Curious abouts the SLDR forgiveness (or nots) comments

[goobers80]

Where are peoples hitting it on the SLDR to deem it so un-forgiving ? When i miss slightly towards the toe it goes farther sometimes actually. I haves like images of almost toe or heel shanks or bottom of face thin. I haves a good swing ands even recently developed a nice *stinger* type shot with the SLDR when distances are nots the goal for the tee shots.

 

A shaft issue is nots the driver's issue , so if well fit , it confuses me.

[AdamWestAustralia]

I notice I hit less fairways with the SLDR that I tend to with my old 910 D3, though the SLDR seems a bit longer and when I am swinging well is hard to beat

It feels to me like the shots away from the center of the face (often a block from the low / heel) tilt the spin axis more or at least due to the low spin the tilt has more effect on the ball flight.

I would estimate a 15y miss with the 910 would be perhaps a 20y miss with the SLDR. It isn't as though you are totally punished on every hit but at my handicap it does make a noticeable difference to fairways hit over the course of a few rounds.

Bring on the 915 D3 I say!

[Crazy 8]

I find its not the face or where you hit it, its the lack of spin for someone who does not generate a lot or spin with a reasonable swing speed.....

[rafal]

[quote name='Crazy 8' timestamp='1408347571' post='9955509']
I find its not the face or where you hit it, its the lack of spin for someone who does not generate a lot or spin with a reasonable swing speed.....
[/quote]

And for them there be 12-14-16 versions.

[aussiegolferer]

i maybe get a super duck hook once every 10 rounds that's only around 5 feet airborne if i swing hard but stay on my back foot. low spin really punishes bad swings

[jol]

I found that hits on the heel side of center punish you more than far toe side hits.

[TRheezy]

I hit crazy low bullets when I miss-hit the club.

[bryanwmilburn]

Off the toe for me. When I pure it, it's the best driver I've ever hit. When I toe it, it goes out about 200 yards and just dive hooks. Not good at all for me off the toe

[Nessism]

Forgiveness in a driver is affected by the CG position inside the head. Clubs with a forward CG impart lower spin on the ball, but they also have a lower MOI so they won't cope as well to hits off the center of the face compared to higher MOI heads. For better ball strikers the forward CG can add distance, but for those of us that miss the center of the face they can be a bit of a liability. Of course, there is more to forgiveness than just the MOI of the head. Many of today's drivers are excessively long which makes achieving sold contact a bit of a challenge. The SLDR is 45.5" long which is getting up there. First thing I'd do for someone looking for forgiveness is get a driver with a shorter shaft - 44.5" or less even. Second is a head with the highest MOI possible - like a Ping G-series. By most accounts the SLDR is a great driver, but I think there are better choices if forgiveness is the priority.

[soap1984]

I think everyone is about right; to me the sldr is not noticeably less forgiving than my g25 but I hit the ball in the centre of the face pretty frequently. If I were a higher handicap I would use a driver that is more forgiving than sldr because picking up 10 yards when you hit it off the centre of the club once every 5 times really doesn't make a difference. If you are a higher handicap there is no reason to use sldr.

If you drive it well, at least for me, it does add distance and isn't as unforgiving as this forum would lead you to believe.

[DTXgolfer12]

One man's trash is another man's treasure

[Squats_n_Flops]

I play a fade so anything off the heel is a death sentence. Off the toe side is surprisingly long and straight.

[golf1931]

Your a plus 2, so your miss is probably equivalent to a 10 handicappers average shot. I found it to be unforgiving low & towards the heel.

[Dan Drake]

[quote name='rafal' timestamp='1408352340' post='9955573']
[quote name='Crazy 8' timestamp='1408347571' post='9955509']
I find its not the face or where you hit it, its the lack of spin for someone who does not generate a lot or spin with a reasonable swing speed.....
[/quote]

And for them there be 12-14-16 versions.
[/quote]
I thought National talk like a Pirate Day was in September?

