Waggle Room Reviews TaylorMade R9 460 Driver

Last month - actually, almost exactly a month ago - we reviewed the Nike Dymo STR8-FIT adjustable driver and made a comparison to TaylorMade's R9 series driver.  Around the time of that review though, TaylorMade came back to the market with a driver much more comparable to the STR8-FIT.  It is the R9 460 and, in terms of specs, is a near replica of the STR8-FIT.

As I lamented in my STR8-FIT review, the comparison between it and the R9 was a bit unfair on a few levels.  In response, TaylorMade contacted me and shipped out an R9 460.

First, before I review the R9 460, let me explain the primary differences between the R9 and the R9 460 models.  The R9 is a 420CC driver that features both movable weight technology that began with the R7 and interchangeable shaft technology.  The R9 460 is a 460CC driver that features just interchangeable shaft technology.  The weights are fixed in the driver.  This feature set positions the R9 460 as a direct competitor to the STR8-FIT.

The R9 460 allows the users to adjust the lie angle and open/shut the face plus or minus two degrees with the provided wrench.  With eight combinations available, a player can adjust the club to create a psychological comfort level when looking at the club - or the more advanced player can tune their driver to perform in accordance with their mechanics.

The R9 460 features a 45.75" Fujikura Motore 65 gram shaft.  Other custom shafts are available for the product.  It is very comparable to the UST shaft found in the STR8-FIT.  Also, the shaft and grip are designed such as to provide no visual distraction to the player regardless of the shaft and clubhead setting being used.  The combination of these settings proved to be a little bit lighter and easier on the fingers than the STR8-FIT.

In my initial comparison of the adjustable drivers, I found the contrast in profiles of the R9 and STR8-FIT to be daunting.  That was almost entirely due to head size.  That shock was totally muted when comparing to the R9 460.  The two look nearly identical at address - save for Taylor Made's inverted cone shape that was the distinguishing characteristic.

Hitting the R9 460 was a treat.  It provided crisp audible feedback that was not quite as loud as the STR8-FIT.  The tactile feedback was solid and comparable to the STR8-FIT, but a vast improvement over the original R9.  I hit the ball off of the tee around the same distance and ball flight as the STR8-FIT - both of which provided a lower ball flight than the Nicklaus driver that I was using.

Adjusting the settings on the R9 460 was simple enough.  There is an adjustable bolt that is unscrewed by the provided wrench.  Never fear losing the bolt because it cannot be completely removed from the club.  Select the setting that you would like, line it up with the arrow on the hosel, and screw the bolt back in until you hear a loud click.  It's that simple.

As I mentioned in my review of the STR8-FIT, a player would be hard pressed to call this a bad purchase.  Advanced golfers - 15 or below handicaps - are much more likely to benefit from the adjustable technology than higher-handicap players, but that is only ironically due to their consistency with their swing.

The R9 460 retails for about $300, which was about $100 cheaper than the Nike STR8-FIT just a month ago.  Since, Nike has matched TaylorMade in terms of price.