Intech Behemoth 520cc Driver Review: a cheap, oversized cheat code for weekend slicers

I took this Intech Behemoth 520cc driver out as a bit of a joke at first. It's illegal for official competitions, it looks huge in the photos, and the name "Behemoth" sounds like something off a late-night infomercial. I'm a casual golfer, usually play once or twice a month, and my main issue off the tee is a big slice that sends half my drives into the trees on the right. So I figured: for this price, if it straightens out a few shots, it's worth testing.

First impression on the range: the head is massive. It makes my old 460cc Callaway look small. You definitely notice the size when you put it behind the ball. It feels a bit like you're swinging a small frying pan. At the same time, that big head gave me some confidence because it feels like you almost can't miss the ball. Mentally, that helped me swing a bit freer instead of babying it.

Over about three rounds and a couple of range sessions, I hit enough balls with it to get a decent idea of what it does. I swapped between this and my usual driver to compare. I’m not a long hitter at all, maybe 220–230 yards on a good day, so I wasn’t expecting miracles. I was more interested in: does it help my slice, and does the big head actually forgive my mishits or is it just a gimmick?

Overall, my take is pretty simple: it’s not magic, but it does help if you’re a weekend golfer who constantly leaks the ball right. The build feels cheap compared to big brands, the sound is a bit hollow, and you’re not taking this into any serious competition, but for casual fun, it kind of does what the description says. You just need to be realistic about the quality and the fact that it’s a non-conforming toy more than a serious "gamer" club.

For the price, this driver sits in a weird but interesting spot. You’re not paying much compared to any big-name driver, and you’re getting a very forgiving, oversized, draw-biased club that does actually help tame a slice a bit. If you’re a casual golfer who mostly plays with friends, doesn’t care about USGA rules, and just wants to keep more balls in play, it’s honestly pretty good value. It’s a low-risk way to experiment with an offset, non-conforming driver.

Where the value drops is if you expect it to compete with $400+ drivers in terms of feel, consistency, and build quality. It won’t. The materials are cheaper, the sound is louder and more hollow, and the shaft isn’t as stable. If you’re serious about your game, track your stats, and maybe play in tournaments, this isn’t for you. In that case, you’re better off putting the money toward a used big-brand driver that is conforming and better built.

Compared to other budget drivers I’ve tried (like random box-set drivers or off-brand Amazon specials), this one is at least honest about what it does: big head, anti-slice, non-conforming. And it actually delivers on those points. Some cheap drivers claim all kinds of distance gains and forgiveness but feel dead. This one is more straightforward: it’s goofy, it’s oversized, but it does help straighten things out a bit.

So in terms of value, I’d say it’s worth it if you go in with the right mindset: a fun, experimental club for casual rounds and range sessions, not a long-term gamer you build your bag around. For that role, it’s pretty solid for the money. If you want refinement and long-term performance, you’ll outgrow it quickly and wish you’d saved for something better.

The main design feature is obviously the 520cc head, which is technically too big to be legal under USGA rules. Compared to my 460cc driver, the difference is clear when you put them side by side. The face looks taller and the crown extends further back. At address, it gives you the impression that you have a massive margin for error. For a nervous driver like me, that’s not a bad thing. It kind of talks you into swinging more confidently.

The offset design is also very noticeable. If you put it down next to a normal driver, you can see the leading edge of the face sits behind the shaft. That’s what’s supposed to help you close the face more easily to fight the slice. On the course, I felt it did push my ball flight more left compared to my usual driver. Shots that would usually start right and keep going stayed straighter or even had a slight draw. It’s not magic on every swing, but the design is doing something.

Looks-wise, this is not a pretty club. The blue color is fine, but the overall finish and graphics are basic. The paint and alignment aid on top are functional, but it doesn’t have that clean, premium look. I don’t personally care too much about that because I bought it as a fun, experimental club. But if you’re picky about aesthetics, you’re going to see it as a cheap stick the second you pull it out of the bag.

