Equipment

TaylorMade SLDR MiniDriver: In-hand photos

Published

10 years ago

Mar 5, 2014

TaylorMade launched its new SLDR MiniDriver this week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, giving us the first in-hand photos of the company’s yet-to-be-released driving fairway wood.

The club is roughly half the size of TaylorMade’s SLDR driver — it’s estimated to be about 250 cubic centimeters, while the SLDR driver is 46occ — and also looks and functions differently. It’s color scheme is essentially inverted from the SLDR driver. The SLDR Mini has a matte silver crown and a black sole, while the SLDR Driver glossy charcoal-painted crown and a matte silver sole.

The SLDR Mini we photographed has a printed loft of 12 degrees, but unlike the SLDR driver it has no sliding weight or adjustable hosel. Check out more photos of the SLDR Mini below, including comparison photos from TaylorMade’s Tour Van.

Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the SLDR MiniDriver in our forum.

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53 Comments

Alan

Apr 22, 2014 at 8:00 pm

I like the concept for my game. What degree is most suitable to hit off the tee, as well as the fairway? P.S. Some of your comments had me rolling.

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Pingback: miniDriver: Back to the Future | The Crunchy Golfer
chad ryan

Mar 28, 2014 at 1:09 pm

This is comical to me. What’s next? Mini wedges?

Reply Report comment
Evan

Mar 22, 2014 at 10:00 am

A good idea but total whiff on this one TM. Why is the head 250cc!!! you should have made a 380 or 400 with a pro trajectory and 12-13 degree loft!!!! THAT is a mini driver, THIS is a strong 3 wood.

Need an OEM to give me a complimentary 1 and 2 wood. Two tee options, 20-30 yard gap, one distance premium, one accuracy premium.

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Damian

Mar 19, 2014 at 7:50 pm

a comparison shot with an RBZ tour spoon would be cool. is there really that much difference between the mini SLDR and a tour spoon? Is the face that much deeper?

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KCCO

Mar 18, 2014 at 9:39 pm

It’s an option…some will buy it, some will buy it with purpose to use it, others will wait and buy it for half price. Either way, It’s another option from TM. Can’t hate them for it.
My opinion, looks nice, but takes 1 of the 14 seats in my bag, and I don’t really know who I would kick outta the party to accommodate a club I don’t have any knowledge of, or know the value of its purpose/usefullness (made that word up) vs. say 3 wood, utility, rescue, etc. Def not pushing the 712u out:)

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nikkyd

Mar 17, 2014 at 11:05 pm

A lot of times i practice with older persimmons to get my hand eye coordination synced. I really think that these large club heads have too much drag with the large faces, hence one reason they are harder to work. A deep face is nice and all, but whats the give and take? Faster clubhead speed or more speed across the sweetspot/hitting area? Practice practice practice. If it was easy, everyone would do it

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Randy

Mar 11, 2014 at 3:20 pm

2 steps forward 1 back?? Does any one know of a comparison test between modern 460cc drivers and older 250cc Big Berthas types by man or machine. I would bet the results are closer than you think. If they wouldn’t make up something new whether it helps or not , sales would go down. Show them the $$$$$$.

Reply Report comment
- Mike
  
  Mar 16, 2014 at 6:28 am
  
  I bought an old Taylormade 200 steel off ebay for fun a few months back, vs my R11s it was only 5-10 yards shorter, but it was also a 10.5 degree vs the 9 degree on the R11s..
  
  Honestly my belief is that the bigger heads only help off centre hits, not distance on good shots.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Captain Junah
  
  Mar 18, 2014 at 10:46 am
  
  well….smaller heads have a lower CG aka low spin. They just also happen to have a lower MOI. A 460 head gets you forgiveness on the mishits. I would say newer clubs also give you more distance because they are longer and have higher strength faces and fit the masses better too.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Brad
  
  Apr 7, 2014 at 1:29 am
  
  http://youtu.be/WoiR_tYB0tM
  
  Reply Report comment
Lee

Mar 10, 2014 at 8:23 am

I just like the color. I’d like it if they would run the SLDR driver in this mini driver color. I like the light color crown with a black face.

