Wieskemp Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 Hey guys, I've pretty much been playing Taylormade drivers my entire life as I liked them and haven't found any reason to change. That being said, I've been having issues with the face of the driver breaking and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. I had a Sim Max Driver a couple of years ago that developed a dent on the face after playing it for a bit. I thought it was weird but Taylormade replaced it with a new Stealth and so I was happy with the trade. Now after playing my Stealth for just over two years, I was hitting it at the range and the face just splintered on me. I swing fairly hard (about 120mph) and play once a week plus hit the range periodically. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this something that just happens over time? Is this just a Taylormade issue? I'd be interested to hear if anyone else experiences this as now I'm wondering if I should switch to another brand as I don't want to be buying a driver every two years. Thanks for your help! Lefty11, Josh Parker, fixyurdivot and 4 others 7 Quote Driver: Stealth 9* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Fairway: Stealth 3W 15* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Irons: P790 2 Iron w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black P790 4-6 Iron w/ Project X P770 7-AW XS w/ Project X Wedge: MG3 56* and 60* Putter: 35" Spider GT Splitback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Person Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 17 minutes ago, Wieskemp said: Hey guys, I've pretty much been playing Taylormade drivers my entire life as I liked them and haven't found any reason to change. That being said, I've been having issues with the face of the driver breaking and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. I had a Sim Max Driver a couple of years ago that developed a dent on the face after playing it for a bit. I thought it was weird but Taylormade replaced it with a new Stealth and so I was happy with the trade. Now after playing my Stealth for just over two years, I was hitting it at the range and the face just splintered on me. I swing fairly hard (about 120mph) and play once a week plus hit the range periodically. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this something that just happens over time? Is this just a Taylormade issue? I'd be interested to hear if anyone else experiences this as now I'm wondering if I should switch to another brand as I don't want to be buying a driver every two years. Thanks for your help! This was a known issue over the last couple of years that has happened quite frequently from everything I have read. Will they be replacing it under a warranty? Lefty11, KC Golf, Hosel_Rockets and 1 other 4 Quote WITB- Driver -Titleist 910D, 3w- Titleist 910F, 5hy/7hy- Titleist 910H, 6-PW - Stix , 52⁰, 56⁰, 60⁰ - Stix , Putter- AI-ONE DB / Lombardi Tour 34 custom Just an old newbie golfer, trying to learn and improve 1 club at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hosel_Rockets Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 As Rob said, it's been an ongoing issue (especially with the Stealth and Stealth 2 line). I know of several people who have had the face break or crack. A buddy of mine sent in an M6 at the beginning of last year due to the face cracking, and they still gave him $300 off a new driver - hopefully they will outright replace yours, or provide a similar discount! Wieskemp and Rob Person 2 Quote WITB: Driver - LTDx 9* w/ Mitsubishi Chemicals Kuro Kage 70g Stiff Shaft 3 Wood - LTDx 15* w/ Mitsubishi Chemicals Tensei 75g Stiff Shaft 7 Wood - AI Smoke Triple 20* w/ Project X Denali Black 70g Stiff Shaft Irons (PW-4 Iron) - P790 w/ Oban 115g X-Stiff Shafts Wedges (50, 54, 58) - SM9 Putter - Studio Stock 28 Armlock w/ Super Stroke Grip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NM01 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 Faces thin over time and cracks happen especially at higher swing speeds. It’s a reason Callaway has thicker faces for their drivers the pros get. Rob Person and Wieskemp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain3484 Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 (edited) I bought a new Sim1 3-wood (a year after the release but still in the plastic) and the top of the head (because it was designed poorly with multiple pieces) came off on the 3rd swing. I took it back, they said that it was a common occurence and it was one of the main reasons TM stopped producing the Sim1 so he didn't now if they would fix it. So they submitted it for warranty repairs and they replaced with a brand new Sim2 - abosultly love that thing and have had no issues. Edited June 25 by Captain3484 Rob Person and Lefty11 2 Quote G430 Max 10K Driver - Ventus TR