TaylorMade R11 Driver & Fairway Wood Review Thread

[TC]

I think it does. On the monitor, we see a difference of spin and launch by adjusting it. Not exactly robot testing, but it seems to for a number of golfers.

No, it's not robot testing but it can't be coincidence that others are seeing things change by altering the ASP.

 

[10YardDraw]

I havent been on a monitor but im not seeing a change in my ball flight higher or lower by switching it, if it was changing it must not be enough for me to see.

 

[TC]

I havent been on a monitor but im not seeing a change in my ball flight higher or lower by switching it, if it was changing it must not be enough for me to see.

I understand what you're saying. And like I said, I never thought that it was suppose to play much of a role other than a visual one, but I noticed some changes when I put it on the vector. It's perplexing.

 

[Ole Gray]

I can definitely tell a lower ball flight and more of a fade or slice if I change the ASP to the open setting. This occurs without changing the FCT. I would say more of a penetrating flight pattern in the open setting. I am still working with the FCT to figure the correct setting for me. I am testing the 7- wood so the ASP may or may not be as drastic in the neutral, open, or closed setting for the driver. I just see my normal high ball flight go to a medium flight pattern in the open setting. I plan on working more with the FCT this week and report back my findings.

 

[GrantD]

I gamed the R11 yesterday. It was my first time on the course with it since my fitting. I had some good drives with it, but mostly I seemed to be pulling it. I am not sure what was going on, but 6 of my 13 uses where hooks. I guess I need to get to the range to see what is going on. I posted this thought over in the Mashie area as well, but maybe I was swinging a little to hard. During my fitting this was my biggest miss when trying to get better numbers. When I just tried to swing with a good tempo and ball connection, I was cranking them down the range. I think I just need a little bit more range time to dial this club in.

 

[Tmex]

I tried the R11 with a TP Blur shaft. Felt real good. It definitely launches lower than the non TP Blur and seemed to fit much better with my game.

DMB I know what you mean man. Sometimes it just feels like because it's a driver we need to swing hard. I think you're right on with the tempo observation.

 

[GrantD]

I tried the R11 with a TP Blur shaft. Felt real good. It definitely launches lower than the non TP Blur and seemed to fit much better with my game.

DMB I know what you mean man. Sometimes it just feels like because it's a driver we need to swing hard. I think you're right on with the tempo observation.

Yoccos,

I think this is happening with all the new clubs coming out lately. Tempo is becoming such a important factor to hit these clubs great. I guess it could be attributed to the lighter weights all the clubs have. You can get a hard swing with the lighter weight, but have to control it more.

 

[Mark]

Hi folks,
After some range time this weekend, I am happy with my driver and FW. One aspect that I noticed, the face shows ball marks. After magic eraser, you can see little slivers of silver in the black face. The face paint maybe an issue in durability as time goes on. Some people like to have that brand new look for a long time. I am still more than happy with these clubs, if the black disapears, I wonder how easy it is to get it repainted or such.

 

[Dent]

I feel as if I didn't put enough into my previous post so heres a few quick thoughts upon comparing the club. (Compared to my Cobra 3 Wood):

-The R11 is actually heavier. I think the weight of it though adds stability and in your hands just feels like a solid club
-The height of the face is pretty small, this is a real low profile club that sits low to the ground, the height of the face is really great looking at address.

More testing with tuning and adjusting will come next week.

 

[Nate]

TERRIBLE driving day with my R11 on Sunday. Went 5 of 14 in fairways hit but keep in mind, I play a much tighter course than normal. Would of been a couple more hit on a normal course. For whatever reason I could not get the slight cut to cut. I have a shaft fitting this Wednesday and might have to switch the weights to see if I can get it more consistant. We will see what the launch monitor has to say. Still managed an 82 while my putter decided not to show up either. When both the driver and putter go on the same round, not much you can do but to hold on.

I'm playing both Sat. and Sun. this upcoming weekend so hope to get the feel back and some of this winter rust off. Happy Hitting!

 

[royalwulff]

Ok the honeymoon period is over and now that I have several rounds and lots or range balls with the R11 5 Wood here are some thoughts from the grip down. First I want to post some more pics that I thought were interesting.

