TaylorMade Announces SLDR Driver Guarantee...

[Tony Covey MGS]

A couple weeks ago Nike very quietly relaxed pricing on the Covert 2.0 line, Cleveland started offering free fairways with driver purchases, and now TaylorMade has taken its first steps (if you don't count the Speed Pocket Trials thing) towards offsetting the consequences of another extended winter.

 

Large portions of the country aren't playing golf right now, and that's impacting everyone's bottom line. Winter has extended itself to such a bitter degree in some areas that some pro shops have cancelled several weeks worth of orders. Basically, the golf industry is getting killed again. As they did last year, you're going to see golf companies make adjustments. My guess, you won't see anything from PING and Titleist, or many of the smaller companies, but the other heavy hitters are going to do what they can to move product.

 

It will be interesting to see what if any moves Callaway makes in the coming weeks. They committed to holding the line on Big Bertha pricing, and I think they'll probably try like hell to do that. X2 Hot, however, was priced comparatively high out of the gate, so I think they've got some room to discount there, and my guess is they'll do just that, but April...that would be early. In reality, it may come down to what the numbers look like after 2 full months of Bertha shelf time.

 

Here's the Deal

 

Today through June 1st (by which time most of might actually be playing golf), TaylorMade is offering a money back guarantee* on the SLDR driver. Buy it. Take it to the course. Hit as many balls on the range as you want. If you're not happy with your distance gains (within 30 days), you get your money back.

*Guarantee excludes all taxes. One return per product type per US Mailing address.

 

To support the announcement TaylorMade has created two ads (one online, one for TV apparently). The online ad features TaylorMade CEO Mark King discussing the performance of the SLDR and the various accolades it's received this season including 20/20 on the Golf Digest Hot List, and of greater consequence of course, being named MyGolfSpy's Most Wanted for both Distance and Overall Performance.

 

 

Obviously we're excited to get a mention. We've worked very had on our review system (and we have HUGE plans for the future), and it's gratifying to finally start receiving the same sort of acknowledgement and validation as the largest media outlet in the industry. 

 

The 2nd ad leverages the TaylorMade Tour Staff (don't trust them), robots (don't trust them), and makes mention of reviews (don't trust them either), while suggesting that the only thing you should trust is YOUR new distance.

 

 

Worth a mention is that the ad also says "don't trust physics", which I believe is TaylorMade's barely subtle digital middle finger at Callaway's "You Can't Argue with Physics" tagline for the New Big Bertha Series. 

 

Of course, maybe that's just me stirring the pot. In the press release TMaG's Brian Bazzel (Senior Director of Product Creation for Metalwoods) covers all the untrustables including TaylorMade's science, which could include physics:

 

"We have the science to prove why SLDR is the longest driver we’ve ever made. We have an army of Tour Professionals who validate the performance. We know there are golfers out there who don’t trust our science or what tour players do. So we’re encouraging these golfers to trust their own distance. That’s why we’re putting the SLDR Guarantee in play.” 

 

Bazzel left out the part about trusting me because I had a brand new SLDR in my bag when I outplayed him on the front 9 at Torrey Pines. Why that hasn't come up in some of these quotes, I'll never know.

 

Anyway, if we're summing this whole thing up, I'd say that the Most Wanted Driver in Golf now comes with the Best Guarantee in golf. So basically, I guess stop taking our word for it, and try it for yourself, but for the love of god...spend some time on the launch monitor first. Loft Up is real, and if you don't make the proper adjustments over your standard config, chances are the driver isn't going to perform as advertised.

 

And now for the Full Press Release:

 

 

The No. 1 Driver Company in Golf Makes an Unprecedented Move: Distance Increase or Your Money Back, Guaranteed

 

CARLSBAD, Calif. (March 21, 2014) – The SLDR from TaylorMade Golf has been the No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour for 29 consecutive weeks. It is the only driver to ever earn 20/20 stars in the Golf Digest Hotlist. Today, SLDR makes another unprecedented move: Distance increase or your money back, guaranteed.

