3balls Golf
There’s so much good golf gear in the world that a simple task like trying like choosing a driver can become an incredibly complicated process. To Tour or not to Tour is a common question of mid-handicappers, whether they prefer Titleist 913s or the TaylorMade SLDR Drivers. The differences between a standard SLDR and a SLDR Tour driver may be slight, but they can change your swing in a noticeable way. When you’re comparing the current crop of SLDR drivers, keep an eye out for these changes and upgrades that are only part of the package with a TaylorMade SLDR TP driver:
Forward Center of Gravity
Many club manufacturers claim increasingly low and forward centers of gravity (CGs), but they rarely explain what this actually means for your swing. Like the competition, the SLDR Tour driver boasts an improved CG — on this club that means low spin, slightly more forgiveness and a heck of a lot of distance if you can take advantage of it all. Balls that spin less tend to fly flatter, maximizing how far they can travel down the fairway. We often refer to this as a piercing trajectory, because that’s exactly what it does: it cuts through the air like the wind resistance wasn’t even there.
Adjustable Weighting System
All SLDR drivers have adjustable weights, so this isn’t really a bonus to the TPs, but the way you use an adjustable weight system on a tour driver is a whole different story from how you’d use them on a club designed for less consistent players. Instead of using your sliding weight to compensate for your weaknesses, a player with a tour SLDR in hand will be sliding that little weight back and forth to help shape their shot better to the terrain where they’re playing. After all, not every fairway is straight and not every shot should be a straight shot.
Shaft Heft and Stiffness
Tour players drive their balls harder and faster than anybody in golf, so they can get extra distance from stiffer shafts and increased weight. For example, the Tour SLDR comes stock with a heavier Fujikura Motore Speeder TS 6.3 shaft, weighing between 62 and 66 grams, as opposed to the much lighter Fujikura Speeder 57. With their extra speed, these faster swingers get better performance from a stiffer, heavier shaft than the average player.
Taylormade’s SLDR family of drivers has done a lot to improve shots while simplifying what it means to be an adjustable and functional club. With so many of these drivers in production, we’ve been able to find some great deals on used TaylorMade golf gear and made them available to you on our website. Stop by 3balls.com to see exactly how much you can save by choosing gently used or open box golf equipment over new.
photo credit: Zach Dischner via photopin cc
