TaylorMade SLDR Driver - Review Thread

Going to try the this again tomorrow or Saturday and see if I can get the same results I have been seeing.
 
Stats from my last 20 rounds with the SLDR. Best percentage hit I've ever seen. No this driver doesn't work for everyone but it sure does for me. ("Misses" on this chart would be balls finding water hazards, sand hazards or OB. Left or right are misses of fairway to the left or right.

fwyshit41714_zpsd452f50e.jpg
 
Playing a round at an away course today and taking a 12* SLDR with me for a full round test drive (pun intended). I'm excited to see how I do with it. I hit it well at a recent Demo Day. But, that was just with a dozen swings or so.

Quoting myself here just to update that someone else had the !2* checked out and I didn't get to play it today. I'm going to try again Saturday.
 
Finally got to hit my SLDR today. There is a net at the end of the range so I dont know how far I was hitting it really, but I will say that I hit a couple that were a thing of beauty. With that said, the sound was really a disappointment. I was expecting a nice PING sound but it was a much different sound than I was expecting. I was fighting a slice with it today. When I slowed my swing down I got a nice straight ball. I have not messed around with the adjustments yet. I have an early round saturday morning. I will take it and my AMP driver and maybe hit a couple tee shots to compare. I will say that my slices with my amp arent nearly as bad as what I was hitting today with the SLDR though.
 
I just wanted to tell everyone my experience with the SLDR 430 10.5 with the Speeder 65 stiff shaft:

First things first. I am not a Taylormade guy. I haven't liked a Taylormade wood since the R9 fairway, and couldn't hit the R11 or the R1 to save my life. Today, I went in solely to hit the Anser and the 913 D2, and maybe throw in the X2 Hot for giggles. Typically, I'm a 100 - 105 swing speed guy that averages around 250 - 265 off the tee. When hitting the Ping, Titleist, and Callaway, my averages, regardless of shaft, were typical:

Swing Speed - ~102
Ball Speed - ~148
Carry - ~243
Total - ~264

I was ready to leave when the fitter demanded I try the Taylormade. Although I was adamant that I didn't like Taylormade, I finally relented. I hit five drives. These are my averages:

Swing Speed - 105
Ball Speed - 152.2
Carry - 270.30
Total - 301.15

My last drive carried 281.92 with a total distance of 317.54! Even if I take this drive out, I had an average carry of 267.39 and total distance average of 297.05!

These numbers are truly shocking for me. I'm a smaller guy and only flirt with 300 when I'm downhill, with the wind, and on concrete. I seriously don't know what Taylormade did here but it works. I came back to the office and immediately bought one, wife-consequences be damned!
 
I just wanted to tell everyone my experience with the SLDR 430 10.5 with the Speeder 65 stiff shaft:

First things first. I am not a Taylormade guy. I haven't liked a Taylormade wood since the R9 fairway, and couldn't hit the R11 or the R1 to save my life. Today, I went in solely to hit the Anser and the 913 D2, and maybe throw in the X2 Hot for giggles. Typically, I'm a 100 - 105 swing speed guy that averages around 250 - 265 off the tee. When hitting the Ping, Titleist, and Callaway, my averages, regardless of shaft, were typical:

Swing Speed - ~102
Ball Speed - ~148
Carry - ~243
Total - ~264

I was ready to leave when the fitter demanded I try the Taylormade. Although I was adamant that I didn't like Taylormade, I finally relented. I hit five drives. These are my averages:

Swing Speed - 105
Ball Speed - 152.2
Carry - 270.30
Total - 301.15

My last drive carried 281.92 with a total distance of 317.54! Even if I take this drive out, I had an average carry of 267.39 and total distance average of 297.05!

These numbers are truly shocking for me. I'm a smaller guy and only flirt with 300 when I'm downhill, with the wind, and on concrete. I seriously don't know what Taylormade did here but it works. I came back to the office and immediately bought one, wife-consequences be damned!

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!
 
My SLDR was on today had 2 drives over 300 and 4 more in the 280's I hit 12/14 fairways the other 2 were just in first cut


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6 of 7 today. The one miss was with an iron. No idea on distances. I left the GPS at home and just played driver off the tee and got my yardages from the fairway. I know I miss hit one pretty bad, but it left me in the middle.
 
