3balls Golf
TaylorMade has revolutionized the adjustable game improvement driver, creating possibilities for today’s golfers that weren’t even thought of a decade ago. Unfortunately, all this tech comes with a pretty hefty price tag, creating more demand for quality used golf clubs. With new drivers coming out at a frenzied pace, players are left wondering if they need to upgrade in order to stay competitive. For many, constant upgrading is an expensive option that’s simply not feasible. Enter the preowned TaylorMade drivers.
All the Tech, Very Little of the Price
TaylorMade drivers are among our favorites here, there are so many options with these clubs that if you can’t get a good fit, you’re not really trying hard enough. That being said, all those bells and whistles cost and the price can be steep. New, popular clubs like the TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2 driver, TaylorMade R1 Adjustable driver and the TaylorMade SLDR driver have suggested retail prices of $400 to $500, depending on the club.
These models are a year or two old now, though, and for many players that means a serious savings on used clubs. In like-new condition, the R1 and Rocketballz Stage 2 sell for under $140, and the SLDR for under $230. These are great clubs loaded down with tech, still being sold new by most retailers. They’re just not the newest of the new, and someone thought they needed to upgrade already. Their loss is your gain, in both savings and yardage.
Small Changes Are the Norm
We all like the newest, shiniest thing on the block, but when you’re talking about upgrading a driver that’s already five or 10 years old, a single year of upgrades simply isn’t worth the extra cost of buying the latest TaylorMade release brand new. There’s no question that these clubs are all amazing, but a single year of upgrades isn’t always that big of a deal — really. Drastic changes come to drivers rarely, and when they do you may want to spend the extra for the edge they’ll give you, but most releases are small tweaks to existing drivers.
Between one year and the next, driver models often get a facelift and a new paint job, but that’s the most dramatic change you’ll see. Small things, like thinner club faces, stiffer or longer shafts, slightly bigger sweet spots, or slightly forward or backward centers of gravity are common changes between model years. Club manufacturers can’t risk too much drama by changing too much at once, they have to see how each change performs in the real world.
So, although it’s nice to have the newest and best driver in the market, it’s not necessary for having fun on the golf course. With changes between model years being almost imperceptibly small and the savings on a club that’s even just one model year old being so substantial, it only makes sense to consider used golf clubs when you’re shopping for your next TaylorMade driver.
Photo credit: Arpit Gupta / Foter / CC BY
