One of the most exciting experiences in golf is when you can finally hit that 400-yard long, fantastic drive. While the long game isn’t the only thing important in golf, we can arguably say it’s the most fun and attractive.
On the other hand, one of the worst feelings in golf is when you hit that off-center drive, especially when you know for a fact that you can do it better. Long and accurate drives can bring us confidence throughout our overall game, improve our overall game, and lower our scores.
It is why choosing the proper driver according to your game and your needs are critical.
As we know, women golfers have different needs than their men counterparts. For example, men’s drivers are heavier and typically more extended, which will hinder the female golfer from making the optimal swing.
There are several essential factors you should look for when choosing a golf driver: the club’s weight, the importance of the face, loft angle, MOI, and others. Unfortunately, these factors make choosing the perfect driver a confusing and often daunting task. To start this buying guide, let us first discuss them.
Essential Factors When Choosing Ladies Golf Driver
Shaft Length
Women, as we know, are naturally shorter on average than their male counterparts. The average height of women in America is around 5 feet and 4 inches, instead of 5’9″ for men. So, ergonomically, ladies drivers should be around 1 to 1.5-inch shorter than men’s. The standard driver length for men is 45 inches, so for ladies, you should look for a driver that’s around 43.6 to 44″ if you are everywhere 5’4″ tall.
Of course, if you are taller, you can get a driver with a longer shaft. However, even if you are taller than most women, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should get a men’s driver. Since there are also other factors, we’d need to consider.
Loft Angle
Since the average women have a smaller muscle mass and lower overall strength, translating into a slower average swing speed and ball speed, translating into a shorter driving distance.
The average swing speed for amateur male golfers when driving is around 93 mph. In comparison, the moderate swing speed for amateur women golfers is only 65 mph. It is why a higher loft angle is required in a lady’s driver, allowing a higher ball launch to compensate for the slower swing speed to produce optimal distance.
Shaft Flex
Shaft flex (short of flexibility) is closely related to swing speed. As a general rule of thumb, the slower your swing speed, the more shaft flexibility you’ll need, and vice versa. So, what kind of shaft flex would you need? First, check the chart below to determine which shaft flex you need according to your swing speed. Next, you can go to your local club to get your swing speed monitored. Alternatively, you can use various golf launch monitor apps on your iOS or Android smartphone to check your swing speed (a lot of them are free).
| Swing Speed (mph) | Ball Speed (mph) | Shaft Flex |
|---|---|---|
| 53-62 | <100 | L |
| 63 – 76 | 100 – 110 | A |
| 77 – 92 | 110 – 139 | R |
| 93 – 107 | 140 – 160 | S |
| 108+ | 160+ | X |
Most amateur female golfers will need L or A shaft flex. Still, the table above is just a guideline. You can certainly use a different shaft flex grade than what is recommends according to your preferences.
Adjustability/Personalization
Many modern drivers offer various forms of adjustability so you can personalize the driver according to your preferences, course conditions, or specific needs.
Different manufacturers might offer different technologies, some are just gimmicks, and some can be extremely game-changing. Yet, there are two types of popular adjustability features in newer drivers:
Adjustable/movable weights
As the name suggests, this feature comes in the form of small weights on the driver’s head (typically on the sole) that you can move/reposition.
The basic idea here is to move adjustable weights on the driver’s head. As a result, we can manipulate the driver’s center of gravity position, which will, in turn, affects distance, launch trajectory, and spin generation. Some brands also offer movable weight features that (according to their claims) can help correct slice or hook.
There are ongoing debates about the impact of movable weights on the driver’s performance. Although the feature might initially sound intimidating, you can get a driver with movable weights. Simply follow the instruction manual (or leave the importance in its original place) and get away with it.
Adjustable hosel
With this feature, you can use the hosel to increase or decrease the driver’s loft. The general principle here is that increasing loft will ‘close’ the face of the driver, which will cause the ball flight to be higher. And vice versa when you decrease the loft and ‘open’ the beginning vertically. Some drivers also allow us to change the face angle via the balance points on the sole.
Also, keep in mind that as you change the loft, you will also change the lie of the club’s face. A lie will alter the ball flight horizontally: increasing the angle of the club will produce a fade, and reducing the lie will create a draw. So, if you tend to slice the ball, you can use this feature to ‘counter’ your tendency and produce straighter shots.
Weight
It’s a scientific fact that men have more muscle mass than women, which allows for more powerful and faster swing. Many research has suggested that the lower level of muscle strength is the cause of the slower swing speeds of female golfers.
Ladies should look for lighter clubs with more lightweight heads and softer/more flexible shafts to counter this issue.
