FIRST LOOK: SLDR S DRIVER

TaylorMade’s new SLDR S driver arrived in our office this week and we’ll be off to give it a test later.

It looks great and is packed with technology and here are our initial impressions of the driver that’s been getting rave reviews around the globe.

Cosmetics
We’re really glad to see that the white headed golf club craze is over. The SLDR S has a matt silver finish to the top of the head with a simple small TaylorMade logo as a ball alignment aid.The black face looks as classy as ever (we loved the R7 SuperQuad in the office a few years back) and there’s something which screams ‘hit me’ about it.The contrast between the black face and silver crown also means you can definitely see how much loft there is on the driver, which does inspire confidence that the ball will get in the air.

Head Shape
The SLDR does have a very modern head shape. It’s harsh to call it ‘bulbous’, but it does lacks the symmetry of a more classically styled ’rounded’ head like a Titleist 910 D2, for example. Golfers who prefer the look of a more traditional-style head behind the ball may struggle to like it, but the SLDR S’s more aerodynamic shape will certainly delivery a faster clubhead speed with less drag. So there’s a decent compromise to be had here for the purists.

Adjustablity
Unlike TaylorMade’s adjustable drivers of the past (and some of its present collection) the SLDR S does not have a removable head. Adjustability comes via the sliding mechanism on the base of the club. SLDR S’s centre of gravity location is low and forward, due in large part to the large, 20-gram sliding weight on the sole. This weight moves toward either the heel, to promote a draw, or toward the toe, to promote a fade. Taylor Made promise up to 30 yards of side-to-side trajectory change (although we manage more than this on a regular basis just by being not that good at golf!).

To slide the weight to any of the 21 positions on the track, simply loosen the screw, slide the weight, then tighten the screw. It takes as little as ten seconds. And the sole is marked with the words “fade” at the toe-end of the track and “draw” at the heel-end of the track to make it clear where you should position the weight to promote the shot-shape you want.

The basic principle is that if there’s more weight in the heel of the club, it travels slower than the ‘lighter’ toe. The result, basic simple physics really, means that the toe ‘overtakes’ the heel through the impact area and beyond, creating the draw spin that only 3% of golfers create naturally (the rest of us fade it naturally). If you need proof of this just ask how times you’ve ever shouted “Fore left” versus “Fore right”. See what we mean?

Shaft
The SLDR S stock shaft is Fujikura Speeder 57, weighing, er, 57 grams surprisingly enough. Whenever we’ve used TaylorMade drivers before, I’d say they usually get the shaft/head combination spot on. And for those of you out there who still shun custom fitting, yes, there are loads, this is good to know. If this combo comes anywhere close to the old TM XR-03 head/shaft combo then it will be a winner, because that pairing was brilliant for my swing.

What’s The Story?
SLDR S is built to help you hit longer/straighter drives by promoting a high launch angle, lower spin-rate and faster ball speed. That’s what Taylor Made’s entire ‘Loft Up’ marketing campaign is about and there are oodles of Tour Pros who are doing just that and getting great results.

We’ve never hit a 16 degree driver before (the SLDR s comes in 10, 12, 14 and 16 degree models) so it will be interesting to see what happens when we test it fully. Watch this space.