Drivers

TaylorMade R15 vs. TaylorMade SLDR 2.0

BY Tony Covey
Sep 16th 2014
Read all comments

Do names matter? Should what’s stamped in the sole of a driver impact how a golf club sells?

While I will tell you that it shouldn’t, there’s a serious argument to be made that it does. Granted, PING (mostly Is and Gs) and Titleist (9…what year is it?) have succeeded by keeping it simple. Some of the other guys…well…they’ve been known to complicate things a bit. We’ve had RAZRs and Diablos, JetSpeeds and Rocketballz, and Cells of both the AMP and BIO varieties too.

Does campy work, or are manufacturers better off keeping it simple? Golf is serious right, and serious golfers like simple…at least that’s what I’ve been told.

Cultivating a brand identity (product names are certainly a part of that) is integral to the success of every company.

Who are we, and how do we convey that to the consumer?

The Next TaylorMade Driver

It’s a given that TaylorMade will release a new flagship driver. Maybe it happens in November, or maybe the company holds off until February. Regardless, there will be another one.

What will they call it? Better yet, what do you want them to call it? You tell us, which one of these potential names do you find more appealing.

Vote Now

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Tony Covey

Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

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Tony Covey

Driver Titleist TSi3	3-Wood Titleist TSi2 13.5°
5-Wood Titleist TSi2 18°	7-Wood Titleist TSi2 21°
Irons (5-9) PXG 0311 GEN5 T	Wedges Vokey SM9 (46° F, 50° F, 54° D, 60° T)
Putter PXG Blackbird	Ball Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash

Tony Covey

comments

Join The Discussion

brent m

9 years ago

does it really matter its just to much and it will turn off new golfers

leftienige

10 years ago

They should call it the November ’14 , to be superceded by the April ’15, then theSeptember ’15 , and so on ad infinitum .

Porky

10 years ago

They will probably release the 2 of them..

Lee H.

10 years ago

I voted for R15, but it all depends on what technology they go with in the next driver. If SLDR technology is used, then stay with that. Otherwise, the R series is fine. But like others said, they will release another one within months anyway. So we might have both.

P.J.

10 years ago

Why hate TM and Callaway for being ‘part of the problem’. They release a product, let the people rush out and buy it at full price, then 3 months later start slashing prices.
So what? I’m glad they lower the price and I won’t buy until they do!
All golf clubs are over-priced. $400-500 for a driver? Putters for $180-300? Screw that….
I’ll wait…or buy it used in 6 months at a heavy discount.
If EVERYONE lowered their prices, then they couldn’t complain about losing sales.
Yeah, yeah…research, advertising, endorsement costs…blah blah blah.
Bottom line is that the golf industry is horrible at price fixing! Sell at this price and don’t you dare lower the price or allow consumers to use a coupon (unless it’s on gear that’s 3-years old or more). The whole industry has done it to themselves and I don’t feel one bit bad for any of them. If all drivers sold for $99 – they’d go like hotcakes!

Regis

10 years ago

Like a lot of posters, I think if the new flagship is an extension of the SLDR technology it should be SLDR II. If its a whole new concept R15.
In terms of some other posts, I look to TMAG for my woods to a large extent because of the cost and availability of shaft adaptors. I like experimenting from my quiver of shafts. I’ve been rebuilding my game from scratch the last 2 years and have purchased and gamed the 910 D2, Ping G25, and Cobra Bio Cell. All great clubs but for me (emphasis) nothing works like the SLDR. Moved on the to the SLDR fairways and eventually, the irons.(the irons are really special-again for my game)
Finally, I periodically pull out and game my R7 CGB Max, and R9 Super Tri, and I love them both but even with the same shafts they never last more than a round. The feel and feedback of the SLDR, is superior and that, to me constitutes an improvement and that leads to confidence.

