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The most comprehensive driver test of 2024 backed by more than a decade of experience from the industry leaders in independent golf club testing.
Our 2024 Driver Test is among the largest we’ve ever conducted. This year, we tested 37 models from the largest brands of golf alongside smaller brands vying for your attention and dollars.
In total, our team spent more than 240 hours collecting and analyzing data from a test pool of 35 avid golfers just like you. To identify the best drivers, we considered a variety of Distance, Accuracy, and Forgiveness metrics. We looked at averages while also seeking to identify which drivers were among the very best for each of our testers.
This article is specific to high swing speed golfers. We categorize high swing speeds as 105 mph and above. If that is you, these results are for you.
These are the best drivers of 2024 for high swing speed golfers.
You want to play the best driver. We want you to play the best driver for you. It is that simple.
In this year’s test, there were drivers that repeatedly blew us away. Each of these drivers is the leader or among the leaders in our three scoring categories – distance, accuracy, or forgiveness. These are our data-driven results – the most comprehensive you’ll find anywhere. Check out the best drivers overall for high swing speeds.
We’ve included subjective feedback from our testers, however, it does not factor in the rankings. Performance should always trump opinion when it comes to purchasing a new golf club. Backed by more than a decade of golf club testing experience, we can confidently state that opinion doesn’t always match reality.
Review Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Distance Score
Price
TaylorMade Qi10 LS is one of the best drivers for accuracy in our high swing speed category. For 36% of our testers, Qi10 LS ranked in the Top 5 for our straight shot metric at high swing speeds.
Similar to its accuracy ranking, TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver was in the Top 5 for 36% of our testers for total yards. Combine this with accuracy and you have the making of a phenomenal driver for faster swinging golfers.
For us, forgiveness is how consistent a golf club is at producing similar shot metrics off the face. In our high swing speed category, TaylorMade Qi10 LS places in the bottom half of the field for our forgiveness scoring category. So, be wary if you expect this driver to be forgiving.
Do you have a fast or high swing speed? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver placed in the Top 10 overall in our 2024 Most Wanted Driver test. Upon further evaluation, TaylorMade Qi10 LS is the best driver for fast or high swing speed golfers according to our data driven results. It isn’t necessarily the best for a specific scoring category, but it ranks highly for distance and the second best driver for accuracy among faster swinging golfers. You can’t beat a lethal combination of accuracy and distance potential. Check it out for yourself.
Most consistent TaylorMade driver with keeping the spin down. I can see myself gaming this driver.
Best looking and feeling driver that I can recall hitting in the past 5-6 years. Very impressive.
Setup is square at address and the aesthetics are phenomenal overall. One of the best looking TaylorMade drivers.
Specific to high swing speeds, TaylorMade Qi10 LS is arguably one of the best drivers. As a “low-spin” driver, it handles spin effectively, which will be important for most faster swinging golfers. You have plenty of fitting optimization available to you, which can enhance overall performance for accuracy and distance. Our data already suggests it excels with accuracy.
As swing speeds increase, misses tend to widen. In this case, we see the TaylorMade Qi10 LS handle the speed increase by mitigating miss hits. If you are a golfer who has speed and wants more accuracy (with distance potential), TaylorMade Qi10 LS is a great starting point.
Review Score
Distance Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Price
PING G430 LST excels at distance in our high swing speed category. It finishes in our Top 5 percent evaluation for 36% of our testers for carry yards and 45% for total yards.
For 27% of our testers, the PING G430 LST driver was in their Top 5 for straight shot percentage. This demonstrates the G430 LST's ability to extremely straight for faster swinging drivers.
Performance wise, PING G430 LST thrives in our high swing speed category. However, it is still a hit or miss driver for subjective feedback. Acoustics are arguably better over the G425 lineup, but some still don't like the sound or feel. Others think the "turbulators" are distracting.
For high swing speed golfers, PING G430 LST ranks 2nd overall according to our data driven testing results. It ranks in the Top 5 for distance and accuracy. If you are a fast or high swinging golfer, a driver that offers distance and accuracy is a killer combo. You can’t beat that potential. Check out PING G430 LST driver today.
Best feeling PING driver I’ve hit in years. Love it.
