GolfWRX TaylorMade SLDR Driver Fitting Sessions Review and Recaps

[Scott@84]

[quote name='c3wdd' timestamp='1375265140' post='7574522']
I haven't been crazy about the acoustics of the TM drivers since the R9 460....Can anyone comment on the sound? Historically in the past few offerings it's been too harsh for me. I'm a quiet muted guy by nature
[/quote]g

It is much different then past years drivers including the R1. A very muted, solid thwack type sound. Sounds awesome!

[Waterboy]

[quote name='Scott@84' timestamp='1375272257' post='7574710']
[quote name='c3wdd' timestamp='1375265140' post='7574522']
I haven't been crazy about the acoustics of the TM drivers since the R9 460....Can anyone comment on the sound? Historically in the past few offerings it's been too harsh for me. I'm a quiet muted guy by nature
[/quote]g

It is much different then past years drivers including the R1. A very muted, solid thwack type sound. Sounds awesome!
[/quote]

The sound was what made me look at it a little closer.

[jj9000]

[quote name='c3wdd' timestamp='1375265140' post='7574522']
I haven't been crazy about the acoustics of the TM drivers since the R9 460....Can anyone comment on the sound? Historically in the past few offerings it's been too harsh for me. I'm a quiet muted guy by nature
[/quote]

Think "thwack" vs. the R11s and R1 "tink".

[tbowles411]

[quote name='jj9000' timestamp='1375275519' post='7574912']
[quote name='c3wdd' timestamp='1375265140' post='7574522']
I haven't been crazy about the acoustics of the TM drivers since the R9 460....Can anyone comment on the sound? Historically in the past few offerings it's been too harsh for me. I'm a quiet muted guy by nature
[/quote]

Think "thwack" vs. the R11s and R1 "tink".
[/quote]
UGH! Don't like "tink."

[the_saint_siwa]

[quote name='c3wdd' timestamp='1375265140' post='7574522']
I haven't been crazy about the acoustics of the TM drivers since the R9 460....Can anyone comment on the sound? Historically in the past few offerings it's been too harsh for me. I'm a quiet muted guy by nature
[/quote]

I believe one of the best playability feature of the SLDR (aside from the distance) is the sound! SLDR sounds and feels AWESOME! Wanna hear the sound? Check out this link: [media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb1ScLjbD1Q[/media]

[golfware]

Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL

[sbjinx]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

i always like reading reviews from non-OEM fans (didnt want to use homer or fanboy but you get my point). I'm actually looking to try this bad boy out

[TheMoneyShot]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

Oh, I believe it..... Lol

[Caesar Palache]

[quote name='TheMoneyShot' timestamp='1375301657' post='7578206']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

Oh, I believe it..... Lol
[/quote]

is this real life?

[golfware]

[quote name='sbjinx' timestamp='1375301570' post='7578196']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

i always like reading reviews from non-OEM fans (didnt want to use homer or fanboy but you get my point). I'm actually looking to try this bad boy out
[/quote]

Thx! I have a true disdain for all things TMAG, but I did like the sound and feel of it. I use to be a complete TM fanboy, but haven't been for a while now.

I think the TM guys will really like this head because to me, it's the first forgiving low spin head that they've made in a while. I don't think it's ground breaking or a paradigm shift in technology, but it definitely achieved a much improved sound and feel.

[golfware]

[quote name='Caesar Palache' timestamp='1375302321' post='7578264']
[quote name='TheMoneyShot' timestamp='1375301657' post='7578206']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

Oh, I believe it..... Lol
[/quote]

is this real life?
[/quote]

Yeah amigo!! LOL. Not don't get it all twisted. Not gonna go out and rock an all TMAG bag any time soon. LOL. But I liked. Given a solid fitting, I bet it might compete with my RFX.

But here's the thing though. I think some guys are gonna get this driver with the same loft they have, and may actually need more loft to get the spin up.

I saw some of those fittings and one guy was getting 40 yards of roll. WTH?? Who needs or wants 40 yards of roll?? Int my opinion, this driver needs to be hit outside big time. Everyone needs some spin to keep the ball straight and in the air. Just sayin'.

[chickenpotpie]

You guys who got these, did you end up going up/down in loft relative to what you were playing?