John Ineson

10 years ago

With the rapidity of releases and little coherent sequence of names it’s hard to tell which is the latest model, or next to latest, or next to next to . . . you get the idea. How about the R&D think tank name followed by the date? Like SLDR, or RBZ, or BioBoffer, or Longest-Tom-Ever, or My-Goodness-That-Goes-So-F’n-Far 11/14. That way we’ll always know that it’s the driver they brought out in November of ’14. AND, it will be particularly helpful in telling it from the similar looking cannon they bring out in December, the KindaLegal 12/14.

Whatnobeer

10 years ago

It should be the HSTL-Holy Shit That’s Long. Or could be shorthand for Hostile.

I game a couple different drivers (TMAG and Cobra) so I’m indifferent about the company.

GolfnBuds

10 years ago

The next one from TM will be the TM “This is way better than what we sold you three months ago.”

Teaj

10 years ago

if it has any sliding weights it will have to be called the SLDR 2.0 in my opinion

SLDR’ER?

bucketsofjoy

10 years ago

SLDR-IER

ryebread

10 years ago

I suspect SLDR was only ever a name because of the patent dispute with Callaway. TM grabbed SLDR (notice they didn’t do Slider) and Callaway brought back the Big Bertha name on its highest technology stick. Granted, Callaway is watering that name down, but that’s another conversation.

I have no hard data to back this up, but 2.0 versions rarely seem to do well sales wise. The buzz is about 1.0. Version 2.0, even if it is different, is viewed as a rehash with a different paint job.

TM is kind of reeling now. They’re not on the ropes, but it’s a far cry from just a few years ago when they were the dominant player and perceived as invincible. That was the R era. I suspect they go back to R.

Bucketsofjoy

10 years ago

I liked the pattern of an R release followed by a distance/ GI release. I liked how they changed up the name of the distance line (Burner, RBZ) but kept the R line steady. I love playing TM drivers, but the odd names always made them feel a little cheap. I’d like to see the R line come back to compliment the Tour Preferred stuff. R line releases in odd years, distance releases in even. That worked, I thought….

golfer4life

10 years ago

Ripped Callaway up for new releases and now we are trying to come up with a better name for a TM driver??? Is their nothing more relevant going on in the golf world?

Bill

10 years ago

At a recent college tournament I attended, it was interesting that a lot more of these kids played Titleist drivers than Taylor Made. I didn’t see one Ping driver and one Callaway plus a few Clevelands. I figured that since they weren’t paid to play anything they played what was best for them.

golfercraig

10 years ago

Acushnet does a great job of starting to give the kids free gear VERY early in their amateur career. You want dozens and dozens of FJ gloves and ProV1’S? Well, here’s a driver for you to play if you want them.

Regis

10 years ago

Titleist focuses a lot of their marketing at private club pro shops. Its usually what the pro plays, and what he or she stocks in the shop for demos. So most kids coming up in their club’s junior tournaments etc are being exposed to Titleist.

Desmond

10 years ago

If the new driver retains similar tech as the SLDR, I’d expect TM to retain the SLDR name. At the same time, it is a very demanding club for most golfers, and I’d expect TM to market a new Burner as the club for the average Joe. Make it a high MOI driver to compete with the G30.

Ken

10 years ago

I’d call it “SMD” S… my D… Taylor Made!

Susinto

10 years ago

One really funny post

Chisag

10 years ago

The SLDR is the first driver in many years that has given me more distance and actually dropped my index to 0.9 Perhaps a perfect storm or perhaps it just fits my needs. I have been playing it since the day it came out and after trying several different shafts including Mugen Black, Striper S2, Kuro Kage Black, XCon 6, 6Q3 and even a throwback UST I.T. shaft, the Kai’li I had in my old R11 is giving me the best performance. I picked up a Jetspeed for fun but it pales in comparison to the SLDRs performance. So I will not be buying a new 2.0/R15 unless it gives me even more yards, which I seriously doubt. Of course when a driver is this successful I don’t see why TM would change the name, but marketing guys have their own agenda’s and often need to justify their existence. Don’t really care what they call it as long as it is actually better than the current SLDR. If not, just stick with what they have now since it is better than anything I have ever hit. Something I have not said since the 510TP.

golfercraig

10 years ago

Hey buddy!

