SLDR Fairway Wood Review

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='Hokie2k5' timestamp='1394483499' post='8841819']
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?
[/quote]

I wouldn't suggest going too much different as far as a shaft goes. I am not a high launch player and ended up with a Matrix Black Tie in my SLDR 3HL

[Saijin]

I was at a TMAG demo day and hit all of the clubs.
In particular the 3Wood, it felt really "Tingy" and hot... in other words I love the feel. I don't care about the driver's dead face feel.

Question is, aside from the great feel of the 3Wood, why would I want to change my R11s setup to this, when I'm hitting all my clubs with great result already?

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='Saijin' timestamp='1396933074' post='9044069']
I was at a TMAG demo day and hit all of the clubs.
In particular the 3Wood, it felt really "Tingy" and hot... in other words I love the feel. I don't care about the driver's dead face feel.

Question is, aside from the great feel of the 3Wood, why would I want to change my R11s setup to this, when I'm hitting all my clubs with great result already?
[/quote]

Fairways are one of the hardest clubs to get a good gamer set up, "if it is not broke, don't fix it

[drbonesvt]

SLDR vs RBZ S2 3w testing - same shaft on trackman test

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/989445-sldr-vs-stage-2-rbz-s2-tour-head-hotmelt-by-the-numbers-heavy-shafts/

[bogeypro]

I tried the fairway wood, I didn't care for It. It wasn't easier to hit than my 913f and the sole was horrible for catching dirt and grass. I did like the color though.

[Saijin]

[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1396960984' post='9044943']
SLDR vs RBZ S2 3w testing - same shaft on trackman test

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/989445-sldr-vs-stage-2-rbz-s2-tour-head-hotmelt-by-the-numbers-heavy-shafts/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...s-heavy-shafts/[/url]
[/quote]

So it didn't give you significant result difference huh... I had the feeling it'd be the same for me... well, time to save the cash I suppose.

[DaBigSaus]

I really enjoy both my SLDR 17* HL and hybrid. Most fun I've had playing in a while. Feels nice and the smaller head of the 17* looks awesome.

[par4bmw]

I found the SLDR FWs to be similar to the drivers in that it takes the right shaft to really make it perform. i went through the stock one and then a few others I had lying around. I really liked the club but it never was "the club" which is so hard for me to find in a fairway wood.

The last FW that qualified as "the club" for me was a 17 degree TM 200 Tour Smoothie with an Accra SE80 shaft. Its extremely compact head made it only so, so off the tee but incredible off the deck. Short of only having a dime size sweet spot, it was a great club. I could hit power draws or super high cut shots with ease, the SE80 shaft was very responsive. Though, it not being forgiving and not working great off the tee had me go through dozens of clubs since searching for the perfect one. A TEE 16.5 CB4 by far has had the most bag time over those years of searching.

Two weeks ago, I was fit with a Speeder 661 in my SLDR HL. Wow! It is set at 17 and I have the same ease of workability as the Smoothie yet with a decent amount of forgiveness and it is fantastic off the tee. Maybe the honeymoon will end, but right now it is fighting for the best FW ever for me. Just like with the SLDR drivers, I highly recommend being fitted for the right shaft combo due to the SLDRs front forward COG.

[bogeypro]

I really like the SLDR 3 hybrid. Very easy to hit and stock shaft is working well for me. ONLY complaint is the same sole that catches junk in it....

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='Saijin' timestamp='1396984589' post='9048471']
[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1396960984' post='9044943']
SLDR vs RBZ S2 3w testing - same shaft on trackman test

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/989445-sldr-vs-stage-2-rbz-s2-tour-head-hotmelt-by-the-numbers-heavy-shafts/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...s-heavy-shafts/[/url]
[/quote]

So it didn't give you significant result difference huh... I had the feeling it'd be the same for me... well, time to save the cash I suppose.
[/quote]

according to trackman, the sldr saved me about 300 rpms with the same shaft and i really didnt want my 3w spinning that low.

The feel and sound of the SLDR was superior to a stock RBZ s2 head, I hotmelted mine so its similar to the the SLDR feel and sound

[Saijin]

You guys' replies have saved me money. No matter how good the SLDR 3 Wood sounds/feels, my trusted 3Wood is still very good and feels good, so I guess no point in getting it.

[SwingBlues]

I had a DET 13* with the C Kua for a few years now, great head on a nice 43X shaft and a pure cannon...until I got the TS with the D+ 72 x5ct. No comparison, the TS was more boring than the DET and the D+ shaft really shows the pedigree. So much so I am investing in a SLDR #2 rescue and going to put a RIP Phenom 80 stiff in it but I have an eye on a D+ hybrid if this combo does not work out. I am really impressed with the TS but I do have it notched up 1 though.

Great fairway wood from TM, I didn't think anyone could better a Callaway 3 wood but for me, the TM is King.

