Equipment
Top 5 modern glued-hosel drivers
Modern adjustable drivers are a marvel of engineering and something we now take for granted—considering every OEM utilizes some type of adjustable system to assist with fitting and dialing in launch conditions.
However, as every WRXer knows, before we had these tools to our disposal, we had to rely on the good old-fashion glued-in shaft drivers.
These five models are among the best from the recent past.
TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP
Released in the fall of 2010, the Burner SuperFast TP was the undisputed king of ball speed for a very long time. Many will default to thinking the R510 TP was one of TaylorMade’s best, but for both the average golfer and for tour pros, this 460cc driver offered a lot more forgiveness than the R510 thanks to its size and aerodynamics. For those who had one, it stayed in the bag for a long time if you got the shaft right.
Adams Insight Tech a4 Prototype 9015D
Adams. Really?
It was a question a lot of people asked when these started showing up in golfer’s bags.
The 9015D was the brother to the original Adams 9016D, which was specifically built for the long drive circuit when Adams Golf was the official sponsor. It had a high toe profile and sat open at address—something that was often hard to come by in the glued hosel era of driver design.
One fun thing to consider when looking back at this driver is the protruding mass towards the back of the head to lower the center of gravity—vaguely similar to the TaylorMade SIM’s Inertia Generator and Cobra’s SpeedBack—minus the multi-material construction. Those Adams engineers were onto something!
Titleist 905R
Titleist’s very first 460cc driver was introduced not long after the 400cc 905S and the 905T (made famous by the notorious old-club using Steve Stricker) hit the scene.
The 905R stayed in some player’s bag for an extended period of time, including the bag of Adam Scott, who didn’t switch until the 910 came along. Many golfers referred to the 905R as a big version of the famous 975J, and from address it’s hard to argue.
Callaway FT Tour
One of Callaway’s first “tour” style drivers. The original version of the FT Tour was called the FT-9 Tour Authentic and was Callaway’s attempt to compete with the popular Tour Preferred line from TaylorMade. The price tag was high but so was the performance.
The FT Tour was a workable low spin driver and the grandchild of the FT-5 TH—a tour only driver that offered Callaway’s very first traditional-style hosel and got them away from the S2H2 designs that built the brand in the 90s. At 460cc’s, it still looks small by today’s standards, but if you can find one give it a hit.
Bridgestone J33R 460
The J33R 460 will go down as one of the all-time best drivers of its era. Its popularity even made trying to find one more difficult than it should have been at the time because Bridgestone struggled to find brick and mortar stores to carry their hard goods (beyond golf balls) at a time when big-box was the king of golf retail. The J33R was the third generation of the J33 driver line that included the J33P (375cc) and the original J33R (420cc).
Stuart Appleby famously hit a 426-yard tee shot at the 2006 Mercedes Championships (Tournament of Champions in Hawaii) that nearly went over the green of the par-4 12th hole with the J33P—now imagine the punch of the 460 version!
What do you think of these selections, WRXers? Any drivers you’d add?
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...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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Project X
Jun 5, 2020 at 11:02 am
The Ping G15 was a really good driver that made it into a lot of bags as well.
LoPro
Feb 28, 2020 at 8:09 pm
Cobra S91 Pro D, best sounding, longest and original Carbon headed driver!!!
Pity I had to replace every 3-6 months due to the cracked top of the heads near the heel……
Dave
Feb 28, 2020 at 3:35 pm
Ping Rapture V2 with the Diamana Blue was a game changer for me
90TforME
Feb 28, 2020 at 2:09 pm
I would’ve said 905T, not R. And the T was much closer in shape to the 975J or the 983K. I’m not sure what the author is smoking.
Ryebread
Feb 28, 2020 at 1:19 pm
It is hard to believe the Cleveland Hibores didn’t make the list. I still see them in a lot of bags (more than anything on this list outside of possibly the TM). My testing suggests that nothing new is actually better. A certain high profile TV personality seemingly agrees as a Hibore is still their gamer.
Brandon
Feb 28, 2020 at 11:24 am
Great reminder on what I had in my bag back then – almost all of them at one time.
Great suggestions from the other comments as well. I’ll throw in some I liked a lot around that time that produced good results for me. Nickent 3DX and 4DX (before the revolver) and the Dot-Com-This from Geek Golf. Thoughts?
Funkaholic
Feb 28, 2020 at 9:54 am
This is a stupid list. If you are gaming a driver more than 5 years old, you are losing distance and accuracy.
Philippe Longpre
Feb 28, 2020 at 10:03 am
Then why did you click on the link? The list is awesome and all 5 drivers would gladly find a home in my shop.
