Guide
The men's forgiving drivers we cover are built 45" to 46" long as stock, 18 of the 20 between 45½" and 46"; PING and XXIO build the longest, at 46". Women's drivers are 44" to 45", and mini drivers 43½" to 44". The rules allow a club up to 48 inches, so every one of these is well inside the limit; the length is the maker's choice between speed and control.
Longest first, as each maker's spec table prints it. Most makers build other lengths to order.
| Driver | Stock length | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PING G440 K | 46" | On the stock PING ALTA CB Blue 50; 45½" with the PING Tour 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K and Project X Denali Red shafts; the HL build is 46". |
| PING G440 MAX | 46" | On the stock PING ALTA CB Blue 50; 45½" with the PING Tour 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K and Project X Denali Red shafts. |
| PING G440 SFT | 46" | On the stock PING ALTA CB Blue 50; 45½" with the PING Tour 2.0, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K and Project X Denali Red shafts; the HL build is 46". |
| XXIO 14 | 46" | – |
| Callaway Quantum Max | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway Quantum Max D | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway Quantum Max Fast | 45¾" | – |
| Mizuno JPX ONE | 45¾" | – |
| Srixon ZXi MAX | 45¾" | Srixon now measures length to the USGA and R&A guideline, which it says reads about half an inch longer for drivers than its old figures. |
| Srixon ZXi RKT MAX | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Qi4D | 45¾" | TaylorMade notes that it measures length slightly differently from the USGA. |
| TaylorMade Qi4D Max | 45¾" | TaylorMade notes that it measures length slightly differently from the USGA. |
| Wilson DYNAPWR Max+ | 45¾" | Wilson: 44.75" for its 12° Max+ Driver Lite. |
| Cobra OPTM MAX-D | 45½" | The LITE build is 45½" too. |
| Cobra OPTM MAX-K | 45½" | – |
| Cobra OPTM X | 45½" | – |
| Titleist GT1 | 45½" | Titleist: 44½" is its standard women's driver length and 43½" its junior length. |
| Titleist GTS2 | 45½" | Titleist: 44½" is its standard women's driver length and 42½" its junior length. |
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max | 45" | – |
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D | 45" | – |
| Driver | Stock length | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PING G Le4 | 45" | – |
| Callaway REVA Rise | 44½" | – |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max D | 44½" | – |
| Callaway Women's Quantum Max Fast | 44½" | – |
| Cobra Women's OPTM MAX-D | 44" | – |
| TaylorMade Kalea Gold | 44" | TaylorMade notes that it measures length slightly differently from the USGA. |
| Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D Women's | 44" | – |
| XXIO 14 Ladies | 44" | 44½" for the 10.5° head in A flex. |
| Driver | Stock length | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland HiBore XL | 46" | As Cleveland now publishes driver lengths, which it says reads about half an inch longer than its earlier figures for the same club. |
| Cleveland HiBore XL Lite | 46" | As Cleveland now publishes driver lengths, which it says reads about half an inch longer than its earlier figures for the same club. |
| Callaway Elyte | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway Elyte Max Fast | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway Elyte X | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway MAVRIK | 45¾" | – |
| Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX | 45¾" | – |
| Cleveland Launcher XL | 45¾" | 44.75 inches in Cleveland's Accuracy Build. |
| Cobra RADSPEED XB | 45¾" | Cobra: 46" with its Cobra Connect grip. |
| Mizuno ST-MAX 230 | 45¾" | Mizuno: its published lengths follow the USGA and R&A method, a quarter inch longer than its older figures for the same club. |
| PING G (2016) | 45¾" | On PING's Alta 55 and its other stock shafts; 45.25" on the Tour 65 and Tour 80, which cost extra. |
| PING G25 | 45¾" | On PING's TFC 189D and its other stock shafts; 45.25" on the Tour 65 and Tour 80, which cost extra. |
| PING G30 | 45¾" | On PING's TFC 419D and its other stock shafts; 45.25" on the Tour 65 and Tour 80, which cost extra. |
| PING G400 | 45¾" | – |
| PING G400 Max | 45¾" | – |
| PING G410 Plus | 45¾" | PING: 46" with its Alta Distanza shaft. |
| PING G430 MAX | 45¾" | On the stock PING ALTA CB 55 Black; 45¼" with the PING Tour 2.0, Mitsubishi Kai'Li and HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX shafts; the HL build is 46". |
| PING G430 MAX 10K | 45¾" | On the stock PING ALTA CB 55 Black; 45¼" with the PING Tour 2.0, Mitsubishi Kai'Li and HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX shafts. |