Blue 6s Shaft Sim2 - 3 wood - Ventus Blue Stiff shaft T150 3 iron T100 (2019) 4-GW - Nippon Modus 120 shafts Vokey SM9 54/58 - Nippon Modus 120 Shafts DF3 Putter - Stock Pro V1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerGrey Posted June 30 Share Posted June 30 I don't know about all of these quality issues as I don't swing 120+ mph well not even close so I never had the fear of anything ever going wrong with any of the TM driver I've ever played. I know it makes to think twice about buying one as this was what I went thru with some new Titleist T-350's irons with the back plate. I got rid of those quickly and have no regrets just buyers remorse. Those still are some nice irons but just not for me as my fault for I expected more from them when I once played the AP2's years ago. Lefty11 and Rob Person 2 Quote Driver: GT2 9* w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-XC 5 3W : GT 2 13.5* W/ Graphite Design Tour AD-VF 5 5W Qi10 w/ NX Speeder TCS 5 4H: Qi10 w/ NX Speeder TCS 5 5 thru PW : i530 5-PW w/ AXIOM 75 shafts Wedges: RTX 6 Full face 48*, 54* w/ i95 SteelFiber shafts Puter: GREEN DF3 w/Black 34" w/ BGT Stability ONE w/Press II 3 grip (Back-up) E2 34" w/ BGT Stability Fire shaft midsize Black Pure Grip Bag: FOLDS of HONOR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The TXBexar Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Ain't just TaylorMade. My new Ai Smoke Max came with a very obvious QC/QA fitment issue on the head, but when I talked to the rep he told me that it wasn't going to affect the playability of the club, but if it worsens or actually breaks to bring it in and they should replace it under warranty. Yeah, he said "Should." I asked him "Should or will?" And he honestly told me he can't answer that for me, as he doesn't know what they will or won't cover anymore. To make matters worse, already had the shaft break in the Hosel connection from me absolutely crushing a ball at the range. Don't know how, but it legitimately broke within the Hosel housing, and then split the Hosel in two as well. Luckily the place I bought it from just swapped out a new shaft for me and put extra epoxy at the Hosel adapter connection to hopefully stop it from happening again. Rob Person and Lefty11 2 Quote Driver: 2024 Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke MAX 9deg(wgt'd draw w/ hosel set +1&draw) Hybrids: 2022 TSR2 - 3Hybrid(19Deg) Irons: 2023 T790 5-9i,Pw,Aw - Dynamic Gold 115g Stiff Wedges: 2024 Vokey SM10 55Deg(56Deg loft adj. -1) - same Putter: 2004 Scotty Cameron Futura - 38.25", 4Deg Lie Ball: 2020 Vice Pro, Callaway SuperHot/SuperSoft Matte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_APH Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I know some say it's quality issues, but it's also these companies striving for the best possible performance. They need thinner faces and to push limits with lighter materials and all that which of course may not be quite as strong. We want performance, that comes with some risks. If we didn't care about that peak performance then we would all still be using a PING G5 or something like that. Not saying it doesn't suck - it does. Just saying there are inherited trade offs when these companies push the limits as they do year after year. Haile, GolfGuy824, Rob Person and 5 others 6 2 Quote as of Nov 6, 2023 (Past WITB) Driver: Paradym TD w/ GD ADDI 6X Driver Shootout! Wood: F7 3 wood 14.5* w/ Motore F1 Shaft Irons: T Series - T200 5 Iron T150 6-9 Iron T100 PW/GW Wedge: Toura Golf - A Spec 53,37,61 degree Putter: Mezz Max! Balls: Vice Pro Plus Drip (Blue/Orange) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splatt Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Silver lining: That crack couldn't be more centered Good hit GolfGuy824, Hacker60521, taylorjonasher and 5 others 2 1 5 Quote Driver: Speedzone 9.5 degree (love this club) Hybrid - RadSpeed 3 Hyrbid Irons - VGI02 5I to SW - 2024 MGS test Wedges - Hi-Toe 58 degree Putter - - MEZZ.1 MAX - 2023 MGS TEST Ball - E6 (stands for 3-putt apparently) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Golf Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I agree that leading edge technology has inherent risks. I think legitimate issues during normal course of play like cracks in the head should be covered for at least 1 year as a minimum for a full replacement. At the price these OEMs are charging for drivers and the need to retain their core customers, doing the right thing should be important. I think most major OEMs are doing this and it’s nice to see they are covering older drivers partially for known issues. The breaks from frustration should definitely not be covered. brogies and Rob Person 2 Quote TSR 3 9.0 Autoflex 405x - Official Tester 2024 TSi 3 15.0 GD Tour AD - DI 6S Stiff Utility 2 Iron 18.0 - Nippon NS Pro 650GH