Modern drivers now use advanced composite or ultra-light materials to make the head lighter but more rigid (to maximize ball speed) and durable. Shaft materials such as graphite also allow the shaft to be lightweight with more flexion.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness refers to the performance of the driver when the player’s shot is off-center. For example, a driver may produce 250-yard with a perfectly centered shot but only produce 100-yard when we strike the ball slightly off-center. On the other hand, other drivers may pay 200-yard drives with the same off-center shot (more forgiving).
Different manufacturers might have different approaches to achieving more forgiveness. Still, generally, all players can benefit from having more forgiveness, as long as it doesn’t sacrifice the club’s performance in other areas.
Grip
Another essential factor to consider is that women golfers naturally have smaller, more delicate hands with a weaker grip. So, female golfers’ grips are typically not as secure as men’s. We can accommodate this fact by choosing the suitable grip characteristic to allow a more secure grip and better performance at the tee.
We’d recommend using undersized grips for female golfers, as they typically fit smaller hands better. Also, look for grips with rougher textures that can help hold your hands in place during your swing.
Although necessary for any club, choosing the proper grip is arguably even more important for drivers that require significant force and momentum during a swing. If your grip isn’t properly secured, your swing can easily send your driver flying and might hurt others around you (and yourself).
Ladies’ Drivers VS Men’s Drivers: Key Differences
Below, we will list some key differences between men’s drivers and ladies drivers, so you don’t accidentally buy a men’s driver and can decide with your purchase.
Length
The shafts on ladies drivers are typically 2 to 3 inches shorter than that of a men’s driver. If you can’t find a suitable length for taller women, we recommend choosing a lightweight men’s driver and changing the shaft’s flex as required. It’s better to use a heavier club rather than having to bend over in your stance with every swing, which might affect both your accuracy and distance performances.
Shaft Flex
Ladies’ drivers typically offer more shaft flex to generate more ball speed without adding extra weight on the clubhead. However, as discussed, women’s swing is generally slower than men’s, which will cause the club to make less force during impact. By making the shaft lighter and more flexible, such as graphite material instead of steel or titanium, we can compensate for the slower swing speed without sacrificing the shaft’s durability.
Grip
The grip on a lady’s driver is typically narrower than the shaft of a men’s driver of a similar length. It is to accommodate the naturally smaller hands.
Weight
The weight of the clubhead would affect swing speed. Ladies’ drivers typically feature smaller and lighter heads than men’s to compensate for differences in muscular strength and swing speed between female and male golfers.
Loft Angle
The loft of a ladies’ driver is typically higher than men’s drivers at around 12 to 13 degrees of loft. Men’s drivers, on the other hand, generally feature lofts between 9 and 11 degrees. It will allow a higher flight trajectory to prevent the ball from landing too fast before it has reached. Its maximum potential distance, again, to compensate for the slower swing speed.
Head Design for More Forgiveness
Manufacturers often feature unique designs in their ladies’ drivers to manipulate the center of gravity (CG) placement and increasing MOI (Moment of Inertia), the face’s sweet spot, to promote better forgiveness. It will also effectively increase the loft of the club’s face to make it easier for ladies to hit long and straight tee shots.
All golfers arguably will benefit from having more forgiveness, but this is especially important for beginners who struggle with making consistent centered shots.
Top 5 Best Ladies Golf Driver for Beginners
1.PGX Offset Golf Driver
Key Features
- Adjustability: adjustable hosel to increase or lower the loft spending on the golfer’s need. We can also add either 2 grams or 0.5 grams of adjustable weight to manipulate the head’s CG.
- Lightweight: ultra-lightweight with 199 grams head weight to allow higher head speed during your swing.
- Sweet spot: massive sweet spot with its 460cc head, maximum forgiveness during off-center hits
- Material: graphite material to make the product lightweight but durable and flexible.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Many adjustability features, very versatile.
- Great look, modern and appealing.
- Lightweight but durable, you can swing with minimal effort.
- The large sweet spot for maximum forgiveness.
- Affordable
Cons
- The adjustability features have a steep learning curve.
- Poor packaging
Our Verdict
If you are on a budget and simply don’t want to spend too much money on a new driver, the PGX by Pinemeadow can be a great choice. It features a massive sweet spot with a perfect amount of forgiveness, great for beginners.
Offset design also means you’ll get straighter shots and will help you improve your accuracy as you’ll hit the ball more squarely.
Overall Check
- Offset anti-slice Technology.
- 460Cc clubhead
- Headcover included; The matte black finish and white and green give the driver a clean and sleek look.
- Club 1
- The offset of the driver helps you square the ball at impact. Having a square face at impact is essential and will result in straighter drivers.
