LIVE UPDATES: The $5000 TaylorMade SLDR Guarantee Event! Before/After Results Added!

[CosmosMpower]

[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396750412' post='9029403']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396750008' post='9029353']
Wow, what a memorable two days of fittings, golf, food and making new friends in Dallas, TX. I can't say thanks enough to Tom Kroll and Ryan (our TMPL fitter) for being incredible hosts and generally awesome people to hang out with as well as Bjackson for helping make sure everything was well documented and running smoothly. Everything about the trip was first class all the way with open and candid conversation about the technology, TM marketing ideas and the game in general.

[b]Thursday: [/b]We met up with the group at the hotel before dinner, had a few brews and some great food. Tom gave us the opportunity to ask some questions about our opinions on TaylorMade, the equipment, marketing strategy etc. We got to know each other and ended up with a quite unique group. If I remember correctly we had an attorney, a pharmacist, a business consultant, a caddy and a college student in the mix with handicaps from scratch to my 9.

[b]Friday:[/b] we got up bright and early, had some breakfast at Glen Eagles country club then got a tour of the TaylorMade performance fitting lab and hit the range to warm up. It was cold with a steady 15-20 mph head wind so we were all hoping we'd be able to get loose enough to put up some good numbers. I drew 2nd to be fit and hit a few solid baseline shots with my previous gamer a Superfast 2.0 TP 9.5 with Graphite Design MD-6 stiff.

[b]The Fitting Process:[/b] About my previous gamer...I hit lots of shafts and picked this combo specifically for the fade bias since my miss is a hook. It turns out my tinkering around on launch monitors on my own was better than I thought. The launch monitor spit out an average LA of [b]15.4 degrees[/b] and [b]2,100 rpm spin[/b] for an average carry of [b]235 yards and 260 total[/b] which isn't a bad base line for my 100 mph swing speed.

Since the spin was already so low with my gamer Ryan our fitter started me off with a 430 head for lower spin. We tried a few different loft heads with the Aldila Tour green which I did not care for. We also tried the Tour AD BB-6S which was decent but a bit too low launching and stiff feeling for my taste. We settled on the Graphite Design DI-6S in a 9 degree head cranked a bit open with the weight all the way out at the toe and got to [b]14.7 LA[/b] (I wanted a slightly lower launch due to TX wind) and the magical [b]1,700 RPM[/b] for an average [b]246[/b] carry and [b]275[/b] total.

I picked up 15 yards on slightly higher ball speed ([b]143 mp[/b]h SLDR, [b]141 mph[/b] 2.0TP), slightly more ideal launch into a strong head wind and about 400 rpm less spin. I was really happy with the setup on the range. We were also lucky enough to be setup with a SLDR fairway and hybrid. I was also the lucky winner of a 12 degree SLDR Mini driver with Speeder 57 stiff shaft for a complete woods "package". The mini driver is awesome, perfect for tight short par 4's or anytime you must hit the fairway.

[b]The Swap:[/b] After fittings we were off to Gentle Creek golf club which I had never heard of despite living 15 mins away. Here's where things got interesting. I hit so many balls in the morning (we were guessing 300 a person) that I was worn out and my swing was quite sloppy. All my drives on the front 9 were ugly low hooks, nothing like what we saw on the range during the fitting which was due to my swing. Luckily I was riding with Tom Kroll and he immediately saw the problem and handed me a 12 degree 460 SLDR. I immediately hit it high and straight so we swapped my DI6 into the 12 degree head cranked open to 10.5 and I hit it pretty well the rest of the day.

The lesson learned is that the raw numbers on the launch monitor is important but how the club performs on the course is the final verdict. I think I was the only one out of the 5 that didn't absolutely kill their newly fitted SLDR right off the bat. But with the swap to the 12 degree 460 head playing at 10.5 I drove the ball pretty well the rest of the round Friday and the round we played today at Cowboys golf club. I'm going to get on a LM soon to confirm the numbers are as good as they look to the eye. Thanks again to Tom for recognizing what was happening and putting me in what works best for my game on the course. The TM guys are golfers first and foremost and truly want everyone to get the most out of their equipment all marketing and sales motives aside.

All in all I'm floored with the experience and can't thank TaylorMade and Golfwrx enough for the opportunity as well as the rest of the Dallas group for some great times that I won't soon forget. We had some crazy big hitters (123 mph for amackey10) and some great players in the group. Now on to the pics....
[/quote]

So which one did you end up bringing home? 460 12* or the 430 9*?
[/quote]

Ended up with the 460 cc 12 degree set to "Lower" playing at 10.5, weight all the way in the toe with the DI-6S. I also felt more comfortable with the stretched back triangular shape of the 460 since it's close to my 2.0TP.

[magdocjr]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1396750975' post='9029467']
Guys, please tell me about the [size=6][b]14˚ MINI DRIVER! [/b][/size]I looks awesome.. how does it hit off the turf?
[/quote]

Fantastic off the turf!!!! Launches bullets. I asked "Fish" if he could get me one; his response, "you might be surprised at what shows up at your door step"....

[jwo]

[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396751278' post='9029491']
[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396750412' post='9029403']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396750008' post='9029353']
Wow, what a memorable two days of fittings, golf, food and making new friends in Dallas, TX. I can't say thanks enough to Tom Kroll and Ryan (our TMPL fitter) for being incredible hosts and generally awesome people to hang out with as well as Bjackson for helping make sure everything was well documented and running smoothly. Everything about the trip was first class all the way with open and candid conversation about the technology, TM marketing ideas and the game in general.

