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R580XD Golf DriversOn 2007-12-01, Gary R. rated this a 5...(7970)
Stock Graphite Regular Flex Shaft, 10.5 loft Started at 50. Playing for 11 wonderful years and wish I'd started earlier. Golf 50 to 70 rounds a year on average. Handicap wanders around 11-14. Strength is pure love of the game; never quit and keep trying. Weakness is distance and a slice that is seldom very far away. 80's Purchased from local Golf Store on sale 2 seasons ago. Paid $250 Cdn at the time. Swung the 540 with stiff shaft, then 580 with R, which suited me better. I have a hard time buying the latest versions at $500 or so, when last year's favorites are half price. This felt good, price was right, and Taylor make a great club, so why not? I waited a while to review this Driver on purpose.
After two seasons, I am still in love!
Great distance improvement for me, (20 yds, no B.S.)and quite forgiving. This is a neutral bias club, so my slice still shows up from time to time, which can be fine on some holes, but when I swing properly, I get rewarded with beautiful flight and distance. (220-230 yds average for me is REAL distance, no B.S.) The R shaft is quite soft, which suits my rhythm (read senior) swing. The stock Taylor grip is velvet...expect to replace it in a season. No big deal, and you get to pick something else for fun, right?
Othier than that, it's a Taylor. Well made. Good. Fit and finish excellent.
Stock shaft is just fine.
Who needs to spend the huge bucks on this year's shiny offerings when these clubs are such a bargain? I've tried the R7 variants, along with several other brands present day offerings. No advantage, in all honesty.
The 580XD is a really sweet Driver. It will be in MY bag for a long time.
P.S. I went out and got their 3 and 5 woods in the same series, and love them too! On 2006-04-29, Matthew Tierney rated this a 5...(6860)
loft-10.5*
shaft-Taylormade R5 hundred series shaft,regular flex,65 grams,M.A.S.2,Low Tourqe,Tip Firm I am 13 years old and love the game.
I play with my Dad and a Few of his mates where we all stir each other which makes it fun.I've been playing for 13 months and lost some handicap along the way.My strengths are off the tee as in distance and chipping.My weaknesses are putting and my accuracy as in allignment.My iron play is average.My home course is Bexley - a short course for your long hitter.I play pennants and represent my club with much enjoyment.One day I want to play golf at St Andrews golf Links in Scottland With my Dad and Phil Mickelson. 90's I got the R580XD for my 13th birthday on the 1st of march.My parents bought it but I had to put $100 towards this Magnificent Golf club.I think they bought it from the Pro at Bexley Pro Shop for $400. I like the maximum amount of distance and sound the club makes when you hit the ball in the centre of the club. I don't like the height of the tee's you have to buy to be able to hit the ball in the centre of the club. It has a floorless quality and a big clubhead
for a bigger sweet spot to give the ball more distance off the tee.
I find this club the easiest to hit out of all drivers and the run I get on the fairways and think that everyone that has hit a taylormade driver will find this the best so far!! On 2006-02-17, ABM- Atlanta rated this a 5...(6662)
Stiff Flex 10.5 Loft Recreational 45 year-old, 30 Handicapper working my way down to the mid-20s. All-around mediocre player, but gradually improving. Over 100 Purchased at Rock-bottom Golf (Great Online Discount Shop)for $169.00 This is the most forgiving driver I have ever hit. Even though I have demoed the newer Taylor Made R7 Quad and the Nike Sasquatch, this driver has allowed me to approach the tee box with confidence. It seems almost impossible to hit a bad shot! I have alway sstrugled from the tee, with either 'worm burners' or unpredictable shots. With this club a good 80% swing w/the ball at the front of my stance gives me a nice medium-high fade of about 240-265 yds depending on how close I get to the center of the club-face. Same shot with a draw, if I place the ball in the middle of my stance. No real dislikes. The grip could be better, but since I play using the 'Natural Golf' method, I use their 'non-tapering' grips Typically EXCELLENT Taylor Made quality. The club is beautiful and nicely balanced.