Stiff / TS3 21 Hybrid Tensei AV Blue 65 HY Stiff 4 - 9 101T Irons - KBS Tour Lite Stiff - Official Tester 2023 Vokey SM9 46 F - 10 BV105 Stiff Vokey SM9 52 F - 12 Nippon NS Pro 950 Stiff Vokey Forged (Japan) 56 M - 10 DG S200 MG3 60 - 12 - Nippon NS Modus3 Tour 105 Stiff Champions Choice Newport 2+ Button Back - 35” / Pistolini Plus Z-Star Diamond Players 4 bag Official Tester - 2021 & Current Club Sensor User Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haile Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I bought a Stealth2 plus this year. It's basically new old stock at this point. Where I bought it from said that I basically had 18 months through Taylormade. The fitter has had a few warranty claims through them and said they were great to work with. I bought the driver knowing that something could happen to it. I also don't swing at over 110mph. I understand the risks associated with high performance equipment. Whether it be in golf or anywhere else in life. The higher the performance, the lower the durability. I don't like that rule, but I didn't make it. But, in dealing with absolutes and tolerances on a daily basis, it has struck me as odd when manufacturers don't give limits or anything else. For instance, this face is 11mm thick(I just pulled that number out of the air) +/- 1.5mm. It's good for up to 115mph swing and a ball up to X compression rating. Anything over that is at your own risk. Maybe that's way too much for them to do. I have no idea. I will say that I was pretty hesitant going to a carbon face when I'm pretty familiar with the limitations of the material. I will also say that I've been pretty impressed with it so far. I go into things with the expectations that eventually, this is going to need to be replaced. Whether that's because it gets worn out or just flat out breaks. If it breaks too quickly, I just don't buy that again. The only hope is that the manufacturer takes a reasonable stance behind their product. Rob Person and BIG STU 2 Quote Driver - Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus 9 degree @ 44.5" 3 wood - Cobra LTDx max 5 wood - Cobra LTDx Taylormade P770 4-PW Mizuno S22 wedges - 50, 54 and 58 Putter - Odyssey white hot OG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook DeLoft Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 All you have to do is slow your driver swing down to less than 90mph. Problem solved. BIG STU and Lefty11 2 Quote 14 of the following: Taylormade Qi10 Max Callaway 2023 Big Bertha 3 wood set to 17 degrees Cobra F9 Speedback 7/8 wood set at 23.5 degrees Callaway Epic Max 11 wood Titleist TSR1 hybrid 26 degrees Ping Eye 2 BeCu 2-SW Ping G430 irons 6-50 degree Sub 70 286 wedges 52 and 56 degrees Hogan sand wedge 56 degree bent to 53 Ping Glide 3.0 Eye2 58 degree Ping Glide 3.0 60 degree Evnroll ER2 Ping Sigma 2 Anser Cheap Top Flite mallet putter from Dick's, currently holding down first place in the bag TaylorMade Mini Spider Bridgestone XS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardia10 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 I think the rate at which you see failures equate to rate of sales. You see a lot of TM because they sell the most. I also see just as much Callaway and Titleist but then a drop off but that is likely less about quality and more about just less clubs sold and not being seen as much when it happens. Lefty11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterDrive385 Posted July 6 Share Posted July 6 Callaway has a lot of issues. Seems they want to make money and not a quality product. Lefty11 1 Quote TaylorMade SIM2 woods, PXG 5 wood, TaylorMade Wedges, Mizuno irons, Scotty Cameron putter and TP5/ProV1x golf balls. Club Champ and Long Drive Champ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frojoe22 Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 I just had the entire face of my stealth 2 fly off in the middle of a round, no abuse or anything. 4 handicap and I swing 100-105 depending on if I go at it. They are replacing it, I’m just hoping they send me a QI10! Anyone know how old something has to be to get the new model? Lefty11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnsonc22 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 I still rock a Cobra F9 that my son threw off the back of the golf cart at magnolia grove that has a big crack down the carbon backside. Sounds a little different and feels different when I hit it. However, I didn’t run out and grab a new driver due to so many quality concerns (better put - reliability/longevity concerns) these brands are all pushing the performance envelope and the $ price points - makes you really think about what direction you are going to go. the TM fitter I knew had an entire case of driver heads wrecked after he experienced a flood out in Nashville TN last year when