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Asian Arrival: Introducing TaylorMade's R9 SuperTri
Asian Golf Monthly Team
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TaylorMade's R9 SuperTri driver.
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Carlsbad (March 4): First came the R9 driver, which combined Flight Control Technology (FCT) and Movable Weight Technology (MWT) with three movable weights in a 420 cc head. Next came the R9 MAX driver with FCT in a larger and more forgiving 460 cc head.
“Those two drivers were created because TaylorMade didn’t yet have the ability to combine both FCT and MWT in a 460 cc head,” said Todd Beach, TaylorMade's senior director of metalwood development. “A year later, we do.”
Introducing the R9 SuperTri driver, which combines FCT and MWT with three movable weights in a 460 cc head; this marks the ultimate unification of TaylorMade’s major driver technologies with maximum size to deliver massive distance and forgiveness.
The R9 SuperTri was made possible by two crucial developments by TaylorMade engineers that saved enough weight to allow FCT and MWT to co-exist in a 460 cc head.
The first is better, more widespread use of TaylorMade’s Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology throughout the clubhead. The second is a new, lighter FCT sleeve that does everything the former one did while weighing three grams less.
FCT + MWT + 460cc = Supreme Adjustability, Distance and Forgiveness
The impact of incorporating FCT and MWT into a 460 cc head is enormous. The larger head is more forgiving, and its CG (centre of gravity) is two millimetres farther back in the head than the R9 driver, making it easier to launch the ball higher and with more spin, helping players gain more distance. At the same time, the inclusion of MWT with three weights promotes a side-to-side trajectory change of up to 75 yards.
Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) is also a crucial piece of the R9 SuperTri's make-up. Though it's milled onto the back of the clubface where it's out of sight, ICT plays a critical role by dramatically increasing the area of the clubface that delivers fast ball speed, promoting more distance on off-centre hits.
R9 SuperTri Features Reshaped Crown, Lighter Shaft
The R9 SuperTri's clubhead is sleeker than previous R9 driver heads, thanks to a reshaped crown that reduces wind resistance. Though the shape is more aerodynamic, the face is the deepest (62 mm) TaylorMade has ever incorporated into a driver with MWT, and is deeper than most other competitive drivers currently on the market. Visually, the R9 SuperTri clubhead is stunning, thanks to its new shape and its black-on-black colour scheme, including a black PVD clubface last seen in the r7 SuperQuad.
The R9 SuperTri is equipped with a new Fujikura Motore 55-gram shaft, which is five grams lighter than the Motore 60 used in the R9 driver. In addition to being lighter, this shaft’s lower kickpoint makes it easier to launch the ball on a higher launch angle which helps many players achieve longer carry for increased distance.
R9 SuperTri: The Most Advanced TaylorMade Driver Ever
The R9 SuperTri unites four viable performance technologies: FCT, MWT, UTW and ICT. Never before have four such impactful, performance-enhancing technologies been combined so effectively in a single driver. Plus, there’s the superior aerodynamics of the new crown shape.
The R9 SuperTri and R9 SuperTri TP are the most advanced, highest-performing drivers TaylorMade has ever developed with distance-producing power and shot-straightening abilities created by their combined clubhead size, clubhead design, performance technologies and shaft specifications.
The R9 SuperTri includes three weights – 16-gram, 1-gram, 1-gram – and an FCT torque wrench. It’s available in several lofts and shaft flexes. The R9 SuperTri TP features the same head as the R9 SuperTri, but with Tour Preferred Fujikura Motore F1 65-gram shaft.
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