Just because you have a slower swing speed doesn’t mean you can’t gain extra yardage from the right driver.
Years of expensive research and very educated scientists work on these clubs. You can be sure they have found a way to squeeze out every bit of distance they can.
If you’re tired of being the first to play when your group reaches the fairway, then take a look at these golf drivers for some help. The Callaway Epic Speed is a perfect example of what millions of dollars of research can produce.
A Callaway may not be the right fit for everyone. But if you struggle with a slow swing speed, there is help to be found with any of the other drivers.
Stop blaming your swing speed for short drives and step into the future. Use technology to your advantage and start hitting longer drives.
In-Depth Product Review
- New aerodynamic cyclone head shape
- Carbon crown and toe to reduce weight
- Lower center of gravity for high launch
- HiBore crown lowers the center of gravity for higher launch
- No loft adjustability for less weight
- Custom lightweight shaft
- Reduced weight in the head, shaft, and grip
- Heel weighted to promote a draw bias
- Carbon crown to increase speed
Speed injected twist face for distance and control
Carbon fiber crown and sole
Added aluminum frame for stability
- Beautiful and traditional look at address
- Very thin materials used to increase speed
- Carbon crown is used to save weight and move it back
- Aerodynamic speed ridges
- Carbon crown reduces weight
- Confidence-inducing appearance
- Diamond face design for an explosive clubface
- CUP face technology is used to add even more distance
- Lower and back weighting to get a higher launch
Callaway Epic Speed — Best Overall
Callaway has many golf drivers available, and sometimes it seems like they get a bit redundant. Well, there is nothing redundant about this premium driver.
This is the only one of its kind. The name says it all as it will produce the most swing speed out of any golf driver on the market.
New Club Head Design
The most significant advantage here is the new head shape. It’s been altered to provide more aerodynamics with a unique cyclone shape. This reduces drag and promotes higher swing speeds, specifically for anyone with a slower clubhead speed.
They have somehow managed to do this without shrinking the size of the clubhead, either. It still measures 460cc, which is the maximum allowable volume set forth by the USGA.
This gives you some forgiveness while you’re getting used to the increasing swing speed.
Excellent Use Of Carbon Fiber
Also helping with forgiveness is the carbon crown and toe.
By saving 16g of weight, the designers could add more to the back than its predecessors. This also lowers the center of gravity to give you a high launch angle.
This is an excellent combination as more ball speed and a higher launch angle will produce amazing tee shots for you.
The carbon toe serves to help with your trajectory as well. Having a light toe means it can rotate quicker through impact. This makes it easier to square up, and it will guard against the dreaded slice.
Having a slight draw bias is excellent if your misses tend to be right (for righties).
Take Advantage Of The Same Features That The Pros Do
Inside the head has all the same features that help the pro’s hit booming drives.
This high launch driver features Callaway’s patented jailbreak speed frame for added vertical and horizontal stability. This is the hottest sweet spot in any driver you’ll hit.
With a slower swing speed, you should be able to hit the sweet spot more often. That’s why we voted this to be the best driver for amateur golfers who want more club head speed.
Related: Best Drivers From Callaway
Cleveland HB Turbo Launcher — Lightest Driver
The easiest way to gain driver swing speed is to get a lighter driver, increase your swing speed, and get more distance immediately.
There is no other driver that is as light as this one.
Cleveland has had significant success with its line of launcher drivers, and this is the most popular one yet. It has tons of weight-saving aspects that will create faster swing speeds. This creates more ball speed and adds incredible distance.
Easily Launch The Ball Higher
The “HB” stands for HiBore. This is in reference to how high the crown is. A higher crown allows for the center of gravity to be lowered. This gives you a higher launch without any extra effort.
Getting a high launch is especially important for slower swing speeds to get more carry. If you need to get over water or a bunker, then controlling your launch is critical.
How Did They Make This Driver So Light?
Another weight-saving strategy used here is the omission of adjustable weights and loft. If you look at golf clubs with this addition, you’ll see a bulky and heavy mechanism attached to the hosel.
While this can be beneficial to some, those looking for more speed won’t require it.
This golf driver is available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12°. For slower swing speeds, the 12° will provide the most lift and distance.
At this loft, you may even be able to sneak a few drivers off the fairway if needed.
Extreme CUP Face Technology For Distance
To further increase distance, this driver is outfitted with CUP face technology. This means the face is larger than the front of the clubhead and stretched around the edges. By doing so, reduces vibration and enlarges the sweet spot.
Your mis-hits will be muted, and you’ll still get great distance out of them.
The face also uses variable thickness. Every square millimeter of the clubface is measured and optimized. Behind the sweet spot is the thinnest part to get the most spring-like effect. The toe side is more rigid to add strength behind those mis-hits.
No matter where you make contact, this club is equipped to help you gain distance.
