The majority of everyday golfers live for smashing bombs off the tee. And although we spend time working to increase our distance, many of these shots result in a hook or slice.
Adjustable drivers have been a revelation in this regard, as they allow you to set the club to your preferred loft and launch bias. That combination helps you achieve straighter, longer drives. In this post, we are reviewing the best adjustable driver in 2021. We will reveal our overall pick and touch on a few other options that are worth testing out.
What Are The Best Adjustable Golf Drivers :
The Best Adjustable Driver – Callaway Epic Max
The Longest Adjustable Driver – Cobra F9 Speedback
The Best Adjustable Loft Driver – TaylorMade SIM Max
The Fastest Adjustable Driver – TaylorMade M5
The Best Value For Money – Srixon Z 785
The Best Adjustable Driver In 2021 – Callaway Epic Max
Value for Money | 6 |
Shaft Flex | 8 |
Head Options | 8 |
Workmanship | 9 |
Overall Score /100 | 90 |
Rating: 4 ½ stars
Quality and performance come at a price, and the Callaway Epic Max is a fitting example of it. Priced at the premium end of the market, the driver offers golfers optimal flexibility to position the clubhead to your preferred loft, lie and launch bias.
Callaway employed a 17-gram sliding weight to combine with their OptiFit hosel to offer up to 20 yards of corrective shot shape.
Furthermore, an A. I designed Jailbreak Speedframe optimizes the club’s stability and expands the area of the face that delivers explosive ball speed.
Finally, the Epic Max features deep CG and high MOI to promote straighter, higher shots leading to more consistent shot dispersion. The combination makes it the most forgiving Epic driver Callaway has designed.
The oversized head, coupled with the high launch and mid-spin, is ideal for mid to high handicappers looking for maximum forgiveness off the tee.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Optimal forgiveness
- Stable frame at impact
- Generates accelerated ball speed
- Promotes straighter shots
- Epic shot shaping correction
Cons
- Expensive
- The oversized head may not appeal to players looking for a compact, cleaner appearance at address.
The Longest Adjustable Driver In 2021 – Cobra F9 Speedback
Value for Money | 8 |
Shaft Flex | 6 |
Head Options | 6 |
Workmanship | 8 |
Overall Score /100 | 88 |
Rating: 4 stars
In an interview with Golf Galaxy, Bryson DeChambeau explained that he consistently achieved 195 mph of ball speed while testing the F9 Speedback driver.
DeChambeau, the PGA Tour’s longest hitter in 2021, says that the hotter, stable CNC milled face promotes explosive ball speed and low spin for maximum distance. Added to Bryson’s comments, Cobra touts the F9 Speedback as the longest driver in their stable.
The employment of Speedback technology optimizes the clubhead’s aerodynamic to promote increased clubhead speed. And the low CG encourages a powerful launch.
Furthermore, Pwr Ridges increase the stability of the clubhead at impact for the optimal coefficient of restitution (COR).
Cobra’s engineers applied their Forged E9 Face technology to expand the sweet spot to promote optimal ball speed, even on heel and toe mishits. Plus, the F9 Speedback features MyFly Adjustable loft and CG to maximize your distance off the tee.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Expanded sweet spot
- Eight adjustable loft settings
- Adjustable CG for optimal spin and ball flight
- Promotes increased clubhead speed
- Delivers optimal distance
Cons
- The adjustable features do not help you improve the shape of your shot
- The oversized head does not appeal to all golfers
The Best Adjustable Loft Driver In 2021 – TaylorMade SIM Max
Value for Money | 7 |
Shaft Flex | 7 |
Head Options | 7 |
Workmanship | 8 |
Overall Score /100 | 87 |
Rating: 4 stars
Drivers with adjustable loft sleeves tend to allow for manipulation up to 1.5 degrees stronger or weaker. However, the TaylorMade SIM Max goes a step further by allowing you to strengthen or weaken your loft by up to 2 degrees.
The aerodynamic asymmetric sole contains an inertia generator to increase ball speed and heighten your moment of inertia (MOI), improving your forgiveness off the tee box.
TaylorMade wasn’t done yet and added a Speed Injected Twist Face to enhance the C.O.R of the club. That delivers explosive ball speed across the face, even on mishits.
Additionally, the SIM Max sports low CG and Twist Face Technology. They combine to deliver straighter ball flight, lower spin, and optimal distance.
Finally, the only adjustable element of the TaylorMade SIM Max is a two-degree loft sleeve that allows you to customize the clubface in twelve different setups.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can adjust your loft to twelve positions
- Forgiving
- Resists twisting to promote a square face at impact
- Promotes increased clubhead speed
- Delivers rapid ball speed across the face
Cons
- It does not feature adjustable CG
- It does not contain adjustable ball flight bias
The Fastest Adjustable Driver In 2021 – TaylorMade M5
Value for Money | 6 |
Shaft Flex | 7 |
Head Options | 8 |
Workmanship | 7 |
Overall Score /100 | 86 |
Rating: 3.5 stars
TaylorMade’s M5 driver epitomizes explosive ball speed to generate optimal distance. The driver is Speed Injected to push the legal limits. While a Twist Face mitigates against mishits by reducing sidespin for straighter, consistent ball flight.
On top of its speed and forgiveness of the M5, TaylorMade fitted an inverse T-Track movable weight system to set up for your preferred launch and shot shape. If you wish to hit the ball lower and with more draw, reposition the weight.
