How Often Should I Change My Golf Driver
A question that often warrants many different answers.
Golf driver technology is now so advanced that all changes year to year are very small, so constantly changing your golf driver is not usually necessary.
However, there are reasons why you should consider changing, as listed below:
Golf swing change – A dramatic change in your golf swing will mean your driver that was working for your old swing may not be optimal for your new swing. If this is the case then its best to see a local PGA Pro or a qualified golf custom fitter to determine what needs to be done. It could be an adjustment to your current driver or even a new shaft.
Shot Data – We would always recommend using a launch monitor every year to ensure that your driver is still optimal to your swing. You may find some major or minor changes have occurred. The best golf pros on the PGA Tour do this every week in order to keep on top of things. If you are serious about your golf game then we strongly recommend you check out your shot data at least once a year.
Time – Every three to five years is when we recommend you take a look at new golf driver models from the games biggest brands as that is how long it takes to notice significant changes in driver technology for consumers.
Best Drivers For Seniors In 2022
To keep your distance up, regardless of age, you need to remember a few things:
- More speed means more distance. Lightweight clubs and shafts help create speed without any extra effort from your swing.
- A slice kills distance. Make sure to buy a driver with a built-in draw bias or adjustability to help hit it straighter off the tee.
- Loft is very important to get the ball airborne quickly and maximize carry distance. Senior golfers should have 10.5-12 degrees of loft.
Were confident that these drivers will help you hit it long and straight off the tee even if you are playing up a tee box. Here are our best picks:
Taylormade Mens Rbz Black Driver Black
If you are a senior golfer on a budget, the Mens RBZ Black Driver could be a great fit for you. Luckily this driver packs a ton of performance for its very fair price. The RBZ Black can sometimes be a bit tricky to find because it is not a new release, but when you find one, the pricing usually makes it a great deal.
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Pgx Offset Golf Driver Ultra Budget Pick
- Shaft material: Graphite
This is a no-frills driver that is the best driver for seniors on a budget. Youll need a strong enough back and shoulders to opt for a regular shaft club over a more flexible seniors shaft. The regular club flex is perfectly fine for such older golfers, and if you fit into that category, you could save yourself a lot of money with this club.
The anti-slice tech is a nice touch for such a budget-friendly club. It also comes with a premium finish and a decent club head cover.
Its very hard to argue with the value this club offers. Just remember, if you need the extra bend of a senior shaft, you may have to look elsewhere in our top picks. But, these drivers are a good addition to a budget set of senior golf clubs.
Callaway Rogue St Max
My Recommended Handicap Range: 12 and upLoft Options: 9°, 10.5°, and 12°Launch: High
Callaway has had some impressive driver lines in recent years, and the Callaway Rogue ST Max falls right in line as a worthy successor. If youre reaching the golden age, or enjoying it already, the Rogue ST Max can help take years off your game.
Callaway refreshed the flash face and speed frame for the Rogue ST Max, and are more impressive than ever. I really see the distance gains and unmatched forgiveness that the face and frame support.
The sound this driver has is splendid. Strong, stable, and powerful. Getting the ball up in the air, and downfield is done with ease. Max club head speed is reached seemingly effortlessly. There also wasnt a fairway I couldnt find during testing.
When the more spry years are behind you, flexibility is at a premium, and you think your best years of golf are behind you, think again. The Callaway Rogue ST Max is the fountain of youth for the tee box!
Why is it one of the best drivers for Seniors?
The Callaway Rogue ST Max is great for senior golfers in multiple facets. 26 grams of tungsten is placed in the rear, which gives the Rogue ST Max the highest MOI of any Callaway driver ever.
That MOI is going to help you gain back some of those lost yards off the tee.
Pros
My Recommended Handicap Range: 10 and upLoft Options: 9°, 10.5°, and 12° Launch: Mid to HighAdjustable Hosel: Yes
Why is it one of the best drivers for Seniors?
Pros
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Ping G425 Sft Driver Effective Without Being Ugly
Whats particularly impressive about PINGs approach to the G425 SFT is that they put significant design effort into hiding the draw bias.
For sure, the face is a little closed and if you look closely you might notice the slight bump-out in the heel but for the most part the heavy draw elements of the design are unobtrusive.
Its not visibly offset the shape is not particularly odd or unpleasant. It basically looks like most any other driver.
Thats a case of live and learn.
Over the years, weve delivered some good options that players havent wanted to try, says Wood.
Take, for example, the K Series from several years ago. If Im being honest, K Series hybrids more or less got me through the last month of the season after my daughter was born. I wasnt very good to begin with and wasnt playing much so I needed all the help I could get.
But, yeah, the Ks looked weird, almost offensive. I wouldnt say I was proud to have them in my bag.
