Best Illegal Drivers For Intermediate Golfers

What lengths would you go to for extra distance off the tee? Would you invest your time in coaching and range sessions to improve your swing speed and ball speed? Or are you up for a shortcut?

If you have ever read the USGA regulations. You will know that there are limits to what equipment manufacturers can do with their clubs. As an example, the head of a driver cannot exceed 460 cubic centimeters (cc), nor can the shaft measure longer than 48 inches.

While illegal drivers are not permitted for competition use, you can get away with it when playing a casual round with your friends.

So…

We’ve compiled a list of the best illegal drivers on the market.

In this review, you’ll learn:

• About the best illegal drivers
• Why they are illegal
• Their pros and cons
• Much more…

Let’s dive in!

Best Illegal Drivers for Intermediate Golfers

Editor’s Choice – Best Illegal Driver – Juggernaut Power Play Driver

Pros:

• Amplified sweet spot
• Optimal forgiveness
• Enhanced COR
• Delivers accelerated ball speed across the face

Cons:

• Limited shaft flex options
• The larger head adds weight which may reduce your swing speed.
• Only available for right-handers

Bottom line: A super-sized driver head that offers maximum forgiveness and delivers explosive speed.

Juggernaut’s Power Play driver features one of the larger heads on the market, measuring 515cc, 55cc over the legal limit. The larger heads helped the manufacturer create a larger sweet spot that maintains COR and ball speed, even on off-center strikes.

On top of the sizable clubhead, the Power Play is available in three shaft lengths to suit your preference. The longest shaft checks in at 48 inches, while the shorter golfers among us may take a liking to the 46-inch option.

Look at this…

Juggernaut created the Power Play for the casual golfer who is not phased by rules and simply wants to go long and have fun. Players, I know who have tested the Juggernaut find that when they middle it. They gain an additional 20-30 yards over a legally regulated driver.

Best Value – Integra Heater Ghost Ultralite Driver

Pros:

• Incredibly affordable
• Exceptional COR
• A lightweight design helps you achieve maximum swing speed.

Cons:

• Short lifespan
• Only made for right-handers

Bottom line: A bargain driver designed to optimize your COR and deliver exceptional distance.

The Heater Ghost driver was created for the golfer who simply wants more distance off the tee and couldn’t be bothered if they do it within the confines of the law.

To achieve a lightweight design, the manufacturer reduced the head’s weight from the standard 200 grams, to 175 grams. Furthermore, it contains an ultra hot face, which provides optimal ball speed and enhances its COR for optimal distance.

Here’s more…

Contrary to the COR limit as set out by the USGA and R&A, which allows for a maximum measurement of .830. Heater Ghost has increased the COR on their ultralight driver to .860. This is 0.40 off the highest possible measurement as dictated by the law of physics. The higher your COR is, the faster your ball speed will be, even on off-center strikes, resulting in increased forgiveness.

Furthermore, the driver is available in two loft options, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees. This means that the club is best suited to those who generate fast to moderate ball speed.

There are six levels of shaft flex to choose from, ranging from extra, extra stiff (XX stiff) to ladies flex for those with slower swing tempos. Conversely, the faster swingers among us may extract more benefit from an extra stiff or XX-stiff shaft.

This driver’s Shaft lengths cater for young and old, tall and short, casual golfers, and long-drive competitors. The length options range from 41 inches to the maximum regulated 48 inches.

Finally, the super lightweight design of this club helps you increase your swing speed, which improves your ability to maintain the COR at impact between clubface and ball.

Top Pick – Pinemeadow Golf Offset Driver

Pros:

• Combats your slice
• Promotes straighter tee shots
• Clean matte finish
• The large sweet spot for optimal forgiveness

Cons:

• The increased offset reduces the workability of the driver
• The closed angle of the face can cause you to hook shots if your tempo is off.

Bottom line: A forgiving driver with an increased offset that reduces the risk of slices and promotes a straighter ball flight.

If you consider yourself a serial slicer, the PGX Offset driver may offer value to your game. It makes it onto our list of top picks because of its ability to keep you straight off the tee and its incredible affordability.

