SIM Drivers: Can only hit cuts and can't close the face!

[pearsonified]

In testing both the SIM and Max, my first 5 times testing them I was always way right and said I would not buy either. Went back about 3 weeks later and hit the SIM Max perfect. Outperformed my m5 by 2mph and about 6yards on avg. Slightly lower flight and spin around 2300 (m5 was always around 2000) so that spin I thought that day gave me a more playable driver. Out of 6 times testing the SIM Max it only took that 1 very good day for me to buy it but I guess I shouldn't be surprised what I saw on course

 

lol, I'm hoping this isn't what happens to me! (I had a similar experience with nice ball speeds but bad flights. However, my session with the Rogue Silver was a thing of beauty.)

[dlow206]

For the SIM Max, since there is not a moveable weight, would a small amount of hot melt in the heel help reduce the fade bias?

[JoeFrigo]

Im thinking of doing the same... Currently have 2 strips of lead tape on the heel

[pearsonified]

Got to hit my SIM Max for the first time today, and of course, it was nothing like the demo setup that made me purchase the d*mn thing (even though it's the "same" shaft and head).

 

Unimpressed with ball speed. Not enough spin. Didn't hit a single solid strike down the middle. Fiddled with the adapter in a bunch of different positions, too.

 

Swing is trash, tho, so I'm not sure how much stock I'd place in this review.

 

I may sell it; this thing is definitely in time-out until I see something worth believing in.

[getitdaily]

Yes

[akao1029]

I’m the opposite compared to the majority. I get the lefts with my SIM and have always been a fader. Been messing with the settings and I think I have it dialed in. Upright lie and 2 clicks down. Plays at 9* and face opened. Only thing is it’s launching at around 11* and Im trying to get into the 12-13* window spin is good though 2400-2600

[ZA206]

Well... my observation regarding my SIM are as follows:

1) My swing is hot garbage right now... so take it all with a grain of salt.

2) This driver and shaft combo that I have are definitely fade biased, even with moving the weight towards the heel.

3) This driver is DEFINITELY hotter and longer than my M5, no doubt. I’m hitting the ball into places in sloppy winter conditions that I hit my M5 into during summer conditions. All with a hot garbage swing.

4) I can’t wait to get this driver and my swing dialed in and see the results in warm dry weather. I think it might be as long as my old SLDR.

-ZA

[Hedgehog]

I see these comments of people having troubles wiht the SIM's as a validation for the reason I didn't get the SIM Max, too low spin, too much fade bias, possible troubles getting the face to close if the swing is not at 100%. It's hot but if the direction is "the trees" that's no good for anybody.

[JoeFrigo]

This cracks me up bc ive seen the same thing. I hit the ST200G so well head to head vs SIM Max. Other than top end ball speed, the ST200G was better than SIM Max in every way....but my preference for TM along with multiple shafts I have with TM adapters led me to buy the Max. First round with the Max I hit 2 fairways with 8 misses way right. Other 4 driver holes I gave up and used 3w

[ProphetLogic]

How about the sim max draw model? That plus the counterbalanced riptide sounds pretty good to me.

[Krt22]

Just about all my buddies have the sim max and they all have no issues drawing it (myself included). Getting proper spin is all about making sure you are in the right loft for your speed/delivery. I've honestly never seen my group of buddies drive the ball so well.

[odshot68]

What shaft

[OspreyCI]

The Sim Max D has been pretty doing me pretty good so far. Love how deep face it it and just instills confidence. Nice straight ball flight.

[G-Bone]

Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-6 stiff

[9ironiscash]

Are u guys finding the Regular sim to be significantly more unforgiving than the sim max? I played the rogue SZ for a year with no real forgiveness complaints, so wondering how that would fare vs regular sim with both being low spin.

[bonescu]

only two rounds with my Sim due to weather but for me i am in the group that fights a left miss. For me this has been a great driver as I do think it favors right miss or is a bit anti left. It has allowed me to swing with more confidence off of the tee in that i know my left miss is minimized with this head and I don’t have to worry about a wild right miss.

So as with golf in 2020 nothing is one size fits all, but I do think this is a solid driver for someone that wants to help reduce the left miss. Stock Hzdrus Smoke Green for me about performed Pro White FWIW

 

[odshot68]

I also struggle with the left side miss. Just tried out and hit most of the new stuff and ended up picking up the TaylorMade Sim 9 degree driver with Hzrdus Smoke Green 6.0. Hitting low/mid cuts with would knuckleball. I could draw if I tried. So excited for this year as most of my bag is set. I just need to figure out the next two clubs to use.

