The 10 Best Drivers for Mid-Handicap Golfers of 2023

For mid-handicap golfers, finding the right driver can be a tricky task. We at GolfLink are mid-handicap golfers ourselves, and after testing several of the newest drivers, we found these to be the best drivers for mid-handicap golfers. Here's a look at what makes these drivers the best for mid-handicappers.

One of the biggest challenges golf consumers face is sifting through all the marketing hype and hoopla to figure out what equipment is legitimate, and what’s just an imposter. 

Callaway’s new Paradym line certainly comes with all the hype and hoopla you’d expect from one of the major OEMs, and after putting it to the test, we can say with certainty that Paradym is legitimate.

The new Paradym driver has a ton of benefits for mid-handicap golfers. Starting with the obvious, it’s as good as anything else out there from a distance and forgiveness standpoint. Mid-handicappers tend to use the whole driver face, and Paradym has a new AI-designed face, which gives you the best ball speed possible no matter where you hit it.

Use the rear weight to dial in your preferred shot shape – or fight your miss – and adjust the loft and lie to hit your launch window.

Pros:

• Design results in fastser club speed
• Top-end distance
• Forgiving all over the club face
• Fully adjustable

Cons:

• Top-end price

Take a quick trip into the golf social media world and you’ll find plenty of rave reviews of Sub 70. The direct-to-consumer golf company has absolutely exploded over the past couple of years by producing clubs that not only perform, but are also a great value. 

The Sub 70 849D driver is arguably the best value driver on the market today, and is also one of the best drivers for distance, which is why we recommend it for mid-handicap golfers as well.

For amateurs looking to hit the storied soft draw, the 849D gives you your best shot. We found this driver to be effortlessly long with tight dispersion that always seemed to start on the right side of the fairway and drew right back into the center. After landing, we enjoyed every bit of the generous roll. 

Appearance is everything and the Sub 70 849D is clean and unassuming. Its jet black coloring is simple, but it has adjustable weighting and an adjustable hosel so you can tinker beyond the three lofts offered.

If you can't head out to Sycamore, Illinois to get fit at Sub 70’s headquarters, don’t worry. Sub 70 recognizes its direct-to-consumer model might not be ideal for everyone, which is why they offer a 60-day guarantee on all golf clubs, allowing you to send it back for a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied. The chances you won’t be satisfied, however, are very slim.

Pros:

• Value
• Soft draw
• Complete adjustability

Cons:

• Not intended for low handicaps

TaylorMade was the first equipment manufacturer to put a carbon face on a driver with the original Stealth in 2022, and Stealth is in its second generation in 2023. The benefit of a carbon face, which has 60 layers of carbon if you’re counting at home, is increased ball speed, which of course translates to more distance.

The black and red color scheme on the Stealth 2, including the red face, is certainly unique, and if you’re cranking drives out there past all your buddies, it shouldn’t bother you.

Stealth has a 25-gram tungsten weight positioned in the rear of the club head to boost forgiveness, although the weight is not movable. The hosel, however, is adjustable. Stealth should appeal to mid-handicap golfers who don’t want or need any specific shot-shape bias from their driver, as it’s designed with a neutral bias with mid-range spin, high launch, and maximum forgiveness

Pros:

• Carbon face for improved ball speed
• Forgiveness across the face
• Neutral shot shape bias

Cons:

• No adjustable weight in head
• Top-end price

Throughout our testing in 2023, Cobra’s line of Aerojet clubs has always been among the easiest to hit. That might be because Cobra has gone all-in on designing the most aerodynamic golf clubs that boost club speed without an increase in effort from the golfer. And that’s exactly why we recommend the Cobra Aerojet driver for mid-handicap golfers. If you’re looking to groove an easy, repeatable swing that doesn’t require maximum effort to reach maximum distance, you absolutely must try Aerojet.

Not only does it perform great, but Aerojet also looks great at address. The black-toned carbon crown has only the slightest accents and is quite confidence-inspiring over the ball.

The 12-gram rear sole weight is fixed in a neutral position, but the hosel offers adjustability up to 1.5 degrees up or down from the standard loft.

Pros:

• Excellent club speed and distance with controlled effort
• Looks great at address
• Available in “Tour Length” shaft for even more control and consistency
• Consistently one of the best-performing lines of 2023

Cons:

• Adjustable weight available in “Max” version, but not standard Aerojet

The new Wilson Dynapower Carbon driver seemingly came out of nowhere in 2023 to shock club-testers all over. Dynapower Carbon is a great driver for mid-handicappers with high swing speeds, because the center of gravity (CG) is actually a little closer to the face than many of the other drivers on this list. That makes it a little less forgiving than some others, but gains a distance and low-spin advantage that some of these other drivers don’t offer.

Again, that tradeoff is most likely to benefit players with faster swing speeds – 100 mph or more – who are willing to give up some forgiveness for that extra distance. If you hit it all over the face, expect your spin rates to vary significantly the farther from the center your strike is.

