The new driver and fairway woods will be offered in three models for specific player types and ball flight preferences –  SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D – while the company has expanded its hybrid offerings with the Tour-inspired SIM2 Rescue and SIM2 Max Rescue.

TaylorMade’s new SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons utilising the company’s all-new ‘Cap Back Design’ and evolved ‘ECHO Damping System’ to deliver unparalleled performance and feel to the category of game improvement irons.

SIM2, SIM2 MAX AND SIM2  MAX•D  DRIVERS 

With the original SIM, the company focused on reshaping the driver to deliver speed and aerodynamics at the most critical stage of the swing – those milliseconds right before impact. Embracing the evolution of design, now TaylorMade has reinvented the way drivers are constructed with an increased focus on enhanced forgiveness while maintaining speed and optimal launch conditions.

“Forgiveness equals confidence. In 2020, we built a driver that was aerodynamic, promoted favourable launch properties and had one of the hottest faces in golf. By increasing forgiveness with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, we’ve truly engineered a driver that has no trade-offs,” Senior Director, Product Creation, Metalwoods Tomo Bystedt said. “Golfers can step to the tee box and have the freedom to swing with confidence every time. Knowing they have a driver that checks all the boxes: Forgiveness, speed and distance with a beautifully crafted aesthetic.”

To unlock a new dimension of forgiveness, TaylorMade engineers were forced to completely rethink how drivers are built from the ground up. By fixating on the process and materials, they discovered a hidden key in the form of a new design called ‘Forged Ring Construction’. Utilising a lightweight and high strength aluminium that’s precision milled, the adjoining feature unites the critical components of the driver head into a singular force.

As the defining component of SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, the forged aluminium ring is one of four crucial elements of the unique construction – each serving a vital function that allows the driver to be forgiving, fast and powerful. The other modules are the carbon crown, carbon sole and milled back face cup.

TaylorMade’s journey to SIM2 began with the lightweight carbon composite technology the company developed over the course of 15-plus years. The six-layer composite material, which was refined throughout the lifespan of the popular M series and SIM, is used on the crown of SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D.

A new high-strength carbon was developed precisely for the sole and designed for enhanced durability in protection against damage from turf interaction and contact at high speeds. The nine-layers of advanced carbon span the entire sole while simultaneously shaping the asymmetric ‘Inertia Generator’, which is designed to produce faster club head speeds through precise geometry and aerodynamic analysis.

The expanded use of carbon saves a considerable amount of weight that’s been redeployed onto the Inertia Generator in the form of a heavy rear weight (16g SIM2, 24g SIM2 Max and 22g SIM2 Max•D). Placing this substantial weight low and back in the club moves the centre of gravity (CG) projection to centre face, optimizes launch conditions and maximizes moment of inertia (MOI) – more commonly described as forgiveness.

The black satin carbon crown and contrasting chalk colorway help frame the ball at address and improve alignment. A high-gloss black carbon on the sole provides an eye-catching look and premium aesthetic when paired with blue accents from the aluminium ring.

The milled back face cup is the only part of the driver head that’s crafted from titanium. The strong and resilient material facilitates energy transfer to encourage faster ball speeds. Behind the face, internal CNC milling varies face thickness and pinpoints performance where golfers need it the most. 

Relying on the data used to develop ‘Twist Face’, the company mapped the most common impact locations among golfers of all skill levels – which revealed a mis-hit pattern that extends from low heel to high toe. The milling process allows the company to precisely tune the thickness of the face to promote peak speed in those areas. This intelligently engineered sweet spot has an oval shape and stretches diagonally from the high toe toward the low heel. Ultimately, it results in a sweet spot that’s designed to capture more shots where golfers are more likely to hit it on the face.

In addition, a larger face size enhances forgiveness across the line-up of SIM2 drivers. SIM2 is 12 percent larger (compared to SIM), SIM2 Max is 5 percent larger (compared to SIM Max) and SIM2 Max•D is 5 percent larger (compared to SIM Max•D).

In 2019, TaylorMade took Twist Face – the iconic face curvature that’s designed to straighten ball flight – to the next level of performance with ‘Speed Injected Twist Face’, exposing the false narrative that speed limits had been reached for metalwoods. The industry-leading technology continues to provide massive benefits with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, as each driver head is inspected, measured and tuned for maximum speed and to ensure conformity; a process truly unmatched in the golf industry.

In recent years, golfers grew accustomed to seeing the ‘Speed Injection Ports’ on the face of the driver. New for 2021, the port has been relocated to the outer toe. With the CNC milling now across the entire back of the face, designers were able to precisely tune the thickness of the titanium to promote peak speed on a specific area slightly to the toe side. With that development, the company is now able to efficiently manipulate speed across the entire face using a single port. The result is a level of precision that ensures every golfer gets a hot and fast driver head.