[MichiganSRT8]

My SLDR 430 TP has been a life saver. I generate tons of spin, I'm talking seldom under 4k+ rpm with my 909D2. Now I see 2500 or under, and averaging over 10 fairways a round since Ive got it with almost 25 yards added with average just a tad over 300. With the speeder X I am very happy I picked mine up, being able to get after one and poke it out there 330+ and still be able to hit a fairway was unheard of for me before.

[I_HATE_SNOW]

I'm loving my SLDR. I'm hitting more fairways and longer than with any other driver I've owned. Last 2 were a 910 D2 and a Fast 12 LS. I do have the TP shaft which may help. I fail to see how any 460 cc driver can not be forgiving.

SLDR is the only TM product in my bag and the only TM club I've owned in many years, personally don't care for TM.

[jewofgolf]

I don't think the issue is mishits on the toe for example, but rather bad shots that curve way more than with other drivers.

That's just what happens with lower spin and especially high launch low spin ball flights. The occasional horrible shot people talk about is the result of the design.

Goobers you are not making the kind of swing that would cause that miss. Also as a good golfer you probably had too much spin (or a lot of us do anyway) so you might have come from a ball flight that the wind messes with to one that is not messed with.

Going from high launch and spin to proper launch and spin is different from going from mid launch/mid spin to high launch/low spin. The latter results in less accuracy to try to find 10 yards. The former finds more yards and only slightly less accuracy than before.

[Kratus977]

I'm just under an 8 handicap. I'm generally a good driver of the ball. I'm not usually out there hitting 300 yard bombs, but get it out routinely 250-270. I had a love/hate relationship with my SLDR. It is/was the longest driver I ever had - when hit squarely. When I put a good swing/hit it in the middle club, the club was just phenomenal. However, the mishits were more unforgiving than other drivers that I've played. My miss tends to be an over-draw (not quite a hook). I previously played the 913D2 and my "mishit" with that club would end up the majority on the time just off the fairway in the light rough; I could live with that. However, with the SLDR, when my swing wasn't on, it created a bigger miss. My over-draw would turn more into a hook and the miss would miss by about an extra 5-10 yards. When I struggled with the driver, the SLDR exposed my flaws.

In short, I just lost confidence in the driver. A few weeks ago, mid round, I benched the SLDR and only played my 3wood off the tee. I haven't done that in 8 years. And that started another search for a new driver for me.

[m5power]

call me crazy but I hated the SLDR b/c of it being so unforgiving and giving me misses that I usually don't have. fast forward several months, got my hands on a white SLDR and now I'm striping it. all day. that old miss is no longer. of course, good swings produce good shots and vice versa, but this white one that i'm playing now is a total different animal. Not longer, but MUCH more forgiving. very reasonable results on mishits. maybe i'm trippin, but i'm hitting it good so it's in the bag

[Twitch12]

I had a SLDR 460 and hated it. My miss was a severe hook. I currently play the 430 and it is the best driver I've ever owned. When hit well, by far the longest driver I have hit. My miss hits are near the heel end and I can't really complain about the result. They are shorter but not to appoint that is detrimental. I have a high swing speed and most would consider me a long hitter. With a slower swing speed, the mishit may affect distance more. I have noticed that i hook the ball more when the weight is centered so I have it two notches towards the fade side. I don't feel the SLDR is near as unforgiving as many try to make it out. That is just my opinion. I am excited to hit the 915 D3 to see how it compares. I have always been a Titleist guy so, hitting a ™ driver was a change for me.

[vbb]

Glad I found this topic... I'm debating whether or not I'm playing the wrong club for my ability level. I got the SLDR 460 used at the beginning of this year off of a buddy that didn't like it. Due to the discount he gave me and the way it felt after he let me borrow it for a round, I bought it. Now, about 4 months of gaming it and over 30 rounds, I'm not sure I've got the right club. As a 15 index, I definitely don't hit the ball out of the center of the face every time. I've noticed that on the pure shots, I can kill this thing... but on the not so pure shots it has a very low ballflight and doesn't get out there past maybe 230yds total. I can hit my 3W that far. In fact, I hit all of my other clubs distances that are consistent with my SS (7iron carries 155yds, 3 hybrid- 200-205yds), but my driver distance is weak compared to my other clubs.

