TaylorMade R1 Driver Review - Forum Testing Thread

[uman]

I went out and played 9 holes yesterday and I was hitting the ball quite inconsistently.
Got better towards the end.
First thing I realised when reaching the course was that the sole plate was set to 2* closed.
Serious face palm moment for me.
Changed it to 1* open, set on 10* with the heavier weight in the heel.
I'm not really going to discuss actual distances as I don't have a GPS.
However, I am a very long hitter and driving is supposed to be the strength of my game.

First hole I hit a really nice drive, it was in the left rough but I have to hit a slice to hit the fairway so I was happy with that drive.
Didn't particularly feel like a good strike but the ball was up there, level with a great strike from my SQ.
Put the next ball on the green and just missed my eagle.

Second hole I was really gunning for it, with my SQ my longest drive is about 5 yards short of the green in dry season.
I hit a pretty sweet feeling drive, unfortunately I think I pushed it a bit and it had maybe a 10 yard fade on it.
Watched it go into the heavy rough with about 40 yards left to the green.
Not too keen on the fade but it wasn't actually too bad a shot.
It was after this drive though that I started getting the feeling that I'm hitting the ball too high, the wind was in my face though.

Third hole I was really rushed as I was going through a 4 ball.
Really smashed one into the sun and lost it completely.
One of the caddies told me it was OB on the range.
Hit another one which was really short but straight.
I can't really understand what happened on the second shot tbh.
My caddy went to pick up the ball I hit on the range and it was big. Monster big.
Big but about 50 yards right of the centre of the fairway.lol
At this point I had played this hole twice with the R1 and both drives had been 50 yards off the centre of the fairway, on either side. fml...

Fifth hole is a par 5 that I've really been struggling with off the tee.
There are trees on the right blocking the fairway from view and a stream running along the left, over the stream is OB.
For me to hit the fairway I have to hit a low fade, something I seem to struggle with.
Hit a really well connected drive, once again straight out of bounds.
The drive was dead straight and pretty long which kind of annoyed me as I had just hit 2 fades/slices in a row and was expecting the same again.
I didn't play another as I played my 2 iron after that.

8th hole I hit a nice drive that actually drew a little. ended up on the left side of the fairway in a fairly good position. Once again at this point I became concerned about height.
It was a big drive, but I have hit bigger, but when I got to the ball the caddy actually showed me the pitchmark where the drive landed. Here the ground is pretty hard and it makes sense to make use of that.

After this I went back again to 1 as I saw my friend was teeing off alone.

First hole, I really rushed this one again and hit a truly poor shot way off the heel.
This was the first drive where I was genuinely impressed.
I was about 20 yards back from the first drive of the day, again in the left rough but I couldnt believe that such a rubbish shot could end up here, I guess forgiveness has certainly improved.

The third hole was by far my best drive of the day.
I absolutely ripped it right out of the middle and watched the ball soar with a slight draw into the middle of the fairway. I was convinced that it must've been a mammoth.
To be honest at this point I was disappointed as I was really expecting it to be longer than my SQ but it was more or less the same if not a bit shorter.

I think to be honest I just need more practice to really get used to hitting this driver.
For some reason I am not finding it easy to hit the sweetspot and I think I am going to lower the loft for todays
game. Ball flight was fun to watch but I really need some roll to make full use of the distance that I believe I can get out of this club.
Right now I think it would be fair to say that I am disappointed so far.

Bummer, interested in seeing your findings after you tinker with the settings and get more range or course time .

 

[War Eagle]

Two rounds in two day, R1 just flat out performs for me. So much to get down in a review, should have a good one up tomorrow.

Quick thought though; I have fully found my comfort level with the R1. I can comfortably play my predictable fade, having no fear standing on the tee box pulling driver is so nice.

 

[rb81]

This thread has inspired me to try my r11s at the highest setting.. 10.5. Can't wait to see the results tomorrow..... adjustable drivers are the bomb.

 

[Faiz]

So in the mug I decided to set it up with the sole plate on neutral and the loft setting on the notch between 9.5 and 8.

What a difference.

On these holes; 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, and 16 I anihalated the ball.
The only other holes I hit driver were; 3, 7, 14, and 18, those were not so good.
I'll discuss the highlights;

So first hole, I arrive without much time to spare and quickly change the driver. I'm playing in quite a good group, 2 4 handicaps, a 10 and myself a 5. I was second on the tee and everyone was asking questions about the club. I hit the perfect fade, a real good connection and immediately the legality of the club is joked about in the group!lol
With good reason tbh because its a par 5 and I hit an 8 iron second shot. It was a very long drive.

Second hole was straight down the middle, another perfect long drive into the wind.

