Drivers Updated
Best driver for women
A women's driver is a forgiving head on a lighter, softer ladies (L) shaft, usually with more loft. The Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's is as forgiving as any of them, for the lowest price ($299.99). 10 of the 28 current drivers we cover are made for women or come in ladies flex as stock; they are all below.
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As forgiving as any, for the lowest price
Forgiveness 4.0 out of 5
Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's
Offset and a heel weight against a slice, in 10.5°, 12° or a 15° loft for a slow swing, on a ladies-flex shaft.
$299.99 at Tour Edge
Our picks
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As forgiving as any, for the lowest price
Forgiveness 4.0 out of 5
Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's
Offset and a heel weight against a slice, in 10.5°, 12° or a 15° loft for a slow swing, on a ladies-flex shaft.
$299.99 at Tour Edge
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Forgiveness 4.0 out of 5
Cobra Women's OPTM MAX-D
Cobra's most draw-biased head in a women's build: 12° on a ladies-flex shaft, with a heel weight that helps the face close against a slice.
$599 at Cobra
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Misses both ways: no draw bias claimed
Forgiveness 4.0 out of 5
Callaway REVA Rise
Callaway's women's driver for a high launch and what Callaway calls maximum forgiveness: a light carbon crown for a higher MOI, in 10.5° or 12.5° on a ladies-flex shaft.
What a women's driver changes
- The shaft. Ladies (L) flex is the softest stock flex and the lightest shaft, made for a slower swing: it bends more for the same effort and launches the ball higher. It suits whoever swings at that speed. If your driver swing is quicker, a regular or senior flex may suit you better: the best driver for seniors lists the heads in senior flex, and the most forgiving driver page has them all.
- Loft. A slower swing carries the ball further with more loft. 9 of these 10 heads come in 12° or more, and the Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's goes up to 15°. If your drives fly low, take the higher loft first.
- Draw help, if you slice. 3 of the 10 have draw help: weight toward the heel, or offset, helps close a face that arrives open. The best driver for slicers compares every head with draw help.
- A forgiving head. Every head here is built for forgiveness; the score is our reading of the makers' own specifications (how we score), not a hitting test.
The women's build against the same head for men
3 makers sell 4 heads in both builds. The head is the same; the loft, shaft and price are the maker's own.
| Driver | Stock lofts | Flexes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's | 10.5°, 12°, 15° | L | $299.99, checked 2 Nov |
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D | 10.5°, 12°, 15° | A · R · S | $299.99, checked 2 Nov |
| Cobra Women's OPTM MAX-D | 12° | L | $599, checked 17 Oct |
| Cobra OPTM MAX-D | 10.5°, 12° | A · R · S · X | $399, checked 2 Nov |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max D | 10.5°, 12° | L | $649.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Callaway Quantum Max D | 9°, 10.5°, 12° | R · S | $649.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max Fast | 10.5°, 12° | L | $699.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Callaway Quantum Max Fast | 10.5°, 12° | R2 (Callaway's own label) | $699.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
Every driver for women
Most forgiving first, a women's line first on a tie, then the most slow-swing help, then the lowest price. The lowest price is the Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's at $299.99.
| Driver | Forgiveness | Slow-swing help | Stock lofts | Draw help | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's | 4.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 10.5°, 12°, 15° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | $299.99, checked 2 Nov |
| Callaway REVA Rise | 4.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 10.5°, 12.5° | none claimed | $519.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Cobra Women's OPTM MAX-D | 4.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 12° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | $599, checked 17 Oct |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max D | 4.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 10.5°, 12° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | $649.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| PING G Le4 | 4.0 of 5 | 3.5 of 5 | 11.5° | none claimed | $597 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| TaylorMade Kalea Gold | 3.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 11.5°, 13.5° | none claimed | $499.99, checked 9 Oct |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max Fast | 3.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 10.5°, 12° | none claimed | $699.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| XXIO 14 Ladies | 3.0 of 5 | 4.5 of 5 | 10.5°, 11.5°, 12.5°, 13.5° | none claimed | $799.99, checked 2 Nov |
| Titleist GT1 | 3.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 | 9°, 10°, 12° | none claimed | $449, checked 16 Oct |
| TaylorMade Qi4D | 3.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 | 8°, 9°, 10.5°, 12° | none claimed | $649.99, checked 2 Nov |
8 of the 10 are women's lines; the others are sold to everyone with a ladies flex among their shafts. 7 of the 10 are sold left-handed; each club page lists the hands, lofts and shafts the maker sells.
