As you get older you may find yourself making some tweaks and changes to your game to make sure you’re still playing to your best ability. One of which should be finding one of the best drivers for seniors. A senior driver may allow you to gain back some of that distance you have lost over the years.
Best Senior Driver Of 2021
Best Budget Driver For Seniors
Most Adjustable Driver For Seniors
Most Forgiving Driver For Seniors
Best Non-Conforming Driver For Seniors
Best Driver For Slow Swing Speeds
Another great option for golfers looking to improve their play off of the tee is the Autopilot A14. This driver is specifically built to help golfers that struggle with distance, inconsistency, and have a slower swing speed.
42.75 Inch Shaft
One great benefit of this driver is it’s 42.75 inch shaft. You may be thinking I don’t know what this measurement means but don’t worry we’ll explain.
This shaft is a considerable amount shorter than most driver shafts you will find on the market. What this does is allow you to stand closer to the ball, therefore, facilitating a more upright swing path.
This upright swing path creates less room for error. It will ensure that your club face stays square through a much larger portion of your swing. Keeping this clubface square will allow you to hit the ball straight and reduce the number of hooks and slices you hit.
An upright swing path simply means you were taking the club upwards at a much higher degree. For example, a flatter swing plane that would twist around the back of a baseball bat would be the opposite of an upright swing plane.
Typically the longer your club the more likely it is you will have a flatter swing plane. This is why it is so common that golfers struggle with drivers. The longer the club the more difficult it can be to keep that face in proper position at impact.
If you consistently hit your irons well but struggle to hit your driver and Threewood then this reduced club length and more operate swing plane may just be the issue you need to fix in your golf game.
14.5 Loft
The 14.5° loft is another great feature that any golfer with a slow swing speed is going to appreciate. If you’re swinging over 100 mph you will find that a lower loft driver is more helpful.
Some senior or older golfers that find their swing speed is not too fast. For them an increase in loft will be quite helpful. This loft will allow you to carry the ball further and therefore create more distance.
60 Degree Lie Angle
The 60° lie angle is another feature that works to facilitate a more upright swing path. This line angle is steeper again allowing users to stand closer to the ball. As we stated earlier this one sure your club they stay square for a longer period of time giving more consistency with your golf game.
One more benefit of this club is it increased forgiveness. As you can see from the picture the shape of this driver is quite square. Most golf drivers on the market these days feature a more pair light shape.
By utilizing a square driver head the engineers of this auto pilot A 14 were able to equally disbursed the way in amongst the four corners of the club to maximize forgiveness.
This means you will be more likely to hit your ball straight despite not making contact with the sweet spot. This is a welcome feature for any golfer that struggles with consistency off the tee. It will be especially helpful to those that struggle with hooking or slicing the ball.
Cost And Value
With a price to be sitting just under $200 we found that this club could be a fantastic value buy. If you’re a golfer that struggles with the consistency off the tee and does not have a high swing speed and this driver is a fantastic choice for you.
Though this driver is not considered top-of-the-line. It is the perfect fit for the specific type of golfer that needs more distance and consistency from the Teebox.
Deciding Factors For Best Driver For Older Golfers
There are several factors you want to consider when choosing a driver. Below are the key factors all senior golfers should consider when purchasing their next driver.
- Head Size
- Weight
- Loft
- Adjustability
- Shaft
- Budget
All of these factors go into what driver best fits your game. By understanding the importance of each factor you can then determine which driver you need to accelerate your game.
How To Choose Your Driver Head Size
The head size of your driver one of the most important factor when choosing a senior driver. The larger the driver’s head size the larger margin of error you have when making contact with the ball.
The “sweet spot” which is right in the middle of the face of the driver is the ideal place to make contact with the ball. Hitting the sweet spot will ensure that you drive flies as straight and far as possible.
By choosing a driver with a larger head size the sweet spot is larger as well. Thus making the driver more forgivable if you do not hit the ball dead centre.
Driver head sizes are measured in cubic centimetres which is displayed as “cc”. The traditional driver between 440cc and 460cc, 460 being the maximum size allowed by the USGA for tournament play.
Do you typically prefer driver heads on the smaller end? If so you may want to check out our guide to the small headed golf drivers.
How To Choose Your Driver Weight
The weight of a driver is another factor we take into account when selecting our list of drivers for older golfers. A driver’s weight is not simply measured by a lighter driver being superior but rather finding the right weight for your swing.
