This videos alone was enough to make me subscribe. Thanks for showing value and performance can be had for the budget minded golfer. I know my swing speed or mechanics aren’t equal to this golfers but it shows me that I need to spend money on lessons not clubs. This is very appreciated.
Currently play the callaway gbb epic. Can’t ask for anything else in a driver. Have it cut about .75 inch short and I would say it’s something all amateurs should consider. The shortening of the shaft increases distance. Very little to no club head speed loss. While ball speed goes up due to finding the center considerably more often.
Great video! I never owned a TM M driver, But it’s clear here that the 2016 M2 was the winner. I also read and seen great results that that was probably the best driver TM ever made
Thanks for watching, Stephen! The 2016 M2 has been a winner for a few years now. It's a great option for golfers that don't want to pay top dollar but want top performance.
Interesting test guys! Would love to see something comparing previous generations from the same manufacturer and showing how much difference there really is between the models now vs from 3-4 years ago: M2/M4/M6/SIM Max or M1/M3/M5/SIM, Epic/Rogue/Flash/Mavrik, F7/F8/F9/SpeedZone, etc.
Thanks for watching! Interesting you mention that, Chris -- we just recently had the chance to film for the first time in months (outside while practicing social distancing!) and put together a test of the last four driver models from a particular manufacturer! Stay tuned.
SLDR driver is just fine for me ,lofted it up as Taylormade recommend to do back when they had their loft up campaign ,and I am very happy I watched this video .The sldr driver will be staying in my bag for a few years sure .Thanks guys and always enjoy your professional advise and videos .Cheers Graham
The factor which amazes me is ball spin. Considering that the ball is only actually in flight for about 6 seconds, the actual number of rotations which takes place is minimal, yet yields so much difference in total distance. For example a ball spinning at 2200 is described as low spin, compared to one at 2500 rpm. The 300rpm difference is per minute, so in the 6 seconds flight window we're only talking about 5pms/second.....30rpms in the full flight time. It's nuts really that it seemingly makes such a big difference.
Kiddos to 2nd Swing for these videos. I love playing clubs from 2003-2008 because that’s the time I was playing the most - newlywed with no kids and large disposable income for golf. Realized that when I got back playing in 2015/2016 a lot had changed in drivers. Gone through Ping G30, G SFT and G400 Max and Taylormade M2. All amazing and at today’s prices on 2nd Swing I can purchase 2 at a time for less than a new one and later trade it for something new once I feel like I can justify it within my game.
Very interesting as I have always found it difficult to find a driver I like and have confidence with re consistency and reasonable distance as a senior. After moving from the ping g30 to the ts2 I thought I might have found something but was mistaken. The club that performed for me though I did not buy it (yet- maybe now that the price has fallen considerably also as a leftie) was the pxg gen 2 but with a customised counterbalanced shaft the fujikura Ventura 5r (another 200 bucks for the shaft). However I went around to see what was around from older clubs and to my surprise I ended up with the ping g400 lst 8.5 degrees which I am finding reliable and decent so good to see this is the mix. Never found an m2 leftie so did not get to try it nor a gbb epic though a new epic flash also seemed good but did not want to spend that much on it as am holding out for the pxg.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, the G400 drivers have been excellent for PING and are still some of the best-performing models on the market, as our test shows!
As an FYI Trackman has difficulty picking up the club head speed of clubs with a carbon crown like the M2 or Epic, that's what leads to the variation in smash, essentially a misread on club speed.
@@2ndswing - Well, my grip, stance, and leading arm have been wrong. I somehow drifted away from when my swing was real good back in June. But when I do hit it well, I would say I get an extra 30-40 yards. I may have to visit 2nd Swing next summer for something nice. Rafa
Great video guys!!!! Thinking about buying another driver (I have a 2010 burner driver) and tossing up between an RBZ, M2 or Ping G 400 which are around my price range. What would you recommend out of those? Obviously RBZ is the cheaper out of the 3
Funny... I’ve gone through/ tested a lot of drivers in the last 5 years (much to my wife’s chagrin 😂) But keep coming back to my Titleist 910 d2. Something about the feel of that club... Does probably spin a little much but keeps staying in the bag.
Thanks for watching Kevin! The SIM probably compares more to the SLDR than the M6 does. M6 and SIM Max will likely spin a bit more, while the SIM and M5 are lower spinning
When you think about that, its just crazy, current drivers are upwards $500 and an Epic with a quality shaft, maybe $100 ? One reason I do enjoy these tests.
For an older driver, the RBZ stage 2 is as long and almost as low spin as the SLDR but more forgiving. The SLDR is unplayable unless you are right on the sweet spot with every hit. M2 or Stage 2 is the way to go.
