Louis Pringle

May 09, 2024

8 minutes

Finding the right golf driver is often challenging because there are so many options out there. This can be even more difficult if you don’t know exactly how to shop to cater to your needs on the course. As we’ve established in a previous article, AI platforms can provide you with decent recommendations when it comes to irons. But is this true for all club types? And how does it measure up to our “Club Finder” tool?

In this one, we’ll be taking a closer look at the recommendations from both AI and our “Club Finder” tool to see how accurate AI’s recommendations can be compared to a tool completely designed to provide you with accurate expert recommendations based on your needs.

To make things even for both sides, we’ve settled on a specific profile for a fictional golfer. He’s a right-handed golfer, with a high handicap index, dealing with a slice and looking to get rid of it. He’s also looking for a used driver and has a budget of up to $300.

Recommendations from Copilot

After using Copilot for our expert review of AI recommendations, we’re once again turning to this platform for this experiment. Here’s the query we used to trigger Copilot’s answers:

“Can you provide me with 5 used driver recommendations for a right-handed male golfer with a high handicap index who's looking to get rid of a slice.”

These are the five driver recommendations that Copilot provided, along with a one-liner for each one of them.

1. 1. Cobra King Speedzone Xtreme Driver: This driver is highly customizable and has an adjustable loft for any swing speed. It’s designed to decrease weight and increase stiffness, which can help improve your swing.
   2. TaylorMade M2 2017 Driver: This driver provides a customizable loft with 12 different loft settings. It’s known for its noticeable increase on in-game performance.
   3. Bullet B52 Bomber Anti Slice Driver: This driver is specifically designed to help golfers get rid of a slice. It provides the same amount of options and benefits as another driver over twice the price.
   4. Cobra F-Max SN Driver: This driver has a straight neck to increase speed. The driver’s head is weighted to provide a smooth turn, which can help with control and reducing a slice.
   5. Callaway Mavrik Driver: This driver is known for its distance, forgiveness, and accuracy. It’s one of the best drivers of the last five years and is available at a budget-friendly price.

Let’s quickly review each of these recommendations and see if they do fit the needs of our “golfer” based on the query we submitted to Copilot.

1. Cobra King Speedzone Xtreme Driver ✔️

Copilot knocks it out of the park with this recommendation. The Cobra King Speedzone Xtreme driver is a terrific option for any golfer in need of added forgiveness and speed off the tee. The tungsten weightfo at the back of the clubhead contributes to generating higher launching drives for longer strikes.

While this driver does not feature in the Club Finder’s recommendations, our team of experts agrees that this is an excellent choice for the golfer “persona” we’re looking to help in this scenario. So, Copilot is 1 for 1 so far!

Shop Cobra Speedzone Extreme Driver

2. TaylorMade M2 2017 Driver ✔️

Perhaps one of the most beloved drivers of all time, the M2 2017 still ranks amongst the most popular drivers when you quiz golfers of all skill levels. It’s certainly suited to the skillset of golfers with a higher handicap index looking for some help off the tee.

Here again, another excellent recommendation from Copilot. The only thing that it could have done better is recommend the “Type-D” version of this driver, which is intended to help limit any slice tendencies. Fortunately, Club Finder did pick that up and added it to its recommendation list.

Shop TaylorMade M2 2017 Driver

3. Bullet B52 Bomber Anti Slice Driver ❌

In all honesty, I’d personally had never seen, nor had I ever heard of the Bullet B52 Bomber Anti Slice driver. Based on the reviews that we could find from different golfers online; they all seem to agree that this club is almost like a cure to any issue that you may have off the tee.

Unfortunately, there seem to be some disagreements as to the legality of this driver based on USGA and R&A regulations. This means that Copilot is a bit off base here as though this club might fix your slice off the tee, you’re technically not allowed to have it in your bag when you’re playing a competitive round.

Also, some of the other reviews we were able to find for this driver weren’t as amazing, actually, some people had a lot to say about it on Amazon, “terrible product used 4 or 5 times. Last time at the driving the head separated from the shaft and went flying out on range.” Yikes!

4. Cobra F-Max SN Driver ✔️

This is a very good recommendation from Copilot. The Cobra F-Max is a suitable driver for golfers looking for added forgiveness on the course. Its lightweight feel and massive clubhead help to optimize the quality of your swing and your strikes.

