NEW GEAR! TaylorMade Golf unveils revolutionary SIM2 metalwoods
Shape In Motion has evolved, delivering a new level of forgiveness, distance and speed.
The TaylorMade SIM products proved to be one of the most successful ranges the brand had ever released and today, TaylorMade has announced the evolution of the line-up with the SIM2 family of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids.
In the driver category, three new models have been launched in the SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max-D, building on TaylorMade's history of metalwood innovation and ground-breaking technologies.
With the original SIM, the company focused on reshaping the driver to deliver speed and aerodynamics at the most critical stage of the swing–those milliseconds right before impact. Embracing the evolution of design, now TaylorMade has reinvented the way drivers are constructed with an increased focus on enhanced forgiveness while maintaining speed and optimal launch conditions.
CLICK TO WATCH OUR REVIEW OF THE NEW TAYLORMADE SIM2 DRIVERS!
Driver Reconstruction
To unlock a new dimension of forgiveness, TaylorMade engineers were forced to completely rethink how drivers are built from the ground up. By fixating on the process and materials, they discovered a hidden key in the form of a new design called Forged Ring Construction. Utilising a lightweight and high strength aluminium that’s precision milled, the adjoining feature unites the critical components of the driver head into a singular force.
As the defining component of SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, the forged aluminium ring is one of four crucial elements of the unique construction – each serving a vital function that allows the driver to be forgiving, fast and powerful. The other modules are the carbon crown, carbon sole and milled back face cup.
Full Carbon Crown and Sole
TaylorMade’s journey to SIM2 began with the lightweight carbon composite technology the company developed over the course of 15-plus years. The six-layer composite material, which was refined throughout the lifespan of the popular M series and SIM, is used on the crown of SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D.
A new high-strength carbon was developed precisely for the sole and designed for enhanced durability in protection against damage from turf interaction and contact at high speeds. The nine-layers of advanced carbon span the entire sole while simultaneously shaping the asymmetric Inertia Generator, which is designed to produce faster club head speeds through precise geometry and aerodynamic analysis.
The expanded use of carbon saves a considerable amount of weight that has been redeployed onto the Inertia Generator in the form of a heavy rear weight (16g SIM2, 24g SIM2 Max and 22g SIM2 Max•D). Placing this substantial weight low and back in the club moves the CG projection to centre face, optimises launch conditions and maximises MOI – more commonly described as forgiveness.
The black satin carbon crown and contrasting chalk colourway help frame the ball at address and improve alignment. A high-gloss black carbon on the sole provides an eye-catching look and premium aesthetic when paired with blue accents from the aluminium ring.
Milled Back Face Cup with An Intelligently Optimised Sweet Spot
The milled back face cup is the only part of the driver head that is crafted from titanium. The strong and resilient material facilitates energy transfer to encourage faster ball speeds. Behind the face, internal CNC milling varies face thickness and pinpoints performance where golfers need it the most.
Relying on the data used to develop Twist Face®, the company mapped the most common impact locations among golfers of all skill levels – which revealed a mis-hit pattern that extends from low heel to high toe. The milling process allows the company to precisely tune the thickness of the face to promote peak speed in those areas. This intelligently engineered sweet spot has an oval shape and stretches diagonally from the high toe toward the low heel. Ultimately, it results in a sweet spot that is designed to capture more shots where golfers are more likely to hit it on the face.
In addition, a larger face size enhances forgiveness across the line-up of SIM2 drivers. SIM2 is 12% larger (vs. SIM), SIM2 Max is 5% larger (vs. SIM Max) and SIM2 Max•D is 5% larger (compared to SIM Max•D).
The Evolution of Technology – Speed Injected Twist Face & Speed Pocket
In 2019, TaylorMade took Twist Face® – the iconic face curvature that’s designed to straighten ball flight – to the next level of performance with Speed Injected Twist Face, exposing the false narrative that speed limits had been reached for metalwoods. The industry-leading technology continues to provide massive benefits with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D, as each driver head is inspected, measured and tuned for maximum speed and to ensure conformity; a process truly unmatched in the golf industry.
