You don’t have to compromise on quality if you want an affordable driver. Choosing the best budget driver will give you similar results to a higher-end club without breaking the bank.
It will help reduce mishits and improve accuracy while also ensuring you don’t compromise on other accessories while paying less.
The key idea while choosing the best budget driver is to ensure you pick a high-quality club, and with dozens of options to choose from, picking the right one gets tough!
Apart from the cost, you must also compare the material, weight distribution, and handling.
Fortunately, our team has done all the hard work while reviewing more than 24 drivers so that you don’t have to.
So, look at our summary featuring the top five picks or scroll further and read our in-depth review and buying guide.
Best Budget Driver 2023
Golfible Picks:
Top Pick: TaylorMade M4 Driver (click to see)
Best Budget Driver Below $100: Mazel Titanium Driver (click to see on eBay)
Top Pick For Ladies: Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver (click to see)
Best Budget Driver For Seniors: Wilson Staff Launch (click to see)
Best Budget Driver For Distance: Srixon Z 585 Driver (click to see)
Budget Driver Specification Table Comparison
| Driver Name | TaylorMade M4 Driver | Mazel Titanium Driver | Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver | Wilson Staff Launch | Srixon Z 585 Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | 9.2/10 Top Pick | 8.5/10 Best Budget Driver Below $100 | 8.8/10 Top Pick For Ladies | 9.0/10 Best Budget Driver For Seniors | 9.0/10 Best Budget Driver For Distance |
| Pricing | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section |
| Head Size | 460cc | 460cc | 460cc | 460cc | 460cc |
| Grip | Taylormade Dual Feel 360 | Mazel Standard Grip | Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align Black | Wilson Staff MicroLite | Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 |
| Face Angle | Adjustable | Square Face | Draw Bias | Draw Bias (Moderate Offset) | Draw Bias |
| Loft Angle | Adjustable | 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees | Adjustable | 10.5 degrees, 9 degrees, 13 degrees | 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees |
| Golf Shaft | Fujikura ATMOS Red 5 | Standard Mazel Graphite Shaft | Project X Cypher – 40G | UST Mamiya Helium | Project X HZRDUS Red 65 |
| Shaft Length | 45.75″ | 45″ | 44.5″ | 45.5″ | 45.25″ |
| Shaft Material | Graphite | Graphite | Graphite | Graphite | Graphite |
| Shaft Flex | Stiff/Regular/Senior | Stiff/Regular/Senior | Womens | Stiff/Senior/Regular | Stiff/Regular |
| Read Review | Jump To TaylorMade MWD-M4 Review | Jump To Mazel Titanium Driver Review | Jump To Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver Review | Jump To Wilson Staff Launch Review | Jump To Srixon Z 585 Review |
TaylorMade M4 Driver
Top Pick
Rating: 9.2 /10
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Pros
- Distance and Accuracy with advanced tech
- Great sound and feel off the tee
Cons
- Doesn’t come with adjustment wrench
TaylorMade’s M4 Driver was the top pick in our testing for the best budget driver on the market today. In terms of value and performance, the M4 blew away the competition.
If you want a driver that can help you put the ball down the middle of the fairway and unlock more distance off the tee, all without breaking the bank, the M4 is the club for you.
TaylorMade designed the M4 with distance and accuracy in mind, and it uses some of the best tech in the game today to produce straight and long drives consistently. At its price point, no other driver on the market today can produce comparable results to the M4.
Let’s take a look at the tech that makes the M4 great.
The M4 features Twist Face technology along with TaylorMade’s unique Speed Pocket in the club head. This technology makes hitting the ball at the correct angle possible, even on a bad swing.
This increased accuracy is evident on every tee shot and you will enjoy much more forgiving contact; instead of playing from the trees imagine your ball being playable every time.
In addition to the face tech, the M4 features “geocoustic” technology that produces a sound and contact feel unlike any other driver on the market. What this means is when you hit a good shot, you know it immediately from the way the club feels and sounds at impact.
We found that on bad swings the sound at contact was different because of the geocoustic tech, but the Twist Face tech still kept the ball in play more often than not.
Great drives jump off the club face and that perfect contact is one of the most rewarding feelings you can have on the course.
What we love about the TaylorMade M4
- Accurate Even on Poor Swings: The tech in the M4 allows for bad shots to turn into acceptable ones. The Twist Face system makes sure your club face is as square as possible when you hit the ball, so you’ll save strokes (and a few balls) every round.
- More Distance: Our testers reported 10-15 more yards per shot when compared to other drivers at the M4’s price point. Imagine outdriving your playing partners with ease, and at a reasonable price.
Drawbacks of the TaylorMade M4
No Adjustment Tool: The M4 is adjustable for different swing types and preferences, but it doesn’t come with the adjustment tool when ordered from TaylorMade.
