TaylorMade R9 460! This Is It!
If I were any better, I would be twins. The Ping G10 was rated the best driver in 2008/2009 by a good margin by many top magazines and neutral equipment testers. Now they have the new G15. How can anyone make a driver better than the G10? Well, some reviews swear by it that it is indeed better. I think it is possible in that it could be even more forgiving and with some clever internal weight adjustment go a little further but Ping unfortunately seems to have increased their price greatly from what I found by as much as 20%. So if you are looking for a new driver, you must consider the G15 because it was the Golf Digest's Editor's choice but if you are a current G10 owner, keep on with it till a later date to upgrade to the G15. There was only one equal to the Ping G15 and that is the TaylorMade R9 460.
2009 was like a cold winter where the worst of things have happened. Even if you are not doing too badly, you are reading and seeing terrible things. 2010 is still somewhat cold but as spring is coming, you get to feel that the icicles are melting away, a little less cold and hopefully quite soon, the whole place will be teeming with life again everywhere and shall bring forth better times. That's how we all want it isn't it? Let the sunshine comes.
Since I have toiled hard and long and survived last year, with the Lunar New Year around the corner and a year's worth of age added to my name, up to now, no friends have stepped forth to buy me an expensive toy. Oh, how I yearn for those childhood days. Well, so I have to do something for myself to create a buzz and add some new excitement to mundane life plus if the Tiny Red Dot does nothing for Uncle Sam, then more workers getting laid off including the golf industry will only delay the recovery and in the longer term, golfers will suffer.
Since I have toiled hard and long and survived last year, with the Lunar New Year around the corner and a year's worth of age added to my name, up to now, no friends have stepped forth to buy me an expensive toy. Oh, how I yearn for those childhood days. Well, so I have to do something for myself to create a buzz and add some new excitement to mundane life plus if the Tiny Red Dot does nothing for Uncle Sam, then more workers getting laid off including the golf industry will only delay the recovery and in the longer term, golfers will suffer.
While I can attest that the Ping G10 was a fabulous driver, I have also stated that it is best suited for at least mid-handicappers. It is forgiving but you still need to put a reasonably good swing to it. Though the Ping TFC129D shaft is very good, the American spec version can be a bit stiffer than others such that if you feel a wee bit tired or got careless, you may spray your shots. They have idiot-proofed cameras and what nots but is there an idiot-proofed driver out there? Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to take you for a stroll to flirt with the latest state-of-the-art driver if I may call it. It is proof that there are idiots out there in large quantity.
TaylorMade R9 460
The R9 series are the latest models replacing the very successful r7 range. The first R9 driver introduced was not for everyone so make sure you don't get the wrong one in a hurry. This is a driver that gives you MVT (Movable Weight Technology) meaning that you can alter your flight path from neutral to draw (right to left) to fade (left to right) simply by switching the weight location fitted to the club head. TM then added FCT (Flight Control Technology) to the club so that by unscrewing the head and refitting it to the shaft by choosing a most suitable club face angle you can get 8 different trajectory/flight. However, due to the presence of MVT, the club head can only be at 420 cc in size much smaller than the flag bearer of today at 460 cc meaning that it offers less forgiveness and distance. Besides, you have got to be a technician to truly enjoy this as the MVT plus FCT gives you a total of 24 flight variation and a flight dispersion of 75 yards. Too much to tinker with for people who just want to grip and rip it.
After the launch of the original R9, TM came out with a winner in the R9 460 which came with only FCT but not MVT. It comes with a wrench for you to adjust your preferred flight path. Isn't this intriguing to say the least? For starters, the R9 460 look almost identical to the orignal R9 and you will only notice any difference if you put them side by side as the R9 460 has a deeper club face and larger head to stretch the CG (center of gravity lower) for better MOI (moment of inertia) which basically means more forgiveness. The other is the absence of MVT. TM says it is a D4 in swing weight but I never felt like it is a D4 in the hands. If it's a case of suitability to my individual preference, I never felt comfortable playing with say the Burner. Maybe it was the swing weight. Definitely the shape of a club head plays a part as I find it too jarring for a square or triangular head or a super light shaft of 45-49g and with a little more help on the flex actually gave me trouble. This one feels very comfortable in its weight.
The old r5 of the time truly rocked me as a driver at the time and though I didn't need a r7, I have tried and it was good. As you can see from here, the shape of the R9 head stop short of being triangular as it subtly rounds off nicely at the back to facilitate better weight distribution and yet gives it a modern yet traditional look. Some reviewers who tried it claimed they hit 14 out of 14 fairways (all par 4s & 5s) or more fairways and that the Aldila RE*AX 60g shaft fitted them exceptionally well. Some testers have even brought it to the range to let casual hackers try and 95% of them found that they like th R9 460 better than their current drivers. Most love the ball flight and the forgiveness and when tinkering with the adjustment of flight path, all found one that was most suitable to them.