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RG

Mar 7, 2014 at 9:14 pm

Finally!!! A new release from Taylormade!! It’s been so long since they put out somethimg new I was stating to worry. And what a release! A “Minidriver”… I didn’t even know I needed one. Thank you TM, you make my golf life complete.

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Brad

Mar 7, 2014 at 3:16 pm

Looks a lot like my Cobra Long Tom 2 wood. If it’s anything like my 2 wood it will save a lot of guys several strokes. I struggled with the driver forever. I got my Long Tom and changed shafts and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. My drives don’t suffer either I hit the 2 wood as far as I’ve ever hit a driver. I would definitely give this club a try as a driver replacement for sure.

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RadioActive

Mar 7, 2014 at 10:23 am

I like the color scheme better than the SLDR driver

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brsmith

Mar 7, 2014 at 7:17 am

It is a “thriver.” A Driver that you can hit fairways with and off the deck. It is essentially a 2W. I assume this is for stronger players like Tiger Woods that hit 3W off the tee but are looking for a little more distance. It could help those that have an issue with the larger heads.

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boomermike

Mar 6, 2014 at 8:26 pm

No need for this club if you already own the original Ping Rapture 3-wood. Still awesome off the tee several years after its introduction.

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- Holdma Deeek
  
  Mar 19, 2014 at 1:58 pm
  
  You probably listen to the superbowl on the radio too. Step your game up.
  
  Reply Report comment
Pingback: SLDR minidriver | Golfbloggen
Golfraven

Mar 6, 2014 at 5:10 pm

this club would fit well in a Star Trek movie.
I like how TM use rest ot the white paint from the RBZ and mix it with some of the new paint – to get this lovely grey ish color. Some master brain at work – respect

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benseattle

Mar 6, 2014 at 11:32 am

Sean O’Hair still plays the Tour?

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billy

Mar 6, 2014 at 8:32 am

Ill just take the original SLDR please…Waiting for the inevitable price drop into my price range which is only 3 “new” releases away now…WHAHOOOOOOO

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RAT

Mar 6, 2014 at 7:58 am

Spend,Spend,Spend that money ! That’s what it’s about club junkies!!

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the infidel

Mar 6, 2014 at 7:52 am

You can’t design or buy your way out of poor technical execution.

If you can’t grip down on a driver and swing at 75% of normal to hit a stock fairway finder shot then put the clubs on the bay.

This $300+ club will not cure bad swings. Look at Phil as an example. Callaway tinkering to mask technical flaws which are there for everyone to see if you can find YouTube.

Reply Report comment
- RD
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 11:00 am
  
  Says the 11 handicapper.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck

Mar 5, 2014 at 9:44 pm

Seems strange that in the niche market where very advanced players get very picky about face angles, that this club wouldn’t be adjustable.

But it really does seem like the ‘club of the year’: the small driver. Callaway, Ping, Taylormade; they are all doing it.

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nikkyd

Mar 5, 2014 at 9:30 pm

If they made this thing in a 9° loft and slapped a steel shaft in it, we would have a winner. I have not played golf very long. Started out with the modern 460 cc heads and i do okay with them, but when im in a pinch or just not hitting it well, i swap out my 910 d3 with an early 80s macgregor eye o matic. Deadly accurate and well long enough. Modern driver heads weigh between 196-204 grams. So do all the vintage clubs! This club could be the real deal. As long as its more durable than Previous taylormade (caved faced) models

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- Justin
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 11:54 am
  
  So you get the taylormade caved toe too?? Lol 2 rounds after I got my R1 black, I had to take it back for that reason, not to mention almost all of my previous tm drivers haha.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Chuck
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 1:45 pm
  
  If you had a 9 degree driver head that was small in size with a 43.5″ steel shaft, you’d have a 1993 Callaway Big Bertha with the True Temper Memphis 10 shaft. Like I have in my basement. One of the best and most fun to hit drivers I have ever used. Without any doubt, the best driver I have ever owned, for hitting the ball off the deck.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - nikkyd
    
    Mar 8, 2014 at 1:06 pm
    
    Im still looking for my dads big bertha head in the woods behind #7 tee box. He loved that club.it was killer. Head flew off after completing his follow through. Freak power golden gloves heavyweight boxer champ 1974 😉
    
    Reply Report comment
jed

Mar 5, 2014 at 7:08 pm

Good amount of people only hit 3 woods off the tee. So why not get a larger one that will be more forgiving and longer.