2.Callaway Golf Women’s Rogue Driver
Key Features
- 2-piece construction: 2-piece construction designed for distance with less side spin to achieve straighter shots. A great go-to golf ball for beginners and golfers with slower swing speeds
- Lothian cover: TaylorMade’s unique halothane cover for an enhanced feel while also promoting durability and resilience.
- Low compression: It’s 60 compression rating, lower than the average low-compression rating of 80. Lower compression allows better distance performance.
- Dimples: 342 dimples to minimize air resistance and drag to maximize distance.
- Affordable: reasonably-priced being a TaylorMade golf ball, you can practice a lot without breaking the bank and compromising much on the quality
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Offers low spin to maximize distance.
- Great ball speed due to its meager compression rating.
- Very durable with TaylorMade’s unique Lothane cover.
- Pretty affordable being a TaylorMade ball.
- Three hundred forty-two dimples to minimize drag and maximize distance performance.
Cons
- Plastic-like feel, a little mushy at times
- It doesn’t provide too much control and playability.
Our Verdict
The TaylorMade Distance Plus is a pretty affordable golf ball with excellent quality, specifically built to maximize distance with 342 dimples, a 2-piece design, and extremely low compression. Great for players with 70 mph swing speeds that want to maximize space.
Overall Check
- Exceptional Ball Speed from The Jailbreak Effect
- More MOI and Forgiveness from Our Triaxial Carbon Crown
- Industry-leading Boeing Aero Package
- Premium Shaft Selection at Multiple Weights
3.TaylorMade SIM MAX Women’s Driver
Key Features
- Aerodynamic Asymmetric Sole and Inertia Generator: designed to allow faster head speed during your swing to produce more ball speed and distance. The added rear weight also allows a higher MOI for improved forgiveness.
- Speed Injected technology: improving ball speed across the face by calibrating all head elements to the threshold of the legal speed limit (optimized COR).
- Twist Face: corrective face angle allowing more forgiveness, compensating for mis-hits by allowing straighter shots while providing a more prominent sweet spot for more confidence.
- Multi-material construction: Its composite head consisting of titanium, steel, and carbon. Weight position optimally to allow high MOI and ultra-low and back Center of Gravity (CG) placement.
- 2-Degree Loft Sleeve: It provides personal and adjustability to optimize the club according to the golfer’s preferences and needs.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Asymmetric sole shape, designed to reduce drag at the most critical part of the swing.
- Improved aerodynamics, allowing more clubhead speed.
- Inertia generator places weight at the shallow and back portion of the clubhead to allow maximum forgiveness.
- Great sound and feel, very responsive to inspire confidence as you drive your shots off the tee.
- Excellent spin rate to maximize distance and minimize drag.
Cons
- The design tends to catch grass and mud, so that it might need regular cleaning.
- Expensive.
- You might feel the head travel through the different impact zone differently.
Our Verdict
The TaylorMade SIM Max driver (and the overall TaylorMade SIM lineup) have been popular throughout. SIM stands for ‘Shape in Motion,’ which refers to the Twist Face technology, allowing maximum distance performance while allowing the club to be forgiving.
They pack with the current state-of-the-art technologies like its titanium, carbon, and steel composite material. Ultra low-and-back CG, and other technologies, the SIM Max driver is simply one of the best ladies golf drivers for beginners and veterans alike.
Overall Check
- Revolutionary New Shape with Aerodynamic Asymmetric Sole and Inertia Generator: Designed to provide faster clubhead speed for more ball speed and distance while the rear weight creates high MOI for improved forgiveness
- Speed Injected technology for intelligently optimized C. O. R. where golfers typically hit it: Improves ball speed across the face by calibrating each head to the threshold of the legal speed limit
- Twist Face technology with slightly larger face area: Uses corrective face angle face designed to overcome inherent golfer tendencies on miss-hits. And produce straighter shots while providing a more prominent look for more confidence.
- Multi-Material Construction with Carbon, Titanium, and Steel: Creates a head design where weight is positioned precisely in the head for ultra-low CG and high MOI
- 2-degree Loft Sleeve: Provides adjustability and personalization to optimize the club for each golfer’s trajectory and face angle preferences
4.Cleveland Golf Women’s Launcher Turbo Driver
Key Features
- Turbo-charged cup face: the new Turbo-charged cup face and variable face, allowing optimal COR over a more significant impact area. It allows for a much higher ball speed for more distance.
- Deep weighting: mass savings, optimized for substantial increases to MOI to deliver more ball speed
- HI Bore Crown: redesigned HI Bore crown, lowering the center of gravity by 2 mm for a more optimal flight trajectory and easier launch
- Ultralight hosel: internal and external weight reduction, redistributed low and deep for a higher launch and more forgiveness.
