Equipment
The drivers used by the top-10 longest hitters on the PGA Tour in 2017-2018
What drivers do the PGA Tour’s longest golfers use to bomb their tee shots? Now that the 2017-2018 PGA Tour season is behind us, we can do a thorough examination.
First, here’s a tally of what the top 10 in driving distance on Tour are using by driver manufacturer. Interestingly, only two OEMs figure.
- Ping: 4
- TaylorMade: 6
But this is GolfWRX, so of course you want to know more. Below is a breakdown of the driving-distance leaders on the PGA Tour in 2017-2018, the specifics of their drivers, shafts and how far their average tee shots flew.
10) Keith Mitchell
Driver: TaylorMade M1 440
Loft: 10.5 degrees (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 7.5 (tipped 1 inch)
Length: 45.25 inches
Swing weight: D3
Grip: Golf Pride Victory Cord 58R
Average driving distance: 312.6 yards
9) Bubba Watson
Driver: Ping G400 LST
Loft: 8.5 degrees (7.6 degrees)
Shaft: Ping BiMatrix-X (tipped .50 inch)
Length: 44.5 inches
Swing weight: D4
Grip: Ping 703 Gold
Average driving distance: 312.9 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Bubba’s clubs
8) Brooks Koepka
Driver: TaylorMade M3 460
Loft: 9.5
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70TX
Average driving distance: 313.0 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Koepka’s clubs
7) Gary Woodland
Driver: TaylorMade M3 440
Loft: 9 degrees (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra RPG 80X (tipped 2 inches)
Length: 45.25 inches
Swing weight: D5
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord Mid
Average driving distance: 313.4 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Woodland’s clubs
6) Dustin Johnson
Driver: TaylorMade M4
Loft: 9.5 degrees
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution 2.0 Tour Spec
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Average driving distance: 314.0 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Dustin’s clubs
5) Luke List
Driver: TaylorMade M4
Loft: 8.5 degrees
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana White D+ 80TX
Average driving distance: 314.7 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about List’s clubs
4) Tony Finau
Driver: Ping G400 Max
Loft: 9 degrees (9.5 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Tour Z X485 M5 (tipped 1 inch)
Length: 45.25 inches
Swing weight: D5
Grip: Custom Lamkin UTX Mid
Average driving distance: 315.3 yards
See what GolfWRX members are saying about Finau’s clubs
3) Tom Lovelady
Driver: Ping G400 Max
Loft: 9 degrees
Shaft: TPT MKP 15.5
Length: 44.75 inches
Swing weight: D3+
Grip: Golf Pride V55 Full Cord 58R
Average driving distance: 315.9 yards
2) Trey Mullinax
Driver: Ping G400 Max
Loft: 9 degrees
Shaft: Mitsubishi KuroKage XT 60-X
Length: 45 inches (tipped 1 inch)
Swing weight: D4
Grip: Golf Pride V55 Full Cord
Average driving distance: 318.7 yards
1) Rory McIlroy
Driver: TaylorMade M3 460
Loft: 8.5 degrees
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 70XTS
Length: 45.625 inches
Swing weight: D8
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R
Average driving distance: 319.8 yards
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
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Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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geohogan
Jun 6, 2024 at 10:59 pm
Seems there is only one student of the game/designer of golf shaft(s), Gerry Hogan who did the calculations that show, 45 inch is not simply an arbitrary length. 45 inch is the limit for any golf shaft with a 0.335 inch diameter tip
for controllable bend and torque.
Increase the tip diameter and shaft length can be manageably in longer lengths than 45 inches.
That means changing the standard for professional level clubhead(adaptors) and shafts. Until someone other than Gerry Hogan does the calculations golfers will wonder why they lose control above 45 inch length.
Ron Roulhac
Jan 9, 2019 at 7:26 pm
Appreciate the article. It’s nice to have all of this golf club information in one place. To improve you golf game, it’s not just about clubs, but your approach is very important. After visiting http://www.golfswingpundit.com my golf game improved dramatically.
Benny
Nov 3, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Many great points in here. Does show me that the long ball hitters are all under 9* loft. Low loft, low spin drivers and getting that launch angle up. I saw this video with Thomas on pressure scales. At impact he is posted up on his right/rear leg around 90% and behind the ball. So add all that up amd you get some added distance boys. My 13* 430 won’t get me there lol.
Chris Bunting
Oct 17, 2018 at 2:07 pm
Woodland, lol. 80tx, tipped 2″. Id use that shaft to stake a new tree in my yard. F’n animal.