Only small change, our experts would recommend the Offset version of the F-Max over the Straight Neck (SN) since it will provide you with a clear draw-bias on every strike. This will strongly contribute to limiting your slice, at least, much more than the SN version. Nevertheless, it is perfectly suited for beginners, regardless of what version you opt for.

5. Callaway Mavrik Driver ❌

Copilot’s last recommendation is the Callaway Mavrik driver, which is certainly a quality driver that was very popular upon release, but is it really the best option for the “persona” that we’re looking to cater to with these recommendations?

Our experts agree that the Mavrik is an excellent club that blends power, forgiveness, and accuracy, but they also believe that it’s probably not the best option to answer the needs we’re looking to take care of in this case. There are certainly better-suited options, especially for a golfer who’s looking to get rid of a bad slice off the tee. Nevertheless, our experts agree that it’s one of the best drivers under $300 on the market.

Shop Callaway Mavrik Driver

Recommendations from the “Club Finder” Tool

Using the same criteria as we did for our inquiry on Copilot we completed the Club Finder questionnaire with our golfer “persona” in mind. Below you’ll have a look at each selection, along with a complimentary comment based on our experts’ opinions. But first, here’s a quick look at the complete selection:

1. 1. TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver
   2. Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Driver
   3. Titleist TSi2 Driver
   4. Callaway Paradym Driver
   5. TaylorMade M2 2017 D-Type Driver

1. TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver

At the risk of looking biased, it’s hard to disagree with this one right here. The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD driver is perfectly suited to the needs of the golfer “persona” we’re looking to help. The club’s “HD” designation stands for “high draw” a trajectory that the club tries to provide time and time again. It’s so good at fixing your slice that it was even featured in our list of the 10 best drivers to fix a slice.

The only downside regarding the Stealth 2 HD driver is its price point. Being a 2023 model, it certainly carries a higher price point than some of the other models in this list. So, if you’re a beginner or working with a limited budget, we could understand if you feel like this is not the model for you.

Shop TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver

2. Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Driver

When it comes to beginners, most will have slow swing speeds. But what happens to beginners with fast swing speeds who aren’t quite as consistent with their swing yet? Well, they need to turn to low-spinning driver options like the Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver.

The Triple Diamond designation is given to Callaway’s lowest spinning drivers, and these low spin levels should help limit the effects of a slice off the tee. Being another 2023 model, its price point is possibly too high for some beginners or newcomers to the sport, but it is worth the extra bucks if you can spare them.

Shop Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond Driver

3. Titleist TSi2 Driver

The Titleist TSi2 is an excellent choice for any beginner looking for a reliable option with their driver. It packs everything that most beginners will need out of a golf club. High launch angles off the tee, impressive stability and forgiveness, and it even provides an outstanding feel for the ball on impact.

The Titleist TSi2 is slightly older than the previous two drivers in this list, which also gives it a lower price point, making it more affordable for golfers who are dealing with a tighter budget for their next driver. It was so good upon release, that we included it in our list of the best drivers of 2021.

Shop Titleist TSi2 Driver

4. Callaway Paradym Driver

The Callaway Paradym driver is the base variation of the Triple Diamond we looked at earlier. The Paradym is the most forgiving model of the selection, specifically designed to cater to the needs of beginner golfers by providing high launch angles, excellent spin levels, and impressive ball speeds.

Just like the Triple Diamond variation, the price of this model is a bit towards the higher end of the spectrum, but you can most likely get your hands on a used model at a decent price.

Shop Callaway Paradym Driver

5. TaylorMade M2 2017 D-Type Driver

The final driver from our Club Finder, and the first that matches one of Copilot’s picks, is the TaylorMade M2 2017 D-Type driver. As previously discussed with the base variation of the M2, this driver is highly beloved by a wide range of golfers.

The main difference with the D-Type is its strong draw bias at impact. Much like the Stealth 2 HD, the M2 2017 D-Type features a closed-angle face to help correct any slice tendencies that you may have off the tee.

Shop TaylorMade M2 2017 D-Type Driver

Overall, we must praise Copilot’s ability to identify the proper drivers to help golfers find their golf clubs. Certain can escape it, however, like the F-Max SN’s straight neck over the offset variation and the B52 Bomber’s legality on the course. As for the Club Finder tool, you know you can’t go wrong as it is built to help golfers like you with a detailed questionnaire that’ll give you the right recommendations.

And if that doesn’t work for you because you prefer proper human interactions, don’t worry, you can always book a call with one of our in-house experts. They’ll provide you with smart recommendations based on your specific needs.

Until next time,

The Golf Avenue team