Equipment

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 fairway woods and hybrids: Building on a winning platform

Published

3 years ago

Jan 19, 2021

When it came to fairway woods in 2020, the TaylorMade SIM line was top of its class in ball speed, spin control, and distance. For 2021, TaylorMade engineers are upping their game and the SIM fairway wood platform with the launch of the TaylorMade SIM2, SIM2 Max, and SIM2 Max D (for draw) fairway woods. Each is designed to improve consistency, turf interaction, forgiveness, and reshape what is possible with each model in the line.

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 fairway woods

“In the world of golf club engineering, we fight for millimeters because those small changes can lead to big results. With the SIM2 Titanium fairway, we repositioned CG a mere 12.1mm from the ground. That delivers a CG projection that’s absolute center face along with increased MOI for more forgiveness compared to last year’s model. We’ve gone lower across the entire line of 2021 fairways, so golfers can go even higher.” – Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation

What’s new, and what you need to know

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 fairway wood models

The SIM fairway woods reintroduced TaylorMade’s popular V Steel sole, and with the SIM2 Max and Max D models, TM has increased the heel and toe relief to improve turf interaction and versatility.

Lightweight carbon composite crown

Improved construction and new head sizes. The SIM2 Titanium has a reconfigured heavy steel soleplate to go along with its 10cc smaller size to move the center of gravity farther back in the head to increase MOI. The Max and Max D models have also gotten larger to improve forgiveness.

What’s the same, and how has it gotten better

SIM2 Max fairway wood – Twist Face

Twist Face technology: Since it was brought from the driver to the M5 and M6 fairway woods, this redesigned bulge and roll profile helps keep shots missed around the face stay online while also normalizing spin. You could make the argument that having this technology in fairway woods is even more beneficial than a driver since many golfers miss lower on the face, which is where this technology shines.

Three models: The SIM2 fairway wood family features three distinct models to help golfers find the right performing club for them, and the designers have reconfigured the head shapes and sizes to create more separation between the model performance variables.

More photos and discussion in the forums.

Improved V Steel sole

Improved V Steel: The TaylorMade V Steel sole is an iconic design, and for the new 2021 SIM Max and Max D models, the V Steel shape is now defined by a dual step to improve the club’s performance on shots hit off the deck.

The 2021 TaylorMade SIM2 fairway wood models

TaylorMade is doing everything it can to eliminate any confusion when it comes to differentiating the SIM2 fairway models, so let’s break down the players each one is intended for.

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium

For anyone that either already plays or has tested the SIM Titanium, the consensus is it’s a powerhouse, but with one small caveat: it can be a little low launching off the deck. For higher spin players, this was fantastic, but for those who wanted the adjustability, it meant having to make some, well, adjustments.

SIM2 Titanium from address

The new SIM2 Titanium comes in at 170cc, 10cc smaller than the 2020 version. It has also been reshaped from address to offer a more “tour inspired” look, and to instill confidence for those shots off the fairway.

More photos and discussion in the forums.

Improved 80-gram soleplate of 2021 SIM2

The impressive thing about this new fairway wood is even in a smaller size it offers a five-percent higher MOI thanks in part to the reconfigured 80-gram steel soleplate, ZaTech titanium face and body—along with the carbon crown.

SIM2 Titanium club face

The SIM2 Titanium will be available right and left-handed in 15 and 19 degrees with a 13.5-degree “Rocket” head available in right hand only.
The stock shafts are the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue FW 65 and 75.

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Max

SIM2 Max 3-wood sole

Unlike the SIM2 Titanium, the SIM2 Max fairway has gotten bigger and now comes in at 190cc head in the 3-wood (compared to 185 in the 2020 version) to increase forgiveness, and although the head has gotten larger, it is still easy to elevate from tighter lies with the help of the newly redesigned two-step V Steel sole.

