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TaylorMade R15 Driver Preview

SuperStroke
Interesting stuff Golf Ghost. Really interesting stuff.
 
Golf Ghost said:
Club: R15, 10.5, Weights in middle, Speeder 57 Evo Stiff

Looks: Had this one in black and must say I really enjoyed looking down at it. The shape appeared to be very similar to the SLDR (as expected) and that's not a bad thing for me as I really enjoyed the look with the SLDR, but really didn't get along with it that well on the course.

Sound: Between the three new drivers I hit today, this one was very similar sounding to the 915 from what I could tell, which I enjoyed.

Performance: As mentioned, the SLDR and myself just never got along, but this one is a noticeable improvement. High in the face shots (my typical miss) as very short with this club, like I'm talking 200-225 carry numbers, but they still went pretty straight (on monitor, so take with grain of salt if you want). The place this thing really shinned though was in the centre of the club face, where I saw 3 of my longest drives of the day, with the longest being 272 carry and 289 total, that is not a normal for me as you can see at the bottom here. This is one I could see myself gaining simply because though my misses saw a significant lost in distance, they were pretty tight in dispersion. Bottom line for me with this is that Taylormade made a significant improvement over the SLDR.

Numbers (Averages of 8 best strikes out of 10):

Current - Titleist 913, 9.5, Rip Phenom 60 Stiff.
Launch: 14.6
Spin: 2397
Carry: 253
Total: 262

Titleist 915, 9.5, Rouge Silver 60 Stiff
Launch: 12.2
Spin: 2036
Carry: 255
Total: 264

Callaway Alpha 815, GC Down, 9, Speeder 565 Stiff
Launch: 14.7
Spin: 1997
Carry: 260
Total: 269

Taylormade R15, Weights in Middle, 10.5, Speeder 57 Evolution Stiff
Launch: 15.3
Spin: 2093
Carry: 258
Total: 269

Final thoughts: Should be noted that the 815 and R15 tied for the lead as far as totals go, but the 815 was much more consistent. The R15 produced some of my longest drives of the day, by also some of the shortest. My miss is high in the face and those shots with the R15 saw much shorter shots than both the 915 and 815.


*Appropriate threads updated with other driver thoughts*
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I went and tried the R15 the Burner and the G30. To me the Burner so much easier to swing compared to the R15. But the G30, the ball just comes off so freaking hot its amazing
 
JB said:
Played 18 with this one today and liked what I saw in some instances and disliked others. First off the distance is on par with what one should expect. The adjustability is solid and really gives options to get you dialed in. Im not seeing a ton of difference in ball flight, forgiveness or anything else from the moveable weights which was surprising, but I am sure they are offering something.

I had best results with them set to neutral, but that could be merely a matter of coincidence. Forgiveness top to bottom is very solid. Missing high on the face actually gave me more distance than any ball I hit with it today. Low on the face was an absolute killer, but the ball flew fairly straight. The forgiveness laterally was better than SLDR, but punished compared to the other offerings I hit today. Towards the heel was significantly better than towards the toe. Towards the toe and I was crippled distance wise upwards of 25-30% in my testing.

Ball flight was what I like when well hit which is nice and high. Sound is pleasing if you enjoyed the SLDR sound, meaning better than R1 and a few others, but not quite the TM sound from the R9 line. All in all, a solid offering. Still would like to see more forgiveness laterally, because unlike many online, I miss quite a bit, but for those that dont, this will be a solid driver without a doubt.
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Had this on the range today and man it was a mirror image. High on the club face was not too shabby. Low on the club face and lost about 20% of the ball speed I normally get. One note was towads the heel I saw a much more forgiving driver than the SLDR with a minimal loss of ball speed. However like above, towards the toe and I was seeing a loss of close to 30 yards of distance and this was just half a ball or so. Move it out a full ball and it was close to 50 yards.

I like the sound of it quite a bit and think its a nice evolution from SLDR. I will be interested to see how this trend goes for them and if they see more success with the average player with it.
 
