But for those it doesn’t fit, it’s a pretty unforgiving temperamental beast, which can nose-dive shots out of the air.ĭoes TwistFace work? Three testers put it to the test. If low and forward weighting suits your game (generally quicker swing speeds with an attack angle less down on the ball) the SLDR is an awesome driver (it launched lower than any other driver we hit so robbed our pro of carry distance). Our pro’s numbers back up the thinking completely.

The message with the SLDR was to “Loft Up”, because TaylorMade knew the SLDR wasn’t the most forgiving driver they’d ever made. It was the first driver to go all-out for low-forward weighting (to deliver high launch with low spin), and it also showcased a sliding weight, rather than just moveable weights. The SLDR represented some seriously different thinking from TaylorMade. Sliding shot bias weight: Helps dial in a shot shape.Įverything you need to know about getting the right shaft weight ‘Loft Up’: In theory, more loft should help golfers hit straighter drives. Low/Forward weighting: Gives a high launching, low spinning ball flight for more distance. Original RRP: £369 Price now: From £87 at .uk Launched in: 2013 After five years of advancements it was still capable of getting our pro within three yards of a modern TaylorMade driver. Incredibly, we still reckon it’s a great-looking driver, even though its footprint is smaller. Low and forward weighting appeared for the first time, creating high launch with low spin, a message used for virtually every major driver launch today. Right when the RBZ Stage 2 hit the market the idea of new drivers being outdated within six months wore a bit thin, and the Stage 2’s geometric crown design was just a step too far. But their philosophy of launching new model after new model was never a long-term strategy. Until the RBZ Stage 2 arrived, adidas (TaylorMade’s then owners) had seen a steep upwards trajectory in sales. Geometric crown decals: Helps improve alignment. Reduced titanium crown thickness: From 0.6mm to 0.4mm removing inefficient mass.

Lower more forward CG position: Increases ball speed and reduces spin for extra distance.

Original RRP: £249 Price now: From £108 at .uk Launched in: 2013 TaylorMade’s drivers have changed radically in the timeframe we’re looking at.įrom the RBZ Stage 2, with its white crown, to the silver SLDR and the carbon-crowned M2 and M4, each one has revealed new tech that promised more distance and extra forgiveness – but which ones actually delivered? Review: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 driver Once we’d hit all 12 drivers we analysed the numbers to see how each performed. There we took the shafts out and got our TG test pro Ben Frost to hit each club, with a shaft suited to him against each brand’s leading 2018 model, on a launch monitor. We took the Golfbidder used drivers (all of which came in 9.5° lofts, or as close as possible) to our test centre at The Belfry.

Callaway razr driver vs r11