The pictures with the golf balls three were taken in the shade and three in the sunlight.
Ok here were go top to bottom
Grip First let me say that I play a midsized grip. That being said it comes stock with a standard sized grip so it was smaller than I am used to playing with. I found the grip to be plenty tacky in the cold and on warmer days. I have yet to try it in the heat and with some sweat on the palms but that will come later so we will see how it performs under those conditions.
Shaft the shaft is the Fujikura Blur, 70 grams, and stiff flex. The colors on the shaft are predominately black, with white and just a little red on the upper third. The bottom 2/3rds of the shaft are a matte black that I really like the looks of. It is not a flashy shaft but I think TaylorMade did a good job with the color scheme and looks. I am having mixed feelings on this shaft. It feels a bit whippy to me on the down swing and I feel like I can't close the face properly. That being said I was hitting it today on the course against my current three wood and came away impressed. My 3 wood with a shaft fitted for me was only 7 yards longer on average than this 5 wood with the blur shaft. I will be able to get specific numbers here in about a week but I will say that I already know it is longer than my current 5 wood. I had it on the course this weekend and some of my normal 5 wood shots I ws hitting this longer than my current 5 wood.
Head I really am starting to like the looks of the white head. One thing about this head is it feels heavier to me than my current 5 wood and I am liking how it feels. The sound is muted compared not only to my 5 wood but to some of my playing partners 5 woods also. So far the feedback on how I struck the ball is still up in the air. It seems that on some shots I really know where I hit the ball on the club face but on other shots I have no idea. One question that I have about the sole plate is with hitting this off the deck does dirt and grass get under the plate. I will also be able to answer this soon as i have a wrench in the mail and will be able to take it off and take a look then.
Distance I have not hit this against my current 5 wood as I wanted to give it a chance to prove itself first. It has proved itself nicely. I have hit it on the course wher I normally take my 5 wood shots and I am seeing an increase in distance. Once I get my GPS I will be able to post accurate numbers then. The one thing that suprised me today is hitting it against my 3 wood is that my three wood was only on average about 7 yards longer.
Headcover WOW I really like the headcover, in particular the strap across the top to grab to take the cover off. This is one of the pictures seen above. I like the overall looks of the head cover, not flash but attractive nonetheless. I know this is a headcover that will fit the 3 wood thru the 7 wood but i also really like how easy it is to take off and then put back on.

I will have more pictures of the head later on to show wear and tear and how the white is holding up. I plan on leaving the settings where they are for a few more rounds and then I will post thoughts on how it performs once I start moving things around. My preliminary thought is this is going to stay in my bag for some time.

 

[Dent]

great writeup royal.

Every thing you pointed out there I found the exact same except for the shaft part. As for the headcover the strap is almost not needed as it is just so loose and easy to take off anyways.

 

[Mardin]

So I finally got to get fitted for the R11. I ended up getting a R11 TP 10.5 degree with a Fubuki 63 Regular shaft. My fitter set the ASP to closed, placed the weigh in the heel, and made my loft setting to low. I really love the shaft because it is heavier than my older drivers shaft and it gives me more control of the driver. So when I tested the driver on the range, I was beating balls down the range fairly straight and at a much lower spin rate. But when I took it out on the course, it took me about 7-8 holes to get used to it. Because I had a slice, I had a habit of naturally closing the face of the club at address. So when I hit the R11 on the course I closed the face, forgetting that it's already closed with the ASP. This caused a whole slew of problems and before I realized it I was almost 9 holes in. Once I adjusted my own personal habit, the ball evened out and flew like it did just on the range. Although I have a few more swing kinks to work out I think this club will help me find the fairway and stop me from playing my second shot out of the rough/trees.

 

[royalwulff]

great writeup royal.

Every thing you pointed out there I found the exact same except for the shaft part. As for the headcover the strap is almost not needed as it is just so loose and easy to take off anyways.

Thanks Dent! Without having to go back and search can you refresh me on your thoughts of the shaft, i have slept since you posted...LOL You are right about the headcover but I think the strap is a really cool touch and i find myself looking for it to use.

 

[interlooper]

Ok the honeymoon period is over and now that I have several rounds and lots or range balls with the R11 5 Wood here are some thoughts from the grip down. First I want to post some more pics that I thought were interesting.

Thanks for the pics, Royal. Something that I find interesting, in some of those pics with colored balls against the white head, the ball looks larger/smaller against the head depending on the color of the ball, particularly with the orange ball. Do you see that or is it just me? Obviously they are all pretty much the same sice, but it reminds me of those weird "play a trick on the brain" tests you did in pyschology classes.

 

[Hole~Out~1983]

great writeup royal.

Every thing you pointed out there I found the exact same except for the shaft part. As for the headcover the strap is almost not needed as it is just so loose and easy to take off anyways.

Yeah I have noticed that this headcover is quite loose on this head but in a good way. Not so loose that it would fall off but definatley not one of those headcovers that you have to fight to get the club back in.

 

[royalwulff]

Thanks for the pics, Royal. Something that I find interesting, in some of those pics with colored balls against the white head, the ball looks larger/smaller against the head depending on the color of the ball, particularly with the orange ball. Do you see that or is it just me? Obviously they are all pretty much the same sice, but it reminds me of those weird "play a trick on the brain" tests you did in pyschology classes.

I didn't notice it at first but does the yellow Srixon seem to be the one that looks bigger to you? Jedi mind tricks at their best...LOL

 

[Dent]

Thanks Dent! Without having to go back and search can you refresh me on your thoughts of the shaft, i have slept since you posted...LOL You are right about the headcover but I think the strap is a really cool touch and i find myself looking for it to use.

