Why do you think it's great that your swing speed is right around the global average?
Well sir, because at around 90 mph, your swing fits most of the drivers you see in golf shops anywhere.
And it makes it VERY simple to pick the right shaft which is even more important than the club head.
In this article I intend to show you:
- Which shaft is right for your swing
- Which driver lofts give you more carry
- The best darn list of best drivers for 90 mph swing speeds
The best manufacturers make drivers extremely easy to hit and each year the options get better and better. We'll look through some well-known and lesser known ones below where you can pick up a bargain to take your game to the next level.
The right shaft for 90 mph swings is MOST IMPORTANT
With a 90 mph swing speed, you're around the average swing speed of golfers worldwide. That makes life incredibly easy for you! Your swing speed fits a REGULAR driver shaft perfectly and with a regular shaft, your tee shots will fly straighter and longer more often.
Stiff shafts will produce low ball flight and a lot of slices. A softer than regular shaft will cause shots to fly left and right at random. I suggest you get a driver with a REGULAR shaft.
If however, you have a very quick rhythm to your swing but the speed is still around 90 mph, there is a newer shaft introduced in the golfing world called SR - STIFF REGULAR. This is fantastic if you have a fast, jerky kind of swing to be able to actually give you more rhythm with a bit more stiffness.
The best thing you can do for your game is to get fitted for a shaft by a fitting professional if you find nothing seems to work. You can pick your favorite club online and take it to the club fitter and he'll install a shaft more appropriate for your exact swing. It's easily the best investment you can make.
Loft is NEXT MOST IMPORTANT
Loft is the 2nd most important aspect. While 9° or 10° are good lofts for professionals or 100 mph+ swingers; at 90 mph, I strongly suggest 11° to 13° of loft in a driver. The additional loft makes the club much more forgiving and far more accurate. Increased launch angle also means you'll get more carry on your drives for more distance.
Imagine hitting a 3 iron. Ouch! Now imagine hitting the PW. Oh, that feels good right? Increased loft is evidently more forgiving just from our personal experience. The only thing keeping guys hitting low lofted drivers is ego.
Put EGO aside for a second my good man
Lots of guys have shafts that are too stiff, loft that is too low and clubs that are too long.
Be honest with yourself and look at your shot-shape. Are you getting a straight ball flight or a little fade or a little draw? Or are you slicing and hooking erratically? Are you using an X-stiff or stiff shaft?
Are you still totally full-strength or losing power? Perhaps a super-lite regular shaft will help you instead of the stiff one you've had for 15 years!
New technology gives you big distance and greater accuracy
Paired with the right golf ball, modern drivers can add significant yardage to your long game. Some guys even notice 20 yard gains. Below are the best drivers for a 90 mph swing speed. Check out my guide on golf balls for 90 mph swings
Some drivers are also adjustable so you can change the loft of the club yourself and become your own club fitter. It all depends on how much you want to tinker.
It's important for me to note: I DO NOT advocate for drivers that adjust to infinite amount of settings. I don't mind perhaps a fixed interchangeable weight plate or the ability to adjust the loft up or down, but sliding weights and infinite settings is a surefire way to doubt yourself all the way round the course when you hit them offline.
Let's keep it simple as possible so you never have decision paralysis, and so that you an swing freely off the tee instead of worrying about your settings.
The Best Drivers for 90 mph Swing Speed
Forgiving toward the toe and high in the face
While the name Srixon isn't so visible on the PGA Tour, the brand which falls under the Dunlop/Cleveland/Srixon umbrella have released a little masterpiece in this club.
The ZX5 driver has a 'rebound frame' for a better transfer of energy. It’s not only a new face but it’s really a new way of building the club. There are two areas - the face and then the body around it - have been designed to squash at impact and snap back creating a bigger rebound effect for more speed.
Why I recommend the ZX5 over the ZX7 is it's higher launching for the 90 mph swing speed. It does spin more than the LOW LOW LOW spin drivers but it's definitely only in the mid spin driver range. It's really a forgiving driver especially off the toe.