Cliff
Oct 8, 2018 at 2:20 pm
Ben:
Thanks for the good stuff, but for us mortals with swing speeds of under 120, how about the drivers used by the shortest hitters on tour. That info may give us some insight into what clubheads and set ups are generating the most distance. Probably would be good to do the seniors and women, too, but for me I am going and get my x shaft tipped 2 inches so I can hit my driver under the tee markers. Lot of hot air in town (Washington DC) these days.
dave
Oct 8, 2018 at 12:49 pm
The engineers make their big money designing shafts, all those guys can use the same heads with their “made for them shafts” and get similiar results.
Billy
Oct 6, 2018 at 6:05 am
I have the LST. I am 65 and hitting the ball longer than I ever have. For some reason the 65g stock shaft fit me perfectly. Not surprising with Ping.
CrashTestDummy
Oct 5, 2018 at 5:27 pm
You put any brand driver in their hands that is fitted for them with a good shaft, they would still be the longest guys on tour.
Just k
Oct 5, 2018 at 9:25 pm
Not necessarily. It’s hard to get the launch/spin combo with a Callaway or other as ping and TaylorMade atm
Brandon Miller
Nov 13, 2018 at 12:20 pm
I agree it’s great to see what the longest hitters in tour are using and there set ups but ultimately they could interchange the club heads and have similar results.
big jones
Oct 5, 2018 at 4:43 pm
This is interesting. How about providing lists of wedges and putters. That’s a great idea about the drivers of straight hitters. Thanks.
Vas
Oct 5, 2018 at 4:40 pm
Made the move to the Ping LST this year. If I smash one with both, my Rogue SZ was probably 5 yards longer, but the LST does NOT go left… like ever. I’m a believer. Also, everyone I know who has tried the G400 Max that isn’t brainwashed into having the absolute lowest spin setup loves it. The original G400 is probably useless now, but the LST and Max are ridiculously good.
dat
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:43 pm
PXG? Nope.
Tom
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:24 pm
All these driver heads perform the same, rules of golf ensure that. Just depends on who is paying each guy…
Joe
Oct 7, 2018 at 10:08 pm
No they don’t. Heads are very different. They are absolutely designed to accomplish different things.
John Krug
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:03 pm
Driver specs are personal to the individual. Is it accurate to say the information provided is as relevant as the shoe size of a player?
Martin
Oct 5, 2018 at 12:56 pm
The shafts interest me most. Amazing that there are two Accra’s, such a small company!
Brett
Oct 25, 2018 at 10:55 pm
Been using Accra shafts for years now! Seriously underrated!
John
Oct 5, 2018 at 12:34 pm
I doubt the list would change much if they hit a different brand driver.
Aaron
Oct 5, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Rory’s driver is D8! Even with his Tensei Orange shaft, that’s a lot of extra head weight being added.
Matt
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:03 pm
More a result of length. Every half inch is 3 ticks on the scale. So if he was at 45″ his SW would be a shade over D4.
Murv
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:06 pm
His driver is almost 46 inches long. Accounting for almost all of the swing weight.
Dave
Oct 9, 2018 at 2:40 pm
The reason the SW is d8 is because of the extra length. BTW SW is an artifical number. I can build a d0 with same head weight and shaft.
Redundant Ray
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:54 pm
I think that extra swing weight is probably just the result of the extra length. He plays a longer driver, like 46″ I read somewhere.
Jack Nash
Oct 5, 2018 at 12:31 pm
As a result of last weeks Ryder Cup, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to list the Drivers used by the Top 10 Most Accurate Drivers on the PGA?
Mike
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:15 pm
Agree with Jack Nash – accuracy far more important than distance. Ryder Cup teams as follows: Europe : 8.5 x4; 9.0 x5; 9.5 x1; 10.5×2
USA: 7.6 x1; 8.0 x1; 8.5 x3; 9.0 x2; 9.5 x3 10.5 x2
If Casey, Rahm, DJ & Simpson are at 10.5 deg drivers – those of us playing amateur golf should be at least 13 deg ,,, yet, we are being sold drivers to imitate the top professionals !?!?
Scott
Oct 5, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Mike, there are more factors than loft. Shaft flex, kick points weight, etc. If you were fit for your driver vs. buying one off the rack, you would understand.
Craig
Oct 5, 2018 at 7:10 pm
Sometime the lofts described may not be accurate, they will take a 10.5 degree driver and adjust the loft down which depending on driver also creates a slightly open face many pro’s prefer.