TaylorMade R11 Driver Review

The TaylorMade R11 driver really stands out for the matt white finish and we have to say we liked it. It not only looked very striking on the shelf but at address it was very easy to line up and the white head was no more off putting than any other colour. Combined with a classical driver head shape the R11 ticked all the boxes before we got to the business of hitting the ball.

On a visit to the TaylorMade fitting centre at Kingsfield near Edinburgh, we had a chance to play around on a trackman system to find the optimum set up for our swings with the R11 driver and you really do need some form of system like this to accurately measure each setting to find the right one for you.

With 48 set-up combinations available to the golfer any input you can get from the experts to ensure you get the most from this excellent driver the better. The standard Fujikura Blur shaft is a lot better than the standard shafts have been in the past and the sound and feel are excellent too.

The sole plate adjustment does change the face angle quite significantly and you would have to be quite unhappy with your FCT (Flight Control Technology) adjusted face to want to use the sole plate to change this.

It only really works if you ground the club behind the ball first and then take your grip, as otherwise we struggle to see the real benefit of this as the loft and lie are already ‘locked in’ by the hosel adjustment and can’t be independently changed.

We feel it needs more graduated options of less than 2 degrees on the sole plate to make it more usable. TaylorMade say that the main reason for the sole plate adjustment is to give the player more confidence and that in turn will lead to a better swing and more confidence so it will really be up to you whether you find it useful or not.

That said the R11 is a really good driver and we are not surprised to see it selling well. The sound and feel at impact are very good and with all the adjustment options you will find a setting that will improve your drives with the help of an experienced hitter.

If you have an R9, you may not see a lot of performance benefit in changing to the R11 unless you prefer white, but for everyone else this is a must try premium driver if you can afford it.