Felt good no matter where I hit it on the face. Very impressive performance as well. Hard to beat.
Very nice feel and it produces consistent results across the board.
Top to bottom, PING G430 LST is one of the best drivers for high swing speeds. It is a triple threat for distance, accuracy, and surprisingly, forgiveness and consistency. Some may not like the subjective appeal of it, but you can’t knock it on performance.
Low-spin technology, but manages spin well without knuckling. It offers above average forgiveness and consistency with distance and accuracy to boot.
Review Score
Distance Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Price
Srixon ZX7 Mk II is the best driver for carry distance in our high swing speed category. For nearly 55% of our testers, it was in their Top 5 percentage for carry distance. ZX7 Mk II excels with carry distance.
Forgiveness is Srixon ZX7 Mk II's weakness. It places in the bottom half of the field for forgiveness. Our forgiveness metric evaluates how consistent a golf club is at producing similar shot outcomes. Specifically, ball speed and carry deltas, and dispersion.
Overall, Srixon ZX7 Mk II driver is one of the best in back to back years for driver testing. It is even more of a standout in our high swing speed category. With its 3rd place finish, it cements itself as one of the best drivers for faster swinging golfers. Why is it so good? Well, it is the runner up for distance. It also finishes in the top 8 for accuracy in our high swing speed evaluation. Much like others at the top of the field, it offers tremendous upside for distance and accuracy.
Really like the contrast between the crown and the face. It provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance at address. The face seems hot as well.
Really impressive, low-spinning, great look and feel. A dark horse driver for sure.
The feel is off-putting for me. But, the driver is stupid consistent.
Srixon ZX7 Mk II shouldn’t be overlooked any longer. It excels with distance and accuracy in our high swing speed results. Internally, our biggest knock against it is the lack of driver shafts available. However, this doesn’t show up in its overall performance. It’s one of the best drivers on the market. Check it out.
The Srixon ZX7 Mk II is a driver that is the epitome of “untapped” potential. We believe it will only be better if you go through a professional fitting that offers you a shaft specific to you.
Distance is king. When you are looking for a new golf club, what’s the number one thing you’re looking for?
Distance.
Being long off the tee is a huge advantage. Anyone who says distance doesn’t matter is delusional.
Being long off the tee is a huge advantage. High-swing speed players tend to get great distance off the tee, but the best golf drivers will give even more. Anyone who says distance doesn’t matter is delusional.
*Please note that the scores for the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D represent its scores from our 2024 Most Wanted Driver Test. It finishes 4th overall in our high swing speed results.*
Review Score
Distance Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Price
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D has a distance score of 9.9/10 for our high swing speed results. The Paradym Ai Smoke Max D was in the Top 5 for carry distance and total distance for 45% of the test pool. This helps propel it narrowly past the Srixon ZX7 Mk II.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D is draw-biased. By design, it is suppose to help limit a slice or fade. The driver adaptor sleeve also allows for a draw setting. In testing, it was the fourth best driver at producing a shot outcome left of the target line.
Since the Paradym Ai Smoke Max D is a draw-biased driver, we recommend you avoid it.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D is the best driver for distance in our high swing speed results. For us, distance is a combination of carry and total distance. In testing, Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D excels with carry and total distance. It narrowly beats out the Srixon ZX7 Mk II.
Feedback across the face is great. It lets you know where you hit it.
First Callaway driver I’ve liked in some time. I was pleasantly surprised!
Stellar balance, very workable and the distance is there. It also sits great despite being a draw-biased driver.
Don’t let this draw bias driver fool you. It packs a punch. For a consecutive year, Callaway’s draw bias driver is one of the best. It is the shock and awe driver of 2024, and the best for distance. It performs for a multitude of golfers, including high swing speed golfers.
You good players who suffer with a block right or left (depending on which side of the ball you stand on) shouldn’t overlook this draw biased head. This driver offered both distance and forgiveness to most of our testers.
Review Score
Distance Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Price
Srixon ZX7 Mk II is the best driver for carry distance in our high swing speed category. For nearly 55% of our testers, it was in their Top 5 percentage for carry distance. ZX7 Mk II excels with carry distance.