If you want to get the best bang for your buck, the TaylorMade M4 is the perfect driver because it maximizes performance at a price that doesn’t empty your bank account.
Mazel Titanium Driver
Best Budget Driver Below $100
Rating: 8.5 /10
uSA Suppliers (Also deliver to Canada)
 Amazon.com
|
$119.00 | View Deal |
 eBay
|
$40.00
out of stock
|
View Deal |
Pros
- Cheap
- Large sweet spot
- Manufactured using strong Titanium 2041
- Precision CNC milled face
- Speed channel
Cons
- Low brand recognition
Although Mazel is not one of the premium brand golf equipment suppliers, you don’t have to pay a premium price for their titanium driver. In our opinion, this is one of the best cheap golf drivers available today.
Its cup face design is a variable thickness face that is CNC precision milled offering high rebound for more efficient energy transfer to deliver fast ball speed across the face. No major sacrifices on those frequent mishits.
A super lightweight head is manufactured from strong titanium 2041 keeping the weight down to create maximum speed for more distance.
Creating a large sweet spot on the face of the 460CC head ensures that you do not lose too much distance on mishits.
The Center of gravity is placed low and to the back with an extra removable screw allowing you to get the golf ball airborne swiftly for long and high tee shots.
Mazel placed its Speed channel, an engineered trench, around the clubface keeping the face as thin as possible to provide a trampoline effect for increased ball speed.
Shaft flex options available include Stiff (S), Middle (SR), and Regular (R).
Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver
Top Pick For Ladies
Rating: 8.8 /10
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Pros
- Great speed off the club face means more distance
- Adjustable weighting helps shape shots
Cons
- Doesn’t feel right at impact for some golfers
Our group of testers was tasked with selecting the best women’s driver on the market today for the money and Callaway Epic Max was the clear favorite.
If you want a driver that can keep the ball in the fairway, even on mishits, and add 20+ yards to tee shots consistently, the Epic Max is right for you.
Callaway used some very advanced tech, even some made by AI, to create this driver with the goal of creating ball speed along with forgiveness. And they nailed it with the Epic Max.
This driver provides incredible value and can help your game instantly.
So, how does the tech in the Epic Max make it the best choice?
Even though it came out in 2021, the Epic Max still holds up against the latest drivers on the market due to its AI designed frame and club face.
When you hear AI you might immediately think of strange chatbots or social media pictures, but Callaway used AI to create a club face design with max stiffness horizontally and vertically, improving on their “Jailbreak” technology.
The result is an extremely hot club face, the ball just jumps off the club. Imagine hitting the ball 20+ yards further with the same swing.
In addition, Callaway used a carbon material for the frame. This allowed for more even weight distribution for more forgiving shots. Add in the adjustable weight and this driver will keep more shots in the fairway than any other club in its class.
What we love about the Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver
- Easy Distance: Our testers love the way the ball jumps off the club face. Plain and simple, the tech in this club gets the ball moving fast, and you’ll love seeing your ball fly down the fairway with ease.
- Forgiveness: Even on poor shots, the club’s weight distribution leads to less margin for error. If the weight is adjusted to your swing, you can expect to lose far fewer balls in the trees or hazards.
Drawbacks of the Callaway Epic Max Women’s Driver
Unique Feel: Because of the unique design of the club, it has a different sound and feel at impact. While the majority of our testers weren’t bothered by this, some could not get a feel for when they hit good shots.
Even though the tech is a couple years old, the Epic Max produces unbeatable results for the price.
Wilson Staff Launch
Best Budget Driver For Seniors
Rating: 9.0 /10
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Pros
- Highly regarded brand with an illustrious golfing history
- Lightweight
- Fights fades and slices
Cons
- Limits shot making
Wilson is one of the oldest sports equipment providers with a long and illustrious association with golf.
Their Wilson Staff Launch Pad Men’s Golf Driver offers a 13-degree 460 cc driver with a regular flex graphite shaft.
The use of lightweight materials enables Wilson to keep the weight of the total club restricted to a mere 272 grams. This includes the head, UST Mamiya Helium graphite shaft, and Wilson Staff Microlite grip making the Launch Pad driver one of the lightest on the market.
Moderate hosel offset combined with 13 grams of weight located in the heel side of the sole aid in the closing of the clubface at impact thus neutralizing any fade bias and slices.
Combining the technologies described above enables the Wilson Launch pad driver to deliver high ball speeds and high launch angles irrespective of the contact point.
Srixon Z 585 Driver
Best Budget Driver For Distance
Rating: 9.0 /10
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Pros
- Best distance budget driver
- Lightweight
- Strong clubface
Cons
- Lacks brand recognition
Srixon is a brand that is continuing to gain ground on the premium brands with 2 major winners in the last couple of years.