[b]Thursday: [/b]We met up with the group at the hotel before dinner, had a few brews and some great food. Tom gave us the opportunity to ask some questions about our opinions on TaylorMade, the equipment, marketing strategy etc. We got to know each other and ended up with a quite unique group. If I remember correctly we had an attorney, a pharmacist, a business consultant, a caddy and a college student in the mix with handicaps from scratch to my 9.

[b]Friday:[/b] we got up bright and early, had some breakfast at Glen Eagles country club then got a tour of the TaylorMade performance fitting lab and hit the range to warm up. It was cold with a steady 15-20 mph head wind so we were all hoping we'd be able to get loose enough to put up some good numbers. I drew 2nd to be fit and hit a few solid baseline shots with my previous gamer a Superfast 2.0 TP 9.5 with Graphite Design MD-6 stiff.

[b]The Fitting Process:[/b] About my previous gamer...I hit lots of shafts and picked this combo specifically for the fade bias since my miss is a hook. It turns out my tinkering around on launch monitors on my own was better than I thought. The launch monitor spit out an average LA of [b]15.4 degrees[/b] and [b]2,100 rpm spin[/b] for an average carry of [b]235 yards and 260 total[/b] which isn't a bad base line for my 100 mph swing speed.

Since the spin was already so low with my gamer Ryan our fitter started me off with a 430 head for lower spin. We tried a few different loft heads with the Aldila Tour green which I did not care for. We also tried the Tour AD BB-6S which was decent but a bit too low launching and stiff feeling for my taste. We settled on the Graphite Design DI-6S in a 9 degree head cranked a bit open with the weight all the way out at the toe and got to [b]14.7 LA[/b] (I wanted a slightly lower launch due to TX wind) and the magical [b]1,700 RPM[/b] for an average [b]246[/b] carry and [b]275[/b] total.

I picked up 15 yards on slightly higher ball speed ([b]143 mp[/b]h SLDR, [b]141 mph[/b] 2.0TP), slightly more ideal launch into a strong head wind and about 400 rpm less spin. I was really happy with the setup on the range. We were also lucky enough to be setup with a SLDR fairway and hybrid. I was also the lucky winner of a 12 degree SLDR Mini driver with Speeder 57 stiff shaft for a complete woods "package". The mini driver is awesome, perfect for tight short par 4's or anytime you must hit the fairway.

[b]The Swap:[/b] After fittings we were off to Gentle Creek golf club which I had never heard of despite living 15 mins away. Here's where things got interesting. I hit so many balls in the morning (we were guessing 300 a person) that I was worn out and my swing was quite sloppy. All my drives on the front 9 were ugly low hooks, nothing like what we saw on the range during the fitting which was due to my swing. Luckily I was riding with Tom Kroll and he immediately saw the problem and handed me a 12 degree 460 SLDR. I immediately hit it high and straight so we swapped my DI6 into the 12 degree head cranked open to 10.5 and I hit it pretty well the rest of the day.

The lesson learned is that the raw numbers on the launch monitor is important but how the club performs on the course is the final verdict. I think I was the only one out of the 5 that didn't absolutely kill their newly fitted SLDR right off the bat. But with the swap to the 12 degree 460 head playing at 10.5 I drove the ball pretty well the rest of the round Friday and the round we played today at Cowboys golf club. I'm going to get on a LM soon to confirm the numbers are as good as they look to the eye. Thanks again to Tom for recognizing what was happening and putting me in what works best for my game on the course. The TM guys are golfers first and foremost and truly want everyone to get the most out of their equipment all marketing and sales motives aside.

All in all I'm floored with the experience and can't thank TaylorMade and Golfwrx enough for the opportunity as well as the rest of the Dallas group for some great times that I won't soon forget. We had some crazy big hitters (123 mph for amackey10) and some great players in the group. Now on to the pics....
[/quote]

So which one did you end up bringing home? 460 12* or the 430 9*?
[/quote]

Ended up with the 460 cc 12 degree set to "Lower" playing at 10.5, weight all the way in the toe with the DI-6S. I also felt more comfortable with the stretched back triangular shape of the 460 since it's close to my 2.0TP.
[/quote]

OK thanks! I have the same SS as you so I was curious. I had a 12*460 with a Matrix 6Q3 in it. Wasn't very good for me but I always wondered about a DI-6 with it cause I really like that shaft but never had a chance to try it that way. Congrats on the trip!!

[Zach Heusser]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1396750975' post='9029467']
Guys, please tell me about the [size=6][b]14˚ MINI DRIVER! [/b][/size]I looks awesome.. how does it hit off the turf?
[/quote]
Get a 12 my friend! Hits bombs off the tee and isn't hard to elevate off the deck at all.

[RedSide]

What an amazing experience indeed! I just want to do my due diligence and thank everyone involved. TM and GolfWRX, Brian, Dave, Tony, Tom, Tim, Zach, and all the cool people we met at The Kingdom. Lots of info learned and some pretty cool swag to take home, too. Not to mention what a great group of guys picked for this event, you guys were some of the most intelligent down to earth golfers I know. Really know your stuff and what you like, it's impressive. If Any of ya'll get down to the desert, golfs on me, that's for sure! And I appreciate taking your guys money haha jk . I played like sh!t but it was still fun. For the people wondering, yes, I was probably a perfect candidate for this as my Titleist I brought was not custom fit for me. My old driver has a spinny head and a FW shaft.... So, no doubt the SLDR was gonna beat out my play driver. Heck, I even think one of the guys said before I even did the fitting that "This guys getting paid today". He was correct. $600 big ones. But, having said that, the SLDR is a great driver for sure and it definitely lowered my spin numbers with the proper shaft. I'm flying this new combo over 300 consistently. And that's the dense air Carlsbad and hitting into the wind at the kingdom, I wonder what its capable of when I get back home?? After today I feel pretty confident/comfortable with this setup. Thanks again for the experience and the memories.

