A
Remarkable New driver by An Even More Remarkable Company
TaylorMade Launch Control,
a Technology Allowing the User to Change the
Driver's Launch Conditions
Once again golf’s leading
and favorite golf club company has surpassed the industry with
the introduction of their new r7 Quad driver. Having had the number
one driver on the Tour for the past 3 years, TaylorMade’s
commitment to golf, their 53 engineers in R&D and the quality
of their products, continues to allow TaylorMade to be the predominant
force in golf today.
Over 60 Tour players have, within the first 10
days of the prototype being introduced, placed the driver in their
bags. Within two weeks of its introduction, it already has found
the winner’s circle – Sergio Garcia at the Byron Nelson
Tournament on May 16, 2004.
The r7 Quad is targeted at players ranging from
Tour Pros to mid handicappers and works extremely well for players
who possess the ability to repeat their swing, work the ball and
recognize changes in trajectory. Tour pros and low to mid handicap
amateurs (zero to 18 handicap), will get the most out of the r7
quad. The head size, shape, face angle and workability are designed
to work best in the hands of these types of players.
 So
what makes this the driver of the future? TaylorMade addressed
a simple issue regarding distance and ball flight for increased
yardage and accuracy. Based on the theory that a large percentage
of golfers, who have played the game for years with drivers whose
launch conditions aren't close to being right for them, are sitting
on distance reserves that are waiting to be tapped by a driver
that will provide them launch conditions that fit their swing.
TaylorMade has long understood the importance
of matching launch conditions to swing type in order to produce
optimum results. That's what inspired the 300 Series and R500
Series of drivers, both of which featured three club head models
to give players a choice of launch conditions.
Like many clubs created by TaylorMade, the r7
quad was inspired by the suggestions of tour professionals, some
of whom requested launch conditions that could not be delivered
by either the 300 Series or R500 Series.
TaylorMade invented a completely new technology
called TaylorMade Launch Control (TLC) that allows players the
freedom to change the driver's launch conditions by redistributing
24 grams of discretionary weight in a variety of ways.
While the average driver delivers a single set
of launch conditions, the r7 quad delivers six, allowing the player
to choose the one that generates maximum distance, accuracy and
workability.
According to TaylorMade’s chief technical
guru, Dr. Benoit Vincent, "If your driver's launch conditions
don't match up with your individual swing characteristics, you're
losing distance. Therefore, by providing a range of launch conditions
in one club, we've given players the opportunity to find a combination
of spin-rate and launch angle that will allow them to achieve
maximum distance and accuracy."
TaylorMade Launch Control (TLC):
An Entirely New Technology
 The
idea for the r7 quad gained momentum when TaylorMade's R&D
staff began exploring methods to redistribute club head weight
in order to enhance driver performance. In other words, relocate
weight from one area of the club head to another. It was determined
that 24 grams of discretionary weight would be required. If a
way could be devised to break down that 24 grams and reallocate
it to different locations in the club head, it would give the
driver a wide range of performance possibilities.
To make it possible to redistribute club head
weight, TaylorMade engineers devised a system of four ports, called
TLC ports, which are located in the sole of the club head. At
the same time, they developed differently weighted cartridges,
called TLC cartridges, which can easily be installed in the TLC
ports and removed again. Installing different-weighted TLC cartridges
in different configurations in the TLC ports effectively shifts
the CG toward the front or the back or toward the heel or the
toe. Each CG location delivers a new set of launch conditions
based upon the player's personal performance needs.
TLC allows the golfer to easily switch between
several sets of launch conditions that allow the golfer to find
the conditions that work best with their individual swing so that
each golfer can exercise their true distance potential.
The range of launch conditions that the r7 quad
is capable of delivering permits it to promote six trajectory
types that can help the player to hit the ball higher or lower,
and at the same time provides biases that will help low- and mid-handicap
players to work the ball to the right or to the left by varying
degrees up to ten yards.
 A
special tool, called the TLC Trajectory Wheel comes with the r7
quad, and is designed to clearly show which TLC cartridges are
required and how they should be configured to promote each of
the six potential trajectories that the r7 quad is designed to
deliver.
r7 Quad TLC cartridges weigh 10 grams and 2 grams.
The 10-gram TLC cartridges are made primarily of tungsten; the
2-gram TLC cartridges are made entirely of titanium. The r7 quad
comes with two 2-gram cartridges and two 10-gram cartridges.
