- 24/05/2025
Are you a high handicap golfer looking to upgrade certain areas of your bag but are unsure as to which clubs you should choose? Well in this video, equipment tester Joe Ferguson runs through every category from driver down to putter and even golf ball and selects his personal favorites to help you really narrow down your search!
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00:00In front of me here, I've created my ultimate bag for high handicap players.
00:05I've got drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters, and I'm even going
00:09to talk about balls.
00:11But for now, let's get on with it and let's look at driver.
00:15Right, we're going to start with the big dog, it's drivers.
00:20Now for high handicappers, there's a few things I'd recommend thinking about, three factors
00:24to consider when you're thinking of a new driver.
00:27So we want something we can launch a little bit easily.
00:30Generally speaking, high handicappers might have a slower swing speed, so ease of launch
00:34is something you want to have.
00:36Guys who are not playing, or girls who are not playing an awful lot of golf, might miss
00:39the centre of the face, so we need forgiveness across that face.
00:43A lot more high handicappers tend to miss the ball with a slice, so some of that flight correction
00:47technology can be really, really useful.
00:49So before I get to my winner, I've got a couple of honourable mentions.
00:53The first of which is this Mizuno ST Max driver.
00:56Now a big story around driver technology in 2024 was all about MOI, and this driver personifies
01:02that completely.
01:03What they've done is they've squashed the head down a little shallower so they can push
01:07some more mass sideways and backwards, which really increases that MOI number.
01:12What else increases that MOI number is a massive 54 gram weight at the back of this, which
01:17really stabilises the head.
01:18I don't always associate Mizuno with the game improvement market, but they've made some great
01:23strides there, and this is a really, really good driver to think about.
01:27My second honourable mention is the flagship product of the tailor-made driver range this
01:32year, the Qi10 Max.
01:33Now this is the driver, the whole range was named after the Qi10 Quest for Inertia 10,
01:38and this is the driver that made it.
01:40So again, it's a very similar principle.
01:42Squashed down head, pushed more mass wide, fixed weight at the back to again increase that
01:47stability number.
01:48What I really liked about this was the improved aesthetic over Stealth 2.
01:52Much prefer the dark blue face, much prefer the rounder profile.
01:56My winner of my ultimate game improvement driver for 2024 for high handicappers is the
02:07Callaway Paradigm AI Smoke Max D. Now the tech behind it was the AI smart face.
02:14So Callaway took real data from thousands and thousands of players with different deliveries
02:19and different impacts, and the AI computer spat out a really efficient face, which does
02:24an incredible job.
02:25And not only does it do a really good job with correcting your off-center hits, it sounds
02:30and feels brilliant too.
02:31So the acoustic is a really nice kind of dull thud.
02:37Really kind of nice muted dull hit there, and a real deep sensation at impact.
02:41I love the feel of this driver, and what I love more about it is the fact that it's just
02:46so difficult to hit to the right.
02:48It launches so, so high, but the center of gravity and the work they've done with the
02:53internal weight on the head just makes it so easy for me to turn it over.
02:57And if you're someone who struggles with that big right miss, everything about this driver
03:01is screaming, help to get it up in the air and help to turn it over.
03:05And as I said, when you see that, and you see that ball not wanting to go off to the right,
03:12you can really get some confidence to start releasing it down the line.
03:14You've got a really good solid driver, easy to hit, wrapped up in a beautiful package,
03:19and that's why it's my ultimate driver for high handicappers of 2024.
03:23Onto fairway woods.
03:28Now, fairway woods are a particularly interesting category for high handicappers because they
03:32need to do a lot of different things.
03:33For example, if you're a high handicapper who struggles with swing speed, you might end
03:37up with a lot of long second shots, certainly into par fives, but even into par fours, so
03:42you're going to need it to perform well from the deck and be a really easy to launch club.
03:47If you happen to be a high handicapper who just struggles with driver, maybe dispersion
03:51a little bit, you might want it to perform well off the tee as a strong alternative that
03:55can keep you in play a little bit more.
03:58So we need it to do a lot of things.
03:59So without further ado, my first honorable mention is the Ping G430 Max.
04:04Now this is a beautiful looking fairway wood, extremely user friendly with a very, very shallow
04:10depth of face.
04:11So it's really easy to get under the ball and launch it.
