New SLDR "C" Series Driver, Fairway Woods, and Rescue Hybrids
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- #303
I suggest you drop it, JB and the others are A LOT nicer than I am and will tolerate this behavior a lot longer than I will. Enough is enough, I will say it for the very last time.
Well, that was an interesting 20 pages of reading. Thanks to all of those who took the time to comment. Here's my $.02 and I'll see if I can keep from insulting anyone out there. To me, this club exists for one of three reasons:
1) It's a quick product launch that TM is simply trying to use to get a wee bit more net income out of their Works in Product accounts;
2) TMAG is using some sneaky accounting tricks to increase their cost of good sold and expected sales return accounts; or
3) Their engineers went back and tried to improve the SLDR a little bit after they released what is to many an unforgiving club but were told they'd have to do it on a severe budget because TMAG already moved on to the AB and R15.
Personally, I think it's number three and I would hesitate to call is a piece of junk just because it only costs $169. If it cost, say, $249, is it automagically a better club? Truthfully, I doubt that it's a very good club but I have to say that I felt the same way about the Adams Blue and was surprised by how well that club performed. And for those of you that are calling it a Jetspeed 2 or a repainted SLDR, to me, if I squint, it looks a LOT like a Fly-Z. I am not going to buy it, mind you, but these 20 pages have convinced me to swing by Golfsmith sometime and have a look-see. Maybe I'll be presently surprised!
1) It's a quick product launch that TM is simply trying to use to get a wee bit more net income out of their Works in Product accounts;
2) TMAG is using some sneaky accounting tricks to increase their cost of good sold and expected sales return accounts; or
3) Their engineers went back and tried to improve the SLDR a little bit after they released what is to many an unforgiving club but were told they'd have to do it on a severe budget because TMAG already moved on to the AB and R15.
Personally, I think it's number three and I would hesitate to call is a piece of junk just because it only costs $169. If it cost, say, $249, is it automagically a better club? Truthfully, I doubt that it's a very good club but I have to say that I felt the same way about the Adams Blue and was surprised by how well that club performed. And for those of you that are calling it a Jetspeed 2 or a repainted SLDR, to me, if I squint, it looks a LOT like a Fly-Z. I am not going to buy it, mind you, but these 20 pages have convinced me to swing by Golfsmith sometime and have a look-see. Maybe I'll be presently surprised!
No, my background is in investment advice and analysis. In years past, I spent many an hour combing over financial statements looking for ways that companies legally or not so legally cook their books. It's important to note that I am NOT saying that's going on here. I haven't even scanned TMAG's books. But it's not uncommon to see this type of activity from manufacturers with heavy presences overseas (read: China mostly) because the last thing they want to do is repatriate work in process.
Again, just my $.02 and probably worth a bit less than that.
Ndfan301
New member
Or the RBZ Pro....
sparksjr
Active member
still not on TMAG's website. Weird.
I thought JB said it a was a made-for retailer exclusive. I doubt it will be on Taylormade's site.
erock9174
Well-known member
It's definitely not a Fly Z or G30 shape. I saw it in Golfsmith a couple days ago. It's the same footprint as the original SLDR. Internally maybe they moved some weight around but the outside looked the same to me (former SLDR owner).
-CRW-
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I thought this was a made-for Golfsmith product? I saw it in my Edwin Watts spam e-mail this morning:
http://www.edwinwattsgolf.com/TaylorMade-Mens-SLDR-C-Driver/10124239/Product
http://www.edwinwattsgolf.com/TaylorMade-Mens-SLDR-C-Driver/10124239/Product
i understood it to be more made-for retailers, not retailer-specific.
bobcat
Avid Golfer
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- #313
Having held both clubs in my hands to compare them, I can tell you for a fact that the C's face is more shallow, and wider heel-to-toe than the other SLDR 460cc Drivers.
It's a completely different head shape than the orginal SLDR charcoal grey model and Silver "S" model...so the "C" is definitely NOT just a recycled original SLDR 460cc head as some people had speculated.
UPDATE: I hit it today, (Saturday June 13), and came away quite impressed. Didn't expect to like the stock Fuji 57 shaft, but it actually was fine for me in this driver. (OK to loft back down with this one). I was hitting a 10.5* "C" higher than my 12* 430 TP but distance was still excellent and there was no tendency for the low left miss with the "C" which some people complain about with the other SLDR's. I could go back to the 9.5* loft like I used to play with this one.
