Equipment

TaylorMade goes back to black with R1

Published

11 years ago

May 30, 2013

Since TaylorMade launched its R11 driver in 2011, golf fans have associated its drivers with white-painted crowns. But the company’s decision to release a black-painted version of its R1 driver reveals that TaylorMade may be moving away from the color in the future.

According to Tom Kroll, TaylorMade’s global product manager, the company has decided to release a limited amount of black R1 drivers in an attempt to connect with whom he called “authentic golfers.”

“The [TaylorMade] brand has always spoken to the zero-to-four handicap,” Kroll said. “Some of those guys screamed loud and clear that they wanted a black driver, so we decided to give it to them.”

Click here to read out Editor Review of TaylorMade’s R1 Driver.

The black version of the R1 is identical to the white version in nearly every way — it’s still 460 cubic centimeters, with the same center of gravity, adjustable loft sleeve and face angle adjuster. It also has the same stock shaft — an Aldila RIP Phenom — and the same grip. But the driver’s crown, which was originally released in a matte white color with an orange-and-gray racing stripe, has been painted black. Underneath the glossy black paint is a black-and-gray racing stripe that has the same design. But because of the color change, the racing stripe is much less noticeable at address.

The black paint also makes the driver appear smaller at address, about 10 percent according to Kroll.

“Some of the guys on tour liked the white head because it looked bigger, so they felt like they could swing it harder,” Kroll said. “But there will be guys switching into the black head because they’ll like the way it looks.”

The driver will make its debut on the PGA Tour next week in Memphis at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC South Wind. It will be available for purchase on June 10 for the same price as the white R1 driver, $399.

Kroll would not comment on how many limited-edition drivers would be released, or what percentage of R1 heads will be painted black. But he did say that it will be a “small percentage,” and that “it’s going to be an interesting launch for us in terms of watching the numbers.”

Click here to read what members are saying about the black R1 in the forums.

Click here to read what members are saying about the black R1 in the forums.

Your Reaction?

LIKE2
LEGIT1
WOW2
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP1
OB0
SHANK0

Related Topics:drivers TaylorMade

Up Next

Nike VR_S Covert Fairway Woods: Editor Review

Don't Miss

Choi buys off-the-rack irons for the Memorial

GolfWRX Staff

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

33 Comments

Barry

Nov 30, 2013 at 4:27 pm

Just purchased the R1 Black……love the look but love the added distance (12 to 15 yds. more than my old Cleveland. Just hope I consistently hit it as straight.

Reply Report comment
mississaugua monster

Aug 14, 2013 at 8:39 pm

will wait for 400cc black R1
460 too big and white………….ru kidding me

Reply Report comment
mark

Jul 2, 2013 at 3:37 am

I have just purchased this club “wow” is all a can say. Go out now and buy this u won’t regret it.

Reply Report comment
Ben

Jun 16, 2013 at 9:55 pm

And in a couple years they will bust out the white again. It’s all marketing.

Reply Report comment
Shad

Jun 4, 2013 at 11:44 am

The funny thing is that some people think TaylorMade is contradicting their initial claim that white “instills confidence and is easier to align”. Releasing a black version is just a desperate misguided attempt to increase lagging sales that are 100% due to the fact that they decided to put those stupid graphics on the crown of the R1! TaylorMade and all other club manufactures let me set you straight once and for all – Put all the graphics you want on the bottom of the club and the head cover, but THE TOP OF THE CLUB, WHETHER IT BE WHITE, BLACK, GREY, PINK, ETC. SHOULD BE CLEAN AND FREE OF GRAPHICS OTHER THAN A SINGLE MIDDLE ALIGNMENT AID, PERIOD! TaylorMade should have just released a white version without the graphics. The white heads are a much better club. That said, I know there are some mental cases that “just can’t get used to the white club head” so a black version should have probably always have been an option. Don’t get too excited folks, the new black R1 is just a temporary stop-gap fix to spur some better retail numbers this year. The next completely new version will be white.

Reply Report comment
KCCO

May 31, 2013 at 9:56 pm

Should have done reverse…..crown flat, lettering gloss…..but beggars can’t be..ya know

Reply Report comment
- G
  
  Jun 1, 2013 at 12:01 am
  
  No, it’s good that it’s shiny. Shiny makes you focus more. Matt does not. Flat or matt is just blah.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Curt
    
    Jun 1, 2013 at 9:26 am
    
    Agreed, flat black is boring. TM got it right, going stealth black!!
    
    Reply Report comment
IceDave

May 31, 2013 at 9:17 am

I think I’ve just won a bet! Great looking driver.

