GolfWRX TaylorMade SLDR Driver Fitting Sessions Review and Recaps

[deck]

[quote name='Caesar Palache' timestamp='1378343860' post='7799181']
[quote name='deck' timestamp='1378309631' post='7796165']
[quote name='youngwaldo' timestamp='1378309368' post='7796143']
[quote name='cameronputtercollector' timestamp='1378308456' post='7796057']
How do you add or subtract weight from the SLDR head? Obviously over the years with the MWT tech you could add or subtract heavier weights to get the desired swingweight. How do you accomplish this with the SLDR??
[/quote]

I am not sure how far back but Caesar mentioned how de did it.

Wk
[/quote]

Ceaser actually used a grinder on the weight I believe. Taking it down from 20 to 12 grams. With a minor injury lol
[/quote]

Minor burn from the hot weight.

[attachment=1864659:image.jpg]

But yes I ground about 8g off making it d3 with my kiyoshi white. Love it now
[/quote]

Looks like the callaway chevron. Hmmm. Harry get you to do something? Lol.

[Golfrnut]

[quote name='golfnut5438' timestamp='1378353028' post='7800223']
[quote name='ROBOPTI' timestamp='1378350393' post='7799939']
Ok ... Forgive me for not knowing ALL the SLDR details - I'm playing catch up. I finally hit one in the REAL world ...

..... I'm listening

Quick ? ... on average ... How much do these heads tend to weigh WITH the adapters

Thanks Dark-Siders
[/quote]

Mine is 203g w/o the adapter, and 210g with the tip.
[/quote]

Pretty sure I am VERY close to this as well. I never did measure the head/adapter independently, but I know my total weight is 316g. That is with a 49g grip and a shaft that is right around 55g

[DTown3011]

Love playing 44.5" drivers because the head weight is a non-issue with this club!

[Zach Heusser]

[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1378382591' post='7800937']
Love playing 44.5" drivers because the head weight is a non-issue with this club!
[/quote]
+1

[TMBob]

[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1378382591' post='7800937']
Love playing 44.5" drivers because the head weight is a non-issue with this club!
[/quote]

Explain please....of course I understand that a 44.5" playing length needs head weight. (Thus if the SLDR are slightly heavier, it works great for a shorter playing length) Is that what you are saying or something different?

[DTown3011]

[quote name='TMBob' timestamp='1378392917' post='7801609']
[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1378382591' post='7800937']
Love playing 44.5" drivers because the head weight is a non-issue with this club!
[/quote]

Explain please....of course I understand that a 44.5" playing length needs head weight. (Thus if the SLDR are slightly heavier, it works great for a shorter playing length) Is that what you are saying or something different?
[/quote]

Correct. A 44.5" driver needs a heavier head to swingweight at my preferred D2/D3 than most of the stock stuff out there. Especially when you consider 45.5" and 46" are "stock" lengths nowadays. However with this driver "generally" being heavier, there should be zero issues.

I've been custom weighting all my driver heads for many years (usually with hotmelt) since almost every club needs additional weight to play D2/D3 at 44.5".

[tp280]

So much for will power and avoiding this release... I saw the SLDR with the 57 shaft in the shop and thought OK maybe I need (curious and have $500.00 burning a hole in my wallet), to match one up to my gamer R11. so an afternoon on Ebay and I came up with the following components:

SLDR 9.5 head (TP sticker on the wrapper, hmm maybe the head weight will be less than the regular SLDR)? $309.00
New Tour issue metal tip $26.00
Fujikura TaylorMade R1 Graphic Motore Speeder 7.2 VC Stiff shaft new $139.00
Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip M58R $4.00
Head cover $19.00

Tip shaft 1/2" to match R1, check
Try different tip settings to see the face angle, check
Install shaft at 1/2* lower loft, check
Cut to 45" length, install grip, all measures up to R11 gamer, check
Measure swing weight D8... here we go, heat and remove trap door, check
Grind 16 Gram weight down so finish SW is D3.5, check
Epoxy Trap door back in place, check

As the glue dries, I thought I'd contribute this, more to come tomorrow after testing. As to the thoughts on using an FCT screw to secure the trap door, the hole is a bit larger than the screw, (hot melt access?). I guess the whole process is no different than grinding a MWT screw to get SW just right, and not much different than what I needed to do on my Mizuno MP-600 grinding both weights to reduce a similar SW issue a few years back. Hoping for some nice drives tomorrow. At least I have a gamer shaft with the new tip on it for future TM drivers.