04:14And like I said, very, very user friendly in that regard.
04:17We've got some good adjustability with the hosel so you can change the loft and face angle
04:20to suit your particular characteristics.
04:23And our fairway wood tester, Sam Diath, really liked how this performed out the rough.
04:26He found it very easy to get out of some tricky lies.
04:29So that's something to think about too when selecting your fairway wood.
04:32My second honorable mention is the TaylorMade QI10 Max.
04:36Now what I love about this one is the large footprint.
04:39So again, similar to the driver, they squashed it down, they've created a very shallow head,
04:44which again helps you launch the ball.
04:45They've pushed that weight back and they've pushed the mass and the real estate to give
04:49you a really large footprint and really confidence inspiring down there at address.
04:54And with that MOI being so far back, it's super stable and super forgiving.
04:58So this is one of the straightest that I've seen.
05:00But that said, my winner in this category is the Cobra Darkspeed Max.
05:07Now this absolutely blew us away, the Cobra Darkspeed Max.
05:11In fact, the whole range was really, really impressive.
05:13Firstly, just the aesthetics, really stealthy.
05:16I love this whole blacked out look that actually translates to the head cover as well.
05:20One of the coolest head covers in the game.
05:22But from a performance point of view, this stacks up with anything else on the market
05:26and actually comes in a fraction cheaper than some of the major manufacturers, which is always a plus point.
05:32Now, again, performance wise, we've got tons of adjustability here.
05:35We've got the adjustable hosel where we can change the loft and change the face angle.
05:39But not only that, we've got these additional weights on the sole where we can make it more or less draw bias,
05:45pull some more MOI back and change it about to really fine tune the characteristics.
05:49Now, it's slightly deeper face than some of the others I've mentioned.
05:53So it doesn't necessarily look any more intimidating behind the ball,
05:57but I've picked this because I want it to do both things.
06:00I want to have a really good fairway wood option off the deck
06:02and I want it to give me a little bit more off the tee as well.
06:05I love the feel of this off the face.
06:07It's slightly more high pitched than some of the other things,
06:11but it's just a really solid feeling club.
06:14And all the numbers I get with this, it doesn't spin off the charts,
06:17but it gives you enough to make sure the ball is going to stay in the air.
06:20So all round performance wise, adjustability, looks and price.
06:25This is a brilliant fairway wood option, and that's why it's my choice.
06:28Okay, on to hybrids.
06:33Now, hybrids are generally very, very important for high handicap players
06:37because as we start to go up the irons into the longer areas,
06:41they become more and more difficult to hit and more and more difficult to launch in the air.
06:45So hybrids are really, really good long iron replacement for those who struggle with launch.
06:50Now, because of that, they're replacing irons.
06:52It's really important to think about how many hybrids you might want in your set
06:55and what those loft increments will be to match in not only with your irons,
06:59but blend you seamlessly through into your fairway wood.
07:02So that's something to really consider.
07:04So without further ado, my first honourable mention is the Ping G430 Hybrid.
07:10Now, there's a lot to love about this.
07:12It's one of the most forgiving that I've tried, particularly on low strikes.
07:16When you hit it a little bit low on the face, a little bit thin,
07:18the spin retained really, really well.
07:21So it still launches nice and high.
07:22I find it very, very forgiving, this one.
07:24Adjustability, again, great.
07:26So we've got the adjustable hosel here so you can fine tune your lofts and your distances
07:30and your face angles a bit to suit your specific requirements.
07:33A really, really strong hybrid from Ping.
07:36Now, my second honourable mention, and I make no apologies for having another TaylorMade QI10 Max product,
07:42they've done a great job with this range, particularly for high handicappers.
07:46Love how easy this is to launch.
07:48It goes straight up in the air, plenty of spin on it, really, really user-friendly.
07:52One of the other things I love about it is the alignment to help.
07:55There's a little silver strip on the top edge, which contrasts really well because you've got a black face and a black crown.
08:01So to have that little white strip makes it a little bit easier to line up.
08:05And like I said, incredibly easy to launch.
08:07And one of the most user-friendly on the market.
08:09But my favourite hybrid and my choice for the ultimate hybrid for high handicappers this year is the Wilson Dynapower.
08:15Now, this is slept on, to coin a phrase.