the new stealth 2s came out. Faces just popped out at the seam. Lefty11 1 Quote Cobra F9 (Dr/3w) Pxg Gen4 (hybrid) p790 (4-Pw) Vokey SM9 (50-58) Cleveland RHO 2315 (putter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like to hit bombs Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 I had a Sim 2 driver and fairway wood both fail. The driver cracked similar to this and the glue that holds the crown down on the fairway popped off. Both times they replaced it and in the case of the fairway wood, they gave me a Stealth instead. Taylormade semi acknowledged the problem when they released the Qi clubs this year and said that the new ones should be a little tougher. I haven’t seen too many posts of the Qi series (not like I was seeing with the Stealth and Stealth 2). They’ve been really good about making it right though. BIG STU and Lefty11 2 Quote Driver: G430 10k 3W: Sim2 Max 5W: Stealth Max 4H: Sim 2 5H: TSR2 6-7i: Zx5 Mkii 8-P: Zx7 Mkii 48, 52, 56 SM9 Spider GT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 2 hours ago, I like to hit bombs said: I had a Sim 2 driver and fairway wood both fail. The driver cracked similar to this and the glue that holds the crown down on the fairway popped off. Both times they replaced it and in the case of the fairway wood, they gave me a Stealth instead. Taylormade semi acknowledged the problem when they released the Qi clubs this year and said that the new ones should be a little tougher. I haven’t seen too many posts of the Qi series (not like I was seeing with the Stealth and Stealth 2). They’ve been really good about making it right though. I had a bud of mine about a year ago pop the face out of a SIM 1 driver right at the side seams. He is like me old and no gorilla. They did send him a new SIM2 head I think it was. I popped the face out of a M6 a while back and I got a credit which was what I wanted. One of many reasons I hit with either my Old Callaway Alpha or my Honma G1-X. I do not like the feel or control of those carbon fiber faces Lefty11 1 Quote Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- - 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R---- Irons 5 thru PW 1980 Macgregor VIP Hogan Apex steel shafts--- SW -- Cleveland 588 56* S-400 Sensicore --- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter 1997 Scotty Cameron Santa Fe Fluted Bulls Eye shaft--- Bag TM Flex Lite Stand---- Yeah I know only 11 clubs G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron999 Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 Got fitted for the Stealth when they first came out. After about 30 rounds the face started to develop little lift marks, as if the outer coating was lifting. Contacted TAYLORMADE that off season and they replaced it with the Stealth 2. I’ve played with that driver for 1.5 seasons and now it has the same thing happening. Contacted TAYLORMADE again and they are standing behind their product again and sending me a new head. And the new head is the QI10. While I’m not happy with having these issues a second time I am happy for TAYLORMADE commitment to support the people who buy their products. Lefty11 and BIG STU 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 On 7/1/2024 at 10:09 PM, GolfSpy_APH said: I know some say it's quality issues, but it's also these companies striving for the best possible performance. They need thinner faces and to push limits with lighter materials and all that which of course may not be quite as strong. We want performance, that comes with some risks. If we didn't care about that peak performance then we would all still be using a PING G5 or something like that. Not saying it doesn't suck - it does. Just saying there are inherited trade offs when these companies push the limits as they do year after year. ... Such a good post. I would add swinging 120mph and using range balls is a disaster waiting to happen with the new composite heads most everyone has gone to. I have feeling we will see some failures with the new Titleist GT line up and their Thermoform Crown. It is just the nature of the beast when you push the limits. At around 95mph and using a softer autoFlex shaft, my driver head is pretty safe from damage. Josh Parker, KC Golf and GolfSpy_APH 3 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... AutoFlex Dream 7 SF405 Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'Li Blue 70r Hybrids: G430 Hybrid 22*... Alta Hy70r Irons: P770 5-pw ... Steelfiber i80r TP UDi 4 ... Steelfiber i80r Wedges: MG3 46*/50*/54* MG4 58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Custom 5.1 (no alignment) 33" Ball: '24 TP5x/Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Golf Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 57 minutes ago, chisag said: ... Such a good post. I would add swinging 120mph and using range balls is a disaster waiting