[RedSide]

[quote name='Zach Heusser' timestamp='1396752252' post='9029593']
[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1396750975' post='9029467']
Guys, please tell me about the [size=6][b]14˚ MINI DRIVER! [/b][/size]I looks awesome.. how does it hit off the turf?
[/quote]
Get a 12 my friend! Hits bombs off the tee and isn't hard to elevate off the deck at all.
[/quote]

Hit my new 12* off the deck today, like a bullet!

[CosmosMpower]

[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396751558' post='9029519']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396751278' post='9029491']
[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396750412' post='9029403']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396750008' post='9029353']
Wow, what a memorable two days of fittings, golf, food and making new friends in Dallas, TX. I can't say thanks enough to Tom Kroll and Ryan (our TMPL fitter) for being incredible hosts and generally awesome people to hang out with as well as Bjackson for helping make sure everything was well documented and running smoothly. Everything about the trip was first class all the way with open and candid conversation about the technology, TM marketing ideas and the game in general.

[b]Thursday: [/b]We met up with the group at the hotel before dinner, had a few brews and some great food. Tom gave us the opportunity to ask some questions about our opinions on TaylorMade, the equipment, marketing strategy etc. We got to know each other and ended up with a quite unique group. If I remember correctly we had an attorney, a pharmacist, a business consultant, a caddy and a college student in the mix with handicaps from scratch to my 9.

[b]Friday:[/b] we got up bright and early, had some breakfast at Glen Eagles country club then got a tour of the TaylorMade performance fitting lab and hit the range to warm up. It was cold with a steady 15-20 mph head wind so we were all hoping we'd be able to get loose enough to put up some good numbers. I drew 2nd to be fit and hit a few solid baseline shots with my previous gamer a Superfast 2.0 TP 9.5 with Graphite Design MD-6 stiff.

[b]The Fitting Process:[/b] About my previous gamer...I hit lots of shafts and picked this combo specifically for the fade bias since my miss is a hook. It turns out my tinkering around on launch monitors on my own was better than I thought. The launch monitor spit out an average LA of [b]15.4 degrees[/b] and [b]2,100 rpm spin[/b] for an average carry of [b]235 yards and 260 total[/b] which isn't a bad base line for my 100 mph swing speed.

Since the spin was already so low with my gamer Ryan our fitter started me off with a 430 head for lower spin. We tried a few different loft heads with the Aldila Tour green which I did not care for. We also tried the Tour AD BB-6S which was decent but a bit too low launching and stiff feeling for my taste. We settled on the Graphite Design DI-6S in a 9 degree head cranked a bit open with the weight all the way out at the toe and got to [b]14.7 LA[/b] (I wanted a slightly lower launch due to TX wind) and the magical [b]1,700 RPM[/b] for an average [b]246[/b] carry and [b]275[/b] total.

I picked up 15 yards on slightly higher ball speed ([b]143 mp[/b]h SLDR, [b]141 mph[/b] 2.0TP), slightly more ideal launch into a strong head wind and about 400 rpm less spin. I was really happy with the setup on the range. We were also lucky enough to be setup with a SLDR fairway and hybrid. I was also the lucky winner of a 12 degree SLDR Mini driver with Speeder 57 stiff shaft for a complete woods "package". The mini driver is awesome, perfect for tight short par 4's or anytime you must hit the fairway.

[b]The Swap:[/b] After fittings we were off to Gentle Creek golf club which I had never heard of despite living 15 mins away. Here's where things got interesting. I hit so many balls in the morning (we were guessing 300 a person) that I was worn out and my swing was quite sloppy. All my drives on the front 9 were ugly low hooks, nothing like what we saw on the range during the fitting which was due to my swing. Luckily I was riding with Tom Kroll and he immediately saw the problem and handed me a 12 degree 460 SLDR. I immediately hit it high and straight so we swapped my DI6 into the 12 degree head cranked open to 10.5 and I hit it pretty well the rest of the day.

The lesson learned is that the raw numbers on the launch monitor is important but how the club performs on the course is the final verdict. I think I was the only one out of the 5 that didn't absolutely kill their newly fitted SLDR right off the bat. But with the swap to the 12 degree 460 head playing at 10.5 I drove the ball pretty well the rest of the round Friday and the round we played today at Cowboys golf club. I'm going to get on a LM soon to confirm the numbers are as good as they look to the eye. Thanks again to Tom for recognizing what was happening and putting me in what works best for my game on the course. The TM guys are golfers first and foremost and truly want everyone to get the most out of their equipment all marketing and sales motives aside.

All in all I'm floored with the experience and can't thank TaylorMade and Golfwrx enough for the opportunity as well as the rest of the Dallas group for some great times that I won't soon forget. We had some crazy big hitters (123 mph for amackey10) and some great players in the group. Now on to the pics....
[/quote]

So which one did you end up bringing home? 460 12* or the 430 9*?
[/quote]

Ended up with the 460 cc 12 degree set to "Lower" playing at 10.5, weight all the way in the toe with the DI-6S. I also felt more comfortable with the stretched back triangular shape of the 460 since it's close to my 2.0TP.
[/quote]

OK thanks! I have the same SS as you so I was curious. I had a 12*460 with a Matrix 6Q3 in it. Wasn't very good for me but I always wondered about a DI-6 with it cause I really like that shaft but never had a chance to try it that way. Congrats on the trip!!
[/quote]

The shaft makes a big difference. A few of the heavier stiffer shafts we tried in the fitting made me completely change my swing which made for poor contact and numbers. I'd encourage you to try it with the DI-6 or something similar to what feels comfortable for you. I'm not at all surprised that I went from a Graphite Design MD6 to a DI6.

