TaylorMade SLDR Driver

The TalyorMade SLDR driver was innovative when it came out because of its sliding weight to help players fine tune their ball flight.  By sliding the weight toward the heel or toe you were able to make the club more or less biased in any direction.  For some, this helped combat a slice or hook.  For others, it helped tune a draw or fade for a more optimal ball flight.  The TaylorMade SLDR driver was available in both 430cc and 460cc head sizes.

The Looks

My first impression of the TaylorMade SLDR driver was clearly the mechanical, almost robotic looking sole.  This sole was tastefully executed from an aesthetic meets technology perspective, but there’s definitely a lot going on.  As you view the SLDR from the standard address position, the crown has a fairly simple metal flake almost gunmetal finish.  Its shape is fairly traditional in the 430 configuration and just a larger footprint of the same in the 460.

How Does it Feel?

I debated heavily whether or not I should mention the TaylorMade SLDR driver’s feel in the “First Impressions” section.  Not necessarily from an “impact” perspective, but more because of its “presence.”  What the hell am I talking about?  When I first picked up the SLDR, I thought, “man, this thing has some weight!”  That’s not to say the SLDR is outrageously heavy, but it’s very noticeable at the end of the shaft.  To make an exaggerated comparison, think of a hammer.  Adjusting the sliding weight will also affect that balance so it’s important to get the weighting dialed in.  Some players even add a second weight to the track which provides more precision in the adjustment.

In regards to the usual wonders of feel, the SLDR has an extremely solid feel at impact.  A ball in the center of the face feels like a metal wall won the battle of resistance in terms of energy transfer at impact.

How Does it Sound?

Though the TaylorMade SLDR driver doesn’t have that old trampoline vibe, the sound is still more on the metallic side and a little hollow.  Additionally, the SLDR isn’t exactly quiet on a big drive.  If I had to summarize the sound, I would say it’s a solid, forceful, metallic hit of a drum.  From a review perspective, the SLDR’s sound was the only area I was a bit disappointed in but others may prefer it.

On-Course Performance

If you remember when the TalyorMade SLDR driver came out years ago, the tagline was “Loft Up.”  The idea being the low and forward center of gravity (CG) would produce much lower launch and spin so players shouldn’t be afraid to go up in loft.  Boy were they right.  Even at 10.5º of loft, which was higher than I’d played for a decade, I still worked to get the ball in the air.  9.1º of launch is a low launch average for that loft.  Truth be told, if I were planning on gaming this driver, I’d need to get fit for a shaft to launch a little higher without increasing my spin.

I would be remiss if I didn’t speak to the sliding weight for which the SLDR is named.  Adjusting this weight moves the CG and impacts how the head comes through the contact zone.  For kicks and to test the actual impact, I slid the weight to the extreme ends and it made a huge difference.  Balls were curving everywhere.  My final resting place was one notch toward “Draw” to get a nice piercing straight bullet.

Final Thoughts – TaylorMade SLDR Driver

More recent drivers from a range of manufacturers, including TaylorMade, now have adjustable sliding weights and more range.  Keep in mind, TaylorMade was the first major player in the market to introduce the sliding weight concept.  That introduction came via the SLDR driver.  Since then, TaylorMade has made some of the best drivers of modern golf in the M1, but the SLDR was where it all began.

Stock TaylorMade SLDR Driver Review Specs

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