If you are a mid-to high handicapper looking to rapidly improve your score, confidence and fun, then this is a GREAT Driver at a great price!!!!! On 2005-12-05, John (Sydney Australia) rated this a 4...(6464)
I am a 13 handicapper and have been playing about six years. I am good putter with a sound short game. Over the past few years I have had a number of lessons that have really helped with my alignment, posture, grip, swing plane, tempo and balance. I practice 2-3 times week and have developed a consistent swing. 80's I paid USD $100 used from Powergolf. You can pick them up on ebay for similiar amounts. I was using my Cobra SS 370 10.5 with regular shaft/low kick but switched to the R580XD regular shaft as my swing improved.
The cobra SS370 is a superb club but the shaft is too whippy and I end up spraying alot of my drives to the right.
The R580XD is a pretty good club. I am not a big hitter. My swing speed is 94mph and I only average about 230-240 yds off the tee but most of my drives are straight with a slight tail. The 9.5 deg has a little lower trajectory and ball flight but the Regular 65g (tip firm) shaft is the key.
The clubfitters tell me I need a stiff flex shaft in my driver due to my swing speed but I just can't hit a stiff shafted driver anywhere near as good as I can with a regular shafted driver.
The MAS standard Taylor Made regular shaft in this club is great for me, it works really well. Even if I change to the R7 later on I will still get a regular, tipped firm shaft.
I also got rid of the standard Taylor Made grip and put on a Lamkin Crossline. These are far better than the TM grip.
The sound. My Cobra SS370 makes that definite "ping" sound whereas the TM R580XD is a more "clunky" sound. Taylor Made make pretty good gear so the construction and quality is what we have come to expect.
Your swing is the key to hitting a good drive. Once you have honed a reliable and consistent swing any good quality driver will feel good. All in all The R50XD is a very good club and will remain in my bag until the Quad R7's get a little more affordable! Get to know your swing and match it to the right club. Not the other way around.
I have a friend who changes his driver every second week looking for the magic fix! I keep telling him his alignment needs alot of work and his swing plane needs some fine tuning but he keeps showing up to our weekly matches with a new driver or new irons!! On 2005-07-12, Ken rated this a 5...(5843)
80's Golfsmith retail store in Woodland Hills, CA. Paid $179.99 I was playing with Nike Forged Titanium 350, but developed rattling noise in the shaft. I've hit several other people's Taylor made drivers on the course and on the range, including the R580XD. Hit several with a launch monitor at the store. The 10.5 degree got me closer to the "ideal" launch angle of 13-14 degrees.
Definitely one of the more forgiving drivers out there. Even though its 440 cc, does not seem overly large. Mishits only lose about 15 yards, which is superb, but still got pretty straight. Probably 10-15 yards longer than my previous driver. People throwing out number like 30 yards longer than other drivers are exaggerating a bit. I've gone from 250-260 to 260-275 on average. Maybe 280-290 I really catch it. Above average in accuracy. Of course, the longer the driver, the greater the dispersion, but this driver strikes a good balance. Has good trajectory. Does not ballon. Slight draw bias. Definitely get fit for the best loft. Most people get too little loft. Even the pros are using over 9.5 degrees these days. Sits more square at address than most drivers, which tend to have a more closed position at address. For good players, who are more likely to fight a hook, closed headed drivers can be evil. Good sound. More solid sounding than most. Not too loud and metallic, like the R5.
Somewhat draw biased. Difficult to work the ball left to right. My old 350 cc driver was more workable in both directions. Grip is ok. Not bad, not great.
Very solidly built. Like the black head and the understated shaft.
Great driver. Not perfect, but no club is. With Taylor Made promoting the new R7 and R5, the "outdated" R580XD is a fantastic deal. To be honest, for me this club performs as well as the R5, has a better inpact sound, and cost $100 less. Still more technology than most drivers out there. The R7 is not worth it. Spend the money on a lesson. I'm about a 9 handicap, and I'm not going to tell you crap like its improved my handicap 5 stokes (only improving my short game can do that at this level). However, I'm having more fun with this club, which is the whole point. Realistically, probably worth a stroke or 2 a round for a good golfer, maybe more for a bogey golfer
On 2005-06-29, calvin_12_years old_12handicap_2011 rated this a 5...(5774)
iv been playing for a yea and a half,i am good at driving accuracy,and have had a hot putter lately so thats another strength. 80's i got it at golf usa in lincoln nebraska for $150.i got it because i didnt want moveable weights so i got the best taylormade had w/o moveable weighting. very forgiving 440cc and makes a great sound when you hit sweet spot.I am currently reshafting it and regripping it to a grafalloy prolaunch blue 65 and a winn arrow avs rf grip the HEAD FELL OFF YESTERDAY!!!! otherwise none ok quality clubhead broke off after 3 months w/ it might consider re shafting- re gripping right away it wears out easily.