2021 Sim2 Max from address

The SIM2 Max will be available in right and left-handed in lofts of 15, 18, 21 degrees, plus a new-for-2021 16.5-degree 3LH aka a 4-wood with an additional 24-degree head available in right-hand only.
The stock shafts are the Fujikura Ventus Blue FW 6 and 5.
There will also be women’s stock offerings that include the Aldila NV Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip in the lofts of 16.5, 18, 21, and 24 degrees.

TaylorMade SIM2 Max D

2021 SIM2 Max D (draw)

The unofficial motto of the SIM2 Max D should be “go big or go home.” It offers the largest head size at 195cc (in the 3-wood) and also has the largest face area to help those golfers who miss a bit more than they would like to admit.

More photos and discussion in the forums.

SIM2 Max D has the largest clubface in the line.

TaylorMade’s testing has shown there is a strong correlation between handicap and golfers who tend to fade the ball, which is why the draw-biased Max D is the most forgiving of the available models.

SIM2 Max D from address

The SIM2 Max D will be available in right and left-handed in the lofts of 16 and 19 degree, with a 22-degree head available in right hand only.
The stock shaft for the SIM2 Max D fairway is the same as the Max D driver: the Fujikura Air Speeder 45
There will also be women’s stock offerings that include the Aldila NV Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip in the lofts 16, 19, and 22 degrees

TaylorMade 2021 SIM2 Rescue hybrids

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Rescue

To say the SIM Max Rescue was a success would be underselling how well it did both on the PGA Tour and with regular golfers. We even did a story on it: The inside story of the surprise popularity of the TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue on tour.

To build on that success, TaylorMade has improved the original Max rescue and are also introducing an all-new model geared towards higher swing speed players looking for a hybrid that offers adjustability and workability with the 2021 (non-MAX) SIM Rescue, thanks to input from its tour staff, including Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson.

The 2021 TaylorMade SIM2 rescue models

2021 SIM2 Rescue sole

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Rescue

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 sole and Speed Pocket

The SIM2 Rescue draws a lot of inspiration from previous TaylorMade and (some Adams) generation hybrids, including the popular ’09 Rescue TP—except with a whole lot more technology!

2009 TaylorMade TP Rescue club

The profile is compact with a higher squared-off toe to have a more “iron-like” appearance from address to help golfers find the perfect transition club from long irons to fairway woods.

SIM2 Rescue from address

The leading edge is cambered and blunted compared to the Max version for golfers who hit down on the ball and offers more familiar technology including the Speed Pocket, Twist Face, FCT adjustable hosel, and TPS weighting for swing weight adjustability through custom.

More photos and discussion in the forums.

2021 SIM2 Rescue V Steel sole

The SIM2 Rescue will be available right and left-handed in lofts of 19.5 and 22 degrees with a 17-degree head available in right hand only.
The stock shaft is the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue HY 70 and 80g

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Max Rescue

2021 SIM2 Max rescue

The new SIM2 Max hybrid brings everything you loved from the previous version with a newly refined sole geometry to increase forgiveness and deliver more consistent results.

SIM2 Max Rescue from address

The SIM2 Max Rescue has a C300 maraging steel face and comes with the now-familiar Twist Face, which only became a feature in the Rescue line last year.

SIM2 Max Rescue – Twist Face

The SIM2 Max will be available in right and left-handed in the loft 19, 22, and 25 degrees with 28 and 31-degree heads available in right hand only.
The stock shafts are the Fujikura Ventus Blue (hybrid) in 5, 6, 7.
There will also be stock women’s options with the SIM2 Max hybrids that include the Aldila NV Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip in the 22, 25, 28, and 31-degree lofts.

Pricing, and availability

The new SIM2 fairway woods and hybrids will be available at retail at the same time as the new drivers: February 19.

SIM2 Rescue head cover.

The SIM2 Titanium fairway will be priced at $399 while the SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max D models priced at $299.

The new SIM2 Rescue will be priced at $279. The SIM2 2 Max Rescue will be $249.

More photos and discussion in the forums.

Your Reaction?