The Club Head and FCT
As you can see here the deeper face gives one confidence at address. There is a fixed screw right at the far back where they place their internal weighting strategically and two claw-like feature which look like crab pincers engulfing the logo. These could be plain aesthetics or has aerodynamic purpose. The cavity where the shaft is joined at the bottom below the R9 logo is where you can use an issued wrench to tweak your flight trajectory by unscrewing and removing the head (make sure you hold on to the head and always ensure that your head and the golf club head is always screwed on) and then refitting to a flight path of your choice selecting the range of N (neutral), L (left for extreme draw), R (extreme fade), NU (neutral upright - draw biased), and the lines in between for a couple of fades and towards the left a couple more types of draw.
All you have to do is to place the club head back onto the shaft, turn it so that the alignment aid points at the alphabet indicating N, NU, R, L or those indicators in between to select what you need then use the wrench to screw tight until you hear a firm click. I mean this is truly ingenius right? How cool is that? A driver for you to adjust 8 different ball flights and trajectory. While the smaller R9 gives you up to 75 yards variation, the R9 460 will give you up to 40 yards from a 5 yard fade (right) to a 35 yard draw (draw).
Setting it N (neutral) will see your ball actually going for a slight draw of some 15 yards, while between N/L (neutral left) gives you 30 yards draw, L (left) offers up to 35 yards draw, NU/L (neutral upright left) sets you up for a 25 yards draw to the left, NU (neutral upright) is a 20 yards draw, NU/R (neutral upright Right) gives a very marginal 8 yards of draw, N/R (neutral right) is a very slight draw and finally R (right) gives what looks like a smallish 8 yards of fade. I know what you are thinking now. Is this a gimmick? I can assure you that it is not. When I tested it at the range, there was a difference in ball flight after each change in setting. Only thing is I could not discern was if they were truly a 25 yard draw because when you hit shots thinking they were straight they were in fact either drawing or fading which our naked eyes could not detect from a distance. I found myself loving the NU/L setting that seems to make my shots go effortlessly straight with a slight draw.
All golfers no matter which level you are at or how good you are, you are going to experience swing changes as if your swing have suddenly gone on vacation and you have a hard time rediscovering it. Just like a soccer striker who stop scoring in a dry spell. Then you start looking for new drivers? This is where I must say you have to check out this club for if you acquire this weapon and in the event that your normal swing deserts you, all you have to do is to bring it to the range and tune it by adjusting the flight path that you want and set it there to get back your fade, straight or draw. You don't need another driver. You see, this driver is like a Swiss Army knife with eight different intentions. Maybe if you check with TM, they may tell you that you can actually open a beer bottle with one of the cavities. You can keep on doing it.
The stock shaft is a RE*AX made by Aldila who is a top shaft maker from the USA and is a welcome change from that of other OEM shafts. This was probably designed in collaboration by both TaylorMade and Aldila engineers. It is set at 45.75 inches and 60 g in weight. I will sometimes struggle with extra long and extra light shafts like that of the Burner. The Burner 09 shaft was originally 46.25 inches for US specs. But this one is the same length as the Ping G10 and it felt like this shaft was made for me.
The feel was one that it was like custom-built for me and married to my specs. It felt really good in the hands. In the last 5 years or so, lighter titanium club heads gave rise to longer shaft of 45.5 to 46 inches. Shorter shafts actually help us square the ball more often on impact to hit the sweet spot and increase your confidence and have better results but this may not be true all the time but it helps you to remember that prior to all these noises, the average driver length at the PGA is only 44.5 inches.
The USGA allowed maximum length is 48 inches. The 2010 Superfast Burner to be released at the end of February will feature a length of an amazing 46.5 inches and weighs in 14 g lighter than the 2009 Burner which was already very light. Making shafts lighter/longer and by reducing the overall club weight is a clever way of increasing distance especially swing speed which is helpful for slow swingers and those who may lack distance. My personal preference is for an excalibur and not a feather duster. This is one area they will push to the max in coming years when they could find new ways to improve an extremely forgiving head by making shafts and clubs longer to continuously sell you "the distance game" that you crave. You either get fitted for best result or you will have to adjust yourself to the club. Some may prefer their shaft black but I thought red is hot, cool and sexy and looking less drab.
