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Product Details

Pros: Straight, great looking traditional look, sound of a players titanium head. This club is a serious driver for players of all levels. One of our top picks for the year and a required trail before you buy another. Cons: Rumors of length issues compared to the competition. We didn't notice it and many editors have them in the bag. Smaller head for some that like the 460cc larger look. Bottom Line: Solid option for golfers of all levels. Adjustability of 2 degrees open to 2 degrees closed is "sick" and clearly a killer asset for players who need some options. Sound is perfect and the shape is also. Set this driver down and you cant help to like what you see and better yet love how it performs. Another cool option is you can swap out the shaft with another TaylorMade driver (R9 460) and play around with your favorite shaft option.

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GolfWRX Editors' Review

Buzzz Report - TaylorMade R9
By Site Administrator

The R9 is the most advanced and finest performing driver in the history of golf club design says TaylorMade. The R9 will feature full adjustability in that it will combine 3 moveable weights with their newest technology - Flight Control Technology (FCT). FCT gives the golfer the ability to adjust the club head to affect face angle and loft. MWT and FCT give 75 yards of left to right adjustability, 3 degrees of launch angle adjustability, and up to 1800 rpm of spin adjustability. The club head can be rotated into one of eight positions, giving the ability to adjust from 2 degrees closed to 2 degrees open (actual measured face angle will be square to four open, though visually, 4 open looks 2 open to the golfer). This is done by a wrench and turning the club head onto the axis of the shaft. The three moveable weights are in similar positions to r7 Limited. The result to the golfer will be the ability to have an open club face while still promoting a draw, for example. It’s really 24 drivers in one.

 

The club head has a large address, similar to the r7 SuperQuad, though they did not make this as large a clubhead as Burner, for example. This is, according to TaylorMade, the optimal size demanded by the most discerning players.

 

They have declared this the best driver ever produced.

The stock shaft on it will be Fujikura’s brand new Tour platform, called “Motore” and it will be the only club in the market with Motore in the stock offering.

TP shafts will be offered at a $100 ($499 street retail) upgrade and will be assorted offerings from Fujikura, Mitsubishi, Matrix, and Aldila.

In addition, TaylorMade will also launch an R9 fairway, though the fairway will only have FCT, no MWT. It will also have the ability to use 8 positions and can affect up to 35 yards of left to right workability. This club will have the ability to go from 2 closed to 2 open. Retail price on this will be $229 and will have a traditional shape and have the stock Fujikura Motore shaft.

There will be no difference in the head between the TP and non TP versions. The driver will not have any TP graphics on the head. Only the shaft upgrade makes up the difference.

The FW metals will have a TP on the head. No difference in the head… just the graphic. There will also be a Rescue with the same technology. The name is simply “Rescue”.

 

 

 

 

Product Description

User Reviews

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(14 reviews)

Showing 3 of 14 user reviews

User Reviews (14)

  by jjdunny on August 30, 2009

Pros:
Easy to Hit..Straight..Great Adjustability Options->MWT/FCT

Cons:
None

Rating:
Taylormade makes the BEST Drivers.Period.Its no problem that they have so many to choose from. They give Golfers many more options for proper club fitting and the R9..does just that.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by bradkv on September 01, 2009

Pros:
Workability, Feel, Aesthetics, Performance

Cons:
Forgiveness

Rating:
Many seem to have issues with a loss of distance. I do not. This club is as long as anything out there once you get the right shaft and setting, but you have to experiment. It is not forgiving on mishits, showing a very noticeable loss of distance, but the dispersion is excellent.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by markheardjr on September 02, 2009

Pros:
Keeps up with the Jones', Looks great, FCT, Shaft Options! Trajectory is good.

Cons:
Not really that long, no shafts sold seperately, Feel is just OK.

