TaylorMade R15 driver review

Here you can read Golf Monthly's TaylorMade R15 driver review, where we see if it offers improvements on last year's TaylorMade SLDR

TaylorMade R15 driver review

As well as the obvious return to a white crown and black face combination, the TaylorMade R15 driver offers a number of improvements from the SLDR driver it replaces.

The pear-shaped head of the TaylorMade R15 is available in two head sizes, 460cc and 430cc. The larger head looks considerably bigger behind the ball but interestingly during testing my dispersion was tighter with the smaller head, something I have never experienced when two head sizes have been available. It's a shame that the black finish isn't available in the smaller head, as it would undoubtedly look stunning at address, reminiscent of the brilliant R7 Superquad driver. It is however; good to see the return of a white crown and black face, and many will appreciate the look behind the ball.

After a fitting I was able to find distance comparable with the best drivers on the market. Shots that missed the middle still produced impressive results, particularly when the weights in the sole were spilt, with one towards the heel and the other near the centre. One of the most impressive things about the R15 driver was how much making slight tweaks to the weight positioning made to the performance on offer. It seems that moving the sliding weights further forward compared to the SLDR, and splitting the moveable weight in two, will give educated fitters the ability to dial the driver into the needs of the individual even more.

Although the centre of gravity has been moved forward slightly, the head has also been designed to offer a higher launch. As a result the 11-degree setting that worked best for me in the SLDR also offered the best results for me here. The SLDR made a brief appearance in my bag last year but it brought a hook into my game that I wasn't comfortable with, having always hit a fade. The R15 driver provided an impressive, relatively straight flight without any sign of a hook. If you like the look of the head design, the adjustability and shaft options on offer (some at an extra cost) mean the R15 is a model that can be fitted to work for anyone. While the SLDR had plenty to impress, the R15 driver feels more like a classic TaylorMade thanks to both the perfromance and the looks.

TaylorMade R15 gallery