Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by, today we’ve got an independent review of the TaylorMade R11s. This driver came on the heels of the new RBZ line, and by the sounds of this review, it my have been a mistake by TaylorMade. Enjoy!
Looks
The TaylorMade r11s driver, the next generation of the R11 features plenty of innovation on the 460 cc club head design. Similar to any TaylorMade wood these days, the R11s features an all white crown with black clubface. The club head utilizes a triangular shape that provides a higher MOI by utilizing deeper, farther-forward CG position.
The Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP) technology allows you to adjust the face angle independently of the loft, and vice versa. The five face angles are made possible by the improved ASP Technology of the R11S are neutral, slightly open, open, slightly closed and closed. The ASP is a red adjustable plate found on the sole of the club.
Flight Control Technology (FCT) allows you to change the orientation of the driver head with the shaft to effectively adjust the loft up or down, giving you 8 choices of lie and loft and face angles that range from +/- 1.5° of lie and +/- 1.5° of loft and +/- 3° of face angle.
The R11s features two weight ports, one in the toe and one in the heel. The Moveable Weight Technology allows you to change the 1 gram and 10 gram weight to manipulate ball flight.
Performance
I tested the R11s 9 degree driver with the stiff TaylorMade RIP Phenom 60 gram stock shaft. I mainly tested the club in a neutral face angle, standard loft and lie and draw bias with 10 gram weight in heel and 1 gram weight in toe weight port.
The R11s is designed to allow the player to manipulate ball flight. Testing yielded basically a mid ball flight with minimal movement. With a few of the adjustments of the club, I was able to produce a much higher launch and ball flight. I struggled with a slight push on many of the shots. Distance was average. Maybe my experience with the RBZ spoiled it, but the R11s failed to meet my expectations. In reality for my game and swing, the RBZ stock specifications outperformed the R11s stock specifications. I’m not sure if this club release was really necessary, as it was not much of an improvement on the original.
The R11s might feel a bit overwhelming when you first purchase the club. However, the instructions are fairly simple to follow. The easy to follow instructions show you exactly what adjustments to make to achieve your desired ball flight. Overall, I was actually disappointed with this drivers performance.
Feel
The R11s has a heavier feel with a D4 swing weight. Impact produces a very loud crack (almost too lound, in my opinion). The ball feels fairly consistent due to TaylorMade’s patented Inverted Cone Technology, which promotes a larger sweet spot on off-center hits. There was not a big difference on off-center hits.
Value
The TaylorMade R11s is one of the most technologically advanced drivers available today. Technology comes with a price, which makes it one of the most expensive drivers as well with a retail value of $399.99 (but by comparison to the $499 pricetag of the R7, I guess this is pretty reasonable). While I struggled with the R11’s consistency, I realize it is still a great driver. Some clubs fit swings better than others and I would probably benefit from a slightly different shaft. The R11s has a solid representation at all levels, including the Professional Tours. The price tag will scare some players away and the RBZ is an excellent alternative from TaylorMade.