New Driver for beginner

[Jay412]

Hello All, 

I am in the market for a new Driver. I was looking at the speedzone xtreme, mavrik max, epic flash, radspeed xd, pingg410 and titleist TS3. I am a beginner, I slice the ball, top it at time etc. I am LH. So I can't go try out alot of these. Wanted to get everyone's experience, advice etc. Looking for distance and forgiveness. Any suggestions and advice is appreciated.

Thanks

[Headhammer]

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Something I have done in the past is check out the older MGS most wanted. This can give you a decent idea of where to start. All that being said Ping G400 Max or SFT are great spots to start. Still used by a ton of golfers out there, few iterations old so it won't be too expensive and Ping is a good forgiving driver that offers good distance as well. Can't recommend enough and think you should be able to find them for a steal. Also along these same lines the original Taylormade M2 was super popular and may not have the newest and greatest tech, but again was and is still used by many and was considered to be far better then the 2nd version of the M2. 

Also shouldn't go without saying welcome to the lefty club! Happy to see another on the forum!

[Paul Hedrick]

22 minutes ago, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

Good advice, in my opinion

[RickyBobby_PR]

Ping g400 sft

 

[tony@CIC]

3 hours ago, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

I'd agree - as a beginner you can't tell the difference. I've got a Ping 410SFT which is pretty forgiving but also still pretty pricey for a beginner since it may not be the right driver for you in 2 yrs. BTW G400 SFT has gotten great reviews and may be a much lower price point. 

In addition to other recommendations, I'd also check out 2nd swing or other reputable online vendors - be careful of ebay as there are counterfeit clubs sold there. I can personally tell you lefty heads are tough to come by - selection even in new drivers is challenging so be patient. While you trying to find one, you can always use a 3 or 5 wood off the tee. . 

Find a good used club, put a new grip on it and take a few lessons. Then, of course, get fit, The latter will save you $$ long run.  

[DStar]

I've gone through this as I've only been playing regularly since April. My swing had developed a lot since then and I've gone from a stiff TM R7 to a Cobra F6+ and now on an x-stiff Radspeed. 

As my swing has got more consistent I've learned a bit more about what I need. Buying cheap on eBay was what I did - that way you can get back most of the outlay if it's not right.

Once you know a bit more about your swing, get a fitting but may be worth a lesson or 2 to iron out any obvious mistakes.

[fixyurdivot]

If you have the time and money, I'd suggest getting fit - maybe full bag if you can score one of the many specials the various companies offer. From there you will have the important decoder information to begin shopping new and used options.  The fitting process is, IMO, important.  This coming from someone who thought it was largely hype and a waste of money.  My .02 cents fwiw.  Good luck with the search, welcome to the game, and to the forum.  

[Shapotomous]

Some might think this is heresy but instead of getting fit right away I like the combo advice@Headhammer and @GolfSpy_APH.  You say you are a beginner so look for something relatively inexpensive from the used market based on past most wanted reports.  You probably don't want to get a full bag fitting, spend $$$ and find out in 4 months you don't want to play any more and have a "Peloton" to get rid of.    

But I would recommend getting a lesson or three to go over the basics of grip, set up, and swing to get you started the proper direction since its hard to unlearn bad habits.  After you get a few rounds in and decide you are hooked then get fit.  The person giving lessons could probably make a suggestion or two about what to be sure to try out in the fitting.

[fixyurdivot]

11 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Some might think this is heresy but instead of getting fit right away I like the combo advice@Headhammer and @GolfSpy_APH.  You say you are a beginner so look for something relatively inexpensive from the used market based on past most wanted reports.  You probably don't want to get a full bag fitting, spend $$$ and find out in 4 months you don't want to play any more and have a "Peloton" to get rid of.    

But I would recommend getting a lesson or three to go over the basics of grip, set up, and swing to get you started the proper direction since its hard to unlearn bad habits.  After you get a few rounds in and decide you are hooked then get fit.  The person giving lessons could probably make a suggestion or two about what to be sure to try out in the fitting.

