Maybe you’ve heard the old saying, “Drive for show, putt for dough?” Well, chances are, you won’t be putting for dough if you’re not able to drive for show! Getting off the tee is an essential part of the game, and scoring consistently can come down to how the ball performs when your strike is off-center. Whether you’re a PGA Tour professional working the ball both ways or a high-handicapper just trying to make contact, you might need some forgiveness.

Golf isn’t a game of perfection, so it can be nice to have equipment that performs even when you’re not at your best. Today’s driver technology is incredible: gone are the days when an opening tee shot struck on the heel would cause stinging hands and a trip to the tree line short right, with no reasonable shot at the green. Now, you can potentially miss the club face center by a full inch and still find the short grass!

Once upon a time I was a college golfer, but I’ve always had a fascination for golf, as well as a love to help others improve their score. I’ve held various industry positions over the years, and have been able to test the newest technology each season. For this article, I tested drivers from various manufacturers to see which performed the best when struck off the heel and toe—anywhere but dead center—both on and off the courses I play in Charleston, SC. Quite simply, the best golf drivers ever created are on the market today. This guide assesses the top five drivers (with number one being my top pick) that I believe are the most forgiving, and my experience with them.

#5. Cobra Aerojet Max Driver

Like a jet, the new Cobra Aerojet Max driver is fast. If you are looking to gain swing speed and distance with added forgiveness, give this one a try.

The sweet spot on the Aerojet Max is larger than most Cobra drivers that I have tinkered with and I found the driver to be surprisingly long off the tee. I felt stable setting up to the ball and was able to really let the shaft out with its lightweight design.

I have a tendency to catch drives off the toe and I can attest that a few of my near-whiffs were saved by the technology in this driver. There are adjustable weights in the heel and rear of the club that allow you to really dial in your ball flight.

The only turn off here for me is the sound at impact, which is all about preference. One crack of the Aerojet Max driver will echo throughout the grounds and is a head turner on the range.

Some will love the echoing boom, and for others, it will be easy to get over due to the driver’s performance.

For anyone trying to get the most out of their mishits, the Aerojet Max driver offers a lightweight design for speed and confidence. I found it to be a pleasant surprise and it would be a great addition to the bag for golfers looking to improve accuracy without compromising distance.

#4. TaylorMade Sim2 Max Driver

TaylorMade makes the list a second time with the Sim2 Max Driver. The Max version of the Sim2 is designed with all of the same elements of the original Sim2 but with added forgiveness.

The Max driver uses TaylorMade twist-face technology to combat your mishits and also comes with a larger club face than the original to add more room for error. From the first swing I noticed low spin, high launch, and a solid feel at impact.

The Sim2 Max was constructed to provide assistance on deep toe and heel misses. For anyone having trouble finding the center of the face off the tee, the Sim2 Max will correct your flaws to the highest degree that technology will allow.

I found the Sim2 max to be long and reliable. I felt in control of the ball, able to work it both ways, and most importantly, the strikes that were off-center stayed consistent.

#3. Titleist TSR2 Driver

Designed for high launch and low spin, the TSR2 is one of the most forgiving drivers from Titleist to date. The TSR2 is tour-ready, with its new Multi-Plateau Variable Face Thickness built specifically to increase speed at impact across all corners of the clubface. What struck me most about the TSR2 was its consistency on the course and practice tee. My slight mishits were mostly keeping up with my pure drives, and my big mishits were only losing about 20 yards of distance. I had increased speed and felt in control of the golf ball.

The TSR2 is suitable for players of all skill levels, and the stability across the clubface will increase confidence and lead to better swings. I found myself swinging hard and easily turning the ball over from right to left, with the correct trajectory. Adjustments can be made to the driver, and there are various loft options and face angles as well. The TSR2 truly allows you to perfect your numbers and dial it in. When it comes to forgiveness, Titleist hits the mark.