 

Any golfer who purchases SLDR between the dates of 3/21/14 and 6/1/14 has the option of returning the driver for a full refund if they don’t gain distance off the tee. The offer not only covers both the SLDR 460 and 430 models, but also the fairway and Rescue clubs.*

 

“We have the science to prove why SLDR is the longest driver we’ve ever made. We have an army of Tour Professionals who validate the performance,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s Director of Product Creation for Metalwoods. “We know there are golfers out there who don’t trust our science or what tour players do. So we’re encouraging these golfers to trust their own distance. That’s why we’re putting the SLDR Guarantee in play.”

 

Golfers who purchase any of the SLDR metalwoods between the designated dates, have 30 days to test the clubs and see for themselves why more PGA Tour players select SLDR than any other driver. Golfers have the option of calling a toll-free telephone number or going to taylormadegolf.com/guarantee to facilitate the return process. Those who elect to return the driver will receive a check within 12 weeks.

 

Many golfers have yet to experience the phenomenon of low-forward center of gravity (CG), which is at the foundation of SLDR’s performance. Low forward CG greatly reduces spin, and when coupled with a high-lofted driver creates the ideal conditions for distance: high-launch and low spin. Learn more about the benefits of “lofting up.”

Robot testing designed to emulate the average golfer revealed that adding loft with SLDR results in greater distance in identical conditions.

 

With the SLDR Guarantee, golfers everywhere now have an opportunity to experience the technology that powers SLDR at no cost. For more information, go to taylormadegolf.com/guarantee.

 

* Offer valid only on purchase of the SLDR driver (430 and 460 cc), SLDR fairway and SLDR Rescue made at authorized TaylorMade U.S. retailers only. Original receipt required for refund. Purchase must be made between March 21, 2014 and June 1, 2014. Return must occur within 30 days of purchase. If you purchased your SLDR metalwood online from an authorized TaylorMade retailer, TaylorMade will not reimburse original shipping and handling costs. Call 1-855-711-5683 or go to www.taylormadegolf.com for information on the return process. TaylorMade will send you a check within 12 weeks. REFUND LIMITED TO PURCHASE PRICE PAID AND EXCLUDES ALL TAXES. Only one return per product type per U.S. mailing address.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

if you don't make the proper adjustments over your standard config, chances are the driver isn't going to perform as advertised.

 

This.

 

Exactly.

[Tony Covey MGS]

And because it's TaylorMade, there's a media kit:

 

 

 

 

[SPY ZINGER]

Nice!!

[furu]

Complete and utter bs. They can guarantee longer distances? Ok. We had four testers. Wasn't the longest for anyone. Had a demo day at a golfstore with Nike, TM, Ping, Cobra, Titleist and Callaway. SLDR wasn't the longest driver for more than very very few who tried it. 

 

And they can get away with saying this because they give the buyer the opportunity to return the club if not happy with it. They do this knowing that very few buyers will use this guarantee no matter how long or short they hit the driver. TM will get a lot of regular guys and girls that play golf with their friends once or twice per month. Never been fitted. Never even bought a higher lofted club than 9 degress. Because of the guarantee and no worries about buying the wrong club, these players will have their first fitting of a driver. And we all know that there's a lot of golfers out there with the wrong driver. And they will all hit their new S.L.D.R (not actually allowed to say "slider"  )  a lot better than their old Nike Sumo or 9 degree FT3.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad driver. It's a great driver. For some players. But this marketing campaign is just rubbish and not aimed at passionate golfers who care about what their playing and have knowledge. 

 

In my opinion the S.L.D.R is an unforgiving driver that's very sensitive of the smallest error from the player. A regular golfer should play the JetSpeed if he/she has to buy TM.

 

But are TM any good a these marketing campaigns? No. They're not good at it, they're fantastic.

[SMRT]

I think it is a great way for them to sell a few clubs. When the SLDR was released they were talking loft up but they were not talking their 17/1700 specifics. I heard a lot of people saying they did not like it because they were trying to hit it like their R1 or R11's. Sure, performance is dictated on you finding the correct driver for your swing but if your in the market for a driver why not give it a try.