[ROBOPTI]

Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

 

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

 

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

 

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

 

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

 

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

 

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL

 

[golfnut5438]

[quote name='chickenpotpie' timestamp='1375305617' post='7578550']
You guys who got these, did you end up going up/down in loft relative to what you were playing?
[/quote]

With the drop in spin I went up in loft. 10.5 head adjusted to 11*.

[webber]

I have had a chance now to hit this on the range and the course. Say what you want think what you want but this thing is a freaking beast. Same shaft, same loft, same swingweight as my gamer (Ping i20) and I am hitting this new SLDR far! It comes off with such low spin it just flies really flat. You really have to make sure you tee it up and put a good swing on it apples to apples otherwise I HIGHLY recommend going up a little bit in loft.

The sound is great!

No bs.

[golfware]

Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

 

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

 

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

 

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

 

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

 

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

 

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL

 

 

Muah ha ha. Not hardly but it's a nice stick.

[Caesar Palache]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375305566' post='7578540']
Who needs or wants 40 yards of roll??
[/quote]

Corey Pavin

[golfware]

[quote name='Caesar Palache' timestamp='1375307860' post='7578842']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375305566' post='7578540']
Who needs or wants 40 yards of roll??
[/quote]
Corey Pavin
[/quote]

Touché! Lol

[jon12]

[quote name='Caesar Palache' timestamp='1375307860' post='7578842']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375305566' post='7578540']
Who needs or wants 40 yards of roll??
[/quote]

Corey Pavin
[/quote]

LMFAO

[Caesar Palache]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375307974' post='7578852']
[quote name='Caesar Palache' timestamp='1375307860' post='7578842']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375305566' post='7578540']
Who needs or wants 40 yards of roll??
[/quote]
Corey Pavin
[/quote]

Touché! Lol
[/quote]

I play 8* now but I ordered a 9.5* so we shall see what loft I'm at after getting on the launch monitor

[jimpsycho]

I think I should post some thoughts here real quick. I played a round yesterday and hit the driver 12 times. I didn't bring my best swing, but the times I connected it went further than I normally am on those holes. I hit a few of them low on the face and they went far. My best drives with my previous gamer would not be as far as the SLDR. I just need to remember to tee the ball higher as that is why I believe I am catching them lower on the face.

As a reminder, I was fit into an AD DI 6S at 44 7/8" which is identical to my current Anser.

The jury is still out for me. I am going to the range tonight to work on setup. The feel of this club is still awesome, but if I don't hit it well, it may be time to go back to my gamer.

[Hairpie]

[quote name='golfnut5438' timestamp='1375306423' post='7578642']
[quote name='chickenpotpie' timestamp='1375305617' post='7578550']
You guys who got these, did you end up going up/down in loft relative to what you were playing?
[/quote]

Same here....

With the drop in spin I went up in loft. 10.5 head adjusted to 11*.
[/quote]

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

So now we have a Cally guy's point if view. And he liked the SLDR. And the Earth just skipped off it's axis for a bit.

[Rebel420]

Has anyone tried this driver and found their current driver perform better for them?

[Waterboy]

[quote name='Rebel420' timestamp='1375316029' post='7579620']
Has anyone tried this driver and found their current driver perform better for them?
[/quote]

Might still be early for that. I knew my first time was different from what I was used to and needed some getting used to.

need a follow up soon

[rbilramz]

[quote name='chickenpotpie' timestamp='1375305617' post='7578550']
You guys who got these, did you end up going up/down in loft relative to what you were playing?
[/quote]

Up. From a 9.5 RBZ to a 10.5 SLDR.

[Rebel420]

[quote name='Waterboy' timestamp='1375317605' post='7579752']
[quote name='Rebel420' timestamp='1375316029' post='7579620']
Has anyone tried this driver and found their current driver perform better for them?
[/quote]

Might still be early for that. I knew my first time was different from what I was used to and needed some getting used to.