[Emthree]

Great updates you guys, must have been a blast getting the tour pro treatment for a weekend!

You cannot doubt the physics and tech of the club. Even with the same level of fitting, the SLDR will hit it further than most other modern drivers all things being equal.
The next iteration of this club might even beat the 983E for me.

[jwo]

[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396752793' post='9029643']
[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396751558' post='9029519']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396751278' post='9029491']
[quote name='jwo' timestamp='1396750412' post='9029403']
[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1396750008' post='9029353']
Wow, what a memorable two days of fittings, golf, food and making new friends in Dallas, TX. I can't say thanks enough to Tom Kroll and Ryan (our TMPL fitter) for being incredible hosts and generally awesome people to hang out with as well as Bjackson for helping make sure everything was well documented and running smoothly. Everything about the trip was first class all the way with open and candid conversation about the technology, TM marketing ideas and the game in general.

[b]Thursday: [/b]We met up with the group at the hotel before dinner, had a few brews and some great food. Tom gave us the opportunity to ask some questions about our opinions on TaylorMade, the equipment, marketing strategy etc. We got to know each other and ended up with a quite unique group. If I remember correctly we had an attorney, a pharmacist, a business consultant, a caddy and a college student in the mix with handicaps from scratch to my 9.

[b]Friday:[/b] we got up bright and early, had some breakfast at Glen Eagles country club then got a tour of the TaylorMade performance fitting lab and hit the range to warm up. It was cold with a steady 15-20 mph head wind so we were all hoping we'd be able to get loose enough to put up some good numbers. I drew 2nd to be fit and hit a few solid baseline shots with my previous gamer a Superfast 2.0 TP 9.5 with Graphite Design MD-6 stiff.

[b]The Fitting Process:[/b] About my previous gamer...I hit lots of shafts and picked this combo specifically for the fade bias since my miss is a hook. It turns out my tinkering around on launch monitors on my own was better than I thought. The launch monitor spit out an average LA of [b]15.4 degrees[/b] and [b]2,100 rpm spin[/b] for an average carry of [b]235 yards and 260 total[/b] which isn't a bad base line for my 100 mph swing speed.

Since the spin was already so low with my gamer Ryan our fitter started me off with a 430 head for lower spin. We tried a few different loft heads with the Aldila Tour green which I did not care for. We also tried the Tour AD BB-6S which was decent but a bit too low launching and stiff feeling for my taste. We settled on the Graphite Design DI-6S in a 9 degree head cranked a bit open with the weight all the way out at the toe and got to [b]14.7 LA[/b] (I wanted a slightly lower launch due to TX wind) and the magical [b]1,700 RPM[/b] for an average [b]246[/b] carry and [b]275[/b] total.

I picked up 15 yards on slightly higher ball speed ([b]143 mp[/b]h SLDR, [b]141 mph[/b] 2.0TP), slightly more ideal launch into a strong head wind and about 400 rpm less spin. I was really happy with the setup on the range. We were also lucky enough to be setup with a SLDR fairway and hybrid. I was also the lucky winner of a 12 degree SLDR Mini driver with Speeder 57 stiff shaft for a complete woods "package". The mini driver is awesome, perfect for tight short par 4's or anytime you must hit the fairway.

[b]The Swap:[/b] After fittings we were off to Gentle Creek golf club which I had never heard of despite living 15 mins away. Here's where things got interesting. I hit so many balls in the morning (we were guessing 300 a person) that I was worn out and my swing was quite sloppy. All my drives on the front 9 were ugly low hooks, nothing like what we saw on the range during the fitting which was due to my swing. Luckily I was riding with Tom Kroll and he immediately saw the problem and handed me a 12 degree 460 SLDR. I immediately hit it high and straight so we swapped my DI6 into the 12 degree head cranked open to 10.5 and I hit it pretty well the rest of the day.

The lesson learned is that the raw numbers on the launch monitor is important but how the club performs on the course is the final verdict. I think I was the only one out of the 5 that didn't absolutely kill their newly fitted SLDR right off the bat. But with the swap to the 12 degree 460 head playing at 10.5 I drove the ball pretty well the rest of the round Friday and the round we played today at Cowboys golf club. I'm going to get on a LM soon to confirm the numbers are as good as they look to the eye. Thanks again to Tom for recognizing what was happening and putting me in what works best for my game on the course. The TM guys are golfers first and foremost and truly want everyone to get the most out of their equipment all marketing and sales motives aside.

All in all I'm floored with the experience and can't thank TaylorMade and Golfwrx enough for the opportunity as well as the rest of the Dallas group for some great times that I won't soon forget. We had some crazy big hitters (123 mph for amackey10) and some great players in the group. Now on to the pics....
[/quote]

So which one did you end up bringing home? 460 12* or the 430 9*?
[/quote]

Ended up with the 460 cc 12 degree set to "Lower" playing at 10.5, weight all the way in the toe with the DI-6S. I also felt more comfortable with the stretched back triangular shape of the 460 since it's close to my 2.0TP.
[/quote]

OK thanks! I have the same SS as you so I was curious. I had a 12*460 with a Matrix 6Q3 in it. Wasn't very good for me but I always wondered about a DI-6 with it cause I really like that shaft but never had a chance to try it that way. Congrats on the trip!!
[/quote]

The shaft makes a big difference. A few of the heavier stiffer shafts we tried in the fitting made me completely change my swing which made for poor contact and numbers. I'd encourage you to try it with the DI-6 or something similar to what feels comfortable for you. I'm not at all surprised that I went from a Graphite Design MD6 to a DI6.
[/quote]

I'd like to try that setup but to buy one that way would be probably 600.00. I'm hitting my 913 so good I'd have a hard time pulling the trigger on that. Got me thinking though. The black DI-6 would look nasty!!

