t felt a need to with this one. Hitting 6 to 9 fairways more often than not. So go figure.
Thanks again to everyone at MGS. Your efforts are appreciated. I always use your data for a starting point.