need a follow up soon
[/quote]
Reason I asked, is I tried one this evening. Very nice driver. Liked it... but wasn't completely blown away.
Sound was much better than any I've heard in a while. Felt very soft off the face.
Looked very nice in person. Only gripe I had, was to get a loft that worked for me, I couldn't get the face angle where I liked it ( I play at 8.75*, #2Open pos on the R1)
I did gain a few yards, but coming from an R1, the numbers were not huge.
A few tweaks of the R1, and I found myself hitting it a bet better and put up better numbers now with the R1. Again, not a full, fair, valid scientific comparison, as I did not try every shaft under the sun with it.
I did find myself slightly more accurate with the R1, but I would chalk that up to playing it for a couple of months vs. first time swinging the SLDR. To also be fair, I found the same issues with the Burner, RBZ and RBZ-Stg 2 drivers. I do find I can put up some better numbers with these drivers, but the lighter heads don't agree with me

Again, not a bad driver at all, and if I hadn't just bought an R1 a few months ago, I probably would have bought the SLDR (and of course, went through a full, thorough fitting). As it stands now, though, to me, it's not worth spending the $500, with only a few weeks left in the season with minimal gains. Add in the fact that i find that I would need time to adjust to the driver (other drivers have been more buy it, grip it, and rip it for me). I"m sure I will revisit the idea next spring as well as any other drivers that may be released, but for now, I'm happy with what I have (somewhat... anyone have a stock R1 TP shaft they want to trade/sell cheap?).

Again, this isn't saying this driver is bad... just wasn't worth it to ME, at this time. It is a very nice driver, looks, sounds and feels great! (and yes, I am looking at cotton balls for my R1 to quiet it up a bit!!).

...This further reinforces my belief that it is a great thing that TM is constantly changing and releasing new clubs. This club is a winner for some who would may not have ever tried a TM driver. Some TM guys are doing really well with it...and that is great!! But equally great is the fact that I was able to find a driver that fit me well this year (and was able to get it at the 'reduced' price!!)

[golfware]

[quote name='Rebel420' timestamp='1375316029' post='7579620']
Has anyone tried this driver and found their current driver perform better for them?
[/quote]

Yes and no. My fitted RFX/Oban KW 65 stiff is far straighter than the SLDR TP I tried. Howeve I wasn't fitted into the SLDR so I can't pass judgment.

[ladahl]

[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375321861' post='7580192']
[quote name='Rebel420' timestamp='1375316029' post='7579620']
Has anyone tried this driver and found their current driver perform better for them?
[/quote]

Yes and no. My fitted RFX/Oban KW 65 stiff is far straighter than the SLDR TP I tried. Howeve I wasn't fitted into the SLDR so I can't pass judgment.
[/quote]
Sure you can... But, don't.

[golfware]

[quote name='Goldenhawk' timestamp='1375315048' post='7579524']
[quote name='golfware' timestamp='1375299231' post='7577918']
Okay. So here's my complete biased review since I'm totally not a TMAG homer at all... Lol

I got the chance to demo this club on a LM a couple of days ago at The Golfmart here in South SF. It was the TP version with the Motore Speeder TS 6.3 stiff, 9.5* head set to lower.

Sound: excellent. They REALLY went back to their roots and hit a solid home run with the SLDR. Great sound. MUCH improved over that crappy TINK sound of the R1, R11, R11S. It's as close to the 510TP as they have some in my opinion.

Looks: Great looking clubbed. Really like how it sets up behind the ball. The glossy mettalic grey finish looks sweet, along with the bright silver sliver on the back. Really looks nice.

Performance: it's LOW spin. Think Superdeep with some forgiveness. Actually, that setup for me produced TOO low of spin. I'm talking less than 2000 rpm spin, which is not ideal for me. I was getting some solid ballspeed, approximately 160 or so, but my spin was too low, which is a rarity for TMAG drivers for me which are generally too HIGH spin for me.

I think people are gonna like this a lot. Quite a bit actually. It's not my cup of tea, although the feel was back to the classic TM and so are the looks too.

There... I gave TM a kudos. TheMoneyShot and CaesarPalache won't believe it when they read this.... But I did. LOL
[/quote]

So now we have a Cally guy's point if view. And he liked the SLDR. And the Earth just skipped off it's axis for a bit.
[/quote]

It's MUCH better to me than the R1 and R11S, but then again, that's a pretty low starting point in my mind. Lol

Much better feel, although truth be told I think the Optiforce feels and sounds light years better. I love the muted feel of the Optiforce. Definitely TM's best feeling driver in years. No ear plugs needed. Lol

In my opinion, if you're already rocking a low spin bomber like the RFX, Anser and 913D3, then it won't do anything that those drivers already do.