I’m with you. It’s a beast properly fit. the only problem with it is most 10-15 handicappers don’t have the slightest damn idea what they do, how a head affects ballflight, or any understanding of the swing. And they hit the middle of a club (be it iron or wood) 1 out of 15 times. So, how can they tell if it’s longer? Maybe they just didn’t neck it this time? it’s going to continue to be the problem with yardage gained claims. Guys shooting 85-90 have no damn idea how far they hit it. They just hope it goes forward.

dj

10 years ago

Who cares…..they will probably have at least 4 versions of each in any event…just pollute the market with more drivers…why not!!!

Simon ACT

10 years ago

SLDR has the different weighting in the head from traditional drivers so if they stick with new Weighting it will SLDR 2. If, on the other hand it is a traditionally weighted head then it will likely be R15 or perhaps even R2.

As others have suggested, TM are far more likely to release both types of driver so it almost a certainty that we will see both.

RON

10 years ago

Tony covey I hate to tell ya but Ive seen my father play all those new TM drivers testing em for a day or two and when he hits his OLD cleveland comp it goes farther than those TMs with the exact same shaft in them thats in his comp , how much proof do people need, that stuff you mentioned didnt back up nothing when he tried the TMs out on the coarse but he hits the sheet out that comp. They may be more adjustable today Ill give em that but most golfers I see dont even bother with adjusting it. I hit the SLDR I hit it nice solid but distance wise was no different on the coarse than my old callaway. Thats why Tom Lehman is still using the r7 as we speek. If TM wants to put out a new driver and say its longer and different than their others maybe they should throw in a 200 dollar decent quality shaft that Adams does and it will be better than their previous one. I agree with Lee they dont because of their FAT CAT execs.

Frank cruz

10 years ago

If the driver is Really good, the name is not that important. The driver must beat the G25 on distance and forgiveness. Only then you will have a winner, regardless of the name. IMHO.

Lee

10 years ago

Why does this site love the SLDR so much, or how much are you being paid to love it? Yes it’s the longest baddest driver on the planet if;
1. It’s correctly setup and configured for you, which invariably it won’t be especially where I am in the UK.
2. You hit the small sweet spot, same as the R7 low spinning Pro’s driver….
From what I see it’s a total failure for the club golfer which for me is endorsed by the fact that I only know one guy who has (or kept) one, and he was fitted in Canada by the Tour van and has a club head speed of 120 mph+.

IMO – TM have lost the plot and from their figures are deservedly reaping what they have sown.
Please cut the gimmicks and give us a functional, forgiving driver (the adjustments options actually do something) with multiple shaft options that don’t cost a fortune. (which they don’t). Oh and let’s stick with it for 2 or god forbid 3 years because it’s too good to change!

One last thing who would like to see made in the USA/UK not China, Taiwan, Vietnam etc? – Yes Me!
Sadly I know how much the unit costs are from the Far East and can assure we the golfing public are paying for the fat execs, expense accounts, exec jets etc.

Lou

10 years ago

I’m 100% behind you on that last statement – Start making your stuff back in the U.S. or Canada (Yes I’m Canadian). I am beyond sick of seeing jobs being lost overseas….

TwoSolitudes

10 years ago

The overseas thing is not a golf problem, it’s a political problem. A business operates like water going down a hill- always heading in the path of least resistance. That is just smart. With the ‘free trade’ deals that allow companies to make things where labour is cheap and benefits/safety is lacking, while at the same time eliminating all the import taxes that used to be in place specifically to encourage business to stay (or overseas business to increase wages/benefits to get lower import taxes) it’s hardly a surprise that things move overseas. You want things like this made in the US and Canada again? Just put the taxes and duties back in place so that there is no (or hardly any) benefit to moving in the first place. Corporations are not people my friend. They have no emotions.

Free trade it turns out, is not actually ‘fair trade’.