One thing I noticed: the head shape and size also change the sound and feel. It has that hollow "pingy" sound on contact, especially on range balls. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t sound like a well-tuned driver. Some people might like the loud feedback, others will find it a bit cheap-sounding. For me, it just confirmed what I already knew from looking at it: this is a big, slightly goofy, budget driver that prioritizes forgiveness over finesse. Design-wise, it’s clear and honest about what it is.

The head material is listed as aluminium, which already tells you a lot. Most serious modern drivers use titanium or multi-material carbon/titanium constructions. Aluminium is lighter and cheaper, but it doesn’t give the same solid feel or long-term durability as higher-end metals. On the course, you feel that in the impact feedback: contact feels a bit hollow, and mishits don’t give that dense, solid sensation you get from better drivers. It still hits the ball, of course, but you can tell it’s a lower-tier material.

The graphite shaft is light, which helps if you have a slower or average swing speed. I didn’t notice any glaring defects, but again, the feel is basic. On my smoother swings it behaved fine, but when I really tried to step on it, I could feel some wobble and timing issues. This isn’t a shaft I’d trust for someone with a fast, aggressive swing. It’s more suited for casual players who aren’t chasing maximum clubhead speed.

The rubber grip is standard and textured. Out of the box, it felt okay in the hands, not too hard, not too soft. After a few sweaty range sessions, it stayed grippy enough, but it’s clearly an entry-level grip. If I were going to keep this in the bag long term, I’d probably regrip it with something I like more. It’s not bad, just "it gets the job done" quality, nothing more.

Overall, the materials match the price and the purpose of the club. You’re not paying for craftsmanship here; you’re paying for a big, forgiving head with anti-slice design. For a casual golfer who wants to mess around with an oversized, illegal driver on weekends, the materials are decent. If you’re used to big-brand drivers and care a lot about feel and long-term reliability, you’ll see and feel the difference right away. It’s okay for what it is, but it’s not built like a tank.

I haven’t had this driver for years, but I did put it through several range sessions and a few rounds, and I paid attention to how it held up. After a couple of buckets of balls and normal on-course use, the face and crown showed some typical impact marks but nothing alarming. No dents, no cracks, just the usual scuffing you’d expect from an aluminium head. The paint on the crown didn’t chip, but I can see how a few sky marks could really stand out because of the color and finish.

The shaft stayed straight and didn’t show any weird twisting or loosening at the hosel. I checked the connection a few times because budget clubs sometimes have glue issues, but this one felt solid. No rattling inside the head either, which is a common annoyance with cheaper drivers. So at least in the short term, the build quality seems okay. Long term, I wouldn’t be shocked if the finish wore faster than on a premium driver, but for a casual club, it’s acceptable.

The grip started to feel slightly slick after a few sweaty sessions, but a quick wipe with a damp towel brought back most of the tackiness. It’s not a premium grip, so if you play a lot or in hot conditions, you might want to regrip it after a season. That’s not really a deal-breaker; I end up regripping most clubs I keep anyway.

Overall, for a club in this price range with aluminium construction, I’d rate the durability as good enough for weekend golf. If you’re hitting thousands of balls a month and practicing heavily, you’ll probably outgrow or wear it faster. But if you’re like me and play casually, it feels sturdy enough to last several seasons without falling apart, as long as you don’t abuse it or throw it around.

On the course, I alternated between this and my usual driver for several holes to compare. Launch and height were pretty similar: medium-high ball flight, which I like. Into the wind, the ball did balloon a bit on mishits, which I partly blame on the head design and the shaft being a bit soft. When I caught it clean, the flight was strong enough, but this is not a low-spin, piercing driver. It’s more about easy launch and forgiveness.

In terms of accuracy, I saw a clear difference in my dispersion. With my normal driver, my pattern is mostly right misses. With the Behemoth, my dispersion was more centered, but a bit wider left-to-right overall. Translation: I had more balls finishing in playable spots, but I also hit a couple of surprise lefts when the face really turned over. That’s the trade-off with an offset, draw-biased club. It helps the slice, but if your timing is off, you can send one left too.

