Yep. Mine too dude. And it wasnt just a one time thing either. It was consistent across the board on my misses.
Then, I put another driver on the monitor, and with a similar miss the numbers were not near as drastic.
TaylorMade SLDR Driver - Review Thread
Then, I put another driver on the monitor, and with a similar miss the numbers were not near as drastic.
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It seems like while SLDR measures up beautifully for a small percentage of people, what you're experiencing is far more common. This seems like a step away from the traditional TaylorMade experience, where many people find solid results. Funny that it's reversed for me, as compared to my R1 experiences.
uman
Oldest guy in the room
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I would like to hit it more to see what type of pattern would result, but it probably will not happen since I am good to go with my R11S or my R11. But on the other hand I am weak, the guy said he would not mind selling it to me, said he paid $260 new, maybe it's a good thing I don't have his contact info.
244 average? Not a lot of forgiveness there.
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Fupresti,
Am I missing something? The carry numbers are quite fine, but the average says 214?
Am I missing something? The carry numbers are quite fine, but the average says 214?
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
You can't argue with mathematics.
I get it dude. I'm really impressed you were getting that much launch from the 9.5° head. Really impressive.
WPoz
Active member
After spending about an hour hitting the 430 10.5 degree head in a sim yesterday comparing it with my R1 I have to say I like the feel of it a lot more. Overall I don't think I really gained any distance but what I was able to do at times was hit a slight draw which is not something I seem to be able to do with the R1. Might have to watch online for one of these heads. The tour ones on the bay are silly expensive not to mention I would have to pay duty on top.
Brianbigoats
Active member
I will defiantly have to try the 430 next week at the demo day at my local course i looks like a lot of people are really liking it
I got better numbers off of the 430 for some dumb reason. It isn't anymore forgiving. It isn't anymore deep. It's just smaller. 100% mental
Philly Golf Guy
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Another 18 holes with the 460 set at 12* today. I am liking its driver a lot. Distance is good to great, but the best thing about it for me is it's been easy to get in a groove and hit lots of fairways. It's just become a club I can rely on, which is good since it's a driver. I saw a few mis hits with severe loss of distance, but in the fairway, so I couldn't really complain. I'm enjoying it thus far, would just like to see a little more distance on average.
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Good stuff PGG. Always a good thing when you get comfy with any club.
Short and straight is better than long and wrong.
Or so I've been told.
Or so I've been told.
Brianbigoats
Active member
I am going to have to remember that on very nice
jhoefer99
#MerinoMarauder
Had my sldr tp in the bag a few months. Switched from the r11S and this is the most consistent driver I've ever owned. Cut my spin numbers on the monitor down almost 40%, but I've fought an over the top move and trying to fix that
First round of the year was yesterday. The wind didn't help but I drove the ball pretty well. With the rust I have, something a little more forgiving would help but there is nothing I've hit that would compare to the SLDR when struck well.
jt2929
Equipment Junkie
Here is the review I submitted for the THP Staff Writer position:
“Loft Up” is TaylorMade Golf’s new catch phrase with the release of the SLDR driver. What does that mean? Simply put, Loft Up means increasing the loft on your driver to get more distance. About 65% of TaylorMade’s TOUR pros have increased the loft of their driver, so is it right for you?
TaylorMade provided me with a SLDR driver that is 12 degrees in loft to review. That is 1.5 degrees higher than any driver I have ever played. The 12 position sleeve allows users to add or subtract up to 1.5 degrees of loft. The higher loft allows for a higher launch angle, which TaylorMade claims is one ingredient towards longer, straighter drives.
The center of gravity (CG) location in the SLDR has also been changed from previous offerings. The low and forward CG promotes distance when combined with the 20-gram weight on the sole. That’s right, TaylorMade changed the weight system for the SLDR and created an easy to use, single sliding weight located on the sole of the club. Adjustments are made by loosening the screw on the weight with the included wrench and sliding the weight towards the heel or toe of the club. For those not familiar with movable weight, TaylorMade has labeled the heel DRAW to promote right to left ball movement for right handed golfers, and the toe FADE to promote left to right ball movement. I think it is the simplest weight system from TaylorMade to date.
Aesthetics
For the SLDR color scheme, it’s out with the old, and in with the…old? Gone is the white crown seen on previous TaylorMade drivers. The 460cc SLDR is a metallic black/gray that looks fantastic. There is a silver graphic at the back of the crown with a small alignment line extending out a few inches from the back. While at the range and on the course, the graphic framed the golf ball nicely and helped with alignment.