Lou

10 years ago

Funny, I could have sworn that when they ran the special on the golf channel about counterfeit clubs that the problem only exploded when they moved manufacturer shops overseas? They pay laborers so little that the value of stealing patents far outweighs their salaries and that’s why it’s done. It’s very much as much a golf problem as it is a political problem but then again, keep voting Democrat/ Republican or in my country Conservative/ Liberal and things will never change – just rotate.

Joe Golfer

10 years ago

First off, clubheads have been made primarily in China for decades now, whether it was component companies or major OEM’s. It is not a recent thing. China has all those foundries for steel and titanium, and they are going to keep making things more cheaply than anywhere else. Pittsburgh is never going to be the steel city again, nor is Gary, Indiana.
Second, the problem of counterfeit clubs didn’t “explode” when manufacturing of clubheads moved to overseas, since they were making the clubheads long before this so-called explosion.
But yes, you are correct in that the counterfeiters are making those clubs in China where the laws are lax and policing is poor.
Lastly, those poorly paid laborers aren’t stealing the patents. The counterfeits are cheap knockoffs that look like the originals but do not in any way perform like the real thing. They copy the “looks” of the clubhead, but they don’t copy the patents and technical specs. The clubs are built to inferior technical specs, with poor face welds and poor weighting and lousy hosel bores, and on and on, etc….

AWOL

10 years ago

I was surprised to see the SLDR 2.0 name falling behind the R15. To me naming a driver R15 would be going backwards. TMag stopped the series at the R11s and replaced it with the R1 which is what i game. If the new driver has the same adjustment capabilities as the R1 then I think R2 would be the logical name to choose. Of course i know this is all hypothetical but that’s what i would go with. Im am excited to see a new version of the SLDR when it does come. Hopefully they can make it more adjustable to include more swings that couldn’t get to the 17/1700 numbers. And i hope they offer two colors, white and black, from the start.

markb

10 years ago

Names matter — when they work. When they don’t work, you find another name.

I was surprised when TMag dropped the apparently successful Rocketballs name for the Jetspeed, I thought that RBZ 3.0 would have had more traction stamped on the fine looking JS head. The marketing wonks at TMag thought differently and no doubt they’re second guessing that decision with the JS’s failure to launch.

The SLDR name is working. It has even helped products that have nothing sliding about them. I just hit those SLDR irons and damn they are fine looking and fit that niche they were supposed to fill. They could have been called anything, I suppose, but I’ll bet the SLDR brought some more attention to them. Callaway is also about to release its new BB irons, so if a name works you run with it.

Plus the R series ran out of steam and legitimacy. The death knell was that useless face angle adjustment dial on the R11 – R1. Total functionless doo-dad gimmickry and the public knew it

RON

10 years ago

Drivers are not going to be any better than the ones 10 yrs ago, the r7 is just as good if not better than the sldr , my father hits his old cleveland comp 2004 driver so much better and farther than any TM driver he tried out today. People want new cuzz the pros on tour are forced to use the new drivers today, you cant make any driver any better anymore its at its limit and it has been since the started making 460 cc drivers., everything else up until now has been bells and whistles.

Tony Covey

10 years ago

Here we go again…

In the interest of expedience, I’m just going to paste my reply to equally ill-informed comments from two previous posts:

Somebody typed this story into a forum once…somebody else repeated it, and the myth that the USGA’s CT limitation equates to a firm distance limitation was born.

There’s nobody in R&D anywhere in-between the smallest and largest company in golf who actually believes this.

The USGA’s conformity test was designed to measure the rebound effect from the center of a titanium driver face. That’s it. Not the slightest little thing more.

CT/COR provides a loose correlation to ball speed, but it hardly creates a hard limit on distance.

The USGA doesn’t measure COR/CT from off center impact. Today’s drivers are significantly better at maintaining ball speed on off center hits, and the area where near-max COR/CT is maintained is continuing to improve. For anybody who doesn’t always hit the center of the face (and that’s everybody), this means a driver that produces more AVERAGE distance than those of just a few years ago.

