At the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in January, TaylorMade Golf’s new R11 series created lines five golfers deep just to test them. And these were not guys I wanted to be seen hitting after, as the swing police might have rushed me from the practice tee with a shoe bag over my head.
Now that I’ve been custom fitted for and received my own set of the driver and fairway woods I understand that the R11s may be the most sophisticated golf club ever created to help even as unsophisticated a player as myself, although it’s also perfect for great players. The clubs proceed from the fact that there are three dimensions to distance: loft, face angle, and flight path. The R11 is the first club that allows you to adjust all three independently of each other. A bevel on the shaft allows you to increase or decrease loft; eight flight control positions change the face angle and spin rate; and adjustable weighted inserts promote a fade or draw by placing heavier weights in the toe or the heel. Being able to adjust face angle independently of loft is like achieving great taste in a less filling beer—things long thought to be mutually exclusive.
The R11 has also been designed with a white crown that stands out dramatically from all the black-headed drivers on the market, lending it a sleek and jaunty look and also reducing glare. The triangular shape is very inviting as well. The club was a Golf Digest “Editor’s Choice Selection,” given to only four products this year. One good whack on the practice range will bring an immediate smile to your face. And the fairway woods are even more fun to hit than the driver!
To read more about my TaylorMade Golf fitting and see why I am the TaylorMade Golf poster child click here.