Forgiveness is Srixon ZX7 Mk II's weakness. It places in the bottom half of the field for forgiveness. Our forgiveness metric evaluates how consistent a golf club is at producing similar shot outcomes. Specifically, ball speed and carry deltas, and dispersion.
Overall, Srixon ZX7 Mk II driver is one of the best in back to back years for driver testing. It is even more of a standout in our high swing speed category. With its 3rd place finish, it cements itself as one of the best drivers for faster swinging golfers. Why is it so good? Well, it is the runner up for distance. It also finishes in the top 8 for accuracy in our high swing speed evaluation. Much like others at the top of the field, it offers tremendous upside for distance and accuracy.
Really like the contrast between the crown and the face. It provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance at address. The face seems hot as well.
Really impressive, low-spinning, great look and feel. A dark horse driver for sure.
The feel is off-putting for me. But, the driver is stupid consistent.
Srixon ZX7 Mk II shouldn’t be overlooked any longer. It excels with distance and accuracy in our high swing speed results. Internally, our biggest knock against it is the lack of driver shafts available. However, this doesn’t show up in its overall performance. It’s one of the best drivers on the market. Check it out.
The Srixon ZX7 Mk II is a driver that is the epitome of “untapped” potential. We believe it will only be better if you go through a professional fitting that offers you a shaft specific to you.
While we acknowledge distance is a priority, accuracy shouldn’t be discounted, especially with a driver. Keeping the golf ball in play off the tee is critical to shooting lower scores. As golfers, we are always chasing after the perfect driver or searching for that magical unicorn. Instead, finding a driver that is accurate is the first step to bettering your golf game. After all, if a driver is both accurate and long, that is a recipe for success.
Below are the best drivers for accuracy for high swing speeds.
Review Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Distance Score
Price
COBRA Darkspeed X is the best driver for accuracy in our Best Drivers of 2024 – High Swing Speed results. For 45% of our testers, Darkspeed X was the top performing driver for straight shot percentage. We evaluate this metric by seeing how often a certain club is in the Top 5 for each tester for a given metric.
No matter how much we encourage golfers to buy based on performance, we acknowledge subjective appeal will influence a golf club purchase. COBRA Darkspeed X was the highest rated COBRA driver in our testing for sound, feel, looks, and likelihood of purchase.
Despite its stellar accuracy performance, COBRA Darkspeed X is purely average when it comes to distance and forgiveness for high swing speed golfers.
COBRA Darkspeed X driver excels for high swing speed golfers based on our data. It is the best driver for accuracy at high swing speeds. This is an outstanding accomplishment for a driver that may have underperformed in our official Most Wanted Driver test. It isn’t the longest or the most forgiving driver for high swing speeds. However, it’s accuracy score propels it to a 6th place ranking overall for our high swing speed category. Go check it out.
It is simple – a great F****** driver. They nail it for looks, feel, and sound, too.
Very impressive overall, except I’m not a fan of the matte black finish. Definitely peaks my interest based on performance.
Amazing driver – sits perfectly to my eye and the ball speed is solid.
Aesthetically pleasing and offers tremendous performance upside.
COBRA Darkspeed X is another driver with “untapped” potential. For our high swing speed results, it is the best driver for accuracy. The Darkspeed X has movable weights that can bring forth potential distance gains. However, this may lead to a loss in accuracy. This driver is all about finding the appropriate balance for you and your needs.
If you like an all black affair, then this driver may offer you the sex appeal you’re looking with a head that’s prone to accuracy. Some may find the all black a bit subtle with not enough alignment help, but that may be offset by the contrast it offers with the golf ball in play.
Review Score
Accuracy
Forgiveness
Distance Score
Price
TaylorMade Qi10 LS is one of the best drivers for accuracy in our high swing speed category. For 36% of our testers, Qi10 LS ranked in the Top 5 for our straight shot metric at high swing speeds.
Similar to its accuracy ranking, TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver was in the Top 5 for 36% of our testers for total yards. Combine this with accuracy and you have the making of a phenomenal driver for faster swinging golfers.
For us, forgiveness is how consistent a golf club is at producing similar shot metrics off the face. In our high swing speed category, TaylorMade Qi10 LS places in the bottom half of the field for our forgiveness scoring category. So, be wary if you expect this driver to be forgiving.
