TaylorMade SLDR Driver Loft Up Test

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TaylorMade SLDR Driver Loft Up Test with Mark Crossfield PGA professional AskGolfGuru. Mark hits the SLDR TaylorMade driver and puts to test their loft up campaign which at the TM Wentworth fitting centre. Watch as Mark hits the TaylorMade driver in a much higher loft than he would in other brands to see if he can find extra golf yards. Play your best golf with Mark's fun and easy to watch golf videos.

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Comments

Mark Crossfield says:

Haha #loftup SLDR test video creating quite a stir online. Now we are
questioning the launch monitor. I have got 270 carry out of the ping and
268 from the Covert tour 2.0 but never with this consistency. All very
simple really. #golferscanbefunn

Simon Parfitt says:

Well that guy (not Mark) was a barrel of laughs!! I’ve just bought the SLDR
this morning and cannot wait to get out onto the course to give it a proper
go. Instant improvement on the launch monitor so looking forward to my new
driver. Just feel dirty going from my trusty Titleist 910 D2 to a
Taylormade hahaha

Kyle Demaine says:

Recently purchased the SLDR driver and Iv gained an average of 20 meters on
my drives with 11.5 loft. I also purchased the 3 wood and 3 hybrid which
I’m happy with but no substantial difference in performance apart from the
increased loft during flight. Very happy with the range.

The first SLDR driver I bought had a rattle inside after hitting the driver
once and I had to take it back for a replacement, if that’s if anyone’s
interest. 

PaveLowExpert says:

9:45 hmmm, nice ‘loft up’ there in the background :D

Brendan Houghton says:

Glad you like my optimiser comments. Flightscope must be wrong..
Since the SLDR was so good ,I assume you bought it ( or were given it)
So , Grab your new SLDR and your old Stick.
Grab your GC2. Get some cheap white rope. Your range finder.
Mark across 20 -30 yards wide with the rope. 250 yards 260 yards and 270
yards.
Slightly elevated tee is nice to be able to see the landing better.(or on
that hill at the end of your range)
Smack that pill and see where he lands. Will soon see how accurate your GC2
calculates carry distance. (Calm Day, game balls etc etc.)
Video this experiment, should take no longer than an hour.
Let us know the results. And you will help sell me an $LDR!!
.
Watched J rose and trackman. Not sure how that relates to your numbers as
his ball speed is much higher. Avg168mph Carries 285yards average . has a
lowish LA 12*for a 10.5* Driver. fairly high spin avg around 2500.
Probably hitting down a bit. for more accuracy.
his ball speed is about 15mph faster than yours, roughly 2.2 yards of carry
per mph ball speed = 33yards less carry for you roughly. = aprox 252 yards
carry .
Damn close to that dodgy flightscope thing again.
could not find pkaying anywhere.
Watched G30 video and have the same concerns as above.
There we go . I did my home work , now will you do yours?
# playingeveryday

Vincent Sandford says:

Technically the top drivers are almost the same. TM SLDR 430 carries 274
yds, TM SLDR 460 10 loft carries 268 yards, TM SLDR lofted Up 11.25 carries
268 yards. It would have been interesting to show the total distance of the
shots. Vincent Sandford of SEO Synovation is not going to change his old
TM XR 3 just yet based n this data. 

iiredeye says:

I’ve been a Titleist player for years, but I recently tried a 430 SLDR that
my son had on demo, It only took 3 balls to realise how much further it was
going than my Titleist. My only problem is what happens on a windy day when
your playing into it?

sgreenfly says:

I’ve just been fitted by Dave fernley at tru-fit golf in Warrington for
both the SLDR driver and 3 wood and can honestly say it was a fantastic
experience, I think it’s absolutely essential that u get fitted, it may
have cost a few quid more , but having hit the driver with about 5
different shafts and various changes with the loft, once u get the right
setting it’s just amazing ! I’m now at 11.25 with the driver and 16.5 with
the 3 wood, I urge anyone to go and get fitted at a taylormade test centre,
great video mark, keep them coming 

Stephan Lee says:

Still with the old R9 driver (9.5) and with a bit of a draw setting. Not
been golfing for a few years that much. Now back to playing regularly.
Would you recommend to go for this driver? With your experience how much
benefit would it add for me? Or is there another driver you would
recommend? ;)

larry mansfield says:

Jag, you mentioned being an “ex-fitter” in a previous post. Why don’t you
make up some video’s like Mark is doing instead of trying to debunk
everything he post. I personally like his video’s and I feel like they are
very informative about every aspect of a club. 

Brendan Houghton says:

I like talking golf in general. I would like the new flightscope xi+.
all understood with the balls and trackman with the SLDR test.
Also understand that the club comparisons with the same machine are valid.

To the FS optimiser program: The program does not need to know where the CG
is. The CG Only serves as one of the conditions AT impact. Along with
Angle of attack , dynamic loft ,club path etc. All you need to know for
calculating distance carried is 1. Ball speed 2.Launch angle
3.spin. (edit ,almost forgot Altitude)

. Don’t matter how those numbers got there. you could shoot the ball out
your arse at 150 mph with 2500 spin at 14 * and the ball will go the same
distance as it did when you hit it with a driver , at those same figures.
Remember all these LMs measure ball speed etc AFTER it has left the
clubface.

What I am puzzled by, is that when the numbers from your video are put into
the FS program the carry distance is about 15 yards different.
Now Im not sure if the algorithms that the FS optimiser uses ,are the same
as those that FS uses in the Xi X2 etc. Testing a club with a FS X2 and
then putting the numbers into FS Optimiser could tell us that. So could an
email to flightscope.