TLC ports are positioned low in the club head,
to keep the CG as low as possible. TLC ports are also positioned
as far toward the club head's perimeter as allowable, making it
possible to move the CG far enough to the locations that would
deliver the launch conditions that TaylorMade engineers had targeted.
Positioning the TLC ports near the club head's perimeter creates
the additional benefit of increased MOI, making the r7 quad's
400cc club head more stable and forgiving on mis-hits, regardless
of how the TLC cartridges are configured. In fact, the r7 quad
boasts a 10% higher MOI than TaylorMade's similarly sized R510
TP driver.
 "When
we tested the r7 quad, the influence that the different CG positions
had on players' shots became evident immediately," said Vincent.
"When a player found the CG location that delivered ideal
launch conditions for him, the boost that it provided in terms
of distance and control was clear. At that point we knew that
we had developed a technology that was meaningful and relevant.
It was clear that the r7 quad permitted players to maximize the
length and accuracy of their tee shots by dialing in the launch
conditions that work best with their individual swing characteristics."
Super-Thin Wall Casting Technology:
Thin-Yet-Strong Walls
Creating the 24 grams of discretionary weight
needed to make TLC possible was a challenge. TaylorMade succeeded
by making the walls of the r7 quad incredibly thin, yet strong
enough to withstand the rigors of impact. Whereas the walls of
a typical titanium wood measure from 1.0 to 1.2 millimeters thick,
the walls of the r7 quad are a mere 0.8 millimeters thick.
This manufacturing process is called Super-Thin
Wall technology, made possible by TaylorMade’s high performance
casting abilities.
TLC Torque Wrench: Specifically
Created For and Suited To the Purpose
 TLC
cartridges feature a special six-pointed drive for use with a
special tool called the TLC Torque Wrench, which was created specifically
to install and remove cartridges. We chose six points to allow
more points of contact for a more secure connection. Because both
the 10- and 2-gram cartridges are engineered to be securely installed
when tightened to greater than 30 inch-pounds of torque, the TLC
Torque Wrench is self-limiting, and will deliver that exact amount
of torque and no more to prevent over-tightening the cartridge.
When the TLC Torque Wrench reaches 30+ inch-lbs., it tightens
no further and emits a loud click, alerting the user that the
cartridge is sufficiently tight.
A detailed instruction manual accompanies the
r7 quad and clearly explains how to proper install, remove and
care for the TLC cartridges and TLC ports.
Our testers found that while a little intimidating
upon first observation, the ease at which the weights could be
changed and the resulting benefits derived from experimentation
of different positions were indeed worth the minimal effort on
their behalf.
What also emanated from our 25 testers was their
unanimous opinion on just how superbly solid the driver felt and
the extra distance they received. 24 of the 25 testers stated
that upon the r7 release, they would become owners.
Inverted Cone Technology: A
Larger COR Zone for Consistently Longer Drives
 Like
the 300 Series and R500 Series drivers before it, the r7 quad
club head is built via Pull-Face construction, wherein the clubface
is made separately from the club head. That allows TaylorMade
to cold-roll the clubface from exceptionally strong titanium,
resulting in an exceedingly fast, flexible and light clubface
that permits the r7 quad to bump up against the USGA's COR limit
of .830.
Like the R500 Series, the r7 quad features TaylorMade's
groundbreaking Inverted Cone Technology, known as ICT. The Inverted
Cone, which is milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface,
radically changes the way the club head behaves at impact, resulting
in a larger COR zone (the portion of the clubface that delivers
high COR -- more than .800). ICT makes it possible for a larger
area of the face to deliver consistently higher ball velocity,
resulting in consistently longer drives. An added advantage of
ICT is that the exceptionally light clubface allowed TaylorMade
engineers to redistribute the saved weight within the club head.
M.A.S.2 7 High-Performance Shaft
The r7 quad is equipped with TaylorMade's M.A.S.2
7 graphite shaft, weighing 65 grams and available in TS, S, R,
and M flexes. Custom shaft options will be available starting
July 15.
The r7 quad is available in lofts of 7.5, 8.5,
9.5 and 10.5 degrees. The manufacturer's suggested retail price
is $600. Limited availability begins in stores starting June 1;
full distribution will be reached by June 15. Retailers report
that are already taking lists for the r7.
Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of
the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is also
a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the California
Golf Writers Association and a Mediator for the golf industry.
He is a contributing writer to numerous national magazines. He
can be reached at drlotz@cbsgolf.net |
