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GolfWRX Members Choice: The Best Drivers of 2018

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The bedrock of GolfWRX.com is the community of passionate and knowledgable 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, or is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.

So we asked our GolfWRX Members, “What’s the best driver of 2018?” As part of the voting process, we allowed members to vote for up to three drivers they felt most worthy of the title. We also encouraged them to provide feedback about their selections.

You can see the results below (since the polls opened on Feb. 5), as well as quotes we pulled from GolfWRX Members about the drivers from our forum. Remember, the Members Choice poll will remain open for voting throughout the year, so keep an eye on the results and feedback as more and more golfers have an opportunity to test the drivers for 2018.

Related: See what drivers professional club fitters voted as the best of 2018

Note: Forum posts were minimally edited for grammar, style, spelling and clarity.

TaylorMade M3 440 (3.35 percent of votes)

Mcoz: My vote went to the club in my bag. “In the bag” should mean something. My choice is the TaylorMade M3 440. I tested many of the others with shafts suitable to my game (not stock shafts)… By the way the twistface seems to work very well for me. Heel shots always come back, although a little lower than a well struck shot. Toe shots do draw back with a high trajectory. Heel shots usually more in center of the fairway, and toe shots carry longer.

Titleist 917D2 (5.62 percent)

Kratus977: I hit the 917D2 and went nuts for the feel. Then looked at my numbers and solemnly put the club down. Not even close. And I wanted to love it.

Adbeach321: From a Titleist fan, I thought the 917D2 had a very odd shape to it. Felt good though.

TaylorMade M4 (6.26 percent)

wldchld22: In all my testing the longest ball I hit was with an M4 with a HZRDUS Black shaft, but the consistency wasn’t there. My fitter didn’t have a T110 shaft with TaylorMade tip, which may have given the M4 a better chance. I was surprised that twistface didn’t seem to work for me the way I thought it would. This is close to my 2016 M2 that I loved, but the feeling that I could go flat out at it wasn’t there for me.

Craigstands17: TaylorMade M4: something about this head and shaft combo just seemed perfect for me. Had the trifecta; lowest spin, highest clubhead speed, highest ball speed. Twistface: I’m not sure it’s not just all a marketing gimmick, but I did have very tight dispersion.

Honman: For me the M4 was the clear winner. I was consistently getting the most out of it and it seemed effortless compared to some of the other drivers I hit. I had consistently faster ballspeed and a far higher smash factor. I swing around 90 mph and was getting a 1.51 smash factor.

Callaway Rogue (7.34 percent)

Rapatt95: The Callaway Rogue surprised me, honestly. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Epic and didn’t expect much out of the Rogue. However, what I found was a driver that definitely felt better, looked better, and performed better than the Epic. This driver launched much lower and spun low (1900-2200 rpm), but for some reason just stays in the air. It’s just dead straight low-medium launch missiles. I’ve hit balls miles off the toe with this that launch around 9 degrees with 1600 rpm, and the ball speed does not drop off at all despite the toe strike. With the maintaining of ball speed across the face, that terrible toe strike just ends up being another low but long bullet down the middle.

wldchld22: Rogue with the bigger head made upgrading from Epic a no-brainer for me. I was very ready to stay in Epic this year but this new head does increase forgiveness (my dispersion got better with same shaft as Epic) and it launched the same as my Epic SubZero with only slightly higher spin.

m5power: Really liking my Rogue with an Even Flow Blue shaft. Came from a 2017 TaylorMade M1. For a low-spinning driver, I’m totally impressed by the workability of the Rogue. My ability to be able to turn it over easily has given me extra distance I was looking for. It’s an odd combo of allowing me to turn it over without the duck hook creeping in. I can easily fade it, as well. I went into the store looking to get an m3 or m4. Tried the Rogue on a whim and easily won out in the simulator. On-course testing has confirmed simulator results. (Not always the case for me)

Cobra King F8+ (7.67 percent)

Rapatt95: I immediately fell in love with it. It feels amazing. Simply a wonderful driver to hit. Like the Rogue, this thing just hit absolute bullets for me. Slightly higher than the Rogue, but still much lower than the G400. Even on low hits on the face, it still felt good and spin didn’t jump dramatically. Very well-balanced club that I enjoyed hitting.

redrage22: Gaming the F8+with a Tensei Pro White 60 TX shaft… what a combo!! I tried the F8+  today with the Graphite Design MT-7X shaft and that showed good promise too! I’ve hit them all this year and the feel of the Cobra sold me. I’m slightly longer with the TaylorMade M4, but didn’t like the feel. Rogue Sub Zero spins too low and I didn’t like the shape of the standard Rogue… great ball speed tho!

Craigstands73: CNC face milling on the front was pretty interesting and for me was the second best feeling driver I hit. The spin was just too high for me, and wasn’t giving me the best ball speed and smash factor. Dispersion was so-so, had some low lefts with it.