With the G425 SFT, that shouldnt be an issue.
That said, if youre more of a yeah, I slice it a bit but Im pretty sure Ill get over it type of guy, the G425 MAX still offers plenty of slice correction without the full commitment.
The PING G425 SFT is available only in 10.5 degrees. The actual loft is a little higher. That, too, speaks to the audience. If youre a lower-lofted guy, the G425 MAX will likely be the better fit.
What Driver Loft Is Best For Seniors
Loft is the golfers friend, and the older we get, the more loft should be put into play. Senior golfers lose clubhead speed in the swing and adding loft will get the ball airborne more easily, producing more carry and distance.
Loft from 10.5 to 12 degrees is the optimum range for seniors. Playing golf regularly in the wind should be a consideration, but still select a 10.5 as the lowest loft.
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The Best Driver Shafts For Seniors In 2022
As the old saying goes, Father Time is undefeated. Its a sad fact of life that the body will slow down before the spirit becomes unwilling. The good news is that in 2022, there are more options than ever before for senior players who still want to play the game of golf at a high level.
Those options start with driver shafts. While driver shafts may go overlooked at times, they play a huge role in your performance. Its very important that you use a driver shaft that matches your swing speed or you could be leaving yards on the table.
Its also important to choose a driver shaft based on your club preference. For instance, if you prefer a particularly heavy club head, you may need a lighter shaft to compensate so that you dont compromise club head speed.
Some senior players may require a shaft with a very specific kick point in order to achieve desired launch. Whatever the case may be, its especially important for senior players to carefully scrutinize the kind of shaft theyre using on their drivers.
To that end we have put together and rated some of the best driver shafts for seniors in 2022 for your perusing enjoyment.
How Far Should A 70 Year Old Man Hit A Golf Ball
Joel has worked in the golf industry for over 12 years covering both instruction and more recently equipment. He now oversees all product content here at Golf Monthly, managing a team of talented and passionate writers and presenters in delivering the most thorough and accurate reviews, buying advice, comparisons and deals to help the reader find exactly what they are looking for. So whether it’s the latest driver, irons, putter or laser rangefinder, Joel has his finger on the pulse keeping up to date with the latest releases in golf. He is also responsible for all content on irons and golf tech, including distance measuring devices and launch monitors.
One of his career highlights came when covering the 2012 Masters he got to play the sacred Augusta National course on the Monday after the tournament concluded, shooting a respectable 87 with just one par and four birdies. To date, his best ever round of golf is a 5-under 67 back in 2011. He currently plays his golf at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford, Lincs, with a handicap index of 3.8.
Joel’s current What’s In The Bag?
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Cleveland Launcher Xl Lite
Im a big fan of the Cleveland Launcher XL Lite driver, for many reasons.
While Cleveland isnt one of the big boys when it comes to driver manufacturers, what theyve been able to create with this club is very impressive.
The Launcher XL Lite is geared towards players with moderate swing speeds, like seniors, who are looking to gain a few extra miles per hour out of their driver and Cleveland have achieved this by making the club 12g lighter and a quarter-inch longer than the standard Launcher XL.
Both of these subtle changes make a huge difference when it comes to generating extra clubhead speed, without expending any extra physical energy to do so.
Furthermore, the Launcher XL Lite has a massive clubhead for added forgiveness and confidence, with the Rebound Frame providing alternating zones of clubface flexibility and rigidity to maximise ball speed.
It also has an 8g weight placed inside the grip for better balance and control, helping you split more fairways.
Wilson Staff Launch Pad
If you are prone to slicing your drive shots, this club is definitely worth your consideration. Heal-side weighting in the head counteracts those wayward swings, minimizing the slice. The angle of the head is also 2 degrees upright, adding another helpful bit of technological design to combat slicing the ball. The Launch Pad driver weighs in at just under 10 ounces, making it among the lightest weight drivers available. The benefit of this, aside from gratitude from your caddy, is that with swing speeds not as fast as in days of yore, we can still get excellent distance and accuracy. Slow down, hit the sweet spot, and keep the ball on the fairway at a respectable distance from the tee.
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Ping G425 Driver Key Takeaways
- The PING G425 Series of drivers is finally coming to North America and Europe.
- The 3 models, MAX, SFT, and LSToffer exceptionally high MOI, slice correction, and low spin performance, respectively.
- Retail price is expected to be around $500.
Given the consistently excellent performance of PING drivers in Most Wanted testing over the last several years, expectations for the G425 lineup should rightfully be among the highest of any models hitting the U.S. market this year.
