SLDR Fairway Wood Review

[DaBigSaus]

[quote name='yahtzee' timestamp='1385301232' post='8198956']
I played again yesterday. Anyone think it's NOT that easy to hit off of the deck? It reminds me of the 910FD fairway. I've connected on it a few times and it definitely goes. I came from an R9 Ti 3w which was very easy off of the deck.
[/quote]

I thought that of the 15* yes. Not easy to hit at all and launched really low for me. I like the HL 17* much better.

[gioguy21]

i picked this up today in the 3HL and set it a notch higher loft to get some better carry numbers on the LM. can't wait to put it in play next weekend.

[yahtzee]

I have the regular 3/15°. Would dialing it up higher or down lower have any impact to how it reacts to the turf?

[Zach Heusser]

[quote name='yahtzee' timestamp='1385174081' post='8193436']
Played the SLDR 15° with the AD DI6 in it today. One word - wow. Easily 15yds longer than the R9 Ti head in same shaft. Looks so good at setup. Very confident standing over it. Love this club. Nice muted yet springy sound on impact. Headed for the hybrids.
[/quote]
Wow that is awesome! I can't wait to try the same combo except with a Di 7 or 8.

[yhj]

Great Review! Thanks!

[dunn]

[quote name='Rob G.' timestamp='1383792234' post='8113212']
Had a chance to hit a SLDR 3 Wood today and wanted to share a couple of thoughts. I play a SLDR driver and LOVE IT. Once you get it dialed in there is nothing better. But in my opinion PING makes the best fairway woods and hybrids bar none. Never hit anything better. Right now I'm gaming an Anser 3 wood with an AD DI 7x and will never get rid of it. It's my security blanket 3 wood. Does exactly what I want it to do... when I make the correct swing that is. Anyway... I have some pictures below that show what it looks like next to my Anser.

[attachment=1939796:_MG_1225.JPG][attachment=1939798:_MG_1227.JPG][attachment=1939800:_MG_1231.JPG][attachment=1939802:_MG_1232.JPG][attachment=1939804:_MG_1233.JPG][attachment=1939806:_MG_1235.JPG]

First thought was....

Yes! TaylorMade got it right in a couple areas.... 1) No silly sticky SLDR logo that might pop off. It is actually all golf club with the cut out on the sole. 2) Awesome look. FINALLY a nice shallow 3 wood. Something to have confidence off the deck with. TaylorMade has made some bomber 3 woods if you like the deep face, but for me it was a deal breaker. I need something to hit off the deck with confidence. At address its pretty. Yes it has the little thing on the back of the crown, but doesn't really bug me all that much. No sight lines to mess with. Just a very nice classic pear shape.

Feel and Flight... Amazing feel. Yes it feels different than my Anser, but not in a negative way. Just good solid contact. It exudes confidence off the deck. Off the tee its just the same. Longer than my Anser and it shows. Ball flight is great. For me I like a Low/Mid flight and I got it with this club paired with an Oban Purple. Penetrating and no ballooning. Easy to work as well. THE BEST PART.... It flies just as nice off the toe or the heel. It doesn't penalize you as much as you might think coming from a shallow faced club.

All in all it will end up in my bag for sure. I'm sure I a missing thoughts but will plug them in as I remember. Can't wait to get it on the course on Friday to see how it plays. The range can only tell me so much. It's definitely my favorite TaylorMade offering since the V-steel. Has that same look with a ton more technology.
[/quote]buy an exotics....any of em and be done

[drbonesvt]

Anyone else have any feedback after sometime in the bag?

[golfer64]

I have the SLDR 15*, giving it up and going back to my 2007 Taylor Made TP Burner 3 wood.

[CactusGolf]

Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='golfer64' timestamp='1393605418' post='8765194']
I have the SLDR 15*, giving it up and going back to my 2007 Taylor Made TP Burner 3 wood.
[/quote]

Might inquire to the change? Too upright?

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.

[CactusGolf]

[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]That helps me a lot!

Why was there a lot of trouble getting it up?

How is the distance of the SLDR 3HL as compared to the others?

[Hokie2k5]

[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]

Very interesting, how does the SLDR compare to the RBZ's forgiveness wise? The SLDR head is quite a bit smaller than an RBZ tour head. I have an RBZ tour head that I hit pretty well but I like the look of the SLDR FW head better I'm just a little worried I'd lose a little forgiveness going to the SLDR.

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='Hokie2k5' timestamp='1393621446' post='8766828']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]

Very interesting, how does the SLDR compare to the RBZ's forgiveness wise? The SLDR head is quite a bit smaller than an RBZ tour head. I have an RBZ tour head that I hit pretty well but I like the look of the SLDR FW head better I'm just a little worried I'd lose a little forgiveness going to the SLDR.
[/quote]

As far as forgiveness goes I haven't noticed any measurable drop in forgiveness from the RBZ to the SLDR. The SLDR is definitely long. I hit the 3HL past most of my buddies drivers and they are not short hitters by any means. Definitely has the same pop that the RBZ did IMO and looks a lot better with the more compact head shape (think R9)

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393620623' post='8766760']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]That helps me a lot!