Ping G425 Max — Most Forgiving
If you’re looking to increase your average swing speed, chances are you’ll have to sacrifice some accuracy…
…Ping disagrees. And instead, offers the G425 Max.
Not only built for slow-speed swingers but also for ensuring your off-center hits don’t get you into too much trouble. For a driver to balance these aspects is very difficult.
But Ping drivers have been doing this for years. Slower swing speed players can rejoice and take advantage of this technology.
Get More Forgiveness With Your New Found Ball Speed
This exceptional forgiveness comes by increasing the moment of inertia (MOI). MOI is used to measure how forgiving a golf club is, and the higher the MOI, the better. This adjustable driver has the highest MOI out of all the best drivers we could find.
This was done by moving weight further back in the clubhead, which is common among club manufacturers.
What’s not common is to make that weight mobile.
On this driver, you can move the back weight to adjust the center of gravity. This helps control your shot shape more. Move the weight towards the heel to help promote more draws or towards the toe to encourage fades.
Many Setting Options To Help You Find The Best Ball Flight
It also has a loft adjustment sleeve to really optimize your ball flight.
Once you have found the correct settings, I advise you stick with them for a while. When so many adjustable features are available, it’s easy to blame the golf club and start adjusting too much.
Find the best setup on the driving range and keep it there for as long as possible to avoid confusion within your golf game.
This Is Still A Very Fast Driver That’s Great For Slower Swing Speeds
Next, I have to mention the crown. You can see they have added strategically placed ridges on top that they call turbulators. While I’m not sure if that is a real word or not, I do know that it helps with the aerodynamics of this premium driver.
They help move air past the clubhead faster to reduce drag and give you faster ball speeds. Even at 460cc’s this driver can slice through the air despite its large size.
Related: Most Forgiving Drivers On The Market
Cobra F-Max 20 — Best For Curing Slices
Gaining more speed is no good if you cannot control the flight of your golf ball. For those who need more ball speed and want help to cure your slice, then the Cobra F-Max 20 could be your solution.
Reduced Weight For Maximum Club Head Speed
The first thing to note about this driver is how much more swing speed you will gain with it. Comparable in weight to the Cleveland Launcher, this driver is very light.
Like Cleveland, this driver incorporates a custom lightweight shaft. It’s specifically built for this club.
They have also reduced weight with a specially designed grip that is lighter than other stock grips.
With just these two modifications, you will notice an increase in your clubhead speed. Producing a faster clubhead speed will result in more yards off the tee.
A Special Crown To Make This Club Even Faster
Cobra has fitted this driver head with a carbon crown to reduce the weight to get even more clubhead speed. This also allowed them to add some weight to the club’s heel, which helps keep your shots on line.
On the crown, you’ll notice two ridges that help with aerodynamics and keep your driver’s swing speed up. These ridges are more subtle than some of the other companies. Most golfers find this to be more appealing to the eye when looking down at address.
This Driver Is Designed To Help Those With A Slice
This club is available in an offset design for those who struggle with slicing but need more ball speed. When the shaft is offset to the clubface, it is difficult for the clubface to open at impact. This technique has been used for years by manufacturers, and that’s because it works.
This golf driver offers more ball speed AND relief from the dreaded slice.
These are two common problems, but both could be a thing of the past for you with this golf club.
Related: Best Cobra Drivers On The Market Related: Best Drivers To Cure A Slice Related: How to Cure A Slice
PXG 0811XF Gen 2 — Most Underrated
If you have never heard of or tried a PXG driver yet, I am happy to introduce you to the 0811XF Gen 2. While the name may be confusing, there is no question that this driver is hot. It WILL help you increase your distance off the tee box.
More Speed With A Redesigned Club Head
The increase in ball speed is primarily credited to the shape of the clubhead. It’s longer from front to back, which makes it more shallow and sleeker. With this shape, you can get a faster swing speed to get the distance you’re looking for.
There are five weight ports located on the sole near the back of the clubhead. These are customizable so that you can optimize your shot shape. For slower swing speed players, you must get your golf ball started on the right path.
The best drivers are now designed to cover more ground with a higher ball flight. We want you to take advantage of this.
Offering A Professional And Traditional Look To Those With Slow Swing Speeds
Compared to its predecessor, this driver focuses on moving the center of gravity back. It gives you more forgiveness and opens up the sweet spot. Now your off-center shots will not only be playable but won’t lack distance either.
This is one of the few drivers in the slow swing speed category that looks like a professional club. Yes, the size is slightly larger, but the overall shape is very traditional. The matte black color also gives this club an air of confidence that will transfer through to you.
Also, like the professional golf clubs, this current driver has a very muted sound when struck. It’s solid and still sounds excellent when hit. But it certainly lacks the hollow “tin can” sounds that so many of its competitors have.
