5 Best Golf Drivers for Beginners in 2019 - BEFORE YOU BUY

This article about the 5 best golf drivers for beginners is the first in a two-part series written by guest writers Tony and Paul, creators of Golfers Authority and inventors of Accuhit golf training aid (read below for bio). Please click on the link in this paragraph for part 2 in the series.

Part one in the series describes features and fit you should consider before you buy your new driver; part two focuses on the actual benefits of the five drivers suggested for beginners. ENJOY!

INTRODUCTION: The Best Golf Drivers for Beginners 2019

As you begin to play the game of golf, finding the right equipment that performs well now, but can also grow with you as your swing changes, can be a difficult challenge. 

To help you begin your search, we created a list that provides you with the 5 best golf drivers in today’s market for your developing swing. In reading this article, you will learn the different components of the modern driver, which makes each of these clubs similar, and what makes each club unique.

By taking you through each different aspect of this crucial club, we hope to lead you to the one you should be using when you are making your next driver purchase. Each swing is different and there is no one driver that is universally best for everyone. However, there is a driver that is best for you and it is our goal to help you arrive at that club with this article.

Top 5 Best Drivers For Beginners:

1)     Ping G400 Max

2)     Callaway Epic Flash

3)     Ping G410 SFT

4)     TaylorMade M6

5)     Titleist TS2

How to Use Your Driver:

Players often use their golf drivers on most par-4 and par-5 golf holes. Some holes may introduce sharp terms called “dog-legs” that force you to use another club that does not fly as far as your driver. Drivers are created with the largest clubface and offer golfers the most distance and forgiveness when hitting the golf ball from the tee. Your driver will likely be the second most used club in your bag and demands significant attention when you are making a club buying decision.

Top Driver Features:

Each driver model is unique, but all drivers share important components that help golfers during their rounds. Every driver is made with a club head that reaches 460 cubic centimeters, (cc), in size. This is the maximum allowed size for the game of golf. Each club also is matched with a shaft and grip that helps complement the overall design. Below we go through each of these individually to help you choose options that are right for you.

Club Head: Drivers share commonalities of loft, centers of gravity (CG), and moments of inertia (MOI), that give each of them their playing characteristics. In their most simple of terms, the loft will have the largest impact on how high the ball flies after it leaves the club face. The CG will determine spin rates and the MOI will allow the club to be more or less forgiving. Beginning golfers should look for drivers with more loft, lower and rearward CG, and the highest possible MOI configurations. The combination of these three factors will give you a driver that is easier to hit and that helps you develop important swing fundamentals.

Shaft: Each driver will come built with stock shaft offerings. These shafts are created to compliment the club head characteristics of each new driver as they are built. Aftermarket shafts are available, but will charge upwards of $300 additional dollars and are usually not recommended for swings still under development.

Shafts are categorized based on their weight, flexes, and bend profiles. Choosing the proper weight and flexes for your shafts will help you get the most out of your new driver. The shaft should be thought of as a timing device that helps you deliver the clubhead to the golf ball. Getting a shaft that helps you keep your swing on track will improve your consistency and shot patterns. The parameters you should concern yourself with most in your shafts are the weight in a range of 50 to 70 grams and flexes between amateur, regular, and stiff. More advanced players may find a benefit in heavier and stiffer shafts but that will be your concern later.

Related post: 3 Tips for Buying Beginner Golf Clubs

How To Fit a Driver To Your Ball Flight:

Understanding what you need from a driver is paramount to getting the best one for your game. As your swing develops, it will be important to begin to track your shot patterns and performance as you play golf. To start, players often struggle with slice golf shots. These shots will curve to the right for right-handed players and left for left-handed players. If this sounds like you, then club fitting devices can be built to help you get the most from your new clubs.

           

Golf companies often offer drivers with more weight positioned in the heel of the driver. This weight helps slow the heel of the club down and allows the face to catch up and become squarer at impact. Beginners can benefit greatly from getting a “draw-bias” driver to help them eliminate their big miss.

What Common Club Fitting Terms Mean:

When you go for your first club fitting, you will be given a bunch of terms that can be confusing if you are hearing them for the first time. We want to take you through a few of those so that you can be confident when you are testing different clubs.

