Equipment

WRX Spotted: TaylorMade SIM Drivers on USGA Conforming list

Published

4 years ago

Dec 30, 2019

The already much-speculated-about TaylorMade SIM drivers are now officially on the USGA and R&A Conforming Clubs List.

With the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions starting in just a few days on Jan 2, it would be no surprise to see these drivers in the bags of almost every TaylorMade staff member along with a few non-staffers too. Here’s what we know so far.

SIM

Based on the information gathered from the USGA list and a little bit of deduction, the SIM driver appears to be the flagship model geared towards the slightly faster or higher spin players looking for workability. There is a lot of visible technology packed into this head including a revert to the “SLDR-like” single front sliding weight track. The big difference compared to the SLDR is the long and protruding mass towards the back of the head to move CG much lower and away from the face—allowing for Higher MOI but still offering a low spin design, that and the use of carbon fiber.

No word yet if the different color of the protrusion means TaylorMade is using another material at the back of the head to push mass even further back, but if I had to guess, something is going on back there.

Like the previous M5 and M6 drivers, the use of carbon fiber appears to again be expanding to reaches of the head not seen before in a TaylorMade product, which could be allowing for a more multi-material construction.

Other technologies currently assumed to again be built into the new head include the proven Twist Face, and Speed Injected face to keep the SIM right to the max for CT (Characteristic of Time) and we already know it passed since these are on the Conforming List.

The other telltale sign that this is a club geared towards the better/faster players is the loft availability 8°, 9°, and 10.5° heads.

SIM MAX

If there is one thing golf companies seem to be able to agree on, it’s the “MAX” moniker equals greater forgiveness in any number of products, and the SIM MAX appears to be no different.

Offering the same sole shape as the standard SIM the MAX excludes the sliding weight track, probably much like the previous M6 compared to the M5, it has been excluded in favor of having a deeper, lower Center of Gravity to increase MOI. It doesn’t appear though that TaylorMade is just targeting average swing speeds with this driver either since the lofts also go from 8°, 9°, 10.5°, and up to 12°. If modern fitting has taught us anything, it’s loft is just a number to create a recipe for higher launching, lower spinning drives.

The carbon fiber on the MAX appears to wrap all the way up to the toe and around the back of the head—if we assume that the crown is also carbon than the TaylorMade SIM MAX could be TaylorMade’s most forgiving driver to date utilizing any number of multi-material advantages to push Center of Gravity lower than they ever have before.

SIM MAX-D (Draw)

Sim MAX D
Let me make one thing clear: there isn’t a driver on the market with the letter “D” being used to identify a model that is not in some way draw biased.

The SIM MAX-D looks to be using all of the same visible (and potentially hidden) technology as the other models but using more discretionary mass to move the CG towards the heel—notice the metal looking piece towards the lower heel of the head.

The MAX-D is also the first of the three models with the easy to read “Aerodynamic Sole Design” clearly visible on the head. Until proven otherwise, it also looks like it can be seen on the toe of the other two models as well.

Conclusion

The SIM Drivers from TaylorMade are going to be their flagship metal woods for 2020 and are using more carbon fiber than ever before. As it has been said many times, driver CT has been maxed out for years now, but that still doesn’t mean we have hit a wall as far as fitting, and finding ways to create speed through engineering.

More discretionary mass around the head and CG optimization are still the keys to helping golfers unlock more distance and consistency off the tee. If you add in new key face technologies to boost speed on mishits, and improved aerodynamics, then it looks like we could be going further again in 2020 with the TaylorMade SIM.

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

30 Comments

Steve Botica

Dec 31, 2019 at 11:43 am

Why is the sentiment so negative here?
People claiming to be real golfers because they don’t use Taylormade.??It is very clear Taylormade keeps the hype machine working 24/7, by attempting to lure you into buying a new driver every 6 months.Well,if you’re one of the sheep out there that can afford it,good for you.Contrary to that if you have any clue how consumerism works,you would not get duped by these elementary smokescreens. Find a driver that works and hit till its dull. Buy a 3 year old model off the rack and repeat. Taylormade,Ping,Callaway,Titleist what ever. Brand elitists need to check themselves.

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Troy

Dec 31, 2019 at 8:37 am

I’ll stick with my PXG 0811X, keep pounding it and watch the release of probably two sets of TM product lines this year alone!

Reply Report comment
Kevin

Dec 31, 2019 at 2:05 am

Taylormade has lost its credibility in the driver game , can they not produce a driver that can last 24 months ? Come on , do they think we should be constantly changing $600 drivers , just for a new flashy head over .

Reply Report comment
Straight Driver

Dec 31, 2019 at 1:13 am

S.I.M. hmmm……stands for “Sucks, I Missed.”

Reply Report comment
dat

Dec 30, 2019 at 10:49 pm

Overpriced junk unless you buy the tour models for $899 a head.

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JThunder

Dec 30, 2019 at 7:43 pm

The only thing more predictable than *every* club company releasing a “new” driver on a regular schedule is the litany of repetitive and meaningless commentary which follows.

TM – and *every* other company (including PXG) releases new clubs because their shareholders, their dealers, and their own marketing departments *demand* that they must. If you dislike this enough to comment negatively every single time, then vote for socialism.

I suppose you could argue that the almighty internet – fueled by social media and “comments” sections for most media – “demands” that you have an opinion and believe others are entitled to it.

One is a waste of money and resources, the other is a waste of time. Happy new year.