The algorithms that GC2 uses are clearly different to the FS Optimiser.
This is probably a patent issue with the software.
Its not that I don’t Trust you, I just don’t think we should be taking
these numbers as gospel truth.Just as a comparative guide only. As you
suggest comparisons with the same machine is good. I would like to compare
with actual measured carry.
I enjoy your videos and attribute some of my 10 shot handicap drop in
2.25 years to your videos.
I would love to be in the position where I have several launch monitors, an
open field, set up as described earlier, to measure and compare data.
I am also excited because ,if your numbers are close I will be able to
carry the ball 255-265 yards with a new driver and the right swing!!!right
now I carry between 210m-225m (230-246yards)with a 100mph swing..

TheCodejuice says:

Props to taylormade, but it isn’t something that can’t be achieved with
other clubs. If the spin is that low on any other driver with similar
launch angles, it’s the same result. I have the big bertha alpha and I
found that it was virtually the same as the SLDR as I had to loft up
because of such low CG.

Who doesn’t enjoy 15 degree launches with 1700rpms of spin? That’s just
pure distance!

John M says:

It makes sense to loft up, with less spin and a higher loft the ball is in
the sir longer therefore it carries further. I wonder what their next
driver is going to be like. We will have to wait a few more months before
they bring one out. What was the loft on the head that you were using, was
it the 9.5 and you lofted up? Cheers mark

Brendan Houghton says:

Funny flightscope. I just put the top row of numbers from your video in
and came up with a carry of 253.9 and total 271yards. How can carry be
different by 15 yards? GC2 269yards carry
see why I want to know the actual distance? Sooooooo Funny ? Your
sense of humour must be a bit different to mine. Keep your faith in the
machines ,and scratch your head when you don’t carry that hazard. Ha, I can
picture it now……. Mark:”But GC2 said I could carry that, and I flushed
it!!!?????” Ha , now that’s sooooooo funny.
Do the experiment man, I am curious .show me the actual numbers.. is the
flightscope optimiser wrong using GC2 numbers?? is GC2 Wrong ,Is Trackman
Wrong? If you have them all you are in the perfect position to test. All yo
need is the landing zone marked out in say 5 yard increments….. Do it Do
it Do it…………. 

Clare Sanders says:

Good video, if you could get that Brit to just SHUT UP…!!!

Jim Lagace says:

I think it’s simply matching your swing to your club. You said your Ping
9.5 launches at about 14 degrees. What if you got a ping 10.5 or 12
instead? You would see lower spin and farther carry IMO. Go on, try it!

Johan Klarin says:

HUUUUGE kudos Mark. I’m so impressed you did this, and did it such a
measured fashion. A golf scholar and a gent indeed. 

Valtiel V says:

10:16, one of my better drives entering the frame. 

Michelle Bodinnar says:

Probably already pointed out, but two of the 3 balls you hit at 8:06 were
the same hit…. you can see a ball roll out in front of the hitting area
to exactly the same spot on the first two hits. 

sgreenfly says:

And presumably mark u had a play with various shafts ? Or was it the stock
shaft ?

Matthew Rampersad says:

Hey +Mark Crossfield, we finally got some good weather here in Canada and I
got out to play a round today. After watching this video again recently it
got me thinking about my old R1 Driver and the possibility that lofting up
would work on this club too. So I did it, I lofted up from between 9.5 up &
10.5 up (which is what I used last year) to 11 deg. (I think? The notch
before 12 deg.). I have to say WOW, the additional yardage is impressive. I
hit what could be the farthest drive of my life and without swinging out of
my shoes to do it, without a downhill run and without the help of a strong
wind. Aside from that one monster drive, I hit 3 other drives 10 yards
farther than the furthest drives from last year and 20 yards farther than
what I consistently hit last year. (I will admit that some of the
additional yardage is from delivering better attack angles this year from
last. Thanks for all the golf knowledge that you pass along to us.)

ISAAC ROSADO says:

Thanks Guru I lofted up as well! 11.75!!!

Logan Skelton says:

Loft down.

Brendan Houghton says:

hmmm. I entered the average stats into Flightscope Trajectory optimiser.
Came up with 251.1 yards carry and 269.1yards total (on medium surface).
Perhaps the” carry” column should have read “Total”.
Or perhaps a different algorithm is used ,or
perhaps………………………….

Jordan Garner says:

And it’s not how far……. it’s how many

shredx81 says:

‘More loft’ is the new ‘9.5’! 

Adam Coyne says:

So would the same apply to lofting up the Nike Covert? I currently have the
covert non-tour version at was at 9.5 but now hitting 10.5. Is there
benefit in lofting this to 12.5? surely the covert has a forward CG without
the back section? maybe you could do a video on the stats of that?

CHR15Y BoY says:

I have this club, I play off 4 and i hit it so much straighter because
i’ve gone from 8.5 too 11 degrees! and hit some long drives! BUT i will say
into the wind i lose lenght

Steven Sica says:

Hey Mark, would you say that along with the increased distance you received
with this club that you would also be increasing your accuracy since a
higher lofted club is easier to hit than a less lofted club? This becomes
a no brainer (in a year when this club is for sale online for $150) if you
get increased distance AND accuracy. What do you think? PS – Love your
channel!

Phil McIver says:

Just a two quick questions Mark.

1) Was that with using the stock shaft?

2) Did you feel you could still shape the ball with that much loft?

sean craig says:

Does forward CG mean the weight is more forward towards the face making the
club feel more like an iron? I would like that, I don’t like weight that’s
far back.

173954borges says:

So are you putting the SLDR in the bag?

bobby hodge says:

Love the videos.Will you be doing a review on the cobra bio cell driver?

Strat TelePaul says:

Now it’s off to the local air-brush artist to have some racing stripes and
a swoosh painted on top. :)

Aaron Thompson says:

Mark, did you get any footage of the motion capture sequence of the
fitting?

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