List the driver you see as the furthest and which driver as the most forgiving

[TimS65]

All drivers out there are at the legal limit, so furthest is more about how the driver fits for your launch conditions. In terms of forgiveness, similar kind of thing but I would vote for the G30 or Big Bertha drivers.

Agree 100%. What suits one person may not suit another. I bought a driver recently and the ones I expected to like (G30, X2 Hot) just didn't FEEL right TO ME. Note my emphasis on Feel and Me! I'm in a minority. The G30 was inconsistent, and felt wrong. The club that worked for me was the Big Bertha V Series - it just did! Straighter, longer and better feeling.

[Chad Ryan]

Longest - the one that has the right loft, weight, shaft, and grip size for you swing (cuz they all go about the same distance in my experience)

Most forgiving. Ping g

[dkolo]

Agree 100%. What suits one person may not suit another. I bought a driver recently and the ones I expected to like (G30, X2 Hot) just didn't FEEL right TO ME. Note my emphasis on Feel and Me! I'm in a minority. The G30 was inconsistent, and felt wrong. The club that worked for me was the Big Bertha V Series - it just did! Straighter, longer and better feeling.

I felt similarly about the X2 Hot. I tried it back to back with the 815 Alpha standard model and was giving up 10-15 yards regardless of how I adjusted it. Just didn't feel or look right to me. I've still yet to swing a Ping driver and I need to rectify that. I always get excited at the golf store by the Taylormade and Callaway stuff and by the time I work down to Titleist and Nike, I have no time or energy for other brands like Ping and Cobra.

[DrvFrShow]

My neighbor agrees with you. The R11S was a great driver and the best Taylormade has ever built. He thinks the SLDR was crap.

[colin007]

My neighbor agrees with you. The R11S was a great driver and the best Taylormade has ever built. He thinks the SLDR was crap.

Well, the R11s may have been great, but there's lots of people who'll disagree with the SLDR being crap

[saevel25]

Well, the R11s may have been great, but there's lots of people who'll disagree with the SLDR being crap

SLDR was revolutionary. Really transformed the idea of moving the CG forward instead of backwards. I think it really brought in a club that fit higher swing speeds. Just look at all the drivers now. CG is moving more forward. Adjustable CG. Heck even Ping added a Lower Spin club. Ping doesn't does not add in a driver to the market outside the typical 2 year release date model.

The problem though is that the SLDR was very hard to control. It wasn't less forgiving in terms of loss of distance. It was in terms of how much it curved the ball. I love that club in terms of ball flight, and the feel. When you hit the ball it felt like something heavy was hitting the ball. That is just a great solid feel.

I still have that club, and might put it back in the bag.

[RFKFREAK]

Well, the R11s may have been great, but there's lots of people who'll disagree with the SLDR being crap

I use the R11s and love it and think it's great.  So are the 3W and 5W R11s's.

Don't know anything about the SLDR b/c I don't know anyone that plays it.

[MrFlipper]

Well, the R11s may have been great, but there's lots of people who'll disagree with the SLDR being crap

Yeah the SLDR is remarkable. I just bought one and played with it the first time yesterday, the hit does feel heavy and it goes forever. The flight is very straight and requires some care when setting up to hit (my old driver is 10 years old Adams redline that I would cut all the time). On spongy fairway the SLDR carried 15 yards farther and rolls out for a total of 25 yards gained. It's a remarkable club.

That being said, any decent (not cheap beginner) club is fine as long as you get one that fits you. Obviously adjustable clubs are easier to fit, and easier to change as your swing changes.

The biggest issue I have with R11s, or any club more than 2-3 generations old is that the technology gains are such that you are shooting yourself in the foot if you have woods older than that. I say that as I look at my feet with holes in them, I was an idiot to keep my old driver that long. I am going to replace my fairway woods (old burner bubbles, prob 17 years old) now as well. I figure I was costing myself maybe 50 yards hitting that old driver, then that really old 3 wood. What an idiot! I don't hit it that far to begin with, 95 ish SS.

So get some newer woods if you have old ones. You are costing yourself major, major distance

[Tat14]

No matter what anyone tells you....Even the reviews of "industry professionals" one of the most forgiving and furthest hitting drivers out there is actually two to three years old.  It was also not very advertised at the time because Taylormade was too in to putting out new clubs every half year.  That club is the R11S.  Crazy good driver.  In my opinion still the best Taylormade has produced!  Ive tried all of the new ones that come out and I personally believe that they have a "cheaper" feeling to them than the R11S.  If you have never hit one try to find someone with one a take a swing.  It's an incredible driver!  People who use it know it too which is why even used heads (just the head) of the driver still goes for over $100 off of ebay because people generally do not get rid of them!

Also, I think the FIRST RBZ 3 wood was the furthest 3 wood ever made as well.  I try all of them and the latest ones just don't have that crazy trampoline feeling like the RBZ.  These are just my opinions though....

