I’ve played golf since I was 14 years old. In that time I have definitely seen my share of ground breaking drivers hit the market. It seems like it happens about every year these days. This year was different than any other that I can remember and TaylorMade has done it with not just one, but two drivers in 2011. Everyone has seen the ads and by now most people have had a chance to get a good close look at the new white drivers that seem to be setting the golf world ablaze so far in the early going of 2011. The funny thing is, one of these drivers that “are not like the other ones” is actually flying in under the radar a bit, as if that’s even possible. We’ve seen TaylorMade release the R11 and the Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver this year and so far it seems to be the R11 getting most of the press…maybe it’s deserved, but then maybe, just maybe, the Burner SuperFast 2.0, referred to as BSF 2.0 for this review, should be the one getting all the love. Let’s find out!
From TaylorMade:
- Long shaft, lighter weight and new low-drag aerodynamics promote faster swing speeds for more distance
- Lightest TaylorMade driver ever- 279 grams
- Bigger, deeper clubface works with low CG to promote higher launch/lower spin for increased distance
- New head shape and Inverted Cone face technology create the largest sweet spot of any TaylorMade driver
- White non-glare crown and black clubface make alignment easy
Looks:
TaylorMade took the very successful predecessor the Burner SuperFast and gave it a complete makeover to create the new Burner SuperFast 2.0. At first look other than the color you’ll notice that the dual crown construction of last year’s version is gone, the new shape of the BSF 2.0 removed the need for that dual crown, which personally wasn’t the most appealing look anyway if you ask me. The new BSF 2.0 has a deeper face and low and deep center of gravity (CG) to promote a higher launch with less spin to help result in an increase in distance. So while the first thing you’ll notice is the white head, the new shape and single crown design is something else that really stands out about the new Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver.
Have you heard the driver is white? Yeah you’ve heard and seen plenty about the white head of the new 2011 TaylorMade drivers and I’m sure like most everyone you’ve got an opinion on it as well. I’ll be 100% honest here; at first I was not crazy about the white head. I had only seen sneak peek pics of the clubs and initially I thought it just looked like last year’s model painted white. Wow was I ever wrong, everything immediately changed the second THP got a hold of them and some in hand pictures were posted. I still remember the first day I laid eyes on actual in hand pictures, I sat at my computer and stared at the pictures that were posted on our forum. Everything that I had thought about initially changed with that first real look, I love the new shape, the deep face, and wow that color and graphic on the crown were simply awesome to look at. The thing that really does it for me is the white head in contrast to the black face and black sole of the BSF 2.0. There is more to it than simply being neat to look at as the non-glare color of the matte white finish, the contrast of the white crown and black face helps aid alignment. Personally when I struggle off the tee alignment is often times to blame so this is a very nice feature for me and my game. Another area the white crown of the 2011 TaylorMade drivers stands out is the fact that the finish greatly reduces glare from the sun and also helps eliminate reflection in the shade. I don’t know for sure if I’d say that glare or reflections have ever really annoyed me that much, but for those of you that is has affected, you’re going to want to check out these drivers for sure.
The shaft that TaylorMade went with for this is a 44g Matrix X-Con 4.8 that just seems to fit this driver perfectly for me. The lightweight shaft compliments the lightweight club head quite nicely in my opinion. You’ll hear a lot about the length of this driver, at 46.5” it is a little longer than what has become standard here lately. This seems to be a trend with TaylorMade and their 2.0 series, for those of you not familiar the Burner 2.0 irons also come in a little longer. I’ve fielded a lot of questions about that additional half inch and really for me it hasn’t affected me negatively at all. In fact I’d lean more toward pointing out the benefits of that added club length for me as it allows me to choke up that half inch or so with my grip. That little bit of a choke up in my grip helps me get more control out of my driver swings. Additional length while maintaining or even gaining control? I’ll take that! The standard grip they decided on is a Winn Lite grip that really takes everything you think you know about stock grip offerings and throws it out the window, this grip is phenomenal. Light weight, great looking and stellar feel help make this grip one of the best stock grip offerings I can remember finding in quite a long time. Well done TaylorMade and Winn!
Testing:
My testing for the Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver included several 18 hole rounds and countless driving range sessions, you can say that I’ve definitely put this one through the paces. Each time I’ve used this driver I have learned a little more about it and left feeling just a little more confident each time. Shortly after getting my hands on this driver I was able to get it on the launch monitor and found numbers that I thought were only obtainable by players much better than me. I picked up an amazing 12 mph ball speed while cutting down my average spin-rate to a staggering (for me anyway) 1100 RPM, all while seeing an average launch angle of 13 degrees. I’ve been on the launch monitor with a lot of different drivers but I’ve never once seen numbers like that.
The ball flight for me with the 9.5 degree head is a perfect mid to almost mid-high ball flight, anyone who has played much with me knows that I am normally a notoriously low ball player especially off the driver. I love the higher ball flight and more carry that the 2.0 driver has offered me so far. So what about distance? We hear all about how the lighter BSF 2.0 will result in added distance off the tee. Well it wasn’t until my most recent round of testing this that I finally realized just how much longer I’m able to hit the ball with this driver. On my home course I was routinely 10 to 20 yards longer off the tee than with any other driver I’d used there before. Believe me, at first I was completely blown away and tried to rationalize the distance by either chalking it up to being downwind or the fact that I just really got into one on that shot, but routinely all day long on every hole I was that much further down the fairway. And yes, I do mean fairway, not only was I hitting the ball that much further, but I was consistently finding the fairway at the same time.
Overall:
The Burner SuperFast 2.0 really seems to be the total package for me; reat looks, great feel, very accurate and VERY long. As I said earlier, this driver has been really flying under the radar in the early going largely due to the success of the R11, but there is no reason for someone looking for a new driver not to add this to their list of clubs to demo. The high launch and low spin combination has always been something that I’ve been after, it seems that I finally found it with the Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver. The best way I can describe what I’ve seen so far with this driver is that the ball goes further without having to try that much harder to swing faster. It took me a while to really get everything all figured out with this club. It wasn’t just love at first swing, I think that’s because of the fact that it is much lighter than any other driver I’ve used before. It did take me a little bit to get used to that, but once I did it was as if I had an “ah-ha” moment right there on the driving range. I found that I didn’t have to push the limits of my swing to get the ball to go the distances I was hoping for. Maybe that’s what I’ve been in need of all along. The TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 driver is available everywhere in lofts of 9.5, 10.5, and HT (High Trajectory) both 9.5 and 10.5 are available to lefties as well. The price tag of the BSF 2.0 is $299. There is also a Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP version available for $399. You can learn much more about the regular and TP models at www.taylormadegolf.com and you can purchase this driver and other great TaylorMade gear at retailors across the nation such as Blind9Golf.
Jason K.