Although it does not have the bells and whistles of the M5 Tour or M6, the standard M5 driver delivers exceptional ball speed and consistency. With reduced spin and straighter shots, you will enjoy increased yardage off the tee.
The M5 is ideal for mid to high handicappers who have not figured out their optimal launch and shot shape. The adjustable weights combined with rapid speed off the face are ideal for control, forgiveness, and distance. Exactly what a mid-handicapper needs.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Generates explosive ball speed
- Increased COR across the face
- Limits sidespin on mishits
- Promotes straighter ball flight
- Adjustable shot shape preference
Cons
- Expensive
- It does not feature adjustable loft
The Best Value For Money Adjustable Driver In 2021 – Srixon Z 785
Value for Money | 9 |
Shaft Flex | 6 |
Head Options | 6 |
Workmanship | 7 |
Overall Score /100 | 85 |
Rating: 3 stars
Considering the materials and technology needed to construct adjustable drivers, they are not the most affordable options. However, after extensive testing and research, we found one. The Srixon Z 785 driver is affordable and lethal off the tee.
Srixon created a club that reduces backspin and encourages a higher flight for exceptional distance off the tee. The Ti51AF Cup Face is durable, fast, and light-inducing explosive speed for a powerful launch.
Furthermore, the lightweight carbon crown of the Z 785 driver allowed engineers to position weight around the perimeter of the face to deliver increased forgiveness.
Finally, the Srixon Z 785 features a Quick Tune adjustment system that enables you to alter the loft and swing weight of the driver for optimal launch and carry.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Rapid ball speed across the face
- Promotes consistent accuracy
- Adjustable loft and swing weight
- Forgiving on off-center strikes
- Reduces spin
Cons
- You cannot adjust the driver to induce your preferred shot shape.
- Not suited to golfers with slower swing speeds.
Factors to Consider When Purchasing The Best Adjustable Driver For Your Swing
Swing Speed
Your average swing speed with a driver provides a guideline for the ideal shaft flex and loft for your game. For example, Zephyr Melton from Golf.com suggests that those who swing the big stick between 84 mph and 96 mph are better suited to regular flex shafts.
Golfweek’s Jackson Lewis recommends that those swinging under 85 mph should play with at least 14 degrees of loft.
If you are unsure of your swing speed, you can visit a professional fitter. They will set you up on a launch monitor and make you hit a few shots to get your averages.
Forgiveness
Unless you are a low handicap golfer, the chances are that you need forgiveness to keep your ball in play off the tee. That is why it is imperative to determine the level of forgiveness offered by a driver.
Although you can check the manufacturer’s website for more details, I recommend testing the driver on a launch monitor to see how forgiving it is for you.
Types of Adjustable Golf Drivers
According to The Golf Warehouse, there are two predominant adjustable golf driver types. Hosel, and moveable weight designs.
An adjustable hosel enables you to alter the loft and lie of the face to achieve your desired launch and ball flight. Drivers such as the Callaway Epic Max feature moveable weights that help you reposition the CG of the driver to lower the spin and promote a draw or fade bias.
Launch
If you are a faster swinger with a driver, I recommend looking at clubs that promote low ball flight and limit spin. Otherwise, you may find yourself ballooning shots and losing distance off the tee.
Conversely, I suggest players with slower swing speeds look for drivers that naturally deliver a high launch.
Ball Flight
FAQ
Do Adjustable Drivers Really Work?
In an article by The Golf Warehouse, they suggest that adjustable drivers do work. However, it is necessary to manage your expectations. These golf drivers only help you mitigate hooks and slices and achieve your desired trajectory and shot shape.
I still suggest putting in the hours to improve the consistency of your swing and ball striking, if you want to lower your handicap. But adjustable drivers offer an excellent solution to your immediate problem.
Are Adjustable Drivers Legal?
SwingU’s Chris Chaney explains that an adjustable driver as a club is perfectly legal. However, if you adjust the lie of your driver during a round you violate USGA Rule 4-2.
Should I Increase The Loft Of My Driver?
If you are struggling to launch your drives consistently and are losing distance as a result, it is worth considering increasing the loft of your driver. Weakening your driver loft opens your face, making it easier to get your ball airborne.
Should I set my driver to draw?
Players that struggle with slicing or pushing their tee shots may suit an adjustable driver with a draw bias setting. Golfers with this problem tend to open their face at impact, generating excessive side spin that leads to a slice.
The draw bias setup helps play reduce left to sidespin, for right-handers, to promote straighter, accurate shots.
Conclusion On The Best Adjustable Driver In 2021
Before we wrap up our review, let us recap the clubs that topped our list. The Callaway Epic Max offers everything a mid to high handicap could need from a driver. Twenty yards of corrective shot shape helps you set up your driver for your preferred ball flight.
Furthermore, a stable frame and high MOI deliver explosive ball speed, leading to a high launch, and increased carry. The main downside of our top pick is the premium price tag connected to it.
Other than our overall winner, we selected the Cobra F9 Speedback as our longest adjustable driver. And the Srixon Z 785 claimed the title for the best value for money option.
TaylorMade finished on top in two categories. The SIM Max was our top pick in the adjustable loft category, followed by the M5 that produced the fastest ball speed out of our competitors.
If our best adjustable driver for 2021 has caught your attention, you can take a closer look at the Callaway Epic Max here.