LIKE46
LEGIT8
WOW2
LOL5
IDHT2
FLOP2
OB1
SHANK11

Whats in the Bag

Kevin Streelman WITB 2024 (April)

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

5-wood: Ping G (17.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 X

Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

Wedges: Wilson Staff Model (48-08, 54-08), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (48), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 58)

Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType SSS TG6

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

Your Reaction?

LIKE3
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL1
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

Equipment

Choose Your Driver: Which 2012 driver was your favorite?

Published

18 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

The year was 2012. Gangnam Style ruled supreme, its infectious beats and ludicrous horse-riding dance moves hypnotizing us with their stupidity. Everyone was talking about the Mayan calendar, convinced that the end of days was near. Superheroes soared on the silver screen, with the Avengers assembling in epic fashion. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games. And the memes! The memes abounded. Grumpy Cat triumphed. We kept calm and carried on.

In much the same way that automotive enthusiasts love classic cars, we at GolfWRX love taking a backward glance at some of the iconic designs of years past. Heck, we love taking iconic designs to the tee box in the present!

In that spirit, GolfWRX has been running a series inspired by arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time: Mortal Kombat. It’s not “choose your fighter” but rather “choose your driver.”

Check out some of the standout combatants of 2012 below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Nike VRS

Often harshly critiqued during its years releasing golf equipment (right, Phil Mickelson?), Nike’s tenure in the club-and-ball business gets a gloss of nostalgic varnish, with many of its iron and putter designs continuing to attract admirers. Among the company’s driver offerings, the 2012 VRS — or VR_S, if you will — drew high marks for its shaping and toned-down appearance. The multi-thickness, NexCOR face was no joke either.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Callaway RAZR Fit

Callaway’s first foray into moveable weight technology (married with its OptiFit hosel) did not disappoint. With a carbon fiber crown, aerodynamic attention to detail, and variable and hyperbolic face technologies, this club foreshadowed the tech-loaded, “story in every surface” Callaway drivers of the present, AI-informed design age.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Cleveland Classic 310

Truly a design that came out of left field. Cleveland said, “Give me a persimmon driver, but make it titanium…in 460cc.” Our 2012 reviewer, JokerUsn wrote, “I don’t need to elaborate on all the aesthetics of this club. You’ve seen tons of pics. You’ve all probably seen a bunch in the store and held them up close and gotten drool on them. From a playing perspective, the color is not distracting. It’s dark enough to stay unobtrusive in bright sunlight…Even my playing partners, who aren’t into clubs at all…commented on it saying it looks cool.” Long live!

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Titleist 910

While there’s no disputing Titleist’s “Titleist Speed” era of drivers perform better than its 2010s offerings, sentimentality abounds, and there was something classically Titleist about these clubs, right down to the alignment aid, and the look is somewhere between 983 times and the present TS age. Representing a resurgence after a disappointing stretch of offerings (907, 909), The 910D2 was a fairly broadly appealing driver with its classic look at address and classic Titleist face shape.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

TaylorMade RocketBallz

The white crown. The name. You either loved ‘em or you hated ‘em. TaylorMade’s 2012 offering from its RocketBallz Period boasted speed-enhancing aerodynamics and an Inverted Cone Technology in the club’s titanium face. Technology aside, it’s impossible to overstate what a departure from the norm a white-headed driver was in the world of golf equipment.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Ping i20

Long a quietly assertive player in the driver space, Ping’s i20 was more broadly appealing than the G20, despite being a lower-launch, lower-spin club. Ping drivers didn’t always have looks that golfer’s considered traditional or classic, but the i20 driver bucked that trend. Combining the classic look with Ping’s engineering created a driver that better players really gravitated toward. The i20 offered players lower launch and lower spin for more penetrating ball flight while the rear 20g tungsten weights kept the head stable. Sound and feel were great also, being one of the more muted driver sounds Ping had created up to that time.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

GolfWRXers, let us know in the comments who “your fighter” is and why!

Your Reaction?

LIKE14
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP2
OB0
SHANK1

Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/29/24): Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft

Published

22 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Krank Formula fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft.

From the seller: (@well01): “Krank formula fire 10.5 degree with AUtoflex SF505. $560 shipped.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules