-- TaylorMadeGolf.com
By Stuart Goldstein
AmateurGolf.com Player Staff »
Last year, TaylorMade Golf released the much
anticipated SLDR
driver. It quickly
became the No. 1 selling and most-played
driver on the PGA
Tour. The driver has since
gone on to win Golf Digest Hot List Gold for
innovation and
performance.
For the encore, TaylorMade unveiled the SLDR
Fairway Woods
and Rescue clubs.
I recently put these new sticks through their
paces on all
measurable counts: distance,
feel, performance and looks.
As a player who previously had TaylorMade's
RocketBallz Tour
fairway woods and the
RocketBallz Stage 2 Rescue club in the bag, I
was impressed
with the overall
performance of the SLDR Fairway Woods and
Rescues.
So what makes these clubs so special?
Technology.
Building upon the SLDR driver technology,
these new clubs
combine for a low and
forward center of gravity placement where
weight is relocated
to the front of the head
to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch
angle and a lower
spin-rate.
However, despite the name SLDR, these clubs
do not have the
movable weight
technology made popular with the SLDR
drivers. So, even
though they are in the SLDR
family, some of the technology is a different.
An important design feature in the new SLDR
fairway and
Rescue clubs is a new Speed
Pocket. As seen in the brand's RocketBallz
metalwoods and
RocketBladez irons, the
Speed Pocket increases face flexibility to
promote faster ball
speed. Unlike the previous
RocketBallz metalwood line-up, which had an
open slot on the
bottom of the clubhead,
the SLDR has a more efficient Speed Pocket
featuring a polymer
fill to keep grass and
debris out of the pocket. This is a small yet
important upgrade.
Cleaning all that dirt
and mud out of the bottom of the RocketBallz
sure was a
nuisance.
Also unique to the SLDR Fairways and Rescues
is Loft-Sleeve
technology. This allows
the golfer to adjust the loft 1.5 degrees up or
down to dial in
their optimal launch
conditions. It is like getting three or more clubs
in one.
A 15-degree 3-wood can be adjusted to play
as between 13.5
and 16.5 degrees. This
versatility is extremely helpful for changing
weather and turf
conditions. A simple turn of
the wrench and you are good to go.
When it comes to fairway woods and rescues,
appearance is
very important. A good
looking club instills confidence, which instills
better swings.
That, in theory, results in
lower scores and more fun. Being a
traditionalist, I easily
gravitated to the classic pear
shape design of the fairway wood. The
Rescues are compact,
offering little offset and
both of these new offerings have a shallow
face profile.
With TaylorMade among the first to offer
white-colored
clubheads I was glad to see the
brand go back to its old roots-color wise. The
SLDR comes in
what TaylorMade calls “a
charcoal-gray crown.” A contrasting silver
clubface makes it
easy to align the club
without any distracting emblems. Combine all
that and what you
get is very pleasing to
the eye.
One of the least talked about, yet very
important design
features for the line is the
sound the clubs make at impact. If a club is
too "tinny" it
sounds cheap. Too much
"thud" and it feels like the ball goes nowhere.
The SLDR delivers
a confidence-inducing
sound that backs up its good looks.
So, what does all this technology translate to?
My previous TaylorMade 3-wood had a typical
15-degree of loft
on it. After a fitting at
the TaylorMade Performance Lab, it was
determined that I
should play the SLDR 17-
degree adjusted to 16 degrees. The results
were dramatic and
really hammered home
the technology and benefits behind the SLDR
Fairway Woods
and Rescues.
My shots launched higher and farther -- an
increase of 20
yards. The distances gained
were a result of a higher launch coupled with
reduced spin.
Results with the Rescues were the same. Out
is my old 5-wood
and in is my new 3-
Rescue set at 18.5 degrees.
The SLDR 4 Rescue set at 21 degrees is my
alternative to the
long iron, offering great
versatility. The high launch generates
increased distance yet
provides enough spin to
hold any green. And despite a higher launch,
shots held the
wind perfectly without
ballooning.
The stock shaft for the SLDR Fairway is a
Fujikura Speeder 77
made for TaylorMade
available in R, S, and X flex and weighing in at
approximately 70
grams. The SLDR Tour
Preferred Fairway comes with a stock Motore
Speeder TS 8.3
also available in R,S and
X flex and weighs around 80 grams. Suggested
retail price for
the SLDR Fairway is $249
and $349 for the Tour Preferred version.
For the Rescues, the stock shaft is a Speeder
82 in R,S and X
flex and weighs 80
grams. There is also a preferred version with
the Speeder TS 9.3
shaft available in only
S and X flex. Suggested retail price for the
Rescue® and
Rescue® TP is $219 and
$289, respectively.
For either the fairway or Rescue, TaylorMade
offers numerous
custom shaft options. It
is suggested you go to a fitter to get the right
specs or if there
is one near you, I
highly recommend a visit to the TaylorMade
Performance Lab.