Since my club and callaway apparently don't get along we have a ton of Taylormade to hit , been toying with the R15 for several days and love the feel and sound of it. I prefer the TP shaft over the stock speeder 57 as it just feels to soft for me.. Distance is unreal out of this but I don't see much difference by moving the weights around...
 
Golf Ghost said:
Club: R15, 10.5, Weights in middle, Speeder 57 Evo Stiff

Looks: Had this one in black and must say I really enjoyed looking down at it. The shape appeared to be very similar to the SLDR (as expected) and that's not a bad thing for me as I really enjoyed the look with the SLDR, but really didn't get along with it that well on the course.

Sound: Between the three new drivers I hit today, this one was very similar sounding to the 915 from what I could tell, which I enjoyed.

Performance: As mentioned, the SLDR and myself just never got along, but this one is a noticeable improvement. High in the face shots (my typical miss) as very short with this club, like I'm talking 200-225 carry numbers, but they still went pretty straight (on monitor, so take with grain of salt if you want). The place this thing really shinned though was in the centre of the club face, where I saw 3 of my longest drives of the day, with the longest being 272 carry and 289 total, that is not a normal for me as you can see at the bottom here. This is one I could see myself gaining simply because though my misses saw a significant lost in distance, they were pretty tight in dispersion. Bottom line for me with this is that Taylormade made a significant improvement over the SLDR.

Numbers (Averages of 8 best strikes out of 10):

Current - Titleist 913, 9.5, Rip Phenom 60 Stiff.
Launch: 14.6
Spin: 2397
Carry: 253
Total: 262

Titleist 915, 9.5, Rouge Silver 60 Stiff
Launch: 12.2
Spin: 2036
Carry: 255
Total: 264

Callaway Alpha 815, GC Down, 9, Speeder 565 Stiff
Launch: 14.7
Spin: 1997
Carry: 260
Total: 269

Taylormade R15, Weights in Middle, 10.5, Speeder 57 Evolution Stiff
Launch: 15.3
Spin: 2093
Carry: 258
Total: 269

Final thoughts: Should be noted that the 815 and R15 tied for the lead as far as totals go, but the 815 was much more consistent. The R15 produced some of my longest drives of the day, by also some of the shortest. My miss is high in the face and those shots with the R15 saw much shorter shots than both the 915 and 815.


*Appropriate threads updated with other driver thoughts*
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing. What you described in many ways is the relationship I had with the SLDR. When hit on the screws it was long and strong, elsewhere it produced short knuckleballs. I took the R15 to the range yesterday and with the weights in the stabilized position the knuckleballs seem to be gone. Misses towards the toe lost yardage but didn't fall out of the sky like the SLDR did. Center struck shots were long with a tight little draw. I'm going to take it on the course today with this setting then move to the distance setting on the back 9 and see what that produces.
 
Has anyone tried spreading the weights out and putting one on each end of the slide like a sort of perimeter weighting? Just curious if this could affect stability of mishits in a positive way.

Just a thought anyway
 
EaglevsFalcon said:
Has anyone tried spreading the weights out and putting one on each end of the slide like a sort of perimeter weighting? Just curious if this could affect stability of mishits in a positive way.

Just a thought anyway
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I have tested and played with it in this configuration. Ill be honest and say it makes sense in theory, but I did not see or feel any difference and the launch monitor numbers were the same as with both weights in the middle for me.
 
I got my 14° head yesterday, but had to get it swapped out as every time I put the weight into the draw position and then wanted to change it it would not budge when I loosened the bolt and was stuck in place. Got a new head and all is fine. Messed about with the weights and I found the best setting for me was one weight in the draw position and the other near the centre of the head. It feels much better to me than my SLDR , but will not get a better idea until I get out on the course.
 
Yesterday I played 18 with a Demo 10.5 R15, weights spread for stabilization. Despite several tight high draws with solid distance the majority of the time I felt like I was playing an SLDR. My misses were penal and stoke killers. It's a shame but I can say with conviction no further testing is necessary, for me its the same club I struggled with in 2013. In the case of the SLDR and R15 I love the look of the head and want to like the club but it's just not gonna happen.