Reply Report comment
y2zar

Dec 30, 2019 at 7:19 pm

Va, a club for bow. Vee’s fredishay golf

Reply Report comment
Mark

Dec 30, 2019 at 6:58 pm

Sim stands for Speed in Motion… Just so you know. And M6 will be 399.99 not 299.99, M2 is still 299.99. New driver every 12 months like they did the last 3 years. You people crack me up.

Reply Report comment
- Michael
  
  Dec 30, 2019 at 7:06 pm
  
  Oh look another OEM hater. Who gives a crap. No one is forcing you to buy one.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Scott Erdmann
  
  Dec 30, 2019 at 8:21 pm
  
  It’s Shape In Motion…
  
  Reply Report comment
Erik Filipiak

Dec 30, 2019 at 6:41 pm

Looks like an SLDR and an M6 made sweet love and this is what they spawned…..

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Tyler Made

Dec 30, 2019 at 5:50 pm

I like it!

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Brandon

Dec 30, 2019 at 4:23 pm

That might be the ugliest driver since the R1 era

Reply Report comment
Adam

Dec 30, 2019 at 4:07 pm

“OMG why do they make a new driver every year?!”
Jeez guys, I didn’t know the driver in your bag automatically disintegrates after one year forcing you to buy a new one.
Or you just bitter playing a slightly outdated driver? The best part about new drivers every year is the rate at which used drivers drop in price. You have year old drivers that are brand new selling for half of what they sold for a year ago.

Reply Report comment
Mike B

Dec 30, 2019 at 4:01 pm

TM SIM 2020… its more like Nike Vapor Fly Flex 2015! Their stuff is junk since the M1 2017 model, which I liked but dented in the face, replaced with a 2018 M1, which also dented. And that’s why i play a HONMA driver and MIZUNO irons. Nothing from TM will ever see my bag again. But there are fanboys and will sell a butt load of them.

Reply Report comment
- Liam
  
  Dec 31, 2019 at 3:47 pm
  
  It really is MI5 lol
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom54

Dec 30, 2019 at 3:44 pm

Not sure if all the readers “shanks” outnumbering the “likes” is an indication of what is thought about Taylormade drivers anymore but I was once fairly loyal to that brand myself until they kept coming out with something new every 6-8 months it seemed. I had a SLDR tp myself and thought it was the worst $500 driver I ever had. I gave them another shot with the M1/M2 but still wasn’t too satisfied. All my friends were using Ping models and I was reluctant to switch but I now am using the G410 lst and am not planning on switching anytime soon. I’m sure all the TM staff will be out in force with their new “SIM” logo on the hats to promote it but for me, the actual buying customer, that’s a no for me.

Reply Report comment
Rich Douglas

Dec 30, 2019 at 3:34 pm

For those of you who held on to your M1 drivers, congratulations. They’re back.

Reply Report comment
TacklingDummy

Dec 30, 2019 at 3:28 pm

I really like the sound of the graphite crown of TM driver. Not super tingy more of a solid rip sound.

Reply Report comment
J.A.

Dec 30, 2019 at 3:04 pm

Another Driver from TM.. what’s new ? They just change the color scheme, a little tweak here and there that doesn’t do jack s*** in terms performace and throw a new name on it to sell it to idiots in need of burning another $500-600.. only so they can do it all over again in 3 months.. TM = BS

Reply Report comment
HDTVMAN

Dec 30, 2019 at 2:34 pm

Just buy a Ping G400MAX. TM comes out with a new driver every other month!

Reply Report comment
- Plumpyl
  
  Dec 30, 2019 at 3:07 pm
  
  Sorry, when did the m5/6 come out? You’re fake news
  
  Reply Report comment
Alex

Dec 30, 2019 at 2:00 pm

A more forgiving SLDR sounds pretty good. SLDR was an absolute rocket ship…too bad your next shot was from the other fairway though.

Reply Report comment
Tenbuck

Dec 30, 2019 at 1:15 pm

I wonder how many copies of the Anser there are out there? Sooner or later with manufacturers getting closer to COR, some things will start to look the same including the techniques to get to that look. There are just so many difference looks you can give a club that hasn’t been used and still be pleasant to the eye.

Reply Report comment
Gunter Eisenberg

Dec 30, 2019 at 12:24 pm

Can’t wait to get the M6 at a discount in the coming weeks as they blow it out to make space for the SIM driver.

Reply Report comment
Billy Gunn

Dec 30, 2019 at 10:58 am

Hmmm…The name “SIM” makes you think that they used Artificial Intelligence to design the driver. Now, where have I heard that before?

Taylor Made ripping off Callaway and Cobra Technology and putting it into their drivers.

Also, the SLDR was a very inaccurate driver. The ball went a country mile but it was very difficult to control. I’m skeptical about reverting to that weight track system.

Reply Report comment
- Victor
  
  Dec 30, 2019 at 3:18 pm
  
  What’s SIM spelled backwards? I prefer not to have anything resembling a miss written on my clubs ????
  
  Reply Report comment
  - LoPro
    
    Dec 30, 2019 at 4:30 pm
    
    MIS is standard for this company to real golfers……in a year get it for $299
    
    Reply Report comment
Chris

Dec 30, 2019 at 10:44 am

Looks like a Cobra SpeedZone

Reply Report comment
- Jin
  
  Dec 31, 2019 at 8:33 am
  
  No look like a cobra f9…a copy with an old SLDR weight tossed in.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

3 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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