great club overall,couldnt of done better was bette than nike ignite 460 and ping g2 On 2005-06-17, Mark Monzeleskio rated this a 5...(5668)
Played twenty years. Hcp of 14. Play twice a week and when on vacation 5 days a week. I chip and drive better than I putt. My favorite courses are those with shape to them, more hills and trees than flat with water for hazards. 80's Bought the Taylor Made 580XD at a Discount golf store. Paid $129 with tax. Have always wanted a Taylor Made drive, won't pay new price for them intil they get cheaper. R7 and R5 are not in my range. It inspires confidence at address. Very forgiving and long if it is hit on the sweet spot. My mis hits are not as bad. A lot of the reviews I read are a lot like the ads for some of those men's enhancement popups-you know "get bigger and better with this natural herb-last longer and satisfy the women". I probably drive 245 yards on the average, and that is with a 260+ thrown in there. Seems like alot of these reviewers hit it 280+. Hogwash! The club has gotten me in the fairway more often and I've picked up a few yards, but the main thing is I am hitting the fairway. Nothing. Great quality. TM is a top company.
If you can get this for less than $160, buy it. If not, then wait another season and grab it. These drivers can't be getting too much better because of the technological barriers being set up. This r580Xd will last for a few "generations". On 2005-06-11, Whitey rated this a 5...(5644)
I needed a step down from my current 9.5 Callaway GBB II stiff driver, so I went ahead and paid $200 for the TaylorMade R580xd at Dick's Sporting Goods. The club face is HUGE! Mishits are nearly impossible. I hit one on the edge of the toe and it made a draw and went back to the fairway with lots of distance. The sound is different but other than that, there is nothing to dislike. The quality is top notch. This is my favorite driver of all
The bottom line is that this driver is a must. For $200 and a very forgiving face, this is a bargain. On 2005-03-28, David rated this a 5...(5273)
Got this club at Golftown for $300. New. Awesome Drives, always 200 years + I am a high handicapper. Only first year though and i'm 14. But it was Incredible. Always straight, always far. Even on mis hits. Nothing to dislike. Except maybe the grip on the stock. Change grips. Excellent
Worth the money On 2005-02-13, joe rated this a 3...(5031)
ebay $149 at first it had a wicked slice but I was not used to such a large head. kept with it and ajusted to the club now they all go straight. hit about 260-280 yards. I have a taylormade v-steel and it goes just as far and just as straight at it's my 3 wood. sharp looking club
buy a taylormade v-steel. awesome club. try a taylormade 580 before purchasing On 2005-02-08, Brent Miller rated this a 5...(5013)
I got this driver from my parents for christmas this last year. This driver is a Very good driver. Off of the tee box, it hits very well and has good feel. I have to tee the ball down a lot further than my other driver (confidence brand 450cc) to get the ball to hit in the sweet spot. I had had a lot of skied and mis-hit balls before I started teeing it down a bit and now the ball just leaps off of the face. The inverted cone tech. from Taylormade is amazing. There is nothing that I can think of that is bad about this club. What can you not like about hitting the ball straight down the fairway? This club is made very well, and the quality is also very good, I'm looking forward to using this club a lot down the road.