I personally want one so I can hit it off the deck as well. Even though I dont do it often, I would like that option.

Reply Report comment
Ryan

Mar 5, 2014 at 7:03 pm

Is it just me or does the taylormade symbol on the top of the club always look like it is to far towards the heel?

Reply Report comment
- Justin
  
  Mar 5, 2014 at 9:37 pm
  
  I had an R11, and I thought the same thing! Don’t notice it as much on my r1 black though. Maybe it has to do with lighter crowns giving that allusion?
  
  Reply Report comment
- TJ
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 10:04 am
  
  just an assumption its probably so that when you are looking down at your ball you can a-line the symbol in the middle of the ball and have the ball positioned in the sweet spot (middle of the club) if it was located directly in the middle in order to a-line the ball to it you would have to be looking down at the club face directly over the club. Again just an assumption I truly have no facts… Ha!
  
  Reply Report comment
Martin

Mar 5, 2014 at 6:16 pm

I don’t get using the SLDR name on products without the sliding mechanism, seems a bit silly.

Does the article say how long the shaft is?

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Jason Burge

Mar 5, 2014 at 5:30 pm

Ask yourself one question: is a 12 degree fairway wood really going to lower your score? Most players don’t have chance at hitting this off the ground and those that can won’t need it in their bag. Sure, it might be cool to hit off the tee. But, for the average player, I doubt that the 12 degree loft and small head will produce straighter tee shots. If anything, the average player will still end up in the tall grass but have 10-15 more yards to the green than usual. This club seems like something that even an advanced player wouldn’t use very frequently.

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- ND Hickman
  
  Mar 5, 2014 at 9:07 pm
  
  My guess would be to have this in place of a driver, have a 5 wood in place of a 3 wood then your usual iron set and wedges. This club is less likely to go as offline as a 460CC driver would do.
  
  Reply Report comment
- MBA-J
  
  Mar 5, 2014 at 9:09 pm
  
  I’m with you, bro. Quite frankly cannot understand the purpose of this club. It’s tee shot equivalent of a chipper! It’s a unitasker, one trick pony that is too big to be a traditional fairway wood but not forgiving enough to replace the traditional driver. Why not get a 12* SLDR driver and get the extra forgiveness? Why not get a 13° fairway wood and have a more versatile club?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - RC
    
    Mar 6, 2014 at 10:53 am
    
    The purpose of the club – the competition has one on the market. How much of a percentage of golfers visit this web site, or one which is similar; you’re in the know, good for you. TM didn’t get to be so big by selling to us (we educate ourselves), but to buyers who go and buy at will. It’s all marketing, well we’re doing it now, free of charge to boot.
    As all have said, buy in 6 months for a fraction of the cost. I played a similar club (Titleist PT 13 degree 3 wood) that club was to people a golf with what a Nissan GTR was to street racers. The fact I had one, could actually play it brought a sort of respect for my game, especially after I would let them try the club. Remember, TM here to sell clubs even if it contradicts what they just said. TM will make and people will buy. Golfers will wait for the clearance price.
    
    Reply Report comment
yo!

Mar 5, 2014 at 4:45 pm

I’m getting this thing to hit off the deck or off the fairway in windy conditions.

Reply Report comment
P

Mar 5, 2014 at 3:55 pm

That’s a nice 2 WOOD !!!!

Reply Report comment
Westphi

Mar 5, 2014 at 2:13 pm

So its a ” mini driver” for people who hit it really hard and want to find more fairways or a “3 wood” for people who need the extra help???