Rating:
I really was anticipating this driver. I wanted to like it so much. I have been absolutely murdering my '07 Burner TP 8.5 with a VooDoo XVS6. So natrually I thought the R9 8.5 with the XVS6 would be a perfect upgrade. I was left disappointed. Wasn't as long, less forgiving, and little to no control gain. Shots that felt absolutely pured were 15 yards behind my '07 Burner. Guess it goes to show if you find a club that fits you perfect, don't sell it to upgrade, make sure you like what you're upgrading to first! Luckily I still have my old '07 gamer.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by jpmitch on October 06, 2009

Pros:

Flexibility. The ability to adjust the driver based on your game or the course makes this driver a top pick. Having trouble with a slice adjust the face closed, having trouble with a hook adjust it open. A great addition to the bag for any low handicapper or hack. (I have been both).

Cons:

The shaft of the R9 still does not beat the shaft of the burner 07.

Rating:

Overall, the R9 is an excellent driver. For the beginner, you don't have to trade in your driver if you are having trouble with a slice.

For the more advanced player you can adjust the settings based on the course you are playing.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by northgolf on October 27, 2009

Pros:

Exellent head

Adjustable weighting

Cons:

Price

Not forgiving of mishits

Rating:

I like being able to set my swing weight to D2 and being able to swap shafts.  I love the Fubuki 63, but I also swing the 75.  The weights allow me to keep the SW constant when swapping shafts.

I definitely prefer a square faced driver, so I only use the neutral setting.  The adjustability does let me swap shafts easily and that is the reason I went for the R9.

I prefer the smaller head compared to the 460 drivers.  I like the way it sets up to the ball and I'm hitting about 80% fairways with it now that I've gotten used to it.  I am finding myself 15 yards longer than when I used the 08 Tour Burner 10.5 with stock shafts. 

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by patrickw25 on November 07, 2009

Pros:

Adjustability

Looks - nice compact head that fits my eye.

Sound - great sound.

 

Sound

Cons:

Could be more forgiving on heel hits.

Rating:

The thing I love about this driver is that removes my ability to blame the club instead of myself. The adjustability just allows you to dial it in perfectly. Once I got the weight and settings fine-tuned, this driver is as long as anything I've ever hit. And after getting used to the interchangeable shaft, going back to a glued shaft seems crazy

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by gwbent on November 09, 2009

Pros:

Love the size and shape of this head.F.C.T. works great.Trying different shafts is a breeze. 

Cons:

Only thing I did not love was the stock shaft. 

Rating:

I would this club among the best I have tried.So east to customize and tinker with.If you are a club hound like Me you will enjoy this clubs custom abilities. 

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by Baraethon on November 22, 2009

Pros:

Easy to hit

Workable, even without FCT

Solid look at address

Good sound

Feels nice

Cons:

Low distance

Slightly hollow feel

Rating:

This thing looks great, sets up great, feels great, and sounds great. I personally liked the smaller size driver, at address especially, a lot better than the R9 460. The triangle shape with the small size definitely works well. Only con, really, is a SLIGHTLY "hollow" feel. It's nowhere near as bad as it was in the FT-9, for example, but it definitely is not as solid as some drivers I have demoed.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by Puppetmaster on November 24, 2009

Pros:

Long when hit pure, great feel on impact, ability to swap shafts

Cons:

Not thta forgiving, R9 sleeves expensive if you want to experiment

Rating:

I bought a R9 TP 3 months ago in 9.5* with the Fubuki 73 shaft in stiff. I was initially drawn to its appearance at address - very simple and clean, easy to line up, and to me that inspires lots of confidence. On pure hits, I'm hitting this long (for me) and it feels really nice. It is somewhat of a hot face but with some element of feel and control, if I can put it that way. The Fubuki in stiff wasn't stiff enough for me so I've since switched to an R9 issue Matrix Ozik HD6 in x-stiff and also an "OEM" Fubuki 73 in x-stiff. I'm getting much more control with these shafts, with the HD6 winning the battle in terms of overall distance and accuracy.