At the tee of the third hole trouble started. At this point I knew I was going to have a good round. I obviously got ahead of myself and really tried to crank it. It went OB right, second drive was much much better but still a bit right. This hole ended my game more or less. I ended up making 9 with 2 balls OB. :-(

The fifth hole. The hole I really struggle with. I set up to hit a low fade into the wind. I don't think its possible to hit a better drive on that hole. Into the wind I hit the perfect fade right out of the centre. I knew it was a monster. The rest of my group were loving it!lol
Its a 501 yard par 5, by the time we got to the fairway we could see my caddy standing way right in the rough about 80 yards past the second longest ball of the group. I was a bit concerned but after everyone hit their second shots he moved across to the centre of the fairway. Bang dead in the middle and 150 yards from the hole. You do the math! My 60 year old 4 handicap playing partner said it was the best drive he'd ever seen on that hole. Quite a compliment. I ended up lipping out for my eagle.

On the rest of my bad holes I realised that I was really forcing the ball and getting bad results. Particularly on 7 and 18. Just need to remember to keep my backswing nice and slow. With the SQ I could get away with swinging faster but I find this club like a nice easy back swing. I have to say it does feel good to swing this club.

I think after yesterday I am becoming more confident and seem to be catching the sweetspot a lot more. I do have a tendancy to hit high in the face which has resulted in teeing the ball quite low. I'm still hittng the ball quite high but there's only 1 lower loft option. I'm going to try the lower option and see if it goes further or shorter.

In general yesterday I hit quite a few monsters, several well over 300 and my confidence in the club has increased greatly. One thing my regular playing partner noticed was that when I hit a wild drive its not actually very bad at all and most of the time still puts me in a position to play the hole.
Aesthetically I haven't met anybody yet who hasn't loved it. I actually really like the crown graphics and I like how I can easily see exactly where I struck the ball on the face of the club.

Tbh I'm now a lot more eager to get back out on the course and see what is possible with some more tweaking.

Not so disappointed after all.lol

 

[MSB256]

Had a pretty good day with the R1 today. I find that a couple drives looked like they may barely carry the trouble, then I get to the shot and see that it was plenty long enough. I think 10.5 may be the right setting.

Also, it was a blessing to get out there and play on a beautiful day. A friend of mine brought two friends for our foursome. You may have heard of one of them... he goes by the THP name of Bama!

 

[bama]

Had a pretty good day with the R1 today. I find that a couple drives looked like they may barely carry the trouble, then I get to the shot and see that it was plenty long enough. I think 10.5 may be the right setting.
Also, it was a blessing to get out there and play on a beautiful day. A friend of mine brought two friends for our foursome. You may have heard of one of them... he goes by the THP name of Bama!

Funny how paths cross with other THP'ers.. Mike (MSB) got a chance to see how not to play a round of golf...My worst round in 2 years, plus I lost 6 balls....MSB put me to shame...
As for the R1...MSB is correct...I think the term here is "Sneaky Long" Even when he did not get all of it, it was plenty long enough to carry the trouble....

 

[Hawk]

According to a comment on my review, this is primarily a hacker's driver. Unworkable. Sigh....

 

[Jman]

According to a comment on my review, this is primarily a hacker's driver. Unworkable. Sigh....

Clearly. It's so damn chunky. (Hehe)

 

[Hawk]

No wonder I liked it.

 

[ddec]

According to a comment on my review, this is primarily a hacker's driver. Unworkable. Sigh....

I'd game it if it were 260cc

 

[War Eagle]

According to a comment on my review, this is primarily a hacker's driver. Unworkable. Sigh....

I work the heck out of it. But, I'm awesome.

 

[Hawk]

You are a player.

 

[Jman]

I'd game it if it were 260cc

What about the Super TP version? You know, the "Total Persimmon" one?

Seriously though, first TM driver I've wanted to spend some time with in a long while.

 

[ddec]

What about the Super TP version? You know, the "Total Persimmon" one?

Seriously though, first TM driver I've wanted to spend some time with in a long while.

only if it came with a steel shaft

 

[adwillingham]

Yeah, it's a shame that tour players really hate it. Wonder if having to play the R1 will cause Jason Day to not cash the $615,000 check he earned with it this week.

 

[Jman]

only if it came with a steel shaft

We need to pitch this to TM. It's revolutionary.

 

[ddec]

Yeah, it's a shame that tour players really hate it. Wonder if having to play the R1 will cause Jason Day to not cash the $615,000 check he earned with it this week.

imagine if he was able to work the ball

We need to pitch this to TM. It's revolutionary.

agreed. Get them on the phone

 

[Ospreyci]

The first time I hit the R1 I was less than impressed, spent more time with it, tinkered with adjustments, and found the settings that let me get in a groove with it. Took a bit of changing it up, but I think I finally got it where I want it.

I just got my R1 head and attached it to a Speeder Tour Spec 6.2. I agree that it took some time to get it adjusted. It took me three days of hitting a bucket each day to finally find my adjustments to optimize it. I know think it really goes well with the Speeder TS. It was hitting high bombs than seemed to runout after landing on the range. I have not put it ion play yet, but so far it is a winner for me. I am coming from a hotmelted RBZ Tour head and the sound is different, but I now get along well with the sound and feel. I am a big fan of the characteristics of this head = able to hit it high with low spin. That's a good thing!