There's no sliding weight but there is a single weight in the back of the head. Increased forgiveness from the places they set the weights mean you can swing and trust that the ball will be veering offline less and less.
Srixon's ZX5 has weight and hosel adjustability. At the hosel, you can adjust the loft, face angle, and lie angle. There's only one weight which can be used to change swing weight and feel but not shot shape. Be careful of the temptation to do this yourself as swing weight is a finnicky detail best sorted out by a good club fitter. Weights available are 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 grams that you can get from Srixon directly.
Pros
- Adjustable at the hosel for lie angle and loft
- Simple weight system where you can only change the weight, not position
- Toe hits go straighter and roll out further
- New Rebound face means more efficient movement of energy into the ball
- Up and coming game changing top quality material manufacturer
Cons
- Face graphics moving away from simple and looks a but "callaway-esque"
- Not good looking on the sole
Super option for senior golfers and golfers just below 90mph
Lightweight to generate more swing speed
The Launcher HB (Hi Bore) Turbo comes with multiple loft settings including a higher lofted 12 degrees, gives you a higher launch with medium amount of spin. A lightweight head coupled with the shaft mean you can generate more club head speed which translates into longer carry.
With the lightness and the deeper face of the driver, which is a Cleveland hallmark, most golfers notice a higher ball flight, needing less rollout to actually obtain any distance.
Clean, classic looks at address
After having played with three Cleveland drivers in my life, their offerings are always near the top of my list to check out. Their drivers always look totally clean on the crown and this one is equally beautiful with an improved version of the Taylormade white concept along the top of the face on the crown.
Except Cleveland have give you a minute sliver of grey to use for lining your drives up to the fairway - less harsh on the eyes.
You won't be able to adjust the loft of the driver nor are there any weights to move around. 9° 10.5° and a 12° option are all available and with a 90 mph swing, the 9° can be excluded from the selection. Like all Cleveland clubs, they won't be as hyped as Taylormade or Callaway but this driver is the business.
Pros
- Lightweight for more swing speed
- Deeper face for higher ball flight to increase carry distance
- Very forgiving and easy to hit with a lovely ping sound
- Muted alignment aid and classic looking crown
- Very well priced
- High quality Japanese Miyazaki shaft
Cons
- Low in the face not as forgiving
- Quick tempo golfers should avoid
Best value driver - pound for pound
The Wilson D7 has a very tall dominating face and setting up to the ball, it looks like a Cleveland of old. Classic shape and tall face with a massive sweet spot. Definitely in the sleeper category, not many guys will know about this driver and at this price, it's a best kept secret.
The club is light and by light, I mean REALLY light. That might not appeal to everyone but it can definitely help pick up an extra couple mph in your swing. If you're hovering around 85 mph, this little beauty can bring you up to 90 mph and give you a few yards more off the tee.
Pros
- Crabon looking crown makes it look very high end like the top brands
- Very lightweight for increasing swing speed
- Well priced - dollar to extra yards ratio is low
- Forgiving on mishits - producing acceptable results
Best driver to get low ball-flight higher
In every group of golfers there is always a PING man and then there are the guys who haven't tried them. What the PING men will all attest to is just how easy it is to hit a PING. They may not be the most used on Tour but they're certainly a mainstay of amateur golf for decades.
Steve who can be seen in the Golf Sidekick videos on Youtube, just purchased himself a G410 and is hitting the ball better than ever with this driver. It replaced his G400 which he left in a car park leaning against his car.
It's a simple looking driver with simple colors and the shape is very classic-looking. A nice long and tall face with a tear drop shaped head. They've changed the color from a black to a lighter black almost dark grey color.
The ball genuinely flies higher than most other drivers with its high launch properties. PINGs are renowned for the high and penetrating ball flight giving guys a lot more carry to get over more hazards and bunkers more confidently.
At address, the crown is a pretty matte finish but there are a few kind of spike looking things on top. They are not entirely distracting and do help with alignment but if you prefer a very clean crown, this one might not be to your liking.
Simple adjustability and PING reliability
There is a weight at the back of the sole to move around for different shot shapes. The hosel is also able to be moved around to increase or decrease loft depending on how low or high you would like to hit the ball.