08:18We don't think about Wilson much in this regard.
08:21But it's just such a wonderful hybrid for, again, a fraction of the price of some of the other major manufacturers.
08:27It's got a slightly deeper face.
08:28And for those of you who miss the ball right a little bit, having a little bit more offset, which this does have, gives you a little bit more time to get the face to square up and avoid that right hit.
08:38It's a little bit firmer than some, which some might like, some might not.
08:42I actually really enjoy how robust this feels.
08:45And again, like most of these other hybrids, incredibly easy to launch.
08:49I really like that in behind the ball.
08:51And when you hit it, like I said, it's a little bit tinny, a little bit firmer than most.
08:57I love that.
08:57It feels robust.
08:59I don't know if you picked that up, but that's straight up my nose.
09:01Really easy to launch.
09:02And one of my favourite hybrids, hence why it is my ultimate hybrid for high handicappers of 2024.
09:12Irons.
09:13So there is no point having a brilliant driver, fairwayward, hybrid, if we do all those great shots and we get down here and we're duffing our iron shots down the fairway.
09:20So crucial for high handicap players to have the right irons.
09:23With that in mind, my first honourable mention is the Cleveland Zipcore XL.
09:28When I first pulled it out, I didn't know quite what to make of it because it really is very unique looking.
09:33Down behind the ball, heel to toe.
09:35It's so, so long, but I love that for confidence.
09:38It just feels like you've got so much face to play with.
09:41And when we're in the high handicap market, the more we can do to improve that confidence and give you the feel you're going to succeed, the better.
09:47The feel off the face is very, very robust, like I say.
09:53You just don't feel like you're going to miss the middle because there's just so much mass there for you.
09:58And I just love the whole aesthetic.
10:00It takes a little bit of getting used to that heel to toe length, but when you do, it's really, really beneficial.
10:06Now, my second honourable mention is the Cobra Dark Speed Iron.
10:10Now, these were one of the first game improvement irons I tried this year and they blew me away.
10:14The first thing I loved was the really dark finish.
10:17So despite the fact it's quite an oversized head with a little bit of offset, because of that dark finish, it's a little bit slimming.
10:23It makes it feel a little bit more compact than it actually is, which is great.
10:27The reason maybe it didn't win is it's possibly a little bit niche.
10:31They're so strong in loft.
10:32So if you're someone who's struggling for distance and you need that power boost, then this might well be your choice because they are absolute rocket launchers.
10:39A little bit more high pitched in terms of the noise, but just so very, very powerful.
10:46Just such a strong, strong forward flight.
10:49So if you're struggling for distance and you don't mind a more penetrating ball flight, this could very well be the choice for you.
10:57But my winner of the best iron for high handicappers of 2024 in my ultimate bag setup is the Ping G730.
11:04This was released a little bit later than those other two irons, so it was a bit late to the party.
11:09But what a great addition.
11:11Now, tech-wise, it's been heat-treated, which increases the face flex and gives it a slightly lower CG and it performs really well.
11:17It's really, really powerful and I love the Ping Hydropearl finish.
11:21So even when you're playing in the rain or dewy conditions, it still spins and still launches really, really well.
11:27One of the other things I like about this, other than the feel and the lovely profile behind the ball,
11:32and I'll tell you that after I just tickle this one away,
11:36is I just love how it comes in three loft specs as well.
11:40Ping do their standard loft, their retro spec, which is a little bit weaker,
11:44so if you need a little bit more launch, you can get that,
11:46or their power spec, which is, again, de-lofted a bit,
11:49so you can really fine-tune in your preferences.
11:51We've got a great look, we've got a lot of tech,
11:53and we've got a lot of options in this Ping G730,
11:56hence why it's my ultimate game improvement iron for high handicappers of 2024.
12:04So anyone who knows anything about golf will tell you so many of your shots,
12:08such a large proportion are played from within 100 yards of the green,
12:11so having the right wedges for your game is absolutely crucial.
12:14And one of the big growth markets in golf is game improvement wedges,
12:18where we're using cavity backs, perimeter weighting to make them more forgiving.
12:22And I pulled out one of my favourites here, so I've got three that I'm going to talk about.
12:25My first honourable mention is the Cobra SBX.
12:28First thing I love about this, it's got a really nice teardrop-shaped sole,
12:32which really helps with turf interaction.
