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TaylorMade to release SLDR 430 driver

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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.

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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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21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. Mateo

    Dec 26, 2013 at 1:53 am

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

  3. 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.

    • aj

      Jun 4, 2014 at 9:57 am

      For me the smaller head allows me to rotate the club easier.

  4. 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

  5. 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!!!

  6. Floyderick

    Dec 20, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    Revolutionary driver! A must buy! A+++

  7. 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…

    • NG

      Dec 19, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      I think you should get your facts correct first…hint, timing of patents

    • 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

  8. 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.

    • 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.

    • 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…

  9. 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!

  10. 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 🙂

  11. 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.

    • Chum

      Dec 20, 2013 at 11:11 am

      The white did flop, but not the black.

      • 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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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Whats in the Bag

Jimmy Walker WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @8)
Shaft: AutoFlex SF505 XX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym (15 degrees @14)
Shaft: AutoFlex SF505 XX

5-wood: Callaway Paradym (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist 620 MB (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 54-08M), WedgeWorks (60-L)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Scotty Cameron GSS prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Check out more in-hand photos of Jimmy Walker’s clubs in the forums.

 

 

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Thorbjørn Olesen WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 65 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 High Launch (16.5 degrees)
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5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
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Wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe (56-10, 60-10)
Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: TaylorMade TP Reserve B11

Grips: Lamkin

Check out more in-hand photos of Olesen’s clubs in the forums.

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From the Forums: How are you liking TaylorMade’s Qi10 fairway woods?

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In our forums, our members have been discussing TaylorMade’s new Qi10 fairway woods. WRXer ‘ace036’ plans on testing them in the next few weeks, saying: “from how they look from address and frame the ball is much more appealing to my eye versus my current Paradym fairway woods.” And our members have been sharing their positive feedback in our forum.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • Edwardsr: “I got fit into the Qi10 core model with Ventus TR Black 8X and it’s absolutely amazing for me.During the fitting with my 12-15 swings with it, it was the most efficient combo I’ve ever tested, tons of 1.48 smash and 3 or 4 1.49 smash (which I don’t think I’ve ever gotten on 3 wood on a launch monitor).”
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Entire Thread: “From the Forums: How are you liking TaylorMade’s Qi10 fairway woods?”

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