# R1, R11 or SLDR?



## Agent Pies (Apr 15, 2014)

As above chaps, I've currently got a RBZ 10.5 driver but my golf pro has said I need a 9.5 ideally as I'm lofting the ball a bit too much. My friend will have my old one off me so I'm looking for a newer one.

Of the above 3 which would you choose? I'm going to buy second hand (as always) and my local golf shop have a second hand R11 in that I'm going to have a hit with later today. Doing a bit of research though, I'm seeing lots of people say they favour the R1 over the R11.
Again doing a bit of research I'm reading that lots of people really rate the new SLDR, I could probably stretch my budget to a second hand one. Would I be better off doing this?

So which would you get and why?


----------



## Rooter (Apr 15, 2014)

R11S for me, still an awesome club with the right shaft in and right now, i assume it would be a steal!


----------



## guest100718 (Apr 15, 2014)

Rooter said:



			R11S for me, still an awesome club with the right shaft in and right now, i assume it would be a steal!
		
Click to expand...

I picked up the R11s with a lovely Blur shaft for 139.


----------



## BTatHome (Apr 15, 2014)

Surley just crank the RBZ down to 9.5 ? Or am I missing something, and you just want to swap to something else?


----------



## Rooter (Apr 15, 2014)

here you go, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Taylormad...Leisure_Golf_GolfClubs_JN&hash=item258cd0a37d

comes with a TP stiff and a reg shaft! (i am not affiliated to seller! make your own checks!)


----------



## pbrown7582 (Apr 15, 2014)

Not sure an sdlr would fit? The ethos is #loftup and your looking at cranking down?


----------



## Birchy (Apr 15, 2014)

SLDR is a beast. I got the same loft I had in my old driver and it goes much lower and has a more penetrating flight.


----------



## Agent Pies (Apr 15, 2014)

BTatHome said:



			Surley just crank the RBZ down to 9.5 ? Or am I missing something, and you just want to swap to something else?
		
Click to expand...

My driver is non adjustable? Maybe I've quoted the wrong model that I have?

ETA: This is  the same as mine...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAYLOR-MA...Leisure_Golf_GolfClubs_JN&hash=item3f33d8429d


----------



## SVB (Apr 15, 2014)

It must come down to what fits your game best really rather than opinions here I guess.  I've just been through a fitting exercise and really rate the process.  

I've always bought used clubs and in hindsight, wish I'd thought to have a chat with the pro along the lines of "I'm not looking to buy new, but would like to buy right, therefore, can I pay for a fitting so I will have a good idea of what I'm after on the used market".  That way, I would feel ok with myself that I was not taking the Mickey / loosing good-will with the pro, but would have 100% confidence that what I bid for on ebay etc would do the job.  Not sure how AG etc would react but perhaps (rightly or wrongly) an element of 'tyre kicking' is expected so may not feel so bad, esp as SLDR is a current club.

My 2c anyway.......

Happy shopping,

Simon


----------



## Foxholer (Apr 15, 2014)

H'mm.

Are you sure that's what your Pro said? Was it in response to a specific question?

There's a difference between a Pro un-promptedly coming out and saying 'I think you need a 9.5* rather than this 10.5* one' and replying to the question 'I fancy a new, 2nd hand, Driver. Is there anything different from this one that you'd recommend'.

In the first instance, I'd look for a new Pro! In the second, he may be helping you.


----------



## BoadieBroadus (Apr 15, 2014)

my instincts tell me that the jetspeed is just about to come down in price. maybe give one of those a whirl and see how it goes.


----------



## CMAC (Apr 15, 2014)

do you like your current driver? 

remember loft is your friend, so if you like it a shaft change would be a better option to lower the flight.


SLDR is far too expensive and nothing special imo. R1 makes a horrible sound (for me) but the adjustability is fantastic and one of the best I've come across, face and loft and lie all can be set independently to suit.....and its come way down in price


----------



## Liverpoolphil (Apr 15, 2014)

R11 was a cracking driver.

Just got a SLDR so will have had all three 

The R11 a better driver than the R1


----------



## Alan (Apr 15, 2014)

I've just binned my Ping G15 for an R11, I feel much more confident with it and it gives me BOOM.


----------



## Maninblack4612 (Apr 15, 2014)

The shaft is the key. I have an RBZ with a standard shaft & it's OK. I managed to find an RBZ Ozik HD6 shaft and it's a different club, low spinning penetrating flight. My current SLDR is the same, too high flying with the standard shaft but phenomenally good with the Black Tie. The head's not that important, especially if it's adjustable. Get a good shaft with what money you've got. In my experience there's little in it between the R11, RBZ & SLDR *with the same shaft.*


----------



## BTatHome (Apr 15, 2014)

Agent Pies said:



			My driver is non adjustable? Maybe I've quoted the wrong model that I have?

ETA: This is  the same as mine...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAYLOR-MA...Leisure_Golf_GolfClubs_JN&hash=item3f33d8429d

Click to expand...

Ahhh, that's the later version when they made it slightly cheaper by having a fixed shaft. The original was an adaptor fit that had loft adjustment.