12:34A nice oversized head, and we've got these full-face grooves,
12:37so everything about this screams, you can hit it anywhere on the face,
12:40and it's still going to perform.
12:41It's a really, really nice, friendly option in a wedge.
12:47So that wasn't a great strike, and that's still got out there nicely,
12:49gripped up nicely, and I've got a really good putt for par there.
12:52So my second option here, my second honourable mention,
12:55I've got the Cleveland CBX4.
12:58Now, this is one of, it's got a really high-performance groove in this.
13:01This is one of the spinnier wedges that we've tried.
13:03Again, a nice oversized offering, a really heavy cavity there.
13:07So on the fuller shots, this is really, really good.
13:09And I think sometimes we forget that.
13:10We're always picking wedges that are going to be good
13:12for the intricate shots around the green.
13:13But don't forget, we're going to hit a lot of fuller pitch shots with this.
13:16So this sort of heavy cavity really gives you that assurance
13:19that you're going to have a decent chance of getting the fuller shots.
13:23Close.
13:24Now, it's a 52, so it's come out a bit lower.
13:26But again, nice little grab on the second bounce there.
13:29Really like the grooves of the Cleveland.
13:31But my winner in the game improvement or high handicap wedge category
13:35is the Callaway CB.
13:37Now, this has got a very, very oversized head,
13:40which gives me great confidence down behind the ball.
13:43And it's got a really nice thick sole,
13:45which I've found in, whether it's a tight fairway,
13:47whether it's thick, rough, or in the bunker,
13:49it's a really, really versatile wedge
13:51that gets you through all sorts of situations.
13:53Now, one other thing that I've been banging on about all year
13:55is full-face grooves.
13:57This has it again.
13:58So everything about this screams user-friendly
14:01and it just takes a bit, excuse me,
14:03a bit of the stress out of the short game there.
14:06Again, as soon as I put that down behind the ball,
14:08it's like a nice chrome finish.
14:10There's a bit more gloss to it.
14:11It just looks forgiving.
14:13Again, I've hit that a little bit heavy,
14:15but the sole, the thickness of that sole
14:17helped it glide through the turf
14:18and I've got really acceptable results.
14:21I've not played any of those fantastically
14:23and I've got really good looks to get those up and down.
14:25So that's why I love this Calloway wedge,
14:27really forgiving, versatile,
14:29and that's why it would be in my bag
14:31if I was a high handicapper this year.
14:36The putter.
14:37Now, what do we need in a putter for high handicapper?
14:39So if you're not playing an awful lot
14:41or you struggle on the greens,
14:42we want something that's easy to use.
14:44So something with a bit of forgiveness
14:45and a bit of stability is important,
14:47but also something that's very, very easy
14:49to line up is critical.
14:51So bearing that in mind,
14:52my first choice is the Teardrop TD5 putter.
14:56Now, this is one of the most easy to align putters
14:58I've ever seen.
14:58We've got two bright white contrasting lines
15:01with a black finish,
15:02one coming off the flange to line the ball up with
15:04and a corresponding one with a leading edge,
15:06which makes it very easy to put that leading edge square.
15:09It's a multi-material putter,
15:11which gives it a really interesting feel
15:13and it's got, it's kind of a curved face
15:15with some grooves in,
15:16which really helps roll.
15:18So if you're someone who steps out of your putts
15:20and it hits it a bit low on the face,
15:21you're going to get the ball rolling a bit quicker.
15:23So like I said,
15:24very easy to line up squarely to the hole.
15:27And even if you hit it a little bit high on the ball,
15:30you've got a nice option
15:31that gets it rolling aggressively towards the hole
15:33and that's a really good putt.
15:34So that's a nice option for you.
15:36My second honourable mention is from Wilson
15:38and it's the Infinite Bucktown.
15:41Now, this will be a familiar shape to a lot of you.
15:43It's, dare I say it,
15:44that Odyssey Fang, Odyssey No. 7 shape,
15:47but that's a wonderful shape.
15:48It gives us loads of MOI,
15:50loads of pyramidal weighting.
15:52And there's a few things I really like about this putter.
15:54The finish, the matte black finish,
15:55is really premium looking.
