Unofficial Taylor Made SIM2 Max driver review

[revkev]

It’s been a while since we’ve had an “official” TMag review of any sort. Hopefully that will change at some point soon.

Here’s a quick unofficial review of the SIM2 max driver.

 

First a bit about me. I’m a 64 year old Lutheran Minister at a medium size church and school in St Petersburg, FL.  My wife and I parent a late in life 19 year old daughter, Penny, who is disabled due to Cerebral Palsy but otherwise quite abled.  Long story short this doesn’t leave a lot of time for golf but I do manage to find some.  My handicap index sits currently at 5.6, driver swing speed is in the mid 90’s. I carry 7 iron 145, driver 210-220. 
 

My club recently offered a Taylor Made fitting experience.  The options were full bag, irons, woods.  I’ve been attempting to find a 3 wood for some time. Honestly it’s unlikely that there is one that fits my moderate SS and shallow AoA but if it’s out there, I will find it. So I signed up for a half hour wood fitting at 10 AM. 

 

The time mattered because I always play late in the day and am much faster then.  I arrived at the club early, warmed up and was about 3 mph off my normal according to the Rapsodo. Latter, Trackman would have my SS within 1 mph of my little $450 device.

 

i started out hitting some 3 woods - was carrying them around 180, running out to 195.  I then pulled the 5 wood and hit it three times.

Honestly at 17.5 this is a 4 wood and fits me perfectly - I averaged 192 carry and 205 with the run out. The fitter cried uncle but said he wanted to give driver a shot. 
 

Why not? I thought.  Plenty of time, might as well.

After having me hit my driver, a Ping G410 12 degree opened to 11, weight to fade, for a baseline, he grabbed a SIM 2 Max with a Ventus blue R flex shaft. It was love at first swing. Drive after drive was 15 yards longer than the Ping.

 

I should pause here to state that I’ve been gaming Ping for some time G2, Rapture, G30, G400 LST, G410.  I had a two season stint with a Mizuno followed by a season with a TMag driver between the Rapture and the G30.

 

Back to the fitting.  I did tug a couple of drives so he opened the head which is a 10.5, one click. Hit the first one straight on the target line, zero dispersion and a stout for me, particularly in the morning, 229. Session done after a few more, he told me the nice thing was that I didn’t need to special order, I could walk into any Dicks, buy one, set it with the wrench and head to the course.  Instead I thought about it a couple of days, grabbed my 410 LST from the garage and went to a local privately owned shop - he took the driver and $300.  He has a 30 day playability deal BTW.

 

I’ve played four rounds with the driver and made two or three trips to the range. I’m starting to feel comfortable that it will do what I want, when I want. 
 

Normal shots are medium high with the slightest hint of draw. I can launch it very high or a bit lower as well. I can also hit a bigger draw and have succeeded in hitting a slight fade but I never trust that shot.

The last few times out something remarkable has started to happen with it. My swing speed and ball speed are noticeably faster. In fact, I hit three drives in a row at the range on Monday evening where my swing speed was 100.  Over the last two range sessions my average swing speed was 96.
 

Further, that increased speed is coming to the course as well. I played in league yesterday late afternoon. My drives were out where they were 10 years ago, when I was a 1 handicap.

I haven’t been on 12, a 425 yard par 4 that plays into the prevailing wind, in regulation in several years. Yesterday into that wind I had 178 to a back pin - I had 56 to a back pin just a bit short of the green side bunker on 13, its 310. I had 241 on the 485 uphill 14th but with no 3 wood couldn’t chance it   The best was 18, 387 I cut the corner of the dogleg and had 127 left.  I used to do that all the time, lately though it’s been right, away from the hazard on the corner, to the 150 and hit 6 or 7 iron across a deep trap. 
 

I find the SIM2 extremely forgiving especially on my characteristic low in the club face miss.  Taylor Made says this is because of the 24 gram tungsten weight on the rear inertia generator pictured below. I also love it’s sound and solid feel that still gives plenty enough feedback. I instantly know where I caught the ball on the club face.

 

 

Of course it comes with Twist Face technology  and the ballyhooed Taylor Made speed pocket. The SIM2 Max’s stock shaft length is 45.75 which has taken some getting used to for me but I now am and have little trouble with it. 

In summary I have gained those 15 yards that the fitter found for me. My swing speed is a bit faster, spin rate is between 400 and 500 less, nice launch, good feel, sound, some workability, more than enough forgiveness.  This driver works well for me and should be on your must demo list if you are planning to buy a driver this season.
 

 

 

[cksurfdude]

Good info, Rev, and Congrats! on finding such a well-fit-for-you *BOOM* stick!