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Hannah Holden has tested 19 (!) of this year’s hottest drivers in a number of categories. So which is going in her bag for the new season? Let’s find out
It’s that time of year again! So what are the best drivers 2022 has to offer?
I’ve got my hands on 19 models from eight brands to find out. I put every big stick through their paces, testing them using state of the art TrackMan technology and Titleist Pro V1 golf balls – both on the range and out on the golf course.
I’ve broken this project down to categories. So which driver came out on top? And, perhaps more importantly, which will I be putting in play this season? Watch the video above to find out, or scroll through the option below…
You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
It will be of little surprise that the Ping G425 was one of the most consistent drivers and performed really well in dispersion testing. I really loved the high ball flight it generated but found the spin was slightly too high in the set-up I had for testing.
In my opinion the SFT draw bias offering is the best on the market for straightening out that left to right ball flight and was also really forgiving.
Callaway have four driver options for 2022, their biggest line-up to date. The Rogue ST Max, Rogue ST Max D, Rogue ST Max LS and Rogue ST Triple Diamond. The Max LS is a new addition and aims to offer a low spin head with maximum forgiveness. The Triple Diamond is also new to market as it was previously only offered to tour players.
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Stability is the name of the game here, Callaway have gone for a larger more stretched shaping in the main Max model and although this looks large to the eye, it packs a punch in terms of performance. This was the second longest driver in the test and also had the second-best dispersion. Very solid.
There are four models in Titleist’s TSi line up. The most popular model among club golfers has been the TSi2, while the TSi1 is more lightweight and perfect for slower swinging golfers. On tour the TSi3 has been extremely popular due to having more weight adjustability options. Finally we have the TSi4 which has the smallest head shape with a forward CG and lower spin.
It was the more compact TSi3 that impressed me here. It was one of the longest drivers in the test and produced my longest carry distance of 241 yards. Distance control on off centre strikes were impressive across both models but it was the TSi2 that was more forgiving overall.
The carbonwood face makes the Stealth drivers impossible to ignore. There have been mixed feelings about the design, but I love the bold look.
Stealth scores very highly in both the looks and feel category and I love the sound you get off the new carbon face. The ball speed was great here which equated to long carry distances but I did found this spun slightly more than the previous SIM2 Max and made my launch angle higher than optimal.
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As you would expect the Stealth+ was the lowest spinning model in the range. It was also the most workable thanks to the sliding weight rail in the sole bringing the centre of gravity forward. This makes it perfect for lower handicappers and faster swinging players.
The Stealth HD had the tightest dispersion in the test and also offered a decent amount of right to left shot shape correction. Definitely one of the most forgiving drivers on the market.
Hands down my favourite Cobra drivers to date. The three models did exactly as they say on the tin. The LTDx LS was the lowest spinning and launching model, the LTDx Max was the most draw bias and most forgiving, and the LTDx sat in the middle of the two.
It was the LTDx LS model that I hit the furthest, averaging 233.7 yards of carry. However, my favourite was the Max model which had a perfect balance of distance and forgiveness and gave me the tightest dispersion in the Cobra line-up. It was slightly draw bias but you could offset this with the adjustable weights in the sole or the adjustable hosel.
Quite possibly the easiest driver to flight on the market. Shot after shot this provided easy launch, height, and distance.
Although the ease of use was impressive it didn’t quite keep up with some of the other models in terms of distance. But I don’t really think that is what this club is designed for.
Overall this is perfect for high handicap golfers who are looking to get extra launch, hitting the ball higher and getting more hang time will deliver more distance for this category of golfer.
This Wilson offering also delivered very high ball flights. This has been one of the longer drivers in the test in recent years. This year it was slightly shorter but had better forgiveness and dispersion.
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At £299 this was the cheapest driver tested and you really need to balance what performance you are getting for the price point of each model.
This was designed for forgiveness and ease of use and it certainly ticks the boxes in both those categories.
Over the ball this is one of the larger shapes which inspires a lot of confidence which high handicap golfers want. You could also see this provided some right to left shot shape correction to help straighten out that slice.
This has a smaller shaping which looks great behind the ball. It also means the centre of gravity is more forward making this driver very workable.
This performed really well on distance averaging 222.4 yards of carry. The dispersion however wasn’t quite as tight as I would of liked perhaps the smaller shaping meant the sweet spot wasn’t quite as big.
You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
Now I’m going to rate the drivers in a variety of categories, including which gave me the most distance, the best feeling driver, the best looking driver, and value for money…
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Longest
The Cobra LTDx LS, Callaway Rogue ST Max and the Titleist TSi3 are the longest drivers I have tested this year. The Callaway Rogue ST Max carried one yard longer on average at 323.6 yards but my longest shot with the Titleist reached 241 yards, nearly four yards longer than my furthest with the Callaway.
The TaylorMade Stealth HD had the smallest dispersion in my testing. It had extremely consistent front to back and left to right misses. The benefit of this is you get high levels of forgiveness paired with right to left shot shape correction.
TaylorMade take my vote here. They have done a great job of taking their untraditional shape and styling and giving it a fresh look. I personally love the red and black colourway and love how they have dialled back the top of the club to make it simpler behind the golf ball. As for the red club face, it really packs a punch.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Cobra LTDx drivers have to be the best value for money on the market this year. At £399 they are over a hundred pounds cheaper than other products with almost identical performance.
You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
There were four models that I considered putting in play this season. First was the TaylorMade Stealth. I love the looks and feel and was also really impressed with the ball speed and carry distances. I haven’t been refit this year but found when I put the custom shaft from my SIM2 Max into this club head it launched too high and spun too much.
Next up the Cobra LTDx Max. Straight away I loved the feel, distance, and control of this. I did find, however, the dispersion wasn’t quite as tight when I took it out on the golf course – maybe because the spin was a touch on the high side.
The Titleist TSi3 is a super impressive driver. It delivers fast ball speeds that are very consistent. This makes it ideal out on the golf course as it has a very small front to back dispersion so you don’t have to worry about carrying bunkers or hazards. This is the smaller less forgiving model in the TSi range though and sometimes on off centre strikes I feel my dispersion suffers too much.
So the driver I am going to be putting in play this year is the Callaway Rogue ST Max. I wasn’t blown away by it in terms of shaping as it is larger than something I would typically put in play, but the higher MOI shows in the performance. A super stable and really long driver.
Right that’s all from me! What driver will you be gaming for 2022? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram.
You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