Club swing speed: this is the speed at which you will be moving the club around your body at impact. Higher swing speeds will lead to longer drives and this is something that will continue to improve as your swing becomes more efficient.

Ball speed: the rules of golf set a limit for the maximum amount of ball speed that can be produced from a swing speed. Swing speed input to output is limited at a 1:1.5 ratio. Examples include a player swinging at 100mph can produce a ball speed of up to 150 mph at complete efficiency. Players swinging at 80 mph should optimize for ball speeds at 120 mph and 90 mph swing speeds at 135 mph ball speeds.

Efficiency or smash factor: these terms are interchangeable and reference the quality of strike with the golf club. Strikes in the sweet spot will result in a smash factor near 1.5 and give the best ball speed for swing speed. As strikes move away from the center of the club face, this efficiency rating will diminish, and players will lose distance even at the same club head speeds.

Launch angle: this is the angle that the golf ball launches as it leaves the club face after impact. Launch angles that are too low will result in drives that fly shorter than they should and the same is true for angles that are too high. Depending on your swing speed and swing characteristics, your ideal launch angle can differ. Making sure that your golf driver is launching through the correct window is the best way to make sure your new driver is optimally fit for you. 

Spin rate: is the term used for the backspin applied to the golf ball during its flight. Too little backspin will cause the golf ball to fall out of the air too quickly and lead to distance loss. Too high of spin can cause a ballooning-effect and cause shots to fly shorter than they should. Another important consideration of spin rate is higher spinning shots create a more stable ball flight that will curve less offline in poor swing conditions.

Carry distance: is the distance that the golf ball will travel before it hits the ground. This is often the number that club fitters will focus on most as the course conditions and temperatures will have the larger impact on your total distance. When comparing drivers. This distance should be considered the most.

Total distance: is the distance the golf ball travels until it comes to rest. The carry distance plus the rollout will yield the total distance. This number can fluctuate as the ground hardens and softens with different levels of moisture and changes in the landscape. Golfers often report this distance as their driving distance but it should be looked at critically due to the variability outside of the golfer’s control.

Related post: Tips for a Correct Driver Fitting Experience

Questions to Ask Your Club Fitter or Pro:

Anytime you are trying new clubs, it is important to remember that your club fitter may hold multiple objectives. They may be trying to get you the best equipment for your game, but they may also be trying to sell you an expensive new club. Make sure that you understand exactly why they have set up a club the way they have and how it helps your swing.

Why did you give me that loft?

The static loft of the golf club will have the largest impact on your golf ball launch angles and spin rates. Beginning players are often encouraged to have more loft so that their ball flight is more stable, and their misses are less severe.

Are all 10.5-degree loft drivers the same?

No. Depending on the center of gravity and clubhead construction, similar lofts can have very different impacts on ball flight performance. Make sure you are coupling your loft of choice with a CG that is low and back.

What is the difference in standard model drivers and draw-bias designs?

Draw-bias drivers have more weight in the heel and can help golfers eliminate slice tee-shots. These drivers are great for beginning golfers and can help keep the ball in play. An important consideration, if you are planning to use this driver through a developing swing, is that some drivers enable the weight so that it can be moved as their swing adapts and improves.

What weight of shaft do I need?

The weight of the golf shaft can have the largest impact on golf club delivery and performance consistency. You should consider testing different shaft weights, especially in the 50-, 60-, and 70-gram ranges. Even at slower swing speeds, a heavier shaft can help golfers to maintain their swing plane and produce better, more repeatable golf shots.

Do I need a regular or stiff flex shaft?

Without testing different shafts, it can be impossible to know which is best for your swing. Not all regular or stiff flex shafts are the same. Shaft flex will largely come down to which you prefer the feel of during your swing arc. Loosely, shaft flex will correlate with swing speed and higher swing players will fit into stiffer shafts.

Should I play a low-spin driver?

Drivers with less spin can produce the longest drives. However, as spin rates decrease, the ball flights can become less stable and curve farther offline. Beginning players are encouraged to choose drivers that have higher spin rates to help their accuracy until their strike is more consistent.

How do I test drivers indoors?