[Hokie2k5]

I finally bit the bullet a couple weeks ago and picked up a SDLR 15* with ATX Green 85 TX to replace my RBZ Tour with RIP alpha 90X. Despite me being a Titleist guy for the most part, I've never gotten along with their fairways and always preferred TM fairways for some reason, they just look better to my eye. First let me say that I've loved my RBZ Tour since I got it a couple years ago and hit it great off the tee but I needed a really good lie to hit it well off the deck. Anyways, I would have picked up an SLDR fairway sooner but the only thing holding me back was the smaller head size because I didn't want to lose any forgiveness from my RBZ Tour. I demoed it a couple times at GG on the launch monitor and while it was just on the monitor I didn't notice much difference forgiveness wise and decided to take the plunge.

I've got about 4 or 5 rounds and about 5 more range sessions since it came and I'm just super impressed with the SLDR. It's incredibly easy to hit off the tee and just as easy to hit off the deck. The feel is fantastic, ball flight is great and it is LONG. Definitely longer than my RBZ Tour, by more than a few yards. I hit one 295 yesterday off the tee, which is probably 20-25 yards longer than my normal with the RBZ. The head is definitely noticeably smaller at address but after a few range sessions, I don't even notice anymore. The only thing I will say is that it appears the "T" alignment logo looks to be on the heel size of center at least from address which was kind of weird at first too but was fine once you got used to it.

The ATX Green is a great fairway shaft, it's definitely softer in the tip than my RIP alpha I had before but I like it. I don't think I'd like it in a driver but it's good for a fairway, nice low/mid trajectory with the right amount of spin to stay in the air for a long time and then have nice run on the ground off the tee.

TM has another fairway wood winner here for sure.

[hawkgolfer]

I couldn't be happier with my SLDR 3W and I have used Titleist for the past 15 years.

[italianstallion]

Last fairway wood I had was an old Tour Issue Cleveland Launcher 3 wood. 14*, sat a degree open, an old school Fujikura Fit-On shaft in it. The club was perfect off the tee. It was a touch hard to hit off the fairway if my swing wasn’t there, but I reached a lot of par 5’s with it. After 9 years in the bag the club finally gave out on me and snapped at the hosel, leaving me with just an 18* hybrid and a driver at the top of my bag.

Initially I bought a RBZ Stage 2 3-wood to fill the void, but found the club to be near impossible to hit off the deck. I was so accustomed to hitting my pear-shaped launcher that I just couldn’t get comfortable with turning the RBZ over…every miss was right. I sold the club within a week and spent the offseason mulling over my bag setup, whether to stick with 2 wedges and find a 3-wood, or add another wedge, take out the hybrid and replace it with a 4-wood. I decided to add another wedge, and while the hybrid served me well for 5+ years, I needed a new go-to club off the tee that would give me a few more yards.

Last summer I’d been looking for that pear-shape that my old fairway had but didn’t find it. When the SLDR was released, I was sold on the shape of the club alone, so then it was just a matter of finding the right shaft (which was impossible given the fact that my local ranges and pro-shops don’t carry the exotic shafts that I know I need for a good fit). A demo day finally came to town yesterday, so I went there and went straight for the TM booth, grabbed a TP 3HL and started beating balls.

I hit every shaft they had there, which was about six or seven different shafts. The first was the stock TP offering, which after about 5 balls left me feeling a bit discouraged that maybe this club wasn’t for me. Shots climbed into the wind, misses seemed to spin excessively, feel was awful. I went through a few more shafts with slightly better results before I got to a Fubuki Alpha 70. Now I was finally starting to see the boring ballflight I was after and the ability to control the ball left and right. Only downside was just a touch of excess spin towards the apex of flight, but the Fubuki was the best option thus far. I still had one more shaft to go but I was pretty much dead set on just ordering the Fubuki. I had the rep install the last shaft, a Kai’li 80, and off I went. I saw an immediate difference between the Fubuki and the Kai’li with the first ball, with the ballflight being exactly like my old trusty launcher. I was loading the shaft perfectly and the ball was jumping off the face and boring into the headwind with ease. After about 10 shots off a tee and another 10 off the grass, I was sold.

It never ceases to amaze me how much of a difference just changing the shaft in a club makes. I went from hating the feel and performance of the SLDR with the stock-TP shaft to being in love after throwing the Kai’li into it.

[Saijin]

Hawk, did you have to get fitted for the loft on your 3Wood? If so, did you loft up or stayed with a traditional 15*?