[tp280]

A quick safety note on grinding the weight, I used an old FCT screw and some needle nose vice grips to secure the weight and ground the back side. It took three tries to get the weight perfect, and each time I set the tool down and went for coffee so that the metal would cool. (When in doubt drop some liquid on the metal and see if it sizzles). I used the edge of the grinder stop to get a nice smooth even grind. I think I made the weight about 1.5 mm thinner, When I'm done testing position location, I'll drip some purple Loctite in and seal it down. I know this post could go in club building but as many of us will end up grinding the weight, Just a thought on safety where its likely to be read.

[the_saint_siwa]

Good morning guys,

How are your SLDRs been treating you so far? For those who won the contest, did you change the weight setting? During my round, I noticed that "something" made a rattle sound. I thought it was the weight because it happened before. So I tighten the screw on the weight but the rattle still there. Come to find out that it was the weight port cover. I've been pushing it down and the rattle seems to go away or should I just pop it out and put a little super glue?

[golfnut5438]

[quote name='the_saint_siwa' timestamp='1380030836' post='7902841']
Good morning guys,

How are your SLDRs been treating you so far? For those who won the contest, did you change the weight setting? During my round, I noticed that "something" made a rattle sound. I thought it was the weight because it happened before. So I tighten the screw on the weight but the rattle still there. Come to find out that it was the weight port cover. I've been pushing it down and the rattle seems to go away or should I just pop it out and put a little super glue?
[/quote]

Mine is still firmly in my bag. I've played around a bit at the range with the settings and location of the weight, but I've always returned to my fitting locations because they are the most consistent. Have had 3 of my lowest rounds ever with the SLDR in the bag. Primarily because I'm hitting from the fairway much more often than before the switch. No rattles or any other issues with mine.

[Hairpie]

Finally feel like I'm getting it dialed in...while I was fit with a 10.5 with loft increased 1 degree and weight one notch back from extreme fade. I've switched to a 12 degree head set @ 12 neutral and weght 3 notches back from extreme fade. Duck hooks I experienced with initial setup are virtually gone.... going to a 12 did wonders for me...it raised the ballflight and squared up the head much better...mine isn't going anywhere...do not be hesitant to go up in loft.

[Hairpie]

No rattling issues either...

[tp280]

I can't believe its been a month and I have only played eighteen holes with the new SLDR with no practice balls, (busy completing an MBA, starting a new job and enjoying the heart of the cycling season, (grand fondos and club rides). So little time...

Excellent results on the course, may be a little less likely to miss left than my R11. Trajectory and roll are perfect. Sound is a bit different than the R11. Hoping to get some fall golf in before Thanksgiving...

[quote name='tp280' timestamp='1378481144' post='7806925']
So much for will power and avoiding this release... I saw the SLDR with the 57 shaft in the shop and thought OK maybe I need (curious and have $500.00 burning a hole in my wallet), to match one up to my gamer R11. so an afternoon on Ebay and I came up with the following components:

SLDR 9.5 head (TP sticker on the wrapper, hmm maybe the head weight will be less than the regular SLDR)? $309.00
New Tour issue metal tip $26.00
Fujikura TaylorMade R1 Graphic Motore Speeder 7.2 VC Stiff shaft new $139.00
Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip M58R $4.00
Head cover $19.00

Tip shaft 1/2" to match R1, check
Try different tip settings to see the face angle, check
Install shaft at 1/2* lower loft, check
Cut to 45" length, install grip, all measures up to R11 gamer, check
Measure swing weight D8... here we go, heat and remove trap door, check
Grind 16 Gram weight down so finish SW is D3.5, check
Epoxy Trap door back in place, check