I think my driver and my 3 wood influence the thoughts on the shaft. Both my Driver and 3W are stiff stock shafts but when I waggle and just kind of whip the club back and forth you can really see the flex and feel it, when I do it with the 4w there is not as much whip in the shaft as my other two clubs. My Driver and 3w actually felt really whippy compared to this so I feel the blur is actually stiffer in my opinion.

 

[Dent]

I didn't notice it at first but does the yellow Srixon seem to be the one that looks bigger to you? Jedi mind tricks at their best...LOL

I think the yellow ball looks bigger because you did take the pics a tad bit closer to the yellow ball than you did the others.

 

[Super Tuna]

Those pics just reinforce my thoughts that this club line just begs to be played with orange balls. That looks fantastic.

 

[royalwulff]

I think my driver and my 3 wood influence the thoughts on the shaft. Both my Driver and 3W are stiff stock shafts but when I waggle and just kind of whip the club back and forth you can really see the flex and feel it, when I do it with the 4w there is not as much whip in the shaft as my other two clubs. My Driver and 3w actually felt really whippy compared to this so I feel the blur is actually stiffer in my opinion.

Thanks for the refresh Dent. Are your shafts in your driver and 3 wood stock or fitted? Just curious.

As a side comment, and maybe out of place but this is what I like out THP's testing system, two different thoughts but neither is wrong just lots of good honest opinions.

 

[One-T]

Got another round with the R11 in yesterday and man oh man I was yet gain happy with it.

Hole #1- Par 4- 325 yards. Its all up hill and if you dont hit it hard enough the ball will literally roll back to the bottom, hi tthe R11 and was 55 yards out.

Hole #5 416 yard par 4, hit a drive and was 100 ards out. it was one of my best drives of the day as far as ball flight and dirsction.

Hole #7 is a par5 545 yards- was 250 out and decided to lay up from there. Again, great straight ball flight with a very slight fade, got the ball a little higher than I would have liked but I was happy with it.

#8 is a shorter par 4- 335, again up hill the hole way with the green surrounded by bunkers. I was in the bunker that is just short of the green. Managed a par

#9 par 4- 350 yards...all down hill with a creek just before the green. Hit my drive perfect, on the right line and never could find my ball, I dont think it was in the creek but just passed it and plugged where I couldnt find it. It was kind of disppointing after such a greta drive.

My driving continued like this throughout the round. I was very happy with the R11. I love the weight of the club, for some reason it sets up perfect for me and right now I finally have my confidence back with my driver.

 

[jlukes]

Wasn't selected to do a review, but I recently got fitted for a driver and R11 came out the club. Purchased one (9 deg, stiff blur 60), and got in my first 18 with it on Saturday.

Look: Love the club, definitely the attention grabber when you step up to the first tee. Really enjoy the black/white contrast as it gives a perfect picture of face angle at address. The black face is great to look at after a drive to see where you made contact on the face.

Feel/Sound: This is my first driver since the R5, so a lot has chanced in technology. The R11 feels much lighter in my hand, however I feel like I have a better awareness of where the head of the club is during my entire swing. The sound produced from a solid hit is a bit muted, but it is a solid sound. Not the metallic sound of previous generaition drivers - more of a profound THWACK! You can tell when you get a hold of one, it just feels absolutely amazing. When you hit one off-center, you do feel some feedback, but not in a bad way. Every hit still feels solid.

Launch: Boom! My average swing speed is about 112MPH, and i produce around a 12.5deg launch with around 2800 RPMS. The numbers I put on the launch monitor are the main reason I got this club. The ball simply explodes off the club face and I get some of the most penetrating ball flight I have ever gotten.

Accuracy: My main draw to the club. My normal swing produces around a 2-5 yard fade, but with the R11 I get an absolute straight ball flight (with all adjustable settings in their "stock" setting). Even on my misses, I was hitting fairways.

Distance: Hard to judge how much longer I was hitting the R11 due to course conditions (wet and windy), but I was sure happy with the results. For the most part, I was hitting drives about 280-285. Into a 20MPH, I was still sitting around 265. With the wind at my back, I put a few over 300. Very rewarding.

Overall: It's only been one full round, but I am very happy with my purchase. It might not give me the best distance, but this club does everything well and I highly recommend everybody give one a shot if you have the opportunity for a demo.

 

[Dent]

Thanks for the refresh Dent. Are your shafts in your driver and 3 wood stock or fitted? Just curious.

As a side comment, and maybe out of place but this is what I like out THP's testing system, two different thoughts but neither is wrong just lots of good honest opinions.

Yep both are stock, I honestly need to get into shaft fitting and in depth in customizing my equipment more. As far as shafts I can just tell they aren't right for me, but I have a hard time knowing what is right. Every single shaft in my bag is stock.

 

[royalwulff]

Yep both are stock, I honestly need to get into shaft fitting and in depth in customizing my equipment more. As far as shafts I can just tell they aren't right for me, but I have a hard time knowing what is right. Every single shaft in my bag is stock.

Well as for knowing what is right I would have no clue either if it wasn't for getting fitted. I do plan on later on taking the shaft out of my current 5 wood and putting it in the R11 and seeing what happens.