TaylorMade reveal new SIM Drivers with asymmetrical sole design

TaylorMade have revealed three new SIM drivers, featuring an ‘asymmetrical’ sole design to help provide more speed and forgiveness

Moving on from the M-Series of the past five years, TaylorMade have now unveiled their new SIM (shape-in-motion) drivers, which put a greater focus on geometry in order to increase speed. 

TaylorMade’s new SIM, SIM Max and SIM Max D are all aimed at different golfers, as TaylorMade are well aware one one driver doesn’t suit everyone. 

While SIM focuses on controlling spin and dialling in shot bias, SIM Max is much more about forgiveness. The face of the Max is 8% larger than the SIM, and there’s a 20g of back weight (where the SIM has 12g and a 10g sliding front weight) positioned on the tip of the inertia generator in the sole, which ups MOI by 70 points over the SIM. 

First Hit: TaylorMade SIM Driver 

TaylorMade SIM Drivers: What you need to know

TaylorMade’s M-series drivers have been part of the brand’s product furniture since the M1 launched in 2015. The marquee has stayed around for five years, which says “M” really hit the spot with consumers.

Designing M led TaylorMade down a road of carbon-fibre-fuelled discovery, creating innovations like Twist Face, final-finish to final-finish and Speed Injecting, which has allowed the company to post gains of 2mph of ball speed per year.

But TaylorMade believe now is the time to retire M, take everything they’ve learnt from all six M drivers and move on. And where “M” pioneered materials, focus has switched to geometry in 2020’s SIM drivers.

TaylorMade’s engineers have come up with a brand new “Shape in Motion” concept, which idea improves aerodynamics at the point in the swing where drivers experience most drag – from 9 O’clock to 6 O’clock in the  downswing – or just before impact, where you need speed to peak.

According to TaylorMade, typical drivers aren’t optimized for this critical point in the swing, as most focus on straight line speed at impact.

But by throwing the kitchen sink of aerodynamic analytics at SIM – thanks to an enormous wind tunnel and sophisticated 3D motion analysis tech – they’ve optimised three new drivers with a new “asymmetrical” sole, which targets how the head rotates aerodynamically through 45° at impact.

And initial internal testing (including with TaylorMade’s tour payers) shows a gain of 2mph in ball speed over M, which could rinse out an extra 3-5 yards from a club golfer’s swing. 

TaylorMade SIM

◆ RRP: £479
◆ Lofts: 8° / 9° / 10.5°
◆ Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana S Limited 60, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 70
◆ Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 2°)
◆ Available: February 7th, 2020

Shape in motion (SIM)
An asymmetrical sole design optimises sole aerodynamics right where golfers create most speed using an “inertia generator”. TaylorMade says DJ’s speed at the 9 O’clock position is 90mph; at impact (6 O’clock) it’s 120mph). SIM is designed specifically to perform at this moment of truth.

Learning from experience
TaylorMade says golfers don’t need super low-spin drivers, and even the best players like Rory McIlroy positioned weight in the M drivers towards the back of the head. So SIM has 12g of mass right on the extremities of the “inertia generator”, which delivers high MOI and forgiveness performance. 

Sliding weight and speed pocket
TaylorMade says that because the new head is so efficient a 10g sliding forward weight is sufficient to give up to 20 yards of draw/fade bias. A straight-through speed pocket means the face isn’t attached at the bottom, just like TaylorMade’s P790 irons. 

New cosmetics
SIM has had a makeover cosmetically, too. A chrome carbon-fibre crown and grey-tinged chalk paint give a sleek appearance. Both are taken from the automotive industry.     

TaylorMade SIM Max

◆ RRP: £449
◆ Lofts: 9° / 10.5° /12°
◆ Stock shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 or Red 5
◆ Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 2°)
◆ Available: February 7th, 2020

TaylorMade is well aware one driver doesn’t suit everyone, so while SIM focuses on controlling spin and dialling in shot bias, SIM Max is much more about forgiveness. No weight track means 20g of weight is now located low and deep on the tip of the inertia generator, which boosts MOI by 70 points over the SIM. The clubface is 8% larger than the SIM, too. It boasts confidence and comes from TaylorMade’s research into impact locations.

TaylorMade SIM Max D

◆ RRP: £449
◆ Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°
◆ Stock shaft: UST Mamiya Helium 5 / 4
◆ Adjustable hosel: Yes (+/- 2°)
◆ Available: February 7th, 2020

TaylorMade introduced its first D-Type driver in the second gen M2, and thanks to its success at helping club golfers keep a slice in check, it continues into the SIM family. TaylorMade’s progressive face size tech means the D-Type’s face is 18% bigger than the SIM, but thanks to some clever top edge graphics it doesn’t look closed at address. Low and deep weighting (at the tip of the inertia generator) has been halved so mass can be moved to a heel pad, creating a draw bias like previous D-Type drivers.