There’s more…

The PGX design combines a 460cc offset driver head and an enhanced sweet spot to provide consistent distance and accuracy, even on off-center strikes.

On the surface, this driver may look legal. But it is in the details where they bend the rules. Pinemeadow Golf employed the use of anti slice technology. It increases the offset of the face to combat a slice.

The driver will not prevent you from swinging out-to-in, but it encourages a square face at impact and reduces side spin that assists a slice.

Finally, the club features a larger-than-normal sweet spot and a clean, black matte finish. Not to mention that it sells for only a few dollars more than a dozen new Pro V1’s.

Biggest Driver Head – Intech Behemoth 520cc

Pros:

• 520cc head
• Delivers straighter shots
• Enhanced sweet spot
• Hybrid gives great distance

Cons:

• It is difficult to shape your shots with this driver
• The shaft is not suitable for moderate or fast swinging golfers

Bottom line: A behemoth driver head with an enhanced sweet spot to deliver maximum forgiveness off the tee.

The Intech Behemoth 520cc is a super-size driver head that suits those of us who need all the forgiveness we can get.

Here’s the thing…

The oversized driver head of the Behemoth allowed Intech to increase the size of the sweet spot for optimal MOI across the face.

Furthermore, the club contains anti slice technology to reduce side spin from left to right for right-handers and right to left for lefties. As a result, it promotes a straighter ball flight to increase your accuracy from the tee.

Added to the forgiveness and accuracy of the Intech Behemoth Driver is a lightweight shaft to help you increase your swing speed.

Most Accurate Driver – Orlimar Slice Killer Driver

Pros:

• Produces increased draw spin
• Reduces slices
• 7-degree closed clubface
• Ultra-lightweight shaft

Cons:

• The excessively closed clubface can produce a hook
• The shafts are suited to faster swinging players

Bottom line: An exaggerated closed clubface that keeps you straight and consistent.

As its name suggests, The Orlimar Slice Killer is an ideal driver for those of us who care more about our FIR statistics over the length of our shot.

What’s more…

The Slice Killer features one of the most closed clubfaces I have ever seen, at seven degrees. This design helps to eliminate any sidespin that induces a slice and instead promotes a straighter shot.

The 460cc head is constructed out of titanium to provide enhanced durability and a fast face to increase your COR and deliver consistent distance.

Finally, the ultra-lightweight shaft construction helps slower swingers increase your clubhead speed.

Buyers Guide: How To Choose The Best Golf Club Set for An Intermediate Player

What Is The Difference Between A Legal And Illegal Driver?

The difference between an illegal and legal driver is simple. Does it adhere to the limits enforced on the clubhead, shaft, and COR of a driver or not?

The USGA and R&A limit the size of a driver’s head to 460cc. Anything bigger is illegal. Furthermore, the maximum shaft length allowed is 48 inches. While the COR of a driver cannot exceed .830.

Finally, a driver that contains technology that alters the spin or speed of your ball is also illegal. If you don’t play in tournaments and want to hit the ball longer and straighter, an illegal driver is worth considering.

Features to look out for

Clubhead Size

Legal driver heads range from 440cc to 460cc in size. Although smaller heads are available, the larger 440cc and 460cc are most common amongst us average golfers.

Why’s that?

The bigger your driver head is, the more a manufacturer can enhance the sweet spot. The larger the sweet spot, the higher your MOI will be, resulting in optimal forgiveness.

Shaft

If you look at World Long Drive Champion Kyle Berkshire, you could be forgiven for thinking that a 48-inch shaft is the answer to your distance problem. However, Bubba Watson suggests that the average golfer is best off using a shorter driver shaft.

What About The Flex?

Other than the length of your shaft, you need to determine what level of flex will work for you. In this article, Golf.com’s Zephyr Melton provides an insightful guideline to help you identify the right flex for you.

Those of you who swing a driver over 105 mph will extract the most benefit from an extra stiff shaft. Whereas, if your swing speed clocks in between 97 and 104 mph, it is worth considering a stiff shaft.