to happen with the new composite heads most everyone has gone to. I have feeling we will see some failures with the new Titleist GT line up and their Thermoform Crown. It is just the nature of the beast when you push the limits. At around 95mph and using a softer autoFlex shaft, my driver head is pretty safe from damage. Let’s hope the Autoflex doesn’t have any failures. Mine is working great too. Both of these posts are spot on. We love that OEMs are pushing the envelope to provide us cutting edge products. What else are we going to spend our hard earned money… golf equipment is just getting better every year and that’s great. chisag and Josh Parker 1 1 Quote TSR 3 9.0 Autoflex 405x - Official Tester 2024 TSi 3 15.0 GD Tour AD - DI 6S Stiff Utility 2 Iron 18.0 - Nippon NS Pro 650GH Stiff / TS3 21 Hybrid Tensei AV Blue 65 HY Stiff 4 - 9 101T Irons - KBS Tour Lite Stiff - Official Tester 2023 Vokey SM9 46 F - 10 BV105 Stiff Vokey SM9 52 F - 12 Nippon NS Pro 950 Stiff Vokey Forged (Japan) 56 M - 10 DG S200 MG3 60 - 12 - Nippon NS Modus3 Tour 105 Stiff Champions Choice Newport 2+ Button Back - 35” / Pistolini Plus Z-Star Diamond Players 4 bag Official Tester - 2021 & Current Club Sensor User Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fixyurdivot Posted August 10 Share Posted August 10 On 6/13/2024 at 8:28 AM, Wieskemp said: Hey guys, I've pretty much been playing Taylormade drivers my entire life as I liked them and haven't found any reason to change. That being said, I've been having issues with the face of the driver breaking and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. I had a Sim Max Driver a couple of years ago that developed a dent on the face after playing it for a bit. I thought it was weird but Taylormade replaced it with a new Stealth and so I was happy with the trade. Now after playing my Stealth for just over two years, I was hitting it at the range and the face just splintered on me. I swing fairly hard (about 120mph) and play once a week plus hit the range periodically. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this something that just happens over time? Is this just a Taylormade issue? I'd be interested to hear if anyone else experiences this as now I'm wondering if I should switch to another brand as I don't want to be buying a driver every two years. Thanks for your help! Wowzah . That is quite a failure. I guess so long as TM stands behind the product and offers no cost replacements, that would help with your decision. But it will be interesting to hear what they say is cause... presuming these go back to engineering for failure analysis and provide you any information. They may not if they are seeing a trend which would not be good press. Wieskemp and Josh Parker 2 Quote G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w ZX5 Irons 4-AW Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW (removed from double secret probation ) ER5v Putter (Official Review) AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Official Review) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wieskemp Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 On 7/30/2024 at 12:28 AM, Frojoe22 said: I just had the entire face of my stealth 2 fly off in the middle of a round, no abuse or anything. 4 handicap and I swing 100-105 depending on if I go at it. They are replacing it, I’m just hoping they send me a QI10! Anyone know how old something has to be to get the new model? I broke the Sim Max and got a new Stealth, and they just replaced my broken Stealth with a Qi10. Send it back and hopefully they’re nice to you! Quote Driver: Stealth 9* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Fairway: Stealth 3W 15* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Irons: P790 2 Iron w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black P790 4-6 Iron w/ Project X P770 7-AW XS w/ Project X Wedge: MG3 56* and 60* Putter: 35" Spider GT Splitback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wieskemp Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 Update for everyone, Taylormade sent me a brand new Qi10 club head which I installed on my old shaft. I had bought a TSI3 in the meantime that I was enjoying and so sold the Qi10. They’ve definitely stood behind their products which makes me feel more comfortable using their equipment, but I’ll also probably stop hitting a lot of range balls and reduce my swing speed accordingly. Quote Driver: Stealth 9* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Fairway: Stealth 3W 15* w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black Irons: P790 2 Iron w/ XS Hzrdus Smoke Black P790 4-6 Iron w/ Project X P770 7-AW XS w/ Project X Wedge: MG3 56* and 60* Putter: 35" Spider GT Splitback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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