5 Best Golf Drivers For Mid Handicappers You Should Have In A Bag
Hundreds of drivers are on the market today, and many have good features and technology. If you are a mid-handicapper looking for a driver (or golf irons) that can improve your score, this list features drivers with the technology and strengths most mid-handicappers are looking for.
Rather than going out and trying every driver at every pro shop, narrow down your choices and focus your time on the drivers that have been proven to belong, be forgiving, easy to hit, and add some distance to players with above-average swing speeds.
As you continue reading, you will find a description and rating of our best golf drivers for mid-handicappers.
If In A Hurry? Here Is Our Favorite
The TaylorMade SIM2 Max driver is the best driver for mid-handicappers. One thing remains abundantly clear as golf and equipment evolve: golfers love to hit their drive a long way. Distance is king, and a driver that can add distance while maintaining accuracy and forgiveness is a highly sought-after club. The TaylorMade SIM2 Max does all of these things and more.
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At A Glance: Our Recommendations
Best Overall
TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver
We love the sound and feel. With this driver, it’s lightweight and could add 30-40 yards to your drives.
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Most Club Speed
Callaway Golf 2021 Epic Max LS Driver
It gives you the confidence to go after a drive and not worry about the wild misses you used to hit.
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Best Price
Mizuno ST-Z Driver
It not only gives you an added distance off the tee but is extremely forgiving at a lower price tag.
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Best For Correcting Slice
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver
It helps you hits up straight and prevent fade and slice problem.
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Most Stable Feel
Mizuno 2020 ST200 Driver
Easy to hit and control. Hit straight, more control with less power.
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What Sets A Driver Apart
Driving a golf ball is about more than pure distance. Some drivers are easier to work around the course with a draw or fade. Others focus their technology on keeping the ball straight.
Some drivers are lightweight and do whatever they can to be as light as possible. Others save weight in some areas to get a high MOI and launch.
It does not matter how far you can hit a ball if it never ends up in the fairway, but finding more distance is key if your swing speed is on the slower side. As a mid handicapper, you must figure out what features are the most important to you.
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5 Best Golf Drivers for Mid Handicappers Reviews
Here is our short review of the best golf drivers for mid-handicappers. Just click on the image or the button below to find out more details about the driver.
1. TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver – Best Overall
Two years ago, the SIM series of drivers was a hit in the golf world, but the SIM2 drivers have made some considerable improvements. The first thing they did was take out almost all of the titanium in the head. Of course, the face is still titanium and replaced with lightweight carbon.
This move saved a lot of weight and allowed them to give the clubs a higher MOI and more stability by adding weight to the inertia generator in the center of the club. This inertia generator makes a face feel solid at impact and gives even more forgiveness.
The Twist Face Technology is still there that gives you corrective angles across the face of the driver so that the most common mishits so that the ball flies straight even if you do not hit the sweet spot.
You also still have the “Speed Injection” technology that allows TaylorMade to add resin right behind the face of each club that takes each club precisely to the speed limits allowed within the rules. This driver is really long, really straight, and forgiving.
Pros
- The new face cup design means that the sweet spot of this driver is pretty much the entire face leading to extra forgiveness and extra distance.
- TaylorMade worked with some NASA engineers to make this club as aerodynamic as possible, adding a bit of swing speed.
- The decreased weight from the carbon crown allowed TaylorMade to reallocate weight to the center and front of the club for a higher MOI, extra stability, and fewer mishits.
- The SIM 2 line takes the strengths of the previous driver and adds to them, making this one of the longest and straightest drivers out there.
Cons
- They are slightly less accurate in terms of both grouping and missed fairways than some of the other drivers.
- It is not very workable as most features focus on hitting the ball straight.
2. Callaway Golf 2021 Epic Max LS Driver – Most Club Speed
Callaway remains at the forefront of golf club technology, and the Epic Max LS combines many of what Callaway has been working on for the past few years. The Jailbreak Technology gives you incredible forgiveness and energy transfer from club to ball; no other manufacturer has yet matched this.
Suppose you include the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology that allows Callaway to test thousands of iterations of each club without making a product. In that case, you can understand why this is one of the market’s fastest and most forgiving clubs.
Pros
- It uses AI technology to create the perfect face architecture and weight displacement possible.
- Jailbreak Technology has put Callaway at the forefront of distance and forgiveness for a few years now, and everyone else is just trying to catch up.
- A great combination of speed, distance, forgiveness, and launch.
- Produces high-end ball speed even compared to the other drivers on this list.
Cons
- The price may make this club inaccessible to many mid-handicappers.
- Very little workability or adjustability with this driver.
