Taylor Made R580XD

[Millhill88]

Is anybody famiiar with this?

I played golf 2 times this week with an old friend who found me on facebook. He has always been a Taylor Made guy. He still has his old Firesoles in his garage!

Anyways, he is still gaming an R580xd Driver with the 45", TS (Tour Stiff Flex -I think thats what it stands for) shaft. He says he has tried almost every TM driver that has come out over the last 8 years and nothing has dethroned the R580XD. His brother, who played with us, has the 2010 Super Fast in the bag.

I hit his R580XD several times during our rounds. I also hit the 2010 SuperFast. I was shocked at how long and straight the R580XD was. Well...when I say straight, I mean in the fairway. Each shot for me was a soft fade, but every one was in play. I was actually shorter, and way left when I hit the Superfast. The R580XD was more consistant, and dare I say, a little longer than my current driver!

Does anyone have real knowledge about these drivers? Were they .830 cor? I believe these things came out in 2003. Did the USGA have a cor limit back then?

It just seems odd that the old thing was holding it's own, and winning when compared to the newer drivers, with newer technology.

Please give me any info if you have it!!

Thanks!!

[shark101au]

The R580XD has a COR of .86 making it an illegal club in competition.

[LBlack14]

[quote name='shark101au' timestamp='1316922133' post='3588869']
The R580XD has a COR of .86 making it an illegal club in competition.
[/quote]

Might wanna check this list of conforming heads. I'm sure there were non conforming heads out there.

http://www.usga.org/ConformingGolfClub/ConformingClubList_M.pdf

[goliath23]

It is an amazing head to say the least. I am thinking of re shafting mine for craps and giggles. Its so long and has a great feel and sound. It is very harsh but when you connect watch out. I think i'm gonna do it this week and put it in play at the wide courses. I miss it.

I have tried multiple drivers since the r580xd and still nothing is as satisfying as hitting one just right as this head. I just have the head laying around so I am going to put one of the extra shafts in it and watch it fly.

I have tried the hyper X, g10, ft tour, g15 and not to mention all the club demo's ive been to and still nothing is as sweet as this head.

[bobcat]

[quote name='shark101au' timestamp='1316922133' post='3588869']
The R580XD has a COR of .86 making it an illegal club in competition.
[/quote]


The above post is misleading to say the least...

The only non-conforming heads in TaylorMade's R500 Series were those without scoring lines in the center of the driver face. If yours has lines all the way across the center of the face, then it is a conforming model.

[Simp]

And even if it were illegal there's not much difference between .83 and .86 yardage wise. Probably not even discernable to you or me.

[shark101au]

[quote name='bobcat' timestamp='1316974648' post='3589667']
[quote name='shark101au' timestamp='1316922133' post='3588869']
The R580XD has a COR of .86 making it an illegal club in competition.
[/quote]


The above post is misleading to say the least...

The only non-conforming heads in TaylorMade's R500 Series were those without scoring lines in the center of the driver face. If yours has lines all the way across the center of the face, then it is a conforming model.


[/quote]

Not really "to say the least", but hey if you're prone to exaggeration I guess it is to you

[generalpatton]

[quote]The only non-conforming heads in TaylorMade's R500 Series were those without scoring lines in the center of the driver face. If yours has lines all the way across the center of the face, then it is a conforming model.
[/quote]

Exactly - The initial generation of R500 drivers were the ones that got caught in the middle of the .cor rule and that's why TM added the scoring lines to the new ones so you could tell the difference between the two. Of the models that followed the R500 - the R540, R580, R540xd and R580xd I don't think there were ever nonconforming models released, at least in the US. Certainly not on either of the XD models as they were actually third generation R500 series.

[Bob_golf1]

[quote name='generalpatton' timestamp='1317037382' post='3591270']
[quote]The only non-conforming heads in TaylorMade's R500 Series were those without scoring lines in the center of the driver face. If yours has lines all the way across the center of the face, then it is a conforming model.
[/quote]

Exactly - The initial generation of R500 drivers were the ones that got caught in the middle of the .cor rule and that's why TM added the scoring lines to the new ones so you could tell the difference between the two. Of the models that followed the R500 - the R540, R580, R540xd and R580xd I don't think there were ever nonconforming models released, at least in the US. Certainly not on either of the XD models as they were actually third generation R500 series.
[/quote]
I have a non-conforming R580xd...no score lines

[Jack Pearsall]

used one for many years, still use it as a second driver. long is the word, decent feel and sound off the face. slightly open face as i recall. it is very long....

[dmagalhaes]

I have a V1 580XD with the Mitsubishi Rayon Kuehne shaft. It was forgiving and pretty long.

[goaliescott]

>>Of the models that followed the R500 - the R540, R580, R540xd and R580xd I don't think there were ever nonconforming models released, at least in the US

I had a non-conforming 540XD purchased from the now-defunct proshopwarehouse.
I don't know if it was US market or not.

[Judgepickles]

I have a R580xd, 4 handicapper..which i havent played too in a long while mind you, but I still hit it pretty long off the tee. I have 4 drivers sitting in my cupboard and I bought a new one yesterday (superfast 2.0 TP).. I always come back to the R580...when I am playing well nothing out hits this thing. I was on the practice fairway about 2 years ago with a cobra guy trying out the S3 or something...hitting it okay, was actually considering buying one at the time...hit 1 ball with my driver and lobbed all the cobra drivers..we looked at each other and I said sorry pal. I am sure the same thing will happen with the superfast but i have a mental disorder that means i have to purchase it to find out.

