TaylorMade introduce SLDR fairway woods and rescue clubs
Tour Proven Metalwoods Incorporate Low/Forward CG and Improved Speed Pocket for Breakthrough Distance
TWO months after the release of SLDR, the most-played driver on the PGA & European Tour, TaylorMade Golf Company today announced the release of five SLDR fairway woods and four SLDR rescue clubs.
Similar to the SLDR driver, each club combines a low and forward centre of gravity (CG) placement, a recent TaylorMade engineering feat wherein weight is re-located to the front of the head to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a lower spin-rate. TaylorMade research indicates the SLDR fairway to be the longest adjustable fairway wood in company history.
“We have heard from all types of golfers ranging from weekend players to Tour pros that SLDR is the longest TaylorMade driver they have hit,” said Tom Olsavsky, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation for Metalwoods. “This eye-opening distance gain is a result of the low and forward CG placement".
Tour professionals wasted no time putting SLDR fairway woods in play. It debuted at the Tour Championship at East Lake where TaylorMade Tour staff professionals Justin Rose and D.A. Points both put an SLDR fairway wood in their bags. At the Frys.com Open, the SLDR fairway wood again saw action as nine players carried the club that week, including the tournament winner.
The other performance attribute in the new SLDR fairway and rescue clubs is an improved Speed Pocket. As seen in the RocketBallz metalwood and in the RocketBladez irons, the Speed Pocket increases face flexibility to promote faster ball speed. Unlike the previous RocketBallz metalwood line-up, which had an open slot on the bottom of the clubhead, the SLDR has a more efficient Speed Pocket design featuring a polymer fill to keep grass and debris out of the pocket.
The improved, smaller Speed Pocket of SLDR fairways and rescues also allowed TaylorMade engineers to move the clubhead’s CG lower and further forward, resulting in faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a lower spin-rate. The new Speed Pocket also allows the clubface to promote fast ball speed across a larger portion of the face to promote consistently long distance, swing after swing.
Shafts and pricing
SLDR fairway woods are equipped with the Fujikura Speeder 77 graphite shaft. Four models/lofts are available: Tour Spoon (14°), 3 (15°), 3HL (17°), 5 (19°) and 5HL (21°). The fairway woods have an RRP of £199. An upgraded TP shaft, the Fujikura Motore Speeder TS 8.3, is also available at an RRP £249.
The stock SLDR rescue shaft is the Fujikura Speeder 82, available in five models/lofts: 2 (17°), 3 (19°), 4 (21°) and 5 (24°). The stock model has an RRP of £169, while the TP version, equipped with the Fujikura Motore Speeder TS 9.3 shaft, is available at an RRP of £179.