The feel was one that it was like custom-built for me and married to my specs. It felt really good in the hands. In the last 5 years or so, lighter titanium club heads gave rise to longer shaft of 45.5 to 46 inches. Shorter shafts actually help us square the ball more often on impact to hit the sweet spot and increase your confidence and have better results but this may not be true all the time but it helps you to remember that prior to all these noises, the average driver length at the PGA is only 44.5 inches.
The USGA allowed maximum length is 48 inches. The 2010 Superfast Burner to be released at the end of February will feature a length of an amazing 46.5 inches and weighs in 14 g lighter than the 2009 Burner which was already very light. Making shafts lighter/longer and by reducing the overall club weight is a clever way of increasing distance especially swing speed which is helpful for slow swingers and those who may lack distance. My personal preference is for an excalibur and not a feather duster. This is one area they will push to the max in coming years when they could find new ways to improve an extremely forgiving head by making shafts and clubs longer to continuously sell you "the distance game" that you crave. You either get fitted for best result or you will have to adjust yourself to the club. Some may prefer their shaft black but I thought red is hot, cool and sexy and looking less drab.
Grip
Nothing is perfect in this world and for a club of this stature, I do find that the grip could have been a lot better. It felt a bit thin on the hands but then again you could easily have it fixed for $10 a pop.
Head Cover
The head cover is huge with the lower portion like socks to protect the shaft. Relieving the driver out of it takes quite a few wriggle just like letting a big dog out of a cage but I feel that with such advance technology that they have and the very capable designers and engineers, why couldn't they come you with something more interesting or even more functional, maybe with 8 optional ways of opening or closing it.
The Wrench
This simple object gives you the pleasure of 8 different flights of fantasy. Do not try using other screw drivers or other types of wrench to operate on the safe side.
The Test (Range)
Look/Sound/Feel
The test of a pudding lies in its tasting. The first thing to get pass you must be the looks of a club. You must at least like it and I think you will love this one. I feel that the modern and yet traditional look gives it sleek and yet powerful demeanour. At the bottom, the black TaylorMade in word with a red R and white 9 and the 460 inscribed stood out. Two claw-like cut feature perhaps for aesthetics or aerodynamic and a fixed screw at the back end and a cavity for setting flight path makes it look like a real high tech weapon of mass destruction if I may call it. TM knows how to make a perfect sound of metal woods for they have invented it and this one is loud without being over bearing.
You'll know that you didn't drop a can of soup. It gives a very sweet and very meaty sound to let you know this is prime "wagyu" beef for it is juicy. It feels like a very solid smash hit! You will get addicted to it and keep wanting to do it again and with great confidence. The feel is equal to the sound. How it sounded is how you will feel. Head and shaft feel very one piece. It makes me feel like this club is being made for me, yes me!! Boomz! In selecting a driver, one of the criteria must be the "Look/Sound/Feel" factor as the first test. It passed with flying colours. I'll give it 5 stars out of 5 anytime.
Performance
Performance is key to everything. We can talk all day and night but it always boils down to how it performs. This Aldila shaft is sweet and to me 60g is just about the right weight for a driver. This is a very balance driver with a great shaft to boot but I haven't had the opportunity to try the Japanese spec version which boasts of the very popular "Fujikura Motore" shaft but Japanese version always set you back by at least $100 or more. I believe the Aldila RE*AX shaft will suit a very broad range of golfers. It is a very stable driver that gives me a feeling that I am going to put in a very good shot each time and truly after each shot it gives me a high. It feels like you have a real smash hit and this has partly to do with the shaft I suspect compared to some OEM stock shaft which can feel boardy or inconsistent.
The trajectory is consistently high, long and forgiving. It never balloons and the flight is boring and penetrating such that after landing it will roll on some more. It is also very easy to use. TaylorMade's famous inverted cone geometry spread across the face so that mishits still go a good distance without losing too much direction. I never hit drivers well at the range as a result of the huge rubber tee which I have a disdain for plus the cheap range ball which never gave you the right distance to gauge. Somehow, I have no problem with that this time and it was the first time I enjoyed nailing a driver on the range. I tried all the different settings and they worked amazingly as advertised. Some are more subtle in the changed flight and I finally settled for NU/L which is between Neutral Upright and Left which is something like a 25 yard draw.