As the glue dries, I thought I'd contribute this, more to come tomorrow after testing. As to the thoughts on using an FCT screw to secure the trap door, the hole is a bit larger than the screw, (hot melt access?). I guess the whole process is no different than grinding a MWT screw to get SW just right, and not much different than what I needed to do on my Mizuno MP-600 grinding both weights to reduce a similar SW issue a few years back. Hoping for some nice drives tomorrow. At least I have a gamer shaft with the new tip on it for future TM drivers.
[/quote]

[rbilramz]

Quick update from me. After playing with several shafts (RIP Beta, White Tie, Fubuki Alpha & the trusty 'ahina) I am back to using the exact set up I was fit for, and am getting amazing results. I've recently broken 80 (twice!) for the first time and am driving the ball a little further and much more accurate than ever before. It was hard to stop tinkering and admit everything fit perfectly, but that's my problem. The SLDR is firmly locked in my bag

[mrcool3101]

[quote name='rbilramz' timestamp='1381078976' post='7960741']
Quick update from me. After playing with several shafts (RIP Beta, White Tie, Fubuki Alpha & the trusty 'ahina) I am back to using the exact set up I was fit for, and am getting amazing results. I've recently broken 80 (twice!) for the first time and am driving the ball a little further and much more accurate than ever before. It was hard to stop tinkering and admit everything fit perfectly, but that's my problem. The SLDR is firmly locked in my bag
[/quote]
+1 the sldr helps me shoot under 70 more consistenlty due to the increase in length off the tee. I gained around 10 yards over the vr pro which leaves me with a club shorter into the green. I still feel that the head is a bit too heavy. I tried using shorter shafts but the loss of distance is annoying. Did anyone experiment with counterweights?

[drbonesvt]

Anyone try the sldr driver with the TS 8.3x?

[Walkerdb7]

[quote name='Walkerdb7' timestamp='1375810300' post='7616968']
[quote name='Walkerdb7' timestamp='1374265406' post='7493796']
Mine will be a work in progress. I am hoping to update this with some launch monitor stats once I receive them...

Unfortunately, no one in our group was as trigger happy with their phones as the boys from NJ. We missed a really great opportunity to show you all a very impressive and well kept secret, the Taylormade Performance Lab.

First Impressions: I am not sure about anyone else, but visiting Olympia Fields was cool enough to make my day! The gated entrances and multiple buildings made our entrance the TMPL less than direct. When we finally arrived, we were greeted with Microbrews, Miller Lites, and a nice presentation talking about the development of the SLDR, not be confused with the "Slider" which is trademarked already in sports. During the presentation, Mizgoodie and I were asking Tom lots of questions about the R&D process, It turns out we both work in manufacturing. Seeing the cross section of a SLDR was particularly interesting. I had no idea how much development went into the inside of a head and how intricate the features were.

I am not sure that I am a Fanboy of one company, but I generally hadn't considered many TM products in the past. I have been golfing since 1997 and the only TM product I gamed was the R7 Quad. I had one for about 24 months when they were brand new. I was particularly interested in this experience to see how their products had changed over the last decade, if their new products would convert me to being a TM guy, and if one of their pros could fit me into a product that would deliver some more accuracy with the big dog. I am comfortable with my distance off the tee, about 280+ with my current Cleveland Ultralight, but I struggle with accuracy at times. I would even be comfortable sacrificing 10 yards in distance to have something that gave me confidence and help controlled the miss hits.

Fitting: Having the same guys that have worked with Sergio, Rosey, DJ, and the rest of the TM Staff work on me, an average joe 15 handicaper, was particularly exiting. I've been fit a couple times before at big box stores, but never left confident the fitter was that knowledgeable. After we warmed up, they began to pass out the SLDRs. It looks 100% better in person than in the pictures. The color is a nice charcoal grey and the alignment aids are there, but not overpowering. If the driver was logoless, I never would have guessed it was a Taylormade. We all were after 10.5 heads, so there was a bit of log jam. Due to the limited availability of this Prototype model, there were only two 10.5 heads. When my un-diagnosed ADD kicked in, I picked up a 9.5 set to neutral and started swinging away. Weird... my ball flight was just fine. Fortunately, hitting in front of industry professionals and board members had my nervs at a 10 and my typical mishit kicked in quickly. I began pushing / push fading / slicing balls toward the house on the right of the range. When Brad saw this, he immediately moved me to full draw bias and corrected the problem. I was thoroughly impressed with what moving 18 grams a couple inches could fix. I was hitting the ball mostly straight with a couple hooks mixed in. I was second up on the launch monitor and Brad changed my shaft right away. He installed a Oban Devotion and was very pleased with the results. He called the next 2-3 shots "Fillets". They were all around 260 carry with 2200 RPM back spin ( I will add more data if I get it) and Brad declared that setup the winner. I took a few more swings and discovered the most gratifying part about the driver... Mishits go far. I hit one completely thin and expected it to be a warm burner of around 100 yards. It carried 235 and went dead straight. I was amazed. I can't wait to get this driver onto the course for the real test. Hopefully it'll minimize the human error for me and give me confidence on the tee box.