Do you have a fast or high swing speed? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver placed in the Top 10 overall in our 2024 Most Wanted Driver test. Upon further evaluation, TaylorMade Qi10 LS is the best driver for fast or high swing speeds according to our data driven results. It isn’t necessarily the best for a specific scoring category, but it ranks highly for distance and the second best driver for accuracy among faster swinging golfers. You can’t beat a lethal combination of accuracy and distance potential. Check it out for yourself.
Most consistent TaylorMade driver with keeping the spin down. I can see myself gaming this driver.
Best looking and feeling driver that I can recall hitting in the past 5-6 years. Very impressive.
Setup is square at address and the aesthetics are phenomenal overall. One of the best looking TaylorMade drivers.
Specific to high swing speeds, TaylorMade Qi10 LS is arguably one of the best drivers. As a “low-spin” driver, it handles spin effectively, which will be important for most faster swinging golfers. You have plenty of fitting optimization available to you, which can enhance overall performance for accuracy and distance. Our data already suggests it excels with accuracy.
As swing speeds increase, misses tend to widen. In this case, we see the TaylorMade Qi10 LS handle the speed increase by mitigating miss hits. If you are a golfer who has speed and wants more accuracy (with distance potential), TaylorMade Qi10 LS is a great starting point.
“Forgiveness” is a nebulous term in the golf industry – it’s used often, but rarely defined. As a golfer, do you want a driver that performs consistently? Your answer should be a definitive yes. You should desire a driver that produces similar results off the club face shot to shot. Are the ball speed deviations tight? Are the carry distance deviations minimal? Are the dispersion ellipses compact? These are metrics we analyze when it comes to forgiveness.
Below are the best drivers for forgiveness for high swing speeds
Review Score
Forgiveness
Accuracy
Distance Score
Price
PING G430 SFT is extremely forgiving and consistent. It dominates the field in our high swing speed results by offering tight dispersion, and consistent carry distances and ball speeds.
Every year, PING's SFT driver models excels at being the most draw bias driver. The G430 SFT is no different. It offers a reliable draw bias outcome. Or, if anything, can help mitigate a slice or fade.
Despite its stellar forgiveness performance, PING G430 SFT will leave you wanting more from a distance standpoint. It is average to below average for distance in our high swing speed driver results.
It comes at no surprise that the PING G430 SFT driver is forgiving. However, that it is the best for forgiveness for our high swing speed results is shocking. Certainly not the driver we expected to be crowned as the best for forgiveness for high swing speed golfers. Not only is it the best for forgiveness, but it blew away everyone else. The biggest factor was dispersion. PING G430 SFT’s dispersion was in the Top 5 for 27% more testers than the next best driver.
Super consistent. Forgiving. Every time I picked it up, I felt like I was going to hit the fairway.
Too busy on the crown for my liking, however, it is a stupid consistent and good driver.
If you are looking for a draw bias driver, this is it. You’ll have no trouble hitting draws with it or managing a slice.
PING G430 SFT certainly isn’t for everyone. However, it is stupid consistent, which is showcased by its forgiveness score (the best for high swing speeds). It is draw bias in nature, but the amount of draw is more manageable than year’s past. So, it is versatile enough to add draw shaping or mitigate your fade/slice.
Review Score
Forgiveness
Accuracy
Distance Score
Price
Titleist TSR2 driver is one of the more consistent and forgiving drivers in our high swing speed driver results. It delivers consistent and reliable carry distances and ball speeds.
Subjectively, Titleist TSR2 ranks highly according to our testing pool. It is appealing for looks, sound, and feel. Combine this with a well balanced performing driver and you have a highly touted golf club overall. TSR2 performs well in our forgiveness scoring category and is above average for distance and accuracy. You can't beat that.
One con of Titleist TSR2 is its price point despite being on the market for over a year now. You'll still shell out $599.99 for this driver brand new.
Titleist TSR2 ranks 7th overall in our high swing speed results. It is the 2nd best driver for our forgiveness scoring metric. Additionally, it ranks above average for distance and accuracy. For forgiveness, TSR2 is one of the best at producing consistent carry distances and ball speed numbers in comparison to other drivers on the market. This is a sneaky good driver, especially for high swing speed drivers.