Their Z 585 driver comes standard with a HZRDUS Red 65 Gram graphite shaft in regular flex.
The loft on the driver is set to 10 ½ degrees
In their continued search for distance and excellence, Srixon designed the Z 585 driver with a lightweight and stronger Ti51AF Cup Face that enables you to swing the driver faster thus producing excellent distance.
Providing maximum forgiveness is achieved by spreading the weight saved by designing a lightweight carbon crown to the perimeter for increased accuracy.
The glue used in the Srixon Z 5858 hosel helps you to create a draw-biased shot shape thus fighting the dreaded slice off the tee.
Budget Golf Drivers: Buying Tips
◦ Consider Going to Club Fitter.
Professional golf fitters are trained in a variety of golf equipment and components such as the clubhead and the shaft. They will be able to provide you with a professional service that includes the length of the shaft to optimize the combination of control and speed.
There is much more thought that goes into the club head and grip. Shaft flex, shaft weight, shaft kick point, and the loft of the clubhead play a significant role in the performance of a club depending on your specific swing speed and swing type.
▪ What’s Your Skill Level?
As your skill level increases and you develop a consistent swing, the type of driver in your arsenal may change.
When you start playing golf a cheap driver may suffice but the more regularly you play and increase your skill level, the quality of your driver must improve.
This will help you to get more distance thus allowing you to play shorter irons for your approach shots and improve accuracy.
Your investment in a driver is rather significant and requires careful selection as you will probably end playing the same driver for up to a decade. Unless you are loaded and invest in a new driver every year.
The ball flight off the ball face will drive the type of buyer you purchase. If you tend to slice your drives, there are some great drivers with a draw bias to assist you in fighting the dreaded slice.
The same goes for golfers that hook the ball.
Adjustable drivers enable you to purchase a driver and set it up to suit your requirements.
▪ Match Loft to Swing Speed
The right combination of loft and swing speed will enable you to get the distance that you need to lower your scores.
Fast swing speed can play low lofts since the speed and spin will get the ball airborne at the penetrating angle required.
A slower swing speed below 90 mph would do really well playing a higher loft such as a 12-degree driver. This will help you get the golf ball airborne quicker and reach the ultimate apex for longer drives.
▪ MOI and Centre of Gravity
The location of the Center of gravity (CoG) influences spin rate, feel, and sound. It plays a significant role in the forgiveness on mishits.
The lower and further back in the head the center of gravity is, the more forgiving it will be. Stronger golfers that want to keep the ball flight down will move the center of gravity slightly forward.
Moment of Inertia (MoI) measures the twisting of the clubface at impact and is measured in grams per centimeter squared. The more the face twists, the less forgiving the club while less twist indicates more resistance and more forgiveness.
Secondhand Golf Drivers
Buying secondhand drivers may not be a bad idea if you are starting out and want to test the waters before committing to golf. Buying cheap used golf drivers may end up costing you more than expected.
However, the trade in secondhand golf clubs is full of pitfalls and even seasoned traders can be caught with inferior quality and even fake clubs.
Areas to evaluate before buying a secondhand club are:
Grip – clubs that have seen their fair share of action will probably need replacement grips adding to the costs of the purchase price.
Shaft components are essential for playing the best golf that you can. Buying the wrong flex and material can affect your game tremendously.
Clubhead contains grooves that may wear over time. Ensure that the grooves comply with the governing bodies and that they are sufficient to produce spin. It is also important that the clubhead is attached properly to the hosel of the shaft
Although buying secondhand clubs may save you- some money initially, it comes with a set of its own problems.
Conclusion
The category for budget drivers is competitive allowing golfers to get involved with the game at a reasonable cost without sacrificing quality and distance.
The editor’s choice of the Best budget driver, TaylorMade M4 provides you with a top-quality driver from a premium brand that you can set up to suit your swing and adjust as your skills improve.
Tour thoughts on inexpensive golf drivers and whether you will use a budget driver will be welcomed in the comments section below.
FAQ
Whats the difference between a cheap and expensive driver?
The difference between a cheap and expensive driver is the materials that make up each club. Expensive drivers use high-end materials that help increase performance, distance and keep the club durable. At the same time, these materials from brands such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist and Ping conform to USGA standards. Cheap drivers can break easier, provide worse performance and aren’t always legal.
What is a good cheap golf driver?
The Tour Edge C522 Driver, Wilson Staff D9 Driver and MacGregor V Foil Speed Driver are three great cheap driver options. All three drivers are built with premium materials, have forgiving characteristics and are priced $250 and under compared to high-end drivers that can be $400-$600.
