New TaylorMade "Burner" Driver...WOW!!!

**mrbillinoc** · May 14, 2007

I've been using my SUMO2 since the day they came out and love it...no complaints!

but....Sunday I played with a friend who just got a new TaylorMade "Burner". It was a 10.5 with a regular shaft, so I thought I'd give it a try. Hit a great tee shot with my club, then teed-up another ball and swung his Burner. BAM!!! 15 yards past my ball!!! Now remember, I didn't say I hit a "good" shot with my driver...I hit a GREAT shot with my driver...and was still 15 yards shy of the ball I hit with his Burner!

Just to make sure, I hit it 4 more times during the day...swinging easy...and CRUSHED the ball!

Anyone else hit the new "Burner" yet?

jackace · May 15, 2007

I tested them at golf galaxy and its a very solid club indeed. If you don't need or want the weights of the r7 line the burner is a very good club.

**WhiplashSmile** · May 15, 2007

I have one. They are in fact very easy to crush. the only time I ever get in trouble with mine is when I reach back and try to hit the ball a little harder. If I just swing nice and relaxed (roughly 85 mph clubhead speed) I crush the ball right down the middle of the fairway. It's completely changed my game.

NJDuffer · May 15, 2007

My swing is generally awful but I too love my Burner. In fact, I hit more fairways in my last round with it than I ever have. Pretty amazing actually. I'm trying to figure out if I was having a good day, for me, or was it the club. On some holes I was further down the fairway than I've ever been.

For full disclosure, it is my first 460cc head and my previous driver was a TM R540.

I can't wait to see how this thing perfoms after my lessons and hopefully implementation of a better swing.

VegasDog · May 15, 2007

Traded up from a R-5 Draw: I hit my new burner at least 10-15 yds more, and I have hit drivers in the 290-300 yd range fairly often.
The easy swing is the key: When I try to hammer the Burner, I ususally block right and end up in someone's Living room. Or a pull-hook.
Easy swing, solid contact, means 280+, at least, and playing from the short stuff.
Now if I could roll in a 6' putt.....

**mrbillinoc** · May 15, 2007

My friend's Burner was a 10.5 regular shaft. My SUMO2 is a 9.5 with an Aldila NVS 65-R shaft. I noticed on Taylormade's web-site they designate the Burner as a "high-launch" club. I'm just wondering what my experience would have been if I were hitting a 9.5 Burner?

For those of you who have a new Burner...what was the loft of your previous driver...and do you find the ball-flight a little higher with your Burner?

The reason for my question is that if the Burner is DESIGNED for higher flight, I'm wondering how far I could have hit the ball if I tried a 9.5? I know there are launch-monitors, but nothing really compares to standing on a tee-box on a course you play all the time.

**Klew** · May 15, 2007

well since you live in OC, go to the Islands range off Ball Rd. in Anaheim and test out the Burner there from that Roger Dunn. When I tried the Burner as compared to my current R7 I didn't see much a difference.

**mrbillinoc** · May 15, 2007

well since you live in OC, go to the Islands range off Ball Rd. in Anaheim and test out the Burner there from that Roger Dunn. When I tried the Burner as compared to my current R7 I didn't see much a difference.

Klew, that's a great idea! My office is on 5 exits away from the Islands. Those "floater" golf balls always feel a bit funny, but since I would be hitting both degrees of drivers from the same spot with the same balls it should give me a fair picture. (for thoses of you who might be wondering, the "Islands" is a driving range that is a huge lake with "island" greens you hit to.)

**wtd** · May 15, 2007

I tried both the Burner and SuperQuad out at a recent demo day. I liked the sound of the SuperQuad a little better, but the Burner was still better than anything from Callaway. Both were long, but based on what I could see down range, the Burner was probably a little longer (the face feels positively electric). As MOI drivers go, it's nice-enough looking. I found both to be extremely straight.

In the end, I bought the SuperQuad. I like to tinker with things, so having the movable weights (even if they may not be practical) should keep me occupied to the point where I won't feel like I need a new driver this time next year.