The USGA doesn’t measure spin rates or launch angles. Even if we accept that nothing can be done to improve ball speed (false); if you can launch higher with lower spin, you create more distance, and you do so outside the confines of the USGA’s test.

The USGA doesn’t measure body structure, while not all in the industry agree it can be done without impacting face CT, most will tell you that it’s possible to optimize the flex properties of the driver body to create better energy transfer and therefore more ball speed without exceeding the COR limitation.

The USGA doesn’t account for aerodynamics. If you fundamentally shape a head so that it creates less drag, you increase head speed, which has a direct correlation to ball speed, which increases distance.

The USGA’s test was designed to test CT on a titanium (and ONLY TITANIUM) face driver. Different materials have much different flex properties. I know of at least one manufacturer (which means there are probably 5 others) working on something other than 100% Titanium faces. New materials are something everybody in the industry I’ve spoken with agrees can fundamentally change the distance equation, while remaining inside the USGA COR limit.

The USGA is not forward-looking. They are reactive in their approach to equipment, and that means they’ll always be behind the technology.

So remember this: it absolutely is possible to create a USGA conforming driver that goes longer (probably not 20 yards at a time or anything, but longer nevertheless) than what’s on the shelf right now.

thehacker

10 years ago

I don’t even consider that ill-informed at all. Personally I am all for innovation and science which makes the difficult game more enjoyable for all. For some time I feel that USGA has gotten in the way of innovation, and I do not hope that they do very much more to so-called “rein in the game / distance”.

Joe Golfer

10 years ago

Got to agree with Tony Covey on this one (and I still have a Cleveland Launcher Comp).
While the claims of tremendous gains are exaggerated, the fact is that Tony’s statements are correct on all the points he just made above.
I believe Ron in that his father hits his old Cleveland Comp as well as anything made today, but I would guess that he simply found a driver that works best for him, that it has the right loft, right shaft flex and torque to perfectly suit his game.

golfercraig

10 years ago

Cleveland quit making the Comp because the crown and face would “loosen” after use, making them illegal. Everyone will hit a 10 year old Comp longer. It’s not legal anymore. I figured I’d give you a fact or 2, but I know you’ll ignore it and keep trolling.

Joe Golfer

10 years ago

I’d be interested to see the story/facts behind that post about the Comp’s crown and face loosening after use, making them illegal.
Among my three drivers, I’ve got an old Cleveland Launcher Comp (which was new in 2005, not 2004, as it was rated quite well in Golf Magazines annual new equipment issue from 2005). The original shaft was garbage, but after replacing it, that club still hits well, but I very seriously doubt this stuff about the crown and face “loosening”.

John Barry

10 years ago

Next Driver is the SLDR15

Jonathan morla

10 years ago

Meant r15

Jonathan morla

10 years ago

The more I read myspy articles the less I want to purchase Taylor made or callaway. My last set of tailor-made irons were r7’s. Wow, they are almost to r5’s. Whatever happened to the burner’s. Lol

Krizar

10 years ago

The burner line is coming back too. Irons at least

Neil

10 years ago

SLDR 2.0 or R15….doesn’t really matter to me as long as the new driver performs. I have been gaming the SLDR since it’s original release over a year ago and nothing has beaten it yet. So I am hoping that TMAG releases something great. All I ask for is that TMAG keeps the same adapters so that I can still use the driver shafts I have.

Kenny B

10 years ago

The SLDR is good; why change the name. I suspect that both names will be used. R15 will replace Jetspeed in name only.

Will

10 years ago

Let’s all admit that Taylor Made is good at marketing…

So the question becomes: Why do they change their product names so often? My guess is it’s to tout whatever new feature they are selling (hence the SLDR).

I think it’s a misstep with the golf balls, but it’s obviously been effective with the drivers.

That said, it seems like the market has had a fairly substantial shift recently, and maybe new names are going to be a thing of the past.

Long live the Burner!