815 you are safe, at least until the XR Pro arrives!
 
JB said:
Had this on the range today and man it was a mirror image. High on the club face was not too shabby. Low on the club face and lost about 20% of the ball speed I normally get. One note was towads the heel I saw a much more forgiving driver than the SLDR with a minimal loss of ball speed. However like above, towards the toe and I was seeing a loss of close to 30 yards of distance and this was just half a ball or so. Move it out a full ball and it was close to 50 yards.

I like the sound of it quite a bit and think its a nice evolution from SLDR. I will be interested to see how this trend goes for them and if they see more success with the average player with it.
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Nice breakdown. Did you notice any gain in club head speed vs SLDR like some have JB, or did you have an opportunity to look into that? I've still not had a chance to hit R15, but as someone 'blessed' with a slow end of the bell curve swing, it's something I'm hoping TM might have improved upon. I looked back at my spreadsheets from when I was doing all the driver testing last year and confirmed SLDR was consistently 1.5 to 2+ mph slower than my control club and usually slower than drivers whose specs would suggest should swing slower than SLDR. When I looked for some direct R15 v SLDR online comparisons I see some potential promise. The reviewers I was able to dig up averaged over 2 mph more club head speed with R15 set up identical (often interchanging the shaft) and one guy was at a loss to explain his almost 4 mph gain there. The concerns over launch monitors calculations possibly being the culprit are warranted so I only looked at those using trackman. Just wondered if you, or any other THPers have done any direct comparisons as far as swing speed yet. I plan to do so for myself when the opportunity presents itself (hopefully soon) but am trying to get a headstart.
 
Daddio said:
Nice breakdown. Did you notice any gain in club head speed vs SLDR like some have JB, or did you have an opportunity to look into that? I've still not had a chance to hit R15, but as someone 'blessed' with a slow end of the bell curve swing, it's something I'm hoping TM might have improved upon. I looked back at my spreadsheets from when I was doing all the driver testing last year and confirmed SLDR was consistently 1.5 to 2+ mph slower than my control club and usually slower than drivers whose specs would suggest should swing slower than SLDR. When I looked for some direct R15 v SLDR online comparisons I see some potential promise. The reviewers I was able to dig up averaged over 2 mph more club head speed with R15 set up identical (often interchanging the shaft) and one guy was at a loss to explain his almost 4 mph gain there. The concerns over launch monitors calculations possibly being the culprit are warranted so I only looked at those using trackman. Just wondered if you, or any other THPers have done any direct comparisons as far as swing speed yet. I plan to do so for myself when the opportunity presents itself (hopefully soon) but am trying to get a headstart.
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I did not see any increase in club head speed and frankly am not sure where it would come from. I have watched 3 dozen guys test this and dont think a single person was seeing an increase in club head speed. Which in general terms to increase (based on equipment) would have to be lighter or longer. While I am sure a few are seeing an increase, it simply breaks down to an individual either swinging harder with this club and noting it, or not trying them both at the same time and getting false readings.
 
JB said:
I did not see any increase in club head speed and frankly am not sure where it would come from. I have watched 3 dozen guys test this and dont think a single person was seeing an increase in club head speed. Which in general terms to increase (based on equipment) would have to be lighter or longer. While I am sure a few are seeing an increase, it simply breaks down to an individual either swinging harder with this club and noting it, or not trying them both at the same time and getting false readings.
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Ok thanks JB, I was just hoping maybe it was a better shaft pairing or something. These guys presented it like they were hitting em at the same time but maybe they were swinging faster. Like I said one of those guys was really puzzled as to why he got almost 4 extra mph. No one else here thought SLDR swung slower than it should last year? Man that was consistently the case for me at least.
 
