We test the best golf drivers for beginners and better players
Key shot data
Shot data was supplied by Flightscope and includes distance in the first column and offline dispersion in the second. TH is a professional, AR is off 8, CL is off 14 and KS is off 21.
| Driver | TH | AR | CL | KS | ||||
| Adams | 269 | 9 | 261 | 7 | 256 | 9 | 211 | 11 |
| Callaway | 285 | 4 | 271 | 6 | 263 | 8 | 216 | 12 |
| Cleveland | 280 | 5 | 268 | 9 | 254 | 10 | 220 | 14 |
| Cobra | 275 | 3 | 256 | 5 | 248 | 7 | 219 | 8 |
| Mizuno | 264 | 8 | 257 | 7 | 243 | 8 | 208 | 13 |
| Nike | 290 | 5 | 273 | 5 | 253 | 7 | 215 | 10 |
| PING | 279 | 7 | 269 | 8 | 255 | 9 | 216 | 11 |
| TaylorMade | 287 | 3 | 268 | 4 | 261 | 7 | 222 | 9 |
| Titleist | - | - | 266 | 8 | - | - | - | - |
| Wilson | 268 | 6 | 254 | 8 | 252 | 11 | 214 | 15 |
Conclusion
After the test was carried out, Andy, Charlie, Tom and Kelvin each wrote down their scores for the various criteria of each driver. Shortly after, when putting heads together to discuss the testing, it quickly became apparent that we were all very fond of the TaylorMade SLDR, Nike VRS Covert 2.0 and Callaway Big Bertha Alpha drivers.
Having scored without consulting and then taking the average of each, the SLDR narrowly edged the VRS Covert 2.0 by half a point, with the Alpha 0.25 points back in third.
The impressive PING i25 and Titleist 913D2 drivers followed in close behind thanks to their ability to promote a narrow dispersion pattern and long, forgiving drives, while the Cleveland 588 Custom was the surprise package for us, finishing in a tie for sixth with the Cobra Bio Cell.
Adams XTD, Mizuno JPX-EZ and Wilson FG Tour M3, despite finishing in the final three positions, finished less than three points behind the winning SLDR and they are more than decent drivers that will keep you on the straight and narrow this season. This is a 10 of the Best test after all.
We were really impressed by the variety on offer and this club test provides something for everyone.
If you're thinking of splashing the cash on a new driver for 2014, make sure you get yourself custom fit with a fully qualified club fitter. There are so many different settings to play around with and finding the right one could seriously enhance your driving ability.
Index
To jump to the page of a particular driver, click the relevant link below...
Adams Golf XTD
Callaway Big Bertha Alpha
Cleveland Golf 588 Custom
Cobra Bio Cell
Mizuno JPX-EZ
Nike VRS Covert 2.0
PING i25
TaylorMade SLDR
Titleist 913D2
Wilson FG Tour M3
Your say...
Do you agree with any of our scores? Or more importantly, do you disagree with any? Is there a driver you would like to have seen included? We would appreciate any feedback in the forum, or you can tweet us on @Golfmagic.
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Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
