We Test the Newest Drivers at the 2026 PGA Show Demo Day

We set off on a quest to Demo Day at the 2026 PGA Show to find a new driver.

When we arrived at Orange County National, the site of Demo Day, we were blown away by the vastness of the property and the scale of the event. This might be the biggest practice facility we've ever seen. There were countless brands showcasing the latest golf gear, from clubs to sunglasses to rangefinders and more. There were other distractions as well, workshops & seminars with PGA of America Golf Professionals, fun activities like a Flop Wall, and even some celebrities and decorated tour players.

But we didn't get distracted from our goal of finding a new driver. We walked around to each booth to see which driver heads caught our eye. If we're being honest, the number of choices was almost overwhelming. After talking to the representatives of a number of brands, we decided to test three: Ping G440 K, Cobra Optm X & Srixon ZXi Max.

We spoke with Erik Henrikson, Director of Golf Science at Ping, about their latest driver technology featured in the new Ping G440 K. The G440 K joins an already stacked driver lineup from Ping, which also includes the G440 MAX, G440 SFT, and G440 LST. The all-new G440 K is dubbed the most forgiving, adjustable driver Ping has ever made. It boasts carbon fiber on the crown and the sole, which allows the driver to distribute more weight around the head to help with launch and forgiveness. Other updates to the G440 K include a new face that helps generate more ball speed across the face of the club, and new internal geometry that improves acoustics to make it sound good.

We caught up with Bryan Leskowitz from Cobra to learn more about their newest offerings, and boy, do they look great! Cobra launched their newest driver line this week, the Cobra Optm. The new Optm keeps Cobra's innovative FutureFit33 sleeve, which is their adjustable hosel with 33 different settings to dial in a player's loft/lie much more efficiently. The Optm line is comprised of four different heads: The X, LS, Max K, and Max D. The LS is lower-launching and lower-spinning for high swing speeds; the X is the middle-of-the-road option with playability and forgiveness. The Max K is their 10k MOI head, the most forgiving with higher launch and spin, and the MAX D, which is their draw-bias head for players looking for help with their shot shape.

We chatted with Justin Lane from Srixon, and he gave us the rundown on the newest Srixon offering: the ZXi Line. This line includes the ZXi Max, ZXi, and ZXi LS. The LS features 2 movable weights (front/back) that help dial in the spin numbers for faster swing speeds and better players. The ZXi also features 2 movable weights, but they are on the toe/heel to help more with shot shapes, so players can calibrate their preferred ball flight. Lastly, the ZXi Max is the most forgiving driver in the group (that's why we tried it!) and features a face and head design that makes it easier for higher handicappers to hit it far and straight.

After hitting the three drivers, we decided the best course of action was to connect with our local PGA of America Golf Professional for a proper fitting (and some lessons) instead of just trying to make the decision ourselves.