Good points.  I can't speak for Jamie and @Headhammerbut suspect we were thinking beginner as opposed to never played.  Certainly lessons are priority one in that case. I mean presuming he's of typical stature and falls within the two sigma distribution of the playing population, it's likely 7/10 used sets of clubs on the market will be playable.  I keep forgetting that my thinking about all things golf has been corrupted since June 2018 .

[chisag]

... You should at least get on a LM and see what kind of trajectory and spin you are producing. Even a beginner can spin the ball too much or not spin it enough, so finding the right driver is paramount to improvement. More forgiving the better as long as you have spin and trajectory in the right ball park. Even advanced players need to fine tune if they have not been fit. My last fitting a year ago showed me I did not produce enough spin with my Cobra SZ and switching to a Sim improved my carry with similar roll. I could hit some real bombs with the SZ but on average my drives were farther and straighter with the Sim. I would add I had no interest in changing drivers before my fitting and just wanted to dial in a shaft. 

[John W]

I am a true believer in the built-in forgiveness for just all the recent Ping models. I currently game a Ping G410 and rarely lose a ball off the course. Not to say that I never miss a fairway but almost never lose a ball. 

[HDTVMAN]

If you're set on buying a driver, I'd recommend the Ping G400 Max or a Callaway Fusion Heavy (1" shorter weight adjusted). But I'd seriously recommend an adjustable 5-wood (17.5°) and set it to 16° or 16.5°, and use it off the tee as a 4-wood. You might be surprised how far and straight you hit it while getting better to the point where a driver makes sense.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

keep your driver.  get a few lessons.  or work up your skill on a 3 wood.

[Tyler86]

On 12/2/2021 at 7:39 AM, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

@Jay412 ^^^^this^^^^.  no driver fixes a slice or a top. 

[MisterT]

There are great suggestions above! One thing I would add (unless I missed it) is "loft is your friend." As a newer player, choose a driver with 10 or more degrees of loft to allow you to get the ball in the air more easily.

[RollingGreens]

I have the g425 lst in my bag and am amazed at the forgiveness of ping drivers across the line. I have a few friends who game the g410 and would recommend it. My lather in law also play the 400 max which is a fantastic driver 

[saz0418]

A few things. First, as a beginner, your swing is very, very likely to change if you continue to play and improve.   Your improving swing is  ultimately going to decide what driver is best for you--- shaft specifications, loft,  draw bias,  length etc.   I would say if you currently have a driver that was released in, say, the last 10 years, keep using it and pay for a few lessons. Better use of your money and time.   Then, you can make an informed decision about what driver fits you. 

I am partial to PING drivers.  I had a new  R1 and M1, and have owned COBRA and Callaway drivers in the last 5 or 6 years.   I keep coming back to PING for consistency.   But,  I know people that hit TM or Callaway exclusively, and drive the ball beautifully.   

If you are going to buy a "new driver",  a fitting will only optimize your equipment to your current swing and ability.    You could, instead, go to a stock driver -- say 10 degrees of loft with a regular shaft and some degree of adjustability.   There are really affordable options online at 2ndswing, Global Golf, Callaway Preowned and similar sites.   You can use Google for the brand and model (ex:  Ping G30 driver used), and then use the 'shopping' option to see who might have something available.    Use that and then upgrade when you are comfortable with your swing, your shot patterns and your results.  

[Dweed]

I have a Ping G400 SFT and have used it for many years. A good choice and easily found decent "used" sites.

 

[WiTerp50]

As noted, no club can cure a slice. If you can move that to a fade, then the PING MAX 400/410 or a SIM Max Draw can help. If money is no object, then 425 or SIM 2 versions with a fitted shaft will get the most benefit. But you may need to get help to cure whatever swing fault is resulting in the slice before getting fit. We can only share opinions, a professional can directly work on flaws specific to you.