----------



## the_coach (Apr 15, 2014)

The SLDR is the better club of the three you mention, providing it's fitted, you need the right loft, given the way it's made for an average club players swing speed it'll need to be at least 10.5 to get optimum flight & distance.

Shafts are for fine tuning only, any shaft only has the ability to change spin rate up to 500 rpms maximum, period.

A centered hit makes the biggest difference in keeping the spin rate down to an acceptable level, along with a shallower swing path with a plus AoA, level path with a driver at worst. Every minus degree of AoA loses you around 7 yards of carry.


----------



## HomerJSimpson (Apr 15, 2014)

Why would you want to go down in loft? Irrespective of the TM "Loft Up" it has been said in mags for several years that most club golfers would benefit from more loft not less. I'd be wanting a fuller explanation from the pro about the benefits and pitfalls before parting with any cash


----------



## Maninblack4612 (Apr 15, 2014)

the_coach said:



Shafts are for fine tuning only, any shaft only has the ability to change spin rate up to 500 rpms maximum, period./QUOTE]


Surprised to hear you say that. I've done a lot of trial & error with shafts & heads & while the shaft may not have a big effect on spin it seems to me to have a huge effect on launch angle, much more so than the loft of the driver.

Click to expand...


----------



## the_coach (Apr 15, 2014)

Maninblack4612 said:





the_coach said:



Shafts are for fine tuning only, any shaft only has the ability to change spin rate up to 500 rpms maximum, period./QUOTE]


Surprised to hear you say that. I've done a lot of trial & error with shafts & heads & while the shaft may not have a big effect on spin it seems to me to have a huge effect on launch angle, much more so than the loft of the driver.

Click to expand...

Most folks think shafts have more say in being able to reduce spin rates by a large degree, truth is that's definitely not so, no matter how expensive or exotic, they can only do some very fine tuning.

The flex, to the extent of Xstiff to Reg to Ultra Flex & where a kick point is of a shaft and how it's delivered through the strike will impact launch angles by a few some degrees, but have a much lesser effect on change of the spin rate. 

Swing speed will effect spin rate depending on what angle it's delivered to & through. Three swings of the same 110mph, one with a steep -7 AoA will not only produce pretty high spin rate but decrease available overall distance from that swing speed by some 50 yards, 0 level through the ball will reduce spin rate considerably therefore the ball will go further, +AoA of 3 to5 will give you optimum spin rate & LA & optimum distance, given all three strikes being centered from sweet spot.

Biggest effect by far on spin rate is where on the face the balls struck.

Biggest influence on launch angle is shaft plane & swing path & the AoA, plus most importantly where on the face the ball is struck.
		
Click to expand...


----------



## Maninblack4612 (Apr 17, 2014)

the_coach said:





Maninblack4612 said:



			Most folks think shafts have more say in being able to reduce spin rates by a large degree, truth is that's definitely not so, no matter how expensive or exotic, they can only do some very fine tuning.

The flex, to the extent of Xstiff to Reg to Ultra Flex & where a kick point is of a shaft and how it's delivered through the strike will impact launch angles by a few some degrees, but have a much lesser effect on change of the spin rate. 

Swing speed will effect spin rate depending on what angle it's delivered to & through. Three swings of the same 110mph, one with a steep -7 AoA will not only produce pretty high spin rate but decrease available overall distance from that swing speed by some 50 yards, 0 level through the ball will reduce spin rate considerably therefore the ball will go further, +AoA of 3 to5 will give you optimum spin rate & LA & optimum distance, given all three strikes being centered from sweet spot.

Biggest effect by far on spin rate is where on the face the balls struck.

Biggest influence on launch angle is shaft plane & swing path & the AoA, plus most importantly where on the face the ball is struck.
		
Click to expand...


Speaking from experience again, I have found that, *for the same angle of attack & swing speed, *different shafts have a huge effect on launch angle. I've had shafts where all I can do is sky the ball, whereas the Black Tie I am now using gives a perfect flight with, dare I say it, less spin, yes, possibly only 500 rpm but it's the launch angle which is more important on my exposed course where high shots not perfectly hit are deflected a long way off line.
		
Click to expand...


----------



## Dave B (Apr 17, 2014)

I moved from the RBZ with a Matrix Ozik TP HD6 Regular to the R1. The original 55g RIP Phenom suited my playing partner who also bought the R1 but it gave me the odd hook so I changed it for a Miyazaki JDL 6R which gives me a nice penetrating flight.

Distance wise I've gained around 5yds however my dispersion has improved and once I tuned it in I have found it to be more forgiving than the RBZ although it did take me a week to find the middle consistently after switching. I also don't have to swing as hard to get a good result which also helps.

You will need to loft up on the R1 as mine is currently set at 11.25 degrees which gives me a mid height penetrating flight compared to the RBZ at 10.5 with the HD6 which gave a mid to high boring flight.

A few people who have tried my R1 have struggled to gain the same height as their current driver and from what I can gather the slider is similar. It does take a little getting used to but once you have it dialled in, it is a superb driver.


----------