[JC671]

So how many walked away with SLDR minis?

I was looking to pick up a SLDR TS , but might hold off until more reviews come out. Not a fan of the silver, but I love me a deep faced FW.

[Pure745]

Jesus!!!! Might have to swap my SLDR Tour Spoon out for the 14˚.. %&#%$@!!!!!!!!!

[GC70]

Dumb question here.

So does the Minnie replace the 3wood?

[smp220]

My Recap of Dallas:

So I had a whole 2.5 hr flight to decompress and replay the weekend in my head while watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I could write for awhile if I go through the event sequentually, so I'll stick to the important details: My gamer, My SLDR and the takeaway.

Gamer: I was fit at Novogolf in Tappan, NY about 10 months ago on a Trackman by an awesome fitter/builder, William Cho. I fit into a Ping G25 with a Diamana B-series 50-x. I did not keep good track of my numbers as I really wanted to focus on the feeling of shaft and club and what my shots looked like. I was launching about 13* w/ around 2300 rpm spin with about a 103 SS with an average total around 270. High launching softly falling right drives ensued and I was extremly happy with my set-up.

SLDR: So if you didn't hear, it was windy in Dallas. About 30 mph steady directly in our grills. Not ideal, but very beneficial to see the exagerated ballflights. I was not happy with how I was swinging, but dug out enough solid hits for a good comparison.

My Gamer numbers: 13* Launch 2500 rpm spin 272 Total

After trying Aldila Blue and a Matrix shaft, I settled on an Oban Kiyoshi Gold 65g 5 flex. I was handed a 9.5 head that was increased to 10. It actually appears that I may have LOFTED DOWN!!! (More to come about this). With virtually identical Average SS and Ball Speeds, my launch got up to 14 and spin down to 1800. Saw an average distance gain of 11 yards. Taylormade delivered on their guarantee and I even had a big boy poke over 300 in the launch monitor (meaning there is actual proof). Smiles on my face, cash in my pocket (Goodbye amateur status, for now) and a little wind/sun burn to go with the new wand.

Takeaway: This was a Taylormade marketing event and was awesome. The crew was top notch all around. Tom Kroll from Taylormade has one of the greatest jobs on the planet and is not shy about passing that vibe on to whoever is around him. I got caught up in the whirlwind of it and was not as particular about my fitting as I should have been. In my defense, I was last to go, felt rushed and had trouble making consistent contact. I was promised more distance from Taylormade and they delivered. On course, however I struggled with slight pulls and pull cuts. I was staring at the issue and it took me a day and a half to realize what it was. Increasing loft = closing the face. I don't like closed faces. Somehow by attributing the majority of my misses to just bad swings I lost sight of how I was struggling to get used to the look. The shape, colors, and face depth are all to my liking, but something (closed head) was off and my poor play distracted me from seeing it. I will try some more testing to see if I will get used to it, but I have a feeling a 10.5 or 12 head is in the future for me. Bottomline, pay attention to all aspects of your clubfittings, be as particular as you can and Taylrmade is a first rate operation with real golfers running the show. It was an incredibly memorable weekend and I am especially thankful towards Golfwrx, and their representative Ben Jackson.

My review of Cowboys Golf Club, written by a NY Giants Fan will come soon.

[sandiegonative]

[quote name='smp220' timestamp='1396755079' post='9029929']
My Recap of Dallas:

So I had a whole 2.5 hr flight to decompress and replay the weekend in my head while watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I could write for awhile if I go through the event sequentually, so I'll stick to the important details: My gamer, My SLDR and the takeaway.

Gamer: I was fit at Novogolf in Tappan, NY about 10 months ago on a Trackman by an awesome fitter/builder, William Cho. I fit into a Ping G25 with a Diamana B-series 50-x. I did not keep good track of my numbers as I really wanted to focus on the feeling of shaft and club and what my shots looked like. I was launching about 13* w/ around 2300 rpm spin with about a 103 SS with an average total around 270. High launching softly falling right drives ensued and I was extremly happy with my set-up.

SLDR: So if you didn't hear, it was windy in Dallas. About 30 mph steady directly in our grills. Not ideal, but very beneficial to see the exagerated ballflights. I was not happy with how I was swinging, but dug out enough solid hits for a good comparison.

My Gamer numbers: 13* Launch 2500 rpm spin 272 Total

After trying Aldila Blue and a Matrix shaft, I settled on an Oban Kiyoshi Gold 65g 5 flex. I was handed a 9.5 head that was increased to 10. It actually appears that I may have LOFTED DOWN!!! (More to come about this). With virtually identical Average SS and Ball Speeds, my launch got up to 14 and spin down to 1800. Saw an average distance gain of 11 yards. Taylormade delivered on their guarantee and I even had a big boy poke over 300 in the launch monitor (meaning there is actual proof). Smiles on my face, cash in my pocket (Goodbye amateur status, for now) and a little wind/sun burn to go with the new wand.

