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Fred Couples’ New Driver


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Ahhh the good ole SLDR. I had the white version of this. Longest Driver I ever hit. Ever! But, also the most inconsistent driver I ever hit. Like a person said in a post before, if you were off, just a little bit, nothing was safe on the left hand side of the golf course. After a year and a half, I had to get rid of it because I just couldn't take the bad days. Maybe I should've hung onto it and played it in the scrambles. The driver was like a crazy ex-girlfriend... you smiled big during the good times but wanted to rip your hair out and leave her on the side of the road during the bad.

 

I still have a 8* 430 laying around somewhere. Had a RIP Alpha 8x in her. Could pick off a squirrel running across the fairway at 50yds with that thing.

Driver: Callaway Paradym 8* (draw, std) - GD ADXC 7x

3 wood: Taylormade SIM 15* - GD ADDI 7x

5 wood: Ping G30 18* - Diamana Blue 83x

Irons: 3-5 Taylormade 2014 TP MC (2* weak);  6-PW Taylormade 2014 TP MB (1* weak) - Project X 6.5

SW: Scratch 54* bent to 53* - Ctaper 130x

LW: Scratch 58* bent to 59* - Ctaper 130x

Putter: Modified Odyssey 7 w/ welded long slant

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RIP SLDR. With the last professional golfer having discarded you, may you take your rightful place in Hell.

 

I had a buddy that had the 430.

 

He let me hit three drives. One ob left. Two ob left. Next one piped.

 

I told him, "give up golf, or lose the driver"

 

 

Hes played two rounds in three years since then.

 

 

 

 

It had a really pretty white grip though.

 

SLDR 430- longest driver I ever hit...out of bounds.

Callaway Epic SZ  triple diamond 9* AD IZ 6x
Callaway Epic SZ 15* Hzrdus smoke 70 6.5
Srixon u85 3 iron 
Srixon z785 4-p DG TI AMT x100
RTX4 52,56,60 DG s400 TI

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  • 3 weeks later...

:offtopic2:

I went up to Bellingham to play and joined up with a group of kids (20 somethings). One of them was playing with a 510(non tp) and I tried it on one hole. Wow! Solid solid solid.

 

Yes, the non-TP R510 (330cc) did indeed have a very 'solid feel' for a Retail head...and good sound too! Seems there is still some interest in older TM Drivers! I have quite a history with TaylorMade's R500 Series of Drivers myself, (primarily with Tour-issued models). I have played TM most of my life and still do so. Some of my TM driver 'history' may be of interest to certain Golfwrx'ers here. However, for anyone not interested, please just 'ignore and skip' this post as it goes even further 'OFF-TOPIC'.

 

 

 

:smilie_tm: (2003 - 2012)

 

The first release of R510's, R540's and R580's (those without scoring lines in the center of the face). were actually 'non-conforming' because TM jumped the gun and 'assumed' the USGA was about to adopt the .086 COR standard of the R&A. However, that simply didn't happen, so TM then had to offer a 2nd release of the same R500 Series Drivers, (this time with scoring lines in the center of the face so people could tell the difference). An exchange program offering new conforming models to those who had purchased the early 'non-conforming models' of the R510, (330cc), R540, (350cc) and the R580, (400cc) was necessary for TaylorMade and it was very costly for the company. (Of course, not everyone wanted an exchange, some TM customers decided to hang on to their non-conforming R500 series Drivers)

 

At the time of the R500 Series release, I was playing the "Holy Grail" 300 Tour, (360cc), with the original black Speeder 757 shaft, tipped an inch. It was extremely 'solid feeling', (and in my opinion longer), but it had a small sweet spot! The R510 showed me that TM's new 'Inverted Cone Technology' really was a worthwhile innovation in terms of increasing sweet spot size, and adding forgiveness across the clubface. So, soon, afterwards, I got my hands on the R500 Tour Driver, (325cc). That driver stayed in my bag for almost 10-years!

 

While I had a few 'excursions' with the 'excellent' R510-TP Tour, (390cc), R540XD-TP Tour, (400cc), and R580XD-TP Tour,(440cc) Drivers, all with a 77-gram Fujikura Speeder 757 Tourspec shaft, nothing kept the 'smaller sized' R500 Tour out of my bag for very long back then. For me, nothing was as workable, controllable, or had such a low spin rate in those days as the R500 Tour. It felt to me like the aforementioned "Holy Grail" but with a bigger sweet spot. It's bullet-like, piercing trajectory was able to defy the wind's effect on the ball like no other driver of it's time. Tiger Woods once tried it during a European Event practice round, and stated, 'This Driver has to be non-conforming", but in actuality, it was not! No question the R510-TP was more popular, but I preferred the smaller R500 Tour with the original (black) Speeder 757 shaft.

 

:smilie_cleve:STRAYED AWAY FROM TM FOR 'THE CLEVELAND CLASSIC DRIVER' - (2012 - 2014)

 

Finally in 2012, I replaced my aging R500 Tour with the Cleveland Classic 310 Tour Driver, (440cc), which I found quite unique both in concept and design. Despite having 'Tour' in the name, this is actually a Retail Driver that flew 'under the radar'. It's an improved 'Tour Launcher' (TL), with a throwback, (persimmon-like), paint finish and gold colored sole plate. It was designed for better players, but the less-expensive (Retail) Cleveland Classic 290, (460cc), and designed for mid-cappers got all the attention. The Cleveland Classic 310 Tour gave me that piercing, wind-cheating trajectory similar to the R500 Tour, but with more distance. However, it did have a built-in 'fade bias', and I was not thrilled with the 'higher pitched sound' the clubhead made at impact. However, I absolutely 'loved' the Myazaki Kusala Black 61s stock as it gave me the best numbers of any shaft I ever tested. I learned to just expect 'the fade' and allow for it.