The gains, on the other hand, are noticeable. Dynapower Carbon is one of the longest drivers of 2023, and if you’re a mid-handicapper looking for every additional yard you can find, and don’t mind saving $100+ while you’re at it, it’s time to give Wilson a look.

Pros:

• Adjustable hosel and four loft option
• Better value than most new drivers
• One of the best performing drivers for distance of 2023
• Great acoustics

Cons:

• No weight adjustability
• Lefties must select 9-degree head

Titleist is known for making equipment for better players, but mid-handicappers have plenty of great Titleist clubs to choose from. 

The Titleist TSR2 driver is made for players who hit it all over the club face. The face is optimized for maximum ball speed from top to bottom, and heel to toe, so swing away. 

Of course, the TSR2 still wears a Titleist badge, so you get the player-preferred shaping, and premium distance – from high launch and lower spin –  you’d expect from Titleist.

Pros:

• Forgiving face
• Designed for top-end swing speed
• High launch, lower spin profile for maximum distance

Cons:

• Spin could be too low for moderate swing speed players
• Top-end price

The PXG 0311 Gen 6 driver is competing with the Wilson Dynapower for the title of most surprising (in the best way) driver of 2023. 

Think of the 0311 Gen 6 as PXG’s official arrival into the top echelon of drivers. That means all-out distance, forgiveness across the face, adjustability, and player-preferred looks. All of these criteria, by the way, are important in a successful driver for mid-handicap golfers.

One of the most appealing facts for mid-handicappers, however, is that in Golf Laboratories Inc., testing, the 0311 Gen 6 was more accurate, as measured by dispersion, than Paradym, Stealth, TSR2, TSR3, and G430 models, while falling within a couple yards of the longest drivers in that bunch. That combination of accuracy and distance is one of the key ingredients to taking your game to the next level.

Pros:

• One of, if not the most accurate driver off the tee of 2023
• Noticeable savings compared to top competition
• Adjustable weights to dial in your desired shot shape

Cons:

• Fitting locations can be limited depending on where you live
• Misses high on the face are less forgiving

If you’re looking for a maximum forgiveness, fully adjustable driver for under $500, the Tour Edge Exotics E723 checks all the boxes.

The rear weight gives you neutral, draw, and fade bias options and influences shot shape roughly 10 yards. With the CG pushed back in the club head, the E723 provides plenty of spin for players with moderate swing speeds.

Meanwhile, the adjustable hosel lets you dial in your loft and lie to optimize your launch and spin.

While the E723 might not be the longest driver of 2023, it is one of the most accurate and forgiving drivers available today. For mid-handicap golfers who prioritize keeping the ball in play, the E723 can help you find more fairways and help keep those big numbers off the scorecard.

Pros:

• Among the most forgiving and accurate drivers of 2023
• Great value comparted to the competition
• Fully adjustable

Cons:

• Only 10.5 degree left-handed head available
• Spin may be erratic away from the sweet spot

It should come as no surprise that multiple Callaway drivers would show up on a list of best drivers for mid-handicap golfers. What we did not anticipate was just how well the Rogue ST MAX performed in every aspect we measured, including distance, forgiveness, dispersion, spin, and trajectory. 

Admittedly, our expectations were a bit low for the Callaway Rogue ST MAX. Previous Callaway drivers like the Epic Flash and original Rogue just didn’t meet our expectations of Callaway performance. This driver, however, does more than make up for where we felt the performance fell off.

We’re suckers for an effortless draw, and like a couple of other drivers on this list, the Rogue ST MAX takes all of the work out of turning the ball over. We tested it with its neutral hosel setting and still found it be a soft draw, but players who have a natural draw ball flight can open the face slightly to avoid the dreaded hooks.

The Rogue ST MAX also shows up on our list of 2023's most forgiving drivers and that’s partially because of its Jailbreak Speed Frame, which is an improvement over previous Epic technology that increases the area of the sweet spot while softening the punishment for off-center misses. It wouldn’t be a driver party without Callaway, and the Rogue ST MAX definitely brings the goods.

Pros:

• Natural draw-bias
• Fast ball speed
• Great side spin
• Discounted price after the release of Paradym

Cons:

• Does not include a wrench

If you want competitive distance with top-of-the-line forgiveness and accuracy, you’ve got to try the PING 430 MAX.

The G430 MAX might not be the longest driver of 2023, but it’s still capable of churning out bombs that will position you for low scores. Where this driver shines, however is its ability to product consistent distances while keeping you in play. Forgiveness on off-center strikes coupled with its fairway-finding abilities and complete adjustability make the G430 MAX a must-try for pretty much any mid-handicapper.

The adjustable rear weight and hosel give players the flexibility to prioritize their desired shot shape and trajectory, which also helps keep the G430 MAX in the bag through swing changes and improvements.

Pros:

• One of the best drivers for consistency off the tee
• Fully adjustable
• Improved acoustics from previous generation (G425 MAX)

Cons:

• Distance falls short of the top-end competition