TaylorMade R9 TP Driver Review

We’ve finally had good enough weather to test the latest drivers, and the R9 may be the most advanced of the bunch, but does “advanced” warrant consideration?

R9 DriverWe’ve all seen the ads. We’ve all seen the large number of TaylorMade staffers with “R9” sewn on the sides of their hats or visors. We’ve had it beaten into our heads that TaylorMade owns the tee box. Oh, wait, that was a few years ago. What are they saying these days?

“Until now.”

That’s their new slogan. “Until now, you’ve never had a customized driver.” Or something like that.

Logic aside (I’ve had customized drivers because I’ve gone to get fitted for my drivers), the message is clear: TaylorMade is big on customization, and the R9 not only offers “MWT” for “Movable Weight Technology” but their new hosel adjustment feature, dubbed “FCT” for “Flight Control Technology.”

Suffice to say even if TaylorMade doesn’t own your tee box, they own the most acronyms. Does all of this FCT and MWT make a difference in the R9 driver? Read on to find out.

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Golf Talk [Episode 113]

By the time you read this, Sean O’Hair will have finished his 72nd hole at Quail Hollow. Maybe.

Golf Talk PodcastSean O’Hair catapults over a stalled Tiger Woods, a failing Bubba Watson, a gutsy Lucas Glover, and a headache-affected Zach Johnson to take the biggest win of his career at Quail Hollow. What’s wrong with Tiger and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 113 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

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Volume One Hundred Eighty Eight

The second time’s a charm for O’Hair

Hittin' the LinksGood Day Sand Trappers and welcome again to another volume of Hittin’ the Links. Another fantastic finish on the PGA Tour this week, and what a nice course: Quail Hollow has it all.

In this most recent edition of HTL we begin by investigating the LPGA and their efforts to stay afloat, look at a sad occurrence in amateur golf, and find out where Seve showed up this week. Also on tap, we see how the swine flu has affected the Nationwide Tour, check out the PGA Tour’s changing policies on booze, and congratulate Sean O’Hair for winning in Charlotte. Read On!

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TaylorMade r7 Limited TP Driver Review

Is the last r7 the best of the lot?

TaylorMade r7 Limited TPMore than four years after the original TaylorMade r7 brought movable weights to golf, TaylorMade released what is most likely the last of the line this winter – the r7 Limited TP. It emerged a few months after the non-TP model, which hit stores in mid-September. TaylorMade also produced a limited edition of the Limited for Patriot Golf Day, which sported a Patriot Golf Day logo on the toe, the image of an F-16 jet etched onto the sole, and a specially-designed headcover in red, white and blue.

TaylorMade is known for releasing many models of clubs in rapid succession, which is why we have the r7 Limited TP review after the R9 driver’s release (which will be reviewed, itself, shortly). Every time a new model comes out it tends to lower the retail price and resale value of the previous models. This can be frustrating to TaylorMade owners who want to upgrade and find that their old model has lost resale or trade-in value. On the other hand, virtually any golfer can find a recent model of TaylorMade driver that fits their game for a relative bargain.

So what kind of golfer will most benefit from the r7 Limited? Read on to find out.

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Nine Holes with Doug Ford

Does Doug Ford deserve a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame?

ProfilesLanny Wadkins was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in April 2009 for induction next November. It was about time. Wadkins has been passed over on the list of candidates for most of the last 10 years.

Still, Wadkins election wasn’t without drama. He was the only player elected from the PGA Tour ballot, which requires 65 percent of the vote from Hall of Famers, media, and golf executives. Wadkins got 61 percent of the vote. He made it in because of a provision to the 65 percent rule: if no one receives the minimum vote, the player with the highest percentage (provided it is over 50 percent) is elected. (Vijay Singh got in the same way in 2005.)

Wadkins absolutely deserves to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He’s earned it as both a player and a commentator. He should have been in long before this. But I want to talk about Doug Ford.

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Golf Talk [Episode 112]

Lorena wins and we don’t even get to see it on TV. All we get instead is an awkward Tom Lehman chest bump?

Golf Talk PodcastJerry Kelly gets it done in Louisiana while Charles Howell III comes up short. Again. Also Brian Gay’s dominating performance at Hilton Head, the LPGA’s lack of TV coverage, Nick Price, Michelle Wie, and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 112 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

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Srixon Z-Star/Z-Star X Ball Review

The new Srixon Z-Star and Z-Star X come close to other premium balls in distance and spin but lack in feel.

Z-StarWhen the 800-pound gorilla in the market (see: Titleist) releases a new version of their premium balls, what are their competitors to do? Srixon has answered the challenge with the release of their newest balls, the Z-Star and Z-Star X.

With names like that it is pretty easy to see that Srixon wants to directly challenge Titleist and take the gorilla head on. Some PGA Tour pros, including Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, and Tim Clark have been using the Z-Star line of balls since they came out. In a short time, the Z-Star and Z-Star X has grabbed a decent chunk of the premium ball market on the PGA Tour.

The question remains: will it be enough to convince the rest of the golfers out there to not only give the new Srixon’s a try, but to convert? Read on to find out if it could convert this long-time Pro V1x user.

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Volume One Hundred Eighty Seven

Welcome back Jerry Kelly!

Hittin' the LinksGreetings Sand Trappers and welcome again to another volume of Hittin’ the Links. How about Jerry Kelly holding it together well enough to break a seven-year victory drought? Well done!

In this edition of HTL we first look forward to a great field at this week’s Tour event, then turn out attention to the budding Woods-Obama friendship, and the waning collegiate golf season. Also on tap, we look at all the ridiculous things people do in golf carts, congratulate Jerry Kelly on his return to the winner’s circle, and do a wrap-up of the other winners of this week’s events. Read on!

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Random Musings

This week, a bag of mismatched irons.

Trap Five LogoThis week’s Trap Five is a little like the set of clubs I had as a kid. At first, I only had the odd-numbered irons, and some old persimmons that looked like they might come apart on any swing. Eventually, someone gave me some even-numbered irons made by a different company. To complete the set, my dad brought home a women’s 7-iron. (That club was my favorite for years, but that’s another story.) Suffice to say that I had one motley, mismatched, mutt-faced set of clubs.

Like that first set of mine, this Trap Five features mismatched items. Usually a Trap Five follows a theme, but this week we visit the Island of Misfit Trap Five Topics.

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