Overall, a very clean, traditional driver with outstanding performance.
TSR2 is so easy to hit. It is like a lottery waiting to happen from a distance standpoint. It is that sneaky good.
One of the most consistent drivers on the market and can fit a plethora of different golfers.
If your swing isn’t in top form, the TSR2 may offer the forgiveness you may need. It gets plenty of play on many professional tours, which shows it can handle higher swing speeds. Additionally, it offers upside for distance and accuracy. In our testing, it tends to handle spin effectively and flirts with being “low-spin” in some cases. In the end, it might be one of the best driver heads on the market for a plethora of golfers.
Performance should be your top priority, especially when you have some high swing speeds to work with. Capitalize on that speed and consider these things when purchasing a new driver.
If you’re new to golf, it can be useful to understand the parts of a driver. Golf drivers consist of several parts: the clubhead, the shaft, and the grip. The clubhead is the portion that actually strikes the ball and is often made from materials such as titanium or composite blends.
The hosel connects the head to the shaft, which can vary in length and is commonly constructed from steel or graphite. The grip can be chosen separately and you can always regrip your clubs. And if you really want to go the custom route, you can add a unique ferrule, too.
The part of the driver closest to the shaft is the heel, the area further away from the hosel is the toe.
Pricing from top manufacturers appears to be consistent with 2023. Is this a positive? Depends on your perspective. You will likely be dishing out $600 give or take for the newest drivers. Those prices will go up with custom shaft upgrades.
The price for brand new drivers is at an all-time high. Fortunately, the Kirkland Signature Driver is our choice for best value. At $199.99, you can purchase a brand new driver Kirkland Signature Driver.
Selecting the right shaft for your golf game is critical for optimal performance. The proper shaft can positively impact launch conditions and overall accuracy.
Shafts are typically made from either graphite or steel with the former being lighter and aiding in faster swing speeds. The shaft flex corresponds to swing speed and affects the trajectory.
Beginners often benefit from lighter graphite shafts that offer more flex, while seasoned players may prefer the precision of stiffer steel shafts suited for more powerful swings.
You’ll notice we talk about club fitting a lot. Regardless of your swing speed it can make a lot of sense to fine tune things like launch angle, high or low spin, shaft stiffness and even the weight and loft settings.
Club fitting is not just for low-handicap golfers, high-handicap golfers benefit from the club fitting experience as well.
The USGA sets regulations for club design and performance. These rules are in place to maintain the integrity of the game and set limits on factors like head size, shaft length, and spring effect.
Higher swing speed players especially those on the PGA Tour tend to generate a lot of spin. Managing that spin is important. Many players find themselves needing lower spinning drivers than those of their golf partners with slower swing speeds.
When getting fitted for the best golf drivers for high swing speed golfers check your spin rates to determine they are in control.
In our 2024 testing we noticed non adjustable drivers are becoming obsolete. For high swing speed golfers trying to fine tune the flight and direction of the shot choose something with adjustability.
This may seem obvious, but a damaged driver isn’t going to perform as well. Just like we found in our scuffed golf ball test, a pristine driver performs best.
With that in mind, we recommend that you regularly clean your golf driver and inspect for damage. Store in a golf bag with a protective cover to safeguard the head. Proper care extends the life of the driver and ensures consistent performance.
Testing drivers is not an easy task. Our 2024 Most Wanted test took 420 testing hours to complete. The magnitude of our driver test is remarkable and, oftentimes, overlooked.
For 2024, the testing pool includes 37 different driver models including the winner of our 2023 driver test – TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus.
MyGolfSpy’s test program is powered by three crucial components :
For driver testing, we have 35 testers. Since a driver is marketed to all golfers, our testing pool includes golfers of varying swing speeds and skill levels. Due to the scale of this test, each tester committed to 12 appointments to complete the driver test. All 35 testers hit each of the 37 drivers.
Providing you, the golfer and consumer, with insights into the best drivers on the market is our No. 1 goal with this test. We can’t do that without taking a diligent, in-depth approach to analyzing the data we collect throughout this process.
Our scoring categories remain the same and we will review those below. However, we are taking a new, more extensive approach to our scoring categories.
Overall scores will now be labeled as an MGS Score. The MGS Score is on a 10-point scale.