With a lighter driver, you will be able to increase your swing speed. Doing this can be important for older golfers as well as female golfers. Increasing a low swing speed can considerably increase your distance.
A heavier driver tends to be better for those who are strong and have higher swing speeds. This is likely due to the higher weight of the club ensuring the golfer that his swing stays on plane.
It is also important to mention that increasing your swing speed should not always be your goal. There will come a point in your golf game where you realize your swing speed has lowered and it is going to be that way going forward.
Once you realize this search for drivers that are built for slower spring speeds this one include things like a higher flex rating as well as a higher degree loft.
Both of these features will be covered later in the article but just remember that it is about fitting your clubs to your swing and not about fitting your swing to your clubs.
How To Choose Your Driver Loft
The loft of your driver is the angled measurement of the clubs head face and determines how high you will launch the ball.
Similar to driver weight there is no perfect driver loft but rather a loft that fits your swing. The higher the loft degree the higher the ball will fly. This makes it more advantageous for golfers with slower swing speed to choose a higher loft driver.
Think of it like shooting a water gun, depending on how fast the water is coming out of the gun you would have to adjust your angle to shoot it the furthest.
A higher lofted driver puts less spin on the ball. If you have an issue with slices of hooks a high lofted driver may be able to reduce some of your issues.
Though not set in stone, here is a general rule of thumb for choosing driver loft by your swing speed.
- 105 MPH Or More – 8.5-10° Loft
- 95-104 MPH – 10-11.5° Loft
- 85 MPH Or Less – 12-14° of loft
Choosing A Driver With Adjustability
Adjustability is a factor previously only came into play with advanced drivers. But with advancements in technology, adjustable drivers have become very common.
The adjustability of your clubs won’t make drastic changes to your club but can help make some minor adjustments. Have an adjustable driver may come in handy for a senior golfer. This is because your swing begins to evolve as you get more experience.
The most common adjustment you will find in drivers is in the loft of club. As covered earlier an adjustable loft will ensure that your club has the right loft to fit your swing speed.
Choosing The Shaft -The Best Drivers For Seniors
Choosing the shaft for your driver is another important decision when selecting the best driver for older golfers. The most important decision being the flex of the shaft based on your swing speed.
There are several different flexes you can choose from.
- Extra Stiff- Golfer Usually drives the ball 300 yards – highest swing speeds
- Stiff – Golfer Usually drives the ball 250 yards
- Regular – Golfer Usually drives between 225-250 yards
- Senior – Golfer Usually drives the ball 200-225 yards
- Ladies – Women or golfers who drive the ball under 200 yards – slowest swing speeds
Other factors that may go into you staff decision are the flight and the margin of error of the shafts.
If your staff is too stiff for your swing then you will tend to hit the ball to the right if you are right-handed and to the left if you are lefthanded.
It is also worth taking into account that the stiffer a shaft is the lower the ball will fly. If you are looking to increase the height of you drives you may to look to higher flex staff in order to increase your distance.
The length of shafts is another factor when choosing your driver shaft though it is much more straightforward. The length of the shaft should be based on your height and the vast majority of drivers are 45 inches in length.
If you are taller you may want to look into a 48-inch driver shaft. This may make your swing feel more natural.
Choosing Your Budget – The Best Drivers For Seniors
The budget is the most flexible of all factors in choosing your driver. It will likely have just as much an impact as all the other variables listed above.
Luckily for you, you will not need a huge budget to get a good quality driver. To purchase the best on the market it will come at a higher price point. But to select a solid dependable driver you will not have to break the bank.
In fact, our list includes some great budget options. These don’t offer the same standard of quality as the top brands but are perfect for senior golfers looking to save a couple of bucks.
In conclusion, when choosing your driver do not necessarily associate price with quality. There can be a more expensive and higher quality driver and the option you choose but it may not be as good of a fit for your swing speed.
Make sure that you’re focussing on choosing a driver within your budget. As well as purchasing one that fits your swing speed the best not just sitting at the highest price point of what you can afford.
Best Drivers for Seniors – Conclusion
To conclude our list of best drivers for beginners we encourage you to take your time reading through each description and determining which driver best fits your game.
There are plenty of good drivers, cheap drivers, customizable drivers, what matters is picking the club that fits you the best.