In recent years, golfers grew accustomed to seeing the Speed Injection Ports on the face of the driver. New for 2021, the port has been relocated to the outer toe. With the CNC milling now across the entire back of the face, designers were able to precisely tune the thickness of the titanium to promote peak speed on a specific area slightly to the toe side. With that development, the company is now able to efficiently manipulate speed across the entire face using a single port. The result is a level of precision that ensures every golfer gets a hot and fast driver head.
The patented Thru-Slot Speed Pocket rests on the sole of the driver, maintaining the marquee purpose of protecting ball speed and performance on shots struck low on the face.
Draw Without Compromise
Historically, draw bias drivers have not been forgiving – as the higher CG needed to create the necessary spin led to a lower MOI. Company research indicates that design is counterintuitive. As you may expect, data suggest that high handicap players with severe right-miss tendencies gravitate to draw bias clubs. This group needs the forgiveness more than others.
That is why TaylorMade has flipped this design convention on its head. SIM2 Max•D delivers powerful draw-bias with a level of MOI and forgiveness not before seen in a draw driver from TaylorMade. By shifting the entire asymmetric Inertia Generator towards the heel, engineers were able to obtain draw-bias properties while also keeping its full function of aerodynamics and forgiveness.
Performance Comparison Between The Three Models
SIM2: Traditional driver designs come with a trade-off, but TaylorMade journeyed beyond tradition to obtain power, speed, and forgiveness in a low spin driver. The reconstructed SIM2 delivers high MOI properties with a heavy 16g steel weight positioned on the Inertia Generator. The TPS Front Weight is strategically located behind the face to encourage optimal launch with low spin characteristics, delivering complete performance that is low on spin and high on forgiveness.
SIM2 Max: With an intense focus on speed and forgiveness, the SIM2 Max delivers high MOI properties with a heavy 24g tungsten weight positioned on the Inertia Generator. The TPS Front Weight is strategically located on the sole of the club to encourage the optimal mid-to-high launch with mid-to-low spin properties, delivering complete performance and max forgiveness.
SIM2 Max•D: Traditional draw-bias drivers come with a trade-off, sacrificing forgiveness for a left-to-right ball flight. The all-new SIM2 Max•D features a repositioned Inertia Generator that’s closer to the heel, encouraging a heel CG that’s low and back for more forgiveness – designed to deliver a higher launch with the largest, most forgiving face in the SIM2 line-up. The end result, a draw-biased driver without compromise.
Specifications, Availability & Pricing
SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D will be available for pre-order on January 19, 2021 and at retail on February 19, 2021.
SIM2 has an RRP of £449 and will be offered in 8°, 9° and 10.5° lofts. Shaft offerings include Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 60 and Project X’s HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 70, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. They come stock with Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (47g).
SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D have an RRP of £449 and will be offered in 9°, 10.5° and 12° lofts. SIM2 Max shaft offerings include Fujikura Ventus Blue 5 and Mitsubishi KuroKage Silver, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. SIM2 Max•D shaft offerings include Fujikura Air Speeder 45, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. Both models come stock with Golf Pride’s Z-Grip.
SIM2 Fairway Woods and Hybrids
TaylorMade Golf has announced the all-new SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D fairway woods. In addition, the company unveiled its expanded hybrid offerings with the Tour-inspired SIM2 Rescue and SIM2 Max Rescue.
SIM2 Titanium, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D Fairways
The resurgent momentum of V SteelTM propelled the original SIM fairways to reset industry standards. For 2021, TaylorMade focused on refining that breakthrough technology to drive centre of gravity lower to promote enhanced forgiveness and optimal launch conditions.
Building on the Best
Improving upon all the elements that made SIM fairways a leader in distance, TaylorMade added a new level of forgiveness in SIM2 Titanium, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D fairways. Powered by the iconic V Steel design that promotes enhanced turf interaction and playability from various lies, improved weight distribution delivers pinpoint CG projection for optimal MOI and launch properties.
