Maybe you sliced some tee shots. Or suddenly realized that your buddies are regularly bombing their drives past you now. Either way, it’s apparent you and your current driver are headed for Splitsville. What to replace it with? We have a few suggestions.
1: TaylorMade M5
This driver is all about being fast, straight and long. Its “speed injected” ultra-thin titanium Twist Face helps you attain all three by maximizing ball speed and reducing sidespin. You can also tune the driver to one of 21,000 ball flight and launch settings to work best with your swing, by sliding two 10-gram weights along a track on the sole and adjusting loft. A revised, more flexible Hammerhead slot behind the face works in conjunction with it, to produce a larger sweet spot and preserve ball speed on off-center hits. $550
2: Ping G410 Plus
When PING engineers designed this multi-material driver, they wanted it to be simple for you to adjust. Mission accomplished. An easy-to-use movable weight on the extreme rear of the head — with three clearly marked settings for draw, neutral and fade — lets you customize CG location and directional control, without sacrificing MOI or ball speed. That amounts to roughly a 20-yard left-to-right span. You can also adjust loft to eight positions via the hosel, for plus or minus 1.5 degrees of loft. This driver is geared for all skill levels. $540
3: Titleist TS2
This 460cc, shiny black model is built to help you pick up ball velocity and distance. Its “Speed Chassis” consists of an ultra-thin titanium cast crown that causes in discretionary weight to be shifted low and deep in the clubhead; a thin-and-fast clubface; streamlined aerodynamic shaping that significantly reduces drag so that you can boost clubhead speed for more distance; and optimized weight distribution that creates clubhead speed and stability. It has a fixed CG and high MOI, so it’s ultra-forgiving. Score lines are laser-engraved on the face, to help frame the ball at address. $499
4: COBRA KING F9 SPEEDBACK
With sports car-style looks, this driver features an aerodynamic design that helps increase clubhead speed through impact. The combination of a low center of gravity, soft clubface-side edges around the crown, tall skirt, and low-and-deep titanium weights helps tee shots get airborne with ease. The carbon fiber crown wraps around the edges, saving discretionary weight that the manufacturer uses elsewhere to gain even more speed. You can adjust the included 2- and 14-gram weights to alter ball flight. And the loft is adjustable as well. $449
5: HONMA TW747 460
With a nice, conservative appearance at address, this driver looks even better once you realize what it can do for your ball flight. It’s constructed to generate plenty of ball speed at a high trajectory with low spin — a recipe for long shots and generous carry distance. You can adjust the center of gravity to your liking, as well as the lie angle. Officials claim the ribbed carbon crown is the world’s thinnest and lightest. Internal fangs in four places right behind the face enhance rigidity around the perimeter and increase impact elasticity over the face for distance. $599
6: Callaway Epic Flash
The new Flash Face technology in the forged titanium clubface helps you maximize ball speed for more distance. Its underside has topography of varying thicknesses that bolsters im-pact and optimizes ball flight. You will see a notable power boost — especially when you make solid contact. The driver’s Jailbreak technology allows the face to take on a larger impact load to promote ball speed and boost distance. Adjustable weighting lets you shape draws, fades or a straighter flight. $530