**bigboom** · May 15, 2007

I've been using my SUMO2 since the day they came out and love it...no complaints!

its not just the burner that is adding to the distance, the sumo2 does not get as much distance as a conventional driver head. when i hit the sumo2 i was consistently at about 260-265 when i usually hit the ball 280. from my experiences the square headed drivers create way too much spin, using launch monitors i found with square heads i was generating about 3800 rpm of spin while with conventional heads i was down at about 2900rpm.

but regardless i as well ordered a burner tp with the graphite design shaft and i cant wait!

**lamebums** · May 15, 2007

its not just the burner that is adding to the distance, the sumo2 does not get as much distance as a conventional driver head. when i hit the sumo2 i was consistently at about 260-265 when i usually hit the ball 280. from my experiences the square headed drivers create way too much spin, using launch monitors i found with square heads i was generating about 3800 rpm of spin while with conventional heads i was down at about 2900rpm.

When I demo'd the Sumo 2, I hit it...barely, 200-205 yards and the thing sounded awful. At the time, I was hitting 210-220 with my Ben Hogan driver, so figure, I lost 10-15 yards. Nowadays, I'm hitting 250+ consistently, but now with a Cobra. I guess I'd hit the Nike 235-ish?

I might have to give the Burner a spin...but it would have to be pretty good for me to bag the Cobra.

**bigboom** · May 15, 2007

When I demo'd the Sumo 2, I hit it...barely, 200-205 yards and the thing sounded awful. At the time, I was hitting 210-220 with my Ben Hogan driver, so figure, I lost 10-15 yards. Nowadays, I'm hitting 250+ consistently, but now with a Cobra. I guess I'd hit the Nike 235-ish?

yeah with my experiences it seems like everyone that hits the sumo2 loses about 15 yards on average. i watch people bomb the cobra all day long at the range and it seems impressive but the thing that didnt even get me try it was the sound...

**lamebums** · May 15, 2007

Yeah, the Cobra does sound weird...but not nearly as bad as the Sumo 2. But, I can live with the sound when I drive the par 4 green in one.

**mrbillinoc** · May 15, 2007

Another friend that played with us the other day also tried out our friend's Burner. He just called me and told me he just bought one....at COSTCO for $249.

I never would have thought to check there????

**tartanjack** · May 15, 2007

Timely thread. After 3 weeks with the SuperQuad, I today traded it for a 9.5 Burner, stiff. Played with a demo yesterday on my home course and was flying it past where the Quad and another un-named driver had finished up.

The longer, lighter shaft requires less of a hit and more of a swing. For me, that's good. Plus the sound is much more solid than the Cobras and world's better than the ridiculous sound the Sumo's make.

I think the Burner is going to turn out to be the driver hit of the season. It's that good.

**mrbillinoc** · May 15, 2007

A question if I may?

I’ve been hitting a SUMO2, 9.5 degree, with an Aldila NVS-65R regular shaft....and have NO complaints. My partner’s new Burner was a 10.5 with the regular stock 50 gram shaft that comes on the club. Fairway after fairway I would hit one ball with my club, then 1 ball with his...and the Burner was an HONEST 10 to 15 yards further....every time!!!

My question is this...on Taylormade’s web-site they describe their Burner as a “high-launch” club. There is no doubt that when I was hitting my friend’s club (10.5) the ball flight was much higher than my driver (9.5)...but I was still out-driving my SUMO2. Does it make sense that a 9.5 Burner would actually go further...taking into consideration carry AND roll?

**tartanjack** · May 15, 2007

Does it make sense that a 9.5 Burner would actually go further...taking into consideration carry AND roll?

Any answer would be purely a guess. There are too many factors and differences between the Burner and Sumo2 to rely on loft alone as a comparative measure of potential differences.

My advice is demo both lofts and see what you get. Or get to a launch monitor and see what's going on.

**bigboom** · May 15, 2007

A question if I may?

like stated already it really depends on how you hit the club and what your ball flight/launch angle is. from the time ive spent on launch monitors depending on what your launch angle is the extra carry you would get from a higher launch angle sometimes is greater than the roll, personally i would rather have a higher luanch with more distance than more roll.

ive seen a case where one guy who actually plays on the nationwide tour get fitted and he actually picked up 20 yards using a 13 degree lofted driver and the pink aldila nv shaft that i believe paula creamer uses. i've hit the burner and i wouldnt say that the ball flight is abnormally high...although i did like the ball flight of the burner tp a lot better.

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New TaylorMade "Burner" Driver...WOW!!!

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