| TaylorMade M2 (2016) | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade M2 (2017) | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade M4 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade M6 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Qi10 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade SIM Max | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade SIM2 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade SIM2 Max | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Stealth | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Stealth 2 | 45¾" | – |
| TaylorMade Stealth HD | 45¾" | – |
| Titleist TSR1 | 45¾" | Titleist: 44½" is the TSR1's standard ladies length. |
| Callaway Rogue | 45½" | – |
| Cleveland Launcher XL 2 | 45½" | – |
| Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Draw | 45½" | – |
| Cobra AEROJET | 45½" | – |
| Cobra AEROJET MAX | 45½" | The 9.0° and 10.5° heads were also built at a 44½" tour length to order. |
| Cobra DARKSPEED MAX | 45½" | – |
| Cobra DARKSPEED X | 45½" | – |
| Cobra DS-ADAPT MAX-K | 45½" | – |
| Cobra DS-ADAPT X | 45½" | – |
| Cobra LTDx | 45½" | – |
| Cobra LTDx MAX | 45½" | – |
| TaylorMade Qi10 Max | 45½" (women's 44") | TaylorMade notes that it measures length slightly differently from the USGA. |
| TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD | 45½" | – |
| Titleist GT2 | 45½" | Titleist: 44½" is its standard women's driver length. |
| Titleist TSR2 | 45½" | – |
| Cobra RADSPEED | 45¼" | Cobra: 45.50" with its Cobra Connect grip. |
| Cobra SPEEDZONE XTREME | 45¼" | Cobra: 45.5" with its Cobra Connect grip, which the driver came with. |
| Srixon ZX5 | 45¼" | Srixon's figure from before it measured driver length to the USGA and R&A guideline, which it says reads about half an inch longer. |
| Srixon ZX5 Mk II | 45¼" | Srixon's figure from before it measured driver length to the USGA and R&A guideline, which it says reads about half an inch longer. |
| Callaway Women's Elyte Max Fast | 44⅜" | – |
| Driver | Stock length | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Callaway Quantum | 44" | – |
| Cobra KING TEC | 43¾" | – |
| TaylorMade R7 Quad | 43¾" | TaylorMade notes that it measures length slightly differently from the USGA. |
| Titleist GT280 | 43½" | – |
| Titleist GTS300 | 43½" | – |
Not in the chart yet, because we could not read their makers' spec tables: the Callaway Rogue ST MAX and the PING G425 MAX.
Makers have not always measured a driver the same way, and the difference is about half an inch. Srixon says it now measures to the USGA and R&A guideline, and that its published driver lengths read about half an inch longer than its old figures for the same club. TaylorMade notes that its own measure differs slightly from the USGA's. So a 45¾" driver from one maker and a 45½" driver from another may be the same length in your hands; compare them side by side, not on paper.
The shaft can move it too. PING builds the G440 drivers at 46" on its stock ALTA shaft and at 45½" on its tour shafts, and builds its light high-launch (HL) version at 46".
Shortening a driver makes the head feel lighter, so a shop that cuts one down often adds weight to the head to keep the feel. Ask for that if you go more than half an inch shorter.
Among the current men's forgiving drivers here, 45" to 46", with 18 of the 20 between 45½" and 46". Titleist, for one, builds its GTS2 at 45½".
44" to 45" in the women's drivers we cover. Titleist calls 44½" its standard women's driver length and 42½" its junior length.
Yes: the rules of golf cap any club except a putter at 48 inches, and the USGA and R&A let elite competitions cap the driver at 46 inches by a local rule. Every driver here is built at 46" or less as stock.
Try before you cut. Choke down an inch on your own driver at the range: if you find the middle of the face more often and lose little distance, a fitter can build or cut one to that length. The club length chart covers the irons, and the most forgiving drivers compares the heads.
Every forgiving iron set scored and compared, with picks for slicers, slow swings, seniors and budgets.
The most forgiving head in each maker's line, scored, with the draw models for a slice and picks for slow swings and budgets.
Fairway woods with the shallow faces and low centres of gravity that get the ball up off the deck.
The hybrids built to replace long irons, with lofts, flexes, hands and price.
The smaller driver heads between a driver and a 3-wood, by head size, lofts and draw setting, each price dated.
Driving irons compared for forgiveness, lofts and hands, and when a hybrid is the better club.
Compare cavity-back wedge lofts, bounce, sole options and hands.
Mallets and zero-torque putters scored, with lengths, hands and price, and a pick for each kind of miss.