3. Mizuno ST-Z Driver – Best Price
Mizuno Golf is best known for their buttery soft irons, but the ST line of drivers shows that they can make a really good driver. This driver uses a different titanium alloy than in the past, which gives it a slightly denser face and a more stable feel at contact.
It also transfers a lot of energy from club to ball so that even more moderate swing speeds get a lot of added distance. A draw bias weighted into the driver either corrects a slice or gives you a little draw when needed.
The center of gravity is low and as far back as Mizuno could get it, which gives you a good launch, but there is a little extra spin on the ball. It is one of Mizuno’s best drivers, but it is not quite as long as some other clubs on this list.
Pros
- The “Wave Sole” plate gives you good forgiveness and ball speed without losing feel.
- It is the best-priced driver on this list.
- The club has an inherent draw bias that makes it a good driver for those who struggle with a slice.
- The titanium alloy used on the face of this driver is hot and gives great energy transfer and ball speed.
Cons
- Not as long as some of the other drivers on the list.
- It produces a little more spin than many mid-handicappers prefer.
4. Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver – Best For Correcting Slice
The “Big Bertha” name has been one of the most recognizable and popular in the golf world for a while, and Callaway is bringing it back with the B21 line of clubs. This driver was built for players who struggle with a slice and have a steep swing plane.
The truth is, most golfers, including mid handicappers, struggle with slicing the ball. With this club, Callaway moved the center of gravity forward in the face to reduce spin and add as much stability as possible.
The head is big, and the surface area of the driver’s face gives you a lot more area to hit the ball so that even mishits travel pretty far. You also still get the Flash Face Technology produced by Callaway’s AI and the Jailbreak technology, making it one of the more forgiving clubs on the market.
Pros
- The club looks and feels great in your hands and inspires confidence.
- Great for correcting slices.
- One of the more forgiving clubs on the market.
- A really big head with a lot of surface area in the face of the club.
Cons
- This driver will not work if you have already drawn or hooked the ball.
- Aimed more at high handicappers than mid handicappers.
5. Mizuno 2020 ST200 Driver – Most Stable Feel
Another in the new ST line of Mizuno drivers, this offering from last year helped Mizuno make their mark in the driver market. The ST200 is forgiving, long, and easy to hit, which suits it well for mid-handicappers. It is also a less expensive option than many of the drivers out there.
The ST200 driver includes variable thickness on the face, giving you a little extra forgiveness and a lot of distance when you hit the ball in the center. The fixed rear weight gives you a low and deep center of gravity that reduces spin and increases launch.
Pros
- The forge Beta Titanium gives you a lot of stability at contact.
- The energy transfer from the club to the ball makes it ideal for players with more moderate swing speeds.
- It does not produce as much spin as the ST-Z, so the ball stays straighter.
- Some loft and weight adjustability.
Cons
- No half-degree loft settings.
- It does not have the pure sound you would expect from a Mizuno product.
Guide To Choosing Golf Drivers For Mid Handicappers
When looking for a driver, certain features stand out and make one driver exactly right for you. This is a list of some of those features, but it is up to each golfer to decide which ones are the most important for their game.
Distance
This one is self-explanatory. Some clubs are longer than others. Some drivers increase your distance off the tee, whether it be the energy transfer from club to ball, the face technology, or the way the club is weighted.
While all features are important, length is something that will never go out of style. But, over time, you will lose some distances because it may not be the driver’s fault, but here are the reasons.
Forgiveness
Jailbreak Technology, Flash Face Technology, Variable Face Thickness, and a lot of other words that do not make sense unless you research them are all ways that driver manufacturers produce forgiveness.
Forgiveness is the feature that allows you to swing a little harder, knowing that even off-center shots will not get lost in the woods.
Spin
Most golfers in today’s game are looking for as little spin as possible on their drives. They want to be able to step up and hit the ball right down the center of the fairway. If your driver produces more spin, even the slightest mishit will make your ball go further in whatever direction the ball is going.
Launch
Some drivers are meant to get off the ground quickly and steeply. Drivers with a higher launch are especially good for golfers that have trouble getting their ball into the air.
Workability
While most golfers like just to swing hard and see the ball go as straight as possible, other golfers are looking to be able to draw and fade their drives for better positioning. Some drivers help this out through adjustable weighting, additional spin, or keeping a neutral lie.
The Winner
Finding the right driver depends on features, personal preference, and the golfer’s skill level. While there are a lot of choices out there, the five drivers above are our choices for best golf drivers for mid-handicappers. Our top choice is the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max.
It is a great combination of distance, control, accuracy, and launch, so any golfer could benefit from using it, but mid handicappers will see the most improvement on their drives.
This follow-up product to the SIM series of drivers improves on what was one of the most sought-after clubs of 2020, and the SIM 2 will be one of the top drivers on the market for a while.