Very good quality, feel, distance, and control. It is a club that i would recommend to anyone. On 2005-02-06, Adam rated this a 5...(5007)
I bought this driver at golf galaxy a month ago or so. The price was $229 with the stock shaft. I am a 13 year old kid with about a 14 handicapp and I love this driver. Its forving and feels great. Some people say that they dont like how "big" of a sound it make at impact, but I love it. It really makes me feel like I launched the ball ou there. Not only does this club perform great, but it looks great too. The stock red and silver shaft goes great with the large black head. I have bought quite a few drivers in the past season and this is by far the greatest. Everyone should have this club. The only thing I would change about this club is the shaft options. Taylormade does not have any exotic shafts on this club. (at least at golf galaxy) This is truly a quality driver. The construction is great and like most taylormade clubs this is an awesome club.
I recommend this driver to anyone who likes golf. The price is reasonable and the quality is great! On 2004-12-30, Skip D rated this a 1...(4903)
Bought this club at reasonable price 220 from a local golf shop. I had a off the rack cheapo club from a sporting goods store that I could just crush. Drives were 280 to even a few at 320 mostly straight or a small 5 to 10 yard fade. Since my golf game came down from mid 90s to mid or high 70s I wanted a brand name club in my bag so when people saw me hit the ball and ask to see my club they would at least recognize the manufacturer. Nothing! After buying the club I began to notice that I could not get the club the setup right in my hand at address. It would always be closed, I would grip and regrip I began to look like Sergio. So my 280 yards now was 180 with a wicked hook to the left. After further info gathering I found out that the club head is made 2 degrees close and according to the e-mail I got back from Taylormade their are no adjustments that can be made. Good
In summation if you hit the ball straight and do not want to hit a draw or if you already hit a draw this is not the club for you. If you by chance slice the ball a lot this might be the right club.
On 2004-12-24, Taylormade R580XD Driver 10.5 Reg rated this a 5...(4882)
I got this club at Golf Town for $300, not to expensive. This Driver flies about 30 Yards past my old Callaway driver. Sticking to Taylormade now. The Taylormade R580XD Driver is an amazing club. It's easy to hit, long, straight, and easy to work the ball with. Nothing to not like about this club, it's perfect. Perfect
This club is amazing nothing not to like about it. It's easy to hit, long, and high. The good thing about it was, it was pretty cheap. On 2004-10-30, Mr Yip rated this a 4...(4718)
ebay $210 purchased mine with Harmon Tour Design CB-65S Shaft, a serious upgrade from the stock shaft for little extra $. I'm driving the ball more consistently in the fairway that I can ever remember. The trajectory is high,
spin is low, and I'm getting a consistent 290-295 off the tee. what's not to like? excellent.
with the advent of the more pricey R7's, these can be had for surprisingly little.
The trick with any club is matching the correct shaft to your swing. My advice is to hit some different models with a variety of lofts and shafts. Well worth the trouble when you find the right one :-) On 2004-10-12, Anonymous rated this a 5...(4590)
seen club at costco @ $399 waited a few months purchased club for $197 at costco. light club with grahite shaft large 440cc club head very forgiving,hits long and strait solid feel very attractive club
alot of club for the money On 2004-10-10, leftymatt rated this a 4...(4580)
Ebay, $189 plus shipping. (used in excellent condition.) Huge sized clubhead (440 cc). Great forgiveness. I wasn't hitting the ball very solidly the first time i tried it, but none of my shots were extremely off center. Club looks great. I was hitting the ball very poorly my first time trying it, but I think I just wasn't relaxed. Plus, my previous driver was 323 cc's (PING tiSI tec). Not much at all. There is maybe one thing. It does not have the great sound of my tiSI tec, but still the sound isn't that bad. I have heard that people dislike the shaft, I don't know yet if it will cause me problems. It seems pretty solid so far. I have never been fitted for a shaft, but I have done the online shaft selectors and they say I need regular flex. So i'm sticking with that. The headcover is a bit hard to get on and off, but it looks great so who cares. I am big on sound and that is the only reason why this club gets a 4. The quality is great. Looks well put together, a bit more than my old tiSI tec. Headcover is stunning and good looking. It is also a nice quality headcover and not cheap, like my tiSI tec's (which ripped). Grip is good quality for a rubber grip. Overall seems like a solid and sturdy club.