The feel and sound are where you notice it’s a cheaper, oversized club. Contact feels a bit hollow, and the sound is loud and metallic, especially on range mats. Some people will like that feedback because it tells you exactly where on the face you hit it. Personally, I found it tolerable but not pleasant. My usual driver feels more solid and quieter, which I prefer. But again, we’re talking about a club that costs a fraction of a big-brand driver.

Over three full rounds, I’d say my scoring didn’t suddenly drop, but my stress off the tee was lower. I felt more confident that even if I didn’t swing perfectly, the ball would still be somewhere in front of me instead of deep right. That alone has value for a casual player. Performance is solid for what it is: a forgiving, draw-biased, fun driver that you don’t baby. Just don’t expect tour-level precision or feel.

Out of the box, you get the driver pre-assembled with a graphite shaft, a standard rubber grip, and a simple headcover. Nothing fancy. The headcover is thin and basic, more like something you’d get with a budget beginner set than with a premium driver. It protects the head from scratches in the bag, but don’t expect thick padding or nice stitching. For the price, I wasn’t shocked; it’s fine but clearly low-end.

The shaft is a lightweight graphite shaft, regular flex. I normally play a regular flex as well, and this one felt just a touch softer than my usual one from a big brand. So if you have a fast swing, you might feel it whip a bit more. For my medium-speed swing, it was manageable, but on a couple of harder swings I felt the head lag and then flip a bit. It’s usable, but it doesn’t have that solid, consistent feel you get from a better-quality shaft.

The loft is 10.5°, which is pretty standard for a driver, so there’s nothing weird to adapt to there. The big difference is the offset hosel for the anti-slice effect. When you set the club down, you clearly see the face sitting slightly behind the shaft, which is what’s supposed to help square the face at impact. If you’re used to a traditional driver, it looks a bit odd at first, but you get used to it after a few holes.

In terms of overall presentation, it’s obvious this is a budget, fun driver. The branding and graphics aren’t stylish, the materials feel basic, and the whole thing screams "cheap but functional." That’s not necessarily bad if that’s what you expect. For the price bracket, it’s pretty solid, but if you’re used to premium clubs, you’ll notice the downgrade right away. It’s more for someone who wants to experiment with an anti-slice, oversized head without dropping a lot of cash.

This is the main reason I tried it: I slice the ball more often than I’d like. With my normal driver, my typical miss is a push-slice that starts right and keeps drifting. With the Intech Behemoth, I noticed a real change over a few rounds. Not every shot magically straightened out, but the pattern was different. A lot of my usual right-miss shots ended up more in the fairway or just in the right rough instead of way out of play.

The offset hosel definitely encourages the face to close. On swings where I normally leave the face open, I felt like this driver helped me square it up more. I didn’t consciously change my swing; I just aimed the same and swung. The ball flight on my better strikes was more of a straight shot or a slight draw. On bad swings, I could still slice it, but the curve was less dramatic. So, is it a cure? No. But does it reduce the severity of a slice for a mid-to-high handicapper? In my case, yes.

Distance-wise, I didn’t see the "monstrous" gains the description hints at. My carry distance was roughly similar to my regular driver, maybe a touch longer on some well-struck shots simply because I was hitting the center more often thanks to the big face. On heel or toe shots, the ball still went forward decently instead of dying. That’s where the large sweet spot actually helped. I’d say the main benefit is more consistent usable drives, not necessarily extra yards.

To be fair, if your swing path is really out-to-in and you chop across the ball, no driver is going to fix that completely. This club helps, but it doesn’t rewrite physics. It’s most effective if you already hit it somewhat okay and just need help controlling the right miss. For a beginner who barely makes contact, it’s forgiving, but the offset might even make them hook it if they over-correct. So it works, but only within reasonable expectations.