15:57It's one you need to be careful with
15:58and make sure you use your head cover
15:59because they can chip a little bit,
16:01but if you're someone who's careful with it,
16:03you can preserve this finish and it looks great.
16:05Now, to contrast that
16:06with a very sort of dark matte black finish,
16:08we've got these bright white alignment aids,
16:10three of them on the top edge.
16:11So, again, very easy to line up.
16:14One final thing,
16:15the grip is excellent on this.
16:16It's no taper,
16:17so it's the same thickness all the way down.
16:18So, if you're someone who's a bit handsy on the putt
16:21or is prone to the odd, dare I say it,
16:23yip,
16:23this is a grip that can really help
16:25with that kind of stuff.
16:26It does feel a little bit firmer than some,
16:28but, again,
16:29if that's a problem to you,
16:30you can counteract that with a softer ball,
16:31so that's no real issue.
16:33Exceptionally easy to line up.
16:35Like I said,
16:37a little bit firmer off the face.
16:38That was audibly a little bit more higher pitch,
16:40but I actually quite like the feel of that.
16:42But my winner in this category
16:44is a Cleveland putter
16:46and it is the Cleveland HB Soft 2
16:48and this is the Retrieve model.
16:49And the one thing I like about this model,
16:51if you're lazy like me
16:52and you play gimmies
16:53or even if it goes in the hole, actually,
16:54and you just want to pick your ball up,
16:56just jab it
16:56and you don't even have to bend down.
16:58So that's one for the real lazy people amongst you,
17:00which I like a lot.
17:02Now, there is a bit of tech around this putter
17:04other than just being able to pick the ball up with it.
17:06It's got progressive face milling.
17:08So the milling gets a bit tighter
17:09in the centre of the face
17:10and is a bit further spread
17:12when you come to the heel and the toe.
17:14So that increases the speed
17:15if you hit it off the heel and toe,
17:17which would generally reduce the speed.
17:19So that matches up
17:19and it'll help you hit your distances
17:21a little bit easier.
17:23Now, that deep milling helps it feel
17:24very, very soft as well.
17:26Comfortable alignment aids
17:27and yeah, like I said,
17:29with the name HB Soft,
17:30you'd expect a soft feel.
17:31If it's too soft for you,
17:33you can then afford to go
17:34for a more distance-orientated firmer ball.
17:36So you've got some options there as well.
17:37Love the alignment aids on this.
17:39Love the feel.
17:40It's got a very premium grip as well,
17:42which I really like.
17:43And for that reason,
17:47and because of that lovely putt,
17:49that is my favourite putter
17:51in the ultimate bag for high handicappers.
17:57That's all the club's done,
17:59but let's not forget about the golf ball.
18:01It's the one piece of equipment
18:02used on every single shot.
18:04Now, as high handicappers,
18:06let's face it,
18:07you might be prone to losing more golf balls
18:09than lower handicapped players,
18:10so price is often at the forefront
18:12of any purchasing decision
18:13when it comes to golf balls.
18:15So three of the favourites
18:16or price-conscious balls
18:17that I've tested
18:18would be the Titleist Truffield.
18:20That's a really good all-round ball,
18:21good levels of spin,
18:22good levels of distance
18:23and very durable.
18:25Another one of my favourites
18:26is the Srixon AD333.
18:28That's a bit firmer.
18:29I find I get a little bit more distance out of that,
18:31so if you're struggling for distance
18:32or using a very soft putter,
18:33as we discussed,
18:34that might be a nice ball to match up.
18:36And my final choice
18:37is the TaylorMade Speedsoft.
18:39Now, there's loads of choices.
18:40They've gone big into visual technology.
18:42It's a really, really soft-feeling ball
18:44and you can do a lot to personalise it
18:46with different colours and all sorts.
18:48So really fun,
18:49very affordable
18:49and a really good performing golf ball.
18:51Okay, so I hope you found that helpful
18:54and I hope it's given you
18:55a good starting point
18:56if you are looking for some more clubs
18:58in the high handicap market.
19:00If you've enjoyed this video,
19:01don't forget to hit the like button
19:03and do subscribe to the channel.
19:04It really does help us
19:05and get in those comments down below.
19:07If I've missed anything
19:08or you think there's something
19:09that everyone should be playing,
19:10let us know about it.
19:11We'd love to hear about it.
19:12See you next time.
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