Best TaylorMade Drivers Review

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TaylorMade started out way back in 1979 when golfing equipment looked dramatically different to what we use today. Already the legendary innovators, their first success, and initially only product, was a groundbreaking new 12-degree loft metalwood. What made it unique at the time was the clubs steel construction. Since then, more favourite clubs have come from the brand during the years, and in this best TaylorMade drivers review, we’ll take a look at some of the most groundbreaking and iconic clubs that have been tailor made to fit any golfer's game. Have a read!

TaylorMade’s History

Growing from humble beginnings, TaylorMade continued to innovate and perfect their craft and have, for a long time now, made some of the best golf equipment available in the world with a special emphasis on drivers.

The company is based in Carlsbad, California, United States and is now the world’s largest manufacturer of golf equipment and apparel. In the 1990s they saw huge growth and success with the Burner Bubble range.

Initially a privately owned company, it was taken over in 1984 by Salmon S.A. and then later by Adidas in 1997. It was shortly after this takeover that the company made drivers their primary focus.

This drive resulted in them officially being named the top driver in 2005. They have held this status for many years and undeniably made some of the finest golf drivers money can buy and are by far one of the mostly widely used drivers by professional golfers.

TaylorMade simply do not make any bad drivers. Some might suit a particular style of golfer more than others but if you invest in one of their drivers, you know you are buying something that has been carefully developed and designed, extremely well constructed, and made to the highest standards.

Best TaylorMade Drivers Comparison Table

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Name

Pros

Cons

Rating

TaylorMade R1 and R1 Driver​
  • Phenomenal distance
  • Extreme adjustability to suit everyone​
  • Superior forgiveness
  • Many were put off by the graphics
TaylorMade M1 Driver
  • Great forgiveness
  • More choices for launch and shot shaping
  • Expensive
TaylorMade R15 Driver
  • Superior distance
  • Very forgiving
  • Some found it hard to shape their shots
TaylorMade SLDR Golf Driver
  • Simple and effective adjustability
  • Great launch with minimal spin​
  • No face angle adjuster
TaylorMade AeroBurner Driver
  • Extremely accurate
  • Good distance for the average player
  • Not the most adjustable driver
TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2 Driver
  • Well priced
  • Low spin​
  • Good distance
  • Less adjustability than other models

Best TaylorMade Drivers Review

To give you an idea of the Best TaylorMade drivers available, we have put together a breakdown of the features and benefits as well as the pros and cons of their top models. If you are in the market for a TaylorMade driver, you are already on the right track but read on to see which will be the best fit for your game.

TaylorMade R1 and R1 Driver​

Adjustability is the most outstanding feature of the R1. Golf technology is advancing at a rapid pace and adjustability is a huge part of that. Surprisingly, very few golfers use it much, if at all.

This is a pity because the features are there for a reason and can make a significant improvement to your game if you take the time to get to know the different setting and establish what can best enhance your swing.

Through a combination of adjustable weights, loft and face angle, the R1 offers an astounding 168 possible configurations. Although these sound somewhat overwhelming, they are clearly and logically labelled to make adjustments rather simple.

Golfers of all levels are constantly improving and adapting their swing and style. Now you have a club that can grow and change with you as your game develops. This will ensure you are always able to maximize the potential of your swing for maximum results. The same club will take you straight through from absolute beginner to a lower handicap golfer without any compromise.

The 1 gram and 13 gram weight on the sole will allow you to adjust weight distribution to shape your shot left or right as your style or requirements dictate. They are low on the sole to further lower the CG and minimize spin.

Having that many options at your disposal is going to take patience, understanding, and practice to get the maximum benefit from the adjustability. Make the effort; it will really be worth it. Just a minor adjustment can make significant difference. The great advantage will only help if you know how to utilize them.

There are many comments and opinions regarding the design and specifically the graphics. This is very much a personal thing but I do not feel it takes away from the performance of the driver and if it is not your scene, it might just take a bit of getting used to. Let’s get back to features and performance.