 

:smilie_tm: IN 2014 I WENT BACK TO TM - (FOR THE SLDR 430 TOUR)

 

While using my 'fade biased' Cleveland Driver, I began to miss the ability to hit an even more penetrating draw shot into the Florida winter wind, so in early 2014 I 'bought into the hype' and began testing the SLDR 430 Tour!. (The Tour model SLDR 460 was actually the more popular driver on Tour at the time, but I much preferred the more solid feel and sound of the SLDR 430 Tour). Shockingly I needed the 12* head, (a 'crazy high' loft for me), but as long as I didn't 'over-swing', the SLDR 430 Tour, I could hit a nice, consistent 5-10 yard draw with good distance most of the time while using the 77 gram Motore Speeder 'TP" Tourspec shaft! (Keep in mind that SLDR Tour-issued Drivers have a different weighting scheme than the 'less forgiving' SLDR Retail Drivers). The only thing that bothered me about the Tour 430 was my reluctance to go 'all out' when hitting it This is a driver that can cost you a lot of yards if you start missing the sweet spot, so I always felit I had to be careful and 'swing within myself' when using that particular driver.

 

I was surprised just how 'fade resistant' the SLDR 430 was for me, it never wanted to go right, (fade), even when I tried to put my 'fade swing' on it. Ironically, that was precisely the 'opposite bias' that I experienced with the 9.5* Cleveland Classic 310 Tour Driver, which never wanted to go left, (draw). So early on in 2014, I found myself alternating between a 'Fade Driver' (the Cleveland Clssiic 310), and a Draw Driver', (the SLDR 430 Tour). Both were quite long, but both could be problematic on 'dogleg holes' that 'begged' for a shot curving in the opposite direction of each the driver's directional bias, (left or right). Finally, after switching back and forth for awhile, I decided to bag the SLDR 430 Tour, because it's 'small draw' seemed more reliable in finding fairways than the less predictable fades I was getting with the Cleveland Classic 310 Tour. The latter had me in the rough a bit more often. Once that difficult driver decision was made however, the SLDR 430 Tour remained in my bag until mid-2015 and I enjoyed my time with it.

 

:smilie_tm: (2015 to Present Day 2018) - SURPRISING TO SOME, BUT A SOLID TM DRIVER CHOICE!

 

That brings me to the present, and I think most Golfwrx'ers already know which Driver I switched to back in mid-2015, shortly after it was announced. It's a 9.5* TM driver that I still play, (no 'loft up' required), and the driver that is shown in my 'signature club list' at the end of each one of my posts!. That Driver stays in the bag because it's long, it's quite forgiving, and it just wants to go 'dead straight', (no draw or fade bias whatsoever), plus it delivers very good sound and feel. With my 'custom' Miayzaki Kusala Black 61s, shaft, (tipped 1/2"), it's also a driver that allows me to swing 'full out' without any fear of an errant shot. Because it delivers such predictable results, I continue to have the utmost confidence in it... :yes:

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion, success with any driver is best measured not by how long you may hit any one particular drive, but rather by whether or not that driver actually increases 'your driving distance average', and your 'percentage of fairways hit'. My current driver 'continues to shine' using this criteria, and therefore it stays in my bag!... :rolleyes:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

'FACE IT'...RELIABILITY MATTERS MOST!

Longest post I ever finished reading. ?

  • Callaway Rogue Draw 10.5*
  • The Perfect Club 21
  • Callaway XROS 64
  • PING Eye 2 BeCu 7 - SW
  • PING Kartsen Craz-E
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  • 10 months later...

I was watching the Champions tour last night and it appears Fred has ditched the M3. I tried to find pics but it doesnt appear to be a TM. Anyone know what driver he has in the bag. Looked like a G410 at first but i dont think it is. Still appears to be using tensei blue though.

TM M2 (2016) GD Tour AD DI 6 X
TM M1 (2016) 3 HL Aldila Rogue Silver 70 X
Ping Rapture DI with UST Proforce V2 Hybrid X
I200 4-U silver dot Nippon Modus 3 125 X
Ping Gorge 2.0 Stealth SS 54 & 58 Green Dot
Bettinardi SS 3
WITB Link

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  • 5 weeks later...

Saw Freddy onto yesterday playing at the Cubb Classic. He has definitely switched to a new driver from the SLDR. Looks like a TM with a white/silver trim on the front of the crown. My guess is an m5 or M6. Did see a small flash of blue near the toe side, might be a SIM

Titleist TSR3 9.25* Tensei 1K Black 65S 45.75"
Titleist TSR2 16.5 Tensei 1K Black 75S 43.25"
Titleist TSR3 19* Tensei 1K Black 75S 42.75" 
Titleist TSR3 3H 19* Tensei 1kB Black 85s 40.5"
Fourteen TC 920 5-PW Project X LZ 6.0
Fourteen DJ-4 48* Project X IO 6.0
Fourteen DJ-5 54* Project X IO 6.0

Fourteen DJ-4 58* Project X IO 6.0
2023 Odyssey Jailbird MH 39"  
2023 Vice Pro Lime

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