I am a young high school kid who has an addiction to the game of golf. My handicap isn't very low, but it is improving. I was looking for distance and forgiveness off the tee and this driver will most likely give you it. It may take a while to get used to the large clubhead (if you have been using a club in the 300 cc's), which I am experiencing. I definately recommend giving this club a test drive (no pun intented). I have seen that Taylormade is good with metalwoods so lets hope this one works for me. On 2004-09-11, mr. divots rated this a 5...(4345)
Purchased at Austad's Golf in Maplewood, MN for $239.99. I had wanted one of these since they came out, and now the R7 makes it affordable. I always wait unitl the "greatest" new club comes out and get the "old" version at a reduced price. Largest driver I have ever owned. Sweet spot is huge. Much improved over my last Taylor Made- the R540. Ball absolutely explodes off the face. Noticeable weighting low and deep away from face to aid in launch and forgiveness. Even though it is large, I can still work the ball with it, which was one reason I had stayed away from 400+ cc heads to this point. I went with a 9.5 degree loft. It is a high launching club, but the trajectory is so solid, the wind doesn't eat it up at all. The mas2 65 gram shaft is also of very good quality, and was a welcome surprise. I had been playing the Grafalloy Blue stiff in my last 2 clubs, and this one feels almost identical. The old "mas" shafts in the previous r500 series were dreadful. I thought maybe I'd get this re-shafted if the shaft was poor, but I like it. I'm not a big fan of TM grips. It is nice and soft, and has alignment aiding graphics, but they tend to get a little slick if your hands perspire at all. I have never had any problems with my previous TM clubs, and don't expect any problems with this one either.
I am so glad I got this club. I am definitely hitting the longest and most accurate drives I have ever hit. I thought the "XD" was just a gimmick before, but I'm a believer now! Longer, straighter, more powerful, and more forgiving than the old R500 series drivers. I highly reccommend this driver to anyone, high or low handicap. (I'm a 9 handicap currently.) On 2004-09-11, Anton rated this a 5...(4340)
I first tried the R 580 XD at my preferred, local driving range/pro shop. I was in the market for a new driver and saw that this particular model's price had been marked down ($399.99 to $299.99) to make room for the new R7s. Upon test-driving, I hit the ball so straight and so long that I had to have one. I bought mine on e-Bay for $200.00 plus $12.00 shipping. I like the 440cc head. I know it is huge and I, like so many others, was opposed to the new oversized head trend...you just gotta' hit this thing though. The ball accelerates off the face so crisply and cleanly. When you hit the sweet spot (at 440cc its practically automatic) it feels better than perfect contact with your 3-iron (the cliché best-feeling-in-golf). Balls love to take-on that coveted 'rising' flight path when hit with this club. Whether you want a hit-and-run draw, or the ever-increasing-in-popularity (on the Tour and among the rest of us) power fade, this club combined with a touch of skill, of course, can make it happen. I didn't like the 'regular flex' shaft as much as I did the 'stiff flex' alternative, which is the shaft I originally had on the club. I recommend, as most would, testing the two before you buy. The construction and quality of Taylor Made products in general is something of which I probably need not speak, but for clarity; it is impeccable. I did, however replace the grip upon receipt of the club. Maybe I'm a grip snob and if so, I'm not sorry.
Distance and Accuracy are now defined by a club. An awesome value right now, with the R7s hitting shelves. A very hittable club.
Highly recommended. On 2004-08-31, heylama rated this a 5...(4241)
Won it from a golf call-in show, which is nice. Already owned the first gen R580 and absolutely loved it. I needed to get this driver because my playing partners all switched to it from a Titleist 975J.
I thought the xD was just some lame "add a letter marketing scheme, but this driver is nuts. We play weekly on the same course for the last 3 years and this year with the xD we are driving the ball( all types ) places we have never been, I mean good places.
The shaft was the basic stiff with the sensitive tip. It is really difficult to mis-hit this club.
I have owned all the other 'popular' drivers but this is only one that makes people as what kind of club I'm using after they see my drive. Nothing. This club has turned me into a big hitter. Looks great.