Takeaway: This was a Taylormade marketing event and was awesome. The crew was top notch all around. Tom Kroll from Taylormade has one of the greatest jobs on the planet and is not shy about passing that vibe on to whoever is around him. I got caught up in the whirlwind of it and was not as particular about my fitting as I should have been. In my defense, I was last to go, felt rushed and had trouble making consistent contact. I was promised more distance from Taylormade and they delivered. On course, however I struggled with slight pulls and pull cuts. I was staring at the issue and it took me a day and a half to realize what it was. Increasing loft = closing the face. I don't like closed faces. Somehow by attributing the majority of my misses to just bad swings I lost sight of how I was struggling to get used to the look. The shape, colors, and face depth are all to my liking, but something (closed head) was off and my poor play distracted me from seeing it. I will try some more testing to see if I will get used to it, but I have a feeling a 10.5 or 12 head is in the future for me. Bottomline, pay attention to all aspects of your clubfittings, be as particular as you can and Taylrmade is a first rate operation with real golfers running the show. It was an incredibly memorable weekend and I am especially thankful towards Golfwrx, and their representative Ben Jackson.

My review of Cowboys Golf Club, written by a NY Giants Fan will come soon.
[/quote]

Great review. Appears the TM low and forward CG helped knock off some spin resulting in 11 yards. Awesome trip, happy for all 20 of you.

[ThunderBuzzworth]

Son of a B!!!! Flew home to Detroit and left straight from airport to go up to northern Michigan for a fishing trip. Smoked a deer on a 2 lane highway and the front of my jeep is a little jacked now.

[joey2aces]

[quote name='ThunderBuzzworth' timestamp='1396758113' post='9030129']
Son of a B!!!! Flew home to Detroit and left straight from airport to go up to northern Michigan for a fishing trip. Smoked a deer on a 2 lane highway and the front of my jeep is a little jacked now.
[/quote]

At least you're ok.

[ThunderBuzzworth]

Looks like I'm going to need a tour issue quarter panel and headlight replaced. They are just like the normal ones but more expensive and hot melted to counter balance the weight distribution of my vehicle.

[cphrey]

I asked the guys for a mini as well instead of the two woods we were offered. Hope I didn't overstep my bounds there, but it's literally the easiest most powerful rocket launcher I've ever hit. I must have one, I love it! I have a men's league tourney tomorrow so I'll get my long review up soon. I was the 1 guy that didn't get longer with the sldr, but that's ok bc it did help me hit it a bit straighter and it was mostly due to my swing at the time. That fence on the right side in Carlsbad got into my head a bit as I hit a big draw usually, so I should've asked to move, but it was later in the day and I didn't want to be a pain. I'm still in lala land from this experience. Thank you Zach, Tim, Dave, Brian, Tony, Daryl and all my new WRX buddies. You're all some really fun guys to hang with and play some golf with and I love each of your unique games. It's always cool to see a bunch of good golfers that just play the game differently, and make certain things work and ride their strengths. I'll need some consistency lessons from TMBob and smoking drive lessons from Redside ASAP!

[TMBob]

[quote name='AspiringScratch' timestamp='1396636681' post='9021031']
[quote name='Zach Heusser' timestamp='1396636495' post='9021001']Bob picked up 5 yards[attachment=2158641:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1396636489.852277.jpg][/quote]

Seems the lighter shaft is a little harder to control, smash factor decreased with the SLDR. Did he try the 6x3 white tie.
[/quote]

Great question and observation AS. I never did try the 6X3 but I should have and I will look for one to see if your thoughts are on track.

I was with Todd Chew....Todd usually is out on Tour working with the Staffers but was back Carlsbad this weekend and helped out with the fittings. I had spoked with Todd in the past over the phone so it was nice to be able to have him help me out. Saying this, I let Todd do his thing even though I tend to do a pretty good job of fitting myself. I suggested the 5X3 to Todd after his first choice failed badly because I have a friends 5X3 in R flex that I had done well with on the course in a R1 head and then again at the range in a 9.5 469 SLDR head. Todd grabbed a Stiff flex since there was no Firm and we gave that a go. Right away a huge difference when compared to the first offering so he worked hard at dialing this shaft with different lofts, face degrees and the the 430 head.

Another reason why I went to a 5 series or in this case a 57 gram shaft was that I rarely play a 65 + gram shaft. I prefer a slightly lighter shaft the. 65 after trimming. Actually I prefer an overall weight of about 324 on the high end and 315 on the low end based in past driver combos. The 6 series in the White Tie I felt would be about 66 or 65 grams after trimming and it made sense to start with the 5 series at that point and time.

You are 100% correct that Todd or myself should have brought up the 6 series and gave it a go to see if my shot shape improved. One other reason was because when I went to the Monitor, we felt that Todd had me finally dialed in and ready to get after and not monkey during the LM part because of time and because they were filming us. So your comment about BS being down it was spot on and not sure if it had anything to do with the lighter shaft or that I was a bit tired, being filmed and trying to match up some good ones by my R11s.

Thanks for the question and I hope to find one and see if I do gain some control with it.

[scratchswinger]

I know a few guys prior to the trip were concerned with the upright lie angle. Was this ever addressed?

[ThunderBuzzworth]

[quote name='NavyLD12' timestamp='1396623072' post='9018835']
Looks like fun guys you are all very lucky. I wanna see a higher SS, low handicap player with a fitted driver before I believe the hype. I hope there is at least 1 or 2.
[/quote]
After seeing my numbers I can tell you this isn't hype. I am a +2 at the moment and I was fitted by a top master fitter in my area. Any questions please feel free to pm me. I will be happy to share my honest thoughts

Austin

[TMBob]

[quote name='2659edward' timestamp='1396653172' post='9022769']
This is to the WRX guys in Carlsbad....
Do Not Play Zach Heusser for money. I know he says he didn't hit any balls today but, his game travels very well. Him and Dave just drive around in the cart and before you know it you down a quick $40. Just saying.