[9ironiscash]

This is literally the exact setup I just ordered lol. Originally ordered the max but they messed up my order (wrong hand), so I demoed both again and regular sim was longer and felt better. Very pumped. I think the 6.0 green will be great.

[odshot68]

Curious on if anyone put the Hzrdus Green 70 in the sim titanium fairway wood? Any feedback. I tried the stock shaft and it was too soft.

[ZA206]

Update #2

Went to the range yesterday and today to work on the driver and my swing. Much better! Made some adjustments to my swing that pretty much got me dialed in with everything (including my irons).

I was all out of whack previously.... good grief! Final adjustments on my SIM After two long and consistent sessions:

track weight dead in the middle

hosel setting to standard lie, then deloft one notch to 8.5 degrees and slightly open.

Ball flight is mid-high and flat-boring with a 5-7 yard draw!

I'm digging it. Several of the boys from the local high school golf team were watching me hit it.... I was putting on a show for them!

[Captjimo]

SIM 9 degree with HZRDUS Smoke 70 6.5

Was hitting low cuts on the range before adjusting to +1.5 loft and 3 degrees closed. Best ball flight and longest drives I've had in years. At those settings I did not have to work hard to hit a draw and could hit the cut as needed. For what its worth the fade for me comes easy.

[Pomps]

Holy crap! I came to the equipment forum to ask about this exact thing and it was at the top of the posts! Not only can I only hit cuts but everything is off the heel. I don’t have this issue with any other driver, even other TM drivers with the exact same shaft. WTH!

[MerryTex]

I’m guessing that this driver works for some and other not so much. I do know that it’s picky with settings. I tried mine at stock and it didn’t work the best but it was manageable. I have it set to a bit more loft (about 10.5 measured) and weight halfway between neutral and fade and it’s damn near perfect. I’m able to hit it both ways and I finally have my fade back. I’ve never had a TM driver in the bag but this thing is a rocket. The ball just flies off the face with this thing.

[pearsonified]

Cool story: My 10.5º SIM Max turned into a 9.5º TS3 yesterday. Here's what happened...

When I got fitted for the SIM, I was swinging ~114mph and producing extremely low spins. Here's an example of typical shot data:

• Club: 114mph

• Ball: 167mph (~1.46 smash)

• Spin: 1880rpm

• Launch: 11.1º

After receiving the SIM, I did what any good ho would do and hit it for a week straight. But here's the thing—my driver swing has been AWFUL for at least 2 years, so I was trying to dial in the SIM and fix my garbage swing.

After making a couple of corrections, the club started behaving differently:

• Club: 118mph

• Ball: 173.6mph (~1.47 smash)

• Spin: 3200rpm

• Launch: 12.0º

Not only was I spinning the ball too much and losing distance, I was also having balls leak hard right when I felt like they should be drawing back toward the center. In fact, I was completely unable to draw the ball with the SIM yesterday while putting up these crazy spin numbers.

I messed with different SIM heads and adapter sleeve combinations, but I couldn't seem to get the spins in my "goldilocks zone" of 2000-2500rpm. But really, a far worse problem was simply that when I felt like I was producing a draw or a cut, the actual results were either the total opposite or hugely exaggerated.

(And strangely, with the 9º SIM Max head in every adapter sleeve setting, I simply could not spin the ball enough.)

Exasperated, I started trying some heads I'd kinda sorta liked in the past—Epic, Epic Flash, and TS3. And this is when I noticed something I'd felt for a couple years but never put my finger on...

Ever since the 2017 M2 (which includes the M3-M6 and the SIM models), I've felt like the weighting of the TM driver heads was "off." Interestingly, I noticed a similar feel with the Rogue and Mavrik heads, but I don't get the same sensation from the Epic or Epic Flash heads.

While I was waggling these puppies yesterday, the difference—and the thing that is make or break for me—became clear:With the TM/Rogue/Mavrik heads, my feeling is that there is more weight/mass under the hosel and on the golfer's side of the shaft at address.But with the TS3/Epic/Epic Flash heads, I feel like all the weight is on the clubhead side of the shaft/hosel.