Michaele
Feb 28, 2020 at 11:15 am
Not too sure about the level of your reading comprehension skills. T/he artile makes it very clear on multiple occasions that it’s about equipment from a past era.
Your comment is far more stupid than the list. Next time you feel the urge to comment, do us all a favor and don’t.
Golfiswayfun
Feb 28, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Well said, Michaele!
Jack Randalls
Feb 28, 2020 at 6:59 pm
How long into the “modern driver era” did Snedeker use the Burner? Guess he was stupid too. Some of his best years.
Frederick
Feb 27, 2020 at 9:44 am
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Nike VR Tour. The first successful implementation of the compression channel still alive and well in drivers today. At 420cc it was still forgiving and very long for it’s time.
Joe
Feb 28, 2020 at 4:54 pm
I still game the VR tour. I cant find anyhting that looks better from the top, and its super long.
Bobarino
Feb 27, 2020 at 8:06 am
Current model Srixon Z585. Excellent driver.
Biblegolfer
Feb 26, 2020 at 7:02 pm
Definitely 905R even today and Adams was ahead of the curve. Those drivers were awesome. Thanks for that article.
Michael Rohmann
Feb 26, 2020 at 4:43 pm
I think I would add the Taylormade SuperQuad to this list. Especially the 282 version. They were awesome and very popilar on tour for many years
Shallowface
Feb 26, 2020 at 4:09 pm
Ping G10. I’m still using mine, and I know it took Ping a long time to get Lee Westwood to switch from his.
Terry
Feb 26, 2020 at 4:02 pm
905R is the only 460cc that I have used and it was the best driver I ever played.
Charlie Waffles
Feb 26, 2020 at 1:37 pm
I really wonder how many people actually fiddle with an adjustable driver after it’s set?
LoPro
Feb 28, 2020 at 8:13 pm
Ummmm, 95%
2putttom
Feb 26, 2020 at 1:22 pm
Honorable mention, Cleveland Classic 290.
Curt
Feb 26, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Had every one of these drivers except the 905R, and they truly are the best from the past. The 9015D being my all time favorite which is why I still own it. Don’t play it but still own it.
Jason
Feb 26, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Taylormade Burner 07 driver. Still use it. In my opinion, the sound and feel is the best.
Mike
Feb 26, 2020 at 12:58 pm
Bagged the Bridgestone J33R 460 for several years,first 460 driver I could play, hid the size well and still to me one of the best feeling of all the modern drivers. Also had the Burner SuperFast TP for a couple of years, it was a beast.
martin
Feb 26, 2020 at 12:51 pm
I think the FT Tour was 440cc. I games the FT9 tour, best driver Ive ever had. It cracked on my in the end and Cally gave me a Razr fit instead, hated that driver. haha
Ryan
Feb 26, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Nike VR Pro and Ping G20 are up there too.
Chris
Feb 26, 2020 at 1:33 pm
2nd the Ping G20
DH
Feb 27, 2020 at 11:49 am
G20 was probably one of the greatest drivers ever made!!
LoPro
Feb 28, 2020 at 8:16 pm
Very forgiving but way to much spin for the stronger player
Robert
Feb 26, 2020 at 11:40 am
Callaway FT5 -very good distance but harsh sound.
Tony Wright
Feb 26, 2020 at 11:38 am
Thanks for the article Ryan. You should consider adding the Wishon 919 THI driver. Fully customizable for loft lie and face angle and has a face that is as hot as another other available driver.
TacklingDummy
Feb 26, 2020 at 11:32 am
I’m waiting for irons with removable shafts. Not necessarily for adjustment, but the ability to swap out shafts easily. Then you can change if wanting or needing different flex, flight pattern, or weight.
Mike
Feb 26, 2020 at 11:37 am
Cobra has the adjustable hosels on their urility irons; I really don’t understand why it wouldn’t be more readily available on all irons.
Nate
Feb 27, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Most likely because it increases the weight of the iron head and changes the swing weight. It typically increases by 2 swing weights. So if the glued head is a D2, then removable head is a D4.
gwelfgulfer
Feb 28, 2020 at 3:46 pm
Then set it up yourself, because the OEM’s will never do it… Or, learn to reshaft irons yourself… It’s easy…
Peter Sarro
Feb 26, 2020 at 10:59 am
Have been looking for the Bridgestone driver for years, but I haven’t ever seen one, wish some golf shops would carry more Bridgestone equipment
Joe
Feb 28, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Dude there’s a bunch of them on eBay right now.
Yotrepo
Feb 26, 2020 at 10:26 am
Would love to see the years these are produced. Anyone have that info?
Marty
Feb 26, 2020 at 10:14 am
Wishon 919THI needs to be on this list. Glued bendable hosel allows for adjustment up to 4* in any direction. Design hasn’t changed in years and still sells today.