[Thrillhouse]

There was also a R580xd TP that was tour only. That thing was amazing.

[cmrl1986]

Layer this driver all through my senior year of high school tournaments and the state tourney. Great driver and was long. I don't think it's as long as my SF TP 1.0 though.

[storm319]

The original R500 series (510, 540, 580) that was initially released in 2002 was .860 and non-conforming. The majority of them were recalled once they were deemed non-conforming by the USGA and replaced with .830 conforming versions with scorelines on the center of the face. The R540XD & R580XD were released in 2003 but only .830 conforming models were released in the US. The R580XD at 440cc is basically a larger R580 without the crown lines.

[Oldplayer]

I am currently gaming one. It is the conforming model. The story is I have tried quite a few quality drivers over the years. More recently a 905r, 907 d2,original TEE, nickent 4dx se, 9032ls,cobra s2, r7, r7 425, ft9, and quite a few others. Most recently a g15. The 580xd with the right shaft beats all these. Interesting that a driver BEFORE the r7 series is as good or better than anything since.
Story was the g15 at 10.5 with a serano was launching too high for the windy conditions I often play in. I had the 580xd that I bought off ebay a few years ago but it had a shaft I didn't like. It is a 9.5. Went and saw my local club builder and he put a grafalloy prolaunch red into it. i now have a lower launching lower spinning driver that gets out there with plenty of roll. I have dropped from 4.7 to 2.3 cap since i put this in the bag.
I highly recommend this head and believe it is one of the all time great heads. Right up there with the 905r.

[scotty_2987]

I want to bump this just to see if anyone else is still using this classic. Ive tried many of the newer drivers, on the course where it counts: Mavrik, ts2, TS3, g410, m5 etc... and none of them are as consistent as this old thing. It is literally point and shoot, it just wants to go straight. And it’s just as long as the newer stuff. I’ve had them side by side. Yes it’s the conforming model before anyone asks. It seems crazy to think a driver 18 years old can keep up with the new stuff. I love the smaller look of it and it has a deeper face then most of the newer drivers out today which I love. Just wanted to show it some love and see if anyone else is still using one. 

[cardoustie]

I had the tp, pretty solid
my first tour issue club 

[leftygang44]

My grandfather gave me a r580xd 9.5 driver, havent tried it out but it looks like it hasnt been used in a while.

 

Now that I know these are legal I might give it away to a beginner

[moolman]

Brings back memories because I bought a Tour Issue 580XD from some dude on bombsomething website way back in the day. I bought it for $800, it was just okay. I was dumb, thought Tour Issue made a difference. I did find another sucker who paid me $1200 for it...lol

[Reedreed19]

i use a 580xd. my neighbor gave it to me in october 2020. im still a beginner but this is the first driver ive been able to hit. i hit the ball further than anybody i play with...but i dont play with low handicappers either. i love it. 

[just_steveu]

I'm still playing my R580XD 9.5* Grafalloy Blue 65X. Ten years ago I was real long with it. I have misplaced about 10 mph of swing speed that I'm working on finding again. I need to get some launch monitor time to see what my current numbers are with this club. I suspect that I am launching a bit high and over 3k rpm. Right now I'm kinda trying to talk myself into a Callaway Mavrik, but I just don't know if I would be getting anything beyond shiny and newer.

[Hellstorm]

I just gave mine away to a friend that was starting out.  I wasn't playing it all the time, but I did take it out for a spin a few times a year.  I am not going to say I hit it better than my M3 but the driver was great.  In my younger days, I used to send balls flying with that bad boy.  

[Scootre]

I used to have one with a H. Kuehne shaft in it. Loved that driver back in the day. 

[Woody11456]

I'm still playing my 580xd and it's still a great driver. My swing speed is quite a bit slower than in years past and I'm falling behind, so I am going to try out a Callaway Mavrik Max. Any others using a Max out there?

[JNewsted]

This was a great era for drivers.  I didn't have the 580xd but played the r5TP for about 6 seasons.  I still keep it around and bring it and my 983k and Mizuno MP001 for a spin occasionally.  They very nearly better the current stuff.

[Hairpie]

On 1/8/2012 at 3:57 PM, Thrillhouse said:

There was also a R580xd TP that was tour only. That thing was amazing.

I've still got 2 of the 540 XD TP's. I'll never let em go. Only a 400 cc head but so solid and easy to hit. Tried the 580 XD TP but never liked it as much. The r7 425 TP was a beast as well but very hard to find.

[Swingingk]

Unlike a lot of folks here on wrx I don't dabble in all the latest expensive drivers and shafts but I do try a lot of 2-5 year old high-end used stuff - several dozen over the last decade but nothing has ever bumped my R580xd.  I've quit trying to replace it.  Maybe thats boring but it just plain works for me.

[FredZollner]

On 9/26/2011 at 7:18 AM, Jack Pearsall said:

used one for many years, still use it as a second driver. long is the word, decent feel and sound off the face. slightly open face as i recall. it is very long....

Yep. The thing was a beast. One of the few old clubs I have still have in my collection.