Along with their extensive research and development, TaylorMade studied user habits and came to the conclusion that a full 80% of golfers are using the incorrect loft, something that will make a significant difference to their shot.

In an attempt to remedy this, TaylorMade have experts available on telephonic support to assist and the head cover features a dial that will record your preferred settings so there is little excuse not to take advantage of these great technologies.

This club offers an optimal setting for practically everybody. The shorter standard shaft length of 45.5 inches is easier to control without sacrificing distance and makes the club feel weightier on the head. Loft angles are easy to set with a simple numbering system and the club is surprisingly forgiving.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Phenomenal distance
  • thumbs-o-up
    Extreme adjustability to suit everyone
  • thumbs-o-up
    Superior forgiveness

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Many were put off by the graphics
  • thumbs-o-down
    Some found the extent of adjustability overwhelming

Our Rating:

TaylorMade M1 Driver

Pushing the boundaries of technology, TaylorMade has used a number of cutting edge materials and enhanced design features to make a highly customizable driver with superb forgiveness and brilliant distance. They have taken their proven designs and further enhanced them.

The multi-material construction includes a 6-layer carbon crown with a 9-1-1 skeletal titanium body as well as a carbon toe panel. This combination results in a massive weight saving. The weight saving is complimented by a lower CG, more movable weight, and a longer backtrack. The result is forgiveness you can count on and the lighter weight allows you to give the club a top speed swing to maximize distance.

They have redesigned and lengthened the T-track and added additional movable weights. This means an increase of 64% front-to-back CG adjustability.

They offer a choice of three premium stock shafts and use a Lamkin UTx Cord Grip. The aluminum loft sleeve (much improved from earlier plastic designs) is super light and offers a choice of 12 settings.

It has a large, impressive footprint at address giving you the confidence to strike the ball with all you have. The design and adjustability make the M1 suitable for the full range of golfers looking for a hard hitting, forgiving driver they can tweak to suit their swing speed and style.

No matter what your weakness or area of your game you wish to improve, the M1 will cater for this and enhance your strengths while making any flaws less of a challenge.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Great forgiveness
  • thumbs-o-up
    More choices for launch and shot shaping

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Expensive

See full review of the driver here.

Our Rating:

TaylorMade R15 Driver

TaylorMade’s R driver models have always been big with the pros and have a reputation of being top performers, The R15 continues that proud tradition.

The R15 features 2 sole slide weights at 12.5 grams each. The increased adjustability will enable you to perfect your draw or fade preference while improving all round effectiveness.

The slide channel sits behind the face, 12mm forward. What this means is that you will achieve a higher launch with less spin. Given that the channel is close to the face, it also means that ball speed and forgiveness is improved.The sole radius has been flattened to ensure the weights are low, especially when they are set to their max.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Superior distance – one of the longest hitting drivers tested
  • thumbs-o-up
    Very forgiving

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Experienced players found it hard to shape their shots

See full review of the driver here.

Our Rating:

TaylorMade SLDR Golf Driver

In many ways, TaylorMade has gone back to basics with the SLDR. That is not to say it is a basic club and lacks technology and sophistication, they have just kept all very basic and simple and it works perfectly.

The one challenge with adjustable weights is that they add weight. They managed to work around this issue by positioning the sliding weight track on the 460cc titanium head exactly where it is needed, low and forward, to enhance the CG of the club and allow for a good combination of high launch with low spin.

This ingenious new design is simple but highly effective. The overall weight has been reduced and the practical weight they needed to add is in the perfect place. The SLDR offers a full range of 21 CG options to perfectly optimize your shot. Another advantage of the design is that it is super easy to adjust the settings to your preferences.

The driver is super easy to swing and very forgiving while adding good loft and minimal spin. This results in an impressive distance off the tee. This design and setup will suit the majority of golfers from the beginner to the seasoned low handicapper. The 20-gram movable weight allows you to shape your shot within a fair range to compensate for any hook or slice tendencies you might suffer from.

