Taylormade R15 Driver Review – Is it Good for High Handicappers & Forgiving?

Taylormade R15 Driver Review

“The Taylormade R15 driver is one of the most decorated and acclaimed drivers that the company has ever produced.”

Still, in 2023, the Taylormade R15 is nearly a decade old. It was released in 2014 and immediately made a splash (as Taylormade is wont to do) thanks to features like the front positioned sliding split mass weighting system.

But does it have anything to offer high handicap golfers in 2023? After all, a lot of technology has advanced since 2014. We wanted to find out if the Taylormade R15 was still a viable driver so we sent our high handicap (20+) out to the driving range with it.

The Taylormade R Driver Family

“High handicappers may also want to check out other entries in the Taylormade R driver family like the R7.”

The Taylormade R7 has a striking design and tunable weight ports. If you want to be able to shape your shot for optimal distance and launch, the Taylormade R7 would be a good choice. It also has inverted cone technology so the face is very forgiving.

Like the Taylormade R15, the R7 is a 460cc driver so you get plenty of power behind your drives.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

“After just one testing session, our testers confirmed that the Taylormade R15 was a great choice for high handicappers.”

In fact, they went as far as to say that it would be good for mid and low handicappers as well. A lot of that has to do with the dual sliding weights. While most drivers have just one weight that you can position in the draw, neutral or fade positions, the Taylormade R15 has two weights along the same sliding track.

Each of the weights is 12.5 grams. Two weights means you can fix your draw while still yielding low spin rates. Or you can fix your fade and add just a splash of draw bias to stabilize the head.

Of course, better players can put both the weights in the middle for exceptionally low launch and spin rates. The Taylormade R15 basically has something for everyone – and that includes high handicappers.

Is it Forgiving?

“While our testers praised the versatility and shot-correcting capability of the Taylormade R15, they did have one complaint.”

They mentioned that it was a little difficult to align the Taylormade R15 accurately behind the ball. They cited the all white crown for this. The biggest flaw of the Taylormade R15 driver is certainly the white crown.

The ball kind of disappears into the driver head on your downswing which can detriment the accuracy of your drives. There is a gray-ish alignment marker that helps you maintain orientation; but if you’re not keeping a sharp eye out, you can easily miss it.

Other than that, our testers loved the forgiveness of this driver. They mentioned that the face was very forgiving on mis-hits and that once you get the weights where you like them, it’s nearly impossible to mis-hit.

Difference Between the Taylormade R15 and Taylormad R7 Drivers 

“The Taylormade R15 certainly has a more traditional design.”

The R7 has tunable weight ports which take more time to adjust than the sliding track weights of the Taylormade R15. While tunability is similar between these two drivers, the weighting system of the Taylormade R15 is just more refined.

Available Shafts

• Fujikura Speeder Evolution 57
• Mitsubishi Diamana B-Series 80
• Fujikura Vista Pro 55
• Fujikura Motore Speeder 661

Is the Taylormade R15 Driver Worth it?

“The Taylormade R15 is certainly worth it if you’re looking for a driver that is forgiving and one that can fix your big mis-hit.”

It also doesn’t hurt that in 2023, the Taylormade R15 sells for a very reasonable price. If you can deal with the white crown, then the Taylormade R15 is an excellent driver no matter what your handicap is. In terms of distance, the Taylormade R15 will be a homerun for almost any player.

Our testers mentioned that when they got the weights in the optimal position (subjective for each player), they were getting 10+ extra yards with the Taylormade R15.

Taylormade R15

In 20 Words or Less

“The Taylormade R15 is almost infinitely tunable and can be gamed by players of all skill levels.”

Taylormade R15 – First Impressions

“The first thing our testers noticed was the weight of this club.”

Even with the stock shaft, our testers said the Taylormade R15 driver was lightweight. When they got to swinging, some noticed a huge slice; but that was because they hadn’t dialed in the optimal weight positioning for their swing.

It can take some time to get used to the Taylormade R15 and we have a bit of advice for those who buy this driver: once you set the weights where you like them, try not to change them.

Or at least take a picture of the exact positioning because changing the weights will have a drastic impact on your drives.

Taylormade R15 Selling Points

• Dual sliding weights
• It can be adjusted for very low spin rates
• Weights are placed in the front to reduce side spin
• 460cc head
• Very forgiving

Who is the Taylormade R15 Driver For?

 

“The Taylormade R15 will be a distance enhancer for almost every kind of player.”

We admit that the Taylormade R15 could be a bit more forgiving if it had rear weighting. However, the split mass front weighting can make up for a lot of that lost MOI. Also, the Taylormade R15 has an adjustable loft sleeve.

The tandem of the loft sleeve and adjustable front weights means that you can optimize this driver no matter how you like to swing.

The Taylormade R Family of Drivers

If you aren’t sold on the Taylormade R15, the R1 driver is also extremely adjustable. You can adjust the face angle, the loft and the CG.

Distance: 97/100

Accuracy: 96/100

Forgiveness: 95/100

Feel & Control: 96/100

 

Overall Score: 96/100

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