This is our review of the best drivers in golf in 2023.
I’m an avid golfer, an 8ish handicap on my way to a 2 (been a 5.6) and frequent tester of golf clubs and equipment since 2015.
I’m a large believer in finding a club that works for you and sticking with it until you absolutely need to get the newest tech.
- Either because your game has deteriorated and you need help or you’re losing too much performance and you’re scoring is suffering.
For more info on all our driver testing, visit these pages – driver comparisons, round-ups, and reviews.
In this best drivers in review, I discuss my experience with each club, unique features and benefits, as well as customer reviews.
Best Drivers by Category in 2023
Max Forgiveness Drivers
- Callaway Paradym X (Editor’s Pick)
- Cobra LTDx Max (Former Editor’s Pick)
- Ping G430 Max
- Cobra LTDx
Great Drivers for Mid Handicaps
Best Drivers in 2023 Reviewed
Beginner & High Handicap Drivers
Cobra LTDx Max
- Exceptional Distance & Forgiveness
- Best Sound & Feel
- Now at a Bargain Price
- Nada
The Cobra LTDx Max driver remains our #1 Recommendation for most forgiving drivers tested for a few reasons.
- Easier to hit than any driver I’ve tested.
- Beaucoup distance & forgiveness all over the face.
- Best in class feel and sound.
- Specializes in keeping your marginal swings in play.
The Cobra LTDx is an awesome driver. The Cobra LTDx Max is that, but even more forgiving.
- They both excel in forgiveness but also have great feel, great sound, & distance.
The LTDx Max made me look like a good driver – which is not easy.
Customer Reviews: 23 reviews with a 4.8 average rating on cobragolf.com. (I concur)
Recommendation: MUST test. You will like. Guaranteed you won’t return it because of performance.
Callaway Paradym X
- Premium Distance & Forgiveness
- Excellent Sound & Feel
- Best Looking Driver of the Year(s)
- Nada
The new Paradym X driver is my favorite Callaway driver and the most forgiving Callaway driver.
- Largest sweet spot in the Callaway driver lineup.
- Superb distance on center contact and great distance with minor mishits.
- Superb sound & feel (just like the Paradym)
- THE best looking driver I’ve seen in years (also just like the Paradym).
The Paradym X is the Paradym but with more distance away from the sweet spot. I really enjoy playing and hitting the Paradym. But, I enjoy the Paradym X more because it’s a touch more forgiving.
I hit some truly great and beautiful drives with the Paradym X during my round with it. I think it’s an exceptional driver for those of us that are mediocre off the tee.
Customer Reviews: 97% of reviewers would recommend to a friend. (I have no idea what the 3% were smoking)
Recommendation: Premium driver and premium forgiveness at a premium price. Needs to be on your list to test if you’re in the market.
Ping G430 Max
- Long & Forgiving
- Premium Looks
- Improved Sound & Feel
- Nada
The Ping G430 Max driver is as forgiving as the G425 Max we tested in June of 2022, but with improved sound and feel and a better shaft selection. Oh, it looks a lot better too.
Time and again, the G430 Max converted my mediocre swings into drives either in the fairway or just off the fairway with a good or reasonable shot into the green.
This is ALL I want from my driver. Especially early in the year. The G430 is a driver I would own if I was in the market.
Customer Reviews: Early days, but all 5 reviews at pinggolf.com are 5 stars for the G430 Max.
Recommendation: Any golfer that wants less stress off the tee should give the Ping G430 Max a try. It works hard to keep you playable with a nice boost in distance.
Mid Handicap Drivers
Taylormade Stealth 2
- Superb Sound & Feel
- Solid, Long & Forgiving
- Great looking driver
- Pricey
The Taylormade Stealth 2 Driver is #1 Recommendation for mid handicap golfers for a few reasons.
- Superb distance and most forgiving driver tested in 2023.
- Superb sound & feel. Nice improvement over last year’s Stealth.
- Improved cosmetics. They’ve gone from a flat finish to gloss and it works well.
- I love the muted sound on impact.
I’m still an inconsistent driver – this year more than last – but I was able to connect on quite a few drives with the Stealth 2 on the course. (Not so much on the range or on my golf mat at home.)
Good swings and solid contact yield bombs. Mediocre swings will still get you good distance and a good shot into the green. All you can ask of a driver.
Taylormade made actual improvements with the Stealth 2 line of drivers. That’s not something I can say often. Good on them.
Most negative reviews center around quality control – The head – or pieces of the head – are just breaking. Specifically, the red carbon ring that goes around the rear of the sole.
- I’ve seen no sign of this.
- I’ve had mine a couple of months and it’s in perfect condition. I’ll keep an eye out and report back here on what I see.
Customer Reviews: 95.28% would recommend to a friend. Average 4.7 rating out of 5 from 331 reviews.
Recommendation: Premium driver at a premium price. Needs to be on your list to test if you’re in the market.
Final Verdict on the Best Drivers in 2023
Most drivers good enough for high handicappers will perform perfectly well for low handicappers…unless you happen to have elite swing speed and want more out of your driver than decent second shots into the green.
For you, each manufacturer makes a low-spin, low-trajectory version to help tame and focus your speed.
Thanks for checking out our review of the best drivers on the market. We’ll update this page as we complete more testing.