This may seem large but to the naked eye from a distance it does not look a big deviation and I thought they were going almost straight or just a slight draw. This is the preferred setting for me for now as it seems the most consistent and effortless. After fixing the setting, all shots landed at or close to the 200m marker in a tight dispersion. Just like taking a hammer and nailing a picture of a 200m distance marker onto the wall. Take into consideration that during a game you would be using a normal and good ball which can give you another 20-30m easily and you will know what I meant. I can't imagine the elation the ball must have felt each time it was quickly taken up in a rapture. If there were people around, they may think I was mad as I was smiling to myself frequently. I couldn't hide the glee and was surely in awe. A golfer who just ended his session came by to chat and sung praises too to this new convert as he told me he was using the same. He was smiling with sinister intent and I noticed that he walked with a spring in his step. Definitely 5 stars out of five in performance. Nothing not to like. I give it straight As.
The trajectory is consistently high, long and forgiving. It never balloons and the flight is boring and penetrating such that after landing it will roll on some more. It is also very easy to use. TaylorMade's famous inverted cone geometry spread across the face so that mishits still go a good distance without losing too much direction. I never hit drivers well at the range as a result of the huge rubber tee which I have a disdain for plus the cheap range ball which never gave you the right distance to gauge. Somehow, I have no problem with that this time and it was the first time I enjoyed nailing a driver on the range. I tried all the different settings and they worked amazingly as advertised. Some are more subtle in the changed flight and I finally settled for NU/L which is between Neutral Upright and Left which is something like a 25 yard draw.
This may seem large but to the naked eye from a distance it does not look a big deviation and I thought they were going almost straight or just a slight draw. This is the preferred setting for me for now as it seems the most consistent and effortless. After fixing the setting, all shots landed at or close to the 200m marker in a tight dispersion. Just like taking a hammer and nailing a picture of a 200m distance marker onto the wall. Take into consideration that during a game you would be using a normal and good ball which can give you another 20-30m easily and you will know what I meant. I can't imagine the elation the ball must have felt each time it was quickly taken up in a rapture. If there were people around, they may think I was mad as I was smiling to myself frequently. I couldn't hide the glee and was surely in awe. A golfer who just ended his session came by to chat and sung praises too to this new convert as he told me he was using the same. He was smiling with sinister intent and I noticed that he walked with a spring in his step. Definitely 5 stars out of five in performance. Nothing not to like. I give it straight As.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade R9 460 is an awesome driver!!! Period. If you are in the market looking for a driver, be sure not to miss this one. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed and I suspect you will put one in the bag. Those who are current r7 owners looking for an upgrade, it is natural path to take and go for this upsize as they say in fast food lingo and you will be glad. Those who have no intention to change, please stay away because trying it will give you a dizzy feeling like you are falling in love. You'll get heads over heels and end up paying for it regardless and you will sms to friends late into the night extolling this thing of beauty and when the wife finds out, she will either use the wrench or a toilet brush on you sending you scattering in 8 different flight directions. This is like a Cat O' Nine Tails used in olden days to inflict maximum pain and damage.
Imagine if the golf rules were tweaked such that you are allowed to change to a certain setting depending on the contours of each hole - straight, dog leg left or dog leg right. Wow!! I can't wait to put this into action and bring this big dog for a stroll. It will send some pariah dogs away, chase away some puppies barking above their pedigree and make golf how it should be - fun!!! Make no mistake, this is a driver of sinister intent. The search is over. This one will catch fire! Mark my words, it will top the charts and run out of stock. This is it!! Have fun!
It is going to be a Happy & Prosperous New Year!!! Play some awesome, swashbuckling and cavalier golf if you must!
P.S. Come late February, a new R9 SuperTri will be released in the USA. This one comes totally black - at the bottom as well as the face. The original R9 has both MVT and FCT in a 420cc head while the current R9 has FCT (but not MVT) and came in a 460cc head. The new R9 SuperTri have the best of both worlds - MVT/FCT and now in a 460cc head. Like I have said, MVT plus FCT gives one a cobination of 24 flight options. If Tiger does 18, why would you want 24? If you have 24 types of coffee to choose each morning, you will have a problem. Next question is should the husband or the wife brew the coffee? It has been stated clearly in the Bible - "Hebrews" End of argument. I think 8 is a nice number, so R9 460 is still most suitable for a broad range of players.
A man was stranded for years on a deserted island. One day he looks up to see a gorgeous blond in scuba gear wading out of the water."Want a cigarette?" she asks, opening a waterproof pocket on her right arm, pulling out a pack and lighting one for him."How about a sip of whiskey?" she asks next, opening a pocket on her left arm and removing a flask. As the man puffs on the cigarette and sips the whiskey, she slowly begins to unzip the front of her wet suit."Want to play around?" she asks. And he says, "Oh, Dear, don't tell me you've got a set of golf clubs in there, too." If only Tiger and and some of us could think like that.
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