Earlier drivers in ladies flex, often cheaper used
Each beside its maker's current driver. A used listing is one club in one flex: check that it is the ladies flex before you buy.
| Model | Type | Forgiveness score | Current model | Used | New |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callaway Women's Elyte Max Fast driver | Driver | 3.0 | Women's Quantum Max Fast | – | $399.99 at Callaway, checked 15 Oct |
| TaylorMade Qi10 Max driver | Driver | 4.0 | Qi4D Max | From $295.99 at 2nd Swing Golf10.5°, regular flex, below average conditionchecked 31 Oct | $399.98 at PGA TOUR Superstore, checked 11 Oct |
| Titleist TSR1 driver | Driver | 3.0 | GT1 | From $199.99 at 2nd Swing Golf12°, senior flex, below average conditionchecked 31 Oct | $399.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| PING G Le3 driver | Driver | 3.0 | G Le4 | From $149.99 at 2nd Swing Golf11.5°, ladies flex, poor conditionchecked 31 Oct | $497 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Titleist TSR2 driver | Driver | 3.0 | GTS2 | From $167.99 at 2nd Swing Golf10°, regular flex, poor conditionchecked 31 Oct | No longer sold new |
| PING G (2016) driver | Driver | 4.0 | G440 MAX | From $137.99 at 2nd Swing Golf9°, extra stiff flex, poor conditionchecked 31 Oct | No longer sold new |
| PING G30 driver | Driver | 4.0 | G440 MAX | From $141.99 at 2nd Swing Golf9°, extra stiff flex, average conditionchecked 31 Oct | No longer sold new |
| PING G25 driver | Driver | 4.0 | G440 MAX | From $131.99 at 2nd Swing Golf10.5°, senior flex, poor conditionchecked 31 Oct | No longer sold new |
The rest of a woman's bag
The women's golf clubs page compares the women's boxed sets and the single clubs in a women's line, and the best irons for women picks the iron sets. A high-lofted fairway wood or a hybrid often does more for a slower swing than a long iron: see hybrid vs fairway wood.
The other questions
The most forgiving of each club
- Most forgiving irons
Every forgiving iron set scored and compared, with picks for slicers, slow swings, seniors and budgets.
- Most forgiving driver
The most forgiving head in each maker's line, scored, with the draw models for a slice and picks for slow swings and budgets.
- Most forgiving fairway woods
Fairway woods with the shallow faces and low centres of gravity that get the ball up off the deck.
- Most forgiving hybrids
The hybrids built to replace long irons, with lofts, flexes, hands and price.
- Mini drivers
The smaller driver heads between a driver and a 3-wood, by head size, lofts and draw setting, each price dated.
- Utility irons
Driving irons compared for forgiveness, lofts and hands, and when a hybrid is the better club.
- Forgiving wedges
Compare cavity-back wedge lofts, bounce, sole options and hands.
- Forgiving putters
Mallets and zero-torque putters scored, with lengths, hands and price, and a pick for each kind of miss.
- Most forgiving Callaway irons
Callaway's forgiving iron line, set against each other on offset, sole, loft, flexes and price.
For your game
- Best golf clubs for beginners
What a first set needs, a boxed set against a built set at the same money, and the picks by budget.
- Beginner golf club sets
Every complete boxed set scored, with its club list, flexes, hands and price, and a pick for seniors, women and budgets.
- Best golf clubs for beginners to intermediate
The second set: what to buy when a boxed set stops being enough, without paying for clubs you cannot use yet.
- Best golf clubs for high handicappers
Choose a replacement by bag role and check it against the clubs you keep.
- Best irons for mid handicappers
Game improvement and players distance sets for a 10 to 20 handicap, scored and priced.
- Best driver for slicers
Every driver with draw help, by how much it gives, its lofts and its price.
- Best driver for beginners
Forgiving heads with 12° in stock and draw help for a slice, for beginners and high handicappers, each price dated.
- Best putters for beginners
Forgiving mallets and zero-torque heads by price, stock length and hand, for a first putter, each price dated.
- Senior golf clubs
Every club sold with a stock senior (A) flex or as a senior set, and what senior flex actually changes.
- Best driver for seniors
The forgiving drivers sold in senior flex, by slow-swing help, loft and draw help, each price dated.
- Best irons for seniors
The forgiving iron sets sold in senior flex, by launch, sole and forgiveness, each price dated.
- Women's golf clubs for beginners
Women's lines and ladies-flex options, complete sets and individual clubs, with a pick for each.
- Best irons for women
The forgiving iron sets sold as a women's line or in ladies flex, with each 7-iron's loft and length, each price dated.
- Golf clubs for petite women
The women's sets sold shorter, by how much, and the heights each maker names, each price dated.
- Golf clubs for tall men
The men's sets sold longer, by how much, and the heights each maker names, each price dated.
- Junior golf clubs
Every maker's junior sets by the child's height band, with what is in each box and its price, each checked.
- Left-handed golf clubs
The most forgiving club of each type sold left-handed, and the ones that are not.
Paying less
- Best budget irons
Forgiving iron sets for less, new, earlier and used, every price per club and dated.
- Best budget drivers
Forgiving drivers for less: current heads at low prices, last year's still sold new, and used, each price dated.