The patented Thru-Slot Speed Pocket rests on the sole of the driver, maintaining the marquee purpose of protecting ball speed and performance on shots struck low on the face.

Historically, draw bias drivers have not been forgiving – as the higher CG needed to create the necessary spin led to a lower MOI. Company research indicates that design is counterintuitive. As you may expect, data suggest that high handicap players with severe right-miss tendencies gravitate to draw bias clubs. This group needs the forgiveness more than others.

That’s why TaylorMade has flipped this design convention on its head. SIM2 Max•D delivers powerful draw-bias with a level of MOI and forgiveness not before seen in a draw driver from TaylorMade. By shifting the entire asymmetric Inertia Generator towards the heel, engineers were able to obtain draw-bias properties while also keeping its full function of aerodynamics and forgiveness.

“The new SIM2 Max•D was designed purely with the golfer in mind,” Bystedt said. “We looked closely at data and trends to truly understand who needs a draw bias driver and why. From there we challenged the norms of driver engineering to create a finished product that fits the needs of a large part of the golfing world’s population.”

Traditional driver designs come with a trade-off, but TaylorMade journeyed beyond tradition to obtain power, speed and forgiveness in a low spin driver. The reconstructed SIM2 delivers high MOI properties with a heavy 16g steel weight positioned on the Inertia Generator. The ‘TPS Front Weight’ is strategically located behind the face to encourage optimal launch with low spin characteristics, delivering complete performance that’s low on spin and high on forgiveness.

"By increasing forgiveness with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, we’ve truly engineered a driver that has no trade-offs." - Tomo Bystedt

With an intense focus on speed and forgiveness, the SIM2 Max delivers high MOI properties with a heavy 24g tungsten weight positioned on the Inertia Generator. The TPS Front Weight is strategically located on the sole of the club to encourage the optimal mid-to-high launch with mid-to-low spin properties, delivering complete performance and max forgiveness.

Traditional draw-bias drivers come with a trade-off, sacrificing forgiveness for a left-to-right ball flight. The all-new SIM2 Max•D features a repositioned Inertia Generator that’s closer to the heel, encouraging a heel CG that’s low and back for more forgiveness – designed to deliver a higher launch with the largest, most forgiving face in the SIM2 line-up. The end result, a draw-biased driver without compromise.

These three drivers enable us to deliver vastly different performance for a variety of players. We know there are a lot of different golfers out there. People will need less spin. People who need more spin. People who hit it straight and people who need draw bias. So, we're delivering across the board with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D – separating them in terms of launch and spin. The unifying feature among all three is forgiveness – we’ve increased MOI throughout the entire SIM2 family,” Bystedt said.

SIM2 TITANIUM, SIM2 MAX AND SIM2  MAX•D  FAIRWAYS 

The resurgent momentum of ‘V Steel’ propelled the original SIM fairways to reset industry standards. For 2021, TaylorMade focused on refining that breakthrough technology to drive CG low to promote enhanced forgiveness and optimal launch conditions. 

“In the world of golf club engineering, we fight for millimetres because those small changes can lead to big results. With the SIM2 Titanium fairway, we repositioned CG a mere 12.1mm from the ground. That delivers a CG projection that’s absolute centre face along with increased MOI for more forgiveness compared to last year’s model. We’ve gone low across the entire line of 2021 fairways, so golfers can go higher,” Bystedt said.

Improving upon all the elements that made SIM fairways, TaylorMade added a new level of forgiveness in SIM2 Titanium, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D fairways. Powered by the iconic V Steel design that promotes enhanced turf interaction and playability from various lies, improved weight distribution delivers pinpoint CG projection for optimal MOI and launch properties.   

The more compact SIM2 Titanium fairway features a 170cc pear shaped head for a Tour-inspired look at address while still maintain a generous face size – combining properties of playability and forgiveness. It features a lightweight carbon construction with the revolutionary ‘ZATECH Titanium Face’ and a heavy 80g steel sole weight. The strategically positioned weight creates an ultra-low CG that creates 5 percent greater MOI than its predecessor. 

With progressive face sizes for strategic forgiveness, the SIM2 Max fairway has a larger 190cc footprint and with a face constructed from strong C300 steel. Also featuring the reinvented V Steel for exceptional versatility from all lies, the SIM2 Max has refined weighting designed for forgiveness, higher launch and peak trajectories.  

Using data collected during the development of Twist Face, which shows the correlation between handicap, mis-hit dispersion and the need for draw-bias equipment, the 195cc SIM2 Max•D has been optimized for forgiveness with the largest head and face area in the current family of fairways.   

Matching the aesthetics of the SIM2 driver family, the carbon crown and contrasting chalk colour help frame the ball at address and improve alignment. 

