MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade SLDR driver fitted with a stiff-flex shaft and 9.5° loft. The SLDR weight was set for a slight draw and the loft sleeve set to standard.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It looks good and feels really good, particularly at set-up. It actually feels and sets up like a 3-wood. I like the more traditional look to the SLDR clubhead. My driver is the R11S so I’m familiar with TaylorMade’s recent drivers with the white crowns and various markings, but I do like the overall look of the SLDR.

VERDICT: Normally I use a driver with an extra-stiff shaft, and I did feel a difference using a stiff-shaft model, but once I got used to that I could tell what all the SLDR hype is about. I would need to tinker with the slide weight positioning a bit more in order to get that exactly right. I moved it a couple of times but didn’t notice much of a difference between the draw setting and when I put it back to neutral.

Balls come off the clubface fast; this driver certainly has some distance about it. It reminds me a lot of TaylorMade’s R1 driver – it’s very, very similar – but in my experience that’s completely different to the R11S. Overall I didn’t notice much extra distance compared to my R11S but I would put that down to the different shaft.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade SLDR driver fitted with a regular-flex shaft and 10.5° loft. The SLDR weight was set to neutral and the loft sleeve set to standard.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The look of this driver is definitely more ‘pedestrian’ compared to the run of white TaylorMade drivers, but I probably liked the look of the white R1 more.

VERDICT: My first tee shot with the SLDR had my attention. It flew long and ran well past where my drives on our 1st hole normally finish. I found the ball flight was much straighter – my usual draw often turned straight. That might sound like a good thing but I prefer shaping draws and fades off the tee.

I found the SLDR a little harder to hit than previous TaylorMade drivers I’ve tested but I would add that the good shots were definitely better strikes and longer overall. Impact sounds different to other TaylorMade drivers I’ve hit. There’s a softer, ‘deader’ sound that I couldn’t say I particularly liked or disliked – it’s more I just recognised the difference. It was a really nice driver to hit and has some great characteristics and probably best suits golfers who struggle with driving accuracy.

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: All golfers.

SHAFTS: SLDR is equipped with a Fujikura Speeder 57 graphite shaft. The Tour Preferred version, SLDR TP, combines the same clubhead with the tour-calibre Fujikura Speeder Tour Spec 6.3 graphite shaft. A variety of custom shafts are also available.

LOFTS: Available in four lofts, 8°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 12°.

LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes, only in 9.5° and 10.5°.

HOW MUCH?: $529, or $639 for the TP model.

TAYLORMADE SAYS: “SLDR is a revolutionary new club featuring a sliding weight system engineered to launch the golf ball high, fast and long.

“Key to the leap in distance is a lower and more forward centre of gravity (CG) that promotes a hotter launch, low spin and faster ball speed. Similar to the impact the ‘Speed Pocket’ had on the performance of the RocketBallz fairway and rescue clubs, TaylorMade engineers believe SLDR’s low and forward CG placement will redefine driver distance. In addition to the low, forward CG benefits, SLDR also incorporates a complete reinvention of TaylorMade’s movable weight technology (MWT), making it more effective and easier to use. SLDR features a blue, 20-gram weight that slides on a track on the front of the sole.

“Movable weight shifts the clubhead’s CG horizontally towards either the heel, to promote a draw, or the toe, to promote a fade. The SLDR weight slides on a 21-point track system and never comes loose from the clubhead. Golfers can adjust for a draw or fade by sliding the weight across the slider track into the appropriate position in as little as 10 seconds.”

Contact TaylorMade on 1800 700 011 or visit

www.taylormadegolf.com.au