Reply Report comment
Taylor Zalewski

Mar 5, 2014 at 2:07 pm

Yea, I don’t get this size. Seems like such a small niche market. If people wanted to use a smaller headed driver to find fairways…why not just buy an old callaway great big bertha

Reply Report comment
Martin Fincham

Mar 5, 2014 at 1:20 pm

I would say it’s Taylormade’s version of Callaway’s X Hot Deep 3 woods. Which are great clubs. 🙂

Reply Report comment
- Ross
  
  Mar 6, 2014 at 6:45 am
  
  the 3 deep comes in various lofts… in a optifit world this is a dinosaur
  
  Reply Report comment
Lazza

Mar 5, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Prefer the charcoal grey on the crown.

Reply Report comment
Jordan

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:57 pm

What’s the purpose of this club? Is it supposed to be a cross between a driver and 3 wood?

Reply Report comment
- KYGolfer
  
  Mar 5, 2014 at 1:11 pm
  
  I think this club is for people with high swing speed, but are willing to sacrifice 10 yards of distance in order to hit one or two more fairways a round. Or at least that is why I would use it.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Christopher
    
    Mar 5, 2014 at 3:58 pm
    
    Or it’s designed for players who want extra distance than their current fairway woods provide.
    
    I hope we see some tests between this and old titanium drivers that are similar in size.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - ND Hickman
      
      Mar 6, 2014 at 7:13 am
      
      Speaking as someone who bought a Callaway XHot Pro 3Deep 13 last year, I can confirm that these kind of clubs do go pretty far. I’ve measured one drive (I stress it has only happened once!) at just over 300 yards. Good alternative to a driver if you’re not confident with the big stick.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Jack
        
        Mar 6, 2014 at 4:15 pm
        
        Is there a guy on the internet that doesn’t hit it over 300 these days? 360 is the norm, you better work on your club head speed, buddy.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Randy
        
        Mar 11, 2014 at 4:40 pm
        
        I have a TM R9 and I don’t think it goes any father than my old Cobra 380cc driver. In fact it doesn’t go much farther than my TM Superfast 5 wood. My 5 wood is the same length as the old drivers and goes a lot straighter. Today’s 46 inch drivers are too long to control.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - ND Hickman
        
        Mar 21, 2014 at 9:01 am
        
        To Jack, please note that I said it has happened once. Not that I’ve done it consistently.
        
        Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Hideki Matsuyama’s winning WITB, 2021 Masters

Published

13 hours ago

Apr 10, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

At the 2021 Masters, Hideki Matsuyama broke through to claim his first major championship, winning the first major for Japan in the process. Matsuyama’s led by four strokes entering the final day. Ultimately, a final-round 73 and 10-under tally was one better than Will Zalatoris could manage and Matsuyama donned the green jacket.

Take a look at the clubs Matsuyama had in play three years ago below.

Driver: Srixon ZX5 (9.5 degrees, flat)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

Photo credit: Yoshihiro Iwamoto

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Utility: TaylorMade SIM UDI (3)
Shaft: True Temper Elevate Tour X100

Irons: Srixon Z-Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype (52-10, 56-8 @57.5, 60-08 @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (S400 in 52)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS
Grip: Lamkin Deep-Etched Full Cord

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Grips: Iomic X

Check out our deep dive into Hideki’s WITB here.

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Equipment

Best irons in golf of 2024: The shotmakers

Published

14 hours ago

Apr 10, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

In our effort to assemble the 2024 best irons, we have again compiled an expert panel of fitters to help you find out which of the 2024 irons is best for your game.

Ultimately the best way to find your personal best iron set is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We are in the era of not just maximizing distance but also minimizing the penalty of common misses for each player — this applies to irons just as much as it does with any other club in the bag. And of course, proper set makeup and gapping is essential. This is why, now more than ever, custom fitting is essential to help you see results on every swing you make.

We want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you by offering recommendations for your individual iron set wants and needs with insight and feedback from the people who work every single day to help golfers get peak performance out of their equipment.

