Someone has to finish last.
This is true in every MyGolfSpy test and Driver test 2026 it is no different. But the point of looking at the bottom of the table isn’t just to highlight which drivers have struggled. It is to understand why they struggled and what golfers can learn from it.
Sometimes, the reason is obvious. A driver gives up too much distance or splits in accuracy and never recovers. Other times, the issue is a little more nuanced. A club may not be a total loss. It can only be built for a type of player narrower than the rest of the field.
The three drivers who finished at the bottom of our 2026 test were COBRA OPTM Max-D, Mizuno JPX One Select AND Deputy Golf VGD01. Here’s how much each one costs.
COBRA OPTM Max-D
| Metrics | The result |
|---|---|
| MGS result | 7.9 |
| Distance | 7.3 |
| The accuracy | 8.0 |
| PARDON | 8.9 |
The biggest issue for the COBRA OPTM Max-D was distance. His 7.3 distance score was the lowest of the three drivers we’re highlighting here, and the raw team backs that up. on the average 229.01 carry yards AND 240.00 meters in totalmore than 15 yards behind the longest driver in the test.
His 8.0 accuracy score was also near the bottom of the field. So while the forgiveness held up pretty well, COBRA was still delivering heavily in the two categories that tend to matter most in a driving test like this. If you’re shorter than the competition and also inaccurate, it becomes difficult to gain ground.
Golfers looking at the OPTM Max-D should understand what the offset looks like. There may be some stability and consistency here, but the cost is that you can leave significant distance on the table.
What I would try instead: PING G440 SFT
If you want a driver built to help keep the ball in play, the PING G440 SFT delivered much better accuracy with more distance than the COBRA.
Mizuno JPX One Select
| Metrics | The result |
|---|---|
| MGS result | 8.0 |
| Distance | 7.9 |
| The accuracy | 8.0 |
| PARDON | 8.1 |
The Mizuno JPX One Select is a different kind of finisher. With COBRA, you can show distance to the right as the biggest problem. With Mizuno, the biggest problem is that it never found a strong enough category to lift it.
His scores were low across the board: 7.9 for distance, 8.0 for accuracy, 8.1 for forgiveness. This driver was simply bottom in every major scoring category in our testing.
The swing speed results didn’t offer much salvation either. The JPX One Select was near the bottom in the medium speed test and finished last in the slow speed test.
What I would try instead: Mizuno JPX One
If you like the Mizuno profile, the standard JPX One produced a better all-around score in every scoring category.
Deputy Golf VGD01
| Metrics | The result |
|---|---|
| MGS result | 8.2 |
| Distance | 8.0 |
| The accuracy | 8.2 |
| PARDON | 8.4 |
The Vice Golf VGD01 followed a similar path to Mizuno. It didn’t have a catastrophic weakness, but it also didn’t have a category strong enough to lift it.
His scores were low across the board: 8.0 for distance, 8.2 for accuracy, 8.4 for forgiveness. This kept him near the bottom of the test.
A small note in its favor was that the VGD01 performed better in the slow swing speed results, suggesting that it might suit a narrower type of player a little better than the overall conclusion implies.
What I would try instead: Tour Edge Exotics Max
If you want a decidedly stronger all-around option, the Exotics Max offered better distance, better accuracy and better forgiveness than the Vice.
Final thoughts
There is always a temptation to look at the end of a test and assume that those drivers are automatic deletions. That’s not really the lesson here. The idea is to ask better questions before you buy. If you’re considering one of these drivers, getting your hands on it isn’t just over. It’s that you have to know exactly what you can sacrifice if you put it in the bag.
For a full look at all the 2026 driver tests, see our information here:
