Taylormade did not design the jetspeed to be as adjustable as the recently released sldr. Sldr is built to help you hit longerstraighter drives by promoting a high launch angle, lower spinrate and faster ball speed. Why do all tour pros have their taylormade m5 driver in. Taylormade sldr 460 driver 12 degrees speeder 57 regular.
They name three of their staff golfers, dustin johnson, when he started using the sldr driver he went from a 9 degree driver to a 10. The most obvious answer is by using something other than a driver off the tee. The best golf driver for low swing speed should be slightly lighter and may have a smaller head since users with slow speed tend to have better precision than fast swingers. Taylormades research and design technicians spent many hours reinventing their industry standard of moveable weight technology with the creation of the sldr driver. All else being equal, the more lofted your driver, the higher and straighter your shots will fly. But the range of lofts offered by the four different heads 8, 9.
Golf driver loft distance, degrees, and best club selection. In fact, outside of the silversatin finish and fixed loft, the sldr s is a solid replica of the original. With a new look, the sldr s promised distance for all, but how exactly does it differ from the successful and much talkedabout taylormade sldr driver i got my hands on a 10degree sldr s and put it up against a 10degree sldr to find out if there really is a difference between the two. This years m5 driver has a ttrack that allows golfers of all skill levels to dial in their desired ball flight. Taylormade launch tourinspired 430cc sldr driver golfalot. Off the tee, it was halfway between my driver and 3wood as far as distance was concerned. That allows golfers to launch the ball higher and with less spin, which is the key to longer drivers. First of all, the original sldr 460 driver was released at the end of 20 and is currently the most popular driver on tour. And in their tireless pursuit of performance, the games best choose taylormade. Sldr 460 driver sldr 430 driver sldr white driver sldr faiway sldr rescue sldrs metalwoods sldrs mini driver.
According to golfwrx, mickelson opted to go with a taylormade sldr driver that had a mitsubishi rayon kuro kage silver shaft. Sldrs cg location is both low and forward, due in large part to the large, 20gram sliding weight on. It has a 20g weight on the sole, which slides inside a rail that goes from the heel area to the toe giving golfers the ability to create 30 yards of shot shape adjustment. As long as you buy your driver from a reputable dealer or know how to grade a used driver yourself, theres nothing to worry about the only difference between a new club and a used one are a few very faint marks on the face from having hit a buckets worth of balls. This weight slides along a track thats located on the sole. When taylormade launched the new sldr s driver, golf fans everywhere. The mini drivers sole, smaller than a drivers, is designed to make it.
Phil mickelson has callaways consent to use taylormade. Pga tour pros react to playing taylormades new sldr driver. Even professionals who are using drivers that have a low and forward cg are lofting up. This sliding 20g weight allows players to finetune their shot shape. The mini drivers sole, smaller than a drivers, is designed to make it easy to hit this club off the deck.
The sldr has a center of gravity that is lower and more forward than any driver taylormade has ever produced. A number of players at the john deere classic had taylormades new prototype driver, sldr, in play during thursdays first round and the reaction was. Tiger, rory, brooks, and a bunch of other pga tour pros are using the reverse ttrack on the taylormade m5 driver all in the same setting. Low and forward cg create high launch and lower spin for our longest driver ever. According to taylormade, dustin johnson, who previously had been using a 9degree driver, is now using a taylormade sldr driver with 10.
The taylormade sldr driver is the newest taylormade driver and utilizes a sliding adjustable weight on the sole plate of the driver with an adjustable 12position hosel. They are also not using the correct driver loft for their swing speed. Dont believe the hype taylormades driver alternatives. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44. By todays standards it is mini, but i remember playing a driver smaller than that when i first started. It also gives the it slightly faster ball speeds more forgiveness on shots hit low on the face. A shorter driver, he said, encourages center contact on the clubface, which leads to longer, straighter drives. But the sldr has much more than a new weight system a low and forward centre of gravity is said to promote a higher launch, faster ball speeds and low spin for increased distance. This is the very reason that choosing a used sldr driver is a great idea. The big, pearshaped sldr 460 definitely falls into this category, even though it can perform when its pushed but the taylormade sldr 430 driver is an entirely different. In the march hotlinks, club expert tom wishon wrote that one key to real improvement with the driver comes from a shorter length. Cg in a smaller head to make a driver that tour pros love, said brian bazzel.
Take an honest assessment, and dont let any emotion or bias play into the mix. How to determine which loft you should get on your driver. At the wgchsbc champions, dustin johnson took the title using a taylormade sldr driver with 10. According to taylormade, the sldr mini was designed to be hit primarily off the tee, but with its smooth sole im talking barry white smoothyououtofyourknickers smooth, its much easier to hit off the deck than a conventional driver. In addition, the sldr mini drivers relatively short shaft 43. Sldr drivers have a 3degree range of adjustability 1. I hit five balls with it on the range and said, alright, can i use this. Any opinions on the mini drivers taylormade are selling. When taylormade launched the new sldr s driver, golf fans everywhere began asking whats new. Dustin johnsons driver is a reminder that optimal launch. I was hitting the sldr just as long as the xr but the two guys helping me kept telling me to get the xr because it was a way better driver but they couldnt really tell me anything about the sldr c.