SIM2 AND SIM2 MAX RESCUES

The impact of the original SIM Max Rescue was felt at every level of the game, from the amateur ranks to the world’s best. Week in and week out, SIM Max Rescue was played on Tour with approximately a dozen of the breakthrough hybrids in play any given Sunday. It even accounted for wins with current World No. 1 Dustin Johnson winning the 2020 Travelers Championship in record-setting fashion with two SIM Max Rescues in his bag.

Building on that success, TaylorMade has expanded its hybrid offerings in 2021 to include the SIM2 Rescue and SIM2 Max Rescue. Fuelled by the Tour pedigree of its predecessor, the SIM2 Rescue was designed with insights from Johnson, Rory McIlroy and more.

It offers a fast and sleek appearance that seamlessly transitions any golf bag from iron to metalwood. A compact players shape provides added versatility for the golfer who wants an iron-like ball flight and workability. A new leading edge design, sole geometry and optimized CG placement maintain the forgiveness of the original SIM Max Rescue – ultimately delivering the distance of a game improvement hybrid without sacrificing precision and control. It features a +/- 1.5° loft sleeve to further dial in performance. 

Relying on the V Steel technology that revolutionized hybrid performance, the SIM2 Max Rescue brings Tour-validated results to golfers at every level. A more refined sole geometry redistributes weight for increased forgiveness while maintaining low CG properties.

The ultra-strong C300 Steel face delivers a powerful ball flight and when paired with Twist Face, the corrective face curvature that’s designed to give everyone straighter shots on mis-hits, golfers can expect better distance and accuracy more often.

SIM2 MAX AND SIM2 MAX OS IRONS

The industry leading performance found in the original SIM Max irons inspired the TaylorMade R&D team to ask the question: “What would happen if we supported the entire topline from heel to toe?” Enter Cap Back Design.

In developing this new iron construction, the company charted thousands of shots from players of every skill level – in the process identifying the most tightly clustered impact areas among solid strikes. Leveraging that data, engineers set out to expand the sweet spot to capture more of those shots, effectively pinpointing performance where golfers need it the most.

Cap Back Design proved to be the key to unlocking this new level of distance and performance. The strong, lightweight polymer material spanning the entire cavity helps to secure the topline and provides additional rigidity in the upper part of the face. It works in unison with the flexible ‘Thru-Slot Speed Pocket’ to create a larger unsupported area of the face, which translates to improved flexibility engineered for increased ball speeds and distance. That added flexibility made it possible to deliver the larger, more intelligent sweet spot.

Beyond added distance and speed, Cap Back Design helped produce a higher MOI with increased clubhead stability at impact to discourage twisting, which allows the golfer to enjoy solid strikes more often. When paired with the ECHO Damping System, the multi-faceted design helps to minimize unwanted vibrations that create the harsh feel associated with traditional distance irons. Producing the signature forged-like feel and sound of SIM irons.

Eclipsing the performance of conventional cavity backs, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS provide a pathway to better forgiveness, distance and feel.

“We set out to take game improvement irons to the next level with SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS,” Matt Bovee from TaylorMade’s Product Creation, Irons department said. “To create Cap Back Design, we utilised multi-material advancements learned from our metalwoods to unlock forgiveness and distance with forged iron like feel. We leveraged a completely new construction to achieve the performance that golfers in this category both need and want.”

Implementing Cap Back Design allowed TaylorMade engineers to redesign the ECHO Damping System – which features a more concentrated HYBRAR material in SIM2 Max and Max OS irons. This super flexible insert stretches from heel to toe and is completely encapsulated. The softer polymer blend utilises multiple contact points across the face to channel away vibrations, further contributing to the forged-like feel while still promoting maximum face flex.

The new intelligently designed sweet spot is strategically positioned to capture the most common impact points, delivering explosive ball speeds and consistency where golfers need it the most. While that added forgiveness is fuelled by Cap Back Design, the proven performance of ‘Progressive ICT’ continues to enhance accuracy throughout the set.

Most game improvement irons have an inherent right-bias, which is why many equipment makers resort to heavy offset to counterbalance the effect. With SIM2 Max and Max OS, however, Progressive ICT gradually shifts the sweet spot toe-ward in long irons to promote a neutral ball flight while also delivering corrective performance on the common right miss.

An array of technologies, such as a fluted hosel, 360° undercut and an ultra-thin face, work in harmony to deliver a low CG that’s engineered to produce a high penetrating ball flight.

Equipped with the same technologies that power SIM2 Max but bundled into a low CG oversized package, SIM2 Max OS is the longest and most stable iron in the current TaylorMade family. It features a wider sole, stronger lofts and accentuated draw-bias in comparison to SIM2 Max.

The new SIM2 family will be available at retail beginning February 19.

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