I Tried the Taylor Made R9 today

[frasting]

Today I was at the local driving range/Pro shop for some practice. When I arrived I noticed that the Taylor Made rep was talking to three of the pro's that work there.

I know most of them quite well (spend too much money in their shop) so they asked me to have a look. The rep had the new R9 driver and three wood. Obviously he was bumming it up to them, how great it was and how Pat Perez put it in his bag this week and won on the PGA Tour and Sergio put it in the bag immediately etc etc

Well one of the pro's took it straight out for a hit and nosy me followed him.
After he had a few whacks he asked me what I thought of it. How it looked, felt, the shaft, head size and shape etc.

It looked from the bottom like the limited driver they have now, but what was cool was the 24 different ways you could set it up. (All you OCD people will love it). The shaft actually pulls out of the head and can be turned to give upright and flat set-up as well as opening or shutting the face a little (which alters the loft as well obviously).

I hit a couple, they flew straight but a little low, then with a few twists of the wrench he pulled the shaft out changed a coupe of things and I hit 4 in a row straight and long. Easy as you like.

The head is smaller than most modern drivers, and i have to say I like it. But at £350 I think i'll stick with what I have until Taylor Made bring out another new driver in what, 3 months time!!!!

 

[thecraw]

Golf is becomming a joke now, how these things can be classed as legal is a farce, players like Hagen, Jones, Locke, etc must be turning in their graves. This totally takes the skill of the game away, the shot making, the thinking behind the shot, its all gone.

Golf is becoming to advanced and in my opinion its gone too far now. As the American PGA is showing us now its just target golf, hit it and putt!!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not sure where I sit on this. The traditionalist in me says we may be going too far now on what we can change and how easily but the techno and equipment junkie says bring it on. I'll definitely be having a play with one soon but I quite fancy the R7 Limited.

 

[madandra]

Fraser, I thought you were injured?

Fly arse !!!!!!!!

 

[HTL]

Golf is becoming to advanced and in my opinion its gone too far now. As the American PGA is showing us now its just target golf, hit it and putt!!!!!

So is your custom fitted driver OK? But not a club that you can alter yourself to improve your game?

(Not trying to be a pain in the arse, just trying to start a discussion)

 

[frasting]

Fraser, I thought you were injured?

Fly arse !!!!!!!!

Sore shins from playing too much footy Andy! Golf swings I can handle, you kicking crap out of me...... not this week!!!

 

[Marko77]

I'm with thecraw here. I'm all for advancement in golf clubs / accessories but clubs that can be adjusted gets the thumbs down from me.

At least frasting got some success with the club with his demo, as he says though, at £350, I don't think we'll see many of these on the first tee when the season opens in April.

Re HTLs comment, being custom fit for a club and having a club that can be tweaked to how your playing at that given time is worlds apart in my opinion. thecraws driver will be the same week in week out but with this R9 you could have a draw club in the morning and a natural club in the afternoon (if I understand it correctly?)

 

[stevelockie]

Golf is becomming a joke now, how these things can be classed as legal is a farce, players like Hagen, Jones, Locke, etc must be turning in their graves. This totally takes the skill of the game away, the shot making, the thinking behind the shot, its all gone.

Golf is becoming to advanced and in my opinion its gone too far now. As the American PGA is showing us now its just target golf, hit it and putt!!!!!

I can see where you're coming from, but that's progress for you! If we were to stay "old school" we would still be going around in horse drawn carriages!
The game has changed/is changing all the time. The modern pro is an athlete (with a few notable exceptions), teaching is better, equipment is better. They still have a put a swing on the ball and get it to land at their target. These guys can move the ball anyway they want.
Lots of different shaft/loft/lie options have always been available to the pros via their tour vans. The adjustable drivers are for us hackers, needing a bit of help to eliminate/minimise a slice, for example, as we don't have the time/money/access to a coach and the practice regime required to do it "the hard way".

Just my two bob's worth

 

[User 105]

Golf is becoming to advanced and in my opinion its gone too far now. As the American PGA is showing us now its just target golf, hit it and putt!!!!!

So is your custom fitted driver OK? But not a club that you can alter yourself to improve your game?

(Not trying to be a pain in the arse, just trying to start a discussion)

Personally I like the idea. As my swing changes over time, as I hopefully improve, it seems a much better financial investment. Rather than get a new driver fitted every 6-12 months, just make the adjustments to something like this.

Yes you can adjust them but not during a round. So no different to me than having a number of drivers to choose from before your round.

 

[USER1999]

I don't see the problem. If I wanted my driver 1 degree open, I would get my pro to bend it. Ditto if I wanted it closed. What this does is offer average golfers the opportunity to have a club set up for them quickly and cheaply, giving a true c/f, without the shop having too much stock, or risking damageing the club while adjusting lie and loft. The pro's get the club set up the way they want, why should this be wrong for us hackers?

How many players would truly benefit from changing it away from their optimum fit? Certainly not me.

I had a TM R7. I loved it for feel, but it sat closed. The TP sat open (and was more expensive). I wanted a driver that sat square, and so have ruled out TM ever since. If this can be set square, I might yet give it a go.