Other Thoughts: The Q & A at the end was really fun. I got to ask all of the golf industry questions I've ever wondered and get credible answers. It also put a very human touch on TMAG. Hearing everyone speak, you got a sense of how devoted TMAG is to making the best products possible and how concerned they are with the perception that they "are just a marketing machine". Like Tom said, "If weren't aren't developing a great new product every year, someone else will and we lose our edge". Think about it... What's so bad about a company developing something every 12 months that could improve my scoring ability?
[/quote]

So... I've had my driver for a few weeks now. I have used it a couple times in my weekly league and in a couple weekend rounds with friends.

Once I got the driver, I went to my local PGA SS practice bays with the goal of comparing the driver for an extended period of time to my current gamer. I would imagine that I was making one of the biggest changes, if not the biggest, of anyone else testing the SLDR. I was switching from an 2010 10.5 deg ultra light driver with a 46" high launch shaft to a 2014 9.5 deg low spin standard weight driver with 45" low launch shaft.

I took 5 swings with each for my warm up and ran into some technical difficulty...

I was not able to do the extensive testing I wanted, but here is what I found from my warm up.

Launcher DST - 10.5 - 5 Swing Comparison
Diamana Red Board Ultra Light 46"
Spin - 1683
Carry - 232.2
Total - 250.5
Launch - 10.5
Ball Speed - 152.6
Swing Speed -109.7

SLDR 9.5 - 5 Swing Comparison
Oban Devotion 6, 4 Flex 45"
Spin - 2076
Carry - 240.7
Total - 260.3
Launch - 10.2
Ball Speed - 150.1
Swing Speed - 111.6

As you can see, even fresh out of the car with no warm up, the SLDR performed better. I gained about 10 yards of distance. Once I warmed up, the stats improved. I was disappointed I couldn't see if I still got that 10 extra yards compared to my Cleveland.

SLDR - Overall Average
Spin - 2294
Cary - 254.2
Total - 268.8
Launch - 9.8 Deg
Ball Speed - 154.4
Swing Speed - 110.8

On the course.

As I mentioned above, I am content with my distance. Although extra yardage is great, I am not craving it. I want something that can help control the mishits and install some confidence in the tee box. Driver accuracy is the bar none Achilles heel of my game. This is where the SLDR has shinned for me. A couple shots that felt really thin, like nearly topped, still carried. A couple of swings that were super quick and sliced horribly stayed in play. The difference is substantial in that it saved me at least a couple shots a round compared to my existing driver. I am still 100% confident yet, but it's better than it was.

The toughest thing to get used to has been the visual of my ball flight. My trajectory has probably been way to high for a long time. When I crush the SLDR and look up, I get worried it didn't carry anywhere. I am amazed to walk up to my ball and realize how wrong I am. More than anything, my eyes are still adjusting to a proper ball flight.

I am also getting used to a drastically different feel. I am guessing it's a characteristic of the low spin driver, but I can't always tell where I hit the ball just by feel. With my Launcher, I could close my eyes, swing, and call out straight, push, draw, slice, hook, etc. With the SLDR, I know left or right. I can't feel a ball pushed right vs a ball I sliced right. I will update this again over time to see if my feel grows with use or it's a characteristic of the driver.
[/quote]

Out of curiosity, who lofted up during their fittings? I keep seeing the adds on TV and they are recommending people loft up when they go to SLDR. As you can see from my post, I went from a 10.5 to a 9.5.