@@segogandoel3216 I just played with one of my son's friends who has an 07 Burner. After trying my G20 driver on the 4th hole, he didn't hit his Burner again and asked me to find him a used G20 on Ebay. I hit it a couple times and the face is more rounded than the Ping drivers. Seemed hard to control the direction and it was 20 yards shorter than my G20.
In comparison with the other drivers, the Cobra was a dud. Spin too high, very inconsistent in spin rate (500 rpm between highest & lowest, other drivers were c.100 rpm difference). Epic might have been longer but the consistency of the M2 was very impressive & the G400 appears to be a robot!
Sorry guys....I’ve had sldr, and ALL I’ve ever heard from others as well, is that SLDR. ..? Low spin...yes. Long....yes. But..........SLDR Is NOT Forgiving !!!!! Lol
Thanks for watching, Chris! To your point, the SLDR is definitely the least forgiving of all the drivers in this test. It was a low-spin machine for its time, though!
This videos alone was enough to make me subscribe. Thanks for showing value and performance can be had for the budget minded golfer. I know my swing speed or mechanics aren’t equal to this golfers but it shows me that I need to spend money on lessons not clubs. This is very appreciated.
Thank you for watching and providing your feedback!
Currently play the callaway gbb epic. Can’t ask for anything else in a driver. Have it cut about .75 inch short and I would say it’s something all amateurs should consider. The shortening of the shaft increases distance. Very little to no club head speed loss. While ball speed goes up due to finding the center considerably more often.
Great video! I never owned a TM M driver, But it’s clear here that the 2016 M2 was the winner. I also read and seen great results that that was probably the best driver TM ever made
Thanks for watching, Stephen! The 2016 M2 has been a winner for a few years now. It's a great option for golfers that don't want to pay top dollar but want top performance.
Interesting test guys! Would love to see something comparing previous generations from the same manufacturer and showing how much difference there really is between the models now vs from 3-4 years ago: M2/M4/M6/SIM Max or M1/M3/M5/SIM, Epic/Rogue/Flash/Mavrik, F7/F8/F9/SpeedZone, etc.
Thanks for watching! Interesting you mention that, Chris -- we just recently had the chance to film for the first time in months (outside while practicing social distancing!) and put together a test of the last four driver models from a particular manufacturer! Stay tuned.
I’ve had the Ping G30 for about 5 years and love it. Just got the G400 5 wood and love that too. Might have to get a G400 Driver as well!
PING's prior-generation equipment from the past few years is still pretty darn solid!
Still play my M2 driver and 3 wood. Love them.
They're great clubs!
SLDR driver is just fine for me ,lofted it up as Taylormade recommend to do back when they had their loft up campaign ,and I am very happy I watched this video .The sldr driver will be staying in my bag for a few years sure .Thanks guys and always enjoy your professional advise and videos .Cheers Graham
Thanks for watching! SLDR goes just as far on the center strikes! - Thomas
I think the 2016 M2 is the best driver Taylormade ever made. I don't know how I missed this video , better late than never. Lol
The 2016 M2 still competes very well with current generation models!
2016 TM M2 , Ping Anser, Ping G400, GBB Epic, Epic Speed, TH M6, SIM 2 …. All great
A bunch of awesome drivers!
The factor which amazes me is ball spin. Considering that the ball is only actually in flight for about 6 seconds, the actual number of rotations which takes place is minimal, yet yields so much difference in total distance. For example a ball spinning at 2200 is described as low spin, compared to one at 2500 rpm. The 300rpm difference is per minute, so in the 6 seconds flight window we're only talking about 5pms/second.....30rpms in the full flight time. It's nuts really that it seemingly makes such a big difference.
Titleist 915 best for me . Thought that was a very popular driver. Five years later still using it cause it works. Own two of them
Nice, Gerry! Titleist 915 and Titleist 917 are both excellent driver series as well. Still being played on Tour.
Kiddos to 2nd Swing for these videos. I love playing clubs from 2003-2008 because that’s the time I was playing the most - newlywed with no kids and large disposable income for golf. Realized that when I got back playing in 2015/2016 a lot had changed in drivers. Gone through Ping G30, G SFT and G400 Max and Taylormade M2. All amazing and at today’s prices on 2nd Swing I can purchase 2 at a time for less than a new one and later trade it for something new once I feel like I can justify it within my game.
Hey, do y’all think that bc the M2 was 10.5° that it was higher and spinnier than the GBB Epic. Also the M2 has a steeper landing angle.
Great video! I especially love Drew's glove tan lines....:)
Haha Thanks for watching - Thomas
Very interesting as I have always found it difficult to find a driver I like and have confidence with re consistency and reasonable distance as a senior. After moving from the ping g30 to the ts2 I thought I might have found something but was mistaken. The club that performed for me though I did not buy it (yet- maybe now that the price has fallen considerably also as a leftie) was the pxg gen 2 but with a customised counterbalanced shaft the fujikura Ventura 5r (another 200 bucks for the shaft). However I went around to see what was around from older clubs and to my surprise I ended up with the ping g400 lst 8.5 degrees which I am finding reliable and decent so good to see this is the mix. Never found an m2 leftie so did not get to try it nor a gbb epic though a new epic flash also seemed good but did not want to spend that much on it as am holding out for the pxg.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, the G400 drivers have been excellent for PING and are still some of the best-performing models on the market, as our test shows!