You need to get online or go to playitagain sports or buy it new. If you feel the need to be a big hitter its worth it. On 2004-07-16, Colemania rated this a 4...(3887)
I got this driver at golf galaxy for $250. I needed a driver and I hit this one good in the simulator. I used to have a Nike 350cc driver and I decided that I wanted some distance, so
I switched to this one. The head is huge, and the ball just flies off the face. I used to average about 250 yards with the Nike, now i am hitting an amazing 265 yards on average. THIS IS A DISTANCE CLUB! The head is so huge that it is hard to controll the ball. Its not easy to play a draw or a fade when you want to. When I hit the toe, the ball snap hooks and it turns out to still have some distance, but it is not a very good drive. I would recomend this driver to people looking only for distance. I also bought the club with a 10.5 degree loft, and I hit it to high. Be sure to get the right loft. Well built, doesn't show sky marks at all.
I think this is a solid club, but I would not recomend it to everyone. Get fitted on the online driver system at: www.taylormade.com On 2004-07-11, Spaz rated this a 5...(3860)
Purchased it at a local golf store for about $235.45. It has a sleek design, has a lot of great technologies, the back waiting. The M.A.S. shaft is the best stock shaft I have ever had on a driver very light. I hit very good added about 25 yards & it is very straight i love this club. NOTHING! TaylorMade quality is the highest quality out there, best in the buissness.
GREAT CLUB! BEST DRIVER! OUT THERE EXCEPT THE r7 Quad, but r7 Quad is a lot costly. On 2004-05-05, Todd rated this a 5...(3594)
Bought this on Ebay for $340 new with the custom Aldila NV 65 stiff shaft installed from TaylorMade factory. I was tired of my old R580 with the stock stiff shaft, wanted to try something new. I love everything about the driver, I liked my R580 and this is way better. Long, forgiving and this Aldila NV 65 shaft is sweet. TaylorMade stock grips on the R500 series are low quality, and very slick. I replaced mine with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet with the TaylorMade emblem on it. Everything except for the grip is perfect.
Do yourself a favor and go buy one!!! On 2004-04-27, average golfer rated this a 5...(3535)
I got the new Taylor Made R580XD at Golf Plus in Evansville, IN. I paid $315 for the driver. I read many of the reviews on this website as well as other websites. I noticed that many people were saying the same thing: that you hit the ball straight. I just bought a set of Taylor Made RAC OS irons and I was looking for a new driver to go with them. I decided to hit the Taylor Made R580XD. It was as good as everyone had mentioned. I hit it straight and long. When I did mishit, I didn't hook it or slice it real bad. I was consistently hitting my drives 250+ yds. I love this thing. It is everything it is cracked up to be. I don't know of anything yet that I don't like about it. Honestly, I think I am going to have a hard time finding something that I don't like about this driver. I got the 9.5 degree with the stock MAS2 stiff shaft. It looks great and hits just as well.
I can't say enough about this driver right now. I used to never hit my graphite shaft driver because I couldn't control it. I always used to hit my steal shaft Taylor Made 3 wood. Things have changed. I will grab this driver out of my bag any time I get a chance. It is really fun to hit! I would definitely recommend this driver to anyone. On 2004-04-26, larry Bobson rated this a 5...(3522)
I purchaced this driver from greg nicolson golf in manchester, I brought the club because of the extra 30 yards it put on my drives without costing me anything on my accuracy. As I said before I love the fact you gain 30 yards on your drive, The driver is also very light which I quite like. The R580XD has a 440 cc head which it has quite large, this gives the player extra confedence when he/she is over the ball. The main thing I did not like about the club was its price. I had my driver with a grafalloy blue which is an extra £30 The club is of grate quality and I have had no problem's with it.
Overall I think the club is one of the best drivers on the market at the moment it's long, forgiving, accurate and has a grate feel my only complant was the price. On 2004-04-20, eric b rated this a 5...(3456)
Bought at local pro-shop with tournament credit.
Never really comfortable with my previous driver, Callawy C4. Always had Taylor Made drivers before the Callaway, but won that in a drawing and gave it a year of play before I needed a change.
Cost was $425 Previously had the callaway c4 driver and the clubhead did not ever appear square at address. First thing I noticed with the R580XD was the square setup. Also despite the 440CC clubhead, it actually looked smaller than the Callaway C$.