This face isn't the hottest out there, nor is it the most forgiving, but I like the balance that it provides in terms of feel, workability, and distance, along with the flexibility to swap shafts and change the face angle (I've used it 1 notch open on occassion). I don't vary the weights and probably won't ever, so I can't comment on that. The R9 sleeves however, are not something that you can purchase off the shelf, and they can be expensive (look out for eBay knockoffs), so to some, that may be a stumbling block if you want to experiment with different shafts.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by scraz7 on December 03, 2009

Pros:

Easily adjustable face angle, easily adjustable swingweight, small head

Cons:

Stock motore shaft

Rating:

I received an R9 as a replacement for a broken R7 Limited.  The R9 is a good driver, but I wouldn't say it is great.  I have the 420 version and I find that it is probably less forgiving that other drivers on the market.  I do like that the face angle is adjustable because I am use to playing open-faced drivers.  I also like that the swingweight can easily be adjusted with the removable weights.  TM drivers always feel a little heavy to me and I like that I can easily adjust the swingweight by putting in different screws.  The R9 is a good driver, but I would weight for TM to drop the price before I purchased one for myself.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by PGAHopeful26 on December 28, 2009

Pros:

MWT (Movable Weight Technology)

FCT (Flight Control Technology)

Head Size

Sound

Shaft

Cons:

MWT (Movable Weight Technology)

Time

Price

Rating:

I have the R9 TP, 9.5 with a TP Motore F1 Stiff shaft. When I first bought the club, I was pleased when I gained 5 yards. However, I always felt like the driver wasn't reaching its potential. So, I spent 3 days at my local driving range with the goal of finding my perfect setup. These were the steps I took when modifying my R9:

1. Take out the driver with everything stock. Weights and hosel should both be set to neutral. Hit the club and take note of what the shape was as well as the trajectory.

2. Pick a goal trajectory or shape (High Draw, Fade, etc.)

3. First adjust the hosel. If your hitting a slice, move it a click towards the L. If your hitting a Hook you would move it to the R. Take these changes and hit a few more balls, watch the difference.

4. After finding that perfect match, you can begin to mess around with the weights for a little movement left and right. It wont be as obvious as the hosel adjustment, but nevertheless its movement.

Hopefully these steps will help you in the adjustment of your R9. Customization may seem like a gimmick, but it definitely adds to your distance and consistency. After I finished the tuning, I straightened up my draw a little bit and put a higher trajectory on it. I ended up with 10 yards more and hitting every fairway. A far cry from my old driver.

As for the Pros and Cons, the pros are pretty simple. The shaft is quality, but if your swing speed is high like mine, you may want to consider a TP, as it offers a heavier weight and a truer stiffness. FCT, or the hosel adjustment really is pretty incredible. You can fix your problems temporarily, at least on the driver end, and play more consistenly. (If you have an issue with a slice or a hook, this club will help you, but you would gain more from working on your swing and straightening out your shot, rather than buying this club to fix it). The sound is nice, you can hear when you really nail one. The one thing I really like is the head size, this club manages to look small while still having a 425cc head. Im not quite sure how, but its nice not to be swinging a sandwich on the course.

As for the cons, there really aren't any major ones, but I like to play devils advocate. Especially when it could mean you putting down 400 bucks. The MWT (Movable Weight Technology) really doesn't mean much with this driver. I understand its what Taylormade is all about, but really? Its nice to have it I guess, but it definitely takes a backseat to the revolutionary FCT (Flight Control Technology). The time it takes to tune this club perfectly really is something to consider. It took me about 2 times at the driving range, one time per week to get this perfect. I may be impatient, but quicker would be nice. Price is something you cannot shy away from either. Face it, its not the cheapest thing around, but it could shed strokes. Either way, it boils down to your call. Ill put it down as a con anyways.

 

Hope this helps!

 

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.

  by Guest on February 14, 2010

Pros:

Tight dispersion, penetrating ball flight

Cons:

shaft a bit stiff, must swing aggressively

Rating:

My profile: First of all, a bit about me.  I'm a lefty and a 2 handicap.  My driver swing speed is 99 with a ball speed of 149.  Fairly smooth transition and a "swinger" rather than a "hitter".  I am a bit of a club beeatch and typically buy a new driver every year.  Since I'm lefty, I find lots of good deals every Boxing Day and during any Demo events.  Picked up this club as a demo on Boxing Day for $175, but basically in mint condition. 