Is it possible that it is that much of a "gamer's" club? I've never heard of a driver that is this big not being forgiving. It's a 10.5 I have it lofted up to 11.5*. Are there any other non-single digit 'cappers out there that play the SLDR successfully? Speak up!

[rizzo269]

I'm in the same boat as vbb posted. I played with the 460 10.5* and would average 240 or so with it then all of a sudden I would pulverize one out to 300-310. I tried for over a month to get my swing more consistent but ended up calling TM and using the buy back guarantee. I tried all different loft combinations but was still unsuccessful.

I'm typically a 15 handicapper but off the tee is usually where I hit most of my good shots. I ended up with the big Bertha as it was the most consistent for me and I was getting great results on the monitor consistently.

[Goldenhawk]

Been gaming the SLDR since it was released a year ago. An eternity for a TM Driver. But Igames the R11s for over a war too.

Back the the SLDR. I originally played it with the stock shaft and found that I can miss left and right. I put a Matrix XCon 5 S shaft in it early this season to tighten up the dispersion. Best experiment I have done in a while. Now misses are a slight fade. But it is forgiving enough for me to hit a bunch of fairways over the past year.

[vbb]

[quote name='rizzo269' timestamp='1408394350' post='9958809']
I'm in the same boat as vbb posted. I played with the 460 10.5* and would average 240 or so with it then all of a sudden I would pulverize one out to 300-310. I tried for over a month to get my swing more consistent but ended up calling TM and using the buy back guarantee. I tried all different loft combinations but was still unsuccessful.

I'm typically a 15 handicapper but off the tee is usually where I hit most of my good shots. I ended up with the big Bertha as it was the most consistent for me and I was getting great results on the monitor consistently.
[/quote]

Yeah man... I feel ya. I caught a few dead-nuts-center when I was borrowing it from my friend and easily was driving it 30yds past my normal. Since then, I have only been able to get that perfect shot about 1 out of 5 swings. My mishits are not really farther out there than my average 3W hit, but I stubbornly keep hitting it chasing after that perfect strike. After pulling the 3W for almost the entire back nine of my round last weekend and hitting it as far as I was hitting the SLDR on the front, I finally decided that maybe the SLDR wasn't forgiving enough for me. Another poster on here suggested the same thing, and now I'm sort of shopping for something else to try.

I need to be honest about my game. A club that is above average for 1 out of 5 of my swings, but below average for 4 out of 5 is not a club I need to play. I need a club that can go appreciably farther than my 3W at least 75% of the time, and if that means I need to give up a few yards on the perfect strikes, so be it. Unlike you, the strength of my 15hcp index is in my short game and irons, so if I could just get a reliable 250 off the tee, I'd be able to shave a bunch of strokes off my normal game. So far the SLDR is not the club as much as I want it to be the club.

(edit: and yes, I know my swing could use some work too)

[Ezgolfer]

I love my 430 SLDR..
Do I have some bad shots every other round ...yes but so does Tiger ,Rory and Mickelson..
This thing about jumping driver with the forgivness factor and dream of hitting all fairways is getting old for me..
I am not changing this one and will try to tame it over time.
This is the only driver which knocked myspin rate by at least 1000 rpm..

[MotoSD]

When im swinging it well, i cant imagine ever getting rid of it. But when my swings off, it seems like my mishits are magnified 10x what my prior driver was, 913d3. In reality, the misses arent as far off line as my brain thinks. With my 913 driver, a mishit would still have a nice feel off the face, and id watch the ball flight until it lands. With the sldr, i get this immediate poor feedback that makes me think I hit it 50 yds forward and 50 yards left. Most of the time im still within a few yards (distance-wise) of my playing partners, and maybe 5-10 yards off the fairway. For me, i dont ever feel like the sldr is unforgiving. It just has such a different feel that i feel like the swing was way worse then it actually was.