- Used forgiving golf clubs
Check the exact used configuration, condition, contents and return terms.
- Used golf drivers
Every forgiving driver with a used price beside the new one, current and earlier models, each listing dated.
- Used fairway woods and hybrids
Every forgiving fairway wood and hybrid with a used price beside the new one, and each listing's club, loft, flex, condition and date.
- Used golf irons
Every forgiving iron set with a used price, current and earlier models, with the clubs, shaft and flex each price buys.
- Golf club deals
Forgiving clubs below the maker's list price, last year's models still sold new, and used savings, each price with the day we checked it.
- Black Friday golf clubs
The price to beat for the most forgiving club of each type, so you can tell a real Black Friday deal.
Lofts, gaps and wedges
- Golf club loft chart
Loft ranges from the driver to the lob wedge, then every forgiving iron set's lofts, current and earlier, in one sortable chart.
- Golf club gapping
Even loft steps from your longest club to your wedges, each set's uneven steps, and how to check them with your own distances.
- How many golf clubs
The 14-club rule in plain words, what a first bag of eight to ten needs, and how many clubs each boxed set really holds.
- Wedge lofts
Every iron set's pitching, gap, sand and lob wedge lofts in one chart, and the names makers give the gap wedge.
- 52, 56 and 60 degree wedges
What a gap, sand and lob wedge is for, and which lofts to add after your own set.
- Wedge bounce
What bounce does, drawn to the angle, which bounce suits your swing and turf, and the bounce on every forgiving wedge we cover.
- 9-iron vs pitching wedge
The loft, length and bounce between the two in every forgiving set, and which one to hit.
- Hybrid vs iron
Which hybrid replaces which long iron in each set, by the makers' own lofts, and when a hybrid is the easier club.
- Hybrid vs fairway wood
Which wood matches which hybrid by loft, which to carry, and every maker's stock lofts side by side.
How clubs forgive, fit and last
- What makes an iron forgiving
Offset, sole width, moment of inertia and loft explained with the numbers from this site's own table.
- Game improvement vs super game improvement irons
What separates the two classes in loft, offset, sole and price, with every set in each, and how to tell which one your strike needs.
- Cavity back vs blade irons
Why a cavity back forgives and a muscle back does not, with the makers' own offset figures, and how to blend the two.
- Senior flex vs regular flex
What the A flex changes, who it suits, and which clubs we cover offer it as stock.
- Shaft flex chart
Each shaft maker's own swing speed for every flex, side by side, and the flex each chart gives at your speed.
- Best driver shafts
Driver shafts for a slower swing, more height or a mid flight, with each one's weight, torque and flexes from its maker, and the stock shafts on every forgiving driver.
- Steel vs graphite shafts
What a graphite or steel shaft changes, who each suits, and every forgiving iron set's stock shafts.
- Golf club fitting for beginners
Prepare your shortlist and check length, lie, shafts and set makeup at a fitting.
- Golf club fitting cost
What Club Champion, True Spec and PGA TOUR Superstore charge for each kind of fitting, the free ones, and what the fee buys, each price dated.
- Golf club length chart
Every iron set's standard lengths as its maker prints them, and a calculator that adds the change a fitter gives you.
- One-length irons
Every iron built to one length: Cobra's ONE Length sets against its standard sets, club by club, and who still makes one.
- Standard driver length
Every forgiving driver's stock length from its maker, men's, women's and mini, why two makers' figures can differ, and when shorter helps.
- Golf club lie angle
What a wrong lie does to your shots, how to check yours, and every forgiving iron set's lie angles club by club.
- PING color code chart
What each PING dot color means, and every PING iron set's lie angles for the dot you have.
- Golf grip size chart
Your grip size from your hand length or glove size, on Golf Pride's and Winn's own charts, with the feel test and PING's grip colors.
- Best golf grips
The right grip for sore hands, sweaty hands or an all-round feel, with every grip's sizes and weights from its maker.
- Putter grips
Pistol, parallel, flat-front and claw putter grips in their makers' words, their weights and prices, and the stock grip on each putter we cover.
- Blade vs mallet putters
Which forgives more, which suits your stroke, a six-foot test for your misses, and the mallets we cover.
- Putter length
What length putter you need, checked from your own setup rather than your height, and the stock lengths of every putter we cover.
- Zero-torque putters
What a zero-torque putter does, the balance test, who it suits, and how each maker builds one.
- How long do golf clubs last
When grips and wedge grooves wear out, by the makers' own advice, what a regrip costs, and when a new club is worth it.
- How to clean golf clubs
Irons, woods, grips and grooves cleaned the right way, the grip care Golf Pride advises, and how to store clubs over winter.
- How to regrip golf clubs
Golf Pride's ten steps with a hook blade, tape and solvent, sizing a grip up with tape, and what a shop charges.