[attachment=2158925:image.jpg]
[/quote]

Edward, I think I have some of your money now in my pocket if you paid Zack last time? I guess that means that I travel well and can still play after 2 hours of hitting balls, or I just got lucky, or I had a good partner. Zack spoke highly of you....now I know why...he likes your money!

[ThunderBuzzworth]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1396626148' post='9019349']
[quote name='zakkozuchowski' timestamp='1396625821' post='9019291']
[attachment=2158351:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1396625729.333834.jpg]

Higher launch, lower spin. Austin with a 12-degree SLDR 430 with a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 7X (tipped 1 inch).
[/quote]

If you don't mind me asking, what were his "good swing" numbers with the RFX. We all know what his "miss" numbers were. Just wondering. Thx!
[/quote]
For solid comparison these were my BEST numbers on trackman with my RFE 8.75 w diaman Ilima 70x tipped 1.25 (professionally fit by a master fitter/ builder and same fitter as Zak uses) less than 2 weeks ago.

[TMBob]

[quote name='scratchswinger' timestamp='1396763702' post='9030365']
I know a few guys prior to the trip were concerned with the upright lie angle. Was this ever addressed?
[/quote]

SS, I did ask Tim Huet about this and to be honest I cannot really remember his answer! Ha! Tim is THE MAN at the Kingdom and we had just been called into his office and I guess my mind was wondering a bit. He did mention that a fitter will go to a slightly softer tip shaft or less flex if he can in order to get the toe to droop more at impact.

Sorry that I could not help you out with a better answer. I did ask BB if there was a sleeve that would provide the lowest lie angle and he told me that the 2 Degree tour version would be the one, but that would only help by about 1/2 degree.

[cphrey]

You're correct on the toe droop bob, that's exactly what Tim said. It was great listening to a Master of golf like that just talk shop with us avg joes. Very cool guy that Tim Huet! I could listen to him all day.

[kejoal11]

[quote name='sandiegonative' timestamp='1396716733' post='9026579']
[quote name='ThunderBuzzworth' timestamp='1396673131' post='9024659']
So I am Austin. I started with the Razr Fit Extreme 8.75 with Diamana Ilima 70x tipped 1.25

During the challenge I tried the 460 and 430 heads in 10.5 loft. Luckily there was 1 430 12 head on the van that I was fortunate enough to get my paws on. I tried a lot of different shafts:
AD MT 6x: hook machine (felt nice though)
Motore Speeder of some sort (all red): NOPE
AD BB 6&7x: not my ideal feel in a shaft and also felt like I had to work twice as hard to get it where it needed to be at impact. (I did pick this shaft for my fairway wood so it must have been a head weight/ shaft profile blunder).
AD DI 7x: the most popular shaft at Reynolds today. It was good not great. The numbers were better than average but feel was not ideal to me.
Mamiya VTS silver 6x: nice feeling shaft but it was spinny unless i really slowed down my transition.
Diamana Kaili 60x: it was the best one of the above bunch from the first ball I hit. Smoothest feel and rock solid numbers. (I hit one with the Kaili 349 but Zak was demanding 350 or bust)
Oban Kiyoshi Gold 65x: first ball I hit with it was absolutely NUKED... Trackman didn't pick it up. The ball actually flew all the way over the range and landed on the opposite side tee Box and one hopped into the shrubbery. Luckily nobody was over there at that time. Made some adjustments to get trackman back on track... Very next ball was just mushed and I saw Zak put his hands in the air... 358. This was the one. We made a few more swings and minor tweaks and that was all she wrote.

Ended up in the SLDR 430 12* set at 11.5 with Oban Kiyoshi Gold 65x tipped 1" D3.

In the end I was going between a
Kaili 60x and the Kiyoshi Gold but the Kiyoshi Gold was just golden. I'll still be thinking about the Kaili for a couple weeks I'm sure.

On course it performed just as
It did during fitting. I had a couple loose swings but for the most part it was awesome. I did hit a 341, 348 and 370 yard drive on #'s 6, 9 and 17 during the round. One was a par 5 that I only had 141 into. I ended up hitting 8/14
Fairways. 1 of which was a 3 wood so I guess 7/13 with driver. Not the best but I was hitting driver on every hole because that was why we were here. The real sleeper of this trip so far has been the TPx ball. I am very find of it and it is the ball I did my fitting with. I can't wait to try them out on a course I am familiar with.

Tonight at Dinner with the Reynolds group we had a discussion with Tom Fisher and Robin English about how to change the public view of the "loft up" campaign because it has received a lot of scrutiny among the golf community. Myself and Andy (CheckJV) came to the conclusion that "loft up" is a misinterpreted phrase to the consumer due to all the years of everyone wanting 7, 7.5, 8 degree drivers. Low lofted clubs mean lower spin clubs right? Not anymore! I came into this as the biggest skeptic of our group and probably the whole trip all together but after getting better numbers with 3 degrees more loft I can honestly say TO YOU SKEPTICS: It is something you must experience to believe. SLDR has all the potential in the world to be great for everyone but a proper fitting is absolutely crucial. The whole idea really is to optimize launch and spin. The SLDR I'm sure is amazing by itself but the shaft you put in it is equally important to hit those optimal numbers.