Join the discussion about best irons 2024 in the forums!

Best irons of 2024: The process

The best fitters in the world see all the options available in the marketplace, analyze their performance traits, and pull from that internal database of knowledge and experience like a supercomputer when they are working with a golfer.

It’s essentially a huge decision tree derived from experience and boiled down to a starting point of options—and it has nothing to do with a handicap!

Modern iron sets are designed into player categories that overlap the outdated “what’s your handicap?” model, and at GolfWRX we believe it was important to go beyond handicap and ask specific questions about the most crucial performance elements fitters are looking at.

These are the best iron categories we have developed to help you determine which category is most important for your swing and game.

Best irons of 2024: The categories

Overall performance
Easiest to launch/Slower swing speed
Pure enjoyment
Shotmakers
Most technology-packed
Best blade

2024 Best irons: The shotmakers

Each one of these irons was designed with a single purpose: to provide the ultimate shotmaking weapon. You don’t have to be a tour player to appreciate the pleasure of hitting a well-struck shot with a club engineered to offer superior feedback. This category is all about control — and that doesn’t mean it “has to be a blade.”

Titleist T100

Their story: The “players iron” of the new T-Series family, the T100 iron features an all-new Tour-designed sole, which was inspired by discussions with both the tour staff and the Vokey wedge design team. It features a new variable bounce sole design, which provides less bounce in the heel and more bounce in the toe to facilitate better turf interaction and improved feel.

Fitter comments:

“More tech than blades but just as workable. It’s why it gets play on tour. Not a lot of offset and fairly traditional lofts as these want to create some spin for maintaining a steep enough landing.”
“Number one played iron on tour. It definitely gets the love it deserves for sure…especially from a turf interaction standpoint. It definitely gets to the turf nice and quick compared to some of the previous generations.”
“Incredible feel and feedback while offering a good amount of forgiveness in this category. Can play it from any lie and hit any shot…one of the most played irons on tour for a reason.”
“It has good feel. It’s really forgiving for that compact-looking head. It’s got a great sole on it that works really well. It’s got weaker loft, and so therefore it’s going to spin more. It’s really good for the guy with a lot of speed, because it’s not going to jump and go all over the place.”
“It’s always been one to throw in the mix for that player who comes in looking for a players iron but not quite a blade. They’ve just slowly kind of kept working on that, that product that’s been in their cycle for a while. I don’t want to say it’s kind of gold standard-like, but that’s definitely one that’s going to be in the mix.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Srixon ZX7 Mk II

Their story: The players iron ZX7 Mk II features PureFrame: an 80-percent thicker portion of 1020 carbon steel forged behind the sweet spot in the body of the iron for soft-yet-solid-feeling impact. Also significant to the design: A refined Tour V.T. Sole Proprietary sole widths, bounce angles, and notches in the heel and toe of the club aid clean contact from a variety of lies.

Fitter comments:

“What I love about that is for that guy that hits it, like square on the face of the golf club. It’s, this is the way I kind of explain to customers and they hit it like, it’s not gonna be the longest. It’s probably not gonna be the straightest, but you will hit seven iron in the exact same distance every time you hit it. And, and I think that’s the appeals to that better player because like very rarely do.”
“I’m a personal fan of it. No hot face. No jumpers, does a great job of controlling the spec which we like a lot…quite forgiving. That’s a, that’s a, that’s a major player in that category.”
“I mean, two of the five fitters out here play them. I mean, they’re awesome, like they’re still, you know, a small compact players iron, but you still get a lot of help and forgiveness out of them, which I like. You see a lot of these on tour that are non, you know, non-contract guys playing them.”
“They did a really good job of not screwing up a good thing. ZX7 was fantastic. It seemed like 50 percent of the non-contract guys in pro golf played that iron. It continues to give very consistent numbers. The better player wants a consistent number. They need to know it’s going to go that distance. This club does that very well.”
“Srixon has been the “sleeper” iron company for a number of years now, but I think the secret is out. The ZX7 Mk II fit many different player types, from tour pro to mid-handicapper. The forging is very soft and forgiving, and the iron is very workable for the player with more ability. They didn’t change the shape from ZX7 to Mk II, and I think that’s a great thing.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Callaway Apex CB

Their story: Callaway touts an all-new forged construction in its 2024 Apex CB irons and its associated feel and workability. Forged from 1025 carbon steel in a five-step process, Apex CB ‘24 irons also feature MIM weighting in the toe and similar progressive CG and Dynamic Sole Design to the Apex MB irons.