#2. Callaway Paradym X Driver

The Callaway Paradym X was designed for all skill levels to generate maximum accuracy and distance. For higher and slower swing speeds alike, its draw-bias setup will assist with fighting a slice and getting extra distance. The driver’s high MOI (moment of inertia) and higher launch capabilities make it one of the most forgiving on the market today.

Aesthetically, I noticed right away that the Paradym X has dark blue and black like the Callaway Big Bertha of the 90s; however, the Paradym X is equipped with a new-age, full carbon body and forged titanium face. The full carbon body lessens the weight of the club head, increasing MOI. The more you can keep the head steady through impact, the greater the chance your ball will keep its distance and hold its line.

Setting up the Paradym X, I felt comfortable and ready to let it rip. It has a more traditional look over the ball than the Stealth 2 (number one on this list), but is still modern and sleek. Even after just a small bucket, I knew that the Paradym X was highly capable of sending the ball deep down the fairway with minimal dispersion. I noticed the draw bias, but as a player that typically plays a draw off the tee, it was not too much for me. After a few rounds and some practice, my average distance loss on mishits was about 20 yards, and the dispersion was never too far from center. I felt in control of the club through impact, and the ball was staying in play off the face. For anyone looking to maximize distance and forgiveness, the Paradym X stands tall. I know I could definitely see this driver making its way into my bag.

#1. TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver

The Carbonwood Age has arrived for TaylorMade Stealth drivers: they’ve completely changed their clubface material from titanium to a layered carbon-fiber. The clubface is slightly larger than the TaylorMade SIM, from years previous, and its carbon-fiber weighs less than titanium. Aesthetically, the club face of the Stealth 2 is red, versus traditional black. While the red felt different at first, after just a few swings, I knew the results were powerful. The red face may scare away some traditionalists, but not me.

The ball absolutely flew off the face at impact, and it wasn’t long into my first range session that I knew I wanted this driver in my bag. After catching it pure a few times, I started to test how it would perform when I missed the center. I struck various shots off the toe and heel, swinging hard and in rhythm, but just not at the center of the club. My minor mishits only lost 15-20 yards of distance, and the dispersion rates were more than acceptable.

Taylormade’s Twist Face technology helps maximize forgiveness, and its 60 layers of carbon fiber promote top ball speeds from different zones of the face. Research shows that most mishits come off the high toe of the club face or low heel, so the carbon Twist Face on the Stealth 2 is a complete redesign to offset/neutralize those very spots. A drive struck on the high toe will typically have less spin and duck left of the fairway. With the Twist Face design, the high toe portion of the face is slightly lofted, creating more spin and allowing the ball to stay in the air longer and travel farther. A drive struck on the low heel will typically have high spin and softly travel offline with a big loss in distance. The Twist Face design is de-lofted in the low heel area to reduce spin and keep the ball closer to the fairway.

The carbon fiber is encased by a polyurethane cover to stabilize the clubface and promote proper friction at contact. I was at first surprised the Stealth 2 made a loud clap sound at impact, as I was expecting a quieter from carbon fiber, but it had a solid sound. Shots I hit off-center still had that loud clap, and I had to almost whiff one for the sound to be greatly impacted. And I found the performance on the practice range carried over to the course. The Stealth 2 is one of the best drivers I’ve ever hit—my mishits were traveling, and I was never too far offline. Tiger, Rory, Scottie, and the boys weren’t kidding when they talked about “Far-givness” with the Stealth Driver: it’s long and rarely off-line.

Next Steps for Choosing a Forgiving Driver

Regardless of skill level, a more forgiving driver will give you the best chance to succeed every time that you tee it up. Good tempo can make up for swing flaws, but forgiving equipment will give you the ability to be the best you can on the course. To give yourself the best chance to succeed, you need the best technology for your game—being properly fitted for your driver’s loft, shaft length, and stiffness is critical to developing stable ball striking. Once your specs are squared away, choose a driver that helps you best dial in your accuracy, maximize forgiveness, and keep the ball close to the fairway, even when you don’t quite catch it pure. If you have any questions about finding the right driver for your game, or anything else golf-related, feel free to reach out to a Golf Expert here on Curated for free, personalized advice!