I'll echo the praise of the R11S. I still have mine; new shafts late last year.

I like them so much that although I suffer from "gotta buy-itis", I'll wait until those R15's come down or they offer the BOGO deal.

[RFKFREAK]

The biggest issue I have with R11s, or any club more than 2-3 generations old is that the technology gains are such that you are shooting yourself in the foot if you have woods older than that. I say that as I look at my feet with holes in them, I was an idiot to keep my old driver that long. I am going to replace my fairway woods (old burner bubbles, prob 17 years old) now as well. I figure I was costing myself maybe 50 yards hitting that old driver, then that really old 3 wood. What an idiot! I don't hit it that far to begin with, 95 ish SS.

So get some newer woods if you have old ones. You are costing yourself major, major distance

I'm not sure about this and I don't know the science behind what makes a driver perform or not perform so I can only give anecdotal evidence based on my use of the club.  When I hit my R11s well, I've gotten it out there 280 yards on holes that have flat fairways and I don't think with my ugly swing that I have the ability to get it out there 300 yards so I doubt I'm costing myself substantial distance.

[colin007]

I'm not sure about this and I don't know the science behind what makes a driver perform or not perform so I can only give anecdotal evidence based on my use of the club.  When I hit my R11s well, I've gotten it out there 280 yards on holes that have flat fairways and I don't think with my ugly swing that I have the ability to get it out there 300 yards so I doubt I'm costing myself substantial distance.

You're not costing yourself any distance if you're hitting it on center. The COR has been at .083 or whatever it is for a while now, and the club makers have been at that limit since then. If you're playing a drive that's below the limit then it's costing you.

[RFKFREAK]

You're not costing yourself any distance if you're hitting it on center. The COR has been at .083 or whatever it is for a while now, and the club makers have been at that limit since then. If you're playing a drive that's below the limit then it's costing you.

The R11s is like three years old, right?  So, I'd have to imagine it is at that limit, no?

[MrFlipper]

I'm not sure about this and I don't know the science behind what makes a driver perform or not perform so I can only give anecdotal evidence based on my use of the club.  When I hit my R11s well, I've gotten it out there 280 yards on holes that have flat fairways and I don't think with my ugly swing that I have the ability to get it out there 300 yards so I doubt I'm costing myself substantial distance.

I hear you but I think we are talking about two different things.

I'm not talking about just the times when I caught the ball cleanly, with my old driver it went well too but if I mishit it, not so great. Certainly if I catch the old driver and don't catch the SLDR, the old driver will go farther.

I guess my comment was more directed to an average round of driver performance. In general, the SLDR did better than my old driver by quite a bit. I did really catch a couple but I sure didn't catch all of them, just like with my old driver. But for a given swing, I'm convinced the SLDR is significantly straighter and longer than the old Adams I had. Bigger sweetspot, lower COG, whatever may be.

Hope that makes sense---

[colin007]

The R11s is like three years old, right?  So, I'd have to imagine it is at that limit, no?

Yup. If you hit it on the screws, then you're not losing anything. There are other clubs that will give you more forgivingness though.

[RFKFREAK]

I hear you but I think we are talking about two different things.

I'm not talking about just the times when I caught the ball cleanly, with my old driver it went well too but if I mishit it, not so great. Certainly if I catch the old driver and don't catch the SLDR, the old driver will go farther.

I guess my comment was more directed to an average round of driver performance. In general, the SLDR did better than my old driver by quite a bit. I did really catch a couple but I sure didn't catch all of them, just like with my old driver. But for a given swing, I'm convinced the SLDR is significantly straighter and longer than the old Adams I had. Bigger sweetspot, lower COG, whatever may be.

Hope that makes sense---

Well, I meant more along the lines to this:

The biggest issue I have with R11s...is that the technology gains are such that you are shooting yourself in the foot if you have woods older than that. You are costing yourself major, major distance

Maybe I misunderstood you, but my impression is that you're saying the technology has changed so much that on average, a person using the R11s is costing themselves major distance.

[colin007]

Well, I meant more along the lines to this: a person using the R11s is costing themselves major distance.

Not true.

[RFKFREAK]

Yup.

If you hit it on the screws, then you're not losing anything. There are other clubs that will give you more forgivingness though.

Oh, of course.

Thankfully I don't need forgiveness because I always hit my driver on the screws.

Not true.

Que?

[MrFlipper]

Well, I meant more along the lines to this:

Maybe I misunderstood you, but my impression is that you're saying the technology has changed so much that on average, a person using the R11s is costing themselves major distance.

Yup.

If you hit it on the screws, then you're not losing anything. There are other clubs that will give you more forgivingness though.

I agree with colin here. When you hit it on the screws, you don't lose much if anything.

But on those rare times you don't hit it on the screws, I'd submit the newer clubs can find you a bunch of distance you didn't know was there.