R driver and what you should look for during hte fit. If you are using a screen reader and are having problems using this website, please call 18778608624 for assistance. By adjusting the sliding weight, players can adjust for a draw, fade or neutral ball flight all with just the twist of a wrench. It could serve as a true driver replacement, a 3wood replacement or a 2wood thriver. I had the sldr mini for about a week before i sold it. Before discussing the 14degree sldr, though, here is a rundown of the entire sldr family. Only when you are completely honest with yourself regarding the drives that you can hit with your current club can you decide if a change will be a good idea. After nearly six years using the same taylormade sldr s driver, equipment editor andrew tursky finally realizes its time to say goodbye. Taylormade says with the sldr driver many golfers are increasing the loft rather than decreasing it. The track features 21 positions to lock the weight into for fine tuning your desired shot shape. The best golf driver for low swing speed 90 mph golf. Rather than relying on tour pros opinions, i decided to test and compare the sldr s myself.
While the average driver loft on the pga tour has increased over the last 10. Like the original, fullsize taylormade sldr driver, sldr 430 is engineered with a lowforward cg location. Saying goodbye to my trusty driver has been painful but rewarding. I once worked for a golf equipment company that discontinued an 8. Howell iii dqd for using nonconforming taylormade sldr. Upon first inspection of the club, the slider technology seemed very familiar. First there was the adjustable sldr 460 driver, accompanied by fairway woods. For the last few months ive been experimenting with a couple of clubs from taylormade adidas golf tmag that are designed as alternatives to the driver for those that are seeking more accuracy off the tee. A number of players at the john deere classic had taylormades new prototype driver, sldr, in play during thursdays first round and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
The taylormade sldr driver is a successful blend of art and science, culminating in a driver for everyone with a sleek and clean appearance. Charles howell iii, who was tied for 10th place at the wyndham championship after rounds of 6668, was disqualified before the start of the third round for using a nonconforming driver. There are a lot of similarities in the sldr and sldr s. The taylormade sldr drivers weights located on the sole will assist you with your desired shot shape. Incidentally, that turf interaction piece is why you would maybe consider mini over cutting 2. I tracked data on the sldr s and sldr drivers at the same loft using. Better players who like to bend the ball to the right or left off the tee will love the taylormade sldr 430 driver, with its slightly smaller head size of 430cc that makes it easier to impart shotshaping sidespin. Also, buildup is necessary to make grips feel constant across the set. Theres been a lot of buzz about the taylormade sldr drivers on the pro tour, but until recently the sldrs available to the public were primarily targeted to high handicap players looking for a gameimprovement club. The introduction of the 14degree sldr driver has presented one of taylormades biggest challenges, because most golfers identify 14 degrees with a strong 3wood, not a driver. Thanks to our friends at the leading edge, i tracked data on the sldr s and sldr drivers at the same loft using flightscope to see if there was any noticeable flight or performance difference. The taylormade sldr driver represents another revolution in adjustability technology by introducing the innovative sldr moveable weight system. One of the longer models triedplenty of distance, just what youd expect from a taylormade.
Taylormade have launched a new 430cc version of their sldr for the. The latch that covers the toe section on the sole howells taylormades sldr driver came loose while he was hitting balls prior to the. Additional distance is supported by a larger clubface than the r1, with more of the clubface and sweetspot above the cg for added forgiveness. I hit my driver and 3wood quite well so it was a tricky club to fit in the bag and immediately questioned its existence in my bag.
The sldr has a center of gravity that is lower and more. There is an optimum driver shaft length with which golfers will achieve maximum clubhead speed and it will vary from player to player. I had 3 rounds and 6 range sessions before i moved on. John senden raised a few eyebrows last week when he won the valspar championship using a 12degree taylormade sldr. Its an attempt to simplify movable weight technology, after research. The head design, weighting technology and shaft remain the same. At the same time, balls dont tend to roll as far when theyre hit with a high trajectory. Assuming you dont already use an offset driver, you need to first take a close look at the kind of drives you are hitting with the driver presently in your bag. The loft on your driver is a key factor that helps determine the success of your tee shots on longer holes.
Phil mickelson, who memorably appeared at callaway hq in in flipflops in july to thank the carlsbad crew for crafting the clubs he used to cadge his. The taylormade sldr has been one of the most successful drivers over the last several years so much so that taylormade took. And, conversely, if you tried to putt with your driver using the same ball position as you would have with your putter the heel would be way up off the. Taylormade bucked conventional wisdom by introducing a driver that featured a lowforward center of gravity cg which according to taylormade engineers produces a highlaunch lowspinning drive which is the holy grail for optimal distance. For the past few months, ive knowingly been flouting the 14club rule by carrying two drivers. It takes a relentless drive and pure dedication to achieve greatness. Taylormades new sldr driver is replacing the r1 as the top club in the companys range. Pga tour pros react to playing taylormades new sldr driver golf. But because the selection for these particular clubs has expanded significantly throughout the years, finding the right one for yourself might be a bit of a challenge. The driver featured black paint on the crown to mask the glossy grey. Michael johnson at the wgchsbc champions, dustin johnson took the title using a taylormade sldr driver with 10.
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