Still, its hard to overlook the buzz-killing reality that PING G425 drivers have been available in Australia and on the PGA TOUR for months. Combine that with the fact that PING is never the loudest or flashiest and theres a chance the PING G425 drivers could get lost in the chaotic flurry of the spring release cycle regardless of their impressive debut elsewhere.
Nevertheless, despite a relatively subdued new color scheme and a less than sensational backstory, I like PINGs chances.
The last several years of Most Wanted testing have shown PINGs Plus/standard models to be steady, top-of-the-table performers. The SFT has differentiated itself as the ultimate slice killer and the LST has taken top honors with each of its two iterations.
PING drivers perform. That isnt in doubt. The lingering question shouldnt be, Will the PING G425 be good? The better question is, How can PING possibly make any of the three drivers in the lineup better?
Wilson D200 Superlight Driver
Total weight: 268g| Club head weight: 199g| Stock shaft weight: 44g| Grip weight: 25g
Wilsons D series drivers are known for being extremely light in weight. The Wilson D200 Superlight driver weighs one gram less than the D100 and five grams less than the D300. If you dont want to spend a lot of money on the XXIO driver, this is sure to be one of the lightest drivers you can get at 268 grams.
Its not as forgiving as the Cobra Airspeed, but its still a good all-around driver for a senior golfer. Id expect more distance but a slight drop in consistency as opposed to the Cobra Airspeed driver because its lighter.
Fortunately, all Wilson drivers are reasonably priced. They no longer spend much on advertising, and it appears that the savings have been passed on to the customers.
| Pros |
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Best Golf Drivers For Seniors
Clearly this driver is designed for golfers who tend to utilize a large portion of the face over the course of a round.I t feels light, partly down to the 55g shaft, but when you find the middle of the clubface it also feels incredibly explosive and stable, even on mis-hits. While the scope of this driver is likely limited to those who are fighting a slice on the tee, we think it makes one of the best drivers for slicers available in 2022.
The Titleist TSi1, similar to what we saw with the previous TS1 driver, is the lightweight option engineered for the moderate swing speed player seeking increased club and ball speed with control off the tee. This driver is best suited for beginners, seniors or those with a slower swing speed with their driver.
The 460cc TSi1 is almost 40g lighter than standard drivers. It is high launching with mid spin and is the most draw-biased Titleist driver available through its CG positioning. By reshaping the head, engineers were able to move the CG closer to the centre of the face, which results in more ball speed versus the outgoing TS1. It’s one of the most lightweight drivers we’ve tested in years and it really is worth getting one in your hands to feel how truly light it is.
We found it to be noticeably higher launching, especially with the softer stock shafts helping increase dynamic loft at impact – ideal for senior golfers who lack speed but don’t want to be lacking distance.
What Is The Difference Between A Regular Driver And Senior Driver
A senior driver will usually have increased loft on the clubface and a slightly more flexible shaft . A regular driver could have loft from as little as 5 degrees and a shaft flex ranging from senior right through to extra stiff.
When it comes to comparing senior drivers with regular drivers, the main difference are the variables in terms of loft and shaft flex as demonstrated above.
Senior drivers will tend to meet a narrower set of criteria , while regular drivers will encompass all extremes to suit players of all abilities hence why loft can be as low as 5 degrees or as high as 15 degrees, and shaft flex anywhere from senior to extra stiff.
Weve explained what beginner players should look for in a driver here, with the article also giving our top picks.
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How To Choose Your Driver Head Size
The head size of your driver one of the most important factor when choosing a senior driver. The larger the drivers head size the larger margin of error you have when making contact with the ball.
The sweet spot which is right in the middle of the face of the driver is the ideal place to make contact with the ball. Hitting the sweet spot will ensure that you drive flies as straight and far as possible.
Driver head sizes are measured in cubic centimetres which is displayed as cc. The traditional driver between 440cc and 460cc, 460 being the maximum size allowed by the USGA for tournament play.
Do you typically prefer driver heads on the smaller end? If so you may want to check out our guide to the small headed golf drivers.
Should A Beginner Get A Professional Fitting For Their Driver
The vast, vast, vast majority of recreational golfers do NOT get a professional fittingand enjoy the game just fine.
Here are my thoughts: Not gospel, by any means and feel free to disagree.
- TRUE BEGINNER: DO NOT get fit for clubs. DO get lessons> Buy something with a regular shaft off the rack. You have no idea what you are doing in your golf swing and the swing you have now is not the swing you need to get fit for.
- HIGH HANDICAPPER : Get Lessons 1st!
- HIGH HANDICAPPER : Don’t get fit.
Im competitive and always looking to improve, so I got fit for my driver and my irons years ago.
Bottom Line: What are your goals and how serious are you about playing better golf? Let that be your guide.
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