Fitter comments:

“Excellent offering. Clean and easy to aim. Always a great iron.”
“Yeah, from my understanding, TCB, like that was kind of its replacement. and TCB was not easy to hit, in my opinion. I find that the guys are hitting it. It’s actually, it’s pretty forgiving for what it is. Guys that are looking for more of that just kind of solid piece, they don’t want to get any of that hollow stuff.”
“I really like it. I think it’s a great club. It’s a little, a little above my pay grade in terms of skill, but a really good feeling club. It seems like it’s a good iron all around for that player who, you know, is looking for that CB or that better-player type club.”
“I think for that guy who wants something that feels good, that CB just feels fantastic and for how dinky and tiny that thing is, I think it’s not unforgiving. And it just kind of checks all the boxes from a look, sound and feel standpoint. It’s definitely a really good, really good iron for sure.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Mizuno Pro 243

Their story: 4- through 7-irons are Grain Glow Forged HD from a single billet of 4120 Chromoly steel, while 8-GW are forged from 1024 Elite Mild Carbon steel. 4 through 7 irons feature a Flow Microslot for faster ball speeds and increased launch (thanks to more rebound area. The soles of the 243 irons are equipped with a Wrap Around Sole Grind for better turf interaction as well as increased bounce angle. The Soft Copper Underlay is again present as is the Full Satin Brush finish.

Fitter comments:

“Amazing forgiveness and workability in this category. The turf interaction is awesome for those who draw and fade the ball.”
“Best looking of the shot-making irons.”
“Minor refinements from the last one. And for the category of iron, it’s pretty forgiving. They cleaned up the cosmetics a little bit. I mean, it’s a really, really, really good iron for sure.”
“Mizuno, the, the 243, you know, that’s another great one. Forged one-piece golf club that’s super solid — no jumpers, Very similar to the ZX 7 but looks better.”
“That one continues to be kind of like a unicorn in this category because I like the ball speed…Like almost to the guy, we get more ball speed with that thing.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.

Ping Blueprint S

Their story: Developed after extensive testing with top Ping professionals, the Blueprint S features a forged cavity-back design, influenced by Ping’s existing “S” series irons. The compact shape, thin top line, and minimal offset make it visually appealing to forged club/blade enthusiasts. The forged 8620 carbon steel head has a clean cavity design with a textured pattern and hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish. Precision-milled grooves and a high-density toe screw enable swingweight fine-tuning.

Fitter comments:

“These things are pretty looking. The reduced offset and thinner topline makes this look like a blade, but you get the help and forgiveness. These are fast through the turf and are super easy to work.”
“The performance of the iron, it’s great. It’s a rare forged iron from Ping. It looks good. It’s very forgiving. It’s probably the best-performing iron in its category. We’ve been getting a lot of people asking about it. We’ve seen some guys pair it with a blueprint T, a little bit. It looks really good. It’s their best looking one by far.”
“I’m a big fan of that iron. I was little surprised by it. I thought it was going to be kind of intimidating from all the tour use and then getting it out on the course. It’s actually a pretty playable iron. It’s been the winner in that category for us.”
“What you’ve got is a forged golf club that’s designed by Ping where, you know, they’re always going to the performance first and look and feel second and now you’ve got something that’s got the look and feel that a lot of good players want to feel and great performance.”
“I think it’s something that they needed to fill that niche for that forged kind of guy that’s more compact without going into like the old blueprint or the Blueprint T…super tiny blade.”

For more photos/info, read our launch piece.