Got a chance to hit mine out at the range today. I really like the solid feel of it. Sprayed a few drives but that's just a product of the winter rust. Going to take a few more sessions though to get it dialed in as I play with the settings a bit.
 
I was used to 8* with my R11, but 9.5* plus the SLDR's low spin CG is giving me more yards and more control. The heavier shaft feels great. I think I finally have a driver with the proper shaft for my swing. Moved the weight to the second tick on the draw side and BAM! - drove the first green; par 4: 315 yards. I was always around 20 yards short of that green with my R11. I love this thing!

Playing a longer course tomorrow without any reachable par 4s so it'll be a good test for positioning the ball.
 
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I have been able to play two rounds with my SLDR, and my second round was a bit better than my first. I almost kicked it out of the bag. My playing partner is usually 30-50 yards farther on drives than me. We went to the range preround and I was out driving him, which was awesome. I got to the course and couldnt hit this thing straight. Even hit a towering moon ball drive of 180 yards with my 9.5 driver. Once I calmed down a bit I was able to hit a consistant fade that I played. I didnt notice any difference by shifting the slider around. Yesterday I hit some around 230, which I expected to be farther when I hit them, and I hit a couple under 200. At this point I still prefer my AMP driver, but I have taken it out of the bag so I can focus on getting the SLDR right. I am not seeing the distances I got on the sim. (shocker), but I do feel like I am searching for my swing with his driver.

I am still fighting a fade/slice. I cannot seem to put any draw or even hook it with this club. My misses left are just a straight shot left of my line with no movement left on the flight.
 
I have been able to play two rounds with my SLDR, and my second round was a bit better than my first. I almost kicked it out of the bag. My playing partner is usually 30-50 yards farther on drives than me. We went to the range preround and I was out driving him, which was awesome. I got to the course and couldnt hit this thing straight. Even hit a towering moon ball drive of 180 yards with my 9.5 driver. Once I calmed down a bit I was able to hit a consistant fade that I played. I didnt notice any difference by shifting the slider around. Yesterday I hit some around 230, which I expected to be farther when I hit them, and I hit a couple under 200. At this point I still prefer my AMP driver, but I have taken it out of the bag so I can focus on getting the SLDR right. I am not seeing the distances I got on the sim. (shocker), but I do feel like I am searching for my swing with his driver.

I am still fighting a fade/slice. I cannot seem to put any draw or even hook it with this club. My misses left are just a straight shot left of my line with no movement left on the flight.

If it is only you second time out with it give it some time
 
TaylorMade SLDR Driver - Review Thread

I now have two rounds in with my SLDR. And I can say that I need every degree of those 12 I have. I may tinker with a little softer tipped shaft. Just to see what happens. I am really impressed how the ball flight seems to stay centered or track back to the middle. That's a treat to see.
 
I now have two rounds in with my SLDR. And I can say that I need every degree of those 12 I have. I may tinker with a little softer tipped shaft. Just to see what happens. I am really impressed how the ball flight seems to stay centered or track back to the middle. That's a treat to see.

Put a Tour Green in it and then let me know how awesome it is.

Or an AD-MT.
 
Put a Tour Green in it and then let me know how awesome it is.

Or an AD-MT.

Two fairly different shafts eh?

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Put a Tour Green in it and then let me know how awesome it is.

Or an AD-MT.

It way too awesome for words with a tour green best shaft head combo for me I have used
 
Maybe it's the head/shaft at work for me, but the seems to have a super distinctive bounce when it lands. I like that
 
Another shaft that performs well with driver is the 'iliama.


Tapping Away
 
Another shaft that performs well with driver is the 'iliama.


Tapping Away

Fwiw, there are a lot of shafts that perform with this head.
 
Truth.


Tapping Away
 
Maybe it's the head/shaft at work for me, but the seems to have a super distinctive bounce when it lands. I like that

Its called a knuckle ball.
Time Wakefield put more spin on the ball.
 
Its called a knuckle ball.
Time Wakefield put more spin on the ball.

I'm giggling a little bit. Ok a lot.

I'm laughing at a logo wobble ball flight
 
Its called a knuckle ball.
Time Wakefield put more spin on the ball.

But didn't those knuckleballs get hit a long way ?
 
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