Testing during the winter months and during poor weather can offer golfers a greater chance to analyze their equipment and make new club purchases. Most retail stores have indoor launch simulators that provide you with all the club and golf ball data mentioned above to help you fit your new driver. 

About the Author

This was a guest post written by Tony and Paul who are a father and son team who are not only best friends but love the game of golf. They created the Golfers Authority, to provide unbiased reviews, guides, tips and advice in order to help other players improve their game.

Tony is also the founder and inventor of the Accuhit, one of the most recognized golf training aids in the world. The Accuhit has been recognized by Golfweek, Golf Tips Magazine, Asian Golf Monthly, and many other publications as one of the most cost-effective golf training aids in the market.


This article is the opinion of the guest author. Golf for Beginners welcomes opinions but, as we always say, you should seek out a qualified golf professional for further details before you make a purchase.

#Golf Training Aids Spotlight: The Delta Putt

Do you consider yourself to be a strong putter or do you feel you could improve your make percentage on the green? Most amateurs could use help with the flat stick!

Poor lag putting, missing on the low side, 3-putts, the yips...all are solvable.

The art of putting comes down to two concepts, speed and alignment. If either one of them is off, your putt won't go in the hole...it's that simple.

How do you sink more putts? Practice, practice, practice.

You can try training aids if your visual skills or feel are off; Golf for Beginners has tried many types of training aids over the years and most of them are effective but you have to use them in order for them to help you gain positive results.

This brings me to a training aid called The Delta Putt by Gsix Products. I received this putting trainer recently to test and will give you my honest opinion with regards to its functionality. First, a product description.."

The Delta Putt comes with two components - a lined mat and a triangular "puck" with "amateur", "pro" and "tour" markings on the flat sides with a bump out near each of the markings.

Place the triangular puck onto the mat with the "amateur" in line with your putter face and make a putt. The puck should slide straight on the mat and land on its intended target - the "hole" - a picture of the puck at the end of the mat.

Any veering or spinning of the puck means you have not hit your putter face on its sweet spot (the toe was closed or open at impact). Don't move onto the next level, "PRO", until you have mastered the amateur side of the puck, which means straight down the intended line without spinning or veering left or right.

As mentioned in the Delta Putt video instruction guide, "If you can make it to the "TOUR" level, "you have developed yourself into one really fine putter."




Although Golf for Beginners does not endorse any one product, I can say that The Delta Putt has the ability to guide you to a better stroke if you use it. After a few putts, I noticed the Delta Putt "puck" began to move straight down the line. Yes, I did try it on the "PRO" and "TOUR" levels, and I quickly backed down to AMATEUR! The only way I can truly tell if this training aid works is to continue to use it and then to test my putting in a real-life scenario.

READ: Easy Golf Tips to Inspire Confidence on the Putting Green

Which training aids do you use to improve putting? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

How do the Pros Stay Fit for #Golf?

It was once thought that professional golf was more of a game, not a sport, so there was no obligation in staying physically fit.

Today, both fans and the media agree that golf requires a level of "physical exertion and coordination" and that the athletes who participate are gifted with agility, stamina, and/or strength to attain the highest levels of accomplishment.

That being said, Golf Digest recently featured a gallery of LPGA golfer fitness photos as well as ways in which the ladies stay in shape and ready to perform on the course.

From Bosu and kettle balls to weights, this is not the LPGA of old - these golfers are serious about their workouts!

Fifth-ranking LPGA golfer, Lexi Thompson, believes in using Bosu Balls because these exercises, "help build the strength so you can swing within yourself. A lot of amateurs over-swing because they're not strong enough to stay in control."

Both Cheyenne Woods and Michelle Wie are proponents of flexibility and endurance being two key performance enhancers for men or women. Wie even goes so far as to train for twenty minutes with an elastic band around her legs. Coach David Leadbetter believes that the more resistance between upper and lower body, the longer she'll hit the ball.

Coach David Leadbetter maintains that Wie is trying to build up resistance between her lower and upper body. The more separation — or torque — between lower and upper body, the longer she’ll hit the ball.


Dave Phillips and Dr. Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Institute both agree that women should build their lower body. "If a woman can get a really strong lower body, she can develop speed just as quick as a man."