Review:

Initial Impressions: I really like the look of this club and was pretty excited to get out and try it as soon as possible.  I live in Vancouver and basically play year round.  My first round with it was in late December.  It felt great right away, but my initial impression was the shaft was too stiff and I had to take a healthy rip at it.  My previous gamer was a Ping Rapture with a stiff Aldila VS Proto shaft in it (picked it up new in the spring for $140!).  The R9 TP definitely has a lower initial launch than my Ping and my intial impression was I was losing some distance.  Nice launch, good tight dispersion, but perhaps a little shorter than my Rapture.

Second Impressions: It's winter, so the courses aren't too busy right now.  So I have been getting out at twilight on the weekends and just playing a couple balls with both drivers in the bag.  After about 3 rounds of doing this, I am surprised to say that I am hitting the R9 TP about the same distance as my Ping.  In addition, the stiffer shaft has reduced my typical miss that is a nasty pull hook when I try to kill one.  I can still hook it bad, but not to the extreme misses that I would get with my Ping.  I think my Ping still goes farther when I catch it right, but I am finding that the R9 is going a bit farther as well when I tee it up a bit and catch it higher up on the face.  Catch the ball on the lower half of the face with this driver and you are definitely penalized with a loss of distance. 

Adjustments: The ability to adjust the face angle is what really sets this driver apart for me.  I brought the wrench out on the course and monkeyed around with the head.  It really is amazing how you can tweak it and see a real difference in the shape of your shots.  I was hitting a little push one day and tweaked it a bit until I was hitting it straighter.  I don't usually hit balls at the range before I play.  But if I did, I could see how you could just see what the shot shap is for the day and adjust the head to counter a bit.

Conclusion: Overall, I think this is a great driver.  Probably a 4.5 rather than a 5.  I wish the face felt a little hotter like it does with my Ping.  But find the right shaft and this is going to help anyones game.  I'm likely going to find another shaft on ebay so I can mix and match depending on how I am playing.  Happy with my purchase!

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by Guest on March 05, 2010

Pros:

adjustability is helpful

Cons:

Short on distance

Rating:

I won this driver in my club's proshop christmas raffle.  It has replaced my R7 limited.  Whilst I have found the R9 significantly more foregiving than the R7 it is coming up at least 20 yards shorter than the R7. 20 yards off the tee is alot to loose and whilst the R9's foregiveness is welcome I suspect that most of that comes from it being shorter on distance.

I'm pleased I kept the R7 in the garage and I suspect it will be finding its way back into my bag again shortly.

I have the stock shafts (motor in r9 and altus in r7) and I think the r7 stock shaft is far superior.

I am a Taylormade fan (I have had severaI of their drivers in the past and have always been happy) but I would not recommend the R9   with the stock shaft.

 

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.

  by Guest on June 28, 2010

Pros:

Silly Control. Completely Eliminated My Slider To The Right. Completely, I Say!!!

Cons:

Slightly shorter shaft than normal, but no loss of distance. Honestly.

Rating:

I moved to Dominican Republic 2 years ago, and broke the crown of my SuperQuad. I I cried for months, as I could not find a replacement. I bought a Burner, and my driving woes began. I could not keep it straight.

 

Then.....

 

I just bought an R9 TP the other day, and wham bam, thank you ma'am. Good heavens, she flies like a die. I spent about 2 hours at the range tuning my baby, then we went birdie hunting the next morning.

 

Without a doubt the most forgiving and relentlessly consistency I have ever known. My SuperQuad was Delicious, but this makes me downright Gluttonous. I hit 10/11 drives, and the one missed was to the left, just.

 

Maybe the only drawback would be that I now have a much higher launch than with my SuperQuad, but I am not complaining, The ball seems to sprout wings and refuses to drop. As a result, I have not seen a huge distance loss. Maybe about 5 to 10 yards overall, but I don't need that extra distance anyway, as i usually drive the ball about 320 to 350 depending on ground and wind conditions.

 

In general, being a titleist iron fan, I have never had any driver better than a Taylormade, and the R9 will sit nicely in mag for many years to come. I am going to buy a 9.5 head or an 8.5, if they have one, for particulary windy days.

 

Go out and try one, you might just understand why Taylormade is the #1 driver in golf.

 

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.