Revkev

10 years ago

It seems to me that lots was invested inthe SLDR why not just stick with that name for a while. It’s a good club. R15 would say, we’re going backwards because what we did didn’t work out.

Lou

10 years ago

The only name that matters on the club as far as I’m concerned for certain people is who made it and that’s really sad. According to the “Golf’s most wanted” test done here, the SLDR won hands down but because it’s made by Taylormade (who apparently are the second coming of the anti-christ on this site) certain people won’t buy it. I game the R1 black because it was the best driver for me (The Ping G25 was close). The SLDR was really good for me too but not enough for me to switch.

We all have our favorites when it comes to club manufactures, but I’ll be damned to not try a Taylormade driver or a Callaway driver when a new one comes out because of who put it out. If it performs better than the others (like it did for me) that is all that should matter. Not WHO made it.

Are they responsible for what’s going on? I say a fraction of it. If you read the arguments being made by some folks in other threads, there are many valid reasons. Not enough golfers or young golfers, pricing etc… we could go on and on.

Enough with the bashing. We should be coming up with ideas on how to keep the sport alive!

Dave S

10 years ago

Certainly there’s a strong argument to be made that TM and Callaway are responsible for more than just a “fraction” of the problem. Maybe some people don’t like to support companies that they believe are part of the problem and not the solution… esp. when there are other companies producing comparable, if not better, products? I’m not saying I’m one of those guys (I’m not… I game the same R1 Black driver you do and have a very diverse product distribution in my bag), but I can respect those who do feel that way. Is some of the vitriol from commenters for this site a bit over-the-top? Sure, but I’m not sure it’s entirely misplaced.

Lou

10 years ago

They are a problem with overproducing equipment but that has nothing to do with people not playing. If the number of people playing 20-30 years ago was equivalent to what it is today, we probably wouldn’t even be talking about overproducing because the population would be there buying the equipment.

I am also not a “fan boy” by any stretch. I game the R1 and the burner 2.0 irons from Tmag but play a Callaway 3 wood, an Adams 3 hybrid, 3 (trying to get a 4th) Cleveland wedges and an Odyssey putter. I play what I perform with and could care less if it said Titleist, Ping, Tmag or anybody else for that matter. I just think it’s too “easy” to blame those two.

David W

10 years ago

Do you have numbers on the amount of people playing golf 20-30 years ago? I have a hard time believing that the numbers could be a lot lower now with the population up, the success of the First Tee program (and others like it), etc. I think the problem with the number of golfers is that there are so many more courses that the growth of the number of players since then hasn’t been able to catch up.

That being said, if you only go back 10 years then yes, there has been about a 13% decline (and courses were still being built).

Lou

10 years ago

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2014/05/23/how-a-declining-middle-class-is-killing-golf/

Lou

10 years ago

http://www.golfwrx.com/230121/a-specific-approach-to-grow-golf/

Paul R

10 years ago

Recently back from 2 weeks in Kissimmee :) Watched Golf Channel when in the apartment and saw First Tee adverts, didn’t notice any First Tee ads on any other channels though………………..

Jon

9 years ago

Lou, I agree with you. I have 4 different brands in my bag, some old, some really old and some brand new.

Though you do gravitate to certain brands over time, (I liked the Taylor Made Ti Burner Driver and have had a number of TM Drivers ever since). But every time I went to find a new driver I tried out several brands, just happened to like the TM. Same with wedges, I have carried Cleveland for years, but I always try out the competition and nearly opted for Titleist last time.

When you are looking for new equipment, brand loyalty can just be a starting point, you shouldn’t buy something just because it’s a name you are used to and have always gamed. I think that everyone on this site would tend to agree with me on that.

But the curious thing is there are so many who agree with that statement that it is all about the club not the maker, that then bash a particular club, usually TM or recently Callaway, and exclude thoses brands from their universe of acceptible options. It seems to be a contradiction.

Hula_Rock

10 years ago

At this point it doesn’t really matter…….. They will probably launch both of what ever they are going to call it within 3 months of each other.

proside

10 years ago

hahahha

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