[savarini]

man o man these are nice distance and feel pow and pow !! stock shaft is good i will try my white board and my speeder ts just for kicks but as is this baby is ready to rock !! I was playing a 913 fd with a 83 gram whit board and I must say the sldr 3 wood absolutely pimp slapped the 913 in every way !! it is hot like a tour exotic i am curios to see what 3 wood has a hotter face than this club

[savarini]

[quote name='leftypga' timestamp='1384753935' post='8165350']
[quote name='jslatts14' timestamp='1384646127' post='8159550']
For anyone who has tried both or owns them how does the sldr compare to the 913fd ?
[/quote]

Would also like to hear some input on this. I'm currently gaming the 913FD and absolutely love the performance, but would like to look down at a much smaller head. Being left handed, I haven't been able to try the SLDR yet.
[/quote] I just copped the sldr 3 wood today the fd is good club but the distance is no were near the same PERIOD !! Titleist make super accurate clubs i play ap2 714 irons pokey wedges scotty putter love the brand however the woods seem to spin to much and they just don't have that super hot face feeling . This sldr 3 wood is no joke if you have ever hit a tour exotics fairway wood hitting this sldr is what its like it feels powerful the ball is just pounded . I kept my fd only because my white board was in it and didn't have another shaft handy to sacrifice as a trade in. My fd is going bye bye no need to keep a back up for confusion

[gioguy21]

been using my ATTAS 8X powered SLDR 3W for awhile now and have to say it's spot is solidified in my golf bag. high, low, draw, fade...does it all and does it LONG. if there was ever a confidence insipring club - it's been this one. i have become addicted to the sound of it when pured...like a muted crunch/thwack. the feel on a nutted ball is awesome too...can almost feel the spring in the face.

[HoyaDestroya]

Little late to the party but here goes. First of all my SS is not in the same zip code as most of you guys. Secondly, I have never fully enjoyed a 3 wood off the deck with the possible exception of the R9. Earlier in the season I bought the Jetspeed HL and it was the best I"ve played in a while. Bought the HL (17 degree) SLDR because...well because and I loved the driver. With the stock shaft it was OK. Had a VTS shaft that never worked out in a driver so I tipped it and put it on the SLDR. Never got to hit it at the range before it was called into service during a round. First shot butter. I was shocked and I'm not exaggerating. Well you know how it gets when you get confidence in a club. A week and three rounds later I've dialed this down to 15.5 and I just love this club. Hit a blind second shot on a par 5 today and it ended up in a greenside bunker that sometimes I'm lucky to hit in three and I have no idea how it got there. This club will run out like the devil on occasion and I am having a ball with it.

[SwingBlues]

I have had more time with my SLDR TS and the Diamana D+ 72 stiff shaft.

This combo is a flat out CANNON! One time my buddy played my SLDR with the Ahina and I played the TS through the round. All the holes, I kept with him or pipped him to the post and he was SMOKING my SLDR so much so, the next week he bought himself an SLDR with the same exact Ahina shaft for his bag.

This 4th weekend I played on Saturday and shot 73 (+1) off the black tees at my regular muni course. The SLDR TS really brought me home on the Par 5s for Eagle chance. As well, I have the younger sibling - SLDR 2 hybrid with the stock Fujikura 82H x-flex shaft - this shaft is easily one of the best "stock" hybrid shafts I have hit. I had a KUro Kage and the stock Fujikura chewed it up and spit it out, costing me about $15 for the exercise. Here, the grass was NOT greener at all as pretty a shaft as the Kuro Kage was, it could not perform.

Give'em a go, and work on the fairway wood - its worth all the pain and patience.

[DatSliceDoe]

[quote name='Rob G.' timestamp='1383792234' post='8113212']

It's definitely my favorite TaylorMade offering since the V-steel. Has that same look with a ton more technology.
[/quote]

I went from the V-steel to the 17HL SLDR and I love the similarity between the two clubs, the SLDR definitely is easier to get away with on mis-hits and is just as good off the deck as the old V-steel. I got mine cut a 1/4" to equal out the length and it really made a difference. Maybe just mental, but I feel that I can "cover" the ball more with the club being not as long.

[Aviador Naval]

Recently put a 3HL in the bag and just want to add that the "demanding/unforgiving" rap this line has been tagged with is overstated. Absolutely superb club.

[Joshzilla]

I'm loving the SLDR 3w, too. Fairway woods have always been a strength in my game but this is easily the longest club that I've had. Maybe it's a matter of spin control, but when I miss I'm punished less with this than I was with my previous gamer (G25).

[texcrom]

I'm surprised only one poster mentioned the TS!

I picked this up, with the standard stock shaft, and it is the best fairway wood I've ever hit.

Those who went for the Mini missed the boat, because the TS is longer, looks better, and is $100 cheaper!

Great club!

[SwingBlues]

[quote name='texcrom' timestamp='1404787783' post='9656987']
I'm surprised only one poster mentioned the TS!

I picked this up, with the standard stock shaft, and it is the best fairway wood I've ever hit.

Those who went for the Mini missed the boat, because the TS is longer, looks better, and is $100 cheaper!

Great club!
[/quote]


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