Equipment

TaylorMade to release SLDR 430 driver

Published

10 years ago

Dec 18, 2013

Zak Kozuchowski

TaylorMade has announced the release of a 30-cubic-centimeter smaller version of its popular SLDR driver, the SLDR 430.

The much-anticipated driver, available on Dec. 20 for $399, will be offered in three lofts: 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees.

The SLDR 430 has the same 20-gram sliding weight as the SLDR 460, placing the center of gravity of the head in a low, forward position that Taylormade says reduces distance-robbing spin and adds ball speed. According to early testing results from club fitters, the SLDR 430 is even lower spinning than the already low-spin SLDR 460, which will likely position it as the lowest-spinning driver head on the market in 2014.

The knock on the SLDR 460, which has gained wide-spread usage on the PGA Tour since is launch in July, has been its low moment of inertia, a measure of a club’s forgiveness. Because of its smaller size, the SLDR 430 will likely prove to be even less forgiving, but that shouldn’t be an issue for its target audience: high-speed, high-spin golfers who want to maximize distance on center strikes.

The SLDR 430 has the same 12-position loft sleeve as the SLDR 460, giving it a 3-degree range of adjustability (1.5 degrees up or down). It also features the same charcoal grey crown, and comes stock with a Fujikura Speeder 67 graphite shaft. The TP model, which has a more robust Fujikura’s Speeder Tour Spec 7.3, shaft, will sell for $499.

Click here to see what members are saying about TaylorMade’s SLDR 430 driver.

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Zak Kozuchowski

21 Comments

Rob

Apr 30, 2014 at 12:43 am

I wanted to like the SLDR460,I purchase a couple different ones with there stock shaft they offered from R to S and lofts from 9.5 to 12. I could not hit it. This time I tried 430 with the Stiff flex and 10.5 loft. It wants to go straight and long. My problem was the shaft options. The speedeer 57 was too lite. The stock shaft on the 430 is 73 grams. I dont have a fast swing speed, The heavier shaft helped alot. The look the sound and feel is necter.

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Mateo

Dec 26, 2013 at 1:53 am

Who cares. They’ll have another POS out next week.

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Carlos Carvalho

Dec 22, 2013 at 2:49 pm

So, someone goes to a fitting session with SLDR 460 and tell to the club fitter : Hey, I want a less forgiving head!!!
I simply just do not understand.

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- aj
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 9:57 am
  
  For me the smaller head allows me to rotate the club easier.
  
  Reply Report comment
nik d

Dec 21, 2013 at 4:31 pm

remember, these clubs are made for high handicapper weekend warriors, and the tour players are paid to play them, those guys could use any club and probably have similar results. sure, driving distance for pros has gone up in the last two decades, but look at other technologies such as premium shafts and balls. I know I would prefer a rather 400 cc or under sized club head, makes you concentrate more. instead of grippin and rippin

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Brandon A.

Dec 21, 2013 at 7:22 am

i hit the 430 about 2 weeks ago at a taylormade demo day at my job. i currently have the sldr 460 and once i hit the 430 i immediately had buyers remorse, kind of, since i didn’t pay for the sldr. but now i have the 430 coming also. i have a very moderate swing speed which suprised me because my numbers on trackman were better with the 430 than the 460. needless to say the 430 is SWEET!!!

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Floyderick

Dec 20, 2013 at 9:54 pm

Revolutionary driver! A must buy! A+++

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- Mateo
  
  Dec 26, 2013 at 1:51 am
  
  LOL. Ok.
  
  Reply Report comment
DS

Dec 19, 2013 at 8:02 pm

Why are they making another one of these? Good lord. All the 460 head did was break… Trust me, I went through 3 of them. So now they’re making a smaller “player” head? Good call. Maybe next time don’t try an idea that a company already went through and failed… Cough cough… Mizuno already did this… Cough cough…

Reply Report comment
- NG
  
  Dec 19, 2013 at 10:49 pm
  
  I think you should get your facts correct first…hint, timing of patents
  
  Reply Report comment
- nik d
  
  Dec 21, 2013 at 4:34 pm
  
  whats your clubhead speed ? I believe you man, I know a 70 year old man with slow swingspeed that cracked a burner 2.0 . did the faces cave in or the welds crack? that’s the only thing keeping me from buying another tm wood. or iron due to the fact that they look stupid
  
  Reply Report comment
Jay

Dec 18, 2013 at 10:54 pm

A little confused, the GolfWRX editor review of the 460 says it has more forgiveness, while this article says the knock with the 460 is that it has less forgiveness.
It makes sense to me that because of the more forward CG you would have less forgiveness but the review says the opposite. I actually got a 460, to some degree based on the editor review and the statement about more forgiveness.

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- Ryan
  
  Dec 19, 2013 at 12:06 am
  
  The article says the 430 is even lees forgiving. As the 460 is already pretty low MOI.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Westphi
  
  Dec 19, 2013 at 4:55 pm
  
  The SLDR 460 is less forgiving than many other 460 drivers, because of the SLDR’s low/forward CG, and will reduce spin considerably. The SLDR 430 will have even less forgiveness than the SLDR 460, and have even less spin than the SLDR 460. Hope that clarifies it for you…
  
  Reply Report comment
No Thanks!

Dec 18, 2013 at 3:38 pm

If they offered the better JDM version…. Maybe.

Correction…. I said better…. I meant both paint jobs.

No thanks!

Reply Report comment
the.landshark

Dec 18, 2013 at 2:40 pm

Bummer that the TP version isn’t coming in black, nor with the Speeder 757 shaft like the Japan model. That combo had a *really* good chance of being the 1st Taylormade club in my bag ever! Oh well… then again, perhaps it’ll become a ‘special limited edition’ in a few months time 🙂

Reply Report comment
Van BTs

Dec 18, 2013 at 2:19 pm

R1 must have flopped pretty hard lol. This is going to be a good sell though, mostly to people that don’t have the game for it.

Reply Report comment
- Chum
  
  Dec 20, 2013 at 11:11 am
  
  The white did flop, but not the black.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chris W
    
    Dec 20, 2013 at 12:26 pm
    
    The white R1 was the best selling driver of 2013 and one of the fastest selling drivers of all time. The black was limited edition and, yes, it did sell well, but significantly less than the white.
    
    Reply Report comment
Stephen Lee

Dec 18, 2013 at 1:46 pm

i say taylormade is trying different marketing strategy this time. taylormade made 430cc version of the new driver first and then 460cc version saying its longer and more forgiving over the last few years. like the r9 and then r9s, the r11 and then r11s. now the other way around? 460cc first and 430cc for better players? i dont get that taylormade were saying 460cc is longer because of the size of the head is bigger than 430cc making it more forgiving and longer. now they are saying 430cc is longer because of reduced spin rate. does anyone know what is the bigger factor in the driving distance? spin rate or head size? or am i thinking wrong way? even though the most important thing is smash factor given the head speed produced by individuals but im still curious.

Reply Report comment
Conrad

Dec 18, 2013 at 12:54 pm

love it how taylormade is going back to trying to market to all audiences…

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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