Upon putting the club into play, it was easily 10 yards longer than the C4. Did not seem to lose distance on mishits as much as the C4. Absolutely nothing !!! Driver purchased had the new MAS2 stiff shaft. Between the grey shaft and the dark finish on the clubhead, the R580XD is a stunning club to look at. The fact that is as functional as it is good looking makes this an even better club.
Would have purchased this club even without the pro-shop credit. A definate improvement to my game!! On 2004-03-22, MN_mike rated this a 5...(3166)
Played a round in a golf simulator this weekend with one at a Golf Galaxy. They're asking $399.99 for these like everyone else. Had to see what all Taylor Made's advertising expense was hyping. The head on this thing is gigantic and instills a ton of confidence. The face is really deep as well. When you ground it behind the ball, it looks like the size of a shoebox! Tremendous pop off the face, much more so than my current R540. The stock shaft even in stiff flex was way too soft for me. I've been playing with a Grafalloy Blue stiff in my R540, and there's no going back now. There would be extra cost in re-shafting this club, which is way too expensive to begin with. Many manufacturers are including premium shafts with their clubs now at no additional cost and Taylor Made should follow suit. Callaway, Adams, Mizuno, and Titleist have already gone this route, Taylor Made! Wake up! Very nice construction as far as the head goes. The shaft and grip leave much to be desired. If I could pick any head for a driver currently, this would be it!
A great new driver. So big you should be embarassed if you miss the ball. Sweet spot as large as some entire driver heads used to be! If Taylor Made would move away from their insistance on proprietary shafts, they would be miles ahead of the competition. On 2004-02-14, Aries rated this a 5...(2834)
Bought this driver brand new from ebay so it was less than what other golf stores sell it for. Great price for $315 brand new...this would have cost me around $485 if i had bought it from a retail golf store. I acquired this item because i wanted a brand new titanium driver. Seeing that this is the driver of the year by golf digest, i wanted this to be in my own hands. Amazing driver. Its very forgiving with its 440cc titanium head. Its very light with lots of control from the balancing of the head. The shaft is amazing, top of the class. Grip from taylormade is comfortable in the hands. Hit my tee shots farther than what i had thought i was gonna hit it. nothing. Quality of this whole unit is one of a kind. Its definitely at the head of the class. I can see why golf digest and many top golfers use this driver. Amazing piece of artwork.
Although this driver would cost you $400+ at any retail golf stores...its definitely worth the price. On 2004-02-14, J.B. Hicks rated this a 5...(2836)
Tom's Golf Shop in Wahiwa, HI. Paid $200 after trade in of my Titleist 983E. Looks great at address, and is very forgiving. I gained distance by switching to this driver, and with the Grafalloy Blue shaft my ball flight is much more consistent. Paint chips easily (I noticed the same thing on my V-Steel), and the original grip is garbage. High quality construction with the exception of the paint.
This is a great driver. Highly recommended for mid to high handicappers. I'll have this driver in my bag for quite sometime. On 2004-01-19, Steve Doz rated this a 4...(2675)
£220 - Ebay Uk The club has a great classic look. I find it easy enough to line the ball up, although some people have a valid concern over the removal of a line-up aid on the top of the head. The sweet spot seems to be up there with the best. Shots out the middle fly long, while off-centre hits have largely a gentle fade or draw, and are still long. I also like the sound off the face which doesn't feel as harsh to me as some other new titainiums. The grip isn't great but I don't see this as a big issue and can easily be replaced. Better players may want a better shaft than the stock one, but again this is a minor point for the average club player. It looks pure class, and I would be tempted to say this is a very strong point of the club. That said, the tuned weight cartridge (TWC) that TM use in many of their clubs started falling out the back of mine after only a couple of visits to the range (from new). This holds the tungsten rods that are used to balance the club etc. I don't know whether this is a known issue or a one-off.
A club with so much potential and I love what it does well. But I can't give it a maximum score for 2 reasons. Firstly, my experience with the TWC (see above). Secondly, because having contacted TM on several occasions to ask for direction on this problem, I have had no reply at all. So customer service seems to be pretty much non-existent. I wouldn't rule the club out as it has lots of plus points, but buy one from somewhere you trust, so if there is a problem, you can get it sorted. |
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