The sole of the club presents a silver and blue color combination that is sure to please even the pickiest of club owners. The stock shaft in the SLDR is the Fujikura Motore Speeder TS 6.3, although I was given the Aldila NV 44 Magnum to compare with my previous driver shaft.
Performance
I was able to use a launch monitor when hitting the SLDR, and the quantitative data is hard to argue with. I gained 9 yards in carry distance and increased ball speed by 3 MPH over my previous driver. My spin rate also decreased by about 500 RPMs, which will hopefully translate into less sideways movement when playing on the course. The decreased spin rate paired with the sliding weight towards the DRAW position should help the occasional slice straighten out.
On the course, this driver is amongst the longest I have ever hit when a ball was struck in the middle of the clubface. With the higher loft, I did not see any ballooning of the golf ball. Ball flight was high, but steady and far. The sound was also pleasant, not metallic or tin can like. Misses towards the heel and toe were a bit punishing and lead to some significant distance loss. A smooth, solid swing seemed to keep me in play, which should be the goal for any golfer.
Final Thoughts
TaylorMade’s SLDR is one of those must hit clubs. The weight system is simple and easy to use. While the low spin and low, forward CG won’t work for every golfer, I would recommend that anyone in the market for a new driver give it a try.
“Loft Up” is TaylorMade Golf’s new catch phrase with the release of the SLDR driver. What does that mean? Simply put, Loft Up means increasing the loft on your driver to get more distance. About 65% of TaylorMade’s TOUR pros have increased the loft of their driver, so is it right for you?
TaylorMade provided me with a SLDR driver that is 12 degrees in loft to review. That is 1.5 degrees higher than any driver I have ever played. The 12 position sleeve allows users to add or subtract up to 1.5 degrees of loft. The higher loft allows for a higher launch angle, which TaylorMade claims is one ingredient towards longer, straighter drives.
The center of gravity (CG) location in the SLDR has also been changed from previous offerings. The low and forward CG promotes distance when combined with the 20-gram weight on the sole. That’s right, TaylorMade changed the weight system for the SLDR and created an easy to use, single sliding weight located on the sole of the club. Adjustments are made by loosening the screw on the weight with the included wrench and sliding the weight towards the heel or toe of the club. For those not familiar with movable weight, TaylorMade has labeled the heel DRAW to promote right to left ball movement for right handed golfers, and the toe FADE to promote left to right ball movement. I think it is the simplest weight system from TaylorMade to date.
Aesthetics
For the SLDR color scheme, it’s out with the old, and in with the…old? Gone is the white crown seen on previous TaylorMade drivers. The 460cc SLDR is a metallic black/gray that looks fantastic. There is a silver graphic at the back of the crown with a small alignment line extending out a few inches from the back. While at the range and on the course, the graphic framed the golf ball nicely and helped with alignment.
The sole of the club presents a silver and blue color combination that is sure to please even the pickiest of club owners. The stock shaft in the SLDR is the Fujikura Motore Speeder TS 6.3, although I was given the Aldila NV 44 Magnum to compare with my previous driver shaft.
Performance
I was able to use a launch monitor when hitting the SLDR, and the quantitative data is hard to argue with. I gained 9 yards in carry distance and increased ball speed by 3 MPH over my previous driver. My spin rate also decreased by about 500 RPMs, which will hopefully translate into less sideways movement when playing on the course. The decreased spin rate paired with the sliding weight towards the DRAW position should help the occasional slice straighten out.
On the course, this driver is amongst the longest I have ever hit when a ball was struck in the middle of the clubface. With the higher loft, I did not see any ballooning of the golf ball. Ball flight was high, but steady and far. The sound was also pleasant, not metallic or tin can like. Misses towards the heel and toe were a bit punishing and lead to some significant distance loss. A smooth, solid swing seemed to keep me in play, which should be the goal for any golfer.
Final Thoughts
TaylorMade’s SLDR is one of those must hit clubs. The weight system is simple and easy to use. While the low spin and low, forward CG won’t work for every golfer, I would recommend that anyone in the market for a new driver give it a try.
BamBooBender
See-Moe
I have been told that too, but bomb-n-gouge has seemed to have been better, statistically. At least on tour.
Brianbigoats
Active member
But with there amazing short game they can get away with it