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 golfs 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, TaylorMades 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 winners 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 TaylorMades 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 TaylorMades 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.