Conversely, if your driver swing speed is in the range of 84 to 96 mph, then a regular shaft might suit them best. Swing speeds below 84 mph should look at a senior or ladies flex shaft.

Loft

Golfweek’s Jackson Lewis explains that your swing speed should be used as a guide to finding the correct driver loft. As a rule of thumb, those of you who swing a driver between 105 mph and 115 mph should test lofts between 7 and 9 degrees.

Those of you that clock moderate swing speeds may find that you perform the best with a 10 to 12-degree driver. If you consider yourself a slow swinger, I recommend playing with a 12 or 14-degree loft to make it easier for you to launch the ball.

The Best Driver For Intermediate Top Tip(s)

Here are a few tips for buying a driver:

• Choose a driver that offers optimal forgiveness
• Make sure it is easy to launch, for consistent carry and distance
• Ensure your shaft is neither too flexible nor too stiff for your swing
• Select a driver that promotes your preferred shot shape
• Identify the degree of loft that delivers your preferred ball flight
• Find a driver that reduces the spin for increased distance

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Largest Legal Driver Head?

On page 53 of their equipment rules, the USGA states that the volume of a driver clubhead must not exceed 460 cubic centimeters or 28.06 cubic inches.

What Is The Highest Legal COR Score Of A Driver?

Golf.com’s Andrew Tursky explains that the maximum coefficient of restitution or COR allowed on a driver is 0.830. Cobra’s VP of R&D,

Tom Olsavsky explains the significance of COR on distance by highlighting that the average tour player increases their distance between 2 – 4 yards every time the COR increases by a tenth of a point.

What Is The Maximum Legal Driver Shaft Length?

Page 23 of the USGA equipment rules highlights the limitations for the length of a shaft. The legal length limit for all clubs, excluding putters, is 48 inches.

Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results

To weed out the best from the rest, we tested these non-conforming drivers to inspect their design, performance, and value for money.

The focus of our test was to determine the feel, distance, accuracy, shaft flex, club head, and ball speed.

Here is how the clubs fared against one another.

Value For Money

Cheap does not equal value for money. If a driver to be successful in this category, it needs to be affordable, perform well, and be durable.

Shaft Flex

While most drivers provide various options of shaft flex. We are testing these drivers with their stock shafts. In this test, we assessed clubhead speed, swing speed, ball speed, and launch.

Forgiveness

One of the most important factors for any average golfer off the tee, is forgiveness. We tested the consistency of ball speed and fairways in regulation with these drivers to have an idea of which one is more accurate and forgiving.

Workmanship

Besides the driver’s performance, we felt it pertinent to focus on the workmanship of the club. What we were looking at here is the overall design of the club. As well as the finish, look at address, sound, and durability.

Final Verdict: Best Illegal Drives For Intermediate Golfers

We set out on our journey to find the best illegal drivers and whittled down a list of more than fifteen drivers to find our top five. The general consensus amongst the team was that these five are the best non-conforming drivers on the market.

Let’s be honest…

Illegal drivers are limiting. You cannot use them outside of casual rounds of golf. But if that is the only time you play golf, then a non-conforming driver could make golf more fun for you.

If you are a slower swinging golfer or a serial slicer, then these drivers are made for you. Go ahead and make the most of these features. Here are the overall scores for each driver that made it into our top five.

Conclusion: Best Illegal Driver For Intermediate Golfers

In concluding our review of the best illegal drivers, we are ready to announce our overall top three picks.

We had to agree with our editor on the best overall illegal driver. The Juggernaut Power Play driver takes the first spot for its oversized head, optimal forgiveness, workmanship, and performance.

In second place, it was decided that the accuracy of the Orlimar Slice Killer driver trumped the rest of its competitors.

Finally, in third, our team decided to award it to the driver that offers the most value for money, which goes to the Integra Heater Ghost Ultralite driver.

What Do You Think?

Would you ever play with an illegal driver? Or are there any that we left off our list that you would suggest? We would love to hear from you.