- Counter-balanced shaft design: It optimizes for easier launch. The center of gravity relocates nearer to the grip, allowing additional head mass for increased MOI and forgiveness.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Relatively more affordable when compared to other high-quality ladies’ drivers.
- Great, loud feedback sound upon impact
- More forgiveness due to the energy transfer in the giant face (with the Deep Weighting feature)
- Turbocharged Cup Face technology with variable face, allowing better consistency on off-center hits.
- Great for women golfers needing some help with launching the ball.
Cons
- Not the best in the looks department, design is not for everyone.
- It might be too loud for those preferring quieter feedback.
- Offset address position might not be for everyone.
Our Verdict
While Cleveland is more well-known for its wedges, the Women’s Launcher HB is an excellent ladies’ driver. That is also affordable while considering its fantastic set of features. Its design emphasizes distance, launch height, and forgiveness.
A unique feature to consider is its lightweight hosel design. The redistribution of the clubhead’s mass allows a more accessible, higher launch and promotes more forgiveness at impact. However, it doesn’t offer any adjustable hosel feature to save weight.
Overall Check
- Turbocharged cup face: The new turbo-charged cup face, enhanced with a new variable look, provides higher COR over a more significant impact area, increased ball speeds, and more distance.
- HI bore Crown: The redesigned HI Bore Crown lowers the center-of-gravity (CG) by 2. 2mm, enabling a lower CG position for optimal launch conditions.
- Deep weighting: discretionary mass savings positioned for significant increases to MOI, delivering more speed.
- Ultralight hostel: external and internal weight reduction, redistributed low and deep for a higher launch and more forgiveness.
- Counter-balanced shaft design: It designs explicitly for the launcher HB Turbo driver. The MIYAZAKI C. Kuma center of gravity is relocated higher toward the grip, enabling additional head mass for increased MOI.
5.Callaway Golf Epic Flash Driver
Key Features
- Flash Face: Callaway’s Flash Face technology, helping golfers get more ball speed for more distance. AI designed flash Face, the first known AI implementation in the golf industry, to create an optimal, radically designed face.
- Jailbreak: featuring two internal bars that stiffen to stabilize the crown and sole during impact. It moves the impact load on the face to encourage faster ball speed.
- Trixie Carbon Crown: saves weight that’s redistributed in the clubhead to increase MOI and forgiveness on misfits
- Adjustable weight: adjustable perimeter weighing for more versatility in creating draws, fades, or correcting tendencies to allow straighter shots.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Allowing straighter and longer ball flight.
- Great looks, one of the best-looking drivers available today.
- Great adjustable hosel feature for extra versatility.
- Great forgiveness with a massive sweet spot.
- Easier alignment with etched grooves around the sweet spot.
- Very light carbon crown for higher head speed during your swing.
Cons
- Sound not very responsive, difficult to differentiate between mishits and well-struck hits.
- Relatively expensive
Our Verdict
The Callaway Golf Epic Flash Driver is a multi-award-winning driver for women. They are featuring Callaway’s signature Jailbreak technology for faster ball speed and further distance performance. Also featuring Callaway’s AI-powered, new Flash Face design to allow maximum distance and forgiveness.
Extraordinary forgiveness during off-center hits and also features its 16-gram movable weight to allow extra versatility in correcting your tendencies. Simply one of the best ladies golf drivers for beginners with cutting-edge features.
Overall Check
- The Callaway Epic Flash Driver employs a new technology called Flash Face to help golfers get more ball speed for more distance.
- Artificial Intelligence created flash Face’s sophisticated architecture – the first known instance of using A.I.in the golf industry – to make a radically different face.
- Jailbreak Technology features two internal bars that stiffen and stabilize the crown and sole, placing more impact load on the face to promote faster ball speed.
- A new lighter Trixie Carbon Crown saves weight that’s redistributed within the head to raise MOI for exceptional forgiveness on off-center hits.
- Adjustable Perimeter Weighting gives golfers the power to promote draws, fades, or a straighter flight quickly.
Final Words
Selecting just the best ladies’ golf driver for beginners is a very daunting task. It is because there are so many different products available in the market. Each product offers its unique take on making the club more forgiving for high-handicappers while ensuring excellent distance performance without sacrificing feel and sound.
Although admittedly, this is very hard for our absolute best pick, we’ll go for Callaway Golf Epic Flash Driver. Admittedly, it’s not the cheapest driver available today. Still, it does feature some great technologies like its AI-designed Flash Face for more distance and forgiveness.
However, that’s not saying the others on this list are harmful products. On the contrary, we are confident that based on our tests, these five golf balls we have reviewed above are indeed the best available in the market today.