[goobers80]

[quote name='jewofgolf' timestamp='1408383477' post='9957717']
I don't think the issue is mishits on the toe for example, but rather bad shots that curve way more than with other drivers.

That's just what happens with lower spin and especially high launch low spin ball flights. The occasional horrible shot people talk about is the result of the design.

Goobers you are not making the kind of swing that would cause that miss. Also as a good golfer you probably had too much spin (or a lot of us do anyway) so you might have come from a ball flight that the wind messes with to one that is not messed with.

Going from high launch and spin to proper launch and spin is different from going from mid launch/mid spin to high launch/low spin. The latter results in less accuracy to try to find 10 yards. The former finds more yards and only slightly less accuracy than before.
[/quote]

[color=#800080]I really do nots try ands hit it high unless i wants to try ands kill one with a high draw / hook. [/color]

[color=#800080]Since my surgery earlier in the year , i hads a fault of staying back slightly ands the ball comes off lower. If i ever play on tour quality fairways it will roll outs well. Even the private premier courses arounds me do nots give much roll , so in that aspect it will cost me some yards. I try ands move the ball , so if i miss a little or lose some yards it is me just tryings to overwork it. I woulds never say the SLDR curves too much on any of my hits. Compared to my 913 D3 , the 913 D3 sucked big apples on the spin factor ands it was shorter.[/color]

[color=#800080]It is also my first 460cc head i haves ever played.[/color]

[Switch]

I just switched from 430 SLDR to G30. Absolute low spin bombs with 430 but misses are more drastic in yardage loss. g30 is almost as long or as long but much more distance and tighter dispersion on misses.

[jewofgolf]

[quote name='goobers80' timestamp='1408422743' post='9962961']
[quote name='jewofgolf' timestamp='1408383477' post='9957717']
I don't think the issue is mishits on the toe for example, but rather bad shots that curve way more than with other drivers.

That's just what happens with lower spin and especially high launch low spin ball flights. The occasional horrible shot people talk about is the result of the design.

Goobers you are not making the kind of swing that would cause that miss. Also as a good golfer you probably had too much spin (or a lot of us do anyway) so you might have come from a ball flight that the wind messes with to one that is not messed with.

Going from high launch and spin to proper launch and spin is different from going from mid launch/mid spin to high launch/low spin. The latter results in less accuracy to try to find 10 yards. The former finds more yards and only slightly less accuracy than before.
[/quote]

[color=#800080]I really do nots try ands hit it high unless i wants to try ands kill one with a high draw / hook. [/color]

[color=#800080]Since my surgery earlier in the year , i hads a fault of staying back slightly ands the ball comes off lower. If i ever play on tour quality fairways it will roll outs well. Even the private premier courses arounds me do nots give much roll , so in that aspect it will cost me some yards. I try ands move the ball , so if i miss a little or lose some yards it is me just tryings to overwork it. I woulds never say the SLDR curves too much on any of my hits. Compared to my 913 D3 , the 913 D3 sucked big apples on the spin factor ands it was shorter.[/color]

[color=#800080]It is also my first 460cc head i haves ever played.[/color]
[/quote]

1) High launch/low spin is not really a high looking ball flight. If anything it just gets up quickly and flattens.

2) Coming from too much spin, the SLDR did exactly as designed and you are probably in the proper spin range now. Add in that you are skilled and you don't see many big misses.

Having too much spin and a high launch will just get killed by wind and lack of roll, so your comments totally make sense.

[Peanut191]

I have hit the Sldr and notice it to be less forgiving on heel shots and when hit low on the face. It seems to have similar forgiveness to high MOI drivers when mishit a little high on the face.