Equipment
Today from the Forums: “True game-changing drivers from each company in the last decade?”
Today from the Forums, we delve into the topic of drivers from the last 10-years from major manufacturers which have had a game-changing effect. WRX member, PepsiDuck, asks fellow members: “Which drivers (over the last decade) really pushed the bar forward in driver performance? And do you think the latest batch of drivers will make the list?” Our members have been having their say.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- plim123: “2018-19 was probably the biggest collective leap forward in drivers. Ping G400, Titleist TS, Callaway Epic Flash, Cobra F9, Mizuno ST190 (although TM’s M1 was before). Before that, they were a lot of evolutions, not revolutions (Titleist 910-917, ping g10-g30, Callaway Raxr x to x hot to xr16, etc., and Cobra/Mizuno had barely any driver market share).”
- Titleist84: “Overall biggest advances were adjustable heads for both weight and shafts, as well as maintaining distance on off-center hits.”
- AmazinBlue: “For Taylormade, it’s to be the SLDR. It brought two major factors to the forefront ok not of custom fitting that is at the center of driver design today. 1. The low/forward CG ti allow for lower spin and higher launch to create greater carry. 2. The sliding moveable weight that has been the staple of TM drivers for years since and Callaway was so threatened they patented every “sliding” term used in describing a driver ever since. Overall the greatest invention was the adjustable hosel adapter, allowing fitters and consumers the opportunity to swap shafts in seconds and find the right shaft for a player, not just the shaft that comes standard.”
- cardoustie: “TM510tp and 2016 m2. Ping has had multiple, Tisi Tec, original Rapture, g400. Titleist is 975d. Callaway, way back, the first big bertha. EVERYONE has one, ditto for Great Big Bertha and then Biggest Big Bertha. I ignored the ten years.”
Entire Thread: “True game-changing drivers from each company in the last decade?”
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 WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
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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Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Craig
Feb 7, 2020 at 7:25 pm
There have been some pretty clear generations
1. Wood drivers
2. Metal drivers – TaylorMade Burner or Pittsburg Persimmon
3. Oversize drivers (190cc +) – Big Bertha
4a. Adjustable drivers – TaylorMade R7
4b. Mega oversize drivers (300cc +) – Heaps of brands
4a & 4b were around the same time, although you could argue the Biggest Big Bertha was the original mega oversize at 290cc.
The introduction of Tour/Subzero drivers get honorable mention.
Tom54
Feb 7, 2020 at 5:08 pm
I have to agree with the others about the R510TP that 757 speeder shaft was awesome and gorgeous with the red/chrome graphics. From what I remember was extremely pricey even by today’s standards.
jgpl001
Feb 7, 2020 at 6:28 am
Ditto, same combo for me too
R510TP with the 757 always brings a smile to my face, probably the biggest game changer I ever had back in the day
Saying that the Original Great Big Bertha was a stunning leap forward at the time of its release and served me well for many years
Moses
Feb 6, 2020 at 6:28 pm
The R510 TP was a game changer driver for me. I never hit a driver so long and accurate and it was the first time an OEM gave us a club with a true premium shaft in the legendary Fuji 757. Not so sure I agree with some of the other clubs mentioned above.