The Magic Happens Under The Hood
To create this unique mix of pro and amateur features, the designers had to reinvent the head’s inside completely. The inside is a structured honeycomb insert that gives strength to the entire head.
This is because all aspects of the driver are so thin. The crown, the face, and the sole are all very thin to keep the weight down so you can get as much swing speed as possible. With this insert, your new fast swing will now produce huge drives, as all parts of the driver’s head are firmly supported.
Callaway Rogue — Best Looking
While appearance doesn’t play a scientific factor, it can add some intangible factors.
When you pull the headcover off this driver and see all of its sharp lines and gorgeous black color, you can’t help but feel like hitting an incredible drive.
Never underestimate the power of confidence in golf.
Reduce Drag To Maximize Your Clubhead Speed
Those sharp lines aren’t just for appearance, though. They serve a fundamental purpose, and that is to get you swinging faster.
Callaway worked with Boeing to produce the most aerodynamic clubhead possible. By working with the aircraft giant, they were able to create something very unique.
But also something that works VERY well.
The sole of the club looks like no other golf driver. Its futuristic design is a collection of perfectly placed ridges to force air past the clubhead faster. This creates less drag, so you can add mphs to your ball speed without changing a thing.
It Still Has Callaway’s Proven Foundation
The inside of the club has Callaway’s proven jailbreak technology system.
This is a revolutionary design feature that is in all the newer Callaway drivers. This system makes the sweet spot very active. Even at slower swing speeds, you can still knock some drives out of the park.
Placing two titanium steel bars behind the clubface adds incredible strength. When you hit the sweet spot, you can feel the ball being shot off the face. This sturdy interior is the reason why Callaway drivers are so popular.
Not Only Fast But Forgiving As Well
For added forgiveness, the face is constructed using a variable thickness process. This adds weight where it needs to be for your mis-hits. The sweet spot is thin to promote a more spring-like effect. The toe end is slightly thicker to add stability for your off-center hits.
They have taken thousands of measurements to optimize the whole clubface this way.
This driver should be on your shortlist for a slow swing speed player who’s looking for more distance and tends to hit the sweet spot often.
Related: Best Drivers From Callaway
Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 — Most Affordable
While not the most famous club company on our list, we had to include this golf driver. In this article, I’m focusing on equipment specs rather than their marketing tactics or reputation. For players with slow swing speeds, this club is bound to improve your distance.
Coming in at a much lower price than most of the other “best” drivers, it does not sacrifice technology or engineering.
Lots Of Technology For A Lower Price
A lot of work went into this driver. They managed to utilize most of the recent breakthroughs in technology.
The first area to note on this driver is the face. Callaway’s flash face technology inspires it. But in the Tour Edge version, they use hundreds of tiny diamonds. Integrating this shape across the clubface makes it easy to adjust the face thickness.
It also allows for a lot of flexibility.
Each diamond shape acts as a little trampoline to catapult your ball down the fairway.
Same CUP Face Technology As In Other Big Name Drivers
The face is also a CUP face design. Similar to the Cleveland Launcher, the face wraps around the edges of the clubhead. This reduces vibration but also makes the face thinner and widens the sweet spot as well.
To further help with gaining distance, the weight has been moved to the back. Like other golf drivers, this dramatically improves your ability to launch the golf ball higher. Years ago, a line drive shot was the most sought after. But with new measurement systems, it’s become evident that launching your ball higher will result in greater distance.
Uses An Older But Effective Technique For More Distance
The last feature on this driver that promotes extra ball speed is the deep power channel. It’s located on the sole just behind the face. This allows the face to flex more on impact and was used to great success on some of the world’s longest drivers.
Taylor Made Sim 2 Max — Best For Low-Handicappers
It may be shocking to list a Taylor Made driver so low in a driver review article. But we wanted to focus on drivers that would exclusively help golfers with slow swing speeds. Taylor Made won’t be the first choice of slower swinging golfers.
However, if you are improving rapidly and your swing speed is increasing steadily, you might be able to take advantage of this driver.
With its primary focus on distance, it can be challenging to unleash all the power with a slower swing speed.
The face is undoubtedly hot.
A Forgiving And Active Clubface
It uses Taylor Made’s remarkable speed-injected twist face. This makes the face as thin as possible while still being legal by the rules of golf.
This also allows a lot of flexing to correct off-center strikes. Though, this kind of face is very firm and functions best when struck at a higher speed.
Using Proven Technology to Compound Your Distance
To add more distance, there is a “speed pocket” installed just behind the clubface. This allows the face to flex more and adds length.
The real breakthrough with this club is the use of carbon fiber. It’s all over the place. While many companies now have carbon crowns, TM has also used it on the sole as well.
A Redesigned Clubhead That is Unlike Any Other On The Market
With so much weight being saved by the carbon, they can redistribute it throughout the clubhead. The weight is now spread across the back to increase the size of the sweet spot.