It's a completely different head shape than the orginal SLDR charcoal grey model and Silver "S" model...so the "C" is definitely NOT just a recycled original SLDR 460cc head as some people had speculated.
UPDATE: I hit it today, (Saturday June 13), and came away quite impressed. Didn't expect to like the stock Fuji 57 shaft, but it actually was fine for me in this driver. (OK to loft back down with this one). I was hitting a 10.5* "C" higher than my 12* 430 TP but distance was still excellent and there was no tendency for the low left miss with the "C" which some people complain about with the other SLDR's. I could go back to the 9.5* loft like I used to play with this one.
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erock9174
Well-known member
Wow. My eyes must be bad. I'd like to see some measurements between the two. Can anyone help out ?
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- #315
That's the first thing that came to mind when I read that.
bobcat
Avid Golfer
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- #317
With the introduction of the new C-Series SLDR Driver, comparing SLDR models now is similar to comparing the TM 540 or R540XD with the R580XD from awhile back. The R540 and R540XD were more shallow faced heads and wider heel-to-toe compared to the deep face head options like the R580XD from TM's R500 Driver series.
Some people prefer a wider and more shallow face for increased lateral forgiveness, more spin, and lower COG, while others go for deeper faced head options which may launch lower and spin less.
It's worth noting that other OEM's offer the same kind of head shape variety...the Titleist D2 vs the D3 is a good example of that.
You really need to test BOTH head shapes on a launch monitor to determine which is best for your particular swing.
Some people prefer a wider and more shallow face for increased lateral forgiveness, more spin, and lower COG, while others go for deeper faced head options which may launch lower and spin less.
It's worth noting that other OEM's offer the same kind of head shape variety...the Titleist D2 vs the D3 is a good example of that.
You really need to test BOTH head shapes on a launch monitor to determine which is best for your particular swing.
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Mulligan9111
Go Skers!!
The 540XD was 400cc and the 580XD was 440cc. The SLDR C and SLDR 460 are both 460cc. So in my opinion it's not like comparing the 540XD to the 580XD at all. The bigger head provides higher MOI which helps with forgiveness. Your 540XD to 580XD comparison would work if you were to compare the SLDR 430 to the SLDR 460, but that's about it in my opinion.
One thing I do agree with you on though is that one would need to test out the driver of their choice to see if it's a good fit for them.
bobcat
Avid Golfer
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- #319
I might just as well have chosen the 390cc R510-TP as the deep face which is closer in size, or the R580 DF which is the SAME (cc) size as the R540XD, but it hardly matters. My comments, and the choice I was referring to, was about the head SHAPE one prefers, rather than a comparison of drivers that are identical in terms of (cc) size.
Drivers tended to be smaller than 460cc back then. TM's R500 series Drivers ranged from 325cc to 440cc and there were shallow-faced and deep-faced models to select from. Having such choices is a good thing.
Drivers tended to be smaller than 460cc back then. TM's R500 series Drivers ranged from 325cc to 440cc and there were shallow-faced and deep-faced models to select from. Having such choices is a good thing.
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erock9174
Well-known member
I was in Golfsmith today. Last week they had an entire rack of SLDR C drivers. Today 3 left, THREE.
Guess ol TMAG knew what they were doing just in time for a Father's Day release. Sure less margin on this release I am sure, but they sure made up for in volume.
bobcat is correct, the face is a bit shallower now that I got to see it first hand again. I would say very comparable to the JetSpeed in terms of shape and footprint.
Guess ol TMAG knew what they were doing just in time for a Father's Day release. Sure less margin on this release I am sure, but they sure made up for in volume.
bobcat is correct, the face is a bit shallower now that I got to see it first hand again. I would say very comparable to the JetSpeed in terms of shape and footprint.
POKeefe
Member
Let's be real here, it's probably a re-painted JetSpeed.
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- #322
You mean what ddec said.