Bernhard Langer says that fruits and vegetables keep him in prime condition, that eating the right snacks on course is essential to keeping the blood sugar elevated and that the one thing he does every day is stretch his body.

Gary Player, at seventy-nine years old, is probably one of the earliest proponents of exercise and has ten rules for a fit body. "The secret is commitment. It cannot be a fad. Even if your exercise program is small, you must make it a part of your life.


What exercises do you do just for golf? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Golf for Beginners blog.

Read our previous golf blog: 5 Golf Tips for Practicing Without and Instructor


video: article.wn.com
photo: StayFitCentral.com

Golf Gifts Your Dad Will Use

With so many golf blogs coming out with lists of Father's Day golf gifts, Golf for Beginners has also compiled several items which dad will love to use.


1. Quick Spikes:
I love ingenious ideas that serve a purpose and improve the game of golf in some way. I first saw Quick Spikes at the Westchester County Golf Show this year and was enamored with the thought of not having to change into my golf shoes every time I visited the driving range, or if I was at the putting/chipping area and needed some extra grip. Although I would not use Quick Spikes for 18 holes as I found I had to occasionally adjust them, they were great as a casual solution.


2. SlingerGolf InsideMove:
Perfecting two basic swing functions - correct swing plane and release of the golf club - can be a daunting task without an instructor to help guide the student. Although I just received the InsideMove golf training aid, I can see how, through simplicity of design, this easy-to-use tool can improve your swing path so that it becomes ingrained when you play a round.

I also received the Velcro Target so that Barry and I can practice our swing on the road (next stop, Mount Airy Casino.)



3. Mobitee GPS Golf Assistant - The Golf App that Settles the Score:
I use Mobitee when I am walking on the golf course and, aside from the (obvious) accuracy of the GPS, I find that it helps me to avoid bunkers and to find the front, middle and back of the green. The Father's Day promotion from Mobitee is in the form of a cute 13-year-old girl who "settles the score" with her dad during a round of golf.

The Mobitee video is original with a clear-cut message: even a technologically narrow-minded guy like Dad can learn something from his kids, in this case, his 13-year old daughter Emily. The commercial spot helps to humanize the Mobitee brand, communicates well with women and kids while proving that a golf app can be a cross-generational tool that is to be enjoyed by all.



**Mobitee Father's Day Twitter Giveaway: Tweet the hashtag #MobiteeDad to @Golf4Beginners with a funny golf story you shared with dad for YOUR dad to win a Mobitee GPS Golf App for his smart phone!** one app to give away...promotion good through Father's Day...winner will be notified via Twitter.

4. Have you walked through a sporting goods store only to see Dad drooling over the latest golf clubs? Here's your chance to show that you have listened to his by getting him one of the latest golf drivers (or wedge perhaps?) on the market. I'm not making any suggestions here...it's YOUR job to listen to your dad!

5. This is probably the most important gift you can give your dad ...SUNSCREEN! Your dad spends four to five hours out in the sun so, chances are, he will get a pretty dark tan (except of course, on his golf glove hand) and, chances are, he will never go out and buy it for himself. That being said, show dad how much you care, read these facts about skin cancer and include a bottle of SPF 50 on your list!

For more golf gift ideas, take a look through this list of putters and accessories to remember the dad in your life!

Voice your opinions on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on Facebook.

Golf Training Aids for the Beginner AND Serious Golfer

Golf for Beginners believes in the importance of going back to the basics in order to refresh the fundamentals of the golf swing. Most players don't have time to continually visit their teaching pro whenever they feel their swing getting "out-of-sorts" so we rely on golf training aids in order to maintain a repeatable swing.

The guest post below is written by Bruce Hubley, single-digit handicap golfer and inventor of The Slinger Golf Improvement System.

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You wouldn’t take a road trip without a map…

Yet most golfers attempt to learn a golf swing with little or no knowledge of critical golf swing fundamentals.

The pros I work with tell me that the percentage of golfers who take lessons is around six percent.  Of those six percent, about fifty percent spend more time telling the pro what they are doing wrong then listening to what the pro has to say.