Why was there a lot of trouble getting it up?

How is the distance of the SLDR 3HL as compared to the others?
[/quote]

I think the RBZs definitely had a deeper face than the SLDR does. Like I said in the above post, the SLDR fairways are just as long as the RBZ lines IMO. I definitely am not giving up any distance with the SLDR

[Hokie2k5]

[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393622240' post='8766930']
[quote name='Hokie2k5' timestamp='1393621446' post='8766828']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]

Very interesting, how does the SLDR compare to the RBZ's forgiveness wise? The SLDR head is quite a bit smaller than an RBZ tour head. I have an RBZ tour head that I hit pretty well but I like the look of the SLDR FW head better I'm just a little worried I'd lose a little forgiveness going to the SLDR.
[/quote]

As far as forgiveness goes I haven't noticed any measurable drop in forgiveness from the RBZ to the SLDR. The SLDR is definitely long. I hit the 3HL past most of my buddies drivers and they are not short hitters by any means. Definitely has the same pop that the RBZ did IMO and looks a lot better with the more compact head shape (think R9)
[/quote]

Thanks, that was the answer I was looking for. The SLDR's definitely look a lot like the R9 with the RBZ technology, might be pretty hard to pass up.

[bruinsPATSirish]

Looks like we have very similar bag setups too. I LOVE the Black Tie 8m3 X flex I have in my fairways. They have such a great feel to them. Definitely stout but still have a real solid kick behind them.

[awil]

So after playing with mine for awhile here is my review
. Last year I played a vr pro le ( 15 months or so) and for a selfish reason decided to upgrade to the covert series with accra dymatch 2.0 shafts in them . Same as the le's. I never really was happy with with how the coverts played so I went and got fit ( was for for the le's). I was for into a 17 degree RBZ stage 2 and a cobra hybrid at 20 degrees . I never really settled into the headshape of the 2.0
Some of the distinct playability differences between the stage 2 and the sldr are the headshape . The head on the sldr is a lot more versatile and easier off the deck . I don't feel I lost of ton of performance off the tee with the sldr compared to the stage 2 but I gained control of where the ball will be going . Part of that is probably confidence . Originally I was playing a 60 gram regular revenge oban shaft in this club head and it worked but it went a little high for me . One part I liked about the covert 1.0 performance head was the ability to hit it high or low with adjustment of the head at impact . That ability is also present here in the Sldr with the ability to hit a knockdown with it or regular launch . I did move to an 80 gram stuff oban revenge and it got the spin down a but and I gained a lot of roll out along with carry . The head in using is a 3 hl turned all the way down to 15.5 and love it . The head looks great and currently on my second head after the face cracked /caved on the first one . I have a 77 gram stick stuff speeder and 60 gram revenge that I can do some testing to get info numbers wise between both heads . Hopefully this helps everyone .

[joewce87]

I used to game a stage 2 RBZ 3H and 3W and switched them both for a SLDR 3H and 3W. The SLDR's are less forgiving and harder to hit IMO. SLDR are longer than RBZ for me longer roll and carry in the 3W and same carry but longer roll for the hybrid. I had no issues hitting the 3W off the deck, but not so good out of the rough, however the hybrid is good off any lie. Ball flights can be adjusted higher or longer to a specific ball flight that you're after. I've just cranked the loft and will be gaming them tomorrow to see if it makes any difference. If you can hit these you can hit anything, worth the time and effort once you get the SLDR dialled in. If you're after forgiveness this isn't for you, I'd stick with the Stage 2 or something else.

[kwooten31]

Finally able to pick up a SLDR 3 wood today, was going to buy new but found a used in great shape for $160. It was the non tp, but I have a RUL 80gram that plays at 43½". Stock shaft actually felt good, but once I stuck the matrix in it, came even more alive. Nice and long feels good, think I found the club to knock out my 910.

[Golfwolf]

I was testing fairway woods yesterday, indoors unfortunately since we are still covered with snow, looking for either a 4W or 5W. I tried a few different ones including Big Bertha 5W, Ping i25 5W, SLDR 3HL, X2Hot 5W and Nike Covert. There was something about the X2Hot and Covert I did not like so they were quickly eliminated.

I liked the other 3 but after numerous golf balls I eliminated the i25. So it was down to the BB and SLDR, I like the adjustability, it usually helps me dial the club in, once set then I don't normally make any further changes. I decided on the SLDR, I like the overall weight better than the BB, I could definitely feel where the clubhead was during swings. I may leave it at 17º or go slightly higher, going to have to wait for Spring and more of this snow to leave.

[MelloYello]

[size=5][b]How does the SLDR fairway compare to a VR Pro Limited Edition?[/b][/size]

[size=4]It sounds like you all are describing a similar club in the SLDR: small, classic head shape, a face that's not too deep, long when hit correctly, less forgiving than other clubs. [/size]

[size=4]Should I consider the SLDR a worthy upgrade? Would it be worth the price since it seems like a similar club to what I've already got?[/size]

[baseballfrk8998]

I've been playing the SLDR 14* with a Blueboard 80x for a month or so (7-8 rounds) and it's absolutely fantastic. It's a monster off the tee and super easy to hit off the deck. The workability is great and paired with the BB 80x, it's the best feeling fairway I've ever hit, bar none.

