2014: The year of loft begins for TaylorMade
TaylorMade Tour staff players proving 'loft up' is the way forward
TAYLORMADE says if you want to make the most of your new TaylorMade SLDR and hit the ball further than ever before, you need to loft up. But why?
Well it's all pretty simple...
Most drivers on the market today have centre of gravity placed low and back in the clubhead in order to launch the ball high. In other words, the position of the sweetspot on the driver face projects out perpendicular to the CG and it's usually found high up on the face.
PGA Show Interview: TaylorMade Executive Vice President Sean Toulon
However, with the SLDR, the CG is pulled much further forward towards the face. The lower and more forward CG, as I recently found out for myself, promotes a much hotter launch, lower spin and faster ball speed than I've ever experienced from a driver before.
The sliding weight, weighing in at a hefty 20g, sits near the front and not like the Mizuno MP600 driver that positioned its slider at the back. This consequently pulls the sweetspot further down the face of the driver and closer to the mass of the leading edge.
With CG lower and further forward, I for one, find I'm now able to launch the ball on a higher trajectory with much less spin.
But don't just take my word for it. Dustin Johnson proved exactly why lofting up is the way forward with the SLDR Driver when flying away with the WGC-HSBC Champions at the end of 2013. DJ was bombing drives over 300 yards for fun, on top of finding 70% of the fairways for the week - a dramatic improvement on his 50% for the 2013 PGA Tour season.
Johnson, who switched drivers during the summer, has enjoyed tremendous success since switching from his 9-degree spec to 10.5-degree in the SLDR.
You can also see the dramatic rise in Tour players now using 10.5-degree drivers, something almost unheard of, from the picture bottom right.
European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has lofted up a total of four yards from 7.5- to 11.5-degree for 2014.
You want more?
REVIEW: TAYLORMADE SLDR DRIVER
FIRST LOOK: TAYLORMADE SLDR FAIRWAY WOODS AND RESCUES
SWING SEQUENCE: DUSTIN JOHNSON
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