I feel that the term "loft up" is not appealing to the masses... ESPECIALLY the golf club gurus that our GolfWRX community has within it. I think the campaign should be reintroduced with the term Launch Up in some shape or form because really that is what the majority of golfers need is higher launch. Andy came up with spin down. So it would be Launch Up, spin down. Then the masses will start to ask more questions... How do I launch it higher? How do I get lower spin? Right now there are thousands of golfers that have a 7 or 8 degree driver that think it is low launch low spin because of the loft alone when in reality all it does is launch low. That low lofted driver needs extra spin to stay in the air... Why not flip the spectrum? Launch it twice as high with half the spin?

You want a higher launch? Try a higher lofted head. Taylormade robotic testing has proven 1 degree of loft is 3 times more effective at achieving higher launch than swinging up 1 degree. How do I get my spin down? Low and forward cog along with a properly fit shaft will drastically lower spin. Just by getting a consumer to ask those questions they can get them to enter a whole new realm of golf equipment.

This is where the custom fitting part comes into play.and this is where eberybody will see that this is not just hype but the real deal.

Who ever with a 128 swing speed would ever EVER go in a store and buy a 12 degree driver???? Who would even take one for free if they were offered??? NOT ME... Until today.

Don't take my word for it. I am extending the challenge to you guys now. Go test it for yourself (but make sure the shaft is a proper fit as well).

Austin,
ThunderBuzzworth
Bring the Thunder

Hulk smash
Loft up?
[/quote]

Austin, sounds like you and the other 19 golfers had a blast. You all were treated to a tour-like fitting, given some CASH for your "hard work", got some free clubs, and got to go play some golf. Not bad, not bad at all.

I don't think people are hating on TM for their "Loft Up" campaign as high launch and low spin is nothing new. I think people are rightfully skeptical because this was NOT an "Apples to Apples" comparison. Outside of Chris (1 of 20 who had better number with his current driver) and Scott aka, jongat55 (gained a believable 13 yards) were properly fit in their current setup. The other 18 golfers (who happen to hit the tour-like fitted SLDR further) have not said if they were properly fitted into their existing gamer.

Did you go to a Callaway Performance Center and try different high-end shafts for your RAZR like you were able to for the SLDR?

Many on here have never been properly fit. My guess is due to cost or access. Who knows.

Anyhow, I think you're drinking the wrong Kool-Aid, it's not how great company x's driver is, it's about getting properly fit.
[/quote][quote name='drewtaylor21' timestamp='1396720661' post='9026877']
[quote name='sandiegonative' timestamp='1396718792' post='9026755']

I've been going back through all 21 pages to make sure I have not missed anything.

No arguing he gained 22 yards, "Total Distance" went from 252 to 274. But unless my eyes are deceiving me, his "OFFLINE" number jumped from -14 to -47.

I don't know where you guys play, but if you're offline 14 yards, you're in the rough and if you're offline 47 yards, good luck finding your ball.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/996759-live-updates-the-5000-taylormade-sldr-guarantee-event/page__st__300#entry9019969"]http://www.golfwrx.c...00#entry9019969[/url]
[/quote]

Agreed. I am very interested to see the on-course reports now that these guys have been "Tour-fit" into the SLDR. That's where it really counts in my book.

I have been battling with the SLDR since October after playing a Titleist 975 for over a decade. I was fit for the SLDR, but my fitter wasn't terribly impressive and only had 3 or 4 shafts that I could try. My spin numbers were better with the SLDR, but distance has stayed the same (or even gone down a bit) and my FW% has gone down significantly. It is still early season, and I am working on driver quite a bit right now, so I'm hoping to see some positive changes, but this whole thread (which has been a lot of fun to read!) really makes me wish that I had access to the kind of technology and fitting that you guys experienced.

That would be the one thing that I would want to express to TM if they are looking for feedback from you guys on the trip. Making access to good fitting easier for the average amateur. I have no idea if that is even possible from a company standpoint, but I know for myself I would see a lot more value in knowing that if I went in for a fitting I would have access to equipment that would actually be the best for me.
[/quote]

Minh

I was properly fit for my driver before #insidetmag and I still saw a yardage increase. I dont get what ur saying.

[ThunderBuzzworth]

I was properly fit at my home master fitter and he actually had as many if not more shafts to try than TM had. I was definitely put into a Callaway that was ideal for me. I gained only 9.8 yards average... That is the difference between 1 degree higher launch and 250 rpm less spin. The first 7-8 shafts i tried at the kingdom were no better than what I had (literally within .9 yards) until I found 2 that were a much much better fit in that head for me.

To summarize: I was properly fit into the Callaway with as many shaft options as you can imagine and the SLDR still beat it. I play to a +2 to +4 handicap and I am a club junkie and very particular about what my clubs need to do. Believe me I asked all the tough questions and got no smoke and mirror answers. Being the tinkerer that I am I will surely eventually get back on trackman and put them up to the test side by side once again and probably tweak the Callaway a hair. After yesterday though I can tell you the SLDR is easier to hit different shots with for me. Draws and leaking fades don't get away from me with SLDR at all.

[AspiringScratch]

How much did length of the shaft come into play for everyone's fittings? Or did they fit you guys and then ask what length you prefer to play at?

[Nolesbl]

Great write up guys and thanks TM and WRX for this opportunity. It has given us all some good things to think about that hopefully can help our games. Glad everyone had a great time on this trip of a lifetime. Congrats.

[PingDrv00]

I am surprised that we still cannot believe that the guys are posting true numbers, and while I am sure they were wowed by the trip the numbers are speaking for themselves. Why can't we just be happy for the folks that attended, and allow them to post honest reviews in their time? I will say I have not found my right SLDR combo, but when, if the white one shows up; I may just have to try.