Reply Report comment
Matt

May 31, 2013 at 5:53 am

Two years ago Sean Toulon said that TMAG would make the black driver obsolete, and they would not consider making a driver in any color other than white until 2016. Taylor Made marketing at its best.

Reply Report comment
Roger

May 31, 2013 at 3:18 am

Brad B……..thats what i was thinking…….Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy
But hopefully with Gals in School Uniforms….

Reply Report comment
- WoodButcher
  
  Feb 5, 2014 at 11:07 am
  
  Ozzy is Black Sabbath, not AC/DC. You ment Angus Young I’m sure.
  
  Reply Report comment
Curt

May 30, 2013 at 10:41 pm

Thank you TM, please stay black and end that white crap!!!

The black looks so goooood!!!!!!!

Reply Report comment
Brad B

May 30, 2013 at 9:08 pm

So they use AC/DC “Back in Black” for the 30 second commercial???? It’d work.

Reply Report comment
bob

May 30, 2013 at 8:34 pm

doesn’t anyone else think this is hypocritical? i mean TM was talking crap about how black drives affect your aim and all that and know they release a black driver? stupid imo

Reply Report comment
- Weavs
  
  May 31, 2013 at 8:51 am
  
  It’s called marketing to a broader market… Alot of people didn’t like the white version, so they made a black version. Alot of drivers come in different colors these days. I guess if they didn’t like making more money it would be stupid.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jeff
  
  May 31, 2013 at 12:03 pm
  
  the benefits of having a white driver–particularly, lining it up correctly–still exist. there are just some people (*achem* members of this board *achem*) who, no matter how beneficial it is, they will never buy a white driver head. many of these players begged TM to come out with a black driver head that included the same technological advances as the white one (moveable weights, loft sleeve, sole plate–well, maybe not so much the sole plate, but still). Kudos to TM for listening.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Josh
    
    Jul 13, 2013 at 10:01 am
    
    If you can’t line up a driver correctly you should probably be spending your money on some lessons and not a new driver.
    
    Reply Report comment
John F

May 30, 2013 at 4:12 pm

I also saw this here and was able to pre-order. Can’t wait for this puppy to arrive!

Reply Report comment
JChoj

May 30, 2013 at 3:00 pm

The golf community is funny. Why does it matter what color it is? If a driver hit dead straight 350 yards on every drive it could be Neon Pink and Purple. I’d still use it.

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  May 30, 2013 at 3:59 pm
  
  Because when you pay $400+ it’s nice to get what you want.
  
  Reply Report comment
Steve

May 30, 2013 at 1:40 pm

Wow. Their sales must not be anywhere near what they were expecting thus far… The black looks great though! I can see this flying off the shelf

Reply Report comment
BC

May 30, 2013 at 12:29 pm

Not sure how this is a Fail. Black finish, subtle graphics, adjustability…Yes, I will be back on the TM wagon with this. Give me some woods in the same make-up and my bag will be set!!

Reply Report comment
Matt

May 30, 2013 at 12:23 pm

Now you’re talking. Looks great!

Reply Report comment
Big5Hole

May 30, 2013 at 11:32 am

Must…. Resist…..

Who am I kidding; I’m going to put a deposit on one this afternoon if I can.

Reply Report comment
Nike Loyalist

May 30, 2013 at 11:10 am

FAIL.

Reply Report comment
- John
  
  May 30, 2013 at 1:02 pm
  
  Seriously? I don’t care for taylormade even and that thing looks sexy!
  
  Reply Report comment
oban wan-kanobi

May 30, 2013 at 11:09 am

About time this happens.!! I really hope they go matte black for retail; the shiny black is so 10 years ago.

Reply Report comment
- Don
  
  May 30, 2013 at 7:23 pm
  
  Only problem with matte is that any marks show more in my opinion. Traditional finish is easier to touchup or keep looking good with a light wax or Scratch X or such if needed.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - paul
    
    May 31, 2013 at 12:51 am
    
    I really like my shiny black driver head 🙁 Should i buy a new one in matte… Maybe ping I20…? Catch up with the times 🙂 Oh wait, that will be replaced with an I25 in 7 months. I will never catch up :'(
    
    Reply Report comment
  - KCCO
    
    May 31, 2013 at 9:59 pm
    
    Not matte….
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Jeff
    
    Jun 1, 2013 at 5:00 am
    
    If you sky your driver, you shouldn’t be buying a $300+ golf club yet.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jeff
      
      Jun 1, 2013 at 5:01 am
      
      My bad, reading comprehension…
      
      Reply Report comment

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

Your Reaction?