Measuring Discrepancies.
We picked up a trend measuring driver heads. Taylor Made drivers all measure 2-3* higher loft than the number stamped on the sole plate. 11.5* on the sole plate can easily measure 15* on the gauge. We have never measured a Taylor Made driver that was under marked loft.
The normal response from a player who gets their driver measured at the Golf Lab – our free service – is to deplore Taylor Made quality control. “How could my 9.5* driver be 12*?”
Because Taylor Made planned it that way. Taylor Made sells hundreds of millions of dollars in drivers every year. In years past, it was no problem to deliver drivers within a degree of stated loft. If Taylor Made wanted their drivers to be perfect for loft – they would be.
Taylor Made knows better.
The Taylor Made marketing department figured out golfer psychology long ago. They know that no ordinary golfer will buy the driver that fits – left to his own methods. Since most drivers are sold by self-service at Big Box stores – TM provides their own version of Steve Jobs’ “reality distortion field”.
If you own a Taylor Made driver with 11.5* on the sole plate – it will measure 13-15*. That will probably be just about perfect – assuming the face angle matches your swing path.
There you have it. If Taylor Made left their future for golfers to know what he should have – rather than what he wants – they would be in the doldrums with all the other driver companies.
Taylor Made would never admit that they think that their customers are too dumb to make their own decisions – but how else would you interpret the facts?
Taylor Made drivers work better because they are not what you think. What better explanation could there be?
Taylor Made’s Reward? They are the most successful golf equipment company on earth – measured by sales. The results are in.
Have no fear. Buy a Taylor Made R9 11.5 Super Tri. It might be a very good 15* driver with a 2* closed face angle – once you get all of the settings measured.
It might be “perfect”.