Honman: Cobra F8+ was my second best driver. I could happily play that. Ping G400 max spun too much, PXG wasn’t as forgiving, and the Mizuno was OK but a bit blue.

booker: Cobra F8+ is a great looking head, feels good, and provides good ballspeed and spin numbers. Not quite as long as Epic, Rogue and M3, but does everything well.

Ping G400 (8.96 percent)

GC70: I’m loving my Ping G400; feel, sound, distance, and the most forgiving driver I’ve ever gamed. I’ll be testing the Rogue, M4, F8, and Max shortly.

indianalawguy: Ping G400 regular with VA Raijin shaft!!!

tbowles411: The G400 series is the truth. Rogue is up there as well.

Kratus977: Loved the G400 and G400 LST, but the distance did not match my Epic.

TaylorMade M3 (9.50 percent)

Flogzero: Wasn’t a fan of the M4, but the M3 was solid. Just think the twistface is a gimmick.

GravityWell: Tops for me are M3 and G400 LST. I also have the F8+, but don’t get along with it.

ThunderBuzzworth: M3 is No. 1 for me, followed closely by Ping G400 LST, and no other driver gets a vote from me because they weren’t even close to those two. The M3 showed the highest ball speed consistently out of the bunch that I tested. I currently play a 2016 M1 with Tensei White 80TX shaft, and the M3 is a very close match to my current setup, so maybe it was a comfortability thing to me. The M3 I tested had the stock 6X shaft, so it was much much lighter and longer than my current driver and it was a bit spinny in flight compared to my M1 setup, so total distance was down but I could see myself making a switch to the M3.

Chadillac65: I have hit most of these at Club Champion, and the TaylorMade M3 has the highest ball speed

rxk9fan: The longest club for me time after time was the M3 with Tensei White X Stiff shaft, and 9.5 degrees of loft. The best dispersion with very little draw was the same club. The best spin numbers were produced by the same club. I know my swing speed would not indicate to me I would want the X-stiff shaft (averaged 98mph) but it averaged about 273 yards, which was a good 6 yards past the next best average. For some reason this combo allowed me to consistently hit the club face.

Ping G400 Max (10.58 percent)

jefferyl: At my local fitter, I tried the TaylorMade M3 and M4, Callaway Rogue and the Ping G400 Max. The G400 Max was longer and easily had the best dispersion. Needless to say it’s in the bag for our trip to AZ, next week!

dmac4g: Ping G400 Max has been a huge surprise to me. I had a G400 LST and the G400 Max has matched it for launch and spin but is offering even more forgiveness.  If I miss a fairway, it sure isn’t the clubs fault!

1Mordrid1: I have not hit the LST, but the G400 Max for me was spinning around 1400-1600 rpm consistently, and was similar to my numbers with the Rogue Sub Zero. I would have had to go to a higher launch, higher spin shaft to make either of those work for me. But the G400 Max felt amazing and I found it really easy to hit a controlled right-to-left shape.

Ping G400 LST (11.77 percent)

Mtngolfer1: Performance differences in drivers have really narrowed. With launch monitors becoming more of the norm, it has really come down to marrying the head to the shaft that produces the best results for the individual. The Ping G400 LST has produced great results for me in my short time with it. Ping has narrowed what many considered a distance gap while still maintaining that legendary Ping forgiveness. I am looking forward to seeing more from this driver in the coming season as the weather becomes more golf friendly. I have seen some impressive distances with the Callaway Epic, but the G400 LST finds the fairway more consistently it’s been fun putting these two great drivers head to head I expect to see continued success with both as familiarity grows with each.

Rapatt95: The G400 LST is easily the best driver I’ve ever hit. The thing just wanted to go straight and long. It’s also the only driver I’ve ever hit that didn’t start to slice when I started to go after it. It launched higher than any driver I’ve hit, but with good low spin numbers so it didn’t balloon to get that high.

osubuckeyes691: G400 LST with a Kuro Kage Dual Core XT or Aldila Synergy Black proto shaft. Combo is unreal. Ping head is ridiculously forgiving and both of those shafts cut spin enough so the Ping head becomes playable.

ThunderBuzzworth: Ping G400 LST was a surprise to me as it reached the second highest ball speed of the bunch and was able to keep spin down at the same time.  I hit the 8.5-degree head with the stock copper 6X shaft in this driver as well. It felt like a wet noodle in comparison to my Tensei, but it performed quite well for keeping spin down and ball speeds up. The one issue I had with G400 LsT was that it wanted to turn over, moreso than the M3 when I swung more aggressively at it.

IL2AZ: Ping G400 LST with the Tour 65 shaft is consistently giving me the highest ball speeds with low spin and elite forgiveness. A close second has been the standard Callaway Rogue with an Even Flow Blue shaft, which is very similar to my 2016 M2 with a Tensei PO shaft. I never thought I would play a Ping driver, but the numbers are too good to ignore and have been proven out with three launch monitor sessions and three rounds on the course.

