Taylormade R9 Driver Review
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At a glance
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What we say...
Adjustability maestro – without feeling gimmicky We’ve already talked in glowing terms about the performance of the TaylorMade Burner, but the TaylorMade R9 golf driver eclipsed it on test day.
Featuring TaylorMade’s new Flight Control Technology, the club can be adjusted to eight different positions to suit the individual’s shot shape.
It also features Movable Weight Technology. Put the two together, say TaylorMade, and you can create a shot-shaping difference of up to 75 yards from right to left.
As you can see, this is very much a tinkers’ club, but what promoted it to the lofty heights of the Gold bracket was that our guys didn’t feel that it looked “gimmicky” – a charge often brought against which clubs that have a ‘lot going on’.
Essentially, the R9 is just a very traditional-looking club that offers great performance results – even in a neutral setting. Chris, who confessed to feeling a little underwhelmed by the look of the club, was a big fan of its impressive stability even on off-centre hits, while Roy liked the smaller, more conventional shape of the head.
George also loved the look and feel of the R9 and rated it as one of his favourites on test.
TaylorMade call this the next generation of adjustability. But the plain fact is… this is another cracker from TaylorMade even before you’ve played with the FCT – which by the way is incredibly simple to do. There is also a Tour Preferred model retailing at £399, ideal for all you deep-pocketed, better players!
Ratings (out of 5)
| Looks: | Feel: | Noise: | Grip: | Distance: | Dispersion: |
| 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
2010 – Updated Model Review
The Best on Test award goes to the driver brand seen in more Tour pro bags than any other. So we suppose there’s no real shock in the R9 trumphing in our special ‘Better Player’ drivers test.
However, it does go to show that what the very best players in the world use week in, week out can be very useful in the hands of lower handicap amateurs. The R9 was in fact a strong contender right from the off with excellent marks for looks from all testers.
Chris was a fan of the 420cc head, commenting that it gave him more confidence and ability to work the ball and dictate ball flight. His average dispersion of just three yards backed this up. The R9’s Flight Control Technology, which allows the head to be changed to eight different positions so the club can be set up to suit a particular ball flight, was also a hit with the panel.
And although Joel, the lowest handicapped amateur on the panel, was a little disappointed in his own distance stats with the R9 even though they were comparable with the other clubs tested, he said the feel and forgiveness was great.
David loved this club across the board, particularly enjoying the fantastic fee and penetrating ball flight that this popular driver produced. Perhaps the best news of all for TaylorMade is the fact Adam didn’t have a bad word to say about it and enjoyed good results despite it being a higher handicapper.
There is no doubt the price tage of £349 will put a lot of people off but you get what you pay for and, in this instance, it’s a Today’s Golfer ‘Best On Test’ award winner.
Ratings (out of 5)
| Looks: | Forgiveness: | Feel: | Workability: | Distance: | Dispersion: |
| 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
Contact: 0800 389 4292,
Website: www.taylormadegolf.com
Lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°