 

[nmartyn]

if you were constantly adjusting the setup during the round - fairplay thats taking the pi££ but having the option to change it BEFORE hand just levels the playing field for those who can't afford multiple drivers (changed according to there current performance/swing) and those who buy one and plan on sticking with it for a long time.
like me - who needed a draw bias but wanted the option of adjusting it as my swing improves/slice lessens.

 

[Twire]

if you were constantly adjusting the setup during the round - fairplay thats taking the pi££

Its against the rules to change/adjust your clubs once a round has started. Any adjustments need to be done before and not in between your round.

 

[nmartyn]

well there you have it then. alls fair with an adjustable club.... its the same as going to the range before a round with two drivers and suffering from a slice and deciding to take the 'draw' driver for the round rather than the 'fade'.

 

[thecraw]

No its not "all fair" its taking the pi$$ out of the rules and bending them. If I go to another course that requires a fade all I do is adjust the club instead of my swing and set up, that is cheating, and it takes the art out of golf as well as the skill involved.

Yes you can buy drivers that are draw bias or even set open for "the better player" however they are bought through choice and are always set up that way. These clubs still require a level of skill to work the ball, the player will still need to adjust and play a fade/draw not simply fiddle about before hand then bobs your uncle. Next week I'm back at my own course I'd better set up for a draw again.

Golf is in great danger of becoming over developed and I think this is the point that the line has been crossed, technology has been allowed to grow unchecked and its only going to become harder to reign it in now. Give a company of Achusnet or Callaways financial standing an inch they will take a mile. It can/only will end up in a messy multi-million dollar battle in the courts.

 

[TonyN]

Still not going to make anyone a better player is it? There is no miracle club. I personally wont even bother looking in to it. I have been custom fit, I only have 1 type of swing. I am happy with a driver that plays the same week in week out!

 

[Imurg]

I'm a bit on the fence here as well. The idea of being able to change the way the club works has merit but only so far. If you go out in the morning and you're hooking it, you can come in at lunch and change it so you'll hit it strighter in the afternoon. But isn't it better to try to groove a swing that hits it straight?

At the risk of raising a ghost, it comes back to the same principals in the GPS debate. Is it legal - yes. Is it within the "spirit" of the game - mmm tough one! is it available to all - not at £350 its not!

Another thing that worries me about these adjustable clubs - what happens if one of your weights comes loose and falls out half way round? You're buggered!! A normal driver, unless you break it, will always play the same. An adjustable one that has lost a weight could be disastrous.

 

[USER1999]

An adjustable driver that looses a weight would then be against the rules, and if used further, would get you dq'd.

I really don't see the difference between an adjustable driver (possibly with different shaft options too), and just putting 3 or 4 different ones in the boot just in case.

Most of us have multiple drivers (or wedges/putters/fairways/2 irons/utilities), from which we make a choice of 14, according to the course and weather we are likely to encounter.

Why is this any different?

It is probably cheaper, and takes up less boot space.

Objecting to it is just being a ludite, and possibly a hypocrit.

I can change my ball flight from a draw to a fade by using a stiffer shaft, I don't need to change my set up, there is no skill involved.

What is next, a license that proves you can only own one driver at a time?

 

[thecraw]

An adjustable driver that looses a weight would then be against the rules, and if used further, would get you dq'd.

I really don't see the difference between an adjustable driver (possibly with different shaft options too), and just putting 3 or 4 different ones in the boot just in case.

Most of us have multiple drivers (or wedges/putters/fairways/2 irons/utilities), from which we make a choice of 14, according to the course and weather we are likely to encounter.

Why is this any different?

It is probably cheaper, and takes up less boot space.

Objecting to it is just being a ludite, and possibly a hypocrit.

I can change my ball flight from a draw to a fade by using a stiffer shaft, I don't need to change my set up, there is no skill involved.

What is next, a license that proves you can only own one driver at a time?

What aload of absolute crap! There is no skill in fading a ball 30 yards round a dog leg or drawing it round an over hanging branch? Codswollop of the highest order.

Granted you can have a stiffer shafted driver which is going to squirt low and right but what benefit does it actually give you? Diddly sqat playing 30 yards further back than normal, going in with a longer iron and always from the right hand rough!

Cant wait to look out my Seve DVD and watch all those remarkable shots that had no skill whatsoever!!!!!

 

[USER1999]

You have completely missed the point mate. Yes, there is a skill to doing it with the SAME club, but not if you select your club before hand for that specific task. Whether it is an adjusted club, or a selected club, what is the difference between the two.

If you are skilled enough, yes, one club is enough, but the point of this post is about adjustability, versus fixed, not about genious.

 

[USER1999]

Oh, and a stiffer shaft doesn't have to mean flat short right. I am down to two drivers at the moment, one with a graphalloy 35S (one of the best shafts ever made) and one with a Harmon tour design GXR. I can hit both the same distance, the same high flight, one fades, the other is straight. Two more different shafts would be hard to find.

Yes, if you can't hit a particular shaft, you would be stupid to take it on the course, but there are always options available for a different ball flight.