Taylor Made R9 Driver
Taylor Made, the “#1 driver in golf”. Taylor Made, the company that pumps more drivers in the marketplace than any other company. Taylor Made, the innovator of the movable weight technology. Taylor Made, giving YOU the power to customize your driver…in every way.
Welcome the new R9 driver!
They have done it again. This driver takes the movable weight technology and pretty much pumps it full of steroids and HGH. Don’t worry, you won’t have any legal issues or face a federal grand jury for this one. You will just experience the most technologically advanced driver in the history of the modern game. At least that is the rumor. I have yet to try it so don’t quote me.
The R7 allowed you to change the weight placement in the back of the driver so that you could control the direction of the ball after impact. By making certain points of the golf club heavier, other sections of the head moved faster, creating spin on the golf ball that would combat swing deficiencies.
The R9 has taken this concept the next level. In addition to the movable weights for trajectory, you can now change the face angle of the head and the lie angle of the golf club. This will make it possible to change the direction AS WELL as the trajectory of the golf ball. Changing the face angle will make the driver head open or closed at address. This can be used, simply, for optics, or can be used to correct a hook or slice.
The lie angle will accommodate golfers of differing height, but will, most likely, be used to control direction all while making the driver more comfortable to the golfer. In all, Taylor Made has advertised that the
R9 driver can cover as wide a range as 75 yards of directional control. There are 8 possible head configurations as well as 3 different weightings, making the R9 driver, effectively, 24 drivers in one golf club!
True to form, Taylor Made will also produce an R9 TP driver. There is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE in the head of the golf club, but the TP version will come with a different shaft. The standard R9 comes with the Fujkura Motore shaft while the TP will come with the Fujikura Motore F1 shaft. The TP shaft will play slightly stiffer and will have a lower torque rate than the standard R9 shaft.
Fairway woods will be available as well, with the same technological features.
In all, as a guy that has avoided the “#1 driver” in golf for a bit of time, I think I am going to have to try the new R9. I am fascinated by face angle changes because I love the way a driver appears when it is open a degree or so.
I think the R9 will be a great driver…if it is half as good as the press is on it, I will be on board. I will check back with a review once I have hit it.
I just got finished playing with the new Taylor Made R-9, 9.5 degree loft with stiff shaft and was extremely disappointed. I play with a Taylor Made Burner with 9.5 degree loft and stiff shaft so I thought the same specs would work and just had to tweak it a bit with the removable weights and adjustable settings. BOY, was I dead wrong!. The stiff shaft on the R-9 is REALLY stiff compared to the Burner’s stiff shaft. The R-9 shaft is also slightly shorter as well which magnifies the stiffness. The Taylor made Burner ‘s head is dramatically more forgiving. I was consistently 15- 20 yards longer with the Burner and a heck of a lot straighter no matter how i tried to compensate with the weights on the R-9.. Youy better be super fast with your swing speed (I am 95-100) and have a grooved swing to hit the center of this club. Off center even just a tad and you are punished severely in distance and accuracy. ( You will see my club club offered on e-bay very soon. LOL!.) It isn’t worth the price to put a new and expensive shaft in. just to try to play catch up with the MUCH cheaper and better Burner. Don’t let the hype drain your wallet. Try it before you buy it is my most fervent advice. Be warned.
Arthur,
Thanks for the comments. I think you hit the nail on the head with the try before you buy advice. I am asked time and again why the manufacturers make so many clubs and the reasoning is simple. Every golfer has a different experience with clubs. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure when it comes to golf equipment. I can say that your experience is not unfounded, but for those that may not understand, the Burner is a much lighter golf club and demands a lighter shaft (45 or 55 grams depending on your model) while the R9 is heavier and demands a heavier shaft (65 up to 80 grams). Because of that, the Burner shaft is going to “feel” looser than the R9 shaft. Also, the Burner MUST be built with a longer shaft to create a swing weight that is playable with that light of a head and a shaft.
I am glad you found one that works for your swing….now ride that one till she bucks ya! Play well!