What the SLDR does not have that has been seen on earlier models is the sole plate that allows for face angle adjustment. Although some might have found it convenient to open or close the face somewhat, this does keep the weight down and give the club a more solid feel and the improved resonance result in a great sound.

The simple but effective use of loft and CG adjustability will provide a great distance launch with great speed, low spin, and maximum carry.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Simple and effective adjustability
  • thumbs-o-up
    The low and forward CG gives a great launch with minimal spin, resulting in good distance

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Some might prefer more adjustability
  • thumbs-o-down
    No face angle adjuster

See full review of the driver here.

TaylorMade AeroBurner Driver

TaylorMade again focused on basic principles here to create a fast, hard hitting driver with the Aeroburner. They did this by combining a lightweight design, better aerodynamics, and a slightly longer shaft.

They have incorporates the Speed Driver Speed Pocket which improves ball speed especially on mishits.

This makes it forgiving and off center hits will still travel a good distance without going too far off course. The shaft flex is good but faster swingers might find it too light for their swing.

The smooth raised center, rounded toe, hose fin, and textured crown improve the aerodynamics, making the Aeroburner cut through the air with ease and speed.

It lacks an adjustable hosel but the overall design and weight still allow for a good launch for most players. Most players found it has a good feel and a great sound.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Extremely accurate
  • thumbs-o-up
    Good distance for the average player

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Faster swingers will find it too light
  • thumbs-o-down
    Not the most adjustable driver

See full review of the driver here.

TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2 Driver

As the name suggests, this is the second incarnation of the very successful RocketBallz range of drivers. It is a rather sleek-looking gray and yellow driver which makes a solid statement before you even strike the ball.

It has been designed to suit a wide range of golfers from the high handicappers to the more experienced golfers. Distance off the tee is one of the main goals of the driver and the RocketBallz Stage 2 driver delivers just that.

Like the R1, it features Loft Sleeve Technology which will allow you to adjust the face angle, loft, and lie of the head to maximize your swing. These options cover a range of 12 positions to suit almost any swing speed or style and allow you great control over the ball flight.

The aerodynamic and lightweight design (less than 300 grams total club weight) will allow you to achieve a good swing speed and the head weighting will produce a slight draw bias. The larger head size will improve forgiveness- always a good thing. The center of gravity is relatively low and forward. The Fujikura RocketFuel shaft is slightly longer than the average and might take a bit of getting used to.

It is perhaps not ideal for absolute beginners but the club is forgiving so a bit of practice and you should have it under control. The CG, shaft, and overall design can only enhance your swing speed and achieve a really great distance off the tee, low spin, and minimal stray on mishits. Although it lacks the speed pocket feature of some of the other TaylorMade drivers, the ball still explodes off the face, further enhancing distance.

Pros

  • thumbs-o-up
    Well priced
  • thumbs-o-up
    Low spin
  • thumbs-o-up
    Good distance if correct launch angle is used

Cons

  • thumbs-o-down
    Some players dislike the head graphics
  • thumbs-o-down
    The slightly longer shaft might make it more challenging for some golfers to control
  • thumbs-o-down
    Less adjustability than other models

See full review of the driver here.

TaylorMade: The Final Word

TaylorMade undoubtedly makes the finest drivers money can buy. They have been doing it for a long time and just get better with time. They invest a huge amount of time, energy, and money into research and development to get the utmost performance out of every legal technology available in driver design and manufacturing. They are constantly researching new materials and concepts to improve performance.

Because every golfer is different, they design a range of clubs to suit particular styles and requirements. Do your homework to select the TaylorMade driver most suitable to your game and you will be making a good investment.

Ultimately, the choice of a driver is a personal one, but no matter what level of adjustment you want in a club, TaylorMade has it. From the complicated, but fully adjustable R1 (and R1 Black) to the simple slide-and-go settings of the SLDR, TaylorMade produces consistently excellent drivers with a huge popularity.

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Ryan S

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