Due to all the weight loss, they have also added a forged aluminum frame on the back. This adds stability and will prevent the face angle from twisting at impact.
There’s no doubt that Taylor Made makes a very advanced piece of equipment here. But is it perfect for a golfer with a slower swing speed? We think not.
Related: Best Drivers From TaylorMade Related: Sim 2 VS Sim 2 Max Comparison
Buyer’s Guide
If low swing speed is your cross to bear, you should be looking for a driver with a few specific attributes. These days there is a solution to every problem on the golf course. With the right equipment, you can certainly offset your slow swing speed with the right driver.
Weight Distribution
Where the manufacturer puts the weight is of great importance to you. This will control your launch.
Having the weight far back from the clubface will increase your launch angle and also increase your spin.
If you are at a very slow swing speed, you can get the weight as far back as humanly possible. Getting the highest launch angle will help you as your swing speed will not allow for too much spin.
If you’re swinging in the medium range, having the weight back is not essential but should still be back. Most golfers think they want a low and penetrating ball flight off the tee. But with today’s technology, that is not how it works anymore.
Get a launch angle that is higher than what you are used to. If your spin rate is correct, you’ll get more distance this way than the traditional low-stinger style of driving.
Loft Angle
Additionally, to increase your launch angle, get the most loft you possibly can on the driver. Most drivers have loft adjustability, so you can lower it if need be.
It’s to your advantage with a slow swing speed to launch the ball a bit higher than others. The easy way to do this is to get a higher loft.
Almost every driver on this list is available in 12°, and that is what I recommend. You would rather hit it too high than too low. Carrying over water or trees is more advantageous than the odd worm-burner that goes far.
Shaft
When selecting the proper shaft, I recommend something more flexible than you’re used to. A flexible shaft provides more leeway when you’re not swinging your best. We all have those days every now and then.
A flexible shaft will also kick a lot easier, and for a player with a slow swing speed, this is heaven-sent.
All shafts come in 3 main flexes;
- A-Flex (formerly senior flex) shaft
- Regular flex shaft
- Stiff flex shaft
No slow swinger will need the stiff shaft. That is meant for swings above 90 mph. The big question is deciding between A-Flex and regular flex.
If your swing is under 80 mph and you have no plans to change that, the A-flex (formerly senior flex) is perfect for you. Your driver will take advantage of the extra energy created by the shaft. And if you have the right setup on the driver’s head, you will hit longer drives.
If you think you may be a candidate for the regular flex, I advise you to get a professional shaft fitting. This will determine the best shaft for your exact swing. There are varying degrees of regular flex since it’s the most popular.
Related: Driver Shaft Fittings
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best driver for a golfer with a slow swing speed?
The best driver for slow swing speed is the Callaway Epic Speed. This club provides the best weight distribution to encourage more distance even with a slow swing speed. The face is very lively and built with Callaway’s jailbreak technology. There is adjustability available to optimize your driver as you progress as well.
What is considered a slow swing speed?
To be considered a slow swing speed, your driver speed should be under 90 mph. At this speed, you will be able to capitalize on all the features that the best drivers are offering. You can launch the golf ball much higher because you are producing low spin. Take advantage of the latest technology, and don’t be afraid to switch to a higher loft or whippier shaft.
How does buying a driver for slow swing speed help?
Buying a driver made for players who swing slow will help add distance without doing any extra work. Millions of dollars of research go into creating these clubs, and the science proves they work. By repositioning the weight and customizing the clubface, you can produce varying results with the right equipment.
Do I need a driver with adjustable elements?
No, you do not need a driver with adjustable elements. If you know your swing speed, you can order a driver with the proper loft and weighting. You should never have to adjust it unless your swing changes. Adjustment features are aimed more at low handicap golfers who want to manipulate their ball flight from day to day.
Do I have to change my swing to take advantage of a new driver?
No, you will not have to change your swing to enjoy a new driver. Thousands of tests are run on each new driver to ensure they meet the needs of their target market. In the case of slow swing speeds, they have experimented with many variables to develop the best driver setup. Your issues are nothing new to clubmakers, and they put the work in so you don’t have to.
Conclusion
Years ago, having a slow swing speed could be a major flaw in one’s game. Nowadays, even with the pros hitting it further and further, a slow swing speed does not mean high scores.
The Callaway Epic Speed is the best solution to offset your slow swing speed. It’s been tested and researched to the ends of the earth, and we feel confident almost anyone can benefit from this.
Yet, no single club will be the solution for everyone, and luckily, there are other companies out there tackling the issue of slow swing speed. Choose one of the best drivers that suits you so you can increase your swing speed, get those extra yards, and start taking the pressure off the rest of your game.
Have fun and hit ‘em straight.
