Remember back to the start of the year when the big brands told us their new drivers were going to change our golfing lives? More distance, more forgiveness, straighter tee shots and fewer Pro V1s disappearing into the rough? Well, it’s October now, and we’ve had a full season to see if the hype stacks up. Spoiler alert: some promises delivered, others… not so much.
That’s the thing about drivers — no other club has the same mix of hope, fear and outright pressure strapped to it. Pulling driver means you’re either striding down the fairway like Rory or rummaging through the bushes wondering why you didn’t just hit 3-wood. And when the likes of Titleist, PING, Callaway, and TaylorMade roll out their new toys, the entire golfing world pays attention.
This year’s crop has had almost ten months under the microscope. Tour wins, launch monitor numbers, retail feedback and the odd bit of Tour drama.
Titleist has racked up victories, PING has gone full stability mode, Callaway’s shiny new Elyte has earned its stripes, and TaylorMade’s Qi35… well, let’s just say its story is more complicated than the spec sheet.
Titleist Winning never goes out of style
If there’s been one constant this year, it’s that Titleist’s GT series keeps piling up wins. The GT2 and GT3 have been everywhere in 2025, with the GT3 picking up multiple DP World Tour titles and the GT2 favoured by several PGA Tour champions. By the autumn stretch, Titleist was once again leading the season’s win count across the major Tours.
Players still rave about the balance of the GT2—stable, classic shaping, and consistently long. It topped independent testing for carry distance earlier in the year and has proven to be one of the longest “fairway finders” around. The GT3, meanwhile, has carved out a niche as the choice for players who like to shape shots while keeping ball speed maxed out. The feel remains the big selling point: lively, but not jumpy, and with feedback that golfers trust.
PING – G440 Raises the forgiveness bar again
PING’s G440 series has had a strong season, led by the G440 Max 10K, which set new MOI benchmarks. By late summer, it had become a favourite on Tour for players looking for forgiveness without sacrificing distance.
The G440 LST has also seen play in multiple winner’s bags, showing that low-spin performance can still come with trademark PING stability. Feedback has been positive on sound, too — an area PING has refined to move away from the “tinny” feel of older models. After a season of testing, what stands out is confidence: whether it’s off-centre forgiveness or improved acoustics, the G440 family delivers reliability that lasts all year.
Callaway The Elyte makes its mark
The Elyte driver has proven itself in 2025 after months of use on Tour and at retail. Early in the season, there were questions about whether it could step out of the Ai Smoke’s shadow, but results have been strong. The Elyte TD has shown up with some of the season’s longest hitters, while the MAX versions have earned praise from everyday players who appreciate the extra forgiveness.
Fitters highlight how Elyte’s variable face design has held up under scrutiny and speed retention is excellent across the face. Sound and feel have also been noted as a step up from last year’s models, more solid and powerful at impact. All they have to do is guarantee Min Woo Lee’s ball speed and we’d all be lining up.
TaylorMade Qi35 and the shadow of the Qi10
No 2025 driver has generated as much debate as TaylorMade’s Qi35. On paper, it’s everything a modern driver should be: dual weight tracks, carbon construction, and sleek shaping. Early-season testing confirmed it was fast, forgiving, and one of the most adjustable drivers on the market. Retail feedback has been generally positive, with many amateurs enjoying the ability to fine-tune ball flight.
But the Tour story was messier. Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler both chose to stick with the 2024 Qi10, a decision that instantly raised questions about the Qi35’s Tour readiness. Add in headlines about a small batch of non-conforming heads early in the year, and suddenly the Qi35 was fighting perception as much as performance.
The reality? The conformity issue was isolated and fixed quickly, but the damage was done in terms of reputation. Nearly a year on, the Qi35 still hasn’t displaced the Qi10 at the very top of the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s a poor driver. For the vast majority of golfers, it delivers plenty of speed, forgiveness, adjustability and arguably more user-friendly than its predecessor.
Conclusion
So, what have we learned from a year of booming drives and bruised egos? That no driver is perfect, but the best ones earn their keep going after the launch buzz fades. Titleist has proved, once again, that winning never goes out of fashion. PING has built a fortress of forgiveness in the G440. Callaway’s Elyte has shown it can step out of the shadows and hold its own. And TaylorMade? Well, the Qi35 is living proof that perception can sometimes overshadow performance.
At the end of the day, it’s still you and your driver on the tee, staring down 440 yards of possibility. The tech is smarter, the heads are hotter, and the promises are shinier—but the pressure remains the same. Will you walk off with driver in hand and fairway underfoot, or a polite cough and a reload from the bag? That is why we’ll always be suckers for the next big stick.