I swing around 105-107 or so and I'm able to get 250-260 off the deck with the SLDR, which is surprising considering how wet of a winter we've had here in SE Texas. Off the tee, I've blasted some out to the 270-280 range with a decent amount of roll. It's just a joy to hit overall and easy to work right to left.

I can't really comment on forgiveness as I've never looked for that in a 3W. You either make a good swing and get good results from it or you don't IMO. It's not like hitting a 460cc driver where you can miss a shot by 3 inches or so and still get 80% of your normal yardage. You have to put a good swing on a 3w to get results, at least in my experiences.

[ignitewvu]

[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]

When you say the RBZ line are you speaking of the OG or the Stage 2, cause I hated the OG RBZ Tour but my Stage 2 tour is LIGHTYEARS better and IMO better than the SLDR fairway as well.

[ignitewvu]

[quote name='kwooten31' timestamp='1394353984' post='8830619']
Finally able to pick up a SLDR 3 wood today, was going to buy new but found a used in great shape for $160. It was the non tp, but I have a RUL 80gram that plays at 43½". Stock shaft actually felt good, but once I stuck the matrix in it, came even more alive. Nice and long feels good, think I found the club to knock out my 910.
[/quote]

RUL80 is a VERY underrated fairway shaft and they can be had dirt cheap in the TM graphics with a sleeve already on it.

I think the RUL series replaced the Code series which made for a great FW shaft as well.

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='ignitewvu' timestamp='1394386058' post='8832283']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1393619295' post='8766640']
[quote name='CactusGolf' timestamp='1393605718' post='8765246']
Nice reading all these reviews.

The 3 wood spot in my bag is still not decided and is still the Ping G20 15*.

Was fitted for a SLDR 3HL and really liked the numbers out of it.

Is there that much of an improvement from the original RBZ 3HL and Stage 2 3HL to justify the cost?
[/quote]

IMO the SLDR Fairway is a completely different club than the RBZ line. I think it is MUCH easier to hit off the turf than the RBZ lines. I can hit the 3HL SLDR off the deck without much problem at all while even the RBZ 5 wood was a chore for me to get up in the air.
[/quote]

When you say the RBZ line are you speaking of the OG or the Stage 2, cause I hated the OG RBZ Tour but my Stage 2 tour is LIGHTYEARS better and IMO better than the SLDR fairway as well.
[/quote]

I am referencing to the OG RBZ that I had for awhile. I loved it off the tee because it was an absolute CANNON for me, but I never was confident off the deck with it. I had never really had a problem elevating a fairway from the grass but it was so good off the tee I just ended up getting a 5 wood. With the SLDR it performs just as well off the tee as the deck.

[drbonesvt]

Went with the SLDR driver; so change up in FW's

Was ping anser 3w, 906f4 both with PRO 95x shafts - these clubs are great performers.

Testing RBZ S2 Rombax p95 & an SLDR 5w, going to also get the PRO 95 treatment

[barony19]

Decided to hit some drivers and fairways at a fitting yesterday. Long story short on the drivers is nothing was materially better than my current R1. It was even launching better and spinning less than the SLDR driver, which was surprising.

The SLDR fairways on the other hand were just plain awesome. Have been gaming an original RBZ tour 14.5 fairway, which I love the feel of but just hit line drives with off the deck. From yesterday's numbers I was getting an average of 9-10 degrees launch on great swings from a perfect lie on the range mat. Not so good.

Tried the SLDR 3HL notched down a degree first. Nice feel and decent numbers, but launched pretty high up at 17+ degrees, but spin stayed at around 3,000 or slightly below which I thought was pretty decent all things considered.

Then we put in the 15 degree head notched down a half degree with the Fujikura speeder 8.3 shaft in it (I really need to see an open face so that I don't mentally think I'm going to hook it).

Oh boy. 15-16 degree launch, 2300-2800 spin. This thing was just hitting high bombs and is EXACTLY what I was looking for.
I've tried everything in the past couple of years to get the damn RBZ out of the bag - Xhot, Razr Fit, RBZ2, Titleist, Mizuno, Cobra, Ping. None of them had enough to beat the original RBZ, even with the worm burners off the fairway.

The SLDR on the other hand. Whew. If you're a naturally higher spin player who generally doesn't have a problem getting the ball into the air, this could be the one for you. I can't wait to get it on the course.

The only thing I'm bummed about is that I couldn't remotely dial the driver to match the fairway stats!

[Hokie2k5]

This thread is making it pretty hard for me to pass up on the SLDR 3W to replace my OG RBZ Tour. I hit my RBZ Tour really well but as everyone has said I need a pretty good lie off the deck to hit it consistently well. Off the tee it's fantastic though.

I've got a RIP 90X in my RBZ, should I go to a higher lauching shaft with the SLDR head because it's so much lower spinning?

[golfer64]

I have a 15* SLDR 3 wood with AD DI 7s tipped 1/2 an love it.