Callaway's forgiving iron line, set against each other on offset, sole, loft, flexes and price.
What a first set needs, a boxed set against a built set at the same money, and the picks by budget.
Every complete boxed set scored, with its club list, flexes, hands and price, and a pick for seniors, women and budgets.
The second set: what to buy when a boxed set stops being enough, without paying for clubs you cannot use yet.
Choose a replacement by bag role and check it against the clubs you keep.
Game improvement and players distance sets for a 10 to 20 handicap, scored and priced.
Every driver with draw help, by how much it gives, its lofts and its price.
Forgiving heads with 12° in stock and draw help for a slice, for beginners and high handicappers, each price dated.
Forgiving mallets and zero-torque heads by price, stock length and hand, for a first putter, each price dated.
Every club sold with a stock senior (A) flex or as a senior set, and what senior flex actually changes.
The forgiving drivers sold in senior flex, by slow-swing help, loft and draw help, each price dated.
The forgiving iron sets sold in senior flex, by launch, sole and forgiveness, each price dated.
Women's lines and ladies-flex options, complete sets and individual clubs, with a pick for each.
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.
The forgiving drivers made for women or sold in ladies flex, by draw help, loft and price, each price dated.
The women's sets sold shorter, by how much, and the heights each maker names, each price dated.
The men's sets sold longer, by how much, and the heights each maker names, each price dated.
Every maker's junior sets by the child's height band, with what is in each box and its price, each checked.
The most forgiving club of each type sold left-handed, and the ones that are not.
Forgiving iron sets for less, new, earlier and used, every price per club and dated.
Forgiving drivers for less: current heads at low prices, last year's still sold new, and used, each price dated.
Check the exact used configuration, condition, contents and return terms.
Every forgiving driver with a used price beside the new one, current and earlier models, each listing dated.
Every forgiving fairway wood and hybrid with a used price beside the new one, and each listing's club, loft, flex, condition and date.
Every forgiving iron set with a used price, current and earlier models, with the clubs, shaft and flex each price buys.
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.
The price to beat for the most forgiving club of each type, so you can tell a real Black Friday deal.
Loft ranges from the driver to the lob wedge, then every forgiving iron set's lofts, current and earlier, in one sortable chart.
Even loft steps from your longest club to your wedges, each set's uneven steps, and how to check them with your own distances.
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.
Every iron set's pitching, gap, sand and lob wedge lofts in one chart, and the names makers give the gap wedge.
What a gap, sand and lob wedge is for, and which lofts to add after your own set.
What bounce does, drawn to the angle, which bounce suits your swing and turf, and the bounce on every forgiving wedge we cover.
The loft, length and bounce between the two in every forgiving set, and which one to hit.
Which hybrid replaces which long iron in each set, by the makers' own lofts, and when a hybrid is the easier club.
Which wood matches which hybrid by loft, which to carry, and every maker's stock lofts side by side.
Offset, sole width, moment of inertia and loft explained with the numbers from this site's own table.
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.
Why a cavity back forgives and a muscle back does not, with the makers' own offset figures, and how to blend the two.
What the A flex changes, who it suits, and which clubs we cover offer it as stock.
Each shaft maker's own swing speed for every flex, side by side, and the flex each chart gives at your speed.
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.
What a graphite or steel shaft changes, who each suits, and every forgiving iron set's stock shafts.
Prepare your shortlist and check length, lie, shafts and set makeup at a fitting.
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.
Every iron set's standard lengths as its maker prints them, and a calculator that adds the change a fitter gives you.
Every iron built to one length: Cobra's ONE Length sets against its standard sets, club by club, and who still makes one.
What a wrong lie does to your shots, how to check yours, and every forgiving iron set's lie angles club by club.
What each PING dot color means, and every PING iron set's lie angles for the dot you have.
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.
The right grip for sore hands, sweaty hands or an all-round feel, with every grip's sizes and weights from its maker.
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.
Which forgives more, which suits your stroke, a six-foot test for your misses, and the mallets we cover.
What length putter you need, checked from your own setup rather than your height, and the stock lengths of every putter we cover.
What a zero-torque putter does, the balance test, who it suits, and how each maker builds one.
When grips and wedge grooves wear out, by the makers' own advice, what a regrip costs, and when a new club is worth it.
Irons, woods, grips and grooves cleaned the right way, the grip care Golf Pride advises, and how to store clubs over winter.
Golf Pride's ten steps with a hook blade, tape and solvent, sizing a grip up with tape, and what a shop charges.
