Golf is a game that you only get better at with experience. However, unless you use quality equipment, it can be extremely difficult to improve your skills. Many golfers struggle to hit greens often and break 80 for the first time while others don’t even know where the ball goes after their tee shot.
Nevertheless, if you use equipment that’s tailored to your needs, you have a better chance of improving your performance. With that said, there are a few things to consider when it comes to picking the right equipment.
How to Pick a Driver
First, it’s important to buy the right shaft flex for your driver. To know the ideal shaft flex for you, you will need to find out your swing speed, as an intermediate golfer.
The swing speed can vary among golfers. Here is a quick reference to what you need to know to find out which shaft flex is ideal for your swing speed:
- More than 100 mph (161 kph) : Extra Stiff Flex
- 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) : Stiff Flex
- 80 to 90 mph (129 to 145kph) : Regular Flex
- 70 to 80 mph (113 to 129 kph) : Senior Flex
If you’re not sure about your swing speed, you can test it at a driving range or a nearby shop.
Secondly, you need to determine what kind of loft you want in your drivers. The amount of loft used in your drivers will depend on your skill level. You should remember that the lesser loft a driver has, the less forgiveness it will have for your mishits. This is the reason why it’s easier to hit a 9 iron compared to a 3 iron.
Any slices or hooks in your hits will be worse if you have loft ranging from 8 to 10 degrees in your driver. On the other hand, if your driver has a loft ranging from 10.5 to 14 degrees, the slices and hooks in your hits will have less of an effect. Therefore, you will be able to achieve greater height and more straight hits, resulting in a greater carry distance.
With that said, you should always consider your swing speed before deciding which level of loft is perfect for you. For fast swing golfers, a driver with 9 to 11 degree forgiveness is sufficient.
If you have swing speed ranging from 85-95 mph, you will find 11 to 13 degrees of loft suitable. Lastly, slow swing golfers should consider a driver with 13 to 14 degrees of loft for forgiveness.
Now that you know how to find the right driver for yourself, let us tell you what we think is the best driver for intermediate golfers.
Taylormade RBZ Black: The Best Driver for Intermediate Golfers
The Taylormade RBZ is one of the most popular golf drivers on the market. However, the reason we regard RBZ as the best driver for intermediate golfers is that it’s ‘tailor-made’ for golfers with an average skill set. Even though RBZ has been out there for a while now, the company keeps updating its products to keep up with the demands of users.
One of the reasons why the Taylormade RBZ Black is so popular among many users is that it is not as expensive as most top range drivers. Where most high-end drivers cost at least $400, this driver offers more or less the same features at a considerably low price.
The driver has been made with minimal design in mind so you can focus more on your shot and line up easily with your target. The crown of the club is nice and sleek, with a black overcoat, giving it a simple yet attractive look.
Nevertheless, the driver doesn’t let you down with its performance and gives the majority of intermediate golfers all the help they need to improve at the game.
If you hit off-center, the ball will go straighter than normal, whereas shots high in the toe of the driver result in fewer slices. Since you do not have any additional weights to worry about, you can focus more on your round. As a result, you can keep your reliance on equipment in check and focus more on increasing your skill level.
With that said, the club is also quite adjustable and gives you the option to vary the level of loft in the driver. You can change the loft from your driver by turning the shaft where it connects to the clubhead. Although the standard loft in the driver is 10.5 degrees, you can alter it to from 9 or 12 degrees.
Furthermore, the club is extremely lightweight. Therefore, if you feel the need to increase the speed of your swing, you can use RBZ to add a couple of mph to your swing.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy trajectory control
- High launching
- Low spin
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Elegant black satin finish
- Standard size grip
- Free headcover
Cons
- Headcover isn’t attractive
Product Overview
Taylormade RBZ may not be as fancy a some of the expensive and high-end drivers, but it’s extremely effective in its simplicity.
Adjustable Loft
Taylormade RBZ has an adjustable loft sleeve, which can help you customize the golf driver according to your needs. Therefore, golfers have the option to change the launch and trajectory of the driver, according to the conditions at the course.
Speed Pocket
Like most of its other drivers, TaylorMade utilizes the Speed Pocket technology in the RBZ driver, as well. This allows the RBZ driver to facilitate higher launch conditions while reducing ball spin on hits meant for longer distances.
Shaft
TaylorMade RBZ Black contains special graphite material in its shafts. This material provides golfers with the perfect flex in the middle of their swings. Since the ‘perfect flex’ can vary, according to an individual’s skill level, the manufacturer gives you the option to choose from senior, stiff or regular flex.
Large 460cc Head
The 460cc head, which is a part of the Taylormade RBZ driver, is the largest steel clubhead that can be used legally in tournaments. What golfers love about this clubhead is that its large clubface accounts for most of your off-center hits. Therefore, you will have considerable forgiveness for your mishits.
Since the driver’s head is made from titanium, it ensures that golfers have maximum playability and they can play with increased confidence. Furthermore, the relatively light titanium head and larger size of the driver allow you to exert more force to your hits, resulting in powerful shots.
Titanium Core
Another benefit of featuring titanium in your clubhead is that the makers can move more mass to the head’s perimeter. While this may not seem much, it results in a forgiving driver that gives you higher launch conditions and additional control over your shots.
Finish
For most golfers, the appearance of a golf club is one of the key factors before buying a driver. They need a driver that not only performs well, but is also aesthetically attractive. For this reason, Taylormade had used a highly attractive satin black finish for the driver.
Bonus Extras
The Taylormade RBZ driver saves you extra money by giving you a free headcover, along with its package. Therefore, you don’t have to spend extra cash on the product, and you can avail a matching cover for free.
Alternative Drivers to Consider
Wilson D300
If you’re looking for a driver that offers you extra forgiveness in the loft and extra help for slow swings, Wilson D300 might be the better option. While the RBZ Black driver is the best driver for intermediate golfers, some golfers might be early mid-handicappers.
Wilson D300 provides greater adjustability to the golfer who needs a little extra help to improve their performance. The driver has a tall face supported with a large sweet spot. Furthermore, the driver’s lightweight design helps less skilled golfers compensate for their slow swing speeds.
Callaway Epic Flash
Another high quality driver that can up your game as an intermediate golfer, is the Callaway Epic Flash driver. It is a very high quality driver with a reasonable price tag. It will help improve your ball speed and allow you to get more distance out of your drives.
Our Final Thoughts
Overall, Taylormade RBZ does a stellar job of being the best driver for intermediate golfers. It provides mid-level golfers with all the features they need to improve their game and become better players. With most premium drivers in the market costing way over $400, it’s amazing RBZ offers such extensive features at a lower price.
In our experience, it would be difficult to find a driver that has a better combination of price and performance. For this reason, Taylormade RBZ Black is the best driver for intermediate golfers.