Driver testing is comprised of three scoring categories:
These three categories are weighted with distance taking a slight priority.
Maximizing driver distance is every golfer’s goal. For our distance category, we evaluate two specific metrics:
Being accurate off the tee can be a game changer. For our accuracy category, we analyze two specific metrics:
We label forgiveness as how consistent a driver is at producing consistent shot outcomes. For our forgiveness category, we asses three specific metrics:
Scores are derived from two sets of metrics. The specific metrics we use have been detailed above.
The highest percentage of the score is derived from the data displayed in the Launch Monitor data sheet (see data below). These are based on the data collected during the testing process and the related calculations for metrics such as dispersion, straight shot percentage, etc..
Any metric that falls within the average range is given a score of 8. As scores fall above or below the average range, scores increase to a maximum of 10 and a minimum value of 6.
Said another way, for each metric we score, every club will receive a score of 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, depending on how far from the test average the value is. 10s and 6s are rare.
New for 2024, a small percentage of the score comes from the Top 5 percentage. For this secondary view into the data, we look at the rate at which each club was among the Top 5 best for every golfer in our test pool for each of our metrics.
These additional insights help us identify clubs that not only produce outstanding results on average but also are consistently among the top performers for the golfers in our test pool.
The launch monitor averages account for approximately 90% of the overall score, while most of the remaining amount comes from the Top 5 percentage.
In both cases, scores are weighted with 40% of the score coming from distance metrics, 35% from our accuracy metrics, and the remaining 25% from our forgiveness metrics.
Finally, we reserve a very small percentage of the score to account for things like fitting considerations, excessive amounts of outliers, and other details that fall outside the scope of the data.
Please note that while we leverage the same two factor approach to our category scores, the calculations are slightly different because there is no weighting within the individual categories.
With that, overall scores will be higher than the average of the individual category scores.
Fundamentally, the purpose of the score is to keep it simple for those who want it that way. For the rest of you, we’ve provided data, including our key metrics, Top-5 percentages, and the full scoring table below.
Our driver test is one of the longest, most extensive tests we do throughout the calendar year. Here are 7 key takeaways after 420 hours of testing:
Of the 37 drivers, only one offered no adjustability. With custom fitting becoming increasingly relevant, consumers are unlikely to find the right driver for them if they opt for a bonded, non-adjustable driver.
Nearly every golfer is familiar with, and to some degree, trusts, the big brands – PING, Callaway, Titleist, TaylorMade, etc. That said, there are several outside-the-mainstream drivers you should consider based on our data-driven results. Among them, the Srixon ZX7 Mk II is a standout, especially for distance. Mizuno ST-G is our favorite Mizuno driver to date. The Wilson Dynapower Carbon is one of the best drivers for accuracy.
We noted that with lower spinning models like the COBRA DARKSPEED X and LS, the Titleist TSR4, and the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke, our test struggled to produce consistent results with the heavy weight in the forward position. Fortunately, few golfers benefit from the absolutely lowest achievable spin.
Conversely, the sliding weight of the Mizuno ST-G provided a more gradual approach to spin reduction. We were able to dial that in more efficiently.
2024 is the year of 10K (MOI) but that needs to be put in proper context. At the end of the day, MOI is just a number. It’s an element of forgiveness, but it’s not the whole forgiveness story. It’s a static measurement that influences a dynamic result (the things that happens when you hit a golf ball).
At the most basic level, MOI serves to preserve ball speed on off-center hits. It doesn’t always mean a more consistent driver, and it definitely doesn’t guarantee straighter drives.
The most forgiving driver will always be the one you hit closest to the sweet spot most often. With that, while it’s true that some higher MOI drivers ranked among our most forgiving, models like the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke, COBRA DARKSPEED LS, and PXG 0311 GEN6 that aren’t typical talked about as forgiveness leaders performed well for some forgiveness metrics.
While differences at the top of the table can be minimal. Looking strictly at the launch monitor data, the top 3 longest drivers (based on average Total Yards) are separated by less than a foot. Looking deeper, however, there’s nearly a 16 yard difference between the longest and shortest drivers in the test.
At the individual level, the best drivers for distance were in the Top 5 for 35-40% of the test pool, while the laggers weren’t in the Top 5 for anyone.
