1. Taylormade R1 Reviews
2. Taylormade R1 Driver Manual

in this day and age, we expect flexibility in everything we use – right down to our golf clubs. no? we bet you would love to have that adjustability so that can save yourself the head-scratching process when buying a golfing essential such as the driver. just ask yourself how many times have you knock yourself out trying to figure out what loft gives you the best shot on the fairway? unless you a pro golfer, our guess is, pretty much all the time. the TaylorMade R1 Driver is here to take that guess work out when purchasing a driver. it offers you 12 loft-sleeve settings, 7 face-angle positions, plus two movable shot-shape weights – giving you an incredible 168 different combination of adjustability. how’s that for flexibility? with the R1, gone are the familiar loft number stamped on the head, because its 12-loft sleeve settings let you adjust anywhere from a 8° to 12° driver. a couple of other noteworthy features include a crown graphic design to aid you to square the face of the ball accurately and Aldila RIP Phenom 55-gram shaft that is ultra-light for faster clubhead speed – and that’s not including how this golf club look so aesthetically desirable, which is something we have come to expect from TaylorMade. the TaylorMade R1 Driver is slated to hit the store in February for $399 a piece. another look and product launch video after the break.

TaylorMade have unveiled their new R1 driver, the follow-up product to the massively-successful R11S. The R1 has been designed with 12 loft options and seven face angle settings, as well as the brand’s famous movable weight technology – but despite the high level of adjustability, it’s an intuitive bit of kit that is straight forward to use.

1. The R1 is shipped with a standard loft of 10 degrees and face angle that is designed to be “visually square” at address (TaylorMade says a visually square face angle actually measures 2 degrees open). If 1.5 degrees of additional loft is added, the face angle will close 3 degrees.
2. Ronsit Wrench Tool Kit for Taylormade MWT FCT R1 R11 R11S R9, R7, R5, Rossa Spider. 4.2 out of 5 stars 28. Get it as soon as Wed, Dec 2. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Golf Wrench Tool Fit For Taylormade Titleist Callaway Shaft Adapter Sleeve (blue).
3. TaylorMade introduces the R1 driver, which comes in a single loft with 12 different loft combinations. In addition, the R1 allows users to alter loft, face angle and design their shot shape. The only thing golfers need to worry about is selecting the correct shaft flex. The appearance of the TaylorMade R1 features an athletic and flashy look.

Originally published at linksmagazine.com, May 2013

After the recent brouhaha over the ban on anchored putting, I’d like everyone to raise a glass and toast—a little late, I admit—the anniversary of another change in equipment governance that deserves our applause.

A little more than five years ago, on January 1, 2008, the Rules of Golf allowed clubs to be adjustable. If you don’t know what happened as a result, you’ve been in a cave.

Although it wasn’t the first company to produce an alterable driver (that distinction goes to the now-defunct Nickent Golf), the undisputed leader in adjustability is TaylorMade. Its first semi-transformable driver, the R7, had movable back weights and debuted in 2004. The R9, with true adjustability in the form of a twistable loft sleeve, came out in late 2008, and the R11, with a choice of eight loft settings and adjustable face angle, in early 2011.

The latest variation on variability is the R1. It offers three “tunable technologies”: loft, face angle, and weight. There are 12 positions on the loft sleeve between 8 and 12 degrees (7 standard and 5 upright settings), 7 face-angle options (maximum closed to maximum open), and two weights. I trust the engineers’ calculations that claim a total of 168 possible settings.

There are other notable features, including variable thickness in the crown that moves the center of gravity forward; what TM calls “Inverted Cone Technology,” invisible because it’s on the back of the clubface but expands the sweetspot; better aerodynamics so the head moves faster through the air; and funky graphics that are supposed to aid alignment.

Does it all work? I’ve been using the R1 for about two months and I like it. A lot. Which is significant, at least to me, because I’d tried all the drivers mentioned above and never clicked with any of them. This despite TaylorMade consistently leading the Tour count and selling zillions of the earlier models. I was always impressed with the tech but disappointed in the results. Until the R1.

Taylormade R1 Reviews

Being able to adjust the specs matters. With the help of online videos and a smartphone app, I’ve dialed in what seems to be my correct combination. I’ve tinkered a few times, both on the range and round to round, but found—especially with face angle, which primarily affects how the club looks at address—that once you get it, you know. And you don’t switch. Which is something people throughout the equipment industry told me: Once golfers set adjustable clubs, they rarely change.

The setting golfers should pay the most attention to is loft. TM’s Tom Olshavsky told me their research shows that 80 percent of golfers are playing the wrong loft. Since the new mantra in driver performance is “high launch angle plus low spin,” the wrong loft can severely limit distance. So setting the loft is key, and like all the settings, easily done.

Once the club is set how I want it, two other aspects of the R1 really impress me. First is length. The driver comes standard at 45.5 inches, which is, according to the manufacturers, a quarter-inch shorter than the Ping G25 and Nike’s Covert, and a half-inch less than the Adams Speedline Super S. The R1 looks and feels much more controllable at this shorter length, without sacrificing distance. (According to TaylorMade, painting the head white makes it seem larger, and that appears to be true, further enhancing the comfort that comes with control.)

Club length contributes to the second attribute: feel. The earlier TM drivers felt as if the weight was evenly distributed head to grip. I like more weight in the head and the R1 delivers that. It feels great, making it easy to swing with confidence. Since there are more than 35 shafts available with the R1 (some significantly adding to its cost), feel can be almost anything you want. But the standard Aldila RIP Phenom suits me just fine. (Question for another time: Who names shafts?)

When it comes to adjustability, I’m a believer. I like other twist-and-click drivers, too, because the technology works, even if just psychologically. Plus, I’m a range rat, so it’s fun to tinker. But once set, the R1 delivers what we all want from a driver: good feel and better distance.

TaylorMade’s website currently is discounting the R1 from $399 to $349, as are stores.

Taylormade R1 Driver Manual

Note: As I was writing this review, TaylorMade announced that the R1 will be available in black as of June 10 at a retail price of $399. Many golfers will prefer the new all-black look, but, if possible, try the white if you think alignment aids on the crown and the perception of the larger head can be helpful. I found it very easy to get accustomed to the white head and appreciate its attributes.