Why 2026 will be such a big year for drivers | Fully Equipped
We’ve gotten a teaser the last few weeks of what 2026 will look like for new drivers with the Ping G440 K and TaylorMade Qi4Dshowing up on the global tours.
And after our team got sneak peeks at the 2026 product line from each OEM, one thing is super clear about next year’s stuff.
“Like this next year is driver wars,” said GOLF’s Fully Equipped co-host Johnny Wunder on the latest episode of the show. “I mean, it’s awesome. And for the golf business, you don’t want one company that has like the big driver and everybody else is kind of here. You want the big companies fighting and fighting and fighting and this is the first year that I think everybody truly has an on-brand product that’s very specific to that company."
We can’t go into detail about what we saw in Carlsbad just yet, but it’s very clear that every company is firing on all cylinders for 2026 – not just with their innovation, but also their brand identities.
What to make of new TaylorMade, Ping drivers on USGA conforming list
Co-host Jake Morrow pointed out that no brand is trying to copy what’s worked for another, which has been a common theme at times.
Morrow also pointed out that head shape will be a focus and a point of differentiation for many companies next year.
“It’s funny because how, now that I’m thinking about this, how many times last week did we hear the word ‘shape,’ right?” Morrow said. “That’s actually a big deal next year across the board. Like, shape in many ways, I’m not going to go further than that, but shape in many ways is a big part of the storylines next year.”
“And it’s not, it’s aesthetic shape, not aerodynamic shape,” Wunder added, “Like, there’s not like, well, this shape’s going to make you swing it faster. There’s none of that stuff. It’s like, this is the shape that you want to look at.”
For more from Wunder and Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF's Fully Equipped podcast here, or watch it below.
Want to find the best driver for your bag? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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