The more compact SIM2 Titanium fairway features a 170cc pear shaped head for a Tour-inspired look at address while still maintain a generous face size – combining properties of playability and forgiveness. It features a lightweight carbon construction with the revolutionary ZATECH Titanium Face and a heavy 80g steel sole weight. The strategically positioned weight creates an ultra-low CG that creates 5% greater MOI than its predecessor.
With progressive face sizes for strategic forgiveness, the SIM2 Max fairway has a larger 190cc footprint and with a face constructed from strong C300 steel. Also featuring the reinvented V Steel for exceptional versatility from all lies, the SIM2 Max has refined weighting designed for forgiveness, higher launch, and peak trajectories.
Using data collected during the development of Twist Face, which shows the correlation between handicap, mis-hit dispersion and the need for draw-bias equipment, the 195cc SIM2 Max•D has been optimised for forgiveness with the largest head and face area in the current family of fairways.
Matching the aesthetics of the SIM2 driver family, the carbon crown and contrasting chalk colour help frame the ball at address and improve alignment.
Specifications, Availability & Pricing
SIM2 Titanium, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max•D fairways will be available for pre-order on January 19, 2021 and at retail on February 19, 2021.
SIM2 Titanium has an RRP of £369 and will be offered in 13.5° (Rocket), 15° and 19° lofts. It will be offered in the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 75, with numerous additional shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (47g).
SIM2 Max and Max•D have an RRP of £279. SIM2 Max will be offered in lofts of 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21° and 24°. Shaft offerings include Fujikura Ventus Blue FW 6 and Ventus Blue FW 5, with additional custom shaft options available at no additional cost. SIM2 Max•D will be offered in lofts of 16°, 19 and 22°. Fujikura’s AirSpeeder 45 is the stock shaft offering with numerous custom options available at no additional cost. Both models come stock with Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (47g).
SIM2 & SIM2 Max Rescues – The Legend Grows
The impact of the original SIM Max Rescue was felt at every level of the game, from the amateur ranks to the world’s best. Week in and week out, SIM Max Rescue was played on Tour with approximately a dozen of the breakthrough hybrids in play any given Sunday. It even accounted for wins with current World No. 1 Dustin Johnson winning the 2020 Travelers Championship in record-setting fashion with two SIM Max Rescues in his bag.
Building on that success, TaylorMade has expanded its hybrid offerings in 2021 to include the SIM2 Rescue and SIM2 Max Rescue. Fueled by the Tour pedigree of its predecessor, the SIM2 Rescue was designed with insights from Johnson, Rory McIlroy and more.
It offers a fast and sleek appearance that seamlessly transitions any golf bag from iron to metalwood. A compact players shape provides added versatility for the golfer who wants an iron-like ball flight and workability. A new leading edge design, sole geometry and optimised CG placement maintain the forgiveness of the original SIM Max Rescue – ultimately delivering the distance of a game improvement hybrid without sacrificing precision and control. It features a +/- 1.5° loft sleeve to further dial in performance.
Relying on the V Steel technology that revolutionised hybrid performance, the SIM2 Max Rescue brings Tour-validated results to golfers at every level. A more refined sole geometry redistributes weight for increased forgiveness while maintaining low CG properties.
The ultra-strong C300 Steel face delivers a powerful ball flight and when paired with Twist Face, the corrective face curvature that’s designed to give everyone straighter shots on mis-hits, golfers can expect better distance and accuracy more often.
Specifications, Availability & Pricing
SIM2 and SIM2 MAX Rescues will be available for pre-order on January 19, 2021 and at retail on February 19, 2021.
SIM2 Rescue has an RRP of £259 and will be offered in lofts of 17°, 19.5° and 22°. It will be offered in the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue HY shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (47g).
SIM2 Max Rescue has an RRP of £229. It will be offered in lofts of 19°, 22°, 25°, 28° and 31°. It will be offered in the Fujikura Ventus Blue shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the Lamkin’s Crossline 360 grip (47g).
