Story by TaylorMade Golf
Engineered for the pros and built for all swing speeds; SLDR S family of metalwoods provide distance for all
Carlsbad, Calif. (May 6, 2014) – Since its debut in August of last year, SLDR has been the No. 1 driver on Tour. Today, TaylorMade Golf Company announces SLDR S – the next iteration of the successful metalwood franchise – engineered to provide distance for golfers of all abilities and swing speeds through high-lofted metalwoods.
The SLDR S line features TaylorMade’s renowned low forward center of gravity (CG) placement – a recent TaylorMade engineering feat wherein weight is re-located to the front of the head to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a lower spin-rate. TaylorMade discovered that adding loft to drivers engineered with low forward CG characteristics results in astounding leaps in distance.
“It’s no secret that high launch and low spin maximize driver distance, but some players think that only Tour pros can benefit from lofting up with low forward CG,” said TaylorMade Chief Technical Officer, Benoit Vincent. “This is simply not true. By lofting up, you can generate serious distance regardless of swing speed with SLDR S, which has low and forward CG properties, along with a sliding weight that assists shot shape.”
The well-documented benefits of lofting up inspired TaylorMade Golf to release high-lofted SLDR S drivers – they will be available in 10°, 12°, 14° and 16°. In addition, an elegant satin silver crown paired with a black-button back deliver awe-inspiring aesthetics for the SLDR S family – which includes a 460cc driver, fairway woods and Rescue clubs.
SLDR S fairway woods and Rescues feature a larger footprint and a shallower face compared to SLDR. They are shaped and crafted to be more playable for golfers of all swing speeds and abilities.
Each club in the SLDR S lineup is bonded. However, golfers will still enjoy a plethora of loft options as the driver is available in four high-lofted models, with five available options for fairway woods and an additional four Rescue lofts.
After the introduction of SLDR, PGA Tour Professionals began lofting up their drivers at an unprecedented rate. On average players who use SLDR have gone up a full degree or more in loft, and in many cases PGA Tour Professionals have gone as high as 12°. In fact, at the 2014 RBC Heritage there were 14 drivers with 12° of loft or more in play.
“Historically on the PGA Tour, guys would de-loft their drivers in an attempt to achieve a lower ball flight and gain distance,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade Golf’s Vice President of Tour Operations. “But when we introduced low forward CG, players started to see huge distance leaps from added loft. This has been a monumental shift in the way of thinking and a breakthrough in unlocking more distance. With SLDR S, the same dominating distance is available to golfers of all abilities and swing speeds.”
Benefits of Low Forward CG
- Long distance comes from the combination of fast ball speed, high launch-angle and low spin-rate. TaylorMade discovered that moving the CG forward promotes more ball speed and less spin.
- Helps all golfers get closer to the ideal launch conditions of 17*/1700rpm
- Unlocks distance by enabling golfers to hit the ball higher with less spin – WHEN THEY ADD LOFT.
Loft is Taking Over the Tour
Not too long ago, seeing a driver with double-digit loft on the PGA Tour was an anomaly. But that all changed after TaylorMade introduced the distance-producing power of low forward CG. The list below displays the number of 12°-plus drivers in play at the respective PGA Tour stops.
- Zurich Classic – 13
- RBC Heritage – 14
- Shell Houston Open – 7
- Valero Texas Open – 10
- Arnold Palmer Invitational – 9
Professionals at the Players Championship and the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Players will wear silver adidas Golf apparel, carry silver staff bags and play Tour-only satin silver SLDR drivers with adjustable features. The company plans to release a limited quantity of these special edition drivers on the TaylorMade Vault (http://vault.taylormadegolf.com).
Pricing, Options and Availability
The SLDR S driver is available in four high-lofted options (10°, 12°, 14° and 16°), each equipped with the lightweight Fujikura Speeder 57 graphite shaft and TaylorMade high-traction grip.
SLDR S fairway woods are equipped with the Fujikura Speeder 65 graphite (43.25”) shaft and are available in five models/lofts: 3W (15°), 3HL (17°), 5W (19°), 5HL (21°) and 7W (23°). The SLDR S Rescue shaft is the Fujikura Speeder 72 (41.25”) and is available in four models/lofts: 3 (19°), 4 (22°), 5 (25°) and 6 (28°).
The entire SLDR S metalwood family will be available at retail on Friday, May 16. The driver will retail for $329; the fairway woods for $229; and Rescues for $179. For more information, visit taylormadegolf.com.