Obviously, this difference is extremely subtle. But for me, it's the difference between "Oh, that felt like a draw" where the ball actually draws...versus a ball that leaks 50 yards right.

Whatever my brain expects to feel is aligned with the way the weighting of the TS3/Epic/Epic Flash heads and how they feel at the bottom (Tour Edge and Mizuno drivers behave similarly now, too). In my view, this feel is similar to the way drivers used to feel before the carbon crown "revolution," which has plenty of engineering merit but simply has not produced any confident feels for me.I suspect many of you out there are in the same boat, especially if you built up your driving chops before the carbon crown craze.

One last note: I love the way the TS3 face presents itself. Where the SIM heads have an elongated toe and pear-shaped curvature, the TS3 is more of a full-frontal presentation where the toe doesn't appear to extend well beyond the face (the way it does with the SIM).

Years ago, I noticed this type of face setup helps me achieve centered strikes more easily, and now this truth (for me) has proven itself yet again.

Because of this, I chose the TS3 over the Epic Flash (which I really liked, too), even though I gave up 1-2mph in average ball speed. The confidence I get from feeling "ok, that's a bit of a push draw" and watching the ball come back on a string is HUGE, especially since I feel like I'm driving the bus in SPEED whenever I tee it up in tournaments (this thing could go off the cliff at any minute).

Finally, my average TS3 numbers:

• Club: 117mph

• Ball: 172.4mph (~1.47 smash)

• Spin: 2450rpm

• Launch: 12.0ºTotal left-to-right dispersion was less than half of what it was with the SIM. Crucially, spin and launch were also more consistent with the TS3, and I now understand what a massive role that plays in my overall confidence off the tee.

[jlee0303]

Few more comments on SIM being fade bias from my observations:

There are several reviews on youtube where you can see pros leak it to the right. (Rick Shiels even in draw weight setting, TXG Matt on recent live testing of multiple heads, Mark Crossfield, etc)

Some confirmed on youtube (txg, mark crossfield) SIM is around 5 degrees flatter vs other drivers

All my playing partners who wanted to try my SIM all hit push fade on their first hit (they are all good single digit handicaps and their stock shot is draw).

Played with ex KLPGA tour player and her shots are always draw. (I play with her often) When she tried my SIM today she also hit push fades first 3 swings with my SIM. (my first time ever seeing her hit a fade!)

Last season, she hit my Double Diamond Epic SZ and she didn’t hit fade with the DD Epic SZ and drew with it instead, although Callaway claims it’s fade bias head.

Bottom line, this head is most fade bias I have ever played and people who tried my SIM for the first time all have hit push fade (currently 100% as I have yet to see anyone not hit a cut on their first try)

I play SIM 9 in standard sleeve setting, weight right behind the sweet spot and taped 2g lead tape on the bottom silver spot that runs from back weight to front weight for the SW purposes.

Having the driver for almost a month, I do not slice it anymore and can control it much better, being able to hit it both ways. However, I am not comfortable with it and always have a feeling huge right miss may pop up sometime during a round.

[odshot68]

What fairway woods are you guys gaming that play the sim driver? It seems after adjusting to this everything is now draw based I try.

[jlee0303]

Gaming SIM 3WD and SIM Max 3HY.

My first round with the SIM driver where I said I will not hit anything right of the my intended target line with the driver, I was successful, but hooked all other clubs that day hitting maybe 4 greens out of 18.

Ofcourse, I can’t play that way so thats why I have a feeling with SIM driver where FORE RIGHT may pop up during a round.

Have yet to have FORE RIGHT miss as I am still being protective of right side miss with the SIM.

Result, over drawing longer clubs and missing on unusal far toe side miss with the longer clubs.

[hambone1124]

I guess I am one of the few but have been struggling with the SIM driver and 3 wood and leftside - been nothing but hooks.

I had the same TZ5s in my LST woods and never struggled with left. I cannot figure it out - I opened the face and weight all the way in the toe. I guess I will be trying some other shafts or swapping back to PING.

[getitdaily]

17 M2...best fwy I've ever had. Will try my hardest to keep it in play for a while. Have a backup and can get more right now.

[jetmech879]

This post has me excited! Your experience seems identical to mine. I ordered the SIM Max with the 110 70x last week and can’t wait to get it on the course! Hopefully the outcome will be better than the regular SIM. I could not keep that from going right!