As an FYI Trackman has difficulty picking up the club head speed of clubs with a carbon crown like the M2 or Epic, that's what leads to the variation in smash, essentially a misread on club speed.
Correct, IRL they should be following ball speeds. Also some of the spin numbers were calculated in stead of measured.
Glad I bought my used M2 recently. Quite an upgrade from my Top Flight starter driver.
That is quite the upgrade in forgiveness, What have been your distance gains? - Thomas
@@2ndswing - Well, my grip, stance, and leading arm have been wrong. I somehow drifted away from when my swing was real good back in June. But when I do hit it well, I would say I get an extra 30-40 yards. I may have to visit 2nd Swing next summer for something nice.
Rafa
Thomas' club head speed increased with each driver as he warmed up favoring the drivers that came later.
Great video guys, thanks.
Great video guys!!!!
Thinking about buying another driver (I have a 2010 burner driver) and tossing up between an RBZ, M2 or Ping G 400 which are around my price range. What would you recommend out of those? Obviously RBZ is the cheaper out of the 3
G400 for the nest forgiveness. M2 for a little more distance. RBZ won't be as forgiving as the other two - Thomas
@@2ndswing Thankyou for the reply, much appreciated
Funny... I’ve gone through/ tested a lot of drivers in the last 5 years (much to my wife’s chagrin 😂)
But keep coming back to my Titleist 910 d2. Something about the feel of that club...
Does probably spin a little much but keeps staying in the bag.
I hit the exact same SLDR. I'm thinking about the SIM. Would you recommend that or maybe the M6?
Thanks for watching Kevin! The SIM probably compares more to the SLDR than the M6 does. M6 and SIM Max will likely spin a bit more, while the SIM and M5 are lower spinning
Love my m1 3 wood
These older drivers showed better results than the May 29th test done with 2020 drivers ?
Hence why we ranked them as the top 5 drivers of the past decade. Still competing with the newest models!
When you think about that, its just crazy, current drivers are upwards $500 and an Epic with a quality shaft, maybe $100 ? One reason I do enjoy these tests.
For an older driver, the RBZ stage 2 is as long and almost as low spin as the SLDR but more forgiving. The SLDR is unplayable unless you are right on the sweet spot with every hit. M2 or Stage 2 is the way to go.
Thanks for sharing info.
How about taylormade Burner 2007?
Is it true that it is very forgiving or easy to hit?
@@segogandoel3216 I just played with one of my son's friends who has an 07 Burner. After trying my G20 driver on the 4th hole, he didn't hit his Burner again and asked me to find him a used G20 on Ebay. I hit it a couple times and the face is more rounded than the Ping drivers. Seemed hard to control the direction and it was 20 yards shorter than my G20.
In comparison with the other drivers, the Cobra was a dud. Spin too high, very inconsistent in spin rate (500 rpm between highest & lowest, other drivers were c.100 rpm difference). Epic might have been longer but the consistency of the M2 was very impressive & the G400 appears to be a robot!
Thanks for watching, Justin! Yes, the Epic, G400 and M2 have both been gems for a few years now. All great options!
They used the wrong model for this guys swing speed!
This video has as much personality as a rock
Ok enough, i need to know. Did Thomas leave Australia when he was 14 years old or something, then move OS? Really trying to work out that accent 😄
Close! Thomas is originally from New Zealand.
Titleist 905R. Unbeatable
Ping G400 it is for me!
Thank you for watching!
@@2ndswing great video! Goes to show that for weekend hack like me, a $500 driver isn’t going to help my game over an older driver like the G400.
Drew looks like he's 17 in this video 😂
😂😂 back in my prime! - Drew
G400 9 head + speeder NX green shaft = no need to buy new driver ^^
An excellent combo!
Why did yall not use the pro model in the cobra. Much better club!
3
Sorry guys....I’ve had sldr, and ALL I’ve ever heard from others as well, is that SLDR. ..? Low spin...yes. Long....yes. But..........SLDR Is NOT Forgiving !!!!! Lol
Thanks for watching, Chris! To your point, the SLDR is definitely the least forgiving of all the drivers in this test. It was a low-spin machine for its time, though!
You are using the wrong LTD cobra , The pro model is much better for your club head speed!
Cobra LTD pro driver was and still is as good as it gets, especially if you get an up graded shaft!
The SLDER is still $400 used at 2nd Swing
Get on with it 😡
Thanks for watching - Thomas