 

Also, if you have $300 to $500 to spend on a driver, then you might as well give it a try.

 

I think it is a great idea for TM.

[revkev]

I keep hearing about the SLDR being unforgiving. Sorry to say but I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's because my normal miss is a duck hook and less spin means less hook but I find it to be more forgiving than my R11 s, it produces a far more consistent ball flight and is way longer on off center hits.

 

That's for me. I had to loft way up, way,way up. I'm wondering if some fitters aren't getting it yet.

[furu]

@revkev - Well, there you go revkev. You had an R11 that was inconsistent on off center hits and produced inconsistent ball flight. Not hard to find a better driver

[whiskey golf]

I keep hearing about the SLDR being unforgiving. Sorry to say but I'm not seeing it. Maybe it's because my normal miss is a duck hook and less spin means less hook but I find it to be more forgiving than my R11 s, it produces a far more consistent ball flight and is way longer on off center hits.

 

That's for me. I had to loft way up, way,way up. I'm wondering if some fitters aren't getting it yet.

 

I agree about the whole unforgiving thing, it's not harder to hit than the other drivers out there.

 

Complete and utter bs. They can guarantee longer distances? Ok. We had four testers. Wasn't the longest for anyone. Had a demo day at a golfstore with Nike, TM, Ping, Cobra, Titleist and Callaway. SLDR wasn't the longest driver for more than very very few who tried it. 

 

And they can get away with saying this because they give the buyer the opportunity to return the club if not happy with it. They do this knowing that very few buyers will use this guarantee no matter how long or short they hit the driver. TM will get a lot of regular guys and girls that play golf with their friends once or twice per month. Never been fitted. Never even bought a higher lofted club than 9 degress. Because of the guarantee and no worries about buying the wrong club, these players will have their first fitting of a driver. And we all know that there's a lot of golfers out there with the wrong driver. And they will all hit their new S.L.D.R (not actually allowed to say "slider"  )  a lot better than their old Nike Sumo or 9 degree FT3.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad driver. It's a great driver. For some players. But this marketing campaign is just rubbish and not aimed at passionate golfers who care about what their playing and have knowledge. 

 

In my opinion the S.L.D.R is an unforgiving driver that's very sensitive of the smallest error from the player. A regular golfer should play the JetSpeed if he/she has to buy TM.

 

But are TM any good a these marketing campaigns? No. They're not good at it, they're fantastic.

 

Were your testers getting fit with non-stock shaft options and not just rushing the testing? It makes a big difference. 

[furu]

Tested it for two days. TrackMan. ET/CT pro hitting lots of balls for us. 

 

Getting fit is part of the equation for a very very very small number of golfers. I would say that at least 90% of golfers buy of the rack. The most relevant shaft to test is the stock shaft. I will revisit it later in 2-3 weeks to try different shafts. But we don't feel the shaft was the problem. In fact we liked it.

 

If the driver is so complex that you have to get fit and you have to get a club guru to adjust the loft and draw/fade settings to actually hit it well - that's too much. That's a failure.

 

We took out the 588 Custom and hit it better. X2 Hot. BiO Cell. Covert 2.0. BB. All more consistent for normal golfers. 

 

I love to hear 3 handicap players say that a club is easy to hit. That it's not unforgiving. We had a 19, 9, 5, senior with 28 and a tour pro on TrackMan. I'm sorry but you're wrong. The numbers clearly said that it was very sensitive to the smallest difference it impact point.

[Mr_Theoo]

I'm not anywhere near a 3 handicap and I feel that the sldr is as easy to hit as any other driver.

[revkev]

Regardless of the acrimony I do agree that testing with stock has great value because it's what most guys will buy. Furu my inconsistent might be a bit different than other people's. I generally can tell when I'm flushing something and when I'm not. The difference might not be that great, a little off line, five yards shorter on a miss hit. Don't think hooks into woods or grounders or banana balls. But given the less spin the SLDR generally goes where it starts.