 

[ATLGolfer]

According to a comment on my review, this is primarily a hacker's driver. Unworkable. Sigh....

It's true. All I can do is hit straight bombs with it. It gets a little old after a while.

I've actually found that it takes some effort to hit the R1 poorly after the settings have been adjusted to fit you. It's pretty amazing.

 

[War Eagle]

It's true. All I can do is hit straight bombs with it. It gets a little old after a while.

I've actually found that it takes some effort to hit the R1 poorly after the settings have been adjusted to fit you. It's pretty amazing.

I agree.

Hopefully MikeDean441 will see this; I had been telling him for a few weeks that I was playing the R1 very, very well. Hitting some great shots with it. I think he was a non-believer, until he saw it this weekend...

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Was trying to avoid this club because of the crown design, but today my fitter made me try it out and I came away very impressed. Is probably the most accurate driver I've demoed this year and was getting nice launch stats. If the thing performs, it could have a neon yellow head for all I care. Glad I hit it, but now have another option that goes on the short list. I've been reading through the reviews and it's been pretty helpful in getting a sense of what this club generally brings to the table. As of now, it's this vs. Covert vs. 913D2.

 

[MSB256]

Funny how paths cross with other THP'ers.. Mike (MSB) got a chance to see how not to play a round of golf...My worst round in 2 years, plus I lost 6 balls....MSB put me to shame...
As for the R1...MSB is correct...I think the term here is "Sneaky Long" Even when he did not get all of it, it was plenty long enough to carry the trouble....

Enjoyed it bud! Really was a blessing to get such a beautiful day to play!

We could have had another Huntsville THPer hit the R1 if you weren't swinging from the wrong side!

I will also point out, our friend who plays an FT9 hit the R1 and out drove his FT9 drive by a good 20 to 30 yards. Sure the FT9 is older and it was a different ball and it could have been the indian... But...

 

[Wonton]

I'm not a Tester but I had to add in. Hope you guys don't mind
So in my other thread, I was debating to get a Covert or the Amp Cell but I ended up hitting the R1. Much better results compared to the other two.
My setup was 8 degrees and 2 degrees open. RPM was shockingly low (which I loved). I usually stay around 3400-3700 with my current driver but with the R1 averaged 2400.
The one thing that makes me scratch my head is that with my current driver (Superfast 2.0 TP) I fade. But with the R1 when I had everything at neutral, I was pulling. Then when I opened the face at 2 degrees, I got more straighter and draw at times.

 

[syndicate559]

I'm not a Tester but I had to add in. Hope you guys don't mind
So in my other thread, I was debating to get a Covert or the Amp Cell but I ended up hitting the R1. Much better results compared to the other two.
My setup was 8 degrees and 2 degrees open. RPM was shockingly low (which I loved). I usually stay around 3400-3700 with my current driver but with the R1 averaged 2400.
The one thing that makes me scratch my head is that with my current driver (Superfast 2.0 TP) I fade. But with the R1 when I had everything at neutral, I was pulling. Then when I opened the face at 2 degrees, I got more straighter and draw at times.

I bought an R1 yesterday, due to almost identical results to what you saw. MUCH lower RPM than other clubs (hit X-Hot, Amp Cell, Stage 2) and the same thing with the open face. My driver miss has always been a slice and good ones were usually a fade, but I was hooking or over-drawing everything neutral with the R1. Ended up 2 degrees open just like you. Interesting.

 

[Faiz]

So I went out yesterday for 9 holes in the afternoon.
Re adjusted the loft to 8* and left the fact neutral.
I am now getting even more distance than before and the ball is going much straighter.

I bombed 1 and 2 into the wind, my playing partners were all over this driver.
Its a hell of a sight when you see 4 golfers on a tee with 1 club between them!lol
They all wanted to hit it and they were impressed.

3 I hit a real monster and was gutted to watch my ball go straight down the right side, hit an overhanging branch
and ricochet all the way out of bounds! I think I have some issues with that hole.
Might just play 3 wood until i can go hammer a few by myself.

5 was another monster, just like yesterday but I caught a bad bounce and it ran into the stream.
It felt like a really pure shot and I was close enough to put it on the green and 2 putt for my par.

8 was a disaster but once again I tried to kill it. hit one OB right quickly followed by another OB left.
Such a stupid mistake, made me quite annoyed at myself.

One thing I'm really surprised about is that I am hitting this club at 8* only slightly lower than I was hitting my SQ which is 10.5*.
Can't complain though, I'm finally getting into the groove and seem to be getting some good results, some not so good results!lol

Unfortunately we don't have a driving range long enough here for anything over a 5 iron so tweaking and tampering can only be done between rounds really.

Gonna change the weightss next and see how I get on.
Might machine up some other weights too and see what happens.