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Daddio said:
Ok thanks JB, I was just hoping maybe it was a better shaft pairing or something. These guys presented it like they were hitting em at the same time but maybe they were swinging faster. Like I said one of those guys was really puzzled as to why he got almost 4 extra mph. No one else here thought SLDR swung slower than it should last year? Man that was consistently the case for me at least.
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Is it also possible that this could be the reason...
golf4life said:
It's possible also that the numbers are coming from a simulator for the GC2 which doesn't capture swing speed but calculates it based on ball speed. That's what they have at my local golfsmith. I wish they didn't display it at all because it's misleading. Regardless, if you are getting significantly increased ball speed that's a good thing.
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tpluff said:
Is it also possible that this could be the reason...
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Thanks, I do understand that dynamic could be in play and that's why I only looked to those instances that actually measured club speed directly, like trackman. It's gotta be that they sub consciously swung R15 harder (or were more confident swinging harder) thing I guess? I hoped there was merit as it appeared the same happened for each of those reviewers, but I guess not? Dang, swinging harder isn't something I can will myself to do, and I sure need the distance help. Swinging light/long drivers isn't the answer for me either.
 
Played 18 with a demo at my course yesterday , loved the look , sound , fell of the club. Overall it wasn't any longer or more forgiving than any other driver I have played recently and that includes the 913D2 , V series and Bio Cell.... Although it does feel and sound great IMO....
 
JB said:
Had this on the range today and man it was a mirror image. High on the club face was not too shabby. Low on the club face and lost about 20% of the ball speed I normally get. One note was towads the heel I saw a much more forgiving driver than the SLDR with a minimal loss of ball speed. However like above, towards the toe and I was seeing a loss of close to 30 yards of distance and this was just half a ball or so. Move it out a full ball and it was close to 50 yards.

I like the sound of it quite a bit and think its a nice evolution from SLDR. I will be interested to see how this trend goes for them and if they see more success with the average player with it.
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I was pondering this driver, but I have a miss on the toe side, usually high. In your experience JB, what drivers offer forgiveness for a toe miss?

I'll hang up and listen
 
Dave Cordero just tweeted out that the R15 will be receiving 20/20 stars on the Golf Digest hot list...
 
jlukes said:
Dave Cordero just tweeted out that the R15 will be receiving 20/20 stars on the Golf Digest hot list...
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That means it's perfect, just like the SLDR.
 
Just got the email that the R15 is the only driver to get 20/20 on the hot list. Where do I send my money?
 
It's obviously the greatest club ever made, if Golf Digest says so, I'll take 2!

:alien: :eyeroll:
 
I'm actually turned off by the golf digest gold star. It's so irrelevant its funny.
 
Taylor Made does not get much respect around here. Much of it it seems over the top to me . On the other hand Golf Digest the magazine and their ratings for me are irrelevant , who reads it, nothing appealing about it..
 
I think criticizing a release cycle/product or two is different than a lack of respect. I've been critical of the SLDR driver and the move they made there with metalwoods, but if you read my reviews of other products of theirs I'd say I was highly complimentary.
 
Hawk said:
I think criticizing a release cycle/product or two is different than a lack of respect. I've been critical of the SLDR driver and the move they made there with metalwoods, but if you read my reviews of other products of theirs I'd say I was highly complimentary.
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Completely on board with you on that. On the other hand I still feel there is at least some merit in my post, just a slightly different internet take on it. Instead of using words " much of it" what I was really meaning was some of it.
 
r15

r15

I've had 3 sessions with this driver. 430 TP 661 stiff 9.5.

I have hit it side by side vs my SLDR TP and R1 TP. Looks like R15 430 will be my gamer. The one time it was warm enough to hit it outside it seemed to be slightly more consistent, less of my push mishit.

In all sessions the R15 has had tighter dispersion than the SLDR for me. R1 is very tight but a bit shorter/lower launch.
My average with R15 has been about 4 yards longer than the SLDR and it "feels" better. TM rep that runs the MAT-T setup here says the face is softer fwiw.

I will get the MAT-T system fitting done as I have been doing a ton of strength training this winter and want to make sure my assumption of the 661 Evolution being the correct shaft is not incorrect. The 757 feels awful good as well.

I have tried the Callaway offerings but there is no decent place to get fitted around here that offers the ability to hit various shafts outdoors.
 
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