That leaves around ninety-four percent of all golfers that have chosen to learn the game by watching TV, videos, DVD’s and reading magazines, etc.  

Good luck to that idea!

At this point you need to ask yourself …Are You a Social Golfer Or a Serious Golfer?

The Social Golfer plays golf to get out of the house, have fun and socialize with friends, with little regard to improving their golf game.

The Serious Golfer wants to play better and will take the time, spend the money, and make the effort to become a better golfer.  

You know which one you are.     

Okay, you’re a serious golfer.  Now what?

You have probably heard that the best way to learn a complicated body motion...and golf has plenty of them... is by repetitions…hundreds of them.

But, repetitions are only beneficial if it is done correctly, otherwise they can be counter productive ….even harmful.

So, how do you manage to make hundreds, even thousands, of correct swing repetitions without going broke at the local driving range and also be able to improve your golf swing, stay fit and “golf ready” year round, anywhere-anytime?

Pull out the Golf Training Aids

There are many golf training aids on the market, so how do you know which one(s) to try?

Portablility, the ability to use indoors, simplicity and feedback are most important when choosing a golf training device.

One excellent way to hit hundreds, even thousands, of correct repetitions is with a portable, indoor-outdoor Swing Practice System.  

The Slinger Golf Swing Practice System includes a Velcro Target and six Velcro balls and the InsideMove.  

The Target has a Velcro stripe sewn down its center. This is what you try to hit, the same as a flag on the green.   

The portable Velcro Practice Target comes with six Velcro golf balls.   Hang it on a wall at home, office, school, fire station, penthouse, anywhere.  Grab your trusty wedge, or any iron and you’re ready to take charge of your swing and finally “Get It Right”.

The InsideMove is an amazingly simple device that teaches a very counter-intuitive golf swing fundamental; how to swing “on plane” correctly.  The InsideMove is placed on the floor and aimed at the vertical stripe on the target: it is a remarkable device that teaches you how to swing “on plane” like all the great pros and is the perfect partner for the Velcro Practice Target.  

Once the nickel drops, and you understand what it take to approach impact with the ball from “inside” the target line, a very counter-intuitive move…nothing will ever be the same for you and your golf game.  It’s a true “Game Changer”.


The Slinger is our most revolutionary product.  It’s designed to be used indoors, it’s only 27” long, it fits in your luggage and goes where you go.  It doesn’t touch the ground and never impacts a ball.  It’s the perfect way to learn and master golf’s swing fundamentals.  It’s a pure training tool, and by far your most important golf club.

Now you have your own portable personal practice area that’s quick and easy to setup and use anywhere you go.  More importantly, the visual feedback of the ball trajectory will tell you if each swing was done correctly or not.  With this precise visual feedback you can self improve yourself to an excellent golf swing.


At Slinger Golf we’re all about swing fundamentals the “road map” to a winning swing. With these products you will have the knowledge, and “knowledge is power”, to become the golfer you always dreamed you could be.

You’re now a charter member of the five percent of all golfers who know what is takes to swing a golf club correctly.  Yahoo!




Bruce Hubley Bio:
Bruce Hubley was raised in San Francisco and began playing golf at the tender age of twelve at Harding Golf Course, producer of many a great player including Venturi, Miller, Archer, and Lema. 

He caddied and was Captain of his High School and College Golf Teams. Soon after retirement as General Foreman of the San Francisco Water Department, Bruce decided to approach the game as an inventor, creating a golf training system that would teach fundamentals of swing plane and proper release. 

Seven years after visualizing his product and working with professional golfers and engineers, Hubley developed the patented “Slinger” training club and formed Slingergolf, Inc. Bruce also invented the patented “InsideMove”, to address the swing plane training issue. Together with Velcro Target System, all three training aids are a complete portable, indoor-outdoor, 24/7, Swing Practice System.


Do you have questions for Bruce about The Slinger Swing Practice System? 
Bruce Hubley and SlingerGolf,com can be reached at:

Website: SlingerGolf.com
Twitter: SlingerGolf
Facebook: SlingerGolf ...and check out customer reviews of The Slinger on Amazon.com.

As always, feel free to share your comments and questions on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Facebook page too!


Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.