Overall, a game-changer. Simply the best driver out there for 90 mph swingers who hit it too low. I can stand behind a recommendation for any golfer to try a PING.
Pros
- High yet penetrating ball flight
- Matte dark grey finish for classy look at address
- One of the best in the range
- Extremely forgiving - misses left and right are severely improved
Cons
- Loud sound at impact
- They use a new hosel in this so you cannot use your shaft from your G400 in this one.
Simple point-and-shoot forgiveness stick
Despite the SIM and SIM 2 being out at the moment, the M5 and M6 range are still great value and worth your time. Didi from the channel has recently replaced his old RBZ driver with a Taylormade M6.
Immediately, watching his ball flight, I can tell that he is hitting a more penetrating flight that is holding up better against the wind. He's picked up significant yardage into the breeze which used to really hurt him with the RBZ.
The shape is also less pronounced and he is finding it easier to hit draws - and if you see him on my channel, he generally hits a consistent big fade.
I could suggest the latest SIM and SIM 2 and they are SUPERB drivers but in my good conscience, I cannot recommend them above this unless you prefer the color and look at setup. For performance, there's no reason to go for the latest model when this works great for 90mph swings, which I have personally seen in Didi, along with so many other players.
Keep it simple
The Taylormade M6 comes in 10.5° and 12° lofts and can add a new dimension to your tee game. Adjust the loft and you have a driver that can be 12.5° and 14° drivers if you please. There are no complicated set ups, just pick it up and smash.
Pros
- Simple grip it and rip it club - no tinkering
- Loft options are perfect for 90 mph swing speed
- Massive sweet spot for total forgiveness
- A lot of distance gains for a lot of golfers into the wind especially
- Easy alignment
Cons
- Tinkerers who want adjustable weights won't like
- Color scheme isn't for everyone
Maximum forgiveness and ball speed
Everything about this driver is geared toward maximizing swing speed. The shaft is lite, the head is light and the face is forgiving.
Brian, from the Golf Sidekick Youtube channel used to play with this driver to learn to hit driver. He struggled a lot with standard drivers but after playing this one, he learned and then moved onto the Cobra Speedzone.
As a stickler for alignment aids not being distracting, this one is a perfect mixture of the two. It's a very feint and subtle stripe over the top of the crown which allowed you to align the ball and face up to your target.
The ultralight construction is designed to give you more speed in the downswing but what it also does is give you the feeling of not needing to hit the ball so hard because it is just so light. This gives you rhythm and with rhythm, you increase swing speed sub-consciously.
Pros
- Very lightweight for more swing speed and more distance
- Incredibly well priced driver
- Massive sweet spot for total forgiveness
- Offset version can help with slices
- Super alignment aid on the crown that does not distract
Cons
- Tinkerers who want adjustable weights won't like
- A bit more of a beginner seeming club
Classic name brings classic forgiveness and distance
The B21 driver is Callaway’s first high launch driver. Great options of 9, 10.5 and 12.5 degrees available. If you're a low hitter, or a slicer, this is a great option for you.
Exactly like Callaway’s headliner model drivers, the B21 driver has the famous Jailbreak bars behind the clubface for increased ball speeds at your swing speed.
The head shape is more triangular, being long from face to the back . The look at address is always confidence-building as the club looks as though it can cover the ball and drive energy from behind. There's a built in draw-bias in the clubhead so the club reduces the distance loss from big slices.
The grip and shaft have been selected especially for more forgiveness and distance. The driver is a result of deep research by Callaway into how higher handicappers actually hit their driver. This investigation led to the B21 to help these golfers, usually slower swing speeds, to get the ball higher, further, longer, more fun.
Conclusion
With so many drivers out there to choose from that are designed for the average golfer with an average swing speed, it can get confusing.
Without a doubt, the best drivers for average swing speeds are the ones on this list. You don't need to splurge an insane amount of money to hit the ball well. You don't even need the latest year's models to enjoy your tee game.
PING, Taylormade, Srixon, Wilson and Cobra are definitely in the top manufacturers fo the average weekend golfer.
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