As mentioned throughout, this is not a new release for TaylorMade and will not be touted as one.
bobcat
Avid Golfer
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- #324
Come on guys, it would not be economically feasible for TM to take a completed JetSpeed head, disassemble the welded/bonded components, and strip the paint, only to wind up with a raw casting to be used to build a brand new SLDR "C"head. Too much labor involved in that scenario. It is therefore not accurate to call the C-Series a re-painted JetSpeed. The "C" driver goes through the same kind of assembly process as other TM products, (in China).
What is quite possible, (and economically feasible), is to begin with brand new raw head castings that may or may not have been cast from the same mold(s) used to create the JetSpeed, Burner, AeroBurner or even something else, and build new SLDR "C" drivers from there.
Keep in mind that when you begin with a raw head casting, (no face or sole plate), it is completely unweighted, just a shell really, and therefore subject to plenty of clubmaker creativity. You have the option at that stage to place the weight wherever you want it, move the COG high, low, forward or back, etc.
Depending on just how you do all the internal weighting, you can build a GI, Driver, an SGI Driver or a Better Player's Driver, all from the same basic 460cc head casting. The raw casting establishes the basic head shape, but really nothing more. Once the club is weighted, the face and sole plate are added and paint and graphics are applied..
Since the JetSpeed failed in the marketplace, it would make little sense for TM to build the exact same club again and just call it something else. I we all know TM is still capable of building quality drivers.
I have hit C-Series Driver in 9.5* and 10.5* and I am impressed with it!. Yes the face is more shallow face and definitely wider from heel-to-toe which makes it considerably more forgiving than either the original SLDR 460 or the 430. While easier to launch, distance was on par with those drivers for me as well. It is lighter in weight, swingweight is D-2 with the 45.5" Fuji 57 shaft.
You don't need to "loft up" with the "C" but it is still low spin, with a penetrating trajectory. I didn't think I would care for the Fuji 57 shaft, but it actually works just fine with this head in Stiff Flex at least. Last but not least, I think the Gloss Black looks better than any previous SLDR color.
Given the improved forgiveness, you can make the case that all the SLDR adjustability features are quite overrated. This is a Classic (Bonded) Driver that just works! In my opinion, most of the mid-to-high handicappers on this forum trying to play one of the other SLDR Drivers would be much better off using this one. If you hit it, you get it!
What is quite possible, (and economically feasible), is to begin with brand new raw head castings that may or may not have been cast from the same mold(s) used to create the JetSpeed, Burner, AeroBurner or even something else, and build new SLDR "C" drivers from there.
Keep in mind that when you begin with a raw head casting, (no face or sole plate), it is completely unweighted, just a shell really, and therefore subject to plenty of clubmaker creativity. You have the option at that stage to place the weight wherever you want it, move the COG high, low, forward or back, etc.
Depending on just how you do all the internal weighting, you can build a GI, Driver, an SGI Driver or a Better Player's Driver, all from the same basic 460cc head casting. The raw casting establishes the basic head shape, but really nothing more. Once the club is weighted, the face and sole plate are added and paint and graphics are applied..
Since the JetSpeed failed in the marketplace, it would make little sense for TM to build the exact same club again and just call it something else. I we all know TM is still capable of building quality drivers.
I have hit C-Series Driver in 9.5* and 10.5* and I am impressed with it!. Yes the face is more shallow face and definitely wider from heel-to-toe which makes it considerably more forgiving than either the original SLDR 460 or the 430. While easier to launch, distance was on par with those drivers for me as well. It is lighter in weight, swingweight is D-2 with the 45.5" Fuji 57 shaft.
You don't need to "loft up" with the "C" but it is still low spin, with a penetrating trajectory. I didn't think I would care for the Fuji 57 shaft, but it actually works just fine with this head in Stiff Flex at least. Last but not least, I think the Gloss Black looks better than any previous SLDR color.
Given the improved forgiveness, you can make the case that all the SLDR adjustability features are quite overrated. This is a Classic (Bonded) Driver that just works! In my opinion, most of the mid-to-high handicappers on this forum trying to play one of the other SLDR Drivers would be much better off using this one. If you hit it, you get it!
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- #325
All I can do is once again tell you for fact that this is not a new TaylorMade Driver release. I believe the lack of seeing it mentioned anywhere from TaylorMade Golf would kind of confirm that. Its clear you dont believe me, the fact that I was just with the company or anything else, so I say have at it. Enjoy this new "more forgiving" as you call it SLDR.
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