A similar pattern emerges for every metric we consider.
It’s neither a surprise nor a secret that not all manufacturers put the same effort (money) into their stock shaft lineup. While having more options doesn’t guarantee better performance (the head still has to perform), even for the off-the-rack buyer, a more robust shaft lineup is an advantage.
For some golfers, for sometimes many golfers, drivers don’t do what they’re supposed to. There’s design and there’s perception. What I mean by that is that if something in the design of a driver – things like face angle, lie angle, even the way the top line presents at address – causes a golfer to change something in his setup, the real-world result can differ from the design intent.
It’s the reason why we sometimes see draw-biased drivers produce fade-biased results and why better player drivers with small shapes and open faces can sometimes go left.
Here are some quick insights to help you better navigate your next hitting bay experience.
The table below contains the relevant data from the 2024 Most Wanted Driver Test that is specific to high swing speeds only. We’ve done our best to provide the data that serves as the foundation for our scores, while giving you the opportunity to focus on the metrics that matter most to you.
Using the dropdown menu, you can toggle between the Launch Monitor Metrics and related calculations, our Top-5 percentages (the rate at which a driver was among a tester’s Top 5 for a given metric) , and the full scoring table. Each of the tables is sortable.
While we’ve done everything we can to make the data viewable on mobile, table data isn’t particularly well-suited for the platform. If you really want to dig in, we’d suggest hopping in front of a desktop.
World-class testing requires world-class equipment. This is the gear we trust to help us fulfill our Most Wanted testing.
Cancer Survivor. Amputee Golfer. Essentially, a OneLeggedBoss. When he isn't facilitating testing or analyzing data, Phillip enjoys his family time, practicing and playing golf, unwinding with video games, capturing photos of nature, or devouring pretzels.
| Driver Titleist GT3 | 3 Wood Titleist GT3 |
| 7 Wood Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | Irons (5-PW) Srixon ZXi5 |
| Wedges (46, 50, 54, 58) Titleist Vokey SM10 | Putter L.A.B. MEZZ.1 MAX |
| Ball Titleist Pro V1x |
Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.
| Driver Titleist GT3 9° | Mini Driver TaylorMade R7 Quad 13° |
| 4-Wood Titleist GT2 16.5° | 4-Hybrid Titleist GT3 |
| Irons (5-PW) Titleist T350 | Wedges Vokey SM10 (48° F, 54° F, 58° T) |
| L.A.B. Golf DF3 | Ball Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash |
2 years ago
I will love to see if the tester mentions what kind of shaft they used. Do they all were using the same off-rack shafts, or they bring their own preferred shaft? Did they pull the moveable weight? Did they adjust the loft?
Or maybe each tester dial to the maximum with everything they had? I’m afraid each tester doesnt have access to every shaft brand available.
2 years ago
The ear of $700 drivers is here. I mean, seriously?
2 years ago
era
2 years ago
At what head weights were these tested? The moveable weights were configured as equal and as even as possible?
What loft?
What shaft? Same shaft, and length in every club?
Did all the clubs have the same grips?
From what I’ve seen from people doing their own tests around my parts, these are not the results that they are getting at all, especially when they have tried to equalise every club as close to the same set ups as possible.
2 years ago
All of the data is pulled from our 2024 Most Wanted Driver Test. The data is then filtered to testers who fall under our speed criteria of 105 mph or above. The results for this analysis are specific to that data. Each tester hits every single participating driver and we fit each tester accordingly utilizing different stock shaft offerings and varying loft options (specifically 9°, 9.5°, 10°, or 10.5° depending on OEM).
2 years ago
While my personal testing is limited to my own golf and golf swing, my results with the Qi10 LS are in sync with what this testing shows. I have been using TaylorMade drivers since the SIM was released and this is the best one yet. It is accurate and long, pretty dang good combo for a driver.
glen o
2 years ago
One graphic shows that the ai smoke D being the longest yet its distance score is 9.4??? While the zx7 is rated second and its distance score is 9.9. Does not seem to add up.
Think next year high swing speed should be an average of 110mph. Those ball speeds look like majority of them were around 105mph which is not really that fast at the end of the day. Drivers acts differently when you are in that 115mph range.