[Goldenhawk]

I went from a 9.5ish set up in the R1 to a 10.5 in the SLDR. The driver has been working great and is still in the bag.

[jslatts14]

Little late to the party but used Titleist drivers for a while and wasn't a very good driver of the ball then switched to an r1 and my driving improved dramatically. Now I am waiting for my sldr tp to arrive expecting great things as everyone seems to be getting extra distance and accuracy.

[Walkerdb7]

Well, I got curious about the loft change and did a little testing yesterday. I compared my SLDR 9.5* to an SLDR 12* to my old Cleveland Launcher DST 10.5* and the results were very interesting.

I did a warm up with a Momentus and then took 5 shots with a club, switched and took 5 shots with the next, switched and took 5 shots with the last, and then repeated the process for a second round. My goal was to eliminate a swing grove from skewing the results in favor of one driver or the other. If you compare the 10 shot averages for all 3 drivers, they are very very similar and it seems like this Indian will perform about the same with about any arrow. If you compare the best 5 swings with each driver, the 9.5 SLDR added 4-5 yards for me... substantiating some of the SLDR hype.

After using the SLDR for the summer and joining a pretty long course, 7200+ from the tips, the SLDR is definitely staying in the bag for the time being. Once I got used to the feel, I prefer it vastly to the Cleveland. I also agree with my initial review that is considerably more accurate than my Cleveland, which the attached data confirms as well. It keeps the ball in play more and that's my top priority. The other added benefit to the SLDR, which the data supports, it that when I take a good swing it definitely gives me something extra. On the average to bad swing, it flies as far as the Cleveland and stays in play. In summary, I am not giving up distance on the bad swings, I am gaining distance on the good swings, and its more accurate than my previous driver. . . How can you say no to that combo?*


* Now that I have a process I like for testing drivers, I will probably mess around with different drivers over the winter and see if anything can oust the SLDR before next season.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions

[duffer987]

Quick update:
After having the SLDR in the bag from after the contest until the 15th of this month, I've gone back to my 913D2 this past weekend.
All my best rounds of the year came with the SLDR in the bag (funnily enough that would be the height of summer too) and when on, it really is good for an extra some yards. Had my best driving round ever* on a tough course (Blackhorse in Monterey) with it in Sept, where everything was an automatic, deep (for me) 'baby draw'. It definitely did help my game by giving me a club less into greens now and again.

However, somethings gone a bit wonky with my driver swing since Oct and the Titleist is simply easier for me to hit when things aren't working correctly. I played it twice this past weekend and after the first couple holes getting used to the lighter weight, it worked a charm. I don't know if it's simply a weight thing, but through the end of the year I'll keep using it.

I reckon once I'm done with this palette cleansing exercise, I'll go back to the SLDR and see if I can recapture the summer's awesomeness. It would be great if TM made a weight kit for the SLDR available, but I won't be holding my breath.

[size=2]*Felt like ever, couldn't think of a better one, but maybe there was one at some point[/size]

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='duffer987' timestamp='1385571856' post='8216364']
Quick update:
After having the SLDR in the bag from after the contest until the 15th of this month, I've gone back to my 913D2 this past weekend.
All my best rounds of the year came with the SLDR in the bag (funnily enough that would be the height of summer too) and when on, it really is good for an extra some yards. Had my best driving round ever* on a tough course (Blackhorse in Monterey) with it in Sept, where everything was an automatic, deep (for me) 'baby draw'. It definitely did help my game by giving me a club less into greens now and again.

However, somethings gone a bit wonky with my driver swing since Oct and the Titleist is simply easier for me to hit when things aren't working correctly. I played it twice this past weekend and after the first couple holes getting used to the lighter weight, it worked a charm. I don't know if it's simply a weight thing, but through the end of the year I'll keep using it.

I reckon once I'm done with this palette cleansing exercise, I'll go back to the SLDR and see if I can recapture the summer's awesomeness. It would be great if TM made a weight kit for the SLDR available, but I won't be holding my breath.

[size=2]*Felt like ever, couldn't think of a better one, but maybe there was one at some point[/size]
[/quote]

Thanks for the update