49 out of 49 people found this review helpful.
Bad To The Bone!!!
Date of Review: Jun 1, 2009
The Bottom Line: The new r9 is forcing price cuts on this monster. At current pricings it is an absolute must see.
Even though it sounds like some sort of badass Carburetor you'd expect to find on an old Pontiac GTO--the r7 Superquad may not be a carburetor, but she's still one mean ol' Badass! I liked the original r7 concept, but I was never 100% won over by the original 425cc r7driver. Then came the r5, then r7 irons. Pretty soon it was r7 this, and r7 that. I freely admit that I do play the r7XD Irons, and if I can lock and load on the current r7 Superquad driver I've located for $59.00 (yeah I may have to buy it just to put it on ebay) there might be a new addition to the set.
I have very strong on again off again relationships with TaylorMade equipment. I hate most of their irons--but I love the set I own. I loved the old Burner 420 driver, but hated the 540. I kind of liked the First Burner Re-Issue, but hated the 580 XD. I think you get the picture. I was lukewarm to the original r7 Driver, but the r5 was an over-priced dog in my opinion. --This particular r7---the 460CC Superquad has to be one of TaylorMade's best offerings. Like the r7 XD Irons--it delivers on the original concept, and pushes the concept as far as possible, without getting hokey about it. This is a businessman's driver!
BALANCE--5 Stars
Very rare that TaylorMade gets that high of a grade from me. This wood swings like a real dream. Not only do you know where the clubhead is at at all times, but the trajectories are adjustable. That was the whole point of adjustable weight technology to begin with--and TaylorMade hit a home run with the balance on this one. The 65 Gram Fuji Reax Shaft is a real winner on this as well. Not only is it light years ahead of the rather indifferent feeling shaft of the old 540/580 models, it just seems to fit into the overall weight scheme much better too. This allows you to stay aware of the clubhead without having to waste focus on doing so in the process.
DISTANCE--5 Stars
This was the longest driver that came out in 2007. Save for a few custom built long drive monsters sporting 47.5" and up shafts, this club could win distance contests hands down. I hit several of them in different loft and shaft combinations. Even a 10.5* Model in Regular Flex was a real ball crusher for me. I hit every loft in an attempt to try and purchase one when they first came out. Unfortunately--I just didn't have the $400 for a ticket to the dance. BUT--now that I've found a few on the cheap, I'm knocking on that door one more time. Just to give you an idea of how hot these things can be--my Cobra --a 2008 model--represents a 10 yard give back to this monster.
FORGIVENESS and WORKABILITY---5 Stars
Not only does this thing forgive, afterall, she sports a 460CC head vs. her original 425CC--but she has the weight thing going on again. Now let's see. I have a semi-repeatable swing, which usually draws the ball slightly left. I can set the weights neutral to keep the draw, or increase them at the heel for even more draw, set them a little right to straighten it out---or heavy right to make my draw a fade. Gee--I think I'd call that workable. (Even if it is mechanically, and not completely organically derived.) Hey, c'mon now. The weight kit has 2 -12 gram and 2-1 gram weights. The possibilities are pretty phenomenal.
TECHS and SPECS--5 Stars
THis is one of the few drivers out there tha still offers an 8.5* model for those who don't want to have to upgrade to a TP Version. You can get 8.5--9.5--10.5--and 12* models. That's a lot of offerings for a TaylorMade Model without having to go to offset or super high launch versions. The shaft is definitely one of the better Fuji offerings. The 65 Grams is a constant. The torque rating is pretty low in a tight range of 3.1-3.3* across all flexes. The shaft also offers a nice medium firm tip w/a medium to low kick-point to match. Nice touch!
OVERALL--5 Stars
With the current price drop thanks to the need to push the r9 into the marketplace--this thing is a tremendous bargain. Trust me--they need to get rid of these things. When you can start picking up a tour quality driver for 25 cents on the dollar--it's time to look at these on a value basis alone. Leave us not forget, however, that this thing also offers distance, balance, and workability. What the heck else could you possibly want from your driver?