Craigstands73: The Ping G400 LST gave very good dispersion and low spin. It was the winner until I hit the M4. Wasn’t the biggest fan of the feel, and the Dragonfly tech on the top just doesn’t do it for me. I can see this being a good head for a lot of guys.

FilOfFuture: Ping G400 LST gave me about the same distance as the Rogue Sub Zero, but I almost could not hit it far from center. I was amazed to get about 15-20 yards more distance and cut the side spin/ distance and left/right misses almost out of the equation.

Callaway Rogue Sub Zero (13.82 percent)

wldchld22: Great ball speeds for me on this one. To me this matched all the numbers of Epic Sub Zero. I don’t see this as an upgrade for people from last year but then Sub Zero is a great driver and ultimately why it made my top three. Last year’s performance was that good from Epic SZ that Rogue SZ shouldn’t be penalized.

Radeon962: Rogue Sub Zero, but I did not see a huge increase over my fitted Epic SZ so I plan on using the Epic SZ again this season.

Stumpnav: Rogue Sub Zero with Synergy holds the lead now… I still want to try it with the Even Flow shaft.

Haloha: Even though I’m a TaylorMade guy, after testing the Rogue Sub Zero with a Graphite Design shaft, I think I’m gonna switch. The Rogue SZ was just easy to walk up to and hit straight.

ThunderBuzzworth: I hit the Rogue Sub Zero expecting a giant slayer, and I vaporized one that I literally couldn’t hit any more perfect. It was 9 mph slower ball speed than the best drive I hit with the M3, and 7 mph slower ball speed than I hit with G400 LST. The Rogue SZ felt really good, but the ball speed was not there and it just didn’t have the firepower I was expecting.

gripandrip: I love my Epic Sub Zero with the RIP Alpha 60 shaft, but the Rogue SZ with the Even Flow is the real deal. The frustration with Callaway is I bought the latest technology 10 months ago and now it’s new and improved, basically making mine obsolete.

FlyOver: I recently was in the market to replace my Ping G400 driver because it was spinning too much on me, and I replaced the stock shaft with a Diamana White 70 stiff flex. I was on the GC2 and got numbers for the Rogue Sub Zero, TaylorMade M3, and Ping G400 LST. The Rogue SZ came in with the lowest spin numbers for me at 2300 rpm, but that was with a Hzardus Yellow shaft, 76 grams, 6.0 flex and the 14 gram weight set in the back. So I purchased this club and gamed it this past weekend with great results. Longer, straighter with a lower trajectory than my standard Ping G400.

Related: See what drivers professional club fitters voted as the best of 2018

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8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. max34

    Feb 10, 2019 at 9:52 am

    Callaway Epic Flash is define the best golf driver in golf digest. how to explain that!

  2. Dennis Lurvey

    May 4, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    I’d bet most of us could hit our old persimmons (wooden headed) as far as the new ones.USGA says average distances have hardly changed in decades for amateurs. When you see everyone hitting the same brand club because it actually does hit it further with the same swing, that would be the best driver. If you actually hit your driver 240 and test one that hits 255 or 260, that’s the proof you need.

  3. HDTVMAN

    Apr 2, 2018 at 11:34 am

    As a fitter, I’ve played with the Epic and Ping 400 MAX, have hit the Rogue on the range, and was fitted by Taylor Made for an M3 460. My issue with the Epic and Rogue, to take advantage of the “jailbreak”, you need speeds of 100+, and if you are off center, heel or toe, the ball will squirrel left and right. The Taylor Made, when hit off-center, has tight dispersion, but the distance did not equal the Ping G400 MAX. Both had tight dispersion, but I constantly had 8-12 yards more distance on Trackman with the Ping, which is now in my bag.

    • ogo

      Apr 2, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      If your impact is within a quarter (25¢) you don’t need all the fancy accoutrements in all these over-engineered driver heads. Better to practice your driver swing until you can hit it on the sweet spot consistently… and you will reject a 400-460cc jumbo driver head for a smaller more workable driver head.

  4. SK

    Apr 1, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    Why do all these driver heads have fancy graphics and useless curves and ridges? Is it because it suggests there is something special about the design so that gearheads have something else to “love”/

  5. acew/7iron

    Apr 1, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    Another “Epic” year for me in 2018

    Once I notice the sweet spot wearing and the metal getting thin Ill consider going Rogue…Until then…Love my Epic Driver

  6. ogo

    Mar 31, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    Oh, my… the WRX members are overflowing with love for these beautiful drivers. A man and his driver shall not be parted… until the next batch of new and improved drivers are revealed to the adulation of the golfing masses. xoxoxoxooooh

    • SK

      Apr 1, 2018 at 5:21 pm

      .. and I still love my old old driver …. smooch

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

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Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

 

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

 

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

 

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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Whats in the Bag

Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)

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  • Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.

Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX

Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue (22 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 6.5 100

Irons: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID, 58-10 MID, 60-06 LOW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100, S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron

Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4

Check out more in-hand photos of Alejandro Tosti’s WITB in the forums.

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Whats in the Bag

Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)

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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)

Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype

Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.

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